Chivas blends into Man Utd programme as global spirits partner
August 8 – Manchester United has agreed a sponsorship with blended Scotch whisky brand Chivas to become the club’s official global spirits partner.
Author: Paul Nicholson
IMG launch Serie A Pass via its OTT platform, ESPN grab US rights
August 8 – Sports agency IMG, that is rapidly expanding its broadcast capability, has launched Serie A Pass for OTT subscribers.
LETOU drops Swansea but bets on Inter Milan for regional growth
August 8 – Philippines-based online gambling operator LETOU has become Internazionale Milano’s first Asian online gaming partner. It is also the first step into Serie A club sponsorship for the betting firm.
Genius Sports expands with opening of Lausanne office
August 8 – Sports data and technology specialists Genius Sports has opened a new office in Lausanne, Switzerland. The company now has offices in over 20 locations worldwide including London, Los Angeles and Medellin.
Kroenke’s £600m outguns Usmanov to take control at Arsenal
By Andrew Warshaw
August 7 – American billionaire Stan Kroenke, the major shareholder in Premier League Arsenal, looks set to buy the rest of the club in a deal that would value it at £1.8 billion but which, while unifying the shareholding under one owner, is already splitting opinion amongst supporters.
IMG launches OTT challenger channel Strive in Scandinavia with LaLiga and SerieA rights
August 7 – Sports agency IMG is launching itself into the broadcast market in Scandinavia with its own OTT channel Strive, that will broadcast Spain’s LaLiga and Italy’s Serie A exclusively live.
FIFA broker resolution to Aussie governance issues, but Lowy not happy
August 7 – Four months after stepping into a festering internal dispute among Australia’s football stakeholders, a FIFA working group has come up with a proposed solution to the impasse.
Man City to swap Nike for Puma as part of CFG group deal
August 7 – Manchester City will have a new kit supplier from the 2019/20 season as part of a £50 million multi-club deal negotiated by parent company City Football Group.
New launch MoPlay betting app wagers on building a dynasty with Man Utd
August 7 – Manchester United has signed a multi-year global partnership with new launch mobile betting app MoPlay. The new mobile betting and gaming brand takes over from Marathonbet.
Emirates baulk at €80m renewal of PSG shirt sponsorship
August 7 – Paris Saint-Germain are set to ditch Emirates as their shirt sponsor at the end of the upcoming season.
Celtic fan abuses former Rangers hero Nacho Novo at Belfast airport
August 7 – A small Belfast club has denounced what it describes as “vile sectarian abuse” towards a former Glasgow Rangers player while he was their guest in the city.
Monaco join Barcelona and Schalke in Konami-backed eFootball.Pro league
August 7 – Monaco is the third club to officially announce it is entering a professional eSports team in the Konami-backed eFootball.Pro league. Monaco join already announced FC Barcelona and Schalke 04 for the inaugural season.
Iraq break new ground in West Bank with 3-0 friendly win over Palestine
August 6 – In a first not just for football but also for geopolitics, Iraq broke new ground on Saturday by playing its first-ever match in the Palestinian territories, beating the home side 3-0 in a friendly.
Former Bolivian FA boss Chavez dies in hospital after release from prison
August 6 – Former Bolivian football boss Carlos Chavez, one of those caught up in the FifaGate scandal, has died in hospital in Brazil according to local reports.
France open U20 Women’s World Cup with win, England take DPR Korea’s unbeaten record
August 6 – France kicked off the U-20 Women’s World Cup on home soil with an emphatic 4-1 win over Ghana, on an opening day of the tournament held plenty of surprises with defending champions DPR Korea slipping to defeat against England, debutants the Netherlands defeating New Zealand and Mexico recording a first-ever win over Brazil.