Bavarian brothers: Bayern and Siemens form new technology alliance
July 4 – Munich-based German engineering firm Siemens has been named as the Performance Partner of FC Bayern München in a three-year deal starting with the new season.
Football Marketing
BODYARMOR takes a tournament sponsorship slug of the Gold Cup
July 3 – With the CONCACAF Gold Cup kicking off next Friday (July 7), BODYARMOR SuperDrink has signed up as the tournament’s hydration partner. The launch was given star power with the roll out of NBA superstar Kobe Bryant at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles.
Italian federation sets October date for first Hackathon in Trento
June 30 – The Italian FA (FIGC) is to run its first Hackathon in conjunction with the University of Trento October 15-16. The FIGC is inviting registrations to event which is open to participants internationally.
PSG vs Juve, Barca vs Real: Miami prepares to put on a party for Europe’s giants
June 29 – It may be a month to go before the match but Relevent Sports, organisers of the International Champions Cup, are ramping up the promotion of the El Clásico clash between Barcelona and Real Madrid at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on July 29.
Man City times eSports tournament for US fans with pre-season tour
June 27 – Manchester City is venturing into the area of eSports promotion and will host its first eSports tournament open to fans in the US – the Man City FIFA 17 Cup – on the Battlefy platform to coincide with the club’s pre-season 2017 tour to the US.
Mexico gear up for new national team sponsorship with Jeep deal
June 27 – FCA Mexico and the FCA National Dealer Association of Mexico have announced a two-year sponsorship of Mexico’s National Soccer team which will see the Jeep brand providing the official vehicles for the Mexican national team.
Tax hike forces SportPesa to drop Kenyan sponsorships but its Euro deals hold strong
June 27 – Kenyan online betting operator SportPesa is to pull out of its sponsorship of the Kenyan Premier League and the Kenyan Football Federation after the government introduced a new law imposing a 35% tax rate of gross profit on all gambling activities.
Bundesliga reports record crowds at 40,693 per game and 91% full over season
June 26 – Germany’s Bundesliga has reported a new attendance record for its top two divisions in the 2016/17 season.
FA cashes out of gaming sponsorship ending Ladbrokes deal after just one season
By Mark Baber
June 23 – After a three month review, the FA is to end all sponsorship with betting companies starting from the end of the 2016-17 season.
Tempobet puts its money on Burton Albion for second season in Championship
June 22 – On the same day that the English FA were ending their Ladbrokes deal and all brand association with betting sponsors, Burton Albion in the English Football League Championship were announcing the renewal of their shirt sponsorship with Tempobet.
Bournemouth lay foundations for mansion in Asia with M88 shirt deal
June 22 – Premier League Bournemouth have signed a record sponsorship deal with online gaming company Mansion, continuing the relationship with the firm whose M88 logo will appear on the front of the Cherries’ home, away and third shirts.
Telemundo hits record high with Mexico’s Confederations Cup performance
June 21 – Telemundo is reporting record broadcast numbers on its digital platforms for its coverage of the Confederations Cup 2017 from Russia. Nielsen ratings report that the Portugal vs. Mexico reached 4 million total viewers on Telemundo and ranks as the most streamed match ever on Telemundo’s digital platforms.
Man City expands in Asia with K8.com as regional betting partner
June 21 – Premier League Manchester City has signed Philippines-based on-line gaming company Kai-Fa Yule K8.com as the club’s official betting partner in Asia.
Saudi Arabia to challenge BeIN sports rights deals with new channel launches
June 19 – With the Gulf diplomatic crisis continuing, reports suggest Saudi Arabia plans to set up new TV channels to challenge the regional dominance of Qatar’s BeIN Sports which is banned in the country, but is the dominant regional player in the sports rights market holding most of the key international league and national team properties.
FIFA and Facebook combine to launch AR 3D mask app
June 20 – FIFA has embraced the new Augmented Reality (AR) technology opportunity on the Facebook platform to give fans a new way of showing their support for their teams.