Real Madrid dial in Telefónica for a 2-year €15m deal
March 30 – Spanish telecom giant Telefónica is partnering with Real Madrid as both brands seek to maximise their leading positions at home and abroad.
Football Marketing
EPFL data deal hooks up leagues with leading betting data providers
March 30 – The Association of European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL) has brokered a deal between eight of its leagues and three commercial partners – Perform Group, Sportradar and Genius Sports – to collect and supply official data to the betting industry.
Vauxhall to park its lead sponsorships of British nations after Russia 2018 finals
March 29 – Vauxhall is to end its sponsorship deals with the four British nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland at the end of the 2018 World Cup, when its current agreements expire.
Arsenal deepen reach into China with BNN, enhanced content and coaches programme
March 29 – Premier League Arsenal is expanding its partnership with Chinese firm BNN Technology to support a grassroots public participation programme in the country.
Tweets down but followers up as Chelsea overtake Arsenal in return to second spot
March 28 – In a week of international fixtures that has seen growth in the number of tweets made by Premier League clubs down by more than 50% on the previous week, growth in followers has increased by 11.5%.
La Liga keeps focus on Asia with Singapore office and ‘local’ kick offs
March 24 – Spain’s top division will carry on changing kick off times to suit the Asian market in a bid to increase its market share and boost brand awareness, says La Liga president Javier Tebas (pictured).
Belgian Pro League TV rights edge towards €80m mark
By Samindra Kunti
March 24 – The Italian agency MP & Silva is tendering the TV rights of the Belgian Pro League for the next three seasons. Fast developing broadcaster Eleven Sports is keen on acquiring the rights, a deal which would shake up the market for the league’s rights.
OM closes book on their Adidas era, focussing on a new future with Puma
By Paul Nicholson
March 24 – It will be a symbolic statement of intent as much as a business deal of expedience once Olympique Marseille drops its kit sponsorship deal with Adidas, likely in favour of arch-rival Puma.
World Football Forum unveils Changsha, China, event for May
March 24 – The World Football Forum 2017 held their official launch in Changsha, China yesterday. Their timing could not have been better as later in the day at the Changsha stadium, the Chinese national team stunned Asia with a 1-0 win over South Korea in World Cup qualifying – the first time the Chinese have beaten the South Koreans in more than 40 years.
Bayern Munich lands in Shanghai searching for the promise of the east
March 23 – As Bundesliga CEO Christian Seifert was talking about his international growth strategy for the Germany’s top tier league, two of his member clubs – Bayern Munich and Wolfsberg – were opening offices in China.
Barca invest in their future with launch of Innovation Hub
March 23 – FC Barcelona have officially unveiled their Barça Innovation Hub (BIH) with the aim of positioning the club as the leader in sports knowledge, innovation and technology.
Seifert outlines international growth offensive for Bundesliga
March 22- Bundesliga CEO Christian Seifert may have expressed concerns about the dominance of Bayern Munich in the German league, but that debate has not held back his bullish expectations and strategy for growth of the league, especially internationally.
£780 for a pair of unscalped tickets to the Champions League final
March 22 – Champions League final tickets are on sale and will set buyers back £390 for a Category 1 seat at the Cardiff venue on June 3. Bayern Munich fans who protested at the price of Arsenal away tickets, will be apoplectic at the cost if their team reaches the final.
Players’ Tribune targets Europe’s footballers with its content sales stories
March 22 – The Players’ Tribune, a US-based website set up for sportsmen and women to tell their personal stories and express their views, wants to pull in English Premier League players and other footballers across Europe.
Inter Milan drives deeper into China with SWM sponsorship deal
March 21 – Italy’s Internazionale have signed car manufacturer SWM Motors as an official partner with the company’s SWM X7 becoming the Official Car of F.C. Internazionale for the Greater China area.