Rolex Expands Multi-Year Partnership With PGA Tour as Official Timekeeper

The PGA Tour and Rolex announced Wednesday a multi-year renewal of their Official Marketing Partnership, extending the Swiss watchmaker’s position as Official Timekeeper of the PGA Tour. A sponsor of the Tour since 2005, Rolex will continue to bring its hallmark precision, performance and heritage of excellence to professional golf’s biggest stage.

The renewal continues a partnership that has been part of the Tour’s most important moments for more than 20 seasons and reinforces Rolex’s premier status within the PGA Tour ecosystem. Rolex has a tenured history of rewarding excellence in golf for nearly 60 years and has held a distinct position through some of the greatest moments in the game’s timeline.

Through this extension, which will cross 25 years of partnership:

  • Rolex will continue its exclusive position as Official Timekeeper of the PGA Tour, PGA Tour Champions, Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Americas.
  • Rolex will continue to be visible in the Tour’s most important moments through on-site, in-broadcast, social and digital integrations and exposure.
  • Rolex will continue to showcase the world-class competition on the PGA Tour by highlighting its Rolex Testimonees.

“The PGA Tour and Rolex have been partners for nearly three decades, and we are proud to continue this tradition through this extended agreement,” said Dhruv Prasad, chief commercial officer of the PGA Tour. “Rolex has been a part of men’s professional golf since Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player first captivated fans of our game, and we are pleased to continue showcasing their iconic brand and its Testimonees on the PGA Tour to our fans around the world.”

Rolex’s association with golf dates to 1967, when Palmer, joined by Nicklaus and Player, became the brand’s first golf Testimonees. Today, Rolex is associated with the game’s four men’s majors and five women’s majors and the principal professional tours, as well as many of its most decorated players, including Rolex Testimonees Tiger Woods, Scottie Scheffler and Jackson Koivun.

Rolex also maintains a longstanding relationship with the Presidents Cup, serving as Official Timekeeper since 2005 and a Global Partner since 2007.

CONMEBOL Announces Lay’s as Official Sponsor of South American Football

The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) and Lay’s have joined forces in a strategic partnership aimed at enhancing the international visibility of South American football by bringing the CONMEBOL Libertadores into Lay’s global “No Lay’s, No Game” platform.

Through this agreement, the CONMEBOL Libertadores, the continent’s most prestigious club competition, expands its presence on the international stage and creates new opportunities for fan engagement, showcasing the passion, history, and rich footballing heritage of South America to audiences around the world.

The partnership underscores the global appeal of CONMEBOL competitions and their ability to connect leading international brands with millions of passionate fans. It also reflects CONMEBOL’s continued commitment to promoting South American football, increasing the visibility of its competitions, and fostering strong relationships with strategic partners.

“South American football has a unique identity, a rich history, and a passion that transcends borders. This partnership with Lay’s strengthens the global reach of our competitions and allows us to continue bringing South American football closer to its fans around the world,” said Alejandro Domínguez, President of CONMEBOL.

The CONMEBOL Libertadores stands as one of the most emblematic competitions in South American club football. Spanning ten countries, with matches played in more than 70 cities and over 150 fixtures per season, the tournament reflects the scale, diversity, and enduring footballing tradition of the continent.

Through strategic partnerships such as this one, CONMEBOL continues to strengthen its ties with international brands and create new opportunities to engage audiences, further consolidating South American football’s presence and prominence on the global stage.

Total Chess Partners with DAZN for Budapest Pilot

The Total Chess World Championship Tour, developed by Norway Chess and approved by FIDE, has announced DAZN as its official streaming partner for the upcoming Pilot which will be held in Budapest, Hungary, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of chess as a global spectator sport.

The partnership brings together a pioneering new championship concept and one of the world’s leading sports streaming platforms, creating an opportunity to showcase elite chess to a wider international audience. With DAZN available in more than 200 countries and territories, the collaboration represents an important step in Total Chess’s ambition to make the game more accessible, engaging and globally relevant.

Taking place from November 10–20, 2026, at the Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel, the Budapest Pilot will bring together 24 of the world’s leading players including world no.1 Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So,Vincent Keymer, Hans Niemann, R Praggnanandha to compete across Fast Classic, Rapid and Blitz. The event will test the Tour’s innovative format ahead of the inaugural global season, scheduled to begin in March 2027.

Kjell Madland, CEO of Total Chess, said:“Partnering with DAZN for our Pilot is an exciting milestone for Total Chess. We are building a new world championship that brings together three formats of chess to identify the most complete player in the world, and we want to present that competition to audiences far beyond the traditional chess community. DAZN’s global reach gives us an outstanding platform to introduce this concept to fans around the world. Budapest is the first step in our journey to create a new global spectacle for chess.”

Shay Segev, CEO of DAZN Group, said: “Chess has a passionate global following and tremendous potential to reach new audiences through innovative competition and compelling storytelling. Total Chess introduces an innovative approach to elite chess, and we are pleased to partner with the Pilot. Through DAZN’s international platform, we look forward to bringing this exciting event to fans and helping showcase the next chapter in the sport’s evolution.”

Euroleague Basketball Renews Panini Partnership

Euroleague Basketball and Panini have renewed partnership for more seasons.

Panini will continue offering EuroLeague fans an enhanced and diverse range of collectibles. The iconic sticker album will return with significant new features, introducing new collecting experiences and new ways for fans to build and enjoy their collection.

Trading card collectors can also look forward to a broad portfolio featuring some of the most established and popular brands in the hobby, alongside innovative designs, special inserts and premium content, including autograph and memorabilia cards.

The offering will also be complemented by Panini Instant, giving fans across Europe the opportunity to collect and celebrate standout performances, key players and memorable moments from the EuroLeague season as they happen.

Panini will also present the new “EuroLeague City Takeover” initiative, an episodic travel and entertainment series developed for selected games that will take fans inside EuroLeague’s most iconic basketball cities, through the people, culture and rivalries that make them unique. Panini and Euroleague Basketball will elevate the gameday experience with sticker swap events, on-court activations in key rivalry games, live podcasts and many more activities.

Gawain Davies, Chief Commercial Officer at Euroleague Basketball, celebrated the renewal of the partnership: “We are delighted to renew our partnership with Panini, a truly iconic brand in the stickers and trading cards category. The Panini album has proved to be a popular product for generations of sports fans and represents a great platform for Euroleague to engage with our Gen Z and Gen Alpha fanbase.”

“We are extremely proud to extend our partnership with Euroleague Basketball. The response from fans and collectors over the past three years has confirmed the strong potential of this collaboration and encourages us to keep raising the bar,” said Elisabetta Mussini, Group Licensing Director. “Our ambition is to go beyond traditional collecting, combining iconic Panini products with innovative trading card concepts and new fan experiences that bring people even closer to the players, the teams and the unique culture of Euroleague basketball.”

College Football Playoff to Expand to 24 Teams in 2027 Under New $1.7bn ESPN Deal

The College Football Playoff (CFP) will expand from 12 to 24 teams in 2027, following a new five-year agreement with ESPN reportedly worth nearly $1.7 billion, as per ESPN sources.

The deal keeps ESPN as the competition’s exclusive broadcast partner and marks a significant restructuring of the US college football postseason. The expanded format will also bring an end to the Power Four conference championship games, with the SEC, Big 12, ACC and Big Ten expected to determine their champions through regular-season standings and existing tiebreaking procedures.

Under the revised structure, the 24-team field will comprise 19 at-large selections, the champions of the four Power conferences and the highest-ranked team from the Group of Six conferences. Notre Dame will no longer receive a guaranteed place and must secure qualification through its ranking and an at-large selection.

The CFP selection committee will continue to publish its top 25 rankings, although it could extend the weekly list to 30 teams to provide greater visibility of programmes competing for the final places.

The top eight seeds will receive first-round byes, while the first two rounds will be played at the home venues of the higher-ranked teams. Seeds nine to 16 will host first-round fixtures, adding further competitive value to regular-season rankings.

The tournament is scheduled to begin during the second weekend of December 2027, with the national championship game retaining its previously announced date of 24 January 2028 in New Orleans. The Rose, Fiesta, Sugar, Peach, Orange and Cotton Bowls will continue to host the quarter-finals and semi-finals.

ESPN strengthens its position in college sports

The agreement builds on ESPN’s existing relationship with the CFP. In March 2024, the broadcaster secured a six-year deal worth $7.8 billion, extending its exclusive media rights through the 2031 season.

Under the latest arrangement, ESPN is expected to pay an additional average of $345 million annually over five years for the expanded competition, on top of its existing annual commitment of approximately $1.3 billion.

However, the financial impact will be partly offset by the removal of conference championship broadcasts. ESPN is expected to recover around $140 million annually through the cancellation of the SEC, Big 12 and ACC title games, whose television rights it holds. Fox is also expected to save approximately $50 million annually following the cancellation of the Big Ten championship game.

ESPN will retain exclusive rights to the CFP, while having the option to sublicense six of the 12 additional games to approved broadcast partners.

ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said the broadcaster remained committed to developing the competition and strengthening its position in college football.

The network has described the expanded format as an opportunity to bring more programmes, athletes and fan communities into the national championship race.

Regular-season relevance and scheduling changes

The expansion has also raised questions about the commercial and sporting value of the regular season. With more teams qualifying, concerns remain over whether the additional places could reduce the importance of individual fixtures.

The new structure attempts to address this through ranking-based incentives, particularly the advantages attached to a top-eight finish and home-field advantage.

Scheduling requirements will also be introduced. Power Four programmes will be expected to play at least 10 games involving conference opponents and a non-conference fixture against another Power Four school or Notre Dame. Group of Six teams will face similar requirements, including non-conference games against Group of Six or Power Four opponents, Notre Dame or another independent programme.

ESPN executives have acknowledged that the impact on regular-season viewership will become clearer over time, with schools and coaches expected to maintain the significance of all 12 games.

The calendar will also change for two major college football traditions. The Army-Navy rivalry will move to a standalone window on 4 December, previously occupied by conference championship weekend, giving playoff-bound teams an additional rest period. The Heisman Trophy ceremony is expected to take place later that evening.

The existing policy protecting Army and Navy will remain in place, meaning a defeat in their annual rivalry fixture will not affect either team’s CFP standing if it qualifies for the expanded tournament.

What happens to the wider postseason?

While the CFP format has been confirmed, the future of other postseason opportunities remains under review.

ESPN senior vice-president of college sports programming and acquisitions Nick Dawson said the network had not yet decided how the changes would affect bowl games it owns and operates. He added that ESPN would assess the wider postseason landscape following the conclusion of the CFP negotiations.

The decision represents the latest major shift in college football’s commercial and competitive structure, coming just two seasons after the playoff expanded from four to 12 teams.

For ESPN, the agreement reinforces its position at the centre of one of the most valuable properties in US college sport. For conferences, universities and fans, the 24-team model will introduce a new balance between regular-season competition, postseason access and the commercial value of college football’s expanding broadcast calendar.

Hotels.com Names As Official Sponsor of Real Madrid

Real Madrid and Hotels.com have reached an agreement that makes the global hotel booking platform an official sponsor of the club. Emilio Butragueño, Real Madrid’s director of Institutional Relations, and Hari Nair, general manager of Hotels.com, formalized the alliance at the Real Madrid City.

This synergy will allow both brands to develop exclusive experiences aimed at fans at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, as well as collaborate on campaigns designed to facilitate fan travel and bring them closer to the club throughout the season with benefits and rewards for their hotel bookings.

Furthermore, in the coming seasons, Real Madrid and Hotels.com will carry out various fan engagement activities leveraging the club’s digital channels, brand presence at the stadium, and hospitality experiences.

Borussia Dortmund And SPORTFIVE Extend Partnership Until 2034

Borussia Dortmund and SPORTFIVE are continuing their longstanding and successful partnership: the eight-time German champions and the international sports marketing agency have agreed an early extension of their partnership until 30 June 2034.

Borussia Dortmund and SPORTFIVE have worked closely together on all aspects of commercial marketing since 1999. Under the extended partnership, SPORTFIVE will continue to support BVB in acquiring and managing sponsors and partners, developing new commercial opportunities and marketing hospitality offerings at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK. The early extension reflects the highly successful collaboration, which has seen both partners consistently achieve their shared goals. It is built on a strong relationship of mutual trust and also reflects positive business development.

“Our partnership with SPORTFIVE has been defined by trust, reliability and an entrepreneurial mindset for many years. Together, we have continuously developed our commercial activities and unlocked significant growth opportunities. We are therefore delighted to continue this successful journey until 2034. With SPORTFIVE, we have a partner at our side who understands our ambitions and supports us in further developing Borussia Dortmund both nationally and internationally,” says Carsten Cramer, CEO of Borussia Dortmund.

In the years ahead, Borussia Dortmund and SPORTFIVE aim to continue driving the club’s commercial development together. In addition to further developing existing partnerships, the focus will be on opening up new business areas, innovative activation approaches and BVB’s international positioning.

“Borussia Dortmund is one of Europe’s best-known and most distinctive football brands. We are proud to have supported the club for more than a quarter of a century and would like to thank everyone at BVB for their tremendous trust in our work. The early extension until 2034 is a strong endorsement of the quality of our partnership and, at the same time, an incentive to continue pursuing our shared growth trajectory. We look forward to further developing BVB’s commercial activities in the years ahead with fresh ideas and great passion,” explains Hendrik Schiphorst, Managing Director of SPORTFIVE Germany.

The long-term extension provides planning certainty for both partners. Together, Borussia Dortmund and SPORTFIVE aim to further drive the club’s commercial success and develop attractive partnerships that deliver added value for brands and fans.

Sky Sports Secures Exclusive Rights To WTGL

Sky Sports has secured exclusive rights in the UK and Ireland to the WTGL, the new women’s team golf league in partnership with the LPGA Tour.

Beginning on November 8, the inaugural WTGL season will bring the innovative team golf format – played in a custom-built indoor arena in Florida – to the women’s game.

Both the 2026 and 2027 competitions will be broadcast exclusively on Sky Sports as part of an expansion of its golf rights, which also includes a further two years of TGL presented by SoFi.

English stars Charley Hull and Lottie Woad, plus former world No 1 Jeeno Thitikul, will be among the first wave of players to compete in the inaugural season of the women’s TGL.

Five teams – each consisting of a five-player roster – boast 48 combined Solheim Cup team appearances between them, including eight of the 2026 line-ups and 15 major championships.

The competition will feature the same key components implemented in the men’s, including mic’d up players, risk-reward team decisions and a variety of match formats.

The addition of the WTGL further strengthens Sky Sports’ commitment to championing women’s sport, bringing fans closer to the biggest moments, with every match – including the post-season play-offs from December 20-23 – live on Sky Sports.

SportAccord Convention 2027 Opens Registration For Baku

Registration has officially reopened for the SportAccord Convention 2027, taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 9 to 13 May 2027.

Following the postponement of the 2026 edition, we’re looking forward to reconnecting with the global sporting community in a city ready to welcome the world of sport.

Bringing together International Federations, host cities, sports business leaders and industry partners, the SportAccord Convention offers a unique setting to build relationships, explore opportunities and take part in the conversations shaping the future of sport.

Register here.

WTA and TikTok Ink Global Content Deal For Fan Engagement

The WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) and TikTok has announced a global content partnership to expand how fans discover and experience women’s tennis, combining player-led storytelling, creator content and innovative digital experiences to provide more ways to follow the excitement on TikTok.

The announcement builds on the successful collaboration between the WTA and TikTok over the past year, growing engagement with women’s tennis on the platform. The WTA has since surpassed one million TikTok followers, with content generating more than 250 million combined video views and engagements year to date, representing an increase of 41% year-on-year. Overall #WTA posts have seen more than a 50% increase over the last year.

Fans will also be able to discover and follow the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz through TikTok GamePlan, a dedicated sports content experience featuring tournament hubs across eligible WTA 1000 events, select WTA 500 tournaments and the WTA Finals. The hubs will bring official content together in one place for fans to explore throughout the season, designed to drive discovery and deepen fan engagement.

Player-led storytelling will remain a central focus, with the WTA and TikTok collaborating to help more athletes build their presence on the platform. WTA stars are already using TikTok to share their personalities, interests and experiences beyond competition, connecting directly with fans and helping audiences across sport, fashion, lifestyle and entertainment discover women’s tennis.

“The passionate and growing women’s tennis and sports community on TikTok helps fans discover athletes, celebrate big moments and bring their own perspectives to the game,” said Rollo Goldstaub, Global Head of Sport, TikTok.“Together with the WTA, we’re giving sports fans more ways to experience the Tour, from player-led storytelling and creator access to live moments and dedicated destinations with TikTok GamePlan. It’s about making the Tour part of the conversation on TikTok and giving new audiences and tennis lovers an even closer connection to the players and moments they can discover on TikTok.”

The collaboration will also support the development of the WTA Creator Club, an initiative designed to bring digital creators closer to women’s tennis through unique content opportunities and access to tournaments around the world. Participating creators will capture and share the sport through unique viewpoints, offering fans an authentic look at life on Tour, from behind-the-scenes moments to the stories beyond the court.

“Women’s tennis is having a real cultural moment, and our players are at the heart of it. They’re not only extraordinary athletes, but global personalities who are influencing conversations far beyond sport,” said Sarah Swanson, Chief Brand Officer, WTA. “Our work with TikTok over the past year has demonstrated the growing global momentum behind women’s tennis and the potential to reach and engage audiences in new ways. Building on that momentum, we’re delighted to be starting this week by livestreaming the draw ceremony at our crown jewel event, the FAGE WTA Finals. By combining the power of our players and tournaments with TikTok’s creativity and reach, we’re looking forward to making women’s tennis more accessible and engaging for the next generation.”