Sky Extends Premier League Partnership Through To 2034

Sky New Zealand and the Premier League have agreed a six-year extension of their partnership, ensuring one of the world’s most followed sports competitions remains exclusively available in New Zealand on Sky, until the end of the 2033/34 season.

The new agreement has been secured with two seasons still remaining on Sky’s current agreement, extending a partnership that has brought every match from the world’s most-watched football league to fans across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Sophie Moloney, Sky Chief Executive, said: “We know how much the Premier League means to football fans, so we are delighted to renew our agreement for another six seasons. Securing this extension speaks to the strength of the partnership Sky has built with the Premier League, and our focus on securing the content that matters most to our customers.”

“The Premier League is one of the world’s most recognised sporting competitions, bringing fans a season-long schedule of live matches, comprehensive highlights packages and compelling rivalries that captivate audiences around the world. With 20 clubs competing across 380 matches each season, this deal further strengthens Sky’s unrivalled sport offering and our ability to deliver ongoing value for audiences.”

Paul Molnar, Premier League’s Chief Media Officer, said: “We are delighted to extend our partnership with Sky NZ through to the end of the 2033/34 season. Sky has been a trusted and valued partner of the Premier League for many years, consistently delivering high-quality coverage to supporters across the country. New Zealand is important for the Premier League, with so many passionate and engaged fans of our competition. This long-term agreement reflects the strength of that fanbase and our relationship with Sky. We look forward to continuing to work together to bring the very best Premier League action and programming to fans across the country.”

LA Lakers To Bank With BMO

The Los Angeles Lakers and BMO have announced a long-term partnership naming BMO the exclusive Official Bank of the Los Angeles Lakers. The partnership will bring BMO into some of the team’s most visible moments, from training camp and courtside experiences to fan programs and community initiatives across Southern California. 

“Over decades, the Lakers have built passionate, generational fandom that starts in Los Angeles and extends everywhere, giving brands access to a star-studded platform of championships and glamour,” said Los Angeles Lakers President and Chief Business Officer Lon Rosen. “Today, we are proud to extend that access to BMO with an extensive, high-value partnership that names BMO the exclusive official bank of the Los Angeles Lakers. Importantly, this landmark partnership signals a paradigm shift for how the Lakers will partner with brands moving forward, building and curating impactful programs to engage fans and serve shared businesses.”  

The partnership marks a significant new relationship for both organizations, bringing BMO into Lakers programs and experiences throughout the year. 

“The Lakers bring people together across generations and cultures, creating connections that mirror how we approach our business. Through this partnership, we’re excited to support the communities we serve, create memorable experiences for fans, and help more clients make real financial progress,” said President, BMO U.S. Aron Levine. “Southern California is an important growth market for BMO, and this partnership reflects our long-term investment in the region and the opportunities ahead.”  

Starting with the 2026-27 NBA season, BMO will be part of Lakers experiences both on and off the court, with programs that connect fans, communities and the team throughout the year. Key pillars of the partnership include: 

Celebrating Team Performance 
Lakers Training Camp will be Presented by BMO and the BMO logo will be featured on the Lakers’ newly designed practice jerseys. 

Elevating the Gameday Experience  
BMO is the inaugural naming rights sponsor of BMO Courtside Reserve floor seats and club on the event level, to support a new premium gameday experience. 

Honoring a Historic Legacy 
Starting this season, the Lakers and BMO will introduce a new legacy program honoring the legends who have made the Lakers one of the most decorated franchises in sports. The League of Stars program Presented by BMO will spotlight Lakers Legends throughout the season. 

Engaging Fans Across Southern California 
Throughout the season, BMO and the Lakers will partner on financial empowerment and small business spotlight programs, engaging the community across Southern California.  

The Los Angeles Lakers will enter their 79th season of competition in October 2026. The Lakers play their home games at Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles and practice at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, Calif.

Halo To Become Leicester Tigers Main Partner

Leicester Tigers has announced that Halo will become the Club’s new Main Partner ahead of the start of 2026-27.

The partnership will include Halo Cantera, Halo’s flagship career development programme, which will hold the front-of-shirt position on the Men’s kit for the 2026-27 season and provide support for the Women’s team.

Halo builds, sells and implements service management software to help organisations increase efficiency within the workplace. Product development, sales and consultancy sit within Halo, allowing the company to work directly with customers to configure the software around the way their organisation operates.

Cantera is the Spanish word used for the place a sports club develops its own players rather than buying them, Halo Cantera is this same idea applied to the hiring and development of employees within the workplace. Halo does not recruit experienced people into senior roles, everyone who joins is trained from scratch. Halo has targeted hiring over 1000 young people by the end of 2030, with previous Halo Cantera success stories becoming world-class in the tech industry.

Halo and Leicester Tigers will also work closely together on fan engagement, that will see fan-focussed activations, behind-the-scenes content and much more throughout the season.

Tigers are the latest major sporting organisation to partner with Halo, following Ipswich Town Football Club, Matchroom, Scottish FA and Scottish Rugby, showing Halo’s commitment to elite sport.

Halo Founder/CEO Paul Hamilton said, ”Halo are delighted to partner with Leicester Tigers, the most successful team in English rugby history.”

“We are proud that Halo Cantera will be on the front of shirt for the 2026/27 season, highlighting our philosophy to develop young people into world-class talent. The Halo Cantera philosophy is a perfect fit to partner with Tigers, who have an immense record of developing talent into world-class rugby players for both the Tigers first team and national teams with Freddie Steward and Jack Van Poortvliet being recent examples of this.”

Leicester Tigers CEO Andrea Pinchen commented, “We’re really pleased that Halo have joined us as our Main Partner. We have undertaken a thorough process to find a Company who’s people and brand match our ambition, integrity and culture, and Halo excel in all three.”

“Halo are a strong brand with a quickly-growing presence across sport in the UK. They are well respected in their field and we look forward to working in partnership to accelerate their growth and create opportunities for Leicester Tigers to get closer to their supporters using Halo software.”

MotoGP Group Appoints Carlos Ezpeleta As Deputy CEO

MotoGP Group has announced the appointment of Carlos Ezpeleta as Deputy Chief Executive Officer, recognising his significant contribution to the evolution of the sport and strengthening its leadership team for the next phase of development.

Carlos has played a key role in MotoGP for more than a decade, helping expand its international footprint, strengthen strategic partnerships, enhance its commercial offering and grow its global fanbase. He brings extensive experience across both the business and sporting sides of the championship, having played an instrumental role in making MotoGP safer, more competitive and more exciting than ever before.

Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of MotoGP Group, said: “Carlos has played a fundamental role in the growth of MotoGP over many years. His experience spans every part of our business, and his leadership, vision and passion for the sport make him the right person to help guide MotoGP into its next chapter.”

Derek Chang, CEO of Liberty Media, said: “MotoGP has built a strong global foundation, and we see an enormous opportunity to take the sport to the next level. Carlos has the experience, vision and deep understanding of MotoGP to help lead that transformation, and we are excited to support him as he takes on this new position.”

Carlos Ezpeleta, newly appointed Deputy CEO of MotoGP Group, said: “It is a great honour to take on this role at such an exciting moment for MotoGP. With incredible fans and partners around the world, I look forward to working with Liberty Media and the entire MotoGP community to reach new audiences, create new opportunities and unlock the sport’s full potential.”

The appointment reflects MotoGP Group’s commitment to building its leadership team for the next era of growth and transformation, with further additions to be announced in due course. Carmelo Ezpeleta will continue as CEO, with Carlos Ezpeleta serving as Deputy CEO.

Bundesliga And EA Sports Extend Collaboration

The Bundesliga and EA SPORTS FC are taking their partnership into a new era, announcing an extension of one of the longest-standing collaborations in global sports and entertainment.

Since 1998, the Bundesliga and EA SPORTS have worked together to bring the excitement, authenticity and emotion of German football to fans around the world, helping generations of supporters connect with the league through gaming. Former FC Bayern München midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger will be guest of honour at the announcement in Cologne at Gamescom 2026, the world’s largest video game trade fair and gaming festival.

Under the extended agreement, the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 will continue to feature in EA SPORTS FC. Authentic matchday experiences remain at the heart of the partnership, allowing millions of fans to experience the Bundesliga across EA SPORTS FC through clubs, players and stadiums from Germany’s top two professional leagues in both EA SPORTS FC 27 and FC Mobile.

The renewal also reinforces a shared ambition to push the boundaries of innovation. As football fandom becomes increasingly digital, the Bundesliga and EA will deepen their collaboration across content, intellectual property, emerging technologies and innovation, including through TRACAB’s advanced football data and tracking capabilities. Together, EA SPORTS FC and Bundesliga will continue to create immersive experiences that bring fans closer to the game than ever before, both on and off the pitch.

EAFC 26 recreate Michael Olise’s Mainz goal

Looking ahead, the partnership will explore new ways to engage supporters through the EA SPORTS App, creating additional touchpoints that connect fans with the Bundesliga and its clubs throughout the season and extending the league’s presence beyond matchdays.

“Since 1998, EA SPORTS and the Bundesliga have built one of the most enduring and successful partnerships in global sports and entertainment, united by trust, innovation and a shared commitment to fans,” said Peer Naubert, Chief Commercial Officer and Member of the Management Board of Bundesliga Media, the Bundesliga’s wholly owned commercial and digital subsidiary. “As football fandom continues to evolve, we are excited to build on that legacy and create new ways for millions of supporters worldwide to experience and engage with the iconic clubs of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2.”

EA SPORTS FC is also a longstanding partner of the Virtual Bundesliga (VBL), the league’s official EA SPORTS FC PRO competition, and the presenting partner of the Bundesliga’s coveted Player of the Month and Player of the Season awards.

“For nearly three decades, our partnership with the Bundesliga has brought German football closer to millions of players around the world,” said Nick Wlodyka, SVP and Group GM, EA SPORTS FC. “We’re excited to continue this journey together, from bringing the Bundesliga to life in EA SPORTS FC 27, FC Mobile, and FC Online to creating opportunities for the next generation to connect with the game beyond the pitch. It’s a partnership that reflects what The World’s Game is all about, and we look forward to building on that connection for years to come.”

Globo Extends Rio Open Partnership With Exclusive Rights Through 2031

Globo has renewed its partnership with the Rio Open, securing exclusive broadcasting rights to the tournament through 2031 in a move that further strengthens the Brazilian broadcaster’s position in tennis.

The new agreement covers the 2027 to 2031 editions of the ATP 500 tournament and will see Globo continue to distribute the event across its portfolio of television and digital platforms. Sportv will remain the tournament’s principal broadcast home, while the wider agreement expands coverage across Globo’s free-to-air and digital properties.

The renewal comes as competition for sports broadcasting rights in Brazil continues to intensify, particularly in digital media. Globo’s decision to retain exclusive control of the Rio Open underlines the importance of tennis within its broader sports strategy and gives the broadcaster a long-term property around which it can build television, streaming and digital content.

Under the new arrangement, Sportv will provide full coverage of matches from the tournament’s centre court throughout the seven-day event. Globoplay will carry matches from Court 1, while Ge TV will offer free coverage, including at least one first-round match per day as well as the semi-finals and final.

The multi-platform strategy allows Globo to target different audiences while increasing the overall visibility of the Rio Open. It also reflects the changing way Brazilian audiences consume live sport, with broadcasters increasingly combining traditional television coverage with streaming and free digital distribution.

The deal arrives against a backdrop of growing competition from digital-first sports platforms, particularly CazéTV, which has been expanding its presence across Brazilian sport and building an increasingly significant audience for live events.

Globo’s continued investment in the Rio Open therefore extends beyond simply retaining the rights to the tournament. The broadcaster will also increase its presence around the event through social media content, behind-the-scenes coverage, guest appearances and additional programming.

The agreement includes an exclusive Globo activation lounge and a greater physical presence for the broadcaster within the tournament environment, creating additional opportunities for fan engagement and commercial activations.

The Rio Open has been an important property in Globo’s tennis portfolio since the tournament’s inaugural edition in 2014. Over more than a decade, the partnership has developed alongside the growth of tennis in Brazil.

Eduardo Gabbay, Globo’s Director of Sports Channels, said the renewal reflected the broadcaster’s long-term commitment to the tournament and to improving the experience for tennis fans.

“The relationship between Globo and, in particular, sportv with the Rio Open has already exceeded a decade and reflects our commitment to strengthening the tournament and the best experience for tennis fans,” Gabbay said.

He also pointed to the growing momentum around tennis in Brazil, particularly with the emergence of João Fonseca as one of the country’s most prominent young players.

“We live in a unique moment for the sport in Brazil, driven by the talent of João Fonseca and the growing interest of the public,” he added.

Fonseca’s rise provides an additional commercial and audience opportunity for Brazilian tennis. A homegrown player competing on the international stage can help drive interest in domestic tournaments while giving broadcasters a compelling local narrative around the sport.

For the Rio Open, Globo’s long-term commitment provides stability at a time when the sports media landscape is becoming increasingly fragmented. For Globo, the tournament offers a combination of premium live sport, a strong domestic identity and growing digital potential.

The agreement also illustrates a wider shift in sports broadcasting in Brazil. Rather than relying on a single television outlet, major rights holders and broadcasters are increasingly distributing content across linear television, streaming services, free digital platforms and social media.

For Globo, retaining the Rio Open through 2031 ensures that one of Brazil’s most important tennis properties remains firmly within its ecosystem while allowing the broadcaster to compete for audiences across every major viewing platform.

As competition from digital broadcasters continues to grow, the Rio Open could prove to be an important battleground in the next phase of Brazil’s sports media market.

DAZN Makes Major U.S. Expansion Move With EverPass Media Acquisition

DAZN is significantly expanding its presence in the U.S. sports media market with the acquisition of EverPass Media, strengthening its position in the fast-growing commercial sports streaming sector.

Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. As part of the deal, the NFL, TKO and RedBird Capital Partners, which are investors in EverPass, will take minority stakes in the combined business.

EverPass has established itself as a specialist distributor of live sports content to commercial venues across the United States, including bars, restaurants and hotels. Its portfolio includes commercial rights for NFL Sunday Ticket, alongside selected live sports programming from platforms including Peacock, Netflix, Paramount and Apple.

The acquisition gives DAZN an established distribution network and relationships with venues across the country, allowing the sports streaming company to rapidly scale its commercial offering rather than building that infrastructure from the ground up.

DAZN has traditionally built its U.S. profile around boxing, while its international operations include a broader portfolio of domestic and international sports rights. More recently, the company has been pursuing opportunities beyond its traditional direct-to-consumer model and expanding into commercial sports viewing.

That strategy has included securing local streaming rights for teams such as the New York Knicks and New York Yankees, with further expansion in the local sports market anticipated.

The EverPass acquisition provides DAZN with an immediate foothold in the commercial market and creates an opportunity to combine its global streaming capabilities with EverPass’ established U.S. venue network.

DAZN CEO Shay Segev said the acquisition would allow the company to serve a wider range of customers, from individual subscribers accessing sports through the DAZN platform to businesses seeking premium live sports content for their customers.

For the NFL, the deal also strengthens its commercial distribution strategy for NFL Sunday Ticket. Hans Schroeder, NFL Executive Vice President of Media Distribution, said the organisation would continue working with DAZN and EverPass to expand the availability of NFL Sunday Ticket in commercial venues and deepen fan engagement in locations where supporters gather to watch games.

RedBird Capital Partners founder Gerry Cardinale said EverPass was created in response to the growing shift of sports content towards streaming while many commercial businesses continued to rely on traditional distribution models.

The transaction therefore represents more than a change in ownership. It reflects the broader transformation of sports media, as rights holders and distributors increasingly look beyond household subscriptions towards restaurants, hotels, bars and other commercial environments as an important part of the streaming economy.

For DAZN, the acquisition could provide a significant platform for its wider U.S. ambitions while giving EverPass the scale and international reach to potentially expand its commercial sports proposition beyond the American market.

The Unwritten Rules of Winning Sports Procurement

Everyone in sport talks about talent, broadcast rights and fan engagement. Almost nobody talks about procurement. Which is strange, because procurement quietly decides much of what a fan actually experiences: who builds the pitch-side technology, who feeds several hundred staff on an event day, who prints the signage that ends up in fifty thousand photographs, who runs the fan engagement campaign that sells the last ten thousand tickets, who moves the athletes from one venue to the next.

I have spent years on the buying side of that table, across cricket, rugby, football and sailing. And the thing that still surprises me is how the strongest supplier on paper is not necessarily the one who wins the tender. Not because the procurement lead got the decision wrong, but because the supplier misread what was actually being decided.

Suppliers tend to assume they are being judged on whether they can do the job. By the time a tender is issued, though, that part is already assumed. It is exactly why they were invited. The real question the procurement lead is sitting with is quieter and more anxious than that: can I trust this supplier when something breaks at six in the morning on event day, there is no time to fix it, and the event goes ahead regardless?

No scoring matrix says that out loud. But it is what the weightings are built around, and once you see it, the behaviour of the suppliers who consistently win starts to make sense.

They talk about the difficult day, not just the good one. Contingency, escalation, what happens when something fails. And they put it in writing. A specific SLA, with response times, escalation tiers, named cover and agreed remedies, earns more trust than any amount of polish on a slide (and in the AI era, flashy slides can be built in a few minutes). A deck shows what a supplier wants you to see. An SLA shows what they are prepared to be held to. A procurement lead will accept a slightly higher price from a supplier who has clearly thought about failure, and will rarely take a chance on a cheaper one who has not.

I have seen two ticketing bids separated by a meaningful margin on price, where the cheaper submission was by far the better-looking document. The other arrived with a two-page service annex nobody had asked for: platform uptime committed for the on-sale window rather than averaged across the year, a named engineer on call from the moment the queue opens, an agreed fallback if payments fail mid-sale. That annex was the whole difference.

They also understand that the procurement lead has to defend the decision internally, long after the contract is signed. So a pitch framed around that risk, with references, a named account lead and a clean audit trail, speaks directly to what that person is actually worried about. Most suppliers pitch their own strengths instead.

And the suppliers I have gone back to, again and again, were rarely the flashiest. They were the ones who made the previous contract easy to manage. Sport is a small and well-connected industry, and a supplier’s reputation tends to arrive in the room well before their proposal does.

None of this is especially complicated. It is simply rarely written down, and almost never explained to suppliers by the procurement leads themselves. So capable companies keep losing work they could have won, on approach rather than on ability.

That unwritten gap is what this newsletter is for. Over the coming months I will be opening it up in conversation with people on both sides of the table: the procurement leads who run these processes, and the suppliers who have learned to navigate them. The things everyone in the room knows and nobody says out loud.

Sport competes ferociously for talent and for audience, and barely at all on the discipline of how it procures. The suppliers who work that out do not win because they are better. They win because they understood what was being decided.

The author of this article is Nour-Eddine Boufertala – founder of Oben Sports and Events Consulting, advising rights holders, governing bodies and event owners on procurement strategy and commercial control.

Euroleague Basketball Signs Sportradar As Official Data and AV Betting Rights Deal

Sportradar Group AG (NASDAQ: SRAD), a leading global sports technology company creating immersive experiences for sports fans and bettors, and Euroleague Basketball have announced a multi-year extension of their data and audiovisual (AV) betting rights agreement. The rights were originally secured as part of Sportradar’s acquisition of IMG ARENA in 2025.

The agreement renewal begins with the upcoming 2026-27 season and extends Sportradar’s exclusive global distribution of Euroleague Basketball official data and AV betting rights through 2031. The deal covers more than 650 games annually across EuroLeague and BKT EuroCup competitions.

The extension of the Euroleague Basketball partnership further enhances Sportradar’s premier global basketball portfolio and underscores the Company’s commitment to supporting the continued growth of the sport through innovation and driving fan engagement. Other basketball partners include NBA, WNBA, NBL Australia, NBB Brazil, CBA China, LNB France, GBL Greece, LBA Italy, and ACB Spain.

Sportradar is uniquely positioned to maximize the value of Euroleague Basketball rights through its global distribution network, advanced data capabilities, proprietary technology and its broad product suite. The extension supports deeper integration of official data into innovative betting and fan engagement products, such as expanded micro betting and player markets to help basketball fans globally connect with the league and their favorite teams and players.

As part of the broader collaboration, Sportradar will continue to provide Euroleague Basketball with industry-leading integrity services, including bet monitoring through its proven Universal Fraud Detection System AI and education workshops for players and administrators to strengthen awareness and help prevent match-fixing.

Chus Bueno, Euroleague Basketball CEO stated: “We are pleased to extend our partnership with Sportradar, a trusted partner that shares our commitment to innovation and delivering premium experiences for basketball fans around the world. This renewed long-term agreement reflects the strength of the EuroLeague and EuroCup as premium platforms for leading global organizations to grow their business. More than a transactional partnership, it represents a shared strategic commitment to innovation, technology, and the long-term development of our respective properties. By combining the strength of our official data and premium streaming rights with Sportradar’s global reach and advanced technology, we are creating new opportunities to engage fans, support our clubs, and unlock additional value for our competitions and stakeholders.”

Moritz Gloeckler, EVP Rights and Strategic Projects Sportradar, said: “The partnership with Euroleague Basketball secures our position as leading official data rights holder across all key properties in one of the most heavily bet-on global sports. Winning this tender extends our portfolio of official basketball data and opens up new commercialization opportunities for Euroleague Basketball starting with a set of new, innovative basketball solutions we’re building to enhance the fan experience and plan to roll out over the course of the partnership.”

NHL, FC Bayern Munich Announce Partnership To Grow Hockey In Germany

The National Hockey League (NHL) and FC Bayern has announced a first-of-its-kind strategic multiyear partnership designed to accelerate the growth of hockey in Germany and the development of FC Bayern in North America, create innovative fan engagement opportunities and connect two of the world’s most iconic sports brands and passionate fan bases. The unique collaboration with FC Bayern is part of the NHL’s long-term international growth strategy in Germany. 

Unveiled today at Säbener Straße, FC Bayern’s world-class training facility, with German NHL stars Leon Draisaitl and JJ Peterka, and FC Bayern champion Alphonso Davies, the partnership includes creating a platform for cross-sport collaboration, community engagement, youth outreach and original content development. Through a series of initiatives, the NHL and FC Bayern will work together to introduce hockey to new audiences in Germany while creating distinctive experiences for fans of both organizations.

“Germany continues to be one of the NHL’s most important international growth markets, and FC Bayern is among the most recognizable and respected sports brands in the world,” said Keith Wachtel, President, NHL Business. “By combining the NHL’s passion for hockey with FC Bayern’s extraordinary reach and connection to fans, we have a tremendous strategic opportunity to introduce more people to our game, deepen engagement with existing fans and create unique experiences.”       

“FC Bayern is renowned for constantly breaking the mould – and we are very excited about this special partnership with the NHL. By developing ideas together with one of the most tradition-steeped leagues in world sport, the connection of our respective regions will create unique synergies on a wide variety of levels, in sports and beyond. We are creating a platform that promises long-term value for both partners and sets a new benchmark in terms of what cross-sport collaborations can achieve,” commented FC Bayern Board Member and CMO, Rouven Kasper.

As part of the agreement, the NHL and FC Bayern will collaborate on a range of fan-focused initiatives, including digital and social media campaigns, co-branded content and merchandise opportunities, street hockey events in Munich, watch parties, matchday activations at Allianz Arena, youth programming, hospitality experiences, and business networking events. The partners will also work together on player appearances, experiential activations, cross-promotional campaigns, and other community engagement and storytelling initiatives designed to create memorable experiences for hockey and football fans alike.

Earlier today, the NHL announced it will be bringing more NHL regular season games to Germany in the 2027-28 regular season as part of the 2027 NHL Global Series Germany.  Munich will host a pair of games at SAP Garden featuring the Boston Bruins and Munich native JJ Peterka, while Cologne will also host a set of games at Lanxess Arena featuring the Edmonton Oilers and Cologne native Leon Draisatl.  This coming NHL season, Düsseldorf will host the 2026 NHL Global Series Germany on December 18 and 20, 2026 at PSD Bank Dome, featuring two regular season games between the Ottawa Senators and Chicago Blackhawks.