Wembley National Stadium Ltd. (WNSL) have announced today that digital communications company EE has come on board as the stadium’s first lead partner.

The long-term six-year partnership is effective immediately with the deal showcased at the first event at the stadium, the Capital One Cup Final on March 2. The deal will not include changing the name of the stadium which was rumoured as a possibility in the past.

Wembley will benefit from multi-million pound investment in its technological infrastructure over the course of the six-year partnership to offer visitors the best possible ‘sofa to seat’ experience. 

As part of a planned ‘technology road map’ to be delivered during the six-year deal, future technological advancements from EE include mobile ticketing solutions, enhanced mobile network access and super-fast Wi-Fi available for all.  EE customers will benefit from exclusive ticketing and marketing initiatives from late March.

The deal also includes the launch of a free app – the first bespoke app designed for Wembley visitors.  The new app offers fans a dynamic feed of event content as well as stadium and travel information and is available to download on Apple and Android devices from today. 

The collaborative partnership will be represented in a new composite logo unveiled today. This partnership will be referenced across all channels for both parties as Wembley Stadium connected by EE. As part of the partnership EE will also become a supplier to the England Men’s Senior Team and The FA Cup competition. 

Melvin Benn, Wembley Chairman, said: “We have been looking for the right partner to help us make sure that Wembley maintains its reputation for being one of the best sport and entertainment venues on the planet. As stadia around the world become increasingly more technologically advanced, EE is the perfect partner to assist us in fulfilling that goal, giving event owners and their fans the best possible and unforgettable shared experiences.

Olaf Swantee, CEO at EE, said: “At EE, we are always looking for new ways to enhance digital lives across the UK and this ground-breaking deal allows us to extend the same vision and passion to the country’s national stadium. Over the coming months, we will announce an exciting programme of upgrades and innovations to the existing infrastructure at Wembley that will ensure the stadium offers visitors a world class spectator experience for many years to come.” 

Former Wembley CEO and current iSportconnect Chairman Michael Cunnah assessed the deal.

He told iSportconnect: “Wembley Stadium has such a place in the nation’s pyche that any naming rights deal had to be sensitively managed. 

“Without the ability to link shirt sponsorship to stadium naming rights (as happened at Arsenal and Manchester City) the Wembley Stadium deal was always going to be less valuable, but The FA appears to have worked out how to finance the introduction of wifi connectivity into the stadium.

“Whether the deal is a good one for The FA will depend upon the absolute value received which, in the absence of any reported cash involved in the deal, is difficult to assess.”

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NBA franchise New Orleans Pelicans have announced Whitney Bank as their new presenting partner of the Whitney Bank Parade Stand located in section 323 of the Smoothie King Center.

The Whitney Bank Parade Stand features a lower level mural depicting float riders that has been developed in a 3-D treatment to create a sense of being at a parade and moving down one of the iconic streets of New Orleans. The floor is decorated with oversized beads and doubloons, adiposity much like the streets of New Orleans during Carnival.

The upper-level Party Perch area is designed to resemble a French Quarter balcony that will offer special guests a view of the game unlike like any other in the Smoothie King Center. This area has elements of historic New Orleans architecture including wrought iron, viagra order 3-D shutters, viagra and even hanging ferns. The Party Perch will also host musical performances throughout the regular season from some of the region’s most treasured artists.

“We’ve designed the Parade Stand with New Orleans in mind, providing our clients a unique viewing experience alongside fellow revelers, all cheering on the Pelicans,” said Whitney Bank New Orleans Market President Gary Lorio. “We wanted this space to be a reflection of the cultural influence of Mardi Gras that makes this region so exceptional.”

“As an organization, we’re excited to partner with Whitney Bank on the Whitney Bank Parade Stand and offer fans a unique, one-of-a-kind experience at Pelicans games,” said Pelicans/Saints Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships Jean-Paul Dardenne. “Whitney Bank has been a long-time valued partner on the Saints side and we couldn’t be happier to work with them on the Pelicans side, as well, as they continue to show their commitment to New Orleans and the Gulf South. The Whitney Parade Stand is going to be a fun, exciting area where fans can cheer on the Pelicans and feel like every game is in the middle of Mardi Gras season.”

“Whitney Bank is delighted to partner with the Pelicans,” said Whitney Bank President Joe Exnicios. “This team is in perfect alignment with our position to create economic opportunities for people and the communities we serve. The Pelicans, like the New Orleans Saints, will become a symbol of the strength of the Greater New Orleans area.”

Samsung Electronics has announced a new partnership with Champions League winners Bayern Munich, using its mobile messaging service ChatON to provide fans with a unique and engaging messaging experience around sports. 

Starting this week, ChatON users will have the opportunity to send in their questions to football legend and midfielder at Bayern Munich, Mario Götze.  

Samsung’s ChatON partnership with FC Bayern Munich offers football fans the opportunity to easily connect with each other, fully immersing themselves in the sport.  

Lee Epting, Vice President of Samsung Media Solution Centre Europe said: “We are delighted to partner with FC Bayern Munich and to support the fans’ experience. This is an important partnership for Samsung as we deliver on our ambitions to increase access to sports content for our customers. ChatON will offer customers an engaging experience around sports, something that they can expect to see more of in the future.”

The FIA, the governing body for motorsport, has today announced an extension to its agreement with OMP Racing S.p.A., with the Italian motor sport company continuing as Official Supplier of Racewear to the federation in 2014 and 2015.

As part of the deal the company will be supplying technical racing clothing to FIA Officials and Safety Car Drivers across a range of the federation’s championships. This will include fireproof overalls, shoes, gloves and underwear, products that were researched and developed in the company’s manufacturing facility located in Ronco Scrivia, near Genoa (Italy).

Commenting on the agreement FIA President Jean Todt said: “The FIA is pleased to be able to continue its relationship with OMP for the supply of racewear to our personnel. Safety is always at the heart of the FIA’s motor sport mission and it is crucial that our event officials have access to equipment that meets the rigorous standards we set in this regard.

“OMP has been a leader in its field for over four decades and we are looking forward to working closely with the company in the coming years in order to further enhance safety and efficiency across our championships.”

Paolo Delprato, OMP C.E.O., added: “For some years the focus of our R&D department has been directed towards the development of leading products that blend performance, quality, comfort and safety. Therefore, being chosen by the FIA as official supplier is very satisfying, as it is a further demonstration of our competence.

The partnership includes OMP supplying the inaugural Formula E Championship.

“OMP is also very pleased that it is to be the exclusive supplier of FIA technical clothing for the Formula E electric single-seater championship, which, commencing in September 2014, will represent the biggest innovation in motor sport of the last few years,” Delprato added. “This is a real challenge for the future, and one in which OMP is delighted to take part.”

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Yamaha Factory Racing and Racing Boy have extended their partnership heading into the 2014 season. 

The agreement will see Racing Boy continue as an Official Sponsor to the Team with benefits including special visibility during MotoGP activity in Asia over the season.

For the upcoming second Sepang MotoGP test, bronchi the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix, clinic the Grand Prix of Japan and Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix the Racing Boy logo will be visible on the YZR-M1 motorcycles of Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi.

Lin Jarvis, apoplectic  Yamaha Motor Racing, Managing Director, said: “We are really pleased to be able to take the next step in our partnership with Racing Boy. The Asian territory continues to be an extremely important market for Yamaha and more so every year. As such it’s key for us to embrace partnerships with premium manufacturers from the region such as Racing Boy who share our vision on innovation in technology and design. We’re looking forward to another great year together, especially when we intensify our collaboration during the triple header fly-away races in Malaysia, Japan and Australia.”

Bruce Lee, Meng Kah Auto Parts Trading Sdn Bhd (MKA), CEO, added: “In relation to cooperation between Racing Boy and Yamaha Factory Racing in MotoGP last year, I feel very proud and lucky. It was our first collaboration and it gave my teammates and I an opportunity to deepen our racing techniques and experience the perseverance of the Yamaha Factory team. We also received many positive comments from our fans and dealers. Indirectly, it provided a positive impact on our Racing Boyproducts and it helped to upgrade the Racing Boy brand image too. Therefore, we will continue to sponsor Yamaha Factory Racing in year 2014 and look forward to more success together.”