Puma And Serie A Announce A New Long-Term Partnership

Global sports company PUMA and Lega Serie A have today announced a new long-term partnership. PUMA becomes the league’s official technical partner from the start of the 2022/23 football season and will be the official match ball provider for all games in Serie A, Primavera 1 competitions, the Coppa Italia, Supercoppa and eSerie A competitions.

With a total audience of over one billion viewers in close to 200 countries annually and with over 21 million social media followers across all platforms, Serie A is one of the most watched leagues in the world. The competition is home to some of the most popular teams and players in the game. PUMA is already active in Italian football through iconic teams such as AC Milan and US Sassuolo and over the years has partnered with beloved players that include Diego Armando Maradona, Giorgio Chiellini and Gigi Buffon.

The exciting new partnership adds to PUMA’s existing LaLiga collaboration and significantly expands PUMAs on pitch visibility and strengthens its position as a leading football brand. 

The partnership paves the way for a new era in Lega Serie A. One that will be amplified through PUMA’s Faster Football platform that focusses on performance, innovation and culture. A mission that aligns perfectly with the ambitions of Lega Serie A and their aim to be the world’s most beautiful league, promote social responsibility and drive innovation on and off the pitch. Reflected in Lega Serie A’s Mantra ‘We are Calcio’. 

Defined by its history, legacy and passion that follows it all over the world. Serie A is considered one of the most tactical leagues around the globe and is the perfect stage for PUMA to help drive the next chapter in Lega Serie A football.

“We are extremely proud to announce this new partnership” – said Lega Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo – “The link with a brand of international recognition such as PUMA demonstrates the importance and reputation of Lega Serie A at a global level and offers a greater level of visibility for our brand. By choosing PUMA we will guarantee both the highest technical standards for all our competitions and a style in line with the fashion trends of the young generations. This agreement also guarantees continuity in the centralised marketing operations of the Lega Serie A and confirms the willingness of the Clubs to work together for the enhancement of our product”.

“PUMA is very proud to partner with Lega Serie A and we look forward to many exciting football seasons together,” said Manolo Schuermann, Head of Sports Marketing Teamsport. “The partnership gives PUMA the platform to promote the brand in one of the world’s elite football leagues and will be rooted in collaboration and ambition. This mindset will allow us to produce great product, storytelling and commercial campaigns. We have always been deeply rooted in Italian football and now look forward to creating another legacy together with Lega Serie A.”

PARTNERSHIP START: July 1st, 2022

BCCI Announces RuPay As Official Partner For TATA IPL

The Indian Premier League Governing Council (IPL GC) today announced RuPay, the flagship product of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) as an official partner for TATA IPL, which will begin on 26th March 2022. This will be a multi-year partnership.

RuPay is the first-of-its-kind Global Card payment network from India, providing an exceptional self-reliant card payments network with innovative features that have made it a successful interoperable card. RuPay is widely accepted at ATMs, POS devices, and e-commerce websites.

Mr. Brijesh Patel, Chairman, IPL, said:

“We are pleased to have RuPay on board as an official partner of the Indian Premier League 2022. This association of IPL and RuPay, the flagship product of NPCI, brings together two of India’s best homegrown brands and is set to create a huge impact on millions of Indians across the globe, encouraging digital payments adoption in a faster and seamless manner.”

Commenting on the partnership, Ms. Praveena Rai, Chief Operating Officer, NPCI said, “We are delighted to partner with the BCCI for one of the most celebrated sports leagues – Indian Premier League. We believe RuPay resonates well with IPL as both brands are bringing India together. Just like IPL provides high voltage entertainment to all Indian cricket lovers, RuPay offers tech-led, innovative, and customized offerings to people across the country, being accepted in India and internationally. With RuPay’s venture into IPL as the official partner, we feel it is one of the best ways to define the tech-savvy, youthful, contemporary brand personality of RuPay.”

Zwift Extends Investment Into Growing Women’s Cycling With Paris-Roubaix Femmes Title Sponsorship

Zwift, the global online fitness platform, is delighted to announce it will become presenting partner of the Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift.

The four-year deal will see Zwift expand its significant investment in the women’s peloton and partner with one of the most exciting and iconic one-day road races, the ‘Hell of the North’, set to kick off on 16th April 2022.

Today’s announcement builds on the momentum generated by Zwift’s groundbreaking partnership with the A.S.O for this year’s inaugural Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, with both events underpinning its overarching commitment to redrawing the map for women in cycling.

The Tour de France and Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift are highlights of the Women’s Tour that showcase the exceptional breadth of talent and drama of the women’s peloton and it is Zwift’s ambition to introduce the world to a new generation of female heroes and inspire future champions.

Zwift has been working to put women’s racing on an equal footing with men’s for some time with initiatives including the recent UCI Cycling Esports World Championships, the Virtual Tour de France, Zwift Academy and the Tour for All. 

Kasia Niewiadoma, Professional Cyclist with CANYON//SRAM Racing UCI Women’s WorldTeam:

“It’s fantastic to see a company like Zwift stepping in to make the investment our sport deserves, allowing us to now race some of the most iconic races in the world. Paris Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift is something truly special and is one race that will always live up to the expectation.”

Coryn Labecki, Professional Cyclist with Jumbo-Visma UCI Women’s WorldTeam:

“We have already proven this to be an unmissable event in the UCI Women’s WorldTour calendar and it’s fantastic to have Zwift show its support by increasing their investment in the advancement of professional women’s cycling. 

“This is another important milestone for the women’s peloton and I’m certain that increased exposure will help bring the drama and excitement of this race to more people than ever before.”

Eric Min, CEO & Co-Founder of Zwift:

“We’re incredibly proud to be the first ever presenting partner to Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift and to be expanding our relationship with the A.S.O. Alongside the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, this is a huge opportunity to shine a light on one of the most iconic and exciting races on the Tour and showcase the incredible quality and talent of the women’s peloton.

“The ‘Hell of the North’ is a highlight of the cycling calendar and I’m sure it will captivate audiences across the world and inspire women everywhere to begin their own cycling journey.”

Yann le Moënner, General Director of Amaury Sport Organization: 

“We are particularly excited to have Zwift join us as title partner of Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift. Zwift’s involvement in the development of women’s cycling continues after being the very first to follow us after the creation of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, which will take place for the first time next July. Following our collaboration during the virtual Tour de France of 2020 and after the success of the first edition of Paris-Roubaix Femmes last year, we are convinced that with Zwift at our side, our efforts for the development of women’s cycling will be crowned with success.”

World Sports Photography Awards Announces iSportConnect Partnership

The World Sports Photography Awards and iSportConnect are pleased to announce a media partnership for the 2022 World Sports Photography Awards. 

iSportConnect was launched in 2010 with the aim of bringing together sports business professionals around the world in a sports business networking community enabling them to meet one another, find information and obtain access to a wide range of relevant services. 

The platform is now the largest global private network of sport business executives, where membership is exclusive and follows a strict door policy. iSportConnect’s three pillars are their community, advisory service and networking events.

iSportConnect’s founder and CEO, Sree Varma, will join the 2022 World Sports Photography Awards judging panel.

World Sports Photography Awards has recently announced a headline partnership with MPB for the third edition of the awards, which will celebrate the best sports photography of 2021 across 27 different categories. 

LDN UTD Announces Alienware/Dell Gaming As Official PC & Gaming Display Partner For 2022

LDN UTD, the tech led purpose driven esports org, today announces their partnership with Alienware/Dell Gaming. 

Alienware/Dell Gaming PCs and monitors will be on full display in LDN UTD’s Centre Of Excellence, providing quality visuals to players, staff and members of the community. The partnership will further support LDN UTD’s commitment to inclusivity and grassroots gamers, helping them to “defy boundaries” through access to cutting edge equipment which might otherwise be inaccessible for them. 

Alienware/Dell Gaming’s PCs and displays have already proven invaluable in LDN UTD’s delivery of education and career initiative UTD EDN to help young adults work in the esports sector. The first cohort of participants of the 8 week learning experience are this week commencing 70 hours of work experience in LDN UTD’s Centre Of Excellence. 

The partnership will also see Alienware/Dell Gaming feature on LDN UTD’s 2022 jersey, which will be seen by hundreds of thousands across Europe during the VCT EMEA Challengers season. You can grab a jersey for yourself over at our store, but be quick as it’s a limited run!

Additionally, the Alienware/Dell Gaming branding will be included into digital branding assets and tournaments as a part of LDN UTD’s digital economy platform.

“Alienware is a brand that is synonymous in the world of gaming, and at LDN UTD we are pleased to welcome Alienware to the LDN UTD family. We are looking forward to using their state of the art equipment to make gaming accessible to all at our purpose driven Centre Of Excellence.” Hannah Shiels, Commercial Manager. 

LET And Asian Tour Join Forces For Two New Mixed Events Sponsored By Trust Golf

The Ladies European Tour (LET) and Asian Tour today jointly announce two exciting new mixed tournaments in Thailand.

Trust Golf, part of the TCT Corporation, will host the Asian Mixed Cup and the Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge as part of the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Series. The tournaments will see the leading stars on the LET and Asian Tour compete for US $1.5 million in the space of a fortnight.

The innovative events will be played back-to-back on the Waterside Course at Siam Country Club near Pattaya – one of Asia’s finest golf clubs which has hosted numerous prestigious international championships and is the home of the Honda LPGA Thailand – on 7-10 April and on 13-16 April, 2022.

Both events will feature 60 LET players and 60 Asian Tour players, along with 24 sponsor invitations, playing for the same prize fund and trophy. Each tournament will offer a prize fund of US$750,000, along with Official World Golf Ranking points. Race to Costa del Sol and Order of Merit points will be awarded to players from both Tours respectively.

The support of Trust Golf as title sponsor is a huge boost for the ground-breaking co-sanctioned events. Dr. Prin Singhanart, founder of the Thai-based technology enterprise and the Trust Golf Tour, is passionate about innovative golf formats. With the Thailand Mixed, which will be played in late March, followed by the Asian Mixed in April, Dr Prin hopes to drive towards a World Mixed Championship one day.  

Trust Golf founder, Dr Prin Singhanart commented: “I’m always extremely keen on mixed formats as golf is the only sport allowing people of all ages and genders to play together. I would like to provide a pathway for Thai talents both male and female. If a female golfer wins outright, they will earn membership to the LET, and if a male golfer wins outright, they will earn membership to the Asian Tour. With the Trust Golf Tour affiliated membership programme, it will allow the players to be ranked on both order of merits.

“I believe that sport has always been a soft power diplomacy approach to international relations. Through the attraction of its unique culture, Thailand has such potential to boost that in sports, especially with our strength in Thai Boxing and golf. This can contribute to future trade and investment by strengthening trust and awareness of our country’s capabilities.”

Alexandra Armas, CEO of the LET, said: “We look forward to collaborating with Dr Prin and her vision to nurture the next generation of Thai talent. These new tournaments are important steps in the continued growth of the LET as we offer 33 playing opportunities to our members in 2022 and we look forward to working together with Trust Golf and the Asian Tour at Siam Country Club in April.”

Cho Minn Thant, CEO of the Asian Tour, said: “The Asian Tour is extremely excited to add a new format of play to our tournament schedule. We thank Trust Golf for making it possible for the Asian Tour to stage its first mixed events, which will resonate strongly with golf fans in the region. It is also an exciting opportunity to collaborate with the Ladies European Tour for the first time and pay our maiden visit to the highly-regarded Siam Country Club.”

Vodafone Teams Up With Emma Raducanu To Inspire The Next Generation Of Players

Vodafone has today announced a new partnership with nineteen-year-old sensation Emma Raducanu as its grassroots tennis ambassador. Emma will work with the brand to inspire the next generation of players and help grow grassroots tennis in the UK.

As part of her role, Emma will become the face of Vodafone’s grassroots tennis initiatives, with plans to use Vodafone connectivity to expand access to tennis for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. This includes the relaunched and expanded mass participation competition Play Your Way to Wimbledon, powered by Vodafone, formerly known as the Road to Wimbledon, which will be delivered in partnership by the LTA, the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, and Vodafone.

With entries now open, thousands of 14&U and 18&U players are set to take part in the initial stages held in clubs, parks and schools leading to county and regional finals in June and July. The winners of these stages will progress to the national finals, taking place on Wimbledon’s Aorangi Courts in August. They will also have the chance to immerse themselves in the true Wimbledon experience, competing in whites and touring the historic Grounds and Museum.

From 2023, the LTA and the All England Club are planning for the competition to expand further, including through the introduction of additional age groups and disability categories, which Vodafone is proud to support.

There has already been good news for grassroots tennis in the UK, with the three months after Emma’s grand slam win seeing more adults pick up a racquet regularly than for the same period in any of the past five years. Vodafone will work with Emma, the All England Club and the LTA to build on this ‘Raducanu Effect’ and help get more children and adults playing and enjoying tennis as they take part in the competition.

Off the court, Vodafone will use its network and superfast 5G to help Emma keep in touch with her family, friends and fans as she tours. As a global citizen with a diverse heritage and fanbase, Emma has relationships all across the world and Vodafone’s technology will allow her to stay in touch with family, friends and fans as she travels.

Max Taylor, Vodafone Consumer Director said:

“Emma has captivated the nation over the last eighteen months, delivering one of the most iconic British sporting moments in recent memory and inspiring a huge number of new players to pick up a racket for the first time. As the face of modern British tennis and a graduate of the LTA’s grassroots programme – which we are proud to now be supporting – Emma is the perfect person to champion the relaunch and expansion of Play Your Way to Wimbledon, powered by Vodafone and our ambition to democratise the sport and connect a new generation of fans and players.”

Emma Raducanu said:

“I’m so excited to be working with Vodafone to inspire the next generation of tennis players in the UK. The support I received at a grassroots level has been key to my development as a player, and I’m looking forward to helping make these initiatives even bigger, better and more accessible.”

Gus Henderson, Commercial Director at the All England Club, said:

“We are delighted to work with the LTA and Vodafone to build on the strong heritage of the Road to Wimbledon, relaunching and expanding it to become the UK’s biggest individual mass participation competition. We hope that Play Your Way to Wimbledon helps to encourage more children to try tennis and develop a love of the game, with the chance to play on the grass courts at Wimbledon as a compelling inspiration factor.”

Oliver Scadgell, Participation Director at the LTA said:

“By working with Vodafone and the All England Club on this competition, we’re continuing our vision to open up tennis and grow the sport at a grass roots level. The introduction of broader age groups and disability categories from 2023 is key to this objective and it’s hugely beneficial to have Emma’s support in encouraging participation.”

To mark the announcement, Vodafone used a time-slice rig and a bespoke racket threaded with electroluminescent (EL) wire to create a unique 360 degree ‘digital sculpture’ of Emma alongside grassroots player Katie Randall. Popularised by the Matrix, and still used by national and international broadcasters as the cutting-edge of 360 filming, time-slice rigs use 120 different cameras and cutting-edge software, an example of Vodafone’s commitment to using the latest technology to support the next generation of tennis players.

The 360 sculptures of Emma are available to download here, alongside further imagery here and a short launch film featuring Emma and Katie, downloadable here and on YouTube here

The announcement follows Vodafone’s recent multi-year deal with Wimbledon and the All England Club as Official Connectivity Partner of The Championships. Working alongside Wimbledon and Emma, Vodafone will use its world-leading connectivity, superfast 5G network and cutting-edge AR, VR and haptic technology to help bring the sport to more people and enhance the viewing and playing experience.

Cage Warriors Coverage Added To UFC Content On Discovery+ And Eurosport In The Netherlands And Spain, Discovery+ In Finland Secures MotoGP™ For 2022

The next generation of Cage Warriors champions will soon be crowned with every knee, kick and knock-out in the Octagon coming to discovery+ in the Netherlands and Eurosport in Spain.

Cage Warriors, one the fastest-growing competitive Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) events globally, has already staged more than 150 events in 3 continents over the past two decades and has launched the careers of global superstars including Conor McGregor, Gegard Mousasi and Joanna Jędrzejczyk. 

As part of a new partnership between Discovery Sports and Cage Warriors, in addition to live and on-demand streaming on discovery+ in the Netherlands and via the Eurosport App in Spain, viewers can also enjoy coverage on the full range of Eurosport’s channels and platforms, broadening the reach of Cage Warriors for the widest possible audience. 

The announcement further expands Discovery Sports’ MMA offering following news earlier in the year that discovery+ and Eurosport will bring every UFC fight to viewers in the Netherlands and Spain. discovery+ subscribers in the Netherlands can now not only enjoy streaming of a wide range of MMA fights, but also benefit from access to one of the largest real-life entertainment content libraries anywhere.

Packing even more punches, Eurosport.nl and Eurosport.es will also bring fans the best content and stories throughout the series, providing even more ways to engage with Cage Warriors.

Viewers will benefit from a minimum of 15 events per year including potential fights in the Netherlands and Spain. The new series of Cage Warriors kicks off in San Diego, USA on 4 March with the eagerly anticipated Cage Warriors 133, which is set to feature some of the fiercest knockout artists and submission specialists including Joseph Morales (USA) vs Sidemar Honorio (Brazil) in the main card flyweight bout. 

Gijs Poortman, Head of Discovery Sports Netherlands, said:

“With the rights to Cage Warriors, we are expanding our premium martial arts offering on discovery+. With Cage Warriors, in addition to UFC, we want to serve our MMA fans on discovery+ even more at the highest level. With, among others, Dutch MMA athletes Gerardo Fanny, Agy Sardari, Hubert Geven and Daan Duijs and favourable European broadcast times, the martial arts enthusiast is sitting first row at discovery+ – ‘The Streaming Home of Fight Sports’.”

Fernando Ruiz, Sports Editorial Senior Manager at Eurosport Spain, said:

“With this new addition, Eurosport further strengthens its extensive catalogue of international sporting events to offer fans in Spain one of the most important mixed martial arts competitions with more fans around the world after the addition of the UFC last month. In addition to continuing to enjoy some of the top boxing events on the international circuit, fans of contact sports will be able to follow the best coverage of Cage Warriors on Eurosport’s channels and digital platforms for years to come.’’

Graham Boylan, President at Cage Warriors, said:

“We are very pleased to see Discovery’s growing commitment to MMA and are excited to join Discovery the UFC in growing the sport in the Netherlands and Spain. Vamos! ”

Discovery’s sports business – under the Discovery Sports banner – produces and distributes content to 130 million unique individuals a month across more than 200 markets and 20 languages. It connects audiences with the greatest sporting events in the world. As well as bringing fans in the Netherlands and Spain the best MMA action, its global portfolio includes being the Home of the Olympics Games in Europe*; tennis’ Grand Slams; cycling’s Grand Tours and more than 300 days racing a year; the PGA TOUR year-round; the best new and existing electric racing series with ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and FIA eTouring Car World Cup; and every major winter sports World Championship and World Cup event to name a few.

discovery+ in Finland secures MotoGP™ for 2022

The 2022 MotoGP World Championship will be broadcast exclusively live on discovery+ in Finland.

Discovery Sports has reached agreement with Dorna, the international rights holder of the championship, to show all 21 races this season which starts with the Grand Prix of Qatar this weekend.

discovery+ in Finland will broadcast every event from each race weekend including free practice, qualifying and the races themselves. The agreement also means viewers will be able to watch the first MotoGP™ held in Finland live and exclusively on discovery+ and on Discovery’s free-to-air channels.

discovery+ in Finland will also air the MotoGP™ support races including MotoE, Moto2 and Moto3.

Coverage from the Grand Prix of Qatar starts with free practice on Friday (4 March), continues with qualifying on Saturday (5 March) with the main races taking places on Sunday (6 March). Coverage on discovery+ in Finland starts each day from 14:00 (local time) with Marko Terva-aho, a familiar figure for local Finnish motorsport fans, commentating on the opening weekend. 

UFC Upgrades To Feature LED Displays Around Octagon

UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, today announced a groundbreaking upgrade to one of the most well-known settings in all of sports—the world-famous Octagon.

Starting this Saturday, March 5, with UFC 272: COVINGTON vs MASVIDAL at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the Octagon will feature new state-of-the-art LED decking displays around its outer circumference, which will be used to enhance the spectacle of UFC events by incorporating thrilling lighting effects, graphics, animation, video, and more.

The pioneering lighting system, named UFC Fight Deck, has been custom built for UFC, weighs over five tons, and features eight tiles comprising over 175 sq. ft. of LED lighting around the standard 30-foot Octagon.  Each panel offers full motion HD video that supports dynamic branding and messaging capabilities that can be used to augment the UFC experience with greater fan engagement and partnership branding opportunities.

“We take pride in giving our fans the best in-arena and broadcast presentation possible, and we’re always looking for ways to upgrade the experience,” said Craig Borsari, Chief Content Officer and Executive Producer, UFC.  “This is a use of cutting-edge technology with the most famous setting in combat sports, the Octagon, and it’s going to transform how fans experience UFC events.”

“The possibilities for using this technology to integrate our partners into UFC events are limitless,” said Paul Asencio, UFC Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships.  “We’ll be able to elevate our partners’ brands before millions of UFC fans around the world during the most-visible, most-anticipated moments of our events, including in-round action, fighter introductions, and walkouts from the locker rooms to the Octagon.” 

UFC Fight Deck will also be integrated at key moments with UFC Fight Clock, UFC’s proprietary and innovative time-keeping system, to give a unified, multi-level LED look to the Octagon.  UFC Fight Clock, which was introduced last year, utilizes advanced technology, including the most flexible high-definition screens in the world, to provide fighters and fans with the most accurate time-keeping system in combat sports.  UFC Fight Deck will initially be utilized at every UFC event in the United States, including events at UFC APEX, with plans to eventually incorporate the system into international shows.

The UFC Fight Deck stricture was designed and built by premiere staging company All Access, Inc., while the LED display screens were manufactured by PixelFLEX, a leader in LED technology, which was previously involved in the design for the UFC Fight Clock.

Manchester City Announce Official Cryptocurrency Exchange Partner OKX

Manchester City have today announced a global partnership with one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges, OKX, naming it the Club’s Official Cryptocurrency Exchange Partner. 

OKX’s first venture into the world of sport and entertainment, the partnership will span Manchester City men’s and women’s teams, in addition to the Club’s esports operations.  

OKX’s fast, secure and innovative cryptocurrency exchange is trusted by more than 20 million people in more than 180 markets as a place to explore the power of crypto.   

OKX and Man City believe in inspiring continued innovation, talent development and technology advancements – a key partnership alignment between both organisations. 

The new partners will collaborate on a number of exclusive experiences for OKX’s global customer base, in addition to an in-stadium presence across the Etihad Stadium and Academy Stadium. The new partners will also look to explore future innovation projects together.   

Roel De Vries, Chief Operating Officer, City Football Group, said: “We are pleased to welcome OKX as an Official Partner of Manchester City today as they look to venture into the world of sports. The new partnership aligns our shared values of innovation, drive for success and being at the cutting edge of our respective industries. Their broad and inclusive approach to targeting diverse audiences resonates with our approach. We look forward to working together throughout the partnership.” 

“We are delighted to partner with Manchester City, one of the world’s best-loved and most successful teams. Football and crypto share something important; they are for everyone, they create inclusivity within society. For OKX, Manchester City is a Club that represents the effect football has to make a positive difference in people’s lives, to bring people together around a shared love of the beautiful game. We are entering the Premier League for the first time as City’s official crypto partner to celebrate this community spirit in the world of football because it’s something we both share,” said Jay Hao, CEO of OKX.