Heineken Announces New Women’s Sport Partnerships With UEFA And W Series

Heineken is today announcing four new partnerships within women’s sport to provide even more top performances for fans to cheer on. UEFA’s Women’s Champions League, UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 and 2025, and W Series, the international single-seater motor racing championship for female drivers, will all be part of new deals.

For Heineken® it’s a new chapter in its commitment to fans, building on thriving partnerships within football and motorsport.

Bram Westenbrink, Global Head Heineken® Brand, said:

“We are committed to delivering great shared moments to consumers all over the world and our sponsorships are exciting platforms to connect with fans through their passions and enhance their experiences. By extending our partnerships in football and motorsport to include W Series, UEFA Women’s Champions League and UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 and 2025, we are enabling more thrilling experiences for all.”

Julia George, Global Sponsorship Manager for Heineken®, said:

“Our multi-year deals with W Series, UEFA Women’s Champions League and UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 and 2025 enable us to create even more world-class experiences to enhance the sports that fans love. And we know that fan passion is not determined by gender, but by coming together over the love for the sport and the world class athletes. That’s why we are proud to announce extensions to our partnerships in football and motorsport.”

Nadine Kessler, Chief of Women’s Football at UEFA, said:

“We are delighted to expand our fantastic 25-year relationship with Heineken® through to the UEFA Women’s Champions League and UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 and 2025. This expansion demonstrates Heineken®’s continued commitment to being an advocate and supporter of the whole of European football, women’s and men’s, and the amazing fans, players and coaches who make these tournaments so special.”

Catherine Bond-Muir, CEO of W Series, said:

“This partnership marks another exciting step forward for W Series and our mission to further the interests and prospects of female racing drivers. Heineken®’s commitment to supporting us shows how W Series is going from strength to strength enhancing the way our fans watch racing through exceptional experiences. We know the incredible support that Heineken® brings through their outstanding engagement with racing fans across the world and we are delighted to partner with Heineken® for this incredible journey.”

Heineken®’s partnership with UEFA women’s tournament will extend through until the end of the 2024/25 season. The partnership will provide Heineken® with additional ticketing, hospitality, branding and pouring opportunities as well as digital fan activations including the Heineken Goal of the Round, and in stadium activations and experiences for fans like the Heineken Best Seat in the House.

Heineken®’s multi-year deal with W Series will give the premium beer brand at-track visibility at races, Heineken® 0.0, digital activation ‘Heineken Star of the Track’, its continued support to responsibility through When You Drive Never Drink and – of course – track-side fan experiences throughout the season. 2021 is a big year for W Series, which launched in 2018. For the first time the championship will join eight Formula 1, Grand Prix races across the season, giving motorsport fans the opportunity to watch the world’s top female drivers compete.

Rugby League World Cup 2021 Confirm Dates For Postponed Event In 2022

Rugby League World Cup 2021 (RLWC2021) have today, 26 August, confirmed the dates for the tournament that will now take place between Saturday 15 October – Saturday 19 November 2022.

RLWC2021 can also announce that the opening match and the men’s / women’s double header finals will be played, as originally planned, at St James’ Park, Newcastle and Old Trafford, Manchester respectively. We are delighted that these two iconic venues will remain in place to open and close the biggest and best Rugby League World Cup ever.

The new tournament dates have been confirmed following detailed consultation with a number of partners. In particular, RLWC2021 would like to thank Super League Europe and the member clubs who have been extremely accommodating.

The dates see the tournament move one week earlier than scheduled in 2021 to maximise attendance and viewership. Work now continues to release a full revised match schedule by no later than the end of the year.

The earlier start means RLWC2021 will fall between the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 2022 FIFA World Cup meaning that existing broadcast partners, will continue to air all 61 games throughout the tournament.

Today, RLWC2021 would like to reaffirm to those who wish to retain their tickets for 2022, that there is nothing further to do, as tickets will be automatically transferred to the corresponding fixture next year.

As a thank you for continued fan support, RLWC2021 have created “The Foundation Fan Squad”, this will be an exclusive group who will receive a thank you pack including an updated wall planner and the chance to win exclusive prizes, access to content and other benefits for the next year.

While it is hoped all ticketholders decide to stay with us and support the tournament in 2022 it is understood some fans may not be able to attend. Today the first general admission ticket refund window will open for a three-week period.

For those who have purchased a RLWC2021 ticket product through official platforms, please visit www.rlwc2021.com/tickets for specific ticket refund information.

RLWC2021 would like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved in the process of confirming the dates for 2022 and we look forward to working closely with all nations, sponsors, partners, venues, host towns and cities as we finalise the revised tournament schedule.

Jon Dutton, RLWC2021 Chief Executive, said: “I am delighted that we have been able to announce the revised dates today and can now look forward to the biggest and best Rugby League World Cup ever in the autumn of 2022.”

“The continuing conversations with all our supportive hosts and venues have been hugely positive. We are confident that we can deliver a similar tournament schedule, which will be communicated as soon as possible.”

“Obviously, we are disappointed the tournament will not be happening as originally planned but we are determined to make next year a celebration of sport, unity, people, place and civic pride.”

Troy Grant, IRL Chairman said, “The Rugby League World Cup is the international pinnacle of our sport, and I am delighted that the new dates have been agreed meaning we can now push forward towards autumn 2022.”

“Jon Dutton and the entire RLWC2021 team have worked tirelessly following the postponement being announced and I have total confidence that the 2022 incarnation of the tournament will be the best we have ever seen both on and off the field of play.”

LDN UTD Launches NFT Community Engagement Campaign

  • Young people from disadvantaged communities given opportunity to create NFTs and help Rio Ferdinand Foundation.
  • 10% of profits will be donated to the charity.
  • Exciting partnership with One Minute Briefs.
  • Initial gaming and London specific NFTs also to be designed by London based artists including Jess Wiseman.
  • Budding artists invited to design NFTs as a series of collectibles related to gaming and London.
  • NFTs will have more functionality and utility than just a collectible.
  • NFT Marketplace has been built on the blockchain by Future Tech and Accubits whose clients include NASA, and will be powered by the GoChain blockchain to enable the responsible, sustainable minting of NFTs.

London, 26th August 2021: LDN UTD, the purpose driven esports org, today continues its journey to become decentralised with the launch of a community driven NFT initiative in partnership with a host of big names.

LDN UTD is giving all participants of the Rio Ferdinand Foundation’s programmes the opportunity to design their own NFTs, with a view to their designs being added to the LDN UTD marketplace. This is in addition to 10% of all profits being donated to the charity.

One-Minute Briefs is also tasking their community to create irresistible designs that align with what it’s like to be a gamer, whilst incorporating their favourite London places.

Additionally local artists including Jess Wiseman will continue to create a bespoke London based biome range, that once collected in a series will unlock a physical product. This will be launched alongside LDN UTD’s gamer profile collection, giving fans the option to buy a digitised version of gamers, whatever their preference. The collection will be varied and very limited. Jess has previously worked on many digital projects including alongside YouTube sensation VEXX to help complete his latest NFT creation which sold for $45,000, as well as Jack Harlow, Doja Cat, Reebok, AJ Tracey, and Billionaire Boys Club.

The NFT marketplace solution has been built in partnership with US based tech company Accubits and Future Tech who are trusted by federal agencies, Fortune 500 companies and clients including NASA. Additionally, LDN UTD is partnering with the GoChain Foundation, developer of the GoChain blockchain protocol, to enable the responsible, environmentally-friendly minting of NFTs and the auction and secondary sale of NFTs via the Zeromint NFT Marketplace.

The NFTs will include functionality and utility, providing owners with access to LDN UTD benefits including bespoke partner offerings, discounts on merch, and access to tournaments and events, with more details on the bespoke token currency to be revealed in due course.

Oliver Weingarten, Founder/CEO of LDN UTD said, “It has always been in our roadmap to become a decentralised esports org, and the fact we can continue to stick to our values of engaging community and social purpose in a unique manner with the launch of this campaign for our NFT Marketplace is just another step in the right direction.” 

Rhiannon Watts, Director of Operations of the Rio Ferdinand Foundation: “Rio Ferdinand and the Foundation are pleased to partner again with LDN UTD, on this interesting campaign to utilise technology and gaming to engage and benefit our community. We’re excited to see the designs that are submitted by our participants.”

Nick Entwistle, Founder of One Minute Briefs said: “We’re excited to team up with LDN UTD on a One Minute Briefs campaign. Creating NFTs is something we are keen to explore through our Bank of Creativity platform and the opportunity to produce content that will become NFTs to help the Rio Ferdinand Foundation is something that our community will relish the opportunity of. We are looking forward to seeing all the ideas across social media today, combining the world of gaming and the iconic elements of London.”

Henry Ines, CEO of GoChain said, “We are proud to partner with LDN UTD, which shares the same impact-oriented ethos as GoChain. We look forward to working closely with LDN UTD as it becomes the premier decentralised esports platform for gamers, while raising awareness on some of today’s most pressing social issues.”

WNBA Reveal NFT Moments To Debut On Top Shot

The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA), OneTeam Partners and Dapper Labs, the company behind NBA Top Shot and the Flow blockchain, today announced the integration of WNBA Moments into Top Shot, giving fans the ability to own the iconic moments that matter to them.  The experience, timed with the WNBA’s landmark 25th season, will feature dynamic in-game moments from WNBA players and legends, headlined by 2020 WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie.  The new WNBA Moments will be available on the same Top Shot platform used for NBA Top Shot starting today.

“In their monumental 25th season, we couldn’t be more excited to debut the WNBA and the players on Top Shot,” said Caty Tedman, Dapper Labs’ Head of Partnerships.  “We’re focused on revolutionizing how fans connect to the sports and players they love and share a goal to transform the fan experience.  In the spirit of the iconic and trailblazing league they are, this launch is just the beginning of what we have in store for the W and its fans.”

WNBA fans new to Top Shot will instantly be immersed into a world where they can discover great plays, open packs to collect epic WNBA Moments, show off their collections, and trade with their peers from the moment they engage on the Top Shot marketplace, secured by Flow, the blockchain developed for consumer experiences at scale.

“Top Shot presents an exciting opportunity for the WNBA to engage passionate fans on a whole new level and celebrate the league as it continues to make history,” said Christy Hedgpeth, WNBA Chief Operating Officer.  “We have been at the forefront of innovation in many respects and partnering with Dapper Labs on Top Shot allows us to highlight the talent and incredible performances of WNBA players in a heightened way through a digital experience.”

“The players and the fans have been looking forward to this announcement with great excitement and anticipation,” said Terri Jackson, WNBPA Executive Director.  “We are thrilled that Dapper Labs saw the promise and the opportunity to capture the game’s most electrifying moments and infuse the fan experience with authentic moments in the digital collectible space.”

OneTeam, the sponsorship and licensing partner of the WNBPA, facilitated the deal on behalf of the players and is responsible for forging the overall WNBPA NFT strategy.

The first WNBA pack drop is scheduled for Friday, August 27, however fans will have an opportunity to guarantee a spot to purchase by signing up and registering starting today.  The first 10,000 fans to register will be able to reserve an exclusive, free First Access Moment.  The 10,000 fans with First Access will also be guaranteed a spot to purchase a pack from Friday’s drop, but all fans can join the Top Shot queue, for an opportunity to obtain WNBA Moments this season.  For more information on how to register and on the WNBA experience available on Top Shot, please visit nbatopshot.com/wnba.

Big Ten, Pac-12 And ACC Conferences Announce Historic NCAA Alliance

The ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 today announced an historic alliance that will bring 41 world-class institutions together on a collaborative approach surrounding the future evolution of college athletics and scheduling.

This moves come shortly after Texas and Oklahoma, the Big 12 Conference’s standout teams, announced they will be joining the SEC – perceived by many as the highest quality conference in college football and the one which gets the highest revenue – in a few years’ time, and could be reactionary from these conferences in order to try to stop any of their teams from potentially doing the same.

The announcement states:

The alliance – which was unanimously supported by the presidents, chancellors and athletics directors at all 41 institutions – will be guided in all cases by a commitment to, and prioritization of, supporting student-athlete well-being, academic and athletic opportunities, experiences and diverse educational programming. The three conferences are grounded in their support of broad-based athletic programs, the collegiate model and opportunities for student-athletes as part of the educational missions of the institutions.

The three conferences remain competitors in every sense but are committed to collaborating and providing thought leadership on various opportunities and challenges facing college athletics, including:

  • Student-athlete mental and physical health, safety, wellness and support
  • Strong academic experience and support
  • Diversity, equity and inclusion
  • Social justice
  • Gender equity
  • Future structure of the NCAA
  • Federal legislative efforts
  • Postseason championships and future formats

The alliance includes a scheduling component for football and women’s and men’s basketball designed to create new inter-conference games, enhance opportunities for student-athletes, and optimize the college athletics experience for both student-athletes and fans across the country. The scheduling alliance will begin as soon as practical while honoring current contractual obligations. A working group comprised of athletic directors representing the three conferences will oversee the scheduling component of the alliance, including determining the criteria upon which scheduling decisions will be made. All three leagues and their respective institutions understand that scheduling decisions will be an evolutionary process given current scheduling commitments.

The football scheduling alliance will feature additional attractive matchups across the three conferences while continuing to honor historic rivalries and the best traditions of college football.

In women’s and men’s basketball, the three conferences will add early and mid-season games as well as annual events that feature premier matchups between the three leagues.

The three conferences will also explore opportunities for the vast and exceptional Olympic Sports programs to compete more frequently and forge additional attractive and meaningful rivalries.

The future scheduling component will benefit student-athletes and fans by offering new and memorable experiences that will extend coast-to-coast, across all time zones. The competition will bring a new level of excitement to the fans of the 41 schools while also allowing teams and conferences to have flexibility to continue to play opponents from other conferences, independents and various teams from other subdivisions.

“The ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 recognize the unique environment and challenges currently facing intercollegiate athletics, and we are proud and confident in this timely and necessary alliance that brings together like-minded institutions and conferences focused on the overall educational missions of our preeminent institutions,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips. “The alliance will ensure that the educational outcomes and experiences for student-athletes participating at the highest level of collegiate athletics will remain the driving factor in all decisions moving forward.”

“Student-athletes have been and will remain the focal point of the Big Ten, ACC and PAC-12 Conferences” said Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren. “Today, through this alliance, we furthered our commitment to our student-athletes by prioritizing our academics and athletics value systems. We are creating opportunities for student-athletes to have elite competition and are taking the necessary steps to shape and stabilize the future of college athletics.”

“The historic alliance announced today between the Pac-12, ACC and Big Ten is grounded in a commitment to our student-athletes,” said Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff. “We believe that collaborating together we are stronger in our commitment to addressing the broad issues and opportunities facing college athletics.”

The ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences include:

  • World-leading academic institutions committed to the shared values of supporting the next generation of leaders.
  • Innovative research that benefits communities around the world.
  • 27 of the 34 Autonomy 5 members in Association of American Universities (AAU).
  • 34 institutions ranked in the Top 100 national universities by US News & World Report.
  • Broad-based athletic and academic programs.
  • A long heritage of leadership in diversity, equity and inclusion.
  • Over 27,000 student-athletes competing on 863 teams in 31 sports.
  • A combined 1,019 NCAA Championships.
  • Longstanding relationships across bowl partnerships, men’s and women’s basketball challenges and Olympic Sport events.
  • 194 Olympic medals won in Tokyo by current, former and future student-athletes.
  • Some of the most iconic and historic venues in college sports.
  • Hundreds of millions of dollars in direct annual institutional support of student-athlete scholarships.
  • Over $15 billion in annual federal research support, nearly one-third of the total across all colleges and universities.

Quotes from the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 CEO chairs:Duke University President & Chair of the ACC Board of Directors Vincent E. Price

“The alliance is first and foremost a statement about the vital connection of academic excellence to college athletics.  Our members include 41 of the top public and private universities in the world which will soon have new ways to compete at the very highest levels in sports, and to collaborate in education, research and service to society.  Together we will be able to use our strong voice and united vision to create the best possible experience for our student-athletes and institutions.”

University of Wisconsin Chancellor and Big Ten Conference Council of Presidents/Chancellors (COP/C) Chair Dr. Rebecca Blank:

“The Big Ten Conference has always prioritized academic excellence as well as athletic excellence for student-athletes. Today’s announcement reinforces the values of integrity, fairness and competitiveness among all members of this alliance and provides additional opportunities for our student-athletes to enhance their collegiate experience.”

University of Oregon President & Chair of the Pac-12 Board of Directors Michael Schill:

“The Pac-12 is thrilled to join with so many world-class universities in a collaborative effort to support our student-athletes through an unwavering commitment to excellence in academics and athletics.  Together we can help shape a future for college athletics where broad-based athletic programs in concert with educational opportunities allow us to support the next generation of leaders.”

BT Sport To Broadcast Hero Caribbean Premier League, Super League Triathlon

BT Sport has secured a multi-year agreement to broadcast every ball of the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League. 

The three-week tournament which kicks off on 26 August, will see West Indies stars including Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard, face off against each other.

Cricket fans will be able to catch a host of international talent at the CPL with former South African captain Faf du Plessis, explosive New Zealand batsman Glenn Phillips, English all-roudner Ravi Bopara and Pakistan fast bowler Mohammed Amir featuring.

The broadcast adds to BT Sport’s multi-year agreement to broadcast all domestic and international cricket from the West Indies, which has already seen South Africa, Australia and Pakistan tour the Caribbean this summer.

BT Sport’s growing portfolio of cricket also includes exclusive broadcast rights of New Zealand’s men’s and women’s home internationals.

Rachel Knight, director of sports rights, BT Sport, said: “BT Sport’s cricket line-up continues to grow as we show more world-class cricket to fans across the UK. The Caribbean Premier League will kick off an exciting period for cricket lovers on BT Sport which in early 2022 includes exclusively live coverage of England’s tour of the West Indies.”

Super League Triathlon

BT Sport have also agreed a partnership with Super League Triathlon which will see the entire 2021 Championship Series broadcast live on BT Sport, on demand via its App, as well as highlights.

Super League’s Championship Series will feature four back-to-back races throughout September with events in London, Munich, Jersey and Malibu and will crown the fastest triathletes in the world with short, sharp and action packed events in a made for broadcast package that will thrill fans around the world.

The 2021 Championship Series also sees the addition of SLT Teams – a new team franchise concept that will deliver more tactics and dynamics, ensure the racing remains constantly high octane and create further spectator engagement in a way the sport has never seen before. BT Sport will show the Championship Series live in the UK, with additional highlight programmes from each event.

Joe Edwards, Chief Marketing Officer at Super League Triathlon, said: “Super League Triathlon’s 2021 Championship Series is set to raise the bar for short course triathlon with the best athletes in the world competing in thrilling formats for a prize purse of $1.25m. SLT Teams is the next step in Super League’s vision to grow triathlon into a sustainable spectator sport and BT Sport is perfectly placed to help showcase these brilliant events to audiences in the UK.

Rachel Knight, director of sports rights, BT Sport, said: “Our customers can look forward to the very best action from one of the world’s most grueling sports series, with Great Britain’s Jonny Brownlee set to compete. BT Sport will be bringing viewers coverage from a range of triathlon events in due course.”

Super League Triathlon’s 2021 Championship Series is:

  • September 5: London, UK
  • September 12: Munich, Germany
  • September 18: Jersey, Channel Islands
  • September 25: Malibu, USA

Carabao Renew Partnership With Edinburgh Rivals Hearts & Hibs For Second Year

Low calorie, lower sugar energy drink brand Carabao has announced it will boost its ongoing commitment to sports sponsorship in Scotland through extended deals with Edinburgh football clubs; Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian FC.

As the two biggest football teams in the capital city continue the 2021-22 season of the Cinch Premiership, Carabao has unveiled it will sponsor both clubs for a second year in a row, with deals that continue to benefit both teams and will no doubt excite fans across Edinburgh.

Carabao’s bright coloured cans are a perfect match to represent the club’s own colours. With Hibs vibrant green represented by Carabao’s Green Apple Flavour and the notable maroon tones of Hearts echoed in Carabao’s Mixed Berry flavour. Both clubs will be stocking Carabao with special offers via their websites.

It is no surprise that the brand has extended its partnership after a successful year in 2019/2020, with research showing that football fans are 1.6x more likely to purchase a can*. The extension has been agreed for the new Scottish football season and will see a presence from Carabao via LED and trackside advertising for home matches at Easter Road and Tynecastle Park.

This season, the energy drink brand has announced that it will become an official community sponsor for Hearts and will promote all match day social media posts on drinkcarabao.co.uk throughout the season. The exciting sponsorship extension will continue to offer an opportunity for Carabao to engage with football fans and broaden its presence in Scotland. 

John Luck, Chief Marketing Officer at Carabao said: “We’re really excited to continue our partnership with both Hibs and Hearts and become their official energy drink partner for a second season running.

“We’re looking forward to growing our existing relationship with both clubs and having a presence at both Easter Road and Tynecastle Park. As all football fans are, we’re so pleased to be heading back into the stadiums this season”.

Carabao’s range of fruity flavoured energy drinks are available to purchase at Morrisons, Sainsburys, McColl’s, KeyStores, Day Today, Savers, Nisa, Costcutter, BP and SPAR stores in Scotland.

Carabao is also serving up a fantastic deal for Scottish consumers shopping in McColl’s with a ‘two for £1’ offer available on its cans throughout August 2021.

Lewes FC Appoints Sue Anstiss To Its Board Of Directors

The Lewes FC Board is delighted to announce that it has co-opted Sue Anstiss as a Lewes FC Director.

Sue has been a driving force for equality in sport for over 30 years. A founding trustee of the Women’s Sport Trust, co-founder of the Women’s Sport Collective and author of ‘Game On: The Unstoppable Rise of Women’s Sport’, in 2018 Sue received an MBE for her services to grassroots and women’s sport.

Having run a sports PR agency for 26 years, Sue is now CEO of Fearless Women, a company leading positive change for women’s sport. She’s also a member of the RFU’s Independent Diversity and Inclusivity Advisory Group and is a Non-Executive Director at Leisure Focus, a charity running leisure facilities in Berkshire.

Lewes FC Chair, Stuart Fuller, said: “The club is absolutely delighted to welcome Sue onto the Board of Directors. We are an incredibly ambitious club, and Sue’s credentials speak for themselves. We’re excited to see what we can achieve together.”

Lewes FC CEO, Maggie Murphy, said: “Sue has her finger on the pulse of everything good happening in women’s sport right now. I’ve had the privilege of getting to know Sue over the last eighteen months, and every time I walk away from a conversation with her, I feel energized, inspired and excited Sue joining Lewes FC’s board and actively committing to help us reach our goals is huge validation of what we have already accomplished but with her knowledge, insight and creativity, we can move much closer to fulfilling our full potential.”

Commenting on the appointment Sue said: “When I first met Maggie to interview her for The Game Changers podcast, I was blown away by all I learnt about Lewes FC and its incredible passion to drive positive change in football.

“Lewes FC has already achieved so much and sets a bold example for sports club everywhere, whether that’s being the only football club in the world to allocate resources equally by gender, its rejection of gambling sponsorship or taking a provocative stance on the extraordinary inequality of prize money for the FA Cup. The fact that the club is also 100% community owned really sets it apart.

“I am hugely proud to have been appointed to the board and look forward to contributing to the club’s powerful ambition for change.”

The Board co-opts Directors who have specialist skills and experience that are of particular benefit to the club. In this instance, the Board considers that Sue’s abilities, networks and experience in sports sponsorship, with a particular focus on gender equality, will be hugely valuable in taking the club forward.

AC Milan Welcomes Nexen Tire As New Partner

AC Milan and Nexen Tire, one of the world’s leading companies in the tire industry, are delighted to announce a new partnership that will see the South Korean brand become the Club’s new Tire Partner in the Italian market.

The two brands come together sharing a strong set of values. From innovation as a way to stand out and meet the needs of the Rossoneri fanbase and the Nexen Tire customer base, to the ability of setting trends in their respective fields. Passion and care also represent important values at the core of the new partnership. Passion for competition and the red and black colours, and always putting people at the center of things, as expressed in Nexen Tire’s new corporate slogan “We Got You.”

As part of the new partnership, Nexen Tire aims to enhance its brand presence in the Italian market through the enhanced visibility both at the San Siro Stadium and online, as well as with the association with a solid and well-reputed brand at an international level such as AC Milan. The South Korean tire manufacturer is also committed to consolidating the relationship with its existing customer base through exclusive product giveaways and Rossoneri experiences.

Casper Stylsvig, Chief Revenue Officer at AC Milan, commented: “We are pleased to welcome Nexen Tire to our family of Partners. With an authentic brand alignment, a common vision and a common mission, I am convinced that AC Milan and Nexen Tire will be able to bring this partnership to life always keeping in mind our shared values of passion, innovation and care.”

“We have teamed up with AC Milan, a fantastic Club with excellent players, and look forward to a successful partnership. We are excited for the upcoming football season,” said John Bosco Kim, Senior Vice President of Nexen Tire Europe. “With this new collaboration, Nexen Tire has brought forward innovative projects like incorporating our Nexen customers partnership program into the new marketing and communications packages developed in collaboration with AC Milan”.

Cal Athletics, FTX Unveil 10-Year Landmark Relationship

Cal Athletics and its multimedia rightsholder, LEARFIELD’s Cal Bears Sports Properties, and West Realm Shires Services Inc., owners and operators of FTX.US (“FTX”), a leading U.S.-regulated cryptocurrency exchange, announced Monday the first-ever collegiate cryptocurrency naming rights sponsorship. As part of the $17.5 million deal, LEARFIELD will accept the full payment in cryptocurrency on behalf of the university.

Through this historic, 10-year agreement, FTX receives naming rights to the field at California Memorial Stadium, which will be known as FTX Field at California Memorial Stadium.

“We believe we have found a great partner in FTX,” Cal Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton said. “FTX is a growing company at the forefront of innovation in an emerging technology, one that fits well at both Cal and in the Bay Area. This agreement extends well beyond field naming rights, which is part of our strategic plan to diversify revenue streams in support of our student-athlete experience, and includes commitments for our Cameron Institute, Cal Veterans and students in need here in Berkeley. We are looking forward to building our relationship now and in the years ahead.”

Through their new relationship, Cal Athletics and FTX will support and build out a community engagement program for the Cameron Institute for Student-Athlete Development. One of the primary focal points for the institute, the community engagement pillar helps student-athletes understand the benefits of public service and success through short-term and long-term commitments. With a significant financial investment from FTX, these efforts will initially focus on serving communities including the homeless population in Berkeley, underrepresented students and the Cal Veterans Group.

Cal and FTX share a connection in FTX.US’s Chief Operating Officer Sina Nader, who earned his bachelor’s degree in legal studies from Cal and was also a walk-on member of the Golden Bears football team during his time there.

Nader commented on the agreement, “We’re excited to partner with one of the world’s great universities and expand crypto’s presence into the collegiate athletics landscape. This historic partnership will also allow us to collaborate on charitable initiatives that align with our organization’s core values. Personally, I am excited to work alongside my alma mater to collaborate with local communities around a variety of causes. In the spirit of giving back, we are also committing an additional $200,000 on top of this partnership, which will specifically be used to help fight homelessness in Berkeley, and to support organizations that help underrepresented student groups at UC Berkeley. “

“This is a landmark agreement in many respects, including payment in cryptocurrency,” said Andy McDowell, vice president and general manager for LEARFIELD’s Cal Bears Sports Properties. “This was a true collaboration allowing us to thoughtfully navigate an emerging category with a wide reach beyond just athletics. We worked closely with Cal Athletics in bringing this FTX relationship to life, in an effort to support a historic stadium and to touch the entire campus community.”

In addition to field-naming rights, the relationship between Cal Athletics and FTX will feature new on-field branding and branding on athletics press backdrops, social integration, as well as the launch of a robust community service platform that will support projects across a variety of philanthropic causes.

The Bears’ first game at the newly named FTX Field at California Memorial Stadium is slated for Saturday, Sept. 4, when Cal hosts Nevada.