FC Bayern Munich and Coca-Cola extend partnership until 2020

FC Bayern Munich and Coca-Cola have extended their partnership for a further three years until 2020.

The soft drinks company will remain as an “official FC Bayern München partner”, with the deal incorporating premium advertising space at the Allianz Arena.

As part of the agreement, fans at the stadium will continue to be able to enjoy a range on non-alcoholic beverages.

FC Bayern marketing director Andreas Jung, said: “The continued cooperation with Coca-Cola is a great recognition of our joint work. We’re proud to have Coca-Cola, one of the strongest brands in the world, by our side and we’re looking forward to the 50-year anniversary of our partnership next season.”

Andreas Laub, head of sports and event marketing at Coca-Cola European Partners Deutschland GmbH (CCEP DE), added: “The extension of our cooperation for the next three years is very special this time.

“FC Bayern and Coca-Cola will celebrate the 50-year milestone of their partnership in the 2018/19 season. We wish the players and the coaching staff headed by Jupp Heynckes lots of success and a season packed with titles.”

Qantas extends Cricket Australia shirt sponsorship deal

Cricket Australia (CA) has renewed its shirt sponsorship deal with Qantas for the upcoming 2017-18 season.

The deal marks the first time a commercial partner will have branding rights across the shirts of all three formats of men’s international cricket in Australia.

Ben Amarfio, Cricket Australia General Manager, Broadcasting, Digital Media & Commercial, said: “To have an iconic Australian brand on our men’s playing shirts in an Ashes summer is a great fit, and we are looking forward to working with Qantas throughout the summer.

“The Australian cricket team playing shirt is highly visible throughout the summer and as such is a premium asset for brands looking to appeal to a broad consumer base.”

Olivia Wirth, Qantas Chief Customer Officer, added: “As the national carrier, we are thrilled to be extending our support of these great Australian sportspeople on the world stage. Putting that jersey on brings a sense of pride to players and fans and we’re proud to be part of that.

“The Ashes series is one of the fiercest sporting rivalries in the world – although – we’re hoping that rivalry is limited to the cricket field as we work to bring both nations closer together with the start of our direct 787 Dreamliner services between Australia and London next year.”

Cricket Australia has announced several deals this week, including agreements with Mastercard and Sony Pictures Network.

GB Taekwondo announces new partnership with 12BET

GB Taekwondo has announced a partnership with 12BET which will see the online betting brand become an official partner of the World Taekwondo Grand Prix and World Para Taekwondo Championships in London between 19-22 October 2017.

The event is being held at the Copper Box Arena and will incorporate the world’s best Taekwondo athletes. In the UK, BBC Sport will broadcast the event across all their platforms while it will also be televised around the world.

Julia Newton, Chair of GB Taekwondo said: “We are proud to be hosting the best Taekwondo athletes in the world for the Grand Prix and World Para Championships in London. 12BET have recognised the global reach and value of our sport and event and we are delighted to have them on board.”

Rory Anderson, 12BET spokesman, added: “I am really pleased to be involved with the 2017 World Taekwondo Grand Prix and World Para Championships.

“I am looking forward to 12BET receiving great brand exposure in key markets. Both events should be spectacular, and we wish all involved the best of luck.”

The partnership between GB Taekwondo and 12BET was arranged by Sport Collective, a UK based sports marketing agency.

Dafabet named new title sponsor of World Snooker’s English Open

World Snooker has today announced Dafabet as the new title sponsor of the English Open, the first of the 2017-18 season Home Nations series.

The Dafabet English Open will run from October 16 to 22 at the Barnsley Metrodome, with a stellar lineup of the world’s top 16 players set to take part.

World Snooker Chairman Barry, Hearn, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Dafabet on board for this highly prestigious world ranking event. Dafabet have shown tremendous support for snooker having sponsored a range of events including the Masters.

“The tournament will be televised live to many millions of people on Eurosport and Quest, bringing outstanding exposure for Dafabet’s brand.

“I’m pleased to see such a strong field heading to Barnsley, the standard is higher than ever and I’m fascinated to see how the week unfolds. The last man standing will be a quarter of the way towards the £1 million bonus.

“I hope to see packed crowds enjoying the chance to see the world’s very best cueists showing their skills.”

John Cruces, Dafabet Head of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, added: “We’re very happy to be title sponsors for another tournament in the World Snooker calendar to complement our long standing Masters partnership.

“Year on year the following of the sport grows worldwide, which helps put our brand in front of millions of sports fans across the globe. We wish all the players the best of luck and wait to see if someone can do the clean sweep of the Home Nation events and win the million pound bonus.”

David Simon, President of Los Angeles Sports Council, to co-chair CityAccord and City-to-City at SAC2018

Recognised as one of the most influential sports business leaders in Los Angeles having played a significant role in bids for almost every major sporting event that has been brought to the region in the last three decades, David Simon, President of the Lost Angeles Sports Council will co-chair CityAccord and City-to-City at the SportAccord Convention in Bangkok, Thailand from 15 – 20 April 2018.

In 1984 LA was the first Olympic Games ever to generate an operating surplus (US$235 million) and the region is eager to repeat this economic achievement in 2028. So how do cities go about selecting the right events and turning them into an outstanding success?

“Making relationships a priority – this year’s theme for CityAccord – is one of the pillars of success when it comes to bidding for and hosting major events. However, in order to achieve great success, selecting the right events is also key and requires clear thinking.

“As a city you need to look at your specific community and determine what is achievable based on your resources: human, financial and physical. Once you’ve identified these critical factors, forging strong relationships with event stakeholders will help you achieve your vision and deliver successful results. Cities and stakeholders will be able to examine these elements and more during CityAccord.” commented David Simon.

A popular day at SportAccord Convention, CityAccord will take place on Tuesday 17 April 2018 from 14:00 at the Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre. Aimed at cities, regions, sponsors, international sport federations, organising committees and industry, delegates are encouraged to register.

Giles Morgan, HSBC Global Head of Sponsorship & Events of HSBC – Global Financial Organisation, will take part in the CityAccord Interactive Q&A entitled: “How do sponsors determine which sports and events to partner with?” where delegates will have the opportunity to ask sponsors about their approach and choices.

“It is a most timely question and one that will no doubt elicit a wide variety of responses. One thing is for sure – the sponsorship landscape is changing and it’s an incredibly exciting time to be involved. In short, we want our customers and our four key sports – golf, rugby, tennis and cycling – to thrive. We believe the way to achieve this is to invest in our sports through innovation, grass roots, entertainment and much more; by doing this we add value to the sports we sponsor and at the same time deliver spectacular brand experiences for our customers.”

Fiji Rugby Union agrees naming rights partnership with Fiji Airlines

The Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) has announced a major new sponsorship agreement with Fiji Airways.

As part of the five-year deal, Fiji Airways will have naming rights to the nation’s men’s and women’s 15s and sevens teams.

FRU President Mr Voreqe Bainimarama, said: “I want to congratulate the Boards and Management of both the FRU and Fiji Airways in striking this historic partnership. It is a great day, as our national rugby teams now stand hand-in-hand with our national airline carrier.

“Every official, coach, and player will now ‘Fly like a Fijian,’ both on the field and in the air.

“Best of all, the benefits of this partnership flow both ways. The Fiji Rugby Union will gain not only from flights and financial support under this deal – they will also be aided by the significant marketing clout that comes from pairing with a global brand like Fiji Airways.”

“And in return, the marketing message of Fiji Airways will get a big boost by a strengthened bond to our national rugby teams. And with our ruggers as the public face of the brand, Fiji Airways will truly be represented to the rest of the world by the very best of Fiji.”

Fiji Airways Managing Director and CEO Mr Andre Viljoen added: “As the National Airline of this great country, it is our honour to now fly Fiji Rugby to the world.

“The coming together of our two iconic Fijian brands means that Fijians will also have more opportunities to fly abroad to watch our rugby heroes in action. And we’ll take great pride in bringing the world to FIJI to watch them play at home.”

TV5 and ESPN collaborate to launch ‘ESPN5’ in the Philippines

ESPN is set to return to the Philippines for the first time since 2013 after agreeing a new partnership with commercial broadcaster TV5.

As part of the multi-year agreement, ESPN will license to TV5 more than 2,500 hours of additional programming per year from its portfolio of sports rights and other programmes. The companies will also join forces to produce a daily Philippine edition of the iconic SportsCenter.

The brand and content deal is part of TV5’s strategic effort to deliver the most comprehensive, wide-ranging sports coverage in the Philippines.

Mike Morrison, Vice President and General Manager, ESPN APAC, said, “ESPN’s focus around the world is simple: to serve sports fans. This long-term collaboration across television and digital allows us to jointly serve millions of sports fans in the Philippines with exceptional content and coverage.

“We are very excited about the opportunities that lie ahead as we bring ESPN’s great content, and decades of experience in sports media together with a dynamic leader in Philippine sports broadcasting like TV5.”

Vincent Reyes, President of TV5, added: “Our partnership with ESPN, long recognized as the worldwide leader in sports, gives us tremendous upside in the quality of sports programming that we bring to the market.

“ESPN strengthens our current position as the country’s sports authority. It is also a testament to our belief that the Filipino audience deserves the world’s best in sports content and programming.”

ESPN5 and the SportsCenter Philippine Edition will air on TV5’s free-to-air television channels – TV5 and Aksyon 41.

ESPN and TV5 will also offer a co-branded multisport ESPN 5 website and an accompanying ESPN 5 app to fans in the Philippines.

Exeter Chiefs appoint SecuTix as official ticketing technology partner

Reigning Aviva Premiership Champions Exeter Chiefs have today appointed SecuTix as their official ticketing technology partner.

SecuTix is set to work across the rugby club as well as the Chiefs’ stadium, Sandy Park, which also serves as a conference and banqueting centre.

The club will use the cloud-based SecuTix 360° software to grow their online ticketing business and also offer fans an enhanced experiencing when buying tickets online courtesy of 3D seat mapping technology.

Frédéric Longatte, CEO of SecuTix, said: “We’re very much looking forward to working with such a top-flight team as the Chiefs. We’re confident that our SecuTix 360° platform, which is delivered as ‘software as a service’, will benefit the club across not just ticketing, but also CRM and digital marketing.

“It’s exciting times with plans in place to extend Sandy Park to 20,000 seats and SecuTix will support the club throughout this period of expansion to help them realise their vision for the future.”

Tony Rowe OBE, Chairman & CEO of Exeter Chiefs, added: “We wanted to partner with a modern technology ticketing company that could support our digital ambitions for both the Club and Sandy Park.

“The SecuTix team impressed us with their experience of ticketing and the rugby sector. Together we will use data to better understand what the fans want, create a first-class experience for them and drive a commercial return for the club.”

Portugal Football Federation extends Nike partnership

The Portugal Football Federation (FPF) has extended its sponsorship partnership with Nike for a further six years.

The deal, which is currently in its 20th year, will see the sportswear company supply kit for 25 of the FPF’s teams until 2024.

Fernando Gomes, president of the FPF, said: “It has been 20 years since Nike started collaborating with the FPF. Since then, the first team has qualified for ten consecutive final stages, including next summer’s tournament in Russia.

“We are proud to extend our relationship with a brand that shares the FPF’s values. This is a connection made of seriousness, loyalty and stability, sharing common values ​​without ever neglecting professionalism.”

Bert Hoyt, vice president and general manager of Nike, said he was “very pleased to extend the partnership with FPF” and vowed “to continue to provide the Portuguese teams with the most innovative equipment, following the success that the two brands have lived together.”

The extension arrives at the most successful time in Portugal’s footballing history after Fernando Santos’s side beat France to win Euro 2016 last summer.

Juventus to launch exclusive docuseries on Netflix

Serie A football club Juventus FC have announced the launch of a four-part documentary series in partnership with online entertainment giant Netflix.

The series, the first for a football club on Netflix, will start in early 2018 and is set to give fans a unique look behind the scenes of the Bianconeri’s world.

Four 60-minute-long episodes will take viewers into the more intimate scenes of the players’ lives.

“It’s a source of pride that Juventus is the first football club to be the subject of a Netflix Original Docuseries,” said Federico Palomba, co-chief revenue officer at Juventus.

“Collaborations of this kind confirm our passion for innovation and being a sport entertainment brand. In this way, we are determined to reach Bianconeri fans across the world and millions of Netflix users, who thanks to this docuseries can get to know Juventus from every angle.”

Erik Barmack, Vice President of International original series at Netflix, added: “Netflix is the home of passionate storytelling, and there are no more passionate fans than those of the Bianconeri. We are excited to have unique, exclusive access to one of the most important squads in the world.

“We are excited to have unique, exclusive access to one of the most important squads in the world.”