Aston Villa Bets With W88 In A Record Deal

Aston Villa has signed a record-breaking commercial agreement with W88 to be principal partner for the 2019/20 season.

As part of the deal, the Asian betting and gaming company’s logo will feature on the club’s Premier League Kappa home and away shirts as well as first-team training wear.

Aston Villa’s Chief Commercial Officer, Nicola Ibbetson, said: “The Club is delighted to welcome W88 as a new Principal Partner of the Club, their logo will sit proudly on our kit for the 2019/20 Premier League season. This is a record-breaking commercial Partnership for the Club, our promotion to the Premier League offers our Club Partners a global platform to reach our worldwide fan base.”

Hilly Ehrlich, W88 Business Development Manager, said: “We are both thrilled and excited to be working with Aston Villa, who, for more than 140 years, have been one of England’s top football clubs. We look forward to engaging with the fans, players and club management in the coming months.  W88 is a renowned online gaming brand with a significant member base. The brand represents trust and integrity, with sports namely soccer at its core.”

Mercedes F1 Signs Police As Official Supplier

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport has signed lifestyle brand Police as the official supplier.

Police will further launch an eyewear collection designed in collaboration with the F1 and Lewis Hamilton. As per the agreement, the brand’s sunglasses and optical frames will be worn by the drivers and the rest of the race team.

The Police logo will be visible on both sides of the helmets of drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas and in the pit garage, as well as appearing on the team’s marketing activities.

Massimo De Rigo, Executive Vice President of the De Rigo Group, commented: “We are extremely proud of this prestigious collaboration between Police, our house brand which we value particularly, and Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, the historic Formula 1™ team. Our determination to work with Lewis as both a brand ambassador and designer presented a unique opportunity to join Police to the sports world once again, and we are proud to be partnering with the strongest team in one of the most popular sports in the world.”

Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO, said: “We’re delighted to partner with a brand that embodies high quality and attention to detail – two characteristics which are incredibly important in our sport. This partnership demonstrates the growing interest of lifestyle brands in the team, which underlines the great appeal of Formula 1™ as a marketing platform.”

 

ITTF Names Wellbet As Official Sponsor Of The Seamaster 2019

ITTF has named Wellbet as Official Sponsor of the Seamaster 2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum Australian Open.

The online gaming company Wellbet has previously sponsored Italy’s premier football league, Serie A, in 2016-2017 and is currently the official sponsor of Dutch football giant, PSV Eindhoven.

Mark Lu, Director of Communications at Wellbet said: “We are very proud to be able to team up with the ITTF and sponsor the prestigious Australian Open event. Table tennis is a very popular sport, especially in Asia-Pacific. This partnership is consistent with our goal of promoting a diverse sporting programme.”

Kimberly Koh, Head of Sponsorship at ITTF said: “Table tennis is a global sport. It has intrinsic ties with the Asia-Pacific region, where it boasts a phenomenally strong and ever-growing fanbase. We are delighted to announce this partnership with Wellbet to promote its brand around the world and to develop joint social media campaigns to engage with our followers.”

 

 

FIFA And AFD Join Forces To Promote Women’s Football In Africa

FIFA and French Development Agency (Agence Française de Développement, AFD)  have signed a landmark cooperation agreement to promote women’s football and develop school football in Africa.

The new alliance will see FIFA and the French Development Agency use football as a vehicle for education, development and social change.

The agreement aims to develop collaboration between FIFA and AFD for the implementation of various social projects related to football, including the development of women’s football and the Football for Schools Programme. FIFA and the AFD will be partners and cooperate on joint projects in Africa with two main objectives: Gender equality and women’s empowerment.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “I am happy that today, another strategic alliance has been forged to help use football as a platform for positive change in society. This landmark agreement between FIFA and the AFD aims to make a lasting difference to communities around the world, as well as ensure that football continues to play an even more important role in sustainable development, educating and empowering the next generation to help build a fairer, more peaceful society.”

AFD CEO Remy Rioux said: “What better way to build a world in common than by leveraging the unifying power of football? Sport is at the crossroads of all Sustainable Development Goals – including economic growth, women’s empowerment and access to education – yet the worlds of football and development finance have not been linked until now. I am therefore extremely proud that the AFD and FIFA are today launching a unique partnership to promote gender equality and foster education in Africa through football.”

 

Rakuten Will Be Global Presenting Partner For Davis Cup

International Tennis Federation (ITF) has roped in Rakuten as Global innovation and Entertainment partner and Global Presenting Partner for Davis Cup.

As part of the agreement, the competition will be renamed as the Davis Cup by Rakuten. The partnership deal links the Davis Cup and Rakuten until 2020, with the option of a further two-year extension. Rakuten will have high visibility in the Finals and Qualifiers.

Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten, Inc., said, “By becoming the global partner of the Davis Cup, Rakuten has taken another important step forward in our mission to inspire and empower people across the globe. We are firm believers in the power of sport to bring people and communities together, and to inspire optimism and innovation.”

ITF President David Haggerty said, “We are delighted to welcome Rakuten as Global Presenting and Global Innovation and Entertainment partner. The Davis Cup has always been about maintaining tradition while embracing innovation. Adopting new technologies for the Davis Cup is allowing us to enter exciting new partnerships, and we look forward to working with Rakuten to reach a global audience in new and diverse ways.”

Javier Alonso, CEO Kosmos Tennis, said, “Having Rakuten as the main sponsor of the event is great news for the Davis Cup, the World Cup of Tennis. Innovation and entertainment is key both Rakuten and Kosmos. We are excited about working together to create new engagement formulas of interaction with the fans both inside and outside of Caja Mágica in order to improve their experience with the Davis Cup Qualifiers and the Madrid Finals.”

Burnley FC Signs LoveBet As Shirt Sponsor

Burnley FC has named LoveBet as its new shirt sponsor.

The Asian betting brand will have its branding on all Burnley FC adult home and away shirts for three years, commencing in the 2019/20 Premier League season.

LoveBet’s distinctive branding will appear on the front and the sleeves of all adult home and away shirts. In adhering to strict betting rules, all junior shirts will not carry the LoveBet logo and will remain blank.

Edward Li, Senior Director from LoveBet, said: “We are thrilled to announce our first English Premier League shirt partnership with Burnley Football Club. The growing presence of the club in Asia and worldwide will help us further promote our brand. We’re already planning a lot of activities for the fans and our users and are looking forward to the partnership in the coming three years.”

Anthony Fairclough, Commercial Director at Burnley Football Club, said: “We are delighted to welcome LoveBet, who we believe will be the ideal partner for the club. Together, we will reach and engage with our ever-increasing global audience, in particular in the Asian market.”

 

Brentford FC Names EcoWorld As Development Partner

Brentford Football Club has named EcoWorld as the club’s new development partner.

The partnership will see Brentford FC and EcoWorld London supporting each other on upcoming projects and events and there will also be involvement in the local community. EcoWorld London are also joining forces with the Brentford FC Community Sports Trust with the aim of creating sustainable improvements in local facilities and active opportunities for people in surrounding communities.

EcoWorld London’s branding will be displayed around Griffin Park and also on the front of Brentford FC kit for the coming season. The bespoke shirts, created by Brentford’s new Technical Partner Umbro, will be revealed in the coming days.

Heng Leong Cheong, CEO of EcoWorld London, said: “Coming on board as Principal Partner with Brentford FC was a natural decision for us. Having worked closely with the Club over the years both on their new Community Stadium and as a Platinum Partner previously, we are confident that this is a partnership of mutually ambitious and passionate organisations, with great plans to grow and contribute to our great city.

“Brentford FC aims for excellence on and off the football pitch, while for us it’s in the places we create. Despite being only slightly more than a year old, we want to be recognised as a premium developer creating outstanding places in London that enhances the lives of our residents and the surrounding communities.”

Jon Varney, Brentford FC Chief Executive, said: “Our relationship with EcoWorld London has continued to develop I am delighted they will be on the front of our shirts for our final season at Griffin Park. We are doing a lot of work to ensure we say Farewell Griffin Park in the best way possible and it is very pleasing that EcoWorld London will be a part of that. I look forward to our fans seeing our new kits soon.

“EcoWorld London have shown a long-term commitment to Brentford FC and the local community and that will be shown in their increasing work with the Trust in the next year. I know they want to build a fantastic neighbourhood around our new stadium that will greatly benefit our fans on matchdays as well as residents. I hope this relationship will continue for many years to come.”

 

Bundesliga Signs IMG As Licensing Representative

Bundesliga has appointed IMG as exclusive global licensing representative in a multi-year deal.

Under the agreement, IMG and the Bundesliga will develop a licensing programme to bring the league to consumers around the world in dynamic and engaging new ways, through a range of international distribution channels and high-quality product categories for men, women and children.

Robert Klein, Bundesliga International CEO said: “Their expertise, combined with a powerful brand like the Bundesliga, will create many more licensing opportunities as we work together to build a wide range of products for fans that will bring ‘Football As It’s Meant To Be’ to life.”

Sven Thierhoff, Vice President of Licensing, IMG, commented: “We are pleased to represent one of the best football leagues in the world. The Bundesliga has growing global appeal, which makes this an exciting challenge for us as we look to tap into a passionate and international audience.”

ECB Unveils #ExpressYourself Campaign For Men’s World Cup

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has launched a new #ExpressYourself campaign with the aim to inspire fans as England prepares to compete in the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, which will is being hosted in England and Wales for the first time in 20 years.

The campaign is focused on engaging a young audience to grow fans’ connections with the England One Day International (ODI) team and maximise the impact of the tournament.

The campaign has been co-created with England ODI captain Eoin Morgan.

Eoin Morgan, England ODI Team Captain, said: “The guys can’t wait to take part in cricket’s biggest tournament in front of noisy, passionate, sell-out home crowds. Over the past few years we have been determined to really express ourselves each and every time we go out to play. We have players with the confidence, skills and experience to trust their instincts and play their natural games. A fearless approach is what this team is all about and it’s great to have a campaign which reflects that.”

Tom Harrison, ECB Chief Executive Officer, said: “Under the strong leadership of Eoin Morgan, this team has grown to embody what it means to believe in yourself and have faith that you can achieve incredible things, and they go into this tournament as favourites.

“The Express Yourself campaign celebrates the courage of self-belief as well as the ability to put your team ahead of individual success. It’s a powerful message that I hope will resonate with cricket fans and inspire the next generation to help grow the game.”

 

Women’s International Champions Cup Gets Budweiser As Sponsor

Ab InBev has signed a multi-year agreement with Relevent Sports Group which will see Budweiser become the presenting sponsor of the Women’s International Champions Cup.

Budweiser will further become the official beer of Men’s International Champions Cup.

Nick Kelly, head of US sports marketing for Anheuser-Busch InBev, said: “We are very excited to partner with the Women’s ICC to celebrate the summer of women’s soccer. The tournament is the perfect platform to not only showcase international talent but to bring more awareness around the game here in the US.”

Charlie Stillitano, RSG executive chairman, said: “Budweiser wowed us, not only with their desire to grow the sport of soccer, but their commitment to the women’s game. The Women’s ICC is a world class tournament and we are proud to be partnering with a world class brand who shares our vision for the tournament.”

Relevent Sports Group COO Aaron Ryan said he views the interest in women’s soccer from blue-chip partners like Budweiser as “not only crucial for the growth and the development of the Women’s International Champions Cup, but critical for the women’s game of soccer generally – we see this as a great step forward for the sport.”