Rangers Extends 32Red Deal

SPFL Champions Rangers have announced a multi-season extension of their partnership with 32Red – cementing the relationship as one of the longest running in football.

The latest agreement with the Kindred Group represents the largest sponsor agreement in the club’s 150-year history and will see 32Red continue to sponsor the home and away shirt.

The new multi-year partnership means that 32Red and Rangers will become one of the longest running partnerships in British Football.

The original agreement dates back to 2014 when the club won promotion from the Scottish Championship and regained their position challenging for the Scottish Premiership.

Like 32Red, Unibet are part of the Kindred Group and have been central to the club’s rise back through the leagues. The Unibet logo will feature on the home, away and third kits in all European competition – including the UEFA Champions League – as well as on the third kit for all domestic games.

Significantly, 32Red will continue to deliver Team Talk – a men’s mental health initiative. The Team Talk platform uses the club and its staff (including players and manager from time to time) as a mechanism to engage with men about their mental well-being.

This week, Rangers Manager Steven Gerrard participated in one of the online Team Talk sessions, via video conference. He was joined by around 25 regular members and supporters, who shared their mental health experiences during lockdown and explained how Team Talk meetings had offered them support throughout the pandemic.

Steven Gerrard said: “Rangers and 32Red have been on a long journey together and I am delighted that our winning partnership is continuing. I was particularly heartened to hear that the vital Team Talk initiative will be continuing as a result of the new agreement.

“I recently took part in a really positive session and it isabundantly clear to me how much of a support network Team Talk provides to our fans. Today’s announcement is really positive news for everyone connected to the club.”

James Bisgrove, Commercial and Marketing Director said: “I am delighted that the club and 32Red have agreed to extend the partnership, which is excellent news for the continued commercial growth of the club and represents the largest sponsorship agreements in our 150-year history.

“32Red have supported our club for many years of our journey back to the pinnacle of Scottish football and our historic 55th league title.

“They’ve been part of our journey both on the pitch and in the community and we are grateful for their fantastic support. They are long-term partners and we hope to continue the successful, winning, relationship for many years to come.

“As we embark on our historic 150th anniversary season and looking forward to UEFA Champions League football at Ibrox, it will be symbolic of the strength of our partnership that 32Red and Unibet will be on the front of our shirts.”

Neil Banbury, UK General Manager, Kindred Group, said: “We are thrilled to be continuing our longstanding partnership with SPFL Champions Rangers – it’s been quite a journey over the last decade and we’re proud to have played our part in that. It is a hugely exciting time to be involved with the club, as this current season has shown already.

“More widely, we remain committed to reinventing the sports sponsorship model, so that it benefits the wider community. That is why as part of this extended agreement with the club we will be renewing our support for the vital men’s mental health initiative, Team Talk.”

SportCaller Strikes Cryptocurrency Partnership With Sportsbet.io

SportCaller, the leading free-to-play (FTP) game provider, has announced its first cryptocurrency partnership with leading operator Sportsbet.io, the sports-betting subsidiary of Coingaming Group.

The new deal forms part of a deeper FTP framework with which to target both mature and emerging markets over the long-term, as Sportsbet.io bids to expand its progressive footprint into untapped territories. There, its multi-currency versatility, allied to SportCaller’s proven international scope and flair for localization, promises to drive diversified fan engagement around targeted free-to-play sports games.

Accordingly, the announcement also sees the launch of two exclusive games, 4-3-free and Bet free 6-6, built to reignite familiar FTP formats with innovative jackpots mechanics and new designs around mainstream sports from football and cricket. The first, 4-3-free, asks its players to win a realistic jackpot, or a range of attainable tier-two prizes, by answering a series of questions correctly. On the other hand, Bet free 6-6 adds a new twist to the popular Super 6 FTP format by posing a set of six predictions (e.g. correct score, or under/over goals) whereby players still earn points for consolation prizes, even if they only guess the match result correctly.

These exciting products hail from a sports-agnostic series which allows Sportsbet.io to flexibly press engaging games into the service of any event, as elite sport battles with an uncertain timetable worldwide, delivering an agile light-touch marketing approach that provides education and entertainment for customers in both new and existing markets.

As the leading free-to-play supplier, SportCaller is dedicated to driving engagement through a range of games whose formats responsibly acquire and retain customers at low cost but also remain fully compliant as sports-betting regulation continues to coalesce across regions from LatAm to the Subcontinent. Its unique proprietary platform not only lets Sportsbet.io delineate its brand from its rivals via bespoke local games, but also offers a strategic solution which works territory-by-territory, educating uninitiated audiences with fully-integrated games that organically track underlying sportsbook markets, demystifying any technicalities or terminology in the process.

To underscore the point, SportCaller has now launched over 100 games across 47 countries and in 20 languages in Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, Australasia and North America (via multi-lingual). In the past 12 months, it has also rolled out 44 new games, doubling the total number of games offered across the previous three years.

Joe McCallum, Director of Sportsbook at Sportsbet.io, said: “SportCaller’s highly-focused, and collaborative approach to game-ideation, together with their consumer analysis from a host of worldwide data sets, gives them a competitive edge when it goes to both game-delivery and strategic planning. Whether it’s acquisition or retention-focused games, we now feel confident of keeping our players engaged with the Sportsbet.io brand in a fun, fast and fair way – enhancing the existing experience, and minimising churn, wherever we set our scene.

“Their new games embrace player-education and enhanced activity at their heart, and are already demonstrating their huge worth at a time when responsible engagement and retention rightly demand adaptable solutions. We look forward to extending this progressive partnership with more games across our other premium properties over the coming years.”

Cillian Barry, MD at SportCaller, added: “Coingaming and Sportsbet.io are led by some of the great innovators and disruptors in the sportsbook space, always striving for innovation and pushing the limits of new technology. So, we’re thrilled to align those values with our own, on a watershed journey into unexplored markets where both crypto and fiat currencies are vying for position.

“In this industry, sowing the seeds of global success is best achieved by coupling international ambition to local utility. After all, while some trends are universal, language, taste and specific sports-mad fanbases are invariably culturally-contingent. International fragmentation for game design and regional requirements (e.g. regulatory, or player-preference-based) only magnifies the importance of supplying a precise game UI at every turn, and in every country. Which is why SportCaller has developed peerless geo-location tools, allowing us to geo-target and partition between diverse territories with dexterity.

“I’m pleased to report that initial engagement has been incredibly positive, so we can’t wait to see how games like 4-3-free and Bet free 6-6 continue to perform across varied regions which, in some cases, represent new markets for us. The free-to-play vertical is clearly bringing the fun and familiarity for both new and regular customers.”

IBF Signs Funk Group As The Exclusive Global Bowling Equipment Partner For Ninepin Bowling

International Bowling Federation (IBF), the global governing  body for the sport of Tenpin, Ninepin and Para Bowling, and Funk, family owned and operated, Funk  and sister company Spellmann have over 130 years of experience in the bowling equipment  manufacturing and installation business have entered into a new long  term agreement granting Funk the Official Partner status. 

The IBF and Funk partnership goes beyond a traditional sponsorship agreement. IBF and Funk will  work together on a series of initiatives to grow ninepin bowling globally, to increase its popularity  and worldwide reach and to make it more successful, more sustainable, and more inclusive as an  international sport.  

Funk will be the IBF global bowling equipment supplier and partner for IBF Elite Events and multi sport games where Ninepin features in full support of all ninepin federations. 

This partnership will enable an increase in the ability to adapt to differing stakeholder priorities  especially with sustainability and climate change being of the utmost importance.  

The relationship signifies a major increase in the commercial value of international bowling with  IBF’s exclusive use of Funk technology and bowling infrastructure. 

The Funk values and mindset allows for bowling to be more sustainable for the environment and for  bowling proprietors in the future. Funk will be utilised in emerging markets where bowling centers  are not commonplace as IBF looks to increase the numbers of National Bowling Federations and  Academy programmes globally for Ninepin. 

“Without the support of long-term partners such as Funk, it would not be possible to bring together  two key disciplines for the sport of bowling. Ninepin bowling has an incredible, vast and rich history  and Funk will enable us to drive further focus to the sport” said IBF CEO Andrew Oram. “Funk are 

now more than ever an integral part of the bowling journey. To have QubicaAMF (Tenpin) and Funk  (Ninepin) as Global Partners provides such momentum and support to the growth of sport bowling” 

Owner and CEO Karl-Heinz Funk commented “We are beyond excited for the opportunity to be  Exclusive Global Bowling Equipment Partner and to shape the future of 9-Pin Bowling on a global  level”. Next generation Alexander Funk adds “The vision of the IBF goes beyond elevating 9-Pin  Bowling through a global commercial strategy. We are in full support of the underlying values and  ethics that will shape our sport in the future.”

FedEx To Sponsor UEFA Champions League Until 2024

FedEx has announced it will sponsor the UEFA Champions League for the next three seasons in a deal, which will run until 2024.

The agreement also includes sponsorship rights for the UEFA Super Cup, UEFA Youth League finals, and the UEFA Futsal Champions League finals.

In 2019, FedEx also signed a four-year deal to sponsor UEFA National Team football. That includes rights to UEFA EURO 2020 this summer – which kicks off in Rome on 11 June, culminating in the final in London on 11 July – and the UEFA Nations League finals.

“FedEx has proved to be an incredibly valued UEFA partner. We are delighted they are continuing their evolution with us, which started in 2015 and now sees them supporting our flagship club competition – the UEFA Champions League,” said UEFA marketing director Guy-Laurent Epstein.

“The UEFA Champions League is the world’s greatest club competition, and we are looking forward to working with FedEx closely over the next three years to help them activate their numerous projects. They will benefit not just the footballing community, but also look to have a positive impact on the environment.”

ONE Championship Partners Tokyo Time For Limited-Edition Caps

ONE  Championship (ONE) has announced its partnership with premium headwear brand, Tokyo Time, to  collaborate on a series of limited-edition, officially licensed caps and beanies for the world’s largest martial  arts organization. 

“Martial arts is more than just the action that transpires inside the ONE Circle. It’s a part of the fabric of  everyday life. We are happy to announce this partnership with Tokyo Time, a company that shares an  undeniable synergy with our company values. Our passion is to provide ONE Championship fans the  absolute best in athleisure wear, and with help from Tokyo Time, we will create fresh, new headwear  designs that capture the spirit and honor of martial arts,” said Hari Vijayarajan, Chief Commercial Officer  at ONE Championship. 

“Tokyo Time is absolutely thrilled to partner with ONE Championship, the Home of Martial Arts. We are  excited to be able to bring our distinct style to ONE Championship headwear, and produce some amazing  design concepts for martial arts fans across the globe. Martial arts is one of the biggest cultural  phenomenons, and this partnership will allow us to expand our global footprint by teaming up with the  largest martial arts organization in the world,” said Paul Davison, CEO of Tokyo Time. 

Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Tokyo Time is a premium maker of innovative headwear in which  East meets West. Featuring bold and versatile designs produced for both men and women, Tokyo Time  headwear is expertly crafted with premium materials to ensure style and comfort are seamlessly interwoven.  Established in 2018, the company works alongside and partners with some of the largest sports properties  globally, including Le Mans 24, Euroleague Basketball League and Misfits Gaming, among others. 

The partnership was brokered by Van Hawke Sports & Entertainment, a leading global sports marketing  agency. 

IPL Season Suspended Indefinitely As Covid Crises Worsens In India

The Indian Premier League Governing Council (IPL GC) and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in an emergency meeting has unanimously decided to postpone IPL 2021 season, with immediate effect.


In a statement BCCI said: “The BCCI does not want to compromise on the safety of the players, support staff and the other participants involved in organising the IPL. This decision was taken keeping the safety, health and wellbeing of all the stakeholders in mind.


These are difficult times, especially in India and while we have tried to bring in some positivity and cheer, however, it is imperative that the tournament is now suspended and everyone goes back to their families and loved ones in these trying times.


The BCCI will do everything in its powers to arrange for the secure and safe passage of all the participants in IPL 2021.The BCCI would like to thank all the healthcare workers, state associations, players, support staff, franchises, sponsors, partners and all the service providers who have tried their best to organise IPL 2021 even in these extremely difficult times.”

Ascot Racecourse Renews Partnership With Lavazza

Ascot Racecourse has renewed its long-standing sponsorship relationship with Lavazza.

Lavazza, Italy’s favourite coffee, has been the Official Coffee at Ascot Racecourse since 2015 and will retain that position for another three years.

With retail outlets across the venue, racegoers can continue to enjoy perfectly served coffee from Lavazza at Royal Ascot and all Ascot Racedays throughout the year when spectators return to the racecourse. Lavazza upholds its tradition of expertise and its commitment in spreading the taste and unique pleasure of real Italian coffee all over the world.

Felicity Barnard, Commercial Director at Ascot Racecourse, said: “We’re delighted to continue this fantastic relationship with Lavazza, offering high quality coffee to our racegoers when they return across all Ascot Racedays and during Royal Ascot, our flagship event.

“Lavazza coffee is hugely popular with our customers and the quality of the product reflects the customer experience that we strive to deliver throughout the year.”

Pietro Mazzá, General Manager UK and Regional Director UK & Nordics at Lavazza Group, said: “The relationship with Ascot has played a pivotal role within our partnership portfolio. It represents the alignment of two iconic and stylish brands and has helped Lavazza earn its excellent reputation through positive brand exposure and the delivery of memorable experiences to all the Ascot racegoers.”

European League Of Football Strikes Streaming Partnership With StreamAMG

The European League of Football has partnered with OTT agency StreamAMG to provide live match streaming and on demand content for the ground-breaking European League of Football (ELF) competition. 

The ELF is a new American Football competition for the European continent, established to introduce a professional top tier league and serve the continent’s growing interest in the sport.

“Thanks to this partnership between the league and StreamAMG, fans all over the world will be able to watch the games live when the inaugural season of the European League of Football starts on June 19th. Their technical know-how makes them the perfect partner to build an OTT platform that is attractive to every viewer.” says Zeljko Karajica, Managing Director of the European League of Football.

In addition to broadcasting one game per round free-to-air on ProSieben MAXX and ran.de streaming platform in Germany, all live matches will be available to stream on the European League of Football website, as well as highlights, replays, features and more exclusive content made available on demand. “The goal is to reach football fans with our broadcast partners as well as offering 360-degree coverage on our own channels.” says Karajica.

StreamAMG are providing a full suite of OTT technology for live match streaming, on demand content, and subscription management. The agency will be working closely with Novel Media, the ELF’s web design and development partner, to integrate its technology into ELF Online. 

Hugo Sharman, CEO at StreamAMG, commented “The ELF promises to be a game changer for American Football in Europe, and we’re excited to be working with SEH and Novel Media to bring the competition to audiences worldwide with our OTT technology.”

Ospreys And Umbro Agree A Five-Year Partnership

Ospreys and Umbro have signed a five-year partnership that will see the Welsh Regional Rugby Franchise and the sports brand working closely together on and off the pitch, as Umbro become the Official Technical Kit Partner from the 2021/22 season.

Umbro’s double diamonds will feature on the famous black jersey worn by Ospreys men’s, women’s, academy, and wheelchair teams, opposite the iconic mask.

The Ospreys will work closely with Umbro to provide match kit, Pro Training wear and off-field kit as well as offering supporter wear including men’s, women’s and children’s ranges.

In partnering with the ambitious Welsh region embarking on a new era, Umbro further cements its position in the sport, complementing partnerships with the English national team and Bristol Bears.

With nearly a hundred years of experience in the development of performance products, Umbro is renowned for its pedigree supporting professional teams and athletes across multiple sports.

Sam Lucas, Director of Sports Marketing, Umbro said: “Today’s announcement is incredibly exciting for Umbro. Ospreys are Wales’ most successful region and we are proud to partner with them as they embark on a new strategic direction.

“We will be taking great pride in developing a jersey that will represent the club and its supporters both in the heartlands of Welsh rugby, and globally.

“As we continue to cement our reintegration back into rugby, we look forward to working with Ospreys across our sports brands and partnerships to ensure we continue to develop pioneering performance wear that is fit for purpose.”

Ospreys Chief Executive, Nick Garcia added: “We have always prided ourselves on being forward thinking and this new partnership is an example of the Ospreys philosophy and ambition to embrace and explore new markets and audiences. In Umbro we have found a partner with a shared ambition for innovation and diversification.

“The Ospreys are excited to be amongst other high-performance teams in Umbro’s portfolio and we look forward to collaborating on more than the traditional first team jersey.

“This journey will start with high performance training and matchday apparel before developing a new lifestyle range targeted at a younger audience and the traditional loyal base of Ospreys rugby supporters.”

McLaren Racing Signs Castore As Official Team Apparel Partner

McLaren Racing and Castore, the rapidly-growing premium sportswear brand have announced a multi-year partnership that will see Castore become the Official Team Apparel and Sportswear Partner for the McLaren Formula 1 team for the 2022 Formula 1 season. 

The British premium sportswear brand prides itself on creating the highest quality apparel to optimise athletic performance in all conditions. McLaren Racing and Castore share a commitment to innovation, with both brands always searching for the next step forward. Using advanced engineering, expertise in sports science, unique technical fabrics and rigorous testing means Castore deliver products that revolutionise the industry. 

At the end of 2020, Castore launched their first collection with McLaren Automotive and similarly, Castore will collaborate with McLaren Racing to develop performance sportswear ranges. Additionally, Castore will take on McLaren Racing’s licensed merchandise programme providing the team’s global fanbase with greater access to product through localised ecommerce distribution across key regions. 

Castore will supply the McLaren Formula 1 race team with team apparel from the start of the 2022 Formula 1 season. Additionally, Castore branding will feature on McLaren F1 team apparel and on the race suits of McLaren Formula 1 drivers, Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo.

Mark Waller, Chief Commercial Officer, McLaren Racing said: “Castore are leading innovators in the premium sportswear industry through their performance enhancing range of apparel and we are delighted to announce their partnership with McLaren Racing as Official Team and Sportswear Partner of the McLaren Formula 1 team.

“We are looking forward to bringing together our passion for engineering excellence to deliver the highest quality product and services for our team, fans and partners.” 

Phil Beahon, Co-founder, Castore said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with McLaren, an iconic name in Formula 1. Not only are they a brilliant British brand but we share the mindset of relentlessly pursuing ways to boost performance, encapsulated by our motto ‘Better Never Stops’

“Given the global audience for Formula 1, we believe this partnership will increase the visibility and appeal of the Castore brand with millions of fans and accelerate our drive to build the world’s leading premium sportswear brand.”