UFC Agrees Retail Licensing Deal With Zappo

UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, and Zappos.com, a leading customer service company and innovator in online retail have announced a multi-year partnership in which Zappos.com will become the exclusive wholesale manufacturer and distributor of officially licensed UFC merchandise sold at retail in the U.S.

Under the terms of the agreement, Zappos.com will create officially licensed UFC fan gear and lifestyle apparel for men, women, and youth, including clothing, footwear, headwear, and other accessories. Zappos.com will have the rights on an exclusive basis in the U.S. and non-exclusively outside the U.S.

“Our merchandise and apparel are primary touch points that help connect our fans with UFC’s brand,” said Tracey Bleczinski, Senior Vice President, UFC Global Consumer Products.

“Zappos is a company of innovators, their customer service is without equal, and their reach is global. We couldn’t ask for a better brand to help us serve the more than 300 million UFC fans worldwide.”

“Through our partnership with UFC, we’re excited to bring WOW to a whole new customer,” said Kedar Deshpande, CEO, Zappos.com. “It’s a very natural relationship – we’re both Las Vegas-based organizations that share a passion for inclusivity which extends into the fitness world. UFC celebrates all its athletes equally, and we couldn’t be more humbled to welcome them into the Zappos family.”

World Men’s Curling Championship 2021 Signs OK Tire And BKT Tires As Title Sponsors

Canada’s BKT Tires in partnership with OK Tire have been named as the official title sponsors of the BKT Tires & OK Tire World Men’s Curling Championship 2021, taking place in the Calgary hub in Alberta, Canada.

The championship, which runs from 2–11 April at the Markin MacPhail Centre at WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta, will see the first men’s teams qualify for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

World Curling Federation President, Kate Caithness, said: “We are delighted to have BKT Tires and OK Tire as the title sponsors for the World Men’s Curling Championship 2021, taking place in Calgary’s curling hub.

“Our sport has overcome a number of challenges over the last year and we are excited to see the elite men’s teams return to the ice where, together with the World Title, qualification for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games will also be at stake.”

Katherine Henderson, Chief Executive Officer of Curling Canada, said: “Our partners have been truly supportive of our ambitions of staging our Season of Champions events in Calgary, and we couldn’t be more thankful, and I know curling fans are grateful as well.”

Alan Eskow, Vice-President of BKT Tires Canada Inc, said: “Despite the current global situation, it is great that we can still bring the world together through sports, and especially curling. Good luck to all the countries involved for a safe, healthy and awesome World Championship.”

Jim Caldwell, President and CEO, OK Tire, said: “As a proud Canadian company, the team at OK Tire shares Canadians’ passion for the game of curling, and cherishes the unifying power the sport has in bringing communities together.”

Rajasthan Royals Appoints Mike Fordham As Group CEO

Indian Premier League side the Rajasthan Royals has appointed Mike Fordham as their Group Chief Executive Officer.

Mike has over 16 years’ experience working with leading sports organisations around the world and was a key part of the IMG team that developed the IPL with BCCI. He also led the development of The Hundred for the England & Wales Cricket Board.

Ranjit Barthakur, Chairman of RMPL, welcomed Mike to the franchise on behalf of its Board of Directors: “Mike is the ideal CEO to lead the Royals through our next chapter of growth and success. Mike has a wealth of experience of India and the commercial aspects of Indian sports. We are excited to have him in our team.” 

Rajasthan Royals has also today announced that their lead investor, Emerging Media IPL Limited (“EMIPL”), has increased its shareholding to over 50% in the IPL cricket franchise. EMIPL, which is owned and 100% controlled by Manoj Badale, has successfully concluded an equity fundraise for this purpose. 

Funds were raised from a small number of new individual investors, including Ian McKinnon, one of the founding partners of TEAM8, a leading sports and entertainment company and the creator of the Laver Cup, UK business leaders including BT CEO Phil Jansen, FutureLearn and Network International Chairman Ron Kalifa and Betfair founder Ed Wray, as well as Arizona-based tech entrepreneurs Kal Somani, Simer Mayo and Mihir Patel.

Kal Somani said “We see huge potential with this investment, and we are excited for the future of the IPL.”

Manoj Badale welcomed the new investors and said “Investors are now recognising the value of sports franchises. EMIPL’s increased ownership of the franchise and expanded network of US-based, value-add investors presents an exciting opportunity to drive the growth of both the Rajasthan Royals and the IPL.”

Las Vegas Aces Acquired By Mark Davis

Las Vegas Aces has confirmed their sale to Mark Davis.

Mark Davis said: “I am excited to announce that I have entered into an agreement to purchase the Las Vegas franchise in the WNBA from MGM Resorts International. I will have more to say once I receive official approval from the WNBA Board of Governors and have had a chance to speak with the players, coaches and administrators of the team.”

George Kliavkoff, President of Entertainment & Sports, MGM Resorts International said: “We can confirm we have entered into an agreement to sell the Las Vegas Aces to Mark Davis and are awaiting approval from the WNBA Board of Governors.

“Mark is a longtime champion of women’s basketball and we believe he is the right person to lead the Aces into a new era. We will continue our enthusiastic support of the WNBA, NBA and basketball in Las Vegas.”

DIRECTV Renews Agreement To Broadcast EuroLeague Games Until 2023

Euroleague Basketball has announced that DIRECTV Latin America will remain its official partner until the 2022-23 season thanks to a three-year extension of the existing agreement between the two parties on rights to broadcast Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games in South America and the Caribbean Territory.

The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games will be aired on an exclusive basis in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, and on a non-exclusive basis in a selected list of Caribbean territories.

DIRECTV Latin America will show a minimum of one Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season game per week plus all Playoffs and Final Four games, starting in January 2021. All devoted Latin American and Caribbean fans will have the chance to follow their representatives in the top European basketball league.

Argentinian representatives lead the list of Latin Americans in the EuroLeague, with Nicolas Laprovittola and Gabriel Deck leading Real Madrid, Leandro Bolmaro of FC Barcelona, Luca Vildoza at TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, and Patricio Garino at Zalgiris Kaunas. Jayson Granger of ALBA Berlin is from Uruguay while Johnny Hamilton of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is from Trinidad and Tobago.

Connexi Partnerships Accepted For Hyper Accelerator Course

Award winning global sponsorship marketplace Connexi Partnerships have been accepted onto Hyper Accelerator’s 100-day course.

Connexi creates data-driven, commercially relevant partnerships between Brands, Rights Holders and Agencies.

Through the Hyper Accelerator course, Connexi have been given the opportunity to continue to build alongside founders from all over the world, receiving valuable insight and teaching from Financial Times’ #1 ranked International Business School. This opportunity will also provide Connexi with access to 1000s of Investors from around the World.

Working with esteemed Professor of Entrepreneurship, Ash Singh and his team, the aim of the Hyper Accelerator course is to double the value of all companies they work with. Hyper Accelerator graduates historically value over $1 billion.

Liga MX Appoints IMG As Exclusive Agency For Global Sponsorships

Liga MX, Mexico’s top-flight football competition, has appointed IMG, a global leader in sports, media, events and fashion, as its exclusive commercial agency for global sponsorships through 2023.

IMG is already working with Liga MX to launch a new sponsorship offering, leveraging Liga MX’s extensive reach as the most watched football league in Mexico and strong following in the United States, alongside a robust mix of assets for brands to leverage including official association, experiential and digital marketing opportunities.

Kicking off the partnership, Liga MX signed Heineken Mexico beer brand Tecate® as its newest official sponsor last week in a deal brokered by IMG.

In addition to selling Liga MX, the agency will also market partnership packages for the women’s Liga MX Feminil, Expansion MX and virtual E-Liga MX competitions.

“IMG brings a wealth of regional and global experience, expertise and resources within and beyond the football world,” said Liga MX President Mikel Arriola. “We are excited to be working with their extensive global sales network to develop more strategic, robust sponsorship opportunities for Mexican, U.S. and global brands.”

Adolfo Bara, SVP of Football Events, IMG, added: “We’re delighted to be working with Liga MX, which concluded an action-packed Apertura season last month with León being crowned 2020 champions. Building upon our continued success in marketing global football sponsorships, this sophisticated new Liga MX partnership offering has been received extremely well in the market so far with Tecate® signed and additional interest straight out the gate. Liga MX’s following in Mexico and strong brand loyalty in the U.S. makes it a unique product in the global football marketplace.”

West Ham United Signs Shutterstock As Official Photographer And Distribution Partner

Shutterstock, a leading global creative platform offering full-service solutions, high-quality content, and tools for brands, businesses and media companies has announced an exclusive three-year partnership with West Ham United Football Club of the English Premier League.

The partnership allows Shutterstock to capture and distribute real-time photography for all of West Ham United’s Premier League, FA Cup, and League Cup fixtures, both home and away. The agreement also grants Shutterstock exclusive access to off-the-field events, including behind-the-scenes coverage of training sessions, signings, press conferences, community appearances and feature work.

Shutterstock’s global distribution platform, Editorial, will provide commercial partners and publishers across the world with real-time access to license the latest action shots from London Stadium, the home of West Ham United, and all of the club’s away fixtures.

“Our partnership with Shutterstock will ensure the exciting live moments on the pitch are captured and distributed globally, expanding West Ham United’s reach and providing our supporters with high quality visual coverage inside the Club,” Koby Geddes, Head of Content at West Ham United Football Club, said. “Shutterstock’s commitment to photographic excellence and desire to collaborate with us in creative briefs means we can give people more access to high-quality event photography than ever before.”

Candice Murray, VP of Editorial at Shutterstock added, “Shutterstock’s continued growth in the sports sector comes at a moment of unparalleled change for the industry. With restrictions currently preventing fans from passing through the turnstiles, we know there’s a huge appetite to get as close to the action as possible. We’re thrilled to be in the position to amplify West Ham United’s games to audiences around the globe.”

The agreement is the latest of sporting partnerships for Shutterstock, its expanding roster including The English Football League (EFL), Fulham FC, Birmingham City FC, QPR and Hull City.

FIFA Launches A New Entertainment Segment With Universal Music Group

FIFA has announced the launch of FIFA Sound, a new entertainment strategy designed to create innovative and meaningful connections between football fans, music enthusiasts, players, artists, and the game and songs they all love.

“FIFA’s vision is to make football truly global, accessible and inclusive. The crossover between football and music underscores this wider cultural relevance. Both are universal languages and have the power to create unrivalled emotions. It’s a natural fit to bring them together,” said Jean-François Pathy, FIFA’s Director of Marketing. “It’s been fantastic to see the enthusiasm around the launch of this strategy, and we are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead to connect people through inspiring human stories.”

FIFA Sound is kicking off with the launch of an eight-episode podcast series. Hosted by Universal Music Group’s global chart-topping artist Liam Payne and co-hosted by sports broadcaster Jaydee Dyer, the FIFA PlayOn Podcast pairs star football players with award-winning musicians for unforgettable conversations. In each episode, celebrated footballers from around the world will discuss transformative moments from their careers – on and off the pitch – through the songs that have provided a soundtrack to their lives. The players will be joined by an award-winning musician who inspired them, as they explore the interplay between music and football in their lives.

Speaking about the announcement of the series, Liam Payne said,“I can’t wait for everyone to hear what we’ve been working on with FIFA. The PlayOn Podcast has been such a journey – it’s been awesome having these incredible players and special guests come together and exchange life experiences from both on and off the pitch, all through the lens of music.”

PlayOn is the first of many new initiatives that FIFA will be launching in 2021 and beyond as part of its strategic collaboration with Universal Music Group for Brands – a division of Universal Music Group, the world leader in music-based entertainment.

Olivier Robert-Murphy, the Executive Vice President of Universal Music Group for Brands, said, “We’re delighted to be able to launch this collaboration between FIFA and Universal Music Group, which brings together two of the world’s biggest and most influential passion points – football and music – to create a series of unique fan experiences. Starting with the launch of the PlayOn Podcast series, these initiatives will showcase the symbiosis and shared bonds between the world’s best footballers and musicians alongside the fans that idolise them globally.”

AFC Signs Sportradar As Official Video And Data Distributor Partner

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced an official partnership with Sportradar for worldwide data and associated media rights for major AFC competitions for the cycles 2021-2024 and 2025-2028.

Under the new agreement, Sportradar becomes the Official Video and Data Distribution Partner for major AFC national team and club competitions including the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 and the AFC Champions League. The contract spanning eight years, allows Sportradar to use and distribute audio-visual content and AFC match-related data.

Dato’ Windsor John, the AFC General Secretary, said: “We welcome Sportradar as our official video and data distribution partner. The agreement will bring AFC football closer to an ever-growing international fanbase and consumers.”

“We are proud to partner with the AFC in this watershed moment for Asian football. With the importance of Asia, we believe that this agreement is a strategic opportunity that will provide Sportradar further leverage in the region with a sport that is growing exponentially in terms of participation and viewership. This puts us in an unrivalled position that will showcase a wider range of services we have to offer to engage more sports rights holders in the region,” said Sportradar CEO Carsten Koerl.

“Innovation has always been key for the new era of Asian football,” added Patrick Murphy, Board Member and CEO at Football Marketing Asia (FMA), the exclusive commercial partner of the AFC for the rights cycles 2021-2024 and 2025-2028. “Enabling AFC data and related media to be distributed in real time and with minimum delay is key in enhancing the fans’ experience, which in turn positively impacts the value of AFC football.”