Licensing & Merchandising
Fanatics aligns with Topsports to boost Chinese merchandising operations
Fanatics has struck a deal with Topsports, China’s largest sports retailer, to develop its operational capabilities in the country, SportBusiness understands.
Winners Alliance adds Euroleague players’ collective commercial rights to portfolio
Winners Alliance has struck an exclusive agreement with basketball's Euroleague Players Association to manage the commercial rights of more than 300 players across the continent.
Athletics Federation of India looks to Puma kit deal to fuel ambitions
The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has signed a new agreement with Puma in a boost to its track and field growth ambitions
Doku group wins legal battle in Panini image rights case
Manchester City’s Jérémy Doku and three French players have won another battle for control of image rights in France – this time in a dispute with the country’s players union and the Panini sticker company.
Spalding renews Euroleague ball supplier deal amid Wilson incursion
Despite a recent surge into European basketball from rival Wilson, US sports brand Spalding has extended its ball supplier agreement with Euroleague Basketball.
Chiliz signals ‘next phase’ of fan tokens with expanded Atlético deal
Chiliz's multi-year expansion of its Socios.com agreement with Atlético Madrid will make the fan tokens more widely available, according to James Murphy, the new chief commercial officer at the blockchain provider.
‘We decided to take it back to basics with Quidd’ | Robby Yung, Animoca Brands
Animoca Brands-owned digital collectibles company Quidd is back in football after a more than three-year hiatus in which it has learnt to go ‘back to basics’ in the football-related licensing space.
Nike staves off Adidas to retain FFF kit supply rights
Nike has secured another massive victory in holding off Adidas to retain kit supply rights with the French Football Federation (FFF).
Quidd makes digital collectibles deal with Manchester City
Premier League club Manchester City has signed a multi-year ‘Official Partner’ agreement with Quidd, a subsidiary of Hong Kong software developer Animoca Brands.
G2 Esports appoints Logitech G’s Christiansson in leadership shift
G2 Esports, one of the few profitable teams in the gaming industry, has appointed former Logitech G and Dreamhack executive Henning Christiansson to be its new commercial director as it looks to move on from a period of upheaval.
Uefa issues separate tender for women’s competitions ball, apparel supplier
Two months after launching a general tender for sponsorship rights to its women's football properties, Uefa today announced a separate bidding process for prospective apparel and match ball suppliers.
Premier League enters VR gaming with Rezzil investment and licensing deal
The English Premier League today announced it has acquired a stake in virtual reality software firm Rezzil and agreed a new four-year licensing agreement.
Ralley leaves World Rugby for St Andrews commercial role
James Ralley, World Rugby’s director of partnerships and brand, has left the organisation to become the commercial director for the St Andrews Links Trust, the body that manages the seven links golf courses at St Andrews in Scotland.
Laporta threatens Nike termination as club seeks ‘best contract’
FC Barcelona’s president Joan Laporta has ramped up the pressure on kit supplier Nike to either quit or pay more to the debt-laden LaLiga club.
NFL’s expanded Global Markets Program adds five countries, four teams
The National Football League has once again expanded its Global Markets Program, taking the initiative to five new countries in South America, Asia and Africa and opening up commercial opportunities for four more franchises.
Castore beefs up English football presence with Umbro sublicensing
SportBusiness understands Castore is positioned to take over all existing Umbro football kit contracts in the UK, with exclusive windows to become each club's kit supplier after their Umbro contracts expire.
Fifa 2023 revenues buoyed by WWC, sponsorship makes up 39 per cent
World governing body FIFA enjoyed income of $1.17bn (€1.07bn) in 2023, boosted by strong commercial revenues from the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
DFL extends licensing agreement with Mondelez International
The German Football League (DFL) has announced an extension of its licensing deal with Mondelēz International as the confectionery company rolls out a different strategy to its approach in English football.