Swansea bring in Rippleffect to revamp club’s digital platform
April 14 – Premier League Swansea has commissioned digital agency Rippleffect to overhaul its official web platform with a re-launch planned for the start of the 2017/18 season.
Football Marketing
Man City quartet tune up for PSG clash with Nissan driving test
April 12 – Man City players David Silva, Bacary Sagna, Fernando and Eliaquim Mangala warmed up for their Champions League second leg quarter final match-up with PSG with a few laps of the Etihad campus, in Nissan GT racing cars.
Chinese whispers ground Qatar Airways rumours on Barca shirt deal
By Paul Nicholson
April 8 – Speculation is mounting over who will have the sponsor position on the front of Barcelona’s shirt – probably the most valuable football sponsor position in world football – once the Qatar Airways deal ends at the end of June.
Beijing Gouan launch co-branded card with CITIC Bank
April 8 – News from the Chinese football market is generally about big money acquisition of football assets outside the country, or the import of what look like very expensive international players. But there are signs that the domestic football marketing opportunity is not being lost with Super League clubs who are usually owned by one funding sponsor or business conglomerate.
Man City revs up regional sponsor roster with Astra Otoparts
April 7 – Manchester City has signed automotive component group Astra Otoparts as an Official Regional Partner of the Club.
Betway to sponsor legends match as Hammers bid farewell to Boleyn Ground
April 7 – West Ham sponsor Betway has picked up title sponsorship for an England v Germany Legends match to be held in honour of the Boleyn Ground’s final season and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1966 World Cup final.
Dalian Wanda adds Atlético training ground to sponsorship portfolio
April 5 – Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda, which last month announced it had become the first Chinese company to sign up as a top-tier World Cup partner, has further cemented its European football sponsorship with a title sponsorship deal for Atlético Madrid’s training ground.
TheSix takes aim at Latin America with its DFS football platform
By Paul Nicholson
March 31 – The Daily Fantasy Sports market is growing rapidly with one of its newer entrants saying that there is a big demand in the south and central American markets, not just in the already recognised European and north American regions.
MegaFon dials-in with upgraded sponsorship of Russian Football
By Mark Baber
March 31 – The efforts of Vitaly Mutko, Russian Sports Minister and President of the Russian Football Union (RFU), to put the finances of Russian football on a solid foundation have received another boost as Russia’s second biggest mobile operator MegaFon has signed an agreement with the RFU to become a general sponsor of Russian football from 2016 until 2018.
Internazionale launch TV channel on Indosat platforms
March 31 – Milan’s Serie A giant, Internazionale, has today launched the Inter Channel on smart phones and tablets into the Indonesian market. Indosat is the second biggest mobile phone operator in Indonesia with 70 million customers.
Pelé sues Samsung for £30m over look-a-like ad in the US
March 30 – The world’s most famous footballer, Pelé, is suing Korean electronics giant Samsung in a Chicago federal court, claiming they improperly used his identity in The New York Times.
Liverpool renews with Carlsberg for another three years
March 24 – Carlsberg have extended the longest running commercial partnership in English Premier League football with a three-year addition to their current 24-year long deal with Liverpool.
Guardiola vs Mourinho in Beijing? Man Utd and Man City head to China for ICC summer clash
March 23 – Beijing, China, is set to host the first Manchester derby with City’s new manager Pep Guardiola in charge and, if rumours are correct, Jose Mourinho having taken over as United’s new manager.
Fantasy setback in NY as DraftKings and FanDuel suspend paid games
By Paul Nicholson
March 23 – Daily fantasy sports operators FanDuel and DraftKings have stopped paid games in the New York market. The companies are in a battle with the state’s attorney general over whether the games are illegal gambling.
Man City break down Chinese walls with SoccerWorld partnership
March 22 – Manchester City have signed a regional partnership with Chinese firm SoccerWorld to provide better access to facilities and coaches for young Chinese footballers. The agreement is part of the City Football Group’s (CFG) wider ambition to expand its business in China.