January 1 – Brands are continuing to make ESG (environmental, social, and governance) as the most important criteria in their sponsorship decisions, according to a new report.
January 18 – Major League Soccer has named six tech start-ups who will form the launch companies supported by the new MLS Innovation Lab.
January 17 – FC Bayern Munich have agreed a multi-year partnership with Bitpanda which will see the financial technology company become the record German champions’ new Platinum Partner and official crypto trading partner for the first time.
January 17 – Soccerex is on a roll. Having held its US event in November last year in Miami, in early January it announced an event for March in Rio de Janeiro and has now announced a new event in Amsterdam for May 30-31.
January 15 – SuperSportbet, the South African online bookmaker just launched by South African sports broadcaster SuperSport, has has agreed a sponsorship with two South African Premier Division (DStv Premiership) clubs – Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
January 16 – Bulgarian club Botev Plovdiv has signed a sponsorship with Right Pack, one of the leading packaging manufacturers in Bulgaria, though what the sponsorship entails is unclear.
January 11 – Atletico Madrid have announced a partnership with Riyadh-based Legends Museum, which will see the11-time La Liga champions open a technology-fuelled exhibition within the museum in a bid to appeal to its growing Saudi Arabian fan base.
January 11 – The Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) has agreed a naming rights deal with online gambling company Betsson for the Hellenic Cup.
January 9 – Brazilian giants Corinthians have signed a record R$370m (£59.8 million) shirt sponsorship deal with VaideBet.
January 9 – With just five days to go before the kick off the African Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast, the UK’s Sky Sports have signed a broadcast agreement.
January 5 – The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has launched a tender for the broadcasting rights for the matches of the country’s top two football leagues – Super Lig and First Lig for the next three seasons.
January 5 – Betting operator Pixbet has expanded its partnership with leading Brazilian club Flamengo with a new two-year shirt sponsor deal.
January 5 – Premier league Chelsea have agreed a sleeve sponsorship with cryptocurrency firm BingX.
January 4 – Generation adidas International, owned by sport development tour business inspiresport (part of the Destination Sport group), has agreed a multi-year extension of its adidas partnership, but as part of the deal will be dropping ‘adidas’ from its company name.
January 3 – Brazil’s São Paulo has closed a R$ 25 million ($5 million) a year naming rights deal with confectionery giant Mondelez and its BIS chocolate brand.