Europe
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.
Viaplay solidifies Danish football dominance with new Pokalen deal
Viaplay Group has strengthened its grip on domestic football in Denmark, sealing a new exclusive agreement for the Pokalen knockout cup competition.
Bournemouth boosted by promotion, funds from new owner Foley
AFC Bournemouth has announced pre-tax profits of £44.5m (€51.8m/$56.3m) for the 2022-23 financial year after winning promotion back to the Premier League and following an injection of funds from new owner Bill Foley.
Atresmedia returns to marquee rights acquisition with MotoGP
Spanish commercial broadcaster Atresmedia TV has secured free-to-air rights to the MotoGP motorcycling championship for 2024 and 2025, taking over from public broadcaster RTVE
DAZN, TIM renew distribution pact to 2029 after regulator approval
Telecom Italia (TIM) and DAZN have renewed their Serie A distribution agreement until the end of the decade, encompassing the subscription broadcaster’s new domestic rights deal for the Italian top flight.
Stage set for bidding war as FFF launches kit supplier tender
The French Football Federation (FFF) has officially launched a new kit and apparel supplier tender process, with competition expected on incumbent Nike from major rivals Adidas and Puma.
WTT Series makes first trip to France, Champions event slated for China
Montpellier will become the first French host of a World Table Tennis (WTT) Series event, while a second-tier Champions tournament has also been scheduled for Chongqing, China.
Native American fund to invest up to £105m in Ipswich Town after buying 40-per-cent stake
Ipswich Town is set for a significant injection of funds after Native American investment fund Bright Path Sports bought a 40-per-cent stake in the high-flying English Championship club.
Aston Villa seals ‘biggest ever shirt sponsorship’ with Betano
Aston Villa is set to announce the biggest shirt sponsorship deal in its history, having agreed a two-year contract with Greek betting platform Betano.
Krauss to vacate Infront Austria MD, winter sports roles
Stefan Krauss, the long-standing managing director of Infront Austria and the agency’s vice-president of winter sports, is to leave the company by the end of next month.
Canal Plus swoops for Champions League rights in Poland
Pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus Polska has acquired exclusive rights to the Uefa Champions League from 2024-25 to 2026-27, strengthening its hold on club football broadcasting in Poland.
Shock as Nike ousts Adidas as Germany kit supplier
One of the most iconic partnerships in world sport, the German national football team and Adidas, is to come to an end after the Fifa World Cup in 2026, with Nike to take on kit supplier rights to the…
RFEF fires legal, HR directors in fallout from corruption investigation
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has terminated the contracts of two key directors arrested yesterday in Madrid as part of an ongoing corruption investigation.
Swedish league hires ex-WBD exec Linnman as commercial head
Jessica Linnman, a well-known media industry executive in Sweden, has today been named chief commercial officer of Svensk Elitfotboll, the body which operates the top two tiers of football in the country.
McDonald’s to replace Uber Eats as Ligue 1 title sponsor
Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), organising body of the top two divisions of the French game, has agreed a three-season deal making McDonald’s the new title sponsor of Ligue 1, with the contract reportedly nearly doubling in value.
Wimbledon finds long-term Danish home on DR
DR, the public-service broadcaster in Denmark, has committed to showing the Wimbledon Championships for at least the next three editions, having struck a last-minute single tournament deal last year.
Premiership Rugby secures blanket coverage in new TNT Sports deal
All matches from England’s Gallagher Premiership will be available domestically on a single broadcaster for the first time after Warner Bros. Discovery finalised a new rights agreement.