Virgin Media O2 defends arena deal as £200m price tag disputed Media Virgin Media O2 has pushed back at claims it is paying around £200m to keep its name on the O2, as the heavily indebted telecoms group commits to another decade of one of Britain’s longest-running sponsorship deals. The company and venue owner AEG have not disclosed the value of the agreement, which will keep the [...]
Premier League front-of-shirt sponsorship revenues rise to £444m Sport Business Premier League clubs’ front-of-shirt sponsorship revenue has risen eight per cent to £444m despite implementing a voluntary ban on gambling firms. The English top flight agreed to ban betting and casino brands from the lucrative front-of-shirt sponsorship slot in a move that lost the 20 clubs a collective £67m. But Premier League teams have managed [...]
Wimbledon won’t slap sponsor on new show court but eye US growth Sport Business Wimbledon is quintessentially British, and its branding is understated. But what’s next for the Grand Slam? Matt Hardy finds out. “I’m not sure it’s Wimbledon style to have a naming right on a court,” the tennis Grand Slam’s marketing and commercial director Usama Al-Qassab tells City AM when asked whether a new show court at [...]
Ryder Cup adds financial services firm to global sponsorship roster July 22, 2026 The Ryder Cup has beefed up its partner portfolio ahead of next year’s event, signing a deal with an Irish-founded financial services firm. Stripe has become a worldwide partner for the next two editions of the intercontinental golf competition – held at Ireland’s Adare Manor in 2027 and Minnesota’s Hazeltine in 2029 – in a [...]
PwC sign sponsorship deal with major cricket team July 8, 2026 PwC have entered into a partnership with a major cricket club as the professional services firm expands further into sport. The US branch of the Big Four organisation will become the sleeve partner of Major League Cricket team the Texas Super Kings. PwC’s Rob Baldwin described the deal as an alignment with their “commitment to [...]
Why brands can fail miserably at sponsoring Wimbledon July 3, 2026 With the Grand Slam in full swing, Sam Milne discusses why brands still manage to fail at Wimbledon Pimm’s, strawberries and cream, pristine grass courts, and royalty and sporting legends intermingling evoke only one place: Wimbledon. It’s one of the few global sporting events that feels timeless, and minus the players themselves, an image from [...]
Platitudes in women’s sport are empty, patronising and offensive June 20, 2026 Georgia Bridgwood argues that women’s sport should rid itself of platitudes; they’re empty, patronising and offensive. “You got this,” proclaimed Adidas. “Thirsty for more,” said Pepsi. “You don’t get it,” I thought to myself. In our exploration of ‘now what?’ for women’s sport at SXSW London this month, the panel dug into why we’re in [...]
Enhanced Games on metaphorical trial: is the risk worth it for partners? May 22, 2026 The Enhanced Games wants to sell itself as the future: faster, louder, richer and finally honest about the drugs elite sport has spent decades pretending do not exist. This weekend it lands in Las Vegas with a simple proposition. Let athletes use performance-enhancing drugs under medical supervision, put big prize money on the table, stream [...]
Man City Puma kit deal helps UK sponsorship market hit £5bn March 12, 2026 Manchester City’s Puma kit extension helped the UK sponsorship market top £5bn in 2025, up over 10 per cent on 2024. City signed a record-breaking 10-year kit partnership extension last year which could be worth around £100m per season. It, combined with other sponsorship activity across the UK saw the sector grow 10.5 per cent [...]
Exclusive: RFU in talks over back of shirt and short sponsor deals March 2, 2026 The question that hangs over rugby union always seems to be a financial one: how can a sport with successful World Cups, a strong women’s game and a generally affluent audience struggle so much to commercialise itself effectively? That doesn’t seem to be an issue for England and its governing body, the Rugby Football Union. [...]