KPMG ditches golfer Mickelson over Saudi breakaway tour row February 23, 2022 KPMG has terminated its long-standing sponsorship of Phil Mickelson in the wake of the US golfer’s comments supporting a proposed Saudi-backed tour. Mickelson apologised on Tuesday for remarks in which he pushed the case for a new circuit despite acknowledging Saudi Arabia’s “horrible record on human rights”. KPMG on Mickelson’s cap has been one of [...]
Oracle Red Bull Racing sign record breaking sponsorship deal with Bybit February 16, 2022 Formula 1 team Oracle Red Bull Racing have agreed a world record sponsorship deal with cryptocurrency exchange Bybit. The three-year contract is believed to be worth $150m (£111m), making it the biggest crypto commercial partnership in sport in terms of yearly value. “I’m delighted to welcome Bybit to the Team,” said team principal and chief [...]
Manchester United sign blockchain platform Tezos as training kit sponsor February 10, 2022 Manchester United have confirmed a training kit sponsorship deal with blockchain platform Tezos. The multi-year agreement is believed to be worth more than £20m a season, representing an increase on their previous contract with insurer Aon. It will Tezos appear on the training kit worn by both United’s men’s and women’s team, starting immediately. “This [...]
Why Team GB athlete Lorraine Ugen started her own sportswear brand Unsigned February 9, 2022 British track and field star Lorraine Ugen is launching her own self-funded sportswear brand, Unsigned, for athletes without sponsorship contracts. World, European and Commonwealth Games medallist Ugen wants the label to highlight the growing number of athletes who don’t have endorsement deals. The long jump and sprint specialist, 30, also hopes the budding business can [...]
Sponsors and Peta round on West Ham over Zouma February 9, 2022 West Ham United sponsor Experience Kissimmee says it is “evaluating its relationship” with the club after it failed to suspend Kurt Zouma for apparently abusing an animal. The Hammers picked Zouma for last night’s Premier League match against Watford despite earlier condemning footage of him kicking and hitting a cat. Animal protection group Peta, meanwhile, [...]
Spotify set for £237m Barcelona sponsorship deal February 8, 2022 Spotify are close to agreeing a sponsorship deal with Barcelona that would be among the biggest in football, according to reports in Spain. The music streaming platform would pay the Catalan club €280m (£237m) over three years, said radio station RAC1. In return Spotify would get naming rights to Barcelona’s stadium, which would be rebranded [...]
Cricketer Taylor reveals ban after spot-fixing cocaine blackmail plot January 24, 2022 Former Zimbabwe cricket captain Brendan Taylor says he is facing a ban for failing to quickly report a spot-fixing approach. Taylor says he reluctantly took a payment of $15,000 during a business trip to India in 2019 after being blackmailed with footage of him taking cocaine. The 35-year-old waited four months before reporting the incident [...]
Sports must protect its precious human capital like Djokovic and Hamilton January 20, 2022 Picture Novak Djokovic. Do you see a villain sticking two fingers up at vaccine orthodoxy, or a heroic advocate for personal freedoms you’d risk a pepper-spraying for? What of Lewis Hamilton and his rainbow helmet and sloganed T-shirts? Gesture politician or vital diversity campaigner? And what say you as one football team takes the knee [...]
Netflix tennis doc to capture Novak Djokovic Australian visa drama January 13, 2022 The Novak Djokovic Australian Open visa saga is set to feature in a new fly-on-the-wall docuseries to be shown on Netflix, according to reports. The makers of smash-hit Formula 1 show Drive To Survive are currently filming a tennis version featuring some of the biggest names on the men’s and women’s tours, says the Mail. [...]
Novak Djokovic: Sponsors tipped to stand by tennis star’s £20m contracts January 11, 2022 Novak Djokovic may have been deluged with negative publicity over his visa row and anti-vax stance but that is unlikely to cost him any major sponsorship deals, say industry experts. Djokovic looks set to play the Australian Open next week after successfully appealing the decision to deny him entry to the country over questions about [...]