Shorts: Arsenal, Aurora Media, Manchester United

Arsenal have announced a multi-year extension to their partnership with KONAMI.

The deal sees KONAMI remain as the Premier League club’s official football video gaming partner, continuing a collaboration that has lasted for over eight years. As part of the renewal, supporters will continue to see Arsenal featured as one of the core clubs in KONAMI’s free-to-play title, eFootball, with club kits and Emirates Stadium included in-game.

To celebrate the extension, men’s first team captain Martin Ødegaard has become a new Club Ambassador. A free Highlight: Martin Ødegaard player card and Avatar will be available to eFootball players from 7th-13th August.

The renewal also means KONAMI will retain multiple commercial rights, including promotional access to players and the use of official club branding and imagery in the eFootball series.

Juliet Slot, Chief Commercial Officer at Arsenal, said, “We are incredibly proud of our longstanding partnership with KONAMI, and we’re excited to begin this next chapter of our journey together. The longevity of our partnership reinforces our shared values of innovation and progress, and we’re pleased to ensure Arsenal is a core part of the game for years to come.”

The World Supercross Championship has appointed Aurora Media Worldwide as its new host broadcast partner for the 2025 season.

Under the new agreement, the production company will deliver a global broadcast and digital content package, including live coverage, an international highlights show, digital-first content, and live studio preview and review shows for each round. Spearheaded by SX Global, the 2025 season will take place across five continents.

Aurora’s coverage will spotlight the series’ biggest stars, including Eli Tomac, Ken Roczen, and Cooper Webb, with an editorial approach designed to connect fans with the action and personalities of the sport.

The appointment builds on Aurora’s existing motorsport partnerships, which include Formula E, E1, and FIA World Rallycross. The company was named Sports Production Company of the Year at the 2024 Broadcast Sport Awards.

Matt Beal, Director of Broadcast at Aurora, said, “World Supercross is a bold and progressive championship with a global mindset. We’re excited to help shape its future with a broadcast and content model that brings together world-class production, strong editorial, and a digital-first sensibility. Our aim is to elevate the racing and the riders for fans everywhere — on any platform, in any time zone.”

Manchester United’s plans for a new £2bn stadium have received a boost after the Mayor of Greater Manchester said he would be prepared to force the sale of land needed for the project.

The club plans to demolish its current Old Trafford home in favour of a 100,000-seat replacement, but the project is dependent on acquiring nearby land. The land’s owners, Freightliner, have valued the plot at £400m, reportedly 10 times Manchester United’s valuation.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has approved the creation of a mayoral development corporation (MDC) to oversee the land assembly.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, told BBC Radio Manchester, “The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has approved the establishment of a mayoral development corporation (MDC) to oversee a masterplan of the area to facilitate some of the land assembly. But there’s plenty that can be done if an agreement cannot be reached. The real action is only going to get going in the autumn with the MDC.”

Aston Villa have announced a new global partnership with Irish stout brand Guinness.

The deal will see Guinness become an official global partner for the Premier League club’s men’s and women’s teams. From the start of the 2025/26 season, supporters will be able to purchase both Guinness and Guinness 0.0 at the club’s Villa Park stadium.

Building on its role as the official beer and official responsible drinking partner to the Premier League, Guinness will also use its global rights to promote and encourage responsible drinking at Villa Park.

Adrian Filby, Chief Commercial Officer at Aston Villa, said, “We are delighted to be welcoming Guinness to the Aston Villa partner family, a global brand that is instantly recognisable to millions around the world. With so many options to choose from, we are extremely proud that Guinness recognised the significant growth of Aston Villa both on and off the pitch, particularly the exciting new developments in and around Villa Park itself.

“We very much look forward to working closely with Guinness to create authentic experiences for our supporters during the 90 minutes on a matchday and beyond”.

Liverpool FC have seen their new 25/26 adidas home kit become the most searched for in the club’s history, according to new data from JD Sports.

Following the launch on 1st August 2025, there were 1,010,252 global Google searches for liverpool kit during the month. This figure is the highest recorded for the term since Google Trends data began in 2004.

The previous record was 343,485 searches in July 2006, which also coincided with an adidas kit launch. The new kit’s launch has generated more than three times the search volume of the previous peak.

Retailer JD Sports also reported that on-site searches on its UK website containing the word liverpool were 134% higher during the launch weekend (1st-3rd August 2025) compared to the equivalent weekend for the 24/25 kit launch in May 2024.

The partnership marks a return for the German sportswear brand, which previously supplied Liverpool’s kits for 17 seasons across two spells between 1985–1996 and 2006–2012.

Worcestershire County Cricket Club have partnered with principal partner Attivo to feature the JB33 Foundation on their shirts for the Metro Bank One Day Cup.

The lifestyle financial planning firm has donated its front-of-shirt sponsorship spot for all of the club’s matches in August. The move is in honour of former Worcestershire player Josh Baker, who passed away in May 2024, aged 20.

The JB33 Foundation was launched by his parents in his memory to support local cricket clubs with resources, including defibrillators.

To further support the foundation, the club has also released a limited-edition run of 33 shirts featuring the JB33 Foundation logo. The shirts are priced at £100, with 100% of profits donated to the charity.

Ashley Giles, CEO of Worcestershire County Cricket Club, commented, “Josh was not only a gifted cricketer but also a cherished member of the club’s family and his passion, determination, and spirit touched those around him. Honouring him through our partnership with Attivo and the JB33 Foundation ensures his legacy will continue to inspire and benefit local cricket communities for years to come.”

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