Shorts: DAZN, Luton Town, Dartford FC
DAZN has secured new rights to broadcast Lega Serie A competitions in the UK.
From the 2025/26 season, DAZN will stream every Serie A Championship match in the UK and Ireland, as well as in the U.S.
In the UK and Ireland, DAZN has secured exclusive rights to up to eight matches per round, with two non-exclusive, meaning more than 300 matches will be broadcast live in full. However, any matches falling within the Saturday blackout window in the UK and Ireland cannot be shown live in full.
In addition to live coverage, DAZN has acquired highlight rights for the Serie A Championship, Coppa Italia, and Supercoppa Italiana across nearly every country worldwide.
Pete Oliver, CEO of Growth Markets at DAZN, said, “Our partnership with the league has continued to grow stronger, particularly since DAZN became the main domestic broadcaster of the Serie A Championship starting with the 2021/22 season.“
Luton Town have launched their 2025/26 home kit, the first in English football to have been designed by sustainable performancewear brand Reflo.
The release has marked the first full season of Luton Town’s partnership with Reflo as official teamwear supplier.
The shirt has been produced using Reflo’s Reloop™ technology, which has enabled it to be made entirely from recycled polyester and designed for mechanical recycling at the end of its life cycle.
The design features Luton’s traditional orange with tonal graphics and a new bomber-style crew neck. The launch has formed part of both Reflo and the club’s sustainability efforts, reflecting wider trends across football, where clubs have been exploring alternative approaches to kit production and consumption.
Luton Town were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2024/25 season and will compete in the EFL Championship in 2025/26.
Gary Sweet, Luton Town’s Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are delighted to launch our partnership with Reflo with this new, unique kit, while reminiscent of the one we watched our heroes of 80s wear, like Basher and Raddy.
“We now can’t wait to see the lads play in it for the first time this weekend and look forward to a long, ground-breaking partnership with Reflo as we seek to make the club sustainable in every sense.”
Dartford FC has announced a new front-of-shirt sponsorship deal with Target Darts for the next two seasons.
The partnership has seen Target Darts become the club’s front-of-shirt sponsor for the men’s home and away kits, the women’s away kit, and has also featured on the back of the women’s club tracksuits.
As part of the sponsorship, Target Darts will support Dartford FC’s Community Programme, which works closely with schools and organisations to increase sporting opportunities for children and adults, improve health and wellbeing, and tackle social issues.
Fans can also look forward to season-long activations, bringing the energy of both darts and football together and offering experiences for supporters.
To celebrate the announcement, Dartford FC hosted Dutch icon and five-time World Champion, Raymond van Barneveld, for a content shoot at their home ground, Princes Park.
The club has now joined Target’s prestigious roster, which features PDC World Champion Luke Littler, 16-time World Champion Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, PDC World Cup of Darts Champion Josh Rock, and 2025 Premier League stars Rob Cross, Nathan Aspinall, Chris Dobey, and Stephen Bunting. The club is determined to build on last season’s momentum and push for promotion back to the National League South.
Steve Irving, Chairman of Dartford FC, said, “Partnering with Target is another step on this journey. Not only do we share the Darts name, but we are aligned in our goals and aspirations and see this as an opportunity to celebrate the synergy between darts and football and bring a new element to the club.
“We look forward to working with Target and exploring a number of unique opportunities this partnership will bring.”
British Esports has secured multi-million pound funding for a new national Gaming and Esports Arena in Sunderland.
The 15,000 sq. ft. arena, located alongside the National Esports Performance Campus (NEPC), received financing approval from a leading High Street bank.
The facility, Europe’s first 5G esports arena from a federation, is designed for live events, elite competition, and audience experiences.
The multi-use venue will be available for private bookings, music events, games industry and esports community events, and national competitions.
The Gaming and Esports Arena complements the National Esports Performance Campus, which opened in 2023 and has hosted various esports teams and talent, including Esports World Cup winners Team Falcons and national Great Britain teams.
Andy Payne OBE, Chair of British Esports, said, “This is our St George’s Park for esports, a national home with performance spaces that will help train the next generation of esports talent and help to grow the region to be a leader in esports in the UK.
“The arena completes a multi-year vision to develop a campus that’s built to develop esports athletes, deliver events, and support entrepreneurs and creators.”
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