Industry Shorts: Adidas, Bt Sport, Opro…
Global sportswear brand adidas used the platform of International Women’s Day to make a landmark equal pay commitment ahead of this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.
In a post on Twitter, the company’s head of global brands Eric Liedtke revealed: “Today we are announcing that all Adidas athletes on the winning 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup team will receive the same performance bonus payout as their male peers.
“We believe in inspiring and enabling the next generation of female athletes, creators and leaders through breaking barriers.”
The move follows last week’s announcement by Visa of its plans to match its 2018 FIFA World Cup activation budget in its marketing around the women’s game.
Last week also saw adidas appoint Dark Horses to its agency roster with a women’s football brief.
Meanwhile the sportswear brand has unveiled a custom Women’s World Cup shirt for the Sweden team, which features 48 inspiring female role models chosen by the players themselves. Fans are being given the chance to nominate the faces to appear on one of the jerseys this summer.
British Wheelchair Basketball has unveiled plans to double participation in the sport as part of a new five-year strategy.
The target is one four core objectives outlined in the new document, described as a “blueprint for a far-reaching fundamental transformation of the sport and its wider public perception as a professional sport.”
It identifies the opportunity for “dramatic participation growth, with a current potential of up to 70,000 participants, [which] will fundamentally support the development of the sport including building the schools and universities network, creating new recreational opportunities to play the sport, establishing a strong GB player pathway, generating thriving competitive leagues, nurturing a sustainable workforce and creating a successful national club and community partnership delivery network.”
The strategy follows an extensive consultation process with key wheelchair basketball stakeholders in the UK.
BT Sport has confirmed that it will broadcast Amir Khan’s next fight exclusively live on BT Sport Box Office.
Khan will face unbeaten, three-weight World Champion Terrance Crawford for the WBO World Welterweight belt at Madison Square Gardens on Saturday 20th April.
Undercard fighters include Shakur Stevenson, Teofimo Lopez, Christopher Diaz, Edis Tatli, Feliz Vedejo and Bryan Vasquez.
Oral protection brand OPRO has announced the signing of UFC Welterweight star Danny Roberts as its first UFC brand ambassador.
It follows mouthguard manufacturer OPRO’s agreement of a global, multi-year licensing deal with UFC last year.
The deal gives OPRO rights to produce UFC branded mouthguards and provide bespoke mouthguards to UFC athletes.
Roberts joins the likes of double Taekwondo World Champion Bianca Walkden and British Karate World Champion Jordan Thomas on OPRO’s combat sports roster.
