Industry Shorts: Kylian Mbappe, Spartan, Rule 40
Japanese men’s skincare brand Bulk Homme has marked its European launch, and has unveiled Kylian Mbappe as its main ambassador.
From 20th March 2020, six of the brand’s products featuring seven specially formulated natural ingredients will be on sale in the UK and France. The products will be distributed in Smartech boutiques in both department stores Selfridges in London and Printemps in Paris, as well as BULK HOMME’s E-commerce site and select E-tailer sites.
The BOA says it has reached an agreement with a group of athletes in relation to the organisation’s interpretation of the IOC’s Rule 40.
The group – led by Adam Gemili – had requested greater freedom to engage with their individual sponsors, and the BOA says the agreement increases the number of times the athletes can ‘thank’ their sponsors during the Olympic Games window.
The BOA says the agreement means athletes no longer need to submit all their marketing materials for approval (but still need to notify the BOA), will provide a greater level of commercial freedom to athletes, and also preserves the BOA’s ‘unique funding model’.
Obstacle course race (OCR) and endurance brand Spartan has announced its biggest ever prize fund for the 2020 UK & Ireland Regional Series.
A total prize pot of £22,400 will be available to those taking part in the series, which is set to see the best obstacle course racers from across the UK and Ireland battle it out for top spot. The increased prize pot will offer racers more opportunity to claim a stake, with the top ten finishers of each event taking home a portion of the pot.
The series will see participants compete across four different races in three disciplines, including half marathon ‘Beast’, 10K ‘Super’ and 5K ‘Sprint’ events throughout the year. READ MORE
An agreement between British Cycling and Velo Birmingham & Midlands will see the Midlands host 2020 HSBC UK National Road Championships in June 2020.
Running from 18th – 20th June, the national championships event will now take place as part of what is the UK’s second biggest mass participation closed-road cycling event.
Tiger Woods will be inducted to the World Golf Hall of Fame in its class of 2021.
The 15-time major and 82-time PGA TOUR winner will be inducted at the earliest possible opportunity, after the Hall of Fame lowered its eligibility age from 50 to 45. Woods will turn 45 in December.
Meanwhile, the PGA TOUR says THE PLAYERS Championship, which runs from Thursday 12th March to Sunday 15th March, will go ahead as scheduled for now.
However, organisers have also said they will take a final decision on Thursday afternoon (4pm GMT) on whether or not to proceed with the tournament – the most lucrative on the golfing circuit this season.
Sportswear giants adidas and Puma have given profit warnings due to coronavirus, with both saying they expect sales to drop.
Puma says it has abandoned the 2020 financial guidance it issued earlier in the year, when it expected disruption to be temporary. Fellow German brand Adidas, meanwhile, has said it expects sales to drop by up to €1bn.
US broadcaster NBC has confirmed that the Manchester derby, which took place on Sunday 8th March, was the most-watched Premier League game in US TV history.
The match, which took place at Old Trafford, drew an audience of 1.76m, narrowly beating the previous record, set by another match between Manchester City and Manchester United in April 2018.
