Industry Shorts: Nico Rosberg, Fanatics, Laliga
Nico Rosberg’s Rosberg Xtreme Racing (RXR) will join Extreme E ahead of the inaugural season, which launches in early 2021.
The former Formula One World Champion has become a sustainability entrepreneur since retiring from the sport, having invested in numerous start-ups as well as becoming an early investor and shareholder in Formula E.
RXR is the ninth team to sign up to the series, while Rosberg will renew his rivalry with former Mercedes F1 teammate Lewis Hamilton, who has also launched a team to compete in the all-electric off-road series.
Licensed sports merchandising company Fanatics has signed a new long-term partnership with six-time Super Bowl champion and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady,
The American football star will join the company’s network of athletes linked to the company’s memorabilia and collectibles division, Fanatics Authentic.
According to Fanatics, Brady has consistently been among the top-selling memorabilia and merchandise athletes in its e-commerce network. He was also a member of the ALL IN Challenge, a digital fundraiser launched by Fanatics Executive Chairman Michael Rubin which raised $60 million (£45.7 million) for COVID-19 relief. Brady was one of a number of celebrities who offered an item or experience to raise money during the pandemic. His contribution of items from his first Buccaneers game as well as a future VIP home game package raised $800,000 for the initiative (£610,000).
LaLiga has become the first European league to join streaming platform Twitch.
The Spanish top tier says it will launch an extensive content plan, with new programmes published by the studios of LaLiga North America. It will also serve up behind-the-scenes features, clips and interviews.
Both Twitch and LaLiga, meanwhile, will work together to create ‘collaboration opportunities’ for the wider Twitch community and LaLiga fans.
Double Olympic medalists Alistair and Jonny Brownlee have become the first to invest in a Crowdcube funding initiative launched by Derby-based endurance sports brand HUUB.
The brothers have worked with the brand since 2013 after founder Dean Jackson approached them directly to ask them to give HUUB wetsuits a try.
The brand says the money raised through the campaign will help it accelerate growth into new territories, as well as to expand and extend its category offering. It says it aims to raise at least £250,000 from the initiative.
British and Irish Lions have appointed RDA Media to distribute media rights for the 2021 Tour of South Africa.
The move marks the first time that the Lions will have appointed an agency to distribute media rights on its behalf.
The agreement between the pair covers Europe (excluding UK & Ireland and France), Canada, Japan, South East Asia, Pacific Islands and MENA, as well as in-flight and cruise rights.
NFL UK has announced a new three-year partnership with Sportsbreaks.com, the supporter travel division of sports travel agency Clarity Travel, who will become the league’s Official Match Break supplier.
The travel provider will provide ticket-based trips with overnight accommodation to NFL matches in London, which take place at Wembley and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The NFL’s London Games were cancelled for 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the American football league is scheduled to return to the UK capital in 2021.
The England men’s cricket team is set to tour South Africa in November and December, playing three IT20s and three ODIs as part of a bio-secure tour agreed by both countries.
The tour will mark the first international trip for an England cricket team since the pandemic and ensuing lockdown began in March.
Quibi, the short-form content network that launched in April with almost $2 billion (£1.5 billion) in backing, has shut down after failing to meet subscriber targets.
The mobile platform allowed users to view ‘quick bites’, or ‘Quibis’, of video content lasting less than 10 minutes in duration.
Charlton Athletic have appointed Wayne Mumford as Commercial Director.
The news means Mumford, who has worked across numerous football clubs including Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Juventus and Real Madrid, becomes the second senior appointment since Danish-American businessman Thomas Sandgaard bought the club earlier this year, following the arrival of Technical Director Ged Roddy.
The Leeds Rhinos Netball team has announced Green Flag as its Main Sponsor ahead of the club’s inaugural Vitality Netball Superleague season.
The club has agreed a one-year partnership with the national breakdown provider that will see them feature on the Leeds Rhinos Netball team’s kit and training wear. The brand will also become a partner of the club’s community programme that aims to support and develop the game at grassroots level in Leeds.
