Industry Shorts: Unicef, French Open, Laliga

Formula E and UNICEF have joined forces to launch a new Safe and Healthy Environment Fund, which aims to create clean and sustainable environments for children around the world. 

The three-year partnership builds on the pair’s 2020 collaboration, which focused on protecting vulnerable children and families affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The new move will see Formula E support the Safe and Healthy Environment Fund alongside its #ChangeAccelerated campaign, which aims to ‘accelerate positive change around the world’.

Across the partnership, Funding from Formula E will contribute to programmes and policy actions which aim to improve the wellbeing of over three million children. Projects supported by the Fund include initiatives to provide schools with sustainable energy solutions and reduce child exposure to air pollution through increased monitoring and advocacy. 

The organisers of the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros have announced that the tournament will be postponed for one week in a bid to see fans in attendance.

The event will now run from 30th May to 13th June, with qualifying set to take place the previous week.

The ATP and WTA say they are ‘working in consultation with all parties impacted by the postponement’. The LTA, meanwhile, has said it is ‘currently looking at the implications for our events and if we will need to make changes to our calendar.’

LaLiga and its Title Partner Santander have announced a two-year renewal of their partnership, with an option to extend for a further year until 2023/24.

The move sees the pair continue their strategic relationship, which began in 2016. Since then, the bank has given its name to the two two divisions of Spanish football, LaLiga Santander, and LaLiga SmartBank.

In addition, Santander will also sponsor of LaLiga Genuine Santander, a professional league created for players with intellectual disabilities, as well as LaLiga Promises, a global competition for under 12s. It will also remain the Official Sponsor of the league’s FIFA 21 esports competition, eLaLiga Santander.

Wasps and Official Partner Vodafone have announced an extension of their partnership until the end of season 2023/24.

The pair first joined up ahead of the 2019/20 season, and the move will see the brand continue to feature on the front of the Men’s and Women’s rugby shirts, as well as on the dresses of the club’s netball team.  

Veloce Esports has announced a partnership with Bang & Olufsen, who will supply the London-based company with a range of premium audio devices for its new gaming headquarters in Fulham and headsets for its pool of drivers.

The speakers will create the soundscape to Veloce’s new home, which include the modular Beosound Shape wall speaker, which takes centre stage in the entry to the building. 

The collaboration marks Bang & Olufsen’s first venture into the gaming industry, having launched the Beoplay Portal in March 2021 – the first gaming headset and product in what is a new category for the brand.  

The pair have also promised a number of collaborative projects to be revealed later in 2021. 

Blockchain organisation Chiliz have announced that US trading organisation Jump Trading has made a strategic investment in the company.

The partnership aims to scale Chiliz – the creators of blockchain-based fan engagement platform Socios.com and its Fan Tokens product – into a ‘multi-billion dollar digital sports ecosystem’

The move will provide liquidity and trading services for all Fan Tokens issued by Chiliz globally on existing and upcoming exchanges, with an investment of an undisclosed amount made into the company by the Chicago-headquartered Jump Trading.

Digme Fitness has appointed Mongoose Sports & Entertainment to handle its PR and influencer communications for Digme Fitness, promoting their online platform Digme At Home, as well as their 8 studios. 

The brand’s virtual platform, Digme At Home, offers users on-demand cycle, HIIT, yoga and strength classes, and will reopen its physical studios across the south of England later this month.

BBC Sport presenter Dan Walker is to step down from his role on Football Focus, a show which he has fronted for 12 years.

Walker will remain a presenter with the BBC, and will continue his role on the broadcaster’s flagship morning news programme BBC Breakfast, as well as his work with BBC Sport.

His last show will coincide with the end of the current season on Saturday 22nd May, while he is still scheduled to present programming at the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer.