Shorts: Millwall, Blueprintx, FilmNova
Millwall has renewed its partnership with Carabao SPORT as the club’s official sports drink partner for the 2025/26 season
Under the renewed agreement, Carabao SPORT will continue to supply Millwall’s men’s first team with its low-calorie isotonic sports drink for use during matches and training sessions throughout the season.
Carabao SPORT, produced by Carabao Energy Drink, is Informed Sport accredited, meaning each batch is tested for substances banned in professional sport. The drink is available in Orange, Mixed Berry and Raspberry flavours and is sold nationwide.
The renewal extends a partnership that supports Carabao’s continued presence within professional football in the UK, where the brand also maintains relationships with other clubs across the English football pyramid.
Luke Wilson, Chief Commercial Officer at The Den, said, “We’re delighted Carabao have chosen to extend their partnership with the club.
Since the beginning of our relationship they’ve been a great partner to work alongside, supplying the club with a fantastic range of high-quality products and supporting all of our hydration requirements across both training and matches.”
Henry Winter has signed with Blueprintx for management representation across his commercial and broadcast portfolio
Winter, a football journalist, broadcaster and author, currently co-hosts talkSPORT’s Sunday Edition and recently joined Sports Illustrated as a senior writer.
Blueprintx will oversee Winter’s commercial partnerships and media activity as part of its growing roster of sports and media talent.
Winter, who has over 1.3 million followers on social media, is one of the UK’s most established football journalists, having previously worked for The Times and The Telegraph.
George Woffenden, Co-Founder of Blueprintx, said, “Henry is an iconic writer and broadcaster and we are incredibly pleased to welcome him to our management roster. He holds a deep rooted knowledge of the game, genuine care for football fans, and is incredibly engaging in delivering both written and verbal commentary. 2026 is a huge year for football across club and international competition and Henry is set to be right at the very heart of it.”
Production company FilmNova has appointed former Channel 4 executive Rupinder Downie as its new Commercial Director.
Downie joins FilmNova after more than 30 years at Channel 4, where she led cross-platform partnerships, sponsorship and branded entertainment. In her new role, she will be responsible for driving commercial strategy across the company’s live production, digital and rights development portfolio.
The appointment follows the company being awarded the contract to produce the Boat Race for Channel 4 in a five-year deal. The company also received three nominations at the 2025 Broadcast Sport Awards, including Sports Production Company of the Year. FilmNova are partners in Athletics Ventures LLP, which was nominated for ‘Business Moment of a Year’ at the 2025 Sport Industry Awards.
FilmNova is a UK-based production company that specialises in sports and live event coverage
Phil Sibson, Managing Director of FilmNova, said, “Rupinder’s track record at Channel 4 in creating partnerships that connect audiences, brands and broadcasters is second to none. She brings a strategic mindset, deep industry relationships and a brilliant understanding of how commercial creativity can power content. We’re excited to have her join the team as we look to drive FilmNova’s next phase of growth.”
Rupinder Downie added, “FilmNova’s ambition and reputation for producing world-class sport and original content is genuinely impressive. There’s a real opportunity to build on that creative strength by forging new partnerships that enhance audience engagement and drive commercial growth. I’m thrilled to be joining such a talented and dynamic team.”
Event and venue planning platform OnePlan has formed a strategic partnership with geographic information system (GIS) software company Esri.
The collaboration integrates OnePlan’s event planning software with Esri’s mapping and analytics technology, providing event organisers with more efficient tools to design safe events. The first phase of the integration is now live, allowing OnePlan customers to access a range of Esri maps directly within the platform.
The partnership announcement coincides with a milestone for OnePlan, which has now been used to plan over 100,000 events across 75 different sports. Its customers include Silverstone, the Jockey Club, USA Triathlon, the Canadian Football League, and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Paul Foster, Founder and CEO of OnePlan, said, “By uniting the mapping expertise of Esri with the planning capabilities of OnePlan, we’re giving customers more intelligent ways than ever to design their event sites and venues. This partnership means organisers can access richer maps and location intelligence — combined with the collaboration and ease of use that OnePlan is known for.”
