Shorts: Chelsea Women, INEOS Grenadiers, IMG
Chelsea Women have signed a multi-year partnership with US-based digital marketing company Constant Contact, making it the team’s official partner and the club’s first women’s-only training kit sleeve partner.
The partnership will begin at the Women’s Super League match against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday 26th January.
Constant Contact will serve as the presenting partner for the match, with the Chelsea squad set to wear training kits featuring the company’s branding during their warm-up.
As part of the agreement, Constant Contact’s branding will appear on training and warm-up kits for league and domestic competitions.
The firm’s branding will also be displayed across key areas of the stadium, including the player arrival area and tunnel, and through social media content on matchday.
Aki Mandhar, Chelsea FC Women’s Chief Executive Officer, said, “Constant Contact’s commitment to inclusivity and community-building mirrors our own long-held values, we know how important it is to uplift each other and create opportunities for our communities who support us every day.”
UK-based professional cycling team INEOS Grenadiers have announced Maurten as their new official performance fueling nutrition partner.
The three-year partnership will see the team benefit from all Maurten products, with the two organisations also operating a ‘performance think tank to drive innovation, future development, and offer tailored nutrition advice and fuelling strategies for each INEOS Grenadiers rider.’
Dr. Scott Drawer, INEOS Grenadiers’ Performance Director, said, “Maurten’s one of the most innovative nutrition companies I’ve come across. It’s about their mindset and restless approach to human performance —their level of rigor, thinking, planning, and detail aligns with what is fundamental to winning bike races and fundamental to performance. I think that’s what always underpins this team — and that’s why the partnership with Maurten is so exciting for us.”
IMG has extended its agreement to broadcast the Australian Open on Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra, through to 2027.
The agreement will see Sport 24 continue to bring live coverage from the tournament to airlines and cruise ships around the world.
As part of the renewal, the IMG-owned and operated channel will also broadcast original programming related to the Australian Open throughout the year.
Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra are produced from IMG’s production HQ at Stockley Park, also showing live action from the Premier League, FIA Formula 1 World Championship, NBA, golf majors, tennis grand slams, and cricket tournaments.
Cedric Cornelis, Tennis Australia Chief Commercial Officer, said, “We are delighted to extend our partnership with Sport 24, a long-term valued broadcast partner of the Australian Open. This extension means Tennis Australia will continue our commitment to making Australian Open matches and original content accessible to fans whether they’re 30,000ft in the sky or in the middle of the ocean.”
Richard Wise, SVP, Content and Channels, at IMG, added, “Sport 24 has been bringing passengers live coverage of the world-renowned Australian Open for over 12 years and we’re delighted to extend our relationship. As audiences around the world gear up for more thrilling finals this weekend, Sport 24 will be showcasing all the biggest moments across airlines and cruise ships worldwide, so you don’t need to miss a minute of the action.”
Rugby Borough – the lowest-ranked side left in the competition – will have their Women’s FA Cup fifth-round tie against West Ham or Liverpool shown live on the BBC.
Third-tier Rugby will host one of the two Women’s Super League clubs on Sunday 9th February at 12:30 GMT.
West Ham and Liverpool will play their postponed fourth-round tie on Wednesday 29th January.
Sport and entertainment agency Catchweight has appointed Georgia Segal as Account Director to accelerate business growth in 2025.
Segal has previously worked with the likes of InterTalent, First Access and Rocket, where she looked after talent including Rita Ora, Alfie Boe , Myleene Klass, Kara Marni, Abbey Clancy and Nicola Roberts, as well as a host of international sports personalities, including Richard Riakporhe.
In her new role, Georgia will work closely alongside Catchweight Founder, Paddy Hobbs, to grow the agency’s entertainment and commercial offering.
Paddy Hobbs, Founder of Catchweight, said, “Georgia comes with a huge amount of experience and a fantastic reputation across the industry. As we look to continue our growth in 2025, Georgia’s drive, expertise and ambition makes her the perfect person to drive Catchweight forward.”
Sports marketing agency WePlay has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of John Parker as Executive Creative Director and Matthew Collier as Head of Ventures.
Parker, previously Global Head of Creative at M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, brings experience working with global brands such as New Balance, PlayStation, Coca-Cola, Samsung, and Heineken.
Collier, formerly Head of Commercial at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and ESPN, will lead WePlay’s new Ventures division.
WePlay has also welcomed Christian Millar as Group Business Director and Daniel Akanni as Business Development Manager, marking the first phase of its growth plans for 2025.
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