Shorts: Co-op Live, Csm, Tour Of Britain
Co-op Live, the new arena opening in Manchester in December 2023, has announced a number of official suppliers taking the total number of partners signed so far to seven.
Britvic, Elavon, Unilever, and Schneider Electric, are the latest world-leading brands to join the growing list of partners, led by Co-op as the naming rights partner. All the sponsors announced will benefit from a range of marketing and branding opportunities including in campaigns to promote Co-op Live prior to opening and once open.
The news follows several other significant partnerships. At the end of last year, it was revealed that Diageo will be the official drinks partner and that Bristol Street Motors is the official motor retailer. The venue is backed by investors, Oak View Group, City Football Group and singer Harry Styles.
The sports event and marketing company behind the Tour of Britain, Womens Tour and Tour Series cycling events, SweetSpot Group, and Destination Sport Group have announced the launch of a new joint venture that cements their existing partnership following previous successful collaborations on hospitality experiences at the Tour of Britain.
This new enterprise, which will be positioned in the Destination Sport Group portfolio, will focus on providing hotel and logistical support for participating teams and developing opportunities for cycling enthusiasts to experience riding stages of the Tour of Britain, the Women’s Tour and the Tour Series, which all get underway later this year.
CSM Sport and Entertainment (CSM) has announced a new partnership with Switch the Play Foundation, an organisation that supports, educates, and develops athletes, during and beyond their sporting career.
CSM will provide a range of support from mentoring Switch the Play athletes on different career pathways within the industry, to guidance on enhancing digital assets such as their website and assisting with fundraising activities for the foundation. In addition to this, a number of CSM employees will spend time with the charity as part of the company’s ‘Give Back Day’ initiative.
IMG has teamed up with UK-based TV, film and audio production company Scattered Pictures to produce Hidden Sport, a new four-part audio series for the BBC.
Across the series, award-winning actor, writer, presenter and producer, Kim Tserkezie will take BBC World Service listeners on a global journey to discover the world’s lesser-known sports and explore how and why they are so important to those who watch and play them. The first episode will launch on 23rd April.
UK’s leading automotive retailer Pendragon has agreed a naming sponsorship deal with Power Maxed Racing (PMR), one of the foremost racing teams in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC).
Negotiated by specialist sponsorship agency Maverick Sports + Entertainment, the five-year deal sees both the CarStore and Evans Halshaw brands featured, including car and driver branding, hospitality and onsite branding, marketing and commercial opportunities. Most notably, the team will now race as CarStore Power Maxed Racing within the BTCC.
Joanna Robertson has been announced as the Vice President of Corporate Communications at IMG.
Robertson has been with the IMG for over five years, having previously been the Director of Communications at the global sports, events and talent management company.
