Shorts: London Marathon, Fnatics, B-Engaged
Ford has become the official electric vehicle supplier of the TCS London Marathon for the next three years.
The partnership will commence at the 45th edition of the London Marathon on Sunday 27th April 2025.
Ford will provide a fleet of electric cars and vans across the Marathon Day route, including the elite lead timing vehicle and back of the pack support vehicles.
The fleet will include the Explorer, the Capri, the E-Tourneo Custom, the Mustang Mach-E, and the E-Transit.
Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events, said, “We are delighted to welcome Ford as the official electric vehicle supplier of the TCS London Marathon.
“We are committed to making the TCS London Marathon the most environmentally sustainable mass participation city centre marathon in the world and to lead the way in showing how mass participation events can make positive change to reduce our carbon footprint.
Ford is similarly committed to setting ambitious targets for reducing carbon emissions and we look forward to partnering with them and using their electric fleet of vehicles across the TCS London Marathon for the next three years.”
Fnatic have appointed IMG as their exclusive commercial agency to accelerate the esports organisation’s growth worldwide.
The agreement will see IMG provide new sponsorship opportunities for Fnatic across its performance team’s jersey, talent, and digital assets. This includes branded content opportunities for Fnatic’s global network of content creators and pro gamers, who have a combined following of over 35 million.
IMG will provide media rights representation, brand partnerships and strategic advisory services, as well as digital and production services.
IMG has managed the media rights and brand partnerships for more than 20 globally recognised esports events, including EA Sports, Blast Esports, Epic Games, PGL Esports, Riot Games, the International Olympic Committee and the Global Esports Games.
Sam Mathews, Founder & CEO, Fnatic, said, “Fnatic has always been about setting the standard in esports – whether that’s through winning, innovating, or building the most engaged gaming communities in the world.
“Partnering with IMG is a game-changer, enabling us to bring more world-class brands into the space and secure deeper connections with highly sought-after, tech-savvy younger audiences.”
Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot has appointed B-Engaged as his exclusive management agency for his off-pitch brand.
The global sports marketing agency B-Engaged will now oversee all aspects of Dalot’s commercial partnerships, media strategy, and personal brand development.
As part of the partnership, B-Engaged has already launched Dalot’s official LinkedIn profile and redesigned his match-day content strategy. This initiative aims to create a more engaging pre- and post-game experience for his fans, enhancing his relationship with supporters.
Diogo Dalot said, “I’m excited to be working with B-Engaged as I continue to develop my career both on and off the pitch. Their understanding of athletes, brand partnerships, and digital storytelling made this a natural decision for me.“
Arsenal and Tottenham will play the first-ever north London derby outside the UK in a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong this summer.
The two Premier League clubs will face each other at the newly opened Kai Tak Stadium on 31st July, as part of their preparations for the 2025-26 season.
This will be the first time the rivals have met outside the UK.
The match, set to kick off at 7:30pm local time (11:30am BST), will be part of the Hong Kong Football Festival. The festival will also feature Liverpool competing against AC Milan on July 26.
Arsenal last visited Hong Kong for a tour in 2012, while Tottenham played in Japan and South Korea in 2024.
Two Circles has been appointed by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) to drive international media rights distribution and marketing.
This will include the marketing for the TOP 14, PRO D2 and In Extenso SUPERSEVENS until 2032.
The long-term partnership will see Two Circles deliver a global marketing and media strategy, including an OTT platform powered by StayLive and a sales push that spotlights the 250+ international players competing weekly across French rugby.
The deal reflects the LNR’s strategic goal to grow international visibility and revenue, while reinforcing Canal+ as a key production partner.
Wigan Warriors are pleased to announce that FASE Group Ltd have extended their partnership with the Club for a further two seasons.
Having initially joined as a Kit Partner in 2024, the new two-year deal will see the FASE Group logo appear on the rear of the Men’s First Team for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
A local family-owned company, the initials FASE come from the initials of the Managing Director’s partner, son, daughter, and himself.
The North West-based company operates from its head office in Wigan, covering projects nationwide.
FASE Group, also an Official Partner of Wigan Athletic, has a keen involvement with local Community Clubs and looks forward to enhancing this involvement through the Warriors.
Rebecca Webb, Wigan Warriors Head of Partnerships, said: “We’re really pleased that FASE Group has dedicated another two seasons to the Club.
“Their love, not only for the club but for the sport overall has made partnering with them an absolute pleasure, and we’re excited to see this partnership grow even further.”
Football fans are demanding that clubs being funded by fossil fuel investments need to do more to offset the damage, according to new research from cleanenergy experts egg.
Nearly half (47%) of fans say they would feel ‘uneasy’, ‘sad’ or ‘frustrated’ if their football club partnered or received sponsorship from a fossil fuel company. In light of growing concerns around ‘sports washing’, and football receiving nearly 1 billion in fossil fuel investment last year, 38% of people think clubs need to be doing more.
Gen Z are the most passionate about fossil fuel investment in football, with 76% agreeing larger clubs benefiting from fossil fuel wealth need to step up, compared to 72% of Millennials and just under half of Boomers (48%).
As Brits become increasingly aware of the importance of living more sustainably, only 11% of fans think that football clubs are going above and beyond with their sustainable measures. Boomers and Gen X felt this the most, with just under half (48% and 42% respectively) feeling that clubs should adopt more sustainable practices compared to 32% of Gen Z and 34% of Millennials.
Club spending was one thing all generations agreed on. With 64% stating sustainability programmes and stadium upgrades as the most important aspects their clubs need to be investing in for the future. They also requested that less money is spent on players’ salaries (37%), player transfers (29%) and executive staff salaries (27%).
Making their voices heard on key issues is also important to fans, with almost half (48%) asking for more say over how their club is run.
The research, commissioned by clean energy experts egg, also reveals that the top three things people would like to do if they were a football club owner for a day are reduce ticket prices (53%), put more money behind youth academies (36%), and offer free tickets to those who can’t afford them (32%).
When asked about the future of football, nearly a quarter of fans (22%) listed making football stadiums solar powered as one of the top five changes they would like their club to make by 2030, along with better recycling facilities, and more sustainable travel for players.
Chris Houghton, CEO at egg, commented, “With fans demanding clubs to rethink their spending to prioritise people and planet, the future is looking green.”
EnerSys has renewed its battery sponsorship deal with racing Team Brit.
The teams’ race cars, which include two McLaren 570S GT4s and a BMW M240, will be equipped with the Odyssey line of batteries. The company logo will also be printed on the vehicles.
Al Locke, engineering director, Team Brit, said, “It’s phenomenal to have the continued support of EnerSys and the Odyssey battery brand.
“We’ve been using Odyssey batteries for many years and they never let us down, they deliver extreme power, they’re lightweight and they’re sturdy enough to cope with any knocks on the racetrack.”
Leyton Orient have agreed to the early termination of their stadium naming rights partnership with Gaughan Group.
The stadium will revert to its traditional name, Brisbane Road, until a new stadium naming rights partner is announced at the end of the 2024/25 season.
Gaughan Group’s branding will remain visible at the stadium until the summer. The club has thanked Gaughan Group for their support since December 2023.
A new stadium naming rights partner will be announced once the 2024/25 season has come to an end.
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