Shorts: NFL London Games, Barnsley, Goal
The National Football League (NFL) has announced the schedule for 2023 International NFL Games.
The next edition of the annual American football event will see the Jacksonville Jaguars play in London twice, the first time an NFL team has played two regular season games outside of the US in one season.
Five regular season games will be held in Europe for the first time in 2023, with two in Germany also being a first.
The Atlanta Falcons will face the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley on Sunday 1st October, before the Jags play the Buffalo Bills at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 8th October.
On 15th October, the Baltimore Ravens will play the Tennessee Titans at Spurs before the Miami Dolphins face last season’s Super Bowl winners Kansas City Chiefs on 5th November, before the Indianapolis Colts play the New England Patriots on 12th November.
English Football League (EFL) One football club Barnsley FC has announced a long-term omnichannel retail partnership with Fanatics.
Under terms of the agreement, Fanatics will be tasked with expanding and enhancing the shopping experience for Barnsley FC supporters.
The long-term deal means that Fanatics has become the exclusive operator for Barnsley’s online eCommerce store, in addition to operating on-site retail at Oakwell Stadium. The deal also sees Fanatics acquire the club’s master license for all Barnsley FC-branded merchandise, with Fanatics able to manufacture and distribute an expanded range of Barnsley-trademarked products.
Khaled El-Ahmad, Chief Executive Officer at Barnsley F.C., commented, “As we continue to be innovative, efficient and focused on the needs of our loyal fanbase, we believe partnering with Fanatics is a win-win for all parties involved.
“Fanatics has a growing reputation across the football pyramid for facilitating excellent retail experiences both in-person and online, making them the perfect partner for us as we look to enhance what we offer to our fans. We are extremely excited by this partnership and know that our supporters will benefit tremendously from the overall retail experience on offer in the months and years to come.”
GOAL has been named the official media partner of The Soccer Tournament (TST), a new pre-season 7v7 football tournament with a $1m prize being played in the US this summer.
GOAL, Footballco’s global football brand, will ‘support for the tournament will cover both the build-up and the tournament itself’ and ensure ‘fans around the world are aware of the tournament and its unique format.’
Teams announced for TST, which is being held in Cary, North Carolina in June, include Borussia Dortmund, Wrexham, Wolves, West Ham, Charlotte FC, and Hashtag United.
GOAL’s coverage will include streaming games live outside of America and Mexico across GOAL social channels.
Andy Jackson, Vice President of Global Football Partnerships at Footballco said, “Football fans’ hunger for the sport extends beyond traditional competitions and formats, which is why we’re excited to partner with the inaugural TST which we see as being an exciting addition to the football calendar with huge growth potential as well as being a competition we wanted to be involved in from the start.”
The F1 Arcade has announced that it will open a new venue in the United States.
Its flagship London location in St.Pauls opened last year. The concept combines food and drinks offerings with official Formula 1 licensed simulation racing equipment.
Now, a similar venue is set to open at Boston Seaport in early 2024.
It is set to be the first of many venues in the US, as part of a plan to establish more than 20 permanent locations in America over the next five years.
Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1, commented, “Formula 1 is enjoying significant growth globally, and we are constantly innovating to ensure that we are bringing the highest quality of sport and entertainment to new and diverse audiences.”
“F1 Arcade does exactly this by putting our fans behind the wheel of bespoke racing simulators, so they can feel the thrill of an F1 car first hand, coupled with a premium hospitality offering to match our world-renowned paddock.
“The success of the London venue so far has been incredible, and we are excited to see the F1 Arcade project continue to grow as it hits the US, starting in Boston.”
