Kylian Mbappé’s production company signs deal with NBA

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The NBA has announced a multi-year content creation partnership with Zebra Valley, the newly formed production company belonging to French soccer star Kylian Mbappe.

Through this partnership, both parties will engage fans around the world. The Fifa World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe attended the NBA draft at New York’s Barclays Center, where the partnership was announced.

https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1540337945944723456?s=20&t=2DTw3pyw9pTzNNS2xD5xOg

Zebra Valley initiative with the National Basketball Association

“The strategic partnership between Zebra Valley and the National Basketball Association represents a significant step in bringing football and basketball fans together around premium content by telling stories that matter,” said Mbappé.

“We look forward to working with the NBA team to encourage dialogue among global communities and make cultural conversations more relevant.”

“Drafting Kylian Mbappé into the NBA family speaks to the global appeal of NBA basketball and the convergence of the league, the global football community and popular culture” George Aivazoglou, the NBA’s head of fan engagement and direct-to-consumer for Europe and the Middle East

“We look forward to working with Kylian and the Zebra Valley team to create unique, compelling content that will engage and inspire fans around the world.”

Mbappe already has ties to basketball through his club Paris Saint-Germain, which has a kit deal with the Nike-owned Jordan brand. The 23-year-old pact with the NBA comes after he signed with the WME Sports agency and established Zebra Valley earlier this month. Endeavor subsidiary WME Sports will represent Mbappé’s interests and they will help him create live, scripted, and animated content with his new venture.

With its headquarters in Los Angeles, Zebra Valley will focus on sports, music, arts, technology, gaming, and youth culture, in addition to providing a platform for younger individuals to express themselves.

Learn more about the NBA unveiling a city-wide gallery in Cleveland for ALL Star Game Court NFTs

DFB officially launched its channel on TikTok 

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The DFB officially launched its channel on the social media platform TikTok. With the start of the UEFA Women’s EURO in a few days, the official DFB TikTok channel will initially focus on content that revolves around the women’s national team however moving forward short videos related to the men’s national team, the DFB Cup, the 3rd division league and eFootball will be featured on the channel as well.

With TikTok’s adaptation to current trends and challenges, fans can expect to see new cross-branded content and brand-based insights such as behind-the-scenes footage, partner content, and influencer partnerships. The 14 short videos on the TikTok channel already has garnered more than 150,000 likes.

https://twitter.com/DFB/status/1541389721980600321?s=20&t=c55YGoxpb0TRIqMukcJWww

Comments made by both parties

“Football inspires people across generations. With our TikTok channel, we want to interact more closely with Gen Z,” . “With the fast-paced and viral trends of short-form content, we want to establish the platform as another innovative touchpoint and inspire the community with our content in the tone of voice of the platform.” Dr. Holger Blask, Managing Director of Marketing and Sales at DFB GmbH & Co. KG

“We are very pleased to welcome the DFB on TikTok. The appeal of the sport is an elementary part of the content system on TikTok. This is shown by 10 billion hits for the hashtag #football. It was a great pleasure for me and my team to to be able to accompany the DFB over the last few weeks with the first steps” Dennis Papirowski, Head of Partnership and Community, TikTok DACH.

Bundesliga initiative with TikTok

By targeting Gen Z, the DFB’s TikTok channel shares brand-relevant messages. Translated into current TikTok trends, they will be played out regularly from now on. The launch of a TikTok channel to address a young target group follows the relaunch of the DFB website on the video streaming platform Twitch, which took place in March 2022. The placement of DFB and partner-driven content on TikTok and Twitch creates the greatest possible added value for young football fans and the online football community.

Learn more about Bundesliga roping in OneFootball, Sorare, and Topps as their official NFT partner

Betano expands in Portugal with 4-year FC Porto shirt deal

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Online gaming operator Betano has sealed a 4-year partnership with FC Porto, the agreement forged between the two parties would see Betano become the club’s main sponsor.

This agreement materializing will see both parties working on a number of mutually beneficial fan-centered projects. In addition to that, Betano’s signage and assets, including the logo will appear across different digital and physical spaces.

https://twitter.com/FCPortoEng/status/1537171443808714756?s=20&t=m6DPjJLTCGGypKvCFw70bw

“Futebol Clube do Porto has always sought to associate itself with great brands and this partnership, the one we have now reinforced with Betano, follows up on that intention.” Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, President FC Porto

“Announcing our partnership agreement with FC Porto, a legendary club not only in Portugal but on an international level, is a day of celebration for all of us at Kaizen Gaming,”

“What I consider even more important is signing on with a club that values long-standing partnerships; it is a true mark of confidence in our company, our brand Betano and our commitment to Portuguese football. We look forward to a long and fruitful collaboration with the team.” George Daskalakis, Chief Executive Officer, Kaizen Gaming

Kaizen Gaming brands Betano and Stoixman, hold a number of football sponsorships across Europe and Latin America including Fluminense and Atlético Mineiro in Brazil, U de Chile, CD La Serena in Chile, FCSB and Universitatea Craiova in Romania, and Olympiacos and PAOK FC in Greece.

With partnerships already established with Benfica and Sporting Lisbon, Betano is seeking to expand its presence in Portugal hence partnering with Porto would bring them one step closer to fulfilling that objective.

Learn more about Everton announcing a sponsorship deal with Stake.com

Orange extends French federation’s contract for another four years

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French telecom giant Orange has extended its partnership with the French Football Federation for a further four years.

Initially, the deal they had signed would end in 2022 however an extension will see this deal going through till 2026. The renewed agreement has not been valued yet, but the old agreement was reportedly worth €5.5 million per season.  

The Orange logo will remain on the training kits of the national team, as well as on the physical and digital inventory of the French Football Federation. Going forward the company will work with the federation on different sponsorship activation campaigns as well.

https://twitter.com/fabiennedulac/status/1536409522838937605?s=20&t=CDUmbmyvIqhZcLf2jZnZWQ

The Orange sponsorship activations will focus on youth football in France, they will assist the French Football Federation in managing amateur football’s two million players registrations.

In addition to working collaboratively with the French Football Federation and the Play International non-governmental organization (NGO), the extended partnership will see Orange continuing to assist in providing digital education for young players, raising awareness of environmental and societal issues, as well as on cyberbullying.

“This renewed partnership reaffirms the close collaboration that we have maintained with the world of football for more than 20 years, and more specifically with the French Football Federation for four years”

“It illustrates our ambition to be a committed and responsible operator, by carrying out preventive actions on the use of digital technology among young people. The collective and solidarity, values ​​dear to Orange, are honoured by the success of the national men’s and women’s teams and make us particularly proud of this partnership”. Fabienne Dulac, chief executive of Orange France

Learn more about PSG signing a new partnership with OneFootball

PSG signs new partnership with OneFootball

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Paris Saint-Germain and OneFootball announced a global agreement to share original content from the club’s official website to the OneFootball’s app and website. With this deal in place, news related to Paris Saint Germain will be made available to OneFootball’s global audience of over 100 million monthly active users and a video distribution network of over 110 premium publishers.

The original content from Paris Saint-Germain will be available to fans wherever they are, without restriction. The French team’s content will appear in the news stream as official club content.

https://twitter.com/PSG_English/status/1537753169517756423?s=20&t=q2Fk6ZuyxDnaMCFD2xy8DA

PSG initiative with OneFootball

“Having firmly established itself as one of the biggest clubs in world football, we look forward to bringing more content from PSG to the platform as we welcome the club to the OneFootball network.”

“Our ambition at OneFootball is to help the new generation of young football fans get closer to the clubs they love. We are delighted that the Ligue 1 champions are joining the OneFootball family and look forward to bringing more football news from France to our community, ” Tom Mueller, VP of Partnerships for OneFootball

“One of the youngest clubs in elite world football, Paris Saint-Germain is the club of the new generation, always innovating and exploring new territories. Therefore, we are particularly strong on all digital platforms with the aim of offering young fans original content. We are delighted to work alongside OneFootball to speak to an ever-growing audience and together we will offer the opportunity to millions of fans around the world to fully experience their red and blue passion. ” Marc Armstrong, PSG Chief Partnerships Officer

Thanks to this partnership, editorial content will be available in French, Spanish, Portuguese and English, ensuring a personalized experience for football fans around the world.

Learn more about Bundesliga announcing OneFootball, Sorare and Topps as their NFT partners

Everton announce sponsorship deal with Stake.com

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Everton have announced a club-record sponsorship deal with Stake.com. The agreement forged between the two parties would see the online sports betting and Casino operator replace Cazoo in a multi-year partnership starting from July 1st.

Stake.com will see increased brand visibility through this partnership as their brand logo will appear on the front of the men’s and women’s playing shirts, as well as on screens, media backdrops, and on the club’s digital platforms.

https://twitter.com/Stake/status/1534823600309649408?s=20&t=w4vvfVnK1YZAWwE0GCD7bg

Comments made by both parties

“Everton is a club that perfectly complements our own growth ambitions as we seek to expand our presence globally and strengthen our top-tier sports sponsorship portfolio.” Akhil Sarin, Head of Acquisition for Stake.com

“Stake.com is an ambitious organisation with impressive growth plans and we’re all very excited to enter into a partnership with them at this stage in their journey”

“My talented colleagues in our new Revenue Team have made excellent progress in recent months and worked tirelessly to secure what is the biggest main partnership deal in the Club’s history…I am pleased to say that we have already been working together with Stake.com on some exciting activities and content for our local and international supporters and we look forward to sharing more detail on these plans soon.” Professor Denise Barrett-Baxendale, chief executive at Everton

With this deal, the club will be able to net more than £10 million per season, making it the most valuable front-of-shirt deal in its history.

Founded in 2017, Stake.com is an Online sports betting and Casino operating company. With a growing portfolio of sports properties, including Watford FC, UFC, and now Everton, the company is seeking to gain enhanced brand recognition in both new and existing markets.

Learn more about MLS naming Catepillar as their major sponsor

MLS names Caterpillar as major sponsor

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Major League Soccer (MLS) has signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with Caterpillar that will see the US construction equipment manufacturer become the league’s major sponsor. The agreement signed between the two parties would see Caterpillar raising its profile by leveraging MLS’s young audience. Of all major sports properties in the United States, the soccer league has the highest percentage of millennials and multicultural fans. 

MLS will collaborate with Caterpillar to integrate Cat products into the soccer system. Cat dealers will gain access to exclusive soccer experiences for their operators and customers.

An early marketing activation saw Caterpillar collaborate with MLS in the development of Cat Trial 12: No Hands, featuring DaMarcus Beasley using Cat equipment to make a trick shot.

https://twitter.com/CaterpillarInc/status/1536053474156322816?s=20&t=2-y_agrjb8Dh9yP1j2OrpA

MLS new major sponsor

“Caterpillar is eager to partner with Major League Soccer, as we share a joint commitment to being leaders in the communities where we live, work and play,”

“We celebrate the people who do the work every day and are constantly looking for new ways to engage with our next generation of employees, customers and their families. This sponsorship provides a perfect opportunity for us to introduce Cat to a broader audience.” Yvette Morrison, global director of marketing and brand at Caterpillar.

“Caterpillar is a leading, global brand, and Major League Soccer is honoured to partner with a company whose values and dealer network are committed to building a better, more modern future for soccer communities across the world.

“Together, MLS and Caterpillar will engage long-standing customers and the most diverse fanbase in all of the sports to positively impact the sport of soccer in the U.S. and Canada.” Carter Ladd, executive vice president of brand alliances and consumer products at MLS

Learn more about MLS announcing Sorare as their official NFT partner

Twitter and ITV agree content deal covering Qatar 2022, Rugby World Cup and FA Cup

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A new multi-year content partnership has been announced between ITV and Twitter. The partnership will optimize the broadcaster’s output on Twitter and create bespoke content activations for the social media platform. The deal will exclusively cover the Qatar 2022 World Cup, 2023 Rugby World Cup, and the FA Cup for the next two years.

This partnership materializing will bring more than 1200 real-time highlight clips from one of Europe’s largest content providers to the social media giant.

The partnership is being announced at a time when Twitter’s Amplifying initiative is covering some ground. The initiative would allow advertisers to align their ads with premium Video content as a result, sponsors will be able to harness and leverage ITV’s extensive content offering whilst utilizing Twitter’s targeting tools.

In addition to this, the social media giant’s Next team will produce a selection of activations across ITV’s schedule over the course of this partnership.

Twitter and ITV joint initiative

“Both Twitter and ITV are at the heart of so many conversations across the UK, so being able to bring the biggest cultural and sporting moments to users on an even greater scale is incredibly exciting. Since the start of our partnership with ITV back in 2018, we’ve been incredibly impressed by the creativity of their editorial unit alongside the commercial aptitude and collaboration of their sales teams. Through Twitter Amplify and the addition of Twitter Next activations to this partnership, advertisers will have even more opportunities to engage with the very best of ITV’s programming in even more impactful ways.” Theo Luke, senior director, global content partnerships at Twitter.

“We’re really excited about continuing ITV’s long-standing partnership with Twitter. The Twitter Amplify product will be available on some of the nation’s most loved and talked about shows including the FIFA World Cup. Over the years Twitter has been a powerful tool in driving conversations and engaging fans around some of our favorite TV moments. This is a fantastic opportunity for advertisers to reach new audiences and extend their relationship with ITV’s content.” Pathman Ruthirapathy, ITV’s digital partnerships controller

Learn more about Fox Sports and Twitter planning exclusive shows for Men’s and Women’s World Cup

Xylem expands Manchester City deal to include New York City FC and Mumbai City

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Premier League champions Manchester City have extended and expanded their multi-year global partnership with water technology firm Xylem

The renewal would include Manchester City’s men’s and women’s team as well as other clubs in the City Football Group’s portfolio which includes Major League Soccer team New York City FC and Indian Super League team Mumbai City FC.

With this expansion materializing, Xylem is looking to utilize marketing assets across the three clubs to reach a wider audience, and the objective behind pursuing this campaign is to spread awareness about water sustainability initiatives the company is taking forward

https://twitter.com/Xylem/status/1531621556958502912?s=20&t=GWI_IaQ6yjtLVkro25rBbQ

Xylem initiative with Manchester City

With the initial partnership announced with City in 2018, Xylem’s partnership activations have so far included working with Puma to launch the world’s first sports jersey dedicated to raising awareness of water challenges. The jersey was made using a dope dye manufacturing process that reduces water consumption.

“Over the last four years, we have been able to successfully combine our place in the world of football with Xylem’s expertise in water education, to impact a huge number of people globally,” “Using the voice and influence of Manchester City, [New York City FC] and Mumbai City, we will continue to raise awareness and change behaviours around sustainable approaches. We look forward to continuing this work over the coming years.” Roel de Vries, group chief operating officer of City Football Group (CFG).

“Through our partnership, we are creating a unique and powerful platform to connect with millions of fans around the world, spark conversation on water challenges and solutions – and inspire widespread action. We’re energized by the opportunities that lie ahead, and the potential to accelerate progress in our mission to solve water.” Patrick Decker, president and chief executive of Xylem

As things start moving forward, Xylem will play a pivotal role in CFG’s ambition of making its global operations carbon neutral and water positive by 2030. With the implementation of the latest technology and strategies, Xylem will support the development of water usage and discharge strategies in current and future projects.

Learn more about Manchester City signing sponsorship deal with Crypto Exchange OKX

Real Betis launch jersey NFTs in Fancurve’s first soccer club partnership

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NFT startup Fancurve has announced a groundbreaking three-year partnership with Spanish La Liga team Real Betis. Through this first-of-its-kind agreement, Fancurve and Real Betis will help introduce club followers to the benefits of web3 through custom collections and offerings.

The officially licensed collection will be sold exclusively through the Fancurve platform, and the design will celebrate the club’s Copa Del Ray victory as well as the culture and architecture of the Andalusian city.

The kits can be worn on avatars and traded on Fancurve’s own metaverse environment which has social features and digital environments like locker rooms etc.

https://twitter.com/FancurveHQ/status/1531621768925876226?s=20&t=nf-V-NyBEyjiVUgJ-d3Dag

Real Betis NFT initiative

With an aim to make the NFT jerseys more accessible they will come in different kinds with the cheapest being an Onyx jersey that costs €40. Users do need to have an understanding of cryptocurrency or related technologies as Fancurve will accept payments using a credit or debit card.

“For our debut club-themed drop, we wanted to partner with a top-flight soccer club with a tremendous fanbase and history,” “We found the right partner in leading La Liga club Real Betis, [they are] steeped in history and a club that now extends into basketball and esports. We look forward to growing with Real Betis and their community as we explore Web 3.0 football fandom together.” Andy Nestor, Fancurve co-founder

“This partnership is a world-first for soccer, and we are delighted to be the first club on the Fancurve platform,” “This hugely innovative project will allow fans around the globe to become part of the Betis family and show their passion for the club as they spend time in the metaverse.” Ramón Alarcón, general director of business at Real Betis

Fancurve was in the spotlight last month when they raised US$6.25 million in seed funding, the investors were soccer platform Onefootball and former German international soccer players Andre Schurrle and Mario Gotze.

Learn more about Fancurve raising US$6.25m to bring digital jersey NFTs to the Metaverse