#7 '24: Big fires everywhere

TOP-3 HIGHLIGHTS

NWSL ON FIRE

The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) has announced a multi-year partnership with Google, with Google Pixel becoming the presenting sponsor of the league’s playoffs and championship game. Google Pixel also becomes the NWSL’s official mobile phone partner. A?‘Pitchside with Pixel’ program is also to be introduced, which uses Google’s AI-powered camera technology -- the company will also?run a contest for US-based fans letting them join the ‘Pitchside with Pixel’ program at a regular season game.?This is the latest women’s soccer partnership for Google Pixel, following recent tie-ups with the German and the English women’s national teams, alongside a naming rights sponsorship for Germany’s Frauen Bundesliga. Still in the NWSL, expansion club Bay FC has paid $789,000 for Zambian forward Racheal Kundananji?— the highest transfer fee in women's soccer history.?Last but definitely not least, the league’s commissioner Jessica Berman has said that "ownership and facilities, rather than market destination", will decide who lands the 16th franchise expansion spot.

MLS ON FIRE

In early 2023, BMO Financial signed a 10-year contract with LAFC for naming rights to its soccer-specific stadium. Now the bank is doubling down on its relationship with the Major League Soccer club by also adding jersey sponsorship rights to its marketing portfolio. BMO replaces Flex, whose three-year jersey deal ended after the 2023 season. The Flex agreement was worth an estimated $5 million annually, and the new pact with BMO is likely worth at least twice as much. Still in the MLS, D.C. United is starting the 2024 season with a new front-of-jersey sponsorship, signing a deal with Guidehouse -- a?consultant firm that does work in the public sector and commercial markets. The deal is for five years and worth around $7.5 million per year. Closing a hat-trick of great business news for the league's teams, Real Salt Lake and the Utah Royals unveiled a new long-term partnership with Intermountain Health that will showcase the logo of the firm’s insurance arm, Select Health, on the front of the jerseys for the MLS and NWSL clubs, in an eight-year deal with escalators that is worth between $9 million and $10 million annually.

UK WSL ON FIRE?

The?Premier League?will?pump?UK￡20 million (US$25.2 million) into elite English women’s football as part of a deal to boost the female domestic game’s commercial development, according to?Sky News. Clubs in the?Women’s Super League (WSL)?and?Women’s Championship, the top two divisions in English women’s football, reportedly approved the financing.?The loan from the Premier League is set to be made on an interest-free basis and only repayable when ‘NewCo’, the new independent body that will govern the WSL and the Championship from the 2024/25 season, has posted UK￡100 million (US$126 million) in annual revenue. In related news, every?WSL?fixture will reportedly be shown?live?in the UK from next season, according to the Daily Mail. A tender document covering the league’s domestic rights is said to have put all 132 matches up for broadcast. 56 games will be sold exclusively, while the other 76 will be shown on a non-exclusive basis.

Other relevant US Soccer and Global Football business news?

USA

The Washington Post is now reporting that USMNT officials are finalizing an agreement with Colombia to play a game on June 8. The potential matchup, according to the news outlet, is set to be hosted at FedEx Field near Washington D.C. Along with facing Colombia, the USMNT is also looking to add one more high-profile friendly before the Copa America starts. The Americans initially wanted to play either Uruguay and Brazil in the second game. However, Berhalter’s team matched up with Uruguay in the actual tournament. As a result, it seems as if the Yanks will iron out the details to play Brazil instead. This second matchup is on June 12, with Orlando being the rumored host city.

Relevent is lining up the EFL media rights in North America. The current rights deal for the EFL expires at the end of the 2023/24 season. Pitch International brokered the previous deal that sent the rights in the United States to ESPN. That includes the rights to the Championship, League One, League Two, the EFL Cup and the EFL Trophy. Part of the upcoming agreement with Relevent is a commitment to develop the EFL’s brand and distribute other forms of content. This is the last media rights deal that the EFL organizes without the involvement of the Premier League. Starting in 2028/29, the two will collectively sell overseas broadcasting rights.

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UK

Premier League clubs have agreed to new rules regarding commercial activities known as ‘Associated Party Transactions’. The measures, essentially aimed at richer clubs who make sponsorship deals with companies that have ownership links to them, were voted through at a Premier League shareholders’ meeting. The motion was carried despite the threat of legal action against the Premier League from an unnamed club – reported to be Manchester City – over the rule changes. Manchester City, who are sponsored by Etihad Airways, and PIF-owned Newcastle United are?among clubs to be affected

The January transfer window for international football saw English clubs spend 80% less than they did in the same time frame in 2023, according to FIFA. U.K. clubs spent $184 million last month, compared to $896 million a year ago.

UEFA?

Just Eat Takeaway.com, the international online food delivery firm, has renewed its sponsorship of UEFA club competitions for the next three seasons. The company will continue to sponsor the elite UEFA Champions League, second-tier Europa League, and third-tier Europa Conference League for the 2024–27 commercial cycle. The agreement also includes sponsorship rights for the UEFA Super Cup, UEFA Youth League, and UEFA Futsal Champions League.

Uefa Champions League official sponsor Mastercard has launched a new Web 3.0-based trivia game offering fans the opportunity to win tickets to this season’s final.

Heineken has named Liverpool and the Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk as its latest brand ambassador as part of a multi-year agreement. Van Dijk joins former Lioness Jill Scott?as an ambassador for Heineken. He becomes the first-ever current player to sign as global brand ambassador for the brewing giant.

FIFA

FIFA is trying to partner with American video game publisher 2K to help create a new soccer game franchise.

GERMANY

Bayer Leverkusen chief executive Fernando Carro de Prada has proclaimed that German football should make changes to club ownership rules. Current laws in place, labeled the 50+1 rule, limits foreign investors to how much stake they can own in Bundesliga teams. Instead, German football?opts for a system in which ensures team officials keep control of their clubs. This law, of course, has a few exceptions. Leverkusen are currently one of only a handful of Bundesliga clubs with outside ownership. Pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Bayer founded the team way back in 1904.

“The 50+1 rule nowadays does not make sense,” stated Carro. “We’re competing internationally — we’re not in an isolated world. Imposing something like this via regulation is no longer valid. If 50+1 wasn’t there, owners could put money into other clubs.”

In related news, the DFL Deutsche Fu?ball Liga has revealed that private investment firm Blackstone is no longer a potential strategic marketing partner for the body’s Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga competitions, leaving?only CVC Capital Partners in the running.

ITALY

Italian Serie A will remain a 20-team league after most of its clubs voted against reducing the competition to 18. At a general assembly meeting held by the league this week, only four clubs voted to reduce the number of top-flight teams – Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan, and Roma.?France’s Ligue 1 made the switch from 20 teams to 18 this season after clubs voted almost unanimously in favor of the reduction back in 2021. Of Europe’s top five leagues, the German Bundesliga is the only other comprising 18 teams, with England’s Premier League and Spain’s LaLiga both having 20.

?In a recent interview with Fortune Italia,?Milan’s CEO Giorgio Furlani discussed the development of AC Milan.

“We are in a new important chapter in the Club’s evolution, supported by Gerry Cardinale’s strategic vision, RedBird’s skills and experience in the business sports, media and entertainment, developing global brands and creating virtuous synergies."

According to him, if it weren’t for Elliott Management of the US,?the club would have collapsed financially. When Silvio Berlusconi sold the Rossoneri to Yonghong Li, they plummeted into anarchy after more than 30 years under the now-late Italian mogul. The shrouded Chinese billionaire finalized the deal only with the help of a loan from Elliott Management. However, the US trust fund effectively took control of the Serie A club when he failed to repay it. Last year, RedBird, led by Cardinale, purchased the bulk of the company’s shares with the club in good financial health.

FRANCE

Paris Saint-Germain’s president Nasser Al Khelaifi has?confirmed?that the club will try to leave the Parc des Princes stadium after Paris’ city council confirmed that the stadium was not for sale. This comes after PSG also ended their interest in purchasing France’s iconic Stade de France, with the club set to explore other options in its search to expand its home.

SAUDI ARABIA

The Saudi Pro League (SPL) domestic football league has entered into a commercial deal with soft drinks and snack foods giant PepsiCo. Through a tie-up lasting for the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign and through the 2024-25 season, PepsiCo is now a top-tier gold partner of the 18-team league.