?? Kicking off the year with PUMA and Portugal!
For Soccer
The preeminent soccer marketing, media, and experiences company in North America.
In November 2024,?PUMA signed a long-term agreement with the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF)?that saw?the company equip all men's, women's, youth, futsal, beach, and Esports teams starting in 2025.
We joined PUMA?earlier this month to help unveil their first-ever Portuguese jerseys and kickoff this new partnership. To do so, we planned a great?event with Portuguese flair in Boston—home to the highest concentration of Portuguese in the United States.
The event carried the same spirit?as the vibrant local community and included:
CLICK HERE to check out our activation through video and photos.
In case you missed last week's edition of The Assist, we shared our recap of the soccer broadcast on TV in 2024. Nearly 3,000 games and over 950 teams featured. Plus, U.S. Soccer added a new partner in Bank of America.
?? Private equity firm aims to launch women's teams
Sixth Street, the owner of NWSL club Bay FC, is seeking to acquire or launch additional women's teams around the world as part of an initiative called Bay Collective. The entity would be among the first women's-specific multi-club organizations, mirroring a model used by groups like City Football Group and Michele Kang's Kynisca. Future targets for Bay Collective must be outside of NWSL to comply with league rules.
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?? NWSL unveils 2025 league schedule
Speaking of the NWSL, the league released its 2025 schedule, which will kickoff with two simultaneous openers on Mar.?14. Champions Orlando Pride will host Chicago Stars and?finalists Washington Spirit will visit Houston Dash. The league also announced a Rivalry Weekend?on Aug.?9-10 and the return of Decision Day on Nov.?2. The 182-game regular season will give way to the playoffs on Nov.?7-9 with the NWSL Championship being held on Nov.?22. Games will be showcased on ESPN/ABC, Prime Video, ION Network, CBS/Paramount+, and NWSL+.
?? Record transfer fee for women's player?imminent
One player who it appears will not be in NWSL when the season kicks off in March is Naomi Girma, who is at the center of?the first-ever million-dollar transfer fee for a women's player. Chelsea Women are reportedly set to pay a record $1.1 million fee for the U.S. Women's National Team defender. Girma is currently under contract with the San Diego Wave through 2026. The 24-year-old Girma is among the best players in the world. ESPN recently ranked her the second-best player globally behind Spain?and FC Barcelona player, Aitana Bonmatí.
?? Men in Blazers gets investment funding
As the media network ramps up its coverage of the sport on the path to the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup, they've announced $15 million in Series A fundraising led by Avenue Sports Fund. Among the additional investors are RR McReynolds—the venture co-founded by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The new funding will allow Men in Blazers to expand and create more ambitious short-form and long-form content leading up to the 2026 tournament.
?? Reynolds, McElhenney expand ownership portfolio
Speaking of the two actors, a group including them?has acquired Colombian team Club Deportivo Seguros La Equidad. The group, which also own a stake in Mexican team Club Necaxa, are investing in La Equidad's academy and women's team. The Bogota-based club, which plays in Colombia's top division,?lends its name to the insurance group, Seguros La Equidad, which has owned the club since its forming as an amateur team in 1982.
?? Bundesliga makes debut on Roblox
The Deutsche Fu?ball Liga (DFL) has provided young fans a new way to interact with top German league, as the Bundesliga becomes the first European league to debut on Roblox. There are five unique Roblox experiences, including four obstacle courses and a free-kick simulator. There's also a virtual Bundesliga Clubhouse where fans can collect exclusive UGC items to personalize avatars and engage with additional Bundesliga content. League partners ESPN and Topps are also present in the lobby.
?? Kings League achieves massive viewership
In mid-January, Kings League's World Cup Nations global tournament came to a close with Brazil defeating Colombia. The game, held at Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy and attended by over 40,000 fans, capped off an impressive tournament that brought in over 100 million viewers and 1.5 billion social impressions. The tournament was streamed on over 75 channels, including Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook with additional?partnerships with CBS Golazo Network (USA), ESPN/Disney+ (Latin America), DAZN (Japan, Australia), and many more to further its reach.