Badging isn’t dead: In defence of a sports marketing fundamental November 30, 2025 Sports marketing may have come a long way but let’s stop pretending that brand badging doesn’t matter, says Matt Riches. In modern sports marketing “badging” has become a dirty word, seen as outdated, inefficient, maybe even lazy. “This isn’t a badging exercise,” has become the opening gambit to many a sales pitch. But in the [...]
How sport can take tackle Gen Z’s problem with gender polarisation October 21, 2025 Gender is as becoming as divisive as race, politics and economics among but sport can play its part in fixing a growing problem among Gen Z, writes Matt Readman. It’s been 25 years since Nelson Mandela famously said that sport could “unite people in a way that little else does”. While sport has sometimes mirrored social [...]
Why the NBA has reinvented All-Star Weekend in a bid to revive it February 14, 2025 The NBA has made drastic changes to its All-Star Weekend in an attempt to breathe new life into a spectacle that has lost half of its audience. Todd Boehly and his consortium of US investors didn’t waste any time in ripping up the rulebook after they took over at Chelsea in the summer of 2022. [...]
Keely Klassic: Why I’m rooting for Hodgkinson’s ambitious showcase February 13, 2025 What the Keely Klassic lacks in spelling, Hodgkinson’s mash-up of athletics and entertainment makes up for in forward thinking, writes Ed Warner. “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” Keely Hodgkinson may not have nailed greatness just yet, but if she does secure that status it will likely [...]
Super Bowl LIX: The adverts that cost $7m for 30 seconds February 8, 2025 Steve Howell of sports marketing agency Dark Horses takes us through this year’s Super Bowl LIX ads, featuring Beckham, Keoghan and Meg Ryan It’s a strange time for brands wishing to advertise. Technology designed to help consumers avoid commercials has never been more pervasive, whatever medium you choose. There are adblocker apps, browser extensions, unsubscribing [...]
Olympic Games set to steady ship with major Chinese sponsor February 6, 2025 Consumer electronics firm TCL is reportedly set to become an Olympic partner in a boost to the International Olympic Committee after long-term sponsors jumped ship. The Chinese organisation is in the final stages of signing a deal to join the IOC sponsorship family, according to SportBusiness. In 2023 the cooperation generated £19bn and its subsidiaries [...]
NFL ‘running scared’ of Trump and Musk ahead of Super Bowl with Bluesky ban February 6, 2025 The NFL risks alienating fans and accusations of “running scared” from Donald Trump and Elon Musk ahead of Super Bowl LIX after it banned teams from posting on X rival Bluesky, say industry watchers. Sunday’s showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans, the climax to the NFL season, is set [...]
Trump, the Super Bowl, wokery and sport’s shift to the right February 2, 2025 It might be the same man sitting in The Oval Office, but a lot’s changed since Donald J Trump first presided over a Super Bowl eight years ago. In 2017 America was perilously divided, with a newly-elected Trump in the White House and protest marches taking place on the streets outside it. This tension was [...]
Formula 1 team owner sponsors MotoGP outfit in new deal January 28, 2025 One of the 10 Formula 1 teams set to compete in the 2025 season has agreed a sponsorship agreement with MotoGP team Pramac Racing. Alpine – whose F1 outfit boasts Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan – will be a main sponsor of the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP team. The French manufacturer – whose Formula 1 [...]
It’s D-Day for Champions League’s new format. So has it worked? January 28, 2025 When Uefa revealed its new format for the Champions League, it was with injecting more excitement and unpredictability in mind. Specifically, a stale group phase would be replaced with a ‘Swiss model’ league phase that promised more games between top teams and – crucially – a more competitive product. Notwithstanding the fact that Manchester City [...]