The DataPOWA view on the most important talking points in the worlds of sport sponsorship and digital.
The ATP has unveiled a major brand overhaul and set a new target of bringing in casual sports fans all year round.
As part of the change, the ATP World Tour is now simply known as the ATP Tour and a new strapline – Love It All – has been brought in to help generate lasting engagement among people who only tune in to the major events.
George Ciz, senior vice-president of marketing and business development at ATP, said: “We wanted to create a striking new look and brand for the Tour which can easily be tailored for the marketing campaigns delivered by each ATP tournament – something simple, impactful and flexible enough for the needs of every player and competition.
“We also needed to ensure that our creative is really authentic and that it resonates with our target audiences, especially younger fans.”
ATP executive chairman and president, Chris Kermode, added: “We’re taking a bold approach in everything we do at the ATP, from our pioneering broadcast partnership with Amazon Prime to the innovations we’ve been testing out at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.
“It’s an exciting time for the sport – with a mix of unbelievable legends still at the top of their game and a next generation of stars emerging – so this is a great time to be engaging new, younger fans around the world.”
For more on this story, please visit The Drum
Manchester United still outstrip rivals City when it comes to money, but the gap between the two is getting smaller.
According to numbers released by KPMG, the Red Devils clocked up a revenue of €666 million in the 2017/18 season, a significant distance ahead of City’s €568 million.
Despite this, City have seen remarkable growth over the last few years, and that’s set to continue in the future.
The report states: “While in the first season under analysis United registered revenues 39 per cent higher than City, in the last season such a gap was reduced to 17 per cent.
“These figures are a result of the wider international appeal gained by Manchester City FC in recent seasons, which is especially reflected in broadcast (+129 per cent over the seven seasons), thanks to constant UEFA Champions League participation unlike the Red Devils.”
For more on this story, please visit Sports Pro Media
The ATP rebrand comes at a hugely successful for tennis – success that’s being driven by the strength of its sponsorship arrangements.
The recent Finals at the O2 Arena in London saw the likes of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Alexander Zverev battle it out on the court, and their sponsors fight for coverage off it.
Fila and Adidas had two competitors dressed in their apparel, and they were joined by Nike in the footwear stakes – all three supplying a brace of players. Lotto and Asics supplied a player apiece.
But Uniqlo were the biggest winners, thanks to their associations with the Japanese number 9 seed, Kei Nishikori, and of course, Roger Federer, who as Forbes notes, stands in a league of his own when it comes to sponsorship.
“No athlete has the sponsorship power of Federer… [He] tallied $65 million annually just in endorsements alone, largely on the backs of his new 10-year apparel contract with Uniqlo and his racket deal with Wilson, a lifetime agreement that includes a signature racket for the 37-year-old Swiss mega-star.
“He comes as the top endorsement earner in all of sports.”
For more on this story, please visit Forbes
Chinese payment platform Alipay has signed an agreement with UEFA that covers all European national team football competitions between 2018 and 2026.
The deal is worth €200m and makes the company the official global payment partner for Euros 2020 and 2024.
“We are thrilled to work with UEFA to bridge the world through the common language of football,” said Eric Jing of Ant Financial, which operates Alipay.
“We will empower UEFA to engage with football fans around the world through digital platforms and help UEFA reach and interact with billions of potential audience in Asia.
“By partnering with UEFA, we hope to share the passion and happiness of football with more people across the world and bring them the benefits of digital life.”
For more on this story, please visit UEFA
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