UFC unveiled a multi-year partnership with Legends Hospitality which will serve as the promotion’s first-ever“Official Global Event Retail Partner. The partnership, negotiated by IMG, will see Legends manage UFC retail shops at all events and fan experiences, both domestic and international.
ESPN Radio once again revs up for the 13th Annual ESPY Day Auction to benefit the V Foundation for Cancer Research on eBay with goods up through Wednesday. This year’s auction features more than 60 items and includes tickets to prime sporting events, unique experiences with ESPN talent and legendary coaches and behind-the-scenes experiences with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, Scott Van Pelt, Adam Schefter, Jon Gruden, Mike Golic, Trey Wingo, Matthew Berry and more. Highlights include: the chance to attend the 2018 NFL Draft and announce an actual Draft Pick; a soccer clinic with Julie Foudy; an Alabama Football experience; a backyard barbecue with Mike Golic Sr., Mike Golic Jr., Trey Wingo and more; tickets to the U.S. premiere of Star Wars: Episode VIII; and a six-day luxury vacation at Pandora – The World of Avatar at Walt Disney World.
ESPN also announced the lineup of sponsors for X Games Minneapolis, running July 13-16, with live coverage on ESPN and ABC. This year will see Pacifico and Samsung join the roster of official sponsors alongside returning brands America’s Navy, AT&T, Fruit of the Loom, Harley-Davidson, LifeProof, Monster Energy and Toyota. GEICO will serve as the official music sponsor. Additional event sponsors include Explore Minnesota, FACEIT, Marvel, Rocket League, Skatelite, Sour Punch and Tria Orthopaedic Center. “We have a deep roster of quality brands committed to bringing the X Games to Minneapolis for the first time,” said Greg Rossi, VP Multimedia sales. “The venue and the event are both primed to be spectacular, due to the tireless efforts of the local organizers and the X Games team. The on-site sponsor activations are going to be next level and we look forward to hosting all the fans – from Minnesota and beyond – for a fantastic event.”
Univision Deportes announced that Toyota has signed on as the first official sponsor of juanfutbol, the social-first soccer channel recently launched on Facebook that focuses on creating socially-native content for Hispanic millennials. With Toyota in tow, juanfutbol will create interactive branded posts throughout the three-week Gold Cup tournament, pitting North American, Central American and Caribbean neighbors and rivals against each other.
Northern Arizona University Athletics selected Learfield as its comprehensive multimedia rightsholder in a new 10 year deal, concurrent with the start of the 2017-18 athletic season. “NAU Athletics is excited to partner with Learfield. Our new partnership will help to continue enhancing NAU’s corporate sponsorship and gameday atmosphere,” said NAU Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Lisa Campos. “Their commitment to personalized service and brand awareness is tremendous. Learfield has a deep presence in college athletics and Lumberjack Country is thrilled for it to begin.”
SI Eats is now being served as Sports Illustrated’s newest site that will see SI journalists and expert contributors cover the culture of food, drink and travel and their connection to the sports world. Features from SI Eats will range from guides to the best eats across the country as sports fans travel to watch their favorite teams; the best, worst and strangest foods inside, outside and around major stadiums across the U.S.; recommendations on where to eat in the biggest sports towns, as well as tips and recipes.
FloSports is launching FloFootball following deals with The Spring League and USA Football to exclusively live stream championship games. “Today’s announcement illustrates our commitment to building and maintaining the world’s leading direct-to-consumer experience for all sports fans,” FloSports co-founder and CEO Martin Floreani said. “Football is arguably the most popular sport in the country, but it lacks consistent and comprehensive live coverage across all levels of the sport, and we believe our model can fill this gap.”
DraftKings announced the launch of WNBA offerings to its collection of fantasy games. “We are always striving to add the world’s most esteemed leagues to our platform, as we meet our consumers’ desire to play fantasy year-round,” said Matt Kalish DraftKings Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer. “We have had a strong partnership with the New York Liberty for two years, and we are proud to deepen our commitment to the team and women’s basketball with this new offering.”
DreamHack is partnering with The American Video Game League and Twitch to launch college esports grudge matches at DreamHack Atlanta this year. The partnership will mark the first of its kind to feature collegiate esports at a major gaming event, according to the release. Participating universities include: Clemson University, University of Georgia, Georgia Southern, Georgia State University, North Carolina State, and University of North Carolina at Charlotte with matches live streamed from 10:30a-5:30p on July 21 and 22.
We have our first franchise owners for Overwatch League according to ESPN, which writes that the upcoming esports organization stating that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Mets owners Fred Wilpon had signed on for franchises in their respective cities. They would join other reported deals in LA and San Francisco in the US as well as Shanghai and Seoul overseas with the LA-based franchise purchased by Immortals and the San Francisco slot being purchased by NRG Esports.
Ahead of EVO, Toshiba signed on to partner with Panda Global in a deal that will see the team’s players use Toshiba tech in tournaments and during streams. “Panda Global is proud to bring Toshiba into the esports space,” said Panda Global CEO Alan Bunney. “The Toshiba-OCZ Series SSDs is a perfect fit for the esports enthusiast so it’s a natural fit for us.”
The 2017 T-Mobile Home Run Derby on ESPN at 8p.
