Posts by Rocket Yard Sports
The Evolution of Athlete-Led Brands & Their Impact on Sponsorships
The Evolution of Athlete-Led Brands: Not long ago, the blueprint for an athlete’s commercial success was simple: sign endorsement deals, appear in ads, wear the gear, and collect the paycheck. But today’s landscape is vastly different. The biggest names in sports aren’t just endorsing brands—they’re building their own. From Tiger Woods launching Sun Day Red to Rory McIlroy’s Symphony Ventures and Patrick…
Read MoreSerena Williams joins Toronto Tempo WNBA ownership group
Three-time WNBA All-Star Sabrina Ionescu also invests in NWSL club Bay FC. Tennis icon Serena Williams has become a part-owner of Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) expansion franchise Toronto Tempo. Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam women’s singles champion, will join the Tempo’s ownership group, alongside Larry Tanenbaum. Tanenbaum is the chairman of Kilmer Sports Ventures,…
Read MoreFifa gets Coca-Cola onboard as Club World Cup sponsor
Longstanding partner had reportedly lodged legal action after soccer body sought new deal for expanded tournament. Fifa and Coca-Cola appear to have settled a reported legal dispute after the soft drink giant was confirmed as the latest sponsor of this summer’s expanded Club World Cup. UK newspaper the Guardian reported in October that Coca-Cola and sportswear firm…
Read MoreFrom ads to action: How ASB GlassFloor is creating a new era of sports engagement
Rights holders and event operators are always looking to push the boundaries of fan and sponsor engagement. Could tech-enabled flooring be the answer? The landscape of sports fandom is rapidly shifting. No longer are fans content with merely attending games or passively watching them on TV; they are increasingly demanding immersive, interactive, and personalised experiences…
Read MoreUefa to end longstanding Team pact as Relevent enters exclusive Champions League commercial rights talks
Swiss-based agency will ‘evaluate what comes next’ with Stephen Ross’ company on course to secure sales brief for European club soccer competitions. Uefa looks set to end its longstanding relationship with the Team Marketing agency after announcing that it has entered into an exclusive period of negotiation with US-based Relevant Sports over the global commercial…
Read MoreEnd of a dynasty? What next for the Chiefs after Super Bowl blowout?
The Kansas City Chiefs went into Super Bowl 59 chasing greatness, but they came out of it with serious questions over whether their dynasty years have come to a devastatingly abrupt end. It was not losing to the Philadelphia Eagles, a team widely recognised as having the most talented roster in the NFL, that was the problem,…
Read MoreNew Zealand Rugby sues sponsor Ineos
Federation alleges chemicals giant breached contract after walking away from its deal three years early. New Zealand Rugby (NZR) is suing Ineos after the petrochemicals titan allegedly walked away from its deal three years early. Ineos, which is owned by Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe, signed a six-year contract with NZR that began in 2022. The deal,…
Read MoreLIV Golf’s Growing Influence – A Sign of Things to Come?
The Open Championship 2025 at Royal Portrush just got a little more interesting. A leading LIV golfer has officially secured a spot in this year’s major, adding more fuel to the ongoing conversation about the place of LIV players in golf’s biggest events. For the past couple of years, the debate has been relentless—should LIV…
Read MoreSuper Bowl commercials on Fox sell for record ‘US$8m’
30-second ads for last year’s edition of NFL’s champion-crowning game sold for around US$7m each. US broadcaster Fox has capitalised on advertiser demand for the Super Bowl by reportedly selling some commercials due to air during this year’s edition of the game for a record US$8 million. According to several US media outlets, at least…
Read MoreArsenal, Bayern Munich and PSG urged to end ‘blood-stained’ Visit Rwanda sponsorship deals
DR Congo’s foreign minister asks clubs to terminate agreement with Rwanda Development Board amid worsening humanitarian crisis. European soccer giants Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have been urged to end their ‘blood-stained sponsorship deals’ with Visit Rwanda amid an escalating humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The plea from DR Congo comes…
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