Menu
Download the app

SBJ subscribers – Enhance your experience with the revamped iOS app

Marketing and Sponsorship

Puma Signs Italian Soccer Player Mario Balotelli Ahead Of '14 World Cup

Mario Balotelli, who plays for both Serie A club AC Milan and the Italian national team, has signed a sponsorship deal with Puma, part of the company's "efforts to strengthen a footwear business that has lost out to rivals Nike and Adidas in recent years," according to REUTERS. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Puma has wanted to sign "big-name players" ahead of the '14 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Balotelli joins Puma's roster of soccer endorsers that includes Sergio Aguero (Argentina), Cesc Fabregas (Spain), Marco Reus (Germany) and Radamel Falcao (Colombia) (REUTERS, 12/23). GOAL.com's Chris Davie notes Balotelli's deal "got off to a noticeable start" on Sunday after he "wore his own headline-inspired boots" during AC Milan's match against Inter Milan. The design of the shoe "incorporates the biggest headlines surrounding the Italy international, including 'why always me?' which was made famous" after Balotelli scored in EPL club Manchester City's 6-1 win over Manchester United in October '11 (GOAL.com, 12/23).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2013/12/23/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/Balotelli.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2013/12/23/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/Balotelli.aspx

CLOSE