Liverpool FC signed a new three-year partnership with Electronic Arts that will make EA Sports the club's official football video gaming partner starting with the '13-14 season. Reds fans will have the opportunity to play FIFA 14 at Anfield for selected fixtures throughout the season. EA Sports Goal of the Month will also offer fans the chance to upload their best FIFA 14 goals for a chance to win prizes (Liverpool FC). ... Second Bundesliga club SV Sandhausen has signed a new shirt sponsorship deal with Verivox, a comparison portal for energy, telecom, insurances and finance. Besides the shirt presence at all competitions, Verivox receives additional advertising space in the Hardtwald stadium -- including rotating and static boards in the TV-relevant area. The package will be complemented with promotional rights around the team as well as a hospitality contingent. The deal was brokered by sports marketing company Infront Sports & Media (Infront). ... Handball Bundesliga (HBL) club HBW Balingen-Weilstetten has extended its partnership with food processing equipment company Bizerba for another year. Bizerba will continue to be a premium partner of the club and receive exclusive ad space (HBW Balingen-Weilstetten). ... Turkish Super Lig club Galatasaray has unveiled a $1.5M sponsorship deal with Indian technology company HCL’s ME Tablet brand.
The agreement follows the conclusion of Galatasaray’s deal with Nikon, and ME Tablet "will replace the Japanese electronics firm’s branding space on the team’s shorts for the duration of the '13-14 season." As part of the deal, HCL "will also design a special Galatasaray version of the ME Tablet to be sold in club shops across Istanbul" (SOCCEREX, 8/2). ... Motorsports governing body FIA confirmed that Pirelli "will return to the World Rally Championship next year." The Italian manufacturer, F1's single tire supplier, "will join Michelin, DMACK and Hankook in the WRC from next season" (AUTOSPORT, 8/1). ... A-League club Sydney FC signed a major commercial partnership with Australia and New Zealand's largest online travel agency, Webjet. The two-year deal will see Webjet become Sydney FC's front of shirt and sleeve sponsor (Sydney FC). ... Bushnell Outdoor Products has reached an agreement with the Ladies European Tour to be the official supplier of laser rangefinders to the 2013 European Solheim Cup at the Colorado Golf Club for the second year. Bushnell Outdoor Products will provide Bushnell laser rangefinders and Bushnell binoculars to the European Team, caddies and referees (Solheim Cup).
