The National Rugby League announced a partnership with premium sports lifestyle brand '47 that is set to alter the sports licensing landscape in Australia.
Hailing from Boston, Massachusetts, '47 holds licensing agreements with the NFL, NBA, MLB, Major League Soccer, NHL and more than 900 U.S. universities. The NRL will become '47's largest partnership with a major sporting code outside of the U.S. (NRL).
The Rugby Football Union renewed its agreement with Copyright Promotions Licensing Group "to oversee England Rugby’s global licensing program." CPLG "plans to build on England Rugby’s success with by focusing the brand’s categories toward a lifestyle licensing program" (RUNNING RUGBY, 9/14).
PlayStation launched its fourth season of sponsorship of the English Schools’ FA and the PlayStation Schools’ Cup, "the biggest grassroots football competition in England." So far more than 200,000 school chidren "have played in the competition." The sponsorship "covers 20 tournaments for both boys and girls across secondary school age categories, range from the main PlayStation Schools’ Cup competitions and District tournaments through to ‘Small Schools’ and ‘B Team’ trophies" (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 9/15).
The China Arena Football League announced a new partnership with Xenith as the exclusive equipment partner of the CAFL. The CAFL will be wearing Xenith helmets and shoulder pads (CAFL).
Esh Group renewed its long-running sponsorship of British Basketball League side Newcastle Eagles in a three-year deal as the club enters its seventh year in partnership. In '13 the Eagles underwent a rebrand to the Esh Group Eagles Newcastle as part of a naming rights deal. The extended sponsorship deal will see Esh Group’s logo adorn the newly launched Kappa team kit (Newcastle Eagles).
