Highlight Reel: New Nike Boss Ticks a Lot of the Right Boxes… ✅
Plus, EA Sports brings brands into the game, and an IOC exec unveils his approach to implementing data, technology and AI solutions to answer key business challenges
Welcome to Sports Pundit’s Highlight Reel – your go-to roundup of the latest sports business news, insights, and trends shaping the industry.
Each week, we bring you the key stories and developments that have captured the attention of sports executives and leaders across our global network.
In today’s email;
Nike’s New Old Hire 🧑💼
EA Sports Bring Brands Into the Game 🎮
Olympic Gold with Data + AI
Happy Friday!
Andy 😊 🙏
P.S. Congrats to Tyrese Tieku, our latest ‘Contributor of the Week.’
Other honourable mentions go to Jo, Windsor, Cedric, and Sulmaan.
JUST DO IT, AGAIN
New Nike Boss Ticks a Lot of the Right Boxes… ✅
Nike is set to bring back former senior executive Elliott Hill as CEO, replacing John Donahoe, in a bid to reignite sales amid intensifying competition in the sportswear market.
Hill, a 32-year veteran of the company and former intern at the company, played a key role in growing Nike’s business to over $39bn (£29bn) in sales. Before his retirement in 2020, he led Nike’s global commercial and market operations, including the Jordan brand.
The decision to bring Hill back has been met with enthusiasm both internally and among investors, with Nike’s stock price surging nearly 10%.
Commenting on the move, Subomi Odanye, founder of Divrse Media, noted:
What he said:
“For Nike to win back its market share it’ll need to go back to being the innovative and youthful brand that constantly brings out the best in market products complemented with strong marketing and activations. Hill’s career-long association with Nike compared to his predecessor John Donahoe who had no prior experience in the field, can hopefully bring the brand back to its roots of cutting-edge marketing campaigns and strategies that once made Nike stand out from its competitors.
On a broader level, Hill's return to Nike as CEO is an inspiration to many, especially Nike staff. It exemplifies the company's commitment to fostering internal leadership and leveraging deep-rooted loyalty and culture. Hill's journey shows that if he can achieve this, so can the next intern.”
HIGHLIGHTS
The Women's Super League (WSL) and Women's Championship new deal with Barclays to reportedly worth £45 million ($60m), making it the biggest deal in women's domestic football history 🚀
The US-based Friedkin Group has reached an agreement to buy Farhad Moshiri's majority 94% stake in Everton FC ⚽️
Fan data-focused marketing agency Two Circles has taken an investment from sports private equity firm Otro Capital and David Blitzer’s Bolt Ventures 💸
Former Italian footballer Giorgio Chiellini is now an investor with Mercury/13, a women’s multi-club network that owns FC Como Women ⚽️
The Portland Diamond Project has agreed on terms to buy property at Zidell Yards, marking a possible step forward in the effort to secure an MLB team 🏟️
German court has ordered a reauction of Bundesliga’s domestic broadcast package after DAZN complaint of anticompetitive behaviour 📺
EXTRA HOT LINE-UP
LED… It’s In The Game 🔥🔥🔥
A new season kicks off today! EA SPORTS FC™ 25 is now available worldwide (September 27th) on all major gaming platforms.
As the second installment in the EA SPORTS FC™ series since rebranding from FIFA, the game offers even more ways to play, including the new 5v5 Rush mode and an upgraded FC IQ system for deeper tactical control.
But it’s not just players who are winning—brands are, too. Companies have partnered with EA SPORTS to showcase digital ads in the game’s virtual stadiums.
For Chaj Arunasalam, founder of GGm8, no brand has made a bigger splash than Nando’s, the popular flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken restaurant.
What he said:
“This got me thinking. I’ve been lucky to go to many live football experiences. But when has seeing an LED board in a real-life game ever had an effect on me like this?
Before working in the sports industry I never noticed an LED board. Only once I started working with partnerships teams did I pretend to care about LED. We’d report back to partners on how much over-inflated ‘media value’ they’d generated from a season of LED mins.
The reality is LED on it’s own feels incomplete. Which is often the case. As activations can feel like an afterthought due to the reactive nature of club football. There needs to be a story that’s communicated to the consumer. Alongside the ‘awareness’ generated by an LED…
This is the benefit of advertising in video games. It’s an immersive experience that few can compete with. Eyes fixed directly at your monitor and no fan distractions to worry about. You’re gaming with a headset on, locked in and in flow state. The success of activations in Roblox and Fortnite in recent years show that brands are starting to realise the opportunities.
This first entry into in-game EAFC LEDs could get real interesting. Imagine the seasonal and in-game reactive campaigns that could be done?
Peri-chicken gravy has just re-launched again. 10/10 would recommend. But imagine you’ve conceded and then a gravy boat appears on the in-game board. A gentle reminder that despite your in-game woes, warm gravy is waiting for you at your local Nando’s.”
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FURTHER READING
Unlocking Olympic Gold with Data + AI By Jason Steele, Dreamforce 2024 ☁️
Tennessee football’s 10% talent fee opens discussion of how many schools and sports will follow By Gary Graves, AP News 🏈
Starmer, Football Freebies and the Regulator By Charlie Methven and Adrian Goldberg, Where’s the Money Gone? 💵
supertri Chicago: A Blueprint for Our Future Ambitions By Michael Dhulst 🏃
The Rugby Finance Report 2024 By Leonard Curtis 🏉
Jason and Travis Kelce’s $100 Million Podcast Deal By Cherry Beagles 🎤
JOB BOARD
Partnership Marketing Executive - Chelsea FC (London, UK)
Senior Creative - MSQ Sport + Entertainment (London, UK)
Senior Partnerships Planning Manager, Creative - Tottenham Hotspur (London, UK)
Marketing Manager, Games & VR - Major League Baseball (New York, US)
Director, Apple Partnership - Major League Soccer (New York, US)
To see these jobs, and more jobs like these, visit the Sports Pundit Job Board, hosted by Peak 72.
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