Highlight Reel: Adidas Aiming to Earn Their Stripes in F1 🏎️
Plus a tech-savvy golf league shaking up tradition and a lively debate over drinking in football stands...
Good morning! Along with our new website, we’re trying out a fresh format for the newsletter (back to its usual Friday lunchtime slot from next week).
This week, we’re diving into some of the hottest topics buzzing on our WhatsApp channel:
A major apparel brand’s unexpected foray into F1 🏎️
A tech-savvy golf league shaking up tradition ⛳
A lively debate over drinking in football stands 🍺
As always, we’ll cut through the hype and unpack these stories, often leaning on the intellect of our very smart community (more on them later, too).
Let’s dive in:
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SHIFTING GEAR
Adidas Aiming to Earn Their Stripes in F1 🏎️
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team has announced a multi-year partnership with Adidas, making the sportswear giant its official apparel provider starting in the 2025 season.
The deal will see Adidas outfit the entire Mercedes team with a "complete range" of clothing, footwear, and accessories, tailored for team members and available to fans.
This marks Adidas' first foray into Formula One, a market previously dominated by Puma and, more recently, Castore.
Notably, the former CEO of Puma – a major player in F1 apparel – now leads Adidas, possibly driving this strategic entry.
The initial collection will debut in February, coinciding with the launch of Mercedes' 2025 car.
Why It Matters: This deal is more than just a kit sponsorship. It signals Mercedes’ intent to establish a new brand identity, capitalising on Adidas’ global reach and the expanding lifestyle market associated with Formula 1. As Toto Wolff explained in a press release, “Adidas is an iconic brand, one that shares our dedication not only to peak performance but to style and sophistication too.”
SP PODCAST
Jack Withinshaw: Why Alauda Aeronautics are Creating 'Formula 1 for the Skies' 🚀
On this week’s episode, we revisit a conversation with Jack Withinshaw, Chief Commercial Officer at Alauda Aeronautics and CCO and Co-Founder of Airspeeder.
Jack’s started out his career with giant advertising agencies like MediaCom and Val Morgan before transitioning to work with various startups across in industries like logistics, recruitment, and retail.
He joined Alauda Aeronautics in 2019 where he co-founded Airspeeder, alongside Aluda’s founder, Matt Pearson.
During this conversation, we discuss what drove him to, together with Matt, start a racing series, as well as his aspirations more broadly for the adoption of eVOTL vehicles and why he believes now is the time to finally deliver on the promise of flying cars.
Read More: Why Alauda are Racing Towards a Mobility Revolution 🏁
OPINION
🗣️ Elizabete Cardoso: Ilona Maher is the Epitome of Authenticity
“The modern social media landscape pressures athletes and influencers to project an idealised image. Yet, as Ilona Maher demonstrates, it is the unvarnished truth that builds trust and engagement.
Ilona Maher, the American rugby sevens star who charmed the world during the Tokyo 2020 [and Paris 2024] Olympics, has mastered the art of being authentic online. She is relatable, she is humorous, and she self-deprecates in her TikToks, which often feature behind-the-scenes moments with her teammates and candid reflections. This resonates deeply with the average viewer.
…Unlike polished promotional posts, Maher’s videos feel genuine, giving her audience a glimpse of her personality beyond the pitch. She shows vulnerability, embraces imperfections, and invites viewers into her world - a stark contrast to the curated perfectionism often seen on social media.”
COURSE CORRECTION
TGL Tees Off: Is This The Future of Golf? ⛳
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s highly anticipated, tech-infused golf league, TGL, officially launched Tuesday in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, delivering on the hype with a glitzy, innovative debut.
TGL is played at the state-of-the-art SoFi Center, a 250,000-square-foot arena, boasting massive video screens, real grass, and even sand from Augusta National.
Fans get an unprecedented, up-close experience: PGA Tour pros wear mics during play, offering real-time insights into strategy and emotions.
The Bay Golf Club – featuring Shane Lowry, Wyndham Clark, and Ludvig Åberg – secured the league's first victory, defeating the New York Golf Club 9-2.
All eyes are now on Woods, set to play with his team, the Jupiter Links, next Tuesday.
Why It Matters: The reception has been largely positive, particularly the hybrid format's appeal. As Tiger put it, TGL has "elevated golf to another level,” and they’re just getting started.
To truly kick on, TGL needs compelling team narratives as novelty surrounding the format and celebrity attendees will naturally fade, but it’s off to a strong start.
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HIGHLIGHTS
The streaming premiere of WWE’s Monday Night Raw on Netflix pulled in 4.9 million global viewers, making it the most-watched episode in five years 📺
Venu Sports, the streaming partnership between ESPN, Fox, and WBD has been abandoned before launch, highlighting the challenges in the sports streaming space ❌
While everyone talks about Netflix and YouTube, Amazon is making it clear they also have plans to bolster their sports portfolio, with rights like MLB and UFC touted to be on their radar ⚾️
In a battle for customer acquisition, Red Bull continues to rollout significant partnerships across global football - most recently becoming the official partner of Atlético de Madrid until 2027 ⚽
Nike has made a rare move into pro cycling by becoming the sponsor of the Women's WorldTour team, FDJ-Suez 🚴♀️
TKO, the owners of WWE and UFC are close to launching a boxing league in partnership with Saudi Arabia, with up-and-coming talent as the focus 🥊
BEER PRESSURE
Cheers to Change? Women's Football Trials Alcohol in Stands ⚽🍺
Four Women's Championship clubs—Birmingham, Bristol City, Newcastle, and Southampton—will participate in a trial allowing fans to drink alcohol in the stands during league matches, starting this month and running to the end of the season.
This move contrasts sharply with the top five men’s leagues, where drinking in view of the pitch is banned.
The trial, organised by Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL), aims to enhance the matchday experience.
If successful, and after further consultation, the concept could be rolled out across the Women's Super League and Women's Championship.
This trial seeks to test the waters with the different demographic of fans attending women's games, given there have been zero arrests at women's football matches in England and Wales this season.
Why It Matters: This trial is a significant step towards creating a more social and commercially viable matchday experience for women's football. There's a push to rival other entertainment options, drawing on the examples of non-league football, rugby, and cricket in the UK where alcohol sales are common and don’t cause significant issues.
There's recognition of the need to attract new audiences to matches, acknowledging the need to balance this with any negative impact on the sport’s inclusive and family-friendly environment.
N.B. Questions still remain about if a focus on alcohol culture will help to grow attendances - particularly among younger audiences, who are the biggest consumers of low and no-alcohol drinks.
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OPINION
🗣️ Hayley Rosen: Next Era of Women’s Sport to be Defined by “Casual Fans”
“[Casual fans] represent the biggest opportunity for growth.
By bringing these fans into the fold, leagues can quickly multiply their reach, attract new sponsors, and generate fresh buzz around key moments in the season.
This sounds obvious, but so often in women’s sports, the conversation is solely framed on how to serve the fans we already have. Of course, die-hard fans will always be the lifeblood of any league.
But here’s the thing: if you think (as I do) that women’s sports are still in their infancy, that means we’re currently only reaching a fraction of our eventual audience. This is the challenge facing women's sports. We have to learn to serve both current and potential fans.”
WRAP UP
That’s a wrap for this week—thank you to everyone who’s already part of our growing community.
We’re trying out a more deliberate approach to reflect the topics from the WhatsApp channel in this newsletter (without giving away any of the secret sauce, of course). Let me know what you think!
A massive shoutout to Chris Samson for leading the conversation on Southampton’s alcohol trial. His insights were top-tier, earning him the title of our first ‘Contributor of the Week’ for 2025.
We’ve also welcomed a host of smart people from across the sports world who’ve kicked off 2025 by joining us. Shoutout to:
Mark Boulter (LIV Golf)
Tarek Moustafa (Aspiring Player Care Professional)
Mehul Katyal (EssentiallySports)
Lloyd Delahunty (HSBC)
Charlotte Barkley (LIV Golf)
Vaish M (Rakuten Sports)
Luke Havers (Ocado)
Nicola McKelvey (Communications Consultant)
Finn Pietersen (Sports Business Student)
James Elliott (CAA Evolution)
Matt Bradley (TAG Management)
Christian Lake (Ourasphere)
Alex Crimmens (MOLA Consulting)
Not part of the group yet?
EVENTS
The group chat is fantastic, but we know the best connections happen face-to-face. That’s why our community events are all about being simple, accessible, and meaningful—hosted by members, for members.
Want to attend an event or even host one yourself? It’s super easy—just head over to the website and apply. Here’s to building connections that matter!
Not yet a subscriber? Join over 3,000 sports business leaders, from Formula 1 to the Premier League, that read Sports Pundit every week to get impactful industry insights.