Highlight Reel: TEAM Era Coming to an End with UEFA ⚽
Plus, THAT Nike Ad, and Supertri launch a mass participation brand...
Good morning!
This week saw British Fencing announce a new partnership thanks to a relationship that started in the Sports Pundit WhatsApp Group. For me, it shows there really is someone to Suit everyone within our community… 😉👔
Now, onto this week’s hottest topics:
UEFA Decide to Switch Teams ⚽
That Nike Ad… 👟
Supertri Launches Mass Participation Brand 🏊
Let’s get into it:
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.
SWITCHING TEAM
TEAM Era Coming to an End with UEFA ⚽
UEFA has entered exclusive negotiations with Relevent Sports to take over the global commercial rights for its men’s club competitions (Champions League, Europa League, Conference League) from 2027 to 2033, ending a 30+ year partnership with TEAM Marketing.
Relevent already represents UEFA in the U.S. and secured a $1.5B Paramount deal for Champions League rights.
The agency has strong U.S. ties, owned and co-founded by Stephen Ross (Miami Dolphins owner), with a track record that includes the International Champions Cup, Premier League Summer Series, and bringing El Clásico to the U.S.
The ECA (European Club Association) now has a bigger say in UEFA’s commercial decisions, which may have played a role in this landmark shift.
A Champions League Final in the U.S. has long been discussed, and Relevent’s deeper involvement will only further fuel that conversation.
Why It Matters:
This marks one of the biggest commercial shake-ups in European football. With media rights fees plateauing and Relevent committing significant financial investment, the decision to switch may have become more appealing to UEFA heading into the next rights cycle.
It also signals a power shift in football’s commercial landscape, with U.S.-based entities playing a growing role—securing media rights and partnerships, expanding international tournaments, and potentially influencing match locations.
Notably, with the ECA now having greater influence over UEFA’s decisions, clubs are taking more control of their financial future—potentially at the expense of legacy partners.
OPINION
🗣️ Ehsen Shah: X is No Longer in the Conversation ❌
“When we’re working with new players, X is never even a conversation anymore, really, whereas four or five years ago it used to be.
We used to say, ‘This is a platform where you can have a bit more of a raw opinion, you can say what you want to say in a word format rather than always having to rely on having an image and sitting on your Instagram grid’, which players want to look a certain way.
Players can’t really do that anymore. They don’t see it as a platform that they can actually work with and for us as the professionals behind it, it’s because of the negativity on that platform, whether it’s politics, sport, whatever else it might be.
So why are we going to throw a player into that? It’s almost like seeing a house burning and thinking, ‘Oh yeah, let me just go in there and see what’s going on’.”
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.
OPINION
RUN WITH IT
Nike Makes a Statement With First Super Bowl Ad in 27 Years 👟
Nike made a statement by running its first Super Bowl ad since 1998, spotlighting female athletes in a high-profile campaign titled “So Win”—an ad which has got everyone talking.
The three-minute spot, narrated by Grammy Award-winning artist Doechii, featured stars like Caitlin Clark, Sha’Carri Richardson, A’ja Wilson, and Sabrina Ionescu, challenging long-held stereotypes about female athletes.
It was a bold return to the Super Bowl stage, with Nike flexing its $4.3 billion marketing budget, outspending competitors to dominate one of the biggest moments on the sporting calendar.
The ad drew comparisons to Nike’s “Winning Isn’t For Everyone” campaign from the 2021 Olympics, which also leaned into grit, perseverance, and defying doubters.
However, some critics pushed back, arguing that the “So Win” tagline reinforced an outdated burden on women to keep fighting uphill battles instead of shifting the focus toward structural change.
Why It Matters:
Nike’s decision to invest in a women’s sports-led Super Bowl ad is a landmark moment for visibility, showing that female athletes not only deserve—but command—the biggest platforms in sports marketing.
Whether the messaging resonated with all audiences or not, the hope is that this sets a precedent for other brands to step up their investment in women’s sports rather than treating it as an afterthought.
HIGHLIGHTS
Jan Henric Buettner and Magnus Carlsen have raised $15M to launch the Freestyle Chess Players Club, featuring the world’s top 25 players competing in exclusive global destinations. The second tranche of funding has now closed ♟️
Former F1 boss Eddie Jordan has rescued London Irish from administration and is reportedly working to secure the club a place in the United Rugby Championship. The Exiles collapsed in 2023 with £30M in debt but could soon have a fresh start 🏉
French soccer’s LFP has launched legal action against DAZN over unpaid Ligue 1 rights fees. The league claims DAZN has only paid half of what was owed this month, escalating tensions between broadcasters and clubs ⚖️⚽
The USL is set to announce plans for a new Division I league, putting it on the same level as MLS. This marks a major shake-up in American soccer’s league structure and could reshape the pro landscape in the U.S. 🇺🇸⚽
Williams Racing has signed its biggest-ever sponsorship deal, rebranding as Atlassian Williams Racing. The multi-year partnership sees Atlassian become Title, Technology, and Collaboration Software Partner, helping drive the team’s transformation in F1 🏎️
AI-powered sports media platform ScorePlay has raised $13M in a Series A round led by 20VC, with backing from Alexis Ohanian, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nico Rosberg, Alex Morgan, and other high-profile investors. The funding will fuel expansion and product innovation 📈🎥
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.
TRI-PLE THREAT
Supertri Expands with ‘By Supertri’ Mass Participation Series 🏊🚴🏃
Supertri is launching By Supertri, a new mass participation brand designed to make triathlon more accessible. The initiative will bring world-class event delivery while preserving the heritage and local identity of iconic triathlons.
Supertri operates across three distinct event types: the Supertri League (elite racing), Supertri E (hybrid/indoor racing), and By Supertri (mass participation). Each serves a specific purpose in growing the sport.
Supertri has acquired the Ascension Seton CapTex Triathlon and Kerrville Triathlon, strengthening its U.S. presence alongside existing events in Chicago and Long Beach.
By Supertri’s 2025 calendar spans five races across the U.S. and Europe, focusing on high-impact urban events. Some (like Chicago and Toulouse) run alongside the pro series, while others stand alone.
By Supertri strategically positions Supertri in short-course racing, which accounts for 70% of global triathlon participation yet remains highly fragmented.
Why It Matters:
This move creates a new tier for Supertri, establishing a sustainable, multi-layered triathlon ecosystem that extends beyond elite competition.
Mass participation fuels triathlon’s growth, and Supertri is following a proven endurance sports model—using pro races to amplify amateur events and drive engagement.
The long-term vision? A global short-course triathlon network, akin to Ironman’s dominance in long-course racing. With Chicago Triathlon, the world’s 4th largest, already in its portfolio, Supertri has a strong foundation to build from.
OPINION
🗣️ Nick Meacham: Could an F1-modelled basketball league really rival the NBA? 🏀
“With basketball's global popularity, if the biggest stars are on board from day 1 it could be a huge success, giving non US fans a new way to gain access to the players they idolise given the limitations of the NBA's watchability in several time zones.
But anything less than all the top stars, and my view is that it could fall flat very fast - irrespective of whether there business model is based on events-based revenue or media rights revenue as it's major source of income.
[Another] big question is could this exist alongside the NBA?In theory yes it could, with the travelling circus moving city to city in the NBA offseason. However, the incentive has to be great, as the top stars earn north of $50m a season, in which they play somewhere between 82 and 103 games a year. To ask them to play another range of games travelling across the world has to be financially lucrative for them, and has to provide enough incentive so the NBA and it's teams would allow them to risk their stars between seasons.”
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.
JOBS & ASKS
Within the SP Community, we love to share opportunities—whether it’s a job, a search for a new tech vendor, sponsorship, or even investment. We highlight these opportunities on the website as ‘Asks’ or on our Job Board.
Here’s a taster of recent Asks:
Speaker from Brand Needed for Music/ Gaming Activation Panel 🗣️
Insights to Assist Research Projects on Fan Engagement, Emerging Sports Leagues 🧐
Partnership Opportunities with Luna, a health & wellbeing companion 🌙
And here’s a few featured jobs:
Chief Executive Officer - International Cricket Council 🏏
Senior Marketing Manager - Paris Saint Germain ⚽️
Commercial Partnerships Director - England Rugby 🏉
Head over to the website to check out these opportunities or to submit your own.
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.
We’ll also aggregate other free networking events from groups like Sports Business Leaders and Digital Sport North that we think you might enjoy.
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.
WRAP UP
That’s a wrap for this week—huge thanks to everyone who’s part of our growing community.
A special shoutout to Ben Pearson for his contributions this week, setting up the first Coffee Break in Manchester. Plans are now in the works to set up further social events in the city. His initiative earns him the title of Contributor of the Week 👑
We’ve now set up a specific channel for event discussion - both to help facilitate more social events, but also to create more encounters at existing conferences and moments in the industry calendar 📆
Welcome to all of our new members, too:
Alfonso Medina (Tennis Australia)
David Johnson-Rayner (KOI Sports)
Josh Philpot (XV Capital)
Neil Wyatt (World Climbing League)
Iker Nacenta (Sports Capital Hub)
Ed Beech (WH Sports)
Asaf Reshef (INSEAD)
Ben Prior (ThirdEYE)
Not part of the group yet? What are you waiting for? Apply to join us by filling out a simple form on the website.