Napoli launch Sono Napolitano membership programme
November 2 – Serie A club Napoli, coming a little late to the fan engagement party, has launched its first-ever Official Membership programme.
Digital platforms
Football Australia team with Fanatics to roll out green and gold merchandise
October 31 – Football Australia has teamed up with Fanatics, a global leader in licensed sports merchandise.
PSG makes its fandom interactive, gamified and global to capture and keep younger fans
October 29 – While many clubs in Europe face the danger of their supporters ‘ageing out’ in the new digital landscapes, the champions of Europe, Paris Saint-Germain, have shown some creativity with their new version of the MyParis loyalty program, in an effort to rebuild the entire supporter experience for a new generation.
Football Manager extends licensing deal with SPFL’s four divisions
October 27 – The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) has extended its official licensing partnership with Sports Interactive, the video game studio behind the globally renowned Football Manager series, for a further four years.
ChatGPT is best agent Demetri Mitchell says he has ever had
October 13 – AI (artificial intelligence) is rewriting the rules of every industry, but to date, it hasn’t been used to replace the all-powerful, football agent, until today, as former Manchester United prospect player Demetri Mitchell delved into the world of ChatGPT.
EA Sports signs content deal with The Athletic
October 10 – EA Sports has signed a multi-year partnership with The Athletic that will integrate the sports media outlet’s editorial and video content across EA’s expanding digital platforms, including the EA Sports App and forthcoming EA Sports FC 26.
UEFA kicks off first Women’s Champions League fantasy football league
October 3 – The UEFA Women’s Champions League kicks off next week and with it the first-ever Women’s Champions League Fantasy Football game.
PIF, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners purchase EA Sports in $55bn deal
October 2 – EA Sports, the studio behind the newly-released EA Sports FC26 video game, has been sold in a $55bn deal to a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake and Affinity Partners.
LaLiga extends TikTok partnership and widens global footprint
September 22 – LaLiga has put pen to paper on the renewal of its strategic partnership with social media company TikTok, keeping the platform as its lead partner for innovation in digital content delivery.
EA agrees license with UEFA Women’s football for FC 26
September 19 – It’s official: the UEFA Women‘s Champions League and Women’s Euros are staying on football’s most popular virtual stage. The news breaks in the wake of UEFA and Electronic Arts’ (EA) new multi-year licensing deal that will continue to see both competitions available to play in the latest edition of the hit football video game, EA SPORTS FC 26.
Turkish federation partners with digital tech specialist IdeaSoft to boost its online sales
September 16 – The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) and local e-commerce company, IdeaSoft, have signed a digital infrastructure agreement.
Romanian FA unites domestic football community through HaiLaFotbal.ro platform
September 5 – The Romanian Football Federation (FRF) has launched its HaiLaFotbal.ro online platform that aims to unite children, parents, fans, coaches, and players.
UEFA renews digital ticketing supplier Secutix until 2029
September 5 – UEFA has renewed its contract with ticketing technology provider Secutix for the period 2025-29 cycle.
Saints renew with 8×8 as they battle for Premier League bounceback
September 5 – Relegation from the Premier League is a hammer blow to any club’s finances, and Southampton have felt that sting after falling through the trapdoor last season. With parachute payments dwindling and commercial revenues under pressure, the Saints have extended their partnership with cloud communications provider 8×8 into the 2025/26 season.
Napster adds Fenerbahce to Benfica as it builds 3D, AI-powered virtual store business
August 27 – Napster, the former illegal streaming music service that went legit and then morphed into a digital innovation giant, has agreed with Turkish football giants Fenerbahce, who similarly seem to live in the edge, to launch a 3D, AI-powered virtual store.