SBJ Sports Business Journal

Chelsea has “spent more than any other Premier League club in the transfer window this month,” but valuable new commercial deals for next season reportedly “continue to prove harder to land.” Shirt sponsor Three will “see its three-year arrangement with Chelsea expire this summer,” while sleeve sponsor WhaleFin, the cryptocurrency group, is “also set to exit a lucrative five-year deal after just 12 months.” The Three and WhaleFin deals are thought to be worth a combined $74M a year to Chelsea and, “as yet, replacement partners have not been found.” Chelsea has spent over £400M ($494M) on transfers this season. An agreement with a new shirt sponsor “had been close but collapsed before Christmas.” Chelsea’s commercial operations “have not enjoyed a smooth transition” since the arrival of a new ownership group led by Todd Boehly, as Damian Willoughby “lasted a matter of weeks as commercial director before his contract was terminated,” while WhaleFin’s financial problems “brought a premature end to a sleeve sponsorship due to run until 2027” (THE ATHLETIC, 1/30).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: January 31, 2023

A few college athletic departments show rare surplus; New Balance bets on Shohei Ohtani and a new state enters legalized sports betting

Measure of Success: Churchill Downs Race Track’s Sponsorship Strategy Sponsored by IEG

It’s been proclaimed the most exciting two minutes in sports. Churchill Downs has been home to some of the most incredible moments in sports history. During today’s conversation IEG’s Vice President of Strategy and Churchill Downs Vice President of Marketing, Brand and Partnerships Casey Ramage give us some insight on their analytical approach to sponsorship strategy.

SBJ I Factor: Alex Martins

SBJ I Factor presented by Allied Sports features an interview with Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins. Martins is a long-time sports executive who first started with the Magic in 1989. He has been CEO since 2011, and was instrumental in the Amway Center winning a Sports Business Award for Facility of the Year in 2012. Martins talks with SBJ’s Abe Madkour about coming up through the business from the communications side, what he learned during stints with multiple teams, and why he looks for emotional intelligence when interviewing job candidates. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards, including Forty Under 40, Game Changers and Sports Business Awards.

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