Coldplay set to be on latest FC Barcelona kit

Coldplay x FC Barcelona

With El Clasico set to take place this weekend, Shirt sponsor Spotify is set to introduce another musical act onto the iconic FC Barcelona kit.

Following the likes of KAROL G, Rolling Stones, ROSALÍA and DRAKE, it is Coldplay's turn to be on the front.

One of the biggest and most recognized pop rock bands in the world, the British band recently released their tenth album "Moon Music" earlier this month, with a couple of singles already released: ‘feelslikeimfallinginlove’ and ‘WEPRAY ’ ‘ featuring Little Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna and TINI. The logo inspired by this album will be reflected onto the kit, which the men's team will use against Real Madrid this weekend. The women will also have a chance to wear this special kit on their Liga F matchup against Eibar one week later.

Coldplay is the most played British band of all time on Spotify, with eleven songs on the Spotify Billions Club, an elite list of songs that have been played a billion times on said platform. Their songs can be found on over a hundred million user-generated playlists worldwide.

In addition, Culés associate the song "Viva la Vida" with the Catalan club's successes back in 2009, as a soundtrack to their sporting exploits as they made football history.

This kind of activation is part of the unique partnership Spotify has with FC Barcelona, blending the worlds of music and football. This is alongside the naming rights the former has for the latter's home venue, the Spotify Camp Nou, which is currently being renovated.

Hennessy expands partnership with NBA, becomes league's Official Spirit worldwide

Never Stop, Never Settle

True to its "Never Stop, Never Settle" ethos, Hennessy has expanded its partnership with the NBA, with both announcing its global expansion, with the former becoming the "Official Spirit of the NBA" worldwide.

Having entered into a partnership back in February 2020 for North America, both sides have since entered into a multi-year agreement highlighting the NBA's first-ever global partnership with a spirits brand.

Hennessy Global CMO Julie Nollet shares, "We are honored by the distinction as the first global spirit partner in the NBA’s history. The NBA is more than basketball, and Hennessy is more than cognac. We represent global communities, and this partnership empowers us to support a game and culture that brings people together through entertainment and camaraderie despite the current challenges faced by fans around the world. We share the NBA’s core values of integrity, teamwork, respect and innovation, which are more powerful than ever as we work to inspire and unite people across the globe."

Dan Rossomondo, NBA Senior Vice President, Media and Business Development adds, "This partnership expansion marks an exciting milestone for the league as Hennessy becomes the NBA’s first-ever global spirits partner. We look forward to continuing to celebrate the game of basketball alongside this iconic brand and our fans around the world."

To commemorate this partnership, the brand is set to launch a global adaptation of its "Hennessy x NBA: Lines" campaign that celebrates those who push the game forward. In addition, the new exclusive Hennessy VS and VSOP Limited Edition bottles highlighting this partnership are slated for a worldwide release in the second quarter of 2021. These bottles are already currently available in the United States.

Aside from these, there will also be a variety of events, activations, and content set to take place throughout the year. Through these actions, Hennessy will celebrate the tradition and mindset of basketball fans around the world.

UP Men's Basketball seals partnership with TopBreed

UPMBT x TopBreed

The Men's Basketball program of the University of the Philippines chalked up an additional partnership this past week, entering into another agreement with the Universal Robina Corporation.

The new partnership involves the brand TopBreed Dog Meal, which is part of URC's Agro-Industrial Group. TopBreed is tailored to satisfy nutritional and health needs of canines, allowing for their general well-being and attaining optimum performance. Among the products under its banner are ShamPooch shampoo and TopB+ vitamins. It is also considered as the leading brand of Philippine-made dog food in the country.

A long-time backer of the Fighting Maroons, URC already has a partnership with the UPMBT through its premium farm products unit, Robina Farms.

To celebrate the new partnership, a memorandum of agreement signing was held, involving URC-AIG officials Vincent Henry Go (managing director), Jonathan Diño (marketing director), and Julie Ann Climacosa (category manager). Representing the UP MBT are manager Atty. Agaton Uvero, head coach Bo Perasol, and nowheretogobutUP Foundation founder Renan Dalisay.

Go shares, "We are beyond proud to once again be part of the huge crowd of Isko and Iska supporting and rooting for the UP Fighting Maroons. We treasure this partnership with the UPMBT and the whole UP community as we share the same values of integrity, passion for excellence, innovation, and loyalty. Our parallel journeys have shown these values in action."

He adds, "TopBreed, just like the Fighting Maroons, has the same ‘never say die’ spirit, rising from the bottom to be one of the most recognized and respected teams today. This achievement mirrors how TopBreed went against internationally-known giant brands and won the hearts of Filipino furparents nationwide."

Perasol expressed gratitude for the continuing support of the Gokongwei Group of Companies for the program. He says, "We cannot thank them enough. They have been here for us even during our dark years and up to now that we are still facing this pandemic. Their help will really give us a great boost in the upcoming season." He also adds, "Like TopBreed, we were underdogs in our respective fields, but we have both risen to the challenge. We look forward to getting back on the court to give the best that we can for them and for the UP community."

Uvero echoed Perasol's sentiments, adding "We are truly grateful to URC AIG and another one of their brands - TopBreed - for continuing its support to the team despite the business difficulties in these pandemic times."

Go sees opportunities for the brand with the team. "This partnership is far from the ordinary. This time, we can see the other side of the Fighting Maroons---as furbuddies or furparents. We have must-watch features on the players and coaches with their dogs. We can also catch them on an online pupper meet and greet where we can get to know them more," he says.

Diño adds, "TopBreed and UPMBT will also partner in delivering top care to campus dogs through a project called UP Doggo Day. This partnership has much in store for the whole UPMBT crowd."

UCFC snaps up two new sponsors for PFL stint

The UCFC away kit

On Thursday, United City Football Club announced its latest partners for their upcoming Philippines Football League campaign, namely the Manila Regenerative Center (MARC) and Integrated Market Services Asia Philippines Inc. (IMS Asia).

Upon securing their partnerships, UCFC co-founder and CEO Eric M. Gottschalk shares, "We are proud to announce these two grounds- breaking partnerships for our Club, not only because they come at a time of massive challenges to the global economy but also because we were able to attract local brands that have never before supported Philippines football."

He adds, "Tapping into the medical category during this pandemic seems like a logical choice for football partnerships but we also believe that the Club will tremendously benefit from the medical support and services provided to the team – and especially during these times, the welfare of the players and staff is absolutely key."

Tabbed as one of the forerunners in cutting-edge technology with regards to regenerative medicine, anti-aging, and sports injuries, MARC is based inside the Centuria Medical Center in Makati. The facility especially touts its stem cell treatment capabilities.

General Manager Mario Victor A. Bataclan shares, "We are honored to be part of the fast-growing Philippine football scene and be associated with the efforts of the Philippine Football Federation in developing the sports in the country." He adds, "United City Football Club is a team rich with heritage of triumphs and victories in the Philippines and ASEAN region and we at MARC will be cheering and rally behind the team in its quest to defend their national championship title."

IMS Asia is the exclusive distributor of Midas Magnesium in the Philippines. Midas Magnesium is a set of health care products that utilizes the healing powers of magnesium to address a variety of ailments.

IMS Asia Commercial Head Nina F. Oronan announces, "Midas Magnesium is excited to render support and partnership to United City Football Club for the upcoming Philippines Football League." She adds, "Together with IMS Asia, an innovative and value driven company in the business of healthcare and consumer distribution, Midas Magnesium products and health kits consist Magnesium roll-on’s, sprays and WariActiv Vapocoolant, which are perfect for body pain relief. We hope Midas Magnesium’s products will contribute to an optimal performance of the team and pave the way for a victory for UCFC."

The two join Monte Sportswear as UCFC's partners this season, with MARC's logo emblazoned on the front of the shirt and MIDAS Magnesium's logo located on the shorts.

JHI, STATS Performance Apparel renews UP MBT partnership

Partnership renewed

The partnership continues.

Both Januarius Holdings, Inc. and the University of the Philippines announced that the partnership between the two for the men's basketball program will be renewed for a couple more seasons.

The partnership allows the JHI and its athleisure brand STATS Performance Apparel to remain as the team's official outfitter after having the role last season.

JHI President/CEO JJ Atencio shares, "Our journey with the UPMBT started three years ago, when, acting on a strong gut feeling, we decided to be major sponsors, despite the team’s just coming out of a lackluster season, the absence of significant community support, and my not even being a UP alumnus. We wanted to be part of the dream and help create something that eventually we could all be proud of.  Fast forward to today, it’s a completely different situation, isn’t it?"

He adds, "While the team has accomplished a lot these past years, the work isn’t finished yet. That dream continues to unfold. Success is a process after all, and we continue to be motivated and encouraged to keep on supporting and being part of this journey - in good times and bad. We think that the next two years will be really good for the team."

JHI has been supporting the teams since 2017 and has been instrumental with the preparations for the Fighting Maroons, most notably with their overseas training activities, starting in Las Vegas in 2017, Serbia in 2018, and Tokyo last year.

Although the pandemic has virtually ruled out overseas activities for the team this year, Atencio believes in this particular aspect of the team's preparation, "We’ve seen it. After three straight years of training abroad, we placed fifth the first year, second in the second year, and third after last year’s training. We’re still committed to sending the team for training abroad in Seasons 83 and 84 as soon as it’s possible."

The new partnership also establishes a new line of commitment from JHI/STATS to the Fighting Maroons: data analytics.

According to Atencio, "What’s also exciting for us starting this year is analytics. That’s one of the things we are working on with the team and that’s what we’re looking forward to -- how it would help them."

UP MBT head coach Bo Perasol bares, "We are beyond grateful for having JJ [Atencio] and STATS in the team for the past three years and a couple more. Despite the COVID-19 situation, he still chose to stay on. He is as determined as we are to see everything through. More than the financial aspect of things, the moral support they have given us from the start is priceless. JJ is like a father or a brother to the players and us coaches. His kindness and faith in the team truly inspires us."

UP MBT manager Atty. Agaton Uvero adds, "Sir JJ Atencio was one of the first to give hope to our program. A believer in the value of education, he graciously sponsored the team’s first overseas training when all we had to show was a promise to do our best. Four years after, we now have a sustainable program and a team that is going to be competitive for many years to come. We will always be grateful for his support."

To commemorate the renewed partnership, a memorandum of agreement signing was conducted, involving Atencio, Perasol, Uvero, NTGBUP Foundation founder Renan Dalisay III, JHI COO Marcy Valenzuela, and STATS CEO Edrin Panganiban.

Kobe Paras renews Chooks-to-Go partnership

Kobe Paras renews his partnership with Chooks-to-Go Saturday.

A good partnership deserves to be extended.

Bounty Agro-Ventures, Inc. will continue to have Kobe Paras as one of its Chooks-to-Go ambassadors, formalizing the agreement with a signing ceremony on Saturday afternoon.

Kobe Paras inked a new deal with Chooks-to-Go to serve as its ambassador, Saturday afternoon.

The 22-year-old student-athlete had this to say about the new deal, "Chooks-to-Go has been there for me since the lowest point in my life. They're really a family to me. What we do here is not business. It's basically taking care of one another, and I'm just really grateful that Boss Ronald continues to help me and other people." He adds, "Right now I just feel really grateful."

It was not long ago that Kobe had his lows. After leaving Cal State-Northridge on March 2018, he needed help to return to the Philippines. BAVI President Ronald Mascariñas took care of the flight home and started the relationship that helped him build himself back towards the right direction. 

Mascariñas vouched for his inclusion in the Gilas Pilipinas cadet program that participated in the 2018 Chooks-to-Go Filoil Flying V Premier Cup, and also assisted in Kobe's decision to enroll in the University of the Philippines.

The amiable executive shares, "When he first arrived, Kobe was in what we say, a dark place. He was very guarded then. But as he stayed here with us, he was able to realize who he really is and more."

He adds, "I could definitely say, he has become a true Isko!"

Paras' life experiences have helped shaped his maturation process, and he sees the opportunities to be able to give back to the community, participating in various outreach activities.

"Being able to reach out to people in need in the provinces, and students as well, humbles me. It makes me realize that this is why I do what I do. It's not specifically for me, but to make other people happy and make other people believe in themselves," expressed Kobe.

He also did not rule a possible participation in the Philippines' first professional 3x3 basketball league, Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3, once his final season in the UAAP with UP is completed.

SPIA Asia - Sports Industry Awards final nominees

SPORT & RECREATION FACILITY OF THE YEAR

• Central Park Sports Complex (Cambodia)
• Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club (Hong Kong)
• Mall of Asia Arena (Philippines)
• Philippine Arena (Philippines)
• Philippine Sports Stadium (Philippines)
• Thanyapura (Thailand)
• The Empire (Brunei)
• Saujana Golf & Country Club (Malaysia)

BEST SPORTS MARKETING CAMPAIGN

• #mygirls by Adidas & Iprospect (Philippines)
• Color Manila by Brother International (Philippines)
• DC Shoes by Primer Group (Philippines)
• Gilas FIBA World Cup by Smart Communication (Philippines)
• Isang Bayan Para Kay Pacman by ABS-CBN (Philippines)
• KSWISS at the IPTL by KSWISS Global Brands (Hong Kong)
• Manila Mavericks at the ITPL by SM Lifestyle Ent. (Philippines)
• My First LFC Game by Liverpool Football Club (Indonesia)
• One Championship by Group One Holdings (Singapore)
• Philippine Basketball Association (Philippines)
• Puso the Max by Max Restaurants & Carat (Philippines)
• UFC Manila by SM Lifestyle Ent. (Philippines)

BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN SPORT

• #MyFirstLFCGame by Liverpool Football Club (Indonesia)
• adidas BOOST by Adidas & Iprospect (Philippines)
• A Hawk Run by Lucrativ Group (Malaysia)
• AFF Suzuki Cup by World Sport Group (Singapore/Vietnam)
• Bicycles United by Velotique United (Thailand)
• Bubble Sports (Malaysia)
• Flying Trapeze by Trapeze Inc. (Philippines)
• Formula E (Malaysia)
• Fox Sports Asia by Fox Sports Asia & We are Social (Singapore)
• Philippine Basketball Association (Philippines)
• Roxy by Primer Group (Philippines)
• Standard Chartered Marathon by Spectrum Worldwide (Singapore)

BEST SPORTS YOUTH PROGRAM

• Cebuana Lhuillier Tennis (Philippines) by PJ Lhuillier Group
• Football For All Vietnam by Football Association Norway (Vietnam)
• National Basketball Training Center (Philippines)
• National Cheerleading Championship (Philippines)
• National Football Development Program by Sportswork (Malaysia)
• NBA Asia (Philippines)
• Nutrition Action Champion by Alaska Milk Corporation (Philippines)
• Philippine Table Tennis Academy (Philippines)
• Queens Park Ranges Coaching Clinic by Air Asia (Malaysia)
• Shaheen Development by Shaheen Sports (Hong Kong)
• Siagon Sports Academy by XLE Group (Vietnam)
• Speedo G-League by Philippine Swimming Inc. (Philippines)
• Sport Cares Foundation (Singapore)
• Head Junior Satellite Circuit by Dynamic Sports Corp (Philippines)
• WTA Future Stars Clinic by Fast Track (Singapore)

BEST SPORT EVENT (Amateur)

• 24Sevens Football Series by AMC Experience (Singapore)
• Cold Storage Kids Run (Singapore) by ESG Endurance Sport Pte
• Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes (Thailand)
• Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines by Sunrise Events (Philippines)
• Football For All Vietnam by Football Association Norway (Vietnam)
• Girls Got Game Camp by Girls Got Game Inc. (Philippines)
• Hanoi Vertical Run by Sporting Republic (Vietnam)
• Hello Kitty Run Singapore by Pink Apple (Philippines)
• Slam Rising Stars Classic by SLAM Philippines (Philippines)
• SM Bowling Millionaires Cup by SM Lifestyle Ent. (Philippines)
• Standard Chartered Marathon by Spectrum Worldwide (Singapore)
• Vietnam University Games by XLE Group (Vietnam)
• WTA Future Stars Tournament by World Sports Group (Singapore)

BEST LIVE EXPERIENCE AT A PRO SPORTS EVENT

• AFF Suzuki Cup by WSG (Singapore/Vietnam)
• BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore by WGG (Singapore)
• Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines by Sunrise Events (Philippines)
• EurAsia Cup (Malaysia)
• Extreme Sailing Series by OC Sport (Singapore)
• Hong Kong Rugby 7s (Hong Kong)
• IPTL - Manila Mavericks by SM Lifestyle Ent. (Philippines)
• Malaysian Open- Kuala Lumpur by IMG (Malaysia)
• Philippine Basketball Association (Philippines)
• Saigon Heat Games Vietnam by XLE Group (Vietnam)

BEST SPORTS CSR INITIATIVE

• Bike Doctors by Primer Group (Philippines)
• Get into Rugby by Philippines Rugby Football Union (Philippines)
• Hope for Change by Michael's Badminton Academy (Malaysia)
• Humanitarian Project by Sunrise Events (Philippines)
• Queens Park Ranges Coaching Clinic by Air Asia (Malaysia)
• Hari Sukan Negara by Sportswork (Malaysia)
• Team Possible by Primer Group (Philippines)
• The AFC Village by Asian Football Confederation (Malaysia)
• The AGW Walk by CFC ANCOP Global Foundation (Philippines)
• Toby's Youth Sports Foundation by Toby’s Sports (Philippines)
• Yuthakun Khom by Selpak (Cambodia)

SPORTS DIGITAL PLATFORM OF THE YEAR

• Action Sports Asia (Thailand)
• Faber Audio Visual (Singapore & Philippines)
• Golf Citizen (Laos & Thailand)
• Isang Bayan Para Kay Pacman by ABS-CBN (Philippines)
• Passport Asia (Singapore)
• Philippine Basketball Association (Philippines)
• Playpal (Singapore)
• Sports Flow by Samsung (Singapore)

SPORTS RETAIL CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR

• Asia Pacific WWE (Singapore)
• Chris Sports (Philippines)
• Columbia Sportswear (Philippines)
• Decathlon (Singapore)
• NBA (Philippines)
• Recreational Outdoor Exchange (Philippines)
• SuperSports (Thailand)
• The Athletes Foot (Indonesia)

 SPORT ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR

• Gymnastic Association of the Philippines (Philippines)
• Hong Kong Ultra Marathon Association Limited (Hong Kong)
• Pertubuhan Seni Gayung Fatani (Malaysia)
• Primer Group – DC (Philippines)
• Sporting Republic (Singapore)
• Sunrise Events (Philippines)
• Wrestling Association of the Philippines (Philippines)
• XLE Group (Vietnam)

SPIA Asia Announces the Awards Shortlist Finalists

(L-R): Sport360 Director Mark Jan Kar, New World Makati Hotel GM Fari Schoucair, Philippine Sports Commission Executive Director Atty. Guillermo Iroy Jr., Philippine Olympic Committee Sec-Gen Steve Hontiveros, and MMC Sportz CEO Eric Gottschalk

168 entries from ten countries were shortlisted for the ten categories in the inaugural SPIA Asia - Sports Industry Awards & Conference, revealing them on Wednesday at the New World Hotel in Makati.

These entries came from a variety of rights holders, marketing agencies, sports brands, events, organizations, and venue operators from all across the region. They would then undergo rigid and transparent scrutiny and judging from sixteen industry experts from the region, with the selected winners to be revealed during the the awards proper scheduled for October 2.

The Awards aim to reward the leading rights holders, marketing agencies, sports brands, events, organizations, and venue operators that aided in the development of sport. First developed in the Middle East, this is the first time something of this nature will be done in this part of the continent.

Handling the activities relating to the awards are MMC Sportz and Sport360, with both the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee providing sanction over the event.

Quotes:

Philippine Sports Commission Executive Director Atty. Guillermo Iroy, Jr

SPIA will help elevate the awareness in the sport industry and recognize their contributions to the development of sports. The PSC is very thankful for bringing SPIA to the Philippines when its organizers could have brought it to another SEA country instead. This will be the first time the Philippines hold this kind of event. I would like to extend our thanks and congratulations to the organizers.

Philippine Olympic Committee Secretary-General Stephen Hontiveros:

Bringing SPIA to the Philippines is a great endeavor. The sport industry plays a major role in the development of our sports here in the Philippines, and through SPIA, the efforts of the National Federations will be recognized for their contribution. On behalf of the POC, we would like to congratulate the organizers and are proud to host such an event in the Philippines for the first time.

Sport360 Publisher and Deputy CEO Didier Brun:

The Sports Industry Awards are a unique and powerful platform to reflect, showcase and reward the ambitions and achievements of the sports industry in the region. The growth and success of the sports industry in Asia is well documented now and it contributes massively to enhancing the overall lifestyle and experience of the many fans of the game living here, as well as to the overall economic and tourism development. We are very excited to now also present the Sports Industry Awards in Asia.

MMC Sportz CEO Eric Gottschalk:

One of the objectives of bringing SPIA Asia to the Philippines is to highlight the tremendous developments within sports which are currently taking place in the Philippines and which might not be known to many outside of the country. The awards and conference are the perfect networking opportunity for the industry in a new and developing market and we are happy to have received the support of the local governing bodies for our initiative.

New World Makati Hotel General Manager Farid Schoucair:

We believe this event will become the summit for sport industry influencers and facilitators in the region. We are delighted that Manila and in particular the New World Makati Hotel has been selected to host the inaugural 2015 event.

SPIA Asia is organized by MMC Sportz and Sport 360 in partnership with the Philippines Sport Commission and the Philippines Olympic Committee and supported by New World Makati Hotel, Philippine Airlines, Fox Sports, International New York Times, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Global Sports Business and Asian Sponsorship News.