Welcome to Sportico’s transactions wire, a weekly rundown of personnel, partnerships, products and purchases across the sports business industry.
PERSONNEL
Vanessa Taveras Joins Athletes Unlimited as Chief Partnerships Officer
Vanessa Taveras has joined Athletes Unlimited as chief partnerships officer. In this newly created position, Taveras will oversee all sales and sponsorship activities across all AU properties, including the new AUSL (Athletes Unlimited Softball League), which launches this summer, as well as AU Pro Basketball (happening now in Nashville) and AU Pro Volleyball. Taveras was most recently VP, strategic partnerships for IMG Academy, where she oversaw partnerships with brands such as Under Armour, Gatorade and Therabody. In addition, Cheri Kempf has been promoted to chief broadcast officer. Previously SVP, broadcasting, Kempf oversees all aspects of production across Athletes Unlimited including game broadcasts, while managing the organization’s relationships with media rights partners including ESPN, FanDuel Sports Network and many others.
Michael Perman Named Senior VP of Sports for The CW
The CW Network has named Michael Perman as senior vice president of sports. Perman will begin his new duties immediately and report to Brad Schwartz, president of The CW Network. In this newly created position, Perman will oversee all strategy, programming and media rights on behalf of CW Sports. Perman brings more than 20 years of experience with three global sports media brands to his new role, serving most recently as senior vice president, global media rights, at Aggregate Sports.
Seattle Sounders and Reign FC Make Two Key Executive Hires
As Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC enter 2025 and the first full season working as a combined business enterprise, the clubs have hired Nick Forro as senior vice president of premium and ticket sales & service and Liz Poerner as vice president of partnership marketing. Forro is responsible for developing the Sounders and Reign premium and ticket sales & service teams. Forro joins Sounders and Reign FC most recently from time with the Seattle Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena, where he first served as the Kraken’s VP of sales and senior VP of special projects before transitioning to lead business development and hospitality for Climate Pledge Arena. Poerner is responsible for crafting and executing strategic marketing campaigns and activations. Poerner joins Sounders and Reign FC most recently from serving as head of marketing at Hang Media.
Populous Announces New CEO and Leadership Roles
Populous, the sport and entertainment architecture and design firm, announced several changes going into effect March 31. Bruce Miller, currently managing director of the Americas region, becomes the new global chair and CEO. Earl Santee, one of the founders of the practice and current CEO and chair of the global board of directors, transitions to executive chairman, remaining on the board of directors. Christopher Lee will assume new roles as vice chair of the board of directors and global head of design. He will remain as managing director of the EMEA region. Jonathan Mallie, leader of the firm’s New York office since 2015, becomes managing director of the Americas region. Richard Breslin continues to lead the APAC region, from co-managing director to APAC managing director. He joins the board of directors. Former co-managing director of the APAC region, Paul Henry, steps down from his current co-managing director role, but remains a key member of the APAC leadership team.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Host Committee Makes Leadership Appointments
As the New York New Jersey (NYNJ) region prepares to host the FIFA World Cup 2026 final and seven other World Cup matches, the NYNJ Host Committee has named New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy as chair of the host committee’s board of directors and Alex Lasry as chief executive officer; Lasry will lead the NYNJ Host Committee on a day-to-day basis. Murphy will focus on oversight of the host committee’s overall planning and preparation as well as engaging individuals and corporations to support the host committee’s mission. Murphy was the founder of the United States’ longest operating professional women’s soccer club and a founding member and chair of one of the NWSL’s original clubs, NJ/NY Gotham FC. Lasry will oversee the host committee as it transitions from planning mode to execution mode. Lasry most recently served as the deputy assistant secretary for travel & tourism at the United States Department of Commerce.
Detroit Sports Commission Announces Leadership Transition
The Detroit Sports Commission announced that Marty Dobek, previously DSC’s deputy director, has been promoted to executive director, succeeding Dave Beachnau, who will take on the role of chief executive officer for the Detroit Local Organizing Committee for the 2027 NCAA men’s Final Four. In his new role, Dobek will oversee all facets of the DSC’s operations, including national sales efforts, event bidding and hosting, management of the Detroit Sports Organizing Corp. advisory committee and staff leadership. Dobek assumes the role of executive director ahead of the city hosting the 2027 men’s Final Four at Ford Field, the 2028 NCAA men’s Midwest Regional at Little Caesars Arena and the 2028 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament being hosted in Detroit for the first time, also at Little Caesars Arena.
PARTNERSHIPS
New England Revolution Adds Gillette as Official Jersey Sponsor
The New England Revolution have entered into a multiyear partnership with Gillette as the official front-of-jersey sponsor for the original Major League Soccer club ahead of its 30th season. Headquartered in South Boston since the company was established in 1901, Gillette has been attached at the hip of the Revolution for the club’s entire history, dating back to the first official MLS season in 1996. Gillette has supported the Revolution through key milestones, including the 2002 grand opening of Gillette Stadium at a Revolution home game. The Revolution on Wednesday unveiled the club’s new secondary kit for the 2025 MLS season, which will display Gillette as the featured sponsor on the jersey front.
Williams Racing and Atlassian Enter Into Long-Title Partnership
Williams Racing and Atlassian have entered into a long-term title partnership that will usher in a new era for the Formula 1 team as Atlassian Williams Racing. Williams is joining forces with Atlassian, a provider of team collaboration and productivity software. Under the partnership, Atlassian becomes the Official Title Partner, Official Technology Partner and Official Collaboration Software partner. The multiyear commitment is the biggest partnership deal in Williams’ 48-year history. As Official Title Partner, Atlassian’s branding will feature prominently on the FW47 race cars being driven in the 2025 Formula 1 season by Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz. Atlassian branding will also be integrated into all aspects of the team environment both trackside and at their Grove HQ.
NHL Renews Partnership With Honda as Official Automotive Partner
Honda and the NHL have agreed on a multiyear renewal of their longstanding U.S. partnership, a collaboration that dates back to the start of the 2007-08 NHL season. As the league’s Official Automotive Partner in the United States, Honda will continue its presence at several marquee events—including the NHL Winter Classic, 4 Nations Face-Off and NHL Stadium Series on March 1, where Honda will serve as the title sponsor of the Honda NHL PreGame fan festival in Columbus, Ohio. Throughout the NHL regular season and Stanley Cup playoffs, Honda will have brand presence on digitally enhanced dasherboards. Fans will also see the Honda brand displayed on camera visible in-ice ads during NHL regular season games and Stanley Cup playoff games broadcast on ESPN and TNT in the U.S.
Los Angeles Sparks Name Albert as Official Jersey Patch Partner
The Los Angeles Sparks have entered into a multiyear, eight-figure contract with Albert—the largest partnership in team history. Albert, a financial services company based in LA, becomes the team’s Official Jersey Patch partner, its logo appearing on the Sparks’ home, away and practice jerseys. As part of this deal, Albert will also receive on-court and in-arena branding. Together with the Sparks, Albert will launch financial literacy camps and a court refurbishment program. The Sparks retained Excel Sports Management’s Properties division and collaborated with the sports management and marketing agency to facilitate the deal.
MLS Names Century 21 as Official Real Estate Partner
As Major League Soccer kicks off its 30th season, the Century 21 brand will serve as the Official Real Estate Services Partner of MLS, the MLS All-Star Game and MLS Cup. Starting in 2025, the Century 21 brand will integrate into national broadcasts on MLS Season Pass, produce in-stadium promotions and will also have an on-site presence at the league’s milestone events. In addition, this multiyear agreement features an extensive series of activations for the Century 21 brand throughout the season, including premium ticket and hospitality opportunities at MLS matches across North America. Through this agreement, Century 21 Real Estate also becomes an official partner of MLS Next Pro, the professional men’s soccer league in the U.S. and Canada that completes the pro player pathway to MLS first teams.
Emory Healthcare Named Founding Partner of AMBSE
AMB Sports and Entertainment (AMBSE) has announced Emory Healthcare as its newest Founding Partner, solidifying a long-standing relationship. Emory Healthcare will also serve as the Official Team Healthcare Provider for Atlanta United’s MLS club and debut as the Kit Patch Partner for the club during the 2025 season. The agreement spans numerous assets, including exclusive healthcare designations, prominent in-stadium branding, and the naming rights to the forthcoming “Emory Healthcare Studio,” a digital content hub at Atlanta United’s headquarters in Marietta, Ga., scheduled to debut this summer as part of the club’s $23 million expansion of the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground.
LG Electronics UK to Be Official Partner of England ‘Red Roses’ Rugby Team
LG Electronics has announced a new multiyear deal with the Rugby Football Union (RFU), English rugby’s national governing body, to be the Official TV Partner to the Red Roses, England women’s national rugby union team, as well as Official Screens Partner of Allianz Stadium—the home of English rugby. LG hopes to inspire and enable more women and girls to watch more women’s sport. LG will also support the RFU’s grassroots development plan as well as supply key improvements to Allianz Stadium—in a year in which it will host the final round of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations clash with France and the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup Final.
UFC and Thorne Renew Their Enhanced Global Partnership
UFC and Thorne, a health supplement provider, have renewed their global partnership. A UFC partner since 2019, Thorne remains the Official Sports Performance Nutrition Partner of UFC and an Official Partner of the UFC Performance Institute. UFC will continue to integrate Thorne’s line of NSF certified for sport products into supplement plans created by UFC’s registered dietitians and coaches for the athletes training under the guidance of the UFC Performance Institute. Under the renewal, Thorne will also become a premier partner of UFC’s anti-doping program. As an official marketing partner of UFC and the UFC Performance Institute, Thorne branding will be integrated into a variety of key UFC assets. Most notably, Thorne will be highlighted in the “Locker Room Cam” broadcast feature during the Main Card of all UFC pay per views.
Teamworks, PFF Partner on College Football Predictive Analytics
Teamworks, an enterprise SaaS company, and Pro Football Focus (PFF), sports data and analytics firm, have announced a strategic partnership. With this partnership, Teamworks Intelligence, formerly Zelus Analytics, will integrate with PFF’s data to deliver predictive, position-specific metrics. Teamworks Intelligence models use player tracking data and incorporate context to enable evaluations. These insights will be embedded directly into Teamworks Personnel products, including General Manager and Recruiting.
RotoWire Enters Partnership With VSiN Sports Betting Network
RotoWire, a subsidiary of Gambling.com Group Limited, has entered into a partnership with VSiN, The Sports Betting Network, for coverage of prop markets to television. “Prop Points,” featuring RotoWire analysts Nick Whalen and Jeff Erickson, launched on Tuesday, and will air live Monday through Friday from 2-3 p.m. ET. This marks the first dedicated TV show featuring the RotoWire brand. RotoWire’s partnership with VSiN is the latest example of the brand’s ongoing expansion. Last year, RotoWire also introduced the “Picks & Props” mobile app designed to deliver an array of real-time recommendations and information across all fantasy sports for users on the go.
Utah State Fairpark Partners With Salt Lake County for X Games
X Games is bringing an action sports festival to Salt Lake City with three days of Moto X, BMX and skateboarding competitions, June 27-29. The Utah State Fairpark and Event Center is partnering with Salt Lake County to host X Games Salt Lake City 2025. The announcement of X Games Salt Lake City 2025 comes on the heels of the announcements of X Games Osaka 2025 and X Games Sacramento 2025, and ahead of the X Games League expansion year in 2026. X Games Salt Lake City 2025 will host more than 100 of the best action sports athletes in the world who will compete for over $1 million in prize money. There will also be partner integrations and activations.
PURCHASES
Kiro Race Co Expands Ownership Group to Support Formula E Team
Kiro Race Co, the newest team competing in the FIA Formula E world championship as CUPRA KIRO, has expanded its ownership group as the fully electric motorsport series’ 2024-25 season continues. Joining lead investors David Kaplan and Bennett Rosenthal, the investment group now includes: Golden Globe-winning actor and producer Idris Elba; major league sports team owners Tony Ressler, Larry Berg and Shaun Neff; media deal-makers Navid Mahmoodzagedan, Steve Bornstein and Rick Hess; and strategic advisors Jeffrey Assaf, Caleb Kramer and Michael Woronoff. This investment follows the acquisition of Kiro Race Co. by The Forest Road Company, a Los Angeles-based investment firm, in October 2024.
Stagwell Acquires Sports Marketing Agency Gold Rabbit Sports
Stagwell, a marketing network, has acquired Gold Rabbit Sports, a sports marketing agency that helps brands and rights holders unlock the communications and commercial potential of sports and entertainment. Gold Rabbit Sports will become a subsidiary of Stagwell’s integrated experiential agency Team, who Gold Rabbit Sports previously collaborated with on several client initiatives. Gold Rabbit Sports helps brands, rightsholders, media companies and startups achieve sponsorships, deals and activations. Gold Rabbit Sports has worked with brands including the Kansas City Chiefs, the Kentucky Derby, Red Bull, Athleta, Grubhub, Sentient Jet, Fanduel TV, FIFA World Cup and the Olympics.
