England's Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has unveiled a three-year commercial partnership with international insurance group Howden, running through 2027 and extending the overall relationship between the two parties.
Howden has been the official insurance broker of the English tennis body for close to 20 years, with that designation having now been upgraded to official partner.
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Bringing tennis to local communities across England and the UK will form a significant part of the brand's remit during this tie-up.
The agreement adds to Howden's stable of sports sponsorships – it also has deals in place with properties such as SailGP, The British and Irish Lions rugby union touring side, and Ascot Racecourse in southern England.
Chris Pollard, managing director of commercial and operations at the LTA, has stated: "We at the LTA are thrilled to continue our partnership with Howden and have them on board as our official insurance broker. Our collaboration to support British coaches and venues will help our vision of Opening Tennis and Padel Up and deliver positive change through these sports across the country.”
The Kettle Chips brand owned by Valeo Foods has become a sponsor of rugby union's Women's Rugby World Cup 2025, taking place in England between August 22 and September 27.
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By GlobalDataThroughout the 16-team tournament, Kettle will activate through limited-edition packaging, matchday experiences, as well as through amplifying the role grassroots rugby has to play.
Earlier this month, World Rugby brought automotive brand Defender, a subsidiary of Land Rover, in as a Women's Rugby World Cup partner.
Tie-ups with Volvic and Unilever have also recently been unveiled.
ESPN will continue as the exclusive national broadcast partner in the US for the Boston Marathon, through a deal with the Boston Athletics Association.
The heavyweight sports broadcaster has covered the Boston Marathon, which this year took place on April 21 (yesterday), since 2023, having previously aired it between 1997 and 2004.
Coverage of the 2026 event will begin on ESPN's flagship channel from 9am Eastern Time until 12:30pm, while the SportsCenter platform will also cover the action.
WCVB, meanwhile, has signed up to continue as the exclusive local broadcaster of the athletics event (for which Bank of America is the title partner).
Meanwhile, AEG – the California-based sports and entertainment company that oversees global sales and servicing of sponsorships – has renewed a commercial deal with the heavyweight Pernod Ricard spirits brand.
Through a multi-year extension brokered by the AEG Global Partnerships division, Pernod Ricard will continue as an exclusive and official partner "in key premium spirits categories" across the range of AEG assets, including for the LA Kings ice-hockey NHL franchise.
The deal entails Pernod Ricard securing more opportunities to activate brands such as Código 1530 Tequila, Absolut Vodka, Malibu White Rum, and Jameson Irish Whiskey, through fan activations at AEG properties and events.
Finally, US soccer's United Soccer League (USL) has entered into a multi-year deal with the Crystal Geyser spring water brand of the CG Roxane firm.
Through a tie-up unveiled late last week, Crystal Geyser becomes the USL's official water partner, and also the presenting partner of USL coverage on the TUDN Spanish-language broadcaster.
A custom content series will be created by the two parties, showcasing interviews with players, coaches, fans, and executives.
That series will feature on the USL's YouTube channel and both brands' social media sites.
The brand will also feature on broadcasts of the USL across that league structure's various domestic broadcast partners.
In February, the USL was given the green light to launch a Division One professional league, rivaling Major League Soccer (MLS).
