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Daily Newsletter

03 November 2023

Daily Newsletter

03 November 2023

Kappa to kit out MLR teams in three-year deal

The Italian brand will outfit each team with match kits, training kits, and fanwear.

Tariq Saleh November 03 2023

North America’s Major League Rugby (MLR) has unveiled Italian sportswear brand Kappa as its official kit partner in a three-year deal.

Under the agreement, Kappa will provide apparel to all 13 MLR sides. The brand will outfit each team with match kits, training kits, and fanwear.

Kappa has a long-standing presence in rugby, having supplied kits for many major teams over recent years. It has current partnerships with multiple domestic teams across Europe, including in France’s Top 14.

The Italian firm also has a tie-up in place with the European Professional Club Rugby continental governing body as the official technical apparel partner of its Champions Cup and Challenge Cup club competitions.

Earlier this year, meanwhile, it agreed a deal with the United Rugby Championship, the Europe-based rugby union clubs competition, to serve as the league’s match official kit supplier.

Harry Hardy, Major League Rugby's chief commercial officer, said: “As MLR continues to grow its following both in the US and internationally, we felt it was important to align with a brand that represents quality, innovative design and has a rich heritage in rugby and other various sports all over the world.”

MLR recently agreed a long-term partnership with premium experiences company Legends to drive commercial revenue and grow its competition.

Through the tie-up, Legends will manage global partnerships, digital marketing, and business intelligence to “drive fan engagement and optimize revenue generation.”

MLR will head into its seventh season next year.

Analyzing the dynamics and business of the English Premier League

The Premier League is one of the biggest and most popular soccer leagues in the world and forms part of the ‘big five’ leagues contested in Europe. The team sponsorship market is worth $1.5 billion in the 2023-2024 season, with the technology sector emerging as the most prominent industry, with 55 deals. Betting brands retain large prominence on Premier League shirts and are responsible for ~35% of all team shirt deals this season, as clubs cash in before the looming ban on such deals.

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