Welcome to Insider Sport‘s latest edition of the Partnership Playbook, where we bring you the details on some of the latest sports partnerships and sponsorships.
This week, Audi Revolut F1 Team accelerates into crypto-backed sponsorship with Nexo, Borussia Dortmund teams up with Lenovo to bring AI innovation into football operations, and Barclays deepens its ties to cricket through a principal partnership with London Spirit.
We also cover the NBA’s strategic investment in Evergent to fuel global League Pass growth, plus a wave of new deals across football and beyond – from Coca-Cola and Inter Milan to Google Gemini and the IPL.
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Nexo joins Audi Revolut F1 Team as digital asset partner
Nexo has been announced as the official digital asset partner of Audi Revolut F1 Team, marking the team’s first foray into crypto-backed sponsorship. The multi-year agreement aligns two innovation-focused brands as Audi enters the Formula 1 grid and Nexo continues to expand its premium digital asset offering.
The partnership will include co-created content, education initiatives and immersive brand activations designed to connect fans and Nexo clients with the team. Nexo’s branding will also feature across global campaigns and experiences throughout the F1 calendar.
“The partnership reflects a shared ambition to scale with discipline and innovation, and to create tangible value — from exclusive experiences to new ways of engaging our global fanbase and Nexo’s clients,” says Stefano Battiston, Chief Commercial Officer of Audi Revolut F1 Team
Lenovo named Borussia Dortmund’s official AI Innovation Partner
Borussia Dortmund has entered into a premium partnership with global tech company Lenovo, naming it the club’s Official AI Innovation Partner.
The collaboration will centre on accelerating BVB’s digital transformation, with Lenovo’s AI-ready hardware deployed across club operations – from strategic decision-making to data analytics and performance optimisation.
Mirco Krebs, VP & CCO EMEA at Lenovo, said the brand’s AI solutions will be used “where every second counts,” while Carsten Cramer, Borussia Dortmund’s Speaker of the Management Board, noted that the club’s pursuit of progress “at all levels” makes Lenovo an ideal fit.
Barclays backs The Hundred with London Spirit partnership
Barclays has deepened its ties with Lord’s Cricket Ground by becoming the principal partner of London Spirit, the Lord’s-based franchise in The Hundred. The move builds on the bank’s existing relationship with MCC and reinforces its strategy to support sport from grassroots to elite levels.
The partnership will see Barclays feature on London Spirit kits and merchandise across both men’s and women’s teams, with a joint focus on inclusivity, youth engagement and broadening access to cricket.
It follows major investments in the MCC Foundation and the Barclays Community Sport Fund, and marks another step in the brand’s growing cricket portfolio alongside its football and tennis commitments.
NBA deepens Evergent partnership with strategic investment
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has made a strategic investment in Evergent Technologies Inc., extending their multi-year partnership to enhance global subscription experiences for NBA League Pass.
The move underscores the league’s ongoing commitment to global fan engagement, with Evergent’s platform now serving fans in over 185 countries.
Since teaming up in 2022, the two have rolled out personalised subscription tools, multi-device capabilities, and industry-first churn management features that have driven significant international subscriber growth.
NBA Head of Investments David Lee said the league’s focus is on “tailored options” that personalise League Pass offerings, while Vijay Sajja, CEO of Evergent, emphasised the role of “unique value and loyalty” in the future of sports streaming.
In other news:
- AS Monaco have extended their partnership with interactive avatar platform AVATARZ until 2028.
- Dairy Queen reportedly steps away as primary sponsor to Major League Baseball (MLB)
- FC Internazionale Milano have agreed a three-year partnership with The Coca-Cola Company which becomes the club’s official soft drink partner.
- Google’s AI platform Gemini has secured a three-year Indian Premier League India sponsorship deal.
- Juventus Football Club have entered into a new partnership with UniCredit.
- Olympique Lyonnais Groupe have signed a three-season official partnership with trading and investment platform eToro.
- Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio has been named the official university for Club Atlético de Madrid.
