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, Revolut expands its Manchester City relationship with a new back-of-shirt deal across the men’s and women’s first teams, while World Triathlon confirms Challenge Family as a strategic partner in its restructured global Tour launching in 2027.
We also cover the FAI’s logistics extension with DHL Express Ireland and Crew Clothing Company’s move into the UK’s fast-growing padel market through a partnership with iPadel.
For more insights like these, make sure you’re subscribed to Insider Sport’s daily newsletter.
Revolut expands Manchester City partnership with back-of-shirt deal
Revolut has strengthened its relationship with Manchester City Football Club, becoming a Global Partner and the Official Back of Shirt Partner for both the men’s and women’s first teams in a new multi-year agreement.
The fintech brand will feature on the back of the men’s playing shirts for domestic cup matches and across all WSL and cup fixtures for Manchester City Women, as well as selected training wear.
Revolut Business will be embedded into the club’s financial infrastructure, with plans to introduce Revolut Pay as a checkout solution to enhance fan transactions and reward engagement through RevPoints.
Antoine Le Nel, Chief Marketing and Growth Officer at Revolut, said the deal is about more than visibility: “We aren’t just putting our logo on a shirt; we’re integrating Revolut into the heart of fan experiences at the club.”
Peter Laundy, Senior Vice President of Partnerships at City Football Group, added that the collaboration will leverage Revolut’s “expertise and technology” to improve both operations and fan engagement.
Challenge Family joins new Triathlon World Tour from 2027
World Triathlon and the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) have confirmed Challenge Family as a new strategic partner of the restructured Triathlon World Tour, set to launch in 2027.
The move will see Challenge events integrated into a unified global ecosystem that brings together the current T100 Triathlon World Tour, the World Triathlon Championship Series (to be rebranded as the T100 and T50 World Championship Series), World Cups and a new Challenger tier under one umbrella.
Challenge Family will form part of the newly created Challenger Series, positioned as the intermediate level of the competitive structure. The series will combine middle- and long-distance races, award global ranking points and provide qualification pathways into the elite T100 and T50 World Championship Series events.
World Triathlon President Antonio Fernandez Arimany said the inclusion of Challenge Family shows the new Tour is “an inclusive platform, designed to bring together all key stakeholders under a shared strategic vision,” adding that the objective is to build “a stronger and more cohesive ecosystem for world triathlon.”
FAI extends DHL Express Ireland logistics partnership
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has agreed a four-year extension with DHL Express Ireland, continuing the company’s role as Official Logistics Partner across all levels of Irish football.
DHL, a partner of the FAI since the mid-1990s, will maintain responsibility for logistics support to the Ireland men’s and women’s senior teams, as well as all international squads. The renewed agreement also includes backing for the FAI’s Football in Schools initiative through the ‘Me & My Ball’ programme, delivering free footballs to every primary school nationwide.
Brian Murray, Commercial & Same Day Director at DHL Express Ireland, said the renewal “reconfirms our commitment to providing our unparalleled logistics expertise to the FAI,” adding that the partnership reinforces DHL’s “long-term commitment not just to Irish football but to the communities it serves.”
FAI Commercial Director Sean Kavanagh described DHL as playing “a vital role for our international teams ensuring we have our product and kit no matter where we are playing around the world,” and welcomed the continuation of a relationship spanning nearly three decades.
Crew Clothing Company named Official Performance Apparel Partner of iPadel
Crew Clothing Company has signed a partnership with iPadel, becoming the UK league operator’s Official and Exclusive Performance Apparel Partner.
The agreement sees Crew outfit iPadel staff across its Winter and Summer Leagues with its Crew Sport collection, as the fashion brand looks to align with one of the UK’s fastest-growing participation sports. Padel now counts more than 400,000 active players nationwide, with millions more expressing interest in trying the sport.
Jon Baker, Sponsorship Projects Manager at Crew Clothing, described padel as “one of the most exciting growth sports in the UK right now,” adding that the partnership allows Crew to support the sport with “technical, performance-led clothing that reflects our British sporting heritage.”
Ian Colligan, Director at iPadel, said the collaboration brings together “performance, quality and style,” as the sport continues its rapid expansion across the UK.
In other news:
- Club Atlético de Madrid has partnered with Hewlett Packard Enterprise to better connectivity across its stadium infrastructure.
- England Lacrosse has announced a new multi-year partnership with Destination Sport Group, becoming the national governing body’s Official Travel Partner.
- FC Bayern München Women have agreed a new five-year partnership with Hitachi Energy, with the brand to appear on the team’s sleeves in cup competitions.
- Hrvatski nogometni savez, the Croatian football association, have agreed a five-year partnership with The Coca-Cola Company.
- Hockey Australia has announced a three-year partnership with ASX-listed sports technology firm HITIQ
- SPRIBE has announced that Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight fighter Charles Oliveira has become an Aviator brand ambassador
