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, American Express makes its biggest move in sport yet, becoming the National Football League‘s (NFL) official payments partner, while AbbVie brings pharma into baseball with a cause-led Major League Baseball (MLB) partnership. Elsewhere, Google Gemini strikes a $28.5m deal with the Indian Premier League (IPL) to bring AI-powered search to cricket, WSC Sports deepens its relationship with the Cleveland Cavaliers through a suite of AI-powered products, and Mercury13 selects Catapult as its GPS partner across its growing women’s football portfolio.
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American Express named Official Payments Partner of the NFL
American Express has been named the official payments partner of the NFL in a multi-year global partnership beginning with the 2026 season.
The deal will give card members access to ticket pre-sales, on-site experiences and exclusive perks at select NFL events around the world, including international games, the NFL Draft and the Super Bowl. At the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, American Express will operate an open-to-all fan experience alongside card member priority lanes and a dedicated lounge.
The partnership also introduces the NFL Extra Points American Express Credit Card, set to launch later this year, offering fans in the US enhanced opportunities to earn rewards and unlock access to NFL experiences.
Renie Anderson, EVP and Chief Revenue Officer at the NFL, said the collaboration would “expand access to unforgettable moments, from international games and tentpole events such as the Draft and Super Bowl to enhanced on-site experiences and presale opportunities”.
Elizabeth Rutledge, Chief Marketing Officer at American Express, added: “Partnering with the NFL is a natural extension for us and our commitment to delivering meaningful perks, exclusive access, and elevated experiences.”
The NFL joins a sports portfolio at American Express that now spans more than 50 premier leagues, teams, venues and marquee events worldwide.
Google Gemini strikes $28.5m IPL deal to bring AI search to cricket
Google has announced a multi-year partnership with the IPL, integrating a range of cricket-themed capabilities into its Gemini-powered Google Search AI Mode in a deal believed to be worth $28.5m.
Fans will be able to ask conversational questions about live matches, receiving real-time tactical analysis, statistical insights and historical summaries drawn from the IPL’s database. AI-powered analysis will also be integrated directly into live broadcast feeds, extending Gemini’s reach to audiences in India and globally.
Devajit Saikia, Secretary of the The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said the collaboration would “fundamentally transform the fan experience,” empowering fans with “enriched and conversational insights” and deepening their connection to the game.
The deal builds on Google’s existing global partnership with the ICC and reflects the growing battle for AI dominance in India, where 94% of the population is aware of generative AI and 64% are already using it. Google faces competition from Microsoft, OpenAI and Anthropic in the market – with OpenAI’s ChatGPT having already secured a partnership with the Women’s Premier League.
AbbVie becomes Official Pharmaceutical Partner of MLB
AbbVie has announced a multiyear partnership with MLB, becoming the league’s first-ever official pharmaceutical partner beginning with the 2026 season.
The deal marks a national expansion of Striking Out Cancer, an initiative first introduced during the 2025 season through AbbVie’s partnership with the Chicago Cubs. Under the agreement, AbbVie will donate $20 for every strikeout across the MLB season, up to a maximum of $1m per season.
The partnership represents a first-of-its-kind move for AbbVie in professional sport, embedding a cause-led activation directly into the rhythm of the game and giving the healthcare brand year-round visibility across one of America’s most-watched leagues.
WSC Sports expands AI partnership with Cleveland Cavaliers
Technology firm WSC Sports has announced the expansion of its partnership with the Cleveland Cavaliers, as the National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise broadens its use of WSC Sports’ products.
Building on an existing relationship, the Cavaliers have expanded their scope to include in-app experiences and a suite of generative AI-powered products, including article-to-video features and AI voice-overs, aimed at scaling content production and deepening fan engagement across the club’s digital platforms.
The deal reflects a growing trend of sports franchises embedding AI-driven content tools directly into their commercial and media operations, as clubs look to personalise fan experiences at scale without proportionally increasing production costs.
Mercury13 selects Catapult as GPS partner across women’s football portfolio
Multi-club ownership group Mercury13 has entered a multiyear partnership with Catapult, naming the performance analytics firm as its exclusive official elite sports performance analytics and GPS partner.
The agreement spans all Mercury13 clubs, building on Catapult’s existing work with Bristol City Women and extending the model to FC Badalona Women and FC Como Women Academy. It will implement a female-led, women-specific performance model integrating athlete monitoring, sports science research and coach education across the Mercury13 platform.
Catapult will also serve in a non-exclusive capacity as Mercury13’s official thought leadership partner, reflecting an ambition to shape best practice in women’s football performance more broadly.
In other news
- Formula 1 and Allwyn have extended their official partnership in a new multi-year deal, adding formation lap branding and a new Allwyn League on the F1 Predict platform.
- Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC have partnered with fan experience platform Jump, with the technology set to deliver a fully integrated fan experience at Lumen Field from 2027.
- FIFA confirmed all global sponsorship packages for the 2026 World Cup have been sold, with the tournament projected to generate $2.8bn in sponsorship revenue. Only two regional slots remain.
- Sky Sports and NOW have secured a multi-year deal with Most Valuable Promotions to become the UK and Ireland home of MVPW, a new global women’s boxing platform co-founded by Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul.
- Rize Credit Union has partnered with the Ontario Reign, the AHL affiliate of the LA Kings, to support youth hockey development and financial readiness initiatives in Southern California.
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