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.
Robots, running and books headline this week’s edition, offering insight into where sports commercial strategies are heading. All three align on the importance of innovation, participation and storytelling for successful partnerships.
Hyundai brought robotics to a FIFA World Cup under pressure, Chelsea used Strava to connect with fans through fitness and Formula 1 renewed its storytelling strategy through DK Books.
Elsewhere, Villarreal’s virtual advertising partnership with SPORTFIVE highlighted the changing value of commercial inventory and Adidas reunited with Tennessee in a college sports apparel deal.
Hyundai robot stars in FIFA World Cup activation
Hyundai Motor used its FIFA World Cup sponsorship to showcase Boston Dynamics’ Atlas humanoid robot during the halftime break of a Round of 16 fixture.
Official partnership titles handed out by FIFA prior to the 2026 World Cup kick-off attracted a lot of attention, particularly Hyundai Motor’s role as the tournament’s official robotics partner. The company used its platform during the Brazil vs Norway match to bring a humanoid robot into a live match.
Atlas emerged from the players’ tunnel at halftime and performed a series of football-inspired goal celebrations before delivering the match ball to the referee ahead of the second half.
The robot may not be coming on as a substitute just yet, but the activation provided Hyundai with a creative way to showcase its ambitions in robotics.
Sungwon Jee, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer at Hyundai Motor Company, said that the appearance showed the company’s focus on developing technology that integrates into everyday life.
“As part of Hyundai’s ‘Next Starts Now’ campaign, we wanted Atlas’s performance on the world’s biggest stage to demonstrate that the future isn’t something we imagine – it starts now,” said Jee.
Chelsea launches Strava presence to expand fan engagement
Chelsea has become the first Premier League and Barclays Women’s Super League club to join Strava.
The partnership, announced on 7 July, will allow fans to connect through running, training and other wellness activities, giving supporters another way to engage with the club away from matchdays.
The club will use Strava’s global community of more than 195 million users across 185 countries to build new connections with supporters, while gaining further insight into where its fan base is located.
Challenges are planned around the Chelsea men’s and women’s pre-season tours this summer.
“By working with Strava and becoming the first Premier League and BWSL teams to establish an official presence on Strava, we can lean into participation culture, understand where our fans are while offering new experiences for them and strengthen the bonds that unite our global community,” said Scott Fenton, Brand Director at Chelsea.
Formula 1 stresses storytelling strategy with DK Books partnership
Formula 1 has agreed a multi-year partnership with DK Books to launch a range of officially licensed titles.
Launching in November 2026, the partnership will produce gift, activity and educational titles that cover F1’s history, drivers and culture. The first releases will include The Official F1 Quiz Book, The Official F1 Activity Book and The Official F1 Colouring Book.
The agreement aligns with part of F1’s strategy of utilising the power of storytelling to drive audience engagement, with this being its most literal method yet. In recent years, the championship has used projects including Netflix’sDrive to Survive and the F1 Movie to introduce the sport to new audiences around the world – however, this new approach of launching story books seems much more ‘traditional’ than previous campaigns.
Speaking about the partnership, Emily Prazer, Chief Commercial Officer of F1, noted that storytelling plays an increasingly important role in how fans connect with the sport, and can enable the organisation to tap into demographics of all ages.
“Our partnership with DK allows us to reach new audiences around the world by delivering high quality, accessible books, while creating a new and creative avenue to deepen engagement with fans of all ages,” said Prazer.
Villarreal turns stadium advertising into global commercial asset
The days of every fan seeing the same sponsor message on a stadium advertising board are long gone, with virtual advertising allowing clubs to tailor branding depending on where matches are being watched.
So, this week, Villarreal CF has appointed SPORTFIVE as its exclusive partner for LED and virtual advertising across La Liga and Copa del Rey home fixtures, with the agency responsible for managing sales, strategy and implementation.
The new partnership with SPORTFIVE will enable the Spanish club to enhance its LED and virtual advertising within its stadium, allowing the team to offer targeted exposure campaigns for team and match-day sponsors.
Villarreal will be able to create more localised opportunities for partners, using technology to deliver different messages to audiences across international broadcast markets.
Juan Antón de Salas, Commercial Director at Villarreal CF, said: “Partnering with SPORTFIVE allows us to further enhance our commercial strategy and unlock the full value of our media and advertising assets.
“Their global reach, market expertise, and innovative approach to virtual and LED advertising will enable us to attract new partners, grow internationally and deliver greater value across our sponsorship ecosystem.”
Adidas reunites with Tennessee in decade-long apparel partnership
Adidas and the University of Tennessee have reunited for a 10-year partnership, bringing back a relationship that previously ran from 1995 to 2014.
The brand has returned as the official footwear, uniform, apparel and sideline partner of Tennessee Athletics.
The pair had previously worked together for nearly two decades before ending their partnership in 2014, during which time Tennessee won the 1998 football national championship and consecutive women’s basketball titles in 2007 and 2008.
The new agreement comes as college sports apparel partnerships cover more than just uniforms, with Adidas also providing Tennessee student-athletes across all 20 sports access to its NIL Ambassador Network.
“Our mission is to build the nation’s premier athletics department and set the standard in college sports,” said Tennessee Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Danny White.
“Partnering with Adidas is a natural fit, as their commitment to being the world’s leading sports brand aligns with our vision. We are excited to unveil our new Adidas partnership and showcase a fresh look to Vol Nation in the coming days.”
In other news:
- Midnite has expanded its Championship presence, extending its Sheffield United partnership and signing a new front-of-shirt deal with Middlesbrough.
- Lexus has renewed its agreement with Madison Square Garden, remaining the official luxury auto partner of its sports and entertainment portfolio.
- BWT Alpine Formula One Team partnered with Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm Shop to provide locally sourced food and drinks for the team during the British Grand Prix.
- AFC Wimbledon and Sports Interactive will continue their 25-year partnership, maintaining the longest-running front-of-shirt sponsorship deal in English football.
- MLS and Avery Dennison have announced a renewed agreement, with the company still the league’s official licensee for names, numbers and jersey sleeve logos across all clubs.
- Burnley has unveiled Finotive One as its new front-of-shirt and training wear partner, with the trading ecosystem brand set to feature across the club’s men’s, women’s and academy teams.
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