Sports Ticker #114: Wimbledon expansion, Club World Cup 2025 and F1's LEGO partnership – a speed read of commercial updates from the sports world

In a fortnight which saw the WRU issue Wales Women’s rugby team with 37 full-time contracts and the announcement of the Green Sport Awards 2024 nominees, we bring you updates on Wimbledon's plans for expansion, Barclays' partnership with the WSL and Women's Championship, and the Global Esports Federation's commitment to the UN Sustainability Development Goals.

As always, if there are any issues on which you'd like more information (or if you have any questions or feedback), please do let us know or get in touch with your usual contact at RPC.

Plans to serve up more tennis at Wimbledon

Plans have been approved for 39 new tennis courts, including a new 8,000 seat court, to be built at Wimbledon. They will be located on the former Wimbledon Park Golf Club. The expansion will nearly triple the size of the current site and allow Wimbledon to host the Grand Slam qualifying tournaments which are currently held a few miles away at the Bank of England Sports Centre in Roehampton. Specifically, the new development will allow up to 10,000 people to attend and watch qualifying events and up to 50,000 to enter the grounds during the main fortnight. Many have expressed concerns regarding the environmental impact of this "industrial tennis complex" and a petition by Save Wimbledon Park has received almost 21,000 signatures; however, the Deputy Mayor of London has decided that the significant community and economic benefits of the scheme outweigh the potential harm caused. The modernisation doesn't stop there - Wimbledon will also be replacing line judges with electronic line calling from next summer. Watch this space for updates over the coming months.

Barclays doubles investment as part of 'new era' of women's football

Barclays recently announced that it has renewed its investment into women's football to remain the title sponsor of the Women's Super League (WSL) and Women's Championship. Ownership of the WSL and Women's Championship was transferred from the FA to WPLL and the 23 participating clubs in August 2024 (for further information, see Sports Ticker #111). Barclays has been title sponsor of the WSL since 2019, a league which now attracts 3.2 million followers, with average match attendance up 283% since the 2021-22 season. Barclays' latest deal has been heralded as the biggest sponsorship deal in the history of women's football in the UK. Barclays ambassador Ian Wright has emphasised the importance of the deal for the continued growth of women's football and to "ensure the game is sustainable for future generations". RPC are delighted to have acted for WPLL in such a historic deal.

Enter Player Two: GEF's commitment to UN SDGs

The Global Esports Federation reaffirmed its commitment to the United Nations (UN) Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) at the Summit of the Future 2024 which was recently held in New York. The SDGs comprise seventeen targets adopted by UN Member States in 2015, with the aim of achieving “peace and prosperity for people and the planet” through environmentally sustainable growth initiatives. CEO, Paul J. Foster, joined UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, on stage to emphasise the unique ability of the esports industry to support the SDGs by capitalising on a reach of more than 3.2 billion people globally. “Esports is not just about gaming”, the CEO remarked as he delivered the Pioneers Youth Award later in the day, “it's a global connector, empowering youth, and a force for driving innovation”. Alongside its commitment to promoting the goals, the Federation also contributed to total pledges exceeding $1.05 billion raised at the Summit, underscoring the fundamental role of esports in supporting sustainable growth initiatives around the world.

Twelve stadium lineup for Club World Cup 2025

After much anticipation, FIFA has announced its list of twelve host stadiums for the Club World Cup 2025, which is set to take place across the USA in June and July 2025. Twelve venues will host teams from each of the six international football confederations throughout the revamped tournament, which is no longer an annual competition featuring seven teams, but a quadrennial competition featuring thirty two. FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, hopes the event will mark “a new chapter in football's global history”, but the spectacle has also reignited concerns surrounding the number of fixtures players are expected to participate in each year. Unlike the FIFA World Cup, which features national teams (such as France and Brazil), the Club World Cup stages clubs from domestic leagues (such as England's Manchester City and New Zealand's Auckland City FC). The ultimate champion will be crowned on 13 July 2025 in New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, but it remains to be seen whether the contest will feel like one too many in the already packed schedules of players.

Fast tracks and brick stacks

Formula 1 and LEGO have announced a new partnership, featuring a range of new Formula 1 LEGO products, enhanced Formula 1 presence on LEGO's digital platforms, and LEGO fun fan zones throughout the season. Formula 1 is reported to have entered the partnership following a boom in its youth following, with over 4 million children aged 8 to 12 following the sport across the EU and USA. LEGO has promised a comprehensive range of Formula 1 products, targeted at younger audiences but also for adult builders. Emily Prazer, Chief Commercial Officer for Formula 1, said: "Through this partnership, fans will be able to recreate and reimagine the world of Formula 1, brick by brick, delving deeper into the intricacies of the mechanics and technology behind the sport through play". Further details of the partnership are expected in due course.

Extra time...

...and finally, Premier League shirt deals are estimated to have topped £1 billion in a single season for the first time. As published in a recent report by Sporting Intelligence, the figure was reached by combining the total income of clubs' kit supplier deals, front of shirt sponsors and sleeve sponsors. Earnings range from Ipswich's £6 million Umbro, Ed Sheeran and Halo shirt to Manchester United's £170 million Adidas, Snapdragon and DXC shirt, with the latter drawing more in shirt sponsorship income this season alone than was generated by the entire league in 2009/10. However, whilst the financial uplift is welcomed by clubs, whether such levels will be sustained is up in the air - it remains to be seen how the shirt sponsorship landscape will fare once the ban on betting companies sponsoring clubs' shirts becomes effective at the end of the 2025/26 Season.