Sports Ticker #118: Thom Browne v Adidas, Formula E on TV and Q&A with Ben Maher – a speed read of commercial updates from the sports world

In a fortnight which saw boxing face an ultimatum for its inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, trials of an alternative system to VAR extended by the International Football Association Board and the NBA announce its return to China in 2025, we bring you updates on Thom Browne vs Adidas, AB InBev's partnership with FIFA for the Club World Cup 2025 and an exciting RPC event with Ben Maher on 17 December.

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.

Three vs Four

Thom Browne, a luxury fashion brand, recently succeeded in its trademark dispute with Adidas in the UK High Court. The case revolved around Adidas's three-stripe design and Thom Browne's four-bar motif, both of which are prominently featured on the brands' respective garments. Thom Browne sought cancellation and/or revocation of Adidas's trademarks on the basis that they were too wide in scope, covering seemingly unlimited variations and representing an attempt to establish a monopoly over the use of stripes. Adidas denied the allegations and brought a counterclaim in which it argued that Thom Browne was liable for trademark infringement and passing off. Ultimately, it was held that eight of Adidas's trademarks were invalid as they failed to meet the statutory requirements for clarity and precision. The court also rejected Adidas's counterclaim as it held that the average consumer would be able to distinguish between three stripes and four. Accordingly, it was held that several of the marks, even if valid, should be partially revoked and given revised specifications. The parties have previously litigated in the US and Germany, where Adidas was unsuccessful, and remain engaged in ongoing legal disputes at the EU Intellectual Property Office and in the Netherlands.

AB InBev scores FIFA Club World Cup 2025 partnership

AB InBev is expanding its longstanding partnership with FIFA (at almost 40 years) by being crowned an Official Beer Partner for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. In doing so, it continues to reinforce its "commitment to enhancing the fan experience with the world’s most popular sport." The tournament will take place in 12 stadiums across 11 cities in the United States from 15 June to 13 July 2025 and is set to feature 32 of the world's best clubs. AB InBev and its portfolio of brands are set to deliver the Player of the Match Award alongside various on and off pitch brand events designed to enhance fan experiences. Specifically, Budweiser and Michelob ULTRA will lead the partnership and be accompanied by local brands from select markets. In anticipation of the tournament, Michel Doukeris, CEO of AB InBev, stated "This partnership with the FIFA Club World Cup continues our legacy of bringing beer and sports together for fans around the world, creating more moments of celebration and cheers. We look forward to activating this first-of-its-kind tournament next summer in partnership with FIFA.

Formula E shocks the grid with a switch back to free-to-air TV

Formula E is set to return to free-to-air TV for the 2024/2025 season following the announcement of a deal with ITV for the UK and Ireland. All 16 E-Prix and Qualifying sessions for Season 11 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will be available on ITVX and ITV4, including the season opener which was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil for the first time on 7 December 2024. Tailored highlights are to be shown after each race weekend, hosted by Nicki Shields who has been involved in the broadcasting since the series' inception 10 years ago. She will be accompanied by Karun Chandhok, David Coulthard and Billy Monger who complete the presenter line-up. Commenting, Aarti Dabas, Chief Media Officer at Formula E, stated "With our new post-race weekend highlights show on ITV, fans will be able to get bespoke content directly from the paddock helping educate, excite and entertain new and loyal fans alike." The new partnership aims to continue to grow the sport and broaden its fanbase, whilst also promoting ITV's commitment to sustainability.

Future Women's Championship matches streamed on YouTube

All 132 Women's Championship games for the 2025/26 season will be streamed on the league's YouTube channel, it has recently been announced. A tender process for the production of the live games is expected to commence over the coming weeks, a key feature of which will be the use of multiple cameras to afford fans with different angles of the games. Viewing figures tripled this season for WSL games that were streamed on YouTube due to not being selected by Sky or the BBC, with 271,502 fans watching Manchester United beat Leicester City in November.

Formula 1 named #1 annual sporting series

According to a new report by Nielson, Formula 1 is now the most popular annual sporting series in the world, boasting a global audience of over 750 million viewers. The sport, which has gained 50 million fans since 2021 alone, has seen its growth strategy pay dividends in recent years. Geographically, the largest relative growth came from the Middle East, with audience numbers up 6% in the UAE and 11% in Saudi Arabia since last year. This comes after years of targeted investment in the region, with four of the twenty-two annual Grand Prix now held in Arab states each season. The study also indicated that the largest core growth area is female viewers, who now comprise more than 41% of total fans. Alongside the sport's own initiatives, Nielsen Sport widely attribute its recent success to the Netflix series "Drive to Survive", which gives fans an exclusive insight into the highs and lows of an F1 season. The report indicates that as many as one in four fans now credit the series for developing their initial love for the sport.

Extra time...

...and finally, for all showjumping fans, we are pleased to invite you to a live event featuring a Q&A with triple Olympic gold medallist, Ben Maher from 17:30-20:00 on 17 December 2024. Following his Olympic debut in Beijing 2008, he represented Britain at 3 further Games, most recently in 2020, and also made history as the first person to win the Longines Global Champions Tour Final three years in a row. Ben will be joining his lawyer, partner Neville Byford, at our London office to reflect on his career and how he become Britain's most successful showjumper, despite not being part of a showjumping family. We will also explore why showjumpers need lawyers at all! Click here to sign up.