EFL collaborates with Jameson on a four year deal

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Jameson Irish whiskey has been unveiled as an Official Partner of the English Football League (EFL) ahead of the 2023/24 season.

With a four-year contract, Jameson will showcase its dedication to football in all three EFL levels through the end of the 2026–2027 campaign.

Jameson’s first venture into English professional football is its collaboration with the EFL, which expands on the brand’s efforts in grassroots football after it continued to support Powerleague, the largest small-side pitch provider in the UK, nationally.

Jameson will be heavily involved with all 72 Member Clubs in the Sky Bet Championship, League One, and League Two, as well as the five EFL Wembley finals, as an Official Partner of the EFL. In addition, the brand will be present on digital, social media, and the EFL website.

“We’re pleased to welcome a global brand with the history and prestige of Jameson as an Official Partner, highlighting an ever-growing interest in the EFL and our competitions, Ben Wright, Chief Commercial Officer of the EFL,” he said via press release.

“As we get ready to kick off another exciting EFL season in less than a month’s time, Jameson’s investment into the 72 Clubs demonstrates the brand’s commitment to supporting football across England and Wales. It was clear early on in our discussions with Jameson that there was a shared passion for the game, and we look forward to developing the partnership over the four-year period.”

Marketing Director at Pernod Ricard UK, Leanne Banks, added via media release:

“Football brings people together in so many ways and building on Jameson’s existing partnerships within the grassroots community, we’re excited to be supporting the EFL and its Member Clubs over the next four years,.” she said.

“We both share a passion for football at every level, and what better way to celebrate this than by becoming an Official Partner of the EFL and demonstrating our support to fans of the game.”

The EFL season is currently three games into their 2023/2024 campaign.

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FIFA has partnered with Konami to host the FIFAe World Cup

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FIFA has entered into a partnership with Konami to use its eFootball game for the FIFAe World Cup.

This collaboration will feature two tournaments, one for console and one for mobile, with participants from 18 nations competing for the title of FIFAe world champion.

This move is part of FIFA’s strategy to maintain relevance in gaming and esports, particularly in engaging younger fans. FIFA has also expanded its esports portfolio with deals involving Rocket League and Football Manager.

The partnership fills the void left by EA Sports following their high-profile split with FIFA in 2022. Konami’s eFootball, an evolution of the Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) series, is currently the only comparable game to EA Sports FC on the market.

FIFA’s Chief Business Officer, Romy Gai, has championed the new deal highlighting their excitement at the prospect.

“We are incredibly excited to join forces with Konami, this collaboration aligns perfectly with our mission to promote football globally and to provide a platform for players to showcase their skills.”

Konami the Japanese gaming company, this partnership provides legitimacy and increased awareness for eFootball, which has struggled to compete with EA Sports in recent years.

The collaboration is seen as a necessary step for FIFA, given the lack of alternatives and the time it would take to develop a new soccer simulation game. It allows FIFA to continue its presence in soccer-based esports while exploring other gaming opportunities.

Esports has grown massively in viewership and investment over the last decades, it has become a major part of the franchising side of football.

Even in Australia the rise in Esports popularity has coincided with the rise in football popularity, one can not argue against their connection towards football popularity.

FIFA have shown that Esports has become an ever-present strategy in their development of the game. For investors and shareholders in football, Esports impact is something that should not be disregarded.

WSL triples viewership after move to YouTube

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Image credit: Jason Ilagan / Shutterstock.com

Viewership for Women’s Super League (WSL) matches streamed live on YouTube has more than trebled during the 2024/25 season.

This success is no coincidence. Beyond the clear rise in quality and star power across teams for the 2024/25 season, it’s also the first time in league history that non-televised games are streamed for free on YouTube.

Last season, the main issue with viewership was accessibility, where matches not picked up by domestic broadcasters were only available on the FA Player app or website, requiring users to create an account on a platform that was already unpopular.

In the 2023/24 season, the highest viewership for an online-only WSL game was Arsenal’s home fixture against Bristol City, which attracted 78,050 viewers.

However, this season has already shattered records. Over 250,000 fans tuned in on YouTube to watch Leicester face Arsenal in September, setting a new high for a WSL game not televised.

In total, the first three weeks of this season have seen a staggering 1,576,848 live views for WSL matches streamed on YouTube.

Women’s Championship matches have also benefited from the platform, with the season opener between newly promoted Newcastle and London City Lionesses setting a new record for the league, drawing 46,050 live viewers.

This spike in viewership comes at a crucial time for both the WSL and the Championship, as they are holding out for a new broadcasting rights deal set to begin after 2025. Both leagues smartly delayed signing earlier this year to avoid locking into a premature agreement.

The gamble absolutely paid off and the Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL), now in charge of the top two leagues, will be using these numbers as leverage in discussions over the next major TV rights deal which should include the BBC and Sky Sports amongst other suitors.

Streaming must remain free for A-League Women’s growth 

The A-League Women’s impressively saw a 114% increase in viewership on 10 Play, where every game is streamed for free, and 125% on Paramount+ for the 2023/24 season.

While a switch to YouTube seems unlikely given Channel 10’s monopoly over A-League football, it’s crucial to keep every game available for free on 10 Play if they want viewership to continue rising.

As the WSL and previously the NWSL have demonstrated, offering free streamed games draws in viewers of all ages and ultimately helps turn them into paying fans. The league’s primary focus should be on building an audience as quickly as possible.

Conclusion

The impressive figures from this season suggest that the demand for women’s football is only increasing.

The WSL has made a brilliant move that is sure to enhance the upcoming record-breaking broadcast rights deal, helping the league continue to improve both on and off the field.

The next step is to take it mainstream, and the Ninja A-League should look to follow the blueprint set by the WSL, which has demonstrated how to rapidly gain widespread popularity.

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