Why Manchester City were named the most innovative sports team in the world

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According to a report by Sports Innovation Lab, Manchester City have been named the most innovative sports team in the world.

The research and market intelligence firm assessed worldwide sporting clubs across three different categories: technology alignment, organisational agility and revenue diversification.

Over 8,000 data sources were analysed by the firm over multiple years, as well as more than 150,000 market signals to eventually determine the final rankings.

“Our team of analysts masterfully identified patterns of success among the world’s most nimble and well-prepared sports organisations,” said Josh Walker, Sports Innovation Lab co-founder and president.

“Our ongoing daily research and guidance will help the industry in charting the journey ahead.”

Manchester City were listed above an array of sporting sides, due to various factors.

The report stated “Manchester City has had their challenges recently, but that hasn’t stopped them from taking full advantage of their global brand awareness to diversify revenue opportunities, launch their own OTT service, and expand their products and services.

“City has consistently delivered unique experiences that other teams with fewer resources and smaller audiences would be wise to emulate.”

As an example, the English club recently launched a Facebook campaign that promoted a freestyle football competition to a global audience.

City have also worked with the social media giant and its supporters to generate long-form and short-form content that extended fan participation well beyond game-day, creating a variety of non-rights protected media.

Activations like that and the partnerships they have built with companies like Nissan, take advantage of City’s larger amount of assets they have through the City Football Group (CFG).

Sports Innovation Lab scored City the highest in technology breadth, meaning it is willing to use different services and products well before other sporting sides.

For example, City were the first team to launch a channel on Youtube Kids, a platform for children aged 12 and under, whilst also developing a partnership with Capstone Games to offer fans a digital experience where they act as a football manager and make critical in-game decisions.

The club does continue to be highly praised for its varying revenue sources as well, across its operations.

“In addition to all the brand and tech alignment City uses on social platforms, it gets similarly high marks for its revenue diversification and development of the Etihad campus — a multi-use district around the stadium that gives Manchester a hub of various media and entertainment experiences. As it continues to collect first-party data from its fans globally, it will be in a prime position to deliver Fluid Fans (technologically savvy supporters) a personalised experience,” the report said.

Other notable recent activity includes the Premier League side’s deal with Onefootball to distribute global editorial content on the German based company’s app, and their exclusive content deal with Douyin, a Chinese service owned by ByteDance (the company who owns TikTok). Mumbai City’s new deal with Puma, who outfits Man City, also highlighted the power of a centralised ownership group like CFG.

Sports Innovation Lab doesn’t forecast City will dip from the top of their bracket anytime soon.

“We expect City will be hard to unseat at the top of the rankings. They have a strong tech focus that should keep them ahead of the pack,” the report concluded.

The full Sports Innovation Lab list of the 25 most innovative sporting teams are shown below.

Full list:

  1. Manchester City (Premier League)
  2. Real Madrid (La Liga)
  3. Arsenal (Premier League)
  4. Barcelona (La Liga)
  5. Bayern Munich (Bundesliga)
  6. Manchester United (Premier League)
  7. Golden State Warriors (NBA)
  8. Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1)
  9. Juventus (Serie A)
  10. Sacramento Kings (NBA)
  11. Liverpool (Premier League)
  12. Philadelphia 76ers (NBA)
  13. New England Patriots (NFL)
  14. Green Bay Packers (NFL)
  15. AS Roma (Serie A)
  16. Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga)
  17. Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League)
  18. Toronto Raptors (NBA)
  19. Seattle Seahawks (NFL)
  20. Chicago Cubs (MLB)
  21. Los Angeles Clippers (NBA)
  22. San Francisco 49ers (NFL)
  23. Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA)
  24. Atlético Madrid (La Liga)
  25. Schalke 04 (Bundesliga)

 

 

 

 

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Chelsea FC partners with Strava in landmark lifestyle partnership

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Image credit: Stock1987 / Shutterstock.com

The London-based giants announced the launch this week, marking a first-of-its-kind partnership for both the Premier League and Women’s Super League (WSL).

Connecting with fans

As clubs across the world look to find new and exciting ways of connecting with fans, Chelsea are showing that the answer – more often than not – already exists.

Strava is a running and fitness platform with over 195 million users across the globe. But the app represents more than just tracking speed – it is a social and lifestyle symbol through which users can connect.

And with presence in 185 countries, the app has the power to unite users from all over the world, making it a perfect fit for the globally-followed Blues.

“We are always looking at ways we can use our global brand to bring people together, often in unexpected ways,” said Brand Director for Chelsea Football Club, Scott Fenton.

“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.”

Two brands with a huge international presence. One partnership which promises to encourage community, movement and healthy-living.

 

The intersection between sport and lifestyle

At first glance, Chelsea FC and Strava appear an unconventional partnership. Indeed, it is the first time a club has established an official presence on the app.

But at its core, the two organisations serve similar purposes: uniting people with a common passion for sport.

At its beginnings in 2009, Strava promised to replicate the feeling of team sports and unlocking new achievements, making a deal with Chelsea FC – one of the world’s most successful teams in recent years – a true full-circle moment.

“Chelsea FC joining Strava as the first Premier League and BWSL team to establish a global club on the platform is a powerful demonstration of how brands are engaging with their communities,” explained Director of Athlete and Community Partnerships at Strava, Mel Jarrett.

“We believe shared passion for movement creates real connections, and this collaboration brings that to life for Chelsea’s global fanbase.”

Spain’s Liga F receives history-making investment into women’s football

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Image credit: Liga F

The deal, worth AUD 91 million (€55 million) across four seasons, represents a monumental investment into Liga F and women’s football by Gasol16 Ventures and Fortified Partners.

 

Setting the pace

The investment comes as a hugely signficant moment in the history of women’s football not just in Spain, but across Europe.

But, given Spain’s commitment to growing the women’s game in recent years (and the world-beating teams it produces as a result), it is hardly a surprise that Liga F is at the centre of this milestone.

In the 2024-25 season, Liga F distributed AUD 28 million to its clubs, as well as doubling television audiences across two years.

The rate of growth is astounding, and shows no signs of slowing down.

“Women’s football in Spain has made a spectacular leap in recent years: audiences have almost doubled in two seasons, and stadiums are incresingly full,” explained Founder and President of Gasol16 Ventures, Pau Gasol.

“Therefore, this is not a sentimental commitment to women’s sport. It is an investment decision based on data, market trends, and the conviction that women’s football represents a growth opportunity with enormous potential for value creation.”

Thus, Gasol’s motivation reveals much about his own reasons for investing, as well as about the current status of women’s football in Spain.

The landscape does not want, or need, sentimental commitment. It is a financial and sporting powerhouse in its own right, and one which can grow to new heights year-on-year.

 

Securing a successful future

Furthermore, the long-term nature of the deal (set for the next four seasons from the 2026-27 campaign) shows vision and ambition for what the league can become.

“This agreement allows us to look further ahead and equip ourselves with the necessary tools to continue building an increasingly strong, more competitive league with greater capacity to generate value for our clubs,” outlined President of Liga F Beatriz Álvarez Mesa.

“What excites me most about this alliance is not just the investment it brings, but the message it sends: there are people and institutions who believe in the potential of Liga F and want to be part of its growth.”

 

Final thoughts

This is in stark contrast to the current situation of the A League Women in Australia, which PFA Chief Executive Beua Busch described as at a “tipping point”.

The problems remain the same as they were several years ago. Investment, player satisfaction and attendances are well below other major leagues. The key is creating a product which presents the immense value of clubs, players and commercial opportunities.

Because when intentional investment comes, the question stops being ‘who will invest?’ but ‘who wouldn’t?’ .

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