CORPORATE AND M&A
+++ Global investment company Platinum Equity acquired Augusta Sportwear Brands and Founder Sport Group, two US-based suppliers of team uniforms, sportswear and fan apparel for the youth and recreational sports market
+++ Frasers Group has appointed Jefferies in place of Liberum as its Joint Corporate Broker, alongside Barclays Bank plc and Deutsche Numis, with immediate effect +++
EXECUTIVE CHANGES
+++ Golf Brands Inc. has appointed Keith Dicker, previously at Duca del Cosma, as European sales manager
+++ Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A, will reportedly step down by the end of 2024 after nine years in the role
+++ Rip Curl has named industry veteran Kiki Prince as general manager for North America, effective Feb. 12 +++
PRODUCT & MARKETING
+++ US broadcaster NBCUniversal has announced that rapper Snoop Dogg will be joining its team (“I Will Be Bringing That Snoop Style”) to cover this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris
+++ Red Bull has, according to Palco23, purchased 51 percent of the Bora-Hansgrohe road-cycling team, which competes in the World Tour and can therefore give the energy-drink brand a presence at the Grand Tours (Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, Velta España)
+++ Florida-based fitness equipment manufacturer Goruck is the new official apparel and footwear provider of CrossFit and the CrossFit Games, as well as the official presenter of the CrossFit for Health Summit 2024, CrossFit’s partner for the CrossFit Open and the CrossFit Games, and the official kit provider for the athletes who qualify and compete at the Games
+++ Digital sports platform Fanatics and NBA superstar LeBron James announced a new, exclusive multi-year trading card partnership that will see James join Fanatics Collectibles, the company’s trading card and collectibles division
+++ The Formula E team Envision Racing has agreed a multi-year supply deal with UK clothing company Superdry
+++ The five-time Olympic champion, 17-time world champion and current World Cup leader in biathlon, Johannes Thingnes Bø from Norway, has decided to switch from the Swix pole brand to One Way +++
RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
+++ Authentic Brands Group has announced a partnership with New York City-based Profile Ent., a specialist in the big & tall and plus women’s apparel categories, to manufacture, wholesale and distribute Billabong plus-size women’s apparel in the US and Canada
+++ Adidas is closing its only downtown San Francisco store, located at the Westfield San Francisco Centre mall
+++ New Balance has opened a new store in Manchester’s Trafford Centre, on Lower Peel Avenue +++
LEGAL & INSTITUTIONAL
+++ UK-based charity Golf Foundation has appointed Steven Day as its new chair, taking over from Stephen Lewis, who is stepping down after nearly eight years in the role
+++ England men’s rugby union team has decided to part ways with the Rugby Players’ Association (RPA), putting an end to the 20-year-long RPA’s status as their exclusive commercial negotiator of contracts and commercial deals with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) +++
TRADE FAIRS & CONFERENCES
+++ The second edition of the tourism show Fitur Sports is scheduled for Jan. 24-26 in Madrid
+++ The next edition of the fitness and wellness show FIBO is scheduled for April 11-14 at Exhibition Centre Cologne, Germany
+++ The Padel World Summit, which we previewed last June and is organized by the International Padel Cluster (CIP), will be taking place in Málaga, Spain, on May 20-26 +++
