The World Darts Federation (WDF) has agreed a new multi-year sponsorship deal with Target Darts for the Lakeside World Championships.
The partnership will see the Target TOR board used for all 81 matches at the 2025 tournament. This year’s event will be the fourth edition held by the WDF, with 85 players from around the world competing across four categories.
The deal builds on Target Darts’ existing presence in the sport. A number of their sponsored players will be competing, including defending World Champions Shane McGuirk and Paige Pauling, and two-time Women’s World Champion Mikuru Suzuki. The brand also runs its Elite 1 Programme to develop youth talent, many of whom compete on the WDF circuit.
Adam Thompson, Marketing Director, Target Darts, said, “We’re thrilled to be joining forces with the WDF for this year’s Lakeside World Championships, after such a successful performance from our player roster at last year’s competition. Darts and the Lakeside share a strong legacy, and with the latest Target TOR boards in play, spectators can expect to see matches of the highest calibre.
“This new partnership ensures top-level playing conditions for all competitors this year, making this event an ideal chance for us to identify future darts stars, and build on our brand heritage of supporting them.”
The British Touring Car Championship’s organiser, TOCA, has announced a multi-year extension to its partnership with Goodyear.
The new agreement will run until the end of the 2031 season, extending a relationship that first began in 2003. The deal will see the collaboration reach a near 30-year milestone, making it one of the longest-standing partnerships in motorsport.
Goodyear will continue in its role as the official tyre partner for the championship, supplying its standard and option tyres for all events.
Mathias Kipp, director, Racing, Goodyear EMEA, said, “We are delighted to extend our collaboration with TOCA to support the BTCC, a championship that continues to grow and engage an ever-expanding fan base. This almost three-decades-long partnership is ready to write new chapters. Goodyear is committed to supporting the series’ development through the performance our tyres and by creating new opportunities for fans, who remain at the heart of our strategy.”
Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, said, “I am extremely proud of the partnership between Goodyear and the BTCC. We are delighted that one of the longest-standing, most loyal and successful collaborations will be heading to a near 30-year milestone, and long may it continue after that. This partnership will continue to innovate and deliver, both on-track and off-track, to the huge benefit of drivers, teams and fans alike.”
Entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) has appointed veteran brand executive Dominic Curran as Head of International Growth for its Brand Consulting division.
In the newly created position, Curran will be responsible for driving new business and organic growth, with a specific focus on new markets and territories. He will work collaboratively with CAA Brand Consulting Global Co-Heads Aubree Curtis, Jeff Eccleston, and Liz Gray. He is currently based in the agency’s New York office and will relocate to its London headquarters.
Curran brings more than 25 years of experience to the role, having held senior leadership positions across properties, brands, and agencies. He joins from MKTG, where he spent four years as Managing Director, Americas, and helped double the size of the agency. His career also includes time as Bacardi’s first Global Sports Director and a role in the marketing department at the Lawn Tennis Association.
CAA Brand Consulting is a strategy-led marketing agency which advises on more than $5bn in strategic partnerships for global clients including Qualcomm, Bose, T-Mobile, and Allianz.
Jeff Eccleston, Global Co-Head, CAA Brand Consulting, said, “Dom is an exceptional business leader, whose expertise in building brands and businesses, combined with his global perspective and proven track record in driving client and revenue growth, will supercharge our efforts to further globalise our business.”
Dominic Curran said, “I am thrilled at this opportunity, which combines my recent experience in North American sports and entertainment marketing with my international background, to further extend CAA’s relationships, reach, and resources, as we set out to accelerate the globalisation of the Brand Consulting business.”
Footballco has partnered with Common Goal to launch GOAL Projects, a campaign supporting grassroots soccer through artist collaborations.
The initiative pairs musicians with local soccer teams to raise funds and awareness via limited-edition jerseys and merchandise. A portion of proceeds from each collaboration is donated to grassroots teams identified by Common Goal, which manages fund distribution and supports activities such as equipment purchase, travel, and playing fees.
The campaign began in September with Grammy-winning artist Anderson .Paak supporting Oxnard Eagles, a girls’ team in his hometown in California. The latest collaboration features American band the Lumineers supporting Aurora West girls’ soccer team, composed of refugees from thirteen countries.
Teams participating receive kits designed through GOAL Projects and the opportunity to meet the artists. The campaign builds on Common Goal’s ongoing work to use soccer as a tool for social impact and to increase access to the sport for young players.
Jake Cohen, Head of GOAL Projects for Footballco said, “Common Goal is known across the world for the work they do to unite the global soccer community to tackle the greatest social challenges of our time. Through working with Common Goal we know that the artists we’re working with aren’t just creating amazing kits and merch, but they’re also supporting teams that need it the most.”
The British Olympic Association (BOA) has been named as a finalist for the IOC Climate Action Awards 2025.
The awards celebrate innovative projects across the Olympic Movement that are taking tangible steps towards tackling climate change. The winners will be announced in the run up to the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
The BOA, which runs Team GB, has been recognised for its work to reduce emissions by 50% by 2030. The strategy has already delivered an 85% reduction in the BOA’s Games-time footprint for Paris 2024 and a 37% decrease in freight volume since Tokyo 2020, through measures such as the use of sustainable transport options, including trains and hybrid and electric vehicles.
Shahab Uddin, CEO, British Olympic Association, said, “We’re incredibly proud to be recognised by the IOC for our commitment to tackling climate change within sport. Sustainability is central to how we operate, from the way we travel to how we deliver the Games experience for our athletes and staff. Being named a finalist for the IOC Climate Action Awards is a testament to the dedication of our entire team to making the British Olympic Association and Team GB a force for positive environmental change.”
Subscribe to the Sport Industry Daily for regular updates on the biggest stories and latest news in the sport industry.
