Sky Sports has announced a new multi-year broadcast agreement with Zuffa Boxing for the UK and Ireland.
The deal confirms Sky as the exclusive broadcaster for all Zuffa Boxing events in the region, and includes a commitment to stage at least five fight nights per year on UK soil.
The first event to be broadcast under the new agreement will be ZUFFA BOXING 05: CORTES vs. GARCIA. The main event features Andres Cortes (24-0) against Eridson Garcia (23-1), while the co-main event will see former world champion Mark Magsayo (28-2) take on Ireland’s Feargal McCroy (17-1).
A more detailed fight schedule for the remainder of 2026 is expected to be revealed over the coming weeks.
Jonathan Licht, Chief Officer UK & Ireland, Sky Sports, said, “Sky Sports has been a long-standing partner to boxing for more than 30 years. Zuffa Boxing has exciting plans for the sport, and we share that same ambition when it comes to putting on the best fights for our customers. We look forward to a new era where we’ll use our platform to both build stars and showcase elite boxing talent here in the UK and internationally.”
Manchester City have announced a new partnership with the global cyber security company, N-able.
The new multi-year agreement sees N-able become the Premier League club’s official cyber security partner, covering both the men’s and women’s teams. N-able will work with the club to protect its critical systems, data, and daily operations by integrating its technology, including AI-powered solutions, to further develop the existing technology infrastructure.
As part of the agreement, the N-able brand will also have a presence across several digital and physical assets within the men’s and women’s first team portfolio.
James Tennant, Director of Technology – Information Security at City Football Group, said, “Manchester City is a leading global brand within sport and beyond and with that comes the requirement for us to continually invest in technology and services to protect our people, our data, and our operations. N-able offer advanced end-to-end solutions that will help us as we continue to evolve and future-proof operations and we look forward to working with them as part of this new agreement announced today.”
Global fitness and lifestyle brand Reebok has appointed the independent creative collective Gung Ho as its retained UK agency, tasking it with leading the brand’s public relations and influencer strategy following a competitive pitch process.
The new partnership, which officially commenced in December, will see Gung Ho support Reebok in its aim to strengthen its connection with youth audiences and build its profile across the key verticals of lifestyle, fitness training, and performance sport ahead of 2026. Gung Ho will be responsible for driving this strategy forward.
Since the collaboration began, the agency has already delivered on a number of key projects. These include supporting the ‘Born Classic, Worn For Life’campaign, managing activity around the Global Basketball Games in Berlin and London, and leading the complete press strategy for the recent Full Circle pop-up event at the Vinyl Factory.
Sports communications agency Soapbox has been appointed by Channel 4 to support the broadcaster around its first-ever broadcast of The Boat Race.
As part of the brief, the London-based agency will deliver strategic PR counsel in the lead-up to the race, while driving a programme of media activity across sport, lifestyle, culture and entertainment. This will include elevating Channel 4’s presenting line-up and connecting athletes and key spokespeople with new audiences.
Founded in 2015 by publicists Andy Bell and Rowan Wilkinson, Soapbox represents a client roster that includes Formula E, Matchroom Boxing, the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), and Meta.
The agency’s founders were included in the 2026 *PRWeek Power Book* as two of the UK’s most influential sports communication specialists.
Andy Bell, Co-founder, Soapbox, said, “We’re thrilled to be working once again with Channel 4 as it prepares to broadcast The Boat Race. Having supported the network when it first secured the rights, we’re excited to build on that momentum and take things to the next level. It’s a rare privilege to play a role in one of the capital’s most iconic sporting occasions, and we look forward to ensuring audiences know exactly where and how to tune in.”
Jaguar TCS Racing have signed a multi-year agreement with Schaeffler, which sees the technology company become an official supplier to the Formula E team.
The collaboration will see the two organisations explore new approaches for high-performance electric drive systems and future-oriented motion technologies, drawing on Schaeffler’s experience in automotive engineering and motorsport.
The partnership strengthens Jaguar TCS Racing’s partner portfolio as the team prepares for Season 12 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
Ian James, Jaguar TCS Racing Team Principal, said, “We are pleased to welcome Schaeffler to our ever-growing world-class roster of suppliers and partners at Jaguar TCS Racing. Schaeffler’s expertise and credentials in high performance electric drive systems are highly regarded. We look forward to growing our partnership across this multi-year agreement with our shared commitment to pushing the boundaries of performance, reliability and e-mobility.”
Football’s anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out has announced a new partnership with grassroots sports engagement platform Gift of Kit.
The collaboration is designed to connect brands with more than 80,000 youth and women’s grassroots football teams across the UK, helping them to demonstrate a commitment to inclusion.
Built on the belief that respect and belonging are shaped early, the partnership will enable brands to support teams by sponsoring bespoke education programmes and co-branded kit and equipment.
The initial roll-out will be a national programme called Football United: The Next Generationwhich will support girls’ teams, mixed youth sides and community clubs, especially in underrepresented areas. The partnership will also see the launch of a Kick It Out Resources Hub hosted on the Gift of Kit platform, offering practical guidance for coaches, parents and clubs.
Hollie Varney, Chief Operating Officer of Kick It Out, said, “To create lasting change in football, we need to focus on everyday experiences at grassroots level, where culture is formed and habits are built. Working with Gift of Kit allows us to turn strategy into action, supporting young people and girls through positive, practical initiatives that help make football a place where everyone feels they belong.”
The Jacksonville Jaguars UK have announced a new partnership with the Union Jack Classic, the organisation staging the first American college football game at Wembley Stadium in 2026.
The partnership launches the UJC Elite Series Clinic, an advanced development programme for UK-based American football players aged 18–25. As part of the initiative, the Union Jack Classic will become the presenting partner of the Jaguars UK’s Elite Series Clinic.
The first clinic will be led by University of Kansas Head Coach, Lance Leipold, giving young athletes the opportunity to learn from a Big 12 Conference Head Coach.
The collaboration aims to build momentum towards the inaugural Union Jack Classic game at Wembley Stadium in 2026, which will feature the University of Kansas Jayhawks against the Arizona State University Sun Devils. The partnership follows the Union Jack Classic’s recent agreement with the British American Football Association (BAFA) to improve coaching and refereeing standards in the UK.
Brian Dubiski, Chairman & CEO of the Union Jack Classic, said, “We are very proud to be partnering with the Jacksonville Jaguars UK, an organisation that has been in the UK market for a long time and has already done an incredible job of growing the game of American football. Alongside bringing a major US college football game to Wembley, we want the Union Jack Classic to contribute positively to the development of the sport in the UK. This partnership allows us to provide ambitious players with coaching and experiences of the highest level. We’re excited to work together to create more opportunities for players to progress within the game.”
IRONMAN has partnered with sleep technology company Eight Sleep, which becomes the official sleep fitness partner for its European events.
The deal will see the AI-powered sleep optimisation brand activate at key IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 races across Europe, providing on-site education and athlete engagement. Eight Sleep’s signature product, the Pod, is a sleep system that measures biometrics such as heart rate and respiratory rate, before automatically adjusting temperature to maximise recovery.
The company claims its technology can deliver up to a 34% increase in deep sleep and a 15% improvement in cardiovascular recovery. The brand is already used by a number of elite endurance athletes, including IRONMAN World Champion Kristian Blummenfelt and Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar.
Yanni Andreopoulos, Executive Vice President of Global Partnerships at The IRONMAN Group, said, “IRONMAN partnering with Eight Sleep allows us to bring world-class sleep innovation and cutting-edge sleep science directly to our athletes. True performance comes from understanding your body and the key lifestyle factors that influence how you train, recover, and compete. Working with new partners such as Eight Sleep reflects IRONMAN’s strategy to collaborate with innovative brands beyond the traditional triathlon space. We are excited to welcome Eight Sleep on board as we continue to elevate the athlete experience and reach athletes at every touchpoint of their IRONMAN journey.”
