Melendez has agreed to an exclusive equipment contract/endorsement deal with fitness apparel company Everlast.

Under the agreement, Melendez will continue to exclusively use Everlast equipment for his training needs, while also playing a role in direct-to-consumer/retail marketing initiatives . The fitness apparel company will also become the official equipment sponsor of Melendez’s gym — El Nino Training Center.

“Gilbert Melendez is the perfect athlete to add to the Everlast stable of fighters,” said Matt Cowan, VP of Marketing and Products for Everlast. “He is focused, driven and at the apex of the sport of mixed martial arts. His dedication and strength make him a natural fit for our brand.”

“Becoming a member of the Everlast team is the next step toward realizing my goals in this sport,” said Melendez. “Having the support of such a great company both personally and at the gym level has relieved some of the stress of training and allowed me to primarily focus on my upcoming title defense. I am excited to be a brand ambassador for the best fight sports brand in the world!” (via Press Release)

Details on Everlast and all of its products can be found on the Everlast website.

The agreement, which will now continue through the 2017-2018 season will see Adidas continue as the official supplier partner of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup. Every match up and until the conclusion of the 2017-18 season will use Adidas match balls, with Adidas designing new match balls for each season and the UEFA playoffs.

Commenting on the agreement, David Taylor, CEO of UEFA Events SA, said: “We are very pleased that adidas has chosen to renew and further extend its agreement with UEFA for our European club football competitions. This extension proves the strength of our business relationship and ensures that adidas remains at the heart of European club football. Our continued collaboration will bring new opportunities for the promotion of the very best of European football to a worldwide audience.” (via UEFA)

Under the agreement Adidas will also provide various products for both tournaments, including a “Champions League corner” in all Adidas shops, special kits for match officials, and various accessories for the finals of each competition.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship, which is owned by two Vegas casino operators — Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta — has struck a deal with Endemol Games U.K. to license the fight footage and a dozen fighter’s likenesses to the company for usage in their online slot machines.

Endemol Games is a subdivision of Endemol, a Dutch-based television company known for various American television shows including Deal or No Deal and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

The deal creates a new revenue stream for the UFC, with the company receiving revenue on a flat licensing fee plus a percentage of the game’s handle, should certain net profit incentives –$1 million dollars annually — be met.

“Everybody wants to make money, but even more important than that, this is a great extension of our brand,” Epstein (UFC Exec VP & General Counsel)said. “Endemol has a great track record of taking great brands and creating very successful games online…One thing we’re blessed with is international reach,” Epstein said. “When you look at opportunities to take the brand around the world, this is pretty effective and efficient.” (via Sports Business Daily)

This is the UFC’s second foray into the world of online gaming, the company previously had a sponsorship deal with Full Tilt Poker before they were forced to shut down operations.

That sentence was commonplace and not at all surprising back in the middle of 2009, but, just two years and numerous expired sponsorship deals later, it is big news.

Woods has signed an exclusive endorsement/equity deal– meaning he will own a portion of the company — with Fuse Science. Woods and Fuse Science will work in the sports nutrition/energy categories and he will act as the company’s primary sports spokesperson.

Woods had previously endorsed Gatorade in the sports nutrition/energy category, but their relationship ended in February of last year amid Woods’ bizarre scandal. Woods, on his new deal with Fuse Science,

“When I learned about Fuse Science’s groundbreaking technology, I immediately understood that this will be a game-changer in how we live our lives every day, said Woods. “We will improve energy, nutrition and medication delivery in several global categories and we will enhance every athlete’s ability to perform at their natural best. This company is laying the foundation for some very significant things and after personally talking to them; I wanted to be Powered by Fuse.

Beyond sports, this technology applies in so many ways,” added Tiger. “The long-term potential is significant. To me, that’s something much bigger than golf.” (via Press Release)

According to Sports Business Daily, the Fuse Science slogan “Powered by Fuse Science” will be embossed on Woods’ golf bag during the Chevron World Challenge November 30 – December 4th. Woods’ will also work with Fuse Science to create a series of signature product (similar to Gatorade’s “Tiger-ade”) which will debut sometime in the near future.

“This is a very big day for our company and what it means to be Powered by Fuse,” added Brian Tuffin, President and Chief Operating Officer. “Our partnership with the world’s best is an enabler to have a worldwide impact sooner than later. Tiger recognizes the significance of the journey we’re on as a company, and wants to be part of our growth while leverage the technology to make a difference globally.”

Tiger. With an endorsement deal…with a relatively unknown company — especially considering Woods’ former endorsement cache. Of course if anyone can make a little known company a household name its Tiger…once he is able to get back on the winning track.

Twitter is officially everywhere. A soccer team in the Mexican Primera Division has decided to take social media to the next level and place each player’s twitter handle on the back of their jersey.

Seriously.

Each jersey of the Club de Fútbol Jaguares de Chiapas (los Jaguares) features the player’s twitter handle and the account of the club’s chief sponsor Cervesa Sol (@CervesaSol)

“Conscious of the age we live in, where we can all stay in touch through the Internet no matter how distant, Jaguar launched a campaign and carried out various activities linked to Twitter,” according to a statement from the club.

“In football as in life, 140 characters are enough to decide which side you’re on,” the club added. Much of the club’s home page is deciated to the club’s social media activities, with a feed tracking mentions of the club’s handle, @soyjaguar. (via PCMag)

Nowadays people will display their twitter handle on business cards, email signatures, and television. But, los Jaguares is the first such team to utilize the promotion of their twitter handles on the back of their jersey. While you surely won’t see the four major American sports promoting twitter via jersey (especially when many clubs frown on social media usage to an extent because of its unfiltered nature), it will be interesting to see, going forward, if other sports and other leagues adopt this model. Might we see some reference to twitter on a WNBA jersey — after all, they’ve already adopted the display of sponsors on the front of their jerseys — or maybe other soccer teams in other parts of the world? Only time will tell for sure.

But, in the meantime? We can follow the trendsetters that are @soyjaguar

When you’re playing beach volleyball, there isn’t exactly a lot of space for advertising on your uniform.

Still, that won’t stop UK beach volleyballers Zara Dampney and Shauna Mullin from making the most out of the situation. The two Olympic hopefuls — ranked 26th in the world — have signed what is believed to be a five figure marketing deal with the UK-based betting firm, Betfair, to place matrix barcodes on their bikini bottoms. The Quick Response (QR) codes, when photographed with a smart phone, take the picture taker to a specific website, upon which they hopefully purchase a product, take part in a survey, or whatever else the marketer desires.

The campaign is seemingly taking advantage of advertising space some beach volleyball spectators may already notice…even without the barcodes.

Betfair’s head of UK Sports & Marketing PR, Andy Lulham,

“There is huge interest in beach volleyball and we want to ensure that our advertising campaign is seen and remembered by as many sports fans as possible.

As far as we’re aware this is the first time QR codes have been used in in-play sports advertising and what better way to test its effectiveness than by putting them on one of the places that is likely to get photographed the most.” (The Telegraph)

The “barcode bikinis” were set to be unveiled at the London 2012 beach volleyball tournament, taking place at Horse Guards Parade August 9-14. Yesterday, all of the evening matches were moved to earlier in the day amidst security concerns. It is currently unknown whether or not the matches for the rest of the week will be disrupted as well.

Neither Dampney or Mullin will be allowed to wear the barcoded bikinis during the actual Olympic Games, as any branding other than manufacturers logos is disallowed during the event. (via SportsBusinessDaily)

Fresh off a tremendous run in the Women’s World Cup, it looks like some team members of the U.S. women’s soccer team are taking their talents to the sport of marathon running.

Bank of America has reached an agreement with U.S. Soccer team members Abby Wambach, Hope Solo, and Alex Morgan. The trio will serve as spokespeople for a charitable program that will be tied in to Bank of America’s title sponsorship of the Chicago Marathon.

“The opportunity to partner with Bank of America and the Chicago Marathon is a thrill for us,” said U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo. “There’s going to be such a tremendous spirit of camaraderie – from the public and private organizations working together to stage the event to all the athletes and their supporters pursuing a personal best or advancing a community cause. It’s going to be a great weekend.” (via Bank of America)

Although details of the ladies sponsorship are scarce at this point, details of the promotion involving the players will be released via BoA’s Facebook page and the Chicago Marathon’s website. What is known is that the sponsorship will highlight the ideas of ‘teamwork’, and ‘community’,

“This is a program that’s all about the benefits of teamwork, and how people can make opportunity possible in their communities when they pull together,” said Wambach. “That’s why it’s great that all three of us are involved. We’ve proven what can be done when people come together with a sense of purpose and determination, and speaking on behalf of Hope and Alex, we’re looking forward to highlighting that sense of teamwork and opportunity at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.”

“The Bank of America Chicago Marathon touches many people who never lace up a running shoe because of the funds participants raise for charities each year, as well as the economic benefit the race brings to the city of Chicago,” said Bank of America Global Strategy and Marketing Officer Anne Finucane. “It takes a tremendous amount of partnership to make all of that happen, and right now, nobody better represents the spirit of teamwork than Abby, Hope and Alex. That’s why we are so excited to have the opportunity to be working with them.”

The 34th annual Bank of America Chicago Marathon will take place on October 9th. Look for numerous marathon runners, Bank of America representatives, and a few U.S. Women’s Soccer players.

WISeKey, a Swiss-based digital security and identification company, has signed an exclusive agreement with Real Madrid C.F, for exclusive distribution of the club’s mobile content in China.

The deal, which will begin this upcoming season, covers all of China and the “extended network of Chinese real Madrid fans”.

“WISeKey will help Real Madrid generate extra revenue by distributing official mobile content in China, creating a mobile community of Real Madrid fans who choose to receive Real Madrid’s exclusive mobile content using WISeKey’s world-leading eSecurity technologies” said Carlos Moreira, Founder and CEO WISeKey.

WISeKey’s partnership with Real Madrid becomes beneficial, as it allows Real Madrid to monetize their brand via mobile content, in a country that otherwise has restricted mobile content rights. Brand building in a place you would otherwise be restricted…It is certainly a positive for Real Madrid,

“We are delighted to be partnering with WISeKey, who will boost the club’s presence and strengthen our popularity in China via the fastest growing mobile market community. Real Madrid fans can find in their mobile devices the best photos, videos, news…of the club in nearly every corner of the world thanks to our dynamic licensing model, and now, thanks to WISeKey, we are also entering the Chinese market,” said Pedro Duarte, Head of New Media Real Madrid.

The entire press release can be found, here.

Johnson & Johnson has been announced as a global sponsor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, making J&J the eigth and final FIFA World Cup sponsor.

With the agreement, Johnson & Johnson will be named the official Healthcare Sponsor of the tournament, with the ability to activate across their Consumer, Medical Devices & Diagnostics and Pharmaceutical businesses. Under the agreement, Johnson & Johnson will also receive exclusive global marketing rights related to the FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013 and 2014 FIFA World Cup.

“Having a global, broadly based and trusted company like Johnson & Johnson as a FIFA World Cup™ Sponsor is a great asset for FIFA and we are honoured to welcome them on board,” said Thierry Weil, FIFA Marketing Director. “We look forward to working closely with Johnson & Johnson on our shared mission of making the 2014 World Cup an exciting and memorable event.”

Johnson & Johnson previously served as one of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) top-tier sponsors , but they did not renew the deal in 2008.

“The FIFA World Cup™ unites people of all cultures, ages and socioeconomic levels like no other event, and we’re excited to tap into this passion and reach to further impact health and wellness around the world,” said Brian Perkins, Corporate Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Johnson & Johnson. “Through this sponsorship, the company will be able to reach new professionals and consumers and deepen our commitment and connection to the people and communities we serve.”

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

What do you get for the network that has everything?

ESPN confirmed the rumors that first spread during this past weekend, announcing a 12-year agreement with the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club to acquire exclusive U.S. television rights for the Wimbledon Championship. The deal, which will begin in 2012, expands ESPN’s current rights, allowing them to provide comprehensive coverage of the tournament — including the various matches during the second Monday-Wednesday of the tournament, live telecasts of all the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the men’s and women’s finals.

ESPN has shared broadcasting rights with NBC, among other networks, for the last 9 years. NBC has had some form of broadcast rights for the last 43 years.

Under the new agreement, ESPN, which had aired approximately 100 hours annually of Wimbledon coverage — with another 650 on ESPN3.com, will see coverage across their networks rise to 140 hours and 750 hours, respectively, through 2023.

When asked the reason for the move, Ian Ritchie, Chief Executive of The All England Lawn Tennis Club, noted the idea of having the tournament broadcast on one network as a contributing factor to the decision,

I think we definitely felt that we wanted very positively to bring it together into one arena. And I think for the points you mentioned. I think if you have two separate organizations telling the story, inevitably there is a danger of it being confused. You want some consistency to it. You want to bring a combined and coherent promotional package to it as well. In the process that we’ve undergone in the last few weeks and months, we made it clear to our existing partners NBC and ESPN and to others, that we saw advantages of a coherent single partnership. And we made that clear that that was really one of our objectives right from the start. Yes, you’re right. We seek to improve how the Championships is seen in the USA, and we believe this arrangement on the principles that I just talked about, helps to achieve that.

ESPN president George Bodenheimer on the deal,

“We are proud to have been a partner of The All England Club the past nine years and are thrilled to be given continuing responsibility for honoring Wimbledon’s rich tradition. Over the next 12 years, we’ll work closely together to move coverage of this great event forward with live coverage on television and using all the latest technologies and screens.”

ESPN securing the Wimbledon rights deal continues their move towards putting large-scale sporting events on their network, and off of broadcast television. They currently have the rights to college football’s BCS Championship, starting with this past January’s matchup, and continuing through 2014.

In a sport which has desperately searched for marquee match-ups and prestigious fights over the last few years, the man who is arguably the sport’s biggest superstar is returning to the ring.

…and he’s still not fighting Manny Pacquiao.

Mayweather declared via Twitter that he would fight current WBC Welterweight Champion Victor Ortiz on September 17th, for the WBC Championship. The location of the fight has yet to be announced. Mayweather has not fought since his unanimous decision victory over Shane Mosley on May 1, 2010. He is currently 41-0, with 25 knockouts.

“At this stage of my career, these are the challenges I look for, a young, strong, rising star looking to make his mark in boxing by beating me. Ortiz is just going to be another casualty, the 42nd one who tried and failed.” — Floyd Mayweather

As for a possible Pacquiao fight — the only truly marquee fight left in the sport of boxing — Mayweather was allegedly offered a $65M payday, a claim which he denies,

“If it didn’t come from Al Haymon’s mouth, you know it’s some ********…When it comes to business, Al Haymon’s the best…Did they offer me $65 million? Absolutely not! Absolutely not! Bob Arum has not spoken to Al Haymon at all. Bob Arum is not even on the level of an Al Haymon. Al Haymon does not believe in getting fighters, making a ton of money off of them, and if a fighter goes broke, don’t care nothing about them. I can tell you this much: Al Haymon has set Floyd Mayweather up to where I’m set for the rest of my life. I don’t know what nobody else can say but everything I have is paid for and I’m set for the rest of my life,” — via BoxingInsider

For the sake of comparison, Mayweather received a guaranteed $22.5M payday to fight Mosley back in May of last year. Although monetary amounts haven’t been mentioned for the Ortiz fight, one can assume that he will not receive $65M to fight Ortiz.

The September 17th fight is being promoted by Mayweather’s own Mayweather promotions and Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions. A nationwide press tour is schedule for the week of June 20th.

That “weird” tape is made by SpiderTech, a Canadian-based company that makes pre-cut, ready-to-apply kinesiology tape. Na is a SpiderTech endorser, a move which, is currently paying dividends for both parties,

“We could not be more proud of our SpiderTech athlete Li Na,” said Sid Mitchell, CEO SpiderTech. “We are so pleased we could play a small part in helping her to victory. Li is a wonderful ambassador for our brand. As we continue to build SpiderTech globally, world-class partner athletes like Li Na play an important role in our growth.”

Na, who was seen wearing SpiderTech tape on her knee throughout the tournament, credited the product for her success, at least partially,

“SpiderTech kinesiology therapy tape products provide me the comfort and support that I need to perform my best on the court. SpiderTech’s superior materials and adhesives give a better feel, last longer, and retain the physical integrity that I need to keep playing harder, longer.”

With the win, Na moves up to #4 in the WTA Tour rankings.

Learn more about SpiderTech on their site.

The tour will hit many major U.S. cities, including Boston, Chicago, and Seattle.  Through the sponsorship, DHL has been granted player and former player appearances, tickets, and various branding opportunities — most notably, Manchester United will be traveling in a DHL-branded bus.

“The team is really looking forward to going back to the US. The tour is great preparation for the season and the facilities over there are fantastic. I’m looking forward to some good football and the chance to meet our fans in the US.” — Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson

Details of the sponsorship agreement were not disclosed.

“Our sponsorship of the Manchester United USA Tour 2011 provides an outstanding opportunity to promote DHL’s brand in major U.S. markets and reinforce DHL as the specialists in International. We’re excited to team up with Manchester United, a truly global sports brand whose international footprint mirrors our own.” — Ian Clough, CEO of DHL Express U.S.

Manchester United’s summer tour begins on July 13th, when Man U travels to Boston to face the MLS’ New England Revolution.  The tour ends in Washington D.C., on July 30th against Barcelona, with stops in Seattle, Chicago, and New Jersey in between.

The reasoning? Full-Tilt has failed to reimburse online player accounts after being shut down in April of this year.

“I am deeply disappointed and embarrassed that Full Tilt players have not been paid money they are owed. I am equally embarrassed that as a result many players cannot compete in tournaments and have suffered economic harm,” Ivey, who has played online on Full Tilt and appeared in the company’s TV commercials, said in a statement posted on his website.

Court records show that Ivey filed suit against Tiltware on Wednesday. In the suit, Ivey claims that Full Tilt still owes online players roughly $150M and that they either negligently or willfully failed to keep a large enough reserve to return the funds to the players.

Full Tilt was shut down after an FBI sting operation in April along with two other poker sites, PokerStars and Absolute Poker. Two of the companies, Full Tilt and PokerStars, bargained with officials to reopen their domains in order to repay players who had money in online accounts. PokerStars announced that they’ve repaid their players. Full Tilt, on the other hand, has announced that they are still working to “resolve the distribution of the funds”.

Full Tilt’s stance on repayment led to Ivey’s lawsuit, and his decision to sit out poker’s largest event, the World Series of Poker,

“I am not playing in the World Series of Poker as I do not believe it is fair that I compete when others cannot. I am doing everything I can to seek a solution to the problem as quickly as possible,” he said.

“My name and reputation have been dragged through the mud, through the inactivity and indecision of others, and on behalf of all poker players I refuse to remain silent any longer,” Ivey said. “I have electronically filed a lawsuit against Tiltware related to the unsettled player accounts. As I am sure the public can imagine, this was not an easy decision for me.

“I wholeheartedly refuse to accept non-action as to repayment of players funds and I am angered that people who have supported me throughout my career have been treated so poorly,” he said.

“I sincerely hope this statement will ignite those capable of resolving the problems into immediate action,” he added. (via ESPN)

The World Series of Poker began on Tuesday. Look for details on Ivey’s suit, in the coming weeks.

“He is no longer with IMG,” company spokesman Jim Gallagher said.

Steinberg, who has been Tiger’s agent since 1999 –Woods has been with IMG since he turned pro in 1996– chose not to stay with the sports agency after contract renegotiation talks broke down.

Steinberg’s contract was set to expire in June of this year.

At the moment, there has been no comment from the Tiger Woods camp, although he was questioned about the expiration of Steinberg’s contract at yesterday’s press event for the AT&T National event, which is scheduled to take place June 30th,

Q: There is a story in the New York Times today. Ted Forstmann who as you know has been sick, talking about IMG and its future. He talked about how the growth is not really in golf but in other things. I believe Mark’s contract is up for renewal with IMG, but I’m not sure about that. I’m wondering what is your feeling about your long term commit many to IMG and your commitment to Mark? You’ve been with both for a long time, and where do you see your business life going?

TIGER WOODS: I’m committed to both, with IMG, and Mark’s my agent. It’s been a great relationship. I’ve been with him ever since I turned pro. I had a chance to go through a lot of basically my entire professional career and learn a lot about the business.

Tiger obviously has a good relationship with both Steinberg and IMG, but with Steinberg now departing, his future with IMG is uncertain, but also in his own hands. Reports late Tuesday said that Woods’ would have the final decision regarding his departing IMG to stay with Steinberg or staying with the agency.

Woods current sponsors (via Steinberg) include EA Sports, Nike, and Upper Deck.

IMG, who is reorganizing their golf division after the departure of Steinberg, announced via press release that Guy Kinnings and Robbie Henchman would be the new co-heads of IMG’s Golf division.