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STATE OF THE NATION: SPORTS
A sporting
chance
2021 is in the midst of a glorious summer of sport – from the Three Lions’ stunning performance in Euro 2020, to the British & Irish Lions heading to South Africa and Team GB flying the flag at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. From a licensing point of view, it’s also been a busy time, with numerous new deals and collaborations.
Asprey speeds in with Formula 1 Formula 1 has revealed a special collection with British luxury goods house, Asprey, celebrating the sport’s new era, with a new car and rules and regulations introduced in 2022. Asprey – which is marking its 240th anniversary this year – previously partnered with Ferrari’s F1 team in the late 1990s on a premium collection of gold, silver and leather pieces. The new collaboration follows the launch of new 2022 F1 car, which was unveiled at Silverstone ahead of the 2021 Formula 1 Pirelli British Grand Prix. The exclusive collection is inspired by the design of the new 2022 car and includes sterling silver replica and sculptural models in 25cm, 18cm and 10cm sizes, as well as a range of small silver goods and silk products. Fine jewellery items including cufflinks, bracelets, charms and signet rings are set to launch later in the autumn.
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LICENSING SOURCE BOOK EUROPE 2021
Inset: The new NBA store is being operated by Lids, the largest sports retailer in the US.
Fanatics and NBA team on first UK store The National Basketball Association has opened its first official store in the UK. The new two-floor store – which is located in Foubert’s Place, in the Carnaby shopping area of London’s Soho – is being operated by Lids, the largest licensed sports retailer in the US, which is partly owned by Fanatics. The London opening marks the first official NBA store operated by Lids as part of the NBA’s partnership with Fanatics. It will be followed up with three further stores around the world in the next 18 months. The outlet offers a wide range of official NBA and WNBA merchandise including exclusive NBA products, apparel, jerseys, toys, sporting goods, headwear and collectables from brands such as New Era and Nike among others. There will also be a customisation service. “Ahead of our 75th anniversary season, we are excited to welcome fans to the first NBA Store in the UK,” said Steve Griffiths, NBA EME director of global partnerships.
Inset: The exclusive collection is inspired by the design of the new 2022 F1 car.
