Sports Ticker #146 - Man City’s Revolut-ionary partnership and RPC's IFR Guide Launch - a speed read of commercial updates from the sports world

In a fortnight that saw Team GB’s most successful Winter Olympic Games ever, Aston Martin sell its naming rights to AMR GP for £50 million, and Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao announce a long-awaited rematch at the Las Vegas Sphere and, we bring you news of Manchester City’s new partnership with payment pioneers Revolut, consideration of the F1 engine regulations, and the exciting launch of RPC’s Independent Football Regulator Guide.

As always, if there are any issues on which you’d like more information (or if you have any questions or feedback), please do let us know or get in touch with your usual contact at RPC.

Bank-to-Back Champions: Revolut to sponsor Manchester City
Manchester City has announced fintech brand Revolut as its latest shirt sponsor, in a multi-year arrangement that builds on an existing deal with Manchester City Women. The deal will see Revolut’s branding on the back of the men’s team shirts in domestic cup matches, and on women’s team kits in WSL and cup fixtures. Revolut will also integrate its payment tools into the club’s financial infrastructure, with plans to implement Revolut Pay (and its associated rewards scheme, RevPoints) across customer facing transactions. The partnership adds to an ever-growing portfolio of high value sports partnerships for Revolut, including the NBA, the Audi F1 team, and French rugby giants Toulouse. Revolut’s Chief Marketing Officer, Antoine Nel, stated that Revolut aims to integrate “into the heart of fan experiences at the club, ensuring City fans enjoy the same fast, seamless and rewarding interaction with their football club as they do with their finances”. Will the partnership pay off for the payment pioneers? Stay tuned.

Paddock Politics: teams escalate engine loophole dispute
F1 pre-season testing is under way, and as with any new engine regulations, teams are starting to see where competitors have tested the limits. As readers may be aware, the 2026 rulebook limits F1 engine compression ratios (i.e. the amount fuel can be squeezed before combustion) to 16:1. Higher compression allows fuel to reach greater temperatures before ignition, generating more power. The dispute centres on how the ratio is measured. It is currently only tested on cold engines, and reports suggest Mercedes has achieved an 18:1 ratio at full operating temperature. Such gains could be worth several tenths of a second per lap – a significant advantage in F1. Rival manufacturers Ferrari, Honda, and Audi have urged the FIA to consider the case carefully and close any loopholes, with Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies calling for “clarity”. A rule change before the Bahrain season opener appears likely, after the FIA confirmed a proposal to measure compression ratios at both ambient and operating temperatures, potentially affecting Mercedes-powered teams including reigning Constructors’ Champions McLaren.

Regulatory Reckoning: Unlicensed betting backers face the final whistle
The Department of Culture, Media and Sport has launched a consultation that could see unlicensed gambling operators banned from sponsoring British sports teams. Currently, operators serving UK-based consumers must be licensed by the Gambling Commission. The Commission ensures that operators provide adequate consumer protections, including financial vulnerability checks. The Premier League has already resolved to remove all gambling operators from front-of-shirt sponsorship at the end of this season. However, it did not exclude gambling operators (licensed or unlicensed) from other shirt placements or adverts in stadiums. As of March 2025, the total gross gambling yield in the UK was £16.8 billion, and the industry is projected to reach a global valuation of almost $1.1 trillion by 2035. At the consultation launch, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said, “fans deserve to know the sites they’re using are properly regulated”, and that “it’s not right” that unlicensed companies can use large British sports teams to promote their operations.  

GFA targets boxing trade union turning point
The Global Fighters' Association (GFA) has announced plans to attempt to create a trade union for professional boxers. If successful, the GFA would be a breakthrough for the profession, with no existing organisation of its kind. Previous attempts include one by former world champion Barry McGuigan, who attempted to launch a trade union, with only 5% of boxers at the time able to secure their futures with boxing alone. However, one of the key difficulties the union faced at the time was convincing boxers to sacrifice a portion of their earnings. To resolve this, the GFA is opting for a novel approach to funding, seeking support from promoters and fans. The GFA has appealed to promoters to add a small booking fee for the union to their ticket sales. With the contributions, the GFA seeks to look after fighters not only during their years in the ring, but also once they hang up their gloves. 

Football's Future Framework: RPC unveils IFR Guide
RPC has launched its Independent Football Regulator Guide this week, designed to keep clubs informed on all things IFR. The guide, which discusses impact of the Football Governance Act 2025, both now and in the future. The guide includes a timeline, detailing when to prepare for key milestones, an overview of the IFR’s powers, and guidance on how to challenge its decisions. The launch is timely, following the IFR’s announcement that it has finalised its board lineup – a key step before further statutory powers are activated. IFR Chair David Kogan has stated that 2026 will be a “big year for the regulator” as it prepares to roll out its licensing system. Clubs are already showing willingness to proactively engage with the new regime. This month, League Two side Chesterfield FC offered to become a “pilot club” for the Regulator, seeking to get “governance, financial controls and processes in line with the regulator’s requirements at the earliest opportunity”. Be sure to take a look at the Guide for practical tips and key updates – if you bookmark the link, it will automatically be updated as and when changes or developments are added! https://rpc.foleon.com/ifr-guide/home/ 

Extra time...

...and finally, controversy erupted on the ice at the 2026 Winter Olympic curling competition, as Canada's Marc Kennedy became involved in a heated altercation with Sweden's Oskar Eriksson during Canada's 8-6 win. Kennedy was accused of double-touching his stones after release, which the Swedes alleged should have led to the stone being removed from play. Kennedy vehemently denied the allegation, but footage later circulated of him engaging in the prohibited conduct. The consequent backlash caused the authority to amend the rules, allowing teams to request reviews where they suspect rule violations. Canada went on to win gold in a dramatic men's final against Team GB (who also received a warning earlier in the competition after World Curling stepped in with extra officials to monitor deliveries). The final was viewed by a peak audience of 5.5 million viewers, part of a record breaking 83 million streams of the 2026 Games via the BBC.