Charles Russell Speechlys advises Sage on sponsorship deals for Six Nations Rugby, Major League Baseball and The Hundred

Charles Russell Speechlys has advised Sage, a global leader in software technology, on a series of high-profile partnership deals during 2022. The innovative partnerships include:

• Sage becoming the Official Insights Partner of Six Nations Rugby, including use of innovative “smart ball” technology to provide greater insights for fans;
• a multi-year deal for Sage to become an official partner of Major League Baseball in its first North American sports partnership; and
• Sage becoming an official partner of The Hundred in the cricket competition’s second season, with Sage branding umpires and the Decision Review System (DRS).

The Charles Russell Speechlys team was led by Jason Saiban with support from Richard Davies, Natalie Batra and Anna Sowerby, and each deal involved complex negotiations with the respective rightsholders.

Jason Saiban, Commercial Partner at Charles Russell Speechlys comments:

“We are delighted to have supported Sage on such a range of exciting partnerships.  The convergence of sport and technology makes Sage a perfect partner for rightsholders in the sports arena and these deals go beyond traditional sponsorship to genuinely tech-led partnerships.  Negotiating such deals is no easy task in the post-pandemic world, but it has been a pleasure working with all involved at Sage.”

Sally Moore, Global Sponsorship Director at Sage comments:

“The support of Jason and the Charles Russell Speechlys’ team has been invaluable in helping us navigate these negotiations. Finalising these deals required a creative and pragmatic legal approach and an implicit understanding of the objectives and challenges of both Sage and the rightsholders – the Charles Russell Speechlys’ team have supported us every step of the way.”