Sports Industry News: Ashley Young, Lancashire Cricket and World Tennis Updates

Former England international Ashley Young has signed with sports communication agency Soapbox to manage his public relations and social media activity. The partnership focuses on building Young’s profile as a pundit for Sky Sports during the 2026/27 Premier League season, according to Sport Industry Group.

Young, a Premier League winner and former defender for Manchester United and Aston Villa, recently retired from professional football. While Soapbox handles his communications, Young continues to work with his long-term commercial agent, Nicola Nolan at Belmont Sports & Entertainment.

Soapbox adds Young to a roster that includes Anthony Joshua, Luke Littler, Billy Monger, and Karen Carney. The agency has also recently acquired clients Target Darts and Baller League.

It is a true privilege to collaborate with a figure of Ashley’s standing in the sport, which reflects the confidence he has placed in our team. He is currently at a thrilling point in his career, having reached milestones on the pitch that most people only dream of. We are delighted to assist the efforts of Nicola and the team at Belmont Sports & Entertainment and are eager to begin!

Andy Bell, Co-Founder of Soapbox

Richard Kenyon Appointed Lancashire Cricket CEO

Lancashire Cricket has named Richard Kenyon as its new Chief Executive Officer. Kenyon joins the club from Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, where he previously served as CEO, Sport Industry Group reports.

Kenyon succeeds Daniel Gidney, who is retiring after 14 years in the position. Kenyon’s background includes a decade at Everton Football Club, where he held roles as Chief Commercial and Communications Officer and CEO of Everton in the Community. He also contributed to the delivery of Everton’s new stadium.

I am deeply honoured to be appointed Chief Executive Officer of Lancashire Cricket. This is a Club with a proud history, passionate Members and supporters, and tremendous ambition. To have the opportunity to play a leading role in the next chapter of its journey is a real privilege. Chief Executive Officer

Richard Kenyon, Chief Executive Officer of Lancashire Cricket

Dame Sarah Storey, Chair of Lancashire Cricket, stated that Kenyon emerged as the outstanding candidate following an extensive search process.

World Tennis Partners with Fourteen Apparel

World Tennis has entered a two-year apparel partnership with Swiss brand Fourteen. Fourteen becomes the official apparel supplier for the governing body following its rebrand from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) in June 2026, according to Sport Industry Group.

The agreement includes the design and supply of bespoke t-shirts, polos, shorts, and jumpers featuring the organization’s new visual identity. These garments will be worn by coaches, event staff, tournament umpires, officials, and development officers globally.

Fourteen currently maintains partnerships with the Swiss Tennis Federation, Tennis Europe, the Czech Tennis Federation, and various ATP 250 tournaments.

This partnership is an important part of bringing the World Tennis brand to life across our global operations. Fourteen shares our commitment to quality, performance and attention to detail. Its bespoke apparel will give our teams a smart, professional and consistent identity wherever they are representing our growing sport around the world. Commercial Director

Nicky Stanton, Commercial Director of World Tennis

Birmingham City Secures HVAC Partnership with Haier

Birmingham City has agreed to a partnership with climate control brand Haier, naming the company as the League One club’s official heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) partner.

Under the deal, Haier will upgrade club facilities with HVAC systems and execute commercial partner and fan activations. Jeremy Dale, CEO of Birmingham City Football Club, cited Haier’s reputation for sustainability and innovation as a primary reason for the fit.

Bob Cowlard, CEO at Haier HVAC Solutions, noted that the company is leveraging relationships with the Birmingham Business Alliance to support energy-efficient climate solutions within the evolving Sports Quarter.

WBSC and FeedConstruct Betting Data Deal

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) has signed an exclusive global betting data and streaming partnership with UK-based FeedConstruct.

FeedConstruct now holds the exclusive rights to distribute real-time data and live streams from selected WBSC competitions to its network of betting partners and sportsbook operators. The partnership utilizes low-latency streaming to enable in-play betting markets during tournaments, according to Sport Industry Group.

The deal expands the WBSC’s commercial reach into the sports betting market while growing FeedConstruct’s portfolio of international sports rights.

Our partnership with the WBSC represents a pivotal moment in our strategy for global rights and highlights our essential function within the sports ecosystem. By obtaining the streaming and data distribution rights worldwide for these top-tier baseball tournaments, we are providing high-quality, captivating sports content to our network of hundreds of sportsbook partners.

Narek Harutyunyan, CEO of FeedConstruct