Last time you heard from me on the sporting front KFC had captivated Sydney’s Northern Beaches with its ‘Foz Ball’ takeover. Well, it’s done it again with a zinging social media post, announcing KFC has extended its sponsorship with the Penrith Panthers until the end of the 2028 NRL season.
Unlike the usual announcement that simply involves sporting clubs posting a press release on their website, the Panthers and the Colonel had some fun announcing its renewed partnership.
They did this by staging a press conference with four times premiership winning coach, Ivan Cleary. In the press conference he teased out a major announcement. After teasing the extension he then goes on to reveal its a signing extension and that it has “buckets of talent”, its “the recipe for success” and something the fans “can sink their teeth into”.
He finally puts the staged media out of their misery by revealing the signed extension is in fact with the QSR.
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The renewal will see KFC continue as the club’s official shorts partner, with branding to feature on the back right panel of Panthers playing and training shorts.
As part of the extended partnership, KFC will also continue to have a strong presence at Panthers home games through gameday activations, LED signage and the fan-favourite Zinger Time, which gives Panthers supporters the opportunity to win a free Zinger at each home game.
KFC has been a valued partner of Penrith since 2022, with the relationship continuing to grow alongside the club’s success on and off the field.
KFC CMO Vanessa Rowed said KFC was proud to continue lacing up with one of the most dominant NRL clubs.
“The Panthers set the benchmark in the NRL, and we’re thrilled to continue backing a club that shares KFC’s passion for footy and delivering for fans,” she said.
“This is a partnership that continues to go from strength to strength.”
Panthers Rugby League CEO Matt Cameron licked his fingers at the renewal and thanked KFC for its ongoing support.
“KFC has been a fantastic partner of our club since joining the Panthers family in 2022,” Cameron said.
“Their commitment to creating memorable experiences for our members and fans has made them a valued part of our gameday experience.
“We’re delighted to extend this partnership through until the end of 2028 and look forward to continuing to work together to deliver for Panthers supporters.”
The renewed partnership coincides with KFC’s new slogan, Go Full Chicken, as the iconic brand continues to bring its unmistakable energy to rugby league fans.’’
In other topical news, the Glasgow Commonwealth Games wrapped up on Monday night. Not only did it prove a golden couple of weeks for Australia topping the medal table with 171 medals, 70 of those Gold, but it also proved a winning formula for Seven.
From the Opening Ceremony on 24 July to Monday’s Closing Ceremony, Seven’s Glasgow 2026 coverage reached 11.9 million Australians.
The Games delivered an average prime time national total TV audience of 747,000. Across all day parts, the Games had an average total TV audience of 346,000.
Glasgow 2026 also produced Australia’s biggest ever digital audience for a Commonwealth Games, reaching 3.94 million people on 7plus Sport alone. The Games had an average audience of 56,000 on Seven’s digital platform, up 56 per cent on the Birmingham Games.
“Glasgow 2026 was a standout event for our commercial partners. The strength and consistency of the audience across the 10-day event, combined with Australia’s dominant 171 medals, delivered our partners, sponsors and advertisers genuine scale and reach across iconic sporting moments on broadcast and 7plus Sport,” said Katie Finney, Seven’s director of sales, television and streaming.
“Glasgow 2026 also continued the trend of major sporting events growing on 7plus Sport, reaching 3.94 million Australians on that platform alone and delivering 526% growth in 7plus Sport viewing on the 2022 Birmingham Games.
Among Seven’s corporate sponsors were AAMI, Harvey Norman, Woolworths, Hancock Prospecting, Kidman, Chemist Warehouse and BUPA.
Welcome back to B&T’s Spotlight on Sponsors series, where we break down all the major sponsorship news from inside the sporting world.
Outside of Glasgow and Penrith, the sports marketing world has been dominated by the Perth Bears—the 18th NRL team that is set to join the comp at the start of the 2027 season. Don’t believe me, check out how busy the Perth Bears and its CEO Anthony De Ceglie have been.
Perth Bears x Corporate Traveller
Corporate Traveller has jumped onto the Perth bandwagon, signing on as the club’s inaugural foundation coaches partner.
In addition to its previously announced role as a co-major Partner of the Bears in Business corporate network, Corporate Traveller will now extend its commercial footprint to align directly with Perth Bears head coach Mal Meninga and his elite performance staff.
Corporate Traveller provides tailored travel management solutions for businesses using cutting-edge booking technology and 24/7 expert support to help Australian businesses travel efficiently. As the foundation coaches partner, Corporate Traveller will feature prominently on head coach, Mal Meninga’s match-day and training apparel, coaches’ box signage, and official media backdrops for the inaugural 2027 season and beyond.
Perth Bears CEO Anthony De Ceglie welcomed the expanded partnership, highlighting the strategic synergy between elite sports performance and seamless corporate travel.
“To have a national leader like Corporate Traveller expand their commitment to the Perth Bears ahead of our 2027 NRL debut is a massive vote of confidence in our franchise,” De Ceglie said.
“Corporate Traveller understands what it takes to perform under pressure. As we build an elite football program from the ground up, having their support behind Mal and our coaching department, alongside their backing of our Bears in Business network, gives us an incredible foundation for success both on and off the field.”
Head coach Mal Meninga said he was thrilled to have Corporate Traveller helping him get where he needed to go without any hassle.
“In elite sport, preparation is everything. The environment we build around our coaching staff and playing group directly impacts how we perform on match day,” Meninga said.
“Corporate Traveller is all about efficiency, reliability, and helping teams perform at their best away from home. I’m thrilled to have the team at Corporate Traveller as our official Coaches Partner as we prepare to make history with the Bears.”
Corporate Traveller’s expanded footprint will also see them play an active role in connecting local Western Australian businesses through the Bears in Business network by offering bespoke travel solutions to growing companies across the region.
Tom Walley, global managing director of Corporate Traveller, is pumped as he says the timing could not be better.
“The Bears are a team writing their own history from game one, and that kind of ambition is exactly what gets us fired up. We back growth wherever we find it, and right now, there’s nowhere in the country with more of it than Perth. This partnership puts us right where the action is,” said Walley.
“And it’s a market we know well. We’ve always believed in showing up in person for the businesses we work with, not just servicing them from a distance. That’s exactly what this partnership is about, standing shoulder to shoulder with the communities we operate in, in Perth and beyond.
“And when you’ve got a coach of Mal Meninga’s calibre steering the ship, you know this club means business, on and off the field,” Walley added.
Perth Bears x Penrite Oil
The Perth Bears has scored another major sponsorship coup with Penrite Oil signing on as the team’s top back jersey sponsor.
The Bears are revved up that Penrite Oil, which is celebrating its 100th year, has become a major foundation partner with the new relationship.
The Bears logo featured on the Penrite Racing Mustangs during the weekend’s Supercars Perth Super440 with the ‘Bear-tangs’ being unveiled at a launch event at Penrite Oil’s Perth HQ on Wednesday night.
Penrite Oil’s support of the Bears is its first foray into the NRL sponsorship landscape.
Perth Bears CEO Anthony De Ceglie said he was delighted the company was backing the club.
“The Perth Bears are thrilled to be partnering with our Major Partner, Penrite Oil. Perth has an incredibly passionate, parochial sporting fanbase that lives and breathes high performance,” he said.
“What better way to launch the partnership than with this high-octane collaboration between Penrite and the Perth Bears.”
Penrite Oil CEO Toby Dymond said the events were a fitting way to celebrate the new partnership.
“We are incredibly proud to bring Penrite Racing and the Perth Bears together for the Perth Super440. Both organisations share Penrite’s passion for performance, teamwork and building strong connections with their supporters and local communities,” he said.
“Featuring the Perth Bears on the Penrite Racing Mustangs is an exciting way to introduce the partnership to Western Australian fans and celebrate the beginning of a new era for the club.”
Penrite Racing CEO Brenton Grove said prior to the weekend the team was looking forward to delivering a memorable experience both on and off the track.
“We’re excited to work with Penrite Oil and the Perth Bears at the Perth Super440. Perth Supercars fans are passionate about their motorsport, and we expect support for the Perth Bears to be just as strong as they begin making their mark on the city,” he said.
“The Penrite Racing Mustangs will be looking sharp at Wanneroo this weekend and we can’t wait to put on a show in Western Australia both in the lead up to the event and during the race weekend itself.”
The Repco Supercars Championship continues at Wanneroo Raceway from Friday to Sunday.
