It’s been an epic week of sports and sports sponsorship news. The Brisbane Broncos have claimed the NRL Telstra Premiership with a nail-biting 26-22 victory over old rivals the Melbourne Storm. With the victory, Brisbane became the first team outside of Penrith to take out the competition in five years.
The Telstra Women’s Premiership ended in a similar fashion, with another classy Brisbane Broncos outfit lifting the trophy after claiming a four-point victory. Unsurprisingly, Mele Hufanga was awarded the Karyn Murphy medal for her barnstorming effort of storming over five Sydney Roosters defenders in the last five minutes to win the game for her team.
The NRLW grand final broke the record for the women’s sport, capturing a total TV audience of 1.032 million, edging out the Bledisloe Cup between the Wallabies and All Blacks (893,000) the night before.
Welcome back to B&T’s Spotlight on Sponsors series, where we break down all the major sponsorship news from inside the sporting world.
On the sidelines, the action is heating up as well.
This week’s Spotlight on Sponsors features BBL’s newly appointed official apparel partner New Balance, revealing this seasons jerseys, Disney+ signs on as the official braodcasting partner of the NBL Ignite Cup, Brisbane Roar smiles as Value Dental Centres sign on as the club’s new major partner for the A-League season and Cody Simpson fronts the seventh annual Uber x Red Cross Clothing Drive.
BBL x New Balance
Bolder Big Bash club insignia has been unveiled as a key feature of the competition’s new look this summer, with fresh playing New Balance produced uniforms for all eight clubs revealed today.
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The league and its new apparel supplier, New Balance, launched the fresh kits at an event in Melbourne this morning, with the attire to be worn in matches for the first time on November 9 when the Weber WBBL season kicks off with a triple-header in Brisbane and Perth.
While club logos have been part of the playing uniforms since the league’s inception in 2011, they appear more prominently than in recent seasons in the new designs produced by New Balance.
New Balance has worked closely with each club to reinvigorate the playing kits and deliver outfits that combine cutting-edge performance technology with striking visual designs.
The company will partner with the Big Bash for at least the next five seasons after taking over from Nike in July, who had produced the kits worn across the past four seasons of the women’s and men’s competitions.
In addition to the team kits, fans can also share the passion for their clubs with an all-new range of training and supporter gear.
“We’re delighted to be launching the New Balance playing kits today, marking a fresh chapter in the League’s iconic summer story,” said Alistair Dobson, executive general manager of Big Bash Leagues.
“New Balance and our Clubs have done a terrific job bringing fresh ideas and concepts to life. We’re thrilled to provide fans with a fresh look that matches the energy and excitement of the Big Bash Leagues.”
“We’re proud to stand alongside the Big Bash League in launching this season’s playing kits, a bold step forward in our shared commitment to innovation and performance,” commented Dean Howard, executive general manager of New Balance AUNZ.
“Collaborating with Cricket Australia, Big Bash Clubs and Belgravia Apparel, has been an inspiring journey, that’s pushed creative boundaries and delivered a look that truly captures the spirit of summer cricket.
“We’re excited for fans to experience the energy, colour, and momentum these kits bring to the game, both on and off the field.”
New Balance has also been the apparel supplier for Australia’s domestic teams across the Sheffield Shield, Men’s One-Day Cup and Women’s National Cricket League since 2021.
NBL x Disney
Prime-time Wednesday night basketball has gone to another level with the debut of the Hungry Jack’s NBL Ignite Cup last night thanks to Disney+ who signed on as the presenting partner.
Disney+ is the perfect match for the League’s new in-season competition which complements the NBL regular season and brings fresh drama, intensity and entertainment to basketball fans across the season.
The stakes are raised to a whole new level with a total of $400,000 in prize money on the line, the largest in NBL history.
The new competition introduces a further 20 Wednesday night games across the regular season, culminating in a standalone grand final to be played in a soon-to-be-revealed major city.
The partnership underscores the immense basketball fandom that Disney+ serves through its ESPN on Disney+ Home for Hoops offering, streaming every Hungry Jack’s NBL game live in 2026, all Ignite Cup games, and the NBL Finals.
With Disney+ streaming in millions of Australian and New Zealand homes, the NBL is reaching its broadest ever mainstream audience.
The Walt Disney Company senior vice president and managing director Australia and New Zealand, and head of ESPN Asia Pacific, Kylie Watson-Wheeler said, “Disney+ is thrilled
to be the presenting partner of the Hungry Jack’s NBL Ignite Cup.
“The Walt Disney Company is a strong and long-standing supporter of the NBL and basketball in Australia. We’re excited to be bringing even more thrilling basketball action to hoops fans through our ESPN network, including Disney+, where it plays alongside the best of premium entertainment.”
David Stevenson, NBL Group CEO said, “Disney+ is an invaluable supporter of the NBL through our partnership with ESPN, and we are delighted to extend that connection to the Ignite Cup. Their backing ensures that this tournament will reach more Australians than ever before, helping us showcase the best of the league and its players on a national stage.
“We are excited that fans from right around the country will be able to experience the drama, energy and spectacle of the Ignite Cup thanks to Disney’s incredible support. My sincere thanks to the Disney Australia team for their continued investment and support of the NBL.”
Brisbane Roar x Value Dental Centres
Brisbane Roar has welcomed Value Dental Centres as the club’s new major partner for the 2025/26 Isuzu A-Leagues season, marking a significant step forward in a partnership built on shared ambition and community focus.
Under the new agreement, Value Dental Centres will feature prominently across Brisbane Roar kits:
- Isuzu A-League Men’s: Front-of-Jersey across all three men’s jerseys
- Ninja A-League Women’s: Back-of-Jersey across all three women’s jerseys
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This elevated commitment follows Value Dental Centres’ previous role as a platinum partner, where it supported both the Men’s and Women’s teams as back-of-jersey partner.
“We are incredibly grateful for Value Dental Centres’ belief in our club and our direction,” said Kaz Patafta, Brisbane Roar CEO and chairman.
“Their decision to become a Major Partner speaks volumes about the strength of our relationship and the momentum building ahead of the new campaign. We’re excited to showcase this partnership to our members, fans and the wider football community.”
With clinics across Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne, Value Dental Centres is a provider of dental care committed to accessible, quality treatment. Its increased support underscores confidence in Brisbane Roar’s trajectory on and off the field in 2025/26.
“A partnership should reflect shared values and a shared vision,” said Elwynn Heah, director at Value Dental Centres.
“We’re proud to deepen our support of Brisbane Roar, a club with a strong community heartbeat and a clear plan for success. We look forward to standing with the Roar, celebrating our fans, and making a positive impact throughout the season.”
Cody Simpson x Uber & Australian Red Cross
Uber and Australian Red Cross have teamed up once again for their seventh annual ‘Uber x Red Cross Clothing Drive’. The campaign will culminate on Saturday October 18, fronted by pop star and swimmer Cody Simpson.
This campaign was led by Poem driving strategy, creative and earned publicity, alongside Hello Social driving the influencer program, EssenceMediacom supporting with paid media, and History Will Be Kind leading corporate earned publicity.
At just 28, Simpson’s career has traversed multiple public “eras”, from teen idol to national swimmer, and now back to music, each chapter marked by its own distinct style. His constant reinvention across his 16-year career serves as the creative conduit for this campaign.
The campaign taps into this journey with a 60-second hero film featuring Simpson sifting through his fashion archives, with pieces that once defined an era but no longer suit him. Rather than being discarded, these items become symbolic fashion, ready for a new chapter in someone else’s closet. Simpson makes it clear—donate it and give it a second life.
Building on last year’s message to focus on quality donations, which resonated strongly with generous donors and saw more than 80,000 kilograms of clothing collected, the all new 2025 campaign reinforces the call to focus on quality donations. Drawing on research that reveals an estimated 231 million pieces of clothing are gathering dust in Australian wardrobes (enough to fill
approximately 139 swimming pools), the campaign urges Aussies to donate quality, pre-loved clothes that are no longer worn, giving them a meaningful second life.
Powered by Uber’s technology to make donating simple at scale, the initiative highlights just how easy it is to give back through the Uber x Red Cross Clothing Drive.
On his involvement in the campaign, Simpson said, “Like many people, I’ve explored different eras with my fashion throughout the years. Some of these outfits have been in music videos, while others were part of a very different kind of journey. The idea that someone else will now be able to wear them and give them a new life is what the Uber x Red Cross Clothing Drive is all about—letting go and giving back in the process.”
“The Uber x Red Cross Clothing Drive has now become an annual charity drive that Aussies look forward to taking part in. What began as a simple idea of using our technology to make donating easier, has now become a nationwide moment where people come together to give back in meaningful ways,” commented head of marketing at Uber ANZ, Nicole Bardsley.
“This year, with Cody at the helm, we’re proud to see the campaign continue to evolve creatively while staying true to its purpose: turning quality clothes we no longer wear into impact for communities that need it most.”
“The annual Uber x Red Cross Clothing Drive has built a strong legacy, with Australians donating phenomenal volumes of clothing year after year. After last year’s quality-focused message struck a chord, we’re fully committed this year to elevate that narrative even more—it’s not just about donating more, it’s about donating better,” added Uber’s marketing manager and campaign lead, Sally Luff said.
“Cody Simpson brings both relevance and authenticity, he embodies the variety of fashion eras many of us lived through. His authentic Australian voice brings credibility to the idea that your best-fit era might have passed, but your best-fit pieces don’t need to be lost. With Uber, we’re finding ways our technology can keep giving back at scale.”
“Quality donations are central to what we do, they mean more value for our customers when they visit our stores and in turn deliver vital funding for our humanitarian programs which support vulnerable communities right across Australia,” said Australian Red Cross director of marketing, communication and customer experience, Kira Reed.
“This year’s Uber x Red Cross Clothing Drive isn’t about just clearing wardrobes, it’s about encouraging Australians to donate better, with quality items that deliver real impact. We’re incredibly grateful for the support of both Uber and Cody Simpson, and want to thank Australians in advance for entering their own ‘donation era’, and helping us fund critical humanitarian programmes across the country.”
“We all hang onto clothes from our previous fashion eras for way too long. This year’s campaign nudged Aussies to let go and donate to the Clothing Drive instead. Once we had Cody on board, an iconic Aussie whose career has spanned many distinct chapters, we knew we had to play on his many ‘eras’, encouraging Australians to enter their own donation era,” concluded Tom Manning, creative director, Poem Group.
The 2025 Uber x Red Cross Clothing Drive campaign featuring Cody Simpson launched yesterday and will be supported by a strategic amplification plan across paid, owned and earned. The launch film will be followed with shorter narratives, as well as social media.
