Tag: marketing

Schalke fans now able to pay for food and beer with their shirt

A technological innovation no one was asking for


(Schalke 04/Twitter)

Like the Premier League (and La Liga before them), the Bundesliga is introducing sleeve sponsorships. That alone is hugely exciting for you, I’m sure, but Schalke are taking this a step further by implementing new technology that will finally allow fans to pay for food and beverages with their sleeves.

Replica shirts sold with the sleeve patch for online supermarket AllyouneedFresh will include a chip embedded in it that can be used to pay for concessions at the Veltins Arena. Sadly, the shirts worn by players will not include this chip, so they’ll have to carry their wallets if they want to buy a halftime snack.

(Schalke 04/Twitter)

The club’s marketing director says this is a world first that “further underlines our position as a leading innovator within the Bundesliga.” Meanwhile, Bayern Munich have established their own in-stadium currency utilizing payment chips inside trophies they no longer have space for.

Listen to the Dirty Tackle podcast for more nonsense.

Benfica take sponsorship too far, put airport check-in desk on the pitch

This is so wrong

(James Fielden)

Sunday’s Lisbon Derby was the type of event where all the stops are pulled out. This, apparently, is why Benfica sponsor Emirates airline decided to stamp out the last embers of all that is good and pure in football by setting up a mock airport check-in desk on the pitch for the players to run past after warming up before the match.

Despite enduring this soul crushing shame, Benfica still beat Sporting 2–1. Thankfully, Benfica fans were there to provide some actual, non-corporate atmosphere.