MILTON KEYNES, England: The Red Bull Formula One team has secured a new title sponsorship worth around $500 million with technology firm Oracle, placing it among the most lucrative commercial deals in sports.
The five-year deal is a lift to the team ahead of the season beginning next month when Max Verstappen will be looking to defend his world title in a new Oracle Red Bull Racing car that was also revealed on Wednesday.
Financial details were not disclosed but a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press it was worth around $100 million a year. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential terms.
“We’re all about speed and the speed of response,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said in an interview with The Associated Press at the team’s central England headquarters. “We’re pushing the Oracle technical guys. But they’re responding in the best possible way. And that’s what makes this partnership very exciting.”
With a new cost cap of $145 million for teams introduced for the upcoming season, Oracle’s cloud computing is also seen as a way of stretching the budget further.
“We’ve got a brand new set of regulations, a new technical challenge,” Horner said. “We’ve got financial regulations that are driving and forcing efficiency, which is again where this partnership helps us to make sure that we’re as efficient and productive as we possibly can be.”
Additional resources and any edge in computing power can help when titles are decided, like in December, on the final lap in the final race of the season when Verstappen was able to controversially overtake Lewis Hamilton and dethrone the Mercedes driver as world champion.
“I’ll take a certain American’s perspective,” Oracle executive vice president Ariel Kelman, the chief marketing officer, said in a video call. “F1 is the fastest growing sport that we’re seeing in terms of an excitement here and around the world and for technology companies.
“It’s just such a perfect fit because it’s the most high-tech sport, the most dangerous sport. So it just provides an amazing showcase for all the amazing technology.”
Beyond the cash that is another signal of the resurgent appeal of F1, Red Bull will be tapping further into the expertise provided by the Austin-based company for cloud computing, engine development and driver development.
“It is helping us to move into the cloud and particularly with the advent of powertrains (Red Bull’s power unit manufacturing company developing engines from 2026) as well, just opening the suite of technology that Oracle have available to them to our engineers is almost like going into a candy store and looking at what do they want to utilize,” Horner said.
Kelman is a relative newcomer to F1, starting to watch in 2018 and being increasingly gripped as the Netflix docuseries “Drive to Survive” premiered the following year taking fans behind the scenes.
“It’s just that level of competitiveness and just the amazing TV product that everyone’s created combined together really sucked me in,” Kelman said.
Red Bull F1 clinches new $500M title sponsorship with Oracle
https://arab.news/yqhb8
Red Bull F1 clinches new $500M title sponsorship with Oracle
- “We’re all about speed and the speed of response,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said
- “I’ll take a certain American’s perspective,” said Oracle executive vice president Ariel Kelman
National team representation framework introduced for Esports Nations Cup 2026
- Within their respective countries, partners will have the responsibility of building, representing their national esports teams on global stage
- Esports World Cup Foundation to establish ENC Development Fund to support long-term growth of nation-based ecosystems
RIYADH: The Esports World Cup Foundation has introduced the national team representation framework for the Esports Nations Cup 2026 — the global nation-based esports competition set to debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in November — by opening the application process for official National Team Partners.
The Esports Nations Cup introduces national team representation to the global esports calendar in a structured, recurring format. It complements the club-based Esports World Cup by enabling players to compete under their national flag and offering fans an opportunity to connect with elite esports through national identity.
National Team Partners will serve as the official national counterparts for the ENC 2026, within their respective countries and territories, with the responsibility of building and representing their national esports teams on the global stage. In partnership with the EWCF, they will coordinate team representation for the ENC, oversee and support national team coaches per game title, and coordinate with game partners and clubs within the ENC framework.
Beyond competition, National Team Partners will shape their national team identity through marketing, communications, and community engagement, and collaborate with creators, media, and public institutions to mobilize their local communities to build national fandom for their teams.
While National Team Partners are responsible for the organization and representation of national teams, the competitive integrity and player eligibility remain governed by ENC rules and game partner-aligned processes.
Each selected national team partner will nominate a national team manager who will serve as the public lead and primary representative of the national team. They will act as the primary contact between the EWCF and the local ecosystem team, supporting coordination, representation and activation at the country and territory level, and are formally confirmed by the EWCF.
To support the long-term growth of nation-based esports, the EWCF will establish the ENC Development Fund, committing at least $20 million annually, beginning with ENC 2026. The fund will support national team programs by covering travel and logistics for participation in the Esports Nations Cup, and by enabling promotional and fan-facing activities that build relevance, awareness, and engagement around national teams beyond the main competition, supported by the commercial, marketing, and operational capabilities required to deliver these activities consistently over time.
This includes support for training camps and boot camps with structured fan access, exhibition matches and showcase events, official watch parties, national team tours, and appearances at major gaming and sports events.
Further details on scope, eligibility, and implementation will be shared with selected National Team Partners as part of the onboarding process.
Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, said: “The purpose of the Esports World Cup Foundation is to elevate esports and make it sustainable.
“The Esports Nations Cup is a natural next step in that journey. By opening this application process, we are inviting trusted National Team Partners to help define the framework for how countries and territories are represented in esports, with clear roles, aligned governance, and a system that works for players, game partners, and fans alike.”
Eligible applicants include esports organizations, clubs, agencies, nongovernmental organizations, national esports and sport federations and associations, recognized government-mandated entities, content creators, and experienced esports professionals with strong national ecosystem ties.
Applications are now open at esportsnationscup.com and will close on Jan. 31. Submissions will be reviewed through a multi-stage evaluation process, assessing governance standards, ecosystem standing, operational capability, community reach, and alignment with game partners’ requirements.
The first cohort of approved National Team Partners will be announced in early 2026.
The ENC will be held in Riyadh in November before moving to a rotating city model every two years.
