Business
Walmart teams up with Spain’s La Liga, furthering the retailer’s investment in soccer
Real Madrid’s Spanish defender #20 Francisco Garcia fights for the ball with Barcelona’s Spanish forward #19 Lamine Yamal during the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona, on May 11, 2025.
Lluis Gene | Afp | Getty Images
Walmart is bringing its brand to the biggest match in soccer.
The nation’s largest retailer plans to announce Thursday a partnership with Spanish soccer league La Liga as it looks to expand its foothold in soccer and capitalize on its growing fandom in the U.S.
Under the partnership, Walmart will become the first presenting partner of La Liga’s “El Clásico,” a rivalry matchup between its two powerhouse teams: FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF.
“Teaming up with La Liga and El Clásico enables Walmart to fuel the energy create unforgettable experiences and give fans more ways to celebrate the game that they love,” Walmart Chief Marketing Officer William White told CNBC in an interview. “Ultimately, Walmart is looking to make it easier for fans to engage and participate in the game.”
The partnership will include a new logo featuring Walmart as the presenting partner for the rivalry matchup, which will be used across the U.S. and Canada and debut this season.
The rivalry game dates back to 1929 and has routinely attracted 650 million viewers across more than 180 countries, according to Walmart and La Liga.
The first El Clásico, which translates to “the classic” in Spanish, of the 2025-26 season is scheduled for Oct. 26 in Madrid, with the second match on May 10 in Barcelona.
Walmart and La Liga will launch the partnership ahead of the first match-up with a full weekend of fan events in Houston starting Oct. 24. The partnership will include large-scale viewing parties, concerts, meet-and-greets with former stars, co-branded merchandise and retail promotions.
“The U.S. is the top market for the league [La Liga] in terms of audience and business outside of Spain,” said Boris Gartner, partner and president at Relevant Sports, which together with La Liga formed the 50-50 venture La Liga North America to represent the Spanish league in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Central America.
La Liga North America manages the league’s media rights and commercial agreements.
“This is not just about slapping two logos side by side. This is a true partnership with what we’re building,” Gartner said.
Spanish powerhouse clubs Real Madrid and Barcelona have been home to some of the biggest global names in soccer — including superstar Lionel Messi, who played for Barcelona until 2021 and now plays for Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami, and more recently the young French star Kylian Mbappe, who joined Real Madrid.
In the U.S., Disney’s ESPN airs La Liga games on its streaming platforms and TV networks. The company said in August the 2024-2025 season was its most successful for the league on ESPN platforms yet, with 5.4 billion minutes viewed across its networks and streaming services.
The Spanish league’s multi-year deal with Walmart is meant to build on this growing audience for La Liga soccer in the U.S., as well as the growing soccer fanbase ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will take place across the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
“We came in knowing that the World Cup was happening in 2026 and that the sport was growing significantly in in the U.S., and that we needed to be part of that growth not just from a business perspective for the league in the large media market in the world, but also with the opportunity to help fuel the growth of the sport,” Gartner said.
In July, Walmart struck a multi-year deal with MLS to become an official sponsor and partner of the league. As of early May, MLS sponsorship revenue was up double-digits compared with 2024, CNBC reported earlier this year. Likewise, the U.S. soccer fanbase has surged, particularly since Messi joined the MLS ranks in 2023.
Business
US stocks today: Markets rise on hopes of US govt shutdown ending; Nasdaq jumps over 440 points, S&P 500 gains 1% – The Times of India
Global stock markets rose sharply on Monday as investors showed optimism amid reports that the US government shutdown could soon be resolved, after a breakthrough in the record 40-day standoff.Dow was trading up 115 points or 0.25%, reaching 47,103. Nasdaq also inched 1.95% or 448 points, to trade at 23,452 at 8:50 PM IST. S&P 500 also jumped 1% to 6,804. A group of Senate Democrats joined Republicans in a procedural vote on Sunday evening, clearing the path for a formal debate after a bipartisan deal was reached to fund government operations through January. “The more risk-on mood means it’s pretty much a sea of green on the boards,” Neil Wilson, UK Investor Strategist at Saxo told AFP. The reopening could bring much-needed clarity on US inflation and the soft labour market, both critical to the Federal Reserve’s plans for potential interest rate cuts next month. “If all goes well, some federal agencies could reopen as soon as Friday,” said David Morrison, senior analyst at Trade Nation. He noted that both investors and the Fed have been “flying blind since the beginning of October, with a near-complete absence of data.” Morrison added, “Fed Chair Jerome Powell has played down the prospect of another rate cut in December, as it is far from obvious that inflation has peaked.” Investor focus on Monday was dominated by the prospect of a government reopening, as concerns mounted over the impact on low-income households reliant on food benefits and potential disruptions to air travel ahead of Thanksgiving. “Shutdowns haven’t typically had a big bearing on the economy or on financial markets. But, this one… looked as though it might start to cause some trouble,” said analysts at Capital Economics. Optimism was further boosted by Pfizer’s reported $10 billion victory in the bidding war for biotech obesity specialist Metsera over the weekend. Wall Street opened higher following a week of losses sparked by worries that the AI investment boom had inflated tech valuations to unsustainable levels. European markets also climbed, mirroring gains in Asia. Tensions between the US and China eased further after Beijing announced a one-year suspension of “special port fees” on US vessels, coinciding with Washington’s pause on levies targeting Chinese ships. In currency and commodity markets, the dollar steadied against the euro and pound while rising against the yen. Oil prices gained slightly after last week’s decline amid concerns over supply and global demand uncertainties.
Business
Are You Applying To A Job That Doesn’t Even Exist? 1 In 4 Listings Could Be Fake In 2025
New Delhi: India’s job market is facing a growing credibility crisis with a sharp rise in ghost job postings — fake or inactive listings shared by companies with no real intent to hire. A recent report by The Economic Times (ET) reveals that such misleading advertisements have increased by nearly 25 percent year-on-year, frustrating millions of job seekers.
These postings are commonly found on LinkedIn, Naukri, Indeed, and even official company portals. While they appear to signal active hiring, many exist purely for employer branding, resume collection, or market analysis. Firms often use ghost listings to gauge salary trends, talent availability, or simply to project an image of business expansion despite frozen hiring budgets.
Responding to concerns over fake listings, LinkedIn said it remains committed to protecting users from fraudulent job activity.
“We’re focused on helping recruiters find quality candidates quickly and jobseekers find their next role on LinkedIn. We use advanced technology and expert teams to proactively remove more than 99 percent of fake accounts and scams before they’re ever reported. Our policies are clear that every job a recruiter posts on LinkedIn should be authentic and accurately represented, and all listings on LinkedIn are automatically closed after 6 months,” the company said in a statement.
Despite such safeguards, ET’s report suggests that one in five online job ads could still be inactive or misleading, particularly in IT, retail, construction, and manufacturing sectors. Only about 20 percent of these listings ever result in an actual interview or offer.
Experts advise candidates to verify listings on official company websites, check posting dates, and connect with employees or HR representatives before applying. Ghost job postings, though convenient for short-term corporate branding, erode long-term trust. Strengthening transparency and authenticity in hiring will be crucial to restoring faith in India’s digital job market.
Business
‘Relieved from services’: Britannia CEO Varun Berry steps down; Rakshit Hargave to take over from December 15 – The Times of India
NEW DELHI: Britannia Industries Ltd announced on Monday that Varun Berry has resigned from his positions as executive vice-chairman, managing director and chief executive officer after leading the company through ten years of expansion and growth.Berry submitted his resignation on November 6, 2025, which the company’s board acknowledged and accepted during their meeting on November 10, agreeing to waive the notice period requirement.The company’s regulatory filing, cited by Economic Times stated, “Accordingly, he shall be relieved from the services of the company with effect from the close of business hours on November 10, 2025.”With his departure, Berry will no longer participate in board committees, including Stakeholders Relationship, CSR, Risk Management, Finance, Strategy and Innovation Steering, and IT Committees.The announcement signifies the exit of a prominent figure in India’s consumer goods sector. Since becoming managing director in 2014, Berry led the company’s transformation from a biscuit manufacturer of Good Day, Marie Gold and NutriChoice into a diverse food enterprise, venturing into dairy and snacking segments.Following recommendations from the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, Britannia has selected Rakshit Hargave as the new CEO and MD for five years, starting December 15, 2025. Natarajan Venkataraman, executive director and chief financial officer, will serve as interim CEO until Hargave takes charge.ET previously reported Hargave’s resignation as Chief Executive Officer of Birla Opus on November 1, indicating his imminent move to Britannia Industries in a senior position.According to ET sources familiar with the matter, Hargave was expected to report to Varun Berry and assume the CEO position, replacing Rajneet Singh Kohli, who departed from Britannia in March this year.After Kohli’s departure, Berry had been performing CEO duties alongside his roles as chairman and managing director. ET also noted that Birla Opus, a Grasim Industries subsidiary, informed stock exchanges about Hargave’s planned departure on December 5. Hargave’s resignation letter mentioned his intention to “pursue career opportunities outside the company.” His tenure at Birla Opus began in November 2021.
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