AC Milan Renews Partnership With Emirates

AC Milan and Emirates have announced the renewal of their historic partnership, which began in 2007. The airline will continue as the Official Airline Partner and Principal Partner of the Rossoneri, celebrating twenty years alongside the Club.

For years, Emirates has played a leading role in AC Milan’s growth journey, as a strategic partner capable of generating value both on and off the pitch. This bond has seen two iconic brands strengthen one another, enhancing their international prestige and becoming a bridge that unites fans and cultures under the banner of innovation, excellence and a global vision.

Maikel Oettle, Chief Commercial Officer of AC Milan, stated: “The renewal of our partnership with Emirates stands as testimony to one of the most historic and admired collaborations in football, a shared journey that looks to the future with ambition and vision. Emirates will continue to stand by our side, helping us strengthen the Club’s solid foundations and, together, connect new generations of fans around the world while creating unique experiences that go far beyond the pitch.”

Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said: “We are thrilled to extend our partnership with AC Milan. This collaboration, built on shared values and a mutual commitment to excellence, has created unforgettable experiences for millions of fans worldwide. Our deep-rooted relationship with Italy makes this extension a natural next step, as we continue to connect Milan and other Italian cities to the world through Dubai, while bringing Rossoneri fans across our global network closer to their favourite club and players.”

The renewal also underscores the strategic importance of Dubai and the Middle East, a key market for the Club’s future, where in 2023 Casa Milan Dubai was inaugurated, further strengthening the bond with Emirates.

Both international brands have long been connectors of cultures and communities, a shared vision that takes on special meaning in 2025 with the 25th anniversary of flights between Milan and Dubai: a route that has brought generations of Italians closer together while opening new opportunities for cultural and economic exchange.

Together, the two partners have created experiences that transcend the pitch, from memorable triumphs to special projects such as the Hall of Fame for the Club’s 125th anniversary. With this renewal, they reaffirm a commitment based on ambition and global vision, ready to write new chapters of shared growth.

Jacky Ickx The “Gentleman Driver” enters the history of the SPORTEL Awards

The SPORTEL Awards, the international cultural event that celebrates excellence in sports media and honours the most beautiful sporting emotions on screen, today unveils the recipient of the 2025 Lifetime Sport Achievement Award. The trophy will be presented to Jacky Ickx, an iconic figure in world motorsport, during the SPORTEL Awards Ceremony on Monday, 20 October 2025 at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco.
 

The Lifetime Sport Achievement Award honours an international athlete for his or her sporting exploits. This prestigious distinction pays tribute to outstanding careers that have left a lasting mark on history and on the collective imagination.
 

A driver of universal talent, Jacky Ickx spanned more than three decades of motor racing, excelling wherever speed was at stake. With 32 active seasons between 1961 and 1992, over 555 races contested and an extraordinary record of achievements, Jacky Ickx left his mark on every discipline he embraced. A two-time European Formula 2 Champion (1967 and 1970), twice Formula 1 Vice-World Champion, and winner of 8 Grands Prix, he established himself as one of the greatest talents of his generation

It is, however, in endurance racing that he truly entered legend: six-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, named Driver of the Century in this discipline, he boasts a record 46 endurance race victories and two World Endurance Drivers’ Championships with Porsche (1982 and 1983). Winner of the 1983 Paris-Dakar Rally and author of 40 stage wins in rally raid, he also shone in Can-Am, claiming the title in 1979.


Nicknamed the Gentleman Driver, Mr. Le Mans and the Rain Master, Jacky Ickx fascinates with his exceptional versatility, elegance and charisma. More than just a driver, he has become a benchmark, respected and admired throughout the world.
 

A man of action, he has also served as ambassador for leading automotive brands, notably Volkswagen and Porsche, and since February 2024 he has been brand partner of Genesis, the luxury label of the Hyundai group, which recently announced its entry into the World Endurance Championship.

“Presenting the Lifetime Sport Achievement Award to Jacky Ickx means paying tribute to much more than an exceptional record. It is about celebrating a unique career that spans generations and has shaped the history of motorsport. His passion, versatility and aura make him a truly unique champion, whose influence goes far beyond the circuits”, stated Marine Picoulet, Executive Director of the SPORTEL Awards.
 

Following Didier Deschamps in 2018, Alain Prost in 2019, Katarina Witt in 2023 and Nikola Karabatic in 2024, the SPORTEL Awards 2025 Lifetime Sport Achievement Award will be presented to Jacky Ickx, unanimously recognised as one of the greatest drivers of all time.

Alexis Ohanian Leads Ownership of LOVB’s New Los Angeles Pro Volleyball Team

League One Volleyball have announced that Alexis Ohanian and Seven Seven Six have entered into definitive agreements to lead the ownership group of its newest professional team, LOVB Los Angeles Volleyball. Building upon Southern California’s rich volleyball heritage, LOVB Los Angeles will become the league’s seventh professional team, debuting at the start of Season Three in January 2027.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Alexis and the Seven Seven Six team, true women’s sports champions who share our vision for the impact professional volleyball can have in the United States,” said Rosie Spaulding, President of LOVB Pro. “Their commitment strengthens the entire volleyball ecosystem, and marks an exciting new chapter for LOVB and the sport as a whole. We can’t wait to work with them to bring professional women’s volleyball to Southern California as we continue to grow the sport across the U.S.”

LOVB has developed a model unique to American sports: a fully connected national ecosystem that fuels participation, develops talent, connects grassroots volleyball to the professional stage, and engages and grows communities of volleyball fans. In Southern California, that ecosystem includes top ranked youth clubs including Team Rockstar and SC Rockstar (formerly Mizuno Long Beach and SCVC), Tstreet Inland Empire and the #1 club in Orange County, Tstreet Irvine. These clubs bring together 900+ girls and boys across the region who will have the opportunity to learn from their idols in the sport, as they train alongside and witness first hand an all new path to pro. 

“We’re excited to make LOVB the third jewel in Seven Seven Six’s LA sports family,” said Alexis Ohanian, Founder of Seven Seven Six, and Founding Control Owner of the NWSL’s Angel City FC and TGL’s Los Angeles Golf Club. “Volleyball is such a natural addition for Southern California, which has already proven how warmly it embraces new pro sports teams.”

LOVB’s approach to ownership groups has focused on bringing together the right owners for the right markets. LOVB’s ownership structure unites team and league equity, ensuring a shared commitment to long-term growth. Together, with its new Los Angeles partners, LOVB will continue to drive fandom, expand access and establish the future of professional volleyball in the U.S. 

“Los Angeles holds an incredible amount of volleyball currency,” said Stephanie Alger, Chief Growth Officer at LOVB. “From top youth clubs to high schools and universities, the region is a hotbed of talent and fandom. As we determined locations for our next professional team, Southern California was an easy choice – Los Angeles lives and breathes volleyball, and we could not be more excited to work with Alexis and the Seven Seven Six team to introduce LOVB Los Angeles in 2027.” 

Adidas and Euroleague Basketball Renew Partnership to Empower the Next Generation of Talent

Euroleague Basketball and adidas have announced the renewal of their long-standing partnership for the next four seasons, through the 2028–29 campaign. Building on more than a decade of collaboration since first joining forces in 2014, the renewed agreement highlights adidas’ position as a driving force in European basketball and deepens its commitment to shaping the sport’s future across both professional and grassroots levels.

As the naming partner of the adidas NextGen EuroLeague, adidas will continue to play a pivotal role in developing Europe’s rising stars, reinforcing a shared vision with Euroleague Basketball to grow the game from the grassroots up. The competition has become the benchmark for showcasing future talent, perfectly aligned with adidas’ dedication to creating opportunities for the next generation of players. Since 2022, adidas has further elevated its presence by introducing adidas-branded teams at each Qualifier, bringing together some of the most promising prospects from across Europe.

“adidas has been a fundamental partner in growing Euroleague Basketball for more than a decade, and together we have elevated both the professional and grassroots levels of basketball,” said Gawain Davies, Euroleague Basketball Chief Commercial Officer. “Their commitment to youth development through the adidas NextGen EuroLeague competition, together with their support across the EuroLeague, makes this collaboration unique. We are excited to continue this journey with adidas through the 2028–29 season.”

“At adidas, we believe the future of basketball belongs to the next generation,” said Cameron Mason, Senior Director of Sports Marketing Basketball at adidas. “Our partnership with Euroleague allows us to not only invest in young athletes but also celebrate the culture and rivalries that make the game so powerful. Together, we are creating moments that inspire players and fans alike across Europe.”

Beyond youth development, the renewed agreement will also spotlight initiatives that bring fans closer to the game, including the Rivalry Series, which elevates one key EuroLeague fixture each round by celebrating historic clashes and defining moments of the season across social, digital, and broadcast platforms, and continued adidas support of the EuroLeague Final Four, the pinnacle event of European club basketball.

How ANOC is supporting NOCs’ digital transformation

Andres Santi Gonzalez, ANOC’s Senior Project and Event Manager, shares how the ANOC Digital Content Hub is ensuring National Olympic Committees of all sizes are able to leverage events and connect with their fans.

When ANOC launched the Digital Accelerator Programme (DAP) in June 2021, our goal was to support National Olympic Committees to develop and enhance their digital communication capabilities. What began as workshops and training has evolved into something far more comprehensive, a complete digital ecosystem that provides NOCs with professional-grade content, distribution channels, and technical infrastructure to engage audiences worldwide.

The ANOC Digital Content Hub represents the latest evolution in this transformative journey. The Hub is a centralised platform that connects International Federations, Organising Committees, and NOCs, enabling seamless content sharing and distribution.

While some NOCs have large communications teams with sophisticated production capabilities, others operate with skeleton staff juggling multiple responsibilities. The Hub closes that gap by providing every NOC with access to the same quality content and distribution tools.

The results are encouraging. During the Palau 2025 Pacific Mini Games, seven Oceanian NOCs featured in the global top 10 for follower growth rate. Nauru achieved a 50.37% growth rate, Vanuatu saw 34.8% growth, and Tuvalu reached 25.09%. These figures represent NOCs with small teams connecting with their communities in ways that weren’t previously possible. This digital growth also enhances commercial viability, which is one of the DAP’s original objectives.

The programme has evolved through four distinct phases: upskilling and learning through handbooks and expert workshops; exchange and comparison via case studies and performance dashboards; services and content including photo programmes and video production; and finally, tailored content distribution through ANOC.TV, the Digital Content Hub, and AI-assisted highlights.

When we partner with International Federations or multisport Games, such as the upcoming Islamic Solidarity Games, NOCs benefit from comprehensive coverage without needing their own production teams on site.

The Olympic values resonate when people can connect with them. Digital engagement creates touchpoints that bring these values to life for new generations. A teenager in Vanuatu discovering a new national hero at a regional Games or a family in South America watching World Championship highlights builds and deepends last connections to the Olympic Movement.

The Hub’s role as a bridge connecting IFs, NOCs, and Organising Committees is particularly valuable during the period between Olympic Games, when maintaining audience engagement is most challenging, ensuring Olympic sport content remains visible year-round.

ANOC.TV, our OTT platform launched in 2023, exemplifies this approach. Every NOC can now create their own streaming presence and select events to broadcast, demonstrating consistent demand for Olympic content beyond the Games cycle.

Looking ahead, as AI technology evolves, we can offer increasingly sophisticated personalisation. As engagement analytics become more refined, we can help NOCs understand what resonates with their communities. As partnerships deepen, the volume and variety of available content will continue to grow.

The Hub is an equaliser, ensuring that NOCs of all sizes have professional tools to engage their audiences. When more NOCs can tell compelling stories about their athletes and share Olympic values with their communities, the entire Movement benefits.

The Digital Content Hub is ANOC’s commitment that size, resources, or geography will never determine who gets to participate fully in the digital Olympic Movement.

Netherlands Olympic Committee renews long-standing partnership with ATPI Sports Travel

ATPI Sports Travel, the specialised division of leading global travel and events management company, ATPI Group, has been selected as the Travel Supplier for the Netherlands Olympic Committee (NOC*NSF). This officially renews the long-standing partnership, which has been in place for over 20 years.

Under the renewed partnership, ATPI Sports Travel will be responsible for all travel arrangements related to TeamNL, including individual sports, corporate travel and full logistical support for deployments in the lead-up to and during both the 2026 Winter Olympics Games in Milan and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. This also includes the transportation of designated sporting equipment. 

By bringing together innovative travel technology with an expert team skilled in coordinating efficient and seamless international journeys, ATPI Sports Travel will play a key role in supporting TeamNL’s performance over the next three years.

Hanneke van den Pol, Team Lead Games Operations at NOC*NSF, is looking forward to the renewed partnership: “We are pleased with the renewed partnership with ATPI and look forward to working together in the areas of accommodations, travel, and events. It feels reassuring to join forces again to ensure that TeamNL’s delegations to all multi-sport events are facilitated in the best possible way for our athletes and staff.”

With almost 30 years of experience working alongside high-profile athletes, international sports teams, organising committees and federations, ATPI Sports Travel brings a wealth of knowledge and elite sporting travel expertise to major sports events across the world every year. From the Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup and The Rugby World Cup to The Ocean Race, the company has built an acclaimed reputation in the sports travel sector for its bespoke solutions and around-the-clock support. 

Helen van Berkel, Managing Director at ATPI Sports Travel Benelux, added: “We have a long and rich history of working with world-class athletes, global sporting federations, professional teams and major sporting event organisers across the globe – none more so than the NOC*NSF, where we proudly served as a trusted partner to TeamNL for over 20 years.

“To be chosen once again as its Travel Supplier is a huge testament to our expert team and innovative approach to managing the complex needs of the sector. Not only does this partnership strengthen our global sports travel portfolio, but it also highlights the confidence our clients place in our first-class expertise.”

Spectatr.ai partners with Triple B Media to deliver AI-powered sports highlights

Spectatr.ai has partnered with Triple B Media to bring its AI-powered highlight tools to its sport channels.

Triple B owns and operates a number of niche sport platforms, including Billiard TV, ACL Cornhole TV and PowerSports World.

Spectatr.ai will supply its tools for automating real-time highlight generation, smart metadata tagging and personalised content delivery. This aims to allow users to distribute highlights globally in minutes.

“We envision AI as the great equalizer in sports, breaking barriers and creating fair, inclusive opportunities for all,” says Richa Singh, cofounder of Spectatr.ai. “Our goal is to drive sustainable growth and deeper fan connections worldwide. By partnering with Triple B Media, we’re turning this vision into a global reality, empowering sports organizations of every size to capitalize on next-gen AI, unlocking new opportunities for fan engagement, growth and revenue.”

Anthony Bailey, managing director of Triple B Media, added: “Innovation and delivering something unique to an increasingly discerning audience is so important in the sports content business these days. What Spectatr.ai is doing with its technology is a boon for not only organizations but sports fans as well. We’re thrilled to be partnering with them as we navigate the future of sports and technology.”

Sony Acquires STATSports Group to Bolster Its Sports Data Business with Athletes’ Performance Tracking Technologies

Sony Corporation (“Sony”) today announced that Sony welcomed STATSports Group (“STATSports”), one of the industry leaders in athlete monitoring solutions and performance analysis, into Sony’s sports businesses, with the acquisition through a majority share of STATSports.


Founded in 2008, STATSports offers solutions that empower over 800 of the world’s top sports clubs including Arsenal FC, Liverpool FC, and PSG, national football teams such as England and Portugal, New Zealand All Blacks and South Africa Springboks in international rugby, as well as NFL’s Washington Commanders and MLB’s LA Dodgers. STATSports also provides a range of products to grassroots clubs and individual athletes. With its accurate and reliable active tracking technologies including wearable devices with GPS, heart rate and accelerometer sensors, STATSports’ range of solutions provides more than 70 real-time metrics processed on-board for immediate feedback.

Sony’s sports businesses leverage sports data acquired through the marker-less optical tracking technologies of Hawk-Eye Innovations and KinaTrax, both Sony group companies, to deliver trusted solutions and insights for teams, athletes, and fans. The products include trusted officiating services and new forms of entertainment content by visualization technology of Beyond Sports, also a Sony group company.

The acquisition allows Sony to add STATSports’ state-of-the-art athlete tracking technologies and performance analysis solutions to its existing array of Sports technology solutions. This paves the way for a comprehensive optical and wearable tracking solution for teams and clubs across major sports, creating new opportunities for Sony’s sports businesses to leverage sports data in the performance analysis space, as well as to expand into new markets.

Rufus Hack, CEO of Hawk-Eye, Pulselive, Beyond Sports and KinaTrax stated: “This acquisition is a powerful step in our journey to build the ultimate sports data and analytics engine, by integrating STATSports’ state-of-the-art wearable technology with our existing optical solutions. This opens up a path for new applications in performance analysis, as well as officiating, and fan engagement, which enables us to deliver a more complete and valuable solution to our partners and the entire sports community.”

Alan Clarke, CEO and Co-Founder of STATSports said: “This is a landmark moment for STATSports. Since 2008, our mission has been to help teams and athletes reach their full potential through performance monitoring technology. Partnering with Sony allows us to accelerate that mission by integrating our wearable technology with Sony’s world-leading solutions. Together, we can set new standards in performance analysis, athlete development, and injury prevention, while also offering audiences new ways to engage with their favourite sports teams.”

Torquay’s fightback – how one football club is rebuilding a team, a business and fan community

While the budgets at the top of the footballing pyramid in England keep getting bigger and bigger, clubs lower down remain on a financial knife edge, while being arguably, more integral to the community they serve. One club which is making great strides both in the town and on the pitch is Torquay United. David Granger spoke to its new CEO.

The stories of legendary, historic football clubs in Britain facing tough times were rife this year. From Morecambe to Sheffield Wednesday there was a real danger that teams which had played from more than a century could go under. 

Eighteen months ago Torquay United AFC were also arguably on that list.

But 18 months ago, a group of fans came together to save the south coast club after it hit the lowest point in its 125-year history.

That group has not just rescued Torquay United, they have revived it and put it firmly back on the road to if not the Football League, then heading in the right direction. Regular gates of over 4,000 are now seeing a club that wants to succeed, with fans at the heart of it. 

Torquay United was rescued from financial collapse after the Bryn Consortium; a group of seven local businessmen (and importantly Torquay United fans) completed their takeover of the National League South club. 

The fan-led group took their name from a police dog that famously bit a Torquay player during a crucial 1987 relegation battle*, agreed to settle all debts within six months. The financial crisis they inherited had forced the club into administration in April 2024, resulting in a 10-point penalty which contributed to their 18th-place finish. 

The takeover marked the fourth ownership change at Plainmoor since 2007, with footballing legend and former Gulls manager Neil Warnock advising the consortium on their bid to save the Devon club.

Part of the plan was to bring in outside experience to assist the new owners with getting the club back on financial track.  With that in mind, they appointed Mark Thomas. While the Members of the Bryn Consortium all had local connections to the club, Thomas was recruited while working in Shanghai where he was running a Formula One hospitality project. But while he had a 20-year career in global sports – and commercial consulting – football wasn’t part of his immediate plans.

But after a video call with Torquay’s new owners, he took on the role. Or as he puts it, the challenge. What he found, and the consortium could see in Torquay was a passionate fanbase, a historic club, and a town with enormous untapped potential. 

Thomas said: “The club almost collapsed. It had fallen down the leagues. And we’re playing in a league below where we should be. We’ve got the biggest crowds, the biggest fan base, and the biggest commercial upside. And those fans care so much. “They deserve better than what recent history has given them.”

The consortium have been sensitive to both the needs and sentiment of the fans. While there will be tough calls, there is also a place on the new board for the Supporters’ Trust which means the fiercest of critics of previous regimes now find themselves with a place at the decision-making table. 

And not just onboard decisions either, the Supporters’ Trust has also put its collective hands into its pockets, recently investing in upgraded goal nets. It’s this combination of good financial housekeeping while involving the people who have kept the faith during some turbulent years which form one of the principles Thomas works on.

Community alignment is one principle, in conjunction with financial stability, revenue growth and cost control. 

“The new owners needed stop the bleeding, build the runway, and make smart investments. It sounds simple – make more money, spend less – but with all the emotion in football, it’s a challenge.” 

A big part of his strategy is separating capital expenditure (stadium, infrastructure) from operational spending (players, staff). “We’ve got a roof that needs fixing and floodlights that need funding, those are capital issues. They can’t be funded from our day-to-day matchday revenues.”

But if the infrastructure and the involvement of the community the club serves is important, what happens on the pitch is also going to help raise community spirits, and attendance numbers,

The 2025–26 squad is stronger than last year, with upgraded positions and a better style of play under head coach Paul Wooton. “We can never guarantee promotion. But we can promise a team that plays with pride and a club the fans can be proud of.”

Thomas is clear about the task ahead, and realistic about what success will look like: “In 12 months’ time, success is this: we’re in the National League, financially sustainable, and writing a break-even budget for 2026/27.”

And the blend of business and sports is what Torquay United have strived to achieve over the last 18 months. Thomas returns again and again to the human, the emotive side of the club. “Torquay is a stunning part of the country. But when you dig under the bonnet of what a club like this means to its community, it’s profound. Almost religious.” He credits the Bryn Consortium who like many of the fans and local, lifelong, loyal fans with rescuing the club in both spirit and structure. “There’s no property play, no celebrity agenda. Just people who care.”

Thomas said: “Promotion. Financial sustainability. And pride. That’s the goal. These clubs are precious community assets. We have to treat them like that. And right now, we’re doing that in Torquay.”

*The name Bryn Consortium? In 1987, Torquay United faced Crewe Alexandra to avoid relegation from the Football League. With minutes remaining and trailing 2-1, things looked bleak — until Bryn, a police dog, leapt into action sinking his teeth into Jim McNichol’s thigh. The Torquay right-back hit the deck, and the subsequent injury delay gave Torquay the extra time necessary for Paul Dobson to score a goal and secure a 2-2 draw — enough to keep Torquay up. Bryn is remembered as the dog whose bite rescued a team — one of football’s strangest survival stories.

From LALIGA to Liverpool FC: The World’s Sports Media Leaders Gather at SPORTEL Monaco 2025

In just under two weeks SPORTEL Monaco (20 – 22 October), will kick off with an exceptional conference lineup featuring both new and familiar faces, showcasing sharp business success with creative innovative trends to bring an exciting blend of international powerhouse front runners together with innovators of today and tomorrow. With sessions at the Speakers Stage venue capturing an exclusive Keynote, expertly led state of the industry Masterclasses and the most immersive innovative tech and customer case studies on the market today, enabling SPORTEL participants to complement their business meetings and gain crucial insight for their strategies of tomorrow.

The highly anticipated Keynote from LALIGA President Javier Tebas, will share the latest solutions from the legendary Spanish league for sports media, offering exclusive take aways to SPORTEL participants. Executive Masterclass panels debating Industry important topics, with notably “investment in Sport and Where is the Next $1bn Coming From?”, in collaboration with SportBusiness (Imran Yusuf), with an impressive CEO lineup featuring, SURJ Sports Investment (Danny Townsend), Kings League (Djamel Agaoua) and PFL (John Martin), will explore which entities are buying in to sport, how those investments are going, and what the future might hold. Of particular focus will be private equity investment in sport and the role of sovereign wealth funds.

Shining the spotlight on creative storytelling, this next blockbuster panel “Hollywood Hits the Paddock: F1 Taking Storytelling to the Next Level” will discuss how crossing over authentic sporting and entertainment global star power can up marketing ante to become a lucrative model for rights holders and sponsors to extend the phenomena and take fan engagement to the next level in an elite sport. Storytellers include AWS (Paul Devlin), Qualcomm’s Snapdragon (Julie Yamamoto) and 26West Sport (Murray Barnett), moderated by Payne Sports Media Rights Strategies (Michael Payne).

“The Bundle Live at SPORTEL Monaco”, in collaboration with Unofficial Partner’s popular sports media podcast series offers a view from the C-suite where Deltatre (Peter Bellamy), 26West Sport (Murray Barnett) and EBU (Glen Killane), will discuss with Unofficial Partner’s Richard Gillis, the biggest stories of 2025 and the people and companies who have had the greatest impact on the sports media industry.

As a nod to the upcoming SPORTEL Singapore in 2026, (March 24 – 25), a regional spotlight session will address “Content Acquisition Strategies for APAC”, focusing on how the world’s most popular region has in recent years at times struggled to sell media rights within APAC. Regional experts Fox Sports Australia (Marissa Banu-Lawrence), Bundesliga International (Kevin Sim) and Reddentes Sports (Mark Chew), led by SportBusiness (Imran Yusuf), will address what strategies should leagues and broadcasters adopt when seeking to serve viewers and grow in the region.

Pivoting to tech, the conversation turns to “New Live Sports Tech for Tailored Fan Experiences & Personalization”, in collaboration with SVG (Ken Kerschbaumer), where the audience will hear how the latest live streaming tools are creating compelling use case experiences for social media, TV networks and OTT platforms. Industry experts including LFP Media (Cyprien Castanedo), Infront Sports & Media (Andreas Kaeshammer), Harmonic, Inc. (Alexandre Paugam) and LiveU (Ophir Zardok), will discuss technology tools that can help broadcasters, federations, leagues and teams grow their fanbase and revenue streams. The audience will learn how to make use of the Cloud, why IP technology is important, and much more. Continuing this theme and expanding the focus to building the brand through data analytics, DTC, sponsorship, behind the scenes and athlete created and archival content, “Building the Brand: Monetizing Sports Content Through Broadcast, Data & Beyond” will discuss further with key international industry players from the sectors,  Veritone (Craig Caruso), K League (Min Joo Kim) and Anthem Sports (Carlos Silva) holding a lively conversation with moderator  Protocol Group (Lowell Conn).

The Masterclass tech focus culminates with a focus on how is “Generative AI Redefining the Sports Industry” and is already today in the broadcast and digital landscape, from rights, to sponsorship, content creation, production, translating, content distribution, the fan experience to name a few areas. Leading AI solution providers and customers will illustrate concrete use cases with panel collaborator SVG Europe (George Bevir), Veritone (Peter Leeb), WSC Sports (Ido Ratzon), SyncWords (Ashish Shah) and Polish football league Ekstraklasa (Malgorzata Borkowska) taking a 360° look at opportunities and concerns around AI.

“The SPORTEL Monaco conference programme continues to evolve, bringing to the stage the most powerful, creative and innovative lineup to share vision on media and technologies that are redefining the future of sports business.  SPORTEL remains the frontrunner and pulse of the industry, providing participants with an environment where they can not only discover new insight, strategies and trends, but also engage with the minds shaping the future of global sports” announced Loris Menoni, Executive Director, SPORTEL Monaco.

Global technology powerhouses will take to the stage with their customers for a showcase of panels, presentations and globally successful case studies to illustrate how technology continues to drive the sports media industry to new heights, with fan engagement a strong component of these success stories. “Powering Growth in Sports Streaming: AWS & Deltatre in Action” with both AWS (Paul Devlin) and Deltatre, will present exciting examples of how these two tech giants are enabling sports organizations to thrive in a rapidly changing media landscape.

Deltatre CEO, Andrea Marini, will host LFP Media (Martin Aurenche, Cyprien Castanedo) in this high-level success story session.  “Owning Your Sport: How Ligue 1+ is Transforming Fan Engagement, Data & Revenue”,  with a compelling case study in how a league-driven DTC platform can deliver on these goals and is a viable and innovative model for modern sports media through leveraging OTT technology and a direct relationship with fans, unlocking first-party data, delivering personalized experiences, and generating new, sustainable revenue streams.

Another concrete example is from US OTT platform WURL (Keith Bedford) and partners World Rugby (Gareth Rees) and Transmit (Scott Young), who are “Driving Fan Engagement in the Next Era of Sports and Streaming” through the rise of ad-supported streaming and next-gen ad formats.

Wasabi (Michael Welts, Jonathan Howes), alongside one of the world’s most iconic sports brands Liverpool FC (Matthew Quinn) and Scoreplay (Victorien Tixier), will showcase how together they are “Unlocking the Future of Fan Engagement with AI and Cloud Media Strategies” by innovating its media operations to drive deeper fan loyalty and global business impact.

“OKTAGON MMA – The Record-Breaking MMA Powerhouse Redefining Sports Entertainment” and one of the fastest growing sports properties in Europe, will also take to the stage to show how they are redefining Europe experiences live sports entertainment.

From a production perspective, Spiideo will present “Finding Your AI Entry Points Across the Production Workflow”, powered by automated sports content production in thousands of arenas across 500+ global leagues and will showcase how AI-driven cameras, broadcast-optimized tracking, and cloud workflows, producers and broadcasters can integrate Spiideo into professional productions.

Then the XR Sports Alliance (XRSA, Lucy Nguyen), co-founded by Accedo, HBS, and Qualcomm are dedicated to overcoming the barriers to widespread XR adoption in sports will present with partner E1 Series (Laurence Boyd): “Lessons from the First Experimentation Deployment with E1 Series”, to outline XRSA’s mission to drive large-scale XR sports services by fostering collaboration among technology, media, and sports organizations.

A prestigious panel discussion dedicated to the female leaders transforming the sports business industry during a special Women’s Lunch networking event (by invitation only, Twiga, Grimaldi Forum), in partnership with AWS, and moderated by Armel Negret, featuring Seven Seven Six (Alexis Ohanian), Lauren Pedersen (SportAI), NBA (Fiona Wong) and Marathon World Record Holder Paula Radcliffe, who will celebrate the brilliant minds at the intersection of sports media and innovation.
 

SPORTEL’s popular “Pitch Perfect Innovation Contest” will finalise the innovative programme, bringing together select SPORTEL newcomer companies including Pendular, FalconHQ, SyncWords, Fair Vision, Webout You, Vitec, Protern.io, Sportz Interactive and CAMB.AI who have a creative or innovative solution to showcase during their three-minute pitch and two minutes of questions with judges, to win prizes and prestige amongst the audience.