Children’s Coaching Collaborative have launched Play Their Way campaign
The Children’s Coaching Collaborative (CCC) have today launched ‘Play Their Way’ – a campaign to transform the way children and young people are coached in sport and physical activity, prioritising their rights, needs and enjoyment in a ‘child-first’ approach to help increase activity levels. The campaign is funded by Sport England and The National Lottery and is led by the 17 partner organisations that make up the CCC.
Sport England’s latest Active Lives Children survey found that less than half (47%) of children who regularly exercise strongly agree that they enjoy taking part in sport and physical activity, down from the pre-pandemic level of 51%. The same survey showed that more than half (53%) do not get enough exercise.
Enjoyment is one of the biggest motivators for children and young people to get active, which is why Play Their Way is dedicated to ensuring children have the best possible experience in sport and activity through the people who know them best – their coaches.
A ‘child-first’ approach to coaching is about championing every child’s voice, choice and journey in sport and physical activity. The Play Their Way campaign aims to level the playing field by putting children first and helping them enjoy being active in their own way, where great coaching can inspire a child to stay active for life.
The campaign will work with England’s 2.6 million coaches to build a grassroots movement aimed at increasing and improving child-first coaching in communities across the nation.
Play Their Way kicked off this morning with an event in South London at Peckham BMX Club, which is changing the lives of young people through a child-first approach to coaching and mentoring across all levels – from grassroots to elite. The club has coached and supported over 2,000 young people since opening its doors in 2004, including Olympic silver medallist Kye Whyte.
To launch the new campaign, the club hosted an open participation event for children to express themselves through sport, attended by leading voices of the campaign and to encourage coaches and activity deliverers to put enjoyment at the heart of their approach.
Discussing the launch of Play Their Way, Tim Hollingsworth, Chief Executive, Sport England, said:
“Positive experiences for children and young people are at the heart of Sport England’s Uniting the Movement strategy – and child-first coaching is an important part of this.
“Our research tells us that for children, ‘fun’ is the primary reason for taking part in sport and activity. They will want to take part if they enjoy it. It’s vital that we put fun and enjoyment at the centre of sport and activity, and give our children and young people the chance to shape their sporting experiences to boost activity levels.
“We look forward to working with our partners and supporting the amazing coaches across the UK. We want to give all children the chance to have their say – and play their way.”
Heather Douglas, Head of Coaching and Policy at UK Coaching, added:
“Coaches play such an important role in the development of children and young people’s lives, often in difficult circumstances, and can have a profound effect on the positive experiences they have in sport and physical activity
We know that child-first coaching and giving children a choice and a voice in the way they are coached works, and that many of our coaches are out there doing this already. This campaign is about helping more coaches do more of this and through Play Their Way we will be providing them with resources and support to help transform the way our children and young people are coached.
“Our goal is for all children and young people, regardless of age, background or ability, to have a voice, choice and decide their journey when participating in sport and physical activity, so they develop a genuine and lifelong love for being active.”
CK Flash, Head Coach at Peckham BMX Club who hosted today’s launch event, also said:
“It’s a really important moment for coaching across the nation, focusing entirely on our children and young people and understanding that to get the best out of them, coaches need to embrace creativity, independence, and fun.
“Our ethos at Peckham has always been centred on supporting and mentoring young people in our local community, listening to them and understanding their needs. This is so important to helping them stay in sport and physical activity and gain the benefits that brings in other areas of their lives and which improve their life chances.”
The Play Their Way campaign has also been developed by insight and engagement with a network of grassroots sports coaches along with children and young people through a series of focus groups and workshops.
A special Play Their Way digital campaign was also launched today.
To learn more about the campaign, access resources and sign up to join the biggest grassroots movement to transform the way we coach our children and young people visit www.playtheirway.org.
Photo credit: Sport England & UK Coaching / Getty Images
PSA announce major investment in the sport
The Sports, Media and Entertainment Group led by businessman and philanthropist Mark Walter has acquired a stake in Squash Media & Marketing (SMM), a commercial entity created and managed by the Professional Squash Association (PSA), as part of a major investment in the sport.
The investment will be used to optimize the structure of the PSA Tour and will allow SMM to deliver more events with a view to increasing player compensation and improving the fan experience.
The additional funding will also be used to increase marketing of the sport and the PSA’s athletes, develop new digital products and services to offer to squash fans worldwide and ramp up the creation and distribution of engaging content.
Mark Walter said: “I think professional squash is a global, highly diverse and exciting sport with a tremendous growth opportunity. We are excited to invest in the future of the sport and look forward to working with the PSA to make this a broader and more inclusive sport and to bring it to more fans.”
Mark and Kimbra Walter have long been supporters of squash, including sponsoring the Windy City Open and PSA World Championships. With the Walters as the title sponsor of the PSA World Championships, the sport’s biggest tournament became the first squash event to offer $1,000,000 in total player compensation – with equal compensation for men and women players – four years ago. The 2022-23 PSA World Championships concluded earlier this month in Chicago, with Ali Farag and Nour El Sherbini being crowned World Champions on the spectacular all-glass court erected at Chicago’s Union Station.
PSA Chief Executive Alex Gough said: “We believe that having the financial backing of The Walter Group will be a game changer for professional squash. Mark Walter has been an incredible supporter of the sport since 2015 and his investment will enable us to accelerate our development of the professional game.
“We have an ambitious strategy that aims to modernize and grow the sport at the highest level. We will also be looking to streamline the PSA Tour structure to increase the playing opportunities and earning potential for our athletes, as well as helping them rise up the PSA World Rankings.
“This is an incredibly exciting time for everyone involved in professional squash. Since our Chairman Ziad Al-Turki came aboard in 2008, the professional game has gone through unprecedented growth and this investment represents the next step in the sport’s evolution. We look forward to releasing details of our long-term strategy to the squash community in due course.”
Previously, SMM received an investment from Infront in February 2021, which positioned the leading sports marketing agency as a strategic commercial partner of SMM.
McLaren Racing announces multi-year extension with Deloitte
McLaren Racing today announced a multi-year extension to its partnership with Deloitte, continuing as the Official Transformation Partner of the McLaren Formula 1 Team from the 2023 season.
Since 2020, Deloitte and McLaren have been working closely to help enhance the performance of the McLaren F1 team and its operations, which includes capturing and analysing data to optimise car performance and applying digital twin simulation to help inform race day decision-making.
Deloitte will help to further embed circularity, the concept of eliminating waste and maximising resources through reuse and recycling, into McLaren’s sustainability mission. This will support the business to advance towards its net zero targets without compromising performance.
Deloitte and McLaren will also look to leverage GreenSpace Tech by Deloitte, a newly-launched offering that connects organisations with new and existing technologies and ecosystems that can help accelerate their decarbonisation efforts.
Deloitte has a strong track record of helping organisations define a path to a more sustainable future through its global practice, Deloitte Sustainability & Climate, offering integrated sustainability and climate change services.
The announcement comes just after the release of McLaren’s second annual Sustainability Report on Thursday 18 May, which reports on progress made in 2022 and outlines McLaren’s sustainability priorities going forward.
Matt Dennington, Executive Director, Partnerships & Accelerator, McLaren Racing, said:
“We are delighted to extend our long-standing relationship with Deloitte. As a key collaborator in our sustainability journey, Deloitte supports our desire to explore opportunities to accelerate our progress.
“In Formula 1 we have both the responsibility and the opportunity to develop innovative solutions to make a positive impact on the fight against climate change. Our ambitions with Deloitte will push for tangible innovation in circularity, finding solutions that can make our team, sport and the wider world, more sustainable.”
Jennifer Steinmann, Deloitte Global Sustainability & Climate Practice Leader, said:
“In order to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, every sector of society—including sports—must rapidly accelerate climate action in the near-term. At Deloitte, we are looking forward to building upon our successful collaboration with McLaren Racing to help facilitate its transition to a more circular, sustainable future.
“Deloitte’s sustainability and climate specialists will work with McLaren Racing to research and develop the concept for a fully circular F1 car. By prioritising sustainability and performance, McLaren Racing is playing an important role in shaping the future success and growth of the sport.”
Member Insights: In a world of clicks and views sometimes all fans want is to be recognised
In this Member Insights piece, Socios.com CEO Alexandre Dreyfus reflects on how the utility of their Fan Tokens has evolved and how blockchain can reshape membership schemes.
I was listening to a podcast recently and one of the guests was waxing lyrical about how they were part of their football team’s membership scheme, and they felt recognised and rewarded because they had been sent a free branded water bottle to celebrate their 2-year anniversary as members.
I listened to this while I was travelling back to our Madrid office from the Supercoppa Italiana played between Socios.com partners and local rivals AC Milan and Internazionale FC. Sat next to me on the flight were the three match-used balls, each one packaged separately with the data and details of the goal that was scored with them, ready to be loaded with the NFC chip that would be inserted into the ball and then authenticated via blockchain. So that proof of authenticity and the memory of the goal could be viewed anytime, anywhere, even without having the physical item present.
Those balls from the match are now owned by three Inter Fan Token holders, who earned them at no extra cost, just by redeeming the free loyalty tokens Socios.com users are awarded with each time they engage with their team through the app.
I wonder whether these Fan Token holders display them in their homes next to their branded water bottles.
You don’t need to be a football fan to understand the difference between owning a branded bottle of water, an example of the type of rewards that fans joining club membership programmes could look forward to until now, and owning an actual piece of the history of your Club.
In the same way, you don’t need to be a football fan to realise that sports, and specifically football, as the world’s most popular game, needs to change its approach to membership programmes if it wants to continue growing in the current landscape.
Football has probably never been as popular as it is today. Never before have top clubs and major competitions had such a massive and global audience. But, at the same time, never before have they been more challenged as to how they engage with these fans. Because the mindset of these fans is very different to what it was just a couple of decades back, and so is what they expect from their teams.
Watching games and cheering is no longer enough. To start with, because there is an entire generation of digital-native fans that are used to engaging proactively, and not just as viewers, with the brands they love. They are used to being a part of the story by actively interacting and creating content through social media and other digital platforms. And secondly, because clubs are no longer something fans engage with once or twice a week around a match. They are part of people’s identity.
Fans wear their club, they breathe it. And therefore they want to feel close to it 24/7. This doesn’t just apply to the local communities stemming right from the heart of the club’s grounds, as it was some years back. It applies globally.
But this global torrent of passion and loyalty needs to be reciprocated. In this world of metrics, clicks and views, fans want to feel valued for what they ultimately are: the beating heart of the Club, and they want to feel their passion rewarded for what it truly is: the power that fuels their Club.
Recognizing, involving and rewarding fans were the three main pillars of the vision that brought Chiliz to life a little over five years ago, when we started envisioning Fan Tokens and what today is the Socios.com fan engagement and rewards app, currently used by over 150 sporting organisations worldwide to engage with and reward their fans with a wide range of opportunities and experiences, many of which -from polls to decide kit designs to the chance to own match-scored balls- had never before been made available to fans.
As we get ready to write a new chapter with the launch of a first-of-its-kind co-promotional campaign that will see Sony Pictures tap into our global community to promote their soon-to-be-released Spider-Man movie, translating into more utility for our Fan Tokens and more exciting opportunities for our users, I’d like to reflect on our journey during the past five years and how, slowly, yet relentlessly, we’ve consolidated a product that is changing the game for fans, who are finally being meaningfully rewarded for their passion and loyalty, and clubs, who are consolidating a new digital revenue stream bound to grow exponentially in the coming years, alike.
2019 – THE FIRST FAN POLL
In 2019, to present our vision to involve fans, we designed a Fan Poll together with Juventus, our first partner, which for the first time ever gave fans the opportunity to influence the matchday experience. We gave them the chance to choose the goal celebration song at the Allianz Stadium. Fans chose Blur’s iconic Song 2 in a poll that generated huge engagement amongst Juventus fans and helped plant the seed for what we were aiming to achieve.
The goal celebration song poll was a success, and was soon replicated by several other partners. It proved that fans had a genuine appetite to become involved in their team’s decisions and that this could be easily and transparently achieved through our blockchain. But it was just a first step. Now it was on us to be creative enough to come up with new ideas for more Fan Polls… and persuasive enough to convince our partners that it was worth stepping out of their comfort zone, which is not always easy in a pretty conservative business as football.
The next milestone came just a few months later, when we worked with Apollon FC and Puma on another first-of-its-kind activation which gave fans the chance to choose the design of the home and away kits for the following season. Kits are a fan favourite and no major European football club had ever involved its fans in the design process, which is hard to understand considering that it’s the fans who ultimately decide the success or failure of a kit. This ground-breaking initiative, which was picked up by sports media worldwide, generated huge engagement amongst Apollon fans.
The kits chosen by the fans were launched at the beginning of the 2021-22 season, and soon became one of the most successful ever released by the Club. This proved two things: 1.) That clubs have a lot to gain from a commercial perspective by involving their fans in decision-making processes and 2.) That our platform can be extremely powerful and useful for clubs to activate other existing partners and sponsors. Young Boys FC and Saracen Rugby Football Club are amongst the clubs that have replicated this activation.
Though for the time being the kit still remains a no-go for some top football clubs – clubs embrace our platform in different ways and at different paces, and that’s perfectly fine – many have since given fans the opportunity to choose inspirational messages featured on the jersey’s collard, the design of the captain’s armband for a special match or the design of different capsule collection merch products, most of which had never been done before and were welcomed with huge enthusiasm by fans, increasing the Socios.com user base to over 1m before the end of 2020.
I’m writing this on the day we hit 1,000 binding Fan Polls on the app. Though there is still room to improve, the engagement rate of these polls, which has tripled in the last two years, is the best proof that fans value having their voice heard.
Involving fans in decision-making processes is a huge part of our proposition, but so was rewarding them for their loyalty in a fun, gamified and scalable way. We do this in a number of different ways, but specially through exclusive experiences that users can access by redeeming the free SSU loyalty tokens they earn by engaging with their team on the app.
In this field we’ve also come a long way since the launch of the app in 2018. Each week Fan Token holders throughout the world redeem hundreds of grand stand and VIP tickets for their team’s matches, and dozens of once-in-a-lifetime experiences such as meet and greet sessions with players and legends.
PREMIUM EXPERIENCES FOR EVERYONE AT NO EXTRA COST
These experiences were already available in the past, but were hardly offered to average fans, since traditional corporate partners and sponsors kept them for their very top level clients. Through Socios.com, Fan Token holders can earn them at no extra cost, by just doing what they love the most: engaging with their team.
In our constant commitment to innovation, we’ve also created new and unprecedented experiences such as our signature LiveTheDream match, in which fans get the opportunity to feel like professional players for a day by taking part in a match with other fans and club legends in their team’s stadium wearing their own personalised official kit. Trust me when I tell you I’ve seen grown up men and women across the world cry like children while taking part in this experience.
The Voice of the Fans or Speaker Takeover experience, where we give fans the chance to act as their team’s official speaker and announce the starting lineup during a league match, is another example of unprecedented experience that we have created and that has become hugely popular amongst fans, driving more Fan Token sales and generating direct revenue for clubs.
To dive into all things Web3, attend next month’s SEG3 event at the Emirates Stadium
Socios Collectibles, one of our latest and most exciting developments, is giving Fan Token holders in Italy the chance to own a tangible part of their team’s history by redeeming match-scored balls from their team’s most important Lega Serie A matches. Unsurprisingly, this has triggered hundreds of new Italian Fan Token holders on Socios.com.
Since the Fan Rewards feature was launched in October 2021, the number of Fan Token holders redeeming rewards per month has grown by 1,000 percent.
THE BEST IS YET TO COME
We’ve still got a long way to go. There’s no denying that the past few months have been some of the most difficult for blockchain’s advocates and supporters. All industries at the cutting edge of technology are going to develop over time. Change doesn’t happen overnight, or over a year or two. I know this from personal experience.
However, humbly yet proudly, today we can say we have consolidated a new product that despite having only reached around 10 percent of its potential, is already redefining fan engagement in sports for the benefit of fans and brands.
Take Maria for example, a diehard AC Milan fan who is now part of the club’s history as the first ever female to act as a speaker for the Club and announce the team’s lineup at San Siro during a Milan derby against Inter. This unforgettable experience was made available to her through Socios.com.
Or Joe and his friend Adam, who last month and thanks to engaging with Harlequins on Socios.com, were able to watch the match against Barbarians from the first team bench.
Or Chris, one of the 30 Arsenal fans who took part in the inaugural Fan Token Cup, which saw 180 UK Fan Token holders make their child’s dream come true when they slipped into their team’s kit to represent their club in a five-a-side tournament against other teams formed by other Premier League clubs Fan Token holders.
These examples provide evidence that there is a huge appetite for new membership schemes that provide fans with meaningful opportunities and access to new experiences. New programmes that global and digital-native fans are increasingly demanding, as the latest edition of the Fan Relationship Index Report recently highlighted.
The Socios.com story also proves that blockchain can be key facilitators for this new generation of membership schemes for which, according to the FRI report, football fans are willing to pay up to 25 euros per month. Socios.com is delivering this through Fan Tokens for much less.
If we agree that sport is truly global, that its most powerful fuel is the passion of the fans, and that currently fans can be loyal to more than one sport and believe in more than one GOAT, it seems clear that token-gated loyalty and reward schemes provide not only a short-term revenue opportunity. It is absolutely mandatory for any big organisation aiming to expand its global footprint and engage new generations of fans. Or, in other words, to remain relevant in this hyper competitive and increasingly globalised landscape.
As you can see, we’ve come a long way and there is still a long way ahead of us, as the tech evolves, the industry matures and the regulatory landscape become clearer, but the clubs and organisations that understand this now, that are growing their digital presence, reaching new fans, and offering them more, will reap the benefits. Those that don’t might find themselves playing catch up.
The House View: Why we should make the TV license an NFT
I recently received my bill for my UK TV Licence of £164 for the year. It comes from the TV Licensing Authority. It doesn’t actually say BBC on it, but TV Licencing Authority is one of the BBC’s trade names.
Basically the bill is for the right to watch live TV (any channels, not just BBC) and use the BBC iPlayer. I’m not going to get into the question of why I should pay a fee to watch live ITV or Channel 4 and have all the money go to BBC. It certainly didn’t help them get the Masters golf tournament I tuned in to watch last month only to find out they didn’t buy it. As for iPlayer as a stand-alone, it works out to £13.67 a month, twice as much as Netflix. Say no more.
My favourite BBC moment is when the news does ‘what the papers say.’ Hold on, I pay you so your TV channel can tell me what’s in the newspaper? How about I get to keep my £13.47 and I buy the papers myself if I feel like it?
But enough levity and I am not beating up on BBC (life without the Eurovision Song Contest isn’t worth living). I have a serious point to make. Isn’t the TV Licence a perfect example of something that should be an NFT? (As much as I hate that term NFT, we seem to be stuck with it for now.)
In fact, a TV licence is already a ‘token’ (to use the lingo of the Web3 rabbit hole). Now BBC needs to tune in some technology and create products for younger audiences and a market changing too fast for comfort.
Instead of just compelling people to give them money for their token, they should be creating genuine loyalty by personalising it and building in some real utility beyond the feeble offer of ‘I get to watch live TV and use the iPlayer.’ They can build authentic, engaged BBC communities (instead of one big compulsory one including many disgruntled citizens thereof).
I even have a name for the BBC NFT.
Sacred Cow.
Sorry again, I’m not really talking about the BBC but any company that sells TV subscriptions. The old pay business model is worn out. Media companies need to be offering new experiences, more value.
There are so many ways for content providers to do this with blockchain. There’s a whole new Web3 world emerging out there as the boundaries blur between sports, entertainment and gaming. And it can generate more revenue than plain vanilla subs.
They may not see it this way, but the BBC has a history of investing in NFT-type content. Years ago I visited the BBC Special Cameras Unit. It was a place where they had a bunch of boffins building wacky camera devices just like Q in James Bond movies. The whole purpose was to improve the viewer’s experience of the Olympics.
That is value creation. Build that kind of innovation into an NFT. Make your TV Licence an entry pass to the metaverse. Shift the BBC brand from living in the past to the future, from yesterday to tomorrow.
I mention Special Cameras, but we are talking about something a lot bigger. BBC and kindred organisations will need partners. One of the things that has characterised public broadcasters over the years is a perceived need to do everything in-house. That won’t cut it anymore. Web3 is about maximum collaboration.
Partnerships will define the evolution of Web3 (and generative AI). That is the whole rationale behind SEG3: Sports Entertainment & Gaming taking place at Emirates Stadium in London June 28-29. Learn what others are doing and connect. Find out more here.
It’s entirely possible that in-house boffins at BBC (if they still exist) are already working on their NFT. Let’s hope it’s so good that the thing becomes voluntary.
By Jay Stuart, Content Director iSportConnect.
The View From Asia: How is institutional finance playing a role to grow Sport in Asia
In his second View From Asia column, Unmish Parthasarathi (Founder & Executive Director of Picture Board Partners, a Singapore-based strategy & ventures boutique), shares examples of how Venture Capital, Private Equity, and Sovereign Funds are making a play to serve the next billion fans.
The last 24-months have been notable for the variety of sports investments in the US and Europe, be it Private Equity (CVC/Six Nations), Venture Capital (Sapphire/Overtime, Buzzer), Strategics (Endeavour/WWE), Sovereign Funds (PIF/LIV) or Family Offices (Walton-Penner/Denver Broncos). In this article, I cites five trends with ten examples across a dozen markets that promise returns due to a positive demographic dividend, a growing supply of talent, and, rising per capita incomes.
Trend 1: The situation in Asia is similar but different with notable patterns often seen in the West a decade ago:
- Cheque sizes reflects the gap between current value and future potential as leisure in the cities matures;
- VCs were the first movers from the period before the pandemic with PE making a play more recently;
- Sovereign Funds and Family Offices are few & far between, but are curious about rends in the West.
Trend 2: Venture Capital has been led by growth stage investments followed by a more thematic approach:
In May 2021, Dream Capital invested $50 Mn in FanCode, a next-generation digital platform that combines live streaming a la DAZN with match day editorial akin to ESPN.com and a Fan Shop. Dream11, a fantasy sports platform used by 180 Mn fans, raised $840 Mn in late 2021 at a $8 Bn valuation backed by Redbird Capital, Falcon Edge, Tiger Global et al. The other big-cheque recipient is FanCraze, the official digital collectibles partner of the International Cricket Council (ICC). In April 2022, it raised $100 Mn from New York-based Insight Partners (an investor in Calm) and Singapore-based B Capital, co-owned by Facebook co-founder Eduardo Severin and Raj Ganguly of Bain Capital.
Trend 3: Seed/Pre-Seed stage investments are being led by the largest global sports federation in the region.
In mid 2021, Tennis Australia (TA) launched WildCard Ventures, a fund focussed on Sport, Health and Entertainment with their IC (Investment Committee) includes the CEO, CFO and General Counsel of TA. In early 2023, TA launched AO Startups, focussed on three experiential areas (Athlete, Event, Racquet Sports). Such initiatives by a globally-recognised federation based in the region can be a possible playbook for other Asia-based/focussed federations in Cricket, Badminton or Table Tennis.
Trend 4: Much like in the West, PE plays lagged VCs in Asia but has made a notable presence when it did.
In early 2021, CVC paid ~$740 Mn to buy the Gujarat Titans, one of two new franchises brought to market by the IPL. Valuations sky rocketed for two reasons – a scarcity premium as the IPL hadn’t expanded beyond the eight franchises at launch in 2008, and the assured annuity payments from a $6 Billion media rights deal that made the IPL the world’s second most valued league, at $15 Million per match, after the NFL.
In late 2021, Affinity Equity Partners committed $150 Mn to Vidio, an OTT platform owned by the Emtek Group, a market leader in Indonesia. Premium sports rights, such as the English Premier League and the FIFA World Cup have been key to Vidio’s brand development and user acquisition. Unlike DAZN and like Hotstar in India, Vidio has diversified its content, commissioning 100 local language entertainment shows. This dual-genre play recalls a quote by Rupert Murdoch – of “sport being the battering ram of Pay TV” – that was key to Sky UK’s early success consolidated later by Hollywood movies.
In late 2021, Eclat, a Korean Sports TV company, bought most of Fox Sports Asia’s rights. This followed the former News Corp. network being shuttered after Disney bought 21st Century Fox. SPOTV Asia is unique in two ways – being funded privately, not institutionally, and, moving away from the historical reliance of regional channels on football. It’s two pillar content strategy based on motorbikes (centred on MotoGP) and racquet sports (with BWF, World Table Tennis, Wimbledon) is economically viable with a higher chance of break-even.
Trend 5: Whilst most of the digital plays cited above depend on licensing rights from a league, Asia has also witnessed the ground-up build of new sport properties that aggregate talent across multiple countries.
ONE Championship (ONE) is the world’s largest martial arts organization, ranked by Nielsen in June 2021 as one of the most viewed sports properties in the world. It closed a global deal with Amazon Prime Video in 2022 and hosted its first US event in Colorado, recently. The success Stateside was the tip of the iceberg as a new property takes time – and investment – to come of age. In mid 2016, Heliconia, a division of Temasek, one of Singapore’s two sovereign funds, invested an eight-figure sum. A year later, founder Chatri Sityodtong famously met Michael Moritz, Douglas Leone and Shailendra Singh of Sequoia Capital for breakfast to secure $100 Mn. In late 2021, at the peak of the pandemic, the company closed a $150 Mn round that welcomed Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and Guggenheim Investments on the cap table.
The East Asia Super League (EASL) is another, similar, and more recent, example. It’s aggregated the best basketball talent in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines; a UEFA Champions League of Basketball! In 2019, the venture arm of Raine Group, that brokered the sale of Chelsea FC, participated in EASL’s Series B. In mid 2020, FIBA granted EASL exclusive recognition and support under a 10-year agreement. Raine’s merchant bank is currently advising EASL on its $ 40 Mn Series C that is looking to close over the Northern Summer.
In summary, there is no going away from the fact that Asia is home to the next billion fan that will be coming online over the next decade. The reality of this demographic dividend is not being lost on investors although they are being choosy – as they should be! Watch this space, closely.
Meet the Member: “My vision is to create the first specialist cricket state school”
Steve Elworthy has been around the game of cricket for a long time leading on the first Twenty20 World Cup in 2007 and the 2019 World Cup here in the UK. He is now into his second season as CEO of Surrey CCC, in this interview we discuss his journey in sport and his exciting plans for the future of the club.
So Steve to kick off, take us through your journey in sport?
Well, it started out as effectively as soon as I could walk. I grew up in a really sporty house with both my Dad and brother being big cricket fans. I grew up in Zimbabwe and we had a really close knit family and there was a really strong community feel that was based around the sports club. Like most kids growing up I played other sports as well and I really enjoyed my athletics and golf.
In the early 80s the family moved to South Africa where I continued playing cricket while studying and I ended up with an electrical engineering diploma. After I finished my education, I started playing cricket regularly, was awarded my first professional contract, which was obviously good news and I was first called up to play for South Africa when I was in my 30s, quite late from a cricket point of view. I also got a flavour for English cricket as I played some club cricket in the UK and also playing for Lancashire and then Nottinghamshire before I retired.
I had been doing a marketing diploma part time, while I was playing, so when I retired I successfully applied for the role of Sponsorship Manager for Cricket South Africa (CSA). That was in 2003 and because we were hosting the Cricket World Cup that year the Commercial Director for CSA moved over to work on the tournament and I ended up taking his job after only six months.
A couple of years later we were awarded the first World Twenty20 and I remember our CEO saying we needed someone to run it and I managed to secure the role. Looking back it is so funny how a decision I made then has had a massive impact on my life.
That was the start of my role as tournament director and after the tournament in 2007, the ECB offered me a two-year contract to look after the 2009 Ashes and then next edition of the World Twenty20 the same summer. That was a two year contract and 15 years later I am still here. I worked on the Champions Trophy in 2013, the Women’s World Cup and Champions Trophy in 2017 and the Cricket World Cup in 2019. Then in 2020 covid hit and I helped develop and organise the ‘behind closed doors’ Covid bubbles and the internationals at the Ageas Bowl and Emirates Old Trafford.
And of course most recently this job became available when Richard Gould moved from this position to be CEO of the ECB and I have now been here for 15 months.
This is your second season as CEO of Surrey, what are your goals for this year both on and off the field?
My main aim for the first season was really assessing the club and ground and getting my feet under the table to understand the scale of the club. I had some idea of the size of the club from working with them as a host venue for international tournaments, but what I hadn’t got my head around was the breadth and depth of this Members club. We are one of the biggest counties in the country when it comes to membership. We have got a membership base of around 19,500 and they’re very supportive and influential in the club.
We were also aware that, after Covid, the world changed and is evolving and as a club we have to be aware of that. I took some time when I first arrived to determine what and how we needed to shift our position to reflect that change. I then set about determining our long term ambition for the club, with the input of the entire club, to map out our long term ambitions. This was backed up with strategic priorities developed year on year to meet those ambitions. As an example, sustainability became a strategic goal as our supporters and commercial partners wanted to know what our long term ambition was in this space, so we have committed to being net zero by 2030.
We are very lucky that we have got a really strong pathway of talent, both boys and girls, coming through but we need to ensure it is accessible to anyone who wants to choose cricket as career. For me, I see the club more as a social enterprise which understands its position in London, and more importantly, in the local area. Lambeth is one of the most deprived areas of London and if we want to be the most inclusive sport in the country, then we as a club, need to play our part in making that happen.
It is going to be really exciting to work on this plan over the next few years and watch how we can develop as a club.
In your eyes what are the challenges that are facing county cricket as a whole at the moment?
The first problem that is staring everyone in the face is that there is a huge amount of cricket that is being played at the moment, in both international and domestic cricket. But I also think that presents a really exciting opportunity for us as a sport because we have so many entry points for different people to get engaged. There is something for everyone.
At the moment there is a lot of congestion in the season due to the different formats because at the moment I do think there is too much cricket being played. There is only so much grass (pitches) you can play on and the players can only play so often. I do think the game as a whole needs to address this issue over the next few years.
It is easy to be negative about the domestic game in the UK but I think if you look at the quality of overseas professionals that are playing over here at the moment then I think that is a massive testament to how English cricket is perceived overseas.
Some counties face different challenges to others. As a ground where international cricket is regularly played, you have a Hundred team, and fantastic support in the T20 Blast, your problems are different to smaller counties. Do you sympathise with the challenges they face?
Absolutely, every club has its own challenges no matter what the size of it. Yes, we probably have a stronger balance sheet than a lot of the counties out there but if you look collectively at all the first class counties, regardless of size, they are all doing a great job in their respective localities.
I think if we can get to a place where clubs can become financially sustainable, which is no mean feat, then they can really look into ways that they can grow. A lot of the smaller counties which do not hostinternational cricket are reliant on the domestic game, so we need to make that as vibrant as possible.
Financially, they may be smaller clubs but they are absolutely vital to the ecosystem that is the domestic game here in England which then feeds into the international team.
How is the global T20 calendar changing the way you operate as a county?
I think, like I touched on earlier, that there is probably too much cricket being played at the moment. But from a players perspective you have to be able to manage your time but it can provide you with some unbelievable opportunities to earn life-changing amounts of money.
As a club, we have to make decisions around certain players who are more suited to playing multiple formats than others. It is tricky and all very case specific, but it is a challenge that a lot of counties are dealing with at the moment.
With the current commercial climate proving particularly tough for many sports, what challenges are the county’s facing to grow revenues and how are they overcoming these?
I think there are a couple of things particularly in this area that we have paid particular attention to over the last year. As a club we have to try and diversify our income as much as possible because while we are pretty consistent with our matchday income through tickets and hospitality, we need to try and come up with new revenue streams.
The new Galadari stand has given us fantastic opportunities to host events throughout the year in an iconic setting. We have found now that people want extra experiences around events and we are uniquely equipped to deliver that. They love the open space, the views of London, standing by the pitch, watching close up the players in the nets, they want to play softball cricket on the outfield or go into the nets and face the bowling machine.
We are seeing a lot more of these trends around the county circuit, you will see CEO’s utilising their spaces as much as they can. You can see clubs are really trying to move their economic dependence and become more self-sufficient.
One of the biggest challenges counties are facing is converting T20 fans into county championship fans and then members, how do you try to do that?
Yes, this is really something I have been grappling with since the first Twenty20 World Cup back in 2007. Over time I have realised that it is actually more of a natural progression from T20 through to county or Test fans. As people get older they naturally move from one to the other, so I think we don’t need to do too much when it comes to trying to convert people straight away.
I like to think about it as a sort of music analogy. Your taste in music generally evolves as you get older and I think cricket can be the same. So you start fans out on T20 or the Hundred and then naturally as you get older you move to longer formats of the game.
So for me T20 and The Hundred is all about getting as many people as possible in the grounds. The aim then is to convert them into playing, or volunteering, or officiating, or even possibly working in cricket which would just be fantastic.
County cricket fans are in the vast majority in the older, white demographic, we have seen the work being done by the ACE programme which started here to try and get more black players on the field. What are you doing in terms of trying to grow fanbases in different communities?
This is something I am really passionate about and is the reason we are doing so much work in the local community. For a start, we have to work to make sure that our ground is accessible for people in the local area.
Just to touch on the fantastic work being done by the ACE programme, which is something we are very proud to have started here and to see it rolled out by lots of different counties across the country is really encouraging. There is also some great work being done with the ECB’s South Asian Action Plan.
In September we are starting a new initiative in three state school, sixth form colleges in the local area. These are at George Abbott, Lillian Baylis and St Francis Xavier. The idea is that pupils can apply to attend these sixth form programmes and they will be able to play cricket as a part of their curriculum and receive fantastic coaching. It is more of a socio-economic inclusion programme rather than a specificaction plan.
My vision is that we create the first specialist cricket state school. There are private schools and universities that are specifically strong in their cricket offering and we want to create something similar with state schools right here in South East London. We have a large Portuguese community right on our doorstep here at the Oval and with a program like this, what is to say that soon we will have players coming from that community.
There’s a lot of talk about trying to get Gen Z involved in sport at the moment, how are you tackling that challenge?
To be honest, both of my kids are Gen Z and I am learning every day.
It really is the million dollar question in sport at the moment, if we have learnt a few things about Gen Z is that they care a lot about the experience and you only get one shot to impress. If they don’t like what you offer them they could turn their backs on you pretty quickly. We do have some really solid data from the ECB via Two Circles to try and guide us as much as possible though.
We know that Gen Z have some disposable income and want to attend live sporting events, but they aren’t basing the decision purely on the quality of the on-field product but a lot more on the overall experience at the event and whether or not they will have a good time.
Because of this we have actually recruited a Head of Fan Engagement last year whose job it is to make sure that the overall experience is as good as it can be. We have got a better understanding of what oursupporters are looking for. We have seen a massive increase in sales of non-alcoholic drinks and we have also introduced a lot more healthy and foodie options. People don’t just want Fish and Chips or Burger and Chips anymore they want healthier options, such as duck wraps, but the processing time for awrap is a lot different to Fish and Chips so it is a big undertaking and that in turn increases waiting times. All factors that need addressing when looking at your customer experience.
It is a lot of work but if we create a great experience then they will keep coming back and like we said earlier hopefully down the road they become full members of the club.
The PFA announce new player-focussed business school initiative
The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) has announced the launch of its new player-focused initiative, the PFA Business School, aimed at helping its members prepare for life after football. The programme, led by experts from the world of football, sport, and beyond, is designed to enable players to acquire new skills, discover their potential and unlock new career opportunities within the industry.
Maheta Molango, PFA CEO said: “We strongly believe that football people should hold football jobs, with players occupying key positions that shape the sport’s future. An innovative training and personal development programme is necessary to equip players with the tools and knowledge to complement their on-pitch leadership qualities, including decision-making, resilience and discipline.
“Our programmes are adaptable to players’ individual needs in terms of schedule and content. Our practical, hands-on approach sets us apart, exposing players to industry experts who provide valuable insights into running successful football clubs on and off the field. In addition, with an international outlook, we have attracted speakers with global experience and expertise who will help us produce the next generation of leaders within the game.”
The PFA Business School includes over 75 lecturers from within professional football, sport and the media. Collectively they will share their experiences in managing strategy in top football clubs worldwide, representing 50 clubs from 13 different countries, including AS Roma, Sevilla FC, AC Milan, Atlanta United and Red Bull Leipzig.
Andoni Zubizarreta, a former Spanish international, FC Barcelona player, and Sporting Director who is now a Co-Director at the PFA Business School, said: “Successful management in a football environment demands personnel who possess a comprehensive understanding of decision-making in the sporting arena and within the structure of a football club. It requires a global perspective, willingness, and ability to adapt to the industry’s rapidly changing landscape. Additionally, candidates must stay informed about emerging opportunities to stay ahead of the game.
“The programmes on the new PFA Business School will prepare candidates with the skills and knowledge to succeed, enabling them to operate with the highest levels of efficiency and sporting effectiveness.”
The PFA Business School launches seven specific programmes to prepare players for football and sports industry jobs, focusing on topics such as Global Football Business Management, Psychology, Emotional Intelligence and Leadership, Football Data Analytics and Communication and Media. All the courses are designed for the busy schedules of current players and working professionals, utilising a mixture of online learning and face-to-face seminars.
Alejandro Cardenas, Director of the PFA Business School, said: “We recognise that our members, the players, have gained their skills and expertise through hands-on experience. Therefore, we have developed all of our programmes with a practical approach in mind, as we believe it is the most effective way to learn.
“Our faculty members have been carefully selected to reflect this methodology. They possess extensive knowledge and experience in the football industry, bringing a wealth of real-world insights to the table, including exposure to situations, conflicts, and challenges that cannot be found in textbooks.
“This hands-on experience is critical in preparing you for a successful career in football. We are confident that our approach will enhance the candidates’ knowledge and skills, enabling them to thrive in a highly commercialised and competitive industry.”
The PFA Business School represents a major step forward in supporting football players in career transition and personal development. It provides an excellent platform for them to develop new skills, explore new career options and increase their employability when their sporting career ends.
The House View: Why Table Tennis is the world’s other game
If you know me well, you will know that there are three things that matter in my life. Family, Crystal Palace and Table Tennis. In that order, I promise.
So when the content team gave me the opportunity to write about a sport I am so passionate about, I jumped at the opportunity.
As we approach the end of the football season most eyes are being drawn to the Champions League Final and Play-Off Finals. However in Africa the World Table Tennis Championships will be taking place between May 20-28. The championships are being hosted on the continent since 1939.
The nine-day tournament takes place in Durban, South Africa, and will feature nations from all across the globe. In 2019, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) created World Table Tennis (WTT), is the commercial arm of the ITTF to transform table tennis by putting players and fans to the forefront and by creating great event experiences through new events and commercial platform.
The 2021 edition of the World Championships was held in Houston, Texas, the first time that the tournament had been held in the US. The hugely successful event saw 1,328 hours of broadcast to a cumulative audience of 369 million people globally and 430 million impressions on social media.
You will not be surprised to learn that this number of eyeballs attracted premium sponsors. The tournament generated a total of $752 million in sponsorship media value. Could we see South Africa generate even more?
Table Tennis is huge. It is one of the top five participation sports worldwide, with an estimated 300 million people playing on a regular basis.
The sport has fans and followers all over the world including 141 million in India, 87 million in the US, 46 million in Japan, 22 million in Germany and 21 million in South Korea.
Over the years China has dominated the sport. It was declared the national sport in 1952 and in their time they have produced 116 World Champions, won 32 Olympic Gold Medals and 149 World Championship Medals. 337 million Chinese people have an active interest in the sport and it is their most watched sport during the Olympics.
I bet almost all of you reading this have picked up a Table Tennis bat at some point during your life whether that be in school, down your local club or in the new public tables you see in parks and shopping centres. There aren’t many sports that are as easily accessible as Table Tennis for everyone.
Having the first tournament in Africa since 1939 is a great way to start growing the sport in a continent that is ripe with opportunity.
I am looking forward to seeing how this tournament is received in a new market and how the championship can be used as a catalyst to grow the sport in this region.
All statistics provided by World Table Tennis, unless otherwise stated.
By Ray James
Photo Credit: Remy Gross