Changing The Game: “Getting people through the gate is obviously a major revenue generator but the fan experience starts with the ticket purchase”

Ben Phillips, Business Development Lead at Outbox, spoke to the iSportConnect Content Manager Alex Brinton about the transition from paper to digital ticketing and the commercial opportunities an effective ticketing platform can create for sports businesses.

So for those who don’t know, what is it you do at Outbox?

Outbox is a cloud-based, all-in-one ticketing solution designed for the sports and entertainment industry. The business is built on software which has been created to provide a single point of control when managing large, complex and multifaceted events. We are currently managing the ticketing operations for Cirque du Soleil shows all over the world, as well as the European Tour Group and Ascot here in the UK. 

The solution is designed to enable sports organisations to take complete control of their ticketing operation. That includes everything from customer experience and fan data to inventory management. We are trying to switch the perception of ticketing from something that is purely operational and cost based, to something that is considered a revenue generating asset for sports organisations.

We have seen a massive evolution over the last few years in the ticketing space from paper to digital, tell us a bit about that journey from your perspective?

The journey from paper to digital tickets has been driven a few factors. For sports organisations it’s generally safer, cheaper and offers a better customer experience. But it’s also been accelerated on the fan side by people’s consumption habits and the ‘Amazon effect’ of expecting things to be more instant and conveniently accessible. The notion of a paper ticket in any situation, take a boarding pass at an airport for example, is considered inconvenient for a lot of people now. When the ticket is digital and accessible on your phone it just gives you one less thing to worry about.

The other aspect of course is data collection. Understandably lots of sports organisations are making a push for digital-only event ticketing for exactly that reason. If your fans are all utilising digital tickets, it becomes much easier for an organisation to gather more data and better understanding of the fans as a result.

We do understand though that sport is built on nostalgia and a connection to occasions that is often created through physical items whether that be a shirt, scarf or a ticket. And with a digital ticket you remove that physical token of attendance which means that feeling can get lost.

I think we’re kind of walking this interesting balance between providing complete convenience, flexibility for fans, and on the rights holder side a rich fan data source, while understanding and trying not to lose sight of the elements of an event experience that are meaningful to sports fans.

If we want to take a look into the future and consider Web3 and NFTs, I think ticketing is in a prime position as an early step into that world for sports organisations and their fans. Creating that token of attendance, that collectable, just like the paper ticket but in a digital world is really interesting. For sports organisations it represents an opportunity to add to the mix and offer the best options to fans. 

As someone who has a board in his room with tickets from FA Cup finals, Ashes Test matches and music festivals. I feel like that special connection to the event is lost from not having paper tickets. How do you feel about that and is there any way digital tickets can help improve this?

I think you could definitely argue that not having the physical ticket does remove some of that special connection. That traditional aspect of getting your ticket for the game is something we are all pretty familiar with and it makes up part of the event experience. We have a connection to the physical ticket, a sense of ownership and a sense of responsibility that you need to look after it, because that’s how you’re going to get in!

In contrast there is a younger and newer audience who are less wedded to the ‘old school’ paper ticket. As I mentioned earlier, they now see paper as an inconvenience and that desire for a smoother, easier experience using a digital barcode outweighs the sentimental aspect of the ticket itself.

What is interesting is how sports organisations can use those differing attitudes to their advantage. Yes, deliver digital tickets for a better fan experience and the obvious data capture benefits, but play on the nostalgia and sentimental value of a physical ticket too. As an example, you could offer a physical souvenir version of your match ticket as an optional add-on to the ticket purchase. That way you open up supplemental revenue streams and maybe even new sponsorship opportunities.

The final part is obviously that as fans begin to adopt NFTs and place more value on digital assets, that digital ticket could well end up playing the same sentimental role as our paper tickets have for us. They’ll just be in a digital wallet rather than on the wall in your room!

Tickets aren’t just something that get you into the event; they can be used for lots of commercial opportunities as well. Tell us more about how you see ticketing as a gateway for sports organisations to grow?

What I have learnt since being with Outbox is that ticketing is often viewed by sports organisations as a cost centre, rather than a place for generating revenue. If you are going to put on an event you need to have tickets to get people through the door, so you have to have a ticketing provider, and that’s a cost.

Where we see the opportunity is for sports organisations to switch that way of thinking and start utilising their ticketing platform as a revenue generating asset. Not just for selling the tickets themselves, but for tailored upsells, cross-sells, upgrades and new sponsorship opportunities. Most of the time the period between ticket purchase and event day isn’t really utilised to its full potential. But you’ve got a pre-engaged audience there, and with the right platform and approach, you can really maximise that.

With the right platform, sports organisations can fully control and customise their customer experiences from start to finish. We often think of a fan experience starting at the gate of the venue, but if you consider it to start at the point a fan decides to look for a ticket, there are a whole host of commercial opportunities you can exploit. Take regional partnerships as an example. If you’re using an effective white-label ticketing solution like Outbox, you can create unique branded customer ticketing journeys for every territory that you sell in. If you sell globally, that’s a huge number of new partnership opportunities you have just created for regional partners to own a slice of the customer experience for your event.

Another commercial opportunity is the fact that an effective ticketing operation can be a lucrative data capture opportunity, which in turn can allow sports organisations to deliver more personalised messaging. With traditional ticketing methods, organisations will often only know the ticket bookers details. Say for example I go with five friends to an event, and I buy the tickets every year. The event organisers know me and can market to me, but they know nothing about the other four people that come to their event every year and have no way of communicating with them. With digital ticketing and ticket journey tracking, you can understand the details of everyone that interacts with your event, which means more bespoke upsell opportunities and far more targeted activations for potential partners. 

Where do you see the biggest challenges in the ticketing space at the moment?

I think adoption presents our biggest challenge to be honest with you. Just today we have spoken a lot about the move from paper to digital tickets and a lot of people are naturally a bit reluctant to make the switch. So I really think our biggest challenge as an industry is to make that transition as smooth for fans as possible.

I think we also need to educate sports teams and rights holders about the opportunities that digital ticketing can present to them in terms of both data collection and sponsorship activation. 

They need to know they’ve got this great window of opportunity to communicate with fans and need to grab it with both hands to maximise their own revenue generating opportunities.

There is a lot of talk about the role Web3 can play in ticketing, how do you see the future and is Web3 an exciting new opportunity?

For ticketing it does present an exciting opportunity. With its emphasis on ownership, collectibles and NFTs seem such a natural place for the sports business to start in Web3. But education has a big role to play first. We are still working through a transition to digital ticketing, so the introduction of NFTs and how they are associated with the ticket journey and event experience needs to be navigated with caution to begin with.

But we spoke earlier about your wall of tickets, you can easily see a world where having that isn’t the thing anymore, and instead you have your tickets displayed as part of our online persona. My view is that the first steps should be to link the physical and digital assets together. Having a physical asset that fans already understand (a ticket) directly associated with a corresponding digital asset (an NFT) will help to build some trust and bridge that initial gap of understanding for sports fans.

Member Insight: How viewer interaction is going to take the broadcast experience to the next level

What’s new under the sports viewing sun?

It’s no secret that technology has changed the way we watch sporting events. Viewership has changed since the days of cheering for your favourite team from the sidelines of a grassy field or listening to the game on radio.

While the consumption of sporting events has become a lot more convenient with the invention of plasma TVs and smartphones — no technology has significantly changed the way viewers interact with sporting events since television sets became a mainstay in people’s homes through the 1960s.

Screens are light years ahead of where they started off, as well as sound and availability across mobile devices, but at the end of the day when it comes to our TV experience, it’s still us and the remote with little to no engagement with the content we consume.

Big events such as the World Cup and the Olympics shine a spotlight on our viewing experience. In 2018, more than 3.5 billion people tuned in to watch the World Cup at home and FIFA predicted that 5 billion people will be glued to their screens during the 2022 tournament.

According to a study about the 2022 World Cup conducted by Amdocs, viewers have a growing desire for more interactive experiences with 25 per cent saying they’d like to participate in interactive gaming challenges, 37 per cent reporting a desire to receive player insights throughout the game, and 36 per cent saying they want to view behind-the-scenes content during the game.

The Content Marketing Institute also found interactive content is twice as likely to engage viewers over standard content, and that 81 per cent of respondents felt that interactivity retains attention more effectively than non-interactive content.

This tells us a lot about the future of sports viewing. Though broadcast platforms and content owners rightly protect the screen cleanliness as a precious asset, viewers are becoming more open to dynamic viewing, especially when engagement is initiated by the views themselves.

“If I as viewer am watching at the 70th min of a football game, and already there were a couple of goals and a red card- I would want to see those, right on my TV screen by clicking the remote, rather than having to look for those goals online or wait for the replays,” said, Aviram Sharon, CEO of Inthegame, which specialises in interactive overlays for connected TV’s and mobile devices.

“If a viewer wants to check the stats, or see odds it really should be as easy as tapping a button. From a sports fans perspective we need to be minded of what we want instant access to, and from a platform/broadcaster perspective we deliver engaging experiences and new monetisation and commerce opportunities”.

So what has been stopping interactivity from being more widespread across CTV’s and mobile viewing when it comes to sports content?

“One of the main challenges most platforms have when seeking to deploy interactive experiences, in-stream shopping and such, is the wide range of connected TV’s and mobile devices viewers are consuming the content on. Inthegame’s technology enables deployment of interactive overlays across all connected TV’s and mobiles with a simple integration from the platform side, so viewers don’t need to download anything in order to interact.

“Our management system enables automated engagement as well as customised offers to specific audiences. We definitely see it becoming much easier for streaming platforms to engage, monetise, and better understand their audiences.”

Inthegame is not alone in the ecosystem, as Interactive viewing has been moving into mainstream media for a few years now. Netflix has already released multiple ‘choose your own’ adventure episodes of their most popular shows including Black Mirror and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

Additionally, Amazon Prime recently introduced an interactive clip-sharing feature powered by X-Ray which allows viewers to share their favourite clips with friends, and family.

It’s clear that sports viewing is moving in the same direction as most mainstream media and that interactive viewing will start to become a mainstay in most fans’ lives.

Find out more about InTheGame by clicking here

Formula E announces partnership with Zinc Sports for branded E-scooter range

Formula E today announced a new licensing partnership with leading micromobility brand, Zinc Sports.

The exclusive partnership leverages Zinc’s 15 years’ experience in scooter manufacturing to launch a range of Formula E-branded e-scooter products now retailing through Argos in the UK. 

Micromobility aligns with Formula E’s mission of accelerating the adoption and development of electric vehicles. E-scooters form part of an evolving mix of micromobility products that could in future help consumers commute and travel more sustainably.

Matt Scammell, Chief Commercial Officer of Formula E, said: “Together with Zinc Sports, we are excited to explore the world of micromobility. While Formula E is focused on accelerating the development of electric cars, we can also see how e-scooters could play a role in sustainable urban transport in the future subject to regulatory approval.”

Chirag Shah, Chief Operating Officer of Zinc Sports says: “We share Formula E’s desire to champion green mobility and believe that e-mobility solutions can accelerate the move to emission-free transport if supported by necessary regulations.

“We’re bringing our 15 years’ experience of manufacturing scooters to the partnership and this means that each model in the range will boast the innovation you’d expect from Formula E at an accessible price that means more people can eventually access the benefits of an e-scooter commute.”

With a battery range of 13 miles and a top speed of 15.5mph, the first product in the Formula E-branded e-scooter range incorporates unique safety features such as a front headlight that responds automatically to weather conditions and automatic indicator deck lights to be used when turning. The model even includes a built-in gyroscopic system that regulates speed, absorbs shock and provides stability to ensure a comfortable ride. 

The e-scooter model will be followed by six further products in the collection, including a further two e-scooters, three e-bikes and a kick scooter to be released in the next 12 months.

DP World Tour and BMW sign five year extension of their partnership

The DP World Tour and BMW Group have signed an extension to their partnership that will see the leading premium automotive brand BMW remain an Official Partner, and the Official Car, of the DP World Tour until the end of the 2027 season.

As part of the agreement, BMW will also remain as Title Partner until 2027 of both the BMW PGA Championship – a Rolex Series event – and the BMW International Open, where it will remain the promoter of the tournament.

This partnership extension cements BMW as one of the Tour’s longest standing partners. The relationship dates back to 1989, when BMW ran and promoted the first BMW International Open in its hometown of Munich. BMW then became Title Partner of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in 2005.

As an Official Tour Partner, BMW will benefit from highly visible branding and product placement at DP World Tour tournaments each season and across the Tour’s media and digital platforms. BMW will also enjoy access to the Tour’s premium hospitality services and Pro-Ams to create unique customer experiences. As Official Car of the DP World Tour, BMW will continue to supply its luxury high end and fully electric vehicles to the DP World Tour and make a valuable contribution to a sustainable tournament experience for players, staff and fans.

“The close collaboration with the European Tour group, which started back in 1989 with the inaugural BMW International Open, played an important role in the BMW Group becoming one of the most reliable and dedicated partners in international golf. We are delighted to continue along this successful path with the DP World Tour, and to bring innovative developments to both the sport and our events,” said Bernhard Kuhnt, Senior Vice President BMW Group Europe. “The BMW International Open and the BMW PGA Championship are tournaments that are very popular with golf fans and players alike, thanks to their long tradition and the excellent sporting and BMW brand experience. Based in two core markets in Europe, these events will form important pillars of our worldwide commitment to golf going forward.”

Guy Kinnings, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Commercial Officer of the European Tour group, added: “The BMW brand stands for luxury, innovation, and sportiness – all values that closely match our own and the Tour benefits significantly from partnering with such an iconic brand and respected partner of the game of golf. Over the last 33 years we have developed an extremely close working relationship that continues to drive strong value to BMW’s global engagement in sport. With this extended partnership, we will have ample opportunities to use the DP World Tour to showcase both their range of products and our collective leadership credentials in passion areas such as sustainability and technology innovation.

Together, we will also make sure that the BMW PGA Championship and BMW International Open keep innovating to elevate the fan experience and continue to be key moments on the sporting and entertainment calendars in Germany and the UK each year.” 

Australia SailGP Team announce partnership with SKYY Vodka

The Australia SailGP Team today announced an exciting partnership with Campari Australia’s SKYY Vodka which sees the award-winning brand join the team in a multi-season deal.

The partnership with SKYY Vodka and the Australia SailGP team also extends to support the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix I Sydney as the event’s Official White Spirits Partner, enhancing  the premium lifestyle experience of SailGP’s spectator experiences. Fans will be able to immerse themselves in the SKYY Vodka brand at the Australian event on February 18-19, 2023 with co-hosted hospitality experiences, including a pop up bar at the SailGP Village.

There are many shared elements that make this brand partnership synergistic. SKYY Vodka has a rich history and connection to the ocean with a key ingredient being pacific minerals sourced from the San Francisco Bay Area, the destination of the SailGP Championship Grand Final. And, just like SailGP, SKYY Vodka grew from a startup to a world-renowned brand synonymous with the same grit and determination that the Australia SailGP Team and two-time SailGP champions, have become known for.

SKYY Vodka will work with the Australia Team to engage with local sailing communities and clubs, with a program which will provide the opportunity for clubs to engage and support the two-time SailGP Champions.

Tom Slingsby, Australia SailGP Team Driver and CEO said: “The team is stoked to welcome SKYY Vodka into the family and have them alongside us as we compete on the world stage. Our team loves to celebrate with our drink of choice, a vodka soda, and their rich history and shared connection to San Francisco is the perfect fit for us.

“I’m really excited for us to share in the coming months the fantastic opportunities we have with SKYY Vodka to also engage and celebrate with our Australian sailing community who have supported us on our SailGP journey.”

Simon Durrant, Managing Director, Campari Australia said: “We are absolutely delighted to announce SKYY Vodka’s partnership with the Australia SailGP Team and the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix I Sydney event – one of THE events of Sydney’s summer. The Australia Team is one of the most innovative, successful, and progressive teams in the global championship and we cannot wait to collaborate with them to create opportunities to engage with the sailing community in Australia.

“We are also looking forward to supporting the Australia SailGP Team through the rest of the season where we hope to share a celebratory drink with them at the final event in SKYY Vodka’s home town of San Francisco.”

The SKYY Vodka partnership was facilitated by IMG, SailGP’s global agency for media rights, sponsorship and host venue rights. IMG is part of Endeavor, a strategic investor in SailGP. The Australia SailGP Team will now prepare to compete at the upcoming Singapore Sail Grand Prix, taking place on January 14-15 2023, before returning to home waters for the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix I Sydney on February 18-19 2023. Tickets are on sale for the event at SailGP.com/Sydney. Australia is leading the Season 3 leaderboard on 60 points, ahead of Peter Burling’s New Zealand with 51 and France with 50.

AFC Bournemouth sold to Bill Foley-led partnership for £100 million

AFC Bournemouth can confirm that owner Maxim Demin has sold his 100% stake in the club to Black Knight Football Club, of which Bill Foley is the Managing General Partner, with a number of limited partners including a 50.1% interest for Cannae Holdings Inc., and certain other investors many of whom invested in the Vegas Golden Knights.

Bill had attended the Cherries’ victory over Leicester City in October ahead of completing the deal, which has now been ratified by the Premier League.

A businessman and philanthropist, Bill also has an extensive background in sports including tremendous success as the founder and owner of the National Hockey League’s Vegas Golden Knights, the first major league sports team in Las Vegas. 

Bill and his partners are committed to providing the investment to sustain and build upon AFC Bournemouth’s recent accomplishments, which includes returning to the Premier League in 2022/23, where the Cherries have spent six of the last eight seasons. 

Bill is committed to increased investment in AFC Bournemouth’s first team as well as the academy and fan experience at Vitality Stadium, on top of immediately beginning construction of a state-of-the-art training centre and increasing financial commitment to the AFC Bournemouth women’s team and girls’ teams.

Assuming the role of Chairman with immediate effect, Bill will be attending the club’s next home match, against Crystal Palace on 31 December. Having also purchased a home in the local area, Bill reaffirms his commitment to the football club and surrounding community.

“I have tremendous respect for the passion and support the Bournemouth community shows for this club and believe that connection to the community is the foundation for success of any sports team,” Bill said.

“We will move forward with an ‘always advance, never retreat’ approach that has defined all of my endeavours. I am committed to work with the best football and business minds available to enhance player development, facilities, and the fan experience to put AFC Bournemouth in the best possible position to succeed.”

Maxim moves on after 11 years as AFC Bournemouth’s owner, a run which included the club’s ascension from League One to the Premier League in less than five seasons.

Bill added: “Without the belief and financial backing of Maxim and his family, AFC Bournemouth might well have ceased to exist. Maxim’s support and involvement has allowed the club to establish itself as a top-flight team. We’d like to thank him for his co-operation throughout the process and praise his hard work whilst owner of the club. We wish him well as he focusses on his other business endeavours.”

The minority ownership group is led by award-winning actor, director and producer Michael B. Jordan and Nullah Sarker (The Players Tribune, Davis Cup). AFC Bournemouth is Michael’s first foray into professional sports ownership, as he and Nullah will work closely with Bill in areas including global marketing and internationalisation of the club.

Bill’s sports background is highlighted by the performance of the Golden Knights, who debuted in the 2017/18 season with the most successful campaign for an expansion franchise in any sport, reaching the Stanley Cup Final. The first major league professional team in Las Vegas, it has enjoyed perennial on-and-off-ice success and spawned growth in Vegas as a professional sports hub and an exploding youth hockey market.

Bill has also led the construction of multiple sports venues in the Las Vegas Valley, including The Dollar Loan Center, City National Arena, and Lifeguard Arena. Outside of sports, Bill has successfully founded, grown, and operated numerous ventures in the financial and technology sectors, hospitality, and vineyards.

Bill’s philanthropic efforts include the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation, the Folded Flag Foundation, and the Foley Family Charitable Foundation, all of which are committed to giving back to the community.

Lacoste becomes Official Partner of the Mutua Madrid Open

For the next three years, Lacoste will bring its vision of tennis and fashion sport in one of the main ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 tournaments, the Mutua Madrid Open.

By becoming the Official Footwear and Apparel Sponsor, Lacoste will bring its iconic vision of fashion sport and sporting excellence to this unique tournament.

This 14-day tournament, which highlights the greatest tennis players, has become a reference in the tennis world and combines creative daring with a passion for the sport.

Sharing these values, Lacoste will be signing elegant collections to dress the line judges, the ball girls and boys, ball models, the tournament staff, the volunteers and the court service.

Through two dedicated boutiques, Lacoste will offer tennis and lifestyle enthusiasts a selection of its Fashion Sport creations for an even more immersive experience, both on and off the court.

Catherine Spindler, Lacoste Deputy CEO

“I am pleased to announce this new partnership which reinforces the inextricable link between Lacoste and tennis. The sport has a unique aura that allows it to transcend sporting performance into a true lifestyle. The Mutua Madrid Open is a perfect embodiment of this evolution and stands out particularly for the way it combines daring, creativity, and performance. This flagship tournament is fully in line with Lacoste’s vision of tennis and fashion sport.”

Gérard Tsobanian, Mutua Madrid Open President and CEO

“We are thrilled to start this new journey with Lacoste. Our DNA has always been based on three pillars: youth, technology and innovation. Lacoste, an absolute reference in the world of fashion in general and sports in particular, shares with the Mutua Madrid Open the pursuit of these three goals. We are convinced that our partnership will take Lacoste and the Mutua Madrid Open to the next level.”

The Mutua Madrid Open is an ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 Mandatory event which will celebrate in 2023 its 21st edition in Madrid.

Our man in Lausanne: The 14 key purposes of International Sports Federations

The importance of international federations for the development of sports goes far beyond the administrative duties they perform for their respective sports.

The structure of an international federation offers essential benefits that enable sport to fulfil its role as a transformative agent in society.

These organisations also allow the entire sporting community, especially athletes, but also managers, staff, officials, coaches, sponsors, partners, and other stakeholders, to find a suitable platform to achieve their own goals.

To demonstrate the range and magnitude of the purposes of an international sports federation, at least 14 can be understood from the list below.

Governance
Governance allows sport to be organised within a structured organisational system, with clear, cohesive and efficient powers, functions and objectives, enabling the development of sport at different levels, scopes and dimensions.

Compliance
Compliance ensures that sports comply with laws, rules and normative systems that offer greater security, predictability, transparency and ethics, and reinforces accountability in actions, objectives and results that benefit the entire community.

Technicality
Technicality ensures that sports are defined by technical specifications that establish basic criteria for functionality, safety, fair competition and other requirements so that different types of athletes, at all technical levels, can play and compete in a clean, balanced and fair game.

Representation
Representation collaborates with the construction of an active and responsive leadership so that the sport is managed in a democratic, plural and legitimate way, ensuring that the most important purposes of the sport are achieved in favour of the whole community.

Growth
Growth of sport depends not only on the spontaneous willingness of athletes and entities that are involved in the practice of sport, but above all on a strategic plan that identifies the current situation and the desired outcome, implementing actions in order to achieve the vision of the future.

Organisation

Organisation requires the construction of a structural system of powers, bodies and areas of action that enable a formal management, separated by subjects, themes or different scopes, creating a balance among the different stakeholders involved in sports, dividing responsibilities and ensuring an efficient management of the entity.

Recognition
Recognition represents an important aspect to create, maintain and enhance the reputation of athletes, and also the other entities that are part of the community. When an athlete is recognised by a federation, his or her professional status reaches a higher and more distinctive level among other athletes.

Unity
Unity is an absolutely relevant foundation to build a sport community based on collaboration, participation, representation, interaction, and mainly on friendship, respect and common goals. Unity depends on mutual and organized joint efforts that are extremely well supported by a federation.

Participation
Participation grows as the athletes, amateur or professional, realise that the sport is organised in a structured way, because they will have more information, access to competitions, support in their activities, and above all, aspiration to grow and reach new achievements within the sport.

Safety

Safety is an important factor to ensure that athletes can practice, train, compete and experience sport in a healthy and protected way, with access to information on physical and mental health, anti-doping and training methods that preserve their careers.

Commitment
Commitment in a sports organization like a federation is different from commercial entities, because a federation is subject to a series of compliance, governance and accountability rules that require its managers and especially its members to work committed toward a purpose, not toward profit, generating a sense of duty based on common interest.

Engagement
Engagement gains far greater scalability in terms of scope, reach and impact when a sport is part of an organised structure within a federation system, The international federation helps the national federations which in turn help the athletes and participants, and all members, of one and the other, can access, participate and collaborate on the sport’s development in a much more positive way than if they were standing without this support structure.

Community
The development of a community is only possible if there is a common interest among all members, and the federation system provides exactly the achievement of this goal, to unite all members around purposes that are greater than individual interests, and to build solid bonds that allow everyone to participate in the actions and activities that will be planned and implemented to achieve these purposes.

Olympic Movement
The inclusion of a sport in the Olympic Movement depends on the system of international federations, because it is necessary to demonstrate that the sport is organised, administered and systematised by an international federation recognised and qualified according to the Olympic rules, which qualifications are highly stringent in the sense that the federation must have an international dimension, present a certain number of members recognised by the national authorities, and comply with several other conditions that fulfil the Olympic values.

For all these purposes, it is clear how the International Sports Federations are fundamental to build bridges between all stakeholders, with the ultimate goal of building a better society through sport.

Michel Cutait is a Senior Executive Director, lawyer and professor. He currently works as Deputy Secretary General at World Obstacle, institutional name Fédération Internationale de Sports d’Obstacles, the international governing body for obstacle sports (Obstacle Course Racing, Ninja and Adventure Racing) and related events, where he runs the Secretariat working actively in the areas of governance, membership, partnership, development and compliance. Graduated in Law, has a Masters in Law in Brazil, Marketing in Australia and Masters in Sports Administration and Technology at EPFL (AISTS) in Lausanne, Olympic Capital. He has written 5 books, the last one called Management Performance Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

FINA votes to change name to World Aquatics

FINA, the Fédération Internationale de Natation, has today become World Aquatics following a vote at the Extraordinary General Congress on the eve of the World Swimming Championships (25m) 2022. Over its 114-year history, FINA and its 209 member federations have maintained responsibility for swimmers, artistic swimmers, divers, high divers, open water swimmers and water polo players.

The launch of the World Aquatics brand arrives after a series of major reforms that sees a modern organisation ready to lead and serve athletes united by water, with a broader scope and increased engagement with participants and audiences.

“Everyone in our community is proud of what FINA achieved in developing our sports. As we look to the future, World Aquatics will see all aquatics athletes united for the first time under one brand. The identity of our organisation now focuses on our shared vision: a world united by water, for health, life and sport,” said World Aquatics President Husain Al-Musallam.

The new identity for the global aquatics community came after a comprehensive canvassing of the sports’ key stakeholders.   

“I will always tell you that our athletes must come first, so I would never make a big decision like this without consulting our athletes,” the World Aquatics President said. “Their response has been very clear. More than seventy percent of the athletes that we have spoken with have said that they would like us to change FINA’s name. Many of them could not even tell us what the letters in FINA stand for.”

The adoption of the World Aquatics name was confirmed by a vote of member federations at an Extraordinary Congress in Melbourne earlier today. It marks the culmination of 18 months of intensive organisational transformation, much of it guided by the FINA Reform Committee. During this process, World Aquatics has made very significant improvements to its governance, including the strengthening of the athletes’ voice in decision-making and the creation of an independent Aquatics Integrity Unit.

“World Aquatics will continue to deliver and develop the rewarding competition calendar that has become the foundation of successful elite careers while being the subject of dreams and ambitions for millions of young aquatics athletes all around the globe,” continued Al-Musallam. “Our new vision and mission also reflect how World Aquatics and our members have already begun expanding our work beyond competition and swimming as a life skill, to include sustainability, environmental advocacy and wellbeing. Our new brand and visual identity will also enable us to connect with new audiences and encourage new generations of athletes across our disciplines to be united by water, safely, fairly and sustainably.”

The new World Aquatics visual identity will be rolled-out at the first events of 2023. In the interim, the federation’s portfolio of digital assets has been refreshed, including @worldaquatics social platforms. A new website will be launched in conjunction with the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka next summer (14-30 July 2023), the first World Championships fully integrating the new brand identity.

“World Aquatics is determined to play its part in ensuring the ability to participate, compete in and benefit from aquatic sports. This ability is dependent on being able to swim and having access to places to swim. Both these things are incredibly important to World Aquatics and our member federations, and it’s right that our new brand should reflect that,” said World Aquatics Executive Director Brent Nowicki.

LaLiga Tech and Sevilla announce availability of Transfer Tracker

LaLiga Tech and Sevilla FC have today announced the availability of Transfer Tracker, a technology and legal consulting service that will return millions in unpaid compensation payments to football clubs around the world.

The new solution will allow clubs around the world to claim solidarity payments for transfers relating to players that have passed through their academy. Current regulations state that when a player is transferred, the club that trained them can claim up to 5% of the transfer value.

Transfer Tracker is the only available market solution for checking and claiming back-dated payments before they expire. According to the latest estimations, there is more than $1.2 billion USD in unclaimed compensation that clubs can now claim for.

To begin a compensation claim through Transfer Tracker, clubs only need to submit a free request. From there, Transfer Tracker’s specialised team will thoroughly analyse the transfer market through advanced Big Data tools to identify all player transactions that could be eligible for a compensation claim.

Payment can be secured through various actions, from conversations between the two affected clubs to direct contact with FIFA where necessary.

The system was initially developed and has been operated for the last two years by the data and legal department of Sevilla FC, where it forms part of an ambitious strategic innovation policy that has been implemented across both the sports and business areas of the club.

Thanks to this system, Sevilla FC has identified more than 700 movements of players who had been developed within the club across 53 different competitions. As a result, Sevilla FC has reclaimed more than €1,000,000 in payments associated with the solidarity mechanism.

In recent weeks, LaLiga Tech has worked alongside clubs from countries including Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Portugal to begin new claims processes through Transfer Tracker.

On average, each of these clubs is eligible to claim for 537 transfers amounting to over €117m in market value, with an average total claim value of €3.4m per club.

In accordance with current FIFA rules, clubs can make claims on all transfers for which final payments have been made in the past two years.

Marcos Gonzalez, value proposition manager at LaLiga Tech added: “There are world-class academies that are producing and exporting incredible football talent but are not receiving the compensation that they deserve. We created Transfer Tracker to help clubs of all sizes to discover and receive this additional income, without the need to invest their own time and resource.

“With the robust data analysis tools that we have created along with Sevilla FC, we offer the quickest possible way to negotiate the claims process and divert more wealth across the football ecosystem.”

José María Cruz, managing director of Sevilla FC added: “The industry is missing the opportunity to secure a new source of income that rewards its knowledge and coaching methodologies. It is a silent drama suffered by the vast majority of clubs and that disproportionately affects clubs with fewer resources. We are proud to promote this innovation, together with LaLiga Tech, to tackle this competitive disadvantage and improve a system that has been favouring buying clubs over formative clubs. At Sevilla
FC we firmly believe in technological development as a tool to improve both sporting and institutional competitiveness.”