Meet the Member: “We wanted to build something that is specifically designed with esports in mind and give our viewers at home the best possible experience”

Today saw the launch of BLAST.tv, the first streaming platform designed specifically for esports. We spoke to BLAST’s Chief Growth Officer, Tom Greene to speak about the development and why they felt it was important for them.

For those who don’t know, tell us a little bit about BLAST?

Blast is an esports company and we operate some of the biggest events and tournaments in the esports world. We started originally with the game Counter Strike, so we had the BLAST Pro Series that then went to BLAST Premier. Now though, we are working across a wide variety of games, we have FIFA and Valorant. We also do all the competitive Fortnite as well.

Blast Premier still remains the crown jewel for us though. We think of ourselves as an esports entertainment company and doing what we can to sort of elevate the broadcast and consumer experience from the best of esports. 

Esports has grown massively in the last few years, how has BLAST adapted to the changing landscape?

I think you are right to identify the huge increase in viewership because of the Covid pandemic. I think BLAST has been successful for a number of reasons. The first would be that we have been quite strategic in the areas in which we have chosen to grow. BLAST.tv is a great example of this.

We have also moved into different games in a more meaningful way. I think we also approach competitive esports with both an entertainment and premium mindset. A lot of the guys who work for us are experienced in esports but also some of them are from outside esports and have more of a background in entertainment. I think this mix gives us a real edge.

The team we have built treats esports like a traditional sports league or media enterprise, where you’re thinking through all the 360 degree commercialisation and the fan opportunities that come from such high viewership.

You have been at BLAST close to 18 months, how has it evolved in the time you have been there?

When I arrived we were still focussed on BLAST Premier and it made up 90 per cent of our revenue.  We had done five or six more sort of solo enterprises into different games, but they weren’t necessarily building other leagues, they were more like operating one off events in different games. 

I think that was really awesome. It was an opportunity to test the water to see if the BLAST formula resonates across different esports and found that it really did. And that was sort of lucky enough to arrive at a time when we wanted to extend how we reach fans. 

So not just being a broadcaster but also having a D2C home, that is BLAST.tv is a big move for us. 

We have moved from the one-off events I spoke about earlier to creating leagues and ecosystems, what we have done with Fortnite is a prime example of this. Really since I have been at BLAST the business itself has got a lot more complex and a lot bigger.

You have partnerships with Betway and Maersk, why do you think traditional companies want to invest in esports?

I think we have quite an attractive demographic for these companies. It is as simple as that. We are reaching a young and tech savvy audience, if you think about the penetration of crypto and other technologies within that demographic it’s higher than the average.

I also think that our audience understands that partnerships and sponsorships are a vital way in which the whole system is funded. So I think our audience is very receptive to the right sort of brand entering in the right way. 

We give brands the tools they need to be able to enter the broadcast in a way that adds to the experience rather than taking away from it.

Tell us a bit about BLAST.tv and what it means for esports?

The at home streaming experience was probably the last frontier for BLAST to be honest. We have been investing a lot of time, money and manpower really into thinking about how we could take our esports events to the next level and this is what we came up with. 

Twitch and YouTube are massive parts of our community and they certainly aren’t going anywhere so you don’t have to worry about that, but they are not engineered for competitive esports. 

We wanted to build something that is specifically designed with esports in mind and give our viewers at home the best possible experience. We really want to build something that keeps fans coming back again and again. 

We really wanted to design a product for specialist esports, they’re our audience and from their feedback we are going to build this thing from the ground up.

You have a following of 1.4 million on Twitch, how will your relationship with the platform change with this development?

I don’t think it will change at all really, we have a great following on Twitch as you say, and a really good relationship with those guys. But Twitch is not an exclusive distribution partner for us; we use YouTube and even BBC Sport as well. BLAST.tv will just be another option for this really.

Because our platform is specifically designed for esports we aren’t going to be competing with Twitch either. If people want to watch the content on Twitch it will still be there.

There is a lot of talk about the use of a second screen to complement and improve the experience of the first screen, is this something you have looked into?

We deliberately designed BLAST.tv with this in mind. Fans of esports will watch the events and could be using a lot more than two screens to get information. A lot of fans will have HLTV – which is like BBC Sport but for Counter Strike – on one screen and then be scrolling through Twitter for the conversation around what is going on and Reddit as well for some deeper analysis.

Our aim with BLAST.tv is to have the tools to work with as many fans as possible. For example, viewers can vote on things that happen in the game and can even spam the commentators and show whether they are liking or disliking what they are saying. That will be done using a second screen that is very much a companion piece to what is happening on the first screen.

Why was it important for BLAST to make this development?

I think for us it is sort of the final frontier, is where most of our fans watch our content. We thought we should take our technology, esports and entertainment expertise and bring them together and apply them to a fan engagement platform and create the best place for fans to watch Counter Strike and BLAST Premier.

Web3 is something that everyone’s talking about at the moment, what are BLAST doing in that area and how can it be used by esports?

It is an interesting question because, as a company, we haven’t moved into Web3 yet. Other esports teams have done drops but we haven’t fully entered the space yet. We are obviously big believers in technology and we are building this digital home for our fans, so anything that can augment that experience and deepen the level of engagement then we will look into it.

If there is a model out there that we can use in an authentic way, is true to our brand and can deepen the fan experience then it is definitely something we would be interested in. The right partner is probably out there but we haven’t found them yet.

Find out more here: https://blast.tv

Sevilla launch Fan Token in partnership with Socios

Given that Sevilla FC are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish and European football and given that they boast a unique atmosphere and culture, Los Nervionenses have supporters all over the world. It used to be difficult to involve these fans in the day-to-day decision-making processes of the club, but Sevilla FC partnered with Socios.com earlier this year to launch the $SEVILLA Fan Token.

Owners of $SEVILLA Fan Tokens enjoy special discounts and promotions, access to exclusive content and the chance to win unique prizes and rewards, from signed merchandise to VIP tickets to once-in-a-lifetime experiences. The big attraction for Sevilla FC, though, is that any supporter who holds a $SEVILLA Fan Token can take part in the club decisions that are determined through polls held on the Socios.com app.

As the club explained: “It is a very effective way to involve our fans in helping us with some very important decisions, such as a selecting the motivational message for our dressing room, choosing a new look for our bus or picking the design for a new limited-edition shirt.”

The is the key reason why Sevilla FC became one of six LaLiga clubs to have partnered with Socios.com, the app launched by leading blockchain provider Chiliz in 2019. Atlético de Madrid, FC Barcelona, Real Sociedad, Valencia CF and Levante UDalso work with Socios.com to boost fan engagement via cutting-edge technology and it was natural for Sevilla FC to join in. Innovation is at the heart of Sevilla FC’s business model, so much so that the club even has its own Innovation Center.

Outlining the reasoning for taking this step into the world of Fan Tokens, Sevilla FC stated: “At Sevilla FC, we are a club committed to innovation and we consider Fan Tokens to be an innovative product, one which allows our fans to feel closer to our club since they can participate in certain decisions. Our objective is to continue our commitment to innovation, in this case alongside a partner, and to get closer to our domestic and international fans. Working with a leading platform like Socios.com, which has more than 1.5 million users in 160 different countries and agreements with some of the most important clubs in the world, also helps us to position ourselves as a global club.”

Sevilla FC are very much a community club, one that runs various initiatives in the city of Seville and across Andalusia and Spain. The club has always enjoyed strong connections with the fanbase, but, as more and more football fans around the world cheer on Los Nervionenses, it becomes harder to involve everyone in the day-to-day life of the club.

Therefore a Fan Token was such an attractive idea for the club, which stated: “Thanks to the Fan Tokens, our international fans can feel much more connected to us. The thousands of kilometres that separate us are no longer such a problem when it comes to making these fans feel involved in certain club decisions. Breaking the barrier that this distance usually entails will undoubtedly lead to an increase in our international audience.”

It is already clear that the $SEVILLA Fan Tokens will bring international fans together, as the first issue of these Fan Tokens on the Socios.com app sold out in just over 48 hours, with people from 91 different countries purchasing them.

Furthermore, half of the buyers were under the age of 35, making clear that the $SEVILLA Fan Tokens will also help the club connect with younger audiences and with tech enthusiasts. As the club pointed out: “We can also benefit by reaching an audience that is excited about new technologies. Younger generations are demanding new ways of engaging with football clubs, and Fan Tokens offer something completely new and innovative.”

By reaching fans who are international, young and enthusiastic about technology, Sevilla FC are able to grow their fanbase and make these supporters feel involved. This is, above all, the primary objective of the partnership with Socios.com.

As Sevilla FC concluded: “We believe that feeling involved in the day-to-day running of the football club should be possible for everyone. We’re not looking to increase turnover with this, as what we’re looking for is for our fans to feel that their relationship with the club has gone to the next level. If we achieve that goal, then it will also naturally lead to a positive impact on our turnover.”

IMG renew International media rights agreement with Cricket South Africa

IMG today announced it has renewed its international media rights distribution agreement with Cricket South Africa (CSA) until 2031.

The agency, which has been working with CSA for more than 30 years, was instrumental in securing the governing body’s recently announced Viacom18 Sports deal, which will see the channel air all senior men’s and women’s international competitions played in South Africa from 2024 to 2031.

Chris Guinness, EVP, IMG Media, commented: “We are delighted to extend our relationship with CSA. This is a testament to our longstanding partnership and success over the last 30 years and underlines the strength of expertise IMG brings to cricket, having been centrally involved in some of the most ground-breaking deals and developments in the sport. The Viacom18 deal was the perfect way to kick-off this exciting new chapter for IMG and South African cricket.”

Pholetsi Moseki, CEO, Cricket South Africa, said: “After 30 years of working together with IMG to generate the key commercial revenues that support cricket in South Africa and around the world, we look forward to continuing our long-lasting partnership. This partnership will continue to bring the best action from South Africa’s high-profile series to cricket fans globally, starting in India with our major new deal with Viacom18 Sports.”

Case Study: ATPI supports British Wheelchair Basketball

ATPI, is responsible for organising British Wheelchair Basketball’s travel logistical and accessibility requirements, having worked with the team parasport since October 2019, to great shared success.  

For the past three years, ATPI has supported British Wheelchair Basketball’s performance team with thorough logistical planning and required travel arrangements, transporting them to international training sessions and competitions, as well as navigating the impact of COVID and the resulting restrictions on travel.  

The British Wheelchair Basketball team faced regular challenges and complications when travelling, from accessibility requirements to transportation of expensive specialist kit. For the athletes, travel needs to be restful and stress-free. Excellent travel experiences mean the players can arrive at international competitions and training events well-rested and clear of mind, fully focused on the upcoming competition.   

Understanding the logistical requirements, of the team, ATPI focused on supporting the performance teams with experienced logistical planning that focused on details that would support stress free transportation to international events for the GB athletes. The experience ATPI has cultivated over 20 years of travel management aided the business in making diligent and efficient decisions that would best serve the athletes and staff, allowing them to focus on training and competition. 

As well as commending the work of ATPI, the British Wheelchair Basketball team also praised the Travel Management Company (TMC) on their values, passion, and dedication. The decorated parasport team is certain this is required to achieve success within performance sport. The GB team closed by recommending the services of ATPI to any sporting organisation who have athletes and staff requiring travel planning. 

Member Insight: “The World Cup in Qatar is a unique sports environment, unfolding in a parallel universe away from football’s epicentres”

International sports consultant Michael Pirrie, explains why Qatar’s tournament has been such a controversial turning point in world sport, and outlines the new player power movement that has shaped FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

We live in a world of sport, but inhabit a football planet. 

The most popular sporting items on the globe, footballs are found almost everywhere – in every nation, on back streets, beaches, school yards, back yards, and neighbourhood parks or wherever there is enough space to kick, head, pass or poke a ball.

The worldwide phenomenon of football reaches a crescendo every four years when the FIFA World Cup reconnects the globe with its favourite sport and most talented players.

This World Cup reflects football’s changing world and how the world can change between tournaments.

Rarely however has the pinnacle of football changed so dramatically. The Qatar World Cup looms as the most radical experiment in modern world sport.

As organisers rush to complete final preparations for the planet’s most anticipated sporting event in a land long the domain of falconry and camel racing, little is certain about the outcome of this tournament.

Qatar’s tumultuous preparations have produced a football environment never encountered before, no host nation has faced Qatar’s set of challenges or controversies when trying to stage football’s showpiece. 

This World Cup is football’s moon landing, in arid and ancient landscapes not previously regarded as a promised land for elite football nor capable of sustaining elite sporting activity.  

The World Cup in Qatar is a unique sports experiment, unfolding in a parallel universe culturally distant from football’s epicentres in cities, clubs and leagues of Europe and South America.

From backdrops with sand dunes, soaring sky scrappers and human rights and corruption scandals, to rising geopolitical tensions and challenging culture and climate, Qatar’s world cup is unprecedented.

From super stadiums and super ambassadors like David Beckham, almost every contingency has been considered.

This cup is a stunning feat of advanced sports architecture and urban engineering, conjured from a science fiction-like football competition creative.

Preparations have transformed Doha into a sports laboratory in a highly controlled desert state and society suspicious of outside influences.

The unique football environment includes advanced stadium cooling, essential to conquer desert heat, even if the full impact of the technology on player performance and competition conditions remains unpredictable.

One national coach, heading to Qatar with his team, said the combination of moisture and heat may be like “playing on tiles” in air conditioned venues where “the ball hangs longer in the air.”

Qatar 2022 is a microcosm of the complex challenges facing modern sport. 

The stadium cooling has not been able to control the climate of protest outside the venues.

Almost no expense has been spared, except on the conditions for immigrant workers who have strived amidst some of the harshest of circumstances to transform Qatar into the Cup host nation.

This has been a deadly occupation for foreign workers on whom Qatar and FIFA have depended, primarily from India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Many have paid an excessive price, in lost wages and loss of life for the Cup to entertain the world, according to Amnesty International and labour monitoring organisations. 

The still unknown death toll among workers who have suffered on construction sites has brought ominous new meaning to the Cup’s ‘Group of Death.’ 

The clash between history and modernity in Qatar has opened up new fronts in sport’s culture wars.

With sport one of the most influential features of global society, the World Cup has become a lightning rod for several hot button issues that have coalesced around the football showpiece.  

The first World Cup in an Arab nation has shifted the gravitational pull of international sport further towards a part of the world different in climate and culture, and in customs and values of traditional host nations.

The explosive backdrop to Qatar 2022 has prompted heated debate about the future of international sport and funding sources to grow sport beyond traditional comfort zones of Europe, North America, Australia and south-east Asia. 

Qatar’s vast wealth and use of sport and methods to modernise the nation and normalise customs and practices not widely shared within the broader international community, on which sport depends, has made this Cup journey neither comfortable nor normal.

This collision between history and modernity in Qatar around the world’s most popular sport is also a watershed for modern sport.  

These problems occur in and around the host cities and nations, distant from the international players and teams.

The problems are left to local organisers, governments, partners and sponsors to resolve.

Qatar has been dramatically different. 

Players have not stayed silent nor out of sight on the sidelines, as tradition on non-competition matters has dictated.

The treatment of vulnerable immigrant workers and minority groups, including same sex couples, has triggered unprecedented international unrest during the long build up to the tournament.

The culture clash has included many footballers and other stakeholders in the sporting world in response to conditions in Qatar.

This has established an emerging new sports protest movement, which has widened the parameters and impact of this Cup.

This is pushing sport into new directions and shifting the balance of power in world sport.

Players have run a clear line under human rights in the sands of Doha, placing basic personal protections and freedoms on to international sport agendas like never before.

For some players, the treatment of workers and other minorities was an attack on the humanity of sport and the human spirit, the cornerstone of modern sport.

Like the tournament’s greatest players, World Cups are shaped by their times and circumstances.

The Qatar World Cup was born and raised in controversy.

It was sealed during a period of escalating commercial and financial growth, greed and corruption in sport.

This was an era when risks were taken on host cities, non-traditional partnerships and alliances were formed and the sins of corruption took their toll in myriad ways.

The Qatar tournament experienced problems from the outset in the tiny Gulf nation with ambitions of sporting grandeur and glory.

Qatar’s selection over established sporting powerhouse nations defied conventional thinking regarding host nations, and controversy has since over shadowed the cup. 

Organisers had hoped difficult questions about Qatar’s defeat of the US, South Korea, Japan and Australia to secure the cup would clear over time, like sand storms crossing the desert horizon.

More than a decade on, controversy clings like the majestic falcons to the skyline of the world cup capital, Doha.

The doubts have not passed, only deepened, with the United States Department of Justice concluding in 2020 that representatives of Russia and Qatar had bribed FIFA officials to win hosting rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

The allegations of vote buying rocked the sports establishment.

This prompted changes to host selection processes amid fears global events could become the sole preserve of highest bidding and wealthiest nations, creating an international sports underclass.

Money, unlike protests, has not been an obstacle.

The Qatar cup is the most expensive ever staged, with all infrastructure, services and facilities associated with the event surpassing $200 billion according to reliable estimates.

This includes extensive infrastructure costs for new stadiums, high tech metro, hotels, and airports brought forward from Qatar’s broader 2030 national development plan.

This dwarfs the $4.3 billion estimated for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Costs for new venues in Qatar are estimated at between $6.5-10 billion, exceeding the $4 billion initially proposed.

This has highlighted the urgent need to contain soaring costs of mega events, forcing the finances for the next World Cup to be split between three co host nations, US, Mexico and Canada. 

Preparations have also struggled to keep pace with the tumultuous social and geopolitical change in sport and society since Qatar was awarded the mega event.

In a time of growing push back against use of sport to wash the image of host nations, resistance to the World Cup has strengthened, even as the showpiece comes into sharper view.

The Qatar cup could be the most controversial sporting event of modern times.

While innovative stadium cooling has modified the microclimate inside the stadiums, outside temperatures remain high.   

The protests have spread from the international community into the final stages of cup preparations and even to the final teams themselves.

The Australian team, known as the Socceroos, scored first with an unprecedented team protest video, decrying treatment of workers and same sex couples and calling for lasting reforms.

While Australia is a World Cup minnow that faces a first up David and Goliath battle against France, the video protest was important, reflective of a new player power era.

Past major sporting protests traditionally have been impromptu, involving single or small groups of athletes like the iconic famous 1968 Mexico Olympic Games Black Power Salute.

The protests over Qatar have been profoundly different.

The Socceroos protest video featured 16 players from the squad united in expressing concerns about Qatar’s human rights record and calling for decriminalisation of same sex relationships and further work safety reforms. 

The protest video was also well informed. 

Players spoke to respected advocacy groups such as Amnesty International, accredited labour organisations and even some workers who helped to construct Cup venues before recording the video.

While the Chinese government warned athletes and national Olympic committees that human rights objections would not be tolerated at the Winter Olympics in Beijing earlier this year, the Socceroos protest was on line, not on the field of play, and released before arriving in Qatar, before any potential Cup-time bans.  

Football will continue to reflect global change and tensions in the tournament, with Russia absent after its invasion of Ukraine.

There will be further protests in the days ahead with Polish captain and superstar Robert Lewandowski vowing to wear Ukraine’s colours in solidarity in the Cup.

The protests will continue throughout the tournament with the captains of nine European teams vowing to wear rainbow armbands on their sleeves.

The Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes is among the players who have expressed human rights concerns.

“We’ve seen the surroundings over the past few weeks and months and about the people who have died on the construction of the stadiums,” he said recently. 

“We are not happy for that. We want football to be for everyone …a World Cup that is more than football,” the Portuguese star said after a recent Manchester United fixture.

The concessions gained from local organisers by the international campaign, including footballers, has brought human rights in from the margins of sporting events.

“Let me repeat this clearly,” FIFA boss Gianni Infantino said. “Everyone will be welcome regardless of their origin, background, religion, gender, sexual orientation or nationality.”

The growing force of player power will impact future World Cups.

Governing bodies and government organising committees must increasingly respond to the views, voices and concerns of athletes beyond fields of play.

The human rights focus will make it more difficult for FIFA and China to bring the world’s biggest tournament for its most popular sport to the world’s biggest nation. 

Unable to control the narrative, Infantino and local organisers have focussed on player services and supports to enable teams to perform at their best.  

The focus has been on design and extensive testing of operations for venues, transport links, medical and training facilities, and security arrangements.

“We always said Qatar will deliver the best-ever edition of the FIFA World Cup,” said Infantino.

“As you look around the country at the state of the art stadiums, the training pitches, the metro, the wider infrastructure, everything is ready and everyone is welcome.”

Great World Cups are the product of great players and great performances, and Qatar is now relying on the world’s fascination with football to save the tournament from controversy.

Organisers above all are relying on uplifting performances from the world’s most gifted footballers to change the Qatar storyline as players begin to emerge, engage and charm worldwide audiences on and off the fields of play.

The farewell performances of three of the best footballers of the generation will be at the centre of attention, as Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar take their final Cup bows.

The goal scoring exploits of football’s Big Three will determine much of the tone as the fates of the world’s most fabled footballers and their expectant nations are decided in stadiums filled with hope, destiny, super human movement and extreme air conditioning.

The pitch battles for tournament supremacy look set to override corruption controversy as the world tunes in to the human opera of football with score lines that can define the difference between national glory or failure, and tragedy or triumph for teams. 

The player power that has helped to keep the spotlight on Qatar’s preparations, will ultimately save the tournament.

Every major world championship has problems – this is inherent in the vast scale and complexity of such events.

Concacaf joins OneFootball in content partnership

The deal will bring all the editorial content published on the official Concacaf website to the OneFootball app and website, including news, statistics, and match results, in English and Spanish, ensuring maximum reach and a personalized experience for fans in the region and worldwide. Concacaf news will appear in the user’s news stream as official content and will be identified with the Concacaf logo, including content about the 2023 Gold Cup. This innovative partnership will give Concacaf access to OneFootball’s 100m+ highly engaged, passionate football fans, offering them original Confederation content wherever they are. 

Concacaf is one of FIFA’s six continental governing bodies for association football, and is home to 41 member associations spanning three regions: North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The region will also host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, due to be held jointly in 16 cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Next year, Concacaf will host three major tournaments: the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League, the Concacaf Nations League Finals presented by Qatar Airways, and the 17th edition of the biennial Gold Cup, the leading continental championship for men’s national teams in the region.

The partnership brings together two leading proponents of women’s football, and Concacaf will use the partnership to promote content from its expanded competitions ecosystem. This includes the quadrennial W Championship which is the qualifying tournament for the FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games and the new Concacaf W Gold Cup which starts in 2024.

Tom Mueller, VP Partnerships, at OneFootball, said: “Concacaf represents a region of the world that loves football and is home to some historic footballing nations. We’re thrilled that we can now give fans both in the region and around the world, easy access to the football action coming out of the Confederation’s top competitions, such as the Gold Cup. We want to get fans closer to football from around the world, giving them access to the football content they want, no matter where they are, and this latest partnership with Concacaf helps us make that happen.”

Heidi Pellerano, Chief Commercial Officer at Concacaf, said: “This strategic agreement with OneFootball allows us to continue our digital expansion globally, bringing content from our member associations directly to our fans across the globe. Concacaf represents 41 very passionate member associations, many of which have large diasporas around the world, so it is important for us to deliver personalized content to them regardless of where they live. 

“This content sharing deal will provide us with a greater platform for our major tournaments such as the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League, the Nations League and the men’s and women’s Gold Cups. It will also help us continue the long-term international growth and commercial expansion that we’ve been experiencing as excitement builds ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will be held across three of our member nations. We’re hugely excited to be on board with OneFootball and can’t wait to see the increased engagement with fans.”

Extreme E announce 2023 calendar

Extreme E has today announced its calendar for the upcoming 2023 season, with the series heading to new locations for the first time and revisiting some of the championship’s 2022 favourites.

The sport for purpose championship takes place in off-road locations as part of its mission to drive awareness of climate change issues, such as global warming, melting ice caps, rising sea levels, wildfires and extreme weather, whilst promoting sustainability and the adoption of electric vehicles to help protect the planet.

Extreme E’s third season kicks off once again in Saudi Arabia with the Desert X Prix on March 11-12. If the racing in Saudi Arabia is anything like as exciting as last year’s round in NEOM then Extreme E fans should be in for a treat – as Johan Kristoffersson scored a dramatic victory in the closing stages for Rosberg X Racing (RXR) with a late overtake on ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team’s Laia Sanz.

In May the championship will head back to the UK for its first X Prix in Scotland. At the midway point of the season, Extreme E will return to Sardinia – where it has raced in each of its past two campaigns. The Italian island has been the setting for some incredible on-track actions and some of the series’ most dramatic moments, and more of the same is expected in 2023.

The fourth X Prix of Season 3 will see Extreme race in another new setting, with the championship heading to either the USA for its inaugural round in North America or to the remote parts of Brazil. 

Despite being unable to compete in Brazil so far due to Covid restrictions, Extreme E has continued its vital legacy work in the Amazon. Extreme E has partnered with TNC to develop its Amazon-based Legacy Programmes, which funds native forest restoration and a well-established cacao-based agroforestry programme.

With agreements currently being finalised, updates on the fourth slot in the Extreme E race calendar are coming soon.

The final round of Season 3 will take place in a familiar setting, with Extreme E returning to Chile for what is sure to be a thrilling finale.

Alejandro Agag, CEO and Founder of Extreme E, said: “We have had two spectacular seasons of Extreme E so far and the third promises to be even more thrilling.

“All of us here at Extreme E are looking forward to revisiting some of the amazing race locations we have visited so far, and to build on the impacts we have made in those areas and further develop our vital legacy programmes as we continue to raise awareness of the climate crisis. 

“I am proud to see the positive impact our electric series has had and to see what more we can bring to the communities there. 

“It is also extremely exciting to potentially add a race in the USA or Brazil to our global championship, while returning to the UK, the birthplace of top level motor racing, is fitting. We cannot wait for the 2023 campaign to begin as the race for the planet continues.”

Extreme E Season 3 calendar (2023):

March 11-12: Saudi Arabia
May 13-14: Scotland
July 8-9: Sardinia, Italy*
September 16-17: Brazil or USA
TBC: Chile

The St. Helena – the former Royal Mail Ship – provides the championship’s floating centrepiece – carrying the series’ vehicles, logistics equipment and paddock infrastructure as well as playing host to scientific research with its on-board laboratory, all in a bid to lower the impact of the travel logistics compared to air travel.

The on-course action for Season 2 has not concluded yet, however, with a thrilling finale set to take place in Punta del Este, Uruguay, for a four-way title showdown on November 26-27 as the title fight once again goes down to the wire.

FIFA announce Commonwealth Bank as Official Supporter of Women’s World Cup 2023

FIFA has today announced that Commonwealth Bank (CommBank) has signed on as a FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ Official Supporter for next year’s tournament, with the bank further affirming its commitment and investment into women’s football.

By supporting the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023, Commonwealth Bank becomes one of the largest brand investors in women’s sport in Australia – which only further highlights the growth and trajectory of the game not only locally, but across the globe.

CommBank and FIFA will work together on many initiatives and activations as the countdown to the largest women’s sporting event on the planet continues, most notably the CommBank FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Player Escort Programme, which will see 1,500 children aged 6-10 accompany players onto the pitch before matches in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Sarai Bareman, FIFA Chief Women’s Football Officer, said: “Through their investment in Australian football since 2021, Commonwealth Bank have demonstrated a genuine commitment to growing women’s football participation, creating opportunities, and championing leadership.

“These goals are closely aligned with the objectives of FIFA’s own women’s football strategy, so this partnership truly is an exceptional fit. We look forward to working closely with Commonwealth Bank over the coming months as together we aim to inspire kids and communities through the power of women’s football.”

Sam Kerr OAM, Captain of the Matildas, Australia’s senior women’s national football team, said: “When I was growing up, women’s football didn’t have the visibility and support it has today. To have a partner like CommBank supporting the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 shows how far we’ve come. I want to use the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 as a way to show all Australian girls that they can achieve great things through football.”

CR7 NFT Collection to be released exclusively on Binance

The CR7 NFT collection — available exclusively on Binance NFT — will be the first of a series of drops featuring the football icon Cristiano Ronaldo. 

Ronaldo has undoubtedly redefined the game of football as we know it, his legacy — trophies and awards, mind-bending goals, personal and team records — touching every aspect of the sport. Now, the five-time Ballon D’or winner has his eyes set on the NFT arena. 

Since our initial announcement of the groundbreaking multi-year partnership between Binance and CR7, we’ve been working closely with Ronaldo to craft a first-of-its-kind experience, one that will change the NFT game forever. 

We know fans have been eagerly awaiting his NFT debut. 

Starting this week, you’ll get a sneak peek at what we’ve been working on, and more surprises on what’s coming next.  Make sure to follow us on Twitter for all the latest updates. 

Manchester United to gift first digital collectible to fans

The first ever official Manchester United digital collectible will be gifted to fans by a Tezos-based platform as the Club launches a new Web3 community designed to educate, reward and unite its global fan base through digital and real-world experiences. This exciting initiative is powered by the Club’s official blockchain, Tezos, one of the world’s most advanced and sustainable blockchains. 

These digital collectibles are a set of unique digital assets, commonly referred to as Non-Fungible Tokens, or NFTs. Ahead of their release, easy-to-follow tutorials featuring the Club’s Men’s and Women’s team will be shared on Club channels – part of an extensive suite of educational materials aimed at helping fans understand Web3 and how digital collectibles can benefit match-goers and international supporters alike. Web3 is the next iteration of the internet underpinned by blockchain technology that allows creators, publishers, and users to take ownership of their assets across the web – opening exciting new opportunities for engagement between fans and the Club. 

Following Manchester United’s selection of Tezos as its official blockchain, this announcement represents the next step in developing compelling new fan experiences through Web3 technology. Fans who claim the gifted digital collectible from the Tezos platform will own a coveted piece of United history, joining the Club on its journey into Web3, with future plans for both gifted and purchasable NFTs to be released throughout the season.

Supporters will also be able to join the Club’s new virtual world via Manchester United’s official Discord – a social platform that allows communities to come together around their favourite topics. Members of this global community will be able to engage with the Club, players, legends and thousands of other like-minded fans.  Fans who register interest at

manutd.com/collectibles will be the first to receive an invitation and information on how to join United’s Discord community.

The official Discord channel is central to the Club’s mission to help fans navigate the exciting new Web3 space. Fans who claim a digital collectible from the Tezos platform will be able to unlock access to communities on Discord, where they can submit creative ideas for future digital collectibles and share matchdays together in the new, fan-led, virtual community.

A number of subsequent digital collectible drops will be available for purchase later in the season via the digital platform on the Tezos blockchain. These additional collections will each feature a different design, all taking inspiration from the Club’s history, with some unlocking further fan experiences. The first of these drops will be priced at £30 with 20% of proceeds going to Manchester United Foundation.

Manchester United’s CEO of Digital Products and Experiences, Phil Lynch, said: “Much like the football traditions of old, such as collecting match programmes, club badges and sticker books, fans will soon have the additional option to collect this new type of digital memorabilia. The first digital collectible is being gifted to fans by a Tezos-powered platform, and with the support of Tezos Foundation we will join fans on their journey into this new world, with the club providing education and guidance along the way.”

“Having watched the Web3 space closely and consulted with fans for their views on how this unique virtual world should operate, we’ve worked with the Tezos ecosystem teams to apply these learnings and believe that the launch of Manchester United digital collectibles is different to others, providing the option of unique and enhanced engagement opportunities to our incredible fans.”

Mason Edwards, Chief Commercial Officer, Tezos Foundation, stated: “Football means so much to so many people and Manchester United, not to mention its fans, are the titans in the sport. It is an honour to be part of the Club’s first step into Web3 through the creation of digital collectibles which the club and its followers will cherish for years to come. It takes an appreciation of football and the club’s history, but also a blockchain that’s powerful, decentralised, resilient and scalable to do it. That’s Tezos.”