DP World Tour becomes first Golf tour to launch tournament in the metaverse

The DP World Tour has partnered with leading virtual reality golf game Golf5 eClub, to launch a new tournament in the metaverse that will coincide with the season ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, the fifth and final Rolex Series event of the season.

The “DP World Tour Championship Metaverse Challenge” will be open to Golf5 eClub members and is available to play from 10-25 November 2022. It will see players compete against each other in a new virtual reality simulation of the final three holes of the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai. That is the same course the world’s leading players, such as Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Matt Fitzpatrick, will be playing from 17-20 November as they bid to win the season ending DP World Tour Championship and be crowned the winner of the 2022 DP World Tour Rankings.

The virtual reality game has been developed by AAA Game Studios and can be downloaded via the Oculus app. Spectators attending the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai will also get the chance to enter the competition at a dedicated gaming area in the spectator village.

Speaking about the initiative Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour group, said: “Golf lends itself perfectly to virtual reality gaming and we are determined to lead the way in bringing top-level professional golf to the metaverse. The team at AAA Game Studios have done an amazing job in recreating the final three holes of the Earth Course in what is a truly immersive and realistic experience that will enable fans to engage with golf and the DP World Tour Championship in new ways.

“This builds on the success we have already had in the launch of the DP World eTour, that will have its grand finale at the DP World Flow Pavilion in Dubai on 16 November. These innovations will make the DP World Tour Championship a multi-dimensional entertainment spectacle – both on and off the course.”

Daniel van Otterdijk, Chief Communications Officer at DP World, said: “At DP World we are exploring how the metaverse can help tackle real-world supply chain challenges, so it’s great to also see virtual reality technology being integrated into golf and the DP World Tour Championship. We want to be at the forefront of world-class technology and innovation, so to see this challenge being launched by the DP World Tour during one of the biggest weeks of the golf calendar, is extremely exciting. We wish all of the competitors the best of luck and thank our partners for helping to make it happen.”

Antonio Marin, Founder and CEO, AAA Games Studios, added: “We are very excited to partner with the DP World Tour Championship to bring this tournament to life as a world’s first in the Oculus Metaverse. Our vision is to build out this partnership with the DP World Tour over the coming years and ensure fans can play some of the biggest events on the golfing calendar. We at GOLF5 pride ourselves on being the home of authentic golf in the metaverse and we are excited for the fans to be able to play the course at Jumeirah Golf Estates and the immersive experience we will be providing with this unique event”.

EngageRM announce three-year partnership with Brisbane Broncos

EngageRM, the market-leading sports and entertainment business technology services provider, has agreed a three-year partnership with National Rugby League (NRL) club, Brisbane Broncos.  

The three-year deal will transform the Broncos’ digital offering to provide a best in class premium sales, hospitality and partnership experience for both fans and corporate partners of the club.  

Since their founding in 1988, the Broncos have won 6 premierships, including 2 New South Wales Rugby League premierships, a super league premiership, and 3 NRL premierships. The team is the second-most successful club since the foundation of the NRL in 1998 and houses a famously passionate fanbase.  

This partnership expands EngageRM’s presence in both Queensland and the NRL, with the Broncos becoming the fourth NRL team to partner with the company.  

Through the state-of-the-art EngageRM system, the Broncos can now combine operations, fulfilment and sales management across the organisation within a centralised, single platform that is powered by Microsoft Dynamics 365. 

“We’re thrilled to partner with EngageRM, an organisation who are constantly pushing the boundaries in their field, to transform our corporate and commercial offerings,” said Broncos Executive Manager Corporate Partnerships and Sales Dan Glass. 

“We are looking forward to working with the EngageRM team to continually improve our systems and processes to push the boundaries and connect with our passionate fan base on a new level,” Glass said.  

“The Broncos are one of the most iconic and successful rugby league clubs in Australia, their passionate fans are well known across the nation,” said Dale Equid, Commercial Lead for APAC at EngageRM.  

“We will be working hard with the Broncos to support their efforts to deliver exceptional audience engagement, boost operational improvements and build on their continued success.” Equid said.  

“This partnership with the Broncos is a significant milestone for EngageRM by expanding our reach in both the NRL and Queensland,” said EngageRM CEO Ned Coten.  

EngageRM’s partners include major U.S. sports franchises including the NBA’s L.A. Clippers, Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks in addition to teams and venues across the U.S., U.K. and Australia, including the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground and Co-op Live in Manchester. 

Women’s Euros inspires rise in audience for women’s sport beyond football

The latest visibility report from the Women’s Sport Trust, with data from Futures Sport and Entertainment, has revealed the positive impact the Women’s Euros has had on growing women’s sport* consumption in the UK, not just for football, and in attracting a young, female audience.

27% of the 15.8 million new viewers to women’s sport in 2022 (based on not watching any other women’s sport in 2022) from the Women’s Euros, have gone onto watch more women’s sport in August and September, with 46% of those going onto watch women’s cricket and a further 46% watching more women’s football.

Excluding major international women’s football tournaments, a record 27.4m have watched women’s sport in the UK on TV between January-September, up from 26.6 million in 2019. Viewers have also watched for 271 minutes so far in comparison to 196 minutes in 2021.

This data doesn’t include the record-breaking audience for Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall. In October, the fight received Sky’s biggest-ever audience for a live broadcast of women’s sport, with over two million tuning in to make it the most watched women’s professional boxing event in history, with 38% of viewers female.

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The Women’s Super League has also seen a significant boost in viewership this season, with audiences more than 1.5 that of viewership in the 2021/22 season.

·       Using data from the start of the season until 23rd October, Sky has seen average audiences for the WSL increase from 111k in 2021/22 to 220k in 2022/23, while BBC One and Two have seen average audiences increase from 393k in 2021/22 to 522k in 2022/23.

·       Audiences are also watching the WSL for longer, with Sky audiences watching for an average of 45 minutes per viewer in 2022/23, in comparison to 38 minutes in 2021/22, while BBC Sport viewers are watching for 42 minutes per viewer in 2022/23, which is also slightly up on the average of 39 minutes in 2021/22.

·       There has also been a significant rise in the number of young female Sky viewers who have watched the WSL in 2022/23 but didn’t consume WSL games last season on Sky. 42% of these new viewers are female, compared to an average of 39% of overall audiences being female on Sky for the 2022/23 season so far, while 40% of new viewers are under 35 this season, compared to the 27% season average in 2021/22.

·       Arsenal v Spurs became the most watched WSL match on linear TV ever. The game aired on BBC One and received an average audience of 762k, 3% higher than the previous high for the Manchester derby last season (738k).

·       Liverpool v Chelsea, airing on SS Football, Main Event, Premier League and Sky Showcase was the most watched pay-TV audience for the WSL ever, surpassing the previous high for Man City v Spurs last season. 

Chief Executive and Co-Founder of the Women’s Sport Trust Tammy Parlour said: “To see that major events like the Women’s Euros are not only inspiring new fans, many of whom are young and female, to watch more football, but also consume other women’s sport, is hugely exciting and provides an interesting opportunity for brands and broadcasters to invest in women’s sport and engage with these commercially valuable audiences.”

iSportConnect Roundtable Preview: Optimising revenue from premium & partnerships

The Covid pandemic dealt a huge financial blow to the UK hospitality industry. As recent events in rugby union have shown, sports leagues, clubs and venues are still feeling the after effects of the pandemic. 

Despite challenging economic times, B2B partnerships and premium experiences are areas of burgeoning opportunity where many sports organisations see room to grow through a smarter and more integrated approach to sales and servicing. 

In response to demand from our community, iSportConnect will be running a complimentary round table lunch event for sports organisations to discuss some of the related challenges and opportunities. 

In this roundtable, which will take place in London on November 24th, we will be discussing the challenges faced by sports organisations to grow revenues from their premium sales and B2B partnerships.

  • How do you find the right balance between acquiring new customers and retaining / growing revenue from existing customers?
  • How do sports organisations optimise their ability to up-sell / cross-sell to existing customers?
  • What role can data and technology play in helping to identify the opportunities, enhance your capabilities and increase revenue?

To sign up for the round table on November 24th in London, please contact kat@isportconnect.com (please note that places are limited!).

Sports Industry Awards: Entries close in one month

The entry period for the Sport Industry Awards 2023 will close on Thursday 8th December, however,
extensions will be allowed for 2022 FIFA World Cup campaigns.

The Sport Industry Awards celebrate the immense work carried out within the sector, whether it’s delivering world-class events and campaigns, using sport as a platform to drive social change, or
activating a sponsorship that reverberates around the industry and beyond.


If your organisation has delivered some outstanding work in 2022, then you’re encouraged to enter
one of the 18 prestigious awards categories and put you and your team in the position of winning a
coveted Sport Industry Award.


In a recent ‘Meet the Categories’ event hosted at the Sport Industry Group offices in London, four-
time Sport Industry Awards winner and the former Communications and Marketing Director at the
All England Club, Alex Willis, had this to say about entering the awards, “Obviously the ultimate
objective is to win but being shortlisted is an unbelievable sign of amazing work.


“I think sometimes people don’t appreciate enough what an honour it is to be on the shortlist. Even
just entering, having the guts to say ‘I’ve done some work that I’m really proud of and I’m going to
write it up in the best possible way I can’ is important.


“Whether it then becomes a case study for doing more stuff internally, whatever it might be. It’s not
just about the awards, it’s also about your own position within the organisation and your team being
proud of what they’ve done.”


As with all the Sport Industry Awards, the selection process for the winners is fully overseen by a
team of independent adjudicators.


The 2023 edition of the Awards will take place at Evolution London in Battersea on Thursday 27th
April.


Check out the full list of categories and start your entry here, or take at look at the top tips for an
award-winning entry here.


For more information, contact: Molly.Reynolds@sportindustry.biz

Sony Corporation completes acquisition of Beyond Sports

Sony Corporation announced that Sony is reconstructing its sports business organisation following a recently completed acquisition, and welcomed Beyond Sports into Sony Corporation’s sports business.

Beyond Sports will drive its business alongside Hawk-Eye and Pulselive as part of Sony’s sports business. The addition of Beyond Sports to the group is a key pillar in providing Sony’s clients with the very best end-to-end services in the sports data and tech space.

Hiroshi Kawano, Corporate Executives and Executive Vice President of Sony Corporation stated: “We are confident that the acquisition of Beyond Sports will further strengthen our sports businesses to realise new sports entertainment bridging live and virtual worlds. By maximising Beyond Sports’ technology and expertise, we aim to create new sports entertainment experiences that unlock the power and emotion of sports.”

Rufus Hack, CEO of Hawk-Eye & Pulselive stated: “We are delighted to welcome Beyond Sports as we further strengthen Sony’s sports business. We feel that marrying the unique capabilities of Beyond Sports alongside the incredible businesses of Hawk-Eye and Pulselive will truly enhance our ambition to be a strategic partner to the world’s biggest sports leagues.

Beyond Sports has an incredible reputation in the sports industry for delivering world class data and using that data to create new and immersive sports content experiences. We are excited to continue to build out the breadth and distinctiveness of our capabilities and feel the data tracking expertise of Hawk-Eye paired with the data visualisation expertise of Beyond Sport will be a winning combination for our clients.”

Sander Schouten, Beyond Sports’ CEO & Co-Founder echoed Hack’s statement: “We couldn’t be happier to be joining Sony’s sports businesses. Hawk-Eye and Pulselive offer an incredible suite of products and services to their clients globally, across different sports and end user touch points, and we’re excited to add ourselves to these conversations.

“Our vision at Beyond Sports has always been to challenge the status quo when it comes to sports data, data visualisation and sports content consumption, and we will keep on doing so for the benefit of everyone involved. We believe that we can accelerate that process alongside the existing businesses, to fully utilise the combined potential and cater to the needs of the new generation of sports fans.”

Beyond Sports – From Data to Digital Engagement

Beyond Sports technology is already being used by the biggest names in the sports industry and it has powered the hugely successful and Sports Emmy winning NFL Wildcard game in 2021 as well as the popular NHL Stanley Cup Blocky livestreams.

The Beyond Sports team brings an additional layer of data expertise to the group, especially when it comes to human movement sciences and modular yet scalable applications. Its proprietary engine will accelerate collective efforts in making three dimensional visualisations and applications available to rights holders and fans.

Beyond Sports’ efforts are platform agnostic, meaning that any output format imaginable is ready to be used instantly, from traditional TV all the way to fully immersive mixed reality headsets, positioning itself as the gateway to (live) sports in the Metaverse. Enhancing The Core Foundation of Sony’s Sports Businesses Hawk-Eye and Pulselive form the core foundation of Sony’s sports businesses, with a shared commitment to deliver best-in-class officiating, broadcast and digital solutions to the sports world.

Adding Beyond Sports to the family means a step closer for the group to a full end-to-end partnership for sports rights holders. Hawk-Eye and Pulselive look to grow in meaningful ways that address changing client needs, and we felt that Beyond Sports was the perfect fit.

For existing partners, this is an active step towards not only receiving best-in-class officiating and digital technology, but also an outlet for the group’s unique data capture capabilities to drive additional commercial value and fan engagement opportunities.

ITV launch free streaming platform ITVX

ITV announced the official launch date of new, free streaming platform ITVX. Replacing ITV Hub as the online home of all ITV content, viewers can expect a new and improved product experience through ITVX as well as more new and exclusive programmes  to stream for free, than anywhere else.

ITVX will be rolling out across devices and platforms in the coming weeks, to ensure viewers have full access to all content, including the new, exclusive to streaming titles which will go live on Thursday 8th December.

At launch, viewers will have access to over 10,000 hours of content in high definition, and ITVX will also drop new and exclusive programmes every week of the year.

Viewers can also expect the full range of ITV drama past and present to go on the service, as well as  documentaries, cult classics and hundreds of blockbuster films which will all stream for free from Thursday 8th December.

All ITV’s channels will be available to livestream through ITVX, as well as additional themed channels (known as FAST channels), and a dedicated news section on ITVX.

ITV’s Chief Executive, Carolyn McCall said:

“We’re really excited to launch ITVX, with more content available than ever before, and a whole range of exclusive commissions. ITVX is powered by a significant, streaming-first commissioning budget, and an integrated technology and data platform providing a high quality, and more personalised viewing and advertising experience, that will continue to evolve in 2023 and beyond.”

ITVX Commissions 

ITVX will premiere a collection of top quality new dramas on 8th December, which will only be available for free on the streamer. ITVX’s inaugural commissions which will be available on launch day include hotly anticipated six-part cold war drama A Spy Among Friends starring Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce, provocative new teen drama Tell Me Everything, powerful period drama The Confessions of Frannie Langton starring Karla-Simone Spence, Sophie Cookson and Patrick Martins and Plebs: Soldiers of Rome, the feature-length special finale to the popular comedy series.

At least one flagship show will then launch on ITVX per week going forward. Litvinenko  starring David Tennant and Mark Bonnar will launch on Thursday 15th December, and high stakes family drama Riches starring Deborah Ayorinde and Hugh Quarshie will launch on 22nd December alongside landmark natural history documentary A Year on Planet Earth, presented by Stephen Fry. Gripping four-part thriller Without Sin starring Vicky McClure and adrenaline-fuelled new game show Loaded in Paradise will launch on 28th December. Nolly, Russell T Davies’ upcoming drama on Crossroads’ Noele Gordon, will launch in early 2023.

Full Series Drops 

In addition to the series premiering and streaming exclusively on ITVX, the service will also be launching full series of upcoming flagship ITV shows on their first day of broadcast, allowing viewers to binge watch to their hearts’ content. Early examples will include real life drama Stonehouse starring Matthew Macfadyen and Keeley Hawes and the new series of Unforgotten which will be made available in early 2023. These series are in addition to the vast library of over 200 both recent and classic US and UK dramas, comedies and reality shows that will be available to users.

Films 

On 8th December ITVX will launch with over 250 feature films, with a thousand films to be made available to stream each year. Films available at launch will include the Back to the Future trilogy, the Despicable Me trilogy, Wonder Woman and many more. The full Fast and Furious series of films will be launched in 2023.

Documentaries 

ITVX will launch with an impressive array of documentaries including the breathtaking natural history documentary A Year On Planet Earth, which draws on spellbinding and dramatic stories from all corners of the globe.

ITVX will also feature a dedicated true crime collection which will feature over 150 hours of nail-biting viewing including Monster in My Family, which delves into the lives of serial killers in a way that’s rarely seen. The Case Against Cosby – a premium documentary exposing new truths about accusations against the comedian will follow in 2023.

ITVX factual commissions Rolf Harris: Hiding in Plain Sight (w/t), The Rise and Fall of Boris Becker (w/t) and A Murder in the Family will also launch in 2023.

Science Fiction and Fantasy 

Those seeking to escape into another world through their viewing choices will also be catered to, with a robust science fiction and fantasy offering ranging from classics including Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, Terrahawks, Joe 90, Stingray, Space 199 and UFO, to the likes of Supernatural, The 100 and Nikita, and classics in the making including Astrid & Lilly Save the World and Korean-American hit series Dramaworld.

News

ITVX represents a new and exciting way for news to be consumed by audiences. Viewers can expect to see a dedicated rail featuring the most significant and interesting stories, updated throughout the day, some in bitesize easily digestible video and other longer more in-depth reports of news from ITV’s bulletins, and in the morning, GMB. ITVX will work in tandem with the ITV News website and ITV News social pages, with a range of reporters and presenters delivering new content daily, in the latest expansion of ITV’s award-winning journalism offering.

Choicely announce partnership with Eerikkila Outdoor & Sport Resort

The motto for Eerikkilä Outdoor & Sport Resort is “develop yourself, feel good and enjoy”.

The resort lives up to it by providing varied facilities and services from sports and education to corporate and recreational purposes.

Their brand new mobile app is called E.App.

E.App in a nutshell

E. App is a comprehensive package of things to do and experience in Eerikkilä, combined with offers and information of the resort, including a virtual 360 map. Customers can also book a vacation or register for events with E. App.

“We want to invest in improving our customer experience, and E.App is one concrete measure for that. The most important task of E.App is to make doing business with us even easier. We want to make our offering clearly visible from the lunch menu to upcoming events.”, says Elina Pennanen, Communications Manager of Eerikkilä Sports & Outdoor.

E.App in a nutshell:

  • Current events, offers and news
  • Book activities, events, vacations or meetings
  • Make a virtual visit to Eerikkilä with an interactive 360 map
  • Things to do, inside and outside
  • E.Way media portal: listen podcasts, watch videos, get to know Eerikkilä’s E.Way wellbeing philosophy or learn about football and floorball national team activities

The app is powered by Choicely.

“Having your own mobile app is a natural way to improve customer service and communication. Eerikkilä is making a digital leap by widely offering its services in a mobile-optimized format.”, says Kaius Meskanen, CEO of Choicely.

“It was important for us to find an agile Finnish partner, who is easy to co-operate with and who also invests in customer experience and constant development of their services.”, says Elina Pennanen from Eerikkilä.

“From the beginning, Choicely has been committed to developing the application to suit our needs, and to continue the work in the future as well.”, adds Pennanen.

In the future, the plan is to make booking and payment possible for more activities in E.App, which will further facilitate transactions.

Tashkent announced as host of IBA Mens World Boxing Championships with record prize money

IBA President Umar Kremlev opened the press conference in Dubai today to speak about the IBA progress made in the last months. He confirmed that the IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships 2023 will take place in Tashkent on May 1-14. 

‘I am confident that IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships will be held on the highest level in Tashkent, it will become one of the best in history. I have already visited Uzbekistan, I saw how they organized boxing tournaments. With their professionalism and love for boxing, they could be a role model for many countries. I am looking forward to seeing new champions crowned in Tashkent,’ IBA President Umar Kremlev said.  

‘For the first time in history, we will have a record prize money fund, $5.2 million USD. For the first place, the award is $200,000 USD, for the second place $100,000 USD, and for each bronze medalist $50,000 USD,’ the President added. 

Bowls England announces three-year partnership with Riviera Travel

Bowls England is delighted to announce a three-year partnership with leading luxury river cruise and tour company, Riviera Travel. The agreement sees Riviera Travel become an Official Partner of Bowls England providing all year round marketing benefits, including rights to Bowls England’s flagship National Finals held at Victoria Park, in Royal Leamington Spa.

This announcement adds to a successful summer for lawn bowls. Birmingham 2022 produced England’s record medal haul in Commonwealth Games, the sport’s qualities were showcased across mainstream media and many people have been inspired to give the game a go. This partnership will support the creation of a legacy from the home Commonwealth Games as Bowls England pushes forward with its strategy to grow participation in lawn bowls

Riviera Travel has over 38 years’ experience and offers 2,288 tours in the UK, Europe and worldwide. It prides itself on making the discovery of the world a luxurious, affordable, and effortless experience, and is proud to be the go-to travel brand for over-55s who are seeking to learn, discover and be inspired by authentic and enriching travel experiences. The shared values, audience fit and Riviera Travel’s commitment to quality customer service, earning the coveted status of Which? Recommended provider for ten years, means it’s a perfect collaboration.

“We are super excited to partner up with Bowls England! As a business we share the same values and goals. We are a sociable brand, and our customer demographics match perfectly,” said Vicky Billing Head of Partnerships, Riviera Travel. “Having recently attended the Commonwealth Games, I was so enthused with how passionate the bowls community is and love the idea of intergenerational fun!  We are very much looking forward to developing the partnership.” 

Bowls England Chief Executive, Jon Cockcroft, added, “we are delighted to be partnering with Riviera Travel, a brand with true pedigree and values close to our heart. We are both motivated by creating life-affirming experiences and there is great synergy between our respective audiences.  We hope the relationship will inspire more people to enjoy spending time on the bowling green or a river cruise.”