Member Insights: What’s next for your membership programs?

Joe Condon, is iSportConnect’s very own Web3 Guru, in this article he looks into the future of membership programs and what makes a good one?

You can change a number, things in your life; your favourite music artist, the place you live, even your partner if you’re so inclined. Your sports team however is not one of these things. 

Come rain or shine, silverware or relegations, you’re stuck with them. Your connection to your favourite club becomes so ingrained, it becomes part of your identity, and in general, you tend to build friendships and engage with communities that hold those similar beliefs and interests to you.

Yes, that was just a long-winded way to say fandom.

Although fandom isn’t exclusive to just sports, the level of loyalty sports fans exhibit is fairly unique. This loyalty allows our industry to operate in the way it does (from ticketing to media rights) and is why fans are the lifeblood of sports.

With these people being so integral to the industry, should we not be prioritising and rewarding this fandom and loyalty?

Membership programs / reward schemes are nothing new, they have been around for decades, however they have become a somewhat neglected part of the mix, with very little innovation happening to them over the last few decades. If reprioritised and used in the right ways (using perhaps new technologies), could they capture and generate a lot of value for both sides of the relationship?

So, what do most membership programs look like at the moment?

I’m sure there are some slight differences from sport to sport and club to club, but being fairly generic, most membership programs will get you:

  • A membership card
  • A goodie box (I recall receiving a scarf, magazine and a poster)
  • Priority access to some match day tickets (not guaranteed)
  • Perhaps access to some exclusive content
  • Perhaps access to some exclusive experiences 

So, how could you spice it up and ‘reward’ not just those with memberships, but all fans? Why would that even be beneficial and how can it be done?

(Pre-Warning: This is the part where I start talking about where NFTs can potentially be used. Now’s the time to click off if this isn’t your cup of tea).

Looking at a new launch; esports team Fnatic took the plunge with their membership scheme earlier in the year, and I still think it’s one of the stronger membership launches I’ve seen in the market over the past 12/18 months; why?

Three main reasons:

1) POSITIONING TO AUDIENCE

In esports and gaming spheres, you’re under the magnifying glass at all times. That’s true within most sports, traditional ones too, but with the professional sport being built out of amateur tournaments, I think esports convincingly wins on the scrutiny-o-meter.

With that in mind, and the general PR on NFTs not exactly being positive in the wider public, Fnatic steered clear of focusing on NFTs as the core part of the launch, and instead focused on making a proposition that actually delivered value and utility to their audience, with a roadmap of added perks that will come with being a member and engaged with the team. The technology was just the vehicle.

Pointer: Don’t focus on the technology; focus on what it can bring to your audience. Mass adoption will come when end consumers don’t even realise the difference in the backend and their experience.

2) TIERED SYSTEM TO REWARD ALL 

Memberships have often been targeted towards your ‘superfan’, however, a large percentage of your fans see their club/team as a part of their identity, so how can you attract everyone?

Going back to Fnatic’s launch, they launched a three-tier membership, each with varying levels of reward, with a free tier to make it accessible to everyone.

This meant they could still monetise their superfans, but now manage to have another touchpoint that rewards their casual fans, whilst also collecting valuable first party data of those fans (through the registration process to Fnatic ID) that were outside of their ecosystem that they can now market to.

A side note to this process is it’s not strictly Web3 as you have to give over information to register, and for that you may lose some of those that are of a staunch decentralised nature, but I certainly think that having a membership process that incorporates the best of both worlds (let’s go with the overused term that is Web2.5 to describe it) can help to onboard people into the space and surely that is beneficial in pursuit of the bigger goal of mass adoption.

Pointer: Web3 is built on community, and sports organisations have some of the largest and most loyal audiences in the world. In terms of a membership proposition, I believe focusing on a value exchange to attract those from outside your core community to the free tier should universally be step 1; once inside your ecosystem, there is greater opportunity to move them further up to the paid tiers to where your already loyal superfans are.

3) INVOLVING PARTNERS

Being able to deliver authentic activation opportunities for your partners is what keeps many a sponsorship executive up at night. So going back to Fnatic’s launch, what better way for the likes of their partner crypto.com to be involved than by providing (one of) the payment solutions, and then also being an option for any newbies to the space to open a crypto.com wallet to hold the NFT in.

Whilst NFTs are right in the wheelhouse of crypto.com, the use of a digital membership program offers the opportunity for sponsors from other categories to also get involved, whether that be through exclusive discounts, exclusive digital experiences etc. This isn’t just a play for your blockchain/crypto marketplace partners!

Looking at what’s next, I imagine that the holders of these memberships can connect via their wallet to Fnatic + their partners websites and receive these perks. Token gated experiences / rewards is a really fascinating concept, but that’s one for another day!

Pointer: Whether your partners are endemic to Web3 or not, many are looking to dip their toe into the space. A membership program that offers the opportunity for your partners to test and learn with an audience they want to be engaging with can only be beneficial in my eyes.

I’ll conclude with a question that is often asked which is ‘why move something to Web3 if it’s already possible in Web2?’

Hopefully the above shows that there’s often a middle ground between the two, and it’s worth pushing the boundaries and testing with new technology as a way to innovate old processes. Standing still will only see you surpassed.

To quote Mike Thomas of Animoca Brands from our Web3 Summit, “Dive in with both feet, but into the shallow end to begin with.”

AJ Bell confirmed as title sponsor of Tour of Britain

AJ Bell has been confirmed as title partner of the upcoming 2022 AJ Bell Tour of Britain, taking place 4 – 11 September.

The Manchester-based investment platform will become the title partner of Britain’s biggest and most prestigious cycling race for the second year running, following the event’s success in 2021. 

This year’s AJ Bell Tour of Britain will begin in Aberdeen on Sunday 4 September and include the first-ever opening day summit finish in modern race history at Glenshee Ski Centre. The climb from Auchallater to the stage finish at Glenshee measures 9.1 kilometres in distance, with the final five kilometres averaging a gradient of 4.8%.

Subsequent stages will see riders tackle routes in the Scottish Borders, North East England, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Gloucestershire and Dorset.

The peloton will finish eight days and 1,352 kilometres later in the Isle of Wight, to become the biggest-ever cycling event to take place on the island. This year’s route is set to challenge the cyclists thanks to the toughest finish to any Tour of Britain race in modern history, with the final 400 metres to the finish at The Needles averaging a gradient of 9.6%.

Spectators are expected to line the streets in their thousands at the free-to-attend event, to catch a glimpse of the 108 world-class athletes from the 18 competing teams, including the likes of INEOS Grenadiers, BORA – hansgrohe, and the Movistar Team, racing through their local towns and cities. All eight stages of the AJ Bell Tour of Britain will also be televised live on ITV4, along with a hour-long daily highlights show for fans of the sport to catch up on the action.

Andy Bell, chief executive at AJ Bell, comments: “We’re thrilled to be title partner of the AJ Bell Tour of Britain for the second year running. The 2021 event made for some fantastic viewing both for those able to soak up the atmosphere in person and those watching from home.

“It’s great to see so many new locations along the route this year, no doubt inspiring new and existing cycling fans in its path. I look forward to seeing who will take home the AJ Bell Leaders jersey and be crowned the overall winner on the Isle of Wight.”

Commenting on the partnership, Hugh Roberts, Chief Executive of race organisers SweetSpot Group said: “We are extremely delighted that AJ Bell has returned for the second year as Title Partner of the AJ Bell Tour of Britain. We set up a strong partnership foundation in 2021 and collectively with AJ Bell we are focussing on building the biggest and best bike races in Britain. 

“The race this year will be one of our toughest, and we once again expect millions to be watching roadside and around the world on television. Our team at SweetSpot is adept at delivering world class events alongside our partners, and we will discuss longer term possibilities with AJ Bell post event.”

AFL drops first NFTs in partnership with Animoca Brands

The AFL and Be Media, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, today launched Ripper Skipper 2022, the first drop of limited edition NFT digital collectibles by AFL Mint, the home of officially licensed Australian Football League NFTs. Users who joined the allowlist are able to make purchases during this first NFT drop; the AFL Mint will open fully to the wider public on 24 August 2022 at aflmint.com.au.

There are 78 major moments in total to collect, featuring the captains from the 18 teams in the Australian Football League and showcasing different highlights from the 2021 Season.

Launched in April, AFL Mint has set the benchmark for NFTs within Australian sporting codes, allowing fans to own, collect and trade their favourite elements of the game and support their favourite teams and players. Furthermore, the program will develop to merge online experiences in the metaverse with real life experiences on game day such as ticketing and membership upgrades, chances to win tickets to major games, prizes, virtual reality experiences within the grounds on game day and much more.

The NFTs of Ripper Skipper 2022 have been launched to members of the public who had signed up to the allowlist, selling for AUD49 for a surprise three-pack.

The collection of AFL moments are available in three tiers of rarity, with the cards being revealed once the purchased pack has been opened. As a special launch initiative, the current Ripper Skipper purchases provide a 10 per cent chance of obtaining the extremely limited digital AFL Mint Genesis Ball. AFL Mint confirms that NFTs released in the future will offer a much lower drop chance of this limited item.

AFL Mint will continue to grow and evolve by creating unique and engaging experiences for AFL fans that are not merely collectibles but also offer relevant utility.  Fans will be able to experience exclusive game day events, tickets, unique AFL Mint-only content, and even hang out with their favourite players in the metaverse.

The launch of Ripper Skipper 2022 sees the AFL join an elite class of international sporting codes that have launched similar NFT series, including NBA Top Shot, the ICC’s FanCraze, MotoGP™ Ignition, and UFC Strike.

Visit aflmint.com.au to register and prepare for the public launch.

Kylie Rogers, Executive General Manager Customer and Commercial at AFL, said: “The AFL is excited to release our first AFL Mint drop. Our players and clubs are excited to provide fans a new way to engage with footy and celebrate the moments that make our game so great.

“The Ripper Skippers collection celebrates the incredible leaders in our game, with all 18 AFL captains minted as our first official NFTs.

“Through our AFL Mint brand, we will launch exciting new moments across our Men’s and Women’s competitions, plus celebrate past greats and other product releases that will bring a unique fan experience we haven’t seen before.”

Jordan Fogarty, Founder and CEO of Be Media, said: “We are excited to launch the first season-based NFT project in Australia, and to allow fans to own a slice of our Aussie game through these AFL Mint moments. This is the first step in a very exciting multi-year product roadmap.”

Yat Siu, the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Animoca Brands, said: “I am very pleased to see this project come to life, and to see the unique game that is ‘Aussie rules’ showcased on the global stage. Animoca Brands is excited to offer big Australian Brands like the AFL the chance to enter our global ecosystem and explore the exciting opportunities presented by the emerging open metaverse.”

Other collectable releases are in the works for the AFL Mint program, including AFLW Ripper Skipper, and the AFL Mint Marketplace will be coming in 2023 for people looking to sell and trade their cards on the AFL’s own trading platform.  

ITV and NFL announce three-year partnership

The National Football League (NFL) has a new free-to-air television home in the UK and Ireland with the announcement of a three-year partnership with ITV.

Sports Presenter of the Year Laura Woods will be joining award-winning analysts Osi Umenyiora, a two-time Super Bowl winner, and Jason Bell when ITV kicks off its coverage on Friday September 9 with the first in a series of hour-long weekly shows, airing at 11.30pm on ITV. The 2022 NFL season kicks off the previous night when defending champions Los Angeles Rams take on the Buffalo Bills.

ITV will air the climax of the season, Super Bowl LVII, live from Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday February 12, as well as two of the season’s three London Games. The New York Giants will face the Green Bay Packers at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday October 9, kicking off at 2.30pm UK time, before the Jacksonville Jaguars host the Denver Broncos at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, October 30, kicking off at 1.30pm UK time.

Laura Woods said: “I’ve been a fan of the NFL for many years, so, with the new season just weeks away, I’m thrilled to be part of the team that will bring ITV viewers its best action and biggest stories each week.” 

“We have seen the NFL grow to a level I could never have imagined from when I played here for the Giants in 2007,” said Umenyiora. “This new partnership can see us bringing the sport to an even broader audience. We have felt so embraced by British fans and we are excited that they will be able to watch us on ITV.”

Bell added: “I can’t believe the growth of the NFL, not only in the UK but globally, and I’m so grateful to be at the forefront of that. I can’t wait to expand the NFL audience with the new team at ITV. Osi and I are excited to be working with Laura and I know that our passion and energy will be exactly what existing NFL followers expect from us, as well as opening the eyes of new fans.”

The new partnership marks the NFL’s return to ITV for the first time since the network aired the last of its three consecutive Super Bowls in 2007.

Niall Sloane, ITV Director of Sport, said: “This deal will bring to ITV viewers the very best of the NFL each week in our highlights shows throughout the season as well as key live games.  We’re delighted to be able to offer viewers, free to air, across our channels as well as the ITV Hub, the unique spectacle and action the NFL brings.”

Henry Hodgson, Managing Director, NFL UK, said: “This is another significant milestone for the NFL in this country. We have enjoyed seven fantastic years of NFL coverage on BBC TV and the time is right to take advantage of the opportunities offered by a new partnership with ITV. When you look at the development of the NFL in the UK in recent years – with momentum behind fan growth, more London games, successful British players in the NFL, the launch of an Academy and a charitable foundation – this announcement is another sign of our ambition to grow and develop the sport in the UK.”

Laura Louisy, Director, International Business Development and Media, said: “We’re excited to announce this new partnership with ITV which, with the new and enhanced weekly Friday evening shows and live coverage of London Games and Super Bowl, will take the NFL’s free to air coverage into a new era and reach a new audience across ITV’s channels, to showcase to the UK what the NFL is all about: passion, unpredictable competition and exceptional entertainment.”  

The weekly ITV show will focus on providing NFL fans, new and old, with an update on everything they need to know heading into each weekend of NFL games. The show will also be repeated at 8.30am on Saturdays on ITV4 and will be available on ITV Hub.

ITV’s NFL programming will also be broadcast on STV in Scotland and Virgin Media in Ireland, while all programming will be available on demand on ITV Hub, ITV Hub+, STV Player and VM Player.

BBL appoint new head of Marketing and Communications

The British Basketball League (BBL) are delighted to announce the arrival of Joe Edwards as the league’s new Head of Marketing & Communications. 

Edwards joins the BBL with a wealth of experience within the sport having previously held similar roles at Reading Rockets and most notably FIBA.  During his time with FIBA he, delivered FIBA’s (International Basketball Federation) first-ever global award-nominated campaign to kickstart the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers. Away from Basketball, Edwards was also Chief Marketing Officer at Super League Triathlon,  where he helped SLT become a multi award winning sports property, that has seen SLT become the most engaged triathlon brand globally. 

As the British Basketball League continues to grow following a record-breaking campaign last season, Edwards experience, knowledge and passion for the sport will play a key role in boosting the league’s profile both here in the UK and in Europe.

Speaking on his appointment, Edwards shared his excitement to be involved with the British Basketball League, he said: “Basketball has been a huge part of my life and I’m incredibly excited to bring my personal and professional interests together and am delighted to be joining the BBL as Head of Marketing and Communications at an amazing time for the league. I am personally driven to make the BBL “the best of the rest” for the clubs, players, and fans, showcasing the talent and entertainment we can deliver to the world. 

“The BBL has incredible potential and with the new impetus from 777 Partners I believe we have every chance to achieve the ambitions both the league and fans want.” 

BBL Director Lenz Balan was delighted to welcome Edwards to the organisation, he said: “We’re really pleased to be welcoming Joe to our team and after a strong recruitment process, we have found the right candidate to support the league on its continued upward trajectory. There has been unprecedented interest in the BBL and British Basketball in the last 12 months and I’m confident that Joe is someone who can help us to continue to increase our profile both domestically and across the continent. 

“He possesses a great knowledge of the landscape of the British Basketball scene thanks to his work both domestically and across the continent. Everyone within the BBL is excited to begin working with Joe ahead of what is set to be a highly exciting season both on and off the court for the league”

LaLiga extends Official Data and Streaming Deal with Stats Perform

LaLiga and sports content giant Stats Perform today announced a new, long-term strategic partnership to power immersive fan and bettor experiences using official data and live streaming.

The new five-year deal will see Stats Perform exclusively collect and manage live official data and player statistics from over 800 LaLiga matches per season and distribute them to enhance LaLiga coverage for licensed global broadcasters, sponsors, publishers, fantasy providers, sportsbooks and the leagues’ own digital platforms.

Stats Perform’s globally renowned and trusted Opta data will power an extensive new range of audience experiences on LaLiga broadcast, digital and social platforms, including AI-powered advanced analytics and predictions, to bring fans and bettors closer to the action.

Stats Perform’s industry leading Opta-powered PressBox Graphics platform, already used by over 150 Stats Perform clients, will create exciting new visual assets for La Liga and its sponsors, that deepen and extend fan interest from 90 minutes to the entire multi-day match lifecycle, at scale.

The partnership further elevates the position of Stats Perform and its Opta data brand as the preferred provider of live scores and player statistics for men’s and women’s professional football. LaLiga’s continued presence in Stats Perform’s portfolio reinforces their unrivalled position across Europe, as Opta is the official data provider for 4 of the big 5 leagues and is trusted by the world’s biggest clubs, federations, broadcasters, media and sportsbooks.

Stats Perform also retains the right to distribute live video streams of LaLiga matches to licensed sportsbooks in international markets via its recently up graded ‘Bet LiveStreams’ service.

Melcior Soler, Audiovisual Director, from LaLiga, said: “Stats Perform’s unrivalled collection expertise, distribution and famous Opta brand means quality experiences for LaLiga fans and bettors. Their focus on innovation and AI will shed new light and tell new stories about how we play, immersing our local and global audiences more deeply in the game. Stats Perform is the perfect partner for a forward-thinking league like us.”  

LaLiga joins Italy’s Serie A, France’s Ligue 1 and over 60 other football competitions in Stats Perform’s action-packed Bet LiveStreams portfolio, alongside premium round-the-clock tennis, basketball, cricket, ice hockey and two major new features, Instant Highlights and Smart Stats Overlays.

Alex Rice, Chief Commercial Officer, for Stats Perform, commented: “The new deal demonstrates LaLiga’s commitment to growing its global appeal and providing a best-in-class experience for their fans. We’re delighted and proud to be able to continue to bring such a high level of sports entertainment to our global media and betting partners and their customers.”

As part of the deal Stats Perform’s industry-leading Integrity services division will work closely with LaLiga’s in-house Integrity Unit to monitor all levels of Spanish football for potential match manipulation activity. The two Integrity departments have already been working together for the past five years and outputs have included significant contributions to major law enforcement investigations into match-fixing.

BMW Championship confirms venues for 2025 and 2026

Shortly before this year’s BMW Championship, the venues for 2025 and 2026 – Caves Valley Golf Club and Bellerive Country Club – were announced today at Wilmington Country Club (Delaware, USA). The Olympia Fields Country Club in Chicago and Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock, Colorado, just south of Denver, have already been confirmed as hosts for 2023 and 2024.

“We are excited to bring the BMW Championship back to these iconic venues, giving the amazing fans of the greater Baltimore and St. Louis areas a chance to see the best players in the world up close,” said Vince Pellegrino, WGA Senior Vice President of Tournaments. “When we consider potential hosts, we look for challenging layouts that can deliver an unmatched experience for fans and our PGA TOUR partners. Caves Valley Golf Club and Bellerive Country Club are the perfect additions to our championship lineup.”

The BMW Championship, the penultimate event of the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs, dates back to 1899, when it debuted as the Western Open. It is the third-oldest tournament on the PGA TOUR schedule, behind only the British Open and the U.S. Open. BMW became the title partner of the event in 2007.

After going nearly 60 years without hosting a PGA TOUR event, the Baltimore area is getting its second in five years. Patrick Cantlay won the 2021 BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club, prevailing in a thrilling six-hole playoff on his way to capturing the FedExCup. The 2021 event yielded a record contribution to the championship’s sole beneficiary, the Evans Scholars Foundation, raising $5.6 million for caddie scholarships and helping establish the Caves Valley Evans Scholars Scholarship House at the University of Maryland.

Bellerive Country Club hosted the 2008 BMW Championship, as Camilo Villegas earned the first PGA TOUR victory of his career. The club was established in 1897 and is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. The current course was designed by renowned architect Robert Trent Jones, Sr., in 1960 and underwent major renovations led by Jones’ son, Rees Jones, in 2005, 2013 and 2019. In 1965, Bellerive Country Club became the youngest course to host the U.S. Open, with the legendary Gary Player completing the career grand slam. The club also hosted the 1992 PGA Championship – Nick Price’s first major victory – and the 2018 PGA Championship. In November 2021, the club was selected to host the 2030 Presidents Cup.

The BMW Championship will continue to play a vital philanthropic role by introducing golf fans across the country to the Evans Scholars Foundation and its mission of awarding full tuition and housing college scholarships to deserving young caddies.

“We are proud of our longstanding collaboration with the Western Golf Association and of the work we’ve done over the past 15 years to help so many young men and women go to college and pursue their dreams,” said Sebastian Mackensen, President and CEO, BMW of North America. 

Since 2007, the BMW Championship has raised more than $40 million for caddie scholarships, helping send more than 3,300 young men and women to college.

NBA Creator Series, releases third piece of art

The third release of the NBA Creator Series in Europe features Spanish watercolorist Maria Emegé.  The NBA Creator Series is a series of original artwork commissioned by the NBA featuring artists from France, Greece, Italy, Spain and the UK in celebration of the league’s landmark 75th Anniversary Season in 2021-22.

Featuring a diverse range of styles and compositions, each piece of artwork is centered around the artists’ passion for the NBA, their favorite moments from the league’s history, and the connections between Europe and the game of basketball.   

María Emegé is an illustrator, video game concept artist and designer from Madrid.  She has illustrated for international companies, books, magazines and NFT galleries, and has given lectures and taught classes at the university level.  Her specialty is traditional watercolor art, with which she paints live at events and sells original work to major art collectors.  Maria’s artwork will be released today Aug. 16 on Facebook (@NBASpain), Instagram (@NBAEurope), Twitter (@NBAspain) and YouTube (@NBAEurope and @NBASPAIN). 

Maria said, “In this handmade watercolor I would like to show some of the most iconic NBA stars that had inspired me for different reason: The historic 2015 NBA All-Star Game tipoff jump by the Gasol brothers, for what it represented to the NBA fandom in Spain; Kevin Durant for his emotional 2013-14 season MVP speech; Stephen Curry for his ability of hitting threes from planetary distance; Luka Doncic for the joy of having seen him growing fast and flying high from his days in Madrid; and Lebron James… because he is an intergenerational icon whose impact goes beyond the court.  I have unified all them through waves of color like their teams uniforms and looking for the detail of their faces expressions and body movements with the brush.” 

UEFA publishes ‘The Business Case for Women’s Football’ report

UEFA today launches ‘The Business Case for Women’s Football’, a brand-new, forward-looking and practical report that highlights the potential for growth in the European women’s club and league game over the next decade.

A record-breaking UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 showcased the popularity and potential of international women’s football, but the game has also made huge strides at club level, with the successful launch of a new format for the UEFA Women’s Champions League with centralised marketing and TV coverage and ever-increasing professionalisation across domestic leagues.

In order to maintain this momentum, investors now have a unique opportunity to contribute towards the further development of the game. The Business Case for Women’s Football provides justification for that investment to all interested stakeholders.

Delivering on commitments outlined in Time for Action, UEFA’s women’s football strategy, this new report, which is based on an unprecedented range of research and data, provides comprehensive reasoning for increasing investment in women’s football and a clear methodology and explanation of its findings.

Focusing primarily on the club game, it gives a clear understanding of the sport’s potential for growth, outlines the benefits increased investment can bring and offers guidance on how to maximise return on this investment.

Giorgio Marchetti, UEFA Deputy General Secretary & Director of Football Division, said: “The Business Case for Women’s Football is a very ambitious project that has been developed in partnership with representatives from all football stakeholders including national associations, leagues, the European Club Association, clubs, broadcasters, sponsors, fans and academic institutions. This report provides all of our stakeholders with a clear understanding of the benefits of investing in the women’s game, and provides them with clear rationale for increasing that investment.”

Nadine Kessler, UEFA Chief of Women’s Football, said: “Women’s football is on an incredibly exciting trajectory, with growth being seen across nearly every metric and across all of our stakeholders across Europe. The potential of the women’s game is limitless and we believe we are on course to take women’s football to heights that were unimaginable just a few years ago. As this report shows, now is the time to capitalise on the momentum we have created together, now is the time to get involved, now is the time to invest.”

Women’s football’s growth opportunities

Records are being broken, barriers are being torn down and new partnerships are being struck, resulting in rapid growth of the game. Before now, data for stakeholders considering investment has been limited, inconsistent and incomplete. This report aims to provide clarity both in understanding the game now and quantifying return on investment in the future.

The Business Case for Women’s Football reveals a series of key findings, each of which demonstrate opportunities and returns that immediate investment can bring. As an example, the report identifies that women’s football could see a sixfold increase in commercial value over the next decade, potentially reaching an annual value of €686 million by 2033, with club sponsorship set to increase to €295 million in that time.

Women’s football is also considered to be inspirational, empowering and family-friendly, attracting a diverse, progressive and young fanbase that is set to grow from 144m to 328m fans over the next 10 years. There is therefore a clear investment opportunity for leagues, clubs, brands and broadcasters to meet the increasing expectations of society and contribute significantly to the development and professionalisation of the women’s game.

Key steps for sustainable growth

Focused on sporting, commercial, image and engagement opportunities, The Business Case for Women’s Football identifies over 20 recommendations to inform club and league strategies and support stakeholders in developing the women’s game and maximising return on investment. These recommendations are grouped into five key themes:

  • Develop strategies and business plans
  • Raise standards and professionalism on and off the pitch
  • Build a sustainable ecosystem
  • Increase visibility and strengthen audience engagement
  • Build on the unique strengths of the women’s game

Read full report here:

Capacity at Cheltenham Racecourse to be reduced for The Festival

Spectator capacity at Cheltenham Racecourse will be capped at 68,500 people per day for the four days of The Festival™ in 2023 to enhance the experience of racegoers attending, The Jockey Club announced today.

This year The Festival attracted a record aggregate attendance of 280,627, including record individual attendances for both Thursday (73,754) and Friday (73,875).

As part of planning next year’s event, The Jockey Club gathered and reviewed feedback from racegoers and participants about their experience.

While this was very positive towards the world-class sport on offer and the high standard of facilities at Cheltenham, which have helped The Festival to enjoy strong growth in recent years, it was also clear that many wished to see reduced spectator numbers to ease movement around the course and enhance service times.

Ian Renton, The Jockey Club’s Managing Director for Cheltenham and the West Region, said: “With Covid-19 spectator restrictions lifted, The Festival made a spectacular return in 2022, welcoming record crowds to enjoy a tremendous atmosphere and the very best of Jump racing.

“It was fantastic to attract capacity crowds on both Thursday and Friday to witness some brilliant racing in glorious sunshine. However, we are well aware that our facilities, even after significant investment in recent years, are stretched at these attendance levels.

“Despite the financial implications of reducing attendance numbers, we will be capping daily capacity at 68,500 in the recognition of the importance of ensuring that The Festival remains an attractive and enjoyable experience for the long-term.