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.

PGA Tour partner with Qualtrics to improve fan and player experience

The PGA TOUR and Qualtrics (Nasdaq: XM) today announced a new multi-year relationship that designates Qualtrics as the Official Experience Insights Provider of the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions. 

The TOUR will leverage Qualtrics’ experience management platform to analyze fan, player and partner feedback across multiple channels and act on real-time insights to ensure a consistent and world-class tournament experience throughout each phase of the tournament journey, including ticketing, concessions and special events. The partnership will enable the TOUR to build deeper relationships with fans, players and sponsors, while identifying opportunities to engage new fans across the globe.

“We are excited to welcome Qualtrics to the PGA TOUR and look forward to using their industry-leading XM platform to understand fan insights,” said PGA TOUR Vice President Fan Engagement, Travis Trembath. “Our fans are at the heart of what we do at the TOUR and Qualtrics will allow us to communicate and engage with them in a more meaningful and relevant way. We look forward to working with Qualtrics to enhance the PGA TOUR experience for fans as well as other key stakeholders.”

The Qualtrics XM platform, including Qualtrics Social Connect and Qualtrics Customer and Employee XM products, will provide fan insights in real-time throughout the tournament experience via surveys, social media, online reviews, QR codes and more. The TOUR will use these fan experience insights to optimize each touchpoint of the tournament journey, from ticket purchase and transportation to food and beverage and the on-course experience. 

Qualtrics will provide the TOUR with deeper insights into how fans are engaging over digital platforms so the TOUR can identify the moments that matter most to fans and anticipate future preferences. With Qualtrics’ intelligence capabilities, the TOUR can understand how fan and player experiences change over time so they can communicate and engage in a more personalized way.

“As the world’s premier membership organization for professional golf, the PGA TOUR understands the importance of creating exceptional experiences for fans and players both on and off course and attracting new fan demographics,” said Brad Anderson, Qualtrics’ President of Products and Engineering. “With Qualtrics, the PGA TOUR will never miss an opportunity to engage with fans and provide its employees with insights to build deeper relationships that inspire the next generation of fans, players, partners and communities worldwide.”

Manchester City and Mighty Jaxx announce new collectible collection

Mighty Jaxx, an award winning integrated future culture platform that designs and produces digital and phygital collectibles, announces its new 2022 Mighty AllStars Manchester City collectibles range as the 2022/23 Premier League season kicks off! 

The license collaboration between Mighty Jaxx and Manchester City FC launches with England star Jack Grealish, newly signed forward and 2020’s Golden Boy Winner Erling Haaland and two time PFA Players’ Player of the Year winner  Kevin De Bruyne; all featuring in the 2022/23 Manchester City Home Kit. These limited edition 8” premium vinyl art collectibles are available to pre-order now for $169 or 3 monthly installments of $56.33 at mightyjaxx.com.

Mighty Jaxx is committed to working with the biggest names in world football and beginning this collaboration with Manchester City, the most successful team in the English Premier League for the past decade, is testament to its continued ambition. Off the back of another league title Manchester City has established itself as one of the biggest clubs in world football and these collectibles pay homage to some of the players that have elevated them to this stage. This season’s star signing Erling Haaland has already demonstrated what a prolific goalscorer he is and his athleticism, speed and finishing are the standout traits that make him one of the world’s most desired and feared no. 9s.

Already considered a City legend by fans, Kevin De Bruyne is the epitome of a complete midfielder and was a key member of Manchester City’s historic 100-point season. A winner of numerous player/team of the season awards, De Bruyne is considered as one the greatest of his generation and has played key roles in each of City’s title wins in recent memory. Jack Grealish has been dazzling fans for some time and, now in his second season at Manchester City, is demonstrating the skills that make him a world beater and showing why so many English fans place the weight of the World Cup on his shoulders. 

Mighty Jaxx’s license with Manchester City is the latest in a number of agreements with massive sports brands including top tier German team Borussia Dortmund, Formula 1 and the NBA. Collaborations with these internationally recognised brands continue to define Mighty Jaxx in the collectibles space as a producer of iconic designs that entertain and inspire existing and new fans alike. Already shipping millions of products annually to collectors in more than 80 countries, Mighty Jaxx’s presence in Europe will continue to grow in the coming months as it secures deals with EU retailers.    

“Following the recent announcement of our Borussia Dortmund (BVB) collectibles range, we are pleased to announce our collaboration with the iconic Premier League club, Manchester City. Sports and collectibles have gone hand in hand for many years – and memorabilia reignites classic moments, like Agüero’s title-winning 93:20 clincher, and helps them to live on for many generations. At Mighty Jaxx we love working with the top athletes and sports brands to bring these avid collectors high quality and artistic keepsakes.” says Alex Neal, Managing Director (Europe) at Mighty Jaxx. 

“We are proud to work with Mighty Jaxx for the 2022/23 season on these official licensed collectibles, giving our fans another way to connect with their club and players. The unique styling and attention to detail that Mighty Jaxx have paid to the design of the kits and the player likeness is very impressive. We look forward to working with them to expand the collection.” says Gavin Johnson, Senior Licensing Manager at Manchester City. 

Member Insights: Embrace the Web3 Bear

Jay Stuart, Editor-in-Chief of iSportConnect, takes a look at the current state of the Web3 market and why you should embrace the bear.

Web3 is by no means synonymous with cryptocurrency, but the inescapable fact is that crypto as the most widely adopted application of blockchain colours the perception of the Web3 more generally, and things have been looking pretty black of late.

That’s not such a bad thing.

“The downturn hurts but it helps,” Nicolas Vereecke of Bitkraft told delegates at the Web3 Summit in London. “It’s what we need. There are a lot of free riders in this ecosystem just looking to make money. We need builders not speculators.”

He elaborated on why speculation has been such a big part of Web3 so far. Basically it’s because, unlike the Web2 internet, Web3 has a “native value layer” that Web2 lacked.

“Web3 will have a similar impact to Web2. People are aware that this will happen. The difference with Web3 is that you can invest and speculate on the value that will be created (e.g., via NFTs or crypto). With the internet 25 years ago you couldn’t do that. You could only invest in the future by investing in companies. Now you can do it directly.”

Tyrone Loban of Onyx agreed that flushing out fast-buck investors will have a positive impact in the longer term. “What is likely to come out of the crypto winter is very strong platforms. That’s what people should be thinking about.”

Scott Carlson of Nagra-Kudelski said of the 500 or so marketplaces that currently exist, there will probably be four or five after the clear-out run its course.

Along with the speculators, the scam artists will fade away too, according to Fred Antunes of RealFevr. “It’s a great time to clean up. The scams and the like will be gone by the end of the year,” he predicted.

Seen in the broader context of a challenging economic situation, Fred also sees the current climate as a beneficial one for future growth. For starters, the sports business will need to get better at delivering value. “Sports won’t get money for free. They need to do stuff and Web3 will help them to do that.,” he said. “When the market is down it’s the time to build for the next bull market.”

For sports, the early hiccups in the blockchain market are partly because some organisations moved too fast, according to Stan Georgiev of ReadyPlayerMe, who likened the past year to the early days of the internet. “If you think back to the dot.com bubble, it was largely because the message was that everyone had to be on the internet, and it turned out not everyone needed to be. So there was a crash. It’s the same with blockchain. Not everyone needs to be on blockchain.”

He added, “We’re going to know that we’ve arrived when we stop talking about blockchain everything just works.”

That day may arrive sooner than it did in the Web2. There are more people working to make it happen this time, and they are mostly fully immersed digital natives. We take that so for granted nowadays that it’s hard to remember when digital was something new and a digital ecosystem didn’t yet exist.