Liga Portugal partner with LaLiga Tech to boost their technological development

LaLiga Tech and Liga Portugal have announced a new partnership that will improve the technology development of the Portuguese competition, helping it to enhance its content and construct more impactful global fan engagements through a digital ecosystem.

As a first step in the process, Portuguese football clubs will be given privileged access to LaLiga Tech’s Brand Protection technology services that reduce the incidence of counterfeit merchandise being sold online.

The services form part of the ecosystem of sports technologies offered by LaLiga Tech to help sports organisations around the world accelerate their digital transformation.

Liga Portugal will present the Brand Protection solutions, which provide detection, analysis and removal of illegal products, to its 34 member clubs with the intention of further safeguarding their intellectual property.

Brand Protection services are exclusively designed to monitor, report and remove the sale of counterfeit products online, using machine learning to detect illegal products in seconds. Various aspects of the product being sold are considered in real-time, including the price, sales channel, security certificates, delivery times and user comments.

Once assessment has been made, LaLiga Tech is able to secure quick removal of all products detected as fraudulent, due to its close working relationships with the world’s leading online retailers.

Organisations already using Brand Protection services include Tomateros de Culiacán, one of Mexico’s leading baseball clubs, sports manufacturers Concept2 and the Royal Belgian Football Federation. This season, all customers have seen more than 90% of illegal products successfully removed from online sale.

Pedro Proença, Liga Portugal President said: “The technological revolution has arrived in football. Partnerships like this one, between Liga Portugal with LaLiga Tech, show how technological development can increase the promotion of competitions, increase their competitiveness, improve the game itself and increase brand impact and engagement with fans in an increasingly digital world. We are proud of this partnership in the fight against fraud, which is just one of the aspects of this agreement. Counterfeit material is a threat to the clubs’ intellectual property, to brands and, above all, something that deceives fans by taking away the experience that only an official product can provide.”

Richard Thompson appointed as new Chair of ECB

The ECB has welcomed Richard Thompson as the next Chair of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Mr Thompson, 55, will take up the five-year post on September 1, moving from his current role of Chair at Surrey County Cricket Club and will bring deep experience from his career across sport and business.

Following a rigorous selection process, chaired by Independent Director Brenda Trenowden CBE, the Nominations Committee unanimously recommended Mr Thompson to the ECB Board and he will succeed Martin Darlow, who has been in post as Interim Chair since April. 

As Chair of Surrey County Cricket Club, Mr Thompson has overseen a successful period for the County on the field, off the field and in the community. His stewardship saw Surrey launch the ACE Programme in 2020, which is now an independent charity designed to engage a new generation of children and young people from Black communities within the recreational game and talent pathway.

Alongside this, Mr Thompson’s business expertise has seen the county redevelop the Kia Oval, future proofing the stadium as one of the premier cricketing venues in the country, whilst his tenure also navigated the county through the pandemic. 

Outside of cricket, Mr Thompson is the founder and chair of M&C Saatchi Merlin as well as Chair of the broader M&C Saatchi UK Group; chairman of Southshore Group (an ITV-owned production company) , an ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Society and Chair & founder of Sport United Against Dementia (SUAD).

Richard Thompson, said: “I am immensely proud to become Chair of the ECB at what is a hugely important time for cricket

“Cricket has given me the chance to meet an incredibly diverse range of amazing people. Their passion, endeavour and love for the game is what I want to harness, to take our game forward, to new heights across England & Wales.

“Cricket should be the most inclusive sport in the country, welcoming people from all backgrounds, helping bring communities together. For those communities where we have fallen short, I will work tirelessly to restore their trust in the game.

“With the Men’s & Women’s Ashes on the horizon, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in October and the recent successes in our red ball game, along with hosting the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2026 there is much ahead of us. 

“I am looking forward to using my experience and love for the game in taking this opportunity to give cricket a fresh start. Alongside the Board and senior leaders at the ECB, we will work with the counties and the recreational game. Collaboration and partnership will be the key to our sport’s future.”

Brenda Trenowden, CBE, commented:“We are delighted to announce Richard’s arrival to the ECB as Chair. His blend of exceptional commercial and cricket administration experience supports our aims to grow and diversify the game whilst guiding the game as we face challenging financial headwinds. 

“I’d also like to say many thanks, on behalf of the ECB, to Martin Darlow, for his excellent stewardship in recent months. Cricket has faced many challenges in 2022 and Martin has helped steer the ship until Richard’s arrival, and I’m pleased that he’ll continue to provide his invaluable wisdom and insight through his role as Deputy Chair of the Board.”

Watford announce partnership with ASUS

Watford FC today confirms a new partnership with ASUS, the multinational company known for the world’s leading high-quality personal computers, monitors, graphics cards, routers and other technology solutions. Today, ASUS is designing and building next-generation smart technologies to provide experiences that enhance the lives of people everywhere.

With the partnership starting just before the 2022/23 season kicks-off, the club will be working with ASUS who will provide leading products to backroom staff to assist Watford FC in their bid for promotion back into the Premier League. In addition, ASUS will feature on Watford FC’s LED advertising boards for all matches played at Vicarage Road, while the club will also be welcoming ASUS employees and clients to the stadium.

Founded in Taiwan in 1989, ASUS is one of Fortune magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies and is dedicated to creating products for today and tomorrow’s smart life. ASUS employs more than 17,000 people worldwide with their UK head office, in Hemel Hempstead, driven by technology and leading the way in innovation, in search of incredible ideas and experiences for their consumers.

Paul O’Brien, Watford FC Commercial Director, said: “We are thrilled that ASUS have decided to come on-board as a partner for the upcoming 2022/23 season. With the club aiming to be promoted back to the Premier League for the 2023/24 season, it is fantastic to be aligned and working with such an innovative brand as ASUS and we look forward to welcoming them to Vicarage Road over the course of the campaign.”

Emma Strivens, UK Consumer Marketing Lead of ASUS, said: “We’re really excited to be partnered with Watford FC for the upcoming 2022/23 season. Hertfordshire is our UK home and Watford FC is a cemented part of the culture throughout the county. The club and ASUS are aligned on innovation and the continued strive for greatness and we look forward to the future success of the club and our partnership.”

Member Insights: Will we ever reach the tipping point with technology in sport?

With wearables, NFTs and virtual stadiums in the offing, David Granger wonders if there is a danger we will overdose on innovation and lose fan loyalty by introducing too many shiny new things in sport?

Is there – or should there be – a limit to the technology which wraps around sport? While Hawkeye in tennis, VAR in football and the snickometer in cricket (arguably) make better, objective decisions in ensuring we’re all playing by the rules, do we get to a stage when we say… enough is enough? 

The question was raised when Manchester City unveiled their connected scarf powered by Cisco https://www.mancity.com/club/partners/cisco/the-connected-scarf. It’s your average blue and white City stripes to the uninformed, but inside there’s enough tech to monitor fans’ heart rate, nervous system, movement, gestures and temperature. Clever stuff and an interesting use of technology and data… but to what end? This is where the wearable needs a little more explanation. 

“If this sounds all a bit more 1984 and less 4-4-2, then perhaps sport needs to be aware of ensuring what can be doesn’t trump what should be done to enhance the fans’ engagement and deepen their loyalty.”

Well… Ashley Marusak, Cisco’s global sports marketing manager, told Reuters: “We seek to better understand and measure the ups and downs of football fandom and how the game impacts supporters not only emotionally, but physically as well.”

But how would you measure these things, who will use the data collected and, er… why? Various forums have suggested it could help direct sponsors and advertisers during a moment of need. If the fan in question is dehydrated a drinks company could swoop in to offer refreshment, the emotional reactions could trigger a certain advertiser to appear in front of them. If this sounds all a bit more 1984 and less 4-4-2 (or a Pep Guardiola 4-3-3), then perhaps sport needs to be aware of ensuring what can be done doesn’t trump what should be done to enhance the fans’ engagement and deepen their loyalty.

City’s Premier League rivals Liverpool dipped more than a toe into the waters of new technology with their LFC Heroes Club launch. The idea was to create a “fun and innovative way to celebrate being an LFC fan”. This fun and innovation came via an opportunity to buy one of 171,072 NFTs* starting at US$75.

https://twitter.com/LFC/status/1506994298776133637

Intended to boost the club’s charitable foundation coffers as well as raise funds, it wasn’t a major success. The club defended the launch https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/liverpool-fc-defends-nft-collection-after-criticism-and-vows-not-to-release-fan-tokens by saying it wanted to connect with all fans, across the global to ensure they were reaching a worldwide audience. Perhaps digital art ownership was not the way. There was a backlash from fans and only  9,721 of those 171 thousand NFTs were sold.

While LFC Heroes Club did earn Liverpool $1,472,565 ($1,027,193 after charitable contributions), this figure was way short of the anticipated $11.2 million.

And while what were once private spats (we may be looking in the direction of the premature and unfortunate Alpine F1 line-up announcement which the driver in question immediately refuted on Twitter: https://twitter.com/OscarPiastri/status/1554527452231262210 are now broadcast on social for the world to follow, one former world champion decided his retirement would be a good time to join Instagram. 

Four-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel has been notoriously averse to social media. When at Red Bull Racing he once asked the then digital manager why people were bothering reading the team’s social channels. His rationale was that they “should go out and do something.” 

He subsequently stated he’d only go on social when he retired from racing. And so when he created an Instagram account at the end of July, it was indeed to announce his retirement ​​https://www.instagram.com/p/CgjUE5xKW-B/ But fair play to him. To date there are two posts and a following of more than two million. Most social managers would chew their own arm off to match his average engagement rate.

Vettel is an example of choosing the right technology at the right time. Sport and technology have always been close bedfellows and for every overreach, there will be an early adapter who sees potential in new technology in sport to enhance the game and the business. Will this be Manchester City’s plan to build a football stadium in the https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/man-city-building-football-stadium-in-the-metaverse metaverse..? we’ll have to wait and virtually see.

*Non-fungible tokens are unique digital assets. Information about them is stored on Blockchain, making it easy to prove who owns an NFT owns an artwork associated with the NFT in question.

Burnley announce partnership with Vertu Motors

Vertu Motors has partnered with Burnley Football Club as the club’s Official Car Retailer for the 2022/23 season.

The Vertu Motors logo will appear on the back of the club’s three shirts for the duration of the season, and the partnership will also see branding appear around Turf Moor, including across various pitch-side advertising. Papa John’s FanZone activities, matchday sponsorship, and player appearances are also included, in addition to various hospitality opportunities.

With a Vertu Motors Land Rover dealership in Nelson, just four miles north of Burnley, plus five other dealership locations nearby across Bolton, Skipton and Bradford, the partnership looks to bolster local community ties.

Robert Forrester, Chief Executive of Vertu Motors, said: “Having been a fan of Burnley Football Club for many years, I am delighted that Vertu Motors has become an official partner. Vertu Motors already has a good local presence in the surrounding area, and we are pleased to continue increasing awareness of our brand and what it has to offer.

“It should be an exciting time for Clarets supporters, under the stewardship of new manager Vincent Kompany, and we are really proud to be part of the club’s journey.”

Gordon Kaye, Burnley Football Club’s Commercial Director said: “As a club, we are passionate about working with national businesses that have a connection to the local community; I’m pleased to welcome Vertu Motors onboard.

“We have an exciting campaign ahead of us, both on and off the pitch here at Burnley FC, which will offer plenty of opportunities to develop the partnership, through various initiatives and activations.

“It’s great to welcome one of the UK’s leading automotive companies to the Clarets family and I look forward to working closely together.”

The latest Vertu Motors deal with Burnley Football Club is in addition to the brand’s partnerships with Sunderland Association Football Club and Middlesbrough Football Club.

The motor retail brand also holds a variety of partnerships across other sports, including Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, Yorkshire County Cricket Club and Durham Cricket, as well as the Newcastle Eagles basketball team, and naming rights for the Eagles’ Vertu Motors Arena in Gateshead.

Vertu Motors also holds a partnership with the Professional Footballers’ Association for the PFA Vertu Motors Fans’ Player of the Month Award, which will run throughout the 2022/23 season, and Karen Carney was named a Brand Ambassador earlier this year.

VERSUS and Adidas launch free football pitches for women and non-binary players campaign

VERSUS and adidas Football have announced a new collaboration to capitalise on the impact of the historic UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 tournament by providing access and safe spaces for more women and non-binary players to play football.

Despite the huge success of the EUROs, access to playing space remains one of the biggest challenges for women and non-binary players across the UK. Research shows that 59 per cent* of girls who played sport as teenagers drop out of the game due to inadequate opportunities and facilities, while block bookings make pitch hire for new teams more and more difficult in the growing women’s game.

Now, VERSUS—the media platform championing the future of football—is tackling the problem head on with ‘Pitch, Please!’ – a new partnership with adidas and Powerleague that makes 150 hours of pitch space at Powerleague facilities across the country free to access for the month of August.

32 Powerleague clubs – from Bury to Bolton, and Nine Elms to Nottingham – are participating, giving women and non-binary players all over the country the opportunity to play football at a safe and high-quality facility this summer.

​​To activate the campaign, VERSUS custom built a booking platform where players can find their closest pitch and book an available time slot. The project will also come to life throughout August via exclusive content on VERSUS channels – created with the adidas Football Collective – explaining why access to football for marginalised communities is so important.

Commenting on the campaign, Amie Cripps, Women’s Football Editor at VERSUS, said: “Football is a game for everyone, regardless of gender, and Pitch, Please! recognises that. After such an inspiring summer of football, millions of people around the country are going to want to play. Whether you’re six or sixty, this project will provide anyone and everyone with the opportunity to fall in love with playing football.

“500,000 people bought tickets to last month’s UEFA Women’s European Championships, and we need to harness that interest to propel the game forward. For far too long, old structures have typically kept marginalised communities from accessing football. That ends now.

“We hope this campaign helps to rectify misconceptions surrounding gender and reminds people that inclusivity is one of the cornerstones of sport. It’s called the ‘beautiful game’ for a reason, and this is an opportunity to truly embody that.”

To book a pitch for free and to find out more, visit pitch-please.com.

CSM Sport and Entertainment to deliver MLB’s London series

CSM Sport & Entertainment (CSM) has been re-appointed to support Major League Baseball (MLB) in bringing regular season games back to London in 2023, 2024 and 2026.

Baseball will return to the capital next year with the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs playing a two-game series at London Stadium on June 24-25, 2023.

This follows the inaugural MLB London Series in 2019 when Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees played out their historic rivalry across two thrilling games at London Stadium.

Building on the success of 2019, CSM will once again be responsible for event marketing, ticket strategy and sales, hospitality product development and sales, strategic planning and production of venue operations, player transportation, sports presentation and the wider fan experience on game days.

Working in close partnership with London Stadium and the Greater London Authority during a competitive tender process with other European cities, the successful collaboration has drawn on the strengths of each organisation to ensure London is a key launch pad for MLB’s continued European expansion.

For MLB, London Series will be a high point in an ongoing campaign across Europe to grow the game. MLB Europe will continue to conduct new fan engagement events, produce expanded content and run baseball participation programmes to grow the game’s popularity.

Matt Vandrau, CSM Group CEO said: “We are extremely proud to continue our work with Major League Baseball and support their ambition to grow baseball’s popularity in Europe by bringing regular season games to London. 

“The 2019 London Series was a landmark occasion, and we were privileged to play our part in delivering such a historic moment. We look forward to once again drawing on our international expertise to execute an excellent event and another unforgettable experience for fans and players.”

Jim Small, Senior Vice President, International, MLB said; “Our commitment to hosting regular season games in London is an important part of growing the game globally, and we look forward to returning next year.

“The 2019 London Series demonstrated CSM’s knowledge and capabilities to deliver successful games.  We have been impressed by the CSM team and are excited by our partnership’s potential to continue delivering memorable events in 2023, 2024 and 2026.”

Fans can register their details here to keep up to date with the latest ticket and event information.

Manchester City announce global partnership with Asahi

Asahi Super Dry sailed into Manchester today as Manchester City legends Shaun Wright-Phillips and Shaun Goater delivered Japan’s number one beer to the home of the English Champions after becoming a Global Partner of City Football Group.  

Referencing the symbolic ship featured on the Manchester City crest, ‘The Pride of Manchester City’ sailed down the iconic Manchester Ship Canal with a special shipment of Asahi Super Dry on board . The ship, skippered by City legends, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Shaun Goater, was created for the launch of a global partnership that will bring Manchester City fans a taste of modern Japan.

The multi-year deal will put City fans at the heart of the partnership through a series of giveaways and competitions, starting on Saturday 13th August at Manchester City’s opening home game of the 2022/23 season against AFC Bournemouth.

Manchester City legend Shaun Wright-Phillips said: “Man City fans have supported this amazing football club, from 3rd tier to Premier League champions playing some of the best football in the world. They deserve the best beer to enjoy on matchday and Asahi Super Dry offers them that. Sailing it up the historic Manchester Ship canal was a real buzz and I hope City fans enjoy a drink responsibly on Saturday as we embark on another exciting season – Kanpai [cheers] to the fans!”

As part of bringing a unique Japanese super dry taste to City Football Group, Manchester City fans will benefit from being served Asahi Super Dry beer through the cutting-edge technology installed around the concourses. While the world’s leading hospitality facility at the Etihad Stadium will now also be known as the Asahi Super Dry Tunnel Club.

Other clubs within City Football Group, including A-League Champions Melbourne City as well as Japan’s Yokohama F. Marinos and, will now serve Asahi Super Dry from the beginning of their respective seasons and China’s Sichuan Jiuniu from 2023. 

Richard Ingram, Global Brands Director at Asahi Europe & International said: “This is a global partnership like no other – together Asahi Super Dry and City Football Group will place the fans right at the heart of this partnership. We’ve invested significantly into the infrastructure at Etihad Stadium and stadia around the world to elevate the fan experience, immersing them into modern Japan. Delivering a premium football experience is the key to this partnership – we plan to go beyond the expected at every game. Partnering with one of the most progressive football groups worldwide, we are perfectly matched in vision and values, making this an extremely exciting partnership for both brands.” 

Esteve Calzada, Chief Commercial Officer at City Football Group, said: “We’re delighted to be able to announce today’s partnership with Asahi Super Dry. Continuous innovation and improving fan experience are important values that we hold across our clubs at City Football Group and its fantastic that Asahi Super Dry share these principles and are joining us on our journey. Our organisations naturally align across a number of key markets and Asahi Super Dry’s knowledge and expertise will allow us to further increase our presence in these regions, working with four of our CFG clubs. We look forward to working together in the future as the partnership progresses.”

iSportConnect announces summer schedule of community round tables

As we hit the back end of the Summer, we’re helping you shake off the holiday blues and get back into the groove with a series of inspiring in-person lunch round tables which will take place over the coming months.

On August 11th we will be hosting a lunch for brands and rights holders to discuss the role of viewer interaction in driving the value of live sports broadcasts. This will be followed in September by two more events. On September 6th, we will be discussing the role of web versus app in driving marketing, and on the 27th we are talking about commercial growth as well as the role of ticketing in your digital and data strategy. All three round tables mentioned will be taking place right in the heart of London.

In addition to these three confirmed events, we will be hosting three more covering topics as diverse as live broadcast innovation, at-home fitness and how to win over Indian football fans. 

It’s not just the free lunch that makes iSportConnect round tables so special – although that is a bonus. There are a few other reasons:

There is no fee to attend iSportConnect Round Tables

Events are open exclusively to top level executives within our community

Events follow the Chatham House Rule, allowing discussions to remain confidential

They are exclusively for up to 8 delegates and take place in a private and intimate environment

For a flavour of the insight that you can gain from one of our round table events, read this wrap up from our recent digital sponsorship round table which took place at the Emirates Stadium last month.

If this has whet your appetite to learn, share and network, and you’re interested to find out more about any of our planned round table events, please send an email to: henry@isportconnect.com.

Report: Gambling front of shirt sponsorships rise despite potential ban

Alex Burmaster is the Head of Research and Analysis at Caytoo, a company that specialises in sponsorship and commercial intelligence, has written a report that looks into the rise of betting sponsorship’s in football

With reports that Premier League football clubs will vote on voluntarily banning betting firms from team’s front of shirts, new research reveals this type of sponsorship is back on the rise following a huge fall last year.

Gambling saw the joint third-highest rise in the number of front of shirt (FoS) sponsors in the last year across the 226 professional football, cricket and rugby teams in England. It now accounts for 9.2% of sponsors, jumping back into second place behind Automotive (10.5%) and ahead of Retail (8.8%).

“It’s a notable return to favour for gambling after its share of sponsorships nearly halved from 2019 to 2021. However, this year, deals in rugby and cricket have resulted in a mini come back which will surprise many as publicity on gambling sponsorship centres on football,” said Alex Burmaster, head of research and analysis at sponsorship intelligence firm caytoo which conducts the annual study. “So, the big questions are: will the Premier League voluntary ban happen and, if so, will other divisions or sports such as rugby and cricket follow suit?” 

The rather unheralded Manufacturing/Engineering sector has seen the biggest increase in FoS sponsorships from 4.9% to 7.5%. It’s now the fourth most prevalent sponsor, overtaking stalwart sectors such as IT, Construction and Travel & Tourism. Retail (7.1% to 8.8%) is the next fastest-growing sector.

In contrast, Financial Services – last year’s second most dominant sector – has seen the biggest drop (down from 8.4% to 6.1%) and is now ranked fifth. The next biggest faller is Alcohol, down from 3.1% to 1.3% – just one quarter of the share it held three years ago.

“The covid pandemic meant digitally-led firms dominated last year’s fastest-growers but this year, with the exception of online car retail, has seen more traditional sectors leading the charge,” said Burmaster.

In terms of individual sports, Gambling is football’s most prevalent FoS sponsor (15.4% share), while cricket’s is Automotive (17.7%) and rugby’s is Manufacturing/Engineering and Retail (both 13.3%). 

“It’s a reminder that chasing the next new thing isn’t always the best route when selling sponsorship. For instance, we frequently get requests to help find a fintech, crypto or online food delivery sponsor but we’re never asked to find a manufacturing or engineering one,” added Burmaster.