DP World Tour announces sanctions on LIV Golf participants

The DP World Tour today confirmed the sanctions to be taken against members who breached Tour regulations and participated in a LIV Golf event at Centurion Club from June 9-11, despite not having received releases to allow them to do so.

Such actions contravened the conflicting event Regulation laid down in the Members’ General Regulations Handbook as well as the Code of Behaviour Regulation, of which the members have been reminded on a number of recent occasions, and has led the Tour to take the following steps, which have been notified to all members concerned.

• They will be fined £100,000*

• They have been advised that they are suspended from participating in the following DP World Tour tournaments – the Genesis Scottish Open and Barbasol Championship (July 7-10) and the Barracuda Championship (July 14-17) and have been removed from the entry lists of these events where applicable.

It is important to note that participation in a further conflicting tournament or tournaments without the required release may incur further sanctions.

Binance announce official NFT partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, announced in a press release on Thursday that it has signed a multi-year NFT partnership with Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.

Through the partnership, Binance will launch a “global campaign aiming to give Ronaldo’s fans an introduction to Web3” with a “compelling entry point into the world of NFTs.”

Over the course of the agreement, Ronaldo and Binance will create a series of collections for sale exclusively on the Binance NFT platform.

The first collection will be released later this year and will feature designs created in collaboration with Ronaldo.

“Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the world’s best footballers, and has transcended sport to become an icon in multiple industries. He has amassed one of the world’s most dedicated fan bases through his authenticity, talent, and charity work,” said Binance Founder and CEO “CZ” (Changpeng Zhao). 

“We are thrilled to provide his fans with exclusive engagement opportunities to connect with Ronaldo and own a piece of iconic sports history.”

“My relationship with the fans is very important to me, so the idea of bringing unprecedented experiences and access through this NFT platform is something that I wanted to be a part of,” said Ronaldo. 

“I know the fans are going to enjoy the collection as much as I do.”

RLWC2021 announces partnership with CoinEx

The Rugby League World Cup 2021 (RLWC2021) has today announced CoinEx as its Official Cryptocurrency Trading Platform Partner.

Founded in 2017, CoinEx is a professional global cryptocurrency exchange. Dedicated to “Making Crypto Trading Easier”, CoinEx provides a highly secure, stable and efficient service for its three million global users.

It’s a first for the World Cup to be in a position to follow other sports in having a cryptocurrency company as a partner and follows the recent announcement of Vodafone as the tournament’s official Technology Partner.

Jon Dutton, RLWC2021’s Chief Executive said: “Crypto companies have recently established themselves in the sports sponsorship market and I am pleased that we have been able to introduce this innovative sector to the Rugby League World Cup.

“CoinEx is a global company, and their trading platform has a focus on being secure, stable, professional and compliant which aligns with RLWC2021’s value of authenticity. 

“What’s particularly exciting for the RLWC2021 is that we are able to add CoinEx to our roster so soon after announcing Vodafone as our official Technology Partner and the addition of these two global brands means we are close to being at capacity of tournament commercial sponsors with only a limited number of opportunities left to partner with the biggest, best and most inclusive Rugby League World Cup in history.”

CoinEx CEO Haipo Yang said “We have real admiration for what the RLWC2021 represents. The tournament is set to trailblaze a way to reach new audiences for the sport, and we are excited to be a part of that through our partnership.

“This will be the first major sponsorship activity we have undertaken, and we are looking forward to working together to make it a success for both parties.”

The RLWC2021 is set to take place from 15 October to 19 November 2022 and will be the first time the RLWC encompasses the men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions within one tournament.  

NBA and Kylian Mbappe’s production company Zebra Valley announce multi-year partnership

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Zebra Valley – the newly-created production company of FIFA World Cup winner, France National Team member and Paris-Saint Germain forward Kylian Mbappé – today announced a multiyear content creation partnership that will engage fans around the world.  

The partnership tipped off last night at the NBA Draft 2022 presented by State Farm at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.  Mbappé attended the Draft with 15 boys and girls from his foundation who made the trip from France and took on-stage photos with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and select draftees prior to the Draft. 

“The strategic partnership between Zebra Valley and the NBA represents a significant step in bringing football and basketball fans together around premium content by telling stories that matter,” said Mbappé.  “We look forward to working with the NBA team to encourage dialogue among global communities and make cultural conversations more relevant.” 

“Drafting Kylian Mbappé into the NBA family speaks to the global appeal of NBA basketball and the convergence of the league, the global football community and popular culture,” said NBA Head of Fan Engagement and Direct-to-Consumer for Europe and the Middle East, George Aivazoglou. “We look forward to working with Kylian and the Zebra Valley team to create unique, compelling content that will engage and inspire fans around the world.”  

Mahou San Miguel announced as new global sponsor of La Liga

Mahou San Miguel, a 100% Spanish, family-owned company and leader in the brewing sector in this country, and LaLiga, a leader in the leisure and entertainment sector, today presented an agreement by which the brewer will become its global sponsor for the next five seasons.

At the event, held at the LaLiga headquarters in Madrid, Alberto Rodríguez-Toquero, CEO of Mahou San Miguel, and Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, stressed the importance of a collaboration that goes back over a decade and strengthens the commitment of the two organizations to football, the clubs and the fans.

The brewer already sponsors 15 Spanish teams in different categories and, thanks to this global sponsorship agreement with LaLiga, it will strengthen the presence of its most iconic brands, Mahou, San Miguel, Alhambra and Founders, outside Spain, especially in markets like the United Kingdom, Germany, Portugal, Italy and the United States.

To achieve this, it will draw on the international capillarity of LaLiga, which, thanks to its network of delegates and offices, will contribute to the brand’s international visibility.

“This agreement is much more than a sponsorship. It’s a reflection of our historic ties to football and of our company purpose: to create moments of unity and connection that improve people’s lives. Without a doubt, this sport generates incomparable moments”, said Alberto Rodríguez-Toquero, CEO of Mahou San Miguel. “Having LaLiga as our traveling companion will enable us to strengthen our ties to fans and to offer them content and unique experiences around football in Spain and outside of it”, he added.

For his part, Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, indicated that “at LaLiga we understand that this partnership with Mahou San Miguel represents the natural evolution of the relationship we have been building for ten years.

We are both leaders and inspiring brands, and we have common values. We are convinced that we are going to achieve new visibility in Spain and internationally with this partnership”.

The event was also attended by Aritz Aduriz and Patrick Kluivert, LaLiga Santander ambassadors, who showed the importance of passing on to new generations values like a drive to improve, team spirit, tolerance and respect, so that this sport continues to be a reference in this sense.

New Orleans Pelicans and Bally Sports New Orleans announce rights extension

The New Orleans Pelicans today announced a rights extension with Bally Sports New Orleans that ensures the regional network will remain the team’s exclusive local media partner.

“When we constructed this new agreement with Bally Sports New Orleans the main priority was distribution and the ability to deliver our games directly to our fans. With the upcoming launch of Bally Sports+, Bally Sports’ direct-to-consumer platform, any Pelicans fan will be able to have access to Bally Sports New Orleans in the team’s local territory. This partnership allows us to continue to deliver unique, compelling Pelicans content across multiple platforms with the highest production quality,” said Dennis Lauscha, President, New Orleans Pelicans. “We are still working every option with Bally Sports New Orleans to improve the accessibility, ancillary content and distribution of Pelicans programming to all of our fans across Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region.”

The Pelicans consulted with the NBA and examined many other regional sports networks during this time to determine the best options available for the team and its fans.

“The New Orleans Pelicans have been a great partner over the years and we look forward to building this relationship into the future,” said Steve Simspon, SVP and GM, Bally Sports New Orleans. “Our ability to deliver Pelicans content to as many local fans as possible, on both linear distribution channels and the all-new Bally Sports+ streaming product this fall, is incredibly exciting as we continue to grow the next generation of Pelicans fans.” 

Under the new agreement, Bally Sports New Orleans will continue to produce approximately 75 regular season games each season, along with select preseason contests and first round playoff games. The Pelicans hired Endeavor to consult on their local media rights deal, which extends the partnership between the team and the Network that started in 2012.

“The New Orleans Pelicans engaged our company to consult with them seeking the best deal that would accomplish two goals: deliver Pelicans basketball directly to all consumers, both linear and live stream, and do so in a manner that was high quality, efficient and cost effective to the consumer,” said Karen Brodkin, Executive Vice President, Endeavor. “We examined a number of options that were taken into consideration, but Bally Sports New Orleans, with its new Bally Sports+ platform and high-quality production, proved best for the Pelicans and their fans.” 

In addition to producing approximately 75 regular season games, Bally Sports New Orleans will provide extensive team coverage including Pelicans Live pregame and postgame shows, as well as Pelicans Insider, a bi-weekly program featuring player and coach profiles, game highlights and behind-the-scenes content.

Lauscha added, “We will continue to work with Bally Sports New Orleans to produce more unique and exclusive Pelicans content to build around the game and deliver it directly to our fans. The excitement about the team grows daily and it is our job to not only bring that content to our fans but also unfettered access to watch our games.”

Bally Sports New Orleans is currently available through various providers in the region including AT&T U-Verse, Cox Communications, DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, and Spectrum. Additionally, all Pelicans games will be available on Bally Sports+ this fall, a new streaming platform that will offer streaming of live Pelicans games on a direct-to-consumer basis within the Pelicans’ local territory. Subscriptions for Bally Sports+ will be available on a monthly or annual basis without a cable/satellite subscription. The team and Bally Sports New Orleans will soon announce further details on this product.

Lauscha added, “It was imperative that we do a deal that would bring ease and accessibility to Pelicans games directly to our fans. In addition, we want to enhance the broadcast; we want our fans engaged with our team, our players and our games. We believe this partnership accomplishes that. We stressed our concerns and the concerns of our fans during the negotiations not only to Bally Sports but also with other providers that wanted to broadcast Pelicans games. Our fans deserve and need to be able to access our games, without any issue or obstacle.”

Orange reaches agreement with DAZN to integrate its OTT sports offer to their platform in Spain

Orange has reached an agreement with DAZN, the leading global sports streaming platform, to distribute its service in Spain within the Orange TV content offer. Thanks to this agreement, Orange customers who so wish will be able to enjoy the DAZN LaLiga package, as well as the rest of the sports offer available on the OTT platform, as part of Orange TV content. Further details, including pricing, will be announced in the coming weeks.

DAZN acquired last December the domestic broadcasting rights to 175 LaLiga matches for the next five seasons, in addition to its existing broad portfolio of rights that includes some of the best international football competitions (Premier League, UWCL, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, FA Cup, Copa Italia or MLS), a complete multisport offer (MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3, F1, Turkish Airlines EuroLeague or Matchroom boxing evenings), as well as a wide range of original programming with documentaries and other special formats.

DAZN LaLiga, linear channel on Orange TV set-top box

Orange TV customers will be able to enjoy sports content provided by DAZN starting in August, both on a specific linear channel available on Orange TV set-top boxes, as well as through the DAZN app, also available on set-top boxes, as well as on Smart TVs and mobiles.

The quality of the Orange TV platform, both in terms of image and sound, as well as in terms of usability,  will allow fans viewing live sporting events through the Orange TV set-top box to receive the content without delay and with the stability provided by the Orange network.

Nacho García-Legaz, General Manager of Orange TV: “For Orange it is very important to continue advancing in its strategy to make Orange TV the largest aggregator of audiovisual content in the Spanish market. Football is a high-value content and a loyalty factor for our customers. Therefore, we are very proud to have reached this alliance with DAZN, which will allow us to continue to be one of the few operators in Spain that offers not only the best cinema and series entertainment, but also the best football, and now, in addition, other content so valued by customers, such as Formula 1, Moto GP or EuroLeague basketball”.

Bosco Aranguren, General Manager of DAZN Spain: “We are very pleased to announce this new agreement with Orange, which is an important step in DAZN’s growth strategy in Spain. This alliance, which will further boost the consumption of sports via streaming, reinforces our commitment to bring top-level sports competitions to the largest number of fans in an easy, flexible and innovative way.”

With this move, Orange TV takes another step towards becoming one of the most varied and extensive content aggregation platforms in the Spanish audiovisual market, with options and genres for all audiences that can be enjoyed wherever and whenever each customer wants. All this, thanks to its agreements with the main audiovisual providers, both national and international, to add new content to its offer.

For its part, and since its launch in 2019, DAZN has consolidated its position in the Spanish market over the last three years, both with the acquisition of new rights and the production of an extensive variety of on-demand content and with agreements to integrate its service with the main telecommunications operators. In addition to Spain, DAZN, which is already present in more than 200 countries and territories, has in the last two years closed strategic agreements with pay TV operators and broadcasters in other key markets, such as Germany, Italy and Japan, where it is the leading sports broadcaster.

Bain Capital and Nextalia SGR to acquire Deltatre, a leading sports and entertainment technology provider

Bain Capital and Nextalia SGR today announced that they have agreed to acquire Deltatre, one of the world’s leading sports and entertainment technology providers, from Bruin Capital. Deltatre offers over-the-top (OTT) streaming solutions enabling direct-to-consumer content distribution via the internet as well as data, graphics and live broadcast solutions. Deltatre’s clients include some of the largest sports organizations in the world, including UEFA, NFL, MLB and MLS. 

The transaction is subject to regulatory and other customary approvals.

With a presence in 14 countries, Deltatre operates globally and enables rights owners, media companies, broadcasters, telcos, content creators, distributors and other brands to create and deliver compelling solutions at scale to consumers and fans. 

Deltatre has grown into a market leader in over-the-top streaming, website and app development, graphics, data, officiating systems, broadcast production, user experience, and product design, revolutionizing how media is consumed globally. It helps sports rights owners and rights holders to better engage with fans and ultimately increase monetization opportunities. 

Owing to its differentiated offering, 20% of internet users globally have engaged with a digital product from Deltatre and its OTT solutions have approximately 25 million end users per day. Driven by strong performance across its core solutions and by continuous expansion of its product portfolio, Deltatre has experienced significant organic growth, enabling it to outperform the market. It is expected to generate $180M of revenue in 2022. 

Andrea Marini CEO of Deltatre, who will continue to lead the business with the existing management team and remain a significant shareholder in the company, said: “It’s never been a more exciting time for the media and sport industries. Rapid technological innovation in how content is produced, distributed, and consumed has opened new opportunities for rights owners to monetize and reach their fans globally, and Deltatre sits at the heart of this shift. I am excited to welcome Bain Capital and Nextalia SGR as our new partners as we enter this exciting chapter in our company history. 

“From the start it has been clear that they share many of the same core values that are held by the wider Deltatre community and that have contributed to our long-standing reputation as the premier technology provider for many of the world’s most recognizable brands. We believe that their guidance and support will accelerate our mission of transforming the way the world engages with content on their favorite platforms. Finally, I’m extremely grateful for the support of George Pyne and the team at Bruin Capital. They have been a terrific partner over the last six years, and we have achieved great things together.”

Luca Bassi, a Managing Director at Bain Capital said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Andrea and the team of Deltatre. They have built a world leading sports and entertainment technology provider and the strides they have taken to date is very much testament to the quality of their team and the initiatives they have deployed. We look forward to working with them on the next phase of Deltatre’s growth journey. Bain Capital has the expertise to help deliver value around revenue model, delivery, talent and M&A.”

Francesco Canzonieri, Nextalia SGR CEO, commented: “We are proud to support an Italian excellence such as Deltatre, a company founded and rooted in Turin capable of affirming its leadership at a global level. The investment in Deltatre and in its management team represents a clear example of how Nextalia can leverage on its competences and network and help the company in further developing its business in Italy as well as globally.”

Bain Capital and Nextalia SGR received financial advice from HSBC and Nomura, and legal advice from Weil Gotshal & Manges and Legance and Gatti Pavesi Bianchi Ludovici.

Premiership Rugby breaks TV audience records at the end of an unforgettable season

Premiership Rugby can today confirm that the television coverage of Gallagher Premiership Rugby in 2021-22 has shattered previous audience records.

This year’s Gallagher Premiership Rugby Final was the most-watched Premiership Rugby match in our 25-year history, more than doubling the previous high for a Final, while previous season-long BT Sport records were also broken.

For the first time, the Final was broadcast on terrestrial television (ITV4) alongside the league’s long-term partner BT Sport. The game, won 15-12 by Leicester Tigers, was watched by an average audience on ITV4 of 597,000 (peaking at 831,000), and at the same time an average audience of 349,000, (peaking at 480,000) tuned into BT Sport, making it the most-watched Premiership Rugby match ever.

  • The Final had an average audience of 946,000 (1.3 million peak) – 113% higher than the previous best for a Final in 2009
  • Across 2021-22 live average audiences on BT Sport were up 21%, which is also 12% higher than the previous best in 2018-19
  • A cumulative average audience of 14.5 million people watched live Gallagher Premiership Rugby on BT Sport and ITV in 2021-22
  • A cumulative average audience of 3.2 million watched Gallagher Premiership Rugbyhighlights on ITV
  • The 2021-22 season also marked the launch of PRTV Live where all Gallagher Premiership Rugby matches not on BT Sport or ITV were shown live, making every game accessible. The launch exceeded our expectations, and we can confirm it will be back for 2022-23 with plans for fans to be offered a new season ticket.

The Final also had an impressive audience share of 12.6%, across ITV and BT Sport, which means that one in eight people watching TV in the UK last Saturday afternoon were watching the Gallagher Premiership Rugby Final.

Simon Massie-Taylor, Chief Executive of Premiership Rugby said: “On the pitch, this Gallagher Premiership Rugby campaign has been unmissable, and to see that off the pitch records also fell shows we are taking significant steps towards our ambition of growing the game and reaching new fans.

“This season our live coverage on BT Sport and ITV was watched by a remarkable cumulative average audience of 14.5 million. We also brought back the popular weekly Sunday-night ITV highlights show and ensured all matches not screened live on BT Sport or ITV were accessible to fans on PRTV Live.

“Our vision for the Gallagher Premiership Final is to create a national sporting moment, and to do this we need to make it accessible to all. Achieving this record average audience has exceeded our original expectations and breaks all our previous records. The Final audience peaked at more than one million, which is a big step towards our goal and we thank BT Sport and ITV for making this possible.”

“The next Gallagher Premiership Rugby Final – on Saturday 27 May 2023 – is planned to be on the ITV main channel as well as BT Sport so we hope to break the record again, and to grow the club game further.”

International Canoe Federation appoints new Secretary General

The International Canoe Federation is pleased to announce the appointment of experienced Canoe and Olympic Official Richard Pettit as Secretary General.

The former ICF media and communications manager returns to the federation after five years working for the International Olympic Committee, where he was a driving force behind Athlete365, a critically acclaimed online community offering advice and support to thousands of elite athletes, Olympians and Paralympians.

During his time at the ICF, Pettit embarked on a major revamp of the federation’s media and communications strategy, introducing paddle sports to new audiences around the world.

As well as media and communication, the 42-year-old Brit has a strong background in digital transformation, membership growth and partnership engagement. 

“It is a privilege and an honour to have been appointed Secretary General of such an inclusive, diverse and dynamic sport,” said Pettit.

“I look forward to reconnecting with the canoeing community in September and having the opportunity to further popularise the incredible achievements of the athletes through broadcast and digital channels, while highlighting the key attributes of the sport that make it the go to recreation activity of millions of people around the world.”

ICF President Thomas Konietzko said he was thrilled that Pettit was returning to the federation.

“Richard was a highly valued and very popular member of the ICF family for many years, so of course we were sorry to see him leave after the Olympic Games Rio 2016,” Mr Konietzko said.

“But we have all been incredibly impressed by the work Richard has been doing with the IOC, and are elated he will now be returning to the ICF. The skills and partnerships Richard formed while working at the IOC will be invaluable for us as we continue to strengthen our position within the Olympic Movement.

“The coming years contain many challenges for all Federations, so having a Secretary General with Richard’s experience will provide us with sound knowledge and professional leadership as we look to build a stronger future for our sport.”

Mr Konietzko said Pettit will be especially important in ensuring the ICF continues to work alongside the IOC to meet the aspirations the Olympic Agenda 2020 +5.

Pettit will start his position in September this year.