Aston Villa Women is pleased to announce Gym+Coffee as a new Official Partner.
The Athleisure brand, who are committed to supporting the women‘s football community, will form a partnership with the Club which aims to provoke meaningful conversation and ultimately help to foster positive perceptions of women in sport.
Through a dedicated campaign, Aston Villa and Gym+Coffee hope to inspire a new generation of female athletes in addition to creating room for change and empowerment.
Nicola Ibbetson, Chief Commercial Officer at Aston Villa Football Club, said: “We are delighted to form this exciting partnership with Gym+Coffee.
“The Women’s team have experienced substantial growth over the past three seasons and this collaboration will help to cultivate further development and evolution.
“Gym+Coffee share our values and commitment towards celebrating females in sport, and we look forward to working with them.”
Diarmuid McSweeney, Founder and Chief Marketing & Community Officer at Gym+Coffee, added: “We are thrilled to be at the forefront of women’s football at such an exciting time.
“Partnering with Aston Villa, who are so committed to development within the sport, is a true honour for the brand and the club are a perfect partner due to their shared values of empowerment and equality.”
AFC Bournemouth are delighted to be partnered with MSP Capital for the 2022/23 Premier League season.
MSP Capital, who were front-of-shirt sponsors for the club’s two most recent seasons in the Sky Bet Championship, have a new partnership agreement that will see them continue to provide important support to the club and Cherries supporters.
The Poole-based property finance company have provided bespoke financing solutions to businesses and individuals for 40 years, supplying funding UK-wide but with a specific focus on the southern counties and London.
And their logo will once again be prominent in the first team environment, adorning the front of the men’s training wear, including staff training wear and the matchday warm up range.
They will also have an increased presence across the entire football club, appearing on the sleeve of the women’s team’s shirts and becoming an official partner of AFC Business, the Cherries’ popular business club.
MSP Capital used their previous partnership with AFC Bournemouth to make an impact in the local community, notably through the Bring Your Boots drive and the Goals Recreated campaign with former Cherries frontman Arnaut Danjuma.
And as part of the new affiliation, MSP Capital will collaborate with the club on more exciting new community initiatives across the 2022/23 season.
Commercial director Rob Mitchell said: “It was a pleasure to be partnered with MSP Capital during our two years in the Championship and we’re delighted to continue that relationship.
“We’re pleased to offer MSP assistance with their company goals of supporting growth and visibility for their specific target markets.
“It’s also great for us as a club to have the continued support from a successful locally-based business who are passionate about the club, and we look forward to the next step of our journey in the Premier League.”
Adam Tovey, MSP Capital’s valuation director and a Cherries supporter since his childhood said: “It was an especially proud moment when we became principal partner and front-of-shirt sponsor back in 2020.
“That enabled us to be on the front of the club’s shirt for one of the most significant achievements in its history last season, winning promotion back to the Premier League.
“But, in truth, the ties that bind us have always been about more than the shirt.
“We share the same passion for social responsibility and are proud to continue to leverage our relationship to help the communities where, together, we are established and draw our strengths.
“That includes making sport and physical activity more accessible.
“Now is the opportunity for a global business to take the front-of-shirt opportunity in the Premier League, with our focus as a company being on our region.
“We’re excited that this new partnership will continue to help us achieve our business aims locally and we look forward to providing supporters with some exciting initiatives across the season.”
The club’s training wear range will be revealed in due course on the club’s website and social media channels.
Tim Mangnall, CEO of Capital Block, pens an open letter to sports team who are thinking about launching NFT collections.
Why I Urge Sports Teams Not To Launch An NFT Collection If Your Fans Do Not Care About Them
I am sure over the last 18 months you have been contacted by every possible NFT platform, marketplace or organisation offering you the world.
Everything from millions of dollars, claims they have the best platform, that they know what your fans want and where this space is going and that their vision is the best vision. They might have told you that you must hand over all your IP to ensure they are going to sell out and create the world’s greatest NFTs.
Well, I hate to break it to you: None of this is true. What’s more, if you go down this route it will be your fans that suffer.
“95% of NFT projects will fail and are already failing.”
95% of NFT projects will fail and are already failing.
Now, I admit this title is clickbait-y, especially as Capital Block is an NFT consulting agency. But I had to do something to get your attention and lay out a few considerations for you as football clubs when considering your NFT launch.
Launching an NFT project does not have to be as complicated as people make out.
Yes, there are a number of technical aspects that you need to consider (such as the correct blockchain, how you connect wallets and how fans will purchase NFTs), but the main concern should always be your fans.
Let us bring this back to a simple point! Launching an NFT is no different to launching a product or a membership rewards program.
Let’s take a kit launch for example. Every season, clubs around the world spend months and months with designers, and their kit partners discussing every tiny aspect of how the shirt will look, what the marketing plan will be, how it will be promoted, what the sales targets are, and how it will be distributed. When the time comes to launch these kits, it has the full force of the club behind it!!
NFTs should be no different. In fact, given NFTs are digital assets stored on the blockchain forever rather than just a season, some of these considerations should hold even more weight.
So, let’s look at some of the key fundamentals when launching an NFT collection. Things that will help develop long term strategies and allow you create what we believe is the future of fan engagement, memberships, and rewards.
Consumer journey
Keep the consumer journey within your own channel or branded webpages. The NFT space is still largely unknown to your fan base, so when you direct them away to a new 3rd party platform, you will lose over 50% of your audience. Given less than 2% of sports fans are willing to buy NFTs, you must do everything in your power to keep them engaged by creating a seamless consumer journey.
Education
Let’s go back to the kit launch example. Every fan of every sports club is aware when a kit launch is happening. It’s communicated across all owned media channels and in most cases have a paid element as well.
“Using the right buzzword does not mean your fans will understand or care. You must talk to them, engage with them and educate them.”
This should be the case when educating your fans on what an NFT is.
Using the right buzz word does not mean your fans will understand or care. You must talk to them, engage with them and educate them.
There are normally two words that follow the word NFT: Community and Utility.
Community
What does community really mean? Do not get sucked into this building a new community rubbish that is normally forced onto you when trying to launch your NFT collection!
Let me spell it out for you simply: your community is your fan base, and your fan base are the ones who will buy your NFTs.
“What added benefit is offered to someone purchasing this image, or video clip or whatever you are trying to sell as an NFT?”
So, educate your fan base, create a NFT community within the fan base and your NFT will sell!
But the only way to do this is to engage, promote, talk and explain to your fans why NFTs are so important. If you cannot do this, or are not willing to do this, then don’t launch an NFT collection. You’re just setting yourself up to fail.
Utility
Utility is the word that normally follows community. What it really means, is benefits.
What added benefit is offered to someone purchasing this image, or video clip or whatever you are trying to sell as an NFT?
Utility is one of the most important aspects of your NFT collection. This is what allows fans to become engaged, what will drive them to purchase, and really help build your community.
Hear more from Tim as he takes part in our fantastic NFT panel at the iSportConnect Web3 Summit next week.
Imagine launching a limited number of NFTs that come with exclusive content from a manager, and after every game only the NFT holders can watch it.
Like a private message. As a lifelong fan of any club this is something that would drive true engagement and make the fan feel special. In turn, it will allow them to talk to other NFT holders about what the manager said, and through this you start to build your community.
Don’t insult your fans by offering easy utility.
Offer them meaningful, money can’t buy experiences, memories they will remember forever. This is what NFTs should be about.
Money
Forget the money. No, I am being serious. If you are solely focused on revenue you’re doing this for all the wrong reasons. YES I am aware that every sports club needs to make money, but if you focus on creating the best and most engaging NFT strategy then the revenue will come.
If you set out with money as your only focus, then your vision across the project will not be focused on what truly makes a great NFT collection.
Time
You are going to have to put time into your NFT strategy. Putting John from the partnerships team on it because you’ve heard him mention Bitcoin before is just not ok. This is a product launch that needs daily work and without it everything will be subpar! Put a team on this project and make sure it is consistent.
You know your fans and you know the ethos of the club better than anyone. Don’t underestimate this point. Use your knowledge to share with the world why your club is so special.
“Your fans are your fans, not your customers. As a club, you have a duty to protect the fans that love and care for your club.”
This letter could go on and on covering the key fundamentals and considerations of an NFT drop. For the sake of your fans I urge you: if you are not willing to cover all of the above, or do not understand the core of what it means to launch an NFT project then do not do it!
Your fans are your fans, not your customers. As a club, you have a duty to protect the fans that love and care for your club. Remember they are the ones who will probably buy your NFT out of loyalty.
Without a robust and long term strategy that takes all of the above into consideration, then your fans will be left thinking that NFTs are nothing but a worthless JPEG.
Your sincerely,
Tim Mangnall – CEO Capital Block
Want to hear more from Tim? Get tickets to our iSportConnect Web3 Summit at Emirates Stadium – https://www.web3summit.sport/
Aser Ventures has acquired a strategic stake in Doha based sports tech start-up Sponix Tech.
Sponix, which was founded by Mohammad Ali Abbaspour in 2020, develops pioneering software that drives fan engagement and monetisation opportunities for sports rights owners, broadcasters, and brands.
Its immersive replay technology allows fans to view the best match action through the eyes of the players on the pitch. Broadcasters can utilise this first-person angle for instant match replays and via social media – boosting fan engagement and unlocking new brand partnership revenue streams.
Sponix’s second technology empowers broadcasters to tailor in-stadia advertising perimeter boards directly from their live matchday feed. The software builds on existing technology that allows for the regional localization of perimeter board advertising. It creates the opportunity for broadcaster controlled, fully bespoke perimeter board advertising for the first time.
Aser Ventures’ investment in Sponix will help power the company’s continued growth, as it works to apply its innovative technologies to more sports and to grow its partner network. In addition to capital investment, Aser will utilise its global network to create new commercial opportunities for Sponix and provide the company with strategic guidance and support.
There will also be extensive opportunities for synergy between Sponix and the wider Aser portfolio, including the global sports media group ELEVEN, Premier League club Leeds United, and Aser’s network of digital marketing agencies.
Andrea Radrizzani, Founder and Chairman, Aser Ventures, has welcomed Sponix to the group: “At Aser we want to invest in cutting edge ideas, world class people, and services that complement and enhance our wider portfolio. Mohammad and his team deliver on all these points. We are excited to welcome Sponix Tech to the Aser family and to work with them to grow their business and unlock new value for partners and fans around the world.”
Javier Sobrino, Managing Partner, Aser Ventures, added: “Sponix Tech’s innovative technologies are already delivering tremendous value to the sports industry and they are only getting started. At Aser Ventures we want to help them realise their potential, by sharing our experience and our network and by creating opportunities for synergy with the wider Aser group.”
Mohammad Ali Abbaspour, CEO and Founder of Sponix Tech, said: “Aser Ventures are the ideal partner for Sponix Tech, with a track record of helping their portfolio companies generate transformative new value. We are looking forward to working with Andrea, Javier, and the wider Aser team to rapidly grow our business and serve rights holders, broadcasters and fans across the sports industry. A big thank you to Aser for their belief in our project and to the Sponix team for getting us to this milestone moment.”
The Carrefour Group has become a premium partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024. Alexandre Bompard, Chairman and CEO of the Carrefour Group, and Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024, signed the partnership agreement which, for the first time in the history of the Games, sees a world leader in food distribution involved in the greatest sporting event on the planet.
100 years since the Games were last held in Paris, Carrefour, with its iconic blue, white and red branding, at the heart of French people’s daily lives, is delighted to be contributing to this exceptional event for the whole of France.
The intention is for this partnership to spread to other countries around the world. At its heart is one of Carrefour’s key strategies: to bring about a food transition for all. The Group has a unique ability to bring all French people together around this gigantic celebration of sport through its 5000 stores and e-commerce sites. In addition, the Group is wholeheartedly committed to the values of Paris 2024, and is fully on board with the goal of organising Olympic and Paralympic Games which are sensible, sustainable and inclusive.
Operating under the tagline “Nourishing every hope”, the partnership is divided into:
– a project to supply fresh produce and organic food (fruit, vegetables, cereal products, meat, fish and seafood) to the Olympic and Paralympic Villages for the athletes’ meals, offering exposure for top-quality French produce, whilst also promoting more sustainable eating.
– a branding project which, through the values of sport, promotes health through diet, the value of work, social betterment and inclusion;
– a business project involving all our partners and franchisees, raising awareness of disability, nutrition, health at work through sport, etc.
– a commercial project, involving numerous promotions. Carrefour will develop exclusive collections in a wide range of official products licensed by Paris 2024 (clothing, stationery, back-to-school collections, etc.).
Alexandre Bompard, Chairman CEO of the Carrefour Group, said: “Soon, the heart of our country will be beating to the rhythm of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024. It will be a historic event for all French people, with the eyes of the entire world fixed on Paris. With its popular presence, its 5000 stores in France, and its blue, red and white logo, the Carrefour Group wishes firmly to contribute to the success of this huge celebration of sport, help all French people to take part, and associate our brand with the marvellous values of Paris 2024. It is with great pride that the Carrefour’s 150,000 employees in France take part in this adventure.“
Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024, adds: “By welcoming Carrefour on board with the adventure that is the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Paris 2024 is reaffirming its desire to organise Games that are helpful to people and closely involved with their lives. Being among the largest networks of local businesses in France, Carrefour will help bring the magic of the Games to life for French people. Sport, health, commitment to healthy and sustainable eating, and inclusion: Carrefour shares our values and our desire to leave a legacy which is useful to society.”
There is a new format coming to the Caribbean in 2022 with Cricket West Indies and the Caribbean Premier League bringing you THE 6IXTY – Cricket’s Power Game.
The first edition of THE 6IXTY will see men’s and women’s teams compete in a new 60-ball tournament featuring many of the best cricketers from around the world with SKYEXCH the title sponsor for 2022.
This revolutionary format will see brand new innovations that will change T10 cricket and make the game even faster paced and action packed.
Fans can look forward to the following exciting new rules:
Each batting team has six wickets – at the fall of the sixth wicket they are all out
Each batting team has two PowerPlay overs. They can unlock a third PowerPlay by hitting two sixes in the first 12 balls. This extra PowerPlay over can be taken at any time between overs 3-9
There will be 30 balls bowled from one end before the action switches to the other end for the final 30 balls
The 30 balls will be delivered as 5 separate overs, with no bowler being able to bowl more than 2 overs for the innings.
If teams do not bowl their overs within the allotted time a member of their team is removed from the field for the final six balls
Fans will vote for the timing of a “Mystery Free Hit” where a batter can’t be dismissed by the bowler
The first edition of THE 6IXTY will take place from 24 to 28 August in St Kitts & Nevis at one of world cricket’s fastest scoring grounds – Warner Park. Future expansion plans of the 6IXTY include the potential of multiple events at different locations around the Caribbean and beyond.
THE 6IXTY is a joint venture between Cricket West Indies and the Caribbean Premier League with the two organisations working closely together to create another world-class event.
Ricky Skerritt, President of Cricket West Indies, said: “THE 6IXTY has come about because of a close collaboration between CPL and CWI which is the way forward. I am really excited about the innovation, excitement and entertainment that it is going to bring to the fans.”
Pete Russell, Hero CPL’s CEO, said: “This is a hugely exciting moment for both CPL and Cricket West Indies as we create a tournament that will see cricket fans brought closer to the game. There will be world-class men’s and women’s cricketers taking part in a fantastic event for the Caribbean and this combined with cutting-edge innovations, signals a great moment for all fans of West Indian cricket.”
Following a highly competitive season-long qualification process with a record-number of 84 nations competing, the 24 nations – including the hosting nation Denmark – for the FIFAe Nations Cup 2022™ presented by EA SPORTS™ have been confirmed following the final playoff round.
From 27 to 30 July, the nations will be represented by up to three nominated players and will compete in a 2v2 format for the brand-new trophy and USD 400,000 in prize money.
The FIFAe Nations Cup is the climax of the FIFAe Finals in Copenhagen and the ultimate place for the local and global community as the final day of the event presents an exclusive opportunity for fans to be there in-person. Tickets are available here.
The FIFAe Nations Series™ kicked off at a domestic level, with FIFA’s member associations offering their communities to compete amongst each other and find the most competitive players within the country.
84 nations competed in this season’s FIFAe Nations Series, a rise of over 40% on last year. The top teams from the first qualification steps qualified for the FIFAe Nations Playoffs, where they earned their chance to qualify for the FIFAe Nations Cup 2022.
Following the conclusion of the last playoff rounds, the 24 qualified nations are confirmed:
More information about the qualification and the event is available now to view on FIFA.GG.
Combining a 2v2 format with the chance to represent an entire nation gives the qualified players the opportunity to play alongside their teammates on the biggest stage of the season for their flag and national pride. Each nation has one substitute, making a total of three players per squad. Four groups of six nations will play each other in a round-robin format. The top four nations of every group qualify for the knockout stage, from the round-of-16 to the final. The draw for the competition’s group stage will take place on 4 July.
Some of the world’s best players will wave their nation’s flag at the FIFAe Nations Cup 2022. The hosting nation Denmark will compete on home soil with the 16-year-old wonderkid Anders Vejrgang alongside Marcus Jorgensen and Fatih Üstün. Representing Argentina, Matias Bonanno, Nicolas Villalba and Yago Fawaz have dominated the South American Playoffs and will look to lift the trophy after coming in second place at the inaugural event in 2019. The champions of 2019 – France – were on the verge of missing out to qualify for this year’s event, but were able to claim the last ticket in Europe.
With first time participants such as India, Singapore, United Arab Emirates as well established teams like Germany, England and Brazil, the FIFAe Nations Cup 2022 will be the perfect place to write history for all competing nations.
The FIFAe Finals in their entirety will be streamed live on FIFAe’s Twitch and Facebook channels – and the FIFAe Nations Cup will take place live from July 27 to July 30. All results and livestreams will be available on FIFA.GG.
Media accreditation for the FIFAe Finals 2022 is also now open and can be requested via sending an email with all of your information to media@fifaefinals.com. Assets for editorial use are available here.
Crystal Palace Football Club has today announced a new long-term partnership with Macron to become its official technical kit partner.
Macron is returning to the South London club after a previous partnership from 2014-18 and replaces Puma as the Eagles’ technical kit provider.
The Italian Teamwear specialist will supply all team match day kits as well as a wide range of training wear, travel garments and accessories from the forthcoming season onwards, which will be the club’s tenth consecutive season in the Premier League.
Palace recently confirmed plans to amend its crest to feature 1861, the year that the original team was set up by cricketers from the Crystal Palace Club, replacing 1905 on the badge, the year when the professional Club was founded – and this new crest will feature for the first time on the new playing kits, which are soon to be unveiled.
Based in Italy, Macron recently celebrated their 50th birthday, and are one of the fastest growing kit manufacturers in Europe, with its high performing sportswear, rooted in three pillars of technology, design and sustainability.
Macron has been voted the third largest technical brand in football within the UEFA rankings for the last four consecutive years. Since entering the rugby market, Macron today accounts for 34% of the total team kit sponsorships in the Northern Hemisphere and continues to produce high performance sportswear for more than 90 Clubs internationally.
Crystal Palace commercial director Barry Webber said: “Macron is an ambitious sports brand known for its innovation in materials as well as its style, and having formed an excellent working relationship with them in the past, we are pleased to be collaborating on Crystal Palace kits once again.
“We look forward to presenting the new strips to supporters in the coming weeks, alongside our new front of shirt sponsor Cinch”.
Macron Senior Sports Marketing Manager Ross Cook, said:“We are delighted to be working again with Crystal Palace Football Club having had such a positive relationship together, and to re-partner with such a strong club which has a long and rich history, is something very special for us.
“We have already started working hand in hand with the club to develop unique and exclusive collections created for their elite athletes as well as an extended apparel range for fans, all of which are driven by technical innovation, stylistic research, attention to detail and Italian flair alongside adapting to the club’s history and traditions.”
CHEQ Inc., the world’s first social payments platform continues their growth in professional sports as they are named the official in-stadium mobile ordering and delivery partner of the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium.
Mobile Ordering through CHEQ will be available throughout the stadium for the 2022 season and in-seat delivery will be available in select sections. CHEQ will also provide self-service kiosks in high-traffic locations to help reduce lines and wait times.
“We are excited to partner with CHEQ to enhance our fan experience through their proven track record of innovation and technology in large scale sports venues,” said Jeremy Walls, Chief Revenue Officer of the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium. “We are a global entertainment destination designed to host big events and working with CHEQ to reduce wait times and increase efficiency will serve us well moving forward.”
CHEQ Chief Revenue Officer Jake Stone added, “The Miami Dolphins are one of the NFL’s most storied and beloved teams and we are delighted to partner with them to make mobile ordering easy and ubiquitous throughout the stadium. We also look forward to helping to strengthen the bonds with the local restaurant community and with fans who might not be able to attend games in person through our unique remote gifting functionality.” In addition to stadiums, CHEQ partners with local restaurants and bars to power mobile ordering and remote gifting, allowing users to pay for and send food and drinks directly to their friends’ tables in real time from anywhere in the world.
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has appointed South Africa as the host country for the inaugural FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup. The event will take place at the North-West University of Potchefstroom – which successfully hosted the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup in April this year – from 28 November to 4 December 2022.
The aim of this new yearly event is to offer a top-level competition to the best-ranked teams not participating in the FIH Hockey Pro League and give the winning team the option to be promoted to the FIH Hockey Pro League the next season, precisely. Therefore, the FIH Hockey Nations Cup marks the start of the promotion-relegation principle for the FIH Hockey Pro League, with the winning team of the first FIH Hockey Nations Cup having the chance to be promoted to the 2023-24 FIH Hockey Pro League (provided they meet the necessary requirements for it).
The following eight teams – which include some of the powerhouses of world hockey! – will participate in the very first edition, having qualified based on their position in the FIH World Rankings of May 2021: South Africa, France, Canada, Japan, Korea, Ireland, Pakistan and Malaysia.
FIH CEO Thierry Weil said: “On behalf of FIH, I’d like to thank wholeheartedly the South African Hockey Association for hosting this inaugural edition of the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup. Everyone could see how successful the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup – the first FIH World Cup to be staged on African soil – was, and we’re delighted to go back to Potchefstroom soon! With the Nations Cup, not only a true hockey festival awaits all hockey fans, but there’s a lot a stake for the teams, including a place within the FIH Hockey Pro League!”
Shaune Baaitjies, Acting CEO of SA Hockey: “South Africa showed our capacity as a world class host with the hosting of the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup in Potchefstroom earlier this year. The North West University facilities were outstanding and received wonderful reviews from all involved. We are delighted that the FIH has chosen to host the FIH Hockey Nations Cup in Potchefstroom. The South African Men enjoyed playing the home series of games in the FIH Hockey Pro League at the venue and look forward to adding more remarkable memories for the international hockey family. It promises to be a wonderful tournament at a wonderful venue!”
The inaugural FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup will be held in Valencia, Spain, from 11 to 17 December this year.
