Wasserman Acquires Esportif; Launches ‘Wasserman Rugby’ Division

Global sports, music, and entertainment agency Wasserman has acquired Esportif and launched their first-ever rugby division, which will be re-branded and operate as ‘Wasserman Rugby’ effective immediately, announced today by Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President Fahri Ecvet. Esportif, now Wasserman Rugby, is widely-regarded as the global authority in their sport, and will continue to deliver the knowledge and innovation to maximise potential for all clients, whilst also incorporating their career and life ambitions.  

Ryan Constable, Craig Innes, Rhys Parsons, Duncan Sandlant, Bruce Sharrock, and Mark Spoors and their team of over 40 executives and agents, will join Wasserman, effective immediately.

Wasserman Rugby will continue to operate globally, stretching worldwide from the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, France, Australia, Argentina, Italy, and Japan, to  other regions where rugby is growing substantially. Some of the biggest names in the sport comprise the talent roster, including active players and coaches alike, such as Tadhg Furlong, Ellis Genge, Alun Wyn Jones, Richie Mo’unga, Gregor Townsend, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Taniela Tupou.

“The launch of Wasserman Rugby is another milestone in Wasserman’s strategic global growth,” said Ecvet. “Wasserman Rugby offers the most comprehensive service to clients in the sport, and that’s a credit to what Ryan, Craig, Rhys, Duncan, Bruce, Mark, and their entire team have built over the last decade-plus. Their work is renowned and respected, and their approach to the sports and entertainment world matches the culture of Wasserman, and will complement our other industry-leading talent representation practices.”

Executive Vice Presidents and Managing Directors Constable, Innes, Parsons, Sandlant, Sharrock, and Spoors said: “We are delighted to be expanding our rugby division by joining the team at Wasserman.  The acquisition is huge for us and offers an exciting opening for growth in the rugby industry. It enables us to accelerate our ability to offer our clients much more of a holistic service and will strengthen our existing practices and expand our expertise to current and future clients. We are excited about the platform this will provide for rugby players to take their place alongside other Wasserman global superstar athletes & artists on the world stage.”

This footprint expands Wasserman’s presence in over 30 locations globally, and further strengthens the most comprehensive global footprint of any sports, music, and entertainment agency.

LIV Golf To Be Broadcast On YouTube And Facebook; Mickelson Recommits To Breakaway Tour

LIV Golf has confirmed that six-time major champion Phil Mickelson, owner of 57 career professional victories, will tee off at the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series tournament June 9-11 at Centurion Club, in a deal worth a reported $200 million.

Reinforcing its mission of growing the sport of golf and reaching new fans across the world via a new and innovative entertainment product, LIV Golf today announced broadcast details and the experienced, diverse team of talent and award-winning producers that is set to modernize how golf is watched. Beginning Thursday, June 9 at 9:00 am EST / 2:00 pm BST, complete, live coverage of LIV Golf’s historic launch at Centurion Club will be globally available direct to consumers on LIVGolf.com, YouTube and Facebook. The LIV Golf event broadcasts will also be aired live on a global roster of leading premium and free-to-air broadcasters providing coverage in 138 territories around the world.

LIV Golf’s shotgun start will feature the 12-team, 48-player field teeing off all at once, and more than 50 cameras will capture every moment from start to finish. The broadcast will present views from 16 different towers, drones, and mobile steady cameras, with tracer technology highlighting the action throughout the course. Fans will also hear the sport like never before through more than 60 microphones incorporated from tee to green on every hole, including player and caddie mics that will bring fans inside the competition. Meanwhile, on-screen graphics will showcase innovations to the viewing experience while keeping fans updated in real time on the teams and individuals leading the field. Additional modernizations to the broadcast will be unveiled throughout LIV Golf’s inaugural season.

“The LIV Golf broadcast will be unlike anything fans have seen before,” said Will Staeger, LIV Golf Chief Media Officer. “The innovations we are introducing to the sport will be distributed to existing and new audiences all over the world as we deliver golf coverage dedicated to entertainment and access. We’ve built a world class production team that has combined the industry’s best practices with a reimagined experience for viewers to create a one-of-a-kind broadcast. We’ve been counting down the days to Thursday’s start so fans can tune in and watch what we have been working on.”

Arlo White, the heralded voice of the Premier League in the United States for nearly a decade, takes the role as lead play-by-play caller for LIV Golf. White has called matches on some of the world’s biggest stages, including the Olympics, the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League, Major League Soccer, five Super Bowls and the Cricket World Cup. His global experience announcing international soccer and cricket competitions includes coverage duties for BBC Sport in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan and the Caribbean. White’s distinguished voice and personality have been showcased on the award-winning show Ted Lasso, where he serves as the voice of the popular fictional club AFC Richmond.

Experienced and versatile golf broadcaster Jerry Foltz will serve as an analyst and color commentator from the LIV Golf booth. Foltz, who played professionally for over 15 years, has spent more than two decades as an analyst, play-by-play host, studio host, instructional series host and on-course reporter for networks including the Golf Channel/NBC Sports. Over the last 13 years, Foltz has been an on-course reporter for various tours, with a focus as a leading voice for the LPGA Tour. In London, the three-person booth will be completed with Dom Boulet, a former player on the Asian Tour who is widely known throughout Asia as the voice of golf. Boulet has served as a broadcaster of golf’s major championships and has helped expand coverage of marquee global golf events in international markets including the Eurasia Cup, CIMB Classic and CJ Cup.

Su-Ann Heng, a former No. 1 ranked golfer of her native Singapore and six-time member of the Singapore Ladies National Team, will lead on-course commentating. An experienced golf analyst with networks including FOX Sports Asia, she has covered women’s major championships and hosted marquee global events for more than seven years. The bilingual Heng has served as a contributor for Women’s Golf Magazine and has established herself as an accomplished athlete and influential voice on the global golf scene.

The multi-talented Troy Mullins will serve as an on-course reporter and social influencer for LIV Golf. The former Women’s Long Drive Record Holder (402 yards) and a regular contributor on the Golf Channel, Mullins brings her unique and engaging storytelling skills to LIV Golf’s courses. A standout heptathlete at Cornell University where she majored in China Asia Pacific Studies, she will carry on her role as a global golf ambassador through entertaining reporting and content development that will showcase the players and personalities featured throughout the LIV Golf Invitational Series.

Staeger has assembled an award-winning team of producers responsible for some of the most renowned broadcast creations in the sports and entertainment industry to lead LIV Golf’s in-house production team. David Hill, former Chairman of FOX Sports who has spearheaded some of the world’s biggest networks, television programs and production innovations, serves as LIV Golf’s Production Consultant. Senior Vice President of Global Production is James Watson, who has produced worldwide championships including the Australian Open Golf, Australian Open Tennis and ICC Cricket World Cups. Steve Beim, a nine-time Emmy award winner and one of the premiere directors in sports broadcasting serves as Live Event Coverage Director and Executive Producer. Beim holds more than three decades of credits directing global events including the Olympics, Indianapolis 500, Super Bowl coverage, the U.S. Open on FOX and all six versions of The Match for Turner Sports. LIV Golf’s Creative Director is Will Newell, a live event specialist who has delivered promotional and on-air assets for the Olympics and major sports leagues throughout the world. Executive Producer of Non-Live, Social, Short Form and Pre-Show Content is multi-Emmy award winning producer and documentarian Michael Mandt. And veteran FOX Sports executive Clark Pierce serves as Head of Innovation and Production Partnerships. The LIV Golf original music theme, to be unveiled with LIV Golf’s inaugural broadcast, was composed and produced by Scott Schreer, NJJ Music, composer and producer of the popular NFL on FOX theme.

AS Roma And Fendi Agree Landmark Partnership

AS Roma are delighted to announce a new two-year partnership with iconic Italian fashion brand FENDI, an agreement that brings two Rome institutions together for the first time.

The world-renowned fashion house, based in the Italian capital, will provide an official wardrobe for the Giallorossi first-team players for both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, to be worn as the team travel to compete in both Italian and European competitions over the coming campaigns.

“This partnership is another step from the Club towards international excellence, while maintaining a unique sense of Roman heritage,” said Pietro Berardi, CEO of AS Roma.

“What FENDI and AS Roma represent together for the city of Rome, its history and traditions, speaks for itself – and was the main driver of the unique partnership we have created.”

Serge Brunschwig, Chairman and CEO of FENDI, added: “This unprecedented partnership between FENDI and AS Roma originated from the common values and origins we share, celebrating the city of Rome and two firms that were founded here, one shortly after the other; FENDI in 1925 and AS Roma in 1927.”

FENDI’s Artistic Director of Accessories and Menswear, Silvia Venturini Fendi, has designed a range of formal and casual looks for the players that meet the renowned FENDI codes of tradition and innovation, all created with an attentive eye to craftsmanship.

The palette and fil rouge of the collection is dark blue, symbolic of elegance and sophistication, accented with the iconic yellow and red colours of both AS Roma and its city.

The materials are all of the highest quality and are all Made in Italy.

“The idea within this collaboration is to reinterpret FENDI’s and AS Roma’s codes and values creating a meeting point between the sports and fashion world through a common denominator, Roman roots and a strong link to the Eternal City,” Venturini Fendi added.

The FENDI looks will be presented at the beginning of the 2022-2023 Italian season, with an official launch scheduled for the end of August 2022.

Watford Football Club And ClearVUE Announce Partnership

Watford Football Club is delighted to announce a long-term partnership with leading global energy management and net zero consultancy ClearVUE in a strong collaboration to support the Hornets’ ambition to achieve net zero.

The club aims to be a leader in the drive to decarbonise and improve sustainability standards within the football industry, which is why the selection of ClearVUE – an innovative energy management and net zero consultancy, part of international B2B energy consultancy, Global Procurement Group (GPG) – makes perfect sense with the eyes of the world focused on sustainability.

GPG has consistently grown its global operations to over 800 people today, with offices across three continents in Gateshead (HQ), Newcastle, Leeds, France, Malta, India and the USA.

The agreement comprises of net zero consultancy, awareness training and support on government legislation, as well as the installation of ClearVUE’s energy management systems at the club’s Vicarage Road Stadium and London Colney Training Ground.

These systems will provide Watford with insightful data which will inform on where, when and how energy is being used. This data allows the Hornets to put in place carbon reduction strategies. Reducing energy use will lead to a reduction in carbon emissions and associated costs – something Watford FC is completely committed to.

Watford FC’s Head of Procurement and Sustainability, Tarang Panchal, said: “We have the vision, the passion, and commitment to pursue net zero and play our part in reversing the climate emergency. But we realise the road to net zero, without a knowledgeable partner, would be an insurmountable task.

“It’s been hard to find a partner that not only aligns with our sustainability and net zero ambitions, but also has the expertise and knowledge to guide us on the net zero journey. We can’t stress enough the importance of finding the right partner, but with ClearVUE, we are confident we have the right partner to help us drive towards our longer-term objectives.”

Dan Smith, Director of Energy Services at ClearVUE, said: “At ClearVUE our ambition is to mitigate the damage businesses inflict on our climate – and ultimately reduce their carbon emissions to preserve our planet and create a more sustainable future. Our mission is to provoke and inspire change for the better by enabling businesses – through our technology – to understand how their operations and behaviour affect the climate.

“By enabling businesses to understand exactly how, where, and when they are emitting carbon, they can begin to address their impact on our planet.”

Paul O’Brien, Watford FC’s Commercial Director, concluded: “We are very excited to embark on this journey over the next decade and get Watford FC to net zero. This is a family club at the heart of the community and always has been. Our hope is that one day when people look back at history, it is our generation they will credit for pioneering the transformation towards a greener, cleaner and more sustainable planet.

“We firmly believe that our partnership with ClearVUE will allow us to do our part in tackling the climate crisis, leaving the world a better place for future generations to come.”

Spark Sport Granted Exclusive Live TV And Digital Rights To US Open In New Zealand Through 2024

Spark Sport is now the exclusive home for the US Open in New Zeland: It has been granted the country’s exclusive live television and digital rights to the Grand Slam tournament through 2024.

The three-year deal, announced Thursday, begins at the 2022 US Open; the tournament will be available live and on-demand on Spark Sport from the start of the US Open Qualifying Tournament on Aug. 24. It also comes as Spark Sport positions itself to become the epicenter of world-class tennis in New Zealand, having also renewed its WTA rights through 2024.

“It’s the perfect time to partner with Spark Sport in New Zealand, as they continue to grow and prioritize their tennis coverage within an ever-expanding live sports portfolio,” said Lew Sherr, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, USTA. “We’re excited for the next three years and are looking forward to Spark delivering a high level of US Open coverage to the great fans in New Zealand.”

Head of Spark Sport, Jeff Latch adds: “Our goal is to bring Kiwis more of the sport they love, and we know we have a lot of tennis-mad fans in Aotearoa. Our subscribers will now have access to the US Open, a tournament that has evolved into one of the most popular sports and entertainment spectacles around the globe, as well as WTA tournaments already available on the platform. August 2022 will be our first time bringing this global showpiece to the local market and we hope subscribers will take advantage of our exclusive coverage of the tournament.”

The main draw of the 2022 US Open will take place from Aug. 29 through Sept. 11 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y.

Catherine Newman Named EVP & Head Of Marketing At WWE

WWE today announced that Catherine Newman has been named Executive Vice President and Head of Marketing.

Newman brings more than two decades of executive experience to WWE including her most recent role as Chief Marketing Officer of Manchester United Media. She has also held senior positions at The Times of London and Financial Times, leading global marketing initiatives, developing strategic partnerships, and boosting subscription growth across various products.

As part of WWE’s senior leadership team, Newman’s oversight will include Marketing, Brand, Community Relations, Entertainment Relations, Creative Services and Photography.

She is a graduate of Loughborough University, a Chartered Institute of Marketing Postgraduate from Buckinghamshire New University and a Fellow & Mentor in the Marketing Academy, United Kingdom.

RealFevr And Torino FC Launch First Serie A Fully Licensed Video Collectibles

Portuguese startup RealFevr and Serie A club Torino Football Club are set to launch on June 15 an exclusive video digital collectibles drop of iconic moments from the history of the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino and the Stadio delle Alpi, featuring some of Calcio’s biggest stars like Ronaldinho, Totti, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ribéry, Ibrahimović, Cavani, or Roberto Baggio, who have played matches in the city of Torino from the 1999/2000 season until now.

This drop – which also features Granata players such as Andrea Belotti, Alessio Cerci, Fabio Quagliarella or Cristian Ansaldi – will include some historic Serie A moments like Francesco Totti’s last goal in the competition, Ronaldinho’s amazing free-kick, Andrea Belotti’s incredible bicycle kick against Sassuolo and many more everlasting moments, from some of the biggest names in the game.

Just like in previous drops, the moments came in packs, which are sorted into the following categories and price tags: BASIC, which contains 3 collectibles ($19); RARE, containing 4 collectibles ($64); SUPER RARE, which contains 5 collectibles ($149) and ULTRA, which contains 10 collectibles ($249) and will only be available in the early access pre-sale to allowlisted users. 

The NFTs will also be sorted in the usual categories (COMMON, SPECIAL, EPIC, LEGENDARY and UNIQUE) with the bonus that the four UNIQUES in this drop will be of Torino FC players. Also, in order to maximize the Granata experience and to spread it globally, each pack will contain at least one moment from a Torino FC player.

In order to obtain these historic, everlasting football moments, potential collectors will have to go to www.realfevr.com and buy digital packs available during the upcoming drop. Just like in real life, by opening these digital packs, collectors and football fans will pull several random digital collectibles with different video moments and tiers of rarity.  

With Bruno Fernandes as its shareholder and global ambassador, RealFevr launched two pack drops in the summer of 2021 focused on some of the greatest football players and video moments from the Portuguese League. More than 110 thousand packs have been sold and both previous NFT drops sold out within a 24-hour period.

Established in 2015, RealFevr is expanding to become a preeminent NFT leader after launching the first-ever fully licensed football video NFT marketplace and aims to completely disrupt the NFT ecosystem by combining breakthrough tech and blockchain’s decentralization, with the uniqueness of video collectibles. The partnership with Torino FC and the launch of the first Serie A fully licensed NFT drop are two giant steps towards reaching that ambitious goal.

Harlequins Announce New Partnership With Clothing Brand Beaufort & Blake

Harlequins is thrilled to today announce lifestyle clothing brand Beaufort & Blake as the Club’s new Smart Casual Partner

There will be an exclusive, limited-edition Harlequins clothing collection kicking off in Autumn 2022 at beaufortandblake.com.

Harlequins Steve Morton, Chief Commercial Officer, said: “We are delighted to announce our partnership with Beaufort & Blake, our first in the smart casual sector, ahead of the 2022/23 Season.

“It was evident from our early conversations that both organisations understood one another including our respective cultures and values. We are excited to see work with Beaufort & Blake, helping promote the brand and exclusive Quins branded products to our supporters.”

To celebrate the partnership, Beaufort & Blake are offering Harlequins supporters an exclusive 15% off* their summer collection, to ensure you’re suitably kitted out for the pre-season games. Fans can use code PRESEASON15 at checkout when shopping online at beaufortandblake.com.

PFA Recruits James King As General Counsel

The Professional Footballers’ Association (The PFA) has announced the appointment of James King as the union’s General Counsel.

King joins the PFA from Arsenal, where he was the Senior Legal Counsel for Football Operations.

The recruitment of King represents another key senior hire for the PFA, with Patrick Coyle having recently joined the PFA as Chief Operating Officer after almost a decade at Manchester United. 

King joined the Arsenal legal team in 2016, working on the Commercial side before moving to Football Operations in 2018. In his last role, he had responsibility over all areas of football across both the men’s and women’s games, from first team to academy.

He was also a member of the FA’s Legal & Governance Group for Women’s Football.

Prior to joining Arsenal, King was part of the Employment Department and Sports Group at Mischon de Reya where, as a Managing Associate, he represented domestic and international players across the men’s and women’s games.

King was appointed after an independent and competitive recruitment process led on behalf of the PFA, which has recently undergone significant reforms to its governance and leadership structures as part of an organisation-wide modernisation process.

The PFA is the world’s oldest professional sport trade union and represents over 55,000 current and former players across the Premier League, English Football League (EFL) and Women’s Super League (WSL).

PFA Chief Executive, Maheta Molango, said:

“James’ appointment provides the PFA with even more senior industry experience, gained in both private practice and high-profile roles at one of the English game’s biggest clubs. 

“His CV speaks for itself and I’m delighted that James is joining the union at such a crucial time. His knowledge and experience across both the men’s and women’s games will be of enormous benefit to the PFA and its members.”

“James’ decision to join the PFA at this time reflects the importance of work we are doing on behalf of both current and former players. He is an excellent addition to the union.”

James King said:

“I’m excited to be joining the team. The scope of the PFA’s work has never been wider, with current and former players looking to the union to act as their voice on a diverse range of important issues.

“At a time of significant change, I’m looking forward to applying the experience I have gained within the industry on behalf of PFA members.”

EPCR Confirms Inclusion Of South African Clubs For 2022/23 Season And Beyond

In a landmark expansion of its tournaments, EPCR is delighted to confirm that the five leading clubs from South Africa will compete in the Heineken Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup from the 2022/23 season and beyond.

The Stormers, Bulls, Sharks and Lions, who have qualified from the United Rugby Championship (URC), will add a new layer of high-quality competition to the established order of Europe’s elite clubs. 

In a further development, and in addition to the four qualifiers from the URC, the Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs have been invited to participate in the 2022/23 EPCR Challenge Cup.

As well as Leinster Rugby, Ulster Rugby, Munster Rugby, Edinburgh Rugby and the Ospreys, the Cape Town-based Stormers, the Bulls from Pretoria and the Durban-based Sharks will compete in next season’s Heineken Champions Cup following impressive campaigns in the URC, while the Lions from Johannesburg and the Cheetahs will fly the flag for South Africa in the EPCR Challenge Cup. 

Commenting on the major development, EPCR Chairman, Dominic McKay, said: “We are delighted to confirm that the South African clubs from will be part of our expanded tournaments from the beginning of next season. 

“The Stormers, Bulls, Sharks and Lions will all bring hugely exciting southern hemisphere rugby, well-known world-class players and broad new audiences into our tournaments, and we are pleased to welcome the Cheetahs into the EPCR Challenge Cup. The steps we have taken with our stakeholder leagues and with SARU ensure that we can further develop the tournaments as the pinnacle of global club rugby.

“This is a crucial step forward in bringing to life our vision of growing the game and our own tournaments, continuing to deliver strong returns for our leagues and creating an ever-higher standard of mouthwatering matches for our fans.”

The South African clubs in the Heineken Champions Cup will be in the mix against newly-crowned winners, Stade Rochelais, who lifted the trophy for the first time in dramatic style in Marseille last weekend, as well as Lyon who also claimed a historic first European title when they won the EPCR Challenge Cup final.

EPCR welcomed over 110,000 fans to the Stade Vélodrome over the course of the two finals with a record EPCR Challenge Cup attendance of 51,431 witnessing Lyon’s victory over RC Toulon, while 59,682 went through the turnstiles for last Saturday’s showpiece match between Stade Rochelais and Leinster.

The formats for next season’s Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup will be announced shortly, in conjunction with details of the Pool Draws for both tournaments which will be staged towards the end of the month.

EPCR Chief Executive, Anthony Lepage, said: “This is a hugely significant step forward in realising our ambitions to grow our tournaments and bring our outstanding competitions to new audiences across the globe.

“Welcoming such well-known and well-supported South African clubs to the Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup will take the competitions to a new level of elite rugby, with the best of South Africa now also able to test themselves against the best of England and France.

“The calibre of our competitions is consistently high and, as last weekend in Marseille demonstrated so clearly, we deliver incredible experiences for fans who love the tournaments, whether following the fortunes of their team or simply enjoying our finals, on one of rugby’s biggest weekends. It will be superb to raise the bar even higher with matches next season featuring South African Rugby World Cup winners, in addition to the stars of Europe we already see lighting up the pitch. 

“We look forward to the Pool Draws later this month and then we will announce our fixture schedules for both tournaments so that clubs, fans and all our stakeholders can begin preparations for next season.”

SARU Chief Executive, Jurie Roux, added: “Our five franchise teams will now play in two new territories against opponents we’ve never played before. We’ve already experienced the intensity of the URC, and now we’ll also face the top clubs from England and France. We would like to thank all stakeholders who have been involved in the negotiation process – the Board and staff of EPCR, the URC, Premiership Rugby and the Ligue Nationale de Rugby.

“A big word of thanks also to the Cheetahs for their patience. I’m sure they can’t wait to face international opposition again, and we’re very grateful to have them included in the EPCR Challenge Cup.

“Ever since we’ve made the decision to align with the northern hemisphere, our aim was to play in the EPCR competitions. As we’ve seen during the inaugural season of the URC, the rugby is of the highest standard and our top players definitely benefited from this move. 

“We now have an opportunity to also start rubbing shoulders with the top clubs from England and France in two other competitions that have caught the imagination of rugby supporters around the globe for more than two decades.”

During the 2022/23 season, EPCR will continue to be supported by Heineken as the title partner of the Heineken Champions Cup, as well as by EPCR’s Official Logistics Partner DHL and Official Hotels Partner IHG Hotels & Resorts amongst others, with future exciting partner announcements expected in the near future.

The 2023 Finals weekend is scheduled for Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on Friday 19 and Saturday 20 May.