Mastercard Becomes Presenting Partner Of The Open Fan Membership Programme

Following the successful launch in 2017 of The One Club, The Open’s free-to-join membership for golf fans across the world, a new evolution to the membership has been announced ahead of the much anticipated 150th Open. A number of new benefits will be added to the roster this summer, giving fans across the world the chance to get even closer to golf’s original Championship.

The membership continues to be free for all and the new suite of benefits to The One Club now include:

  • Access to The One Club Hub, a new portal on TheOpen.com featuring the latest content and competitions
  • Exclusive content from The Open, including four brand new series coming this summer
  • Exclusive offers and competitions, with chances to win once-in-a-lifetime prizes all year round

As part of the announcement, Mastercard, an Official Patron of the Open, is to become the Presenting Partner of the fan membership programme. Members who own and link their Mastercard to their One Club membership account will automatically become One Club Advantage members free of charge. These members can enjoy the standard benefits, as well as additional benefits, including:

  • Access to golf, and the chance to play at some of The Open’s most iconic venues
  • Enhanced chances of securing tickets to future Championships
  • Even more exclusive year-round competitions and offers
  • New member upgrades like free golf lessons and equipment upgrades
  • Once-in-a-lifetime experiences at The Open, including the chance to meet golfing legends 

The Open has listened to its members, of which there are now more than 700,000 of the most passionate golf fans across the world, to ensure that this next chapter of The One Club is better than ever. Through membership surveys undertaken over the last 24 months, key feedback was the need to include a ‘playing’ benefit, and now all members will have the opportunity to enjoy tee times at some of The Open’s most iconic venues.

All members will also have access to The One Club Hub – a new unique portal area that will feature everything a member may need, from the best exclusive content from The Open and latest offers and competitions.

John Espley, Director of Commercial Partnerships said: “When we launched The One Club we delivered a truly unique offering for golf fans all over the world. The free membership meant people of all ages could get closer to The Open all year round with exclusive content. We’re thrilled to be able to take the membership even further in partnership with Mastercard, allowing us to offer unrivalled benefits as part of the free membership, meaning golf fans can experience the magic of The Open in new and exciting ways.”

Michael Robichaud, Senior Vice President of Global Sponsorships of Mastercard said: “At Mastercard, we value that experiences matter more than things and strive to provide Priceless moments to our cardholders across their passion areas. As a proud sponsor of The Open Championship since 2011, we have a long tradition of bringing fans closer to the game of golf. We are delighted to be the presenting partner of this exclusive program in celebration of the milestone 150th Open Championship.”

Fulham Football Club Extends Partnership With Playermaker

Fulham Football Club is delighted to announce the extension of a partnership with Playermaker. This relationship will see the Club’s Academy programme utilise the Playermaker technology to further understand and ultimately improve performances across the academy age groups.

The renewed partnership will continue to provide brand exposure for Playermaker on LED and big screen on match days at Craven Cottage as well as presence at Fulham FC’s Motspur Park training ground.  During the term of the partnership, Fulham FC and Playermaker will work on case studies and will produce content generation for their respective digital platforms.

Playermaker’s solution ensures equal opportunities for all players to maximise their skills with their purpose-driven data innovation. Their advanced data exposes the hidden truth of any player’s performance and potential. The Playermaker wearable performance tracker is a connected footwear-mounted device that captures player data from the source of motion, enabling and empowering players at any level.

Fulham FC Academy Director, Mike Cave, was full of praise when asked about the revolutionary technology:

“With a product like Playermaker, we are able to link both the physical and technical attributes which allows us to gain a more holistic understanding of our players’ performances in training and games.

“They have a product that gives us insights in ways we didn’t have before and in areas we were already asking questions about how we can better understand our players. 

“The information we’ve gained from Playermaker has also helped us better adapt, plan and deliver football sessions and recovery.”

As part of the partnership, Playermaker has also been supporting the Fulham FC Foundation by providing a number of units for use in the delivery of the Football & Education (F&E) programme, which aims to provide secondary school students with a pathway to continue their footballing development. 

The use of the Playermaker technology allowed Fulham FC Foundation’s F&E playing group to better understand the application of data in modern football and how it drives both physical and technical development in individuals at the elite level. The players can see after each training session, how the data captured could inform coaching and in turn impact each player and improve their overall game.

This involvement culminated in the participants applying some of these data driven lessons in a crucial end of season fixture held at Colchester United’s first team home ground, which was overall a truly unique experience for the group and offered real insight into the use of technology in improving performance at the top level.

Extreme E Extends Global DAZN Deal For Season 2

Pioneering electric SUV motorsport series, Extreme E, has announced today that it is renewing its partnership for Season 2 with global sports streaming platform DAZN.

DAZN will air Extreme E’s events in Japan as well as its rest of world territories. This will include the live and on-demand streaming of the Championship’s five X Prix in 2022 as well as the magazine programme, preview and review shows – in English.

DAZN is the world’s leading sports streaming platform. Created in 2016 by fans for fans, it leads the charge to give affordable access to sport anytime, anywhere. DAZN is available on internet-connected devices, including smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, PCs, game consoles, streaming sticks and set-up boxes. In December 2020, DAZN expanded to become available in more than 200 countries and territories, reinforcing the commitment to become a global sports destination platform.

Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer at Extreme E said:

“I am delighted to be renewing our partnership agreement with DAZN. As a sport without spectators on site, it is vital for us to reach as many people as possible and the best way to do this is through a screen.

“As a premium OTT platform, DAZN is hugely valuable to us in developing a youth orientated audience which is an incredibly important market to our Championship. We know that DAZN’s key audiences are particularly passionate about issues surrounding equality and the environment, both of which are key pillars of Extreme E. We look forward to bringing more thrilling action to DAZN in 2022, as well as the wider messages surrounding electrification, environment and equality.”

Joseph Markowski,  Executive Vice President at DAZN, said:

“We are incredibly excited to be broadcasting the second season of Extreme-E on the global platform. As a company DAZN stand for innovative ideas, edge of your seat action and gender equality in sport and Extreme E ticks all those boxes. Last year saw a very competitive, fun and exciting racing series and we look forward to showing another brilliant season live on DAZN.”

Extreme E, which began its highly anticipated Season 2 in NEOM,  Saudi Arabia, on 19-20 February, has some of the biggest names in motorsport competing once again for honours this year. Formula One World Champions Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Jenson Button, all Extreme E team founders, were joined this year by motorsport giants, McLaren, in a bid for coveted podiums in some of the world’s most remote and environmentally challenged locations – with the aim to drive global awareness of climate change.  

And all this exciting racing entertainment, from racing action to Extreme E’s magazine shows highlighting the environmental endeavours of the championship, will air on DAZN.  

World Lacrosse, ESPN Sign Historic, Multi-Year Partnership

World Lacrosse and ESPN have reached a historic agreement, giving the network global media rights to World Lacrosse championships through 2023. A total of 246 games across three international events will be carried exclusively on ESPN’s linear networks or ESPN+ in the U.S., and in 170+ territories via ESPN International.

The agreement marks the first multi-year, multi-event media partnership for World Lacrosse – the sport’s international governing body as recognized by the International Olympic Committee – and uniquely features equal rights fees across the men’s and women’s championships. In addition to U.S. coverage across ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN+, international distribution will be available via TSN (Canada), Star+ (Latin America and Brazil), ESPN Player (Europe, Middle East, Africa), Watch ESPN (Pacific Rim) and ESPN Play (Caribbean).

World Lacrosse CEO Jim Scherr said: “This is truly a historic day for World Lacrosse, and the millions of lacrosse players and fans in all corners of the world. ESPN is the ideal partner to further showcase our great sport around the globe as we experience exponential growth and interest in the game. This unprecedented coverage also provides a significant boost to our Olympic proposal as we seek to gain inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.”

The partnership covers three upcoming marquee events: the 2022 World Lacrosse Women’s Championship (June 29-July 9; Towson, Maryland, USA), the 2022 World Lacrosse Men’s U21 Championship (August 10-20; Limerick, Ireland) and the 2023 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship (June 21-July 1; San Diego, California, USA).

Dan Margulis, ESPN senior director of programming & acquisitions said: “ESPN is excited to add extensive coverage of the World Lacrosse championships to our already expansive lacrosse vertical. The men’s and women’s world championships together with our overall college coverage and recent agreements with Athletes Unlimited, NLL and PLL demonstrates our firm commitment to the sport.”

ESPN networks will carry a total of 112 games during the women’s championship, including six on linear channels. The WLWC is slated to return to the United States for the first time in nearly two decades at Towson University in Maryland, where the U.S. will begin defense of its world title in just over a month. The event will represent the first time the World Lacrosse Women’s Championship (formerly known as the Women’s World Cup) has linear distribution in the United States, with the exception of the championship game in 2005 (CSTV).

Following the women’s event, ESPN networks will air 22 games from the men’s U21 championship, offering linear distribution of a junior-level lacrosse world championship for the first time. Two games – including the championship – will air in the U.S. on ESPNU, with an additional 20 matches on ESPN+. The 22 games will also be featured on ESPN’s international networks.

Details regarding the 2023 Men’s Championship will be shared at a later date, with coverage planned to match this year’s women’s event.

2022 ESPN U.S. Linear Coverage

DateEventGameTime (EDT)Network
June 29Women’s ChampionshipUSA vs Canada7 p.m.ESPN2
July 2Women’s ChampionshipAustralia vs USA8 p.m.ESPNU
July 7Women’s ChampionshipSemifinal7 p.m.ESPN2
Women’s ChampionshipSemifinal9 p.m.ESPN2
July 9Women’s ChampionshipBronze Medal10 a.m.ESPNU
Women’s ChampionshipGold Medal12 p.m.ESPN2
August 18Men’s U21 ChampionshipSemifinal2 p.m.ESPNU
August 20Men’s U21 ChampionshipGold Medal2 p.m.ESPNU

NFL, NFLPA And Mythical Games Create Upcoming NFL Play-And-Own NFT Video Game Launching In 2023

The National Football League (NFL), NFL Players Association (NFLPA) and next-generation gaming technology studio Mythical Games today announced a partnership to launch NFL Rivals, a new NFL video game that leverages blockchain technology, on the Mythical Platform in early 2023.

Delivering on the fantasy of being a team General Manager, this fun, easy to play game will allow NFL fans and gamers alike to compete against other GMs with their assembled player rosters and teams, building, leveling up and improving their lineup. In addition, fans will be able to own, collect and trade non-fungible tokens (NFTs) of their favorite players through this play-and-own game experience. 

“With the rise of blockchain technology, we are thrilled to partner with Mythical Games on a blockchain-enabled game that delivers new play-to-own NFT capabilities, creating a new adventure for fans who love to play football games,” said Joe Ruggiero, SVP of Consumer Products at the NFL. “The interest in NFTs and video gaming amongst current and prospective fans continues to grow and combined have accelerated the NFL’s exploration of new gaming models that can deliver an unmatched experience to fans.”

Ahead of the NFL Rivals game launch, 32 limited-quantity collections of unique generative 3D NFL franchise-themed NFTs will be released in a series of drops called “Rarity League.” This officially licensed collection will provide owners access to special events, in-game rewards and other unique features.

“NFTs are revolutionizing the fan experience, and we’re excited to collaborate with the imaginative team at Mythical Games to create a whole new blockchain-based world in which NFL players take center stage.” said Terése Whitehead, Vice President, Consumer Products & Strategy at NFL Players Inc., the marketing and licensing arm of the NFLPA. 

“Partnering with the NFL to drive new fan and player engagement through fresh game design and the benefits of Web3 is an exciting moment for us,” said Jamie Jackson, Chief Creative Officer, Mythical Games. “NFTs with utility can add value to players in-game, and we can’t wait to bring these concepts to NFL Rivals to evolve the team management genre by adding the advantages of play-and-own games, offering the community new ways to engage with their favorite teams and players both in and outside this virtual world.”

NFL Rivals will launch globally for web and mobile web in early 2023. Interested players can join the Discord or visit the NFL Rivals website now for more information and to stay updated.

cinch To Become Official Front Of Shirt Sponsor Of Crystal Palace

cinch, the UK’s fastest growing online car marketplace, is set to become Crystal Palace’s official front of shirt sponsor for the 2022/23 season for both the men and women’s teams, on a multi-year contract.

cinch will also become Palace’s official training wear partner as part of the deal, benefiting from significant brand exposure across the club’s Academy teams, Selhurst Park stadium, digital channels, as well as branding on all replica shirts.

cinch, who make it easy for people to find, buy and own a car, has over 10,000 cars available to choose from online, and can deliver a car in as little as 72 hours, adds Crystal Palace to its already impressive roster of sports properties which includes England Cricket, SPFL and Northampton Saints Rugby, all of which continue to support cinch in its quest of being the most popular place to buy a car online.

Barry Webber, Commercial Director at Crystal Palace, said: “cinch is a well-established, family-friendly and instantly recognisable brand across the UK and beyond, and this landmark partnership is yet another statement of progress at the club, both on and off the field.

“This is an incredibly exciting time for our partnership to begin, as we enter our 10th successive season in the Premier League with a squad packed full of international talent, whilst cinch continues its impressive expansion and innovation in the car market. We look forward to helping each other secure our respective ambitions.”

Avril Palmer-Baunack, Chairman of Constellation Automotive Group, cinch owners, said: “We are delighted to be joining Crystal Palace as front of shirt sponsor. cinch is an ambitious brand that has achieved a lot in a short space of time and this new partnership will further support our expansion in the UK car market. We look forward to working with the teams, fans and local community and have high hopes for the club next season on absolutely ‘cinching it’!”

BIG3 Announces Microsoft Returns As Official Technology Provider

The BIG3 announced the renewal of their partnership with Microsoft, extending their integral role as the Official Technology Partner of the league in a multi-year deal. Microsoft will continue to be the official jersey patch partner for all 12 BIG3 teams and support the league with technology enhancements including Surface devices on the courtside for game planning and preparation. As part of the pact, the 2022 BIG3 Draft will be hosted at the Microsoft Lounge on Wednesday, May 25 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT in Los Angeles. The Draft will air live on VYRE Network, BIG3.com, and BIG3 YouTube Channel hosted by Ice Cube, Ed Cohen, Jim Jackson, and special guest appearances from BIG3 players and coaches at the Lounge and via Microsoft Teams.

New for this season, Microsoft will deploy a robust data analytics platform to measure player shot performance on the court. Powered by Microsoft Azure and Windows technologies, this innovative platform, from solution-provider Noah Basketball, will enable coaches and players to see real-time insights courtside from their Surface devices to make gametime decisions. BIG3 will integrate a new data and analytics platform powered by Microsoft across all aspects of the game to enhance the fan experience.

Additionally, Microsoft will continue as the presenting sponsor of Young3, the BIG3’s youth program that provides children in local communities with the opportunity to enrich their lives through FIREBALL3. Young3 and Microsoft plan to enhance the programming by including STEM-related activities.

“We could not be more excited to continue our partnership with Microsoft,” said BIG3 CEO, Chris Hannan. “Microsoft elevated the BIG3’s technology, coaching capabilities, and fan engagement avenues last season. We are excited to unveil even more innovative enhancements and content this season.”

“The BIG3 continues to push the boundaries and progress the sport of basketball,” said Microsoft General Manager of Strategic Partnerships Jeff Hansen. “We are incredibly pleased to leverage our most innovative technologies to help empower BIG3 coaches, players, and fans.”

BIG3 is the official creator of the new global sport, FIREBALL3 and is returning for its fifth season this summer. Known as a ground-breaking league that focuses on innovation, the BIG3 is introducing a new model of ownership announced last month which leverages blockchain technology to sell NFTs offering ownership-like benefits.

Hosts For 2026 And 2027 FIS World Ski Championships Elected

Today, Thursday 25th May, the FIS Council elected the Organisers of the 2027 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle & Freeski, Nordic and Alpine World Championships as well as for the 2026 FIS Ski Flying World Championships. The final presentations by the six candidates took place earlier in the day with the highly-anticipated decision announced at the Allianz Tower in Milan (ITA), which was streamed live on the FIS digital platforms.  

It was a full field bidding to host the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships with four candidates: Crans Montana (SUI), Garmsich-Partenkirchen (GER), Narvik (NOR) and Soldeu (AND) all in the hunt.

The Council elected Crans Montana (SUI) as the host of the 2027 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. It will be the second time that the Swiss resort has hosted the Alpine Ski World Championships and 2027 will mark the 40-year anniversary from their first outing.

“We had four excellent bids to host the 2027 Alpine World Championships and it certainly was not an easy decision. Crans Montana brought a passion to its bid that you could feel. Bringing the Alpine World Ski Championships to the heart of Alpine Skiing in 2027 will be an unbelievable opportunity.”

Oberstdorf (GER) was unanimously elected as host of the 2026 FIS Ski Flying World Championships. It will be the seventh time that the German venue has hosted the Ski Flying World Championships.

“After hosting the highly successful FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in 2021, Oberstdorf will bring both a wealth of organizational experience to the table together with very high interest from the community,” said FIS President Johan Eliasch.

Also unanimously elected was Montafon (AUT) for the FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships 2027. It marks the second time that Austria has hosted the joint World Championships, which features more than 30 medal events.  

“In 2015, Austria was the first host to take on these massive joint World Championships when Kreischberg hosted. We are happy to go back to the roots with an Austrian resort hosting and are even more pleased to put these World Championships in the very capable hands of Montafon,” said Eliasch

The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2027 were unanimously awarded to Falun (SWE). The central Swedish community hosted the Nordic World Championships in 2015, putting on a spectacular show with tens of thousands of passionate fans.

“Falun already gave the world an unforgettable World Championship in 2015 and I am pleased that we can return there so quickly, just 12 years later, which will allow them to build on their experience and deliver another fantastic two weeks of Nordic action,” said Eliasch.

Overview of the votes

2026 FIS Ski Flying World Championships: Oberstdorf (GER) – unanimous

2027 FIS Freestyle Ski & Snowboard World Championships: Montafon (AUT) – unanimous

2027 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships: Falun (SWE) – unanimous

2027 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships:
Crans Montana (SUI) – 11 votes
Narvik (NOR) – 3 votes
Soldeu (AND) – 3 vote
Garmisch-Partenkirchen (GER) – 1 vote

Volleyball World And Polsat Sign Multi-Year Broadcast Partnership

Volleyball World today announced a historic partnership with Polsat, Poland’s premier broadcaster, for the television rights in Poland for all international volleyball and beach volleyball events over the next decade.

The agreement will run from 2022 to 2032, with Polsat viewers able to watch all major international competitions, including the men’s and women’s editions of the FIVB Volleyball World Championships in 2022, 2026 and 2030, the Beach Volleyball World Championships, the annual Volleyball Nations League (VNL), the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour, Olympic Qualifying tournaments and a new FIVB World Event in 2025 and 2029.

Today’s announcement comes as Poland is set to co-host this year’s FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship with the Netherlands and the men’s tournament alongside Slovenia with potentially another country yet to be announced.

The agreement represents a more than 200 per cent increase in the media rights value and is a clear illustration of the popularity of the sport in Poland and the growth of volleyball globally.

Volleyball World CEO Finn Taylor said:

“This deal is a true indication of the growth of volleyball globally and that the improvements and evolution in the quality of production for international volleyball undertaken by Volleyball World is paying off. Striking such a significant deal with a key broadcast partner like Polsat should illustrate the growing value of volleyball as a television product for other broadcasters around the world.”

Zygmunt Solorz, Founder and Owner of Polsat Television, stated:

“Volleyball is Poland’s national sport and it is also the most successful sport in our country. Polsat Television and our mobile network operator Plus, have continued to support Polish volleyball organisations for over 20 years. We are extremely proud that we could broadcast the many trophies won by both Polish women’s and men’s teams and we hope to see many more. We are also happy to confirm our excellent relationship with Volleyball World and the FIVB, our prestigious partners in the world of sport.”

FIVB President Dr Ary S. Graça F° said:

“When I was elected President of the FIVB in 2012, I promised opportunity and innovation, and this is exactly what we have done through the launch of Volleyball World and now this agreement with Polsat. Indeed, this agreement is clear proof that the ground-breaking decision we took in launching Volleyball World was the right one.

“I have no doubt that Polsat will provide the highest-quality of TV production throughout the course of this partnership, showcasing the very best of the sport to Poland’s passionate fans. It is a reflection of the sport’s huge popularity in Poland and the growing strength and value of volleyball and beach volleyball worldwide.”

CEO of Polsat Television Stanisław Janowski said:

“When you say volleyball, you think of Polsat. Six of our sports TV channels allow us to cover even the most demanding tournaments, and our viewers can watch many matches simultaneously. We are only days from launching a state-of-the-art broadcasting van, working in HDR technology and delivering four times more accurate images than before. Once again Polsat will raise TV production standards and fans watching our coverage from their couches will get the feeling of being right in the center of the sports action.”

Volleyball has a huge and loyal fanbase in Poland and the sport is among the most popular in the country. Poland also has world-class hosting credentials having hosted a number of volleyball events, including VNL action and, of course, the 2014 edition of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship. A new standard of sports presentation was introduced by the FIVB at this event, and an incredible 62,000 fans attended the opening match which to this day remains the volleyball World Championship attendance record for a single match.

Middlesex And Sunrisers Unveil iShares By BlackRock As New Major Sponsor

Middlesex Cricket is delighted to announce that iShares by BlackRock, a leading global exchange traded fund (ETF) provider has become the Club’s Major T20 sponsor for the 2022 season.

This will be the first year of the partnership for iShares; which will see their logo featuring on the back and collar of the Middlesex Men’s newly launched Vitality Blast Nike playing shirts. iShares will also feature on the back of the Sunrisers’ Women’s playing shirts across all competitions.

In a first for Middlesex Cricket, this sponsorship will also see iShares have 100% sponsorship of the digital live stream and social media handles for all T20 activity in 2022.

As the Club’s Major T20 Sponsor, iShares will also benefit from an increased brand presence at the Home of Cricket, whilst also having exclusive access to activations and events that will bring cricket to iShares’ staff, clients, and their families. The innovative partnership will also see iShares providing bursaries to underprivileged youngsters within the county, providing them with opportunities within the game.

Speaking of the new partnership, Middlesex’s Digital Partnerships lead, Bill Pasterfield, commented:

“This is an extremely exciting partnership for us at Middlesex. To work with such a prestigious brand across shirt, stadium and digital sponsorship is a real testament to the way in which we can benefit our sponsors in multiple ways.

“It’s been a pleasure working with iShares to put this agreement in place and I look forward to an exciting year ahead where we can build our relationship and make a genuine impact in the game.”

Josh Dibbens, Head of UKMEA Marketing commented:

“We are excited to partner with Middlesex Cricket for the T20 summer season at Lords. ETF investors are passionate about cricket and this sponsorship allows iShares to further grow its brand within the UK and support local communities offering Cricket bursaries to underprivileged children.”