Spain Government Optimistic of Avoiding La Liga Strike

Jaime Lissavetsky, Secretary of State for Sport in Spain, has claimed that he remains optimistic that next month’s proposed La Liga strike can be avoided.

The Spanish Football League (LFP) is threatening to postpone the round of matches scheduled for April 2-3 in protest against broadcast regulations. The row came about with Spanish clubs seeking to enhance their position ahead of negotiations for new media rights deals with the backing of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

Current regulations state that one La Liga game per match day must be shown on free-to-air television, though the LFP is currently in talks with the Spanish government with the aim of scrapping the system. The LFP hopes to abolish the ruling ahead of the 2012-13 season and Lissavetsky is confident a resolution can be found to the current stand-off.

In quotes reported by Reuters, Lissavetsky stated: “It isn’t a strike, it’s a lockout. In the end, I think through dialogue, common sense, and by working together it can be overcome.”

He added: “With maximum respect for the LFP and clubs I’m not going to say anything that may disrupt this process. I’m always optimistic. When the players threatened a strike there was an extraordinary effort by everyone (to avoid it).”

Widnes Vikings Sign New Nutrition Partner, Dave Rolt Promoted to Head of Commercial

English Super League team Widnes Vikings have announced today a partnership with sports nutrition company Nutrition X for the 2015 season.

As part of the deal, sale the Gloucester based company will become the official sports nutrition partner to the Vikings and they will provide the players with nutritional products throughout the season.

“We were looking for a change and we have a mutual friend in Dr Graeme Close (LJMU Senior Lecturer in Exercise Metabolism and Nutrition) who has done a lot of research in developing the right products and I’m very much on board with what they are trying to achieve, asthma ” Vikings Head of Strength and Conditioning Jon Clarke said.

“There’s a lot of science behind what they do and I’ve been very impressed. It’s a great move for the Club and we’ve spoken in depth with Nutrition X and the players will be delighted with the new partnership and products they will be using. It will hopefully be the start of a very good and long relationship between the two parties. I’ve met their Managing Director, cheapest order James Markey, and we are singing from the same hymn sheet in every facet and I’m absolutely delighted that they are onboard.”

James Markey, Managing Director of Nutrition X, said: “Nutrition X are delighted to partner with Widnes Vikings for the 2015 Season. We look forward to working with the players as they prepare for the physically demanding season ahead. Hopefully this is the start of long and success partnership together.”

Vikings Promote Rolt to Head of Commercial

Dave Rolt has been promoted to the role of Head of Commercial at Widnes Vikings.

Rolt has been a key stakeholder of the Club over many years, where he has supported and filled a number of crucial operational posts, most recently Commercial Partnerships Manager at the Vikings.

And following the departure of Michelle Holmes, Rolt emerged as the leading candidate to continue to the good work of his former colleague.

James Rule, Widnes Vikings CEO, said: “Dave has fabulous connections throughout the sporting and business community in our area and region. His work, combined with outstanding people skills, made him the perfect candidate to step into the role of Head of our Commercial operation.”

Dave Rolt said: “Working with our commercial partners and building strong business relationships will be key to the Vikings going forward. I have really enjoyed working alongside Michelle Holmes for the past year in the Commercial Department at the Vikings and I’m really excited at the opportunity that this job presents.”

Rolt will take up the post with immediate effect.

British Swimming Announce 4-Year Rights Deal with BBC

A four-year rights agreement has been reached between British Swimming and the BBC to broadcast swimming and other aquatic sports in the run up to the London 2012 Olympics, capsule the Commonwealth Games 2014, ed and beyond. 

Amongst the events which will be broadcast next year on the BBC will now include the FINA Diving World Series, pilule the LEN European Synchronised Swimming Champions Cup in Sheffield, and the British Gas Swimming Championships at the Olympic Park next year – the Olympic trials for Team GB. 

The event coverage will span across TV, the red button, and the BBC Sport website while the broadcasters will also launch ‘the Big Splash’ in partnership with British Swimming, a UK-wide mass-participation campaign designed to encourage people to get in the pool. 

British Swimming chief executive David Sparkes stated: “The BBC has worked with swimming for many years and we welcome this renewed commitment from them as we follow the journey of our elite athletes to the Games in London and beyond”. 

“Everyone at British Swimming is also extremely excited about the launch of the Big Splash as we try and encourage more people to be more active through swimming”.

The BBC will be providing a wide range of on-air initiatives in conjunction with some of its most popular programming brands.

Barbara Slater, director of BBC Sport added: “We have a rich heritage of covering aquatic sports on the BBC and are delighted to be in a position to continue this commitment at what is a key time for the sport with the London 2012 Olympics on the horizon”.

Golden Corral Extends Tommy Baldwin Racing Sponsorship

Golden Corral will continue its longstanding partnership with Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR).

Also for the first time, Golden Corral will join NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie Michael Annett as the primary partner on his No. 7 Chevrolet SS in the upcoming Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, Oct. 19.

If Annett finishes inside the top 10 at Talladega, Golden Corral will offer a one-day “Kids Eat Free” promotion on Monday, Oct. 20. Kids’ buffets will be free (limit of two per purchase) with the purchase of an adult buffet purchase at regular price.

“We’re excited to be back at Talladega,” said Shelley Wolford, Vice President of National Marketing and Media at Golden Corral. “We’ll be pulling for Michael to finish in the top 10 so that we can share our Top 10 Kids Eat Free promotion with race fans on Monday.”

“We’re thrilled to have Golden Corral on board Michael’s car for Talladega,” said Tommy Baldwin, owner of TBR. “Golden Corral has been a great partner for us, and it’s always a goal for us to make sure the kids eat free, so we’ll be gunning for another top-10 finish.”

Annett and the No. 7 TBR team finished 16th in May in his first ever Cup Series start at Talladega.

DirecTV Could Lose USD600m Annual Revenue if NFL Cancels

America’s largest satellite-television provider, DirecTV (DTV), could lose out on more than US$600m in revenue this year according to analysts’ estimates, if the National Football League (NFL) cancels the 2011 season, according to analysts’ estimates.

DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket allows viewers to watch every NFL game and generated between $600m and $750m in subscription revenue last season alone. If it got the same number as last year, the company would have added another $44m in new Sunday Ticket subscribers this year, according to Craig Moffett of Sanford C. Bernstein & Co.

The programming runs for $335 per season on top of regular subscription fees, and isn’t offered by any other operator..

New York-based Moffett, who has a “market perform” rating on the company’s stock and doesn’t own any, stated: “Usually Sunday Ticket brings them a number of new subscribers. They are losing one of their biggest marketing draws.”

The NFL said it would shut down the most-watched and wealthiest U.S. sport on Friday, March 11, after talks broke down over how to divide $9bn in annual revenue. Both sides are exploring ways to salvage the season, with the league saying it’s committed to mediation and the players’ association filing suit to prevent a lockout.

Michael White, DirecTV’s chief executive officer, said in an interview on March 11: “We’re optimistic that we will be fine. Our hope is that somewhere between now and the summer, this gets resolved, hopefully sooner rather than later.”

Heineken Becomes Official Beer of MLS

Heineken has agreed a long-term partnership with Major League Soccer (MLS) designating the Dutch alcohol brand as Official Beer of MLS.

The partnership, which commences in January 2015, will see Heineken replace Budweiser in that category.

“Soccer has been an invaluable platform for the Heineken brand  for years, with our position as sponsor of the UEFA Champions League and other top soccer properties around the world,” said Nuno Teles, Heineken Chief Marketing Officer.

“Fans in the U.S. and across the globe appreciate the opportunity to enjoy first-class soccer with the highest quality premium beer. With this partnership, we look forward to continuing a lengthy tradition of creating unique experiences for fans everywhere and drive participation and engagement in the sport in a way that has never been done before in the U.S.”

The agreement between the two brands will see Heineken owning exclusive rights to MLS content and is the latest indicator in the rise of the world’s most popular sport in the United States, particularly amongst Millennials.  With the third highest average attendance of any U.S. sports league, the highest percentage of Hispanic and Millenial audience of any major U.S. sport and more than 22 million Americans actively playing soccer in the United States, MLS has proven to attract a diverse and cosmopolitan audience that reflects Heineken’s adult consumer.

Starting in 2015, The Official Beer of MLS will present MLS Rivalry Week. In addition, Heineken will feature strong visibility during nationally broadcast matches, on-site and digital activations, and point-of-sale materials.

“We are excited to welcome Heineken on board as we approach the League’s 20th season,” said Gary Stevenson, President and Managing Director, MLS Business Ventures. “Heineken is a supporter of soccer globally and is a great fit for what’s next for Major League Soccer.”

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Dorna Agree Netherlands Broadcast Agreement for MotoGP

An agreement has been reached between Dorna Sports and Dutch broadcaster Sport1 for the 2011 MotoGP season which will see the channel broadcast the World Championship in the Netherlands this year.

Sport1 already has a strong soccer, doctor tennis and golf schedule, and will now offer full live coverage of the MotoGP World Championship to its viewers via the Sport1 LIVE and Sport1 Extra channels from each of the 18 rounds of the 2011 season.

Included will be special coverage of the eighth round of the campaign, the TT Assen, which takes place from June 23rd-25th.

Manel Arroyo, Dorna Sports S.L Media Managing Director, stated: “It’s extremely satisfying to have signed this new contract with Sport1, a channel with vast experience in sports broadcasting and one which will allow the passion of MotoGP and its races to be brought to Dutch fans, who have always demonstrated a great affinity to our sport.”

Leicester City Renews Partnership with Local Dealership

Premier League club Leicester City has extended its partnership with Sytner Leicester BMW and Mini for the 2014/15 season.

Leicester’s leading BMW dealership and part of the Sytner Group, one of the UK’s largest prestige motor groups, Sytner Leicester began its partnership with the Foxes at the start of the 2013/14 season. 

The second year of the relationship will see the Leicester-based company become a UK partner for 2014/15.

Andy Crossan, Managing Director for Sytner Leicester BMW and Mini, said: “There has been a huge amount of interest around the i8, so it’s great for us to have Marcin and Kieran here to see what it’s capable of and I’m sure there will be Leicester City fans out there just as keen to see what it can do.

“It’s a great example of how our partnership with Leicester City can help us reach out to a new audience. We’re extremely proud to be supporting our local club in the Premier League and look forward to working together during the new season.”

Ian Flanagan, Leicester City’s Commercial Director, said: “Sytner Leicester BMW and Mini have been terrific supporters since our partnership began a year ago and we are delighted to continue a working relationship which has been of great benefit to both parties.”

Sytner Leicester’s partnership has also included support for the Club’s annual Golf Day and sponsorship of matchday team news since the start of the 2013/14 season.

NBA and MLB Reach Broadcast Agreement with Apple TV

Apple, adiposity the major consumer electronics brand, has signed online broadcast deals with Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Basketball Association (NBA), enabling the company to stream live sports through its Apple TV service.

Agreed terms have been reached to carry both MLB.TV and NBA League Pass, online sports subscription channels, on its new digital media receiver, revamped in September 2010 as a US$99 set-top box.

Both sports services are backed by their respective leagues and offer broadcasts of live games and match highlights.

An extra cost will be incurred by any consumers who wish to carry the MLB.TV and, or NBA League Pass on top of an Apple TV subscription. NBA League Pass costs US$65 for the rest of the season, while MLB.TV’s basic package is priced at US$20 per month or US$99 per year.

ANTA Sign NBA China Partnership

NBA China has announced a partnership with ANTA Sports Products Limited with the apparel brand becoming the Official Marketing and Merchandising Partner of NBA China.

The announcement was made at a press conference in Beijing by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and ANTA Sports Chairman and CEO Ding Shizhong, who were joined by NBA Champion Kevin Garnett of the Brooklyn Nets and NBA Legend Sam Perkins.

Through this new partnership, ANTA will launch a complete line of ANTA and NBA co-branded league and team-identified footwear and accessories, available in more than 2,000 ANTA stores around the country, and at ANTA’s official online stores on Tmall (anta.tmall.com) and JingDong (anta.jd.com).

Along with ANTA-NBA co-branded footwear, ANTA will collaborate with NBA China to further grow the game of basketball in China and engage fans by participating in a number of events, including NBA Nation, NBA All-Star Balloting, and the ANTA Power Is Priceless Intramural League. More than 300 million people in China play basketball, making it the most popular team sport in the country.

“The NBA and ANTA share a common goal to grow the game of basketball and inspire a healthy, active lifestyle,” said Silver. “This partnership will provide our fans in China with NBA branded footwear and accessories and more ways to connect with their favorite teams.”

“This partnership will give us a chance to elevate our brand awareness and increase consumer confidence in the competitive athletic footwear market,” said Shizhong. “We will also be able to fully utilize our extensive experience to accelerate the growth of basketball throughout China.”

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