SailGP Strengthens Global Roster Of International Broadcast Partners For Season 3

SailGP, the purpose-driven, global racing league has continued to bolster its international broadcast offerings with the announcement of an exciting set of broadcast partners for Season 3 of the championship. This is as the league prepares to launch its season at the Bermuda Sail Grand Prix presented by Hamilton Princess on May 14 and 15, and continues to celebrate its outstanding broadcast results from Season 2, released earlier this week.

The league reported a total broadcast audience (dedicated and secondary) increase of 220% to 823.4 million viewers in Season 2, with the dedicated broadcast audience of 39.2 million representing a 131% increase. There were also 16 million event live stream views on SailGP’s digital platforms, including YouTube and Facebook, with a total watch time of 2.5 million hours. 

Now more viewers than ever can enjoy the on-water action, which will not only be broadcast live globally, but SailGP highlights will be available in a new pan-regional deal with international sports broadcasting powerhouse Eurosport. The new deals were facilitated by IMG, SailGP’s global agency for media rights, sponsorship and host venue rights.

As two new teams join the league in Canada and Switzerland, both of those territories also welcome new broadcast partners, with TSN and RDS in Canada and Blue in Switzerland both carrying the new season live. They join the other key broadcasters in SailGP home-team markets, including Sky Sports in the UK, CBS Sports in the United States, Foxtel and Kayo Sports in Australia, Canal+ in France, JSports in Japan, Sky Sports in New Zealand, RTVE and TV3 in Spain and TV2 Sport in Denmark. 

Also, new for this season, SailGP events will be available in Turkey and across South East Asia on BEIN Sports and a pan Asian deal with Eclat will see the action in more homes in the region than ever before. Italian fans can watch on new Italian broadcast partner Eleven Sports and continue to watch selected events live on Sky Sports Italia. Sport24 in Portugal will also carry the next two seasons of the championship. As always all of the action can be viewed on SailGP’s award-winning app, as well as YouTube and Facebook. 

The Season 3 global production strategy will be overseen by SailGP’s new Chief Content Officer, Melissa Lawton. 
Lawton will lead the team delivering SailGP’s global broadcast offering, from the live broadcast production and host broadcast feed to non-live content creation including SailGP’s docu-series Racing on the Edge.

Lawton was previously responsible for Sports Production at Meta. Melissa joined Meta after five years as the Head of Live Content at Red Bull Media House, and her 20-year career has encompassed long-term production roles on events such as the Beijing and Sydney Olympics, FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan, and Commonwealth Games in India.

Lawton said: “I’m proud to be joining the impressive and exciting journey of one of the world’s fastest-growing sports properties and look forward to working with all of our broadcast partners to provide their audiences with compelling and unique content as SailGP enters Season 3.”

SailGP’s broadcast will once again be supported by Oracle Insights, powered by Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, delivering real-time data to SailGP’s broadcast partners.

With over 30,000 data points coming out of an F50, there will truly be something for everyone on SailGP Insights and the broadcast, from the typical race information on a boat’s position, time and current leg, to more in-depth technical data to enable fans to get true insights on what it takes to compete at the highest level and the complexities of the hydrofoiling F50.

SailGP Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Thompson said: “It’s a fantastic achievement that in just its third season SailGP is forging lasting partnerships with some of the biggest global names in sports broadcasting. Our championship is a truly global league with fans around the world able to enjoy the most exciting racing on-water live and in full wherever they live.”

Adam Kelly, Co-President of Media & Events at IMG, said: “In its third season, we are proud to help bring SailGP to more viewers than ever through a number of new broadcast deals signed in key international territories with Eurosport, TSN, RDS and BEIN Sports. SailGP is a thrilling spectacle to watch and this weekend fans around the world will be transported to Bermuda as top global broadcasters bring the intense, high-speed action to life.”

England, Australia And USA Confirmed As Hosts For Rugby World Cup Events Until 2033

World Rugby has confirmed the locations for the next three women’s and two men’s Rugby World Cups as it accelerates global development and growth.

  • Three women’s and two men’s Rugby World Cup locations confirmed creating a golden decade for the sport
  • World Rugby Council approves new partnership model for Rugby World Cup delivery to optimise game growth opportunities
  • Rugby World Cup 2025 hosting to build on huge women’s game momentum in England, inspiring young people to get into rugby
  • Australia’s Rugby World Cup confirmation creates golden decade of world-class rugby in nation, building on Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and British and Irish Lions hosting
  • USA to host 15s Rugby World Cups for the first time as highlight in wider long-term growth plan
  • Decision secures long-term growth opportunity for the sport to unlock the true potential of a global sport for all

World Rugby has confirmed the locations for the next three women’s and two men’s Rugby World Cups as it accelerates global development and growth.

At its Annual Meeting in Dublin, the World Rugby Council unanimously approved the staging of Rugby World Cup in the following countries, delivering a golden decade for the sport:

  • England to host Rugby World Cup 2025 (women’s)
  • Australia to host Rugby World Cup 2027 (men’s) and 2029 (women’s)
  • USA to host Rugby World Cup 2031 (men’s) and 2033 (women’s)

Underpinning this confirmation, the Council also approved a new model that will see World Rugby form partnerships with national unions and governments to establish a local delivery structure in each nation.

The new partnership approach is in line with the ‘game-changer’ objectives of World Rugby’s strategic plan to provide hosting certainty for Rugby World Cup and stimulate the dynamic development of rugby globally by engaging with more fans and unlocking new revenue streams for increased investment in the sport. This includes a roadmap to accelerate the sport’s advancement in the USA and increased investment in the women’s game.

Speaking at the Council, World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “Today, we have approved three exceptional Rugby World Cup host nations – England, Australia and USA – providing unprecedented certainty and an unparalleled opportunity to accelerate the growth and impact of rugby globally. It is great for rugby, for fans and for the host nations.

“The confirmation of host locations is supported by a new partnership approach to event delivery, that will power long-term, sustainable development, including in the USA and across the women’s game, enabling the sport to realise its global potential on and off the field, driving significant social and economic benefits for host nations.

“Today is a landmark moment for the sport, and an exciting development for fans. I would like to congratulate everyone involved in making this dream a reality as we look to deliver a truly global sport for all.”

World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin added: “As a sport and an international federation, it is imperative that we continually seek new ways to ensure that the sport converts clear potential into impactful outcomes, and today’s decision reflects that commitment.

“A partnership approach will enable us to develop robust strategic objectives that are great for the host nation and great for rugby and build efficiencies of delivery and resourcing, helping to reduce hosting costs from the outset, while maximising fan engagement, revenue and delivery opportunities. All of which will lead to even greater direct investment back into the game at all levels.

“We look forward to continuing our engagement with the host partners to deliver the stage for the world’s best players to perform and a festival to excite and engage fans from around the world, growing the rugby movement together in a responsible and sustainable way.”

RFU Chief Operating Officer, Chief Finance Officer and former England captain Sue Day said: “We are thrilled to be hosting Rugby World Cup 2025, it is going to be incredible. We would like to thank Government for their support in making this possible. Working closely with Government, UK Sport, Sport England and World Rugby together we will create a lasting legacy for women’s rugby in England, the UK and across the world, both in terms of attracting more people to play and attracting new fans.

“As we have seen from other home World Cups in cricket, hockey and netball, a Rugby World Cup will further advance all women’s sport. The tournament will also deliver significant economic benefits right across the country.”

Rugby Australia Chairman Hamish McLennan said: “This is an historic day for rugby in Australia. We’re beyond thrilled to be welcoming not one, but two Rugby World Cups to our shores. It’s a game-changer for rugby in this country, a once-in-a-generation opportunity to revitalise and secure the future of the sport here and see the game we all love grow and thrive for years to come.

“Today’s announcement is also the result of an incredible amount of hard work and cooperation from across the rugby community over many years. Today is a significant moment in time for our game. We look forward to working together with World Rugby, our member unions and Government partners over the coming years to ensure that we make the most of this opportunity and continue the resurgence of rugby in this country.”

USA Rugby Chief Executive Ross Young added: “I speak for the rugby community and fans across the United States when I express our sincere gratitude to World Rugby for their trust and endorsement of our vision to grow this incredible sport exponentially across our country. 

“USA Rugby will now venture into a new era and ensure the sport’s most treasured event is a springboard for creating lasting, sustainable enthusiasm and passion for rugby from coast to coast. We look forward to partnering with World Rugby in the years ahead to ensure that our preparations for these tournaments and the events themselves are a paradigm-shifting catalyst for the growth of our sport, not only here in the United States but around the world.”

The revised model builds on the success of a future host selection process that has attracted credible and sustainable bids, showing the clear potential to deliver excellent outcomes for both the hosts and the game. With Japan 2019 delivering record economic and societal outcomes, new commercial partners through to 2023 and beyond, and France 2023 set to smash all previous ticket sales, commercial and broadcast records, Rugby World Cup is an attractive proposition for governments and national unions with a climate positive commitment in line with World Rugby’s Environmental Sustainability Plan 2030.

Meanwhile, the women’s edition will be the jewel in the crown of an exciting new global calendar from 2023 with the introduction of WXV set to revolutionise the competition, competitiveness, and fan engagement landscape. Rugby World Cup 2021, playing in 2022, in New Zealand will raise the bar after global successes in Ireland, France and England. The 2025 tournament will expand to 16 teams, providing the opportunity for more teams to compete on the biggest stage.

Zilliqa Combines With The iSportConnect Web3 Summit Presented By Tezos

The iSportConnect Web3 Summit presented by Tezos is thrilled to reveal Zilliqa, the high-security blockchain platform, as the latest partner of the upcoming event..

iSportConnect’s Web3 Summit presented by Tezos will be taking place on the 28th and 29th of June 2022 at Emirates Stadium in London. Head to https://www.web3summit.sport/ for more information, the full agenda and to purchase tickets.

Zilliqa was launched to counter the inability of blockchains to scale transactions at speed by launching the world’s first public blockchain sharding architecture.

Zilliqa’s technical innovations and excellence places it right at the cutting edge of the web3 revolution, and is the engine driving its play for the gaming industry. Through its partnerships with leading esports organisations and the Metaverse-as-a-Service (MaaS) model of Metapolis offering deeper levels of engagement and GameFi opportunities — Zilliqa is poised to become the L1 of choice for blockchain gaming.

CEO of Zilliqa, Dr Ben Livshits said:

“Because of its security, scalability, and high-performance, Zilliqa is set to change the way things work across many verticals, including sports and gaming. This partnership with iSportConnect recognises our achievements in those spaces, and is a sign of our mutual commitment to bring the power and potential of web3 innovations to businesses everywhere.”

“The mission with the event is to educate our community and the wider industry on the impact the Web3 tech stack and the metaverse could have across the numerous departments that fall within a sports organisation,” commented Joe Condon, Commercial & Marketing Lead of iSportConnect’s Web3 Summit Presented By Tezos.

“Zilliqa are one of the leading blockchain players, and the team brings with them a wealth of experience in sports and gaming that will help guide organisations on their strategy in this space. We’re delighted to have them onboard and look forward to them joining us in June.”

Purchase your tickets to the iSportConnect Web3 Summit at our Early Bird price of £699pp now at – https://www.web3summit.sport/

TikTok Becomes Official Entertainment Platform Of UEFA Women’s EURO 2022

TikTok has become the Official Partner of the biggest-ever UEFA Women’s EURO 2022!

As a Global Sponsor, TikTok will bring their community closer to the action of summer’s most-anticipated football event, while celebrating the spirit of this iconic moment in the women’s sporting calendar.

Shining a spotlight on women’s sport and EURO 2022

The move builds on the success of TikTok’s partnership with UEFA for EURO 2020 and the incredible growth of women’s sport on TikTok.

Alongside the landmark Title Sponsorship of the Women’s Six Nations rugby competition and unique partnership with Burnley FC Women who stream all their home games live on TikTok, there has been everything from England’s Lionesses taking us behind-the-scenes, to Spain’s women’s Primera División sponsor Iberdrola showcasing the pride and passion of women’s football through #JueganComoChicas (#PlayLikeGirls), and football freestylers like Lia Lewis inspiring young women to get into the beautiful game.

All this has led TikTok to become a cultural home for all sports fandom across Europe, with the hashtag #womeninsports racking up almost a billion views.

With the tournament kicking off on 6 July across England, the TikTok community can get involved in a variety of creative ways, from using our innovative special effects and sounds in their videos, to joining in with TikTok LIVEs and EUROs-inspired hashtag challenges. Look out for an official UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 TikTok account ahead of the tournament, which aims to inspire and entertain the global football community with exclusive behind-the-scenes content, plus current and archival footage.

Guy-Laurent Epstein, marketing director of UEFA, said:

“We are thrilled to once again partner with TikTok, this time for the biggest UEFA Women’s EURO ever.With the TikTok football community ever-growing with teams, fans, creators and associations, we are looking forward to showcasing this summer’s premiere sporting event featuring some of the greatest women’s footballers in the world through unique, creative and engaging content. It’s an exciting time to be a football fan.”

Rich Waterworth, General Manager, Europe, TikTok, said:

“Since our partnership with UEFA for EURO 2020, we have seen TikTok become the home of football fandom; with creators, players and nations alike coming together to share their passion for the beautiful game, in a uniquely TikTok way. We are delighted to continue this partnership as the Official Entertainment Platform of UEFA Women’s EURO 2022, and to build on our joint efforts to promote equality and inclusion in football through TikTok’s #SwipeOutHate campaign and UEFA’s #EqualGame. We cannot wait to see our community show their support for the women’s game, as we make this year’s championship even more accessible to our global community.”

Spectacle Partners Advisory Firm Launched By Richard Conway And Scott Bowers

Two of the leading reputation advisers in sport and entertainment – Scott Bowers (left) and Richard Conway (right) – have joined forces to launch Spectacle Partners, a new global advisory firm focused on supporting the reputations of organisations, brands and individuals operating in the sport and entertainment industries.

Spectacle’s Managing Partner, Scott Bowers, is currently the award-winning Chief Corporate Affairs Officer for one of the UK’s largest sports and entertainment businesses, The Jockey Club, and was previously Head of Sport at international PR firm, Weber Shandwick, where he worked on Olympic bids, Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League Finals, UEFA Euros, Rugby World Cup and for major brands including Mastercard, L’Oréal and Coca-Cola.

Richard Conway, joint Managing Partner, spent close to two decades as a journalist, most recently as the BBC’s Sport News Correspondent. He was twice named SJA Broadcast Journalist of the Year. Since leaving the Corporation in 2019 he has provided reputation counsel and support to a range of blue-chip clients in the sports industry. This includes the organisers of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, a project he remains committed to and will see through to completion later this year.

Spectacle will be Chaired by sports, media and music industry veteran, Simon Bazalgette, whose management advisory and investment firm, Global Venue Services (GVS), is backing the new venture. Additionally, Bazalgette is currently an Independent Director of the 72-club English Football League (EFL) and a Member of NSPCC’s Sports Board. He was formerly Chief Executive of The Jockey Club and of Europe’s first digital music business, Music Choice Europe, and founding Executive Chairman of Racecourse Media Group. He was also Senior Independent Director of the London 2017 World Athletics and Para-athletics Championships. At the start of his career he spent nearly 10 years at KPMG specialising in international media and entertainment consulting.

Scott Bowers said:

“Richard and I have launched Spectacle because we’re excited to support organisations and individuals in sport and entertainment to achieve fantastic reputations amongst the audiences that matter to them and their success. We are grateful to have foundation clients and hand-picked team members to meet those challenges. We’d love to make a difference to the sector in the years ahead, working in real partnership with in-house teams, having walked in those shoes myself.”

Richard Conway said:

“We’re thrilled to be launching Spectacle and we’re ready to start meeting the complex needs of our clients from day one. Scott and I have many years of experience from working on many major spectacles, from a variety of different perspectives. We’ve pretty much seen it all! We can’t wait to get started and apply our knowledge and expertise.”

Simon Bazalgette said:

“I’ve worked closely with Scott over the last 10 years or so and I know the strategic value he adds to the Boards and businesses he works with. I’ve also got to know Richard well in that time and at the BBC he demonstrated his ability to draw out the key issues faced in sport and, more recently, how to address them when he crossed the aisle to work on the comms side. They both have strong reputations across sport and entertainment for the wisdom and insight they offer, and by joining forces in Spectacle, the sector will be able to benefit from the value they will add to their clients. I’m proud to be appointed the first Chair of Spectacle and privileged to be working alongside such prodigious talents as Scott and Richard.”

Spectacle has also revealed aspects of commitments it is making to its client partners. Explaining this, Bowers added:

“We also wanted to announce three of Spectacle’s Client Promises today. First, we will not promote ourselves off the back of our clients partners and so we won’t be publishing client lists or case studies. Second, hourly billing undermines the value and business impact of reputation. Our discussions with client partners will be about what it takes to achieve their desired outcomes, not billing them hourly for how long it takes us to provide important counsel, create a killer idea or send a WhatsApp to the Head of Sky News. Third, we guarantee hand-picked consultants to work on each brief based on their expertise and experience, as opposed to ‘who has capacity to fill’. I’ve worked in agencies and as a client, and the Spectacle team is committed to doing things differently where needed.”

BOXXER Signs New International Broadcast Partnerships

BOXXER, the UK’s next-generation boxing promotion, today announced a plethora of new broadcast agreements which will air live BOXXER programming to over 100 international territories.

Sports broadcasting giant ESPN will air BOXXER’s upcoming June 11 event, headlined by Richard Riakporhe in a cruiserweight title shot eliminator against Fabio Turchi, making the event available to 75 million households in the USA and up to 30 million households in Canada.

Agreements are also in place for this event with Mola TV in Italy, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore; Proximia TV in Spain; TV3 in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia; Canal+ in Poland; Nova in Bulgaria; SportKlub in the Balkans and many more. 

The new agreements double the size of BOXXER’s global footprint, with further deals set to be announced in the near future. A full list of territories and broadcasters will be available at BOXXER.com shortly, along with a How To Watch section for worldwide fight fans to find their regional carrier.

BOXXER’s founder and CEO Ben Shalom said: “BOXXER’s international growth has been significant over the past few months. We’re now able to bring our events and fighters to more fight fans than ever. Our ambition is to make the sport more accessible than ever before and these significant international partnerships help make that vision a reality.” 

BOXXER shows air live and exclusively on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland, after the leading UK sports broadcaster signed BOXXER as its exclusive British provider of boxing content in a landmark four-year deal in 2021. 

With partnerships in place with premium broadcasters across mainland Europe, south-east Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America, BOXXER gives international fight fans a new level of access to top-tier boxing while enabling the new generation of standout British boxers to showcase their skills to viewers around the world. 

The BOXXER stable includes world champions, elite contenders and Olympic medallists. Following yesterday’s announcement that silver medalist Ben Whittaker has signed an exclusive promotional agreement, BOXXER is now home to four of the six Team GB medallists from the Tokyo Olympics.

Sportway And MyGame Set To Build Largest AI Video Sports Service In Europe

Swedish based Sportway AB and Norwegian company MyGame Group AS have agreed to merge in order to ramp up their international expansion plans and unite their extensive rights portfolios.

The new parent company in the merged unit, Sportway Media Group AB, will control exclusive sports rights in five countries across seven different sports. With AI-cameras installed in more than 500 arenas, and more than 3.000 new installations already in the pipeline, the company is aiming for a dominant role in the AI sports production and streaming business in Europe.

– This is the fastest growing field within the media industry, and building size and momentum is crucial to obtain critical mass, a strong rights portfolio and tech superiority, says Harald Stromme, Chairman and CEO of the merged company. Stromme is one of the founders of MyGame, and former CEO of Discovery Networks Norway & Sweden.

With operations in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and the Czech Republic, Sportway Media Group has a stronghold in the Nordics, and is in pole position to expand further. Jonas Persson, co-founder and chairman of Sportway, and CEO of Commercial Sports Media, will be in charge of sports rights acquisitions and partnerships across the new group. 

– In all my years in the interface between sports and media, I’ve never seen an opportunity like this, Persson says. – For the first time we can offer the 99% of matches that have never before been produced, to a dedicated audience of friends, family and local fans. 

Sportway Media Group will consist of Sportway AB, Live Arena Sports AB, and MyGame Group AS, as well as 51% ownership in MyGame Norway AS and joint venture set-ups with sports federations in Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Czech Republic. MyGame Norway will have two leading local media corporations, TV 2 and Amedia, owning the remaining 49% of the shares. The three plan to develop a national service comprising a vast offering of sports from elite to grassroot level. 

– There is a distinct window of opportunity here, and this merger will make sure that we have the momentum we need to implement great solutions at great speed, says Daniel Franck, co-founder and CEO of Sportway, and former CEO at IEC in Sports. He will also be in charge of business development in the merged entity. – I believe the Norwegian media partnership model is an attractive opportunity also in other markets, with the potential to create true win-win alliances. 

While MyGame is a consumer brand aimed at the end-users, Sportway has focused on B2B alliances with sports federations, setting up joint ventures in order to offer specialized services like Svensk Hockey TV. The merged company will offer both approaches in new markets and focus on securing attractive rights as the main key to expansion. 

– We offer exciting opportunities for rights holders, federations and media companies across Europe, says Edvard Tveten, co-founder and COO of MyGame. – Both fan and player engagement will get a boost unlike anything we’ve seen before. 

In Norway, MyGame has collected exclusive long-term rights to lower division and grassroots sports, including football, handball, ice hockey, floorball, basketball and volleyball. While Sportway has secured ice hockey across Sweden, Denmark, Finland and the Czech Republic, as well as handball, basketball and floorball in Denmark. 

– Over the next few years Sportway Media Group aims to significantly grow our combined rights portfolio across Europe, creating a new and exciting market for local sports, says Stromme. 

Sportway Media Group is currently valued at appr. EUR 60 million based on the latest financing round.

BT And Warner Bros. Discovery Agree To Form New Premium Sports Joint Venture For UK & Ireland

BT Group plc has agreed a set of definitive agreements with Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. to form a 50:50 joint venture company in the UK & Ireland, bringing together an extensive portfolio of premium sports rights including major football competitions including the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and the Premier League; Premiership Rugby; UFC; and Eurosport’s existing offering.

Warner Bros. Discovery and BT have agreed to form a 50:50 joint venture company to create a new premium sports offering for the UK & Ireland.

The new joint venture will bring audiences a compelling collection of rights including UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, the English Premier League, Premiership Rugby, UFC, the Olympic Games, tennis Grand Slams featuring the Australian Open and Roland-Garros, cycling Grand Tours including the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia and the winter sports World Cup season.

Both BT Sport and Eurosport UK will initially retain their separate brands and product propositions in the market before being brought together under a single brand in the future.

Marc Allera, CEO BT’s Consumer division, said “As a global sports and entertainment broadcaster Warner Bros. Discovery is the perfect partner to work with us to take BT Sport to the next stage of its growth.

“We’re excited to be joining forces to bring the best of BT Sport together with Eurosport UK to create a fantastic new sports offer alongside all the entertainment that discovery+ has to offer BT customers.”

“I’m incredibly proud of the established, creative and innovative broadcaster that BT Sport has become. We have a brilliant team who are dedicated to broadcasting amazing sporting moments and we look forward to working with Eurosport UK to realise the opportunities that this next stage will bring both our team and our viewers.”

Chelsea Football Club Announces A New Partnership With Amber Group

As part of this historic partnership, Amber Group will become the club’s official sleeve partner, with the logo of WhaleFin – the company’s flagship digital asset platform – emblazoned across the kit of both the men’s and women’s teams from the start of the 2022/23 season.

As the first digital asset partner for Chelsea Football Club, Amber Group will introduce WhaleFin to football fans around the world. Built with the deep expertise that Amber Group has developed serving both institutional and retail digital asset markets, WhaleFin is an all-in-one platform that serves as a gateway to crypto finance for everyone. Amber Group’s focus on raising WhaleFin’s profile through this partnership underscores the growing prominence of digital assets, and the role it plays in helping investors build wealth in the digital era.

As part of the partnership agreement, Chelsea and Amber Group will collaborate on a range of partnership activities which will focus on growing the WhaleFin brand globally. The two will also work together on a series of sustainability initiatives that are central to Amber Group’s ongoing commitment to build a sustainable future for all. The company most recently announced collaborations with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation and Moss Earth, and is expected to broaden its support of sustainability initiatives globally.

Guy Laurence, Chelsea FC Chief Executive, commented: 

‘This is a hugely exciting partnership for the club, which aligns us with one of the most advanced digital asset companies in the world. As Amber Group continue to expand coverage of their platform globally, they will now have the ability to not only speak to the hundreds of millions of loyal Chelsea fans around the globe but also be seen by the billions who tune into the Premier League each season.’

Michael Wu, Amber Group Chief Executive Officer said:

‘Our partnership with Chelsea FC is a watershed moment as we embark on the next stage of our growth globally. With the beautiful game’s ability to rally a global audience regardless of culture, language and nationality, we are excited to showcase the full potential of digital assets to an international audience. With a storied club history backed by a world-class team, Chelsea FC is a class act that we are proud to partner with, as we bring digitisation and crypto finance to global users. We are thrilled to be associated with one of the best teams in the English Premier League, and we look forward to unlocking new sporting experiences for football fans around the world.’

Hilton Becomes Official Partner Of The DP World Tour And 2023 Ryder Cup

The European Tour group today announces a new partnership with Hilton that will see the global hospitality company become an Official Partner of the DP World Tour and Official Hotel of the 2023 Ryder Cup.

The new three-year agreement will enable Hilton to provide exclusive access for Hilton Honors members at premium tournaments on the DP World Tour calendar. The Tour will also work with Hilton to create joint content with its players, utilising the DP World Tour’s award-winning digital platforms to help drive brand awareness and audience engagement. Hilton will continue to welcome Tour staff and players at its hotels for tournaments, acting as hub hotels at select locations.

Hilton will also become Official Tournament Partner at four tournaments on the DP World Tour schedule each year, including three Rolex Series events – the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the BMW PGA Championship and the DP World Tour Championship. Hilton will also become the Official Hotel Supplier at an additional three tournaments.

As an exciting first between the partners, the agreement also includes a partnership with the greatest team contest in golf, with Hilton becoming the Official Hotel of the 2023 Ryder Cup that will take place at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, Rome, from September 29 – October 01, 2023.

The new deal is the latest in a long association between Hilton and the European Tour group, which first started in 2015 as an Official Supplier and has continued to grow in stature culminating in this latest ground-breaking agreement.

Speaking about the new partnership Chris Silcock, EVP and Chief Commercial Officer, Hilton, said; “It’s an exciting time to be continuing our partnership with the DP World Tour – especially in the lead-up to the Ryder Cup in Rome next year, where we will have an active role as the Official Hotel of the 2023 edition.

“Our longstanding partnership with the Tour has enabled us over the years to offer exclusive experiences for our Hilton Honors members and create some truly compelling content with Tour players – and I am delighted that we will be able to deliver this content across a number of new tournaments, including the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai later this year. It will also be an honour to showcase our leading and unique Hilton hospitality to players and staff, welcoming them at our hotels around the world.”

Guy Kinnings, Chief Commercial Officer and Deputy CEO of the European Tour group, added; “It’s hugely exciting to commence a new relationship with a hotel supplier of the scale and prestige of Hilton. Its global network closely matches the global footprint and appeal of the DP World Tour and the Ryder Cup, and we look forward to championing the game of golf together through some exciting content initiatives.”