Community, Author at iSportConnect

Sky Sports Extend Broadcast Partnership With British Basketball League

The British Basketball League in partnership with production company Buzz 16 is delighted to announce that Sky Sports have extended their deal to continue as the League’s broadcast partner throughout the 22/23 season.

This latest deal highlights Sky’s commitment to broadcasting British Basketball’s elite competition for a third successive year, with fans up and down the country set to be thrilled by another year of exhilarating BBL and WBBL action.

As part of the agreement Sky Sports will continue to air matches live across their platforms throughout the British Basketball League and Women’s British Basketball League season. This includes the BBL/ and WBBL Trophy Final, Cup Final and Play Offs, as well as action every week during the regular Championship season.

It is an exciting time for the British Basketball League which is currently in the midst of a ground-breaking era, with record attendances at arenas across the country and fans tuning into watch the best of action on Sky each week. To secure a renewal with the best sports broadcaster in the business is another step to the BBL’s ambitions to become the second biggest basketball league in the world.

Speaking about the renewal, the British Basketball League’s Chief Operating Officer, Andy Webb, said:

“We are absolutely delighted to continue our partnership with Sky Sports who have been outstanding to work with throughout their time as broadcast partner of the league. Their high quality coverage brings Basketball to homes across the country each week and ensures our fans can enjoy the very best of the action the league has to offer. This is a thrilling time to be involved with the sport and it’s great to see Sky continue to support us on our journey”.

Helen Falkus, Director of Multi Sports at Sky: “Having the BBL back on Sky Sports for the past two seasons has been great for our viewers, complementing our NBA and WNBA schedules and giving an insight into the growth of the sport in this country. We’re excited to see the story develop in the future on our platforms.”

Basketball fans can continue to catch games throughout the 22/23 season live on Sky Sports Arena and the Sky Sports YouTube channel, as well as the BBL Player.

LaSource Becomes Media Partner Of iSportConnect Web3 Summit Presented By Tezos

Sports consultancy company LaSource has become the latest organisation to join up with iSportConnect’s Web3 Summit presented by Tezos as an event media partner.

The Web3 Summit 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.

LaSource is a B2B agency based in Paris, focused on sport, digital and technology. Since 2019, they have been helping handpicked and high potential startups to expand their business and premium technology across the European Market.

“Our belief in new technologies to help sports organisations develop their activities lead us to explore and analyse all the possibilities that could bring Web3.”

LaSource has created a model that gives companies access to new innovative and digital solutions to meet their strategic objectives. They believe in the power of digital and how it can bring sports organisations to new heights. They can aid leading sports organisations by putting together digital strategies and helping them to execute and get results with their digital transformation.

The organisation works with both startups and established companies to benefit their operations through business development, brand positioning and innovation consulting.

Jean-Baptiste Alliot, CSO at LaSource: “Our belief in new technologies to help sports organisations develop their activities lead us to explore and analyse all the possibilities that could bring Web3.

“Events such as the ISportConnect Web3 Summit are essential to further investigate and democratise the use of these technologies and we are pleased to be participating in this amazing opportunity. We are looking forward to discussing Web3 and the rise of a new distribution model at the Emirates in June.”

“The Web3 Summit has been created in order to provide educational benefits for the sports industry to be able to learn and understand where they can create benefits for their organisation from this new technology.”

Sandy Case, CEO of the iSportConnect Web3 Summit presented by Tezos, added: “The Web3 Summit has been created in order to provide educational benefits for the sports industry to be able to learn and understand where they can create benefits for their organisation from this new technology.

“It is fantastic to have LaSource on board as a media partner for our event in June to help us spread this message and we look forward to welcoming them to the Emirates.”

Through this partnership with LaSource we are able to offer a discount of 10% for the iSportConnect Web3 Summit presented by Tezos on the 28/29 June at Emirates Stadium in London – use the code LASOURCE10 at checkout to receive the discount.

Purchase your tickets to the iSportConnect Web3 Summit now – https://www.web3summit.sport/event-details/tickets/ticket-form

OneFootball Appoints Former Arsenal Executive, Peter Silverstone, In New Senior Leadership Role

OneFootball, the world’s largest football media platform, has today announced the appointment of Peter Silverstone to the role of SVP, Global Development, responsible for OneFootball’s Clubs, Leagues, Federations and Players (CLFP) network and partnerships division. Peter brings almost two decades of commercial experience in the football industry that will be critical to OneFootball’s continued growth and momentum.

He joins from Arsenal FC where he was the Chief Commercial Officer and member of the Arsenal Executive team. During his tenure at Arsenal, Peter led a number of successful commercial initiatives, most notably from a partnership perspective the bringing on board, and successful development, of Arsenal’s globally renowned adidas partnership, and the signing and extension of Arsenal’s ground-breaking sleeve partnership with Visit Rwanda. Peter also oversaw the rapid growth of Arsenal’s e-commerce business, the extension, and sell-out, of Arsenal’s expanded Club Level and the agreement with Amazon for Arsenal’s “All Or Nothing” documentary. Peter represented Arsenal on various Premier League, FA and ECA Committees and Task Forces across Men’s and Women’s football.

In his new role at OneFootball, Peter will be responsible for the development of new and existing partnerships across the company’s CLFP network, building on the 125+ clubs, leagues and federations that are already publishing exclusive or new content on the OneFootball platform, working with OneFootball VP Partnerships, Tom Muller. He will also play an integral role in driving forward the company’s expansion into Web3, helping clubs, leagues, federations and players leverage OneFootball’s recently formed joint venture, OneFootball Labs, to deliver new products and services on the blockchain.

Patrick Fischer, Chief Business Officer of OneFootball, said: “It’s a privilege to have Peter at OneFootball, as someone who has played such a critical commercial role at one of the biggest clubs in world football. As OneFootball enters a new phase in its journey, Peter’s experience managing a number of different revenue streams will be incredibly valuable to drive our company forward. I’m delighted to have him on board as we build an even better experience for football fans and the industry.”

Silverstone said: “OneFootball is at a turning point, having just announced its Web3 strategy and the successful Series D funding round that will help power its delivery. I have seen how Lucas, Patrick, Tom and the entire team have built the business over the past decade and I am excited by its growth prospects and its ability to be the OneFootball destination that brings global football fans closer to the game they love. I have been immediately impressed by the energy and diverse industry talent that is joining, and will join, the already established team at OneFootball. I’m looking forward to being part of this new team so I can lend my skills and experience to create new revenue opportunities, deepen and broaden partnerships, and deliver mutually beneficial relationships to support OneFootball’s comprehensive fan ecosystem.”

OneFootball’s platform provides fans around the globe access to high-quality football content whenever and wherever they want it. The appointment follows the closing of its Series D funding round of US$300 million, to support the company’s future global growth and expansion into Web3. This week, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) announced it will become the first football federation globally to officially launch a personalised NFT platform with OneFootball. Fans of the Argentine National Team will also be able to purchase officially licensed digital collectibles on the platform when the collection is launched.

Snapshot: Let’s Talk About NFTs By Fayre Labs

So what is an NFT?

NFTs are opening up new opportunities in the sports industry, as they are a great way for fans to engage with their favourite teams. But, what is an NFT?

NFT stands for Non-Fungible Token. Each NFT represents the ownership of a unique piece of digital property as a token. These tokens exist on and are secured by a blockchain to be resilient against theft or copy attempts. There are no two NFTs that are exact equals of another. Even if 100% of one NFTs’ contents are copied into another, it will never be original.

People have always loved owning sports collectibles, and now NFTs offer a new, digitised and more trusted way to do so, providing benefits that are not limited to the physical world.

We are just starting to discover the possibilities that NFTs can offer sports. In the next deliveries we will explain some of these early use cases.

As fans and athletes and their organisations connect, the more opportunity there will be for further innovations. NFT drops and NFT trading cards are a great start, but who knows where the technology will go as metaverse and Web Integrations enter the arena too.”

Fayre is a global multi-chain marketplace and dashboard for brands and fans. They are a partner of the upcoming iSportConnect Web3 Summit presented by Tezos. Fayre are passionate about bringing NFTs to a wider audience. They are on a mission to change the way brands and creators interact with their fans.

Part NFT marketplace, part fan activation hub. They make tools that allow creators and brands to establish and manage fan clubs, which gives NFTs unlimited function & purpose in real life, online and in virtual worlds.

Get your tickets now for the iSportConnect Web3 Summit, available at our Early Bird price of £699 here > https://www.web3summit.sport/event-details/tickets

BT Sport To Make 2022 UEFA Champions League, Europa League And Europa Conference League Finals Available For Everyone To Watch

BT Sport is making the 2022 UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League finals available for everyone in the UK to watch whether on TV, online or on mobile. All three finals will be available for free at www.btsport.com/final, on the BT Sport YouTube channel – www.youtube.com/btsport, via the BT Sport App for small and large-screen devices, including PlayStation, Xbox, Samsung smart TVs, Apple TV, Android TV and Amazon Fire. The finals will also be available for anyone to watch on Virgin Media TiVo, TV360 and Stream platforms on channel 532 (HD)

BT Sport’s live coverage of Rangers’ historic UEFA Europa League Final against Eintracht Frankfurt will be live from Seville on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport Ultimate from 6.30pm on Wednesday 18th May, hosted by Darrell Currie and the team including Ally McCoist, Kenny Miller and Owen Hargreaves, Alex Rae, Stephen Craigan, Rory Hamilton and Emma Dodds.

The inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League Final, featuring AS Roma v Feyenoord, will begin at 7.30pm on Wednesday 25th May on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport Ultimate, live from Tirana, Albania.

On Friday 27th May, BT Sport’s focus will turn to the 2022 UEFA Champions League final between Liverpool v Real Madrid with a live preview show from Paris beginning at 6pm on BT Sport 1.

BT Sport’s build-up to the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday 28^th May will begin at 5pm with the final episode in the Champions League Immortals, where the definitive UCL Immortals team will be decided in a studio discussion with Seema Jaswal, Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole and Michael Owen.

Exclusively live coverage from the Stade de France will begin at 6pm before kick-off at 8pm, live on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport Ultimate. The final will be hosted by Jake Humphrey and the team includes Rio Ferdinand, Peter Crouch, Michael Owen, Darren Fletcher, Steve McManaman, Glenn Hoddle and Des Kelly.

Jamie Hindhaugh, Head of BT Sport, said “It has been another hugely entertaining season of football across all three UEFA club competitions, highlighted by British clubs making two of the finals once again. We’re delighted to round these European campaigns off by making the live action from all three finals available for anyone to watch for free on the BT Sport website, app or YouTube channel.”

Tom Daley OBE Wins Outstanding Contribution To Sport Award At Sport Industry Awards 2022

The best and brightest of the sport industry reunited in London yesterday for the 21st edition of the Sport Industry Awards. Held under the roof of a sold-out Evolution London, 1,500 sport industry professionals and athletes came together to celebrate and showcase the outstanding work and achievements of the sector in the last year.

Hosted by sports presenter Laura Woods and TV personality Mark Durden-Smith, the star-studded ceremony saw Tom Daley OBE walk away with the Outstanding Contribution to Sport Award, following his gold medal in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. While human rights lawyer Kat Craig received the Integrity & Impact Award in Association with InsightX, for her role in the evacuation of the Afghan Women’s National football team from Kabul last year.

On receiving the prestigious award, Daley, who was presented his award by fellow Olympic gold medallist and friend Greg Louganis, said, “Not only to receive this award but to have it be presented to me by my childhood hero, was so surreal. Greg has been such a massive influence in my diving career.

“I have seen so many people receive The Outstanding Contribution to Sport Award over the years and it is so incredible. I was here for the first time when I was 12 years old and to now have one of these myself is overwhelming.”

Daley became the fifth recipient of the award, following on from Manchester United player Marcus Rashford for work he has done in fighting for those less fortunate, US gymnast Rachel Denhollander for speaking out against her abuser Larry Nasser, Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling for his work fighting racism in football, and the USWNT’s Megan Rapinoe for her uniting voice amid a divisive America and her continued action for the LGBTQ+ community.

The night began with the Integrity & Impact Award in association with InsightX, awarded to Athlead Founder and CEO, Kat Craig, by Tanni Grey-Thompson.

Craig accepted the award on behalf of a number of individuals and organisations who were instrumental in the evacuation of the Afghan Women’s National football team and other vulnerable female athletes from Kabul in the autumn of 2021.

On receiving the award, Craig, said, “I’m really grateful to have this opportunity to pay tribute to the incredible group of people who came together. But more than anything, it was the players who were forced to run a gauntlet of Taliban checkpoints and crowd crushes to make it to the airport. It was the players who we asked to make the impossible choice – to stay and die or leave their families behind while their country burned. They saved themselves, and this award, more than anything, is for them.

And it is important to recognise all that courage and that togetherness because it shows us as an industry that – off the pitch as much as on it – it takes a team to make change happen.”

A theme of ‘togetherness’ was ongoing throughout the awards and nowhere was this more evident than when Sport Industry Group chairman Nick Keller announced the launch of the Sport Together Fund.

Established by Sport Industry Group’s sister organisation and global charity Beyond Sport, Keller explained that, although the immediate focus of the Sport Together Fund is to support the needs of Ukrainian refugees, the long-term aim of the fund is to bring the sport industry together to help communities around the world and to better inform the industry about the positive role it can play in times of crisis.

On announcing the Sport Together Fund, Keller said, “When we come together as an industry, we can affect great change upon the world, but we must be unified in our action. When we use sport with intention, we can offer hope, transform lives and rebuild communities from the roots up.

Gathered here tonight, surrounded by friends and colleagues, I know that together we have the power to make a difference.”

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was the big winner on the night, taking home two awards. The Hundred, the ECB’s short-form cricket competition which launched in 2021, won Event of the Year in association with Miller, while it’s ticketing strategy, which successful brought a diverse new audience to the competition’s inaugural season, was further rewarded with the Data & Insights Award in association with Sportradar.

Toyota GB picked up the Brand of the Year Award in association with RPC for its sponsorship activation of the Olympic & Paralympic Games and Team GB. Meanwhile the British Paralympic Association’s Parasport Powered by Toyota, a hub designed to highlight grassroots accessible sport and physical activity in the UK, took home the Active & Wellbeing Award.

Elsewhere, Premier League football club Brentford FC was praised for an outstanding year on and off the pitch and, as such, won the Sport Organisation of the Year in association with egoli Media.

In a closely contested category, Two Circles won Agency of the Year, in part for its work on The Hundred, while London-based sports and entertainment marketing agency The Space Between was the deserved winner of Young Agency of the Year.

For a full list of winners across the 18 prestigious award categories, please click HERE.

eSkootr Championship Announces Global Broadcast Agreement With DAZN

The eSkootr Championship™ (eSC) will be shown in more than 200 countries worldwide on the sports streaming platform, DAZN.

Through DAZN, fans from around the world will be able to watch riders from 11 different countries, including the UK, France, Spain, Austria and America compete in the very first eSkootr Championship race from Printworks London this weekend live and through the 90 minute highlight show. Following the highly anticipated season opener, DAZN will also broadcast all the action from the five other races taking place in 2022.

As one of the biggest sport broadcast rights holders globally, DAZN’s will make eSC available to millions around the world, helping eSC with its mission to create an accessible racing series everyone can enjoy.

Sharon Fuller, Chief Content Officer at eSC, commented:

“eSC is a global championship with races around the world and riders coming from four different continents, so it is important for us to ensure we are visible in multiple territories. DAZN, as one of the world’s biggest sport broadcasters, will make all of our 2022 events available in close to 270 countries, helping us reach and engage with a truly global fanbase.”

Tom Burrows, DAZN EVP of Rights, said:

“Bringing the eSkootr Championship to our platform on a global scale underlines our commitment to making a broad range of sport more accessible to an ever-increasing number of fans. This is set to be an exhilarating racing season and we can’t wait to get it started.”

Extreme E Docu-series To Launch On Prime Video

The inaugural season of the pioneering Extreme E racing series has been captured in a new documentary, set for release on Prime Video in the UK and Ireland coming soon early Summer of this year.

‘Race for the Planet’ is a five-part docu-series giving audiences a comprehensive look at Extreme E’s 2021 season and the climate change story that underpinned it. The show has been executive produced by the sports production company NEO Studios.

Extreme E’s first campaign brought some of the world’s top male and female racers together to compete in electric SUVs in locations impacted by climate and environmental issues. The teams were founded by motorsport legends Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Jenson Button, Chip Ganassi and Michael Andretti. Racers included nine-time World Rally champion Sébastien Loeb, two-time World Rally champion Carlos Sainz Sr, the Hansen brothers and double W Series winner Jamie Chadwick.

There were five races in total across 2021, taking the drivers from the Saudi Arabian desert in April to Dorset in the UK in December. NEO Studios’ crew were with the teams on each leg of the journey to tell the story.

Anouk Mertens, NEO Studios CEO and Race for the Planet Executive Producer, said:

“The idea of Extreme E is so bold and exciting, and what we have is really the ultimate account of the competition’s first campaign. The series not only documents an incredible season of racing in some of the most extreme conditions imaginable – but also shines the light on some remarkable human stories. We are excited to be partnering with Prime Video to get the show to audiences later this year.”

Audiences will see the 2021 season unfold through the eyes of the drivers, teams and support staff. As well as capturing the drama of race days – from spectacular off road action, to blistering crashes – the show will tell the stories of its stars, and the organizers who made it happen in the face of the pandemic. The series also sheds light on the consequences of climate change in each race location.

Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer for Extreme E, said:

“We are absolutely thrilled to announce our new documentary ‘Race for the Planet’, highlighting the untold stories behind the scenes of Extreme E on and off the track, taking audiences along with us as we race in the most remote locations of the planet.

“We have captured what it is like to race and breathe Extreme E. We break down the barriers, bring authenticity to displaying the ups and down of motorsport, the challenges and essentially, how gladiatorial Extreme E is. Listening into the intimate thoughts of some of the best drivers in motorsport makes this documentary even more exciting and entertaining.

“Working with Prime Video was the perfect way to release this original documentary to showcase Extreme E as pioneers and a sport for purpose Championship. Not only will ‘Race for the Planet’ bring our fans and viewers into the heart of our racing and legacy projects, but this documentary will also attract a new audience to Extreme E.”

Catie Munnings, Genesys Andretti United Extreme E, said:

“Seeing ‘Race for the Planet’ gave me goosebumps. I could feel myself getting nervous again with my heart beating faster as we were sat on the start line because it brought back so many memories for me. It’s really nice to have some time to reflect on last season and see the behind the scenes of other teams’ to understand what goes on as well as the life stories behind each individual athlete, which we would never normally see. I think that Extreme E has done it in a great light with lots of humour and competitiveness.

“It’s really important to see the legacy work that happens as well and how that combines with the racing in a really clear and simple way that all fans will understand. I’m looking forward to it coming out and I hope the fans enjoy it.”

Race for the Planet Episode Synopsis

Episode 1: “Bite The Dust” – Desert X Prix, Saudi Arabia
Set across the vistas of the AlUla desert, the challenges of putting on an Extreme E event became real – this inaugural race brought all the drama you were hoping for! Cars and drivers tested to breaking point, the heart-stopping ‘drop’ descent, and the realities of dust in the desert create last minute headaches for the race organisers. This episode features an in-depth chat with American racing legend, Kyle LeDuc, as he speaks on his family history in motorsport on his home turf in the USA.
Episode 2: “Roots” – Ocean X Prix, Senegal
The crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean coast set the scene for the second round of Extreme E. This highly technical beach course meant new challenges for teams. It was no relaxing trip to the seaside, that’s for sure! Wheel-to-wheel racing between JBXE, X44 and Rosberg X Racing (RXR) made for some intense viewing, and a collision puts the Race Director under pressure. This time, we feature the ‘at home’ segment with British rally driver, Catie Munnings.
Episode 3: “Thin Ice” – Arctic X Prix, Greenland
The third round takes us to the frontline of the climate crisis, where no motorsport has been before – the Greenland ice cap – as teams go to battle in this stunning weekend of racing. This course delivered fast racing, jumps and insane overtakes, and the Rock Garden tested the cars to new limits. A new five-car final format only increased the side-by-side action and drama, with racing going down to the finish line in dramatic scenes.
Features Laia Sanz, a Motocross rider as we follow her amazing progress of her first time ever swapping her bike for Extreme E’s four-wheel competition.
Episode 4: “Fired Up” – Island X Prix – Sardinia
Taking on the harshest terrain yet, across the hard baked Sardinian terrain, drivers and cars were challenged beyond their limits. Hunting each other down, the title battle hots up between two teams, bringing history back into the fight for the championship. Who will come out on top? And could there be an end to the bad luck run for Chip Ganassi Racing? The battle continues as we approach the finale. A family feature showcases the Hansen brothers and heritage in motorsports with their family at home in Sweden.
Episode 5: “Old Rivalries” – Jurassic X Prix – UK
Bringing the action to Extreme E’s backyard, the final round is set on the Bovington tank lands of Dorset, UK. Here, drivers encountered the classic British winter. With the elements at their worst, visibility low and knee deep in mud at times, the season reaches a dramatic conclusion. A tale of two teams, the final race is not to be missed. Find out who wins the inaugural Extreme E season. We wrap up the season showcasing all the ecological legacy projects undertaken by Extreme E.

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.