W Series Announces New USA Broadcast Partnership With ESPN

W Series will include ten races at eight Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends in 2022, and ESPN will broadcast live coverage of all qualifying and race sessions across their portfolio of channels, including ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU and ESPNEWS.  

W Series’ 2022 season began with a double-header in Miami, Florida, this weekend (6-8 May). They were the first of three W Series races in the USA this year, as the Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas, will stage the penultimate race of season three in October. That follows W Series’ highly-acclaimed debut in the USA last October when Jamie Chadwick became a two-time W Series champion in front of a record 400,000 fans across the weekend.

ESPN, Inc. is the leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment brand featuring the broadest portfolio of multimedia sports assets. Formula 1 races have aired in the USA on ESPN and its affiliated networks since 2018.

Catherine Bond Muir (Chief Executive Officer, W Series) said:

“W Series is building great momentum in the USA following the incredible finish to last season at COTA where our women drivers showcased their skills in front of a record crowd. As a result of that, we will stage three races in the USA this year, starting with a double-header in Miami this weekend.

“W Series Miami presented by Hard Rock will be the biggest event we’ve ever staged, and I am delighted that ESPN – with its reputation as the leader in sports broadcasting in the US, and who has done such a good job of promoting motorsport, and particularly Formula 1, in North America – will broadcast live coverage of all W Series races this year. I hope that the USA will become our largest market, and ESPN is a great step towards making that happen by helping us reach new audiences.”

Terra Virtua Joins Williams Racing As Official Metaverse Partner

Williams Racing today announces Terra Virtua as its Official Metaverse Partner. The multi-year partnership begins this weekend as the Formula One racing team takes to the track in Florida for the first ever Miami Grand Prix.  

The collaboration will celebrate one of British motorsport’s most innovative and successful racing teams to date. With an absolute focus on engagement, the partnership will look to add greater depth to the fan experience on race weekends and beyond. Williams and Terra Virtua will also explore opportunities to develop digital collectible and generative art projects, to take Williams Racing fans into the metaverse through interactive experiences in virtual environments.

As the Official Metaverse Partner, Terra Virtua branding will appear on the car barge boards, driver race suits and mechanic overalls. The Terra Virtua logo will be placed on a variety of digital and physical team assets.

Terra Virtua CEO Jawad Ashraf said: “It’s a privilege to work with a British racing team with such an incredible legacy in motorsport. As progressive innovators in the space, we feel Terra Virtua has an affinity with the team. We can’t wait to get started and continue to explore further opportunities to collaborate.”

Williams Racing Commercial Director James Bower added: “Collaborating with Terra Virtua presents an opportunity to engage with the race fans of the future in an entirely new way. With Terra Virtua using Polygon blockchain, which has strong sustainability credentials, it also aligns with the team’s sustainability values.”

Formula 1 And Netflix Agree Two More Seasons Of Drive To Survive

Netflix and Formula 1 can today confirm that the highly popular series, Formula 1: Drive To Survive has been renewed for a fifth and sixth season on Netflix.

The series has grown in popularity over time, with Season 4 attracting the biggest audience to date and breaking into the weekly Top 10 in 56 countries.

Offering unprecedented access, the new season will once again take fans behind the scenes, to witness first-hand how the drivers and teams prepare to battle it out for the 2022 and 2023 championships. The series will offer never-before-seen footage and interviews from the sport’s biggest names.

Formula 1 has been drastically boosted in recent years by the Netflix show, which has been one of the most popular on the streaming service and given the sport an entirely new fanbase.

Other sports are now looking at replicating this, with tennis, golf and cycling all signing deals with Netflix to create their own docu-series in the hope that they will also be able to spark a new generation of fans.

Asian Games Postponed Due To Ongoing Covid Pandemic In China

The Asian Games has been postponed from its current date in September following China’s ongoing issues with the Covid-19 pandemic.

A statement released today by the Olympic Council of Asia confirmed the postponement of the Games.

Following detailed discussions with the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) and the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee (HAGOC), the OCA Executive Board (EB) today decided to postpone the 19th Asian Games, which were scheduled to be held in Hangzhou, China, from 10 to 25 September 2022. The new dates of the 19th Asian Games will be agreed between the OCA, the COC and the HAGOC and announced in the near future.

HAGOC has been very well prepared to deliver the Games on time despite global challenges. However, the above decision was taken by all the stakeholders after carefully considering the pandemic situation and the size of the Games.

The name and the emblem of the 19th Asian Games will remain unchanged, and the OCA believes that the Games will achieve complete success through the joint efforts of all parties.

Additionally, the OCA EB also studied the situation of the 3rd Asian Youth Games, which was scheduled on 20-28 December this year in Shantou, China. After discussion with the COC and the Organising Committee, the OCA EB decided that as the Asian Youth Games had already been postponed once, the Asian Youth Games Shantou 2021 will be cancelled. The next Asian Youth Games will therefore be held in 2025 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. 

The OCA thanks Shantou Organising Committee for its great work during the preparation phase. We strongly believe that this effort will be beneficial to many different aspects of the development of the city, especially in the field of sport as well as for the promotion of Olympic spirit in Asia.

OLYMPIC COUNCIL OF ASIA

Infront Signs Long-Term Partnership With Epulze To Host Masters Of Gaming Series

Infront has signed a multi-year partnership with Epulze, the global full-service esports company, to operate and establish the Masters of Gaming (MOG) Esports Tournament Series, starting with top title Dota2. 

The partnership will focus on the commercialisation of MOG through local and regional tournaments and broadcasting, providing new opportunities for potential sponsors and partners to be part of the largest and most significant esports series in Southeast Asia. 

Featuring a USD 100,000 prize pool, MOG starts at the end of July 2022, firstly as an online tournament, and will welcome the best teams from Southeast Asia and China. The dates for the open qualifiers will be announced in May 2022. The event will be livestreamed across several global and regional platforms in close collaboration with local esports and traditional broadcasters

Mattias Lövgren, CEO of Epulze, said: “We have been working hard on setting up this partnership, and we are excited about it. With such a strong and amazing partner like Infront, we are, together, able to create this fantastic event.” 

André Fläckel, Infront’s Head of Gaming & Esports, said: “Dota2 has been a leading esports title for more than a decade. Our newly formed partnership with Epulze for the Masters of Gaming provides brands, media as well as betting partners a highly attractive platform to engage with gamers and esports fans in the Southeast Asia Region.”

David Nivelle, Managing Director of Infront Pan-Asia, added: “Esports is growing fast in Southeast Asia, and we believe the partnership with Epulze enables us to build a steady foundation in the esports ecosystem in this region. The newly launched Master of Gaming (MOG) series gives us the opportunity to offer an attractive platform to brands connecting them to esports and gaming fans.”

More information about the MOG Series will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

World Triathlon Partners With Z3ROD For Paris 2024 Olympic & Paralympic Cycle

World Triathlon is pleased to announce that, alongside its Official Licensing and Merchandise Partner Tribe Solutions, it has reached an exclusive agreement with Z3ROD to become the official swim cap supplier to World Triathlon for the current Olympic and Paralympic cycle.

The agreement includes triathlon’s Olympic Test Event (held in 2023) as well as triathlon’s headline events of the Paris 2024 Games. Z3ROD will also become an official merchandise partner to the World Triathlon Store.

The three-year deal will see the sport’s biggest names wearing Z3ROD caps in the sport’s highest-profile events building up to Paris 2024, starting with World Triathlon Championship Series Yokohama on 14-15 May. Customers will also be able to purchase Z3ROD caps from worldtriathlonstore.com.

“We are very pleased that Z3ROD will be supplying the Elite swim caps for the next three years across our major events,” said World Triathlon Head of Commercial and Marketing Kris Gemmell. “Having their products available on site at WTCS events and online via the World Triathlon Store gives triathletes of all levels an excellent new option in our swim-specific merchandise.”

“We are very proud to partner with the prestigious World Triathlon on their major events for this current Olympic and Paralympic cycle. As a French premium triathlon brand, Paris 2024 remains our biggest focus and we are thrilled to supply the Elite swim caps on the international scene,” said Frederic Dorez, co-founder of the brand and partnerships head director. “Thanks to Tribe Solutions we will also benefit from a great international exposure which will help spreading our brand image.”

Robert Flynn, Director of Tribe Solutions added; “The World Triathlon Official Store is excited to carry Z3ROD products via our online and events channels. The addition of custom swimwear for triathlon teams and clubs will compliment our exciting custom program.”

International Paralympic Committee Recruit Jonathan Neill For Commercial Consultant Role

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has brought in consultant Jonathan Neill to develop a new commercial strategy for the organisation.

Working with key stakeholders of the IPC, Neill will be responsible for developing and finalising the strategy that will sit outside of the existing The Olympic Partner (TOP) Programme and cover grassroots Para sport through to World Championship level.  With growing corporate interest in inclusion, the IPC is looking to engage partners in the burgeoning Para sport market.

Having previously worked in a variety of agency, brand and rights holder roles, including most recently as Head of Sponsorship Partnerships at Barclays, and Commercial Director at the Rugby League World Cup, his remit includes developing the commercial positioning, narrative, sales proposition and activity.

Jonathan Neill said: “The IPC is an organisation that I have admired for many years. Their events create a more inclusive world and underline the positive impact that sport can have on society. We’ll be demonstrating the role that brands and business can play in continuing those efforts, and meeting mutually beneficial objectives via partnerships.”

Mike Peters, IPC Chief Executive, added: “More and more organisations are making disability an important part of their inclusion strategy. The IPC knows that Para sport has the power to transform societies and we believe there is strong opportunity for growth in the partnership sector. We are excited to have Jonathan working with us to develop an exciting proposition.”

eSkootr Championship Announes Fox Sports Australia Broadcast Agreement, Plus Eight Others

Coverage of the inaugural eSkootr Championship™ (eSC) will be shown on Fox Sports in Australia.

Fox Sports Australia will broadcast highlights of the first ever eSkootr Championship race from Printworks London on 13/14 May, as well as the five other races taking place in 2022 – including the Swiss city of Sion, followed by France, Italy, Spain and the USA.

The use of escooters is on the rise in Australia and eSC will be using its platform and the learnings from the racetrack to help promote micromobility in inner city areas. As well as showcasing the action through the 90-minute highlight show, viewers will receive analysis and commentary about the series, both on and off the track, from an expert on-screen presentation team. Fox Sports Australia will use eSC’s owned program, created by Canadian production company Boombox, which includes pre-race build-up, race commentary and post-race interviews, highlights and analysis.

Fox Sports Australia is the home of sport with more than 2.4 million sports subscribers across the Foxtel Group.

Sharon Fuller, Chief Content Officer at eSC, commented:

“There has been a lot of interest in the series from Australia and we are thrilled to be working with Fox Sports to bring all the action from our first season to TV screens across the country.

“eSC is a dynamic, tense and unpredictable new sport, and our production has been developed to ensure viewers are taken right into the heart of the action with creative camera angles and new broadcast technology, and we can’t wait to showcase this to TV fans across Australia at the first race next week in London.”

eSC is also announcing today agreements with:

  • W Sport – International (currently Sub-Saharan Africa)
  • ABola – Portugal
  • MadCo – Spain
  • WedoTV – Austria, Switzerland and Germany
  • Charlton – Israel
  • Network 4 – Hungary
  • ProTV – Romania
  • Best4 Sport – Latvia

888sport Extends Agreement To Sponsor The National Football League

888sport, the innovative, cutting-edge sport division of 888 Holdings plc (LSE: 888), is delighted to announce that it has agreed a new sponsorship agreement with the National Football League (NFL) to continue as its official sports betting partner in the UK & Ireland until 2025.

Under terms of the new agreement, 888sport will expand upon its highly successful partnership with the NFL, which has spanned across the last two seasons. For the highly anticipated London fixtures, which are set to take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Wembley Stadium later this year, fans can expect to see the 888sport logo visible on the exterior of the stadium and throughout the fan zones, as well as on LED advertising boards during the games itself. This will be supported by a strong brand presence on all TV matches and highlight shows.

In line with the Group’s strategy to create entertaining, content-rich experiences for players, 888sport will become the exclusive presenter brand of the NFL’s apps and Fantasy products including Pick’em, the Super Bowl Challenge and Draft Predictor. Across its social channels, 888sport will also broadcast unique and engaging video content, filmed in partnership with the NFL and will offer fans exclusive prizes, including official merchandise and tickets to upcoming Super Bowl events.

The new agreement between 888 and the NFL cements the duo’s longstanding relationship, which has included a previous partnership with NFL team the New York Jets  – the first partnership of its kind between a pure digital gaming company and an NFL team.

Kieran Spellman, VP – Head of Sport at 888sport, commented:

“We are really delighted to be the official sports betting partner of the NFL and playing our part in the continuing growth and success of such an amazing brand and sport in the UK & Ireland. Our partnership will bring 888sport closer to the heart of live sport and continue to inspire us to create great content-rich and entertaining experiences for our customers. We are really looking  forward to continuing our work with the NFL and cannot wait for the start of the new season.”

Pedro Barreda, Director International Marketing and Head of Sponsorships, at 888sport, commented:

“This partnshership is another great step forward for 888sport, in strengthening our presence across our core markets of the UK and Ireland and making us the NFL’s official betting partner for many years to come.”

Michelle Webb, NFL UK Senior Director, Commercial, at the National Football League, commented:

“We are very pleased to be continuing and expanding our partnership with 888sport. We look forward to working with them on innovative ways to create touchpoints that will resonate with our fans and help us to reach a broadening audience.”

ATP & Pepperstone Launch Global Partnership, Live Rankings

ATP has announced Pepperstone, the award-winning Melbourne-based FX and CFD broker, as the global naming partner of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and Official Online Trading Partner of the ATP Tour.

The agreement sees Pepperstone join the Tour as Platinum Partner with a global on-site presence at 11 events across the ATP Tour season, culminating at the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. Pepperstone will also receive year-round promotion via ATP’s social, digital and broadcast channels, delivering worldwide exposure to the brand and its innovative trading products.

The partnership kicks off today with the launch of a brand-new product — the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings — a dynamic new feature enabling fans, players and media to track the real-time rankings and impact of match results day-to-day. The partnership launches ahead of the 50th anniversary of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in 2023.

First launched in August 1973, the Pepperstone ATP Rankings serve as a true measure of excellence and the official mechanism determining player standings, tournament entries and seedings in men’s professional tennis. A key barometer for player records and milestones, the Pepperstone ATP Rankings also provide a narrative that connects every level of the men’s professional game throughout the season.

In addition to the Rankings, Pepperstone also becomes the naming partner of the season-long Race To Turin, Race To Milan, the ATP Cup Standings, as well as presenting partner of the official year-end No.1 ceremonies in singles and doubles.

Massimo Calvelli, ATP CEO, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Pepperstone to our family of global partners and to celebrate the moment with the launch of the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings. In line with Pepperstone’s award-winning customer service, the ATP is always looking for new ways to improve the experience of our millions of fans around the world, and the launch of the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings is a landmark moment that will help elevate our storytelling and create new opportunities to engage with the ATP Tour every day of the season.”

Tamas Szabo, Pepperstone Group CEO, said: “We are tremendously excited to enter into this ground-breaking partnership, becoming the first and Official Online Trading Partner of the ATP Tour. Tennis and trading have a few things in common – preparation, access to information, experience and ultimately the right decision at critical moments.

“ATP Tour’s global footprint and enormous following will enable us to bring the world’s financial markets to astute, adventurous traders around the world, driving our vision to create a better way to trade.”

Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings will link match-by-match results to projected positional moves in the traditional Pepperstone ATP Rankings, immediately contextualising what a big victory – or defeat – means to a player’s standing relative to his rivals.

Updated following the completion of each match, Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings reflect real-time points added and dropped by players, who will dynamically rise and fall based on their most recent result. Fans and media will no longer have to wait until the weekly Pepperstone ATP Rankings are run to understand the impact of matches won and lost.

Pepperstone ATP Rankings will continue to be used for tournament entry and seedings and to recognise achievements and milestones with historical context. For example, a player must spend at least one week at No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings to be considered a World No. 1.

The introduction of the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings marks the most significant addition to the ATP’s Rankings properties since the 2000 introduction of the calendar-year Race, helping track players’ journeys to qualify for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals. It comes as part of a wider push to enhance functionality of the ATP Tour’s digital platforms, and continually level-up the fan experience across the tennis ecosystem. Visit Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings. To learn more about how they work, visit our FAQ page.