Basketball Champions League And Moovit Partner To Enhance Fans’ Mobility Experience During Final Four

The Basketball Champions League today announced Moovit, an Intel company, a leading Mobility as a Service (MaaS) solutions provider and creator of the #1 urban mobility app, as its Official Mobility Application Partner for the 2022 Basketball Champions League Final Four games. This partnership will help fans of the four finalist teams arrive at the Bilbao Arena. By using the free Moovit app, supporters will receive detailed information on how to reach the arena, and be guided to the dedicated entrances, as well as the Fan Zone in the heart of the city, via public and shared transport. The mobility tools made by Moovit are available in 45 languages.

By downloading Moovit’s free iOS or Android app, or using Moovit’s Web App, users can find accurate information about all mobility options available in Bilbao, including bus, train, metro, light rail, ferry, trams, and bike sharing. The collaboration will alleviate any worries about arriving or leaving a game, and allow fans to travel around Bilbao with greater ease and convenience using Moovit’s accurate and reliable transit information.

BCL fans using Moovit will have several features available to them to ensure they have the most direct route and never miss the tip-off, including: real-time arrival information for buses and trains, a Live Directions feature with Get Off Alerts for step-by-step guidance, and Service Alerts to avoid disruptions on lines and plan accordingly.

Benjamin Gauthier, Basketball Champions League Chief Commercial Officer, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Moovit for our 2022 Final Four in Bilbao, the pinnacle event of our season. Our fans are at the centre of our attention, and we are glad to collaborate with Moovit to allow them to easily reach us. Their global and leading experience in mobility will allow all our fans, media and guests to conveniently reach the Bilbao Arena, our new and centrally located Fan Zone, and all the main locations of our event.”

Yovav Meydad, Moovit’s Chief Growth and Marketing Officer said: “Finally, people around the globe can come together again to enjoy FIBA’s Champions League Final Four championship games. The International Basketball Federation knows that the fan experience is complex — it starts from the moment supporters begin making their way to the stadium and ends when they safely arrive at home. We’re excited that the Federation has selected Moovit and its global experience to make travel in Bilbao convenient and more sustainable for fans.”

PGA TOUR And Quintar Expand Augmented Reality Relationship

The PGA TOUR and Quintar, Inc., announced today a three-year agreement to expand the TOUR’s augmented reality (AR) experience on mobile devices for fans attending events. As part of the agreement, the TOUR will also receive minority equity rights in Quintar, which is now the Official Mobile Augmented Reality Developer of the PGA TOUR.

The TOUR launched its PGA TOUR AR app in 2018 with Quintar coming on as the platform developer in 2020 to create a fresh interactive experience for fans attending the FedExCup Playoffs. With the new agreement, the AR experience will expand to 10 events in 2022 and more events in 2023 and 2024.

“The PGA TOUR is excited to expand our relationship with Quintar with a goal of creating a more immersive and engaging tournament experience for fans,” said Scott Gutterman, PGA TOUR Senior Vice President of Digital Operations. “We have seen positive interaction and growth with our previous Quintar AR engagements and look forward to building on the momentum.”

The PGA TOUR AR app is available for free exclusively in the App Store. On select holes users will be instructed to turn their phones sideways once they open the app, which will take the device into AR mode and link it to the course. Whether they are sitting in the stands or standing greenside, fans simply point their iPhone toward the tee box or green to interact with the action.

The TOUR AR experience will be available on select holes at the following events in 2022: Wells Fargo Championship, AT&T Byron Nelson, the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, Travelers Championship, FedEx St. Jude Championship, BMW Championship, TOUR Championship and Presidents Cup. As part of the rollout, the PGA TOUR and Quintar have aligned with DraftKings, the TOUR’s preferred sports betting innovation operator, who will be a sponsor of the AR experience.

“The PGA TOUR has been an incredible partner that is focused on delivering the most immersive and engaging experiences for their fans,” Quintar President and Co-Founder Jeff Jonas said. “Together we are leveraging the powerful Quintar platform and bringing the digital world to life, but we are just scratching the surface. We are thrilled to expand our relationship and look forward to creating new experiences and changing how fans engage with the PGA TOUR.”

Powered by Quintar’s (www.quintar.ai) Q.reality live sports and entertainment AR platform, the PGA TOUR AR app for iPhone is made exclusively for fans attending select PGA TOUR events. The AR app is designed to expand the live tournament experience using data provided by ShotLink powered by CDW over signature holes at each tournament. ShotLink, the TOUR’s longstanding state-of-the-art scoring system, captures and reports real-time vital information on every shot, by every player, during tournament competition.

The app’s fan-controlled interactive group and player replay experience will feature AR tee-shot trails with apex indicator ball speed, ball and player indicator cards and distance to pin measurements. Fans can capture the AR blended action and share with their friends on social media.

McLaren Racing Announces OKX As A Primary Partner Of McLaren Formula 1 Team

McLaren Racing today announced a major multi-year partnership with OKX, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges by trading volume, as a Primary Partner of the McLaren Formula 1 Team and McLaren Shadow esports Team from 2022.

The relationship with OKX will support the team’s global fan experience, providing fans with exciting opportunities and product innovations to bring fans closer to the action.

The partnership unites two global brands who value innovation and accessibility, with McLaren’s fan engagement programme always evolving to bring people closer to the team.

From the 2022 Miami Grand Prix, OKX branding will be carried on the McLaren MCL36 F1 cars, on the helmets of McLaren F1 drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, and on the McLaren F1 Team kit and McLaren Shadow Team kit.

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, said:

“We are thrilled to announce this primary partnership with OKX ahead of the Miami GP. In a rapidly evolving field, OKX is a long-established crypto brand that brings innovation, analytics and accuracy to accomplish great things.

“The first-ever Miami Grand Prix is the perfect occasion for us to launch this significant partnership, through which we will collaborate with OKX to take our fan experience to all new levels.”

Haider Rafique, Chief Marketing Officer, OKX, said:

“The McLaren brand stands for everything that is great about F1. Speed, reliability, and performance are at the core of any top-class crypto trading platform. We innovate on our platform every day, ensuring the highest trade execution speed to our users, requiring ‘pit-like’ team collaboration and instincts.”

Hero Named Title Sponsor Of FIH Hockey5s Lausanne

Hero (Hero MotoCorp), the world’s largest manufacturer of two wheelers and a long-time partner of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and hockey in general, has been named title sponsor of the first-ever senior World Hockey5s event organised by FIH, which will take place on 4 and 5 June 2022, in Lausanne, Switzerland.

‘Hero FIH Hockey5s Lausanne 2022’ will combine a thrilling competition involving some of the powerhouses of international hockey (Women: Switzerland, India, Poland, South Africa and Uruguay; Men: Switzerland, India, Malaysia, Pakistan and Poland) with an initiation to hockey offered to the public and a musical entertainment throughout both days.

Bharatendu Kabi, Head – Corporate Communication & Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Hero MotoCorp, said:

“Hero MotoCorp has been one of the largest corporate promoters of sports across the world. In keeping with this commitment, we are glad to support Fédération Internationale de Hockey (FIH) in staging the inaugural Hockey 5s, a brand-new format added to the sport of Hockey. As the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, Hero has always been at the forefront of sustainable technology and innovation. We congratulate FIH for introducing a new format with a fast-paced game that involves high levels of skill and aimed at further increasing the reach and popularity of the sport. With 5s, fans around the world will get to watch a great exhibition of hockey in action over the course of two days in Lausanne in the summer.”

FIH CEO Thierry Weil said:

“We’re delighted to have Hero as title sponsor of our inaugural Hockey5s international tournament in Lausanne. This demonstrates once more the deep commitment of Hero to be a leader in the development of hockey worldwide. FIH is determined to grow hockey globally and we’re convinced that Hockey5s has a great potential to contribute significantly to the fulfillment of this objective. It is therefore particularly encouraging to be supported in our vision by such a strong and faithful hockey partner. On behalf of FIH, I would like to extend our sincerest thanks and appreciation to Hero.”

In 2019, in order to further boost the development of hockey globally through Hockey5s, the FIH Executive Board decided to create an FIH Hockey5s World Cup – with the inaugural edition planned in 2024 in Oman – and, in the near future, a Hockey5s World Tour, which will consist of events similar to Lausanne’s.

beIN Sports Becomes New Home Of Speedway GP In The US And Nine Countries In South East Asia

Speedway fans in the United States and South East Asia are set for a huge season of racing as beIN SPORTS delivers live FIM Speedway Grand Prix coverage throughout 2022.

Despite their nation giving the world Speedway GP legends like Greg Hancock and Billy Hamill, American fans have long found it difficult to follow the fortunes of the sport’s top riders.

But that all changes from 2022 as beIN SPORTS partners with global FIM Speedway promoter Discovery Sports Events to bring Speedway GP action to fans across the USA and also viewers in Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Timor-Leste.

Discovery Sports Events’ agreement with beIN SPORTS is the first step in their vision to bring a Speedway GP round to the United States.

François Ribeiro, Head of Discovery Sports Events, commented:

“I know there is a great legacy of speedway in the USA, so we are delighted to bring a season of Speedway GP to our fans in partnership with beIN Sports.

“I know that it has not always been easy for them to find coverage in the past, so it’s an absolute pleasure to work with beIN Sports to showcase our incredible racing to viewers in America and South East Asia.

“Bringing a Speedway GP round to the US is certainly part of our vision for FIM Speedway, and I hope bringing American viewers a fantastic season of racing will be the next step in making this dream a reality.

“I also look forward to offering sports fans in South East Asia the chance to experience Speedway GP, some possibly for the first time.”

Antonio Briceno, Managing Director, beIN SPORTS USA said:

“We are delighted to be broadcasting Speedway GP to 10 countries across the USA and South East Asia. This is fantastic news for fans of world-class motorsport and, thanks to our agreement with Discovery Sports Events, our viewers will see every race of the 2022 season with us on beIN SPORTS.”

The 2022 FIM Speedway season, the first of ten seasons under new global promoter Discovery Sports Events, begins on April 30 with the FIM Speedway GP of Croatia – Donji Kraljevec.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe Makes Late Bid To Buy Chelsea FC

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Chairman of INEOS, has made a formal bid for Chelsea FC, for £4.25bn. £2.5bn is committed to the Charitable Trust to support victims of the war, with £1.75bn committed to investment directly into the club over the next 10 years.

This is an eleventh hour bid from the INEOS leader, who had previously spoken of bidding for the club in the past as a Chelsea fan, however he has now entered play long after the initial deadline.

It will be interesting to see whether the bid is considered by Raine Group, the company currently undertaking the selection process of the remaining two bids for the club, as it is far beyond their deadline.

A statement made on the businessman’s INEOS website said:

This is a British bid, for a British club. 

We believe that a club is bigger than its owners who are temporary custodians of a great tradition. With responsibility to the fans and the community.

That is why we are committing to spending £1.75bn over 10 years that will be for the direct benefit of the club.

We will invest in Stamford Bridge to make it a world-class stadium, befitting of Chelsea FC. This will be organic and on-going so that we will not move away from the home of Chelsea and risk losing the support of loyal fans.

We will continue to invest in the team to ensure we have a first class squad of the world’s greatest players, coaches and support staff, in the men’s and women’s games.

And we hope to continue to invest in the academy to provide opportunity for talented youngsters to develop into first class players.

We believe that London should have a club that reflects the stature of the city. One that is held in the same regard as Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich. We intend Chelsea to be that club.

We are making this investment as fans of the beautiful game – not as a means to turn a profit. We do that with our core businesses. The club is rooted in its community and its fans. And it is our intention to invest in Chelsea FC for that reason.

No further comment will be made from Sir Jim or INEOS during the bidding process.

Cricket South Africa And SuperSport Announce New T20 Competition Starting In January 2023

Cricket South Africa and SuperSport have signed an agreement to form a new company that will manage a dynamic new T20 competition.

Plans for the competition are well under way with the first ball to be bowled in January 2023. January will then become the window for the league which will comprise of six privately owned franchises playing each other in a double round before the top three sides move to the play-off stages.

“We are excited by the formation of something this fresh and invigorating, which also offers the opportunity for private investment into the franchises,” said Pholetsi Moseki, CSA CEO. “CSA has already received interest from a number of potential local and international investors.”

Moseki emphasised that this is an entirely new event, adding that South Africa has a rich crop of talent who would benefit from exposure through a franchise league. He said that a sustainable business model had been created for both the league and the teams, with a healthy salary bill to attract the very best local and international players.

The league also represents a fresh injection of funds into the sport in SA which will help grow the game. Modelled along the lines of T20 events worldwide, the focus will be on all-action cricket sportainment.

Said Marc Jury, SuperSport CEO: “We are delighted to invest in a product that will change the face of South African cricket. There is an early-year gap in the calendar, so the timing is ideal.”

SuperSport has committed to live broadcast of all the matches and will also produce the world feed for the international television market.

Roland-Garros And Renault Team Up To Move The Lines

The French Tennis Federation and Renault are delighted to officially announce the signing of a five-year partnership agreement that will see the French carmaker become a Premium Partner of Roland-Garros from 2022 through to 2026.

This year’s Roland-Garros tournament, which runs from 16 May to 5 June, will mark the start of a new era in which the Parisian Grand Slam and French car manufacturer Renault will come together around shared values such as style and boldness.

Roland-Garros and Renault are both committed to pursuing an increasingly environmentally responsible path. Sustainable mobility is an issue that the two brands hold dear, with Renault having already embarked on a process of transformation that will lead to it becoming an all-electric brand in Europe by 2030.

A fleet of eco-friendly vehicles

As part of the agreement, Renault will make a total of 160 vehicles available to the tournament, including a fleet of 100 new Renault Megane E-Tech Electric cars.

Ground-breaking branding

In a first for the tournament, the new partnership will also see the Renault logo emblazoned on the nets at the Stade Roland-Garros’ five main courts: Philippe-Chatrier, Suzanne-Lenglen, Simonne-Mathieu, and courts 7 and 14.

Innovation on show all tournament long

Renault will have a stand open at the Stade Roland-Garros throughout the tournament. Boasting a floorspace of 150m2, the stand will introduce spectators to its electric and hybrid range. On show will be the Renault Megane E-Tech Electric, the Renault 5 Prototype and the all-new Renault Austral, which will be unveiled to the world at Roland-Garros. The carmaker will also be laying on exciting new experiences for visitors to the stand.

“We are thrilled with this Premium partnership, which was an obvious step for two French brands with a strong international dimension,” said FFT President Gilles Moretton. “It’s an ambitious partnership and we’re both committed to shaking things up and achieving our sustainable mobility goals in the very near future. Renault is also planning to extend the partnership beyond RolandGarros, which gives us great cause for satisfaction.”

Formula E And FIA Reveal All-Electric Gen3 Race Car In Monaco

  • All-electric Gen3 race car revealed to public for the first time at the Yacht Club de Monaco ahead of this weekend’s Monaco E-Prix, a highlight of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season
  • Disruptive design inspired by the aerodynamic form of a fighter jet
  • The fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient electric race car ever built
  • Specifically designed for wheel-to-wheel racing on high-speed street circuits
  • Performance upgrades installed via software updates into the Gen3 advanced operating system
  • The world’s first net zero carbon race car in the world’s first net zero carbon sport
  • Debuts in Season 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship

The future of all-electric high-performance motorsport has been revealed by Formula E and the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) at the Yacht Club de Monaco where the third-generation Formula E race car was officially unveiled to the public.

The Gen3 is the world’s first race car designed and optimised specifically for street racing. It will debut in Season 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, where some of the world’s greatest manufacturers race wheel-to-wheel on the streets of iconic global cities.

Developed by engineers and sustainability experts at the FIA and Formula E, the Gen3 is the pinnacle of high performance, efficiency and sustainability. Designed to show the world that high performance and sustainability can powerfully co-exist without compromise, the Gen3 pioneers cutting-edge technologies that will make the transfer from race to road.

While aerodynamic development programs have been central to driving incremental improvement in motorsport for decades, the launch of the Gen3 propels software engineering forwards as a new battleground for motorsport innovation and competition. Performance upgrades to the Gen3 will be delivered as software updates directly to the advanced operating system built into the car.

Seven of the world’s leading automotive manufacturers have registered with the FIA to race the new Gen3 in Season 9 of the ABB FIA World Championship with pre-season testing this winter. They are: DS Automobiles (France); Jaguar (UK); Mahindra Racing (India); Maserati (Italy); NIO 333 (UK / China); Nissan (Japan); Porsche (Germany).

Design, engineering and production innovations for the Gen3 race car include:

Performance:

  • Fastest Formula E car yet with a top speed over 322 kph / 200 mph.
  • Most efficient formula racing car ever with more than 40% of the energy used within a race produced by regenerative braking.
  • Around 95% power efficiency from an electric motor delivering up to 350kW of power (470BHP), compared to approximately 40% for an internal combustion engine.
  • First-ever formula car with both front and rear powertrains. A new front powertrain adds 250kW to the 350kW at the rear, more than doubling the regenerative capability of the current Gen2 to a total of 600kW.
  • Ultra-high speed charging capability of 600kW for additional energy during a race, almost double the power of the most advanced commercial chargers in the world.
  • The first formula car that will not feature rear hydraulic brakes with the addition of the front powertrain and its regenerative capability.

Every aspect of Gen3 production has been rethought, redesigned and rebuilt to ensure the car sets the benchmark for high-performance, sustainable racing without compromise. For example, natural materials have been introduced to tyres, batteries and bodywork construction with life cycle thinking at the core.

Sustainability:

  • Gen3 batteries are among the most advanced, sustainable batteries ever made consisting of sustainably-sourced minerals while battery cells will be reused and recycled at end of life.
  • Linen and recycled carbon fibre will be used in bodywork construction for the first time in a formula car featuring recycled carbon fibre from retired Gen2 cars and reducing the overall amount of virgin carbon fibre used. This will reduce the carbon footprint of the production of the Gen3 bodywork more than 10%. All waste carbon fibre will be reused for new applications through adoption of an innovative process from the aviation industry.
  • Natural rubber and recycled fibres will make up 26% of new Gen3 tyres and all tyres will be fully recycled after racing.
  • The carbon footprint of the Gen3 has been measured from the design phase to inform all reduction measures taken to reduce environmental impact, while all unavoidable emissions will be offset as part of Formula E’s net zero carbon commitment.
  • All Gen3 suppliers will operate in line with top international standards to reduce environmental impacts of manufacturing (ISO 14001) and be FIA Environmental Accreditation 3-Star rated.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President said:

“Both technologically and environmentally, Gen3 sets new standards in the sport. The FIA and Formula E development teams have done a superb job, and I thank them for their hard work on this project. I am delighted to see so many leading manufacturers already signed up to the championship’s next era and await Gen3’s competitive debut in Season 9 with great anticipation.”

Jamie Reigle, Chief Executive Officer, Formula E said:

“Monaco is the spiritual home of motorsport and there is nowhere more fitting to unveil our Gen3 race car. The Gen3 disrupts and challenges the conventions of motorsport, setting the benchmark for performance, efficiency and sustainability without compromise.

“Together with the FIA, we are proud to reveal the Gen3 to Formula E fans and demonstrate to the wider sports industry how elite sport, high performance and sustainability can successfully co-exist in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. We cannot wait to see how our teams and drivers push the car to its limit in 2023.”

Alejandro Agag, Founder and Chairman, Formula E said:

“The Gen3 represents the ambitious third age of Formula E and the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. With every generation of race car we push the boundaries of possibility in EV technology further and the Gen3 is our most ambitious project to date. The eyes of the world are on the Principality for the Monaco E-Prix and we are proud to reveal a car that been two years in the making in the historic home of motorsport. My thanks go to the great team behind it at Formula E and the FIA – the future of all electric racing is bright.”

Reims And British Olympic Association Reach Agreement For Team GB To Prepare In The City In Lead Up To Paris 2024 Olympic Games

The city of Reims and the British Olympic Association [BOA] have agreed a partnership that will see Team GB athletes train, prepare and acclimatise in the French city in the run up to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

An official reception took place today with BOA Chair, Sir Hugh Robertson, BOA Chief Executive Officer Andy Anson and Mayor of Reims, Arnaud Robinet all in attendance. The agreement includes a commitment by all parties to create a programme for exchanging cultural experiences and expertise to help ensure a lasting legacy of international sporting presence for the region.

Two-time Olympic trampoline medalist, Bryony Page, also joined the Team GB delegation in Reims and was able to visit the trampoline hall where she will hope to train as she vies to compete in her third Olympic Games in Paris.

The reception took place at the City Hall following a tour of UCPA Sport Station Grand Reims where Team GB’s swimmers will be based, as well as a visit to the boxing and gymnastics facilities at the Complexe René Tys.

Ideally located just a short journey away from the Olympic Village in Saint-Denis in Paris, the training facilities in Reims will provide world-leading venues for some of Britain’s brightest hopes to hone their talents in the immediate run-up to the Games.

Arnaud Robinet, Mayor of Reims, said: “Labelled the Terre de Jeux 2024, the city of Reims has seen eight of its sporting venues selected as preparation camps for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Looking past the undeniable quality of these venues, Reims stands out because of its quality of city and quality of life, which offers athletes the perfect environment to train and unwind. It is these qualities that have enabled our city to attract one of the greatest Olympic nations in the world. We are both proud and delighted to welcome Team GB swimmers, gymnasts and boxers to the Complexe René Tys and the UCPA Sport Station, Grand Reims.”

Sir Hugh Robertson said: “We are delighted to be here in Reims to announce this important element of our Preparation Camp plans for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

“The support we’ve had from the city has been outstanding, and we are confident that this is a partnership that will be mutually beneficially for both Reims and Team GB.”

Andy Anson added: “We have seen from the past two summer Games the fundamental importance of securing world-class training venues for our athletes, who feedback consistently on the positive impact of these facilities on their performances.

“The facilities we have secured in Reims for our swimming, boxing and gymnastics teams will play their part in ensuring those sports are highly competitive at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.”

The Reims partnership is the second such agreement in as many days for Team GB, having previously announced plans for athletics, football, rugby and hockey to be based at Saint-Germain-en-Laye for their final preparations.