Turner Sports & Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Collaborate For The First Time To Deliver Global Distribution

Turner Sports, a division of Warner Bros. Discovery, will exclusively present Capital One’s The Match – headlined by a foursome of legendary NFL quarterbacks in Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers teaming up to face Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen – on TNT, starting at 6:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 1, with simulcasts available on truTV and HLN in the U.S.  

Fans watching outside the U.S. will also be able to watch the star-studded event through Warner Bros Discovery Sports channels and platforms, marking the first time Turner Sports and its international sports partners have collaborated to deliver true global distribution and audience reach for a sports event.  Viewers can check local listings to find coverage in their country via a section of discovery+, the Eurosport App, Eurosport 2 and GOLFTV powered by PGA TOUR.

Six-time Sports Emmy Award winner Ernie Johnson will host the live telecast, alongside Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt, 2008 Masters Champion Trevor Immelman and veteran sports reporter Amanda Renner. 

The Wynn Las Vegas,the only golf course on the Las Vegas strip, will host the Sports Emmy-nominated premier live golf event series for the second time in a row, and viewers will be treated to unprecedented access to the players and action through open mics throughout the entire 12-hole competition.  

The match will follow a “shamble” format: All four golfers will tee off at each hole, and each team will select their best tee shot to play. From then on, golfers will play their own ball until they hole out, with the best golfer’s score determining the hole’s winning team.  

Feeding America will be the primary charitable organization supported through this edition of Capital One’s The Match. Turner Sports has televised five editions of Capital One’s The Match, with the series serving as a significant platform to support philanthropical organizations throughout the country. To date, Capital One’s The Match has raised nearly $33 million for various organizations and has donated nearly 17 million meals to Feeding America.  

Official Marketing & Event Partners 

Turner Sports is proud to be working with a robust roster of marketing partners to host Capital One’s The Match.  A partner since the event’s inception, Capital One will return as title sponsor. To learn more about the company and its commitments to change banking for good, visit https://www.capitalone.com/about/our-commitments/. 

FTX, State Farm and Wagoneer will be the presenting sponsors of Capital One’s The Match. DraftKings Sportsbook is returning as content integration partner, with AT&T, Apple, Autograph, Autotrader, Sunset Studios, TB12, Wheels Up, Wynn Resorts and ZenWTR serving as associate sponsors. 

Partners also include Excel Sports Management as the tournament organizer, along with 199 Productions, Tom Brady’s global multi-platform content and production company.  

Why The GCC Is Investing In Gaming & Esports

Vivek Falod, Commercial Partnerships Director at ELLVEE, speaks about the untapped potential in gaming & esports in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council).

What makes gaming & esports an exciting prospect for the GCC?

Globally, the gaming industry is worth over US$ 300Bn and it is growing fast. Already gaming is larger than the combined markets of movies and music. Esports is the professional competitive aspect of gaming. Esports attracts a large youth audience, ~75% under 35 and more than one third female. 

“We are now seeing local female talent emerge on the world stage, like the FIFA e-Football winner Najd Fahd.”

This makes gaming and esports an attractive proposition for GCC countries where more than half the population is under 25 years of age. Saudi Arabia, for instance, has more than 23M gaming enthusiasts and is set to become the Gulf’s gaming powerhouse as the largest gaming market in the region.

And how is gaming & esports impacting the local communities?

From a social perspective, gaming and esports serves as a platform to inspire and drive societal change, including local job creation, local business participation, building inclusive communities and driving female empowerment. 

For instance, we are now seeing local female talent emerge on the world stage, like the FIFA e-Football winner Najd Fahd. Najd became the first Saudi woman to win an e-football title in October 2020. This moment was even more special because it was the first edition of the tournament and the first title for Saudi Arabia in the female category.

Najd Fahd became the inaugural winner of FISU eSports Challenge’s female tournament after she beat Brazilian Alexssandra Batista 8-0 in the final. Najd hopes that her achievement will inspire other women or girls in Saudi Arabia.

Certainly a proud moment for Saudi Arabia with Najd. And is there an untapped economic potential for gaming & esports?

The regional industry remains nascent despite having some of the richest gaming demographic across the world. Majority of the region’s potential gaming and esports revenues are captured overseas, leading to high value leakage.

“Equity investments in esports and gaming are increasing, given the strong economic growth potential.”

This points to the big gap in local content, both in gaming and esports. It presents an untapped opportunity for global gaming publishers and esports organisations to adapt their content for this market and spearhead localized content and esports events.

Have governments in the region taken note of this potential? If so, can you talk us through some of the major investments happening?

Certainly, investments in gaming and esports have grown exponentially and are expected to continue.

Equity investments in esports and gaming are increasing, given the strong economic growth potential. The involvement of sovereign wealth funds, such as the Public Investment Fund (PIF) in Saudi Arabia, shows the strategic importance of this growing market for the Kingdom. During the last two years, the PIF made significant bets on video game franchises such as Capcom, Electronic Arts, Take-Two Interactive Software and Activision Blizzard. In early 2022, the PIF launched the Savvy Gaming Group to develop the local gaming ecosystem and to make international investments in the industry. Savvy announced its first wave of acquisitions in esports with the reported US$1.5bn takeover and merger of ESL and FACEIT.

“Gamers Without Borders 2020, hosted by the Saudi Esports Federation, drew over 200,000 participating gamers from 80+ countries in its inaugural year.”

Hosting major esports events and developing new esports event IPs are also becoming strategic ambitions for host cities in the region. Such events profile the host destination to the world’s youth as a hub for gaming and esports and boost demand within the local gaming communities to watch and play. For example, Gamers Without Borders 2020, hosted by the Saudi Esports Federation, drew over 200,000 participating gamers from 80+ countries in its inaugural year and has recently announced the launch of its third edition which will be the qualifying competition for a summer of gaming and esports events being planned for Riyadh this summer.

Celebrities like Anthony Joshua joined Gamers Without Borders Season 2, a $10M charity esports virtual event hosted by Saudi Arabia. Gamers Without Borders claims the title of the world’s biggest charity esports event.

How does ELLVEE support these ambitions? 

We set up ELLVEE for the exact purpose of helping to bridge the gap between rightsholders and potential clients for major events, with whom we have built trusted relationships in the region over the years.  We support our international clients to help them identify business opportunities in the region, such as sourcing host venue deals, sponsorships and other market entry openings. 

Author: Vivek Falod

The Walt Disney Company Strikes Deal With The XFL To Air All Games On ESPN And Other Networks In Multiyear Agreement

Starting next year, the XFL will have all its regular-season games and playoffs air on ESPN and other networks owned by The Walt Disney Company as part of a multiyear agreement, it was announced Tuesday.

Beginning in February 2023 and continuing through the spring, 40 regular-season XFL games, two playoff semifinals and a title game will appear on ESPN, ABC and FX, it was revealed at Disney’s upfront event.ADVERTISEMENT

The deal also includes content rights for Disney’s digital, social and streaming outlets, like ESPN+.

The eight-team XFL is returning under new owners Dany Garcia, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird Capital Partners. In February, the XFL reached a partnership agreement with the NFL that will focus on creating innovation programs and protecting the health of players.

“This is a definitive moment for the XFL and the beginning of an incredible, long-term partnership for the league, building on my longstanding, very successful legacy relationship I’ve had with Disney throughout my career,” Johnson said in a statement.

ESPN Signs New Nine-Year Agreement With Tennis Australia To Continue Exclusive Live Coverage Of The Australian Open

ESPN and Tennis Australia have signed a nine-year agreement – 2023 to 2031 – for continued exclusive live “first ball to last ball” coverage across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN+ for the Australian Open, tennis’ first Major of the year.  Action from Melbourne will be comprehensive, with every match from all 16 courts – all singles (including qualifying), doubles, juniors, wheelchair and legends.  The agreement continues ESPN’s longest professional sports programming relationship – since 1984.  The 2023 Australian Open takes place next January 16-29.  

“We are proud of our nearly four-decade relationship with Tennis Australia and are thrilled to continue our exclusive coverage of one of the sport’s most important events,” said Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN and Sports Content.  “The Open has provided so many memorable moments on our networks. With the capacity and quality of ESPN+, we can bring fans Down Under for every match, from qualifying through the championship of each division.”   

Craig Tiley, Australian Open Tournament Director, said, “ESPN has been an outstanding partner of the Australian Open for nearly 40 years and I’m delighted to extend and expand our collaboration. “As one of our most longstanding broadcasters, ESPN has a reputation for innovation and great storytelling, both of which form part of the Australian Open DNA.    

“Together we look forward to connecting with an even wider fan base in the United States and Canada and attracting new audiences across multiple platforms,” he continued. “As well as comprehensive coverage of the compelling on-court action, we will work together to also showcase the human stories, the personalities of the players and their teams, their preparation for competition on the Grand Slam stage and their journey to greatness.”  

With this agreement, ESPN+ will feature more than 1,300 matches and 3,000 hours of coverage from the sport’s Majors throughout the year, with rights to three of the four.  

Deal Highlights, 2023-2031  

ESPN/ESPN2 

  • Live nightly telecasts, generally beginning at 9 p.m. ET through the quarterfinals featuring multiple matches, and an increase of hours on linear TV 
  • Semifinals and Women’s and Men’s Championships, including encore presentations of the Finals 
  • Action from the previous day each weekday on ESPN2 at 2 p.m. and in the morning the middle Saturday and Sunday 

ESPN+ 

  • Exclusive coverage of all matches not on linear TV, including the 3 a.m. featured matches (prime time in Australia) and four quarterfinals 
  • On-demand replays of completed matches 
  • All doubles, juniors, wheelchair and legends championships 
  • A daily highlights show Exclusive coverage of all 224 matches from qualifying  
  • On-demand replays of great matches in Australian Open history 
  • ESPN+ coverage available in English and Spanish 

ABC 

  • A one-hour highlights show during the middle and final weekends 

 ESPN Deportes and Additional Regions  

  • ESPN Deportes: the live women’s and men’s semifinals and both Championships 
  • TSN: continued extensive schedule 
  • Under agreement announced in January: coverage in Latin America (Spanish), Brazil (Portuguese) and the Caribbean (English) 

The Gut Stuff Join Forces With World Gymnastics Championships Liverpool 2022 In Exciting New Partnership

The World Gymnastics Championships Liverpool 2022 (WGC2022) has today announced health and wellness brand, The Gut Stuff, as an official supplier.

The Gut Stuff was created in 2017 by twins Alana and Lisa, in an effort to empower people to understand more about their gut health and dispel myths about what it really means to be healthy – led by a team of scientists, nutritionists, dieticians and doctors. 

The partnership will see The Gut Stuff provide 15,000 high fibre bars for the Championships in October to feed the WGC2022 workforce. The collaboration is aiming to promote happier and healthier lifestyles whether through sport, nutrition, or improved education around general wellbeing. The Gut Stuff exists as a B Corp®, joining a global community of businesses measuring social and environmental impact as a key indicator of success. 

Discussing the partnership Gemma Williams Fox, Championships Director of the World Gymnastics Championships Liverpool 2022, said:

“I am extremely pleased to announce The Gut Stuff as an official supplier for this year’s World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool. They are completely aligned with our values as an event, and we look forward to working closely with them to educate and inspire fans, spectators and our workforce to embrace healthy and active lifestyles.”

The Gut Stuff supports people to learn about gut health with a range of resources on diet, lifestyle, workplace wellness and how to address related health issues. On announcing their partnership, co-founder Lisa Macfarlane said:

“We’re excited to be part of the World Gymnastics Championships Liverpool 2022 and through our role as an official supplier will be bringing our high fibre snack bars to the athletes, workforce, and spectators throughout the competition.

“We’re on a mission to empower gut health in everyone and by working together with the World Gymnastics Championships Liverpool 2022 on a world-class event, we can’t wait to encourage even more people to get to know their gut stuff.”

The World Gymnastics Championships Liverpool 2022 will be an Olympic qualifying event for the Paris 2024 games and will be one of the largest international sporting events ever to be held in the city. 550 gymnasts from 75 countries will compete in the global event at the M&S Bank Arena, which will take place from 29 October to 6 November 2022.

To find out more and get your tickets, visit 2022worldgymnastics.com.

THE SPOT 2022 Kicks Off With A Fresh Format, Exceptional Speakers, And Endless Networking Opportunities

The third edition of THE SPOT, taking place on 17 and 18 May in Lausanne, Switzerland, opened last  night with a networking event and high energy levels at the Olympic Museum. ThinkSport’s international sport and innovation flagship event provides for one and a half days of unparalleled  discovery, learning and network acceleration, inviting the participants to explore and understand the  latest trends and solutions; connect with experts who can advise on innovative undertakings; and  learn from other sectors. 

ThinkSport President Andrea Traverso said: “THE SPOT 2022 comes back in a fresh and compact  format, fully packed with expert presentations, interactive workshop discussions, an exhibition space  featuring innovative solutions for the sports world and much more. Most importantly though, the  sport and innovation community can get together again in person, be curious and spontaneous,  share and learn from each other. We have all missed that in the last two years and are confident that  today’s conversations at THE SPOT will initiate exciting new ideas, projects, partnerships, and many  other opportunities.” 

The delegates got a taste of what to expect during last night’s networking event which also featured  a highly interactive fireside chat. Meagan Loyst, youngest investor at Lerer Hippeau and Founder of  Gen Z VCs, Aneesh Madani, Head of Digital Partnerships and Social Media at the International  Olympic Committee, and Charles Frémont, Innovation Hub Manager at UEFA talked TikTok, GenZ and  how to engage younger audiences, and took several questions from the attentive crowd. 

Today, the official conference programme resumes in the SwissTech Convention Center on the EPFL  Campus. A line-up of exceptional speakers from different sectors will share their insights on stage  and in workshops on the following pressing topics: 

• Shaping and retaining the workforce of the future 

• The future of fan engagement 

• New technology and digital revolution 

• Activity and social impact 

• Investment trends in sport 

• Air quality and its impact on sport 

• Adaptive sports 

Consult here the full programme and discover the speakers. 

The SPOT 2022 is co-organised by ThinkSport, the SwissTech Convention Center, the Swiss Federal  Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), the University of Lausanne (UNIL) and the Canton of  Vaud.

Check event updates on www.thespot2022.org and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram!  Join the conversation by using #TheSpot2022. 

Biotiful Become Official Dairy And Dairy Alternatives Partner Of British Gymnastics

We’re pleased to announce an exciting new partnership with Biotiful Gut Health who become the Official Dairy and Dairy Alternatives Partner of British Gymnastics.

Biotiful are the UK’s leading kefir brand, with their range of naturally delicious products promoting a healthy, happy gut.

Nick Horswell, British Gymnastics Head of Commercial, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Biotiful, as we look to continue our work promoting a healthy and active lifestyle.

Biotiful have a diverse range of dairy and plant-based products, which I’m sure our gymnastics community will enjoy. We look forward to working with everyone at Biotiful and thank them for their support.”

Biotiful Gut Health Managing Director and Founder, Natasha Bowes, said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring British Gymnastics. We started our journey in 2012 with the vision of making Gut Health universally accessible. We are proud to celebrate the company’s 10th anniversary with British Gymnastics; we share the values of promoting a healthy lifestyle.

We look forward to supporting British Gymnastics and wish the best of luck to all gymnasts.”

OneFootball Seals Global NFT Rights Deal To Become Official Partner Of The Bundesliga

OneFootball, the world’s largest football media platform, and Bundesliga International, a subsidiary of the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga, have today announced a global partnership. The deal will bring digital collectibles to football fans around the world, taking the real life visceral experience of the game through Web2 into Web3.

Starting with the 2023/24 season, OneFootball will become Official Partner of the Bundesliga in a deal that will see the Bundesliga – one of the biggest and most successful leagues globally – tap into OneFootball’s vast user base of over 100m digital-first football fans to bring Germany’s top-tier competitions into the world of Web3. Fans across the globe will get access to official licensed digital collectibles from the Bundesliga’s top players and clubs, including German powerhouses FC Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. 

The partnership, which runs for 2 consecutive seasons, focusses on Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) in the form of digital player cards that fans will be able to collect, exchange and trade on the Bundesliga’s personalised digital marketplace on Aera by OneFootball. OneFootball also secured the exclusive rights for NFT-based videos from the Bundesliga, known as “Digital Video Moments”, which can likewise be collected, exchanged and traded.

These products will be offered at a range of price points to make them widely accessible and help drive mass adoption of blockchain technology in football. Fans will also be able to purchase and store digital collectibles with only their email address and a credit card. The NFT platform Aera by OneFootball is being built on the Flow blockchain in collaboration with Animoca Brands and Dapper Labs, the digital collectible company behind NBA Top Shots.

This announcement builds on the long-term partnership between OneFootball and Bundesliga International, as OneFootball is the official broadcast partner of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 in Brazil.

Lucas von Cranach, CEO & Founder at OneFootball, said:

“We couldn’t have imagined when we first started working with the Bundesliga that we would build the partnership and achieve Official Partner status. Now as Official Partner of this incredible organization, one of the most innovative leagues in the world, we have the chance to build an even longer term relationship that gives us the chance to take tens of millions of football supporters from Web2 to Web3.

“As a founder and as a fan this is fantastic for our organisation and for fans around the globe. Our vision is to connect the world of football and amplify the game. This long term relationship means we can do just this, giving fans the opportunity to own digital assets – so they have more access, more ownership and get even closer to the game we all love, in a way that’s never been done before. And where better to do this than with one of the best leagues in the world which is home to so many of the most exciting players.”

Donata Hopfen, CEO of the DFL, said:

“The investment from our partners underlines the enormous popularity that German professional football enjoys. I am delighted that the design of the rights packages with classic products and innovative digital opportunities has been well received.”

Clare Connor To Take Interim ECB CEO Role Following Tom Harrison’s Exit

Tom Harrison has decided to step down as Chief Executive Officer of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) after more than seven years in the role. He will leave the organisation in June.

The ECB Board will now begin a comprehensive search process to identify the next CEO who will lead the ECB and work with stakeholders across cricket to ensure the continued growth and development of the sport. A key part of this role will be taking on leadership of the game-wide programme of action and improvement to make cricket a welcoming and diverse sport, including through the continued implementation of the action plan agreed in November 2021 to drive out discrimination within the game.

Clare Connor, currently Managing Director of England Women’s Cricket, has agreed to become interim CEO when Harrison leaves until a permanent successor is in post.

Since taking up the role of CEO in January 2015, Harrison has overseen record levels of investment across the game at all levels and has led the delivery of the ECB’s ‘Inspiring Generations’ strategy, which aims to make cricket a bigger and more accessible and inclusive sport. He also led the ECB’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic as cricket confronted unprecedented financial challenges and became the first sport to achieve the return of competitive international fixtures in July 2020.

The growth of the game – including the launch of children’s participation programmes All Stars and Dynamos – has been supported by significantly increased investment in the sport, as the ECB’s annual revenue almost trebled during Harrison’s tenure. Support from broadcast and commercial partners has been crucial to this growth, including through a successful long-term partnership with Sky and the return of live cricket to free-to-air TV with the BBC.

Clare Conner will step in as interim CEO.

Tom Harrison said: “It has been a huge honour to be CEO of the ECB for the past seven years. Cricket is an extraordinary force for good in the world and my goal has been to make the game bigger and ensure more people and more communities in England and Wales feel they have a place in this sport. The long-term health of cricket depends on its ability to grow and remain relevant and be more inclusive in an ever-changing world.

“The past two years have been incredibly challenging, but we have pulled together to get through the pandemic, overcome cricket’s biggest financial crisis, and committed to tackling discrimination and continuing the journey towards becoming the inclusive, welcoming sport we strive to be. I have put everything into this role, but I believe now is the right time to bring in fresh energy to continue this work.”

Martin Darlow, Interim ECB Chair, said: “Tom has been an outstanding CEO and deserves our sincere thanks for all he has achieved in his time at the ECB. Through the Inspiring Generations strategy, he has set the game on a path to growth and to being played and watched by more people from all backgrounds, underpinned by record investment in cricket.

“When the pandemic struck, it was Tom’s leadership that brought the game together and saved us from the worst financial crisis the sport has ever faced. He has always put the interests of the game first and worked to lead important change to make our game more accessible and inclusive, though we all know there is still much more work to do.

“We will now begin the search for his successor who can build on all that he has achieved. I’m pleased that Clare Connor has agreed to step into the role on an interim basis while this process is under way.”

Kuehne+Nagel To Support Women’s Tour And Tour Of Britain

Kuehne+Nagel, one of the world’s leading logistics companies offering highly specialised solutions for worldwide industries, has been appointed as the Official Logistics Supplier to the upcoming Women’s Tour and Tour of Britain cycle races.

Both races will benefit from Kuehne+Nagel’s support for the transportation of key race infrastructure and vital equipment between host venues during the 14 days of competition.  Combined the two races will visit 26 venues and cover more than 2,100 kilometres of racing across England, Scotland and Wales.

Kuehne+Nagel were also chosen as the Official Event Logistics Providers of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, taking place this summer.

Alex Walton, Business Development Manager from Kuehne+Nagel, said: 

“Kuehne+Nagel are excited to partner with the Women’s Tour and Tour of Britain. Not only does this give us the opportunity to provide the series with a comprehensive & complex logistics solution but it also complements our core values and offers the chance for us to engage with a renowned sporting event.”

Tour of Britain and Women’s Tour Commercial Director Miles Rose said:

“We are excited to be working with Kuehne+Nagel on this year’s events.  Our races are a complex logistical challenge and utilising the support and expertise of Kuehne+Nagel helps us to minimise that complexity significantly.”

The Women’s Tour, the UK’s longest-running UCI Women’s WorldTour event, returns to its traditional early summer date in 2022. The six-stage race will take place between Monday 6 – Saturday 11 June, beginning in Colchester and finishing in Oxford city centre.

This year’s Tour of Britain (Sunday 4 – Sunday 11 September) will see over 100 of the world’s best riders race from Aberdeen to the Isle of Wight in what promises to be another memorable edition of this country’s flagship cycling event.