Today, NCAA Board of Governors Chair John J. DeGioia announced by mutual agreement with the board that Mark Emmert will be stepping down as president of the NCAA. He will continue to serve in his role until a new president is selected and in place or until June 30, 2023.
“Throughout my tenure I’ve emphasized the need to focus on the experience and priorities of student-athletes,” said Emmert. “I am extremely proud of the work of the Association over the last 12 years and especially pleased with the hard work and dedication of the national office staff here in Indianapolis.”
“With the significant transitions underway within college sports, the timing of this decision provides the Association with consistent leadership during the coming months plus the opportunity to consider what will be the future role of the president,” said DeGioia. “It also allows for the selection and recruitment of the next president without disruption.”
NCAA member schools adopted a new constitution in January and are in the process of transforming the structure and mission to meet future needs.
Viaplay and UEFA have entered a four-year partnership in the UK for Viaplay to show at least 40 exclusive live matches featuring the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish men’s national football teams respectively. Starting in 2024, fans will be able to follow all European Qualifiers to the UEFA EURO and FIFA World Cup played by Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland exclusively on Viaplay, along with the UEFA Nations League and international friendlies, as part of a comprehensive package of over 800 exclusive international matches from across Europe.
The groundbreaking agreement consists of all matches played by UK national teams (not featuring the England National Team) in the European Qualifiers to the FIFA World Cup 2026 and UEFA EURO 2028 and in the UEFA Nations League 2024/25 and 2026/27; all matches in the UEFA Nations League Finals 2025 and 2027; as well as international friendlies. The comprehensive package also includes all matches in the above-mentioned competitions of all other European teams, including top-ranked teams such as Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.
Both Scotland and Wales qualified for UEFA EURO 2020, with Northern Ireland making a debut appearance in the finals in 2016, and matches featuring all three teams consistently attract large and passionate audiences across the UK.
Anders Jensen, NENT Group President and CEO: “This is Viaplay’s biggest UK sports milestone so far. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have exciting young teams that millions of fans will be able to follow exclusively on our world-class platform. These matches are in good hands – we work closely with UEFA in the Nordic and Baltic regions, and know how much national sides mean to supporters. Viaplay’s multi-territory partnerships with rights holders will be a key advantage as we challenge further in the UK sports market. The timing is also advantageous, with these rights coming on stream in 2024, which allows us time to build our UK brand and to innovate the Viaplay viewing experience even further.”
Guy-Laurent Epstein, Marketing Director at UEFA: “We are delighted to enter this new partnership with Viaplay with its expansion into the UK. Viaplay will provide a comprehensive and innovative home for the Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales National Team matches, as well as for all other third-party European national team matches played during the European Qualifiers for FIFA World Cup 2026 and UEFA EURO 2028, as well as the UEFA Nations League 2024 and 2026, including the UEFA Nations League Finals in 2025 and 2027.
“With Viaplay’s long-lasting football track record, we are confident that football fans across the UK will be part of the journey of each of the Home Nations and will be offered excellent coverage of the UEFA National Team Football competitions between 2024 and 2028, whichever screen they choose to use.”
In addition to the UK, Viaplay and UEFA’s partnership spans Sweden, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Viaplay will launch in the UK in the second half of 2022 with a broad streaming offering that combines live sports with premium original Nordic content and more. Further details of Viaplay’s UK content, pricing and launch date will be announced in due course.
Additional sports available on Viaplay in the UK will include:
NHL ice hockey: 2022 to 2027
KSW mixed martial arts: 2022 to 2025
IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship: 2024 to 2028
Champions Hockey League: 2023/2024 to 2027/2028
ISU figure skating and speed skating: 2023 to 2028 (ISU World Figure Skating Championships from 2024)
EHF European Handball Championship, EHF Champions League and EHF European League (men and women): 2022 to 2030
CEV EuroVolley, CEV Champions League, CEV EuroBeachVolley and additional CEV volleyball competitions: 2022 to 2026
World Athletics Continental Tour Gold: 2023 to 2029
World Athletics Indoor Tour: 2023
FIS snowboard and freestyle: 2022 till 2026 (non-exclusive).
In March, NENT Group announced a proposal to rebrand as Viaplay Group, subject to approval at its Annual General Meeting on 18 May.
The Cleveland Browns and Bally’s Interactive, a division of Bally’s Corporation (NYSE: BALY), today announced a long-term partnership that features various fan-focused elements and establishes the gaming leader as an official sports betting partner of the team. Pending appropriate licensing and regulatory approvals, the collaboration will be highlighted by a branded lounge at FirstEnergy Stadium, the launch of the mobile Bally Bet Sportsbook app in Ohio and free-to-play gaming opportunities for fans in the state.
“In addition to their incredible resources and expertise, Bally’s Interactive has the fan-first mindset that is consistent with our focus and pivotal to creating successful, fully-integrated sports betting experiences, and we look forward to supporting Bally’s efforts to provide these innovative opportunities to Browns fans and all sports fans in Ohio in the near future,” said Haslam Sports Group Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Dave Jenkins. “As we continue to work closely with sports betting regulators in our state to ensure a responsible and timely launch, we are excited and confident that our partnership with Bally’s will ultimately offer industry-leading benefits to fans throughout Cleveland and Ohio.”
Adi Dhandhania, Chief Operating Officer of North America for Bally’s Interactive, added: “We are excited to partner with such a historic pro football franchise to secure sports betting market access in Ohio, and bring to its fan base more ways to engage through our online gaming platforms. The Browns’ stadium and gameday atmosphere provide a great opportunity for us to showcase our Bally Bet Sportsbook app and Bally Play products in Ohio.”
The Browns and Bally’s are currently identifying the location and specific fan accommodations for the Bally-themed lounge at FirstEnergy Stadium, details for which will be finalized in the coming months. In accordance with all applicable regulations, Browns fans ages 21 and up will have the ability to enjoy an exciting collective sports-betting experience within the new space on gamedays while watching on-field action from across the league.
As the team’s designated sports betting operator, pending appropriate licensing and regulatory approvals, Bally’s will launch a mobile sports betting app for fans to place wagers on sporting events anywhere in the stadium and throughout Ohio. Additionally, the partnership will encompass a variety of fan engagement activations, including unique digital content and an engaging free-to-play predictor game, which will give registered users the opportunity to earn special Browns-themed non-cash promotional prizes.
More details on the partnership and fan activations will be available soon. With sports betting anticipated to be operational in Ohio by January 1, 2023, the Browns and Bally’s are preparing to have all partnership elements fully accessible to fans on the first officially permitted date.
This partnership with the Browns marks the 18th state in which Bally’s would have market access for online sports betting in the U.S.
Rugby Canada’s Board of Directors is very pleased to announce the appointment of Nathan Bombrys as Chief Executive Officer following an extensive and comprehensive global search.
Bombrys, originally from Michigan, joins the national governing body of rugby in Canada with over two decades of experience in senior leadership roles in European rugby, including as Managing Director at Scottish club Glasgow Warriors who compete in the United Rugby Championship and Heineken Champions Cup, Commercial Director at Sale Sharks of England’s Gallagher Premiership, and senior commercial roles at Scottish Rugby.
“Our rigorous recruitment process produced an extremely strong candidate pool, but Nathan stood out as the person with the character and experience that Rugby Canada needs in its leader at this time,” said Sally Dennis, Chair of the Board of Directors, Rugby Canada. “Nathan has a vision and a plan for restoring pride in Canadian rugby and leading us into a new era of growth, community engagement, financial stability and increased international performance success. We are excited and keen for him to get started.”
Bombrys, who will officially join Rugby Canada in the summer upon completion of his term at Scottish Rugby, has an accomplished track record of leading sports business transformations, building successful teams, driving commercial growth and achieving on-field success. He has also played a key role in the strategic planning and development of leagues and competitions from the early years of professionalism to present day, and leading successful major event bids for World Rugby Sevens World Series, PRO14 Finals, and international test matches.
“I am grateful to be asked to lead Rugby Canada, such a proud rugby nation with a strong heritage in the game and would like to thank Sally Dennis and the Rugby Canada Board of Directors for the opportunity,” Bombrys said. “I’m proud of the fact that my rugby journey started in North America, and I’ve enjoyed some truly unique experiences through my years in European professional rugby. I look forward to sharing that experience with athletes, staff and other stakeholders, working together to grow the sport in this country at what I believe is a truly exciting time for rugby in Canada.”
Bombrys added: “I can’t wait to start getting to know the staff, meeting the rugby community and learning more about the organization in the coming months. On a personal note, Anastasia and I are looking forward to making new friends as we settle into our new life in Canada.”
With Bombrys’ appointment and having held the role of Interim CEO since February 1, Jamie Levchuk will move to the position of Managing Director, Revenue and Fan Engagement.
“I have been honoured for the opportunity to lead Rugby Canada during this time of transition,” Levchuk commented. “When Nathan joins, I will return enthusiastically to my role leading the business’ revenue and fan engagement area, and I’m excited for the opportunity to work with Nathan to implement transformational changes moving forward.”
Levchuk added: “I’d also like to thank the staff and partners of Rugby Canada for their dedication and support during this transitional period. Their hard work and commitment, and belief in rugby in Canada, have allowed our organization to weather difficult times and we now look ahead to a brighter future.”
Hurricanes have today announced new investors Y11 Sport & Media and Richard Mansell to complete the private investment component of the Super Rugby franchise.
Y11 Sport & Media have acquired a 25% stake investment in the Hurricanes, whilst Richard Mansell, Director of Horowhenua-Kāpiti Rugby Football Union and CEO of Coastlands Mall, has secured 12.50%.
Y11 Sport & Media, a global investment group specialising in sport, made its first investment in highly successful regional franchise the Ospreys, based in Wales, in 2020. The investment in the Hurricanes further emphasises Y11’s commitment to professional club rugby, with the Hurricanes being its first investment in Southern Hemisphere rugby.
As well as a minority ownership, Y11 will develop the Hurricanes IP globally, focussing on the franchise’s global commercial rights outside of New Zealand and Australia.
Hurricanes Chairman Iain Potter welcomed Y11 Sport & Media and Richard Mansell to the Club.
“We are thrilled to welcome Y11 Sport & Media and Richard Mansell to the Club as shareholders. Their addition means we now have a full roster of shareholders.”
“Y11 are a great fit as they share our ambitions and vision, bringing international understanding, expertise and resources that will help propel our Club into an exciting new era. We’re thrilled by the opportunities this partnership will bring.”
“Richard Mansell brings strong business experience and perspectives, and a real passion for rugby which will benefit us greatly,” said Potter.
Y11 Chairman & CEO James Davies-Yandle said: “We are very excited and proud with this strategic investment. The Hurricanes is a massive brand, and we want to further maximise the franchise on a global scale through our management of their global commercial rights.”
“Professional club rugby has so much potential, especially with investment coming in at the top of the game through the leagues and the governing bodies and we have positioned ourselves to invest in the clubs that compete in those leagues and tournaments, where the governing bodies want to build best operating practices and competition, as it’s the platform for talent to succeed at international level. Our investments in rugby to date compliment this strategy.”
Kāpiti resident and long-time Hurricanes fan Richard Mansell says his investment was for personal enjoyment and interest.
“It reinforces a long-term commitment I have to the Hurricanes and honours the many matches I was able to attend with my late father.”
Between 1996 and 2012, the five New Zealand Super Rugby franchises were solely owned by NZR and were run by boards formed by representatives from the provincial unions in each franchise’s catchment.
However, a review in 2012 paved the way for private investment, which saw the Hurricanes franchise purchased by Hurricanes’ Investment Ltd Partnership, an entity led by Wellington Rugby Football Union (WRFU) and supported by private investors Horowhenua-Kāpiti Rugby Football Union, Cohiba Traders Limited (Director, Sir Paul Collins), Y11 Sport & Media and Richard Mansell.
FIFA has announced that it will launch an invitation to tender (ITT) on 28 April 2022 for the sale of media rights to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ in selected territories across Asia.
Interested parties will be invited to make an offer in one or more of the following territories: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Korea Republic, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.
Further information about the rights being offered, the bid process and the submission of bids will be provided in the ITT.
Media companies or organisations wishing to participate in the ITT can submit a request by email to FWWC23-asia-media-rights@fifa.org.
Since its inception in 1991, the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ has grown exponentially, becoming the most-watched women’s single-sport event globally. The most recent edition – the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™ – attracted a record audience of over 1.1 billion viewers, smashing domestic viewing figures in many territories.
China PR, Japan, Korea Republic, the Philippines and Vietnam have all already qualified for the final tournament; Thailand and Chinese Taipei still have a chance to qualify in the play-off tournament for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 early next year.
The tender process will allow FIFA to select the media companies that are best placed to achieve FIFA’s overall objectives to deliver high quality, comprehensive coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ to help accelerate the growth and development of women’s football.
Bid submissions to FIFA must be received by 10:00 CEST on Tuesday, 7 June 2022.
Through the sale of media rights for its football tournaments, FIFA generates income which is essential to support and develop the game around the world, for instance through the FIFA Forward and FIFA Women’s Development Programme.
La-Z-Boy has become the official furniture partner of the NFL London Games.
The USA’s National Football League will stage three of its 2022 season games in the capital during October.
World renowned sofa brand La-Z-Boy has penned a three-year deal which will see it provide ‘The best seats in the house’ for the two London games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and become the key sponsor of the Jason & Osi Podcast in which the two former NFL players and BBC pundits chat about the game.
La-Z-Boy branding will be visible around the stadia at all three London Games and on the NFL UK website.
Managing director of La-Z-Boy UK, Mark Draper, described the partnership as an ideal link-up.
“NFL fans are very dedicated to their sport and that means watching the games in comfort is a big deal. We’ll not only be offering the chance to win game tickets, but providing the ‘best seats in the house’ so fans can enjoy a game in world-renowned La-Z-Boy comfort.
“La-Z-Boy chairs and sofas are all about celebrating time with friends and family as well as relaxing to enjoy me-time – both of which fit perfectly with the NFL fanbase. We’re very excited to work closely with the NFL in the UK and Ireland and get to know NFL supporters even better.”
NFL’s European commercial director, Michelle Webb, commented: “We’re delighted to welcome La-Z-Boy UK as our Official Furniture Partner of the NFL London Games. The brand and activation work perfectly and we’re excited to see what the next three years bring for both brands.”
The partnership will launch at the January Furniture Show, the UK’s largest furniture trade event, which takes place at its rescheduled date in April at the NEC, Birmingham.
Further details of the activations and competitions will be announced throughout the year.
Brand marketing director for La-Z-Boy International, Natasha Wright, added: “As La-Z-Boy approaches its 100-year anniversary in 2027, we are looking to make strategic partnerships to ensure we reach this milestone in the best possible position.
“The NFL deal will elevate our brand in the UK and Ireland by reaching a consumer group which is in keeping with our strategic vision.”
Inter Miami CF and Acronis, a global leader in cyber protection, announced an Official Cybersecurity Partnership which will be supported by iPower Technologies. Through this partnership, Inter Miami will have access to leading technology that will help keep data safe and CyberFit.
Sports teams around the world choose Acronis Cyber Protect, an innovative Machine Intelligence (MI) enhanced solution that integrates data protection with cybersecurity, prevents cyberattacks, and helps teams avoid downtime. Acronis combines automation and integration, ensuring the prevention, detection, response, recovery, and analysis needed to safeguard all workloads while streamlining protection efforts. Acronis cyber protection provides the safety, accessibility, privacy, authenticity, and security (SAPAS) services required to protect the modern sport.
“Our data is a valuable asset for our organization and safely storing information pertaining to our club is important to our business,” said Inter Miami CF Chief Business Officer, Xavier Asensi. “As leaders in the space, we are excited to welcome Acronis to our family of partners.”
“Inter Miami will be an exciting addition to our roster, which aligns them with other world class sports teams who entrust their cyber protection to Acronis,” said Acronis Vice President and General Manager, Americas, Pat Hurley. “We’re proud of our ability here at Acronis to provide organizations with the latest and greatest in technology to combat cyber threats, and this partnership with Inter Miami expands our reach and exposure.”
iPower Technologies offers end-to-end network solutions that span from the desktop to the datacenter. Leveraging decades of experience across multiple industries, iPower has the proven record to enable digital transformation. Their unique understanding of the “always-on” business allows cutting-edge stability and efficiency, powered by an expert team that can help anytime, anywhere. iPower takes businesses to the next level with customized cloud solutions, keeping data safe, secure, and accessible.
“We are extremely excited to support and protect Inter Miami with Acronis,” said Jarrett Pavao, President of iPower Technologies. We have been fortunate enough to work with the club since its inception and we are thrilled at how Inter Miami continues to innovate on both the field and in the datacenter. We are proud to be able to support their technical initiatives through the Acronis CyberFit partnership.”
Through this partnership, Inter Miami will access innovative cyber protection solutions to safeguard data, applications, and systems to optimize data management and defend cyberattacks.
FanDuel Group, the premier sports gaming destination in the United States, announced today a multi-year partnership renewal to become An Official Sports Betting Partner of the New York Yankees. The expanded partnership ensures that America’s #1 Sportsbook remains aligned with the world’s most iconic sports franchise.
Under the terms of the agreement, FanDuel will be permitted use of New York Yankees’ marks. Additionally, FanDuel will have premium VIP hospitality accommodations at Yankee Stadium along with integrated FanDuel signage in right-field and rotational signage behind home plate during television broadcasts.
“There is no more globally recognized sports brand than the New York Yankees, and as a New York-based company we’re delighted to remain partners with our hometown team,” said Mike Raffensperger, CMO of FanDuel Group. “One of our company values is to be absurdly fan-focused and there is no fanbase more passionate about their team than Yankees fans which makes this a natural fit.”
“We are very excited to be continuing our relationship with FanDuel—our Partner since 2020,” said Michael J. Tusiani, New York Yankees Senior Vice President, Partnerships. “We hope that FanDuel’s Yankee Stadium presence and customer engagement will continue to strengthen its brand as a sports betting operator within the tri-state area.”
W Series will include ten races across eight Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends in 2022, and Sky Sports will broadcast live coverage of every qualifying and race session. The three-year partnership – through to the end of W Series’ fifth on-track season in 2024 – represents W Series’ largest media investment to date and will include distribution of W Series content across Sky’s channels, including linear, digital, and social.
The deal also increases the footprint of W Series coverage across Sky’s global platforms. As well as the UK, W Series will begin a new partnership with Sky Italia this season, adding to the series’ existing agreement with Sky Deutschland.
Sky is committed to the marketing and promotion of W Series coverage through its network of channels, as well as joint initiatives to promote women in motorsport. W Series will sit alongside Sky’s premium sports portfolio, including elite women’s sport such as the FA Women’s Super League.
Channel 4 will broadcast live and free-to-air coverage of the fourth race of the 2022 W Series season, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, UK, and show highlights of the other nine races from season three. The W Series broadcast talent team for the 2022 season – which begins with a double-header in Miami, USA, on 6-8 May – will be announced in due course.
Catherine Bond Muir (Chief Executive Officer, W Series) said:
“I’m delighted to announce our landmark broadcast partnership with Sky Sports, which is another significant step in W Series’ continued rapid expansion. Throughout our conversations with Sky, I’ve been impressed by their commitment to women’s sport and plans to amplify coverage of W Series across their vast portfolio of distribution channels, which will add real weight to our offering across broadcast, digital, and social platforms.
“This partnership enables W Series to continue to expand its viewership within the UK. Alongside Sky, Channel 4 will continue its free-to-air coverage of the entire W Series season with highlights of every race, and will also broadcast live our home race at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in July. With this broad broadcast offering, we have the perfect mix of coverage across our UK audience.
“W Series is an increasingly international series – more than half of the races during the 2022 season will take place outside Europe, including our first-ever race in Asia in support of the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. Our broadcast partnership with Sky Sports reflects this, giving us great breadth of coverage across Sky’s global platforms and we’re excited to showcase incredibly exciting racing through fantastic content, direct to our fans.”
Jonathan Licht (Managing Director, Sky Sports) said:
“In addition to Sky Italia and Sky Deutschland, Sky Sports are delighted to be growing our motorsport portfolio with this recently established elite women’s series. It feels like Sky Sports is a natural home for W Series, given we have such a dedicated motorsport audience and a dedicated motorsport genre channel.
“We pride ourselves in being a good partner to sport and it’s been a privilege to work alongside Catherine and her team to come up with a broadcast offering that works for everyone. It is clearly a very exciting time to be a part of this journey.
“At Sky Sports we are committed to making sport more inclusive and I can now proudly say that, with the addition of W Series, every genre channel at Sky Sports now has both men’s and women’s sports coverage.
“We look forward to sharing the excitement of this upcoming season with our viewers.”
