BBC Extends World Snooker Broadcast Deal Until 2027

The BBC has agreed a three-year extension to broadcast World Snooker’s three major tournaments until 2027.

The current deal to show the World Championship, UK Championship and the Masters on TV and online was scheduled run to the end of the 2023-24 season.

The World Championship, currently under way at the Crucible in Sheffield, had a peak audience of four million for the 2021 final. Snooker has been televised by the BBC since 1969.

The UK Championship takes place in York in November, while snooker’s other ‘Triple Crown’ event, the Masters, is staged at Alexandra Palace, London, in January. 

World Snooker chairman Steve Dawson said: “Snooker belongs on the BBC and it’s important for our sport to be seen by a massive audience. 

“Millions of people enjoy snooker’s biggest events on the BBC and the quality of their production is outstanding. BBC’s coverage is an integral part of the rich history which surrounds our Triple Crown tournaments.” 

Barbara Slater, director of BBC Sport, added: “It’s wonderful news for snooker fans across the UK that the Triple Crown events will remain free to air.”

GAMEE Partners With Manchester City FC To Launch Games On Arc8 Play-And-Earn Gaming Platform

GAMEE, the play-and-earn casual mobile gaming subsidiary of Animoca Brands, has partnered with Manchester City Football Club to bring football-themed games to the Arc8 play-and-earn gaming platform, which offers crypto rewards.

The first game to kick off the partnership is Manchester City Striker, a captivating football game with 3D graphics and addictive gameplay. Players will be challenged to beat an AI-controlled goalkeeper and simultaneously hit targets with increasing difficulty. GAMEE will host unique tournaments and matches in Man City Striker in which players will be able to earn crypto as rewards.

The partnership between GAMEE and Manchester City FC marks the starting point for the evolution of the Arc8 gaming platform into the “arcadeverse”, a virtual casual gaming space that connects players, brands, and game creators. 

Bozena Rezab, the CEO of GAMEE, commented: “Arc8 started as a mobile app offering crypto rewards for play-and-earn gameplay, and grew into a product with a global audience of 200,000 monthly active users. The next step in the evolution of Arc8 is to become a hub for partner projects that are entering the blockchain gaming space via our platform. Manchester City is one of the very first partners to go live and we’re thrilled to collaborate with one of the leading brands in the world of sports.”

Arc8 currently has 12 live games, including Asteroids in collaboration with Atari and, as of today, Man City Striker in partnership with Manchester City FC. Additional brand partnerships will be announced in the coming weeks.

OneFootball Announces Series D Raise; Partners With Animoca Brands To Create OneFootball Labs

OneFootball has today announced a $300m series D funding round, as well as a new joint venture with Animoca Brands.

OneFootball, the world’s largest football media platform, and Animoca Brands, the company advancing digital property rights for gaming and the metaverse, today announced OneFootball Labs, a joint venture, and Liberty City Ventures. OneFootball Labs will enable clubs, leagues, federations and players to release digital assets and fan-centric experiences based on blockchain technology.

Yat Siu, the co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, is joining the boards of both OneFootball and OneFootball Labs.

OneFootball today also confirmed the closing of its Series D funding round of US$300 million to support its future global growth and expansion into Web3. The round was led by Liberty City Ventures with support from Animoca Brands, Dapper Labs, DAH Beteiligungs GmbH, Quiet Capital, RIT Capital Partners, Senator Investment Group, and Alsara Investment Group.

The raise underlines OneFootball’s proposition as the biggest global football media platform, with more than 100 million monthly active users. OneFootball delivers comprehensive football content from hundreds of leagues and competitions worldwide, including a growing portfolio of free and pay-per-view live streamed football matches leading to more than 15,000 livestreams and on-demand content clips in 2021 alone. 

The OneFootball Labs joint venture is set to deliver a new era of football fan consumption, providing accessible, affordable, and unique fan experiences that will drive mass adoption of blockchain technology in football. These products will be offered at different price points to make them widely accessible and fans will also be able to purchase and store digital collectibles with just their email and a credit card. 

Animoca Brands will bring its deep expertise and network in blockchain, NFTs, gaming and the metaverse to assist OneFootball to create new products and services that will amplify digital fandom and create new revenue streams for the football industry. 

Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands said: “Over the last year, the sporting universe has made progress in harnessing the potential of NFTs and gaming, offering fans new digital experiences based on the important principles of true digital ownership and decentralization. Animoca Brands is proud to have played a role in nearly every significant milestone in the development of true digital property rights via NFTs. Bringing Web3 to the biggest sport in the world – football – through our participation in the OneFootball Labs joint venture is a match made in heaven.”

Lucas von Cranach, founder and CEO of OneFootball said: “We believe the future of football away from the stands and off the pitch will be decentralised and built on Web3, giving back the ownership of data and digital assets to the fans. OneFootball and OneFootball Labs will transform the digital experiences for football fans, giving them more access, more ownership and bringing them even closer to the game we all love, in a way that’s never been done before.”

Murtaza Akbar, managing partner at Liberty City Ventures, said: “With OneFootball’s 100M monthly active users, we have a special opportunity to harness the benefits of blockchain for a huge community of football fans offering them products they can truly own, and bringing them closer than ever to the game they love.”

Extreme E Announces Vodafone Business As Technology Communications Partner

Extreme E has today announced Vodafone Business as its Technology Communications Partner.

This collaboration will see Vodafone Business leading innovations and capabilities such as 5G, MPN, IOT and MEC, integrated into Extreme E’s global operations. It will also include full involvement in the purpose-driven elements of the series, with special prominence on Extreme E’s Legacy Programmes and the Science Laboratory on board the St Helena.

With expertise in connectivity, global scale and the leading IoT platform, Vodafone Business is a leading technology communications company helping organisations succeed in a digital world and keeping society connected. Vodafone’s purpose is to connect for a better future, enabling an inclusive and sustainable digital society, and many of its solutions have sustainability and inclusivity embedded. Through its IOT solutions, Vodafone Business is helping sustainability efforts, including agriculture, forestation and decarbonisation of energy grids.

Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer at Extreme E, said: “As a sport for purpose series, it’s essential that we align ourselves with companies who share our core values, so we are delighted to be announcing this partnership with Vodafone Business.  

“Vodafone is a global leader of communications, innovation and technology and crucially embeds an impressive level of sustainability and inclusivity practices into its core strategies. We are proud to welcome Vodafone into the Extreme E family and look forward to working with them to achieve impactful results.”

Amanda Jobbins, Director of Marketing and Communications at Vodafone Business, said: “Vodafone Business is on a mission to encourage customers, businesses and wider society to switch to making greener choices through technology. Extreme E has a shared commitment to leaving a positive impact through its racing series, while promoting gender equality. This partnership will enable both organisations to leverage innovation to enhance the future and improve people’s lives.”

Extreme E’s five-race global voyage aims to: pave the way to a lower carbon future through the promotion of electric vehicles; draw attention to the impacts of climate change and the solutions we can all be part of; and seeks to accelerate gender equality in motorsport.

In each location Extreme E visits it leaves behind a long-lasting positive impact through its Legacy Programmes by working with local NGOs and the series’ Scientific Committee to support the issues the series is trying to mitigate. Projects so far include collaborating with MEDSEA to support recovery response to devastating forest fires in Sardinia, teaming up with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) on its Forest Restoration Programme in Pará, Brazil, and a partnership with the Ba’a Foundation in Saudi Arabia on a conservation initiative for the endangered green turtle and critically endangered hawksbill turtle.

Season 2 of Extreme E kicked off in NEOM, Saudi Arabia in February 2022 and will head to Sardinia for a double-header Island X Prix event on 6-7 and 9-10 July. The remaining two events of Season 2 will see the Championship visit South America for the first time. The Copper X Prix in Antofagasta, Chile, will take place on 24-25 September, with the Season Finale in Punta del Este, Uruguay, for the Energy X Prix on 26-27 November.

Prime Video Announces New Multi-Year Agreement With ONE Championship For Exclusive Live Coverage In The US And Canada

Prime Video and ONE Championship have announced a multi-year agreement for Prime Video to broadcast 12 live ONE Championship martial arts events annually. The full live events will be available exclusively on Prime Video in the United States and Canada. The first event will be announced later this year.

ONE is the world’s largest martial arts organization and a top five global sports property for viewership and engagement. ONE events represent the full spectrum of martial arts, with world-class athletes representing over 80 countries competing across MMA, Muay Thai, kickboxing, submission grappling and other disciplines.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO at ONE Championship, said: “ONE Championship is thrilled to work with Prime Video, one of the largest premium sports content providers in the world, to bring our live events closer to fans in the United States and Canada.

“As the world’s largest martial arts organization, we believe our collaboration with Prime Video will allow us to reach a wider North American audience that is hungry for an authentic and differentiated product you simply cannot get with any other organization. We look forward to showcasing the absolute greatest martial artists on the planet, right here in the ONE Championship Circle and on Prime Video.”

Marie Donoghue, Vice President of Global Sports Video at Amazon, said: “We are proud to add exclusive coverage of ONE Championship events to our suite of marquee live sports offerings. In addition to offering a full suite of martial arts disciplines, ONE Championship shares our mutual commitment to elevate female athletes, boasting five reigning female World Champions.”

PGA TOUR Welcomes Dream Finders Homes As Official Marketing Partner

The PGA TOUR and Dream Finders Homes, Inc., today announced a multi-year partnership naming Dream Finders Homes the “Official Home Builder of the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions” through 2026.

“We are excited to have Dream Finders Homes as the first home builder to be an Official Marketing Partner at the PGA TOUR,” said Brian Oliver, PGA TOUR Executive Vice President Marketing & Corporate Partnerships. “We’re confident that the PGA TOUR platform will provide an excellent backdrop to showcase the Dream Finders Homes brand through our players, media and tournaments.”

Dream Finders Homes will activate this new relationship by having a presence in programming throughout PGA TOUR social and digital properties, including hosting a “Moving Day” campaign on Instagram. Dream Finders Homes will also organize hospitality events for key constituents and guests at select PGA TOUR events, host corporate golf outings and develop partnerships with TOUR professionals.

Patrick Zalupski, Dream Finders Homes, Inc. CEO said “Dream Finders Homes is excited to partner with the PGA TOUR and support golf’s growing popularity – we believe its mission strongly aligns with our corporate values: quality, integrity, and family. As we further expand our footprint in high growth markets, becoming the PGA TOUR’s Official Home Builder will ensure golf fans across the country become acquainted with our company and mission. The game of golf, similar to building communities, brings together folks of diverse backgrounds; we feel this will be a mutually beneficial partnership as we work together to support golf’s next generation. See you on Moving Day!”

Anthony Joshua’s 258 MGT Enter Team Into New eSkootr Championship

The eSkootr Championship™ (eSC) has confirmed that Olympic Gold Medalist and 2x Heavyweight Champion of the World, Anthony Joshua OBE, will enter a team for the inaugural season, launching at Printworks London on 13/14 May 2022 and broadcast globally across 120 markets including the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport digital platforms in the UK.

Joshua’s entry will be called 258 RACING, and will be run by the boxing star’s elite athlete management company, 258 MGT. As one of ten teams in the championship, it will run three riders from the eSC Rider Pool.

Among the riders selected to compete in the series are multiple World Champion and former Team GB speed skater, Elise Christie, BMX World Championship bronze medalist, Tre Whyte, and Olympic Games Snowboard bronze medalist, Billy Morgan.  

The season opener at Printworks London will be the first event to showcase eSC’s brand-new sports and entertainment format, with the racing action supported by three of the UK’s most exciting artists as part of eSC – The Party, which is included in the ticketholder experience for Saturday 14 May.

British singer songwriter, Lady Leshurr, will be joined by DJ Anz and DJ La La when eSC races into town at the iconic South East London cultural destination. This incredible four-hour music show will take place following the first ever eSC winner’s podium presentation.

Micromobility offers affordable, accessible and sustainable transport solutions, opening up cities for the benefit of all facets of society. Joshua, who is very active in the local community, sees the impact eSC can have on better awareness, regulation and access to escooters. He will work closely with the sport to help develop the micromobility conversation and champion the positive effect it can have on people’s lives. 

Anthony Joshua said: 

“I really enjoy venturing into opportunities, businesses and in this case new sports. I am a fan and I am looking forward to seeing the championship develop over time. I am hoping to, where I can, add a little magic and help the team and championship develop its potential. I look forward to seeing you at a race.” 

Khalil Beschir, eSkootr Championship™ Co-founder and COO, added:

“We are delighted to welcome AJ and 258 RACING to eSC. He is a big supporter of the eSC vision and mission, both on and off the track, and will be a fantastic advocate for the series and micromobility generally. 

“From our conversations, it is clear he wants to use his team to promote the benefits of escooters and to help improve awareness of how they can be used in a safe, sustainable and accessible way. He is a passionate believer in helping the community, and that is something we are aligned on as eSC seeks to ensure everyone has an opportunity to try our new sport and at the same time discover new urban transportation solutions.”

Special Olympics GB Announces Colin Dyer As New CEO

Special Olympics GB today announced Colin Dyer has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the non-profit organisation.

A highly experienced leader within the charity sector, Colin will start with Special Olympics GB on Monday 9th May 2022.

Colin joins Special Olympics GB from the well-respected charity, WellChild, where he was Chief Executive for just over 12 years. Prior to joining WellChild, Colin spent five years heading up the Sir Steve Redgrave Trust before working on the integration of that charity into the Comic Relief portfolio.

A qualified senior journalist, Colin spent 10 years directing and consulting on sports marketing and sponsorship campaigns in the UK and across Europe – including work to incorporate cause-related and charity-focused elements in major sport sponsorships alongside organisations such as World Aids Day, the Unicef World Food Programme, and the Princes’ Trust. 

To ensure a thorough and extensive search for the role of CEO was undertaken, Special Olympics GB worked closely with Nolan Partners, a recruitment firm who specialise in finding talented leadership executives in the sports, media, and entertainment fields. Their expertise proved invaluable with a wide range of high calibre candidates put forward for consideration. Colin’s background and experience from his varied roles across charity and the sports marketing industry proved to be a perfect fit for the role of CEO for Special Olympics GB.

Paul Richardson, Chair of Special Olympics said: “On behalf of the Board of Trustees and everyone at Special Olympics GB we are delighted to welcome Colin to our organisation. Colin is a hugely well-respected individual who brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to Special Olympics GB. With a strong commercial background and a proven track record of successfully influencing change at a variety of levels, we are confident Colin’s skillset will help Special Olympic GB to grow and thrive and be able to help more of the 1.5 million people living with intellectual disabilities in Great Britain today. More than anything else, Colin is hugely passionate about helping people access opportunities and we are excited to see where Colin will take Special Olympics GB moving forward.” 

Colin Dyer, CEO Special Olympics GB said: “I couldn’t be more excited to join this fantastic organisation, and to start to get to work on the development of Special Olympics GB at all levels right across Great Britain – creating opportunities for inclusion for as many people as possible. It is already clear that there is a very talented team at Special Olympics GB who have steered the organisation through the Covid pandemic and begun to plan for the growth we know is possible, and which is so important for people with intellectual disabilities of all ages and from all backgrounds. I look forward to hitting the road and meeting the people delivering those opportunities all around Scotland, England and Wales and working with the team on some of the exciting plans already in the pipeline.”

One of the first major events Colin will be focusing on is the Special Olympics GB’s Summer Series of Sport which will see our athletes return to full-scale competition for the first time in two and a half years in the largest celebration of intellectual disability sport in Great Britain this year. Running between June and September, The Special Olympics GB Summer Series of Sport will be made up of approximately 19 single and multi-sport events, providing competition in 12 sports offering the opportunity for at least 1,500 Special Olympics GB athletes, with the support of our volunteers, to compete for the first time since February 2020 due to the consequences of Covid-19. Special Olympics GB Summer Series of Sport events can now be found on our website.

Mark Emmert To Step Down As NCAA President In June 2023

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 To Show Scottish, Welsh And Northern Irish National Team Football In UK

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.