Buffalo Bills And Legends Announce Expansive Partnerships For New Bills Stadium

Legends to Lead Planning, Project Management, Sales and Partnerships for New Stadium

The Buffalo Bills and Legends announced today an expansive partnership for the data-intelligence fueled global premium experiences company to lead planning, project management, sales and partnerships for the new Bills stadium project. The Bills recently secured a signed Memorandum of Understanding with New York State and received NFL approval for G-4 funding, significant steps towards final approval of the stadium.

Legends has been involved in the Bills new stadium project for the past year, working closely with the team and Pegula Sports & Entertainment on the feasibility study for the project and more recently, conducting valuable initial focus groups and surveys to help inform stadium design and sales. In addition to its work on the new stadium project, Legends currently handles e-commerce for the Bills.

“As we continue toward our goal of constructing a new stadium for our team, our fans and the Western New York community, having the right partners in place is critical to our success,” said Ron Raccuia, Bills executive vice president. “As we have seen in recent years at SoFi Stadium and Allegiant Stadium, the team at Legends brings an incredible level of expertise, success and understanding around NFL stadium development as well as sales and partnerships. We are proud to partner and get to work with them on our new stadium project.”

“Legends is proud to partner with the Buffalo Bills and Pegula Sports & Entertainment to apply our data-intelligence fueled 360-degree service solution to bring their fans a new, modern stadium that will dramatically enhance the game day experience,” said Shervin Mirhashemi, CEO, Legends. “Our seasoned execution team will apply their vast experience and institutional knowledge working with NFL teams on project development, sales campaigns, PSL programs, naming rights and founding partner engagements to deliver a stadium that is unique to Buffalo.”

Legends has provided its holistic solution powered by data and analytics to a number of high-profile stadium and venue projects that have opened in the past few years. Most recently, Legends provided planning, project management, sales and partnerships, including naming rights, for the Los Angeles Rams’ and Chargers’ SoFi Stadium, the Las Vegas Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium, Hollywood Park’s YouTube Theater, Los Angeles Football Club’s Banc of California Stadium and the Columbus Crew’s Lower.com Field.

BUCS Announces BT As Headline Partner Of Outdoor Athletics

BUCS is delighted to announce a new partnership with global telecommunications company BT, which will see them headline one of BUCS’ largest student events and provide global career opportunities to talented student athletes.

Back after two years, the three-day event held in Chelmsford at the end of April will bring together over 1,500 students from universities across the UK to compete at the highest level in both track and field events.

The event is well respected in the athletics world for producing athletes who have gone on to shine on the world stage. Multiple BUCS champion Holly Bradshaw became the first ever British pole vault Olympic medallist, BUCS alumni Laura Muir won silver in the 1500m at Tokyo 2020, and the events have also featured the likes of Adam Gemili and Emily Campbell.

The backing from BT will help BUCS continue to raise the profile of the important pathway the event creates for elite athletes, and showcase BT as a valuable employer for graduate opportunities to the rest of the athletics community.

Duncan Jones, Chief Operating Officer at BUCS commented on the partnership: “I’m delighted to see such an internationally recognised brand as BT become our latest partner. The Outdoor Athletics Championships is always a memorable event in our calendar, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact this partnership will bring.

Following the interruption caused by COVID-19, this season has demonstrated the role sport plays in shaping the diverse skills and abilities of student athletes is as important as ever. It’s great to see BT recognise their potential and offer valuable early career opportunities.”

Paul Sobers, Head of Early Careers at BT said: “BT is thrilled to be partnering with British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) and to become the headline partner of the 2022 Outdoor Athletics Championships. We have seen how the skills student athletes gain through their involvement in university sport enhances their employability, and BT is excited to be supporting these talented student leaders in their future career paths.”

Macklemore And Marshawn Lynch Become Minority Owners Of The NHL’s Seattle Kraken

Grammy-winning rapper Macklemore and retired Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch have become minority owners of the Seattle Kraken.

Macklemore and Lynch attended the Kraken’s 4-2 win against the Ottawa Senators at Climate Pledge Arena on Monday to celebrate joining the ownership group and Macklemore said he plans to attend a lot more games going forward.

“I am a Seattle sports fan through and through, have been my entire life,” Macklemore said. “I think that sports define a city. They bring people together. It gives us one common purpose to root for. It’s really the spirit of the city in so many ways, and to be a part of that new era that is the Kraken, that is the NHL in Seattle, that is the new arena, to do that was a no-brainer in terms of the opportunity. It’s just something that I can’t really even put into words. 

“It’s a big moment for myself, for Marshawn — we’re both super pumped to be involved — for my family and for the future.”

Macklemore and Lynch join the Kraken Investor Group led by David Bonderman, founder and majority owner, and Samantha Holloway, chairperson of the Kraken’s executive committee. In their new roles with the first-year NHL expansion team, Macklemore and Lynch are expected to lead Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena initiatives to connect with hockey fans, music lovers and community members.

“We are fortunate to have an incredibly strong investor group, which has guided the franchise over the last four years,” Holloway said. “We are now adding two hometown heroes who share our values and desires, to give back to this great city and continue to make hockey a sport for everyone.”

Macklemore, whose given name is Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, is a Seattle native who cofounded The Residency, a hip hop and youth development program creating prominent opportunities for aspiring young artists in the region and a long-time supporter of the community and arts. He will work with the Kraken and arena to produce music events to serve the community.

“We have a really cool opportunity with Climate Pledge because it’s not just sports,” Macklemore said. “We have an arena that puts on some of the best concerts in the world, a state-of-the-art sound system, everything is brand new. It sounds amazing. I’ve been to a couple shows. So there’s that side of it, but there’s also what type of activation can we do while there are sporting events, and I think that the Kraken have done a great job of imagining local musicians in this space and giving folks a platform that they normally wouldn’t have to be able to perform in different pockets of the arena while sporting events are going on.”

Lynch played seven of his 12 NFL seasons for the Seahawks and helped them win their first championship in 2014 when they defeated the Denver Broncos 43-8 at Super Bowl XLVIII. In retirement, Lynch remains connected to Seattle and his hometown of Oakland, California, helping underprivileged youth with his Fam 1st Family Foundation.

Lynch also was a guest announcer at the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft, when the Kraken announced their first 30 players. As a minority investor, he plans to be active in Seattle’s “Hockey is For Everyone” campaign and work with the team to plan events focused on young people and community activism.

“On God, I’ve been a part of a lot of things, but this is something I never would have imagined,” Lynch said. “As a young hyena, I always dreamed of playing on a professional team but owning one is something special. As I look back on some of my accomplishments — I retired before I was 30 and now being an owner of a professional club at the age of 35 — I’m [going to] continue to count my blessings. Being a part of the Seattle Kraken is something big for me.

“It gives me another chance to get a ring after helping bring the first NFL one to the city. And if you thought I was goin’ somewhere, nah Seattle, I’m here! Stand up!!!!”

Macklemore said he didn’t follow hockey when he was growing up because Seattle didn’t have an NHL team. A trip to watch his nephew play a youth game in Florida opened his eyes to the excitement of the game.

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“Within a couple minutes, I was, like, up against the glass screaming, completely into it and I was like, ‘OK, I get hockey now,'” Macklemore said. “I didn’t get it before just watching it on TV. To see live and in person, the speed and just the intensity and the aggression overall, really drew me in. So the minute it was announced that we were getting a team in Seattle, I was like, ‘OK, this is going to be something that I’m going to get into.'” 

Macklemore said he began talking with Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke and his brother Tim Leiweke, CEO of Oak View Group, which renovated Climate Pledge Arena, about potentially joining the ownership group before the expansion draft last July 21. Lynch became involved within the past six months.

“There was a lot of hurdles and hoops to get through, and Tod and Tim Leiweke were really instrumental in me becoming a part of this group and wanting to bring me on board,” Macklemore said. “As a you can imagine, there’s a lot of bureaucracy behind the scenes, stuff that has to get taken care of. So a shoutout to them, a shoutout to my whole team that made it happen.”

In a video posted on the Kraken’s Twitter account Monday, Macklemore suited up in full hockey equipment, including a Kraken practice jersey, to work on his skating and shooting while Lynch took a turn driving the Zamboni at Kraken Community Iceplex. Macklemore said he has skated three times in his life.

“But I will say that for that video, I didn’t want to get off the ice,” he said. “I had a great time. I was like, ‘Oh, I get this.’ So we’ll see. I really liked it. I definitely want to go back out there.”

Don’t expect to see Lynch skating with him, though. “He’s more of a Zamboni guy,” Macklemore said.

eSkootr Championship Races To Be Shown Live On The BBC

The eSkootr Championship™ (eSC) has announced that coverage of the 2022 season will be shown live on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport digital platforms.

Starting on 13-14 May at Printworks London, fans who miss out on a ticket will be able to get a first look at this brand-new sport on the BBC’s iPlayer and BBC Sport platforms. The BBC will broadcast live coverage of the Saturday evening final, with expert presentation and commentary introducing viewers to the riders and the Championship.

Following the eSC London event, the BBC will also provide live coverage of the racing action from the additional five rounds on the 2022 calendar, in the Swiss city of Sion, and in France, Spain, Italy and the US. The specially designed tracks, short format, and high-speed racing will make for exhilarating television viewing, with creative camera angles, production techniques and second screen experience providing viewers with a unique sports broadcast.

The BBC will use eSC’s own programme, created by Canadian production company Boombox, which includes pre-race build-up, live race commentary and post-race interviews, highlights and analysis.

Sharon Fuller, eSkootr Championship™ Chief Content Officer, commented: 

“We can’t wait to give fans their first taste of eSC and introduce them to our new form of racing. We want the Championship to be accessible and working with the BBC will ensure the widest possible audience has the opportunity to see the sport. It is going to be fast, competitive and unpredictable, with innovative TV production taking viewers right into the heart of the action.

“The BBC will broadcast coverage from our first event in May at London Printworks right through the season, on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport platforms. As well as the racing, the programme will introduce viewers to eSC, guide them through its format, and provide expert insight and analysis on the action.”

ATPI Sign International Travel Partnership With ISF, Renew Belle Vue Aces Deal

The International School Sport Federation (ISF) and the leading travel and events management business – ATPI Sports Events, part of the ATPI Group, are entering in partnership.

ATPI Sports Events will run the ISF corporate travel needs as the official ISF travel agent. Its dedicated official ISF travel desk will provide essential and wide-ranging services for the ISF stakeholders, including staff, board members and national members federations athletes and ISF event organizers.

In the framework of the ISF largest multisport and educational events for school students under 18 years old –‘’The Gymnasiade’’ taking place in France – Normandie from 14th -22nd May 2022 and also later on from 26th November to 3 December 2022 related to the 2020 postponed edition of the ISF Gymnasiade Jinjiang 2020 (China) the ATPI Sports Events department will propose travel services to ISF teams and will create hospitality packages for major ISF events and holiday experiences for school sport fans and communities, in the near future.

With national school sport teams and families also being frequent flyers, traveling to global ISF events and to having an exciting and personalized touristic experience for teams including the families and friends of the athletes will be professionally supported.

ATPI Sports Events has an extensive track record in working with major sports events, from Olympic and Winter Olympic Games to yacht races, as well as football teams and other major sports federations.

Laurent Petrynka, ISF President, said:

“We are delighted to enter in partnership with such a leading international company in the field of travel and touristic experiences related to mega events. This is completely aligned with the ISF vision in term of team and their families’ experiences. We will strongly focus on the experience of these two groups together during and around our events.

“Our objectives are to propose traveling, accommodation and touristic packages which could also be tailored to any delegation or individuals who wish to be part of an ISF events. This will contribute that our communities create together common memories, and which will strongly ease all the logistical preparation of their trips to ISF international school sport events. Helping to support this exciting relationship will be the internationally renowned Major Events International (MEI) who are a key partner of ISF also.”

Ian Sinderson, ATPI Group CEO, said:

“ISF is an organisation with big ambitions to grow participation generally and with values which align to ours at ATPI.  We are very proud to be selected as the partner to ISF where we can offer all of our experience gained over many years supporting sports organisations and events. This will help with the growth of the Federation and is an exciting opportunity for us and we will learn together how best to refine our support to meet their needs. We look forward to finding new ways of working to the benefit of the entire ISF community supported by MEI who support our continued growth in the iconic major sports and events market.”

ATPI Renew Partnership With Belle Vue Speedway

BELLE Vue Speedway is delighted to confirm that ATPI have renewed their commitment to the club and will remain one of our principal partners for the 2022 season.

And in more good news, the company has extended further support to their Premiership side as their 2022 team sponsor, with the team henceforth known as the Belle Vue ‘ATPI’ Aces.

The ATPI Group delivers world-leading corporate travel and events solutions to organisations operating in a variety of specialist sectors around the world.

It is comprised of six specialist brands: ATPI Corporate Travel, ATPI Marine & Energy, ATPI Mining & Resources, ATPI Corporate Events, ATPI Sports Events and Direct ATPI. 

The ATPI Group combines decades of experience and specialist expertise with innovative technology and a global network to provide their customers with what matters most. 

Group CEO Ian Sinderson said: “We are very excited about the upcoming Speedway season and are delighted to lend our name to the Belle Vue Aces as team sponsor for the very first time. 

“Mark Lemon and the team have continued to make bold, ambitious strides not only in the development of Belle Vue but also raising the bar for the development of British Speedway. 

“We have supported this club for well over a decade and are delighted to be able to extend that support into 2022 as a principal partner also.” 

Belle Vue CEO Mark Lemon added: “Belle Vue has been lucky to have the support of many great companies and ATPI being one of those for many years and the relationship between our two brands is very strong. 

“We are delighted to not only have them back with us as a principal partner for 2022, but to also welcome them as the official team sponsor of the Belle Vue Aces this season. 

“We are very excited to continue our association with ATPI and with Ian Sinderson, who is very passionate about Speedway not only in Manchester but as a sport nationwide.”

YouTube And Major League Baseball Renew Partnership For 2022 Season

YouTube and Major League Baseball (MLB) today announced the renewal of their longstanding, fan-favorite partnership and the return of MLB Game of the Week Live on YouTube, featuring 15 games throughout the 2022 regular season, streamed live, for free, to fans around the world in 182 countries. This season’s MLB Game of the Week Live on YouTube premieres on May 5 at 3:10 pm ET, with the Washington Nationals facing off against the Colorado Rockies. 

Today’s announcement marks the fourth season of this live streaming deal between YouTube and MLB, and continues the decade-long relationship between the two companies. 

Since the start of the live games partnership in 2019, MLB content on YouTube has generated 5.4B views and 425M watch hours, with half of the audience under 35-years-old. 

The first half of the MLB Game of the Week Live on YouTube schedule will be:

  • Washington Nationals at Colorado Rockies — Thursday, May 5 @ 3:10 p.m. ET [set reminder]
  • Milwaukee Brewers at Cincinnati Reds — Wednesday, May 11 @ 12:35 p.m. ET [set reminder]
  • Arizona Diamondbacks at Chicago Cubs — Friday, May 20 @ 2:20 p.m. ET [set reminder]
  • Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins — Wednesday, May 25 @ 1:10 p.m. ET [set reminder]
  • Kansas City Royals at Cleveland Guardians — Wednesday, June 1 @ 1:10 p.m. ET [set reminder]
  • Toronto Blue Jays at Kansas City Royals — Wednesday, June 8 @ 2:10 p.m. ET [set reminder]
  • Minnesota Twins at Seattle Mariners — Wednesday, June 15 @ 4:10 p.m. ET [set reminder]

For the fourth straight year, MLB Game of the Week Live on YouTube will be home for fans looking to watch and interact with the best teams and most exciting stars the sport has to offer. Fans will be able to access each broadcast for free from anywhere they can watch YouTube, including the free YouTube app on smart TVs, simply by tuning into MLB’s YouTube channel, or for YouTube TV members, on a dedicated channel via the app. Back for 2022 is the “YouTube Player of the Game,” where fans watching on mobile devices and computers can vote for the standout player, who will receive a trophy during the postgame show. 

MLB Network’s Emmy Award-winning production team will once again produce all 15 broadcasts this season, with play-by-play broadcaster Scott Braun and former MLB All-Star Yonder Alonso calling the games. Additionally, the MLB Game of the Week Live on YouTube Pregame Show will be hosted by MLB Network host and reporter Siera Santos and begins 30 minutes before each game’s scheduled start time and air live on YouTube.

“YouTube became Major League Baseball’s official partner to stream live games four years ago and it’s been incredible to continue to grow the game in compelling and innovative ways on our platform,” said Jon Cruz, Head of Sports Partnerships, YouTube. “One of the biggest commonalities within our partnership is maintaining a ‘fan-first’ perspective, so we’re proud to continue to keep our games free and accessible to fans in over 182 countries around the word while delivering the best of baseball in ways only YouTube can do.”

Several only-on-YouTube features will also be part of the broadcast productions this season, including the return of the live chat featuring game commentary from MLB superfan YouTube creators. In-game polls that keep fans engaged and connected with the announcers throughout the game will also return. Fans watching on YouTube TV with a membership will also have the ability to re-watch key plays tied to the exact moment they are watching, and check out real-time stats from the game. 

“YouTube is committed to building on our unique in-game features to engage MLB fans of all ages across the globe as only YouTube can,” said Erin Teague, Director and Global Head of Sports, Movies and Shows Product Management, “We’re excited to bring MLB Game of the Week Live on YouTube back this season and continue delivering a best-in-class experience to viewers who have come to expect our fan-first presentation.”

“We value our continued partnership with YouTube and the opportunity to build on the experience the MLB Game of the Week on YouTube brings to fans,” said Dominick Balsamo, Senior Vice President, Global Media and Business Development. “YouTube’s creative approach to fan engagement lets viewers feel like they are a part of the broadcast, and we look forward to another season of bringing fans closer to the game through their unique presentation.”

Last year, YouTube TV launched MLB.TV as an add-on option, so members can stream all out-of-market Major League Baseball games on YouTube TV. Watch your favorite games live, or enjoy game replays on-demand.

PGA TOUR And Getty Images Expand Photographic Services Partnership

The PGA TOUR and Getty Images, a preeminent global visual content creator and marketplace, today announced an extension of their marketing agreement that positions Getty Images as the “Official Photographic Services Provider of the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions and the Korn Ferry Tour”.

As part of the renewed partnership, Getty Images will continue as the exclusive commercial photo supplier and provide the TOUR, its players, tournaments, business partners and global media access to its vast collection of golf imagery. The collaboration will expand to include coverage of every PGA TOUR Champions and Korn Ferry Tour event along with doubling the number of photographers onsite at PGA TOUR events, adding Wednesdays to the typical Thursday through Sunday coverage days.

“We are excited to expand our relationship with Getty Images to utilize their outstanding photographic services,” said Brian Oliver, PGA TOUR Executive Vice President Marketing & Corporate Partnerships. “Since 2005, Getty Images has proven its ability to capture all the great moments on TOUR along with the personality and uniqueness of our players. They do a tremendous job of capturing our players and the excitement of the competition every week on the PGA TOUR.”

Getty Images features one of the most significant image collections in golf through its extensive coverage of related events including the DP World Tour, the LPGA Tour, the PGA Championship, the Ryder Cup, The Presidents Cup and the Masters. The company’s vast image library offers an estimated 2 million images featuring some of the sport’s most iconic moments played by its greatest players across legendary courses. In 2022, Getty Images’ photographer David Cannon became the second recipient of the PGA of America Lifetime Achievement Award in Photojournalism, recognizing the vital role that photography has in chronicling the rich history of golf.

“We have been capturing celebrated moments in golf along with our partners at PGA TOUR for the better part of two decades and are excited for the next chapter of this collaboration,” said Peter Orlowsky, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships for Getty Images. “Through our roster of award-winning sports photographers, we bring a wealth of expertise and resources to photograph and distribute the game of golf and continue to meet the demand for compelling sports imagery from our global customers.”

Socios Adds 13 NFL Franchises To Its Roster Of Clients

Socios have added another 13 American Football franchises to the Socios roster of clients to their group.

These 13 organisations join the New England Patriots, who combined with Socios as the first blockchain-crypto related partner in American Football after announcing that partnership in November last year.

The teams linking up with Socios now are from San Francisco, Chicago, Cleveland, Tampa Bay, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, Atlanta, New York City, Baltimore, Pittsburgh & Washington DC.

All of these teams will be utilising Socios in different ways. With the 49ers they will become the first-ever presenting sponsor of the global 49ers Supporters Club, a subscription-based 49ers fan community introduced in 2021 with a goal of providing exclusive experiences for Faithful across the world.

“The San Francisco 49ers bring a generational fanbase, a tradition of winning and the world’s leading location for technology and innovation into the Socios.com family,” said Socios.com CEO Alexandre Dreyfus. “Through our partnership with the Niners, we plan to leverage all of these elements to organically connect the organization to Faithful members everywhere.”

“One of our biggest questions when evaluating a potential partnership is, ‘will this brand help us provide new experiences for the Faithful?’ Socios.com will undoubtedly do so,” said 49ers VP of Corporate Partnerships Kevin Hilton. “Socios.com brings a new and exciting feel to what it means to be a 49ers fan. We can’t wait to get started on creating rewards and building a relationship with the Socios team.”

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Socios.com will engage Bucs supporters through sponsored digital content, social media posts and interactive polls on team channels to influence the in-game fan experience. There are a wide-range of experiences being offered through Socios to each different organisation.

Overall, Socios.com has partnered with franchises in four of the major North American professional sports leagues and will debut its mobile app specifically designed for users in the United States later this year. In advance of the U.S.-based app, Socios.com has launched social media pages dedicated to keeping American consumers updated with news and rewards opportunities on Instagram and Twitter

FIFA Appoints Romy Gai as Chief Business Officer

FIFA can today announce the appointment of Mr Romy Gai as Chief Business Officer, taking over from Mr Kay Madati who, for personal reasons, will depart the organisation as Chief Commercial Officer in the coming months.

Romy joins FIFA from AWE International Group, where he had been Chairman since 2015, and prior to that his career includes 14 years as Chief Revenue Officer & Marketing Director and CEO Assistant at Juventus FC in Italy, and a period as CEO of the UAE Football League (UFL) in the United Arab Emirates.

“As Chief Business Officer, Romy’s appointment will further strengthen FIFA’s commitment to our commercial and marketing partners,” said FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura. “He has had a lifetime involvement in football, and we are delighted to have his expertise to help shape our future business ventures across the world.”

Romy Gai added: “FIFA has many opportunities to grow football in our fast-changing world, and I look forward to ensuring that our commercial team plays a substantial part in ensuring that world football’s governing body will be at the centre of all these important business developments in order to benefit our sport globally.”

Mr Gai’s appointment coincides with the announcement of Mr Madati’s departure, with the current Chief Commercial Officer remaining on-board until the end of June 2022 to support the commercial division in managing the transition period.

“I would also like to thank Kay for his commitment during his time with us,” added Fatma Samoura. “One of Kay’s mandates on arrival was to cultivate and develop the countless opportunities today’s virtual multimedia landscape offers football to fulfil our FIFA Vision 2020-2023 goal of making the game truly global. The launch of FIFA+ is testament to his work and to that of the team that Romy inherits as part of FIFA’s Commercial division.”

Kay Madati said: “It has been an honour and privilege to lead this dynamic commercial team, and work hand in hand with our partners and the FIFA management team to grow this beautiful game. This personal decision to focus on my family has not come lightly, and I remain committed to collaborating closely with Romy to set him, our partners, and the entire FIFA team up for success as we collectively head towards a very special FIFA World Cup in Qatar.”

Just Eat Named Official Food Delivery Partner For Excel Esports

Just Eat and EXCEL will collaborate on creating experiences and exclusive content that will help bring the gaming community together.

EXCEL ESPORTS is excited to announce Just Eat, the UK’s largest food delivery platform, as its Official Food Delivery Partner. The partnership marks Just Eat’s first major foray into the world of gaming and sees the union of two of the biggest brands from the gaming and the food delivery world.

With a focus on authentic engagement, Just Eat and EXCEL will collaborate on content, experiences and events both virtually and physically. Fans will have access to exclusive content which will include never-before-seen insights from EXCEL’s roster of players. The partnership will also focus on creating experiences that support good causes and help bring the gaming community together.