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.

Cazoo To Become New Main Shirt Sponsor Of LOSC

Cazoo, Europe’s leading online car retailer and Lille Olympique Sporting Club (LOSC), the former winner of the 2021 French Football Championship of Ligue 1, are delighted to announce today that they have signed a multi-year agreement. From the start of next season, Cazoo will become the main partner and new shirt sponsor of LOSC.

Cazoo will see its branding on the front of the jerseys of all LOSC sports teams, professional men’s and women’s teams as well as the youth teams of the Lille Academy, throughout the Stade Pierre Mauroy, on many official club merchandise, across the club’s website and on a complete visibility system used during television broadcasts.

The partnership between Cazoo and LOSC will take effect from 1st July 2022. This new deal will form part of an extensive marketing campaign by Cazoo in France in 2022 as it continues to roll out across Europe, following its recent launches in both France and Germany. Cazoo also currently sponsors both Everton and Aston Villa in the UK Premier League, as well as Olympique de Marseille in Ligue 1 and Spanish LaLiga teams Real Sociedad and Valencia FC.

Cazoo, which makes buying a used car as simple and seamless as ordering any other product online, owns and reconditions its cars to the highest standard before offering them for delivery in just a few days at any time. With customers able to purchase a car entirely online and have it delivered directly to their door, Cazoo has been referred to as the ‘Amazon of the used car market’.

Cazoo, which already has hundreds of cars available at any time, was founded in 2018 by renowned British entrepreneur Alex Chesterman and has already sold over 60,000 cars in the UK since its launch as consumers have embraced the selection, value, transparency and convenience of buying used cars fully online. Cazoo has grown its team to over 4,250 across the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Portugal.

Cazoo has been one of the fastest growing businesses in Europe over the past two years, pioneering the shift to online car buying, and recently listed on the NYSE in August, raising over $1.4bn to build out its brand and infrastructure as it looks to continue to transform the car buying and selling experience across the UK and Europe.

Alex Chesterman, Founder & CEO of Cazoo said:

“We are very excited to be partnering with Lille. They are one of the leading teams and like us are a very ambitious club driven by results and have a passionate fan base across France. We are looking forward to engaging with the fans and local community and delivering the best car buying experience in France in 2022.”

Olivier Létang, Lille Club President said:

“We are delighted to partner with Cazoo next season. The brand already has excellent sports partnerships in the Premier League in particular, and others rapidly growing in Europe. We are happy that LOSC is part of the development plan of its leaders, and thus contribute to making Cazoo a recognized and appreciated brand in France. We are impatient to introduce the brand to our fans, Lille residents and more generally to the entire French market. “

GOAT To Become Paris Saint-Germain’s Sleeve Partner

GOAT will join the club as an Official Partner until the end of the current season before becoming the sleeve partner and one of the club’s Principal Partners beginning in July 2022. The GOAT brand will be displayed on all of the club’s performance kits, including training, warm-up and match apparel.

With innovation at the forefront of both brands, the partnership will introduce first-of-its-kind initiatives, including unique content and collaborations. The partnership will also strengthen each brand’s global footprints, reaching a wider audience in key markets.

“We are delighted to welcome GOAT into the Paris Saint-Germain family with this partnership that will see them join the exclusive roster of club partners present on our iconic jerseys,” said Marc Armstrong, Chief Partnerships Officer of Paris Saint-Germain. “GOAT is a perfect fit for the club and further supports our position as a leading global sports and lifestyle icon for fans all over the world. Together we will develop exciting and creative experiences to connect with supporters everywhere.”

“Paris Saint-Germain is one of the most influential clubs in the world and we’re excited to partner with them as we continue to build our global community,” said Eddy Lu, Co-Founder and CEO of GOAT Group. “We’re not only bringing together two leading lifestyle brands, but uniting a community of athletes, creatives and fans around the world. This partnership plays to each other’s strengths, with innovative collaborations in the months and years to come.”

A dedicated PSG experience will launch on the GOAT platform, with a selection of Paris Saint-Germain lifestyle apparel and objects from the past, present and future.

Cricket Australia Partner With Rario To Launch Official Range Of NFTs

Australian cricket has taken the first official step into the world of NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, joining a movement that has already generated millions of dollars for sports around the globe.

Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) today announced they have signed a multi-year licensing deal with Singapore-based collectibles platform Rario and NFT trading company BlockTrust, which will enable cricket lovers to own and trade NFTs of some of the most memorable cricketing moments on Australian soil.

NFTs are essentially digital assets that are trackable and unable to be altered, with their scarcity giving them value. Where traditional sports collectibles like trading cards feature only still images, NFTs can show official broadcast vision and commentary.

https://twitter.com/rariohq/status/1514098837987774465?s=20&t=mPJFNMemhgmA_-7Uzk0ong

Like all sports memorabilia, the value of an NFT is determined by market demand.

It means unique, digital versions of moments like Steve Waugh’s Ashes hundred at the SCG in 2003, Peter Siddle’s hat-trick in 2010 and Ellyse Perry’s double hundred in 2017 will be available to own and trade.

The deal between CA and the ACA will see the revenue of Australian cricket NFTs shared between players (past and present) and Cricket Australia, although specifics of the agreement have not been shared publicly.

NFTs have exploded in popularity in recent years, with some individual pieces selling for tens of millions of dollars.

Sports like basketball, Formula One and football have been sporting trailblazers in the NFT space, while the Australian Football League last week announced details of a similar licensing agreement.

The NBA says its Top Shots NFT program has seen more than A$800m change hands since it was established in 2020, while one single LeBron James slam dunk sold for more than half a million Australian dollars.

Deloitte has predicted that sports NFTs will generate around A$2.7 billion globally this year.

NFT technology has been criticised for producing significant carbon emissions but in a statement, Rario, CA and the ACA said they are “committed to a partnership that sees NFTs produced in a sustainable manner” by using Polygon blockchain, which they say, “translates to more eco-friendliness and considerably fewer carbon emissions”.

“We are excited to step into the metaverse with our partners Rario, BlockTrust and the Australian Cricketers’ Association for this historic deal, which will open up huge opportunities for innovation and fan engagement,” Cricket Australia CEO, Nick Hockley, said in a statement.

“The game’s deep connection with its past, the passion of our fans and the appeal of Australian cricketers to a global audience, means the incorporation of NFTs is another way that fans across the world can engage and be part of the sport.

“This is just the start and I have no doubt we will see enormous benefit for fans, players and the sport itself as we build this exciting partnership.”

Rario, cricket’s first officially licensed digital collectibles platform, has already signed deals with the Caribbean Premier League as well as leagues in the UAE and Sri Lanka and counts the likes of Aaron Finch and Faf Du Plessis as brand ambassadors.

“This is an exciting opportunity for Australian cricket, and this has been reflected in the cooperative spirit that the ACA and Cricket Australia have partnered with Rario,” said Todd Greenberg, CEO of Australian Cricketers Association.

“Once you begin to learn about NFTs you soon understand the engagement possibilities between past and present players with fans are huge. We all look forward to bringing this program to life in the coming months with new and innovative concepts.” 

CUPRA Become Official Automotive Partner Of The Socceroos And Commonwealth Bank Matildas

CUPRA, Australia’s newest car and lifestyle brand, is teaming up with Football Australia to support the professional development of men’s and women’s football in Australia. Announced today following the Commonwealth Bank Matildas’ friendly against New Zealand last night, CUPRA becomes the official automotive partner of the men’s Socceroos and women’s Commonwealth Bank Matildas national teams in one of the most exciting periods in the sport’s Australian history.

  • Australia’s newest performance car brand partners with Australia’s national football teams to support the world game and the development of current and emerging local talent
  • Partnership includes men’s Socceroos, women’s Commonwealth Bank Matildas and national youth teams
  • CUPRA Formentor stars in short film collaboration with the Socceroos and Commonwealth Bank Matildas
  • CUPRA, the unconventional challenger brand inspiring the world from Barcelona, arrives in Australia mid-year with the Leon hatch, Ateca SUV, and Formentor cross-over in performance petrol and plug-in hybrid variants

As part of the partnership, CUPRA will feature on the Socceroos’ training apparel and the parties will collaborate on content campaigns and fan experiences. No stranger to igniting the passion of football fans everywhere, CUPRA is also the global official partner and official automotive partner of FC Barcelona in Spain.

The CUPRA brand, proudly hailing from Barcelona, is known for its emotional design and spirited performance, and is no better encapsulated than by the brand’s evocative cross-over SUV, the CUPRA Formentor.

To celebrate the announcement, CUPRA and Football Australia collaborated to create an action-packed digital spot featuring some of Australia’s hottest up-and-coming football talent and National Team players. The film, which depicts a neon-lit rooftop game of street football being joined by Australia’s best players, also unveils the CUPRA Formentor – its first appearance in Australia prior to launch.

CUPRA

CUPRA Australia Director Ben Wilks said, “Football is the world game and a sport that invokes enormous passion in fans everywhere. To be partnering with our national women’s and men’s team throughout not one, but three global tournaments is a source of immense pride for the entire CUPRA Tribe, and we can’t wait to get behind the teams in their quest for glory, and share our passion with the teams’ fan base of over seven million people.”

Football Australia CEO, James Johnson, was pleased to be partnering with CUPRA, a brand that already has strong ties to football.

“Football Australia is proud to have partnered with CUPRA, a new and exciting performance car brand that will bring great energy to the Australian market. Over the past 18 months we have worked hard to align football with commercial partners that believe in our sport, and recognise our game’s unique ability to unite and excite Australians. CUPRA has impressed us with its bold vision for the future, and we’re delighted that CUPRA has chosen football, and specifically our engaging and iconic national teams, as their first partner in the Australian market,” Mr Johnson said.

CUPRA arrives in Australia in 2022

This partnership with Football Australia marks the very first collaboration for CUPRA in Australia, which will officially commence trading mid-this year with the opening of the brand’s inner city CUPRA Garage spaces in Australian capital cities. Staffed by passionate CUPRA Masters, the Garage spaces will serve as a central beacon for the brand, while also becoming a local hub for the growing CUPRA Tribe – an international collective of fans and like-minded people, bound by a shared love of driving. 

Unlike other car brands, CUPRA will offer its customers a unique and bespoke brand experience and, in conjunction with its CUPRA Garages, will lean into digital commerce, embracing a hybrid agency sales model. Always progressive, CUPRA also offers fans and customers the chance to come together and experience the brand online, recently unveiling its own digital world within the Metaverse.

As part of its partnership with Football Australia, the brand will also be delivering a range of exciting experiences and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for the fans and players at all levels of the game.

Launching in Australia with a range of performance vehicles powered by petrol and plug-in-hybrid engine technology, CUPRA has also recently confirmed its highly emotional vehicle line-up, which will launch with the CUPRA Leon hatch, the CUPRA Ateca SUV and the CUPRA Formentor cross-over.

More details on the Australian launch of the CUPRA brand and its distinct line-up will be available in the lead-up to the brand’s mid-2022 launch.

ELEVEN To Support Delivery Of FIFA+ OTT Service

ELEVEN has reached an agreement to provide services to FIFA to add live matches from FIFA’s Member Associations onto the ground-breaking new digital platform FIFA+. 

FIFA+ is a world-class digital service created to connect football fans more deeply with the game they love. Launched on 12 April, FIFA+ will give fans worldwide access to up to 40,000 live fixtures a year.

Matches from over 90 Member Associations across the men’s, women’s and youth game will be showcased on the platform, with women’s football to make up more than a third of the live content offering and growing. 

ELEVEN will play a key role in supporting the production, delivery and distribution of the aforementioned live content on FIFA+, and will also help support the creation of commercial opportunities. Its proprietary streaming technology will power live matches on FIFA+, delivering a first-class viewing experience for fans. 

As a provider for FIFA+, the company is also responsible for populating the platform with an unprecedented volume of live football from around the world. Thousands of games from FIFA’s Member Associations have already been secured, and the content portfolio will expand significantly.

Pedro Presa, ELEVEN Group Chief Advisor for DTC & Strategic Projects, said:

“We’re thrilled to work with FIFA+ to power this revolutionary new service for football fans. FIFA+ will be home to an unprecedented volume of live football, and leagues and Member Associations from around the world will have the opportunity to showcase their competitions to a global audience. We are particularly proud that the new service will make the women’s game more accessible to fans than ever, comprising more than one-third of all live games streamed each year.”

Dave Roberts, MA/OTT and Digital, FIFA+, said:

“ELEVEN are strongly positioned to bring football at all levels into the spotlight. By working together, we hope to shine an even brighter light on football from around the world – from men’s and women’s senior football, to the youth game.  We’re very excited about how ELEVEN will help FIFA+ deliver a first class live offering to football fans and Member Associations throughout the game.”

The following competitions are already set to appear on FIFA+ from 12 April, with more rights partners to be announced soon:

  • Danish Superliga
  • Polish Ekstraklasa
  • Slovak Fortuna Liga
  • Italian Women’s Serie B 
  • Brasileiro Feminino Serie A1
  • SAFF Women’s Championship
  • Swiss Super League
  • Mozambican Football Championship
  • UNCAF Club Championships
  • Angola Girabola
  • USL W League
  • Bhutan Premier League