Premier Sports Partners With WSC Sports To Innovate Content Creation And Distribution Throughout UK And Ireland

Premier Sports, a leading subscription based sports broadcaster in the UK and Ireland, and WSC Sports, the global leader in AI sports video technology, today announced they have partnered to bring automated highlights to the Premier Sports TV channel, OTT channel Premier Player, as well as the Premier Sports channel available on Amazon Prime. The relationship currently covers football highlights for all LaLiga games, the Scottish Cup and Premier Sports Cup, United Rugby Championship, Top14 Rugby, NHL and more.

Premier Sports will be using WSC Sports’ machine learning technology to analyze actions in real-time, index, crop, and apply graphics to videos, to create personalized highlights to serve sports fans across the UK and Ireland. By utilizing WSC Sports’ AI platform, Premier Sports are now able to scale up their content production, providing them enough highlights (both short-form and long-form) to fill the Premier Sports linear TV channels with highlights, rather than full games, that are of more interest to viewers after an event. Previously, this would have been unrealistic to manually edit thousands of live events each week. 

In addition, all content generated by WSC Sports for Premier Player, Premier Sports’ subscription platform, will also be seamlessly integrated and available on the Amazon Prime Premier Sports video-on-demand channel. 

Lastly, Premier Sports are innovating their content output further by utilizing WSC Stories, WSC Sports’ real-time stories highlights solution. These automated stories appear during live play in the OneBox found in Google Search and are constantly updated as games progress. Premier Sports can use these stories, for example during a LaLiga game, to show snippets of the live action and drive traffic and new subscribers to their subscription platform. 

Richard Webb, COO of Premier Sports commented, “Since we began working alongside WSC Sports last year, we have seen a vast improvement in the quality and quantity of our content across linear, TV and social media. It has been an exciting and innovative start to our partnership and we’re excited to see what the future holds.” 

“We are thrilled to be working with Premier Sports to help them populate all of their offerings with innovative and exciting highlights. From linear TV to OTT to Amazon Prime, Premier Sports customers in the UK and Ireland now have many unique ways to experience sports highlights, no matter how they access Premier Sports,” said Ross Munro, Head of Commercial UK, WSC Sports.

IMG ARENA Extends And Evolves Longstanding Euroleague Basketball Partnership

IMG ARENA, a leading sports content and technology business, has extended its longstanding partnership with Euroleague Basketball for live streaming rights for the sports betting industry, marking a decade of collaboration between both companies.

The deal also sees IMG ARENA extend its relationship with Euroleague Basketball to capture live game data in stadia from over 500 matches a season from the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup. IMG ARENA will distribute FastPath Data to hundreds of licensed sportsbook operators around the world in under a second.

The partnership extension builds on Euroleague Basketball’s exponential growth on all audience verticals during the last three seasons, with a remarkable 75% growth in TV viewership, over 20% in social media followers and over 25% in on-line viewership.

Roser Queralto, Chief Business Officer of Euroleague Basketball, said:

“IMG ARENA is an undisputed leader in the creation, productization and distribution of sports content, and we are delighted not only to renew but bring our collaboration one step further. This is a significant commercial partnership that helps grow the game with thrilling content reaching new audiences and driving fan engagement around the world.”

Freddie Longe, EVP and Managing Director of IMG ARENA, said:

“We are delighted to extend our long-standing partnership with Euroleague Basketball, one of the world’s leading basketball leagues. With its global footprint and loyal fan-base, Euroleague Basketball is an essential part of the sports betting eco-system. Our renewed partnership demonstrates the commercial confidence on both sides and establishes a renewed platform for even greater success and innovation.”

Headquartered in London, IMG ARENA is a sports content and technology hub serving the sports, sports betting and sports media eco-systems. IMG ARENA delivers live streaming and data feeds for more than 45,000 sports events annually, as well as for on-demand virtual sports products and front-end solutions including the UFC Event Centre. IMG ARENA’s clients include the ATP, UFC, European Tour, PGA Tour, MLS and the FA.

Professional Triathletes Organisation Bolsters Expertise With Two Director Appointments From Across The Sports Industry

The PTO has bolstered its marketing team by hiring Anja Pohl into a newly created position as Director, Growth Marketing, reporting into CMO Tim Godfrey. Pohl will head up the audience growth and performance marketing strategy at the PTO, including further development and implementation of PTO’s digital product and fan engagement. 

Previously, Pohl was the Global Head of Digital Marketing for Tough Mudder and Spartan Race International and has a breadth of experience in transforming and growing brands, with a specialization in digital and performance marketing. Prior to Tough Mudder and Spartan Anja led digital marketing teams in the world of fashion at Gap, Ecco Shoes and Carl Friedrik. 

Pohl is the latest addition to a talented commercial and marketing team and joins Lucy Fitzgerald – Director of Commercial Partnerships. 

Reporting into CEO Sam Renouf, Fitzgerald has joined to lead the management and delivery of rights for PTO’s commercial partners and brings a commercial mindset with innovative and creative approaches to brand activations. Fitzgerald has almost a decade of experience working in the sports marketing industry for major agencies, CSM Sport & Entertainment and FUSE Sport & Entertainment. Lucy has supported strategy and rights activation across the professional sports landscape, including Dove Men+Care x Guinness Six Nations, Hardy’s Wine x ECB, Tudor Watches x Rugby World Cup, Vitality x Running World Cup, Pepsico x UEFA Champions League Final, Santander x Champions League.

Sam Renouf, Chief Executive Officer of the PTO, stated:

“Building on the success of the inaugural Collins Cup, we are accelerating our plans as we launch the PTO Tour in 2022. We are delighted to further invest in our team with industry leaders of the calibre of Anja and Lucy. Community Growth and Commercial Partnerships are key components to the PTO’s plan and the appointment of such experts will both ensure that we continue to grow and offer our partners the best brand activations possible”.

Tim Godfrey, Chief Marketing Officer of the PTO added: 

“I am incredibly excited to add more talent to the PTO marketing team. 2022 will be a very busy year for the PTO with the launch of the PTO Tour as well as the addition of age group racing and we’re delighted to bring this level of talent to the PTO.”

Cleveland Browns Name Brent Rossi Senior Vice President Of Marketing And Media

The Cleveland Browns have announced Brent Rossi has joined the team as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Media. A 2018 SportsBusiness Journal “Forty Under 40” honoree with more than 17 years of experience in the sports and entertainment industry, Rossi will lead the organization’s goal to further provide Browns fans with premier experiences and engagement opportunities throughout the year, including through his oversight of the marketing; events; digital, video and radio content; website and social media; community relations; and creative services departments, as well as Browns Backers Worldwide.

Rossi spent the past three years as President of Business Operations for the American Hockey League’s Bridgeport Islanders, where he directed the overall execution of the club’s daily business initiatives and the implementation of its long-term vision and mission. In this capacity, he also managed fan engagement for the parent-club New York Islanders, guiding community relations, the Islanders Children’s Foundation, youth and amateur hockey programming, retail operations and supporter relations.

From 2014-2019, Rossi served as Executive Vice President of Marketing and Business for Pegula Sports & Entertainment (PSE), encompassing the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, Highmark Stadium, the KeyBank Center and various other sports and entertainment entities.

“Brent has tremendous marketing and fan engagement experience within the NFL and across the sports and entertainment industry, and he is another excellent addition to our senior leadership team both from an innovation and culture perspective,” said Haslam Sports Group Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Dave Jenkins. “We are confident his past leadership and creative mindset will continue to enhance our ability to bring Browns fans closer to their favorite team, especially given his familiarity with the team’s history and impact in Northeast Ohio.”

“Growing up as a passionate Browns fan in Canada, I have a personal appreciation for what this team means to the City of Cleveland, Northeast Ohio and our incredible fans across the country and globe,” said Rossi. “This truly is a dream job for me, and I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to a talented leadership group that is fully devoted to creating unique, exceptional memories for Browns fans throughout the year.”

As EVP of Marketing and Business for PSE, Rossi led all marketing and ticketing efforts within the organization’s portfolio, highlighted by the Bills and Sabres. Additionally, he was selected as the Chief Administrative Officer for the Sabres in 2018 to oversee business operations for the franchise.

In 2015, the Bills were honored as the NFL Team of the Year for Digital Media, Social Media and Content under the direction of Rossi, who was recognized among Canada Sports Business Awards’ “5 to Watch” in 2017.

Rossi earned those roles with PSE after initially joining the group as Vice President of Marketing & Business Strategy for the Sabres in 2012.

Prior to his time in Buffalo, Rossi gained significant sports leadership experience with the Harlem Globetrotters (vice president of live event marketing, 2009-2012), WWE (senior manager of live event marketing, 2006-2009) and Philadelphia 76ers (director of marketing, 2004-2006).

Capital One Becomes Official Partner Of Major League Baseball And Presenting Sponsor Of The World Series

Capital One announced it is a new official partner of Major League Baseball (MLB) as the league’s Official Bank and Credit Card Partner, as well as the presenting sponsor of the World Series, North America’s most historic team sports championship. This multi-year sponsorship agreement will bring Capital One cardholders access to one-of-a-kind opportunities and exclusive events and benefits. Additionally through this sponsorship, Capital One is now an Official Partner of Minor League Baseball and Little League Baseball and Softball.

“Capital One’s partnership with MLB is the latest example of our commitment to our customers, who are passionate about sports and the teams they support,” said Roger Ferguson, Managing Vice President, Sponsorship at Capital One. “Through this partnership, we look forward to teaming up with MLB to not only provide our customers with amazing benefits, but also to expand our company-wide commitment to promoting and celebrating diversity, inclusion and belonging, inspiring fans of our national pastime in the process.”

Both new and existing eligible Capital One credit and debit cardholders can look forward to accessing a range of exciting, unique, and exclusive MLB-related benefits and experiences throughout the season, including:

  • Access to exclusive tickets to special events such as All-Star Week (including Capital One PLAY BALL PARK), the MLB Postseason and the World Series presented by Capital One
  • Appealing discounts for the MLB Shop and MLB.TV are coming soon

Starting on Tuesday, March 29th, Capital One rewards cardholders will be able to redeem their rewards for tickets to MLB games for all 30 teams through the recently announced Capital One Entertainment ticketing platform. Throughout the season, these cardholders will have the opportunity to access MLB tickets, from Opening Day through the Postseason, including the World Series presented by Capital One, as well as one-of-a-kind VIP experiences, such as private on-field sessions with MLB legends, batting practice access and more.

Capital One is also excited to work in tandem with MLB to extend the Capital One Impact Initiative, a multiyear commitment to tackling the underlying issues that hamper progress and create disproportionate outcomes for communities of color. To begin, Capital One is partnering with the Jackie Robinson Foundation, which administers one of the nation’s premier scholarship and leadership development programs for minority college students. Capital One will commemorate the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier by donating $1,000 to the Foundation for each “Capital One Walk-Off” (game-winning play) this year, committing to a minimum total donation of $250,000 for the season.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Capital One to the Baseball family,” said Noah Garden, MLB Chief Revenue Officer. “As we’ve seen with so much of their previous work, Capital One knows how to tap into the passion of sports fans everywhere, and we can’t wait to see that engagement throughout Baseball.”

Capital One has been a longtime sponsor and supporter of collegiate athletics, including the Capital One Cup program, men’s and women’s NCAA sports, March Madness, the Capital One Orange Bowl, and the College Football Championship, among others. At the professional level, Capital One is the presenting sponsor of the popular event series, Capital One’s The Match, and the presenting sponsor of The ESPYs.

WWE And Fanatics Announce Long-Term Sports Platform Partnership Across E-Commerce, Licensed Merchandise, Trading Cards And NFTs

WWE (NYSE: WWE) and Fanatics today announced a comprehensive, long-term sports and entertainment partnership that will see Fanatics utilise its expanded digital sports platform to create a new, enhanced experience for WWE fans globally across several businesses, including e-commerce and licensed merchandise, as well as physical, digital, and non-fungible token (NFT) trading cards. Through the ground-breaking deal, WWE will benefit from many capabilities across the Fanatics platform to create more opportunities for its global fanbase to showcase their pride and passion for WWE, its marquee events, and star-studded roster.

The businesses that will work together to create an elevated fan experience include Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles and Candy Digital.

“Fanatics is the industry leader and Michael Rubin is a visionary,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO. “We believe this multi-platform partnership will set a new standard for WWE e-commerce, apparel and merchandise, while providing our fans globally with more ways than ever to engage with WWE and our Superstars.”

As part of the agreement, this summer Fanatics will exclusively re-introduce a new, rapid e-commerce and mobile destination, WWE Shop, giving fans around the world access to a leading assortment of WWE merchandise across all categories, including apparel, hard goods, such as title belts, headwear, accessories and more. Fanatics will work closely and collaboratively with the talented teams at WWE who have significantly grown this business in-house for decades, and the company will also add rights to design, manufacture and distribute real-time, on-demand merchandise collections to celebrate unpredictable WWE moments and new and emerging Superstars.

“WWE is one of the most widely admired sports and entertainment properties worldwide, and it made perfect sense to activate many parts of our Fanatics global platform to create a first-of-its-kind, all-in fan experience,” said Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin. “From e-commerce and licensed merchandise to trading cards and more, we’re going to offer up an incredible set of capabilities to help WWE’s passionate fans worldwide celebrate their favorite Superstars, marquee events and the WWE brand overall.”

Fanatics Collectibles, the company’s trading cards and collectibles division, will also become the exclusive provider of licensed WWE physical and digital trading cards, which will once again bear the nostalgic Topps logo. Fanatics acquired the legendary 70-year-old Topps brand earlier this year, which previously held a long-term relationship with WWE. That deal will commence when WWE’s existing trading cards rights expire over the next few years.

Also under the pact, later this year Fanatics’ next generation digital collectibles company, Candy Digital, will become one of WWE’s primary NFT partners. Candy’s team of world-class digital artists, designers, and technologists will curate and build a full range of high-quality trading card NFTs featuring WWE’s biggest moments and stars.

eSkootr Championship Appoints Silvia Bellot As Director Of Sport And Race Director

The eSkootr Championship™ (eSC) is delighted to announce the appointment of Silvia Bellot as its Director of Sport and Race Director. The first and only female F1 Steward and FIA Race Director, Bellot has amassed a wealth of experience in a variety of motorsport disciplines, including F2 and F3 as Race Director and over a decade as F1, WTCC, WRC, FE, F2 and F3 Chair and International Steward. 

Bellot, from Barcelona in Spain, is also a passionate advocate for social and educational programmes that further the full participation of women in all aspects of motorsport, particularly through her role as an ambassador for the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission.

In her role at eSC, Bellot will draw on her expert acumen in the drafting and application of sporting and technical regulations, race control management, and track safety and sporting procedures. She will ensure eSC is well-regulated and oversee the safe, fair and efficient operation of race events to the very highest standards of global sport.

Bellot will also play an important role in achieving the Championship’s wider vision around sport, accessibility and mobility, with a particular focus on supporting grassroots development programmes.


Hrag Sarkissian, eSkootr Championship™ Co-founder and CEO, said: 

“Our vision for eSC is a world-class race series that engages and excites our fans and is respected on sport’s global stage. This relies on attracting the very best people to join eSC, so we are delighted to welcome Silvia to the team. 

“As our Director of Sport and Race Director, Silvia’s expertise and experience will be crucial as we implement the regulations to ensure we provide exciting on-track racing whilst maintaining the highest levels of safety and fairness for our riders.”

Silvia Bellot commented:

“The opportunity to help create a totally new sport and shape a racing series that has the desire to use its platform for a wider purpose is what really attracted me to eSC. 

“The Championship’s mission is to deliver a sport at the highest level, with sustainability and accessibility at its core. Its values are those that are important to me in my sporting roles and my commitment to furthering the participation of women in motorsport. The co-founders have assembled an impressive team of experienced professionals to deliver against this vision and I am delighted to be working with them.

“I look forward to using my experience, predominantly from single-seater racing, to develop an exciting race competition which champions eSC’s off-track mission to create racing for all and to help accelerate greener transport alternatives in cities around the world.”

Premier Padel Announces Sky As Broadcast Partner In Six Countries And Three More Broadcast Partners Covering +60 New Territories Globally

Premier Padel, the official new global padel tour – governed by the International Padel Federation (FIP) and backed by the Professional Padel Association (PPA) and Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) – today announced another landmark broadcasting deal, with Sky named as the Official tour’s broadcast partner in Italy, UK & Ireland, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Sky has penned an initial one year agreement covering the 2022 Premier Padel season, and will begin its Premier Padel coverage with the Ooredoo Qatar Major 2022 which gets underway on 28 March at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha.

The news comes just days after ESPN agreed a major four year deal to showcase Premier Padel in almost 50 countries across LATAM, covering South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean. These agreements will elevate the sport to a global audience like never before. Further broadcast agreements are set to be announced in the coming days, as the excitement around the spectacular new official tour grows.

Since its launch a month ago, FIP, PPA and QSI have made a flurry of major announcements connected to the new Official tour, including confirming at least ten (10) new tournaments will be held this year – including four Majors. Registrations for the first Official tournament, the Ooredoo Qatar Major 2022, has already seen records broken, with 123 pairs registered including players from 19 different countries. The prize money for each Major – which is also a record – has been disclosed as €525,000 for each tournament, while significant new ranking points for the new tour have also been announced.

Luigi Carraro, President of the International Padel Federation (FIP), said:

“Week after week we are bringing on board the most incredible new partners, while also breaking records and elevating the sport and its players at completely new levels. We have said from the start that we want to take padel truly global and we want fans to join us on this journey, so having Sky as our trusted broadcast partner is exceptional news. Sky are renowned as the gold standard-bearer in global media, and that’s exactly the standard of partner this new tour is based on. There is so much more to come, and I can’t wait for the Ooredoo Qatar Major 2022 that will kick-start this new global era for our sport next week.”

The Board of Directors of the Professional Padel Association (PPA) said:

“This landmark deal with Sky is another sign of professional padel players finally getting the global exposure and platform that they – and the sport of padel – deserve. These major TV deals will shine a light on our sport, and ensure our players are inspiring existing and new fans, in established and new markets, every day. Through greater exposure, our players will also inspire the next generation of padel enthusiasts, which is how our sport will truly grow.”

The organisation has also announced three further broadcasting deals, with the Viaplay streaming platform named as the Official tour’s broadcast partner in x10 European markets; Charlton TV as broadcast partner in Israel; and SuperSport to broadcast the tour in x54 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa*.

Charlton TV’s two year agreement will see them cover the 2022 and 2023 seasons, with Viaplay streaming the 2022 campaign across Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the Netherlands.

Both broadcasters will begin their Premier Padel coverage with the Ooredoo Qatar Major 2022 – which gets underway on 28 March at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha.

Additionally, SuperSport will broadcast the Ooredoo Qatar Major 2022 across Sub-Saharan Africa; meaning over 100 territories will be broadcasting the inaugural Premier Padel tournament across the globe – with more deals to be announced shortly.

The news comes just days after leading global sports broadcasters ESPN and SKY came on board, with ESPN signing a major four year deal to showcase Premier Padel in almost 50 countries across LATAM, covering South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean; and SKY’s deal covering European markets including Italy, UK & Ireland, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. These agreements will elevate the sport to a global audience like never before.

Further ways to watch Premier Padel around the world will be announced in the coming days, as the excitement around the spectacular new official tour grows.

QatarEnergy Announced As Official FIFA Partner For The FIFA World Cup 2022

QatarEnergy has been announced as a FIFA Partner, today 27 March 2022, joining the line-up of companies supporting the building excitement for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. QatarEnergy is one of the largest providers of liquified natural gas (LNG) in the world and is the second Qatar-based company to become a FIFA Partner.

On the occasion of the announcement, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said, “QatarEnergy is joining FIFA in this important FIFA World Cup year, and we are delighted to welcome them, as they share our excitement and enthusiasm for this first FIFA World Cup organised in the Arab world. This year’s tournament will expand football’s reach and shine a light on the region, bringing different cultures from across the globe together in Qatar to enjoy the best football in the world in stunning state-of-the-art venues.”

Commenting on this occasion, His Excellency Mr Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the President and CEO of QatarEnergy, said, “QatarEnergy is pleased to partner with FIFA again, this time in support of the iconic FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Qatar and the Middle East for the first time ever. This partnership is a reflection of our continued support of various sports activities, and of football in particular as the central attraction of the sporting world. We look forward to a very successful competition and to being part of the effort to welcome the world to Qatar.”

QatarEnergy is an integrated energy company, responsible for the development of cleaner energy resources as part of the energy transition in Qatar and beyond, and is the world leader in the production of LNG.

All global partnership positions for the FIFA World Cup 2022™ have now been allocated, with more announcements to be made in due course. Meanwhile only one Regional Supporter package remains available in the Middle East and Africa market, leaving a final opportunity for a company based in Qatar or the wider Gulf region to be associated with the FIFA World Cup 2022™.

The FIFA World Cup™ will be held from 21 November until 18 December 2022 across eight state-of-the-art stadiums. For tickets or more information, visit FIFA.com.

IFSC Capitalises On Soaring Popularity Of Climbing To Agree Three-Year Deal With Discovery

Sport Climbing will be brought to millions of people across Europe after the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) and Discovery Sports announced a new three-year partnership to broadcast all IFSC World Cup and World Championship events on discovery+, Eurosport App and Eurosport’s linear channels.

In the lead up to Olympic Games Paris 2024, Discovery’s year-round approach to storytelling will further boost the popularity of Sport Climbing, telling the stories of the athletes and raising their profiles as the faces of the sport, taking it to new audiences across the continent. In addition, the appeal of climbing to broader audiences beyond sport makes it a natural fit for discovery+ with the streaming platform’s wide-ranging offering appealing to viewers of lifestyle and entertainment content.

IFSC President Marco Scolaris said:

“More than anything, our agreement with Discovery will raise the profile of our sport and our athletes, which should result in greater sponsorship opportunities for all climbers around the world,” said Scolaris.

“We are confident that partnering with Discovery will help solidify our position as one of the fastest-growing Olympic sports and, thanks to the greater exposure, will lead more and more people to become interested in not only watching Climbing, but also trying it out.”

Trojan Paillot, VP Sports Rights Acquisition and Syndication at Discovery Sports, said:

“Sport Climbing proved incredibly popular with audiences watching across our platforms during the Olympic Games in Tokyo last year, proving attractive to new and different audiences than some of those who already enjoy watching the sport and demonstrating its potential for engagement and growth.

“We are delighted to be able to showcase the best of the sport for the next three years on discovery+ and Eurosport’s channels and platforms. Discovery has built an enviable reputation for helping to grow sports and events and taking them to wider audiences and we look forward to taking this sport to more people across Europe in the lead-up to Paris 2024.”

The 2022 IFSC World Cup Series starts with the IFSC Boulder World Cup in Meiringen, Switzerland, scheduled from 8 to 10 April in the eastern Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland. The IFSC will continue its delayed free streaming of events via The Olympic Channel, to be shown 24 hours after the end of each live round within each event.

The full schedule for the 2022 IFSC World Cup Series:
8-10 April – Meiringen (SUI) – Boulder
6-8 May – Seoul (KOR) – Boulder, Speed
20-22 May – Salt Lake City (USA) – Boulder
27-29 May – Salt Lake City (USA) – Boulder, Speed
10-12 June – Brixen (ITA) – Boulder
22-25 June – Innsbruck (AUT) – Boulder, Lead
30 June-2 July – Villars (SUI) – Lead, Speed
8-10 July – Chamonix (FRA) – Lead, Speed
22-23 July – Briançon (FRA) – Lead
2-3 September – Koper (SLO) – Lead
24-26 September – Jakarta (INA) – Lead, Speed
30 September-2 October – Wujiang (CHN) – Lead, Speed
6-9 October – Chongqing (CHN) – Boulder & Lead
October – TBD location in Japan – Boulder