FC Barcelona And Spotify Seal A Strategic Long-Term Partnership In Sports And Entertainment

The platform’s company name will appear on the front of both Men’s and Women’s team shirt and training kits. For the first time, the global audio streaming platform becomes Title Partner of the Stadium, which will be rebranded as Spotify Camp Nou.

FC Barcelona and Spotify, the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service, have reached an agreement for the Swedish company to become the Main Partner of the Club and the Official Audio Streaming Partner. The brand will appear on the front of both Men’s and Women’s team shirts beginning in the 2022/23 season and for the next four seasons.

Spotify will also sponsor the training shirts beginning in the 2022/23 season for the next three seasons. Spotify and FC Barcelona will be working together to create opportunities for the iconic shirt to become a space that can celebrate artists from across the world. As part of the collaboration, for the very first time in the Club’s history, the Stadium will be rebranded as Spotify Camp Nou. The vision for the partnership is to create a new platform to help artists interact with FC Barcelona’s global community of fans.

The agreement approved and signed by the Board of Directors of FC Barcelona, is subject to the ratification of the Extraordinary Delegate Members Assembly that will take place the following 3rd of April, through an electronic voting procedure. The Club will soon facilitate all of the logistical details, coinciding with the public announcement of the meeting.

Within the framework of this new alliance, Spotify will become the Main Partner of the Club from the 2022/23 season. The long-term agreement for the stadium’s title rights, begins in July 2022 and will continue over the ambitious redevelopment of the Camp Nou site, as part of the Espai Barça project which will transform the Club’s facilities and environment into a world-class, new integrated Barça entertainment experience open to the city.

A first-of-its-kind partnership and a unique space for artists

The partnership reached by Barça and Spotify is a first-of-its-kind for the club in bringing the worlds of Music and Football together, giving a global stage to players and artists at the Spotify Camp Nou Stadium, and building new opportunities to connect artists and players with fans around the world. The collaboration also unifies the Main Partner across both Men’s and Women’s kits as part of both organizations commitment to cultivating and supporting diverse talent now and for future generations.

Furthermore, FC Barcelona and Spotify will be working to use the Club’s in-stadium promotional surfaces to present and amplify the work of artists to the Blaugrana’s global TV audience. With the development of Espai Barça, Spotify is joining the club in the next chapter of its history.

The collaboration with Spotify is also part of the Club’s goal to proactively seek partners who share the values and philosophy that define its brand and, at the same time, allow it to retain its status as a global benchmark, inside and outside of the playing fields, in an increasingly competitive environment.

Statement of Joan Laporta, President of FC Barcelona

“We are very proud to announce a pioneering alliance like this with a world-renowned organization like Spotify. This partnership will allow us to continue to bring the Club closer to its fans and make them feel, even more, part of the Barça family through unique experiences, combining two activities such as entertainment and football, making it possible for us to connect with new audiences around the world.

It is also a union with which we continue to take steps forward in this new era that we have started, and which demonstrates, once again, the innovative character and the constant search of excellence that distinguish Barça and have made it a unique club in the world.”

Statement of Alex Norström, Chief Freemium Business Officer, Spotify

“We could not be more thrilled to be partnering with FC Barcelona to bring the worlds of Music and Football together. From July, our collaboration will offer a global stage to Artists, Players and Fans at the newly-branded Spotify Camp Nou. We have always used our marketing investment to amplify Artists and this partnership will take this approach to a new scale. We’re excited to create new opportunities to connect with FC Barcelona’s worldwide fanbase.

Spotify’s mission is to unlock the potential of human creativity, supporting artists to make a living off their art and connecting with fans. We believe this partnership creates many opportunities to deliver on this mission in unique, imaginative, and impactful ways.”

FIS and IPC Discuss Future Governance Of Three Para Snow Sports

The International Ski Federation (FIS) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) have announced on Tuesday 15^th March that the two organisations are in discussions about the transfer of governance of three Para Snow Sports.

The IPC Governing Board has granted FIS preferred status in relation to the sports of Para Alpine Skiing, Para Cross-Country skiing and Para Snowboard.

IPC and FIS held a meeting during the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games about the transfer of governance and further development of Para Snow Sports.

FIS President Johan Eliasch said, “It was a big step for both FIS and the IPC to hold these important discussions. Many of our National Ski Associations already have the Para Snow Sports under their umbrella and it is the clear next step to bring the governance of these sports under the FIS umbrella. We look forward to taking the next steps in order to be ready to welcome the Para disciplines and their athletes to the FIS Family.”

IPC President Andrew Parsons said: “The discussions held in Beijing show that the IPC and FIS share a common vision about the future of the Para Snow Sports. Since the announcement of the managed process of the World Para Sports we have said that this decision had as a main objective the continued development and growth of the sports which are currently governed by the IPC. We believe that this can be achieved together with FIS and will continue our conversations on the next steps to be taken in this process.”

FIS has a long history with Para Snow Sports and has previously supported the IPC by signing two Memorandums of Understanding in 2011 and 2018. As a part of those MOUs, FIS officials were officiating the World Cups, World Championships, and Paralympic Winter Games delivered on FIS Homologated courses.

The Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games have served as a chance for FIS and the IPC to have further engagement and transfer knowledge related to these three Para Snow Sports.

Over the coming months, the IPC and FIS will be in contact with the different Para Snow Sport stakeholders with more detailed information specific to each stakeholder group.

Host City 2022 Set For Glasgow, Scotland On 15-16 November

Host City 2022 conference and exhibition, the world’s largest meeting of cities and sports business events, is set for in-person attendance in Glasgow, Scotland on 15-16 November.

Host City 2022 builds on the phenomenal success of recent digital editions and anticipates a welcome return to face-to-face content, exhibition and networking in the Technology and Innovation Centre, where Host City was staged from 2015 to 2019.

By 2019, Host City attracted 350 delegates and 35 exhibitors to Glasgow. Host City’s growth continued online through the pandemic, reaching 500 to 1000 attendees in 2020 and 2021. The brand is also expanding globally, with the second Host City Americas taking place online on 29 June.

Host City 2022 is supported by EventScotland, Glasgow Life and Glasgow Convention Bureau Scotland and Glasgow for the eighth consecutive year.

Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events at VisitScotland said: “EventScotland has a strong partnership with Host City and we are delighted to be continuing our support of the conference as we welcome it back to Scotland and Glasgow in 2022.

“Over the last 22 months the global events industry has shown its ability to adapt, respond and innovate and as we move forward with optimism, Host City 2022 will once again provide the ideal platform for cities and sport event businesses to come together and share new ideas and best practice.

“We look forward to seeing everyone in person this November.”

Dr. Bridget McConnell CBE, Chief Executive of Glasgow Life, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Host City back to Glasgow for the eighth time, and for the first in-person event since 2019.

“Like all other cities across the world, Glasgow is intensely focussed on our recovery from the pandemic and a key factor in that recovery is hosting major international events. We’ve got a strong track record in that regard and that’s why we’re, once again, the ideal hosts for the 2022 conference.

“We’re very much looking forward to welcoming all delegates and organisations to the city later this year.”

In his opening address to Host City 2021, Ivo Ferriani, President of the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF), the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF) and SportAccord said:

“After this invitation I am very much looking forward to come to Scotland. I will come to meet my great maestro Craig Reedie but also my great friend Kate Caithness, President of the World Curling Federation. For sure I cannot wait to visit you in Glasgow, because you are role models for all of us.”

Host City’s owner, Cavendish Group is also staging its second Host City Americas event online on 29 June, under the tagline Where Events and Tech Meet.

Ben Avison, Editorial and Conference Director of Host City said “Since its move to Glasgow in 2015, Host City has grown immensely, in both physical and online formats. Two Asian editions and our recent expansion into the Americas have also helped to increase our reach.

“There is immense pent-up demand for the events industry to meet face-to-face in 2022, and there is no better forum than Host City in Glasgow on Scotland’s perfect stage.

“We anticipate an extremely lively gathering on 15-16 November 2022. And with many pressing global issues on the agenda, we can look forward to important exchanges that shape the course of major events for good.”

Image: Ivo Ferriani, IOC Executive Board Member and President of GAISF, IBSF and SportAccord, is Keynote Speaker at Host City 2022 (Photo: IBSF)

Formula 1 And Tata Communications Announce Multi-Year Strategic Collaboration

Formula 1 and Tata Communications today are delighted to announce a multi-year strategic collaboration, with Tata Communications returning to sport as the Official Broadcast Connectivity Provider of Formula 1, to deliver and enhance a world-class, technologically advanced experience for fans globally.

Tata Communications will empower Formula 1 with global end-to-end managed network services for video contribution, thereby transforming the motorsports experience. For this, the company will facilitate the transfer of more than 100 video feeds and over 250 audio channels to be transmitted between the Grand Prix venue and F1’s Media & Technology Centre in the UK every race weekend in under 200 milliseconds, enabling F1 to broadcast to over 500m fans in 180+ territories globally.

Tata Communications’ industry-recognised and built-for-media connectivity solutions will enable Formula 1 to transform the broadcast content production worldwide while continuing to support the sport’s drive for agility and sustainability. Following the introduction of Formula 1’s remote broadcast operations in 2020, Tata Communications has allowed reduction in the organisation’s travelling freight by 34%.

Stefano Domenicali, President & CEO of Formula 1, said:

“We are delighted to welcome Tata Communications back as a partner following previous successes in our partnerships. They have been an integral part of our growth journey over the last decade, and we completely trust their expertise and abilities to deliver what we need for our fans. This trust has been built over many years of working together, pushing forward advancements in technology in sport – on and off the track. Tata Communications’ connectivity continue to support F1’s drive for agility and sustainability with remote production introduced in 2020 – part of our aim to be Net-Zero Carbon by 2030. We are excited to grow together in the future and share the incredible journey Formula 1 is on.”

Amur S Lakshminarayanan, MD and CEO, Tata Communications, said:

“As businesses evolve to a digital-first model, I believe the sporting world also has a great opportunity to leverage technology for delivering innovative and exhilarating experiences to motorsports enthusiasts. And, Formula 1 is at the core of all things speed, action and thrill. We are delighted to renew our relationship and empower Formula 1’s tomorrow, today!”

Premiership Rugby Fines Leicester Tigers £310,000 For Salary Cap Offences

Premiership Rugby can confirm that it has concluded its investigation into Leicester Tigers’ Salary Cap compliance for the seasons 2016/17 to 2020/21.

In summary, the investigation initiated by Salary Cap Director Andrew Rogers, found that Leicester Tigers, and one or more club commercial partners, entered into arrangements whereby a third-party company made payments to the image rights companies of players. These payments should have been declared to the Salary Cap Director as salary, but they were not disclosed.

In each of the four seasons, the amount by which Leicester Tigers exceeded the Salary Cap was below the ‘Overrun’ limit above which a formal charge may be brought for an alleged breach of the regulations.

The club has accepted the findings, which means there will be no further disciplinary process or appeal. The level of fine imposed in these circumstances, known as an Overrun Tax, is calculated by a formula set out in the regulations.

As a result of the previously undisclosed payments now being counted as salary, the Salary Cap Director has determined that Tigers exceeded the Salary Cap by the following amounts:

2016/17: £147,750 (Senior Salary Cap £6,000,000; Overrun limit £325,000)
2017/18: £89,718.05 (Senior Salary Cap £6,400,000; Overrun limit £350,000)
2018/19: £55,886.69 (Senior Salary Cap £6,400,000; Overrun limit £350,000)
2019/20: £98,586.32 (Senior Salary Cap £6,400,000; Overrun limit £350,000)

During the relevant period, the Salary Cap Regulations stated that for the first £50,000 of Overrun, a club would pay a tax of £0.50 for every £1 of overspend. Beyond the first £50,000 and up to £200,000 of Overrun, the tax is £1 for every £1 of additional overspend.

Consequently, the breakdown of the Overrun Tax on Leicester Tigers is:

2016/17: £122,750
2017/18: £64,718.05
2018/19: £30,886.69
2019/20: £73,586.32

In addition, Leicester Tigers have been fined £17,900 for failing to disclose information about the above arrangements in the five seasons from 2016/17 to 2020/21.

In 2020/21 Tigers were fined for non-disclosure but there was no over-run of the Salary Cap.

This makes a total of £309,841.06 in fines and taxes.

Leicester Tigers Chief Executive Officer Andrea Pinchen said: “The club has co-operated with Premiership Rugby throughout the period of the investigation into historic salary cap spending. We accept the decision and the acknowledgement that there was no over-run in the most recent season of the review.

“We are thankful this matter has been brought to a conclusion and pleased that we can now focus all of our energy and efforts on the future of the club.”

Andrew Rogers, Premiership Rugby Salary Cap Director, said: “The review of Salary Cap Regulations provided stronger powers to monitor spending and investigate possible breaches of the cap in past seasons. Leicester Tigers have cooperated with my investigation and accepted the findings, which allows us to apply the sanctions detailed in the regulations. While we are satisfied that the arrangements which resulted in the overspend have been brought to an end, we will continue to assess all spending as part of our ongoing monitoring process at every club.”

Discovery Secures Exclusive Rights To The Masters In Norway And Sweden

Golf fans in Norway and Sweden will be able to enjoy one of the most prestigious events on the sports calendar after Discovery Sports secured the rights to broadcast the Masters Tournament on its platforms.

Having broadcast the last three editions of the Masters, Discovery in Norway has renewed its agreement to screen golf’s first major of the year until 2024. discovery+ will screen live coverage of the Tournament from Augusta National Golf Club, while Discovery-owned television channel MAX will simulcast the event and show extended highlights.

Coverage of the PGA Tour on Discovery’s platforms in Sweden – launched in January this year – is now complemented by live and exclusive coverage of the Masters on discovery+ and Kanal 9, Discovery-owned channel.

The 2022 Masters Tournament, won so memorably by Japanese superstar Hideki Matsuyama in 2021, takes place between 7-10 April this year. Discovery’s full week of coverage in Norway and Sweden starts with On The Range programming on Monday 4 April with the Par 3 Contest taking place on Wednesday 6 April. As part of the build-up to The Masters, fans can also watch the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship on Discovery’s platforms on Saturday 2 April.

Ashley Metcalfe Appointed As The New CEO Of British Canoeing

British Canoeing has announced that Ashley Metcalfe has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer.

A former professional cricketer, Ashley is currently CEO of British Weight Lifting and also has a wealth of experience in leading a number of businesses which specialise in marketing, events as well as CEO of a natural healthcare company.

During his tenure at the helm of British Weight Lifting, Ashley has overseen a successful transformation of the national governing body, which has seen growth in membership, diversity, financial security and secured the highest levels of governance and safeguarding.

In Tokyo last summer, Emily Campbell achieved British Weight Lifting’s first Olympic medal in 37 years and the first ever medal for a British female athlete in the sport.

On joining British Canoeing, Ashley Metcalfe said:

“It is a great honour to have been appointed to the role at British Canoeing. Being extremely passionate about sport and the positive impact it can have on all members of society, this is a fantastic opportunity to join a well-established, successful and highly reputable organisation.

“The organisation has a great Olympic and Paralympic tradition and record, as well as enjoying much success across all its paddle-based disciplines. Furthermore, it is a hugely popular recreational activity for an increasingly diverse audience with an important role to play in driving environmental change.

“Building on its achievements over recent years, it is an exciting time for all involved in the sport with lots more potential as the organisation looks to implement its new strategic plan that will ensure the sport remains relevant, accessible and welcoming to all.

“I’ve had nine fantastic years at British Weight Lifting and I’m proud of what we have achieved and the position the organisation is now in but the time is right for a new challenge.

“When it comes to paddle sports, I am sure I will have a lot to learn but I’m excited to have the chance to play my part, meet all our stakeholders and lead the organisation in the next leg of its journey.”

Ashley joins British Canoeing as the organisation embarks on its new four-year strategy Stronger Together 2022-2026 which was launched on Saturday 12 March.

Professor John Coyne CBE, Chair of British Canoeing, said:

“I am delighted that after a thorough and comprehensive search process British Canoeing have appointed Ashley Metcalfe as its new CEO to replace David Joy who announced his departure late last year.

“He has been outstanding in his leadership of British Weight Lifting: not just the competitive success but the growth and breadth of development during his tenure.

“We were delighted at the volume and quality of candidates that presented themselves and the respect that they showed to the organisation through their interest.

“Ashley stood out as the perfect fit for the organisation and the person to lead us through our next phase of development.”

Ashley is due to join British Canoeing on 1 June 2022.

Made By Sport Calls On British Business To Invest In Sport For Good

National charity Made by Sport is urging British business to invest in community sport to tackle the challenges facing young people in society after undertaking research which confirmed that the average Social Return on Investment (SROI) for sport for good is £6 for every £1 spent, compared to £4 for every £1 spent on sports participation.

Sport for good is sport which delivers social outcomes such as better mental health, improved life skills, or stronger communities – it’s about what sport does, not just what sport is.

The situation for young people in the UK is concerning, with 5.2 million (50%) expected to be living in poverty in 2022 and 83% admitting that their mental health has been affected by the pandemic.

One in five young people (21%) have experienced suicidal thoughts, rising to 28% in those not in education, employment or training with almost half not feeling prepared to enter the workforce. Yet Made by Sport has found that nine out of 10 people who have participated in a sporting activity believe sport can play a role in improving their mental health.

Over 50% of sport for good clubs and organisations rely solely on volunteers and yet there has been a £600 million reduction by local authorities into sport over the past decade, with thousands of the clubs struggling to secure funding because of limited resources and a lack of funding available.

The Made by Sport ‘State of Play’ impacts and insights indicator report shows that investment into community sport has a significant benefit for young people and their communities. Yet only 0.5% of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activity at FTSE 100 firms target sport for good charities despite the higher SROI sport for good delivers.

Sophie Mason, Chief Executive of Made by Sport, said: “Despite its proven success, sport for good is overlooked by government and business as a solution to some of life’s biggest issues far too often.

“It’s now time for British business to help society to address the significant challenges austerity and the pandemic have caused so that future generations can thrive and positively contribute to society.

“At Made by Sport we have seen first-hand the power that sport can have to change the course of young lives, providing life skills that help to build better and stronger futures through our work with a coalition of like-minded organisations who are dedicated to delivering authentic social responsibility.

“This is an open goal for British business where everyone benefits; from the young people themselves and their communities and yet incredibly business overlooks the societal and commercial benefits that come from looking beyond corporate sponsorships and entertainment when planning their annual CSR and marketing spend.

“Made by Sport has established large-scale partnerships that have made a real difference to distribute grants quickly and effectively at a national and local level and helped over 1500 clubs through the uncertainty of Covid-19.”

Inside The Pocket Launches WonderWins Brand In India, As The Exclusive Daily Fantasy Partner Of ESPNcricinfo

First of its kind free-to-play aggregator secures much sought-after exclusive Daily Fantasy collaboration with world’s leading digital cricket destination; rolls out scalable DFS offering for India and the entire Subcontinent

Inside The Pocket (ITP), the leading free-to-play (F2P) aggregation platform, has teamed up with the premier digital cricket platform ESPNcricinfo for an exclusive Free Daily Fantasy offering for users via its new WonderWins brand.

WonderWins is primed to debut ahead of this season’s IPL 2022, which begins on 26 March. This milestone collaboration between the two brands offers cricket fans a compelling and unique opportunity to engage with fantasy gaming as well as accessing match coverage, news, information, and analysis, and being part of the large community of cricket fans in India and the subcontinent to have this complete and well-rounded experience.

ESPNcricinfo is ESPN’s dedicated cricket site and app and the world’s largest source of cricketing information, match coverage, news and analysis. It is the go-to digital destination for international news, live scores, statistics and analysis for cricket fans worldwide and a pioneer in the digital sports media with a 29-year-old rich legacy.

By becoming the exclusive Daily Fantasy provider for ESPNcricinfo in India and the subcontinent, WonderWins brand will be able to connect with over 85 million discerning cricket fans on the ESPNcricinfo platform and further drive conversations with over 15 million highly engaged fans across its social media channels. WonderWins brand is live on android, iOS, and as a web-based platform.

Through this breakthrough agreement, WonderWins will be able to engage with fans through exciting fantasy gameplay, intelligent statistics, data analysis and customized content, offering fantasy gamers a robust experience and allowing them to understand the finer nuances of game-play to further drive significant marketing and enterprise value as WonderWins’ DFS and hyper-casual games evolve in the months and years to come.

ESPNcricinfo has already begun cascading bespoke content and communication, allowing players to discover the WonderWins platform and understanding of the product via intuitive light-touch education, and gameplay. In that sense, WonderWins can claim to have an unparalleled product portfolio that offers unrivaled opportunities to drive content and create lasting fan engagement levels.

Hussain Naqi, Founder of both WonderWins and Inside The Pocket, said:

“We’re understandably delighted to have become ESPNcricinfo’s exclusive Daily Fantasy partner in India and subcontinent. It’s a genuine honor to have been chosen to roll out fantasy games for such a trusted and revered international partner, whose very name brings instant authenticity and credibility with the end user. The WonderWins app is ready to play!

“ESPN have been a brilliant and agile collaborator, organically wrapping WonderWins around their fantasy programming – from new article links to bespoke video programming and other product levers as we look forward to the much-anticipated IPL 2022 season ahead. It’s an exciting time and I’m thrilled to be over in India myself to witness the roll-out first hand.

“Our underlying platform is uniquely well-positioned to leverage this opportunity because we can diversify content, leverage consumer data and partition it for partners as the market’s shifting sands coalesce. Our multiple data partnerships deliver us unique consumer insights that will allow us to hyper-segment our audience communication over time, including for other sporting events like the World Cup 2022 football.”

Ramesh Kumar, VP & Head of ESPN Digital Media India, stated:

“This is an exciting announcement, as now with this collaboration with WonderWins, ESPNcricinfo fans in India and the subcontinent region will be able to play and enjoy free fantasy on our platform, building a deeper engagement on ESPNcricinfo not just with the game-play but also with the enormous content that we will power to help users play intelligently. The timing is perfect with the exciting new season coming up and we are delighted to offer our new age cricket fans the right mix of information and entertainment for them to follow their favorite sport and teams. Consequently, we are now able to wrap an array of complementary programming and editorial content in the fantasy space around WonderWins, significantly boosting fan engagement around the game, as the new IPL season comes into sharp focus.

“It’s been fantastic to work with such like-minded, fan-first partners. The ESPNcricinfo and WonderWins Team have collaborated closely at every stage of the development and deployment process, making the integration as rapid and seamless as possible.”

With the broader F2P framework, Inside The Pocket intends to target both mature and emerging markets over the long-term, as the company bids to expand its progressive footprint into untapped territories. There, its proven international scope and flair for localization, promises to drive diversified fan engagement around targeted free-to-play sports games. Inside The Pocket’s open-aggregation approach offers the broadest and best-curated collection of games available from developers around the world, utilizing a single platform integration as a gateway to virtually unlimited content.

As the leading free-to-play aggregation platform for the gaming industry, Inside The Pocket is dedicated to being a top-of-the-funnel customer acquisition tool driving engagement through a range of content and games whose formats responsibly acquire and retain customers at low cost but also remain fully compliant as regulation continues to coalesce across regions from the U.S. to Asia, Africa and LATAM. Its agnostic platform offers a strategic solution which works territory-by-territory, educating uninitiated audiences with fully-integrated games.

League Of Legends Championship Series Players Association Signs Deal With OneTeam

The League of Legends Championship Series Players Association is signing a deal with OneTeam Partners to create group licensing and marketing rights.

In a statement, the organisation says:

The LCSPA is taking the historic step of launching a commercial Group Rights program in association with OneTeam Partners. We feel strongly that now is the right time to act on behalf of our membership to protect their Group Rights in the same manner that the rights of the NFL, MLB, NBA, and all other major North American athletes are protected. This program and partnership will establish a passive revenue stream for players as well as provide a sustainable and independent operating budget for the Players Association (PA) to continue to grow the scope of its work on behalf of players.

The Process

This partnership has been a long time in the making. Marty Strenczewilk of OneTeam Partners (formerly co-founder and CEO of Splyce) first spoke to PA President Darshan Upadhyaya in December of 2020 about Group Rights and what a possible program could look like. The conversation was one Darshan and new PA leadership were methodical in approaching; there was a great deal of work to be done in establishing that the LCSPA could provide value for its members and be an advocate worthy of being entrusted with a Group Rights program. We know that now is the right time for the LCSPA because we have shown what the PA can do in its current form, and we know Group Rights are the necessary and right next step to player empowerment in esports.

Why OneTeam?

The LCSPA chose to work with OneTeam after much consideration because they are the unquestionable gold standard in negotiating group rights deals across sports. As OneTeam is a group co-owned by the NFLPA and the MLBPA, they share our values — and they know the importance of doing the sales work so that the LCSPA can focus fully on advocacy. Their knowledge and proven track record of growing the pie for their players — and the leagues they play in — is second to none. OneTeam will be able to bring fans closer to our players than ever before with best-in-class partners.

What are Group Rights? What is NIL?

Group Rights, though relatively new to the esports world, are a well-established practice in traditional sports. They were first successfully used in the MLB in the 1960s to establish the first independent and successful sports union in America. Other sports PAs followed suit, and now all major sports PAs in North America use Group Rights to fund their existence and create an efficient path toward supplemental revenue for their members.

A Group Rights deal is where a group of people agree that any commercial agreement involving a portion or all of the league’s players must be negotiated collectively through their chosen partner. These deals almost entirely use passive Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights to ensure players get appropriate compensation when a trading card, sports video game, or fantasy sport is put together using their personal information or likeness.

What does this look like in traditional sports?

If you’ve ever played Madden, NBA2K, FIFA, or MLB the Show — you’ve seen a group rights program in action! Before those games are released, the Players Associations of each of those leagues negotiate a deal with the game publisher to secure the rights of each player’s face and name (NIL). The same is done for things like trading cards and fantasy sports. From Tom Brady to LeBron James to Mookie Betts, every player in every major traditional sports league in North America has signed a group licensing agreement. These deals provide passive income streams for all players, not just the most popular few.

Why is this good for players?

The majority of dollars flowing into professional sports — from contracts to commercial endorsements — goes to the smallest percentage of players. Group Rights programs allow every player to participate in that revenue, and every player gets paid exactly the same amount — regardless of popularity, position, or anything else. These deals raise the floor for our lowest-paid players and ensure all players have an advocate capable of representing them without concern for our funding.

What does this mean for LCS fans?

In success, this Group Rights program and partnership with OneTeam means our players on trading cards, collectibles, and beyond. We plan to keep our community informed about anywhere they can expect to see our players show up, so stay tuned for more updates.