UFC 275 To Become UFC’s First Pay-Per-View And Championship Title Bouts Hosted In Southeast Asia

UFC, the world’s premier Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization, today announced a pair of historic firsts which will take place in The Lion City, Singapore.

UFC 275: TEIXEIRA vs PROCHAZKA will take place on Sunday, June 12, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, making it the first-ever numbered UFC Pay-Per-View to be held in in Southeast Asia. The event will also feature the region’s first UFC championship bouts, as UFC world light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira takes on No. 2 Jiri Prochazka, and UFC world women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko faces No. 5 Taila Santos.

UFC 275 will be UFC’s fourth event hosted in Singapore with support from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). In planning the return of live events in Asia, UFC selected Singapore because of its proven health and safety track record and its outstanding infrastructure across all components – both of which are key to ensuring the successful production of a premium international event.

UFC 275 will place Singapore alongside other major international locations to hold multiple UFC events including Tokyo, London and New York City. The presentation of a numbered Pay-Per-View event to Southeast Asia signifies the development of UFC in the region and the mixed martial arts promotion’s remarkable global growth.

“I can’t wait for our first Pay-Per-View event in Singapore,” said UFC President Dana White. “The fights have been incredible this year and we’re going to deliver an absolutely stacked card for the amazing fans in Southeast Asia.”

“Singapore will be the very first city in Southeast Asia to host a PPV event and UFC 275 is going to be huge! Asia’s biggest stars will be featured on a top caliber card, and the jam-packed fight week will be one to remember,” said Kevin Chang, UFC Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific. “We are thankful for STB’s support for this historic event in Singapore that will proudly showcase this vibrant and dynamic city.”

“UFC 275 will be the first UFC numbered event in Asia after a decade, and its presence highlights Singapore’s position as a leading destination for sports in the region,” Ms Ong Ling Lee, Director, Sports and Wellness, Singapore Tourism Board. “It is also a timely boost to our vibrancy and attractiveness as a lifestyle destination, as more international visitors return to Singapore.”

Leading global live entertainment company AEG Presents has been appointed as the official promoter of UFC® 275: TEIXEIRA vs PROCHAZKA in Singapore.

“AEG is extremely proud to be associated with UFC to bring this marquee event to Singapore,” said Adam Wilkes, President and CEO, AEG Asia Pacific. “UFC 275 will be an amazing experience for fight fans and for those who love, and have missed, world class events.”

DAZN And Movistar Plus+ Reach Distribution Agreement For LaLiga

DAZN, the leading global sports streaming platform, has closed a non-exclusive distribution deal with Movistar Plus+, the leading entertainment platform in Spain for LaLiga starting next season. DAZN, which was awarded exclusive broadcasting rights for 175 LaLiga matches for seasons 2022/23 through 2026/27, will make this exclusive package available to Movistar Plus+ customers, as part of the DAZN offer integrated on Movistar Plus+, both through its App and its linear channels.  DAZN will be in charge of the production of these five matches per gameweek, bringing new talent and new flavor to LaLiga coverage. Soccer fans, who are not Movistar Plus+ customers, will also be able to watch the DAZN LaLiga package directly on the DAZN app.

DAZN thus secures the commitment of the leading telco operator to support the growth of OTT sport consumption in Spain, signaling the future for LaLiga fans. This deal represents another major step in DAZN´s growth in the Spanish market and reinforces DAZN´s commitment to making it as easy as possible for fans to engage with their favourite sports. The distribution deal follows a series of strategic collaborations in other DAZN core markets:  Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom and Swisscom in Germany, TIM in Italy and KDDI in Japan.

Jacopo Tonoli, Chief Commercial Officer, DAZN Group, said, “We are very pleased to announce this new distribution agreement with Movistar Plus+, expanding on our existing partnership. Our mission is to make premium sport more accessible to an ever-increasing number of fans in an easy, flexible and innovative way, and this deal allows us to do so by driving further growth in Spain.”

Sergio Oslé, President of Movistar Plus+, said: “At Movistar we will focus all our efforts on providing our customers with access to the widest range of content on the market. With this new agreement we guarantee access to all Movistar Plus+ customers to the main competition of our soccer for the next seasons. The agreements reached with LaLiga and DAZN strengthen the relationship with the best partners to continue promoting our `Infinite stadium´ with an unparalleled sports offer.”

Since its launch in 2019, DAZN has secured a strong offering which includes this LaLiga package alongside Copa del Rey, Premier League, UEFA Women’s Champions League, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, FA Cup, Carabao Cup or MLS. DAZN is not just about soccer; users in Spain can also enjoy MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3, F1, Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, Matchroom boxing, as well as a wide line-up of DAZN original programming and other sports content.

BCCI Releases Media Rights Tender For 2023-2027

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announces release of Invitation to Tender for Media Rights to the Indian Premier League Seasons 2023-2027.

The Governing Council of the IPL invites bids from reputed entities to acquire the Media Rights for the Indian Premier League Seasons 2023-2027, through a tender process.

The detailed terms and conditions governing the tender process including eligibility requirements, process for submissions of bids, proposed media rights packages, and obligations, etc. are contained in the ‘Invitation to Tender’ (“ITT”) which will be made available on receipt of payment of non-refundable fee of INR 25,00,000 (Rupees Twenty-Five Lakhs Only) plus any applicable Goods and Services Tax. The procedure to procure the ITT documents is enlisted in Annexure A to this document. The ITT will be available for purchase till May 10, 2022.

Interested parties are requested to email the details of payment made for the purchase of the ITT to iplmediarights2022@bcci.tv, as per the procedure laid down in Annexure A. It is clarified that the ITT documents shall be shared only receipt of payment of the non-refundable ITT fee.

Any interested party wishing to submit a bid is required to purchase the ITT. However, only those satisfying the eligibility criteria set out in the ITT and subject to the other terms and conditions set out therein, shall be eligible to bid. It is clarified that merely purchasing this ITT does not entitle any person to bid.

BCCI reserves the right to cancel or amend the bidding process at any stage in any manner at its discretion.

Major League Pickleball Welcomes New Owners Including Gary Vaynerchuk, Announces 2022 Draft And First 2022 Event Date

Major League Pickleball (MLP), the elite pickleball league that showcases the world’s best professional pickleball players in a unique team format while serving as a platform to attract new pickleball fans and players to the fastest growing sport in America, is welcoming new owners in 2022 including business leader and cultural icon Gary Vaynerchuk, expanding the MLP team roster from the eight teams which took part in the inaugural MLP event in 2021, to 12 teams in 2022. 

MLP has also confirmed that the 2022 MLP Draft, a unique event in professional pickleball worldwide, will be revealed at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows, NYC on Saturday, May 28th, an event which will be livestreamed on MLP channels including MajorLeaguePickleball.net, MLP YouTube and MLP Facebook. The Draft will set the teams for MLP’s first 2022 team competition, which will be held at Dreamland, Dripping Springs, Texas, from June 3 – June 5, in which 48 of the world’s best professional pickleball players, 24 women and 24 men, will compete to win the second-ever MLP competition, with the finals set to be exclusively televised on CBS Sports Network. The preceding rounds will also be livestreamed on MLP digital channels. 

“MLP is the most exciting brand in pickleball, a sport that I’m very excited to be coming into at such an important stage of its development,” said new MLP Team Owner, Gary Vaynerchuk. “I’ve been watching the growth of the sport over the last couple of years, and waiting for the right opportunity to jump in. What MLP is creating is precisely what I think pickleball needs – innovation, equality, great competition, and a central focus on the social community that this sport creates.”

“2021 was a groundbreaking year for pickleball, with the first MLP event setting new standards for our sport, and now we have even more exciting plans for 2022 and beyond,” commented 2021 MLP MVP and professional pickleball athlete, Lee Whitwell. “Welcoming new team owners to MLP, and revealing our 2022 Draft at such an iconic venue as Flushing Meadows is exciting enough. To also be able to confirm that we’ll be back at Dreamland in early June for our second MLP event is just great news, for the athletes, the sport and, most importantly, pickleball fans.”

“We all went into the first MLP event knowing it was going to be good, but none of us knew just how amazing it was going to be,” added fellow-pro pickleball athlete, Zane Navratil. “Now, in 2022, MLP is growing, adding more teams, and building even more excitement about what’s to come. The team format instantly proved to be a success when it was unveiled by MLP in 2021, and I’m already excited to find out who my teammates will be for 2022, and focused on winning!”

“MLP’s inaugural team competition in 2021 raised the bar for professional pickleball, and in 2022 we will continue to set new standards,” commented MLP Commissioner, Jenny Klitch. “For 2022 we start MLP’s second year with some very exciting news, including welcoming new Team Owners, who are eager to draft and support the world’s best pro pickleball players. We are also delighted to be returning to Dreamland in Austin, Texas, for the first 2022 MLP competition in June, and as a former pro tennis player, I’m thrilled to announce that we will reveal our Draft in May at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows. These iconic venues are perfect to showcase the highest levels of pro pickleball competition and spread the joy of the game as pickleball continues its explosive growth and makes headlines worldwide.”

The 2022 MLP draft reveal will take place at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows, NYC on Saturday, May 28th. The event will be invitation-only, but fans will be able to tune in to the one hour live show which will be livestreamed on MLP channels including MajorLeaguePickleball.net, MLP YouTube and Facebook. The 2022 MLP Draft reveal will take place during the APP New York City Open at Flushing Meadows May 25-29, 2022. In 2021, MLP staged its groundbreaking first-ever Draft, in which 32 of the best professional pickleball players were drafted into eight teams. The Draft uses a “snake” format, ensuring each team has a balanced roster of two women and two men, ensuring the most exciting competition then takes place on court when the action starts. For 2022, with the addition of four new teams, 48 players will be drafted into the 12 teams which will compete at Dreamland, Dripping Springs, from June 3 – 5, 2022.

MLP’s first competitive event of 2022 at Dreamland will also be livestreamed on MLP digital channels, with the finals set to exclusively be televised live on CBS Sports Network. Full tune-in information, ticket details and the complete event schedule will be announced before the event by MLP. Details of further 2022 MLP events will also be announced throughout 2022 – for more information, stay tuned to MLP social media channels and subscribe to the official MLP e-newsletter.

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.