Formula 1’s Texas Grand Prix To Remain At Circuit of The Americas For Five More Years

Circuit of The Americas is thrilled to announce a five-year extension with Formula 1.

As the highest-grossing weekend in Austin, the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix brings energy and undeniable buzz to the city that’s impossible to match.

The sport returned to the US in 2021, following a break due to the pandemic, to a huge reception with a record-breaking crowd in Austin that witnessed Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton battle it out. The first F1 race at COTA took place in 2012 with fans in attendance watching Lewis Hamilton take victory with McLaren.

Since then, the race has gone from strength to strength culminating in last year’s race with crowds nearly four times the number seen in 2012.

“The Formula 1 United States Grand Prix has become one of the biggest and greatest events in the world. We are extremely proud it has found a home in Texas – at Circuit of The Americas – and are grateful to the millions of fans who visited us over our first decade,” said Bobby Epstein, Founding Partner at Circuit of The Americas.

“We knew Austin, along with our neighbors in San Antonio and beyond, would be welcoming hosts – and they proved it!  Thanks to everyone in the Formula 1 community for supporting our endeavors and rewarding our hard work. We are glad to have renewed our commitments and look forward to many more years of World Championship racing, entertainment, and fun.”

“We are thrilled to be announcing the extension with the Circuit of The Americas ahead of the exciting new 2022 season. I want to thank the promoter for their ongoing dedication and enthusiasm for Formula 1 where together we are continuing to grow the excitement around our sport in the US following the huge success of Netflix, the work of ESPN, and the incredible season we had in 2021,” said Stefano Domenicali, President & CEO of Formula 1.

“Austin is a great city, and the track is a favorite for all the drivers, and we cannot wait to be back in October for more action and entertainment.”

Extreme E Reveals First Hydrogen Off-Road Racing Championship

Extreme E plans to launch global hydrogen Championship in 2024 called Extreme H Extreme H will race in the same locations as Extreme E, on the same days with the same sporting format. Two categories, full transition or combined racing, are all options to integrate Hydrogen into the Competition. A hydrogen fuel cell will replace the battery as the Extreme H car’s principal energy source Green hydrogen sources will be used to power the Extreme H fuel cells Development for the Extreme H vehicle is already underway, with goals to have a prototype launched in early 2023. 

Extreme E, the motorsport for purpose, has revealed its plans to launch an off-road hydrogen Championship in 2024. Named Extreme H, it will sit alongside Extreme E, its existing electric racing series, and will be a world-first for motorsport.

Alejandro Agag, who was recently given Autosport 2022’s ‘Pioneering and Innovation Award’, announced the news ahead of Extreme E’s Season 2 opening race, the Desert X Prix, in NEOM, Saudi Arabia. He said:

“Extreme E was designed to be a testbed for innovation and solutions for mobility. It has become increasingly clear to us that creating a hydrogen racing series is a natural evolution of our mission to showcase the possibilities of new technologies in the race to fight climate issues.

“Together with the current Extreme E Teams we will decide in the coming months the best way to integrate the Hydrogen powered cars into the racing weekend. Two separate categories, full transition to Hydrogen or joint racing are all options on the table.

“Extreme E is an FIA International Series and our intention is to work closely again with the FIA and the Automobile Club de Monaco on the development of Extreme H. Sport is the fastest and most effective platform for driving innovation, and by using the existing Extreme E platform we can also utilise our transport, talent and operations to ensure we are minimising footprint in the process. This effectively means we can have double the race action, with marginal additional impact.”

The Extreme H car will retain the same powertrain and chassis used in Extreme E. The key differentiating factor in Extreme H will be that a hydrogen fuel cell will replace the battery as the principal energy source.

Green hydrogen sources will be used to power the Extreme H fuel cells, created using a combination of solar and water. This technology is already being used behind the scenes in Extreme E, where it provides the energy source to the vehicle’s batteries.

Alejandro added:

“It is fitting to launch the concept of Extreme H here in NEOM, a place with huge ambition around clean energy solutions, and the perfect example of a location which can and will become home to large-scale green hydrogen production and distribution.”

Peter Wadhams, Extreme E Scientific Committee member and Head of the Polar Ocean Physics Group in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge, added:

“It is exciting that the scope of Extreme E is now to be extended to encompass the renewable world of hydrogen power. At the COP-26 meeting in Glasgow last November there was a positive crowd of hydrogen vehicles, demonstrating the potential of this energy source, especially for larger vehicles. There was a bus, an ambulance, a JCB digger and several trucks. In amongst them was the McLaren Extreme-E electric car.

“I have seen hydrogen power in action in Orkney, where hydrogen is created in the outer islands using wind power, compressed and brought to Kirkwall by ferry, then used to power the Kirkwall fleet of public service vehicles. There are so many exciting possibilities of this kind which will be supported and energised by the publicity given to hydrogen vehicles by Extreme E.”

Jenson Button, Team Owner of the JBXE Extreme E team, said:

“For Extreme E to be evolving into Extreme H is incredibly exciting and a brilliant step forward in such a short space of time for the series. To see racing of this calibre powered by Hydrogen cells, which will allow for even more racing with less impact, is remarkable.”

Nasser Al-Attiyah, ABT Cupra XE driver, said:

“I think it’s a good idea to have a new Championship with hydrogen in close contact with Extreme E. I think it will be interesting to see how well the new event goes. I hope everybody will enjoy it and it will also be fascinating for the manufacturers. There has been some pressure for hydrogen to be a part of the motorsport world, and I think it is a good idea so we’ll see what we can do.”

Dan Bailey, CEO of Veloce Racing, said:

“Veloce always supports innovation, which is exactly why we got involved in Extreme E from the very start. Hydrogen is a key pillar for the future of the automotive industry. We’re excited and supportive of the future plans and look forward to seeing how it develops.”

Extreme E’s operations utilises various methods to keep its overall carbon footprint as low as possible. Examples include; using a refurbished ship for transporting the Championship’s freight and logistics equipment, including race cars and paddock; using remote broadcast and digital streaming; capping team personnel numbers; and using a combination of battery power and green hydrogen to power the paddock.

Development for the Extreme H vehicle is already underway, with goals to have a prototype launched in early 2023

Premier League Broadcast Rights Head Back To Sky New Zealand

Sky New Zealand is delighted to announce that it has secured the exclusive rights for the Premier League for the next six years, starting with the upcoming 2022/23 season.

The Premier League joins Sky’s strong international and domestic football line-up, including the A-Leagues featuring the Wellington Phoenix, a wide range of top-tier European club football, the FIFA World Cup later this year and the FIFA Women’s World Cup hosted in New Zealand and Australia next year.

Paul Molnar, Premier League Chief Media Officer, said: “The Premier League is pleased to announce our new partnership with Sky NZ. We are very happy that Sky NZ views the Premier League and our clubs as a vital part of their live sports offering. They will be an outstanding home for the Premier League and we look forward to working together to showcase the League to new and existing fans throughout New Zealand.” 

Sophie Moloney, Sky’s Chief Executive, said: “Securing the content that matters most to our customers is a key part of our strategy.  Our customers know that there is always great sport to watch on Sky, every month of the year, with the best of New Zealand and global competition.”

Football is the most watched sport in the world, and the Premier League is the most viewed league, attracting a global cumulative audience of 3.2 billion viewers.  In recent years football has grown exponentially in New Zealand, both in terms of participation (most popular team sport for 5–17 year olds) and fan interest.

Sophie Moloney added: “We are therefore delighted to have secured the Premier League for our customers, in a six-year deal that begins this August with the 2022/23 season.

“Those of our Sky Sport customers who are fanatical football fans have had to purchase a second service to watch the Premier League in recent years, and it’s great to now be able to offer them the Premier League as part of their wide range of sport and entertainment viewing options on Sky.

“And for those football fans who don’t currently have Sky, particularly those who like to stream their sport, Sky Sport Now will offer them all 380 live matches of the Premier League each year, along with access to our huge range of other great sport, with weekly and monthly passes.”

We look forward to sharing more details before the start of the season in August.

Sky Bet Launches Social Partnership With LADbible Group

Sky Bet have today announced that they have partnered with social publishing giant LADbible Group to become the category exclusive partners for their coverage of the Premier League and EFL for the rest of the football season.

Launching Saturday 12th Feb, the 360 partnership will roll out across SPORTbible and ODDSbible, reaching its highly sought after collective audience of 34.7 million.

The partnership will put fans at the heart of the action – including sponsorship of a three-episode run of LADbible Group’s established original series, Agree to Disagree. Produced by LADstudios, LADbible Group’s award-winning in-house content studio; where two fans from opposing clubs go head to head in a heated debate on football. To date, the series has achieved 31.8 million views on LADbible TV from football fans. The first episode is being filmed this week in Manchester with legend Gary Neville & Micah Richards going head-to-head ahead of the highly-anticipated Manchester Derby in early March.

Sky Bet and LADbible Group will create an exclusive EFL content series to get fans involved in the biggest debates of the Premier League and EFL, along with weekly social football content that will bring unrivalled insider access to players and offer fans the chance to grill their favourite stars. There will also be an always-on editorial partnership on SPORTbible – all to make betting, better.

As part of the partnership, Sky Bet will be sponsoring 3 episodes of the successful Agree To Disagree format between now and the end of the season. The first of which is being filmed in Manchester this week with Sky Bet talent Gary Neville & Micah Richards going head-to-head ahead of the highly-anticipated Manchester Derby in early March.

Jack Cowin, Director of Client Solutions said, “We’ve been working very closely with Sky Bet over the past year, delivering a number of event-specific campaigns but we’re delighted to get this off the ground and announce the partnership officially. Sky Bet are a fantastic content provider in their own right and are the perfect partner to create something special with, for our highly-engaged audience of sport and sports betting fans. We can’t wait to get started on this long-term project and continue to entertain the core Sky Bet audience.”

Kevin Brain, Head of Social & Content for Sky Bet said, “LADBible Group have built an incredibly engaged set of sports and sports betting communities and they are the best at what they do. With our unique access and exciting plans to generate more premium sports related content, this exclusive partnership offers us a great opportunity to combine our strengths and bring audiences more of what they already love”

Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix Announces Gainbridge As Founding Partner

South Florida Motorsports (SFM), the promoter of the Formula 1® Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix, has announced a multi-year Founding Partnership with Gainbridge, a self-managed innovative digital platform providing customers with direct access to trusted financial products. The Formula 1® Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix will be the series’ first visit to Miami Gardens on May 6-8, 2022.

With Gainbridge as the Title Partner of the Start/Finish Club and Suites, fans will experience their prominent branding across the MIA campus. Access to a premium panoramic view of the paddock, pitlane, starting grid and the longest straight on the track, allows fans in the Start/Finish line area to have the ultimate view of the action, seeing racing from both the north and south sides of the circuit.

Next door in the North Campus Fan Zone presented by Gainbridge, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Open to all ticketholders, this area will have food and beverage experiences, activations, art installations, and to top it off, viewing decks are available for all race goers to experience views of one of the longest straights in Formula 1®.

“Gainbridge brings a prestigious modern brand to our event and will be a proactive partner for many years,” said Jeremy Walls, Senior Vice President, Chief Revenue Officer of Hard Rock Stadium & Formula 1® Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix. “Through this partnership, and the opportunities for engagement and exposure across our track and campus, they will be able to educate Formula 1® and South Florida audiences on their self-managed platform and tools empowering investors to grow and protect their savings.”

Gainbridge’s Chief Marketing Officer, Bill Shelton said: “This partnership reflects our mission to be innovative and tech-driven, empowering people with access to tools to make every second count. We couldn’t be more excited to showcase our bold brand and give fans the ability to experience the events and hotspots Miami has to offer.”

New Zealand Rugby And New Zealand Rugby Players Association Boards Approve Partnership With Silver Lake

The New Zealand Rugby (NZR) Board and the New Zealand Rugby Players Association (NZRPA) Board today announced that they have approved a partnership agreement between Silver Lake, NZR and the NZRPA, providing capital to invest in the game at all levels and supporting the development of new capabilities and the pursuit of new global opportunities enabled by digital technologies.

This partnership marks the beginning of a transformational phase for the entire game in New Zealand and will allow us to pursue exciting new opportunities for rugby. Under the terms of the agreement, which remains subject to ratification by the Provincial Unions and Māori Rugby Board, Silver Lake will invest NZD $200 million in a new commercial entity that will house all revenue-generating assets of NZR, with additional co-investment of up to NZD $100 million to be offered to New Zealand-based institutional investors later in 2022. Silver Lake, NZR and NZRPA will also establish “Global Rugby Opportunities” to invest together in rugby-related businesses outside of New Zealand.

Stewart Mitchell, NZR Chairman said: “In the privileged role we hold as guardians of our national game, we are proud of where we have landed with this partnership. I want to acknowledge that the journey to get here hasn’t been easy at times, there was healthy debate and some adjustments by all parties, but always with the good of the game at the heart of this process. The NZR Board are looking forward to continuing our conversations with the Provincial Unions and Māori Rugby Board and anticipate ratification in the coming weeks.”

David Kirk, NZRPA Chairman said: “The partnership is the outcome of long and considered discussions and has been approved by the NZRPA board. This is a pivotal moment for rugby in New Zealand. The agreement provides capital on a sound economic basis and Silver Lake brings additional capability to execute on the new growth opportunities. The proposed investment by New Zealand institutions provides an opportunity and natural pathway for New Zealanders to share in the growth of rugby over time.”

Mark Robinson, NZR CEO said: “This partnership presents rugby with an extraordinary opportunity to secure its future and unleash its true potential. We are truly excited by what we can achieve together with Silver Lake’s world class capabilities: from fostering and growing our grassroots, to enhancing the experiences we can create for New Zealanders, and truly maximising our potential on the global stage.”

Rob Nichol, NZRPA CEO also cemented the NZRPA’s support: “NZRPA is excited for this partnership and what it means for the future of rugby. It addresses our fundamental principles—ensuring a true comprehensive partnership, allowing us to invest together in rugby globally, and establishing the right governance models. Silver Lake have shown great integrity and a commitment to getting the right deal in place. They were willing to listen to everyone and understand what rugby means to people in our country. We are confident that Silver Lake is the right investment partner.”

Sarah Hirini, NZRPA board member and Black Ferns Sevens captain said: “The proposal brings new investment and capability into the game and will help us go after some exciting new opportunities, especially given 2022 is such a big year for women’s rugby. There’s a lot of change in rugby globally and this partnership will position us well.”

Sam Cane, NZRPA board member and All Blacks captain said: “We are excited about this agreement and have confidence that it is a great outcome for rugby on all levels. We are impressed by Silver Lake’s thoughtful approach and what they can contribute to help us become better at what we do off the pitch. This partnership is a great step forward for the game.”

Silver Lake Managing Director Simon Patterson remarked: “New Zealand has a phenomenal track record in rugby, with a great history and culture of leadership, inclusion and teamwork. Silver Lake is fully committed to rugby in New Zealand, to help build on all these past successes at a key moment in the development of the game globally.”

Silver Lake Managing Director Stephen Evans added: “Digital technologies are transforming all sports, and we look forward to bringing our global network and resources to help New Zealand rugby drive innovation and take advantage of all the opportunities ahead.”

In summary, the partnership agreement comprises the following components subject to necessary approvals:

  • Establishes NZR CommercialCo under the control of NZR that will contain all the revenue-generating activities of NZR.
  • Silver Lake invests NZD $200 million into NZR CommercialCo at an NZD $3.5 billion valuation in the form of a perpetual convertible security at a low interest rate, which can convert into ordinary equity after three years.
  • Later in 2022, an additional co-investment will be offered to New Zealand-based institutional investors so that domestic capital can have the opportunity to also participate in the investment. A minimum of NZD $62.5 million will be offered, with the potential to seek up to NZD $100 million if parties agree. Silver Lake will underwrite this institutional syndication if it is not fully subscribed.
  • At the conclusion of the additional co-investment, Silver Lake will own between 5.71-8.58% of NZR CommercialCo (representing NZD $200-300 million investment, depending on capital needs and the uptake of New Zealand-based institutional investors) vs. the 10-15% stake that had been previously proposed.
  • An increase in valuation compared with the prior proposal driven by the improved future financial outlook from broadcasting and sponsorship, resulting in NZR raising a substantial amount of money whilst selling a smaller share of the entity, allowing NZR to fund all its investment needs and putting the game on a sound financial footing for the future.
  • Silver Lake, NZR and NZRPA will through “Global Rugby Opportunities” (GRO) together invest in global rugby and rugby-related technology businesses, earning NZR and NZRPA a 15% share of the profits of GRO (split 50/50) in return for their contribution of sports expertise, know-how and relationships.

Under this partnership, the protections and controls for NZR remain in place as previously agreed. Silver Lake would be a minority investor and NZR will retain full control over rugby as well as the commercial strategy. The new NZR CommercialCo entity board will be controlled by NZR and will comprise a new independent chair, and other independent directors, to assure high governance standards and at the same time business acumen to make NZR CommercialCo a success for everyone interested in rugby in New Zealand. The NZRPA will have a seat on the NZR CommercialCo board.

Separately and subject to ratification, NZR and NZRPA have agreed terms for a new collective agreement which continues the current revenue sharing arrangement and governs the new relationship between NZR, the players, and NZR CommercialCo. Further, NZR will undertake an independent review of its governance structures and processes to ensure it is fit-for-purpose for this new chapter. NZRPA will also be reviewing its constitution and governance structures in 2022 as part of a strategic and business planning process it is undertaking.

Bristol Sport Announces Historic Groupwide Principal Partnership With Huboo

In a UK-first for a sporting group, Bristol Sport is delighted to announce that eCommerce fulfilment company Huboo will become the Principal Partner for all FIVE of its professional sporting teams from the start of the 2022/23 season.

The groundbreaking deal sees Bristol-based Huboo become Principal Partner for Bristol City men and women, Bristol Bears men and women and Bristol Flyers.

Huboo will feature on the front of the shirts of all five of Bristol Sport’s professional teams and is the first time that they have had one unified Principal Partner.

Bristol Sport founder Steve Lansdown CBE said: “It’s what we’ve been aspiring to ever since we formed Bristol Sport back in 2014. We are now able to work with a local company that has grown rapidly itself and looking to improve its own standing in the marketplace.

“Bristol Sport offers a unique opportunity to associate with all different types of sports, fanbases and communities.

“We’ve always said sport will support the city and the city should support sport. Here we have a local business supporting all of our sports and that is fantastic and I’m really looking forward to us working together over the next few years to take us both forward.”

Bristol-headquartered Huboo was founded in 2017 by Martin Bysh and Paul Dodd. In the last four years the company has expanded its operations from one warehouse to operating four fulfilment centres across the UK, along with a head office in central Bristol and fulfilment centres in the Netherlands and Spain. With plans to roll out its operations across multiple other European markets over the next 12 months, the decision to partner with Bristol Sport and its teams was a strategic one to promote the brand across multiple platforms and markets simultaneously.

Martin Bysh, co-founder and CEO of Huboo, said: “As Huboo continues to grow at pace and our expansion across Europe accelerates, we’re delighted to announce our position as Principal Partner to Bristol Sport in a collaboration which has such strong ties to our founding roots. 

“Huboo’s core values are perfectly aligned with those of Bristol Sport’s and together we aim to raise the bar for what is possible with a partnership of this scale. It’s an exciting time for both Huboo and Bristol Sport. We have a shared vision of making Bristol proud.”

Paul Dodd, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Huboo, added: “This truly authentic partnership with Bristol Sport, facilitated by Transatlantic Entertainment, works on so many levels and marks a key milestone in Huboo’s journey. We’re proud to call Bristol home and are honoured to partner with such a prestigious sporting group which is so fundamental to this city.”

Mark Kelly, Managing Director of Bristol Sport, added: “We are really excited to be able to welcome Huboo to the sporting group. As we’ve got know each other we’ve all been struck by the similarities between our two organisations. The values and the ambition that we both share. We all want success for Bristol and the South West and we believe this partnership will significantly help both of us fulfil that ambition.”

Huboo will become Principal Partner from the start of the 2022/23 season.

Earthquakes Name Jared Shawlee President, Announce Partnership With Roku

The San Jose Earthquakes announced today that Jared Shawlee has been named President, effective immediately. After securing landmark partnership deals with PayPal and Intermedia and guiding the Quakes through their recent general manager search, Shawlee takes over the role previously held by Tom Fox from 2017-19. Shawlee served as Chief Operating Officer for the past five and a half years.

“The fact that Jared has been with the club for 15 years and worked his way up is a testament to his talent and hard work,” said Earthquakes Managing Partner John Fisher. “He has proven to be a team-first leader that cares first about the club, the fans, the staff, and our local community. I’m confident his leadership will be critical as we strive to be a top MLS club on and off the field.”

Shawlee, 39, enters his 15th season as a member of the Earthquakes organization. A native of San Jose, Shawlee was among the first employees hired ahead of the team’s return to Major League Soccer in 2008. Shawlee signed the club’s first-ever jersey sponsorship deal in 2009 and was promoted to Director of Corporate Partnerships a year later.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to take on this new role with my hometown club and continue building on what we’ve started,” said Shawlee. “This club is in my blood, and I have been fortunate to be a part of its growth over the past decade and a half. I recognize that our people are what makes us special, both on the soccer and business sides, and we’ll continue to work on growing this club into something the entire Bay Area can be proud and excited to support.”

Shawlee took a one-year hiatus from the Quakes to pursue an MBA from Notre Dame’s Mendoza School of Business. He returned to the Earthquakes in May of 2011 as Senior Director, Ticket Sales and Strategy, later climbing to Vice President of the same department. Shawlee tripled the sales and service team, grew ticket revenue 420%, secured multimillion-dollar partnerships with Avaya and Sutter Health, and was integral in the development of the team’s privately financed $100 million venue. He was recognized as the MLS Corporate Partnerships Executive of the Year in 2015 before being promoted to Chief Operating Officer in November 2016.

He has since helped the club secure stadium naming rights and jersey partner deals with PayPal and Intermedia, respectively, as well as partnerships with prominent brands including Chevron, Coca-Cola, and Audi. Shawlee is overseeing the team’s pursuit of a new training complex and is part of the leadership group involved in the Bay Area’s bid to be a host region for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Shawlee will oversee both the business and soccer sides of the Earthquakes’ organization, reporting directly to the club’s Board of Directors.

“Jared’s passion for this club is tangible,” said Earthquakes General Manager Chris Leitch, who reports into Shawlee. “He’s been incredibly supportive of what we want to accomplish on the soccer side and I’m looking forward to working in tandem with him to move the club forward.”

Earthquakes Announce Partnership with Roku

The Earthquakes have also announced a partnership with Roku Inc. (NASDAQ: ROKU), the #1 TV streaming platform in the United States, Canada, and Mexico based on hours streamed (Hypothesis Group, October 2021). The partnership between two homegrown San Jose institutions will provide opportunities for Quakes fans and other PayPal Park guests to experience Roku’s award-winning streaming players and audio devices, and learn more about their easy-to-use streaming platform.

“We are thrilled to partner with Roku, our neighbor here in San Jose and a global leader in consumer technology products,” said Earthquakes Vice President of Strategy Ian Anderson. “We look forward to sharing Roku’s accessible products with our fans at PayPal Park, in addition to working together to invest in building a stronger San Jose community.”

As part of the partnership, Quakes fans will be able to experience Roku streaming devices and technology through one-of-a-kind activations and on Roku TVs throughout the stadium. Roku branding will be displayed throughout the stadium deck, field and concourse LEDs. On gamedays, Roku will be conducting sweepstakes and ongoing giveaway opportunities throughout the season where fans will have the chance to win Roku streaming devices.

“We are thrilled to partner with our hometown soccer team as they kick off the new season welcoming fans back to the stadium next door to our beautiful Roku headquarters in San Jose,” said Roku SVP of Corporate Affairs & Communications John Kelly. “Roku employees are big fans of the Earthquakes and we look forward to an exciting partnership!”

Quakes fans across the country can watch their favorite team through their Roku devices. Fans locally, with a traditional cable or satellite subscription, can stream matches through the NBC Sports app. Fans outside of the local market can utilize the fuboTV or ESPN+ apps.

Global Gaming Brand Evil Geniuses Select CSM Sport & Entertainment As Agency of Record

CSM Sport & Entertainment has secured global gaming and esports brand Evil Geniuses as its newest premier client, expanding CSM’s reach into the gaming and esports industry.

As the new agency of record of sponsorship sales for Evil Geniuses, CSM will assist the company in identifying, developing and securing commercial partnerships with high-profile brands that will further expand Evil Geniuses brand recognition with global audiences.

Evil Geniuses is a leading global gaming and esports company with teams competing in the world’s most popular esports titles, including League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, DOTA 2 and VALORANT. Led by CEO Nicole LaPointe Jameson, Evil Geniuses is an organisation that is bold without being bound by expectations as they plot their path to victory by developing world class talent through cutting-edge technology, health and wellness programs, and education. 

“Evil Geniuses is a true pioneer in the world of esports and gaming, with a long history of being at the forefront of the industry,” said Matt Grandis, Chief Commercial Officer at CSM Sport & Entertainment. “With CSM’s existing network and expertise in the commercial partnerships sector, we see this as a great opportunity to introduce Evil Geniuses to new brands and audiences across the world who share their values.”

As a globally recognised company in gaming and esports, Evil Geniuses has partnered with leading brands, including establishing itself as a top choice for those looking to enter the esports space for the first time. Evil Geniuses’ prior and existing partners include Monster Energy, Bud Light, TUMI, Coinbase, Absolut and English Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers FC.

”We’re thrilled to bring on CSM Sport & Entertainment as our new sponsorship sales agency as we leverage their expertise working with global brands to further expand our roster of commercial partners,” said Leonard Edwards, VP & Head of Global Partnerships at Evil Geniuses. “We’re always looking for the very best talent to be a part of the Evil Geniuses team and CSM Sport & Entertainment have the experience we crave while sharing our values and commitment to spreading the #LiveEvil mentality to new brands and audiences.”

For more information on CSM Sport & Entertainment, including a look at our services and past campaigns, please visit https://www.csm.com. You can also follow us on Twitter at @CSM_Worldwide or Instagram at @csm_worldwide.

McLaren Racing Expands Partnerships With Dell Technologies And Alteryx To Join Extreme E Programme

McLaren Racing today announced two partnership expansions with both Dell Technologies and Alteryx, Inc., with each becoming an Official Partner of the McLaren Extreme E (MX) team for the 2022 season.

Dell Technologies and Alteryx join the McLaren Extreme E (MX) programme for its inaugural season in the race series, with the Desert X Prix taking place in Saudi Arabia on 19 and 20 February. The series races in remote corners of the globe to promote climate awareness and insists on gender neutrality with each team consisting of one male and one female driver. Joining McLaren’s MX driving team of Emma Gilmour and Tanner Foust are female engineers and sisters, Leena and Teena Gade. 

Dell Technologies is a long-standing partner of the McLaren Formula 1 team, a partnership which has promoted STEM education pathways with programmes such as the McLaren Substitute Teacher series. By expanding the partnership to Extreme E, McLaren and Dell can continue to progress their united focus on promoting positive societal and environmental impact.

Alteryx became a partner of the McLaren Formula 1 team in 2021, providing an analytics automation solution to bring cutting-edge analytics and data science capabilities, delivering new insights and intelligence to the team. By expanding the partnership, Alteryx will now support the McLaren Extreme E race team as it looks to maximise performance in a new motorsport chapter.

Dell Technologies branding will be on the headlights of the No. 58 McLaren Extreme E race car, while Alteryx branding will be visible on the front headlights and rear tail lights of the No. 58 from the 2022 Desert X Prix in Saudi Arabia. Each respective brand will also be visible on the racing overalls of drivers Emma Gilmour and Tanner Foust, and on the McLaren Extreme E team kit.

Claire Cronin, Chief Marketing Officer, McLaren Racing, said:

“We’re delighted to expand our partnerships with Dell Technologies and Alteryx, two valued technology partners of the McLaren Formula 1 team. Extending these collaborations to join our McLaren Extreme E team means we can hit the ground running in a new race series with the support of familiar and trusted partners. 

“Racing in Extreme E is key for McLaren Racing’s efforts to elevate our sustainability and DE&I agenda, and we’re delighted that Dell and Alteryx are joining us on our journey.”

Liz Matthews, Senior Vice President of Global Brand, Dell Technologies, said:

“Our work with McLaren Racing goes beyond the racetrack. We have a responsibility to protect and enrich our planet, and we can’t do that without our customers and partners. We’re thrilled to expand our long-standing partnership with McLaren to drive the type of innovation that makes a lasting impact on our world.” 

Keith Pearce, Chief Marketing Officer, Alteryx, said:

“We are thrilled to extend our successful technology partnership with McLaren Racing – supporting the Formula 1 and Extreme E teams’ ability to analyze terabytes of racing data to deliver efficiencies at the the speed needed to maximize performance. Data-driven insights delivered through intelligent analytic automation will fuel the actionable decision-making that McLaren Racing needs to accelerate outcomes that make a meaningful impact across both motorsports.”