Washington Nationals And Terra Create First-Ever Sports Partnership With Decentralized Autonomous Organization

Club sponsorship will showcase Terra with plans to adopt use of cryptocurrency at Nationals Park

The Washington Nationals are proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with the Terra community. Terra is one of the largest decentralized autonomous organizations (DAO) in the cryptocurrency industry and has experienced a meteoric rise as a market leader through its blockchain and DeFi ecosystem. The Nationals are a leading innovator in Major League Baseball, consistently introducing new technologies to enhance the fan experience. This partnership includes title sponsorship of the premier club space behind home plate at Nationals Park and establishes a foundation for future blockchain and cryptocurrency applications for fans. Terra will also be featured on in-stadium signage and will sponsor a five-part digital series that airs on Nationals social platforms.

“The Nationals continue to push the envelope,” said Mark D. Lerner, managing principal owner of the Washington Nationals. “We are excited to partner with Terra to name our most exclusive club and explore bringing powerful new fan experiences to Nationals Park, including the use of UST cryptocurrency to make purchases.”

As part of the agreement, UST could be accepted as a payment method at Nationals Park as early as next season.

The Terra protocol, which is governed by its vibrant community, is one of the largest decentralized and open-source public blockchains. With its suite of algorithmic stablecoins, such as UST, Terra is a rapidly expanding ecosystem that has recently seen explosive growth and real-world use cases.

“This first-of-its-kind partnership between a DAO and a sports franchise opens a new world of opportunities for bringing crypto and DeFi to the masses,” said Do Kwon, the founder of Terraform Labs. “By approving this sponsorship deal, the community has a new way to engage and educate the public, including the policy makers doing important work in Washington, D.C., about decentralized money and the burgeoning technology that underlies it.”

The Terra Club, formerly known as The Nationals Club, is the exclusive, climate-controlled indoor space located at field level directly behind home plate. The club offers all-inclusive food and beverages, featuring premium chef’s tables and a private bar with draft beer and house wine. Guests with tickets in the Terra Club can enjoy their meal in the dining room or take advantage of in-seat delivery of food and beverages while not missing a second of the action on the field.

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Scuderia AlphaTauri Announce Flex Box As Official Partner

Scuderia AlphaTauri is pleased to announce a new global partnership with Flex Box Ltd. Our new AT03 will carry the coloured Flex Box logo on the front wing endplate, as well as on the nose throughout the entire season.

The Hong Kong-based company was founded in 2001 by Henrik Nielsen and is an international leader in the logistics industry with operations around the globe. Flex Box develops, manufactures, and ships containers from China directly to clients worldwide and are known for their innovative customer solutions thanks to their vast experience in the cargo industry. Based on the founder’s passion for racing, the company name is well established in the world of motorsports thanks to partnerships in various top-class categories. 

“I am very happy to welcome Henrik and his company to our team”, Franz Tost commented. “Logistics are a fundamental part of our sport, and it simply couldn’t exist without an exceptional infrastructure. Besides the obvious travelling to the races, we have constant demands for specialised logistic solutions such as transporting parts between our factory in Italy and the wind tunnel in England, receiving components from Japan or flying our cars around the world for sponsor events. Furthermore, it’s always a pleasure for me to work with people who are as passionate about racing as I am, and Henrik is a real motorsport enthusiast.”

The two companies will benefit from their past experiences of operating on a global scale, innovative spirit and managing logistical challenges, alongside their shared values of speed, efficiency, performance, and competitiveness.

Regarding the upcoming partnership, Henrik Nielsen commented: “We are delighted to join Scuderia AlphaTauri, the perfect partner to team-up with as we share the same ambitions and values.” 

Altrad Becomes Principal Partner Of Western Force

Altrad is pleased to announce that it has signed a four-year, agreement to become the Principal Partner of the Western Force, commencing from the start of the new-look 2022 Super Rugby Pacific and women’s Super W rugby union campaigns.

The Force are the pride of rugby union in Western Australia and have spawned a range of star Wallabies including Nathan Sharpe and homegrown products Kyle Godwin and Dane Haylett-Petty.

As Principal Partner, Altrad’s logo will be displayed on all of the Force’s home-and-away strips and training apparel.

The Force will also incorporate Indigenous designs into its playing strips for 2022, demonstrating values that are aligned to Altrad’s Reconciliation Action Plan.

Altrad is a global provider of industrial and asset integrity services, offering a range of cost-driven integrated solutions principally for the Mining & Minerals, Oil & Gas, Power, Water, Green Energy and Defence sectors. The Company has operated in Australia for more than 40 years and employs approximately 2,000 highly skilled men and women across the country.

Combining the expertise of construction and maintenance group Valmec (acquired late 2021), Altrad is now positioned with a new and unique best-in-class service for the Australian Market, to build, protect and extend the life of our client’s assets.

Altrad also manufactures, hires, and sells construction equipment globally and recently integrated RMD Kwikform, with offices in Australia and New Zealand. 

Altrad identified the Force as an ideal partner to advance it’s push to champion rugby’s ability to connect communities, cultures, and fans and to empower people to make more of their world.

Altrad’s global strategy is to support rugby at all levels from grassroots up to international level, make the game more accessible to First Nation junior players and support female and diverse participation.

As an advocate of increasing employment opportunities for people of diverse backgrounds, Altrad believes it can enhance this message and reach through our new association with the Western Force.

Commenting on the Western Force partnership, Altrad Founder, Mohed Altrad said:

“The Western Force is a team with a well-defined growth strategy and a strong alignment with our values and culture. We are excited about supporting this dynamic and ambitious organisation and assisting the Force teams achieve their sporting goals.

“As an employer of more than 2,000 highly skilled people across Australia, Altrad understand only too well the value of teamwork and integrity and the desire to achieve.

“We can’t wait for the Super rugby season to start – and the opportunity to cheer on the Western Force at its first home game on March 4.”

Commenting on the Force partnership, Altrad Asia-Pacific CEO Neil Sadler said:

“I am excited about this new partnership with a like-minded and well-led organisation that shares our value and commitments to encouraging diversity of participation at all levels – whether in the workforce or out on the field.

“I look forward to the many opportunities we will have to work together with the Western Force to learn and be inspired but also to share what makes Altrad such a great organisation.

“Everyone at Altrad wishes the Force teams the best of luck this year. We can’t wait for the opening games.”

Welcoming Altrad as Principal Partner, Western Force CEO Tony Lewis said:

“Securing a long-term Principal Partner of this stature with a world-renowned reputation for their exemplary humility and integrity is fantastic.

“The Western Australian economy is fuelled by the resources and utilities sector. The partnership with Altrad not only represents their commitment to rugby but demonstrates the importance of WA to the world economy.

“Altrad, like us, are passionate about rugby and the values that are entrenched in the fabric of the game. I can’t wait to see what this relationship can produce in the years to come.”

Castore Is The New Bayer Leverkusen Kit Partner Until 2027

Bayer 04 Leverkusen have a new strong partner at their side from next season: The British premium brand Castore have signed a kit partnership until 30 June 2027 and will supply kit for the Werkself and the women’s and youth teams at Bayer 04. In addition, Castore will also launch a Black and Red leisure range and have a presence as a partner at the BayArena and on all Bayer 04 channels.

Fernando Carro, CEO at the Werkself, is looking forward to the partnership: “We have found an innovative partner in Castore whose ambitions very much fit in with Bayer 04. Both the quality of the products as well as the digital and international approach of the company has impressed us. Together with Castore, we want to set new standards in the future primarily in the areas of sponsorship and target group activation.”

Tom Beahon, co-founder of Castore, said: “It‘s a significant step for us to start working in the German market with an internationally oriented club with such a history. When we set up Castore the vision of my brother and I was to see world-class athletes wear our products and now we have taken another important step in that direction. It’s an honour that Bayer 04 have chosen Castore. Our values and ambition of wanting to be the best go perfectly together.”

Castore was founded in 2015 and quickly established a reputation as a young and dynamic start-up in the premium sportswear sector. The brand has become well-known through a partnership with Wimbledon and Olympic winner Andy Murray who is now a shareholder in the company. In football, Castore partners with Rangers FC, Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, and have also just launched a Formula One partnership with McLaren Racing. Bayer 04 will be the first club in the Bundesliga to have a partnership with the British company.

Betway And BLAST Premier Strengthen Ties Further With Partnership Renewed For Another Two Years

Leading esports tournament organiser BLAST Premier and online bookmaker Betway have announced a two-year extension of their partnership – taking the deal up until the end of the 2023 season.

Both brands will continue to create fan-favourite playable custom maps that challenge players and fans to compete on a global leaderboard, which have become a popular part of the partnership over the last 12 months. Furthermore, Betway branding will be shown across all seven of BLAST Premier’s events in 2022, including broadcast content integration, social giveaways and fan-led activations. 

The online bookmaker will also own the ‘Power Picks Prediction’ segment, which will feature on BLAST Premier’s global broadcast during the tournament.

Betway are ingrained in the BLAST Premier tournament circuit and wider Counter-Strike scene, with the online bookmaker owning a strong presence in the industry through partnerships with BLAST and other leading esports organisations such as NIP, BIG and G2 Esports, along with an unwavering commitment to all forms of CS:GO.  

The announcement signifies the third deal BLAST has renewed in recent weeks, following Coinbase, EPOS and CS.MONEY, as the tournament organiser continues to increase the value of its global partnership portfolio in line with future growth plans for 2022 and beyond. 

Oliver Clarke, Head of Brand Partnerships at BLAST, said: “We’re thrilled that Betway have committed to another two years with BLAST Premier, taking our partnership into a fifth year. It highlights the symbiotic relationship we’ve built over this time, with Betway playing an integral role in the BLAST Premier experience.

“Their unwavering support for esports and Counter-Strike in recent times is hugely commendable. We’re really looking forward to continuing to work closely with them to elevate the partnership further over the next two years, with added focus on premium content and fan-led experiences. ”

Adam Savinson, on behalf of esports at Betway, said: “Over the past three years, we have worked incredibly hard with the team at BLAST to create an innovative and synonymous partnership which leads the market within the esports sector. It brings me great joy to announce our renewal, and I look forward to taking our already successful partnership to even greater heights.”

BLAST Premier is the world’s leading Counter-Strike tournament series, hosting the best players and teams, offering opportunities to regions across the globe and crowning the world champions of CS:GO. Up to 32 of the world’s best teams take part in the seven BLAST Premier events across the year with a combined prize pool of $2,475,000 on the line. 

Manchester United Selects Tezos As Official Blockchain And Training Kit Partner

Manchester United has today announced a landmark multi-year partnership which will see Tezos, one of the world’s most advanced and sustainable blockchains, featured on the Club’s range of men’s and women’s training kits.

Tezos-branded training kit will be worn by the first team squad for the first time prior to this weekend’s match against Southampton, introducing Manchester United fans to the partnership and Web3 technology through the Tezos blockchain.

“This is a hugely exciting partnership for Manchester United because it aligns us with one of the most advanced, reliable and sustainable blockchains.”

Tezos is at the forefront of the global blockchain revolution which allows for fast, secure and efficient digital interactions without the need for intermediaries.

Find out more about Tezos via this new video on Manchester United’s YouTube channel – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZGhBh5o6Xs

An original proof-of-stake blockchain, Tezos was built with an energy-efficient design that allows it to operate in a cleaner and more environmentally friendly way than other blockchains.

Tezos is also different to other blockchains in that it can seamlessly evolve, with regular updates designed and approved by its global community of users and developers.

Victoria Timpson, Manchester United’s CEO of Alliances and Partnerships, said: “This is a hugely exciting partnership for Manchester United because it aligns us with one of the most advanced, reliable and sustainable blockchains in an area of technology which promises to truly revolutionise the way that everyone, including the Club and our fans, can interact.

“We are especially pleased to be partnering with one of the most eco-friendly blockchains, using technology that is energy-efficient, limits carbon emissions and lowers costs, consistent with the Club’s wider efforts to promote environmental sustainability.

“Tezos will enable Manchester United to use blockchain and Web3 to transform fan, player, team, and partner engagement.”

“Partnerships are at the core of our strength as a club, supporting the drive for success on the pitch, and we are delighted to welcome Tezos as the latest industry leader to join our family of partners.”

Edward Adlard, Head of Adoption and Business Development, Tezos Ecosystem said: “Throughout its history, Manchester United has constantly evolved, with the support of its huge and diverse global community of fans and partners. Tezos will enable Manchester United to use blockchain and Web3 to transform fan, player, team, and partner engagement.

“The decision by the world’s greatest football club to select Tezos as its blockchain of choice is further validation that thoughtful design paired with strong security, low gas fees, and community-led innovation are the essential factors driving the next wave of adoption in the new digital revolution.”

In addition to the Tezos branding on the Club’s training kit, the partnership will also include several new fan experiences built on the Tezos blockchain and a pledge to support Manchester United Foundation with ongoing donations in tez, the native currency of the Tezos blockchain,to train, educate and inspire young people within the local community.

Munich To Stage First-Ever Regular Season Game In Germany; Frankfurt Also To Host Future Games

The National Football League today confirmed that Munich has been chosen to stage the first-ever regular-season game in Germany during the 2022 season.

Following a competitive application process, FC Bayern Munich Stadium, the home of the Bundesliga champions, was selected as the venue for two of the four International Series games to be played in Germany over the next four years. Frankfurt Stadium will also host two games.

“We are very pleased to welcome Munich and Frankfurt to the NFL family and are excited to reward our fans in Germany for their passion by bringing them the spectacle of regular-season NFL football,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “We look forward to staging our first game in Germany at FC Bayern Munich’s fantastic stadium later this year and to exploring areas of broader collaboration with the Bundesliga.”

The game in Munich will be one of five international games staged by the NFL in 2022, including one in Mexico and three in the UK – two at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and a Jacksonville Jaguars home game at Wembley Stadium. Home teams for international games will be announced in the coming weeks, with dates and matchups to be confirmed in conjunction with the 2022 NFL schedule announcement later this year.

Dieter Reiter, Lord Mayor of Munich, said: “We are very pleased to welcome the NFL International Series to Munich. It is a great honor for the state capital Munich to be the first German city to stage a regular-season NFL game. Many Munich residents are big football fans and they will be thrilled that this spectacular sporting event is coming to their city.”

“We have been collaborating with the NFL since 2014 when we opened our US office,” said Oliver Kahn, CEO of FC Bayern Munich. “Our ambition was to reach and engage fans in each other’s respective home countries. We are delighted to take this next step in our long-term partnership to host a regular-season NFL game at our home stadium.”

Frankfurt Sports Councilor Mike Josef said: “American football was and still is at home in Frankfurt. That’s why I’m very pleased about the NFL’s decision to come to Frankfurt on a regular basis. The NFL is not just coming to Frankfurt for a game. With its sustainable engagement in our community, we are sure to achieve a great boost for sports in Frankfurt. We are looking forward to working with the NFL.”

Axel Hellman, CEO of Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt, said: “We are totally excited to be hosting two matches in the next years here in Frankfurt. Welcome to Eintracht Frankfurt. Welcome to the heart of Europe.”

Bundesliga CEO Donata Hopfen said: “We are pleased that the NFL has consulted with the Bundesliga in the planning of its first regular-season NFL games in Germany. These conversations have led both leagues to agree to explore the potential of a mutually beneficial collaborative partnership, which is very exciting for clubs in both leagues.”

The selection process for NFL games in Germany began last year with initial expressions of interest from nine cities, after which Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich were invited to participate in a full evaluation of the opportunities offered by each city. The partnerships between the NFL and Munich and Frankfurt include a joint commitment to deliver fan engagements activities, community participation programs and other NFL initiatives.

“We are looking forward to partnerships with Munich and Frankfurt that will extend beyond the games and help us to deliver accelerated growth in Germany,” said Brett Gosper, NFL Head of Europe and UK. “The strong interest we received underlined what a fantastic opportunity regular-season games offer for a host, ranging from significant economic benefits and global exposure to the chance to become a hub for the growth of the NFL’s fan engagement, community and grassroots activities.

“We also thank Düsseldorf, which presented a strong aligned consortium with ambitious plans. We look forward to developing a partnership there, with a potential for hosting games in the future.”

The staging of regular-season games is part of the NFL’s growing commitment to Germany. The League has recently appointed Alexander Steinforth as its dedicated general manager for the territory and is committed to establishing a permanent headquarters in the country. It has also committed to investing in grassroots and community programs in Germany.

In December, the NFL announced that four NFL teams – Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers – have been granted access to Germany for marketing, fan engagement and commercialization as part of its International Home Marketing Areas (IHMA) initiative.

The NFL has enjoyed a number of strong years of fan growth in Germany, where it now has 19 million fans.  Weekly NFL television viewership on partners ProSieben and DAZN has grown by more than 20 percent annually since 2017, and millions of fans tuned in for Super Bowl LV last February, making it the third consecutive season of record German Super Bowl viewership. Germany is a leading market outside North America for NFL Shop sales, fantasy football participation and sales of the Madden NFL video game.

A new survey by AFG Videoforschung found that American football has become the second-most popular television sport in Germany, with one in three people having watched in the past year.

Aurora Media Worldwide Hires Creative Director Greg Vince To Boost Originals Capability

Award-winning content agency Aurora Media Worldwide, part of All3Media, has appointed series producer and showrunner Greg Vince to the newly-created post of Creative Director, Originals. 

Greg will focus on increasing Aurora’s capability in Originals and Factual Entertainment. He joins from Nutopia where he spent almost three years, most recently as Series Producer of a pioneering new project Limitless for Disney Plus, exec produced by Darren Aronofsky and hosted by Chris Hemsworth.

Greg brings nearly two decades of broadcast and SVOD TV experience to Aurora with previous roles at the BBC, Amazon and CPL Productions. He has overseen and shaped a number of major factual entertainment TV shows and formats, including Top Gear for the BBC and The Grand Tour for Amazon Prime.

Greg’s track record in factual entertainment and IP development further enhances Aurora’s offering to rights holders, brands and broadcasters developing original, long and short-form unscripted content. 

As well as leading Originals creative development at Aurora, focusing on working with existing clients, Greg will also work with Aurora’s Development team on creating original content for broadcasters, OTT and Streaming platforms with a number of shows already on the Aurora slate. Greg starts immediately, reporting to Aurora Media Worldwide’s Chief Strategy Officer, Barry Flanigan, who said:  “Greg has an extensive track record of delivering extremely high quality, narrative-led content,  on some of the biggest and most successful global TV shows. His skills are an excellent fit with Aurora’s strength in formatting and producing original and  innovative, international content  We’re delighted to welcome him to the team.”

Greg Vince said:  “I’m incredibly excited to be joining the team at Aurora – they have an increasingly strong reputation for creating compelling sports, entertainment and brand-led content.  As the lines that traditionally divided the worlds of digital, branded, live and broadcast media become more and more blurred, I’m looking forward to helping Aurora deliver an even stronger range of content in the global entertainment arena.”

Aurora has in-depth expertise in the formatting and production of live, premium global sports and entertainment events, helping clients develop compelling programming from broadcast through to digital.  Aurora’s international clients and partnerships include progressive rights owners such as Formula E, Extreme E and Super League Triathlon; broadcasters and streaming platforms including ITV, National Geographic, Twitch; and brands such as Jaguar, JP Morgan, BMW and Silverstone. 

WTT Signs Double Fish As Global Partner, China Gold Appointed WTT China Partner

World Table Tennis is proud to announce that table tennis equipment supplier Guangzhou Double Fish Sports Goods Group. Co. Ltd. has agreed to a Global Partnership agreement until 2023.

“We are very happy to continue our global partnership with WTT,” said Sam Zhao, General Manager of Double Fish. “It is our honour to support WTT at different events, and we hope more people would love and join in this great sport, especially for the youth.”

The company is a longtime partner of the International Table Tennis Federation and supported WTT’s first events. Double Fish provided equipment for the Macao Showcase in December 2020, the WTT Middle East Hub in March 2021, and the inaugural WTT Cup Finals in December 2021.

Double Fish will now provide the Official Ball for the 2022 and 2023 World Table Tennis Championships, one Grand Smash per year, and the WTT Women’s events.

“As a leading sports brand that takes table tennis as the core of our brand DNA and one of our key competencies, we would like to see WTT expanding the game globally and launching new events for the female athletes,” continued Zhao.

WTT is fully coming to life this year. Grand Smashes are the newest marquee events, set to become the pillars of WTT and the new pinnacle of professional table tennis. The event will deliver the highest-level table tennis with both singles, mixed and doubles competitions showcasing the talent of our highest ranked athletes.

The WTT Women’s events include two major competitions: the WTT Women Champions, which will exclusively gather the best 32 players on the planet, and WTT Women Cup Finals is the new unmissable year-ending event.

The 2022 World Team Table Tennis Championships will take place in Chengdu, whilst the 2023 World Table Tennis Championships will be held in Durban, South Africa.

Matt Pound, WTT Managing Director, commented, “We are thrilled to welcome Double Fish as a global partner of WTT, continuing their support of WTT in redefining the sport of table tennis. WTT provides a professional platform for the top female athletes to shine and inspire others. We look forward to developing the sport of table tennis with Double Fish.”

China Gold Appointed WTT China Partner

World Table Tennis (WTT) announced that China Gold has been appointed as a WTT China partner for 2022. Through this strategic partnership, China Gold looks forward to working closely with the organisation to promote nationwide healthy living and further drive the development of table tennis.

As part of the agreement, China Gold will receive brand exposure, ticketing and hospitality opportunities, and fan engagement rights at all WTT events held in China. In addition, China Gold and WTT will cooperate to enhance the trophies for the WTT Champions event.

Chen Xiongwei, Chairman of China Gold, commented, “As a state-owned enterprise, China Gold has always advocated the ethics of courage, hard work and a positive outlook. We believe that good faith can move mountains. Through our partnership with WTT, we would like to pay tribute to the spirit of continuous excellence table tennis embodies while carrying out China’s national strategy of promoting healthy living among its people. Gold glitters, and so does the enduring spirit of a sports champion. We look forward to integrating the two and further promoting the development of both industries through our partnership with WTT.”

China’s leading gold and jewellery brand, China Gold has become a household name associated with genuine products and quality service. The brand is well established as an industry leader and a key innovator, with 30 brand service centres and nearly 4000 stores nationwide. With products that encompass all categories and age groups, China Gold truly lives up to the idea of “Gold for the People, Blessings for All”.

Matt Pound, WTT Managing Director said, “It is our pleasure to welcome China Gold as WTT China partner. As the leading gold and jewellery brand in China, I am certain China Gold will work closely with WTT and our table tennis fans to develop the sport further, conveying China’s table tennis culture and sportsmanship to the world.”