Former DFL MD Christian Seifert Creates Joint Venture With Axel Springer

Launch of joint venture between Christian Seifert and Axel Springer planned for fall 2023

Long-standing managing director of the German Soccer League (DFL), Christian Seifert, is working with Axel Springer on the joint development of a streaming platform tailored to the German market for sports league competitions and outstanding sports events. The launch has been set for fall 2023.

The goal of the joint venture is to attract millions of German fans who are interested in sports and leagues other than soccer, and to offer them a new media platform that caters to their enthusiasm. To achieve this, the audiovisual rights of attractive sports leagues and sports events are to be bundled within one media offering. By working to high-quality production standards and with intense marketing support, the new streaming portal aims to increase the awareness and interest in sports such as handball, basketball and ice-hockey. The offering is targeted directly at the end customers but shall also be available via other platforms already on the market.

Founder of the start-up is Christian Seifert, and Axel Springer has a majority holding in the new company. Seifert also maintains a significant holding and will act as managing partner. The top management team will also have a CEO and COO. The brand name of the planned OTT services is to be announced later in the year.

Christian Seifert, founder and managing partner of the new company, says, “Germany is a nation of sports fans, millions of whom are enthusiastic about types of sports beyond soccer. We want to offer this large sports community a new home, as it were, in our new streaming portal. To this end, we will be offering attractive cooperation opportunities to numerous sports leagues and associations. Axel Springer has always had a keen interest in the German sporting world and, thanks to its experience in the implementation of complex digital projects as well as its great strength in the marketing and distribution of digital offerings, is the ideal partner for this ambitious undertaking.”

Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Axel Springer SE says, “Sport belongs to Axel Springer, and is an area we have committed to invest in more and achieve more growth in. We are now bringing together the strengths of Axel Springer as a media and tech company with the outstanding experience and proven capabilities of Christian Seifert. Our joint media enterprise offers our future partners a unique platform.”

Apex Group Extends Partnership With Cricket West Indies To Become Title Partner Of Upcoming Test Series Vs England

Cricket West Indies (CWI) and Apex Group today announced an extended partnership which will see Apex Group (Apex) become the title sponsor of the three-match Apex Test Series between West Indies and England in March 2022.

Apex Group, a global provider of financial, sustainability and environmental services, will feature prominently on the global television broadcast, as well as prime pitch and wicket branding placements, and the Apex logo will also appear on the breast of the West Indies Test kit for the duration of the Apex Test Series. Apex will be granted access to the West Indies team for marketing activation and content and will deliver several sustainability initiatives involving the participation of West Indies players.

CWI’s and Apex Sustainability Partnership commenced in October 2021, ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with the Apex brand appearing on the West Indies’ ICC T20 World Cup shirt. Apex is providing sustainability and environmental advisory services over a three-year period as CWI’s Exclusive Sustainability Partner. By providing CWI with annual carbon footprint assessments, Apex will help lead the way in driving sustainability in cricket across the region by supporting CWI in creating an action plan to reduce and offset climate altering outputs, including international travel.

The Apex Test Series will be played for the newly-minted Richards-Botham Trophy, named in honor of legends Sir Vivian Richards and Lord Ian Botham. The Apex Test Series opens appropriately at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua from March 8-12, followed by the second Apex Test at Kensington Oval, Barbados from March 16-20. The third and final contest will be at the idyllic Grenada National Stadium from March 24-28. All three Apex Test matches are part of the ICC World Test Championship with both West Indies and England vying for points to challenge for qualification for the World Test Championship final in 2023.

Johnny Grave, CWI’s CEO said:

“We’re delighted to build on our growing relationship with Apex for the upcoming Apex Test Series, which continues to be the most anticipated and highest profile international sports event in the Caribbean. With the West Indies versus England Test rivalry dating back nearly one hundred years, this deeper partnership with Apex enables CWI to make cricket more sustainable as we move towards a second century of West Indies cricket and build the next generation of cricketers across the Caribbean.”

Peter Hughes, Founder and CEO of Apex Group said:

“Following a challenging two years for sport, we are pleased to be a part of the return of International Test Cricket hosted in the West Indies. This is an important partnership for us, as we look forward to further leveraging the combined global platform Apex Group and the West Indies represent, to raise awareness for driving greater environmental sustainability in the sport; for fans, players and future generations.”

MATCH SCHEDULE

Apex Test Series, West Indies v England (10am local time/9am Jamaica Time)

  • March 8-12: 1st Apex Test at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua
  • March 16-20: 2nd Apex Test at Kensington Oval, Barbados
  • March 24-28: 3rd Apex Test at Grenada National Stadium, Grenada

LeBron James And The LeBron James Family Foundation Announce Multi-Year Partnership With Crypto.com

Crypto.com, the world’s fastest growing cryptocurrency platform, is partnering with LeBron James and the LeBron James Family Foundation (LJFF) to support educational and workforce development opportunities focused on Web3. Building on a strong basis of educational empowerment, the partnership will give students and families connected to the I PROMISE program access to the tools and educational resources needed to participate and succeed in building Web3, the future of the internet.

Web3 promises to deliver a more fair and equitable internet, owned by the builders, creators and users. That promise can only be realized through the active engagement of diverse participants. Through this partnership, I PROMISE students and families will get a strong foundation in Web3 and the innovations behind blockchain-based decentralized applications powering the future of many sectors from finance to media to art. In bringing Web 3 educational resources and workforce development through his Foundation, James continues to build his community from the ground up and create a model for supporting the underserved. 

“Blockchain technology is revolutionizing our economy, sports and entertainment, the art world, and how we engage with one another. I want to ensure that communities like the one I come from are not left behind,” said James. “Crypto.com and I are aligned on the need to educate and support my community with the information and tools they need for inclusion. I’m looking forward to working with them to bring these opportunities to my community.”

“LeBron James and his foundation have been pioneers in truly transforming the lives of those in his community through education and our partnership is based on a true alignment of values,” said Kris Marszalek, Co-Founder and CEO of Crypto.com. “We couldn’t be more proud to join LJFF in providing opportunities to increase educational and workforce development while delivering the tools and access that will empower the next generation to build a better and more inclusive future.”

Opening doors and creating opportunities across various sectors is central to the work the LJFF does with the students and families served through the I PROMISE program. From hands-on experiences at major companies to behind-the-scenes tours in different industries, James strives to expose students to job opportunities and career paths they may have never known existed. As part of the Foundation’s commitment to workforce development, they are currently building out plans for House Three Thirty – an innovative, multi-use space for I PROMISE families and the entire community to gather and engage in immediately impactful programming. House Three Thirty will convene critical community resources under one roof including family financial health programming that is easily accessible and tailored to help families take control of their financial futures as well as job training opportunities in various sectors. Through partnerships like this with Crypto.com, James is able to expand the scope of what is offered at House Three Thirty, giving his students and their families knowledge and understanding of different sectors as they explore their passions and think beyond their horizons to consider what is possible for their future.

Crypto.com is committed to building the future of the internet where the power of cryptocurrency is fair and equitable and the potential rewards of the technology are owned by builders, creators and users alike. Through partnerships with the LJFF, Water.org and Angel City Football Club, among others, Crypto.com is joining forces with like-minded businesses, nonprofit organizations, individuals and institutions equally committed to helping people achieve financial independence and self-determination.

BT Sport To Broadcast Dart’s Inaugural Jenningsbet 2022 World Seniors Championship

BT Sport is to broadcast dart’s inaugural Jenningsbet 2022 World Seniors Championship, with every dart live between Thursday 3 February and Sunday 6 February.

Twenty-four of dart’s most decorated players – with 44 World Darts titles between them – will return to the iconic Circus Tavern to contest the championship, including ‘The Power’ Phil Taylor who won 16 World Championships. Taylor will line up against the likes of multiple World Champions Trina Gulliver, Martin Adam, John Part, Lisa Ashton and John Lowe.

The return of Taylor takes place on Friday 4 February where he will face either Peter Manley or the current WDF World Number one Woman player Deta Hedman.

BT Sport coverage will be led by Ray Stubbs alongside Bobby George, with reporting from Helen Chamberlain and commentary from Mark Webster, Paul Nicolson, John Gwynne and Chris Murphy.

Coverage begins on Thursday 3 February at 7pm on BT Sport 1, continuing as follows:

3 February – 7pm – Day 1 – BT Sport 1

4 February – 1pm – Day 2 – BT Sport 1

4 February – 7pm – Day 2 – BT Sport 2

5 February – 1pm – Day 3 – BT Sport 3

5 February – 7pm – Quarter-Finals – BT Sport 3

6 February – 1pm – Semi-Finals – BT Sport 2

6 February – 8pm – Final BT Sport 2

Low6 Announces Successful Completion Of Pre-IPOP Fundraising Round

Low6, the award-winning leaders in sports gamification, is pleased to announce the successful completion of the company’s latest round of funding, ahead of an Initial Public Offering (IPO), expected to take place later this year. The company raised USD $5million, which Low6 will use to fund continued growth, in particular its expansion into the U.S. 

“2021 was a successful year of growth for Low6, and the conclusion of our latest round of funding will allow us to accelerate our continued development in 2022,” commented Jamie Mitchell, Co-Founder and Group CEO, Low6.

“Throughout 2021, we we continued to build our products and service offering, enabling us to win new partners and significant new contracts. With these new funds secured, and a number of exciting new partners, we believe we are well placed to enjoy a successful 2022.”

Among its most recent announcements, Low6 has confirmed partnerships with the Detroit Pistons, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the PGA Tour. The company also won the EGR “Virtual and Fantasy Operator” and “Rising Star” awards at the 2021 EGR Operator Awards, and is poised for further growth in 2022 with a number of announcements planned throughout the year. For more details go to Low6.com. 

PDC & DAZN Announce New Deal For Germany, Austria & Switzerland

Fans in Germany, Austria and Switzerland will be able to watch more darts than ever before through DAZN following the announcement of a new five-year broadcast deal with the PDC.

DAZN, the world’s leading sports platform, has extended its association with the PDC across the DACH region to continue its coverage of PDC televised tournaments until at least 2027.

In addition to PDC Premier events such as the World Darts Championship, Premier League, World Matchplay and Grand Slam of Darts, DAZN will now be broadcasting PDC European Tour events in an exciting new development.

“Since 2016, DAZN’s coverage of the PDC events in the DACH region has proven to be very popular and helped to build a loyal fan base that loves the sport,” said PDC Chairman Eddie Hearn.

“Accordingly, it is fantastic news that we have been able to extend our broadcast partnership with DAZN in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, expanding coverage for the ever-growing number of subscribers.”

Thomas de Buhr, Executive Vice President DAZN DACH, said: “The recent World Darts Championship has shown once again that the interest and enthusiasm of fans for the sport is unbroken.

“With the long-term contract extension with the PDC and Matchroom we therefore meet the wish of all fans who can look forward to many more years of darts live on DAZN.”

DAZN’s coverage will continue to be presented by popular German broadcaster Elmar Paulke alongside Tom Kirsten, and will also include on-demand programming including “Elmar’s 9-Darter”, “Beat the Elmar” and “Road to Ally Pally”.

“This is great news for all fans and the darts community in Germany, Austria and Switzerland,” said Paulke.

“There is now more darts than ever on DAZN, and it starts on January 28 with me at the microphone and the tenth edition of The Masters.”

Fans can subscribe to a DAZN subscription here.

Fans can take advantage of a special offer of a DAZN subscription purchased before the end of January 2022, priced at €14.99 per month guaranteed until July 31 2022, or €149.99 for an annual subscription guaranteed for 12 months.

Subscriptions would include all PDC televised and European Tour events, as well as Bundesliga, UEFA Champions League, LaLiga, SerieA, NFL, NBA and UFC.

Views From The Industry: This Week In Sport & Business

iSportConnect takes a look at some of the biggest happenings and talking points around sport and business over the past seven days and what the industry has been saying.

Esports Hits The Jackpot

ESL Gaming, the world’s largest independent esports company, was this week sold to Savvy Gaming Group in an all-cash transaction valuing ESL Gaming at $1.05 billion. Savvy Gaming Group also acquired FACEIT and merged the two organisations together.

https://twitter.com/ESL/status/1485723244309188609?s=20

It has also been reported that the price of FACEIT, outside of the billion dollars for ESL, was in the region of $500 million.

Savvy Gaming Group was launched by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, their latest major entry into the world of sports business, just months after taking full control of the Premier League’s Newcastle United FC.

Once again this is more Saudi money entering the sports world, which could be seen by many as highly controversial. It will be interesting to see how the esports community, particularly its many female participants and viewers, reacts.

Channel 9 Agree Deal To Show Men’s ICC Competitions Free To Air, But Not Women’s World Cup

Australian Women’s cricketer Alyssa Healy slammed Channel 9 for not picking up the free to air broadcast deal for the ICC Women’s World Cup in March & April, despite the broadcaster announcing they had acquired the rights to the 2022 T20 World Cup and 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

https://twitter.com/rickeyrecricket/status/1485021059351199744?s=20&t=hOaiBBU6LhZVIT7xih6_ww

Following Healy’s tweets about the preferential treatment afforded to the men’s game, subscription service Kayo Sports announced they would show fixtures from the Women’s World Cup for free in Australia to viewers without a subscription.

Real Madrid Reportedly Agree Legends Bernabeu Deal

News in Spain is stating that Real Madrid have reportedly signed a huge 25-year, €400m euros per-year, deal with Legends to host events at the Bernabeu stadium. If confirmed, this will provide a massive cash injection for the Spanish club, who appear to have been suffering slightly on a financial basis in the past couple of years.

https://twitter.com/theMadridZone/status/1486753495336239105?s=20&t=QsgHOq54RhXc5i2sZDBJfw

This money is something that would likely be reinvested into the club for potential transfer targets such as Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, in order to push Real Madrid back into competing for the Champions League.

How Does This Sound?

Meanwhile, on the other side of El Clasico, Barcelona, who have been suffering financially to a much greater extent, are reportedly close to agreeing a large new shirt sponsorship deal with Spotify.

https://twitter.com/JoePompliano/status/1486706383298854915?s=20&t=hOaiBBU6LhZVIT7xih6_ww

The deal supposedly includes the naming rights to the Camp Nou, something which is sure to displease Barca fans who live by the ‘Mes Que Un Club’ motto.

https://twitter.com/ManagingBarca/status/1486765051595788290?s=20&t=QsgHOq54RhXc5i2sZDBJfw

In The Money?

Formula 1 this week renewed their Grand Prix deal in Singapore for another seven years, Ricardo Fort’s tweet on the numbers around the event could be a strong reason why…

And Finally… A Touch Of Class

If you missed the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Buffalo Bills in the NFL playoffs on Sunday night, where were you? In an all time epic the Chiefs outlasted the Bills in overtime after a wild fourth quarter, but as Patrick Mahomes’ legacy grew he was quick to seek out his counterpart Josh Allen.

https://twitter.com/JoePompliano/status/1485616952202731520?s=20&t=hOaiBBU6LhZVIT7xih6_ww

There could be many more playoff battles between the duo over the next decade, and you can be sure the NFL’s marketing team will hope so…

SailGP Announces Mubadala As Title Partner Of Season 2 Grand Final

SailGP has announced a new partnership with Mubadala Investment Company as Title Partner of the Season 2 Grand Final. The Mubadala United States Sail Grand Prix is the culmination of the world’s most exciting racing on-water and will take place in San Francisco on March 26-27, 2022.

The​​ Mubadala United States Grand Prix partnership will highlight SailGP and Mubadala’s shared commitment to the city of San Francisco and build a lasting sport and purpose-driven impact within the local community and beyond. Mubadala will also be the presenting partner of SailGP Inspire Learning, the league’s community outreach program which works to leave a positive legacy and build a sustainable sport by providing equal gender, life-changing opportunities and new career pathways for all and aims to impact 10,000 young people by 2025.

As part of SailGP’s continuous efforts to accelerate inclusion in sailing by promoting diversity and inclusion – through SailGP’s better sport strategy – the San Francisco Inspire Learning program has been designed to connect more than 1,200 young people with educational and teamwork experiences in the month leading up to the race weekend. 

Ibrahim Ajami, Head of Ventures and Growth, Mubadala said:“We are proud to sponsor the Grand Final of SailGP. We are excited about this partnership and see a strong resonance between Mubadala and SailGP. As a responsible investor, we are committed to making lasting contributions in the communities where we invest. We look forward to working together to make San Francisco’s final one of the most impactful yet.”

Mubadala is a global investment company headquartered in Abu Dhabi. In 2017, its wholly owned asset management subsidiary, Mubadala Capital, opened a San Francisco office to oversee its US ventures business.

The​​ Mubadala United States Sail Grand Prix will include the thrilling culmination to an incredible Season 2. Eight national teams from Australia, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and the United States – featuring the sport’s top athletes – have competed in seven iconic venues around the globe. Both Tom Slingsby’s Australia and Jimmy Spithill’s U.S. team have already earned a place in the Grand Final, and the final grand prix event in San Francisco will determine the third and final team on the starting line to vie for the US $1 million grand final race.

Also crowned in San Francisco will be the winner of the innovative Impact League – a world-first, integrated initiative to make sustainability essential to the fabric of sports and accelerate the transition to clean energy. A second leaderboard has been created that will see all of its international teams compete for two podiums – one for the planet and one for sports performance.

The Impact League forms part of SailGP’s purpose-led agenda to redefine the sport and in doing so, act responsibly as the first climate-positive sports property. Powered by nature, SailGP intends to set new sustainability standards and accelerate the transition to clean energy. From its inception in 2019, SailGP has been measuring, reducing and contributing its entire carbon footprint and has set an ambitious target of a 55 percent reduction of its carbon footprint – based on science – by 2025, as well as committing to being fully powered by nature both on shore and on the water within the same timeframe.

SailGP CEO Sir Russell Coutts said: “SailGP and Mubadala share like-minded goals for a better future, so we are excited that they have joined as title partner for the Grand Final in San Francisco. Mubadala’s commitment to making a positive impact on communities around the world aligns with our SailGP Inspire program – driving toward a better sport and a better planet. Together we look forward to making a positive impact on the local community in San Francisco around our season finale.”

The Mubadala United States Sail Grand Prix takes place in San Francisco, March 26-27, 2022. For tickets and further details visit SailGP.com/SanFrancisco.

Extreme E And Eleven Sports Extend Partnership For Season 2, Zenith Continue Extreme E Deal

Pioneering off-road electric race series Extreme E will continue its broadcast collaboration with Eleven Sports to bring the Championship’s second season to motorsports fans in multiple markets.

Eleven has secured the rights to Extreme E’s live race coverage – as well as its behind-the-scenes magazine programme, preview, and review shows – for its new global streaming platform ElevenSports.com and locally for Eleven Belgium and Eleven Portugal.

ElevenSports.com streams thousands of hours of live sport, reaching millions of fans annually. It will deliver Extreme E to viewers in over 140 countries globally, on a non-exclusive basis. For Season 2, the partnership has expanded to Eleven’s markets in Poland and Taiwan.

Eleven Belgium is the leading sports platform in Belgium and Luxembourg, with a rights portfolio that includes the Belgian Pro League, LaLiga, Bundesliga, NBA, UFC, and more.

Eleven Portugal’s roster of live sport includes the UEFA Champions League and from next season the English Premier League.  Extreme E will be added to a motorsports offering that already includes Nascar and Formula E.

Eleven subscribers in Belgium, Luxembourg and Portugal will be able to follow all the latest action from the Extreme E championship via their local OTT and linear channels. 

Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer at Extreme E, said: “We are delighted to have extended our global agreement with Eleven Sports. Our first season was a huge success, marking a new era of racing that highlights the importance of sustainability and the benefits of electrification, while shining the spotlight on the climate crisis with the storytelling around the championship.”

Guillaume Collard, ELEVEN Group Chief Rights Acquisitions & Distribution Officer & ELEVEN Belgium & Luxembourg MD, added: “Extreme E has already proved to be a fantastic competition for our audiences around the world. With great races and a vital climate change message at the heart of the competition, we want to continue to partner with Ali and his team to champion Extreme E to motorsports fans everywhere.”

Extreme E will continue its partnership with Swiss luxury watchmaker Zenith for Season 2, who will also remain as the series’ Official Timekeeper.

As Official Timekeeper and Founding Partner, Zenith will provide live timing at each event directly to the Command Centre, the innovative pit wall and strategy room where key team players will be located on-site. Fans will also be able to follow their favourite team and driver and view live sector times via the official Extreme E website and on mobile devices.

Zenith will continue to award an Extreme E driver at each X Prix with a ‘Moment In Time’ prize. Following its success in Season 1, Extreme E followers will again be able to vote to highlight one driver who demonstrates an unexpected and jaw-dropping performance at each event and subsequently a ‘Moment in Time’.

Zenith will also be heavily involved in the Championship’s forthcoming Legacy Programmes for Season 2 as well as further involvements in the series, including a special collaboration which is to be announced next month.

Zenith’s philosophy of chronometric precision and boundless innovation is the perfect fit for Extreme E’s exciting knockout style racing format. 

Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E, said: “It is fantastic for the series that we will be continuing our fantastic partnership with Zenith and we are also delighted that Zenith will be remaining as our Official Timekeeper. Zenith is a master of accuracy and a name recognised worldwide for timing and excellence.

“We are looking forward to working even closer for the forthcoming season and combining our efforts to raise awareness of the climate crisis even further, where timing is critical.”

Julien Tornare, Zenith CEO, said: “We are totally blown away by the kind of energy and passion we got to witness during our first year of collaboration with Extreme E. I’m proud that Zenith can say it joined this innovative Championship from day one, and that our shared values of gender equality, sustainability, and innovation for the greater good was felt in everything we did together. We can’t wait for the 2022 season!”

Building on the success of its debut year in 2021, Extreme E Season 2 ‘The Race for the Planet’ promises to captivate on and off track on a whole new level, whilst delivering on its overall purpose to tackle climate change through sport, starting with the Desert X Prix in Neom, Saudi Arabia, 19-20 February.

IRONMAN Announces Leadership Changes, Featuring New Chief Business Development Officer And New Managing Director, EMEA

The IRONMAN Group is pleased to announce several leadership promotions within the company, including Stefan Petschnig to Chief Business Development Officer and Matt Wikstrom to Chief Partnerships Officer. In addition, Thomas Veje Olsen has been promoted to Senior Vice President and named as the new Managing Director of Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) for The IRONMAN Group, replacing Petschnig in that role.

Stefan Petschnig has been promoted to Chief Business Development Officer. As co-founder of Triangle Show and Sports Promotion in 1997, Stefan established IRONMAN events in Austria, France, Monaco, and South Africa between 1998 and 2012 before joining Infront Sports and Media to develop the corporate running series B2Run in Europe and a series of then 10km running events in major cities across China. For his contributions, Stefan was named to the IRONMAN Hall of Fame in 2014. Stefan now embarks on a new journey charged with planning the corporate growth strategy for The IRONMAN Group while researching, vetting, and ultimately driving new business ventures to completion, whether in growth of current product areas or new verticals. All of this will be done with the goal of bringing further value to the company and ecosystem of athletes through M&A and de nova events and series. Additionally, Stefan will see that those new ventures are appropriately integrated into the company, while also overseeing emerging business units.

“Stefan has been a part of the IRONMAN `ohana for decades and has been instrumental in our growth in EMEA and China,” said Andrew Messick, President & Chief Executive Officer for The IRONMAN Group. “We have a unique ability to continue to drive growth utilizing Stefan’s experience and aptitude in this new Chief Business Development role.”

Replacing Petschnig as the head of EMEA is Thomas Veje Olsen who has been promoted to SVP & Managing Director – Europe, Middle East & Africa Region. In his new role, Thomas will be responsible for leading all IRONMAN Group events throughout EMEA. Thomas has helped lead the EMEA business in navigating through the COVID environment as well as through its busiest fall season in history this past year. Thomas has been a key part of the growth of the region, which has expanded from 17 events in 2013 to 113 events scheduled for 2022. Thomas joined The IRONMAN Group in 2013 via the YWC Sports acquisition, which brought a series of Denmark-based events into The IRONMAN Group, including IRONMAN Copenhagen and IRONMAN 70.3 Elsinore. As part of the acquisition, Thomas joined the EMEA team first as a Race Director/Country Manager for Denmark, then as Regional Director for Scandinavia. His work cemented IRONMAN events in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway as premier events in the EMEA portfolio. In 2018 Thomas was once again promoted, to Vice President Head of Operations EMEA Region, focused on event delivery, execution, and overall excellence for the more than 90 events the region produced.

Matt Wikstrom has been promoted to Chief Partnerships Officer. Matt joined The IRONMAN Group in 2019 as VP of Global Partnerships and most recently served as Senior Vice President. During his two years with the company, Matt has successfully directed the sales team and the growth of The IRONMAN Group portfolio of partners across various series despite operating in a global pandemic, including leading and closing a number of negotiations directly. Since being promoted to Senior Vice President Global Partnerships in 2021, Matt has effectively restructured the partnerships management function under Louise Ravenscroft – (newly promoted Vice President, Global Partnerships) and provided direction to the account executives as well to the activations team. Matt has developed strong relationships throughout the organization and effectively communicated and implemented series-wide partnerships leveraging the events platforms, content programs, and digital initiatives. In his new role Matt will lead the Global Partnerships team globally.

Eight team members promoted to Vice President

In addition to these leadership updates, Declan Byrne, Ryan Garka, Nick Paskiewicz, Julia Polloreno, Louise Ravenscroft, Stefan Scheuermann, Jeff Taylor, and Rebecca Van Pooss were promoted to Vice President for their continued contributions and key roles within the company. 

Declan Byrne has been promoted to Vice President of Operations – EMEA Region. Declan joined The IRONMAN Group in 2018 as part of the Titan (Ireland) acquisition and has led the UK/Ireland business since then, first as a Country Manager, then later as a Regional Director. He has also overseen the development of the company’s activities in Israel which featured its’ first ever IRONMAN 70.3 event in 2021 and will see its first IRONMAN event in 2022. Declan joined The IRONMAN Group with a significant level of experience from both the event industry, having owned and successfully operated his own events company in Ireland for 13 years, and previous to that, five years of experience in management consulting. Lately Declan has played a significant role in establishing the EMEA acquisition integration unit. In his new role, Declan will lead the development of the EMEA operations teams with a clear focus on growing the existing IRONMAN Group portfolio and the operational integration of the Haute Route, Trail Running, and Epic Series mountain biking brands.

Ryan Garka has been promoted to Vice President, Associate General Counsel. Ryan joined The IRONMAN Group in 2020 after positions at the International Speedway Corp./NASCAR and King & Spalding LLP. Since joining The IRONMAN Group, Ryan has been key working with areas such as Global Partnerships and IT. He has been the go-to attorney to tackle—diligently and expertly—many high-profile sponsorships and licenses globally. Ryan is a highly industrious and skilled lawyer, a capable manager and mentor to attorneys, a consistent thought leader in departmental efficiency and processes, and takes real action to effect improvements. He leads on contracts and legal matters related to Connected Fitness/Technology, new business ventures, and acquisitions, among others. In his new role, he will play a larger role in M&A deals globally and become more involved with Legal Operations.

Nick Paskiewicz has been promoted to Vice President, Associate General Counsel. Nick’s 10+ year rise through the organization has been impressive and deserved. He joined the company as intern, while in law school. More than a decade later, he is an integral pillar of the organization’s Legal function. A business-minded lawyer and practical problem solver, he leads Legal’s contributions on key deals and matters around the world, such as host/venue partnerships, world championships, event licenses, television and media, race operations, competition rules/race policies, athlete matters, and commercial leases. Nick is an IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon finisher, has an M.B.A. in addition to his law degree, and is on the Board of the IRONMAN Foundation. In his new role, the Legal Compliance group will report to him, and he will handle more M&A.

Julia Polloreno has been promoted to Vice President, Content Production and Distribution. Julia joined The IRONMAN Group in early 2020 after previously working as a freelancer and prior to that, Editor and Chief of Triathlete magazine. Since joining The IRONMAN Group, Polloreno has led the original and live content production teams through the creation of new and innovative formats designed to tell the inspiring stories of brands athletes and grow the reach of the portfolio of events. Under her leadership, several award-nominated and winning programs have been created, including the IRONMAN VR Pro Challenge, Anything is Possible: The Series, and A Fighting Chance. Julia has also been involved in the negotiation of the recently announced content distribution agreement with Outside. She will continue to focus on securing similar agreements for the various series and events while leading the content production team.

Louise Ravenscroft has been promoted to Vice President, Global Partnerships. Louise joined The IRONMAN Group in 2018 as Director of Partnership Activation. Louise has led the company’s efforts in developing sophisticated, creative, and impact-driven partnership management and activation strategies. Under her leadership the Global Partnership team has centralized their partnership management and activation efforts, and her team has been instrumental in not only the management, but also the successful renewals of key global partners. In her new role Louise will lead the Partnership Management and Partnership Activations teams globally.

Stefan Scheuermann has been promoted to Vice President, Business Intelligence, Strategy & Analytics, Global Partnerships. Stefan joined The IRONMAN Group in 2010 as an operational logistics coordinator, and has held roles in Creative Services, Global Branding, Marketing, and, for the past eight years, with Global Partnerships. Stefan has been instrumental in key revenue driving initiatives and infrastructural development for the company, including leading the build out and implementation of the company’s global sales CRM & reporting system while helping to develop and support some of the brands largest partnerships in recent years. He is also currently a member of The IRONMAN Group’s DE&I Committee and Data 2.0 Steering Committees. In his new role, Stefan and his Global Partnership-Business Intelligence team will expand their efforts globally, continuing to architect the GP business support strategy and systems, evolving the sales processes, and continued evolution of enterprise level projects that drive efficiency throughout the company.

Jeff Taylor has been promoted to Vice President, Head of Finance – North America Region. Jeff joined The IRONMAN Group in 2018 after time at Home Shopping Network (HSN) and Exel/DHL Supply Chain. During his first year with The IRONMAN Group, Jeff played a critical role in the Global Finance division with system implementation, as well as with the company IPO and sale processes. Jeff has most recently brought his talents to the North America Region as Head of Finance, building an excellent team that are outstanding business partners to the region. Jeff’s leadership has instilled discipline and rigor leading the team to maximize the key performance metrics and improve existing business, while also carefully analyzing new opportunities and acquisitions. Jeff is a highly respected leader in the organization and will continue to push the North America Region to its very best.

Rebecca Van Pooss has been promoted to Vice President of Operations – Oceania Region. Rebecca re-joined The IRONMAN Group in 2015, after a stint with the London Olympics and Fairfax. She began her career with USM Events in 2005, which was acquired by The IRONMAN Group in 2011. Since rejoining The IRONMAN Group, Rebecca has worked to build a solid operational framework in Oceania and has been instrumental in integrating several significant acquisitions for the region. The Oceania region has set a high standard of event production, delivering the top overall athlete satisfaction scores. Rebecca’s role with The IRONMAN Group has continuously grown over time due to her hard work and strong contributions. Rebecca is based in Noosa, Australia and will retain responsibility for operations in the Oceania region.