Microsoft Acquires Activision Blizzard For $68.7 Billion

With three billion people actively playing games today, and fueled by a new generation steeped in the joys of interactive entertainment, gaming is now the largest and fastest-growing form of entertainment. Today, Microsoft Corp. announced plans to acquire Activision Blizzard Inc., a leader in game development and interactive entertainment content publisher. This acquisition will accelerate the growth in Microsoft’s gaming business across mobile, PC, console and cloud and will provide building blocks for the metaverse.

Microsoft will acquire Activision Blizzard for $95.00 per share, in an all-cash transaction valued at $68.7 billion, inclusive of Activision Blizzard’s net cash. When the transaction closes, Microsoft will become the world’s third-largest gaming company by revenue, behind Tencent and Sony. The planned acquisition includes iconic franchises from the Activision, Blizzard and King studios like “Warcraft,” “Diablo,” “Overwatch,” “Call of Duty” and “Candy Crush,” in addition to global eSports activities through Major League Gaming. The company has studios around the word with nearly 10,000 employees. 

Bobby Kotick will continue to serve as CEO of Activision Blizzard, and he and his team will maintain their focus on driving efforts to further strengthen the company’s culture and accelerate business growth. Once the deal closes, the Activision Blizzard business will report to Phil Spencer, CEO, Microsoft Gaming.

“Gaming is the most dynamic and exciting category in entertainment across all platforms today and will play a key role in the development of metaverse platforms,” said Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO, Microsoft. “We’re investing deeply in world-class content, community and the cloud to usher in a new era of gaming that puts players and creators first and makes gaming safe, inclusive and accessible to all.”

“Players everywhere love Activision Blizzard games, and we believe the creative teams have their best work in front of them,” said Phil Spencer, CEO, Microsoft Gaming. “Together we will build a future where people can play the games they want, virtually anywhere they want.”

“For more than 30 years our incredibly talented teams have created some of the most successful games,” said Bobby Kotick, CEO, Activision Blizzard. “The combination of Activision Blizzard’s world-class talent and extraordinary franchises with Microsoft’s technology, distribution, access to talent, ambitious vision and shared commitment to gaming and inclusion will help ensure our continued success in an increasingly competitive industry.”

Mobile is the largest segment in gaming, with nearly 95% of all players globally enjoying games on mobile. Through great teams and great technology, Microsoft and Activision Blizzard will empower players to enjoy the most-immersive franchises, like “Halo” and “Warcraft,” virtually anywhere they want. And with games like “Candy Crush,” Activision Blizzard´s mobile business represents a significant presence and opportunity for Microsoft in this fast-growing segment.

The acquisition also bolsters Microsoft’s Game Pass portfolio with plans to launch Activision Blizzard games into Game Pass, which has reached a new milestone of over 25 million subscribers. With Activision Blizzard’s nearly 400 million monthly active players in 190 countries and three billion-dollar franchises, this acquisition will make Game Pass one of the most compelling and diverse lineups of gaming content in the industry. Upon close, Microsoft will have 30 internal game development studios, along with additional publishing and esports production capabilities.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and completion of regulatory review and Activision Blizzard’s shareholder approval. The deal is expected to close in fiscal year 2023 and will be accretive to non-GAAP earnings per share upon close. The transaction has been approved by the boards of directors of both Microsoft and Activision Blizzard.

AFL Welcomes Crypto.com In Landmark Five-Year Partnership

THE AFL is pleased to announce a landmark five-year partnership with Crypto.com as a major partner of both the Toyota AFL Premiership Season and NAB AFLW competitions.

The new partnership will see Crypto.com become the Official Cryptocurrency Exchange and Official Cryptocurrency Trading Platform of AFL and AFLW.

The world’s fastest-growing cryptocurrency platform will also feature as the exclusive naming rights partner of the ‘Crypto.com AFL Score Review’ for all Toyota AFL Premiership Season and Final Series matches.

The agreement sees the AFL become the first Australian sports league Crypto.com has partnered with, while AFLW will become the first elite women’s sports competition Crypto.com has sponsored world-wide.

The AFL joins some of the biggest sports and entertainment brands in the world to partner with Crypto.com, including Formula 1, UFC, Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, Philadelphia 76ers (NBA), Montreal Canadiens (NHL), esports team Fnatic, Lega Serie A, Twitch Rivals and most recently renaming the AEG-owned and operated Staples Center to Crypto.com Arena. 

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said the partnership marked an exciting new chapter for Australian Football.

“Cryptocurrency and blockchain technology is a dynamic and emerging industry, and the AFL is delighted to partner with Crypto.com to be at the forefront of the industry’s growth in Australia,” Mr. McLachlan said.

AFL Executive General Manager Customer and Commercial Kylie Rogers said the AFL was proud to partner with a global leader.

“Crypto.com has partnered with a number of elite sporting codes across the world and the AFL is proud to be the first Australian sports league and elite women’s competition globally to work alongside an organisation that shares our passion to progress the future of elite sport and technology,” Ms. Rogers said.

“The new partnership marks one of the most significant corporate partner deals since the COVID-19 pandemic, which will help strengthen our industry as we continue to recover and rebuild key growth areas our game.

“The growth of blockchain technology, services and cryptocurrency products available provide a range of exciting opportunities and we look forward to partnering with Crypto.com to drive innovation throughout the sports industry.”

Crypto.com Co-Founder and CEO, Kris Marszalek said the new partnership was a great opportunity to expand cryptocurrency in an already strong market.  

“We are committed to investing in Australia, a key market and leader in cryptocurrency adoption contributing to our rapid growth of over 10 million users globally. The AFL and AFLW are perfect platforms to associate ourselves with Australian sports and culture. It is by far the most popular spectator sport in the country that has been played for over 150 years, a rich history that uniquely brings Australians together in a way that we are truly inspired by,” Mr. Marszalek said.

Crypto.com General Manager Asia & Pacific, Karl Mohan said the new partnership would resonate with all footy fans. 

“Our latest consumer research in Australia found that more than half (53%) of crypto investors were females. It is very encouraging to see that Australians from all walks of life, irrespective of gender or background, are very keen to adopt cryptocurrencies, and we’re excited about being their go-to platform. 

“The AFL has led the way to bring gender diversity to Australian sport and we believe this partnership will resonate well with all footy fans across the country,” Mr. Mohan said. 

“We couldn’t be happier with the timing of this partnership at a moment when more Australians are engaging with cryptocurrency and the Australian Government is taking steps to put necessary regulations in place to protect consumers while fostering innovation.”

Super League Announces 2022 Global Calendar For Arena Games Triathlon

Following on from the recent news of a ground-breaking partnership between Super League Triathlon (SLT) and World Triathlon (WT) to grow a global esports World Championship series – Arena Games Triathlon powered by Zwift – we are proud to announce the three cities chosen to host these Games in 2022:

Arena Games Triathlon 2022 Locations:

  • April 9 2022: Munich, Germany at Olympia-Schwimmhalle
  • April 23 2022: London, UK at London Aquatics Centre
  • May 7 2022: Singapore Grand Final

The Arena Games Triathlon (AGT) is a trailblazing concept pioneered by SLT, grown from an ambition to drive competitive triathlon throughout the global pandemic. 2021 saw the first multi-city version of the Games set in Rotterdam and London; the recent partnership with World Triathlon means the Arena Games Triathlon will be bigger and better than ever in 2022, with a return to London (23rd April), a first AGT event in Munich (9th April), and an inaugural Grand Final in Singapore (7th May). SLT is working with all relevant authorities to host the events in accordance to local safety protocols.

The real-life and virtual reality blended racing provides an immersive viewing experience that allows fans to get up close and personal with the best triathletes in the world without leaving the comfort of their seat. The event also gives esport fans, and lovers of sports statistics, the chance to enjoy live data from the athletes in real time. Born in the COVID era but promising a new generation of stars, the Arena Games Triathlon is the future of indoor racing.

Beth Potter Superleague Triathlon Arena Games London 2021 London Aquatic Centre Womens Race 27th March 2021 0269 980x692 1

Each event will contribute points to the WT World Ranking, and the athletes who collect the most points over the course of the series will be awarded the first-ever triathlon esport World Titles in Singapore. All three venues will see the return of fast and furious Elite racing, offering an incredible spectator experience for the fans.

“We are delighted to welcome three amazing cities such as London, Munich and Singapore to our roster of hosts – we can not think of a better scenario for the 2022 season of the Arena Games Triathlon. The three events offer a combination of vast experience on triathlon events, Olympic tradition and great hosting capabilities, so I am sure that both athletes and fans will enjoy it. We cannot wait for the start of the esports season!”, said World Triathlon President and IOC Member, Marisol Casado. 

“We have continued to innovate during the pandemic, and the pinnacle of that is our Arena Games Triathlon, which we recently announced the partnership with World Triathlon. It’s very exciting to see the first World Series of Triathlon esport coming together and announce this powerful line up with iconic locations. This series will be a milestone in triathlon’s history and these venues will really do that justice!” explained Michael D’hulst, CEO and co-founder of Super League Triathlon.

World Triathlon and Super League will collaborate on all aspects of Arena Games Triathlon powered by Zwift, including scheduling, participating athletes, involvement of national federations, promotion, broadcasters, host venues and amplifying the reach of the events. 

DAZN Restructures Leadership, Shay Segev To Be Sole CEO As Darren Waterman Joins As CFO

DAZN Group today announces the implementation of a new Group structure and some leadership changes that will enable DAZN to realise its ambitious growth and product strategy.

As of today, Shay Segev will be sole CEO of DAZN Group. Shay joined DAZN in June 2021, before which he was the CEO of Entain, a FTSE 100 company. Shay has an exceptional track record in scaling digital consumer businesses, which will be indispensable as DAZN expands its customer offering to include interactive and engaging content for fans to enjoy alongside its sports streaming service.  Shay joined Entain in 2016 when it was a small entrepreneurial business, and over the course of five years, he oversaw a phenomenal period of growth, including – most notably – the acquisition of bwin.party and Ladbrokes Coral, and establishment of BetMGM. By the time Shay left to join DAZN, Entain had become the market leader with a capitalisation of £10 billion. 

James Rushton, DAZN Co-Founder, will continue with his existing responsibilities overseeing growth in local markets, rights and content.  A 25-year veteran of the sports industry, James spent the majority of his career at Perform Group where he led many significant innovations, market expansion and revenue growth, including the launch of DAZN in 2016. 

Additionally, Darren Waterman joins as Group CFO, based in London.  Darren joins with tremendous experience from Amazon where he led the Finance team responsible for Prime Video internationally.  A world-class leader and seasoned TMT industry executive, Darren brings to DAZN a track record of successful geographic expansion, video streaming, product innovation and investment in sports, TV and movie content.  After almost four years as CFO, Stuart Epstein will continue in the role of Senior Advisor and member of the DAZN Board, enabling a smooth and effective transition of his current roles and responsibilities during the first half of 2022.

Kevin Mayer, DAZN Group Chairman, said, “DAZN has become the global leader in sports streaming in just five years and it is time to take this business to the next level. Shay’s technology background and outstanding history of delivering a strong performance culture will be hugely beneficial as DAZN introduces additional interactive fan engagement services such as betting and e-commerce for users to enjoy alongside our core offering of live sports streaming. James’ expertise in sports rights and deep understanding of the markets will ensure that DAZN continues to nurture and grow its core business. We thank Stuart for his many valuable contributions and look forward to his on-going involvement in this new capacity and we are delighted to be onboarding such strong talent as Darren Waterman.  Being able to attract such high calibre individuals is a testament to the strength of our business and our future.”

These changes come on the heels of significant global momentum at DAZN including the recent win of domestic LaLiga rights in Spain, being named Apple TV App of the Year for 2021 and reaching a record- breaking number of fans across the world. Looking into 2022, fans can expect an even deeper, more interactive experience with DAZN as the company moves forward with recreational betting, gaming, e-commerce, NFTs and tech advances in the viewing experience.

Tennis Follows PGA TOUR With Netflix Documentary Series In The Works For ATP And WTA Tours, Plus Grand Slam Tournaments

For the first time, fans will be able to share in a year in the life of some of the world’s best tennis players as they journey around the world, seeking to win on the sport’s biggest stages.   

To bring this unique immersive documentary series to the screen, Netflix has teamed up with the four Grand Slam tournaments, the ATP Tour, WTA Tour, and ATP Media beginning with the 2022 season at the Australian Open.

The series will offer an unfiltered look at life inside the competitive sport of professional tennis through the perspective of the players and their teams, in the same spirit as Formula 1: Drive to Survive and the recently announced project featuring golf’s PGA Tour. 

https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1482178750053851139?s=20

Through a historic collaboration that will take cameras behind the scenes of the two tours, the Australian Open, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open, the series will also be the first sports program of its kind to provide an equal platform to the men’s and women’s competitors of the sport, in keeping with the equal stage they share throughout the year. 

“We are excited to continue bolstering our lineup of sports programming with this behind-the-scenes documentary series,” said Brandon Riegg, Netflix Vice President of Unscripted and Documentary Series. “Tennis is beloved all over the world, with high-stakes tournaments hopping across continents and athletes hailing from countless countries. Through this historic partnership with the four Grand Slam tournaments, the ATP Tour, WTA Tour, and ATP Media, the series will be packed with rare access and rich personal stories that are sure to draw in longtime fans and new audiences alike.” 

The series is produced by Box to Box Films (Formula 1: Drive to Survive) with James Gay Rees and Paul Martin as serving as  Executive Producers. Filming is underway now at the Australian Open. 

iSportConnect: After the announcement earlier this month that the makers of Netflix’s Drive To Survive series were taking their model to golf, tennis has clearly become another sport looking to benefit from an influx in fans from the streaming service’s giant audience. But will both of these series have the same draw as Drive To Survive?

Costa Cruises Becomes The Official Cruise Line Of The 2023 Ryder Cup

Costa Cruises, the Italian brand of Costa Group, Europe’s leading cruise company, has been named Official Cruise Line of the 2023 Ryder Cup, which will be held for the first time in Italy at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, from 29 September to 1 October 2023.

As an Official Supporter of the Ryder Cup, Costa Cruises will benefit from a range of marketing opportunities including social media content and access to the Ryder Cup’s hospitality services. As part of the partnership, Costa Cruises is also unveiling a new offer designed specifically for golf enthusiasts and their families. The new Cruise & Golf formula will allow customers to combine unique golf experiences with the relaxation and fun of a Costa cruise on board Costa Smeralda, the company’s most innovative ship.

By booking a Cruise & Golf, golf enthusiasts will have the opportunity to play at some of the most beautiful clubs in Italy, France and Spain during the cruise itineraries’ port calls. This includes Marco Simone, the official home of the 2023 Ryder Cup. The offer will be available from May 2022 on the Costa Smeralda on one-week Western Mediterranean cruises. To take advantage of the new offer, guests simply need to book a cruise and then add one of the two golf packages to their booking, which include three or four “Green Fees”.

Speaking about the new partnership Roberto Alberti, SVP and Chief Commercial Officer of Costa Cruises, said; “Our holidays are aimed at providing unique and enriching experiences, and the combination with golf fits perfectly with this philosophy. To achieve our goal of becoming the reference company in the world of golf, we have come up with a special initiative, never seen before. Our partnership with the Ryder Cup 2023, one of the most popular sporting events in the world, will allow us to reach all golf enthusiasts, while with our new Cruise & Golf formula we will offer them and their families a holiday that combines the best of golf with the best of cruising. Cruise & Golf will also help to promote the golf clubs of the countries visited and, more generally, represents an opportunity to foster local tourism, considering that 6 out of 10 passengers declare they want to return to the places visited during the cruise”.

Guy Kinnings, Ryder Cup Director and Deputy CEO of the European Tour group, added; “We’re delighted to welcome Costa Cruises to the Ryder Cup partnership family, in what is a truly unique partnership. The Ryder Cup is a full entertainment spectacle, so it felt like a natural fit to work with Costa Cruises to build out a fully rounded experience for their customers as the Ryder Cup heads to Italy for the first time.”

EFL & AELTC Director Debbie Jevans CBE Joins Halfspace Group Board

Halfspace Group, the London-based Data + Creative agency, have today announced the appointment of Debbie Jevans CBE as a member of the board.

Jevans is a former junior Wimbledon champion tennis player, having played in ten Grand Slam single draws between 1979 and 1983. Following retirement from the game, Jevans has been a major influence in the sports world including Director of Sports for LOCOG (the body behind the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games), Vice Chair of Sport England, Chief Executive of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, board member at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, Trustee for the Invictus Games and Senior Non-Exec Director for the English Football League. 

Debbie Jevans was awarded a CBE in the 2013 New Year’s Honours List as well as the Olympic Order by the IOC. She was named the most influential woman in sport by The Guardian in 2015.

The appointment of Jevans follows the announcement of former Sport England Chairman and London Marathon CEO Nick Bitel as the new Chairman of the Board in Q3 2021.

“We are delighted to have brought Debbie onto the Halfspace board,” Said Bitel. “Having someone with her experience at the top level of sport is another indicator that the Halfspace business is continuing its rapid growth and we look forward to working with Debbie over the coming years.”

Jevans said, “I have been very impressed with the Halfspace business and the considerable ambition of the board. I am excited to get started and join the team to help the sports and entertainment industries grow.”

Vodafone Announces New Partnership With Wimbledon

Vodafone has today announced a multi-year partnership with Wimbledon as Official Connectivity Partner of The Championships and The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club.

Throughout the partnership, Vodafone will use its world-leading connectivity and the power of 5G to help enhance the Wimbledon experience for fans. Vodafone will use the latest in Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, 360, haptic and IoT technology to inspire fans and bring them closer to the action.

Vodafone is also working with the AELTC and the LTA to develop a new competition for grassroots players, with more details to be announced soon.

Vodafone will work with British tennis stars Tim Henman and Laura Robson to support the partnership.  They will draw on their extensive experience playing at the highest level to inspire people to reconnect with the sport and bring tennis to life for current and future fans.

Max Taylor, Vodafone Consumer Director, said “There is a huge buzz around British tennis and Wimbledon is set once again to be a high point of the summer.  We want to build on this momentum long-term by helping people get involved in the sport.

This is a fantastic opportunity for us to use our connectivity to deliver a world-class experience for fans both on and off the court. We can’t wait to get involved.”

Laura Robson, former British Number One and Wimbledon Junior champion, said “British tennis is going from strength to strength right now, and it’s so exciting to see where we could end up. I’m delighted to be teaming up with Vodafone to help encourage as many people as possible to pick up a racket.”

Gus Henderson, Commercial Director of the AELTC, said “We are thrilled to welcome Vodafone as the Official Connectivity Partner of The Championships. We are looking forward to seeing how Vodafone will create unique experiences to bring our fans even closer to the action at Wimbledon this summer. It is also very exciting to have a partner who shares our aim of promoting tennis to an even wider audience.”

The announcement builds on Vodafone’s key role as Lead Partner for the British and Irish Lions for its South Africa 2021 Tour and kicks off an exciting series of partnerships for the years ahead.

QXC Communications Launches Advanced Streaming Service To Meet Consumer Demand And Increase Subscriber Base

 NAGRA, a Kudelski Group company and the world’s leading independent provider of content protection and multiscreen television solutions, today announced that QXC Communications Inc., a Florida-based service provider serving Home Owners Associations (HOAs), Condo Owners Associations (COAs) and residential communities, selected NAGRA’s U.S. Streaming Solution to enable the replacement of its legacy video offering with a new fully-featured streaming service for the multi-dwelling unit (MDU) market.

With NAGRA’s experience, partnerships and technical capabilities, QXC was able to dramatically decrease its time-to-market to quickly launch an advanced OTT service set to increase consumer engagement, improve customer retention and expand QXC’s subscriber base. With the speed in which the service was made available, QXC is now able to meet aggressive plans to grow its subscribers based in Florida, as well as other U.S. resort/coastline regions and military bases across the country.

“We are a company that puts relationships first, which is why Quality of Service is a key business performance cornerstone to our continued success. With NAGRA’s unique solution, QXC is now able to offer subscribers what they demand – an incredible level of service,” said John Von Stein, QXC Communications CEO. “In searching for a partner, we demanded flexibility, speed and quality. NAGRA has delivered on all three, going above and beyond at every turn and we look forward to future opportunities to partner, innovate and expand.”

Powered by the NAGRA OpenTV Video Platform and working with partners such as Broadpeak for video packaging and CDN capabilities, the streaming solution enables QXC to deliver to its subscribers’ audio and video services via QXC’s secure network infrastructure using its own headend. In doing so, NAGRA provides QXC with flexibility for standard and hybrid cloud deployment options from a trusted industry solution provider. With a low-touch market entry proposition, this turn-key solution is designed to deliver the benefits of a tier-one solution without the hefty price tag, while enabling QXC to optimize the customer experience delivering both BYOD streaming and traditional linear programming.

“NAGRA is pleased to extend the capabilities of its US Streaming Solution to offer QXC Communications the high quality, hybrid/cloud deployment needed to serve their subscribers now and, in the future,” said Nancy Goldberg, Executive Vice President at NAGRA. “The deployment represents yet another example of the decreased time to market, cost-effectiveness and flexibility operators are looking for in offering an advanced OTT streaming solution. As we support both legacy cable operators and suppliers to the MDU market, our goal is to increase consumer engagement, improve customer retention, and help operators expand their subscriber base.”

For more information about NAGRA’s US Streaming Solution visit the solution’s web page, download our datasheet or contact NAGRA directly.

Views From The Industry: This Week In Sport & Business

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

The PGA Tour And Netflix Agree A Deal For A Documentary Series

This looks like it could be a terrific move for the PGA Tour in order to get golf into a more wider audience and capitalise on the sports documentary boom, when looking at Netflix’s Drive To Survive and The Last Dance, as well as Amazon’s All Or Nothing.

https://twitter.com/GolfDigest/status/1481324007693639681?s=20

Many were quick to point out that a large number of the world’s top golfers have signed on to be part of this new series.

Meanwhile, Scottish golfer Richie Ramsay made an important point that it will be just as interesting to see the stories of those who are not the cream of the crop and will be fighting for the livelihoods on a regular basis, such is the tough nature of the tour.

Golf journalist Geoff Shackleford was also quick to note that many players are reluctant to share on-course thoughts, so will they be more accommodating to Netflix?

The best part for Netflix is that they don’t even need to think of a new title, Drive To Survive will do just fine once again!

Novak Djokovic & The Australian Open

Novak Djokovic is once again facing deportation from Australia after his visa was cancelled for the second time by the country, he is now appealing in order to be able to compete in the event at Melbourne Park, starting on Monday.

Tim Crow gave his thoughts to BBC Radio 5Live earlier this week on how this latest controversy will affect Djokovic from a sponsorship perspective.

As this is a legal issue for Australia as a country to deal with, the ATP have steered well away from the conversation, only briefing stating the damage it could have overall.

Andy Murray tried to provide an overall perspective and look at the human side both sides of the coin as Djokovic’s second visa cancellation was announced. In better tennis news the Scot is on the verge of his first title since 2019 in Sydney this weekend.

The Renewal Of The Louvre Agreement

There was widespread positivity in esports at the renewal of the Louvre Agreement, which will see a number of major esports franchises continue to take part in ESL until 2025.

The agreement works to create stability for the ESL Pro League and ensure that all of the teams are working together in order to create the most positive commercial situation for the league and ensure continual growth.

PS. Here’s an enjoyable thread for you to end the week: