Mike Krack Joins Aston Martin F1 As Team Principal

Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team is delighted to announce that Mike Krack has been appointed Team Principal.

Prior to joining Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team, Mike Krack was leading BMW’s global motorsport operation, having worked for the Munich-based company since 2014.

In that role he was in charge of BMW’s Formula E, GT and IMSA programmes, as well as its planned expansion into the new LMDh formula for IMSA & WEC, including the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Prior to that Mike worked in a senior motorsport role for Porsche. He has worked for a decade in Formula One before, for Sauber then BMW-Sauber.

Mike Krack, Team Principal, Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team, said:

“It is a thrill and an honour to have been appointed to the position of Team Principal of Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team, and I am very grateful to Lawrence [Stroll] and Martin [Whitmarsh] for giving me such a fantastic opportunity.

“Aston Martin is one of the greatest automotive brands in the world, and to have been asked to play a leading role in delivering the on-track Formula One success that such an illustrious name so richly deserves is a challenge that I plan to embrace with energy and enthusiasm.

“I have been working in motorsport for over 20 years, and worked in Formula One with Seb Vettel in 2006 and 2007 when I was a BMW-Sauber engineer and he was the team’s test driver.

“I have huge respect for his speed and ability, and it will be fantastic to be reunited with him. Lance Stroll is a seriously fast and talented driver, too, with 100 Grands Prix starts to his name, and I am very much looking forward to working closely with him.

“Team Silverstone has always impressed me. It is full of talented people and real racers. That racer’s culture and values are what is required to succeed in motorsport – I know that and my new colleagues at Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team know it, too. We will work incredibly hard. We want to win. Together, we will.”

“Mike will play a central and leading role, reporting to Martin Whitmarsh and leading our technical and operational functions, our collective aim being to fulfil our lofty ambitions.” – Lawrence Stroll, Chairman of Aston Martin Lagonda and Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team.

Martin Whitmarsh, Group Chief Executive Officer, Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team, said:

“Mike Krack is exactly the right kind of dynamic and modern Team Principal who, working with our other senior leaders under Lawrence’s [Stroll] and my overall direction, as well as with our ever-growing staff of skilled and committed employees, will deliver the Formula One World Championship success that we at Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team are so determined to achieve.

“Having worked in very senior motorsport positions at both BMW and Porsche, backed by an engineering background in Formula One with Sauber, Mike possesses a blend of experience and expertise that makes him the ideal choice for us.

“He works well with drivers, having prioritised that aspect of his role at BMW in recent years, and also with engineers, since he speaks their language.”

Lawrence Stroll, Chairman, Aston Martin Lagonda and Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team, said:

“Winning in Formula One is all about bringing together the best efforts of all the principal players – drivers, engineers, mechanics, everyone – and Mike is perfectly placed to do just that.

“We are hiring brilliant new people every week. Our new factory build is coming along very well. We have a fantastic roster of superb sponsor-partners.

“We are about to embark on year two of our five-year plan, the objective of which is to win Formula One World Championships.

“All the ingredients we require are coming together. Mike will play a central and leading role, reporting to Martin Whitmarsh and leading our technical and operational functions, our collective aim being to fulfil those lofty ambitions. We are on our way.”

Discovery Agrees BBC Highlights Deal For Australian Open

Discovery, the UK rights holder for the Australian Open, has reached an agreement with BBC for the broadcaster to present daily highlights from the first Grand Slam of 2022. UK viewers can follow all the live action from Melbourne on discovery+, including access to every court and every match, Eurosport and the Eurosport App.

As part of Discovery’s comprehensive multi-platform coverage, more than 250 hours of live action will be available including all the top matches on Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena however viewers choose to watch the action. The additional content on discovery+  will allow subscribers to choose from all matches – live and on-demand –ensuring they don’t miss a moment of the action.

Discovery is using the full breadth of its network to ensure every angle is covered on every platform. 

Eurosport.co.uk provide the latest news, scores and opinions from the tournament as-it-happens. This includes previews, live blogs and match reports complemented by forthright opinions from Discovery’s cast of tennis experts including Tim Henman, Jo Konta from the Eurosport Cube – its state-of-the-art, mixed-reality studio.  

The 2022 Australian Open is the first of a new 10-year partnership between Discovery and Tennis Australia. Announced in September last year, the new agreement includes all linear and digital rights to the tournament and extends Eurosport’s association with the Australian Open that first began in 1995.

Vincent Pereira Appointed As IOC Head Of Virtual Sport

Vincent Pereira has been appointed Head of Virtual Sport within the IOC Sports Department, as of 1 March 2022. Created in the framework of Recommendation 9 of Olympic Agenda 2020+5, this new position will contribute to developing virtual sport and to further engaging with videogaming communities, including leading the coordinated planning and delivery of the Olympic Virtual Series, which debuted in 2021.  

The former Global Head of Digital at Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), Vincent has more than 10 years of experience in digital and social media activities. He has managed social media for large companies such as Microsoft France and Auchan Retail International, and led digital strategies and activations for several clients while working for sport and entertainment agency LaFourmi/Solive.

“I am delighted to welcome Vincent Pereira to lead the IOC Virtual Sport team. He will help us leverage the growing popularity of virtual sport to promote the Olympic Movement, the Olympic values and sports participation, and grow direct relations with young people,” said IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell. “His broad experience in virtual sport, and digital strategies and activities, will be a great asset for the organisation and the Olympic Movement.

Vincent studied marketing and communications, and speaks French, English, Spanish and Portuguese. A lifelong sports fan, he has been a football player since his youth and played at national level.

iSportConnect: This could be seen as the next step for the IOC into a potential esports Olympics by making another strong move into this space to follow the Olympic Virtual Series. There is huge potential to event create a huge event around this so we shall wait and see how the IOC progress here.

Premier League Agrees Canada Deal With FuboTV, And ViacomCBS For Central America & Mexico

fuboTV Inc., the leading sports-first live TV streaming platform, announced today that it will be the exclusive home to the Premier League, England’s top soccer league, in the Canadian market for the next three seasons beginning in 2022/2023.

fuboTV will exclusively carry all 380 Premier League matches each season and shoulder programming on its growing Canadian platform through the 2024/2025 season. All content will stream live on fuboTV and its linear channel, Fubo Sports Network.

fuboTV scores the Premier League deal for Canada just a few months after acquiring exclusive Italian Serie A and Coppa Italia rights in the market, fortifying the platform’s position as the leading streaming service for top-tier soccer in the country. In addition to exclusive rights, fuboTV streams more than a dozen popular sports and entertainment channels including OneSoccer and Paramount Network, home to one of TV’s hottest dramas, Yellowstone.

“The Premier League is considered to be the best soccer league in the world and has a huge fan base in Canada,” said David Gandler, co-founder and CEO, fuboTV. “This deal allows us to bring yet another top-notch property to fuboTV, further differentiating our content offering, and giving Canadians another reason to cut the cord for exciting, exclusive sports content.”

“The Premier League is very happy to partner with fuboTV in Canada,” said Paul Molnar, chief media officer, Premier League. “We know there are many passionate Premier League fans in Canada and we are very pleased that fuboTV views the Premier League as such an important part of its programming mix in this market. We look forward to working together to bring the excitement of the Premier League to both new and existing fans.”

In addition to its soccer rights in Canada, fuboTV has exclusive streaming rights to the Qatar World Cup 2022 Qualifying matches of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) in the United States.

The Premier League have also announced a new deal with ViacomCBS to be showcased on Paramount+ across Central America and Mexico.

“The Premier League is pleased to announce our new partnership with ViacomCBS in Central America. We are very happy that ViacomCBS views the Premier League and our clubs as a vital part of their live sports offering. ViacomCBS platforms, including Paramount+ and Pluto TV will be an outstanding home for the Premier League and we look forward to working together to showcase the League to new and existing fans throughout Central America and Mexico.” said Paul Molnar, Premier League Chief Media Officer.

“We know audiences around the world are passionate about sports, and especially about football. This partnership with the Premier League brings exclusive content directly to those fans, LIVE for the first time on Paramount+ in Mexico and Central America,” said Raffaele Annecchino, President and CEO of ViacomCBS Networks International.  “Live sports are an important differentiator for our streaming service, and as we’ve seen in the US and Australia, we are confident this will drive subscriber growth as we continue to offer the best mix of entertainment and now – live sports.”

Peter McCormick Appointed Premier League’s Interim Chair

The Premier League confirms that Peter McCormick will become the League’s Interim Chair when Gary Hoffman steps down on 1 February.

Clubs today unanimously approved his temporary appointment, while the recruitment process for a permanent Chair continues.

Peter will remain as Chair of the Premier League’s Football Board and Legal Advisory Groups, both Executive positions, and previously acted as the League’s Interim Chair between March 2014 and June 2015.

Peter said: “I am delighted to receive the confidence and approval of the 20 Premier League clubs and the Board as they work to recruit the new Chair.”

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said: “On behalf of the Premier League and clubs, I would like to welcome Peter to this role. He is well known to us all and a trusted pair of hands who will see us through this transition period. The Board’s aim is to have a new permanent Chair in place before the start of next season.”

Peter is the Senior Partner of McCormicks Solicitors of Harrogate, and has also worked in a number of roles at the Football Association, most recently as Interim Chair.

IRONMAN Extends Partnership With Santini As Official Cycling And Triathlon Apparel Partner With A Multi-Year Deal

IRONMAN® and Santini, a worldwide leader in technical apparel, announced today a multi-year extension of their partnership that began in 2019. With this extension, Santini will continue to design and manufacture a collection of cycling and triathlon apparel dedicated exclusively to IRONMAN. 

“We are delighted to continue with Santini, who is the undisputed leader in the cycling and triathlon technical apparel space, said Matt Wikstrom, Chief Partnerships Officer for The IRONMAN Group. “They are at the forefront of technology and through their industry leading design and craftsmanship, allow for us to customize garments for each one of our respective events.  This allows our athletes the ability to truly memorialize their life-changing achievements.” 

The Santini X IRONMAN co-branded cycling and triathlon collection will focus on long distance and be designed to deliver superior comfort and maximum performance with both men’s and women’s options available. 

“We have built up a very successful partnership with IRONMAN over the last few years and we are delighted it is continuing,” said Monica Santini, CEO of Santini Cycling Wear. “The partnership allowed us to work hand-in-glove with the undisputed leading athletes in the sector: thanks to their feedback, in fact, we have created a new collection that will help all triathletes to express their potential as fully as possible.”

One of the standout pieces from the new collection that will be available in April 2022 is the Viper trisuit.  Wind tunnel-tested and developed in collaboration with pro athletes from the Santini team, the suit will sport a new graphic, featuring the iconic IRONMAN M-dot logo. Color pallets include navy blue with red and grey detailing for men and in navy blue with pink and grey detailing for women.

The Viper is made from a combination of two different fabrics which provide optimal aero efficiency: Trophy by Sitip is light, breathable and quick-drying, while Swan Wrap is used for the sleeves. Lastly the outside of the crotch/chamois pad area of the suit has a grippy finish to help keep the rider consistently stable in the saddle.

Award-Winning Little Dot Studios Unveils Specialist Label Little Dot Sport

Award-winning digital content agency and media network Little Dot Studios announces the creation of the Little Dot Sport label following accelerated client, staff and financial growth throughout 2021 and a coveted Sport Industry Agency of the Year nomination.

Little Dot Sport partners with the world’s biggest sport federations, clubs, broadcasters and brands. It already boasts a first-class client roster of 28 retained clients including Formula E, the England & Wales Cricket Board, The FA, Premiership Rugby, Eurosport and Serie A. 

Little Dot Sport will be headed up by Robbie Spargo, Director of Sport, who will optimise performance with current partners and forge partnerships in new areas. The over 60 strong team has been in the thick of the action for the last 18 months and despite the impact of the pandemic on the wider sports industry, 2021 saw the team innovate, adapt and grow, increasing its annual engagements by 87%.

The new label builds on the 2020 acquisition of WING, Little Dot Studios’ award-winning, sports-specialist production company for branded content, film and commercials, which is led by founders Tess and Will Ingham. WING work in 2021 included daily content at Tokyo 2020+1 Olympics for Coca-Cola, two film series for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team and hero production for Vodafone’s sponsorship of the British and Irish Lions tour.

Dan Jones, CEO of Little Dot Studios, commented on the new Sport label: “Our approach as an agency, to form genuine long-term partnerships with our clients and act as an extension of their own teams has proved especially relevant during the pandemic. We’ve been there with them in the trenches during cancelled races, matches and tournaments, where social has come into its own, growing fan engagement, supporting commercial partnerships and driving innovation. Launching Little Dot Sport allows us to continue to really focus on this approach, driving future growth and partnerships.”   

Robbie Spargo, Director of Little Dot Sport, added: “It is testament to the phenomenal team we have grown and the work they do for our fantastic clients that we are in a position, four years on from the creation of a sport division, to launch this dedicated Sport agency label. Following a year of momentous difficulties for the industry, we have proven our value more than ever to our clients as we worked across major global sports events including the America’s Cup, the Tour de France, Euro 2022 and Emma Raducanu’s US Open victory, culminating in being recognised as a leading digital content agency in the recent Sport Industry Agency of the Year nominations – empowering us to take this defining step forward.” 

Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer, Extreme E, commented: “Our relationship with Little Dot Studios has been the cornerstone of our business, and we continue to be blown away by the unique insights, expertise and creativity the team brings to every project. The Little Dot Sport team is so agile in finding ways to keep the narrative going, they are always pushing us with different ideas and concepts to bring our brand alive online. The energy that goes into their work is incredible and the results have been spectacular!”

As one of the biggest global distributors of premium content online, Little Dot Studios, All3Media’s rapidly growing digital business, is responsible for 600 digital channels and delivering over six billion organic views per month and prides itself on creating meaningful connections through all digital content touchpoints: data, creative, production, distribution, media amplification and monetisation.

ESL Pro League Partnership Extended Until At Least 2025 By Major CS:GO Teams

The Commissioner of the ESL Pro League, Alex Inglot, has announced today that the Louvre Agreement, the groundbreaking partnership between ESL Gaming and 14 of the top teams in CS:GO, has been unanimously extended until at least the end of 2025.

The news of the Louvre Agreement’s extension follows it’s recently announced expansion, which saw esports teams BIG and Furia join the partnership. This means that Astralis, BIG, Complexity, Evil Geniuses, ENCE, FaZe Clan, Fnatic, Furia, G2 Esports, Mousesports, Natus Vincere, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Team Liquid, Team Vitality, and leading tournament organiser ESL Gaming, will jointly govern and grow the ESL Pro League until at least 2025.

What is the Louvre Agreement and what’s in the extension?

The 2020 Louvre Agreement is a groundbreaking deal between ESL Gaming and some of the biggest teams in esports. Via the agreement, the members steer the growth of the ESL Pro League. Together, they establish new structures to help stakeholder input and distribute of the leagues’ revenues in a way that supports team stability; all while exploring commercial opportunities together to further develop the future of the EPL. 

Today’s extension marks a point of confidence and ambition in the Louvre Agreement, and a commitment from all 15 members that this is a venture they want to invest in for the long haul. But it is not only an extension in years; it includes the opportunity for higher revenues for each of the Member Teams and a tangible commitment and redoubling of efforts in the North American scene. The extension also brings a vote of confidence for the recently launched CS:GO Hub, an integrated analysis and coaching tool, as well as a forum where the long-term viability of new joint ventures, such as a CSGO-focused NFT strategy, can be further discussed.

What  does it mean for the ESL Pro League?

Alex Inglot, Commissioner of the ESL Pro League, said: 

“Despite the global challenges and uncertainties of the last 24 months, I’m proud that together we have created something so dynamic for the CS:GO ecosystem. The Louvre Agreement is a manifestation of a joint desire to create a sustainable yet ambitious framework within CS:GO – one that can serve to positively impact and influence the rest of the ecosystem.

This extension was agreed on unanimously, which reiterates the partner’s joint dedication to our goals of a peerless competition for fans, a stable environment for teams and players, and an attractive destination for investment. There is so much we can achieve now that we are working on a time scale of 2025 and beyond.”

Ralf Reichert, ESL Gaming Co-CEO added:

“Extending the Louvre Agreement is an incredible milestone for our partner teams and ESL. We are very excited to continue to build what we started and intensify our cooperation with the teams across our consumer-facing projects like our CS:GO platforms and other digital initiatives.

As partners the teams have brought the ESL Pro League to a whole new level, and having this agreement extended ensures a balanced governance and decision-making infrastructure for years to come.”

Victor Goossens, Founder and Co-CEO of Team Liquid, who are a partner team of the Louvre Agreement, commented on the extension saying:

“Extending the Louvre Agreement is such a momentous occasion for competitive CS:GO. Not only does it symbolise a commitment by the partner teams to grow the competitive CS:GO space, it’s also a force-for-good in the joint efforts to strengthen the North American CS:GO ecosystem. It’s a display of what we can build together. We play in many different leagues –  the LCS, DreamLeague, EPIC League and many more – but for us, the Louvre Agreement is what makes the ESL Pro League special. We built it, we’re part of it, and now we’re watching it grow. It’s a very fulfilling process and we’re excited to see what this does across the industry.” 

About the Louvre Agreement: 

The Louvre Agreement is a groundbreaking new agreement between 14 leading CS:GO teams and ESL Gaming who jointly govern the setup of the ESL Pro League and the share of revenues and profits from ESL’s Pro Tour competitions. The teams, representing the top level of professional CS:GO, are now majority stakeholders in the league with a long-term slot for participation. By partnering with the leading CS:GO teams the new agreement further establishes the ESL Pro League as one of the most valuable properties in the global business of esports. https://pro.eslgaming.com/csgo/proleague/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Louvre-Agreement.pdf

Remington To Continue As Manchester United’s Official Electrical Styling Partner

Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. and Manchester United jointly announced today the extension of their global partnership, which will see Spectrum Brands’ iconic Remington personal care brand continuing its successful partnership as Manchester United Official Electrical Styling Partner. 

The partnership, which includes both the men’s and women’s teams, will see Remington and the club continue working together to deliver high-impact marketing campaigns and exceptional Remington Manchester United Collection styling products to Manchester United and Remington fans alike. The ongoing, multi-channel activation between Remington and Manchester United aims to celebrate the power of having the confidence to be yourself. 

Since the launch of the partnership in 2019, Remington has created over 800 different consumer activations which have featured in over 50 different countries to a reach of over 1.1 billion Manchester United fans and followers globally. Remington’s pitch side advertising is also visible to a matchday TV audience of 3.5 billion football fans per annum.  

The two global names have worked on many engaging and creative campaigns. Throughout the pandemic the Club and Remington, with the help of first team players, created useful ‘how to’ home haircut videos and fun style challenges. The latest collaboration promotes the ‘Give the Gift of Style’ a campaign featuring players Paul Pogba, David DeGea, Jadon Sancho and Edinson Cavani helping busy fans by wrapping Remington products for well deserving recipients.  

A range of Remington co-branded products are now available in over 39 markets through Remington’s outlets and globally through the online club store, with two new products added to the collection earlier this year. 

Manchester United Director of Partnerships, Sean Jefferson, comments: 

“As a global household name, Remington products are synonymous with style and the success of its Manchester United Collection products is testament to this. However, our partnership extends beyond the amazing product range on offer, to creating interesting and exclusive content to engage with our fans, and promoting positive messaging around finding confidence in being you.  

“We are very proud to extend our relationship with Remington and look forward to continuing to build on our successful partnership.” 

Tim Wright, Vice President for Appliances at Spectrum Brands Holdings comments: 

“The first three years of our partnership with Manchester United have been incredibly positive and enabled us to engage with fans of the club in exciting and creative ways.  

“Extending the partnership is a fantastic opportunity to continue showcasing the quality and versatility of Remington products to passionate fans of the world’s biggest and most revered sports club.” 

Netflix Creating PGA TOUR Documentary Series Featuring Morikawa, Johnson, Koepka, Spieth And More

Netflix has linked up with the PGA TOUR and golf’s major championships for an immersive documentary series following the lives and stories of top professional golfers across a season of high-stakes competition. 

For the first time ever, the PGA TOUR and the governing bodies that conduct men’s major championships — Augusta National Golf Club, the PGA of America, the USGA, and The R&A – will provide entry into the sport’s biggest events including THE PLAYERS Championship and season-ending FedExCup, as well as the four majors: the Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open Championship and The Open. With unprecedented access inside the ropes and behind the scenes, the series will capture the intensity of training, travel, victory, and defeat through the lens of a diverse group of players and their support teams.

Current PGA TOUR player commitments include: Abraham Ancer, Daniel Berger, Cameron Champ, Joel Dahmen, Tony Finau, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Rickie Fowler, Sergio Garcia, Harry Higgs, Max Homa, Viktor Hovland, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Collin Morikawa, Kevin Na, Mito Pereira, Ian Poulter, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, and Bubba Watson. Additionally, the world’s #1-ranked amateur golfer, Keita Nakajima, will participate as he plays in the first major championships of his career. 

“This partnership with Netflix presents the PGA TOUR and the four major championships an opportunity to tap into a completely new and diverse audience,”  said Rick Anderson, Chief Media Officer of the PGA TOUR. “This documentary will give fans an authentic look into the real lives of our athletes, and what it’s like to win — and lose — during a season on the PGA TOUR.”

“We are thrilled to bring golf’s leading organizations and players together for this first-of-its-kind partnership and unparalleled window into life on the Tour,” said Brandon Riegg, Netflix Vice President of Unscripted and Documentary Series. “Our members will love getting to know the players and personalities as well as the iconic venues along the way. Even the most devoted golf fans have never seen the sport quite like this.”

The series is produced by Vox Media Studios (Explained) and Box To Box Films (Formula 1: Drive to Survive). Executive producers are David Check (30 for 30, Four Days in October); Chad Mumm and Mark Olsen for Vox Media Studios; and James Gay-Rees and Paul Martin for Box to Box Films. Filming is underway now throughout 2022.

iSportConnect’s Thoughts: To have some of the world’s star players, five of the top seven in the world, signed up for this series is a huge positive for Netflix. It will be enlightening to be able to get a look behind the scenes at some of the Tour’s events and to see whether this can help to drive a new wave of fans into the sport of golf in a similar manner to Drive to Survive.