Infront And StreamAMG Launch OTT Platform “Ski And Snowboard Live” In US

DEDICATED PLATFORM TO STREAM FIS WORLD CUP EVENTS FOR WINTER SPORTS FANS IN THE USA

Infront, partner of many national ski sports associations and entrusted with the commercialization of the vast majority of ski World Cup races and all World Ski Championships, has partnered with sports OTT specialists StreamAMG to launch Ski and Snowboard Live, a new direct-to-consumer (DTC) service for the US market.

Audiences in the United States can now access live streams from international events of the FIS Alpine, Snowboard, Freestyle Ski and Cross Country World Cup, all of them with English commentary.

The platform will show 160 live races during the 2021/22 season, starting with this weekend’s Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup event in Levi, Finland. The content will be available on an all-inclusive season subscription and pay-per-view package basis. In addition to live events the service will also include on-demand content, highlights, interviews, event replays and other behind-the-scenes footage. 

Infront has partnered with StreamAMG’s sports OTT technology to power the live and on-demand delivery and provide a premium experience for Snowsport fans.

Amikam Kranz, Vice President Media Sales and Operations, Infront said: “We were keen to ensure that snow sport fans in the US were given access to the best possible broadcast and we are delighted to be working with StreamAMG ahead of a thrilling season. This is a unique opportunity for supporters to gain access through a dedicated platform that perfectly serves their expectations in terms of live broadcast and on-demand content.”

Mark Silver, General Manager for North America at StreamAMG added: “We’re delighted to be delivering the FIS World Cup into the US market for Infront. The launch of Ski and Snowboard Live marks a major milestone for StreamAMG as our first Snowsport platform, and we’re excited to be bringing live coverage of some of the most important winter sports events in the world to American audiences.”

Optus Sport Extends Premier League And Women’s Super League Broadcast Deal In Australia Until 2028 And 2024 Respectively

Optus Sport is the home of the world’s best football and has extended its exclusive streaming rights to the Premier League for six more years and BarclaysFA Women’s Super League (WSL) until 2024.

The announcement means Optus remains the Premier League’s exclusive Australian partner to almost the end of the decade and sees the award-winning service extend its coverage of the WSL to 2024, well beyond the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 hosted in Australia.

The historic deal is a win for fans of the beautiful game, with the renewal meaning every Premier League match will be available to watch live and exclusive, on demand replay, and via the highly popular Mini Match edits through Optus Sport.

“We are thrilled to be able to significantly extend our exclusive partnership with Premier League and the FA Women’s Super League and continue to bring the best football coverage to more than a million of our passionate and loyal Optus Sport customers,” said Optus CEO, Kelly Bayer Rosmarin.

“This is another proof point that we are continuing to deliver unique customer experiences and exceptional value for our Mobile and Home customers, in addition to our industry-leading Living Network, Australia’s fastest 5G, and our newly launched SubHub, a revolutionary subscription aggregation platform,” Ms Bayer Rosmarin continued.

“In the six years since securing the exclusive Premier League rights, Optus Sport has become the undisputed home of premium European football and has introduced new Australian audiences to the game whilst setting the benchmark on live sports streaming,” said Optus’ VP of TV, Content and Product Development, Clive Dickens.

“Optus Sport has more than doubled its subscribers since 2018, engagement is up over 49% year-on-year and we’ve seen nine of our top 10 most watched matches occurring during 2021. This includes the historic EURO 2020 England vs Italy Final, which broke the Australian record for a live sports streaming event, with almost one million households watching the match live, no single streamed Tokyo Olympic event reached this many households.”

Paul Molnar, Chief Media Officer at the Premier League said: “The Premier League is delighted to extend our partnership with Optus for a further six seasons up to 2027/28. Optus has proven to be an outstanding home for the Premier League in Australia and has helped to grow the fan base of the Premier League and its clubs through market-leading content and impressive innovation. We are looking forward to continuing to work with Optus in the years ahead.”

The announcement culminates a week of wins for Optus Sport, which was named the Gold Winner for Best Social Media Strategy at the global SportsPro OTT Awards – beating international brands like the NBA and Real Madrid – also picking up Silver in the Platform of the Year category.

Ronseal Extends Partnership With The Rugby Football League

With just one year to go until the UK hosts the final of the rescheduled Rugby League World Cup 2021, premier British woodcare brand Ronseal, has extended its partnership with the Rugby Football League (RFL) by a further 12 months.

The extension sees Ronseal remain the principle partner for Match Officials throughout the game in the UK, meaning that all referees, touch-judges and in-goal judges will continue to feature Ronseal on their shirts during Super League matches.

In addition, Ronseal proudly remains an England Rugby League lead sponsor and will support the teams through to next autumn’s Rugby League World Cup.

The agreement extends the strong partnership between Ronseal and RFL, which since 2018, has encompassed England Men’s, Knights, Women’s, Wheelchair, Academy and Youth squads.

The partnership is focused on ‘pride’, with players and fans having pride in supporting their club and being a part of the rugby league community. To showcase this focus, Ronseal launched its ‘Pride in the Community’ initiative which aims to improve grassroots rugby league facilities and help grow participation of rugby league at all levels. Wigan-based Hindley ARFLC became the first club to receive support to improve their changing rooms and dugouts, with England Rugby League players Oliver Gildart, Stefan Ratchford, Ben Currie and former England captain Jamie Peacock lending a helping hand.

Bobby Bahadoori, RFL Head of Partnerships, said: “2022 will be a huge year for Rugby League and we are delighted to have a trusted brand such as Ronseal providing such great support for us. It’s been a challenging period for all sports, but in Rugby League we are pulling through and building back better – and Ronseal has played a key role in that. We look forward to working with the Ronseal team and having more success over the coming year.”

Jane Ryder, European Marketing Director, Sherwin Williams, said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with the RFL who align with our core values of performance, durability, and integrity.  The ‘Pride in the Community’ initiative perfectly brings together those values by allowing us to give back to our core fans and their communities. Ronseal is a no-nonsense brand which does exactly what it says on the tin – this lines up perfectly with the no-nonsense sport of rugby league.”

Mastercard Become The Shirt Sponsor Of Inter Women

The partnership between Inter and Mastercard has taken a step forward. The club’s collaboration with the leading global payments company, which has been in place since 2018, has now been extended to women’s football.

The new venture with Inter Women is a testament to the commitment both brands have in developing and promoting women’s football movement, both from a sporting and a social perspective. The two brands share the desire to promote gender equality in women’s football, in doing so becoming standard bearers of the values of diversity and inclusion, inspiring new generations of players and fans along the way.

“I’m delighted to announce this partnership with Mastercard. They’re a really important brand for Inter and are committed in developing the women’s game,” declared Alessandro Antonello, Inter’s Corporate CEO. “Mastercard share our values of equality and inclusivity. Consequently we’re happy to see a brand which upholds such values be exhibited on Inter Women shirts.”

As for Mastercard, Italy Country Manager Michele Centemero had these thoughts on the partnership: “We’re more than happy to further our historic collaboration with Inter. We’re seeking to share the emotions derived from such an exciting sport, because we’re aware that one single pass or shot can create Priceless moments. We’re delighted to work alongside Inter Women and to be able to contribute to implementing sustainable programmes based on teamwork, sportsmanship and inclusion which girls and women around the world can aspire to get involved in.”

The partnership will see Mastercard appear on Inter Women’s shirts during Serie A and Coppa Italia matches. It will also see Mastercard and Inter team up and organise various initiatives. Through the involvement of various ambassadors such initiatives will promote female empowerment, tackling issues such as diversity, inclusion and fair play – both on and off the pitch – and inspiring new generations.

FC Barcelona End Ownix NFT Partenership With Immediate Effect, Extend Head & Shoulders Deal

FC Barcelona have today announced they have cancelled their NFT partnership with Ownix.

The brief statement commented:

In light of information received today that goes against the Club’s values, FC Barcelona hereby communicate the cancellation of the contract to create and market NFT digital assets with Ownix with immediate effect.

In other Barcelona news they have announced a renewal of their sponsorship deal with Head & Shoulders.

FC Barcelona and Procter & Gamble’s hair care brand Head & Shoulders (H&S) have renewed their partnership agreement for an additional season. H&S, the world’s No.1 selling shampoo brand will remain a Partner of the Club, with exclusivity as the official shampoo of FC Barcelona in Indonesia until June 30, 2022.

Since signing the original deal in 2013, H&S and FC Barcelona have built a strong relationship managed by the Club’s Asia Pacific regional headquarters in Hong Kong, illustrated by strong and robust business metrics that have led to the partnership extension, now in its eighth year. Drawing upon shared values and a passion for continuous improvement, the partnership has focused on connecting with Barça fans whilst driving excitement among consumers in the Asia Pacific region. Past initiatives include a series of co-branded H&S shampoo bottles, refreshed and updated with new artwork and images of players each season. Other campaigns also offered virtual meet and greets with players, limited edition packs, giveaways, and game app launches.

Besides a newly designed bottle to be unveiled in 2022, this season H&S will expand its reach beyond physical stores and into the e-commerce channels, and leverage Barça’s industry leading social channels to create content that further promotes the partnership, whilst optimizing the digital experience for the Club’s millions of fans in Indonesia. Campaign details can be found via H&S Facebook and Instagram as well as FC Barcelona Facebook and Instagram.

Statement by Ryan Edwards, Head & Shoulders Brand Director

“As the world’s No.1 selling shampoo, Head & Shoulders is committed to providing the most comprehensive solutions to scalp problems for all Indonesians to address their scalp worries so that they can always be at their best, just as how FC Barcelona players are at the highest level of football tournaments. Our partnership with FC Barcelona has enabled us to reach Indonesian consumers who share the passion for football and we are delighted to renew this partnership and continue inspiring them.”

Statement by Juli Guiu, Vice President, Marketing Area at FC Barcelona

“This renewed and extended partnership is a testament to the strength and success of the Club’s longstanding eight-year relationship with Head & Shoulders, a highly recognized global hair care brand. Together, we will continue to drive FC Barcelona and H&S’s growth in Indonesia, whilst encouraging Barça fans to embrace their differences and providing the confidence to face any challenge.

LDN UTD Launches Purpose Driven NFT “LDN Collection”

LDN UTD, the purpose driven esports org, today continues its tech driven journey by entering the crypto world with the launch of its very own community engaging, purpose driven NFT “LDN Collection”.

LDN UTD has partnered with Zeromint and the GoChain Foundation, to integrate their fast, low cost and low energy transactions and sustainable minting of the LDN UTD NFTs on LDN UTD’s platform to support the Rio Ferdinand Foundation.

In an exciting partnership with One Minute Briefs, the Twitter community was tasked to create unique NFT designs that aligned with LDN UTD’s values  whilst incorporating their favourite London landmarks.  After much deliberation of the hundreds of submissions, the artist “Hannah” was selected to create LDN UTD’s first NFT series, the “LDN Collection”.

The “LDN Collection” comprises 10 different NFT art sets of 100 duplicates; 1000 in total.  Each set is designed around a famous London landmark.  The “LDN Collection” is more than just an art collectible related to gaming and London.  The NFTs will provide their owners with exclusive access to LDN UTD content, gaming & tournament events, limited edition merchandise, bespoke partner discounts and offerings, and much more to be announced.

Commencing on 19th November, each design will thereafter be released every 72 hours, with a scavenger hunt giveaway scheduled for each release at the revealed landmark location.  A LDN UTD representative wearing LDN UTD merchandise will be at each location for a period of 2 hours after each set release for participants to find, and then be entered in the giveaway.  Clues to the whereabouts of the representative will be shared during the hunt on LDN UTD social media channels & Discord server. The winner will be announced before the next design is released.

In continued support to the Rio Ferdinand Foundation, LDN UTD is pledging 10% of all NFT net profit sales to be donated to the charity, further helping young people in disadvantaged communities and the inequalities they face, whilst will be working with the Foundation to give their community an opportunity to design future NFT designs.

Oliver Weingarten, Founder/CEO of LDN UTD said:

“It has always been in our roadmap to become a decentralised esports org, and the fact we can continue to stick to our values of engaging community and social purpose in a unique manner with the launch of this engaging NFT campaign for our community is just another step in the right direction of a bigger digital economy platform strategy.” 

Rhiannon Watts, Director of Operations of the Rio Ferdinand Foundation:

“Rio Ferdinand and the Foundation are pleased to partner again with LDN UTD. Esports has shown it can be a force for good, and the fact this is a project with transferable skills that can engage our community reinforces how a combination of technology and art can be utilised to support our community who are interested in this sector.”

Breanne Lawrence, Creative Partnership Manager of One Minute Briefs:

“We were so happy to partner up with LDN UTD on this One Minute Briefs campaign. We’re always keen to explore new and exciting opportunities through our Bank of Creativity platform and to produce content that will become NFTs to help the Rio Ferdinand Foundation is something that our community really enjoyed being involved in. And we are extremely proud of our very own Hannah for being selected to design the first NFT series for LDN UTD!!”

Henry Ines, CEO of GoChain said:

“We are proud to partner with LDN UTD, which shares the same impact-oriented ethos as GoChain. We look forward to working closely with LDN UTD as it becomes the premier decentralised esports platform for gamers, while raising awareness on some of today’s most pressing social issues.”

NBC Sports Extends Exclusive Premier League Partnership For Six More Years

The Premier League and NBCUniversal, via the NBC Sports Group, have today announced a new six-year broadcast deal in the United States.

The agreement, which will see NBC Sports remain the Premier League’s official broadcast partner in the US until 2028, will cover all 380 matches every season. The deal also includes the exclusive rights for Spanish language coverage.

NBC Sports became the home of Premier League coverage in the US in 2013. Since then, the broadcaster has worked with the League, growing its profile and fanbase significantly.

NBC platforms – including NBC, USA Network, NBCSN, NBC Sports digital and Peacock – reach every home in the country with a television or the internet, and NBC Sports’ Premier League Mornings programming has become well-established viewing for American fans.

Richard Masters, Premier League Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to announce our new US broadcast deal with NBC Sports, who have been brilliant partners for the Premier League over the last nine seasons. NBC Sports has significantly strengthened the popularity of the League in the United States in that time through its fantastic coverage and promotion.

“NBC Sports’ Premier League Mornings programming is now a real institution among supporters in America, with fans getting up early to come together and cheer on their favourite club, week in, week out. It’s an exciting time for football in the US and we look forward to continuing to work with NBC Sports to bring our competition to even more fans over the next six years.”

Pete Bevacqua, NBC Sports Chairman, said: “We are excited to come to this long-term extension with the Premier League. Our Premier League team, led by Jon Miller, has been incredibly dedicated to growing the Premier League in the United States over the last nine years. This new agreement is also a testament to the hard work of production, marketing and other areas of our company, as well as the tremendous partnership that has been established with the leadership and club owners of the Premier League.”

McLaren Racing Announces New Partnership With DataRobot

McLaren Racing today announced a new partnership with AI Cloud platform leader, DataRobot, as an Official Partner of the McLaren Formula 1 team.

DataRobot delivers a unified platform for organisations across industries to unlock the full potential of AI and deliver clear impact for their business goals, powering over a trillion predictions for leading companies around the world.

As part of this relationship, DataRobot’s AI Cloud technology platform will be integrated into the McLaren Racing infrastructure, delivering AI-powered predictions and insights to maximise performance and optimise simulations. 

From this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix, DataRobot branding will be visible on the nose of the McLaren MCL35M race cars and on the race suits of McLaren F1 drivers, Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo. 

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, said: 

“DataRobot is a leader in its field, bringing its innovative technology and platform to top businesses around the globe. McLaren Racing continues to lead in innovation and technology, and partnerships with the likes of DataRobot allow us to progress, improve and support our team in our ongoing push for optimum performance. We are delighted to welcome DataRobot as they join our partner family for the Qatar Grand Prix this weekend.”

Dan Wright, CEO, DataRobot, said:

“Formula 1 has a long tradition of pushing the limits of racing, continuously innovating to give drivers and teams a unique edge in one of the most competitive sports on the planet. DataRobot is excited to unlock the next generation of racing with McLaren Racing, leveraging AI to transform millions of pieces of data into insights that optimise team strategy, operations and performance. This innovative partnership brings together the most advanced platforms in racing and AI, where every millisecond is key.”

Ring and Made By Sport Launch Community Fund To Support Stronger, Safer Spaces

Ring, whose mission is to make neighbourhoods safer, and UK charity Made By Sport, have today announced a new initiative to support families and youth across the UK to help create stronger spaces for communities. 

This program will support Made By Sport’s ongoing mission to champion sports-led solutions for communities, raise awareness of sport for social change, and fund initiatives to build stronger community spaces.

Ring is an Amazon company and its collaboration with Made By Sport includes a monetary donation that will create a community-driven fund. Via grants, the charity will be able to reach more local clubs and centres that are driving positive social change. 

“At Ring, we believe in our mission of making neighbourhoods safer for everyone, and that involves working with those who know their communities best,” said Dave Ward, Managing Director of Ring, Europe and International. “We are proud and humbled to support Made By Sport and the work that they do to contribute to provide and inspire young people to take a more active role in their communities. Protecting our home is about more than the four walls that we live in. Communities have always been a priority at Ring; I greatly admire Made By Sport’s positive work in this space and am delighted that Ring can support their ongoing dedication to creating safer, stronger communities.”

New research commissioned by Ring emphasises the effect that sport has on the community, with three quarters of Brits surveyed (75%) believing that sport builds community spirit. Helping maintain physical and mental wellbeing (45%), creating new connections (36%), placing an importance on teamwork (30%), breaking barriers within the community and developing strong relationships (both 28%) are cited as the main ways in which sports helps to develop community cohesion. 

Community sport has offered a level of comfort for many after a turbulent year and are set to continue to thrive. A fifth of Brits (19%) plan to join a community sports team or initiative now that restrictions have lifted, with this rising to 23% of men and almost two fifths (38%) of those aged 18-34. Meanwhile, four in 10 parents (41%) will be looking to enrol their children into a community initiative following the easing of lockdown. 

Made By Sport supports organisations across the UK to raise awareness of the power of sport to change lives, and to raise funds for the organisations shaping a stronger future for young people and encouraging them to take an active role in their communities. When it comes to community sport, almost a third of Brits (30%) agree that sport teams/initiatives play a big role in their community, with a quarter (26%) citing sport as a way for them to connect better with the community and a further 24% admitting they enjoy meeting new people through community sport. 

Sophie Mason, CEO of Made By Sport says: “We started Made By Sport with the mission to champion the power of sport to change lives, and to raise vital funds for community-driven organisations that help to transform the lives of young people across the country. We are passionate about what sport does, not just what it is.

“Sport is a crucial part of growing up, teaching us life lessons, and acting as a solution, and even life saver, for many young people. We’re excited to work with Ring, a company that shares in our mission and with their support, we are eager to further raise awareness of the impact of sport, and to help create, support, and shine a light on, the local spaces that provide invaluable contributions to community safety.”

HBL Retains Title Sponsorship Of Pakistan Super League To 2025

Pakistan Super League has received a major boost from HBL who have reacquired the title sponsorship of the PCB’s pinnacle tournament for another four-year cycle (2022-2025).

HBL not only exceeded the reserve price in reacquiring the rights but sealed it with a 55 per cent jump from last cycle, which speaks volumes of their belief in the PSL brand.

HBL earned title sponsorship rights following a public tender process in which seven interested parties had collected the bid documents.

PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja: “I am delighted that the HBL have further strengthened their bond and relationship with the Pakistan Cricket Board by committing to support the Pakistan Super League for another four years. Reality is that HBL, in fact, have been investing in the future stars of Pakistan cricket through PSL for which we are eternally grateful.

“Their decision to continue the partnership is also a validation and endorsement of the brand and product the HBL PSL has become, thanks to the untiring efforts of the Pakistan Cricket Board staff and our valued franchises. Both the PCB and franchises, with the patronage of HBL, have worked tirelessly to make the league glamorous, entertaining and exciting for the fans as well as the shortest format specialists who are keen to feature in it.”

HBL Chief Operating Officer Sagheer Mufti: “HBL is pleased to renew its commitment to Pakistan’s largest sporting platform, Pakistan Super League (PSL) for a further four years. This will mark HBL’s support for this national initiative for 10 years, since its inception in 2016. HBL remains committed to playing its part in promoting Pakistan and cricket.”

HBL Chief Marketing & Communications Officer Ali Habib: “HBL is all about ‘enabling dreams’ and this synchronizes perfectly with PSL’s philosophy to provide an enabling platform to the young, emerging cricketers of the country. HBL wishes PCB all the success in staging this mega sporting platform that provides fans the world over the opportunity to enjoy the best that cricket has to offer.”