AC Milan Launches On Chinese Short Video App Kuaishou

AC Milan is continuing its growth path in the digital world and is reinforcing its presence in the Chinese market by launching its official channel on Kuaishou, one of the most popular platforms for short videos and live streaming in China.

Kuaishou was founded in 2011 and it is an app that allows users to share moments of their daily life in the form of short videos or live streams, during which the streamer can interact with its viewers. Kuaishou is currently the most-downloaded app in China and has already gathered over 573 million users per month.

Via their new Kuaishou channel, AC Milan will publish content ranging from exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, videos from the past and present to local and global fan-related content, all in short-form video formats and through live streaming.

Kuaishou will become a strategic asset to increase localised merchandising and social commerce in China, allowing for more locally-oriented collaborations with opinion leaders and influencers. As part of the launch, AC Milan will host a jersey giveaway, which will be promoted on the app with a video and will put a shirt signed by Olivier Giroud up for grabs.

Launching on the Kuaishou platform allows AC Milan to continue with its modernisation and digitalization process, which began with the arrival of the new ownership in 2018. Since then, the Club has opened channels on the most popular social media platforms to be able to communicate more effectively with the over 500 million AC Milan fans worldwide. In the last year alone, AC Milan has in fact become the most-followed Italian football club on Twitch with over 76,000 followers. In addition, the Club launched the new “The Studios: Milan Media House” – an innovative hub for the production and sharing of media content – which represents a big step in the evolution of AC Milan as a media company. The new Studios allow the Club to reinforce the emotional link with its consumer base and engage new users thanks to increasingly relevant content adapted to the various platforms.

Kuaishou will provide the Club with a new fan engagement tool in a key market for AC Milan, in which the Rossoneri already have a strong digital and physical presence, with a new office that opened in Shanghai earlier in the year. With Kuaishou, the Club is now present on eight social media platforms in China, with over 3.8 million followers across all of them. Earlier this year, AC Milan was also found to be the best-regarded Italian football brand in China by international analysis and research group YouGov.

Launch Of US Rugby Sevens Major League To Take Place In Las Vegas, Teams To Compete For Record $1M Prize

The Rugby Football League (RFL), a newly formed US company, has today launched the first-ever US Rugby Sevens Major League, which will see the world’s best international male players battle it out against the best US players for record-breaking prize money.

Kicking off in October 2022 in Las Vegas, the RFL, aspires to create a truly new fan experience combining the energy of Rugby Sevens events with the excitement of betting, in a new, immersive and integrating offering. Fans at home and in the Stadium will have never seen before access to live betting markets, in-running stats, insights and expert advice throughout each game. The RFL will work with leading betting tech providers to deliver this ground-breaking betting proposition, taking advantage of new innovations and gamification developments – #racetrackrugby.

The inaugural RFL event will feature the top 12 international teams pitted against 4 US Team Franchises to win their share of the $1,000,000 prize money. From 2023, the RFL will expand to up to 17 tournaments in major US cities and will feature up to 16 US Team Franchises playing with top international teams.

The RFL has assembled a team of expert professionals lead by former World Rugby Competition General Manager Philippe Bourdarias (RFL CEO) who commented: “The RFL is an amazing development for the game of Rugby in the US. There is a huge appetite for Rugby Sevens events in the US, as shown by the record breaking RWC Sevens 2018 in San Francisco and the success of the Las Vegas Sevens over the years. We feel that there is a huge growth opportunity for the RFL and Franchises with an innovative model whereby the League centralises all expenses and rights, leaving the fun side of the League (managing the teams) to the Franchisees.”

Philippe is supported by former Las Vegas Sevens organiser Rob Cornelius (COO) and former European Rugby Cup (Heineken Cup), Paddy Power and Racing Post executive Eugene Delaney (Gaming and Commercial adviser), to build and deliver this ambitious project. Backed by a US-based financial consortium, the League will be a game changing breakthrough for the development of the game in the US.

RFL Gaming and Commercial advisor, Eugene Delaney, said: “The RFL delivers a truly innovative concept with fan engagement front and foremost. We want to provide a new and unique experience for fans at the stadium and at home by working with sportsbooks to create dynamic betting offering, something not available in any of the other US Sports leagues. Our Race Track Rugby concept will enable us to leverage the fast-growing live betting market, providing sportsbooks with a fantastic opportunity for customer acquisition and engagement. Given our unique positioning, we are already in partnership talks with US and European operators.”

Next League Launches With NASCAR Partnership

Next League, founded by a team of digital technology experts with decades of success in the sports, media and entertainment industries, announced its launch today. Driven by the combination of growth and innovation, coupled with making investments that have lasting social impact, Next League is poised to introduce a massive shift to the traditional agency and technology services company model.

With the sweeping digital technology changes currently being introduced and the advent of Web3, Next League is positioned to meet a complex new world of connected technologies head on. Next League will provide thought leadership, product design, software and systems development and integration, and the maintenance and management of existing products and platforms, as well as new and emerging ones. The company is investing in this emerging technology landscape, which includes blockchain and the open metaverse, in addition to new and important technology advancements in sports betting and gaming.  

“Technology has changed more in the last 10 years or so than in the 100 years preceding it, and it’s advancing faster than ever,” said Next League’s Co-Founder and CEO David Nugent. “To remain competitive and successful, companies must understand these changes and adapt them to their businesses. We are excited to bring our decades of experience in our target industries, track record of delivering results, and passion for innovation to the market to help our client partners exceed their goals.”

NASCAR, the top motorsport series in the United States, has already agreed to a multi-year client partnership.

“I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working closely with the team that is leading Next League for many years,” said Tim Clark, Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer at NASCAR. “2022 is going to be a huge year for us as we roll out our NextGen car, among other initiatives. We look forward to partnering with the Next League team as we continue to innovate and develop new ways to engage our existing fans and reach new ones.”    

Next League is focused both on the results it commits to delivering and the quality of the experience getting to that result. 

“In addition to thought leadership and deep technology expertise, our value lives within the people who work for the company. We hire great people and then align them to the people and culture of our client’s organizations,” added Mike Grushin, Next League’s Co-Founder and CTO. “As is the case with NASCAR and others, this is part of the value we bring to our clients which has led to real partnerships that last many years.” 

With a commitment to team (both client partners and employees), diversity (creating meaningful opportunities for women and people of color) and cause (a percentage of profits will be donated to various nonprofit causes), Next League is proud to lean into its positioning as a talent and culture-driven organization. 

“Dave, Mike, and their entire team have spent many years delivering great results and the highest level of service for some of the most important sports and media properties in the world,” said Doug Perlman, Founder and CEO of Sports Media Advisors, who also sits on the Next League Advisory Board. “I know the sports ecosystem will be excited about this latest venture; it’s never been more needed than it is right now.” 

Next League’s other Advisory Board members include Alysse Soll (Chair, Women in Sports Tech and Deal Co-Chair of the Harvard Business School HBS Alumni Angels), Dan Mannix (Senior Advisor, CSM North America) and Igor Ulis (Chief Digital Officer, Liberty Lending). 

More information on Next League, and its positioning as part of a larger business announcement, will come in early 2022.

ParalympicsGB And Adidas Renew Partnership Until 2024

ParalympicsGB and adidas have renewed their partnership for a further three years in a deal that covers both the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games and the Paris 2024 Paralympic Summer Games.

The extended partnership builds on a strong history between adidas and Great Britain’s Paralympic team which dates back to the Beijing 2008 Games, when adidas first became the official kit supplier to the team.

As part of the renewal, adidas and ParalympicsGB will explore new ways to evolve the partnership to harness the growing interest in Paralympic sport and the ParalympicsGB team.

Mike Sharrock, Chief Executive of ParalympicsGB, said: “I am delighted that ParalympicsGB will continue to work closely alongside adidas for the next three years.

“Our collaborative relationship has meant that for the last 13 years the ParalympicsGB team has been empowered to perform at the highest level on the field of play while proudly wearing kit that not only looks great but incorporates the very best in innovation and technology.

“adidas’ support has enabled ParalympicsGB and our athletes to continually break down barriers and challenge stereotypes around disability, and I believe that together we can expand on this even further as we strive to ensure disability, and ParalympicsGB, remain Impossible to Ignore.”

Chris Walsh, VP Brand, adidas Northern Europe said: “At adidas we pride ourselves on crafting product that is inclusive, with creativity and innovation at its heart. We have brought those values to life in the ParalympicsGB kit designs throughout our collaboration and we are excited to continue our winning partnership.”

Penny Briscoe, ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission at Tokyo 2020, said, “Yet again adidas delivered a superb array of kit for our ParalympicsGB athletes at Tokyo 2020, putting performance across all sports – from archery to wheelchair rugby – at the heart of their thinking.

“I know the entire team in Tokyo was enormously proud to pull on their ParalympicsGB adidas kit on the biggest stage of all, the Paralympic Games. Knowing that the kit had sustainability and performance technologies at its core made it all the more exciting and I look forward to seeing what comes next.”

Glasgow To Host 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships

World Athletics has announced that Glasgow will host the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships following a successful bid process.

The Emirates Arena will stage the biggest Indoor athletics championships in the world, five years on from holding the hugely successful European Athletics Indoor Championships in 2019.

News of the award has delighted the bid partners EventScotland, Glasgow Life, UK Athletics and UK Sport who received the outcome of the World Athletics Council vote earlier this afternoon.

Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, said:

“I’m delighted that Glasgow has been chosen to host the prestigious World Athletics Indoor Championships in 2024. This will underline Scotland’s global reputation as the Perfect Stage for events and is welcome news as we look to recover from the pandemic.”

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said:

“We are delighted that Glasgow and Scotland have been chosen to host the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships. Scotland is the perfect stage for events and securing the Championships reinforces our reputation as a global leader in the delivery of innovative and world class events.

“We look forward to working closely with World Athletics and our partners to deliver the truly memorable Championships, and to welcoming athletes and fans from around the world to Glasgow and Scotland in 2024.”

Councillor David McDonald, Chair of Glasgow Life and Depute Leader of Glasgow City Council, said:

“Today’s announcement by World Athletics recognises Glasgow’s global reputation as a first choice host for major sporting events and as a city with a track record of delivering world-class event experiences. It’s a privilege to be bringing the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships to the Emirates Arena, which is widely regarded as one of the best athletics venues in the world.

“Glasgow is committed to using major international events to encourage participation in sport and physical activity, and to ensuring the positive impact of events benefits local communities. Together with our partners, we’re looking forward to continuing that important work and to delivering an outstanding Championships which helps to inspire Scotland’s next generation of talented athletes.”

Ian Beattie, Chair of UK Athletics said:

“We are delighted to be awarded the opportunity to host the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships. World Athletics have demonstrated their confidence in the UK to host global athletics championships once again, and history has shown time and time again our ability to deliver amazing events.

“We’re thrilled with the outcome and look forward to a successful Championships working alongside our partners that will truly give all athletes a fantastic stage upon which to perform.”

Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair of UK Sport said:

“I am delighted that with our event hosting partners, we have secured another world class event to take place in Scotland. As part of our new strategy to reach, inspire and unite communities across the UK, ensuring a wide geographical reach is of utmost importance to us. The National Lottery investment into this event will help ensure a truly inspirational event, both on and off the field of play.”

Why Metaverses Are Exploding In Value

The Metaverse is one of the biggest topics in the world right now. Pedro Febrero, Head of Blockchain at RealFevr, explains what it truly means and why their value is becoming exponentially higher.

‘Metaverse’ refers to the transformation of the physical space into the digital realm. In a way, it’s opening a Pandora’s box to a new universe of possibilities that will, in our humble opinion, become the new frontier for human interaction: one where avatars will rule the ‘metauniverse’, without borders, restrictions or physical limitations.

We believe that the critical innovation of the metaverse is that it will allow peers to create, connect, feel and live inside a digital community. 

From Web 2.0 to Web 3.0

“The next major technological platform for creative expansion of the mind will be cyberspace, or more specifically the Metaverse, a functional successor to today’s 2D Internet, with virtual places instead of Webpages.” – Alex Vikoulov, “The Syntellect Hypothesis: Five Paradigms of the Mind’s Evolution”.

“While we acknowledge that cyber-communities have been there since the dawn of the internet, the revolution the metaverse is leading to is far greater than a few chat rooms”

Humans are social creatures, and like all social beings, we crave human companionship and interaction. 

What’s the point of succeeding in life if there’s nobody there to cheer for you, love you and cherish those precious moments with you?

While we acknowledge that cyber-communities have been there since the dawn of the internet, the revolution the metaverse is leading to is far greater than a few chat rooms, giant social media and online marketplaces, behemoths, and gaming.

It’s our core belief that metaverses incorporate far greater features and embed technology that is unmatched by any web2 competitor that exists today. Not only is a metaverse a digital social space, but they also provide a “physical” digital space for users to build their infrastructure on (like Minecraft), open marketplaces of non-fungible and fungible items (NFTs and tokens), a voting structure for token holders to express their opinions and vision (Opensea, Snapshot), as well as open-protocols that enable participants to build financial systems (Maker, Aave) are interoperable and allow any peer to transpose items from one metaverse into another (Decentraland, The Sandbox, Cryptovoxels, etc.). 

Essentially, Web3 opens the doors to a p2p-style matrix that connects every user to a dimension outside the “meat-space”. 

How Do Metaverses Work?

According to Investopedia:

“The metaverse is a digital reality that combines aspects of social media, online gaming, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and cryptocurrencies to allow users to interact virtually. Augmented reality overlays visual elements, sound, and other sensory input onto real-world settings to enhance the user experience. In contrast, virtual reality is entirely virtual and enhances fictional realities. 

As the metaverse grows, it will create online spaces where user interactions are more multidimensional than current technology supports. Instead of just viewing digital content, users in the metaverse will be able to immerse themselves in a space where the digital and physical worlds converge.” 

“Metaverse projects generally have an internal currency that empowers participants to govern the protocol and trade.”

Metaverses exist in many different blockchains, such as Ethereum or Binance Smart Chain, and they create a set of tools and rules that enable participants to create virtual worlds and items. Metaverses typically incorporate a bundle of smart contracts that make them a highly complex Dapp and combine verticals from financials, governance, aesthetics, among other things. 

Commonly, some boundaries limit the size of the virtual world, and users can acquire parcels to build their infrastructure on and to rent or sell. Additionally, metaverse projects generally have an internal currency that empowers participants to govern the protocol and trade. 

Some metaverses have finished products, like Axie Infinity; others let users create their vision within, like Decentraland or The Sandbox. 

Any project that creates a virtual digital economy through gamified steps (or games) has essentially started a metaverse. 

Metaverses

(https://www.coingecko.com/en/categories/metaverse) 

According to Coingecko, the total market capitalization of metaverses projects is close to $30 billion. The three leading projects are Axie Infinity, Decentraland and The Sandbox.

To fully understand the sheer price appreciation of these projects, since their bottom, $AXS has grown 105,831%, $LAND about 42,046%, and $SAND around 14,000%. 

“We think the upcoming years will be generous for all those who build their vision in these metaverses, given the many opportunities that will soon arise.”

While this represents spectacular growth and a massive opportunity to make some sick gains, we think these projects are just starting. The general population awareness for crypto is still relatively low, much less for metaverse-related projects. 

Hence, we think the upcoming years will be generous for all those who build their vision in these metaverses, given the many opportunities that will soon arise. 

Why Are Metaverses Trending?

“Ultima IV was the first game I wanted the player to respond to what I called ‘moral dilemmas and ethical challenges’ as they personally would [and not like an alter ego]. While doing my research on virtues and ethics…to look for ethical parables or moral philosophy I came across the concept of the word ‘avatar’ in a lot of Hindu texts. In that case, the avatar was the physical manifestation of a god when it came down to earth. That’s perfect, because really I’m trying to test your spirit within my fictional realm.” — Richard Garriott, in “Coining Term Avatar”.

(https://www.statista.com/statistics/499714/global-virtual-reality-gaming-sales-revenue/)

According to Statista, the “Global Virtual Reality Gaming Services Revenue” will increase by  600% from 2017 until 2024, which shows the sheer interest by the general public in virtual reality games. 

We add that this chart does not consider the massive growth of metaverse projects in the cryptocurrency space. For instance, there are NFT projects like Cryptopunks or Boredapes that create virtual avatars that are worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Another example is domain names (ENS, Unstoppable Domains) that enable a human-readable name for blockchain public addresses. These domain name resolvers link addresses to URLs, allowing the owners to receive payments directly to their domain names. 

Hence, we conclude that the Cambrian explosion of metaverses has not yet begun. Once the total value generated reaches $1 trillion, that’s when we believe corporations and behemoths of the private sector will start to pay close attention and to put some serious coin into some of these projects.

Facebook’s recent move to change its name to “Meta”, shows how committed some organizations are towards the digital revolution. 

What RealFevr Envisions For The Future

(https://dappradar.com/nft/marketplaces)

“From 2005 and 2007, I celebrated my birthdays online” – Fred Antunes, CEO at RealFevr.

At this writing, the top three marketplaces had a combined daily volume of over $100 million and a total volume that has already surpassed $15 billion. 

As we wrote above, while these metrics may seem impressive, we think these are still rookie numbers. What we are witnessing is just the tip of the iceberg. The potential growth that is still yet to be unlocked could go far beyond our wildest dreams. 

“Our goal is not only to build critical innovation but also to spawn new revenue streams through services that meet all of our partners web3 needs.”

RealFevr is building towards that future by developing innovative tools in the DeFi space, such as tradable stakes, fractionalized borrowing and lending or NFT fusions; not only that, but we’re also leading the P2E gaming revolution by combining DeFi protocols with NFT-based games that enable a far juicier economical experience to the end-user. 

Our goal is not only to build critical innovation but also to spawn new revenue streams through services that meet all of our partners (clubs and sports institutions) web3 needs, be it blockchain development, product design, consultancy and ultimately, guidance in navigating the metaverse. 

To conclude, RealFevr has so far developed four main products: Fantasy leagues, NFTs (digital collectibles), the marketplace and the staking pools. Each product has massive traction and the profitability rate has been increasing throughout the years.

Our business model incorporates players, clubs and protocol launchpads, meaning that any project can deploy our technology at the click of a button. 

Pedro Febrero, Head of Blockchain, RealFevr

If this piece interests you, you may like to know that we are hosting an open virtual workshop on Tuesday, December 7th at 2pm GMT looking at – The Next Chapter of the Internet: Engaging with the Metaverse via Augmented Reality.

If you would like to join the discussion, please email bethany@isportconnect.com

Discovery Acquires Exclusive Rights In Italy For Africa Cup Of Nations

Discovery Italia has acquired the exclusive rights to the 33rd Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), with fans able to stream all 52 matches live on discovery+ from 9th January 2022.

As part of a whole month of live football on discovery+, the two top AFCON teams will face off against one another in the final on 6th February 2022 at the Olembè Stadium in Yaoundè, the capital of Cameroon and the host nation.

In the agreement, brokered by the AGON agency, matches will be shown on discovery+, with key fixtures, including the final, also shown live on Eurosport, bringing the biggest game in African football to the widest possible audience in Italy.

The title holders Algeria made history by winning their second AFCON title in front of 75,000 fans in 2019 and ‘The Greens’ will be challenged by 23 other nations in six groups of four teams in the battle to retain their title. The first two nations in each group will qualify for the elimination phase, with the four best third-placed teams completing the round of 16.

There is a huge global interest in the Africa Cup of Nations that over the years has become more and more popular with fans from all over the world, aided by some of the best African players enjoying their club football in the main European leagues, including Serie A, with Napoli’s star players such as Kalidou Koulibaly, André-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Victor Osimhen, ‘Milanisti’ Ismaël Bennacer and Franck Kessie to Bologna’s Musa Barrow and Torino’s Wilfried Singo. There is also a plethora of the greatest African players involved in the 2021 AFCON currently playing in the Premier League such as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané and Riyad Mahrez to name a few, as well as La Liga’s Youssef En-Nesyri and Ligue 1’s Achraf Hakimi.

“We are very pleased to host such a prestigious sport event on discovery+, further enhancing our premium sports offer, that represents content of absolute value for our subscribers. discovery+ will be the destination for all fans of this fascinating and iconic competition, brightened by the many champions performing in our Serie A league.

“It kicks off a huge year of sport on discovery+ Italia with some of the biggest events including the Australian Open tennis and the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 following soon after, offering fans unrivalled streaming access to the widest range of world-class competitions.” said Alessandro Araimo, CEO of Discovery Italia.

“The status and prestige of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations is clearly demonstrated by the demand of its continent from our media rights holders and partners. We are confident that the Cameroon edition will once again provide great entertainment to millions of football fans across the world. We welcome on board Discovery Italia, Eurosport and we are looking forward to a successful partnership in January and February 2022.” said CAF General Secretary, Veron Mosengo-Omba.

The Africa Cup of Nations kicks off on 9th January with Cameroon vs. Burkina Faso at 18:00 CET and Ethiopia vs. Cape Verde at 21:00 CET, with the final on Sunday 6th February, which will also be broadcast on Eurosport as well as streaming on discovery+.

WTA Suspends Tournaments In China Following Peng Shuai Case

The WTA have enforced a suspension of events and collaboration with China due to the ongoing Peng Shuai case in the country following her allegations against a high ranking official in the country.

WTA Chairman and CEO announced the decision in a statement last night, saying:

“When on November 2, 2021, Peng Shuai posted an allegation of sexual assault against a top Chinese government official, the Women’s Tennis Association recognized that Peng Shuai’s message had to be listened to and taken seriously. The players of the WTA, not to mention women around the world, deserve nothing less.

From that moment forward, Peng Shuai demonstrated the importance of speaking out, particularly when it comes to sexual assault, and especially when powerful people are involved. As Peng said in her post, “even if it is like an egg hitting a rock, or if I am like a moth drawn to the flame, inviting self-destruction, I will tell the truth about you.” She knew the dangers she would face, yet she went public anyway. I admire her strength and courage.

Since then, Peng’s message has been removed from the internet and discussion of this serious issue has been censored in China. Chinese officials have been provided the opportunity to cease this censorship, verifiably prove that Peng is free and able to speak without interference or intimidation, and investigate the allegation of sexual assault in a full, fair, and transparent manner. Unfortunately, the leadership in China has not addressed this very serious issue in any credible way. While we now know where Peng is, I have serious doubts that she is free, safe, and not subject to censorship, coercion, and intimidation. The WTA has been clear on what is needed here, and we repeat our call for a full and transparent investigation – without censorship – into Peng Shuai’s sexual assault accusation.

None of this is acceptable nor can it become acceptable. If powerful people can suppress the voices of women and sweep allegations of sexual assault under the rug, then the basis on which the WTA was founded – equality for women – would suffer an immense setback. I will not and cannot let that happen to the WTA and its players.

As a result, and with the full support of the WTA Board of Directors, I am announcing the immediate suspension of all WTA tournaments in China, including Hong Kong. In good conscience, I don’t see how I can ask our athletes to compete there when Peng Shuai is not allowed to communicate freely and has seemingly been pressured to contradict her allegation of sexual assault. Given the current state of affairs, I am also greatly concerned about the risks that all of our players and staff could face if we were to hold events in China in 2022.

I have been gratified by the massive amount of international support the WTA has received for its position on this matter. To further protect Peng and many other women throughout the world, it is more urgent than ever for people to speak out. The WTA will do everything possible to protect its players. As we do so, I hope leaders around the world will continue to speak out so justice can be done for Peng, and all women, no matter the financial ramifications.

I very much regret it has come to this point. The tennis communities in China and Hong Kong are full of great people with whom we have worked for many years. They should be proud of their achievements, hospitality, and success. However, unless China takes the steps we have asked for, we cannot put our players and staff at risk by holding events in China. China’s leaders have left the WTA with no choice. I remain hopeful that our pleas will be heard and the Chinese authorities will take steps to legitimately address this issue.”

Liberty Signs As A-League Women Naming Rights Partner

The advance of women’s football has reached a new level with the signing of the biggest sponsorship deal in the history of the women’s league.

Non-bank lender Liberty will become the first naming rights partner of the newly rebranded A-League Women in a multi-million-dollar tie-up commencing with the start of the new season on Friday.

The multi-year deal recasts Australia’s two elite football competitions as partners at the top of the game, with the women’s Liberty A-League sitting alongside the Isuzu Ute A-League for the men.

The investment, which on a per-year basis sets a new benchmark for the women’s league, comes as interest in the game surges in the lead up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 to be held in Australia and New Zealand. 

Liberty’s investment in the women’s competition is the latest milestone in the A-Leagues’ ambitious commercial development strategy, with the growth of women’s football at the heart of it.

The A-Leagues have already announced an expansion program for the Liberty A-League up to 12 teams by next season, and signed a ground-breaking pay deal that enshrines equal conditions for men and women.

Announcing the partnership with Liberty, A-Leagues Managing Director Danny Townsend said: “The A-Leagues is proud and excited to welcome Liberty as a new naming rights partner. The team shares our passion for football, for diversity and for empowering women to pursue their dreams.

“We have seen a significantly expanding interest in women’s football – from grassroots through to the Matildas. By investing in women’s professional football through Liberty A-League, we offer more pathways for emerging players, ensuring our world-class competition is truly sustainable”.

Interest in the game is surging ahead of the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

Liberty CEO James Boyle said the company was delighted to further its support and involvement in Australian sport.

“Through the Liberty A-League we reaffirm our support for women in professional sport,” said Liberty CEO, James Boyle. “We are passionate about helping to provide the platform that women’s football deserves.”

“As a pioneer of financial inclusion, we support those who forge their own path, both on and off the field. The athletes currently playing in the Liberty A-League embody this spirit – they are the trailblazers at the top of their game.”

The partnership follows on from the Isuzu UTE A-League naming rights partnership for the men’s competition, with the 2021/22 season kicking off two weeks ago, as well as the recently unveiled content partnership with 10 ViacomCBS across both free-to-air and their new streaming service Paramount+.

The APL has also recently launched KEEPUP, the digital home of global football in Australia, which will be used as a key tool in expanding the coverage of the Liberty A-League. It also comes just ten months after the APL took over the running of Australia’s elite club competitions.

In another milestone, from Friday 3 December, the A-Leagues will unify its Facebook and Instagram channels, reinforcing its commitment to providing the best football fan experience across all Leagues. 

“This is an exciting and important moment for the game of football in Australia and for the growth of the women’s game in particular. At A-Leagues we want to see equality and equity across football, including fair access to facilities, coaching, pathways into the game. We know this is a work in progress, but the partnership with Liberty is a great step on the journey,” said Ant Hearne, Chief Commercial Officer.

The naming rights agreement with Liberty covers a broad range of marketing opportunities including player kit branding, signage and branding rights across all A-Leagues channels, digital content and activation rights at all A-League Women’s matches. 

Five Takeaways From Subscription Show 2021

This year’s Subscription Show, which took place on November 1 to 3 in New York, was an extra special occasion for us at Vindicia (and not just as sponsors of the event). After all these months of Zoom, there is no underestimating the pleasure of seeing our industry come together for some good old face-to-face networking. Colleagues, partners, clients, and competitors alike were eager to catch up and discover in-person what’s new and hot in subscriptions.

The city felt alive, the Vindicia booth was buzzing, and you could feel the excitement in the air. As we gear up for a new year, here are five key takeaways I learned at the Subscription Show:

1. Everyone is passionate about data

One topic is on everyone’s mind – data. Data is the key to learning about user patterns and behaviors, and that knowledge is what drives smarter subscriptions and bundles. At Vindicia, subscription intelligence is our expertise; after all, we’ve been gathering and analyzing it for 18 years.

“We know that data is the undercurrent that fuels the entire subscription journey, from acquisition to engagement and retention.”

We know that data is the undercurrent that fuels the entire subscription journey, from acquisition to engagement and retention (the topic of one of my speaker sessions), and we know how to use data to drive better e-commerce connections. It is incredibly exciting to be able to share in meaningful conversations about data, a subject that is so close to our own hearts.

2. Face-to-face is the winner, hands down

This year’s show was a hybrid mix of in-person and virtual events, and of course, safety is still a top priority. But there’s no getting around it – seeing people in the flesh is the absolute best way to connect and get to know one another. Being able to share a drink, sit down to a meal, look one another in the eye, and let the conversation flow was a truly special feeling, and one I hope will be repeated often. “New normal?” Nah, nothing beats face-to-face interactions.

3. E2E is not a dirty word

At this year’s show, I detected a shift in the way that the industry perceives the subscription experience. Instead of subscriptions just being a bunch of touchpoints, there is much discussion around “end-to-end” customer journeys. It is no longer enough to consider each part of the customer funnel separately or as its own unit.

“Now is a great opportunity to step back and zoom out from the day-to-day of what we do.”

Today it is vital to explore the horizontal journey the user takes along the entire lifetime of their subscription. Bottom line: a subscription is an ongoing relationship between user and brand, and the industry is starting to embrace this new concept of E2E.

4. Manhattan is back

What a sight for sore eyes. Manhattan is bouncing back big time from COVID hibernation, and it was very moving to see the city buzzing once again. The “big lights, big city” vibe is slowly returning, and with it everything we love about New York. That feeling definitely contributed to the amazing buzz of the show itself. Let’s keep it coming.

5. Zoom out

After a couple of years of incessant Zooming, one of the things that struck me at the show was that it’s now time to zoom out. Subscription products can be so complex, it is easy to get bogged down in details. But now is a great opportunity to step back and zoom out from the day-to-day of what we do, focus on the larger pain points of our customers, and how we can better understand them and build lasting relationships. Connecting with customers where they are right now is our biggest challenge.

Bonus takeaway: conquer with tech, but lead with your heart

If there is one thing that connecting with colleagues face to face has reminded me, it’s this: tech is the best means to an end, but it is not the end itself. Our business is essentially about people, and winning in the arena of relationships requires heart.

“Our customer’s success is our company’s success, not the other way around.”

That’s how we strive to operate at Vindicia: building personal connections, understanding our customers’ business needs, their internal challenges and what they need to excel in each billing cycle. Our customer’s success is our company’s success, not the other way around. Sometimes, a visit to an industry conference in NY is just what we need to re-energize around that commitment.

About The Author

Roy Barak is Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer at Vindicia. With over a decade of experience in the financial planning and analysis aspects of the IT and telecommunication industries, Roy brings extensive expertise in pricing models, financial modeling, and working with senior management to transform existing business lines and generating new ones. Previously, Roy worked at Amdocs, Vindicia’s parent company. Here he held key financial positions that supported the establishment of an internal accelerator, which introduced half a dozen successful new offerings. Roy also worked with the Amdocs services sales arm in transforming commercial and pricing models.