Super League Signs First Free To Air Deal, With Channel 4 Joining Sky Sports As League Broadcaster

Super League is pleased to announce a landmark deal which will see Channel 4 broadcast Betfred Super League matches in 2022. This initial two-year partnership will see matches broadcast free-to-air for the first time in the competition’s 26-year history.

Channel 4 will broadcast 10 live games each season, starting with eight-time Champions Leeds Rhinos hosting Warrington Wolves on Saturday 12 February (1230). The remaining nine games will be spread across the season and will include two end of season Play-Off fixtures.

The 2021 Betfred Super League season saw record viewing figures with more games than ever attracting over 200,000 live viewers. By offering sports fans the opportunity to watch games via a free-to-air broadcaster, these figures will continue to show significant growth in 2022.

Ken Davy, Super League chairman, said: “We are delighted to be able to confirm a brand-new broadcast partnership with Channel 4. They have a great track record of showing some of the best sporting competitions.

“The opportunity to offer live Betfred Super League action to fans on a free-to-air platform across the whole season is fantastic and one that we hope will continue to serve our current fans, as well as attract many new fans to the sport.

“I must thank our principal broadcast partner, Sky Sports, without whose support this partnership would not have been possible.”

Peter Andrews, Channel 4 Head of Sport, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be bringing Super League to free to air television for the first time in its history, it’s fantastic news for Rugby League fans and it’s a really special addition to Channel 4’s sports portfolio particularly since it’s one of our first major partnerships since moving to our new National HQ building at the Majestic in Leeds.”

Adobe And Major League Baseball Partner To Create Next Generation Fan Experiences

Adobe and Major League Baseball, North America’s most historic professional sports league, today announced a major expansion of their partnership to reimagine fan engagement and continue to bring America’s favorite pastime to the next generation of fans – powered across Adobe Experience Cloud, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Adobe Sign.

The partnership will empower MLB to bring new personalized, seamless experiences to its millions of fans. Fans will feel a part of the ballpark atmosphere from wherever they enjoy baseball – be it at home, on the go, or at the park itself. The league and its Clubs will be able to collaborate more seamlessly with advanced tools for signing contracts, sharing creative assets and engaging directly with their fans.

New, fan-friendly features can include personalized promotions and notifications tailored to individual fans – at the ballpark potentially highlighting which entrances will offer the fastest journey to their seats, VIP parking promotions or discounts on grab-and-go concessions. Fans who live outside their favorite team’s locale will also be able to receive alerts when their favorite club or player is in town or get free trials for MLB.TV so they can watch games from the comfort of their couch or on the go.

MLB will be able to drive greater efficiency and fully digitize workflows that require an individual’s consent, approval or signature, such as player agreements and vendor contracts. As an added benefit, this is projected to save thousands of reams of paper every year – all powered by Adobe Document Cloud, including Adobe Sign. MLB and MLB Network, which already rely on Adobe Creative Cloud to create and deliver rich content on television and online, will be able to streamline content creation in the future and more seamlessly manage creative workflows.

“MLB has long been a global leader in digital experiences among sports leagues, with a fan-first orientation across the web, mobile apps, and social media,” said Anil Chakravarthy, Adobe executive vice president and general manager, Digital Experience Business and Worldwide Field Operations. “The expansion of the partnership will allow MLB to bring some truly personalized experiences to fans, made possible by millions of fan profiles built in real time.”

“We’ve gone out of our way to create digital tools to improve the fan experience,” said Chris Marinak, Chief Operations and Strategy Officer, Major League Baseball. “We’re bringing personalized experiences and information to fans so that they feel like we know who they are, who their favorite team is and who their favorite players are. Adobe’s breadth of enterprise applications allows us to deliver what fans want, where they want it – across dozens of channels.”

ESL Gaming Signs Multi-Year Media Rights Deal With Huya For China

ESL Gaming has revealed an exclusive media rights agreement with Huya, the leading game live streaming platform in China. 

Some of the key facts:

  • Following media rights agreements with ESL Gaming, Huya’s CS:GO and Dota 2 market share has soared since 2019.  
  • The new contract will run with Huya directly for two consecutive years from 2022 to 2023.
  • ESL Gaming x Huya 2022-2023 is ESL Gaming’s first multi-year media rights deal in China.
  • In accordance with the agreement, Huya will hold the exclusive rights for broadcasting and distributing ESL’s Dota 2 and ESL Mobile ecosystems, as well as of the ESL Pro Tour for CS:GO and StarCraft® II in China.
  • Via dedicated streams, Huya will cover the tournaments in Standard Mandarin and other Chinese dialects.

For more information about ESL Pro Tour and the upcoming season, please visit the official website. To get all the latest news head to about.eslgaming.com or follow ESL Gaming on  LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Navin Singh Appointed As The FA’s New Commercial Director

The Football Association [FA] has appointed Navin Singh as its new Commercial Director.

Singh joins English football’s governing body after five years with the prestigious United States Golf Association. As Chief Commercial Officer, he led the USGA’s global commercial strategy for its assets including the major men’s and women’s U.S. Open championships.

He was also responsible for securing worldwide broadcast and digital media rights packages across 190 countries, content production, OTT and mobile product launches, an extensive corporate partner programme and all aspects of fan engagement across ticketing, corporate hospitality, merchandise and licensing.

These responsibilities will all form part of his FA role where, reporting into CEO Mark Bullingham, he will lead on all aspects of The FA’s commercial strategy and play a key role in the organisation’s ongoing digital transformation. He will oversee a wide-ranging portfolio that includes all England teams, Wembley Stadium connected by EE, the Emirates FA Cup, the Barclays FA Women’s Super League and the Vitality Women’s FA Cup.

Navin Singh said: “It is a huge honour to be joining the Football Association. It is a world-class organisation that has a vital not-for-profit role in supporting the running of the game in England but also means so much to so many fans here and abroad through its historic teams, venues and competitions.

“I am excited to work with my new colleagues and our important commercial partners in supporting The FA’s ambitious new strategic vision – from helping our teams to be successful in major tournaments to building on our direct relationships with fans. I am also particularly excited by the commitment to women’s football and want to add to the considerable work being done to take it to the next level.”

Singh, who has volunteered as a youth football coach in his spare time, previously worked as vice-president of international content strategy for Scripps Networks Interactive, which saw his remit include global lifestyle media brands Travel Channel and Food Network amongst others. Before that he attained significant commercial and brand experience in senior roles across organisations including WWE, Wasserman Media Group and Golf Channel.

FA CEO Mark Bullingham said: “I am delighted to welcome Navin to our senior leadership team. He has superb credentials and a depth of knowledge in this digital age that will enable our commercial team to continue to thrive in a hugely competitive and fast-moving world. Crucially, Navin understands the role we have in protecting and promoting our sporting traditions while at the same time maximising commercial, broadcast and digital reach to support the important work we do across grassroots and elite football.

“He joins us at a very exciting time fo​r English football, with next year marking 150 years since the first-ever England game and our senior sides involved in two major tournaments in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 on home soil and the men’s 2022 FIFA World Cup, as well as landmark FA Cup campaigns and our national football centre St. George’s Park celebrating its tenth anniversary.”

Formula E Launches Free ‘Unplugged’ Series On YouTube And Facebook

Formula E today has launched a new short-form episodic documentary series, Formula E: Unplugged, with all episodes  free to view on Formula E’s YouTube and Facebook pages at https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/watch/unplugged.

The 15-episode x 15-minute series takes viewers through Season 7 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, revealing what it takes to deliver international motorsport against the backdrop of challenges imposed by the global pandemic. 

Viewers will see how drivers, engineers, team crews and executives are pushed to the limit in Formula E’s first season operating as an official motorsport FIA World Championship. From the season opener in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia to the climax in Berlin via Rome, Valencia, Monaco, Puebla (Mexico), New York and London, the Formula E:  Unplugged cameras capture the triumphs and challenges of life in the Formula E paddock. 

Season 7 the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship attracted record-breaking international TV audiences for the live race broadcasts. Formula E: Unplugged delivers a new perspective with original content from the garages and  driver interviews in addition to racing action.

Aarti Dabas, Chief Media Officer at Formula E, said:  

“We are delighted to release Formula E: Unplugged, a new window into the world’s first all-electric motorsport. 

“Formula E: Unplugged offers an honest and unfiltered look behind the scenes at Formula E during its first campaign as an FIA World Championship. It’s about the people who make up our sport, with a spotlight on their stories from a unique season in motorsport. 

“Whether viewers are long-time fans of Formula E, motorsport followers curious about electric racing, or simply intrigued to find out more about our world, Formula E: Unplugged will offer a new perspective on our teams and drivers as they navigate the season on and off the track.” 

Season 8 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship begins in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, on January 28 and 29 and will feature 16 races in 12 iconic world cities including Jakarta, Vancouver, Mexico City and London before concluding in Seoul, South Korea in August. 

World Triathlon And SuperLeague Triathlon Launch Esports World Championship Series

World Triathlon and Super League Triathlon have announced a partnership to grow a global esports series that will crown the official triathlon esport World Champions. The partnership will see the formation of the Arena Games Triathlon powered by Zwift, a series of events giving opportunities to ranked athletes and national federations to participate and pursue the official World Championship title.

The partnership between World Triathlon and Super League Triathlon is the next step in growing the innovative concept of esports into a new and officially recognised discipline for triathlon. Fully in line with the International Olympic Committee’s aspirations to develop esports with its Olympic Virtual Series, it also taps into the strong growth of virtual participation that emerged during the pandemic.

The Arena Games Triathlon powered by Zwift, developed by Super League, is a unique format that marries real life and virtual racing and realises triathlon’s potential as an esport. Off the back of winning the prestigious Sports Industry Awards title for Cutting Edge Events and the Sports Business Award for Most Innovative Business Response to COVID 19, the Arena Games Triathlon will see both organisations working together to grow a global series that crowns an official World Champion.

Investing in cutting edge technologies, audiovisual content and incredible race scenarios that will generate wide engagement and awareness, World Triathlon and Super League will together help take the Arena Games Triathlon to the next level for the benefit of fans, athletes, national federations and all stakeholders.

The Arena Games Triathlon series builds on the existing MOU between Super League and World Triathlon and will continue to celebrate gender equality, clean sport and fair competition, providing new race opportunities to athletes with the aim of taking the format to the very pinnacle of the sport.

Marisol Casado, World Triathlon President and IOC member, said: “We are absolutely delighted with this partnership. Both organisations have been working hard and investing significant resources to evolve our sport, growing audiences, and giving the athletes the best stages on which to perform at their best. So it is only natural for both World Triathlon and Super League to invest and work together. I am absolutely convinced that the Arena Games Triathlon will be a fantastic event for athletes, broadcasters, sponsors and fans alike.”

Super League Triathlon CEO, Michael D’hulst, said: “This is a very exciting day for the sport. By partnering together, Super League Triathlon and World Triathlon are taking the next step in what has already been a very steep growth curve for the Arena Games. With this partnership, the sky’s the limit. This could well be the next Olympic triathlon discipline.”

“The Arena Games Triathlon powered by Zwift has already proved to be an award winning disruptor, recognised by athletes and the wider sports community, and with a growing appetite at the very top levels of sport to bring esport to a much wider audience, this is perfectly timed for the benefit of everyone in triathlon and to help deliver an even more exciting future.”

Super League Triathlon co-founder and Chairman, Leonid Boguslavsky, added: “When I was a kid I had a dream to create a new sport discipline. This is why I am very proud that we have created the Arena Games Triathlon format using innovative tech from Zwift. It will inspire many athletes as well as organisers to roll out this format to many countries and cities since it does not depend on weather or venue restrictions, and triathlon as a sport will grow much faster both for athletes and media.”

World Triathlon and Super League will collaborate on all aspects of Arena Games Triathlon powered by Zwift, including scheduling, participating athletes, involvement of national federations, promotion, broadcasters, host venues and amplifying the reach of the events. The first series will be announced shortly, with the first official World Champions set to be crowned in 2022.

National Women’s Soccer League And Nike Sign Partnership Renewal

The National Women’s Soccer League and Nike have signed a historic, long-term agreement that extends a partnership that began with the league’s formation nearly a decade ago.

“Since the beginning, Nike and the NWSL together have driven significant growth of this great game for all, in the U.S. and around the world, and we couldn’t be more excited to extend this foundational partnership well into our second decade of play,” said Marla Messing, NWSL interim CEO. “With this agreement, Nike is showing the world again what it means to support athletes, helping to grow the opportunities available for them to compete, and supporting the NWSL and its athletes in its effort to remain the premier destination for the world’s most elite players.”

The most substantial agreement in NWSL history, the partnership extension represents Nike’s significant committment to the sport, the NWSL and its players and clubs. Specific focus will be placed on elevating performance through research in footwear and apparel innovation, and growing engagement by highlighting athletes both on and off the field.

“Nike continues to champion long-term change in women’s sports,” said Becca Kerr, Nike VP and GM of North America Women’s. “Our ongoing partnership with NWSL and our continued investments in soccer through partnership and grassroots efforts are catalyzing action and progress to help drive that change.”

The NWSL has signed four new national partners in 2021 and currently counts eight of the most successful and innovative global brands among its sponsors. Nike’s renewal is an important milestone for the NWSL, and as it looks toward its 10th anniversary season, signals the league’s continued strength in the business of professional sports.

Huddle Agrees To Technology Partnership With Sporting Group

Huddle, the next generation iGaming technology provider, has signed terms to become an ongoing technology partner with the Sporting Group, one of the world’s leading betting and gaming operators, as it expands its B2B offerings in North America.

The partnership will see the disruptive AI and data-driven business work on a series of projects to further automate and drive more efficiencies and revenues across some of the Sporting Group’s main betting products and markets, with an emphasis on the US and Canada.

Huddle and its growing team of software engineering experts will focus on several of the Sporting Group’s US sports products and services as the operator expands its global reach into regulated and newly regulated states and provinces in 2022 and beyond.

Huddle represents one of the most forward-thinking and progressive companies in the rapidly changing betting and gaming industry, building advanced, proprietary technology solutions designed to unlock the true potential of data and create a wide range of automated products for iGaming operators.

Launched in late 2020, Huddle raised $3 million in venture capital seed funding. The business is building a series of automated products leveraging a microservices model – developing and deploying components, the first of which are trading, odds feeds and risk technology.

Huddle’s software is powered by proprietary algorithms and based on reactive architecture to help operators to reduce their operational cost across multiple jurisdictions, manage and optimise risk and thereby increase the profitability of their operations.

Sporting Group, part of Groupe FDJ, is one of the world’s leading names in sports betting technology and trading, with two principal divisions – a B2C operation, the pre-eminent sports spread betting company, and a rapidly growing B2B operation which supplies real-time pricing and sports trading capabilities to sportsbooks around the globe.

Francesco Borgosano, CEO and Co-founder, Huddle, said: “This is our first major technology partnership, with many to come in the weeks and months ahead. We’re thrilled to be working with such an incredible brand that has led the way in the betting industry for so many years and continues to grow and expand under Andy’s leadership.

“North America is a huge focus for the sector, with more states and provinces coming online every month. We have some of the brightest minds in advanced AI and data-driven technology combined with many years’ experience within some of the biggest betting brands and suppliers. Together, we are developing intelligence-based automated products that we believe will unlock the true potential for both brands and providers and we can’t wait to get under way with the Sporting Group.”

Andy Wright, CEO, Sporting Group, said: “The Huddle team are some of the sharpest and most progressive brains in betting technology and we’re delighted to be working in partnership with them as we continue to expand our sophisticated Trading and Risk Management services into the global sports betting market.

“I’m confident they will add significant value to us, as Sporting Solutions continues to move into new territories focussing on new products and innovation. I look forward to seeing some great things happen next year.”

FanDuel Expands Genius Sports Partnership To Include Official NFL Data Content And Fan Engagement Solutions

Genius Sports Limited today announced a new agreement with FanDuel Group to provide a range of official NFL data, content, media products and trading services.

In April 2021, FanDuel was selected as one of the NFL’s official sports betting partners. In the same period, Genius Sports became the league’s exclusive live streaming partner and distributor of real-time official play-by-play statistics, providing sportsbook partners including FanDuel with access to the NFL’s proprietary Next Gen Stats (NGS) data, and official sports betting data feed.

FanDuel, America’s #1 sportsbook and the largest mobile betting operator in the U.S., will implement Genius Sports’ NFL offering. Genius Sports represents the NFL’s legalized sports betting advertising inventory across the league’s owned and operated digital platforms. These assets alongside the NFL’s official data feeds, will create value for FanDuel across the full player lifecycle from player acquisition to pre-match and in-game betting, through to long-term customer retention. 

Alongside NFL content exclusive to Genius Sports, FanDuel will also have access to Genius Sports’ official data-powered in-play content and live trading solutions across multiple sports and thousands of live events. Genius Sports has exclusive official data partnerships with NASCAR, the English Premier League, LigaMX, Argentinian and Colombian soccer and hundreds of other leagues and federations worldwide.

“We are delighted to partner with FanDuel to help them create the most compelling and contextual sports betting experience possible,” said Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports. “With official data at its heart, this partnership enables FanDuel to better engage and monetize its customer base at every step of their journey. We couldn’t be more proud to be expanding our relationship with a clear giant of US sports betting in a way that entirely validates our long-held strategic vision.”

“We are always looking for ways to improve our product and the data opportunities gained via this agreement help FanDuel achieve that objective,” said Niall Connell, General Manager of FanDuel Group. “The new suite of offerings including official NFL data will enable us to better serve our customers and enhance America’s #1 Sportsbook.” 

BMW & PGA TOUR Announce Five-Year Extension For BMW As Title Sponsor Of The BMW Championship Through 2027

BMW, the PGA TOUR and the Western Golf Association announced today a five-year extension for BMW to remain the title sponsor of the TOUR’s second FedExCup Playoffs event through 2027. Also announced today was the return of the BMW Championship to the Chicago area in 2023 at Olympia Fields Country Club, which also hosted the event in 2020 with Jon Rahm outdueling Dustin Johnson in a sudden-death playoff.

“We would like to express our sincere thanks to BMW for their continued support of the PGA TOUR and the Western Golf Association through 2027,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “The BMW Championship played an incredibly impactful role in launching the FedExCup in 2007 and BMW’s commitment to presenting a best-in-class event each year continues to elevate the FedExCup Playoffs. We are also very appreciative of BMW’s dedication to fulfilling the mission of the Evans Scholars Foundation, having impacted thousands of lives over the last 15 years.”

BMW joined the PGA TOUR family in 2007 as title sponsor of the BMW Championship at the inception of the FedExCup. Since that time, the BMW Championship has won the PGA TOUR’s Tournament of the Year award four times (2008, 2012, 2013, 2014). The 2022 event will take place August 15-21, at Wilmington Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware.

“For the past 15 years, we have worked with our partners at the PGA TOUR and the Western Golf Association to host the top 70 players in the world at what has become one of the best, and most exciting events on the golf calendar,” said Sebastian Mackensen, president and CEO, BMW of North America.  “The BMW Championship is not only a great way to showcase our brand and engage customers, but also a wonderful opportunity to raise money for the Evans Scholars Foundation and help so many young students to follow their dreams.”

Each year, proceeds from the BMW Championship benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation, which provides full tuition and housing scholarships for hard-working young caddies. Over the past 15 years, the BMW Championship has raised more than $40 million on behalf of the Evans Scholars Foundation and has helped send more than 3,000 students to college. This academic year, a record 1,070 caddies are attending 21 major colleges and universities on Evans Scholarships.

“Since 2007, BMW has been our valued partner and a steadfast supporter of both our championships and the Evans Scholars Foundation,” said John Kaczkowski, WGA president and CEO. “As title sponsor, BMW has fully embraced our mission, helping us transform the Evans Scholars Foundation into a truly national program. We’re excited and grateful for the opportunity to continue working together to change the lives of youth caddies nationwide.”

The more than 100,000 guests who attend the BMW Championship each year have the opportunity to engage with the brand in numerous ways including vehicle displays and other interactive experiences. BMW owners also enjoy the benefits of complimentary, preferred parking, and have access to an exclusive hospitality pavilion where they are invited to relax and enjoy premium concessions, and unparalleled golf viewing.

By extending its role as the title sponsor of the BMW Championship, BMW also strengthens its worldwide commitment to the sport of golf. In addition to the BMW Championship, the automaker has had a longstanding partnership with the Ryder Cup, through the European team, dating back to 2006. BMW also remains the title sponsor for two prestigious DP World Tour events: the BMW PGA Championship in England; and the BMW International Open, contested each June in Germany, which has been a staple on the Tour for three decades. Additionally, the BMW Ladies Championship in Busan, South Korea, recently made its debut on the LPGA Tour. Since 2002, BMW has sponsored the Korn Ferry Tour’s BMW Charity Pro-Am in South Carolina.

Formerly known as the Western Open, the BMW Championship is the longest-standing non-major championship on the PGA TOUR, dating back to 1899. The event boasts one of golf’s strongest lists of past champions, including all seven players with 50 or more career wins on the PGA TOUR: Sam Snead, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Byron Nelson and Billy Casper. Recent winners include World No. 1 Rahm, as well as FedExCup champions Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson and Patrick Cantlay.