Formula E To Showcase Sustainability In Sport During COP26 Summit

The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will showcase elite sport’s role in achieving the Paris Agreement’s reduction targets at the COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference.

As the only all-electric motorsport World Championship, Formula E creates a unique technological innovation environment for many of the world’s leading automotive manufacturers including Jaguar Land Rover, DS, Mahindra, Porsche, Mercedes, Nissan and NIO to fast-track developments from racing to commercial use on the road.

Electric cars on the road today go further on every charge due to increases in energy efficiency, enhancements in battery range and advances in powertrain development achieved through technological developments in the first seven seasons of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

The Championship’s approach includes:

  • Becoming the first motorsport series to achieve third-party ISO 20121 certification in 2016 – and today announcing successful recertification – alongside the likes of London 2012 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games; reinforcing our commitment to delivering world-class events whilst prioritising sustainable development through economic prosperity, social inclusivity and environmental protection. 
  • Establishing Formula E as the world’s first sport to achieve a net zero carbon footprint since inception with a commitment to remain net zero carbon going forward.
  • Becoming the world’s first sport to join the Science Based Targets initiative and the Business Ambition Pledge for 1.5°C commitment, Formula E will further reduce its emissions by 45% by 2030.
  • Partnering with UNICEF’s Safe and Healthy Environment Fund to support three million children in climate resilience and create a sustainable, safe and clean environment.
  • Advancing sustainability in, and through, sports as a founding member and signatory of UNFCCC Sports for Climate Action Framework.
  • Partnering with the United Nations Environment Programme on its #BeatAirPolution campaign to advocate for clean air.
  • Phasing out single-use plastics from races saving the equivalent of over 300,000 330ml single-use plastic bottles from landfill.
  • In 2015, Formula E became the first motorsport to achieve a Three-Star Accreditation of the FIA Environmental Certification Framework, recognising the highest level of commitment to the environmental and sustainability goals set out by the FIA. This has been successfully renewed in 2018 and 2020, aligning with the FIA’s #PurposeDriven movement.

At COP26, Formula E will be involved in a number of events discussing the vital role sport is playing in accelerating the adoption of sustainable practices, lifestyles and electric vehicle innovation including:

  • ABB Time Panel Session (11:00 GMT, 2 November): Formula E CEO Jamie Reigle will join ABB chief communications & sustainability officer, Theodor Swedjemark; Ulrika Modéer, assistant secretary UNDP; and Selwin Hart, UN special adviser and assistant secretary-general for Climate Action, to discuss how the private sector will play a key role in bringing about a low-carbon society by reducing emissions in industry.
  • Action Hub Event: CHANGE. ACCELERATED. (15:00, 9 November): Formula E sustainability director Julia Palle will focus on Formula E’s leadership position in sustainable innovation in sport and how it is holistically embedded into the Championship.
  • Green Zone Auditorium Event: CHANGE. ACCELERATED. (13:00, 10 November): representatives of the Formula E ecosystem will discuss sport’s role in accelerating sustainable human progress including FIA deputy president for sport, Graham Stoker, and speakers from Mahindra Racing, Julius Baer and Liberty Global. Formula E title partner ABB will host a panel discussion entitled ‘ABB Formula E – It’s more than a race. Together we are drivers of progress’ featuring Formula E CEO Jamie Reigle; Theodor Swedjemark, chief communications & sustainability officer, ABB; and Lucas Di Grassi, ROKiT Venturi driver and environmental campaigner.
  • Sustainable Innovation Forum (15:55, 10 November): Formula E sustainability director Julia Palle will discuss mainstreaming climate innovations for Net Zero Carbon transitions.
  • Department for International Trade & Formula E VIP Evening Reception: during the second week of COP26, the Department for International Trade and Formula E will co-host an intimate evening reception attended by government, media, and clean industry leaders to mark the launch of DIT’s Clean Growth programme and showcase Britain’s global role in the trade and investment into clean industries around the world.

Jamie Reigle, Formula E CEO, said: “At COP26 we will demonstrate the benefits of adopting cleaner forms of transport to tackle air pollution and climate change in the world’s cities. Motorsport has a crucial role to play in accelerating technological developments that can be transferred to everyday use and serves as a powerful platform to showcase innovative transport solutions to live sustainable lifestyles. 

“ISO 20121 recertification is the latest affirmation of Formula E’s commitment to leading the global sports industry in making a positive impact on the lives of sports fans today and into the future as we work together to fight climate change.”

Heather Crick, business manager, SGS United Kingdom Ltd, said: “Achieving recertification to the ISO 20121 Sustainable Events Management standard demonstrates the hard work and dedication that has gone into putting sustainability at the heart of everything that Formula E does. It highlights the Championship’s continued commitment to leading the way in sustainable innovation.

“SGS is proud to support Formula E in implementing this internationally recognised standard to help manage their sustainability growth. As a world leading provider of ESG services, SGS understands the importance of independent verification for all organisations in their journey towards net zero.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkjdWoyKyKo

The IOC Collaborates With Fanatics To Launch Global Online Olympic Shop

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced the launch of a unified online Olympic shop developed in collaboration with global merchandise leader Fanatics. Through the Olympic Shop, fans will be able to purchase official Olympic and Paralympic Games merchandise produced by licensees and suppliers appointed by the IOC and the Organising Committees of the upcoming Games editions, Paris 2024Milano Cortina 2026 and LA28.

“This is an exciting launch for us, as fans from an increasing number of territories will be able to purchase official Olympic merchandising and connect with the magic of the Olympic Games ahead of each edition,” commented Timo Lumme, IOC Television & Marketing Services Managing Director. “We are looking forward to collaborating on this new shop with the Organising Committees of Paris 2024, Milano Cortina 2026 and LA28 to engage with a broader fanbase and offer collectibles and goods that convey the values of the Olympic Movement, in line with the IOC Global Licensing Strategy.”

Image: IOC

The Olympic Shop will offer the largest assortment of Olympic-branded merchandise to date, distributed through Fanatics’ vertical, on-demand manufacturing model and globally connected supply chain, as part of three Olympic core licensing collections:

  • The Olympic and Paralympic Games Collection celebrates each upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games, and includes branded products such as accessories, fan gear and apparel. Products from Paris 2024 are available from today, with Milano Cortina 2026 and LA28 collections coming soon.
  • The Olympic Heritage Collection offers products featuring art and design elements from previous Games editions, such as apparel, mascots and souvenirs, connecting fans and connoisseurs with the rich heritage of past Olympic Games.
  • Finally, the Olympic Collection targets a young and active audience through unique branded products exclusively available online and at The Olympic Museum Shop in Lausanne, Switzerland, such as toys and games, bags, stationary items and sports equipment.

The different collections are currently available in the United States, Mexico and Europe, including France, the United Kingdom and Switzerland*, and will expand further** by summer 2022, with exclusive product launches along the way. Visa, global leader in digital payments and the Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic payment partner is the official way to pay on the Olympic Shop.

The Olympic Shop complements the Olympic store on Tmall, developed in collaboration with Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner Alibaba and which remains the official platform for Chinese fans to purchase official Olympic and Paralympic products.

Image: IOC

Edouard Bardon, Licensing Managing Director at Paris 2024, said: “The Official Olympic Shop is a new and unique way to share the dynamism of the Games with as many people as possible, starting from today, 1,000 days before the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Games. Over the next three years, Paris 2024 will unveil more than 10,000 licensed products accessible to everyone. The first products are already available on the online shop, and we will gradually offer new products as we go along in order to satisfy all desires and all audiences until 2024!”

In the future, limited-edition collections from Olympic and Paralympic teams will be available to provide fans with the opportunity to support and celebrate the Olympic and Paralympic athletes participating in upcoming Games.

The full list of countries is the following: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

** By summer 2022, the Olympic Shop will be available across the world, except for China and Russia.

ISA Appoints Federico Ferroni As New Marketing And Media Manager

The International Surfing Association (ISA) has today confirmed the appointment of Federico Ferroni as their new Marketing and Media Manager, starting with immediate effect.‎

Ferroni replaces Evan Quarnstrom, who announced his departure after serving nearly six years in the role.

Ferroni, who was born in Argentina and has also lived in California, Chile and Costa Rica, has more than 15 years of experience working in the sports marketing industry. Beginning with a passion for surfing and sustainability, Ferroni went on to study sports marketing at university and started his professional career at IMG Latin America.

He then joined Nike South America in 2010 and supported the brand’s successful launch of its Action Sports division. In 2012, Ferroni was appointed LATAM Marketing Manager for Vans to enhance the brand’s profile across the region and increase the company’s direct-to-consumer business. After his time at Vans, and since 2018 Ferroni has been working as an independent marketing consultant.

Speaking about the appointment, ISA President, Fernando Aguerre, said:

“We are totally thrilled to welcome someone of Federico’s talent and caliber to our ISA family. He brings with him a real passion for surfing and a wealth of marketing and communications experience across action sports brands.

“Following a hugely successful Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games for the ISA, it is important for us to add new, international breadth to our growing team, helping elevate our sport’s profile and awareness to the next level. Federico’s appointment will be a key factor in helping us achieve this over the coming years as an Olympic federation with an expanding global audience of surfing fans.

“At the same time, I would like to thank Evan, for his valuable contribution to the ISA’s success in these recent years. I wish him all the very best for the next chapter in his professional life.”

Federico Ferroni, added:

“I am very excited to join the ISA at this amazing time of growth and opportunity for the sport and the organization. I feel a sense of big responsibility to lead the marketing strategy for an organization with such an influence in the development of surfing worldwide.”

England Netball And Vitality Announce Title Partnership Extension

England Netball and Vitality have today announced an extension to their long-term partnership, which sees the insurance and investments company continue as title partner of England Netball for a further two years.  

Vitality will continue its naming rights of England Netball’s national team, the Vitality Roses, as well as extending its title partnership of the Vitality Netball International Series, which includes all home international series at the elite level of the game.   

In addition, Vitality will continue as Official Title Partner of the Vitality Netball Superleague, the leading domestic netball league in the UK.

Having worked together since 2015, the renewal builds on a hugely successful partnership which has seen significant investment across all levels of the sport over the last six years, driven by a shared purpose to grow the game and inspire women and girls to live healthy and active lifestyles. 

Vitality will continue to help inspire and enable women and girls at a grassroots level to play netball, as they continue as Official Wellness Partner of England Netball’s hugely impactful ‘Back to Netball’ programme, which has seen 125,000 women re-engage in the sport since its inception in 2008. Fourteen years on, ‘Back to Netball’ is thriving, with two out of every three women remaining in the programme, changing the activity habits of participants for the long-term. 

As the Official Title Partner of the Vitality Goalden Globe Awards, an annual awards ceremony to celebrate and recognise England Netball’s volunteer community, Vitality will also continue to help champion the brilliance of the Netball family, shining a spotlight on the many thousands of incredible volunteers and members that really make a positive impact on the lives of others through the power of the sport. 

At the heart of the Vitality partnership there have been some significant campaigns that have helped to drive visibility and growth in the game, whilst building a legacy across the Netball family.   

Vitality’s Netball World Cup 2019 campaign #WeAreRising helped to enable aspiring coaches to access England Netball Level 1 coaching qualifications, with every 100 goals scored at the competition and in the fan parks directly linked to the number of courses Vitality funded. As a result, 114 people were funded to participate in the course to become a qualified netball coach, with the benefit being felt across the grassroots community for years to come.  

More recently, the Vitality Roses each had the name of an inspirational person to them printed on their England dresses for the Vitality Netball Legend Series in January this year. The initiative allowed each player to nominate someone who had a profound impact on their growth as an athlete and contributed to their netball journey. 

Fran Connolly, CEO of England Netball, said: “We are delighted to be extending our long-term partnership with Vitality, which has been a game changer for our sport. Vitality shares our vision to grow the game and engage and inspire women and girls to get active and find joy in our sport, from the grassroots to the elite level. 

“Their commitment and support to helping restart and rebuild our game during the ongoing global pandemic has been critical, with their investment directly contributing to the success of reopening netball across the country and enabling our sport to continue to grow. 

“As we look ahead to next year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and beyond, in a year like no other for netball in this country, we look forward to working closely with Vitality to continue to shine a light on our game, to open our sport to more people than ever before and take netball to ever greater heights. Here’s to another two years of making a positive difference together.” 

Neville Koopowitz, CEO of Vitality, said: “We are delighted to renew our partnership with England Netball once again. We first partnered with the sport six years ago and since then have seen the sport go from strength to strength, with hundreds more women trained to coach netball, and thousands more playing and watching the game.

“Together with England Netball we look forward to building on this success by continuing to showcase this great sport and encouraging many more people get active and play netball, which all forms part of our core purpose to make people healthier and enhance and protect their lives.”

World 12s Appoints Rowena Samarasinhe As Chief Executive Officer

World 12s, the new annual international 12-a-side rugby union tournament, has today announced the appointment of Rowena Samarasinhe as Chief Executive Officer.

Starting with immediate effect, Samarasinhe will oversee World 12s’ establishment, development and expansion while working with global stakeholders to enhance and complement the XV’s game.

With close to 15 years’ experience in the sports industry, Samarasinhe has worked with some of the biggest global sporting properties and athletes across Athletics, Football and Rugby Union in particular.

Samarasinhe joins the organisation with substantial experience from the sports agency world and for the last three years has been running the commercial consultancy GENSport. She is a member of the National Sports Council of Sri Lanka, and sits on the board of several organisations, including the PSA World Tour; CIMPSA; and leadership advisory firm, Equiida.

Commenting on the announcement Rowena Samarasinhe, Chief Executive Officer World 12s, said: “I am honoured and delighted to join World 12s and embark on this exciting journey for our sport.

“World 12s presents an incredible opportunity to bring rugby to new audiences and benefit both the men’s and significantly the women’s game.  I am extremely excited about the opportunity to progress innovation and diversity in the sport of rugby union as well as encouraging an accessible path for audiences and participants alike. I look forward to working collaboratively with the game’s bodies to try and make this exciting concept a successful reality.

“World 12s has been, and continues to be, in regular contact with World Rugby. 

“The challenges around the international calendar are well-known. World 12s is a long-term project, and will grow over the years. We are optimistic that, even within the restrictions posed by the current calendar, World 12s will be able to host a tournament in August 2022 that includes a number of the game’s leading players, who will not be impacted by fixture clashes at that time.

“World 12s will launch its first women’s tournament in 2023. This has the potential to be a gamechanger for women’s rugby, and will not face the same calendar challenges as the men’s game. 

“World 12s has always stated its commitment to working closely with all the game’s stakeholders to build an event that showcases the best talent, while bringing new audiences and significant investment to the sport. 

Ian Ritchie, Chairman of World 12s, added: “We are delighted to welcome Rowena as Chief Executive of World 12s. Rowena’s expertise and experience at the highest level of sport will be invaluable as we grow and build an innovative format of the game. We know that our sport has incredible potential and we have appointed a CEO who is well equipped to navigate the road ahead.”

World 12s is an innovative 12-a-side rugby union tournament which will see the world’s leading male and female players compete annually around the world. The first tournament is due to be staged in England in August 2022 and aims to invest £250 million of new financial support into the global game over the next five years.

IMG To Advise On Media Rights For Turkish Super League

IMG has entered into a long-term advisory role with the Turkish Clubs Association (TCA) on the sale of media rights for the Turkish Süper League with the full backing of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF). 

The Commission of Broadcasting & Media Rights consists of nine members appointed by TFF & TCA. Both organizations have agreed to sign a strategic agreement with IMG on advising the worldwide tender process for all broadcast rights for the next broadcasting cycle, starting with 2022/23 season as well as consulting on other commercial elements of the league. 

Michael Mellor, SVP, Head of Football, Media, IMG said: “The Turkish Super League is one of the most passionate and competitive leagues in European football. We are delighted to be working with the TFF and TCA to increase broadcast reach across all platforms and grow awareness of an established and well-respected competition featuring some of the most well-known teams on the continent. We are looking forward to a successful partnership.” 

Mehmet Sepil, Board Member of the TCA said: “This is an exciting relationship for the clubs as we look to showcase the quality and intensity of the teams and players and the special atmosphere in the stadiums every week throughout the season. IMG understands football and we look forward to working with them over the coming years.” 

TFF Vice President Mr.Erhan Kamışlı, said: “Our aim for the Süper League is to reach the widest possible broadcast audience and to maximize our value commercially. IMG has the global network to help us achieve our ambitions and we believe that they are the perfect partner for Turkish Football to achieve our goals.” 

The Süper League It is the top-flight of the Turkish football league system with the season running from August to May. Current champions are Beskitas who won the title on goal difference from Galatasary, with Fenerbahce just two points further back. 

Eight Partners Added For BLAST Premier’s Return To Arena Events At November’s Fall Final

BLAST Premier has brought on board eight new partners ahead of next month’s highly-anticipated Fall Final (24-28 November) – the esports tournament organiser’s first LAN event in over 20 months. 

Elgiganten, Kia Denmark, A.P. Moller – Maersk, Xbox, OMEN, Stimorol, KPMG and Greater Copenhagen will all team up with BLAST Premier ahead of the long-awaited return of fans and physical events at Copenhagen’s iconic Royal Arena venue in late November. 

The return of arena events with spectators provides a number of exciting in-person opportunities to engage and excite BLAST Premier’s Counter-Strike community at the first LAN event since the London Spring Series in February 2020. 

Kia Denmark, A.P. Moller – Maersk and Xbox team up with BLAST Premier for the first time, with the three brands making their first move into Counter-Strike, while the remaining line-up of partners have a strong history with the Copenhagen-based event. 

Greater Copenhagen and BLAST Premier worked together to create Counter-Strike’s first ever live in-game prediction tool for last year’s Fall Final and will be sponsoring their first BLAST Premier event next month. 

KPMG, OMEN and Stimorol will be partnering with BLAST for a third event – following last year’s online Fall Final and the 2019 Pro Series in Royal Arena. November’s tournament will be Elgiganten’s second event after the 2019 Pro Series.  

All partners will be activating at BLAST Premier’s eagerly-anticipated return to LAN events at November’s Fall Final – via a number of fan engagement initiatives, giveaways and designated spaces at the venue to activate around on top of digital branding that will reach BLAST’s global audience watching from home. 

The eight brands will join current partners, Betway, CS.MONEY, EPOS, SteelSeries and L33T Gaming – taking BLAST Premier’s portfolio of partners for the Fall Final to 13 in total. 

Oliver Clarke, Head of Brand Partnerships for BLAST, said: “We are thrilled to be welcoming a great, diverse line-up of partners for the BLAST Premier Fall Final in Copenhagen – one of Counter-Strike’s most eagerly-anticipated events of the year. We look forward to creating new activations and content together while capturing the huge fan excitement around BLAST’s return to LAN events and the iconic Royal Arena in November. The return of fans and physical events means we can provide our partners with further value and opportunities to engage and interact with the audience in-person.”

The Fall Final is BLAST Premier’s sixth event of the 2021 season and will see eight of world’s best CS:GO teams fighting it out for $425,000 in prize money along with a place in December’s World Final. 

Full list of partners for the BLAST Premier Fall Final: Betway, CS Money, EPOS, SteelSeries, L33T Gaming, Elgiganten, Kia Denmark, A.P. Moller – Maersk, OMEN, Stimorol, Xbox, KPMG and Greater Copenhagen.

Six Nations Rugby And Pitch International Extend Partnership Into Fourth Term

Six Nations Rugby and Pitch International have extended their partnership, which began in 2010, to see the sports marketing agency represent the Six Nations wider rights portfolio and continue to distribute the international media rights for the Six Nations.

The agreement covers the men’s, women’s, and Under-20s Six Nations tournaments, the Autumn Nations Series and World Cup Warm-up matches for all six unions, as well as management of the archive for the Six Nations.

Henri Kamerling, Managing Director of Rugby, Football and Global Partnerships at Pitch International said: “Over the past decade we have worked in tandem with the Six Nations and its unions to significantly grow revenues, international distribution and fan engagement for all Championships.

“This new agreement gives us the opportunity to build on our strong Rugby foundations and create a roadmap for future growth. In this cycle we are able to go to market representing all of Northern Hemisphere Rugby in one package of rights for the first time, which we believe will be a hugely exciting proposition for our international broadcast partners.”

Over the course of the partnership both the men’s and women’s game have seen significant growth.

The men’s Six Nations international distribution has risen from 60 million households in 2010, to 200 million across 188 territories.

The 2021 women’s Six Nations was available in 130 territories to an audience of 100 million households – a 100% increase since 2017.

Ben Morel, CEO of Six Nations Rugby said: “Our joint approach has been to focus on taking international rugby to previously untapped territories and fans, as well as the traditional rugby markets.

“As a result, both the men’s and women’s tournaments have flourished on the international stage. We have been working in great partnership with Pitch, whose credentials in rugby are very strong, to develop deeper and stronger relationships in overseas markets and deliver our broadcast partners a comprehensive offering of international rugby.”

Alongside their agreement with Six Nations Rugby, Pitch also distribute the international rights for Premiership Rugby.

UPL Ltd Announced As Regional Supporter For FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

FIFA is pleased to announce UPL Ltd, a world leader in sustainable agriculture, as a Regional Supporter in the South American market for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.

UPL Ltd is a global provider of sustainable agriculture products and solutions and is one of the top five agriculture solutions companies worldwide. Its mission is to “reimagine sustainability” and as part of its activities leading up to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, it will invest in sustainable farming practices and develop carbon reduction projects in South America.

Its portfolio consists of biologicals and traditional crop protection solutions, with more than 13,600 registrations. It is present in more than 130 countries and reaches more than 90% of the world’s food basket. Through this network, UPL Ltd aims to spearhead community outreach programmes and enhance awareness of improved farming practices, such as carbon capture technology, via marketing campaigns and media placements in the South American region, as a Regional Supporter for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Today’s announcement builds upon UPL Ltd’s memorandum of understanding with the FIFA Foundation, signed in August 2020, to work together to use football as a platform to raise awareness about several key social and environmental issues, including the positive impact that sustainable development, environmental protection, educating young people and leading a healthy and active lifestyle can make within society.

Speaking about the announcement of UPL Ltd as a Regional Supporter in the South American market for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura said: “We are happy to welcome UPL Ltd on board as a Regional Supporter in the important South American market for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar. UPL Ltd is a leading global brand in its sector and, like FIFA, believes in the importance of sustainability, development and education. Today’s news builds on the MoU signed by the FIFA Foundation and UPL Ltd in 2020. We look forward to working closely with UPL Ltd to use football as a means to improve awareness of sustainable farming practices and emerging technologies that are beneficial to all.”

Commenting on the collaboration, UPL Global CEO Jai Shroff said: “We could not be more excited that UPL is teaming up with FIFA. Football is a universal language – and loved by countries across the world – and if we can use it to power people’s understanding of food systems, how they work, and why the world needs them to be sustainable, then it’s a win-win for people and the planet. This relationship is a dream team for the goal of reimagining sustainability and transforming sustainable food systems.”

The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will take place from 21 November until 18 December in eight stadiums across Qatar.

Sportradar Announces Extension Of Official Data Partnership With The International Tennis Federation

Global deal to enhance integrity measures and drive fan engagement

Sportradar, the leading global sports technology company creating immersive experiences for sports fans and bettors, today announced a three-year extension to its agreement with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to serve as the ITF’s Official Data Partner.

The agreement extends the strong partnership between Sportradar and ITF, which, since 2012, has encompassed the World Tennis Tour as well as a number of other major ITF competitions, such as the Billie Jean King Cup.

In addition to the official data partnership, the extension enables the Federation to deliver a number of important ongoing integrity-led major projects, including the development of innovative technology infrastructure to further enhance integrity protection at World Tennis Tour events. Together with the projects and activities mentioned, the ITF, in partnership with Sportradar, will continue to invest significantly into accreditation, control systems and personnel to safeguard the integrity of tour events, leading the tennis world in efforts to ensure a secure player and fan experience.

As the global governing body of tennis, the ITF subscribes to the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) tennis-wide anti-corruption programme and services. As part of its ongoing commitment to protect the integrity of its sport, the ITF will continue to leverage Sportradar’s integrity services by including its Universal Fraud Detection System, an advanced and proven bet monitoring service to analyse global betting patterns, and its unrivalled ‘Intelligence and Investigations’ (I&I) capabilities.

Furthermore, Sportradar will create a suite of enhanced digital assets connecting tennis fans with new websites, apps and fan-centric products to provide a more dynamic user experience that will be powered by Sportradar’s fast, accurate and reliable data.

Sportradar CEO Carsten Koerl said: “Sportradar is the world leader in helping leagues and federations across the globe maximize the value of their data whilst ensuring the integrity of sport. We’ve partnered with the ITF for almost a decade, and the extension of our agreement is a sign of their continued trust, which is built on a shared commitment to innovation and to driving increased fan engagement. We are passionate about tennis and I’m very proud of the benefits this partnership will bring to an incredible sport.”

ITF President Dave Haggerty commented: “We look forward to our continued partnership with Sportradar as we deliver technology that will help to ensure the protection of integrity and data as well as a digital platform that will enhance the fan experience around ITF World Tennis Tour and major events, including the Billie Jean King Cup.”