Ninjas In Pyjamas & Aser Ventures Launch Shinobi Sports

Legendary esports organisation Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP) and leading sports, media and technology investment platform Aser Ventures are partnering up to launch Shinobi Sports — a joint venture that will offer a suite of management, studio and media services to sports clubs looking for opportunities in the esports sphere. 

In late 2020, NIP partnered with English Premier League club Leeds United to develop the club’s esports strategy. NIP’s international FIFA star Olle “Ollelito” Arbin successfully represented Leeds in the ePremier League, making it all the way to the 2021 final. The success of this project laid the foundations for the new joint venture. 

Shinobi Sports will help partners, including football clubs, to define and execute their esports strategies. Services will include launching and managing esports teams, player recruitment, team management and gaming strategy. Shinobi will also empower clubs to maximize the commercial and fan engagement opportunities associated with esports.

Danny Menken, who is Group Chief Business Development Officer for Aser Ventures’ portfolio company Eleven Sports, will head up the joint venture as Shinobi Sports CEO. 

Andrea Radrizzani, Aser Ventures Founder and Chairman, said “The world of esports has exploded in recent times and has brought with it a big opportunity for sports teams to engage their fans in new ways. Shinobi will play an important role in bridging the gap between traditional sport and esports to create new value for clubs, fans and partners. It will also add exciting new capabilities to the Aser Ventures group.”

Danny Menken, CEO, Shinobi Sports, said: “Aser Ventures has deep expertise in media rights, production and content distribution. Ninjas in Pyjamas has a 20 year track record of leading the way in esports. By bringing these capabilities together, Shinobi will offer a compelling proposition to clubs looking to capitalise on the opportunities now associated with esports.”

Hicham Chahine, CEO at NIP and Shinobi Sports Co-Founder, added: “We first connected with Aser Ventures last year, and our discussions led to an extremely successful collaboration with Leeds United. We were impressed with Aser Ventures´ track record, experience and vision in the sports industry, and soon developed a desire to expand our collaboration. We know there is a lot of potential to introduce esports as an attractive extension to sports clubs, and believe that Shinobi are ideally placed to support this process. We are extremely excited to bring this project to life and share it with the world!” 

ICC Names Dettol As Hygiene Partner For Men’s T20 World Cup 2021

As millions of fans across the globe eagerly awaited the return of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the International Cricket Council and Dettol have joined forces to ensure world-class protection across the tournament with the power-brand announced as the Official Hygiene Partner.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 is hosted by the BCCI and is taking place in the UAE and Oman from 17 October. The partnership will see Dettol provide world class disinfection products for thousands of cricket fans across the tournament.

Known for its commitment to innovation and excellence for more than 80 years and keeping people safe in more than 124 countries, Dettol is part of the Reckitt portfolio, which has a mission to protect, heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world.

According to recent findings of a study published by the American Journal of Infection Control, the active ingredients in Dettol and Lysol are effective in breaking the chain of infection of COVID-19.

“Cricket is more than just a sport in this part of the world and hygiene has never been more important,” says Tahir Malik, Senior Vice President, Africa & Middle East, Reckitt. “We are delighted to help play a crucial role in ensuring spectators can watch the world’s best players in action with the peace of mind that comes with the trusted protection of Dettol”

Anurag Dahiya, Chief Commercial Officer, ICC, “The safety of everyone connected with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 is of absolute paramount importance, and Dettol will play a critical role in ensuring this over the coming weeks. We are grateful to have Dettol’s hygiene and sanitization products available at all World Cup venues, and to be supported by their broader expertise behind the scenes at this event. It has taken an immense amount of effort to prepare for this tournament and the ICC is proud to be staging another global spectacle for our sport, one that we hope brings joy to communities and homes around the world during these difficult times.

McLaren Racing Creates The McLaren Racing Collective NFTs

McLaren Racing today announced the creation of the McLaren Racing Collective, a global community of collectors and fans served through an innovative digital platform, where fans can buy McLaren Racing digital collectables in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

The platform will be McLaren Racing’s primary location to allow fans and blockchain enthusiasts alike to engage with the brand, with the first drop featuring different digital components of the MCL35M 2021 Formula 1 race cars, originated from the McLaren Racing CAD system.

The initial digital components will be gifted free to fans who join the McLaren Racing Collective platform. From there, fans can collect one or multiple components as they are released in an experience which enables fans to accumulate all 22 available components and assemble the full digital MCL35M race car. The collectables will be released in five stages, with the first four components available on Sunday 24 October.

The McLaren Racing Collective is operated on the energy-efficient blockchain of the team’s Official Technical Partner, Tezos, who are collaborating with McLaren to create the limited digital assets so that fans can connect directly with the brand.

The first person to complete a full MCL35M will win a trip to a McLaren Formula 1 VIP race weekend experience in 2022. The inaugural drop will be the first of many NFT drops and campaigns as McLaren Racing integrates this pioneering marketplace into its long-term fan engagement strategy. 

Lindsey Eckhouse, Director, Licensing, ecommerce and esports, McLaren Racing, said: 

“We are excited to launch the McLaren Racing Collective, which will help us engage our fans in an innovative new space. Collaborating with our partner Tezos, we are creating new ways to evolve our fan experience through a bespoke McLaren Racing digital collectable marketplace.

“The first NFT drop heroes our papaya-liveried MCL35M F1 car. This will give our fans a fantastic opportunity to collect and see each component from every angle while allowing them to win incredible experiences and prizes.” 

McLaren Racing has also announced Medallia as the Official Feedback Partner for the McLaren Formula 1 team

Medallia, the global leader in customer and employee experience, will be the Official Feedback Partner for the McLaren Formula 1 team for the 2021 US Grand Prix this weekend. 

As Official Feedback Partner, Medallia brings its expertise in capturing customer and employee insights for the team. Launching this week at the US Grand Prix, the partnership with Medallia will provide McLaren with a suite of solutions to capture feedback from fans and team members.

Medallia’s award-winning SaaS platform, the Medallia Experience Cloud, leads the market in the understanding and management of experience for customers and team members. Medallia captures feedback created on daily interactions in person, with call centres, digital channels, over video and social media, and even IoT interactions. Applying proprietary AI technology, Medallia reveals personalized and predictive insights that can drive action with tremendous business results.

The Medallia brand will be represented on the McLaren MCL35M race cars for the US GP, and then on the rear wing of the race cars and pit crew helmets from the 2022 season. 

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing said: 

“We are delighted to announce our partnership with Medallia ahead of the US Grand Prix. This partnership brings a high level of expertise to our knowledge of our fans and our people at McLaren Racing. Our fans and people are two vital elements of our team and having a partner that can assist in refining these experiences will continue to improve how we serves our growing fan base and help us improve our culture.”

Leslie Stretch, President and CEO, Medallia said:

“McLaren has pushed the boundaries of racing and technology since 1963. We are proud to support the team as the Official Feedback Partner of McLaren Racing and to help them capture insights and deliver world-class racing experiences.” 

LDN UTD Signs Partnership With Durham University

Durham University has become the first UK university to form a collaboration with social purpose driven esports org LDN UTD. Working with the leading esports organisation, the partnership will bring the benefits of esports to students as well as the wider Durham community. 

Esports are already an integral part of the University’s wider student experience offer, with over 1,300 students currently holding membership to the esports society. This partnership with LDN UTD, which uses the medium of gaming and esports to address social issues and promote health and wellbeing, will further increase the opportunities for Durham students to develop their skills, learn about the industry, gain access to work experience opportunities and stay healthy while playing. 

At LDN UTD we work with all levels of player and staff talent, from grassroots through to the highest levels of professionals, to develop and educate gamers, ensuring they hone their skills as well as look after their bodies and minds. 

By working together, we hope to be able to offer students a more advanced programme of support around many elements of esports including:   

  • Seminars and talks relating to mental health, career development and esports content creation, with speakers from our professional and support rosters. 
  • Digital skills workshops to bolster student skill sets relating to topics including: Mental Health, Coaching, Team Management, Events Management, Nutrition etc. 
  • Online tournaments and offline large-scale events in the form of an “Esports Festival,” providing entertainment and social interaction for all ages. 
  • Esports Scholarships for those attending Durham University, aimed at creating a pathway into the esports industry as the end result. 
  • Durham will support LDN UTD’s professional players making use of Durham University’s expertise in enhancing an athletes’ personal support matrix (nutrition, mental health, physical fitness). 
  • Creating a successful bond between Higher and Further Education, esports and the organisations therein, to enhance the employment opportunities within the sector for those interested, without the need for having an Esports aligned Degree. 

It’s not just Durham students who are set to benefit from the partnership. Plans are also afoot to extend support to competitors, gamers and prospective gamers in the County Durham area who may be interested in learning more about esports. 

Director of Experience Durham, Quentin Sloper, said: “This partnership opens up some outstanding opportunities for our students and the wider County Durham community. Working with the team from LDN UTD and going head to head in competition with some of their professional gamers will provide a platform for our students to test their skills at the highest of levels whilst giving them exposure to the range of career opportunities, beyond competing, that are now rapidly opening up within the industry.  

“We already have a long-standing, highly successful University esports society, so I’m also excited to see how this partnership can advance this group of players and ensure even more success for Team Durham in the future.” 

Current Esports Club President, Lordie Bevan, said: “Working with the team from LDN UTD will help us develop our playing and knowledge of the esports sector so much. This is not only important for our student members, but also for the wider Durham community. We at DUEG feel strongly about promoting a happy, healthy, and fulfilling community experience through the median of esports here at Durham. LDN UTD’s support provides a great opportunity to combat the issues of mental health and isolation that have affected our community during the Covid pandemic. We’re looking forward to our partnership and we can’t wait to get started!” 

Founder/CEO of LDN UTD, Oliver Weingarten, said: “The reputation of Durham University speaks for itself, and as we look to broaden the mission of LDN UTD, we look forward to partnering to support the students and engage a wider community.  Education is a key tenet of the LDN UTD values, alongside wellbeing, diversity and inclusivity in the esports space. We believe the industry specific support and guidance we can provide will ensure the success of Durham’s esports projects going forward. ” 

BWF And HSBC Agree To World Tour Deal Extension

In the spirit of a fantastic first four years in partnership together, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and its Principal Global Partner and title sponsor of the BWF World Tour, HSBC, can confirm they have extended their current commercial relationship by one year.

This announcement aligns with the extension of the current HSBC BWF World Tour hosting cycle until the end of 2022. It also consolidates the reputation of the HSBC BWF World Tour as one of the world’s premiere sporting circuits in a forever changing climate.

The global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic meant it was necessary for the BWF to extend its hosting contracts by one extra year. BWF would like to thank HSBC for their continued commitment to the delivery of the HSBC BWF World Tour and global promotion of badminton.

The HSBC BWF World Tour 2021 season ends with a three-tournament Asian leg in Bali, Indonesia culminating with the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals from 1-5 December 2021.

Both BWF and HSBC will then look forward to a bumper 2022 season where together we aim to elevate the electric HSBC BWF World Tour to new levels as part of the extended partnership deal.

IMG Appoints Jo Ormston As Director Of Business Development

IMG has appointed highly-experienced broadcast professional Jo Ormston to the newly-created position of Director of Business Development for its global production business, one of the largest producers of sports programming in the world.

In this role, Ormston will explore and develop content and programming opportunities for new and existing production clients as a direct report of Stephen Cook, IMG’s SVP, Director of Content. She is based at IMG Studios at Stockley Park, near London’s Heathrow Airport.

Cook said: “Jo brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise and understands the business of production from both a broadcaster and federation point of view. With content consumption trends ever-changing, Jo will play an essential role in ensuring we stay connected to the various trends, platforms and key players across the world of sport.”

Ormston set up her own production company OrchestraBlue in 2012 with a roster of clients including UEFA (Euro 2020), Gfinity (Qatar WEGA Esports Global Games), HBS (FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019, FIFA World Cup 2018 Russia and FIFA World Cup 2014 Brazil) and EXPO 2020 in Dubai. She was also brought in by BT Sport to plan broadcast operations for the Champions League from 2015-18.

Ormston has also worked with RedBull Media and World Sports Group and on four Olympic Games, winning the IOC Golden Rings Award at the 2012 London Olympics for host broadcast for sailing. Previously, she was with independent production company North One, where she was Head of Production for World Rally Championships from 2001-2011, with additional responsibility for Olympic projects and North One Australia.

Coinbase Becomes Exclusive Cryptocurrency Platform Partner Of The NBA/WNBA/NBA G League/NBA 2K League And USA Basketball

Coinbase Global, Inc. and the National Basketball Association today announced a multiyear partnership that makes Coinbase the exclusive cryptocurrency platform partner of the NBA, Women’s National Basketball Association, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and USA Basketball.

The deal, which marks the first cryptocurrency platform partnership for each league, will consist of unique content, innovations, activations and experiences from Coinbase to educate fans on the increasing advancements happening across the cryptoeconomy. Beginning with tonight’s tip off of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary season, Coinbase will have a brand presence featured during nationally televised games.  The company will also become the presenting partner of the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup and the USA Basketball men’s and women’s national team exhibition tours, as well as a partner of NBA G League Ignite.

“The freedom to participate and benefit from the things you believe in is at the heart of Coinbase’s mission.  Nobody believes this more than NBA and WNBA fans. We’re proud to become the Leagues’ official cryptocurrency partner,” said Kate Rouch, Chief Marketing Officer of Coinbase. “As part of the partnership, we will create interactive experiences to engage with the NBA and WNBA’s incredible community and athletes around the world.”

“As a trusted cryptocurrency platform used by millions, Coinbase is a natural fit as the NBA’s first-ever partner in this thriving category,” said Kerry Tatlock, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing Partnerships and Media, NBA.  “We look forward to collaborating with Coinbase to provide fans with new ways to engage with the league and each other, while also enhancing the experience for fans who are already Coinbase users.”

“Our partnership with Coinbase is representative of the WNBA’s emphasis on innovation as we continue to find opportunities to meet our fans where they are,” said Phil Cook, WNBA Chief Marketing Officer.  “As we build off the success of the WNBA’s first 25 seasons, innovating alongside Coinbase will help us explore the future of fan engagement.”

CEV Selects Genius Sports As Its Official Technology Partner To Drive The Digital Transformation Of European Volleyball

The European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) and Genius Sports Limited (NYSE: GENI) (“Genius Sports”), the official data, technology and commercial partner that powers the ecosystem connecting sports, betting and media, have agreed on a long-term technology and integrity partnership.

As part of the new agreement, all major men’s and women’s CEV competitions across indoor, beach and snow volleyball will be powered by Genius Sports’ leading suite of scoring, coaching and competition management solutions to drive the sport’s digital transformation.

e-Scoresheet, the preeminent live scoring solution in world volleyball for over a decade, has now been specifically developed for beach and snow, providing CEV with consistent and official match scoresheets across dozens of competitions such as CEV EuroBeachVolley, the CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Tour, and the CEV Snow Volleyball European Tour.

CEV fans, statisticians, coaches, administrators, and members will benefit from Genius Sports’ leading data-driven solutions, streamlining key processes such as delivering real-time statistics to fans, digitally managing competitions, and allocating referees to matches. 

As the trusted integrity partner to the National Football League, English Premier League and Euroleague Basketball, Genius Sports will also help to preserve the transparency and fairness of European Volleyball from betting-related corruption. Its Bet Monitoring System will analyse 24/7 betting activity on all CEV competitions, cross-referencing real-time odds movements with predictive algorithms to automatically flag any potentially suspicious activity.

Aleksandar Boričić, CEV President, said: “The partnership with Genius Sports is a pivotal piece of our long-term vision to modernise Volleyball and its governance. We wish to innovate at all levels and the latest solutions provided by Genius Sports will be playing a key role in supporting our efforts to engage with our passionate fans even further and to provide a standardised, high-quality digital experience across all of our competitions.”

Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports, said: “Providing sports with cutting-edge solutions to maximise the value of their live data and streamline the running of their competitions has been a central part of our business for more than 20 years. This approach is more important than ever for us and our partners and we are proud that our partnership with CEV will drive the growth and digital transformation of European Volleyball across indoor, beach and snow.” 

Sports Technology Appointed “Official Provider” To Birmingham 2022

Sports Technology (ST) has been appointed Official Provider of Large Video Screens and Audio Services for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Alongside LED and PA systems in the majority of the venues, ST will provide a broad range of audio-visual services including an innovative and highly flexible signal distribution network in every venue, providing a fully integrated IP based solution for all non-broadcast audio, video and data distribution. The avIP network will be an evolution of ST parent company NEP’s acclaimed proprietary TFC system developed to manage global remote production and IP based broadcast solutions.

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will see around 4,500 athletes from 72 nations and territories compete in 19 sports across 14 competition venues from 28 July until 8 August 2022. As the biggest event ever to be held in the West Midlands, it is expected to attract more than one million spectators to the city and have a global TV audience of 1.5 billion. 

A key element of ST’s winning proposal was their social engagement plan which includes a partnership with West Midlands based Resonance College and a measurable commitment to engage local businesses and contractors across all aspects of the 2022 delivery.

ST and UK sister company Creative Technology are entering into a long-term relationship with the college which will include support with training, technology and an ambitious work placement and internship programme both for Games time workforce and the longer term, bringing real opportunity to young people in the technical disciplines of the performing arts in the West Midlands.

Damian Rowe, Managing Director of Sports Technology, commented from Tokyo: “This will be our third consecutive full-service AV delivery at a Commonwealth Games and third consecutive Games as an ‘Official Provider’. Over the last 12 years we have expanded our social engagement model around these Games and are excited to be able to provide solid and tangible opportunities to aspiring youngsters from the West Midlands. We already have a full-time project manager embedded in the technology department at Birmingham 2022 and look forward to building a team of around 125 people over the next nine to ten months including experienced project and technical specialists supported by local contractors and workforce wherever possible.”

Sports Technology CEO Dave Crump added: “As a global event technology supplier with our roots firmly in the UK we are excited to be continuing our journey with the Commonwealth Games which started 36 years ago in Edinburgh. As an organisation we value our long-term relationship 

with the Games and are looking forward to providing further technical innovation whilst bringing real opportunity to young people in Birmingham.”

Laurence Smith, Head of Venue Technology for Birmingham 2022 said: “It’s great to have Sports Technology on board as they join us as our Official Provider of Large Video Screens and Audio Services for Birmingham 2022. Sports Technology are globally renowned for their successful delivery of multi-sport event AV, so we are delighted to be working with them to stage the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. They have fully embraced the Birmingham 2022 Social Values Charter, making tangible commitments to involve local AV technicians and students in the delivery of this event, forming relationships and legacies that will last well beyond 2022.”

CGF Executive Director Martin Reynolds said: “We are delighted to welcome Sports Technology back for the third consecutive Commonwealth Games.

As the Birmingham 2022 Official Provider of Large Video Screens and Audio Services, Sports Technology will play a huge role in helping us deliver the Games while their commitment to the region as part of this partnership will help create a lasting legacy for the local community.”

McLaren Racing And Dell Technologies Announce Multi-Year Extension To Their Long-Standing Partnership

McLaren Racing has today announced a multi-year extension of its partnership with Dell Technologies. Together they will continue to drive innovation and push the boundaries of human-machine performance on the track and beyond. Their work together does not stop at technology – they will collaborate on programmes to ensure their societal and environmental impact drives success across the industry and help achieve their 2030 goals, focusing on STEM education, diversity and inclusion, and sustainable practices.

The partnership, which began in 2018, strives to grow technological innovation with Dell Technologies’ hardware and software solutions being seamlessly integrated into McLaren’s day-to-day functions including trackside and base operations, fan engagement and guest experience.

During the coronavirus pandemic, McLaren and Dell joined forces to successfully launch McLaren Substitute Teacher, an award-winning video series designed to bring STEM subjects to life through the lens of Formula 1 for students around the world.

Substitute Teacher provides the opportunity to learn from Dell and McLaren’s best and brightest about the analytics, physics, speed, health, and technology that comes together to make F1 happen. This initiative exemplifies both companies’ commitment to STEM education and digital inclusion, proving the vast range and global impact of this partnership.

Additionally, McLaren and Dell will partner together to expand their deep technical relationship and deliver a step change in High Performance Computing (HPC) capabilities. Dell’s HPC helps McLaren study, test and prototype aerodynamic changes to the car – developing a greater technical performance capacity for this season’s car and beyond.

The Dell Technologies brand will continue to be carried on the McLaren F1 MCL35M race cars, the McLaren F1 driver overalls of Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, pit-crew overalls, team shirts, transporters and across the McLaren F1 garage.

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing said: 

“Our partnership with Dell Technologies has enabled innovation across our like-minded organisations and pushes the boundaries with data. The partnership has not only continued to develop from a technical point of view but has seen growth to a wider audience with the successful content series, Dell Substitute Teacher which helps to bring STEM subjects to life for students through Formula 1.

“McLaren and Dell Technologies strive to take important leaps in performance across the board, and as two brands who share the same ethos, the partnership continues to propel us towards furthering this mission.”

Liz Matthews, Senior Vice President of Global Brand & Creative at Dell Technologies said:

“Dell Technologies is honoured to continue growing our partnership with McLaren – working together to show the power of technology in racing and society. How our two companies align beyond the racetrack is truly something special; from our education efforts to better prepare the next generation for the workforce of the future, to creating the fastest Edge device at 220+ MPH, I’m excited to see this partnership flourish for years to come.”