College Call of Duty (CCL) Acquired By eFuse

College CoD (CCL) has now been formally acquired by eFuse. As a result of the acquisition, eFuse intends to dedicate resources to help grow the league and reciprocate the same passion put forth by its original leadership team over the past few years. 

Three members of the initial management team will continue to spearhead the growth of the league under eFuse in the following season, focusing full time on the grassroots built project.

  • Jaden “jbyrd” Shaw – Director of College CoD
  • Jacen “sonofpaint“ Garriss – Collegiate Relations Coordinator
  • Marco or Jacob “Smgl” Marcovecchio – CCL Marketing

The College CoD community is a passionate group we are excited to provide more opportunities for. A community who is both dedicated and excited at the growth of their space across collegiate esports and the greater competitive Call of Duty community. The CCL started as a simple post online, grew to become a pillar in college, and is set to once again level up under the eFuse umbrella.

“What you can expect about this acquisition is more, more, more. We’re going to get more prize pools, we’re going to have more competitions, we’re going to have greater viewership. It’s going to be a ton of fun and we’re really grateful and excited to bring the College CoD community into the eFuse umbrella, so look forward to a lot more.” – Matthew Benson, CEO of eFuse.

With this acquisition comes increased opportunities in preseason tournaments, unique content, full-time dedication from key members toward improving the league, and perhaps one of the most major wins for the community – a guaranteed $25,000 prize pool for next year. However the pluses don’t end there. These are just some of the many ideas and initiatives the College CoD team has communicated. The eFuse team intends to continue working hand in hand with the three individuals brought on board to nurture the growth of the entirety of the CCL community: varsity directors, alumni, players, and media included. Perhaps even new kinds of events are on the horizon.

“eFuse gives College CoD the opportunity to continue to grow and impact the college esports community. This is going to allow us to throw quality events online all year long and work toward those coveted offline events. This is just the beginning of what we want to accomplish at College CoD and eFuse helps us get there. I couldn’t ask for a more supportive group to have in our corner.” – Jaden Shaw, Director of College CoD.

For eFuse, the College CoD acquisition is a key piece of eFuse’s expansion into the collegiate esports space. Projects like Collegiate Media Day, the Pipeline, and coaches’ polls continue to provide the collegiate esports community the love that it deserves alongside what College CoD already does.

The CCL 2022 season is set to be bigger than ever before as the team prepares for 250+ teams. College CoD registration has traditionally occurred between the November/December months with the closing dates being in late December/early January. Additionally, the league tends to begin sometime in the January to early February months. Expect these timelines to be closely mimicked as details of registration information, league format, signups, and more begin to be announced.

“College esports are growing at an unprecedented rate, probably the fastest that had ever been seen in intercollegiate athletics. It was 35 years between the first college football game and the first governing body to efficiently regulate it. To see how fast College CoD has grown in only 4 years is incredibly exciting and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us.” – Jaden Shaw, Director of College CoD.

Finally, eFuse and College CoD would like to acknowledge that the CCL is where it is today thanks to its community and the hardworking volunteers who have done nothing but put forth love and unbridled passion into the entirety of the collegiate space. In addition, this is not a goodbye to many of these faces but likely a “see you soon” in some form. We recognize that for some, CCL is just a league to compete in. But for many, it’s clear College CoD has fostered longer lasting friendships, been an avenue for jobs and opportunities, and a catalyst for support of esports in families and at universities. These ideals remain at the forefront of this acquisition.

Be on the lookout for more preseason announcements from both eFuse and the CCL as the beginnings of CCL 2022 officially inch closer.

ICC And UNICEF Partner To Help Break Stigma Around Mental Health

The partnership will amplify UNICEF’s global campaign #OnYourMind which calls for commitment, communication and action to promote good mental health for every child.

The ICC and UNICEF are aiming to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing amongst children and adolescents and encourage greater conversation and understanding of it throughout the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 beginning on Sunday.

The event – the biggest ever in the UAE and Oman – begins on 17October and comprises 45 matches across four venues and features cricket’s biggest names and best teams. As the pinnacle of the shortest format of cricket, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 attracts a global audience reaching billions of young fans and families.

The partnership will highlight the need for more conversations around mental health and wellbeing. Mental health is defined as a state of wellbeing in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to contribute to their community.

According to the latest available estimates, more than 1 in 7 adolescents aged 10–19 is estimated to live with a diagnosed mental disorder globally (source: UNICEF- SOWC 2021).

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the issue. School closures and physical distancing measures due to COVID 19 have reduced children and young people’s regular coping mechanisms and contributed to increased isolation and mental health risks.

Lockdowns and other pandemic containment measures, in addition to the direct impact of COVID-19, have resulted in mental stress of parents’ and care givers. This has in turn affected their ability to provide a protective and nurturing environment for their children.

#OnYourMind campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 will urge for greater commitment, connection and conversation around mental health and physical wellbeing.

Through this initiative ICC will use its global platforms, including its broadcast and digital channels to support UNICEF’s work and drive the message around: what affects children’s mental health, how to break the silence and talk about mental health wellbeing, destigmatise mental health issues, how to reach out and seek support and what can parents and adults do to improve the mental wellbeing of children.

This partnership comes at the back of ICC’s commitment to ensure the mental and physical wellbeing of over 2,000 individuals that are involved in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, many of whom including players, coaches and support staff, will be in a “managed event environment” throughout.

Geoff Allardice, Acting CEO ICC said: “Cricket has the incredible power and reach to raise awareness and effect change and we’re proud to partner with UNICEF to help break the stigma around mental health.  #OnYourMind encourages us all to talk more openly about this with our children to promote and protect their mental health.

UNICEF India Representative Dr. Yasmin Ali Haque, said: “We anticipate that that the COVID-19 pandemic related stresses that have affected the mental health of children and young people in India is likely to have a lasting impact if we do not act now! We must work with them to bust the stigma around mental health that prevents many from sharing and seeking support. Lets together break the silence and end stigma on mental health  issues. We value UNICEF’s partnership with ICC to break the silence. Together, through this platform we hope to reach millions with the message, its okay to speak up about what’s #OnMyMind.”

Cricket fans are urged to visit the ICC online and digital channels to find out more about how they can get involved in the campaign.

Sokin Signs Miami Dolphins As First NFL Partner

Sokin, a global payments provider, is delighted to announce a new multi-year partnership with the Miami Dolphins. The three-year deal is Sokin’s first substantial sponsorship agreement in North America and its first with an NFL team.

During the season, Sokin will invest in activations that inspire fans to achieve their MoneyGoals – whether its saving for new merchandise or supporting local community projects – through the benefits of Sokin’s global payments and international transfers.

“Not only does this partnership symbolize Sokin’s intent to revolutionize the global remittance landscape, but it also furthers our portfolio of working with forward-thinking organizations who understand the importance of using tech innovation to help improve the lives of those around us,” added Vroon Modgill, CEO of Sokin. “The US’ diverse migrant culture is a very important market for Sokin, and we wanted to create a payments solution which genuinely supports this demographic, and their payments needs. As a result, we’ve ensured our Global Currency Account has a tremendous footprint on an unprecedented scale compared to other providers in the market. This means we can truly help those people looking to for a better way to manage their money.

“We are thrilled to join forces with the Miami Dolphins as we continue to grow throughout the Americas to help millions of sporting fans and followers around the world have greater access to global payments saving them time and money.”

“The Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium are global brands, and we are excited to join forces with Sokin, a progressive and dynamic organization on their first NFL partnership,” said Jeremy Walls, Senior Vice President, Chief Revenue Officer of Miami Dolphins. “Miami’s culture, demographics and innovative ethos fits perfectly into Sokin’s comprehensive strategy to helps fans and companies achieve their financial objectives.”

Over recent months, Sokin has been confirmed as the Official FX Global Payments Provider for well-known football clubs Arsenal, Everton, Fulham FC and AS Monaco.

Sokin launched its Global Currency Account in August 2021 to give consumers and businesses access to a fairer and more transparent payments system by removing barriers that have historically hindered access and financial inclusion.

Sokin is the first subscription-based global payments solution with unlimited international transfers and cost-effective currency exchange in 38 currencies to over 200 countries and territories* for one fixed monthly fee, without hidden charges.

Leading Football Agencies Unique Sports Management And International Sports Management Join Forces To Form Unique Sports Group

Leading UK football agency Unique Sports Management (USM) is delighted to announce that it has joined forces with German football agency International Sports Management (ISMG) and will be known as Unique Sports Group with immediate effect.

The new brand is the joint vision of two of the largest independent football management agencies across Europe’s two most dominant football markets, the Premier League and Bundesliga.

Operating from five offices: London, Munich, Manchester, Karlsruhe and Curitiba, Unique Sports Group will represent an exclusive roster of more than 300 players, including Premier League, Bundesliga and European stars Reece James (Chelsea), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Manchester United), Hakan Calhanoglu (Inter Milan), Matthias Ginter (Borussia Monchengladbach,) Ryan Sessegnon (Tottenham Hotspur), Callum Wilson (Newcastle United) and Kevin Volland (AS Monaco) among a host of leading names.

Unique Sports Group is now one of the top five global football agencies, with a combined client market value of over £670m.

Awareness Campaign

As part of its CSR commitments, Unique Sports Group will use the hashtag #BeUnique to launch a social media campaign to empower and motivate the next generation of sporting talent. 

A series of short stories titled “Ever been told you can’t?” will feature several Unique Sports Group clients telling their own personal journey through times of doubt and struggle. 

The videos will be launched across social media and encourage viewers to block out the noise of negative influences. 

Will Salthouse, joint CEO Unique Sports Group, said:

“We are delighted to welcome ISMG to the Unique family and believe this joint vision will allow us to maximise our European network at a time when interest in UK based players from across the continent continues to grow. 

“This alliance allows us to cement our place as the leading agency across the UK and German market. The Bundesliga is such a strong league and has the youngest average player age of any other top-flight division. 

“We have already seen UK-based talent making the move to Germany to further their first team careers and we see this continuing to be a trend in the years ahead.”

Gordon Stipic-Wipfler, joint CEO Unique Sports Group, said: 

“We are thrilled to expand our exclusive network and management services with Unique Sports Group. With this partnership we are establishing our leading role in professional football.

“The Premier League and Bundesliga are two of the best football leagues in the world and the dream of every professional football player. We are looking forward to taking our clients to the next level.”

Lifebuoy Sign Deal With England Cricket

Unilever brand Lifebuoy, the world’s number one hygiene soap brand has today, on Global Handwashing Day, revealed that the first year of their partnership with England Cricket & the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has seen more than £1 million of hygiene products provided to help deliver the cricket season across all levels of the game this summer.

In collaboration, Lifebuoy and the ECB provided the ten international cricket venues with hand sanitiser dispensers, as the summer saw the return of fans to international cricket for the first time since 2019. England’s representative teams and their opponents were also provided with PPE for training camps and matches.

A bespoke ‘Hygiene Bundle’ was created for the recreational clubs of England & Wales, with the ECB providing just over 3500 cricket clubs with free hand sanitiser, liquid hand wash and hand wipes to help them provide a full hygiene solution for their members and visiting teams. 

Lifebuoy was also proud to work with the ECB’s entry-level participation programmes during a record-breaking summer. They offered each of the 101,000 registered children on the ECB’s All Stars Cricket (5-8 years old) and Dynamos Cricket (8-11 years old) programmes a free bottle of hand sanitiser. 

Nick Pryde, ECB Director of Participation & Growth, said: “In what has been a summer where we have seen both adult and junior participation on the rise in England & Wales, we are really pleased to have had the positive partnership with Lifebuoy in place. Providing more than 3,500 clubs with hygiene bundles to help them comply with COVID-adapted matches and training has certainly played its part in 10,000 more adult fixtures being played than in the summer of 2019.”

Benoit Roger-Marchant, Marketing Director, Lifebuoy UK & Ireland, commented: “As the UK’s number one hygiene brand, Lifebuoy has a clear role to play in helping us all stay safe, and we are proud of the collaboration with the ECB to help cricket return safely this summer. We’re on a mission to continue to improve hand-hygiene in the UK, and are looking forward to raising awareness of some of our education initiatives today, on Global Handwashing Day, with the support of England Cricket.”

Kevin Durant’s Boardroom & Thirty Five Ventures Announce Partnership With Dapper Labs

Kevin Durant will play a prominent role in the two-year deal, including curating Top Shot Moments and appearing in video features.

On Wednesday, Thirty Five Ventures and blockchain technology company Dapper Labs announced a multi-year partnership that will feature co-branded activations across the Boardroom media network.

The two-year, multi-faceted partnership will help bring Dapper’s wildly popular NBA Top Shot platform to life in unique ways, with Kevin Durant prominently included. Durant and Thirty Five Ventures will have a creative development role as part of the landmark deal, with the Brooklyn Nets superstar both curating and creating Top Shot highlight Moments and multimedia projects.

“Top Shot is the future for basketball fans, bringing them closer to players and building community across the sport in new and innovative ways,” Durant said. “At Boardroom, we’ve also been at the forefront of the NFT space, and I’m excited to partner in advancing NFTs further into the mainstream, creating and curating exclusive Moments and content with Top Shot.”

The Dapper partnership follows Boardroom’s early commitment to covering trading cards, collectibles, and the burgeoning non-fungible token industry, including collaborations with and editorial coverage for the biggest and most buzzworthy collectors in the industry. As part of the partnership with Dapper, fans will receive not just news and features on NBA Top Shot, but giveaways, spotlights around key moments, and fan-to-fan trading, behind-the-scenes video content, and traditional sponsorship elements with the groundbreaking NFT platform.

In September, Dapper Labs announced a new $250 million funding round at a $7.6 billion valuation, according to a source close to the company, as well as a new NFT partnership with LaLiga. That valuation came before Dapper announced a separate pact with the NFL and NFLPA that will bring Top Shot-style Moments to America’s most popular sports league via its Flow blockchain.

“Thirty Five Ventures has been supporters of and investors in Dapper Labs for some time,” said Thirty Five Ventures and Boardroom co-founder and CEO Rich Kleiman, “and we’re thrilled for the opportunity to further partner with them and expand our coverage of NBA Top Shot across all of Boardroom’s properties.”

Leading up to the tip-off of the NBA’s 75th season on Oct. 19, Top Shot is listening to calls to make legendary Moments available for fans to take anywhere on the chain, with more Moments to come. Top Shot will also release Dwyane Wade’s first Run it Back Moments from the 2005-06 season, as well as a Rare Run it Back Drop. Coverage of these Dapper Lab announcements, as well as other exclusive content, will live on Boardroom’s platform as part of the partnership.

“From the moment we met with Kevin and Rich, it was clear that we shared a passion to bring fans closer than ever and in the most epic ways to their favorite athletes,” Dapper Labs CEO Roham Gharegozlou said. “As KD continues to put his stamp on game-changing moments, we’re able to offer fans access to him in entirely new ways and cement NBA Top Shot’s place at the center of the fan experience.”

iSportConnect’s eMasterclass Explores The Tech That Will Continue To Transform The Broadcast Experience

Today, iSportConnect hosted our final virtual event of 2021, with our eMasterclass looking at ‘The Evolution Of Broadcast Technologies’, looking at a wide range innovations impacting the broadcasting landscape as we head into 2022 and how to keep your consumers engaged.

To kick off the event it was wonderful to have the expertise of Olek Loewenstein, President of Sports Content for TUDN, part of Univision, in discussion with our very own Jay Stuart.

Since Univision’s merger with Televisa, which created the biggest Spanish-language broadcasting entity in the world, Olek explained how AVOD can co-exist with the organisation’s linear channels.

He also discussed how the architecture of a broadcast has to alternate when people are viewing across different types of broadcast, and some of the trends noticed through the viewership. This included how some of the consumption patterns have been changing, many of which have been caused by changes in technology. 

This was an absolutely fascinating discussion which explored so many of the different aspects the broadcast world is currently wrestling with as it tries to adapt to the ever-changing technological adaptations. 

For the second panel our speakers took a deeper look into ‘The Progress of Personalisation’, with a wide-range of experts across broadcasting.

It was great to hear from Dennis Galejski , Deputy Head of Audiovisual Rights at the DFL, IMG’s Head of Engineering: Production and Workflows, Brian Leonard, Nick Doff, Director at Network 4, Abhishek Ranade of, Head of EMEA Business at Tata Communications and Gabriela Vidal Castillo, from Facebook Sports Partnerships EMEA group.

They evaluated ‘The Progress of Personalisation’ and provided a really intriguing look into how evolving technologies such as artificial intelligence are going to impact this moving forward.

Our final session of the afternoon looked at the ‘The Big Bet On Gamification’ and how gambling will continue to impact the broadcast landscape.

It was a terrific way to close out our final eMasterclass of 2021 with Adam Azor, Global Head of Marketing at Sportradar, Jason Wilson, Chief Operating Officer of 1/ST Content, Mark Taffler, Chief Commercial Officer of Green Jade Games and Nathan Rothschild, Co-Founder & Partner of GTG Network.

We heard some very contrasting views relating to gamification and how betting will impact sport and the second-screen experience from our panellists, creating a great debate between everyone involved that really engaged the audience.

That’s it from us for 2021 events. Our next Masterclasses will be taking place in the new year and we’ll once again be back to live, physical events. We can’t wait and look forward to seeing you all in due course!

Discovery Sports Reaches Agreement To Show Women’s Tour De France From Next Year

The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will be brought to the widest audience across Europe* from 2022 after a landmark agreement was reached today between Discovery Sports and Eurovision Sport.

History will be made on the Champs-Élysées next year as the inaugural edition begins with exclusive coverage offered for viewers in more than 50 markets across Europe* (excluding France) via Discovery Sports’ portfolio of channels and platforms including Eurosport’s linear channels, as well as streaming via the Eurosport App, GCN+ and discovery+. The world’s best women’s riders will come together to battle for the yellow jersey with viewers able to enjoy live, uninterrupted and ad-free coverage of every stage on Discovery Sports’ subscription platforms including local post-race highlights and analysis shows with insights from the best experts in the sport**.

The long-term agreement, which extends until 2025, means Discovery Sports will continue to bring the UCI Women’s World Tour to millions of viewers across Europe, building on its comprehensive cycling offer from 2021 where it delivered 100% of Women’s World Tour races to fans. This forms part of its mission to bring parity to coverage of elite men’s and women’s events, and to inspire passion in fans for the widest range of sports and athletes.

Also included in the deal with Eurovision Sport are the exclusive*** rights across more than 50 markets in Europe to show the one-day Paris-Roubaix Femmes until 2025 after Discovery Sports broadcast the first ever edition this month.

The eight-stage Tour de France Femmes takes place between 24-31 July and begins in conjunction with the conclusion of the men’s Tour de France in Paris. The eagerly anticipated route for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2022 will be officially unveiled by race organiser Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) on Thursday 14 October.

Guy Voisin, Director of Cycling at Discovery Sports, said: “The first ever women’s edition of the Tour de France has been a long time in the making so we’re absolutely thrilled to have reached an agreement with the EBU that guarantees every stage will be able to watch live and on-demand across our channels and platforms.

“We have made it our mission to invest in more world-class women’s races because it is just a great sport, to help grow cycling further and to meet the expectations of our viewers everywhere. We will now harness our deep cycling expertise and unrivalled scale to bring coverage to the widest possible audience in Europe, truly unlocking the power of the sport.”

In addition to offering fans live coverage of every race on the UCI Women’s World Tour, Discovery Sports’ cycling portfolio also includes coverage of every Grand Tour and Classic road race as well as every major cyclo-cross, mountain bike, BMX and urban cycling World Championship and European Championship, and the UCI Track Champions League with Discovery Sports Events.

DraftKings Agrees To Become Sports Betting, DFS, iGaming Partner Of NHL

Company announces agreement to be exclusive sportsbook, daily fantasy sports provider for Turner Sports’ coverage of League.

DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG) announced today it has agreed to a deal with the National Hockey League to become an Official Sports Betting, Daily Fantasy Sports and iGaming Partner of the league in the United States. To complement the deal, DraftKings has also reached an agreement with Turner Sports, including Bleacher Report, to be the exclusive sportsbook and daily fantasy sports provider for their coverage of the NHL®.

“The NHL has some of the most passionate fans in all of sports and we are delighted to be working with the league once again, while developing a rich and engaging viewership and content experience that matches this fanbases’ enthusiasm through our deal with Turner,” said Jason Robins, CEO, chairman and co-founder, DraftKings. “Over the years DraftKings has become a brand synonymous with sports, with a fan-first approach through real-money gaming options, and we look forward to collaborating with the NHL alongside Turner Sports and Bleacher Report to provide hockey fans with what’s next in sports.”

As an Official Sports Betting, Daily Fantasy Sports and iGaming Partner of the NHL, DraftKings will be granted access to NHL assets which will enhance the DraftKings’ product experience including the use of official marks and logos, as well as themed sweepstakes and enhanced promotional efforts both during the regular season, NHL® All-Star Weekend and throughout the Stanley Cup® Playoffs and Stanley Cup® Final. DraftKings will also have the opportunity for a variety of content integrations across the league’s digital and linear media platforms.

“As we embark on what promises to be a thrilling 2021-22 NHL season, our partnership with DraftKings, as well as with Turner Sports, will provide for new and exciting experiences to deepen our fan engagement,” said Keith Wachtel, NHL Chief Business Officer and Senior Executive Vice President. “We’re proud to welcome back DraftKings to the NHL family, and look forward to collaborating together with Turner Sports – one of our valued media partners – to develop unique and exciting content for our fans.”

Under the arrangement with Turner Sports, DraftKings will provide sports betting information and daily fantasy content across Turner Sports telecasts and Bleacher Report digital channels including the B/R app. Planned integrations include DraftKings’ betting odds and daily fantasy statistics, original content, personalized automated alerts and editorial across B/R channels including the B/R Betting vertical, the most engaged digital sports media brand in the sports betting industry*.

Turner Sports entered into a multimedia rights agreement with the NHL in April bringing the Stanley Cup Final and Stanley Cup Playoffs to TNT for the first time, with the inaugural campaign including a 50-game regular season schedule. The agreement is highlighted by TNT crowning a champion through its exclusive live coverage of the Stanley Cup Final in three of the next seven years and half of the Stanley Cup Playoffs each year (half of the Conference Finals, along with First and Second Round games).

“Turner Sports and Bleacher Report have become the home of innovative sports betting content and integrations across all our channels,” said Raphael Poplock, SVP of Strategic Partnerships, Business Development and Content Acquisitions. “Our agreement with DraftKings expands and strengthens our relationship, allowing us to further serve fans with the type of sports betting information, entertainment and quick-resolving betting options that we have pioneered.”

In an ongoing effort to create the best in real-money gaming, fan engagement and unique experiential access, DraftKings continually creates hospitality events around the biggest dates on the sports calendar and offers its customers opportunities to secure digital collectibles from some of the world’s greatest athletes through DraftKings Marketplace. Additionally, DraftKings is committed to creating inclusive and responsible pathways for people to build, create, imagine, and innovate through the DraftKings S.E.R.V.E.S. program. Responsible gaming is a key pillar of the S.E.R.V.E.S. program and DraftKings’ collective mission is to protect the vulnerable with groundbreaking technology, training, resources and the support of evidence-based research.

More information about DraftKings is available at www.draftkings.com and fans can download the DraftKings mobile apps via iOS and Android. To learn more about the NHL, 2021-22 Regular Season, fans can visit www.nhl.com.

DWS Named As Official Global Investment Sponsor For The LA Lakers

Today the Los Angeles Lakers and DWS announced a multi-season global sponsorship agreement making DWS the Official Global Investment Sponsor of the team. DWS is one of the leading asset managers and is geared for further growth around the globe, with 1.1 trillion dollars of assets currently under management.

The sponsorship will include advertising, prominent placement of the DWS logo at Lakers home games in STAPLES Center and widespread content partnership, including engagement on social media channels, helping DWS further showcase its brand globally. The Lakers have the largest social media following among all North American professional sports teams. The Lakers also have an extraordinarily enthusiastic following in Asia – one of DWS’s core growth markets – with an estimated 199 million fans in APAC. The Lakers are also the most popular NBA sports team across DWS’s key European markets of Germany, Spain, Italy, France and in the United Kingdom.

DWS and the Lakers will collaborate on several community initiatives and outreach projects. DWS will sponsor the Lakers’ “In the Paint” fine arts program designed to showcase the original works of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) artists in the greater Los Angeles area. DWS will also partner with the Lakers to create an international court refurbishment project and Junior Lakers Clinics to support primary and secondary schools’ integration of technology into physical education activities on campuses. In addition, both DWS and the Lakers are committed to further empowering women in business through their mentoring and sponsorship programs.

“Like the Lakers, DWS acts locally but thinks globally. Their services are custom and accessible, but their reach is expansive,” said Tim Harris, President of Business Operations. “One of the best parts about the Lakers is that we’re a hometown team that makes a global impact. We can’t wait to do that together.”

“The Los Angeles Lakers exemplify – like DWS – integrity, a culture of excellence and inclusiveness over many decades,” said Asoka Woehrmann, CEO of DWS. “Our partnership with this iconic organization accelerates DWS’s transformation into a truly global brand. We are confident that we will jointly excel under this new partnership.”

DWS clients, staff and business partners will soon be able to participate in exciting campaigns as part of the partnership, including virtual and in-person events. This is the first time the investment firm has partnered with an iconic sports brand of global renown and builds on earlier sponsorships of national German and European sporting teams.

The Lakers were assisted by the global sports business agency, SPORTFIVE, on the global marketing partnership with DWS.