Redstrike and IPG To Team Up With New Joint Venture

The Venture  

The Dubai based Group IPG and Redstrike are delighted to announce the establishment of a joint venture to further  expand their working relationship with the aim of strengthening their combined resources to grow sports rights  globally, deliver 360 degree media productions and develop emerging sports in South-East Asia. 

The joint venture will also see IPG become the cricket and media arm of Redstrike and will be led by Redstrike  Commercial Director and former Commercial Director of Cricket Ireland, Dennis Cousins 

Redstrike IPG will oversee all commercial activity for the Sri Lanka T20 Cricket League (LPL) which is due to take place  in December 2021. The company will have a presence in both Dubai and Dublin and will work in partnership with  other Redsrike and IPG’s offices in the UK, Asia, South Africa, Pakistan and India. 

Redstrike IPG recently acquired the Commercial Rights of the Scotland versus Zimbabwe T20 series which took place  in September and was livestreamed globally. The new venture is also currently in the process of evaluating and  acquiring other cricket and sports rights globally.  

The Vision  

Redstrike’s Vision for this Joint venture is to expand and acquire new media and commercial rights in emerging  markets, not only in cricket but within all sports associated with IPG and Redstrike. Redstrike will use the export  champion program and it’s best in class services to create a long lasting and successful Joint Venture with IPG. 

Redstrike is proud to be the only UK department of International Trade Export Champion for Sport, allowing access to a network of over 275 International Trade Advisers, complete support from and access to British embassies abroad, gaining Redstrike governmental support in almost any nation.  

Mr. Anil Mohan, CEO, The IPG Group, said 

“I’m delighted to formalise our partnership with Redstrike by creating this new joint venture. Working with Redstrike  is a natural step for IPG to grow our media business globally through the Redstrike network and utilising the vast  expertise that Redstrike have working with sports organisations globally. From the outset, I’ve been excited by the  vision of Mike Farnan and am confident that our own experience and relationships and foot-print in South-East Asia, especially in cricket, will open new doors for Mike and his team through Redstrike IPG.” 

Mr. Mike Farnan, Group CEO Redstrike, said 

“Having joined the advisory Board of The IPG Group a number of months back, it became apparent quickly that  there were huge synergies between both Redstrike and IPG that could be built on to create new opportunities for both brands. Delivering 360 degree experiences across multiple sports and acquiring new sports rights is high on the agenda for Redstrike IPG. While Redstrike has grown our own range of services over the last number of years, working with Anil will now enable Redstrike IPG to exploit new media opportunities through IPG media  services.” 

Mr. Dennis Cousins, Managing Director Redstrike IPG, said 

“Managing the Redstrike IPG Joint Venture is something which I’m really looking forward to. I’ve been hugely  encouraged by the visions of both Mike and Anil and this is a challenge that I’m relishing. There are not only  significant opportunities for both organisations to grow in South-East Asia, but in Europe too where Redstrike are a leading sports rights owner and where IPG have built up a strong reputation for high quality TV production  especially in cricket. Having the opportunity to lead the team and combine the resources of Redstrike and IPG will  enable us to open up new opportunities globally and to provide more added value to our existing client base.”

Borussia Dortmund Become The Latest Team To Sign Up With Horizm

Borussia Dortmund has become the latest UEFA Champion’s League (UCL) winners to choose Horizm’s AI powered platform to manage their digital assets. Dortmund is the first Bundesliga team to join Horizm’s growing roster of football clients and they join fellow UCL winners Real Madrid, Inter Milan and current Champions, Chelsea in choosing to work with the digital asset monetization specialists.

Dortmund is one of the most successful teams in German football, winning the league championship eight times and the DFB Pokal, the national cup competition, five times. The club is famed worldwide for its passionate following with their stadium, the Westfalonstadion, boasting the highest average attendance of any club in the world. Dortmund also have a big digital fanbase with just under 24m followers across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Through this new agreement, Dortmund will be using Horizm’s tool better understand and evaluate this digital relationship and how it can be used to drive additional commercial revenues for the club.

Commenting on the new agreement, Alexander Mühl, Head of Digital, Innovation and E-Business, Borussia Dortmund said:

“Understanding the performance and reach of content on our digital channels is crucial to how we connect with our millions of fans worldwide but also to spot and analyse commercial opportunities. We are always on the lookout for innovations that help us to improve on these fields and this new agreement with Horizm, will give us a better picture of digital relationship we have with our fans and enable us to deliver more value for partners.”

Sam, Grimley, Head of Commercial, Horizm added:

“We are very proud to work with Dortmund – the club are synonymous with their huge, passionate following and together we can help them maximise the revenues they generate through their digital audience”.

The addition of Borussia Dortmund to Horizm’s football client list means Horizm now support teams across 13 different leagues, around the globe, including all of the top six leagues in Europe.

Extreme E Expands Coverage In Ukraine With Setanta Sports

Extreme E, has today confirmed Setanta Sports as its latest broadcaster in Ukraine.

As part of the series’ growing expansion in Ukraine, Setanta Sports will air Extreme E’s full debut season, including the live race feed, highlights, preview, review and magazine shows on its Setanta Sports and Setanta Sports + channels, as well as on-demand on its digital outlet: https://www.setantaplay.tv.

With its population becoming increasingly aware of the negative impact of air pollution caused by fossil fuel, Ukraine’s electric car market has shown significant growth in recent years. In 2020, the number of electric cars on the roads grew by 375 per cent since 2018, and the country currently boasts the biggest number of public charging points compared to its nearest EU countries – with more than 8,500 (a 57 per cent increase compared to the same period two years ago).

Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer at Extreme E, said: “We are thrilled to be announcing Setanta Sports as our latest broadcaster. As a sport for purpose championship which is committed to amplifying the benefits of electrification, it is important to further the exposure of Extreme E in a market where EV sales are continuing to increase.

“There is an even greater purpose to our championship than the radical racing on show, with the need to reduce carbon emissions and combat the climate crisis, something which Ukraine has clearly recognised. As we expand our coverage in Ukraine by partnering with Setanta Sports, I am confident that there will be continued interest in the action-packed wheel-to-wheel racing delivered by Extreme E, as well as the wider storytelling around electrification, the environment and the series’ gender equal platform.”

Following the races in Saudi Arabia, Senegal and Greenland the series now goes on to visit Sardinia (23-24 October 2021). The locations that the championship visits are all, in some way, affected by environmental issues such as desertification, deforestation, melting ice caps, plastic pollution, and rising carbon emissions. By holding races in areas that are suffering at the hands of the environmental crisis, the aim is to raise viewers’ awareness and interest in environmental issues.

European Leagues, ELEVEN And OneFootball Strike Groundbreaking Global Nine Competition Broadcast Deal

ELEVEN and OneFootball will broadcast live matches and highlights from nine European professional football leagues across the world in a landmark collective deal with The Association of European Professional Leagues (European Leagues).

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For the first time ever, European Leagues worked with nine of its members to bundle their broadcast media rights outside their domestic markets. Thanks to the joint initial three-year deal with ELEVEN and OneFootball, football fans around the world will be able to view top-tier matches live and for free from the following professional leagues: Danish Superliga, Icelandic Top Football, Professional Football League of Kazakhstan, Latvian Optibet Virsliga, Northern Ireland Premiership, Norwegian Eliteserien, Polish Ekstraklasa, Slovak Fortuna Liga, Swiss Super League.

Chris Gerstle, Head of Business Development and Knowledge Centre for European Leagues, told iSportConnect earlier this year: “We believe a centralised international media rights offering of multiple, top-tier European professional football will increase opportunities for fans to engage with leagues they may have previously been unable to view due to archaic media agreements and outmoded forms of program distribution.

“The breadth of league rights included in this RFP will also better enable fans to follow players from their respective home markets that play professionally in Europe, often moving between leagues and clubs.”

This new strategic partnership will allow fans worldwide to view year round “non-stop” free-to-air live action, with matches delivered from both winter and summer leagues including regular UEFA Champions League participants such as FC Copenhagen, BSC Young Boys, and Legia Warsaw. Live matches will be available across select ELEVEN linear channels, and the ElevenSports.com and OneFootball platforms, and will be complemented by shoulder programming, highlight clips, archive material, and editorial.

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On top of securing guaranteed international broadcast revenues, for the first time these nine leagues and their clubs will be able to reach their existing passionate fans wherever they are. By showcasing both the elite football talent in their competitions and their highly competitive championships, leagues and clubs will also find new supporters by tapping into the huge audiences across the globe that OneFootball and ELEVEN afford.

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The partnership kicks off this weekend with live matches from six leagues, including Professional Football League of Kazakhstan, Northern Ireland Premiership, Norwegian Eliteserien, Polish Ekstraklasa, Slovak Fortuna Liga, and Swiss Super League. The structure of the agreement will allow further members of the European Leagues to easily join the partnership at any time.

Jacco Swart, Managing Director, European Leagues: “It is fantastic to see this international media rights partnership happening between 9 members of our Association and ELEVEN and OneFootball.  It represents another innovative example of how we at the European Leagues aim to provide valuable services to our member leagues. We are uniquely positioned to take advantage of opportunities such as these and we will continue to support the development of our members in relation to league business development. I’m excited about how we can leverage both the ELEVEN and OneFootball platforms to amplify the international reach of our member leagues and their clubs. Our intention is for sure to increase the number of participating leagues over time and to keep on exploring new business areas so as to collaborate with the companies we partner with in the most mutually beneficial way and grow the relationship over the long-term.”

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Pedro Presa, Chief D2C Officer, ELEVEN Group: “We’re so excited to bring this fantastic offering of top-tier European leagues to our pioneering ElevenSports.Com platform. We want to deliver for fans who were previously unable to watch the teams they love play and we want to give all football lovers the chance to discover new leagues and players. This new deal enables us to deliver on that mission in a big way via OTT, linear distribution, and original content, and we can’t wait to get started.”

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Nikolaus von Doetinchem, VP OTT & Media Rights, OneFootball: “OneFootball is thrilled to be part of such a ground-breaking deal, setting a new precedent in the wider football media rights industry. This deal provides obvious benefits to fans around the world who will now have access to a huge range of live action at their fingertips, for free. Partnering with OneFootball gives these nine leagues and their clubs an unprecedented global audience and we are convinced that many other leagues will see the benefits of agreements like this over the course of this season and beyond. We look forward to getting started this weekend.”

RECUR Announces Seven Top Collegiate Partnerships Ahead Of NFTU Platform Launch

RECUR, the technology company that designs and develops on chain branded experiences allowing fans to buy, collect, and resell digital products and collectibles (NFTs), today, announced seven additional collegiate university partnerships for NTFU, its new collegiate sports NFT marketplace.

Florida State University, Mississippi State University, Michigan State University, Texas Tech University, Virginia Tech, West Virginia University, and The University of Utah have officially announced partnerships with RECUR to bring their college sports moments as digital collectibles to fans everywhere. These premiere universities join the Pac-12 Conference, as well as Syracuse and Louisiana State University, who announced their formal partnerships with RECUR last month.

“We are thrilled to welcome these incredible universities to our NTFU network,” said Trevor George, Co-CEO of RECUR. “As we bring these schools’ biggest moments to life as NFTs for the first time, we couldn’t be prouder to help their fans, students and alumni engage with their favorite schools in an entirely new way.”

The NFTU marketplace will launch in 2022. For more information, please visit www.recurforever.com and follow @_NFTU on Twitter.

NBA And Tissot Announce Multiyear Renewal

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Tissot today announced a multiyear extension of their marketing partnership, which will expand upon the global agreement that began in 2015.  As the Official Watch and Official Timekeeper of the NBA, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the NBA G League, the partnership will continue to champion Tissot’s precision timekeeping, performance and style to fans across the globe.

To commemorate the extension, Tissot is bringing NBA fans closer to the game through its recently launched T-Touch Connect Solar timepiece.  The hybrid Swiss watch that combines a traditional masterpiece with connected functionalities now allows NBA fans to track their favorite teams.  Features include access to key information such as game schedules and team standings.  In addition, users will soon be able to follow NBA games live through the watch’s silent notifications, which will provide game scores and key statistics.  The watch is available for purchase immediately at Tissotwatches.com and select jewelers nationwide.

“Tissot is honored and happy to renew its contract with the NBA,” said Sylvain Dolla, Tissot CEO.  “Being the Official Timekeeper of this league offers a tremendous potential of growth as well as a deep feeling of pride.  Tissot’s aim is to continue to develop watches and timekeeping solutions that will enhance the NBA experience for all basketball fans.”

The brand, which counts top NBA players including Damian Lillard, Clint Capela and Klay Thompson as brand ambassadors, is a fixture at major NBA events, including NBA All-Star, the NBA Draft presented by State Farm, and NBA Summer League.

 “We are thrilled to tip off the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Season by renewing our partnership with Tissot,” said Salvatore LaRocca, NBA President, Global Partnerships.  “Tissot is synonymous with the excitement of our game through its state-of-the-art oncourt timekeeping system in all of our NBA arenas and it continues to bring our fans around the world closer to the NBA through its T-Touch Connect Solar timepiece.”

Tissot and the NBA developed an innovative precision timekeeping system that has been used in all 29 NBA arenas since the start of the 2016-17 NBA season.

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. ”