Fuse Promotes Alex Charkham To CSO Role

Fuse, Omnicom Media Group’s Sport & Entertainment specialists, has promoted Alex Charkham to Chief Strategy Officer. 

Charkham moves up from Head of Strategy to the newly created role on the Fuse board, reporting into Managing Director Stephen Hutchison and CEO Louise Johnson. Nick Anderson is promoted to Head of Strategy and assumes management and evolution of the company’s core strategic offering.

As CSO, Charkham will be responsible for ensuring Fuse’s capability evolves in line with changing landscape, client needs and expectations of brands and rights holders.

“I am thrilled to be offered the opportunity to play a more pivotal role in the strategic direction of the agency,” said Charkham.

“Part of the agency’s ambition is to ensure both our business and industry remain fit to meet the demands of modern marketing while also continuing to service core clients at a high level.”

Fuse CEO Louise Johnson said: “Alex has played an important part in our agency’s growth story and, in his new capacity as CSO, will continue to shape the course and direction of our business at home and abroad.”

Alex will specifically focus on the development and evolution of Fuse products and services and growing its international reputation. He will also support the global expansion of the business into new markets.

This will partly involve deeper integration with Omnicom agencies to maximise the group’s capability across areas such as digital, data & insight and research.

After joining Fuse in 2014 as an Account Director, Charkham launched Fuse’s dedicated strategy function in 2017 and was appointed Head of Strategy in 2019. During his tenure, he developed partnership strategies for, among others, Nissan, Barclays, PokerStars and Just Eat. He also co-authored Merge, Fuse’s first published book that investigates how technology will revolutionise sport for fans.

Charkham was a key figure behind the development in 2020 of Fuse Ignite, which launched in April this year as a consultancy service designed specifically to enhance the commercial capabilities of rights holders across sport, entertainment and Esports.

In the new CSO position, Charkham will maintain oversight of Fuse strategy as well as the Ignite offering.

Long-term Deal Sees Tennis Australia And Discovery Extend Australian Open Partnership For A Decade

Discovery Sports today announced it has reached an agreement with Tennis Australia to broadcast the Australian Open live and exclusively on a pan-European basis through to 2031.

The long-term agreement, commencing in 2022, includes all linear and digital rights and will extend Eurosport’s association with the first Grand Slam on the tennis calendar to more than 25 years having broadcast its first Australian Open in 1995.

As part of the 10-year agreement, Discovery will use its much-loved global channels, platforms and brands, including Eurosport and streaming service discovery+* – the home of real-life entertainment – to take the Australian Open to a bigger and broader audience than ever before. In addition to world-class tennis, Discovery will collaborate with Tennis Australia on a wide range of lifestyle and entertainment content to tell more of the rich stories from the tournament and go beyond the sport alone. Renowned around the world for showcasing real-life, non-fiction content spanning categories as diverse and universally popular as Home, Adventure, Travel, Food, Nature, Environment and Science, Discovery and Tennis Australia will aim to engage the whole household audience to help grow the tournament over the next decade.

Eurosport will also hold exclusive rights to AO lead-up events, including the Adelaide International ATP tournament on a pan-European basis, offering the world’s players vital match practice ahead of the Australian Open in Melbourne.

Andrew Georgiou, President of Sports, Discovery, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Tennis Australia and deepen our association with them around what is one of the jewels in the crown of the tennis season. We have an incredible heritage in delivering leading tennis coverage for broad audiences enjoying Grand Slam events on our platforms, covering all the stories that matter on and off the court on whichever platform people chose to follow the tournament.  

“Extending our relationship with the Australian Open on a long-term basis mean we can take this even further, utilising the full breadth and depth of Discovery’s global channels, platforms and brands – including Eurosport and our streaming service discovery+ – to work with Tennis Australia and reach new audiences, around new and different stories, to play an even bigger part in helping grow the tournament.”

Craig Tiley, CEO, Tennis Australia, and Tournament Director, Australian Open, added: “For more than 25 years Eurosport has helped showcase the best of the Australian Open into Europe and we are delighted to extend and expand this historic partnership. 

“We look forward to bringing our innovative coverage to life through Eurosport and Discovery’s free to air, subscription TV and multiple online destinations, and telling the stories of the players both on the court and beyond. both in January and throughout the year.”

During Australian Open 2021, record-breaking audiences were reported for Eurosport’s streaming service, via the Eurosport App, with a 36% increase in video starts versus 2020 and an 84% uplift in minutes watched versus 2020. Sizeable increases in unique visitors for Eurosport’s digital platforms during the Australian Open (+61% vs 2020) were also reported with significant growth registered in the UK (+244% vs 2020), Italy (+90%), Germany (+53%) and Spain (+25%).

Paris Saint-Germain Sign Partnership Deal With Dior

Paris Saint-Germain and the house of Dior have signed a two-year partnership. Starting this season, Dior will provide the official wardrobe for the Parisian club and will outfit the Rouge & Bleu team. This is the first time that Dior has partnered with a sports club.

With this partnership, Paris Saint-Germain continues its pioneering foray into the world of fashion and lifestyle. The club shares the house of Dior’s passion for Paris, whose global influence is enhanced by the two brands’ creativity.

To mark this unique collaboration, Kim Jones, Artistic Director of Dior men’s collections, has designed a series of new creations for the next two seasons. Spanning casual and formal moods, this elegant wardrobe combines black and navy-blue shades – in tones specially designed for the Paris Saint-Germain team. The casual look is notably composed of a Harrington jacket, a knitted sweater and a polo shirt, all finished with an embroidered “Paris Saint-Germain” patch and the “CD Icon” initials, as well as the Dior Explorer derbies* in black leather, punctuated by the iconic Dior Oblique motif.

The formal outfit pairs a cashmere coat, a jacket, a shirt and pants, and a pair of black leather Dior Timeless derbies*. The pieces are enhanced by other subtle details, reflecting Dior’s exceptional savoir-faire.

Former Sport England Chair And UK Sport Board Member Nick Bitel Joins Halfspace Group As Chairman

Halfspace Group, who have seen record growth in 2021, have announced the appointment of Nick Bitel as Chairman on a three year term. Bitel, who stepped down as Chair of Sport England in July 2021, follows the successful term of Jon Smith who completed his chairmanship of Halfspace in August 2021.

Bitel is one of the most well known faces in the sports industry and, as well as being Chief Executive of London Marathon Events since 1995, has also been a board member of UK Sport for 8 years and was recently appointed Chair of the UK Governments Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). Bitel is also a highly regarded sports lawyer whose clients include UEFA and the Wimbledon Championships.

“I am delighted at the opportunity to become Chairman of Halfspace at this exciting period for their growth,” said Bitel. “The company has shown great drive, innovation and resilience over the past 4 years to become a leader in this industry. I look forward to working closely with Sanjit, Rory, Steve and the board to help Halfspace become even more successful”.

In a joint statement, the Halfspace board said, “The board warmly welcomes Nick to his position as Chairman. We have already been impressed with his knowledge and are confident his stewardship will help lead to an even brighter future for Halfspace Group. We would also like to thank Jon Smith for his impactful term as Halfspace Chairman.”

Halfspace Group, who are this week up for three Sport Industry Awards, have also announced the appointment of Matthew Greenlees as the companies first Partnerships Director. Greenlees, who was formerly of Fulham FC, Repucom and Sportcal, will work across new business development as well as the integration of new clients into the Halfspace Group Client teams.

iSportLearn Announces Partnership With Diversity In The Business Of Sport (DiBS)

iSportLearn have announced a new partnership with Diversity in the Business of Sport (DiBS).

DiBS is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to increase diversity amongst professionals working in the sports business industry. DiBS currently runs  a mentoring platform  where hand-picked cohorts of young black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) professionals who have recently entered, or who are on the cusp of entering, the sports business industry, are given a unique opportunity to receive free mentoring from senior BAME industry professionals.

As part of the partnership, iSportLearn will donate the equivalent of £5000 worth of courses to help the first cohort of mentees at DiBS expand their knowledge and skill-set in numerous sectors of the sports business industry.

Joe Condon, Head of Brand Development & Marketing said “A crucial objective of iSportLearn is to provide practical education and a pathway for those outside and inside our industry that have so far lacked the opportunities to enter or progress their careers within the sports business”.

“From speaking with Alex and understanding the great work they are doing by mentoring the young leaders of tomorrow, we were more than delighted to be able to support and aid in their development”.

Alex Norman, one of the founders of DiBS, comments “We’re incredibly grateful and happy to be able to partner with iSportLearn to give our mentees access to a wide range of resources on the sports business industry. Turbocharging the industry knowledge of our mentees is one of the key aims of our mentoring programme, and these are great resources to help us further that aim”.  

iSportLearn was launched in May 2021 as an all-new global education platform which aims to change the sports industry for the better by giving young people from diverse backgrounds an affordable opportunity to gain valuable practical knowledge from industry leaders.

The courses featured on iSportLearn cover the most important areas in the business of sport such as Sponsorship, Data and Analytics and Governance, featuring more than 50 leaders from the NBA, Formula 1, LaLiga, FIFA, Facebook and other global sports organisations.

For more information on DiBS and how they help to increase diversity amongst professionals working in the sports business industry, head to https://www.dibs.community/
To find out more about iSportLearn, go to iSportLearn.com, or find us on social media by searching for iSportLearn on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

cinch Scores Touchdown With Major NFL Partnership In The UK

A new partnership is announced today between the National Football League and cinch, the UK’s fastest-growing online car marketplace. The innovative e-commerce scale-up becomes Presenting Partner of the NFL London Games and Lead Partner of NFL UK from the start of the 2021 season.

The cinch brand will be proudly displayed from endzone to endzone and beyond at the NFL’s London home base – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – for the two sold-out NFL London Games in October, and across Sky Sports with sponsorship of Sunday Night Football and Sky Sports NFL. cinch will also be giving Britain’s NFL fans the chance to attend the annual sporting spectacle that is the climax of the NFL season, Super Bowl XLVI, in February 2022.

cinch takes the faff out of buying a car. It has quickly established itself as the leader for online car purchases in the UK, offering a new, motorist-friendly way to search for and buy a quality-checked vehicle. cinch has the largest range of cars to buy entirely online and delivers them to the buyer’s home, with purchases backed by a 90-day warranty and 14-day money-back guarantee.

cinch launched ten months ago and has rapidly become the largest online B2C marketplace for car purchases in the UK.  cinch is currently generating annualised sales of over 70,000 vehicles. The business allows its c. 30 million website visitors a year to buy quality-checked cars, by outright payment, part exchange or personalised finance options, completely online.

cinch’s investment will reach NFL and motoring fans alike, letting cinch bring its faff-free promise and experiences to the sports and entertainment they love. cinch continues to grow its sports, festivals and entertainment partnerships portfolio including the ECB, as Principal Partner of England Cricket; SPFL; Tottenham Hotspur, the LTA for the cinch Championships; the Northampton Saints and The British Motor Show.

Brett Gosper, NFL Head of Europe and UK, said, “We are very excited about creating a new partnership with a company as innovative as cinch. We look forward to working with them on creative ways to take the NFL to new audiences and continuing the growth of our fan base.”

Avril Palmer-Baunack, Chairman of Constellation Automotive Group, Cinch owners said, “This is a significant and exciting partnership for cinch. NFL is a hugely popular sport in the UK and Europe, with fantastic growth year on year. cinch is one of the fastest growing brands in the UK and the NFL’s drive for success fits perfectly with cinch’s focus on delivering more faff-free motoring experiences to consumers across the UK.  We can’t wait to get to know NFL fans and bring more excitement to a thrilling sport.”

The NFL stages two London Games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2021, with the Atlanta Falcons hosting the New York Jets on Sunday October 10 and the Jacksonville Jaguars at home to the Miami Dolphins on October 17. The new NFL season kicks off on Sky Sports NFL this Thursday night (September 9), when the defending Super Bowl champions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, take on the Dallas Cowboys.

cinch is part of the Constellation Automotive Group, which also owns WeBuyAnyCar and BCA. Earlier this year the group raised over £1bn to turbocharge cinch’s growth across the UK and Europe.

IPC Extends Paralympic Partnership With Ottobock Until 2032

Worldwide Paralympic Partner Ottobock and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) have announced the extension of their global partnership until 2032 on Sunday (5 September).

Thanks to the extension, Ottobock will be able to provide its technical repair and maintenance services to athletes at the next six Paralympic Games – from Beijing in 2022 to Brisbane in 2032.

IPC President Andrew Parsons said: “Ottobock are a powerhouse in the Paralympic Village – at the Games they quite literally keep the athletes moving. The presence of Ottobock’s dedicated and knowledgeable staff in the Village is so reassuring for athletes, as they know there is someone trusted to solve their technical issues should they arise.

“I am thrilled that Ottobock are partnering with the IPC at the Paralympic Games until at least 2032, and are going to continue to be a valued member of the Paralympic Movement.”

“Passion for Paralympics”

Ottobock has been actively supporting international disability sport ever since the 1988 Paralympic Games in Seoul. They began by sending four orthotics and prosthetics professionals to support the athletes and repair their equipment for competitions, using a tent as their base. In the last three weeks, more than 100 experts were deployed in Ottobock’s Technical Repair Service Center in Tokyo.

They provided free technical assistance more than 2,000 times, for example for prostheses, orthoses and wheelchairs.

“Our initial enthusiasm has grown into a veritable passion. We’ve now been supporting Paralympic athletes for more than 30 years with our unique technical services,” said Professor Hans Georg Näder, owner and Chairman of the Board of Ottobock SE & Co. KGaA. “Ottobock’s commitment to Paralympic sports has long since become part of our DNA. So I’m delighted that we can continue this partnership and officially support the Paralympic Games for the next 11 years.”

A mutual vision

In recent years, public awareness for the achievements of Para athletes has grown immensely, and the Paralympic Games are more popular than ever before. Philipp Schulte-Noelle, CEO of Ottobock, said:

“The Paralympic Games show society how powerful sports can be. They prove just how much people can achieve if they train with focus on a goal and believe in themselves. But they do more than that – they help to overcome barriers, and they epitomise courage, diversity and openess. I’m proud that our company is a part of this and can continue to play its part in the future.”

The IPC and Ottobock share a common vision for an integrative world. By consolidating their efforts, the institution and the company hope to inspire people with impaired mobility to engage in sports. 

Slync.io Becomes New Title Sponsor Of The Dubai Desert Classic

The European Tour today announced Slync.io as the new title sponsor of the Dubai Desert Classic, with the iconic event becoming part of the Rolex Series for the first time in 2022.

Slync.io, the technology provider that is revolutionising the way global logistics works, becomes the title sponsor of the historic European Tour event played annually at the prestigious Emirates Golf Club, marking a pivotal moment in the 32-year history of the tournament.

From 2022, the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic will be part of the Rolex Series, the European Tour’s premium category of events, with a prize fund of $8million. It will take place from January 27-30.

This means the European Tour will now have back-to-back Rolex Series events in the Middle East in January with the tournaments in Abu Dhabi and Dubai part of the traditional ‘Desert Swing’ which attracts golf’s leading players.

The Dubai Desert Classic was the European Tour’s first event in the Middle East region in 1989, cementing the Tour’s relationship with Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. That association has developed significantly in the intervening years, including through the introduction in 2009 of the European Tour’s season-long Race to Dubai, which from 2022 will now feature three out of five Rolex Series events in the Middle East, with the back-to-back tournaments in Abu Dhabi and Dubai at the start of the calendar year joined by the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai in November.

The tournament is set for an even brighter future with the support of Slync.io, which already has a strong foothold in professional golf through its support of its #TeamSlync Brand Ambassadors. They include: Justin Rose, Viktor Hovland, Erik van Rooyen, Jennifer Kupcho, Bernd Wiesberger, Sepp Straka, Albane Valenzuela, and Xinjin Zhang.

Chris Kirchner, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Slync.io, said: “We are excited to partner with the European Tour and Rolex on the Dubai Desert Classic. Dubai is one of the great cities and a key player in global logistics. This event will be a great place for us to kick off our year with our customers and enjoy some world-class golf.”

Simon Corkill, Executive Tournament Director – Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, said: “This is a very exciting time for the Desert Classic as we welcome Slync.io as title partner. Slync’s status as a leading global logistics technology provider will help to bring innovative ideas to the tournament and ensure it continues to evolve and grow.”  

“These changes will bring a host of benefits to Dubai and the tournament, in addition to offering our international fans enhanced coverage of the venue and players.”

“We look forward to working with Slync.io and the rest of our sponsors to deliver a world-class event during a pivotal year for Dubai, when all eyes will descend on the city during the UAE’s 50th anniversary celebrations and the landmark hosting of Expo 2020 Dubai.”

Keith Pelley, the European Tour’s Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to welcome Slync.io as the new title sponsor of the Dubai Desert Classic, elevating the tournament to a new level.”

“It is a real statement of intent that Slync’s first title sponsorship in golf will be as part of the Rolex Series, and we look forward to working together to build on the incredible history of the Dubai Desert Classic and to continue to showcase Dubai as a global sporting and trade hub.”

“Alongside the Genesis Scottish Open and the BMW PGA Championship, the three Rolex Series events in the Middle East mean our five premium tournaments in 2022 will be played at key times in the golfing calendar when the eyes of the world are on the European Tour.”

“They will be incredible highlights in what promises to be a momentous 50th anniversary season for the European Tour.”

ESPN Edge Innovation Center Launched With Accenture, Microsoft and Verizon

ESPN has launched the ESPN Edge Innovation Center, aiming to collaborate with other leaders in technology to explore how new technologies like 5G, Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) and mobile edge computing (MEC) can enable new ways for fans to experience sports. The ESPN Edge Innovation Center will include key partnerships in the categories of technology, consulting, connectivity and hardware.

From the early days of ABC Sports, to the development of technologies like the Pylon Cam, MegaCast and groundbreaking approaches to remote productions during the COVID-19 pandemic, ESPN and Disney have a heritage of embracing technology to better serve sports fans.

In bringing the Edge Innovation Center initiative to life, ESPN, working with the technology team in Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution (DMED), will explore opportunities to enhance sports fan experiences with global professional services and innovation company Accenture; Microsoft, a leader in engineering and digital technology; and Verizon, one of the world’s leading providers of 5G technology, as ESPN Edge Founding Partners. Together, the companies will explore, develop and potentially adopt emerging technologies and approaches to enhance and advance the experiences sports fans and athletes have with ESPN’s world-class storytelling.

Accenture, Microsoft and Verizon each bring their unique expertise and technologies to ESPN Edge, while ESPN and DMED will help the partners explore adaptations and development of their emerging technologies to meet the needs of sports media, driving value for all parties involved.

“The sports media landscape has always been a sandbox for groundbreaking uses of technology and ESPN has a long history of being the pace-setter for creating new sports media experiences,” said Mark L. Walker, Senior Vice President, Content Business Development and Innovation, ESPN. “Combining the remarkable capabilities of our founding partners, Accenture, Microsoft and Verizon with The Walt Disney Company’s technological expertise, ESPN Edge will be at the forefront of exploring new technologies and how we can continue to bring innovative firsts to sports fans everywhere.”

ESPN Edge Founding Partners:

  • Accenture – Accenture and ESPN are forming an innovation lab where both teams will work together to imagine, explore, conceive and prototype future sports entertainment experiences and production capabilities using emerging technologies. Together they will explore technologies and approaches that seek to enhance the production of live sporting events, consumer-facing products and personalized fan experience. ESPN selected Accenture as its Innovation and Founding Consulting Partner for its ability to visualize and create game-changing fan experiences.
  • Microsoft – ESPN and Microsoft are teaming up to explore innovative cloud-based solutions to deliver optimal content and services to customers when they want it. By using Microsoft’s cloud platforms and digital technologies such as automation, analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning, the companies will explore fan engagement with a focus on personalization and accessibility. Microsoft’s productivity tools and low-code/no-code capabilities will also help with greater speed and efficiency. Through this collaboration Microsoft Azure will also become ESPN Edge’s primary innovation cloud platform.
  • Verizon–Verizon and ESPN are partnering to create new experiences powered by Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband, which is now available in parts of over 70 cities, and mobile edge compute (MEC). The companies will explore how 5G’s massive bandwidth, low latency and super-fast speeds can enable next generation sports fan experiences that are interactive and immersive. Fans could be empowered to select and view games from multiple camera angles, be transported via a 360-degree portal to view exclusive footage or have a retail experience enhanced by augmented reality. 5G and MEC can also transform sports broadcast production by allowing content providers to distribute live streams at low latencies in a more streamlined and cost-effective manner. ESPN selected Verizon as a leader in 5G innovation that works with startups, academia, major sports leagues, and enterprise teams to move the 5G ecosystem forward and explore how 5G can transform nearly every industry. Verizon has America’s most reliable network⁰ and operates five 5G Labs in the U.S. and one in London that specialize in developing use cases across industries to co-create 5G concepts.

The ESPN Edge Innovation Center will be directed by an operating committee comprised of representatives from ESPN, the ESPN Edge founding partners and DMED. For more information, please visit ESPNEdge.com.

World Rugby Appoints New Chief Revenue And Fan Engagement Officer

World Rugby has announced the appointment of Richard Heaselgrave as Chief Revenue and Fan Engagement Officer, underscoring the international federation’s mission to advance rugby’s global market footprint and appeal by making it more relevant and accessible in line with its ambitious new strategic plan.

Vastly experienced, with an in-depth knowledge of the global sports and major brand commercial, marketing and fan-engagement environment, Heaselgrave will begin his new role in September.

In line with the continued advancement of World Rugby’s organisational structures to effectively support the key pillars of the strategic plan, Heaselgrave will have overarching responsibility for all of World Rugby’s commercial, broadcast, marketing and digital activities to deliver an integrated revenue and fan growth strategy, including focusing on new opportunities in the digital space.

With a proven track record in business growth, Heaselgrave previously served as Chief Revenue and Experience Officer for Tennis Australia, trebling the Australian Open’s business in five years by converting new revenue opportunities. Prior to that, he successfully grew revenue for the English Football League as Chief Commercial Officer and was responsible for growth of the NBA’s commercial activities in Europe as Vice-President of Business Development.

Heaselgrave has most recently been advising rights holders, brands and agencies as founder and Chief Executive of Fourth Consulting.

World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said: “In a rapidly-evolving and highly-competitive sports industry, it’s vital we look at our businesses differently and find new ways to continue to break new markets, attract new fans and grow revenues for reinvestment in the sport’s future growth.

“This new role, as part of a wider advancement of our organisational structures, reflects that need and perfectly positions World Rugby not only to exploit new revenue streams for the benefit of the game at all levels, but to make good our mission to make rugby more attractive and accessible for more people.

“Richard’s extensive international experience and focus on revenue growth through diversification and digital innovation will help us identify and convert new opportunities, while at the same time continuing to develop our current revenue streams.

“We have built strong teams in the commercial, digital, broadcast and brand areas in the last three years under Chief Commercial Officer Tom Hill and departing Chief Marketing Officer Marissa Pace. Richard will now continue this work with Tom and our talented teams to build on World Rugby’s continued growth in these areas.”

A former professional rugby player with English club Rotherham, Heaselgrave is looking forward to contributing to an exciting period of change and growth in the game by helping the sport to realise its commercial potential across its events, platforms and assets.

Heaselgrave said: “As a lifelong rugby fan I am honoured to have the chance to join World Rugby. This is such a dynamic time of change in global sport, with media, digital and experiential worlds evolving so quickly. I am looking forward to being part of the team as we head into this exciting new era.”