LaLiga Joins Forces With Dapper Labs To Launch An All New Digital Collectible Experience For Football Fans Around The Globe

Dapper Labs and LaLiga, today announced a partnership to introduce Official Football NFT Collectible Highlights at scale. Created by the team behind NBA Top Shot, the new experience will give fans the opportunity to collect and own some of the most talked-about contemporary and iconic in-game Moments from their favorite teams from over 10 seasons of play. Featuring dynamic video-based Moments from all of LaLiga’s clubs, including Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid, Sevilla FC, Villarreal CF, Valencia CF, Real Betis, Athletic Club, Real Sociedad, RCD Mallorca and many others, the new experience will be available to fans on Flow blockchain starting June 2022.

As fans enter into the all new experience, they will instantly be immersed in football culture, gaining access to some of the most notable in-game Moments to buy, collect and own. Through a dedicated peer-to-peer marketplace, fans will be able to buy or sell parts of their collections with fellow football enthusiasts. Every purchase can be made via credit card through a Dapper wallet, to ensure that every transaction is as easy as possible.

“The partnership between LaLiga and Dapper Labs will bring us even closer to our fans worldwide through a new and growing medium, and alongside the industry partner that created the NFT video product for NBA” said Javier Tebas, president at LaLiga. “This experience will have soccer fans all over the world at the center, giving them a platform and product to enjoy and express their passion for LaLiga in a unique and different way.”

With access to both current Moments and a rich archive of historical Moments, the new experience will also give fans the ability to relish in the rich historical context and heritage of one of the best leagues in the world. Fans will be able to learn about timeless rivalries between teams, understand the league’s golden past, and dive into the evolution of a team or player by being presented with experiences that bridge the past and present.

While a blockchain-based experience, the product will also give fans a way to be a part of the in-game action. Through a variety of fan activations developed around key tentpole events during the season, fans will be able to enter to win contests that will give them once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, like being flown to Barcelona for the weekend where they will be able to watch ElClasico, the biggest football game in the world, from a VIP Box at Camp Nou.

“We couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with LaLiga to launch the ultimate fan-driven highlights collectible experience that is unlike anything in the space before,” said Caty Tedman, Head of Partnerships for Dapper Labs. “With over 3.5 billion football fans around the globe, the experience’s layered environment has the power to revolutionize how fans connect to the sport of football and how they engage with the teams and the players they love, both virtually and in real life. We look forward to working alongside LaLiga, home to some of the best clubs  on the planet to bring this wildly new and dynamic fan-driven experience to football lovers everywhere.”

“As Barcelona’s captain for a decade, I enjoyed some of LaLiga’s greatest moments. I also experienced some of the game’s biggest lows; but in spite of it all, the game would be impossible to play without our fans,” said Carles Puyol, six time LaLiga champion, 3-time UEFA Champions League champion, and captain of FC Barcelona from 2004 to 2014. “Fans give us energy that encourages us not to give up. They help us dig in when we’ve got nothing left and they give us support when we need it. To be able to be a part of an experience that brings players one step closer to their biggest advocates is exciting and meaningful. I look forward to what this relationship holds.”

Like NBA Top Shot, the new experience is built on the Flow blockchain, developed for consumer experiences at scale. Flow allows fans to trace and verify the authenticity and scarcity of their digital collectibles.

This agreement is also part of the efforts of LaLiga North America (joint venture between LaLiga and Relevent Sports), which has an active role searching and looking for new interesting and attractive partners and industries to involve with LaLiga.

For more information on the new experience and how to sign up in advance for experience, please visit laliga.onflow.org.

Dick’s Sporting Goods Becomes Official Sporting Goods Retail Partner Of The WNBA

The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) announced today that DICK’S Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS) has been named an Official Marketing Partner of the league beginning in 2021. Through this new multi-year agreement, DICK’S Sporting Goods will become the Official Sporting Goods Retail Partner of the WNBA — with the alliance built upon the promotion of women’s sports, youth participation and player development.

As part of their commitment to women’s sports, the WNBA and DICK’S Sporting Goods will team up to create initiatives designed to inspire and connect with female athletes of all ages and increase the visibility of WNBA teams and players nationwide.

DICK’S Sporting Goods also will use its retail business to bring consumers closer to the game through storytelling and increased availability of merchandise.

DICK’S Sporting Goods will carry an assortment of authentic WNBA sports apparel and equipment, including the newly debuted Nike jerseys for every WNBA team, Wilson WNBA basketballs, t-shirts and the immensely popular WNBA Logowoman hoodie in select DICK’S Sporting Goods locations throughout the United States, including all 12 WNBA markets, as well as through the company’s website and app. With this collaboration, DICK’S Sporting Goods becomes the largest national retailer for WNBA merchandise.

“This partnership is a significant opportunity for the WNBA as we celebrate our landmark 25th season, with DICK’S Sporting Goods playing a substantial role in driving continued interest and engagement surrounding our league,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “By having a significant presence of WNBA and team merchandise at DICK’S locations in the country, we will now have even more opportunities to connect our fans with their favorite teams. DICK’S commitment to the WNBA is diverse and inclusive leadership in action.”

“The WNBA is a premier example of how sport can define leaders and celebrate the current and next generation of female athletes,” said Lauren Hobart, President and CEO of DICK’S Sporting Goods. “Today marks an important next step in our journey to support female athletes, and we look forward to collaborating with the W to provide opportunities for people of all ages to engage and connect with women’s basketball, the league and its players.”

The European Tour Partners With Legends To Deliver Merchandise Solutions

The European Tour today announced a partnership with Legends, a premium experiences company, to manage its expansive omnichannel retail programme, inclusive of an all-new official global online store and on-site merchandise stores at multiple events.

The partnership will utilise Legends’ global expertise across merchandising, sales, partnerships, planning, technology, and hospitality to manage the European Tour’s merchandise operations.

It will help the Tour to further develop relationships with golf and sports fans across the world, delivering a fully integrated retail experience across all digital and physical merchandise touchpoints.

That includes a new European Tour Official Online Store, which is available now via https://shop.europeantour.com, featuring both premium and exclusive merchandise for fans of all ages.

The new e-commerce platform will feature an exceptional customer-centric user experience and innovative design elements. It will be supported by Legends Global Merchandise’s integrated strategy and digital marketing, which will help drive engagement.

Furthermore, Legends Global Merchandise will also deliver the onsite retail programme for fans attending European Tour events in person, promoting new product launches, capsule collections and exciting collaborations.

Tom Johnson, the European Tour’s Marketing and Consumer Director, said: “Our partnership with Legends will offer a true omnichannel experience, which is a fundamental part of our strategy for supporting the continued growth of the European Tour Brand and driving engagement among a dedicated and passionate following.  

“The aim is to offer a seamless purchase experience at every step of our fans’ journey, whether that’s from the comfort of their home or on-site at an event.”

Victoria Hawksley, Legends’ Vice President of International Retail, said: “The launch of the European Tour e-commerce site is just the beginning of what will be a long and prosperous partnership with the European Tour, and we are extremely excited for what the future holds. Our shared vision brings together a dynamic approach to product, retailing and customer experience where we will deliver a seamless omnichannel journey and European Tour brand experience.”

eToro Adds Arsenal To Premier League Partnerships

We are delighted to announce a new and exciting partnership with Arsenal on a multi-year deal. This adds to our recently announced partnerships with Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Leeds United, Southampton and Newcastle United.

Founded in 2007, eToro is the world’s leading social investment network with over 20 million registered users worldwide. The platform offers clients access to not only a choice of investment instruments – from fractional shares and ETFs, to commodities and cryptoassets – but also a choice of how to invest. eToro users can invest directly themselves, copy another investor, or invest in one of eToro’s ready-made portfolios. 

Arsenal’s Chief Commercial Officer, Peter Silverstone said:

“eToro has a strong track record in football sponsorship and we are very pleased to establish a long-term partnership with one of the leading investment platforms. The eToro partnership is a significant part of our commercial growth strategy and we’re looking forward to delivering informative, educational campaigns to our millions of supporters worldwide about the benefits of prudent investment.”

eToro Global Sponsorship Manager, Dylan Holman said:

“We’re delighted to have partnered with Arsenal. As a global multi-asset investment platform, we want to open up the financial markets to everyone. We look forward to working with the Club to help bring fans closer to the action along with educating them on investing.”

As a partner of Arsenal, eToro will gain global exposure to the club’s hundreds of millions of global fans and followers through an extensive range of marketing and educational opportunities including player access and rights on Arsenal’s various online platforms. eToro will also benefit from significant presence at the Emirates Stadium on a matchday through advertising on LED perimeter boards and media backdrops.

eToro is already one of European football’s biggest sponsors with a strong portfolio of top tier club’s in the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Czech Republic, Romania, Netherlands and Denmark.

iSportConnect’s Virtual Lausanne Summit Highlights The Ever-Growing Importance Of Financial And Societal Sustainability

To kick off the afternoon, David Dellea, Head of Sports Advisory at PwC presented the all new 2021 #PwCSportsSurvey, providing our leading industry executives in attendance with crucial information in order to understand how the sports industry has been developing, and will continue to change, over the next 12 months.

Some notable findings from the survey:

  • More than 80% of industry executives see the shifting media landscape and growing expectations for sports’ societal role as the sector’s key market forces
  • Nearly 60% of football executives believe that sports organisations should focus primarily on controlling costs rather than increasing revenues

For many more insights into the world of sports through the PwC Sports Survey, a key knowledge piece for any sports business executive, DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE – https://www.pwc.ch/sports-survey

Following David’s initial presentation, our attendees were treated to a terrific session led by David, featuring George Pyne, Founder & CEO of Bruin Capital, Julia Pallé, Sustainability Director at Formula E Charlie Marshall, CEO of the European Club Association.

Our brilliant panel of speakers talked through the role of fans and how sports franchises are now looking at fans differently and their views on the strong optimism and bullishness for growth and recovery shown by the respondents of the 2021 PwC Sports Survey.

In a wide-ranging thers areas also discussed were the need for sustainability and its role in sport, how private equity’s investment will continue to impact the business of sport and many more.

After a quick break, we moved onto our second session of the afternoon, looking at one of the key topics in sport NFTs and Blockchain, but particularly around the intellectual property struggle that is being illuminated by it.

We had some incredibly interesting thoughts shared by Arthur Breitman, Co-Founder of Tezos, Ralf Reichert, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of ESL, Aneesha Patel, NFT Programme Manager at Red Bull Racing and our session leader Mark Lichtenhein, Chairman of the Sports Rights Owner Coalition.

They provided a great debate and shared some contradictory viewpoints while speaking on ‘Leveraging Blockchain And NFTs To Unlock The Future Of IP’, talking about the wide-ranging difficulties associated with who owns the rights to collectibles such as NFTs and how they can be utilised with sports fans.

To close out the day we were delighted to have Vlad Marinescu, Director General of the International Judo Federation, An Dang Duy, Chief Information Officer of World Athletics and Kaius Meskanen, CEO of Choicely, joining Bethany Hushon to talk about ‘Shaping Digital Transformation: Using Apps For Data & Fan Engagement’.

Vlad gave us first-hand experience on the IJF’s new app and the benefits it has provided, Kaius explained why apps have become critical for sports organisations, while An was able to talk about the learnings provided from previous use as World Athletics explore building a new application.

Overall it was a brilliant afternoon for all in attendance that really shared something different for so many around the industry thanks to the wide variety of topics covered.

DOWNLOAD THE 2021 #PwCSportsSurvey REPORT HERE – https://www.pwc.ch/sports-survey

MKTG Sports + Entertainment Enter Into Commercial Partnership With Women’s World Cup 2022 Local Organising Committee

MKTG Sports + Entertainment and the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 Local Organising Committee today announced a new partnership that will see MKTG support, identify and procure domestic sponsorships on behalf of the world-class basketball tournament coming to Sydney in September 2022.

MKTG will actively work with the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 Local Organising Committee team and introduce Australian partnership opportunities to brands keen to innovate, align and resonate with the core values of basketball, women’s sports and leverage its global reach. 

This partnership expands MKTG’s commercial relationships in the Australian sporting landscape, adding to long-standing relationships with the AFL, Cricket Australia, Football Australia, the World Surf League and Victoria Racing Club.

Matt Connell, Managing Director of MKTG Asia Pacific, said; “Partnering with the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in 2022 represents a unique opportunity to associate with a global event that will be sure to capture the hearts and minds of Australians and play a significant role in driving the growth of basketball for generations to come.

“Australia has firmly established itself as one of the most progressive supporters of women’s sports. We could not be more excited to engage with brands that will play a role in continuing this momentum, be a voice for the growth of basketball and support the Opals on home soil.”

Melissa King, Chief Executive for the Local Organising Committee, said; “We have partnered with MKTG to work with us to deliver a best-in-class and tailored partnership opportunity that focuses on delivering meaningful impact and return to the market.

“MKTG have clearly demonstrated their level of expertise and understanding of what is required to establish authentic and strategic partnerships in sport. We are excited to align with MKTG and are confident that the partnership will deliver incremental value for the event and the sport of basketball.”

Los Angeles Lakers And Bibigo Announce Multi-Year Global Marketing Partnership

Today the Los Angeles Lakers announced a multi-year global marketing partnership with Bibigo, a brand by the No. 1 food company in Korea. The partnership will feature the Bibigo logo on the Lakers jerseys beginning with the 2021-22 season.

The global marketing partnership establishes Bibigo as the first international partner ever for the Lakers and will include a large-scale integrated marketing program, including courtside branding (baseline courtside apron and rotational LED signage), social and digital fan focused campaigns. In addition, the two companies will collaborate on various community initiatives within the greater Los Angeles area including the Lakers “In the Paint” fine art program, which will showcase original works of BIPOC artists and the Lakers Global Mural series campaign which will feature Lakers mural artwork around the world.

“This partnership is a connection of two ‘global culture icons’ of food and sports, and it is an important opportunity for Bibigo to emerge as a global food brand,” said Wookho Kyeong, CMO of CJ CheilJedang, Bibigo is a global strategic brand of CJ CheilJedang. “We look forward to the opportunities to communicate with consumers and increase the value of the brand through a global common language, sports and the Lakers.”

“The Lakers are thrilled for the opportunity to partner with Bibigo as our first ever global marketing partner,” said Tim Harris, President of Business Operations. “As Korea’s leading food brand, Bibigo is always looking for opportunities to innovate and expand their brand, and the Lakers are excited to help them to not only expand their global recognition, but to provide the opportunity to reach new fans.”

The Lakers and Bibigo will partner together to launch various community initiatives within Los Angeles and outside the US, with basketball court refurbishment projects and local community efforts. The Bibigo patch will also be featured on the South Bay Lakers jersey and become the jersey patch partner of the Lakers 2k gaming team.

The Bibigo logo will be on a patch stitched into the Lakers jersey on the front left shoulder opposite the Nike logo. The team will wear the jersey for the first time during the Lakers first preseason game vs. the Brooklyn Nets on October 3rd at STAPLES Center.

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

Genius Sports Clinches New Official Data And Trading Partnership With Golden Nugget Online Gaming

Genius Sports Limited the official data, technology and commercial partner that powers the ecosystem connecting sports, betting and media, has won a new official data and trading partnership with Golden Nugget Online Gaming, Inc.

Genius Sports established the global market for official data, which is sanctioned directly by the relevant sport’s governing body. GNOG will be provided with Genius Sports’ award-winning LiveData and LiveTrading solutions, delivering official data feeds and pin-point pricing across thousands of sporting events per year.

Included in this partnership is Genius Sports’ leading portfolio of exclusive, official data rights, comprising the English Premier League, NASCAR, Liga MX, Argentine and Colombian soccer, Euroleague Basketball and NFL.

The agreement makes GNOG the latest U.S. sports betting brand to adopt Genius Sports’ exclusive full suite of NASCAR’s official data-driven in-race betting markets alongside NFL official sports data-powered products and services, including access to the league’s real-time statistics, proprietary Next Gen Stats (NGS) and official sports betting data feed.

“The modern sportsbook customer demands an experience that is engaging, reliable and available round-the-clock,” said Thomas Winter, President at Golden Nugget Online Gaming. “Our official data partnership with Genius Sports is a crucial pillar for us delivering upon these expectations, providing our customers with immersive products on their favorite sports such as the NFL, NASCAR and other global leagues.”

“We are delighted to partner with Golden Nugget to help them deliver the most compelling live sports betting experience available,” said Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports. “With official data at its heart, this partnership enables Golden Nugget to increase engagement with their customers while supporting a sustainable sports betting ecosystem.”

Adam Davis Joins Two Circles As MD North America

 Bruin Capital sports marketing and data technology company Two Circles has hired Adam Davis as Managing Director, North America. 

Davis joins from Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), where he was Chief Commercial Officer, leading a property portfolio which boasts the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, the Prudential Center, the Premier League’s Crystal Palace and esports conglomerate Dignitas. Over his tenure, the HBSE portfolio produced triple-digit percentage revenue growth. He will assume the role at Two Circles from October 1.   

Two Circles is the industry leader in using data analytics around sports fan behavior to help sports properties drive ticketing, premium, sponsorship and media growth. Its international client base includes the Premier League, F1, Liverpool FC and Wimbledon, while North American clients include the NFL, Learfield and several major league sports teams. 

Recent game-changing work in North America includes supporting Learfield on the development and roll-out of Fanbase, the most comprehensive data and analytics platform in college sports, and creating a new customer data platform for the NHL’s New York Islanders, who sold out season tickets for their inaugural season at the UBS Arena. 

Davis, who is based in New York, will focus on building the Two Circles brand across North America, and growing Two Circles’ sponsorship business. Two Circles is the market-leader in developing data-driven, audience-led packages that give teams, leagues and brands the ability to directly influence their target consumers and measure effectiveness in real-time, and its Rights Management vertical has generated over $1bn in sponsorship revenue for some of the world’s biggest properties including the All Blacks, Chelsea, AC Milan, UEFA and World Rugby.  

Two Circles’ EVP Services & Products Sam Yardley, who is based at the company’s Los Angeles office, will continue to lead Two Circles’ Consultancy, Marketing Services and Technology business.

Gareth Balch, CEO of Two Circles, said: “We’re really excited to have Adam join us on our mission to rewire sports. Adam’s track record driving growth across a range of business streams speaks for itself, and he knows first-hand the opportunities that can be opened at sports properties, and in sponsorship in particular. He’s a dynamic leader who has transformed businesses and will play a pivotal role in Two Circles having an even bigger impact in a region where we see so much potential through our unique approach rooted in data analytics.”

Adam Davis added: “I’ve been blown away by the impact Two Circles are having globally and across some of North America’s leading sports properties. Data is driving the key decision making and growth of the best companies in the world, and in sports, the decisions being made every day on the field. But off the field buying habits have changed, decision makers have changed, and sports consumption has changed – now it’s time for sports properties to use data to increase revenues and profit across ticketing, premium, sponsorship and media. Two Circles’ approach has already helped drive billions in revenue for the biggest sports properties in Europe, and can stimulate a new era of growth across the North American sports industry.”  

Prior to HBSE, Davis spent six-and-a-half-years at the Madison Square Garden Company, where he was responsible for generating new revenue streams across all divisions and acquired a portfolio of ‘Signature Partners’ worth a combined $1.2bn for the newly-renovated Madison Square Garden. He is also an alumnus of SportsBusiness Journal’s ‘Forty Under 40’, and was named in the Leaders Under 40 Class of 2018.

Two Circles, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this month, has been part of George Pyne’s investment and operating company Bruin Capital since 2019. Over this time Two Circles has experienced record commercial growth – doubling revenue and tripling profit – and has doubled its headcount across its global network of teams based in New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris and Bern.

BLAST Appoint Tom Greene as Chief Growth Officer

Esports tournament organiser and media network BLAST has appointed Tom Greene as its Chief Growth Officer. He joins after six years working with the Harry Potter franchise across a number of commercial leadership roles. 

During his time with Wizarding World, Greene ran Pottermore Publishing, the digital publisher of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts ebooks and audiobooks. He also led Wizarding World Digital, the fan-engagement arm of the Harry Potter franchise and a joint venture between Pottermore and WarnerMedia. Greene will remain a non-executive director of Pottermore. 

Greene’s appointment will help improve and increase BLAST’s efforts to grow its consumer and audience base in the future by creating a more direct relationship with its esports fanbase. 

BLAST will be looking to utilise the former-WarnerMedia executive’s experience in building technology products that can capture the attention of key audiences – with the ultimate aim of diversifying BLAST’s product offering and revenue streams. 

The last 18 months have been an exciting period for BLAST that has seen the Copenhagen-based business move into a number of new games, including: VALORANT, DOTA 2, Apex Legends and Fortnite. 

During this period BLAST Premier, the company’s leading light and a global Counter-Strike tournament circuit, has grown from strength-to-strength and in January posted the most watched online CS:GO match of all time during the Global Final while also securing a range of new commercial partnerships with Coinbase, L33T Gaming and Unilever.   

Robbie Douek, CEO for BLAST, said: “Tom joins us at a hugely exciting time for BLAST, the last year has seen us cement BLAST Premier as one of the leading Counter-Strike tournaments in the world, we’ve also managed to diversify our product offering by moving into a number of leading titles during this period. 

“Tom brings a wealth of experience and knowledge from his time with the Harry Potter franchise, where he had huge success in evolving the Wizarding World digital publishing platforms and creating a powerful fan experience. His arrival signifies BLAST’s ambition to grow and strengthen the relationship we have with our community.” 

Tom Greene, Chief Growth Officer at BLAST, said: “I’m thrilled to join the team at such an exciting time for BLAST and for esports more generally. Everyone at BLAST is incredibly passionate and talented and it is great to join such a dynamic team. I’m looking forward to helping us accelerate our efforts and deliver more amazing products and experiences to our fans both old and new.” 

BLAST Premier is a worldwide Counter-Strike tournament series that unites all major events, offers opportunities to all regions across the globe and crowns the world champions of CS:GO. Up to 32 teams will take part in the seven BLAST Premier events over the course of 2021 with a combined prize pool of $2,475,000 on the line. BLAST will be making its long awaited return to arena events with fans later this year at Copenhagen’s iconic Royal Arena for the Fall Final.