Ready For Recovery? Sports Industry Faces Multiple Societal And Commercial Challenges To Achieve A Durable Recovery, Says 2021 PwC Sports Survey

  • The latest edition of the PwC Sports Survey examines the various challenges for the sports industry to achieve a sustainable recovery 
  • Average market growth is expected to remain stable at 4.9% for the next 3-5 years 
  • 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
  • 63% of industry executives feel that reduced exclusivity and increased number of buyers per territory will lead to higher media rights value

PwC’s new 2021 Sports Survey “ready for recovery?” polls nearly 800 sports industry executives from around the world on the current and future state of the sports industry. Amidst the uncertainties of the global pandemic, the study specifically covers the growing societal challenges facing the industry, key areas of transformation for sports organisations as well as the redesign of commercial models. 

Media transformation and growing sport’s societal role are driving change

In the past 3-5 years, the average global market growth has remained stable at 4.9% and is estimated to stay consistent for the next 3-5 years. While respondents expect a strong increase in the Americas, Asia and Africa, growth in Europe, Australasia and the Middle East is forecast to decline.

“To achieve financial stability, over 40% of respondents believe that the focus should be on controlling costs. In the  football/soccer industry, the proportion is even higher and rises to almost 60%.”

Interestingly, brands, sponsors and media companies are less optimistic than event owners or sports federations. According to respondents, the transforming media landscape is the industry’s main change driver, followed by growing expectations for sport’s societal role.  

Stakeholders urge sports organisations to act more sustainable 

For sports properties, the risk of losing the trust of fans has become the main reason for investing in social and environmental sustainability before the need to meet the expectations of sponsors and investors. Fans demand a clear stance on social and environmental issues, also from the athletes themselves. Female athletes in particular are increasingly using their platform to draw attention to  social and political issues.

While most rights owners have long undertaken societal initiatives in an ad-hoc manner, survey results show that sports organisations are increasingly addressing social and environmental performance alongside their broader strategic issues. To achieve financial sustainability, sports executives have traditionally concentrated on growing revenues. Refreshingly, slightly over 40% of respondents believe that the focus should be on controlling costs. In the football/soccer industry, the proportion is even higher and rises to almost 60%.

The risk of taking on too much at once 

Sport organisations are strained by the continuous launch of new leisure offerings and more varied  expectations of brands and media companies, which accentuates the need for transformation. While it is crucial that sports organisations diversify beyond events, some have stated to become publishing, entertainment or even technology companies.

David Dellea, Head of PwC Sports Business Advisory explains: “There is a risk that sports properties lose focus. A coherent strategy is  increasingly important to prevent them from becoming merely good enough at everything, while mastering nothing.”

As sports organisations increasingly turn to private equity to fund their transformation, most executives agree that investors have a real impact on growth. However, 73%  are concerned that they are distracting sport from its historic values. 

Fan and partners’ evolving expectations shape a liquid market 

As shifting fan habits and transition to streaming accelerate, the media landscape is moving from  fragmented to fractured, pushing rights licensors to relax exclusivity while exploring multiple  distribution models. Survey results show that sports organisations need to catch up with the commercial use of fan data to provide their partners with modular, targeted marketing propositions.

“There is a risk that sports properties lose focus. A coherent strategy is  increasingly important to prevent them from becoming merely good enough at everything, while mastering nothing.” – David Dellea.

To date, more than 70% of sports executives perceive the commercial success of fan data as disappointing or below expectations. Beyond OTT (Over-the-top media service) and NFTs (non-fungible token), the combination of content and data assets also expands the opportunities for direct-to-fan monetisation. In general, all market dynamics are heading towards an unprecedented level of liquidity. This is bound to lead sports organisations to take more entrepreneurial risks. 

About this survey 

The sixth edition of the PwC Sports Survey “ready for recovery?” was conducted by the PwC Sports Advisory team between June and August 2021 through an online questionnaire distributed to sports industry leaders occupying C level/senior positions.

In total, 792 respondents across 55 countries have completed the survey. The analysis in this report is primarily based on the collective opinion of the respondents. It is completed by data provided to PwC by Facebook, Videocities, IRIS Intelligent Research in Sponsorship, HYPE Sports Innovation and Parrot Analytics as well as PwC Sports Advisory team’s knowledge, research and views about the industry. 

Download

The entire study can be downloaded as a PDF document – https://www.pwc.ch/sports-survey

Nissan Becomes Official Automotive Supplier To 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon

Nissan will be the Official Automotive Supplier for the 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon, providing a fleet of 100 per cent electric, zero emission vehicles for the event on Sunday 3 October.

The vehicles used will be Nissan’s two electric vehicle models, the Nissan LEAF passenger car and e-NV200 LCV which has both van and passenger car variants.

This is the second year Nissan has supported the Virgin Money London Marathon, having been Official Vehicle Supplier in 2020 when its electric e-NV200 van acted as lead vehicles to the elite races which took place on a closed-loop course around St James’s Park.

As well as helping to deliver a more sustainable race event, Nissan’s presence at the Virgin Money London Marathon will have a strong focus on its commitments to diversity and inclusion. Nissan will also be working with charitable organisations supporting disabled and LGBTQ+ runners across the country in order to enable more people to engage in the sport.

Nissan will not only be supplying the time-keeping vehicles for the event, but will be there to cheer on all of the participants on the route from the official Nissan LGBTQ+ Cheerzone, which will be sustainably powered by a Nissan LEAF.

Nic Thomas, Marketing Director, Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd: “Nissan is very proud to be supporting one of the world’s most prestigious running events. By focusing on running – an already inclusive sport – Nissan hopes to champion under-represented communities and bring its vision of zero inequality to life, while supporting the sustainability of the events through zero emission support vehicles.”

Hugh Brasher, Event Director of the Virgin Money London Marathon, said: “We are committed to driving positive change in environmental sustainability through our actions and we’re proud to be partnering with Nissan to further reduce our environmental impact and lead the world in mass participation event sustainability.”

In addition to the participants taking on the traditional route, more than 40,000 runners are set to take on the virtual Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday 3 October, which will make the event the biggest marathon in the world.

Mikhail Mazur Appointed As IMMAF Chief Technology Officer

The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation is pleased to announce that Mikhail Mazur has been formally engaged as the organisation’s new Chief Technology Officer.

The appointment will see Mazur responsible for the management of Information Technology and Data to improve IMMAF’s offering to members and audiences and facilitate further growth, in alignment with IMMAF’s strategic plan. The assignment includes the improvement of IMMAF’s IT infrastructure, the integration of technology into day-to-day business and responsibility for IMMAF’s IT budget. Projects underway include: a new digital scoring system; the expansion of immaf.org to include a database of athletes, events, videos and statistics; and the IMMAF LIVE project for a comprehensive live viewing experience of IMMAF Championships.

As a “hardcore” MMA fan with a bachelor’s degree in IT from the Hanze University of Applied Sciences and an MBA in Business Administration from the University of Groningen, Mazur worked as a consultant before joining the WMMAA (World Mixed Martial Arts Association) as Director of Communication and Information. Since the merger with IMMAF in 2019, Mikhail has been managing IMMAF’s data and analytics’ department on a part-time basis. Born in the Soviet Union, Mikhail grew up in the Netherlands and currently resides in Vietnam. Mikhail is fluent in six languages.

IMMAF’s new CTO, Mikhail Mazur, commented:

“I’ve been working in the IT consultancy industry for over 10 years and have managed large-scale and big-budget projects across several industries. In that time, I have never lost my connection with the MMA world. It’s always been my passion. Alongside my IT qualifications, I also obtained an MMA judges’ qualification under WMMAA. I have continued to work to develop my knowledge in both fields of interest and I am excited that my new, enhanced role as CTO bridges them.

“My goals are to make our National Federations’ lives easier; to create a smooth experience for our audience from watching live events to getting to know our athletes; and to introduce new technologies. I am grateful to the IMMAF board for this opportunity, and I want to make IMMAF the most professional organisation in amateur sport.”

IMMAF President Kerrith Brown said:

“The IMMAF board is proud to promote Mikhail to a full time and enhanced role as IMMAF’s Chief Technology Officer. Data and IT are fundamental to IMMAF’s activities and to our strategic plan and Mikhail’s appointment will serve to strengthen the development of amateur MMA.”

E1 Series Partners With International Insurance Group As Official Insurance Provider

International Insurance Group Sarl (IIG) joins the fast-growing E1 Series, the revolutionary electric marine racing championship launched by Alejandro Agag and Rodi Basso.

With the stunning RaceBirds set to hit the water next year ahead of the world’s first electric powerboat racing championship in 2023, International Insurance Group has joined the E1 Series family as Official Insurance Provider.

The E1 Series, launched in 2020 by electric racing pioneers Alejandro Agag and Rodi Basso, will see electric powerboat racing at spectacular city venues around the world.

IIG is an insurance brokerage firm that tailors life insurance products for elite clients’ needs. Established just three years ago, IIG’s three founders have more than 25 years of experience in the ultra-high net worth insurance market.

Founding partner André Azzi is considered one of the top insurance advisors by insurance carriers and his peers. Fellow founding partner Elie El Khoury is an experienced and results-orientated insurance executive, with two and a half decades of business establishment and turnaround experience in the Middle East and North Africa region.

The third founding partner Carlo Boutagy has been developing motorsport experiences and other high value properties away from the racetrack for more than a decade, including founding the F1 Fanzone and acting as the exclusive promoter of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He now uses the same set of skills to lead IIG’s marketing activities to establish and further grow their international presence.
The first full-size model of the innovative RaceBird vessel, due to be unveiled at an exclusive event at the Yacht Club de Monaco on the evening of September 20th, will proudly carry the IIG logo as the foiling electric powerboats go into prototype development and testing early next year.

André Azzi, Founding Partner at IIG, said: “We’re all thrilled at International Insurance Group to partner with E1 as their Official Insurance Provider and be a part of this incredible new racing concept from its inception. As key proponents of managing risk, we look forward with great anticipation to seeing the high stakes action play out on the water.

Watching E1 evolve into a popular and entertaining sport across some of the world’s most iconic waterways, whilst driving innovation and change in marine mobility is something that we’re immensely excited about and proud to be a part of – 2023 can’t come soon enough!”

Yanni Andreopoulos, Chief Marketing & Commercial Officer at E1 Series, said: “We’re still in the early stages of developing the exciting E1 Series and are always looking to partner with leading brands in order to build the very best event we can for fans, host cities and teams.

Although a lot of our focus right now is on the rollout of the RaceBird as we look towards our first championship in 2023, we’re delighted to have secured a partnership with International Insurance Group to make sure we have the best supplier for insurance products tailored to our unique needs. The team at IIG supports our vision for the E1 Series and we have no doubt it will be a hugely productive and successful partnership. It’s the start of an exciting journey together with the fantastic team at IIG.”

McLaren Racing And Arrow Electronics Announce Long-Term Partnership Extension With McLaren F1 And Arrow McLaren SP Teams

McLaren Racing and Arrow Electronics, the global technology and innovation business, today announced a long-term multi-year partnership extension which will see Arrow continue to support McLaren in its drive to achieve success with the McLaren Formula 1 and Arrow McLaren SP IndyCar teams. Arrow Electronics will continue as title sponsor of Arrow McLaren SP, while it continues as a partner of the McLaren F1 team.

Since 2019, the partnership between Arrow Electronics and McLaren Racing has enabled the two organisations to put a shared belief in technology and innovation to at the centre of a joint commitment to drive progress and bring services and solutions to the team and their respective networks.

Today’s news follows the announcement in August that McLaren Racing was acquiring a majority stake in Arrow McLaren SP. Arrow Electronics branding will continue to be represented on the McLaren F1 race cars and drivers, Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, and the Arrow McLaren SP race cars and drivers, Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist.

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing said:  

“Arrow Electronics is a valued partner of McLaren Racing across both our Formula 1 and IndyCar programmes. This long-term partnership extension is a great reflection of the strong relationship we have been building and the productivity of our partnership since the beginning in 2019. With our recent majority investment in Arrow McLaren SP and Arrow’s deep involvement in the team since 2015, our partnership is strengthened further as we progress on our common journey and shared ambitions to win together.”

Mike Long, Chairman, President and CEO, Arrow Electronics said:

“Arrow Electronics is committed to innovation in automotive and transportation technologies.  Our engineers work side-by-side with the race team, and we couldn’t be happier with the strength of our teams’ positions in both IndyCar and Formula 1.  We look forward to many more wins together on and off the track.”

ICC.tv Partners With Cricket Australia To Live Stream Australia’s International Summer Of Cricket

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has partnered with Cricket Australia to broadcast the upcoming Australian summer of cricket into emerging cricket markets including Europe and Southeast Asia, starting with the highly anticipated rematch between India and Australia, finalists in last year’s ICC T20 Women’s World Cup.

ICC.tv, the streaming platform launched by the ICC in July, will live stream the multi-format series against India from tomorrow, 21 September – 12 October, followed by the entire 2021- 22 international calendar in Australia, comprising the men’s and women’s Ashes, as well as men’s white ball tours by New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

Both the India series and the women’s Ashes will be free for all users to stream to celebrate the new partnership, while the men’s content will be available on a pay-per-view basis. 

All content will be available in countries such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, China, Germany, Netherlands, among others. 

Commenting on the partnership, ICC Head of Digital Finn Bradshaw said: “Through this unique partnership with Cricket Australia we will bring competitive and quality cricket to the cricket starved markets of Southeast Asia and Europe, as well as other regions that do not currently have a broadcast partner. This confirms our commitment to grow consumption of cricket and make it accessible to the world.”  

Nikki Linney, Cricket Australia’s Head of Media Rights, said: “We’re incredibly excited to work with the ICC to continue to grow cricket, and bring our distinctive Aussie flavour of cricket to more fans around the world. There will be some excited Australian and English expats living or even holidaying in these countries who’ll now be able to easily access what promises to be a massive home summer with the men’s and women’s Ashes. We know that in countries like Germany, Hong Kong and Japan there is already a significant cricket fanbase and we are hoping to see this in neighbouring countries too.”

Inter Miami CF Inks Primary Jersey Sponsorship Deal With Leading Crypto Finance Firm XBTO

Inter Miami CF and XBTO, a prominent, global cryptofinance firm, announced a new multi-year partnership deal, making XBTO the first-ever Primary Jersey Sponsor for South Florida’s Major League Soccer (MLS) Club.

The jersey partnership, which is among the biggest deals in MLS to date, marks the first cryptofinance partnership deal in the league. It also marks a significant milestone for the mainstream acceptance of crypto, inching Miami closer to becoming the mecca of the crypto world. 

“We are pleased to welcome XBTO to our Inter Miami family and to be able to share another milestone with our fans,” said Inter Miami CEO and Managing Owner Jorge Mas. “XBTO will be fully integrated across Inter Miami’s platforms beyond the jersey. Together we will raise awareness and build credibility, and further accelerate the social benefits of cryptocurrency through strategic initiatives as XBTO continues to redefine the next era of finance.” 

The primary and secondary jerseys for Inter Miami will both don the XBTO logo, beginning on Friday, Sept. 17 for the team’s home match vs. the New York Red Bulls at 7 p.m. ET. XBTO will also be prominently featured at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale as it has also secured Entitlement Rights for the NW Club.

“As institutional adoption of cryptofinance continues to grow, XBTO is dedicated to establishing greater trust, transparency and stability within the industry,” said XBTO Founder and CEO Philippe Bekhazi. “Our partnership with Inter Miami brings us one step closer in our mission to advance cryptofinance beyond the digital asset industry.” 

XBTO is a full-service firm providing cryptofinance trading and liquidity pricing services to the world’s most established exchanges. An early-adopter of cryptofinance and a known pioneer within the industry, XBTO was the first to provide institutional-grade liquidity to major trading platforms. Since its inception in 2015, the firm has expanded its capabilities to offer a suite of products including asset management services, over-the-counter (OTC) trading, streaming markets, institutional and fund-based venture capital for startups developing crypto infrastructure, and crypto-mining operations which run entirely on renewable energy.

XBTO currently has a team of over 50 professionals with global offices in Miami, Paris and New York, and became one of the first companies licensed and fully regulated under Bermuda’s Digital Asset Business Act (DABA) in 2018.  XBTO relocated its headquarters to Miami in April 2021 with the goal of creating synergies with a city eager for growth and adoption of cryptofinance.

MotoGP™ Extends Partnership With Sky In Italy

Dorna Sports is pleased to confirm a four-year contract that will see the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship and the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship remain with Sky in Italy. The agreement runs from 2022 to 2025, extending a longstanding partnership between the broadcaster and the world’s fastest motorcycle racing Championships.

Sky will continue to show every session of the MotoGP™, Moto2™, Moto3™ and MotoE™ classes live, with fans able to watch via satellite, fibre, on digital terrestrial and streaming via NOW. 

Six Grands Prix will also have each race shown live and free-to-air on TV8 as part of this new agreement, with the rest also shown free-to-air on same day delay.  

A dedicated team will be on site at every Grand Prix, providing tailor-made and extensive coverage including comprehensive pre- and post-race shows from the Sky team of expert pundits, presenters and commentators – bringing fans to the heart of the action. Sky Sport MotoGP, the dedicated 24/7 MotoGP™ channel, will maintain its presence as a point of reference in motorsport broadcasting, providing top quality coverage and insights from the paddock.  

All WorldSBK Rounds will be shown live, including each race for the World Superbike, World Supersport and World Supersport 300 categories.  

Coverage will also continue on digital platforms, with skysport.it to continue providing a wide range of videos, images, news, interviews, columns and more. News will also be reported in real time on Sky Sport 24, on the Sky Sport App and via official social media channels.  

The FIM CEV Repsol and Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup will also remain with Sky, joining MotoGP™, WorldSBK, Formula 1 and more at the home of motorsport in Italy. 

Marzio Perrelli, Sky Executive Vice President: “This agreement confirms our commitment to motorcycling, which for years has been one of the pillars of Sky’s great sports offer. We are proud to be the reference point for all two-wheel fans. Sky will deliver the storytelling of these four more seasons with great passion and its usual editorial quality, in addition to a viewing experience enhanced by new technological investments. Our channel dedicated to motorcycling goes far beyond the storytelling of the single races and will once again be the reference point for those who want to keep up to date and live this passion to the full.”

Manel Arroyo, Chief Commercial Officer, Dorna Sports: “We’re delighted to continue our partnership with Sky in Italy. A country with so much passion for our sport deserves the best possible coverage and Sky always deliver state-of-the-art broadcasting, with fantastic on-site programming from their dedicated team. This new agreement will see us reach the milestone of 12 seasons of collaboration and we very much look forward to these next four years together, providing our fans in Italy with the best motorcycle racing show possible – as well as reaching new audiences and growing our viewership through diversifying digital platforms and new ways for fans to watch and connect to MotoGP and Sky.”

BLAST Premier Expands Reach Into Israel With Gaming Channel Broadcast Deal

BLAST Premier has agreed a media rights deal with Gaming Channel, Israel’s first ever linear 24/7 esports and gaming channel. 

As part of the deal, Gaming Channel will own exclusive rights to broadcast BLAST Premier within Israel in Hebrew until the end of the 2021 season. The deal will cover BLAST Premier’s four remaining events of the year: Fall Groups (September 16-26), Showdown (October 12-17), Final (November 24-28) and World Final (December 14-19).

The Gaming Channel, owned by the Charlton Group, was launched back in July this year, bringing the first ever dedicated esports and gaming linear TV channel to Israel. The channel broadcasts a variety of content including live esports events, leading YouTube talent from the region, among other gaming and entertainment-themed content. 

Alexander Lewin, VP for at BLAST, said: “We are delighted to be able to give BLAST Premier fans from Israel the opportunity to watch their favourite Counter-Strike teams and players in a localised Hebrew broadcast, and very pleased to add Israel to our global media rights footprint. The Gaming Channel and its experienced team are the perfect partner for our move into the Israeli market, and we look forward to a successful collaboration.”

Yoav Sochen, General Manager for Gaming Channel, said: “I am very excited to partner up with BLAST Premier. Connecting both professional players and esports enthusiasts to the Gaming Channel through top tier international leagues, operated and offered on live broadcast in Hebrew for the first time. I look forward to seeing what this partnership can do for the Israeli scene.”

The deal takes BLAST’s portfolio of media rights to over 40 linear and online partners internationally, meaning BLAST Premier is now available globally in 18 different languages and in over 150 TV territories.

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. 

Fnatic And Crypto.com Enter Historic Partnership

London-based global esports performance brand Fnatic has today revealed Crypto.com, the fastest-growing crypto platform with more than 10 million users worldwide, as its inaugural Global Cryptocurrency Partner. The multi-year deal is worth more than $15M.

The partnership is Crypto.com’s first-ever in esports and adds to the company’s rapidly expanding portfolio of partners, which includes leading sports brands such as UFC, Formula 1®, Lega Serie A, Aston Martin Cognizant Formula 1, the Montreal Canadiens and Paris Saint-Germain. The historic deal will enable Crypto.com to seamlessly engage with Fnatic’s truly global and digitally-native audience.

The multi-faceted partnership will see Crypto.com’s logo featured on the collarbone of Fnatic team jerseys. Fnatic will also offer fans numerous rewards and money-can’t-buy experiences – including with existing Crypto.com partners – for Crypto.com users purchasing Fnatic goods. The partners will also launch new digital products, such as exclusive Fnatic NFTs in the near future.

Crypto.com will work with Fnatic on a variety of activations with Fnatic’s esports teams, players and creators including collaborative storytelling with existing Crypto.com partners, engaging gaming content, branded in-game experiences and physical events. To help its fans further understand cryptocurrency and future-proof their decisions, Fnatic will also offer financial literacy and crypto education opportunities for those that are new to cryptocurrencies and NFTs.

Fnatic CEO, Sam Mathews, said: “This partnership sees global leaders in esports and cryptocurrency join forces for a ground-breaking, long-term partnership. Fnatic boasts one of the most connected, involved and supportive fan bases in the world and this landmark deal with Crypto.com allows us to further cater to their everyday needs. As cryptocurrency becomes a mainstream payment method, there’s never been a better time to help our fans make smarter, healthier and future-proof cryptocurrency decisions.

Kris Marszalek, Co-Founder and CEO of Crypto.com, said: “We’re really excited to launch a fully integrated partnership with Fnatic, which marks a milestone for our industry. With more than 200 championships, their team has excelled in-game and out, and rightfully established itself as the leading team in esports.”

As well as having 10 million customers worldwide, Crypto.com also boasts the world’s most popular crypto card, which is available in more than 30 countries around the world. It is also a top ten finance app on both the App Store and Google Play. Earlier this year, Crypto.com also announced its ambition to become carbon negative within 18 months, offering the industry a path and a model for ‘clean crypto’.