Topps Extends Partnership With Europe’s Top Football Competitions As collectibles Partner Of The UEFA Club Competitions

The Topps Company is delighted to announce an extension as the exclusive and official collectibles partner of UEFA’s prestigious club cup competitions. In addition to the UEFA Champions League, the global sticker and trading card company has once again secured exclusive rights for the UEFA Europa League, UEFA Women’s Champions League, as well as this year’s inaugural UEFA Conference League. Topps continues to expand its product portfolio and add a new dimension to the collectors’ and trading card community. With the required third-party IP clearances, Topps will also be creating versions of selected collectibles products as Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs).

Topps will once again be capturing the greatest of moments, the biggest triumphs, and the world’s best players on its stickers and trading cards by turning them into iconic collectibles – and, from the upcoming season, for the first time as NFTs. With an emotional film and its claim »Moments that stick with you«, Topps continues to show what counts most for the company: its emotional connection and appreciation of supporters by creating unique and innovative collectible memories for football fans to delight and share in across the globe.

Topps CMO Patrick Rausch: “It’s great to offer our community and football fans across Europe and the world not only the best players, but also the greatest moments in the upcoming seasons. As UEFA’s exclusive partner for collectibles, we are not only taking a huge step towards the future together, but we’re also taking collectibles to the next level. Only Topps will offer physical and digital collectibles products for the UEFA Champions League and all other UEFA club competitions from the 2021/22 season onwards.”

For six years Topps has been the official partner of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Women’s Champions League. The collector business is booming and has increased even more during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Deloitte Named Official Professional Services Provider Of The National Women’s Soccer League

Deloitte and the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) today announced they are entering into a multi-year collaboration, naming Deloitte the Official Professional Services Provider to the league.

Deloitte will serve as both a sponsor of and trusted advisor to the NWSL. As the Official Professional Services Provider, Deloitte will help to advance some of the NWSL’s most important initiatives, including advising on the development of their 10-year strategic plan.

“We are proud to support the National Women’s Soccer League,” said Terri Cooper, PhD, vice chair of external diversity, equity and inclusion, Deloitte LLP. “Our commitment at Deloitte to gender equity is stronger than ever, as we continue to focus on fostering a culture of belonging in our workplace. Dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion is a core pillar of our new sponsorship with the NWSL, and we’re so excited to get started.”

“We are thrilled to have Deloitte joining the National Women’s Soccer League” said NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird. “The experience and breadth of capabilities across long-term strategy, fan engagement, and beyond will play an integral role in supporting the growth of our business.”

Beginning play in 2013, the NWSL has been the premier women’s soccer league in the United States. Learn more about the sponsorship at deloitte.com/us/nwsl.

iSportConnect Kicks Off Virtual Trade Mission With Trade And Investment Queensland

iSportConnect has today started our Virtual Trade Mission alongside Trade and Investment Queensland, an arm of the Queensland Government in Australia.

Over the next few weeks, iSportConnect and TIQ will be working to provide participating companies with a greater understanding of the challenges being faced when looking at international expansion into other markets.

We were delighted to welcome Nigel Jones and Mark Donovan from the UK government’s Department of International Trade to give a presentation about key information organisations should know about the sports technology landscape in the UK, as well as giving tips on how to incorporate a company within the UK.

We were also fortunate to be joined by Ben Wells of PTI Digital, who explained their experience of being a sports tech company in the UK, discussing some of the opportunities and pitfalls that have been experienced along the way.

Trade and Investment Queensland is the Queensland Government’s dedicated global business agency, which helps Queensland exporters do business in international markets, and facilitate investment in Queensland enterprises. 

The Trade Mission is being utilised in order to be able to provide a knowledge and access base for companies from Queensland looking to break into the UK market, or use their entry into the UK as a way to also expand within Europe.

WME Sports Hires Jim Murray, Michael Stival And Billy Eppler To Run Baseball Business

WME Sports today announced the hiring of baseball executives Jim Murray, Michael Stival and Billy Eppler to lead its baseball representation business as Partners.

Murray joins WME Sports from Excel Sports Management, where he helped grow the baseball practice from 25 clients to more than 150 clients over the last nine years. Murray played a role in every significant contract negotiation—both on and off the field—for Excel baseball clients during his tenure, totaling more than $2B in client earnings. Prior to joining Excel, Murray served as a partner with Hendricks Sports Management. He started his career at SFX Sports Group more than 20 years ago. 

Stival also joins WME Sports from Excel Sports Management, where his primary responsibility was developing, directing and executing the contract negotiation strategy for Excel’s baseball clients. In only seven years, Stival quarterbacked free agent contract negotiations totaling approximately $1.5 billion. Stival also led Excel’s efforts in salary arbitration and played a major role in Excel’s representation of amateur players. A lawyer by background, Stival led Excel’s efforts to protect and enforce its clients’ collectively bargained rights. Prior to joining Excel in 2014, Stival spent seven years at the Major League Baseball Players Association, most recently as Assistant General Counsel.

Eppler served most recently as General Manager of the Los Angeles Angels, where he oversaw a staff of more than 200 employees, managed the major league payroll and all baseball operations budgets, and advised ownership on trades, contract signings, and Major League transactions. At the Angels, he was responsible for all drafting and player development and for signing the likes of Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, and Anthony Rendon. Eppler joined the Angels from the New York Yankees, where he served as Assistant General Manager, contributing to player acquisition and scouting, roster composition and management, staffing and personnel, and player contract negotiation. His efforts helped the Yankees build the 2009 World Series Champions. He began his career at the Colorado Rockies as an area scouting supervisor and assistant director of player development.

“The business of baseball has transformed over the last two decades, and our combined expertise backed by the unmatched reach and resources of WME uniquely position us to best serve the changing needs of players,” said Murray, Stival and Eppler. “We are excited to create an offering unavailable anywhere else in the industry to further players’ interests both on and off the field.” 

“Jim, Michael and Billy’s unrivaled experience combined with a shared mission to revolutionize the way baseball players are represented make them the perfect trio to lead our efforts in this space,” said Jordan Bazant, Co-Head of WME Sports. “Their complementary expertise will fast-track our goal to move to the forefront of baseball representation.”

Discovery Sports Events Goes All-in On AWS To Engage And Grow Global Fan Base For Track Cycling

Today, Amazon Web Services announced a new partnership with Discovery Sports Events, a portfolio of sports brands that reach more than 130 million viewers, to be their Official Cloud, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning Provider. AWS will also become the exclusive Cloud Infrastructure Partner of the new Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Track Champions League. Through the collaboration, Discovery Sports Events and AWS will deliver new fan engagement experiences around the UCI cycling competition, including a new UCI Track Champions League app, competition insights, and in-race statistics to help existing cycling fans dive deeper into race strategy and attract additional followers to the sport. 

Discovery Sports Events is working with the UCI, the worldwide governing body for cycling, to redefine and innovate track cycling. The new series of races that will take place under the UCI Track Champions League will develop a strong year-round narrative for the sport, including between the Olympic Games and major annual races, telling the whole story and setting the foundation for sustained fan engagement. By taking advantage of the breadth and depth of AWS capabilities, including machine learning, analytics, media services, containers, and database, Discovery Sports Events will establish a unique viewing and engagement experience for fans that complements UCI’s new, elite competition among the world’s best riders. 

“We know the UCI Track Champions League offers an outstanding opportunity to better serve cycling’s global fan community and bring in a new audience to the sport. A big part of achieving this is to build an on-screen and digital experience that visually represents the strategy and strength riders require to compete and win, as well as help viewers understand the second-by-second action that determines race results. AWS will help deliver the resources behind this experience and provide fans the type of real-time insights and engagement that will make them care more about the sport and keep them engaged for the long term,” said François Ribeiro, Head of Discovery Sports Events.

Discovery Sports Events and AWS will serve live data, analysis, and predictive stats to fans in the velodrome where races take place, through live television and streaming, and in a new Track Cycling League app. The app will provide fans a connected experience, allowing for fan communities to grow around the championship, while helping newcomers to the sport better understand the action on the track. Along with providing real-time data into riders’ performance and race statistics, Discovery Sports Events will use Amazon SageMaker (AWS’s service that helps developers and data scientists build, train, and deploy machine learning models quickly) to develop predictive insights into race and championship outcomes to drive further excitement around each event.

To enhance race viewing experiences for audiences around the world, Discovery Sports Events will use Amazon Kinesis (AWS’s service for easily collecting, processing, and analyzing video and data streams in real-time) to ingest and process live, streaming data from sensors on the track, bikes, and riders. Then, the organization will apply AWS analytics and machine learning capabilities to serve up stats such as bike speed, race position, pedal cadence (i.e., revolutions per minute), rider power output in watts, time keeping, and racer biometrics (e.g., heart rate, calories burned). Finally, Discovery Sports Events will use AWS media services to provide the stats to fans through the app and broadcast in a simple and compelling format.

“Sports serve as a great medium to bring technology like machine learning and data insights to life in a way that sports fans across the globe can understand and get excited about. AWS and Discovery Sports Events will help UCI redefine and innovate track cycling by providing fans a more connected experience with real-time data into riders’ performances and race statistics. Imagine fans being able to see things like predictive insights and their favorite riders’ bike speeds, race positions, pedal cadences, and even biometrics all from a connected app on their phones. This is how AWS brings fans closer to their favorite sports, and we can’t wait to see the excitement blossom for cycling,” said Kathrin Buvac, Vice President of Business Development, Amazon Web Services, Inc. 

Kathy Carter Named As CEO Of LA2028 Olympic Games

The LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games are proud to announce Kathy Carter as Chief Executive Officer to lead the successful planning and execution of the 2028 Games. As CEO, Carter will report to LA28 Chairperson Casey Wasserman and oversee efforts to ensure the LA28 Games deliver an incredible legacy for athletes, Los Angeles and global sports.

A sports business veteran, Carter joined LA28 in October 2018 as Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Executive Officer of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Properties, LLC. As LA28’s CEO, Carter will expand her focus to include Games delivery, impact and business operations.

“Kathy is one of the most naturally gifted leaders in the game and has already made a tremendous impact successfully driving LA28’s commercial business,” said LA28 Chairperson Casey Wasserman. “There is no better partner for the Olympic and Paralympic movement than Kathy and I am thrilled she is stepping into the CEO role. We are very fortunate to have her on our team.” 

Since joining LA28, Carter has overseen LA28’s founding partnerships and led a first-of-its-kind partnership with NBCUniversal to give brands elevated opportunity around the Games. Under Carter’s leadership, LA28 also announced a groundbreaking global hospitality program in collaboration with On Location, the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee, Paris 2024 and Milano-Cortina 2026.

“I’m honored and humbled and more energized than ever to co-create a Games that will unite us as a local and global community while celebrating the beauty of our differences,” said LA28 Chief Executive Officer Kathy Carter. “The LA28 Games present an incomparable opportunity to showcase what’s good in the world and what’s great about the Los Angeles community. I’m inspired to be part of the tremendous progress the LA28 Games are sure to create.”

Before joining LA28, Carter was a founding member of Major League Soccer, spending a cumulative 20 years at MLS and Soccer United Marketing, including the last eight years as president. Previously she held positions with AEG in Los Angeles and served as manager of partnership marketing for the organizing committee behind the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

Socios.com Partners With LaLiga To Become Global Fan Engagement Partner

Socios.com, the leading provider of blockchain-driven Fan Engagement solutions for the sports and entertainment industry, and LaLiga have announced an agreement that will see the creators of Fan Tokens become Global Fan Engagement Partner of Spain’s top tier football league.

Socios.com and LaLiga will work together to create new opportunities for the league’s more than 800 million global fans to engage actively with the brand through the platform’s cutting-edge blockchain technology solutions.

This partnership will give LaLiga Santander fans the chance to get closer than ever to their heroes, regardless of where in the world they are based, and to access unique rewards such as official products, signed jerseys, free tickets and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.

Driven by the central belief that transitioning passive fans into active fans is essential to the future of sport, Socios.com is a direct-to-consumer (D2C) platform that leverages blockchain technology to provide the world’s leading sporting organizations with the tools to engage with and monetize their global fanbases.

Since its creation, in 2019, Socios.com has been enhancing Fan Experience across the global sports industry through Fan Tokens, collectible digital assets that provide owners with access to voting rights in polls, VIP rewards, exclusive promotions, AR-enabled features, chat forums, games and competitions on Socios.com.

Over 40 global leading sport organisations across 20 different countries and seven different sports have launched their official Fan Token on the Socios.com app, home to a growing global community of nearly 1.3M sports fans. The list includes LaLiga Santander clubs FC Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid, Valencia CF and Levante UD, as well as other football giants across the globe, Formula 1 teams, esports organisations and mixed martial arts brands, among others.

Fan Tokens have consolidated as one of the fastest growing revenue streams for the sports industry, generating over $200 million in profits for Socios.com’s global network in a little over two years since the first token was released.

The partnership with LaLiga, the first major football league to join the platform, sets a new milestone for Socios.com and strengthens its position in Spain, a strategic country in which the company is about to inaugurate its new offices. The agreement also reasserts the position of Socios.com as the global leaders of blockchain-driven fan engagement solutions for the sports industry.

Alexandre Dreyfus, Founder and CEO of Socios.com, said: “We are very excited and proud to be partnering with LaLiga, one of the biggest brands in global sports, with over 800 million fans around the world, and home to legendary clubs that have helped write the history of football.”

“The LaLiga partnership will allow us to take another step forward in our mission to bring about a new era of global fan engagement, where fans are no longer spectators, but empowered, active participants”.

“It is no coincidence that LaLiga has become the first major European football league to partner with Socios.com. Over the past few years they have earned a reputation for being one of the most innovative brands in sports, leading the way for organisations worldwide in terms of embracing innovation and leveraging new technologies. This partnership is yet another demonstration of their boldness and leadership”.

“At LaLiga we are pleased to partner with Socios.com, one of the global leaders in fan engagement solutions for the sports industry. Thanks to this agreement, all our fans around the world will be able to connect more actively with their favorite players and teams. For us it’s a way of getting closer to them and offering them new experiences”, said Oscar Mayo, Executive Director of LaLiga.

Prophet Strengthens Executive Team Ahead Of Fall Launch With Experienced Senior Hires

Prophet, the first pure peer-to-peer U.S. sports betting exchange, has announced the addition of three senior sports betting, iGaming and gambling experts to VP roles in marketing, operations and strategy. Thomas Phillips joins Prophet as VP of Marketing, Matt Garrigan is VP of Strategy, and Michael Halperin becomes VP of Operations.

“We are delighted to welcome Thomas, Matt and Michael to the Prophet team and are excited to have them bring their experience and market knowledge to us as we look ahead to our full consumer launch in Fall, 2021,” commented Dean Sisun, Prophet CEO and Cofounder. “Having people of their caliber join us from FanDuel, DraftKings and with Thomas’ experience from Betfair, InterCasino and Ladbrokes Coral reinforces what an exciting future everyone at Prophet has ahead of us. We want to attract the best in the business, and the knowledge, experience and skills Thomas, Matt and Michael bring is another key foundation for us as we continue to grow.”

Prophet’s new VP of Marketing Thomas Phillips has over 14 years’ experience in the sports betting, iGaming and gambling industries, working across multiple international territories and products including exchanges, sportsbooks and gaming products. A graduate from Keele University in the UK with a BSc in Psychology and Neuroscience, Thomas’ career started in 2005 running marketing for MotoCaddy, a startup focused on the golf market, before moving into the iGaming market with InterCasino in 2007. In 2009 he joined the Betfair Exchange marketing team, working over the next five years across multiple territories and a range of products, as well as playing a core role in the launch of the Betfair Sportsbook. In 2013 he joined Ladbrokes (now Ladbrokes Coral), leading the Customer marketing team from 2013-2017. In 2018 Thomas established himself as a digital marketing consultant, specializing in high profile betting and gaming brands. He joins Prophet with immediate effect as VP of Marketing.

“I am thrilled to be joining Prophet as VP of Marketing,” commented Thomas Phillips. “Having previously worked with Dean and Jake [Benzaquen, Prophet COO and Cofounder] in the UK market, I am looking forward to joining a dynamic and innovative team that is set to make the industry stand-up and take notice.”

VP of Strategy Matt Garrigan joins Prophet from FanDuel where he was, most recently, Director, New Market Strategy. A graduate of the University of Nevada Las Vegas in gaming and hospitality, Garrigan brings over 11 years’ experience in the casino and tech industries, combining both brick and mortar and digital gaming and retail sportsbooks knowledge. His career started in 2011 with MGM Resorts International where he worked in race and sportsbook operations. Since then, he has worked with some of the biggest names in sports betting and gaming, including Caesars Entertainment Corporation, Konami Gaming, Penn National Gaming, Scientific Games, Penn Interactive (Barstool Sportsbook) and FanDuel. He joined FanDuel as Sr Manager, Online New Market Strategy in March 2019, moving up to Director, New Market Strategy in March 2021. Garrigan joins Prophet from September 1, 2021 as VP of Strategy.

“From the first time I spoke with Dean and Jake, it was clear we share the same passion and focus to help Prophet fill the gaps that exist in sports wagering from a customer perspective,” commented Prophet’s new VP of Strategy Matt Garrigan. “We are underway with our planning and it’s feeling really good. We have a team that is extremely eager, believes in this unique product we will be bringing to the market, and is laser focused on the customer. There is nothing more exciting than planning for a go-live.”

Prophet’s new VP of Operations is Michael Halperin, most recently with DraftKings where he was part of the VIP Promotions & Strategy management group. Halperin was with DraftKings from 2018 until joining Prophet in 2021, starting as a Senior Sportsbook Operations Associate and moving up to the VIP Promotions & Strategy role in early 2021. He was an original member of the DraftKings Sportsbook team and helped launch the first digital-focused sportsbook after the repeal of PASPA in 2018. He has also helped lead the digital operations of the DraftKings sportsbook from operations in one state in 2018 to the more than 10 states in which DraftKings are now operational in 2021, overseeing product operations, promotions and VIP strategy. Prior to joining DraftKings, Haperin’s career began in January 2017 at Chalkline Sports, the media technology company that powers platforms for communities and marketplaces of sports bettors.

“I am beyond excited to be joining Prophet as VP of Operations,” commented Michael Halperin. “Jake and Dean are building a first-class team of experienced individuals who share a passion for sports betting and a hunger to disrupt the U.S. gaming landscape. Prophet’s commitment to building a customer-focused betting exchange will make it the top choice for players looking to get bigger and better returns on their wagers.”

Pac-12 Networks Announces Licensing Partnership With RECUR And Veritone

Pac-12 Networks has announced a new content licensing partnership with RECUR, the technology company that designs and develops on-chain experiences allowing fans to buy, collect and re-sell digital products and collectibles (NFTs), and leading artificial intelligence technology company Veritone, Inc., that will make Pac-12 Networks content available through NFTs for the very first time. The partnership makes Pac-12 content the first in college sports to be available through NFTs.

As the exclusive licensing partner of Pac-12 Networks, Veritone has licensed RECUR in an exclusive agreement to make video highlights of Pac-12 Networks coverage of moments across all men’s and women’s sports available for NFT creation. Veritone and RECUR will coordinate with student-athletes to obtain authorization to use their highlights, in accordance with the Pac-12 Networks NIL Licensing Program.

“Consistent with the innovative spirit that drives Pac-12 Networks and the Pac-12 Conference, we are thrilled to be leading the way in collegiate sport content licensing for NFTs,” said Pac-12 Networks Senior Manager for Distribution and Licensing Kenden Blake. “This new partnership between Pac-12 Networks, Veritone and RECUR will unlock new ways to deliver the Pac-12 sports content fans love, now through NFTs.”

NFTU is a new marketplace that, for the first time, will allow college sports fans to own the latest and greatest highlights from college sports, starting with Pac-12 Networks. NFTU will be the sole marketplace for these assets, making it an instant staple in the NFT sports world.

“At RECUR, our goal is to democratize access to NFTs and dispel the notion that they are too challenging to understand or only accessible to those heavily engaged in the cryptocurrency world,” said RECUR Co-CEO Zach Bruch. “In partnership with Veritone, we are excited to leverage our technology to bring Pac-12 Networks to the NFT arena, and offer fans the previously unavailable opportunity to own their favorite Pac-12 plays, sports memories, and traditions.”

As experts in their respective spaces, Pac-12 Networks, Veritone and RECUR are uniquely equipped to navigate the complexities of a multi-rights environment to offer the greatest Pac-12 moments to fans everywhere.

“Veritone is at the forefront of advancing technology, and the opportunities we see through NFTs are endless,” said Senior Vice President at Veritone Licensing Michael Arthur. “Working with an innovative partner like RECUR to make the Pac-12 Networks library licensable through NFTs is another way we are fulfilling our mission to make content more accessible to licensees and generate more distribution opportunities for our international library partners.”

To learn more about Veritone’s Content Licensing services, please visit: https://www.licensing.veritone.com. To learn more about RECUR and NFTU, please visit recurforever.com and NFTU.com.

Drone Racing League Signs ‘$100m’ Algorand Deal

Algorand, the leading high performance blockchain platform, and DRL will transform sports and gaming through blockchain-based technology.

Bringing scalable, fast, and decentralized gaming applications to DRL, Algorand’s blockchain will be the foundation for the sport of the future.

Get ready for digital drone racing on the Algorand blockchain network, blockchain-enabled ticketing, collectables, fan transactions and non fungible tokens (NFTs), and crypto-themed hackathon events around DRL World Championship Season events.

The deal is reportedly worth $100m over five years according to CNBC sources.

DRL is the global, professional drone racing property for elite pilots. With custom built racing drones traveling 90 MPH, pilots race through the most insane courses across virtual and physical competitions. Merging the digital with the real, DRL delivers innovative drone technology, immersive content, and visually thrilling races on the best sports networks around the world, including NBC, NBCSN, Twitter, Fox Sports, Sky Sports, ProSieben, and Weibo.