Extreme E Increases Global Reach With Extended DAZN Deal

Electric SUV motorsport series, Extreme E, has announced today that it is extending its partnership with global sports streaming platform DAZN.

DAZN, which already airs Extreme E’s events in Japan, will carry the live and on-demand streaming of the championship’s X Prix events as well as the magazine programme, preview and review shows – in English – to its rest of the world territories.*

DAZN is the world’s leading sports streaming platform. Created in 2016 by fans for fans, it leads the change to give affordable access to sport anytime, anywhere. DAZN is available on internet-connected devices, including smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, PCs, game consoles, streaming sticks and set-up boxes. In December 2020, DAZN expanded to become available in more than 200 countries and territories, reinforcing the commitment to become a global sports destination platform.

Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer at Extreme E said: “I am delighted to be bringing Extreme E to so many more territories through our extended partnership with DAZN. As a sport without spectators on site, it is vital for us to reach as many people as possible and the best way to do this is through a screen.

“As a premium OTT platform, DAZN is hugely valuable to us in developing a youth orientated audience which is an incredibly important market to our championship. We know that DAZN’s key audiences are particularly passionate about issues surrounding equality and the environment, both of which are key pillars of Extreme E. We look forward to bringing more thrilling action to DAZN, as well as the wider messages surrounding electrification, environment and equality.”

Tom Burrows, EVP Rights Strategy, DAZN, said: “This new agreement extends our successful partnership with Extreme E, a truly special motosport experience, to DAZN subscribers around the world. The continued focus around the environment and equality in sport is what sets Extreme E apart from other racing competitions and we are extremely proud to showcase these small steps towards big change on our platform.”

The inaugural X Prix – the Desert X Prix – took place in Saudi Arabia in April highlighting the effects of desertification, followed by the Ocean X Prix in Senegal at the end of May which focussed on ocean health and issues surrounding rising sea level and plastic pollution. Next stop is Kangerlussuaq in Greenland for the Arctic X Prix, which takes place this weekend (28-29 August), and will highlight glacial retreat and how that impacts our planet, followed by the Island X Prix in Sardinia on 23-24 October, with the fifth and final X Prix location of Season 1 to be confirmed.

Through a variety of Legacy Programmes, the series will leave a long-lasting positive impact to support communities surrounding the areas in which it races, including turtle conservation along the Red Sea coastline,  planting one million mangroves in Senegal – the best natural defence against rising sea level as well as being a huge carbon store – plus a climate education programme for young people in Greenland in collaboration with UNICEF.

LDN UTD Sign Female Creator “Miss Baffy”

LDN UTD  has today announced that Ella “Miss Baffy” Skinner has joined the LDN UTD family. Baffy is renowned as one of the largest UK League of Legends content creators with over 140k following across social media. Baffy joins LDN UTD as a content creator to grow her brand and work with LDN UTD on raising awareness around LDN UTD and its purpose driven values, alongside the development of talent in the UK grassroots community.

Baffy is not one to shy away from stating her point of view, and will also be a focal point for educational and informative content and conversation relating to being a marginalised gender in the sector, and how to deal with day to day toxicity, with a view to making a difference. This will support ongoing LDN UTD initiatives working with outreach partners including Action Breaks Silence, Shadow To Shine, Rio Ferdinand Foundation and later in the year NSPCC.

Oliver Weingarten, CEO of LDN UTD said, “We’re excited to partner with Baffy. She has long been one of the most recognisable names, voices and faces within the UK League of Legends scene, as well as a strong voice of representation for women in the sector.” 

Ella “Miss Baffy” Skinner said, “I am really excited to join LDN UTD. We both align on the same goals, and the support network to grow as a creator and ensure my voice is heard, is invaluable. An understanding of my direction and goals has always been important, and in LDN UTD I’m confident that I have found the right partner, to grow, and also continue to ensure LDN UTD’s messaging is heard”.

Aston Villa Is Pleased To Unveil Monster Energy As The Club’s New Official Energy Drink Partner

Monster Energy was founded in 2002 and is now distributed in over 140 markets worldwide with a range of products to match and has several high-profile partnerships in a variety of sports. It is a global brand with a huge following that believes in authenticity and the core of what its sports, athletes and musicians represent.

Monster Energy’s ethos is to not only provide quality energy drinks, but also to support a way of life lived by athletes, sports, musicians and fans. The two-year partnership will see Monster Energy, the market leading US energy drinks company, promote its brand across the Club’s channels and engage with the Club’s global fanbase.

Aston Villa Chief Commercial Officer Nicola Ibbetson said: “We are delighted to welcome Monster Energy to Aston Villa as the Club’s Official Energy Drink Partner. Monster Energy is a global brand who are dedicated to enhancing the world for both athletes and fans. We look forward to working them over the next two years.”

Jimmy Goodrich, SVP Marketing Monster Energy EMEA commented: “We’re incredibly proud to be able to announce our partnership with Aston Villa and look forward to bringing that same sense of excitement to the wider fanbase. Like them, we’re longing to step back into capacity stadiums as soon as possible and are excited about how we work with the Club and the fans, both in the UK and abroad, to bring everyone closer together whether digitally or in person.”

ELEVEN Belgium To Partner With Serie A For Three More Seasons

ELEVEN will continue to bring Serie A LIVE and EXCLUSIVELY to fans in Belgium until 2023/24, following the completion of a new three-year deal.  

The agreement was brokered by Infront, Serie A’s exclusive international media rights partner. 

ELEVEN Belgium has been the home of Serie A since the platform’s launch in 2015 – bringing audiences comprehensive coverage of Italy’s top league across its linear and digital channels. The new deal further cements ELEVEN’s long standing partnership with Serie A, at a time when the Italian top tier has a stronger Belgian following than ever. 

As well as being home to the Euro 2020 champions and a host of iconic clubs and players, Serie A boasts a significant Belgian contingent. Alexis Saelemaekers (AC Milan), Dries Mertens (Napoli) and Daan Heymans (Venezia) all ply their trade in Italy, alongside a number of young and emerging Belgian players. 

Guillaume Collard, ELEVEN Belgium & Luxembourg Managing Director and ELEVEN Group Chief Rights Acquisitions Officer, said:  “The ELEVEN Group has a long history of collaboration with Serie A and this deal further strengthens our partnership. Serie A is one of the strongest competitions in Europe and the fact there is an important Belgian dimension to the league makes it even more attractive to our audience. We’re delighted to continue to be bringing the best of Italian football to fans for another three seasons.”

The deal bolsters ELEVEN Belgium’s leading portfolio of football rights. Audiences can enjoy live and exclusive coverage of LaLiga, Bundesliga and the FA Cup with ELEVEN, alongside top international football and all the action from the domestic Belgian game. 

COPA90 Appoints First Head Of Cryptomedia

COPA90 has announced the appointment of Petrit Berisha in the newly created role of Head of Cryptomedia.

Petrit joins after consulting and building out various projects in media, sports, financial services and the blockchain space. He’s a multi award winning podcast producer, best known for his former production of the podcast ‘Blockchain Insider,’ by financial services consultancy 11:FS.

Over the past few years, Cryptocurrencies, and more specifically NFTs, have encroached on our lives across several facets. Art, gaming and music have already been, and will continue to be, disrupted by blockchain technology. The sporting world is no different. This is a new paradigm for media, which the sporting content world will need to evolve with.

This nascent technology plays a role in fan engagement as football fans discover new ways to engage with their passion in a digital way.

Over the last year, NBA topshots, Sorare and Socios, to name a few, have become some of the biggest projects in the Cryptocurrency space. The reimagination of fan engagement with sports clubs – as well as the media that it is enveloped by – is going to be heavily impacted by blockchain technology in the future.

When COPA90 was created in 2012, they took the view that the future of football media was about to change forever. Almost 10 years on and they  are readying themselves for the next great shift. COPA90 believes that the future of fan engagement will look very different in five years and that they have a big role to play within this.

Petrit Berisha, said: “COPA90 are leaders in the football media space, creating exciting and interesting content for football fans around the world as well as incredible brands. I’m looking forward to joining them as they enter this new paradigm of fan engagement, creator economies and media.”

Tom Thirlwall, CEO of COPA90 said: “We believe that the next iteration of fan engagement and media will be impacted massively by Blockchain technology – from ticketing and experiences to content and way beyond what is currently being imagined. We are very excited about Petrit’s appointment and the potential that exists for COPA90 in this space.”

Minnesota Timberwolves & Lynx Announce Deal With Global Blockchain Provider Socios.com

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx today announced an official partnership with Socios.com, the leading global blockchain provider for the sports and entertainment industry.

Socios.com first entered the NBA this summer, however, the Lynx will be the blockchain provider’s first official WNBA partner.

As an official team partner beginning with the Timberwolves 2021-22 season and the Lynx 2022 season, Socios.com will have a digital presence and TV-visible signage, permanent basketpad inclusion, and custom fan polls presented by Socios.com, such as warm up music playlists and unique gameday giveaways across all social channels.

“This partnership is about the future and exploring and advancing fan engagement in innovative ways,” said Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx CEO Ethan Casson. “The fan token potential in the NBA and WNBA is exciting and introduces a new level of unique team access to our fans.”

“We’re really pleased to welcome the Timberwolves and Lynx to Socios.com,” said Alexandre Dreyfus, CEO of Socios.com and Chiliz. “We’re undergoing an extraordinary period of growth in the U.S. and we look forward to helping fans of the Timberwolves and Lynx enjoy a closer connection to the teams they love. It’s also a privilege to announce the Lynx as our first WNBA partner.”

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx join a 50+ network of major international sporting properties on the Socios.com roster including European soccer giants FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, AC Milan, Atlético Madrid, Manchester City, Inter Milan, Arsenal and the Argentina and Portugal national soccer teams, as well as a number of leading teams from F1, esports and cricket. The 76ers and the Boston Celtics were the first NBA franchises to partner with Socios.com.

What You Missed: iSportConnect’s Future Of Content & Distribution eMasterclass

Today, iSportConnect held the latest event in our 2021 eMasterclass Series, centred on ‘The Future of Content & Distribution.

Session One: Emerging Trends in Content Distribution

Kicking off the event we started with a brilliant opening presentation from Damian Browarnik of Infront X.

Damian and iSportConnect’s Jay Stuart discussed the organisation’s all new Content X solution, as well as looking at some of the biggest challenges being faced by content teams across a variety of areas within sport. Such as how is social media impacting consumption, and the road to content maturity for many organisations.

Session Two: From Satellite to the Cloud: New Approaches to Delivering Content

For the first panel session of the day we were delighted to be joined by Sam Sandeman-Allen of DAZN, Sebastien Audoux of Canal+ and Abhishek Ranade of Tata Communications, with the discussion led by Dolby Laboratories’ Anäis Libolt.

In this session our panel looked at the keys to building a successful multi-platform strategy, whether the hybrid version of broadcasting is here to stay – and also wondering whether satellite will continue to exist much further into the future?

Our speakers also touched on how distribution can be localised to fit the media landscape of markets and continue innovating, but also wondering how to make the decisions as easy as possible for the consumer while facing a multitude of options. 

Session Three: Exploring Diverse Monetisation Pathways

For the final part of our day we were fortunate to be joined by two of sport’s major brands  the NBA and UFC, with Dan Rossomondo and Andre Gromkovski respectively, as well as Ivan Katanaev from Sportrecs and Juliet Slot, who was leading our discussion.

In this highly engaging discussion our guests looked at ways of continuing to engage with their audiences and to be creative in how to do so and find new ways of monetising content, or new content to monetise. This was a brilliantly engaging debate that offered a great amount for people to learn from, including advice to smaller organisations and clubs as to how best to monetise content.

A huge thanks to all of our speakers for being with us this afternoon, we will be back next for our annual iSportConnect Lausanne Summit, which will be held virtually for the second consecutive year!

The IRONMAN Group Acquires Premier Cycling Brand And Series Haute Route

The IRONMAN Group is pleased to announce today the acquisition of premier multi-day cycling event series Haute Route®, as well as the Gravel Epic®, a soon-to-launch multi-day gravel race event series.

With the acquisition of these two brands and series, the world’s largest operator of mass participation sports events adds eight new cycling events to its portfolio of iconic brands and events that includes triathlon, road running, mountain biking, trail running, road cycling and gravel cycling.

As part of the acquisition, CEO for the Haute Route Group, Julie Royer, will also join the leadership team at The IRONMAN Group as Senior Director of Road Cycling, and along with her team will continue spearheading both series to carry forward and ensure the premium event experience amateur cyclists have grown to know and love.

“We are pleased to add Julie, her team, and the exceptional brand and series of events of Haute Route and Gravel Epic to The IRONMAN Group family as we further establish our position in cycling events globally,” said Andrew Messick, President and Chief Executive Officer for The IRONMAN Group. “These two premium cycling brands further enhance our events ecosystem, reaching new athletes in new geographies as we look to serve cycling enthusiasts with racing experiences that are challenging and fun with a full support network so they can focus on having their best race possible. We look forward to the continued leadership Julie will bring to ensure exceptional road cycling and gravel racing experiences in iconic locations where amateur cyclists feel like professionals.”

As a leading premium multi-day cycling series, Haute Route is well-positioned to develop The IRONMAN Group’s experience in the road cycling category. This epic collaboration is also set to bring thrilling new opportunities to both the Haute Route and its riders.

“Over the past 10 years, the Haute Route has become a ‘bucket list’ and an inspiration for riders across the globe,” said Julie Royer, CEO for Haute Route Group and new Senior Director of Road Cycling for The IRONMAN Group. “We are thrilled to be integrating into The IRONMAN Group and continuing to inspire generations of amateur athletes. We couldn’t dream of a better partner to support our vision and deploy the full potential of the Haute Route and Gravel Epic events as we share the same passion and dedication for supporting athletes through life-changing challenges and races. We are excited about the strong international position The IRONMAN Group brings to the table and the scope to take the Haute Route experience to the next level. Haute Route’s community of cyclists has always been at the centre of this experience and by joining forces with the talented team at The IRONMAN Group, we are going to be able to deliver an event series that is unprecedented in the cycling and gravel events industry.”

The announcement of the acquisition comes as Haute Route celebrates the 10th anniversary of its flagship race, Haute Route Alps, which has earned a reputation as the hardest and best organized multi-stage amateur road cycling event in the world. Since its beginning in 2011, the single event has expanded to a series of races across the world designed to give riders a challenging, immersive, and premium experience through the world’s most iconic cycling destinations. By participating in Haute Route events, cyclists can ride like a pro with premium level services while riding key stages of the Grand Tours. In 2021, events range from seven-day race (Haute Route Alps) to five-day events (Dolomites & Pyrenees) and three-day stage races (Ventoux, Crans-Montana and Brazil).

The Gravel Epic is a new multi-day gravel racing series set in premier destinations like the Atlas Mountains, Swiss Alps and other incredible gravel destinations. Created in 2019, Gravel Epic was acquired by Haute Route earlier in 2021 and currently has events scheduled for Switzerland and Morocco with plans to expand and meet the growing demand of cyclists globally. The series caters to both cyclists looking to embrace full race-mode all the way to those simply looking to try something new at their own pace off the beaten path.

PTO Announces Wahoo As A Premier Partner Of The Inaugral Collins Cup

The Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) and Wahoo have agreed a deal that will see Wahoo as the Official Transition Partner of the The Collins Cup in 2021

Scheduled to take place on 28th August at the extraordinary x-bionic® sphere in Šamorín, near Bratislava, Slovakia, The Collins Cup is a new race format modelled after the Ryder Cup, which will see teams of European, International and USA athletes pitted against one another and put on display the excitement, rivalry, drama and personalities of the sport of triathlon.

The partnership centres around activation in the lead up to and during The Collins Cup. Wahoo products will be offered as prizes in the Collins Cup Fantasy Competition where lucky fans who correctly guess race match-up results have the chance to win a Wahoo KICKR. Wahoo will own the Transition Area on race day and deliver consumer demonstrations. Wahoo KICKRs will also be available in the Zwift Training Zone during event week which will serve as a key training location for athletes to prepare for the competition.

Mike Saturnia, CEO of Wahoo said : “We’re very excited to partner with the PTO for the inaugural Collins Cup, which will showcase an entirely new format for triathlon. The Transition Zone is the perfect place for us to highlight the Wahoo ELEMNT RIVAL multisport watch, the newest addition to our ecosystem. The transition is the critical intersection connecting the swim, bike and run and where two of the RIVAL’s stand-out features make a big impact: ‘Touchless Transition’ and ‘Multisport Handover’, allowing athletes to focus on their race, not just their equipment”.

Sam Renouf, CEO of the PTO, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Wahoo for the inaugural Collins Cup. Wahoo is the perfect partner to help us showcase the sport to not only triathletes but to a global community of cyclists and general sports fans who crave the rivalries that will be put on display when the best athletes in the world do battle for the Collins Cup”.

Sportradar And FanDuel Group Announce Partnership Extension To 2028

Sportradar, a leading global provider of sports betting and sports entertainment products and services, and FanDuel Group today announced an extension of their existing partnership, which makes Sportradar the chosen data or odds supplier for US sports to FanDuel Group through 2028. The deal reinforces Sportradar’s stature as the preferred data and odds supplier for US sports, including the NBA, MLB, and the NHL, in the US market.

Under the terms of the agreement, Sportradar will provide the FanDuel Sportsbook with access to the most comprehensive suite of betting products in the marketplace, including complete pre-match betting services, live betting services, and betting entertainment tools, which include live match trackers and betting widgets. These products and services will play a critical role in aiding FanDuel’s growth within a US sports betting landscape poised to expand significantly over the next several years.

“With FanDuel being the leading US sportsbook, this deal further underscores Sportradar’s position as the data and odds supplier of choice for US sports, including the NBA, MLB, and the NHL,” said Carsten Koerl, Global CEO, Sportradar. “Both Sportradar and FanDuel have established market leading positions through investment in innovation and cutting-edge products and services and this expanded agreement enables us to work together to further evolve FanDuel’s offering, particularly in areas like in-play betting. We’re looking forward to deeper integration with the FanDuel team to continue building on the success we’ve had together thus far.”

This expanded partnership with Sportradar will enhance the In-Play betting experience for FanDuel Sportsbook customers.  In-Play betting is close to 50% of the FanDuel Sportsbook’s handle with the most popular markets being moneyline and spread. The popularity of In-Play wagering means the FanDuel Sportsbook is a true second screen companion for sports fans in the arena, stadium, sportsbook or living room and Sportradar’s best-in-class portfolio of products and services will support its evolution and future growth.  

“Low latency live data is the essential fuel for our proprietary trading models to deliver a quality in-play betting experience to our customers, said Niall Connell, Sportsbook General Manager at FanDuel Group.  “Sportradar’s data powers our in-house models allowing us to offer a large number of in-game betting markets and it’s the collaborative nature of our partnership that will evolve FanDuel’s in-play product offering in the years to come.”