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. 

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.”