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.”

Major League Baseball Names Karin Timpone Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer

Major League Baseball announced today that Karin Timpone has been named Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer. Reporting to MLB Chief Operations and Strategy Officer Chris Marinak, Timpone will lead the league’s global marketing efforts and collaborate with executives across all revenue, product, and operations units as well as the 30 MLB Clubs. Timpone, who will also oversee MLB Events and Design Services departments, brings a broad range of experience in helping global brands connect with new audiences, deepen customer loyalty and innovate with next generation technology, such as blockchain.

Prior to joining MLB this week, Timpone has held senior positions leading high-profile brands including Marriott International, The Walt Disney Company, Yahoo!, and Universal Studios with an emphasis in digital, marketing and customer experience. Timpone has been recognized in Adweek’s roster of Top 50 in Media and Technology, and has been featured among the world’s most influential CMOs by Forbes, Business Insider, and Ad Age.

“As Major League Baseball continues to invest in its marketing resources, Karin brings outstanding experience and accomplishments with a track record as a digital pioneer and marketing leader of major global brands,” said Marinak. “Karin’s background at the cross-section of entertainment, media, digital, and marketing is a perfect fit to help deepen the connection MLB has with its fans while growing our fan base both domestically and internationally.”

As the Global Marketing Officer for Marriott International, Timpone led the creation of the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program, tripling the membership base to over 140 million. She played a key role in Marriott’s merger with Starwood to integrate its portfolio of 30 brands and introduced state-of-the-art global social media command centers, an initiative that was recognized at Cannes Lions with Gold and Silver awards in the category of Creative Data.

As a Senior Vice President at The Walt Disney Company, Timpone led product strategy and marketing for Disney’s suite of digital media products, including the creation of the company’s first live-streaming mobile apps, launched years ahead of current market trends.

Prior to Disney, Timpone was at Yahoo! where she was Head of Marketing, Yahoo! Media Group and Head of Consumer/Customer Innovation. Timpone also worked for Universal Studios as a Senior Vice President and previously for its parent company, The Seagram Company Ltd.

Timpone has a Master of Arts in Media Ecology from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Bryn Mawr College. She attended UCLA Anderson School of Management and has completed certification in FinTech from Harvard University and Blockchain certification from MIT Sloan.

Timpone serves as Independent Director on the board of Atlas Obscura, and was Global Chair of the Mobile Marketing Association where she continues to support the association as Chair Emeritus.

MediaAccord To Explore Breaking Down Barriers In Sport At SportAccord 2022 In Ekaterinburg

Media’s role in breaking down barriers in the ever-expanding world of sport will come under the spotlight at the MediaAccord conference on the afternoon of Thursday, 19 May 2022 during the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2022 in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

MediaAccord will explore how International Sport Federations (IFs) can work with media organisations to share best practices across all platforms and find ways of capturing the passion of fans, participants and stakeholders, while tapping into opportunities for the development of sport.

Panel sessions and presentations will cover issues such as ‘coexisting in times of crisis – IFs and media relations in the 2020s’, ‘social media approaches for major events’, ‘lessons from a crisis – new formats in sport event broadcasting’ and ‘how IFs and broadcast media partners are engaging and telling the stories that matter in sport’. In addition, there will also be an inside look into the Russian media landscape.

“We have seen a significant pivot to digital platforms by many IFs over the past year, whether that is in relation to distributing archive footage of historic events and competitions on social media, or increasing athlete and lifestyle-focused output on streaming services,” SportAccord and GAISF President Dr. Raffaele Chiulli said.

“This strategic shift is just one of the significant trends in the sports media space, and it will be fascinating to hear at MediaAccord how IFs are planning to work alongside media companies and broadcasters to leverage changing behaviours to their advantage.”

MediaAccord will sit alongside SportAccord’s other conference streams, offering delegates clear signposts to specific areas of interest during a busy week of meetings and networking opportunities in Ekaterinburg, from 15-20 May 2022.

As the only global sports industry event attended by all IFs and their stakeholders, SportAccord brings together organising committees, hosting cities and regions, governments and administrations, rights-holders, agencies and athletes, as well as top-level experts and organisations from the sports media, technology, investment, medical and legal sectors.

Registration is open for the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2022 in Ekaterinburg, the 19th edition of SportAccord’s flagship annual event. Organisations interested in becoming an official partner or exhibitor can contact SportAccord to discuss these investment opportunities by emailing sales@sportaccord.sport, with SportAccord also offering an interactive exhibition floorplan and 3-D flyover of the SportAccord 2022 exhibition space.

Birmingham 2022 appoints Aggreko As Official Modular Energy Solutions Supporter For The Commonwealth Games

Aggreko, the global leader in mobile and modular energy solutions, has been named the Official Modular Energy Solutions Supporter for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The Games will see athletes compete in 19 sports at 14 locations, including the brand-new Aquatics Centre in Sandwell, all powered by Aggreko’s innovative temporary power solutions.

Aggreko will be applying relevant experience from previous international sporting events, including 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Recognised for its values-led approach to business operations, Aggreko’s appointment demonstrates its commitment to meeting the Birmingham 2022 Social Values Charter, which puts community at the heart of the Games.

Aggreko will be providing a modular energy solution that has sustainability and legacy at its core, with the launch of a number of community projects aimed to educate and leave a long-lasting legacy of the Games, improving opportunities and skills for those living and working in the area.

This support includes running educational events on sustainability, enhancing understanding of sustainable technology and the energy transition, as well as nurturing STEM skills in local schools and not for profit organisations. These events will run before, during and after the Games, with the first set offering local school children the chance of winning Birmingham 2022 tickets to attend the biggest sporting and culture event to happen in the UK for a decade.

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will see around 4,500 athletes from 72 nations and territories compete from 28 July until 8 August 2022. As the biggest event ever to be held in the West Midlands, it is expected to attract more than one million spectators to the city and have a global TV audience of 1.5 billion.

Robert Wells, Managing Director of Event Solutions at Aggreko said: “On behalf of everyone at Aggreko, we are delighted to be partnering with Birmingham 2022, and look forward to helping to deliver a truly outstanding Games, embracing the key objectives, within the Games-Social Values Charter, as well as delivering world class energy solutions.

“Not only will we deliver reliable, efficient and renewable temporary power solutions, but we will also help educate the wider community on the energy transition and the skills and technology needed for this to succeed, helping us all to understand and become excited about the new horizons for sustainability.”

James Eade, Head of Energy at Birmingham 2022, said: “We are delighted to have Aggreko on board as they join us as our Official Modular Energy Solutions Supporter for Birmingham 2022. Aggreko are well-known for their experience in temporary power solutions and they have an enviable pedigree when it comes to multi-games events; they are the ideal partner to help deliver a safe and sustainable Games.

In selecting a delivery partner, we saw that Aggreko’s low-carbon corporate roadmap dovetails neatly with our pioneering zero-carbon games initiative. We are looking forward to using some of Aggreko’s new power generation and storage technologies as well as developing innovative approaches to powering the Games, whilst still maintaining the highest levels of reliability.

“In addition to their work on competition venues, Aggreko are committed to working with us on our community engagement activities, in particular focusing on nurturing Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) skills within the local community. It is really important that we use exciting and engaging opportunities such as the Games to foster new talent in STEM subjects for the future benefit of our environment and well-being.”

Commonwealth Games Federation Executive Director Martin Reynolds said: “Having supported the previous two Commonwealth Games at Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018, we are delighted that Aggreko’s commitment and expertise will once again power world-class competition at Birmingham 2022. We are proud that the Commonwealth Sport brand continues to attract world leading organisations like Aggreko who share our vision.”

Koda Cryptocurrency Announces New Shirt Sponsorship Deal

Koda Cryptocurrency, a brand-new UK cryptocurrency token, is delighted to announce a significant sponsorship partnership, agreeing a two-year deal with National League South team Slough Town F.C.

The agreement will see the Koda logo displayed on the front of the club’s men’s and women’s first team home shirt and the women’s second team shirt – including a unique QR Code on the arm- for seasons 2021/22 and 2022/23.

Slough Town wore the shirt for the first time in last week’s friendly match vs Arsenal which finished 2-0 to the Rebels in front of a crowd of 1,348 at Arbour Park, Slough. 

Developed by SummitBC Ltd, Koda will be the native cryptocurrency on a new trading platform called SummitSwap. SummitSwap is a revolutionary platform which aims to solve many of the issues that have been identified on other cryptocurrency swap sites.

Ahead of the anticipated launch of SummitSwap, Koda Cryptocurrency is aligned to their three key principles T.E.E which stands for Trust, Education and Ease of Use. These three core company values can already be seen through everything that Koda Cryptocurrency do. The company offers online learning sessions on how to safely buy cryptocurrency while SummitSwap and all of our projects aim to protect investors against extortion and fraud.

James Gale, CEO of SummitBC and Koda Cryptocurrency, said: “I am extremely excited about this new partnership, not only because Slough Town are a local football team who I have followed for many years but also because it represents a huge milestone in the Koda journey, which is still only three months old.

Our mission is to make cryptocurrency accessible to everyone, not just the few. Our T.E.E (Trust, Education, Ease of Use) model is testament to that and is the foundations we have built ourselves on. I truly believe that there is a lot of undiscovered potential in the market we work in– this is only the beginning. Why not join us on this exciting investment journey?” 

Craig Edwards, Vice Chairman of Slough Town F.C, said: “We are very excited to have Koda as our home shirt sponsor, they are a young and exciting company and we look forward to a long and fruitful relationship.”

Philadelphia 76ers Announce Ticketmaster As Official Ticketing Partner

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today a new partnership with Ticketmaster, the global market leader in live event ticketing. The long-term deal designates Ticketmaster as the Official Ticketing Partner of the Philadelphia 76ers and its G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats. In conjunction with the new partnership, 76ers fans will now be able to buy, sell, transfer and access tickets all in one place – whether buying direct or from other fans – at Ticketmaster.com, Sixers.com or through the Official 76ers Team Mobile App.

“Ticketmaster has a reputation for being a leader in innovation and providing a best-in-class experience. We are thrilled to partner with a brand that puts fans first and whose products will enhance the ticketing experience for our 76ers fans,” said Philadelphia 76ers President of Business Operations Chris Heck. “We are looking forward to having our fans back at The Center this season, and we are grateful to Ticketmaster for providing them with a front seat to all the action.”

As part of the exclusive partnership, Ticketmaster will receive prime marketing real estate during 76ers home games, including front pole placement, courtside LED, 360 LED and more. Ticketmaster will also present in-game fan contests, provide seat upgrades and other promotions. In addition to in-arena signage and promotions, Ticketmaster will be fully integrated into 76ers digital and social content across all platforms.

“The 76ers organization has long been an innovator in delivering elevated experiences to their passionate fanbase,” said Kurt Schwartzkopf, Ticketmaster Executive Vice President and Co-Head of Sports. “We are looking forward to partnering with the 76ers to continue enhancing the fan experience by delivering a seamless ticketing journey so that 76ers fans can keep their focus where it belongs – on the game.”