Penn National Gaming to Acquire Score Media and Gaming, Creating North America’s Leading Digital Sports Content, Gaming and Technology Company

Penn National Gaming, Inc. (“Penn National” or the “Company”) and Score Media and Gaming, Inc. (“theScore”) announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement whereby Penn National will acquire theScore, a leading digital media and sports betting and technology company, for approximately US$2.0 billion in cash and stock.

Under the terms of the agreement, theScore shareholders will receive US$17.00 in cash and 0.2398 shares of Penn National common stock for each theScore share, which implies a total purchase consideration of US$34.00 per theScore share based on Penn National’s 5-day volume weighted average trading price as of July 30, 2021. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies and is currently expected to close in the first quarter of 2022. Upon completion of the transaction, current Penn National and theScore shareholders will hold approximately 93% and 7% respectively, of the Company’s outstanding shares. Penn National expects to fund the approximately US$1 billion cash portion of the consideration using existing cash on its balance sheet.

Jay Snowden, President and Chief Executive Officer of Penn National, commented, “We are thrilled to be acquiring theScore, which is the number one sports app in Canada and the third most popular sports app in all of North America. theScore’s unique media platform and modern, state-of-the art technology is a powerful complement to the reach of Barstool Sports and its popular personalities and content.”

Mr. Snowden continued, “We are now uniquely positioned to seamlessly serve our customers with the most powerful ecosystem of sports, gaming and media in North America, ultimately creating a community that doesn’t currently exist. Users will enjoy a unique mobile sports betting and iCasino platform with highly customized bets and enhanced in-gaming wagering opportunities, along with highly engaging, personalized sports and entertainment content, and real time scores and stats. We believe this powerful new flywheel will result in best-in-class engagement and retention.

“Importantly, the transaction provides us with a path to full control of our own tech stack. theScore has developed a state-of-the-art player account management system and is finalizing the development of an in-house managed risk and trading service platform. This should lead to significant savings in third party platform costs and allow us to broaden our product offerings – providing the missing piece for operating at what we expect to be industry leading margins. In addition to the synergies, we’ll be gaining access to theScore’s deep pool of product and engineering talent and data-driven user analytics which will help drive our customer acquisition, engagement, retention strategies and cash flows,” said Mr. Snowden.

“Operators that have achieved early online market share have done so primarily through first mover advantage, leveraging existing customer databases and significant marketing spend. We believe the long-term winners will be defined by best-in-class products, bespoke content, efficient customer acquisition, multi-platform reach and broad market access,” concluded Mr. Snowden.

John Levy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of theScore, commented, “This deal brings together two companies that share a vision for how media and gaming intersect, and we could not be more excited to join the Penn National family. I’m proud of theScore team and all of our accomplishments, and believe the time is right to take the next step and align with a company in Penn National with the resources and scale to accelerate our business. We are excited to join forces with Penn to form the most powerful media and gaming company in North America.

“We’ve built an innovative, technology-led integrated media and gaming business that has us poised for success across North America, including the highly anticipated upcoming rollout of commercial sports betting in Canada,” continued Mr. Levy. “With Penn’s support, we will continue to invest in building our Canadian operations, growing our footprint and expanding our workforce. On a personal note, Benjie and I are very much looking forward to continuing to head up theScore as part of the new combined company.

“We have been strategic partners with Penn National since 2019 and have come to realize that they have the same strong culture and appreciation for how to grow a business. Jay and his team have done a tremendous job building an exceptional retail business and online gaming platform in partnership with Barstool Sports and we are confident that by combining our leading sports media brand and proprietary technology, we will solidify Penn National as a market leader,” concluded Mr. Levy.

Jon Kaplowitz, Head of Penn Interactive, commented, “This is a significant milestone for Penn Interactive and Penn National. With the acquisition of theScore, we will have greater ability to innovate and offer a best-in-class product to our customers. Personally, I am excited to join forces with John, Benjie, and the rest of theScore team who have proven to be great partners and amazing thought leaders in our industry.”

Benjie Levy, President and Chief Operating Officer of theScore, commented, “The combination of theScore and Penn National creates a first-of-its-kind vertically integrated media and omni-channel gaming business, which brings together world-class technology, highly engaging sports content and unparalleled reach. With our accomplished team in place, this deal bolsters our ability to grow our already strong North American presence from our base in Canada and primes us even further to capitalize on the huge upcoming betting opportunity in our home country. Over time, we’ve built our loyal user base and relationship with fans by authentically delivering deeply personalized products. That is an approach that seamlessly fits with Penn’s current strategy and digital offerings and will provide for material long-term benefits as we collaborate to even more deeply integrate across our platforms.

“The transaction will provide theScore with immediate scale and resources, the benefits of which will enable employees to better execute on the combined companies’ business plan and deliver enhanced integrated product offerings to our customers,” continued Mr. Levy. “The transaction also provides theScore shareholders immediate liquidity at a substantial premium and an opportunity to participate in any future upside of the combined company.”

Compelling Strategic and Financial Benefits:

Penn National anticipates that the acquisition of theScore will provide adjusted EBITDA accretion by Year 2, an incremental $200mm+ medium term adjusted EBITDA, and $500mm+ of incremental long term adjusted EBITDA upside.

Bringing Technology In-House:

The acquisition of theScore will allow Penn National to better manage all critical aspects of its technology stack, leading to greater control over its product development roadmap, reduced costs, and an enhanced customer experience. It will also allow Penn National to drive margin expansion by eliminating fees and expenses currently being paid to third party technology and service providers.

Strong Commitment to Canada:

Penn National believes the Canadian gaming market represents a compelling opportunity for growth. Penn National intends to operate theScore as a stand-alone business, headquartered in an expanded Toronto office, that will continue to be led by the Levy family with the same operating philosophy that has driven the company’s success to date. The business will continue to utilize ‘theScore’ app and brand that consumers have come to trust.

Penn National was attracted to theScore, in part, for its ready access to a deep pool of Canadian engineering and technology expertise. Penn National expects to leverage Canada’s world class technology talent pool to expand theScore’s engineering and production workforce based in Ontario as the business scales.

Volumetric Cost Savings:

The transaction will create a further scaled North American sports, online gaming and media business. This broader reach will provide volumetric savings for content fees, payment expenses, and other services, including the elimination of public company costs.

Enhanced Customer Acquisition and Retention:

theScore is the third largest sports app in North America and number one in Canada, with highly engaged users spending 113 minutes per month in-app*. Early results show the power of theScore’s integrated media and betting ecosystem to better engage and retain users; theScore Bet users with theScore media app compared to theScore Bet users who do not have theScore media app produce 88% higher handle/user, place 3x the number of bets/user, and generate a 91% increase in day 30 retention**. This increased cross-promotion ecosystem between theScore and Barstool is expected to lead to higher revenue.

Expansion Into New Verticals:

This acquisition underscores Penn National’s focused, disciplined investment strategy which positions us at the epicenter of sports, media, gaming and technology and provides us with multiple channels for future growth. In addition, this transaction accelerates Penn National’s strategy to enter into other adjacencies that leverage the Barstool and theScore brands and consumer appeal, such as the highly coveted esports media vertical.

Financing:

Penn National will fund the acquisition through a mix of cash on hand and common stock. We expect the transaction, at the time of close, to be leverage neutral to our lease-adjusted net leverage of 4.0x as of June 30, 2021.

Strengthening Africa’s Football Ecosystem

For the longest time, we have been talking about improving football in Africa. However, nothing much seems to have happened. If anything, it always looks like we are regressing or, at best, staggering, judging by our performances at international competitions and our governance record. It is easy to look at these two aspects of the football industry and make conclusions about how badly we are doing as a continent. However, as a continent, we are yet to take an in-depth look at the whole ecosystem to identify challenges and opportunities therein. 

A recent report by the Africa Sports and Creative Institute (ASCI) titled “The Sports Ecosystem in Africa – A Potential Economic Lever” identified six areas that we need to address to build a robust sports industry in Africa:

  1. Data and information on the market, the various ecosystem stakeholders and their performance – infrastructure/governance 
  2. Training of students and professionals on the challenges (and opportunities) in the sports industry – education 
  3. The leadership of public authorities and institutions – governance 
  4. Business environment – governance/education
  5. Perception of Sports as a commercial product designed to satisfy fans – education 
  6. Innovation to adapt to this new era  – infrastructure/education

Much of what ails the sports industry in Africa is epitomised and even magnified in football, the continent’s and indeed the world’s most popular sport. Despite Africa finding pride in producing some of the game’s best talents for so many years, we have little to show in terms of the economic contribution of the sport. A Harvard Kennedy School paper in 2017 estimated that all Africa’s football clubs combined have a turnover below US$400m (Europe’s top 10 clubs all make more individually). 

Further, financial data is almost entirely inaccessible for many African clubs, leagues and national associations/federations, making it impossible to assess the total economic value of the game on the continent. We can attribute this lack of data/information on the industry to the casual approach the continent has had towards sports. Historically treated as a pass-time/leisure activity, little investment has been channelled into setting up systems to explore social and economic benefits on the continent. Further, in times of austerity, funding for sports programmes is often the first to be cut, as evidenced by the lack of community sports infrastructure development in the last 40 years.

To remedy this situation, Africa must invest heavily in developing human capital for the sports industry. The continent needs to create, streamline and regulate sports management programmes for both current and future practitioners. There are very few sports management courses available on the continent. Also, what we have is still more inclined towards physical education (PE) and not management and administration, which is vital for the smooth-running and growth of the sector. Most aspiring sports management professionals usually have to attend programmes abroad. These programmes are often expensive and not tailored to the African market. As a result, graduates often opt to stay abroad where their acquired knowledge is applicable, and the quality of opportunities is much higher. 

Another vital facet of education is research. Currently, there are no known think tanks for sports development on the continent. Our rich history in football, for example, is poorly documented and not easily accessible. As a result, we can say that our industry is driven by talent and passion, which cannot be fully exploited due to limited knowledge. Africa thus needs to invest in knowledge creation and dissemination systems to benefit from its natural endowments. 

By investing in the education of students and professionals in sports management and further giving them opportunities in established institutions such as our national associations, we can begin to transform the ecosystem to contribute to the economic and social development of the continent. The continent needs a new crop of leaders who can position the sports industry for investment from governments (local, national and supra-national) and the growing private sector, creating the right business environment.

However, more is required to achieve a business-friendly environment, especially regarding governance and the roles various public institutions play in developing the industry. A crucial area that needs improvement is the involvement of the government in the running of football. Local, national and supra-national (AU) governments need to play a more significant role, a departure from years past when football development was the preserve of National Associations (and FIFA, CAF). 

Already we see excellent collaborations in countries like Benin. FIFA, Benin Football Federation, and Ministries of Education and Sports are developing programmes and infrastructure for sports. We can replicate this kind of work in other countries through Pan-African collaboration supported by bodies like the African Union Sport Council and its regional chapters and the regional football organisations. These organisations must work together seamlessly with well-defined roles and responsibilities. At the moment, there seems to be a lot of redundancy and bureaucracy.

To support football development, we require financing from various sources, including government, local and international businesses, international development agencies, etc. A sure way of attracting and maintaining funding is by promoting good governance and individual ethics. Football management in Africa needs to be more transparent and accountable. 

Lastly, a more entrepreneurial mindset must be taught, especially to young people who wish to get involved in the industry. More people should be willing to work and set up businesses outside of the traditional structures to help build a thriving ecosystem. For example, Africa lags in the area of quality infrastructure where PPPs can play a significant role. However, very few local private entities are exploiting this opportunity. Another area that needs innovation and entrepreneurship skills is in the digital space. W. need to develop digital solutions tailored to the African market as opposed to importing technologies. A myriad of opportunities exists in these spaces. 

The proposed topics for season four of The Africa Football Business Show:

  1. Strengthening Africa’s Football Ecosystem (SP) – 12th August
  2. The Hypercommercialisation of Football – Which Way for Africa (SS) – 26th August
  3. Training Compensation and Solidarity Payments (SS) – 3rd September
  4. Financing Football Development in Africa – 9th September
  5. Legal Issues in African Football – Curbing Match-fixing – 23rd September
  6. Developing Football Coaches in Africa (SS) – 30th September
  7. Technology and Innovation in Football – 14th October
  8. Legal Issues in African Football – Football Intermediaries – 28th October
  9. Building the Women’s Game in Africa (SS) – 4th November
  10. Piecing together Africa’s Football History – 18th November
  11. Leveraging Football Events – 2nd December

Arsenal Launch New Fan Engagement Aspect ‘My Arsenal Rewards’

Arsenal will raise the bar on fan engagement ahead of the 2021/22 season with the launch of My Arsenal Rewards, a ground-breaking rewards programme that brings members closer to the club they love.

Launching for the new season, My Arsenal Rewards is the first of its kind for a football club, with the new programme giving the club’s paying members the opportunity to turn their everyday interactions with the club into incredible rewards, prizes and money-can’t-buy experiences. 

Arsenal members will earn points for attending matches, purchasing tickets, shopping at Arsenal Direct, official club stores and with Arsenal partners using the My Arsenal Rewards card, and engaging in competitions, quizzes and polls in the My Arsenal Rewards hub. The My Arsenal Rewards hub will be easily accessible through Arsenal.com and the official club app.

Match attendance and ensuring a full Emirates Stadium is one of the key drivers for My Arsenal Rewards, and season ticket holders will also earn points even if they can’t attend a match themselves by ensuring their seat is used through official exchange and ticket transfer channels.

My Arsenal Rewards points can then be redeemed for exclusive Arsenal related rewards, prizes and money-can’t-buy experiences, such as:

  • A chance to play on the pitch at Emirates Stadium
  • A tour of our London Colney Training Centre
  • A matchday experience in the new My Arsenal Rewards hospitality box
  • Opportunities to attend Mikel Arteta’s post-match press conference 
  • Home and Away match tickets including hospitality offerings
  • Arsenal partner gifts and rewards

The all new My Arsenal Rewards membership card will work as an electronic matchday ticket, a rewards card and for UK based adult members, a payment card powered by Barclays. The payment element can be used for all online and offline club purchases at Emirates Stadium, all club stores and anywhere that accepts Visa as a payment method.

My Arsenal Rewards members can also take advantage of benefits and rewards with club partners including adidas, Cadbury and Socios who are already signed up to the programme as featured partners.

A number of high street and online brands have also joined up to My Arsenal Rewards as affiliates. This has the dual benefit of members being able earn points when spending with their new My Arsenal Rewards membership card, and club partners and affiliate retailers being able to get closer to supporters by offering incentives and rewards to Arsenal members directly through the programme. In addition to club partners, other participating brands include, Boots, Go Ape, Sainsbury’s and Halfords among many more.

Peter Silverstone, Arsenal’s Chief Commercial Officer, said:

“Throughout our long history we’ve always worked hard to strengthen our relationship with our fans and we’re proud of the Arsenal membership programme that is still one of the best in world football. We’re proud to be blazing a trail by taking fan engagement to a new level with the launch of My Arsenal Rewards. This is a first of its kind programme which offers our members meaningful rewards and money-can’t-buy experiences for their engagement and interaction with the club they love.

“Together with recently announced fan focused initiatives, including the Amazon All or Nothing documentary and the launch of the $AFC Fan Token on Socios.com, the introduction of My Arsenal Rewards reaffirms our aim to revolutionise the fan engagement space and bring our supporters closer to the club they love.

“We’re proud to be at the forefront of this movement. We want current and future Arsenal fans to perceive Arsenal once again as the world’s most innovative football club – we want to bring pride to our fans with leadership on and off the pitch. The My Arsenal Rewards programme epitomises this desire. We’re excited to innovate and evolve our offer in the coming years to give My Arsenal Rewards members the most engaging and rewarding experience in world sport.”

John Cooper, Head of Sports & Entertainment at Barclays, said: 

“We’re delighted to be working with Arsenal to bring this ground-breaking innovation in fan engagement to life. The all-in-one membership card uses the best of Barclays payment technology to deliver a seamless experience for fans and allows the club to engage with its loyal supporters more meaningfully.”

Super League Appoint CSM To Secure Commercial Partners

The Super League has appointed CSM Sport & Entertainment to develop its commercial proposition and find new partnership opportunities ahead of the 2022 season. 

The Super League is the top-level tier of the British Rugby League system, made up of twelve teams – 11 within the UK and 1 in France. 

On the announcement Rhodri Jones, Super League chief commercial officer commented:  

“We are delighted to be able to continue our relationship with CSM for the 2021 season and beyond. We’ve worked with CSM over a number of years and look forward to continuing to attract further commercial partners that share our brand values and will help grow the Super League competition.”  

Charlie McEwen, CEO of Rugby and Special Projects CSM commented: 

“CSM has a strong heritage in Rugby League and we are delighted to be working with Super League once again. Building on our recent success of securing Cazoo as the presenting partner of the Rugby League World Cup we are looking forward to bringing in a new portfolio of brands for the Super League ahead of their 2022 season.” 

CSM have a successful track record in Rugby League and were responsible for securing partners such as Ronseal, First Utility, Foxy Bingo, Alcatel Lucent, Brut, Dacia, Cazoo and Batchelor’s Mushy Peas. 

Hong Kong Sevens Tournament Forced To Cancel For Second Straight Year

Given growing uncertainty over emerging coronavirus variants and on-going travel restrictions globally, the Hong Kong Rugby Union (HKRU) and World Rugby have taken the difficult decision to cancel the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2021, which was scheduled for 5-7 November.

The decision follows detailed and constructive dialogue with World Rugby and the participating unions and relevant Hong Kong government bodies and has been taken with the health and wellbeing of the rugby community and the wider public as top priority.

The HKRU has exerted significant efforts to stage the tournament in 2021, including consulting professional medical advisors, and planning to implement physically distanced seating, full on-ground bubbling of teams and operations staff, and a split in schedule into daily time-limited sessions to allow for enhanced venue sanitizing.

However, the difficulties and uncertainties around travel restrictions and the rising global concern over emerging variants, combined with the pressing timelines behind staging one of Hong Kong’s premier international events – now just 92 days out from kick-off – made hosting the tournament to the HKRU’s exacting standards unfeasible.

Continued restrictions around international travel have significantly complicated the participation of numerous teams for November, including those from high-risk travel areas that are forbidden from entering Hong Kong at present. Increasing domestic lockdowns and tightening quarantine restrictions around outbound travel present further complications for teams from across the world.    

The HKRU remains fully supportive of community virus suppression efforts in Hong Kong, and its paramount interest is to avoid any risk to the safety of athletes, officials, spectators and staff, and the wider community at the present time.

 “We are of course disappointed not to host the world-famous Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens in 2021,” said Mr Robbie McRobbie, Chief Executive of the HKRU. 

“While in many ways we are even better prepared to host than we were a year ago, concerns over the Delta variant and intensifying travel restrictions have complicated matters significantly. Given these trends, the decision to cancel was painful, but not difficult, particularly with expectations high that with vaccination rates increasing daily, we can welcome the Sevens back in true rugby style in April. 

“After watching a stirring Olympic sevens, we know that fans will be disappointed at this news, but rest assured, we are busy preparing for a spectacular Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens in exactly 239 days, but who’s counting? We are already planning 2022, and looking forward to returning with an event that will be one of the most memorable in our 45-year history. 

“We’re also very encouraged by the progress Hong Kong has made in suppressing the virus. Given the success of these community-wide efforts, thousands of players from four to 40-plus can look forward to the return of rugby at the end of summer. For some this will be the first competitive action they have had in over a year, so we are also busy planning a very special season ahead,” added McRobbie.

No tickets were placed on sale for the 2021 tournament. 

The HKRU remains appreciative of the significant and sustained efforts exerted by all parties including the participating teams, World Rugby, other tournament hosts, HKRU commercial partners, and of course the athletes themselves. 

The 2022 Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens is scheduled for 1-3 April. 

eBay And The EFL Announce New Three-Year Partnership

The EFL has today announced a new three-year partnership ahead of the start of the 2021/22 season with eBay that will celebrate the businesses powering local communities around all 72 EFL clubs. Through the launch of ‘Small Businesses United’, the partnership will see eBay donate advertising space at EFL grounds to the small businesses at the heart of their marketplace.

Showing the power of community, 85% of EFL clubs were supported by a small local business in the last year, despite the financial hardships of businesses during the pandemic.  EFL clubs were instrumental in their communities during the pandemic delivering over over 1.4 million food parcels, more than 179,000 items of PPE, 22,000 prescriptions and donating over 2,100 laptops and tablets to people facing technology poverty. Club staff and their players have had in excess of 527,000 outgoing and incoming conversations with fans and vulnerable people. 

Although the EFL lost £250m when football went behind closed doors, the end of lockdown and Euros fever has seen a huge surge in interest in attending games. ‘Small Businesses United’ will allow eBay sellers to further connect with their local EFL clubs, and see their own brand under the bright stadium lights now that they’re back watching their team.

Ben Wright, Chief Commercial Officer of the EFL, said: “The long-term relationship we have agreed with eBay is an exciting addition to the EFL portfolio of Official Partners and highlights how we want to support the local businesses who have in turn done so much to help our clubs.

“We are really pleased to be able to support growing businesses through all 72 EFL clubs and the ‘Small Businesses United’ initiative. It is a fantastic opportunity for supporters of our Clubs to see their own businesses advertised in EFL stadia nationwide, and demonstrates again how the EFL can support positive and impactful local community activation on a national scale.”

Rob Hattrell, SVP & Head of eBay Europe said: “eBay UK and the EFL know that local business and football clubs are the backbone of our communities, sharing a history of mutual support that we’re so excited to celebrate with Small Businesses United. After the financial trials of the pandemic, it’s more important than ever for eBay to continue to shine a spotlight on the power of small business, and to champion the sport we know and love.

“The excitement surrounding English football is at a real high this year, and we’re seeing that replicated on eBay with huge demand for the equipment needed for the grassroots game. That’s why we’ll be looking to extend our support beyond the professional clubs, to further boost local communities – all thanks to the power of eBay’s 300,000 small business sellers.”

The partnership offers a brilliant opportunity for football fans and small business owners, including 21 year old Joe who runs JoeJoeJMS Cards & Collectibles. Revealed by TV presenter and former professional footballer Dion Dublin at AFC Wimbledon’s Plough Lane, Joe found out this week that his eBay business will be the first to be represented at his local team’s ground. Joe’s story will be mirrored by many other eBay small business owners at EFL stadiums up and down the country.

Former professional footballer and TV presenter Dion Dublin commented: “As an ex-footballer, and someone who has run my own businesses, I think it’s incredibly important that football clubs work closely with businesses in their surroundings. This partnership between the EFL and eBay will help many small businesses to grow in size and will bring a real sense of community to the 72 clubs involved.”

‘Small Businesses United’ launches ahead of the start of the 2021/22 season, which begins as AFC Bournemouth host West Bromwich Albion in Friday night’s Sky Bet Championship curtain-raiser. All EFL clubs and competitions will be involved in the initiative until the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

Sky Sports Win Exclusive Bundesliga Rights For UK & Ireland In Four-Season Deal

Sky Sports has today announced that it has won the exclusive rights to show the Bundesliga in the UK and Ireland for the next four seasons.

As the home of German top-flight football in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, football fans will be able to tune in to Sky Sports to watch superstars including Borussia Dortmund pair Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham, 30-time Bundesliga champions FC Bayern München and relative newcomers RB Leipzig as they challenge for domestic glory from the 2021/22 to 2024/25 seasons.

Sky Sports’ coverage of the league will begin at 7.30pm on Friday 13 August with champions FC Bayern München travelling to Borussia Mönchengladbach, before 2012 league winners Borussia Dortmund take on Eintracht Frankfurt on the Saturday, kick off at 5.30pm.

In addition to the Bundesliga, Sky Sports will also broadcast the German Supercup live, which is an early “Klassiker” match-up, with Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern München going head-to-head on 17 August at Signal Iduna Park, kick off is at 7.30pm.

The premium fixture of each weekend will be shown live every Saturday at 5.30pm on Sky Sports Football, with further matches broadcast via Sky Sports linear or digital channels including Sky Sports YouTube.

The deal widens the Sky – Bundesliga partnership, with deals in place across the Sky Group in UK/ROI, Italy, Germany (including German language rights in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and South Tyrol) and Austria.

Sky Sports Managing Director Jonathan Licht said: “We’re delighted to have acquired the rights to the Bundesliga. Sky Sports customers will have the opportunity to watch some of the best players in the world as well as some of the leading teams in Europe.

“This new four-year agreement adds to our football offering in the UK & Ireland which already includes Premier League, EFL, Scottish Premiership and FA Women’s Super League as well as international action in the form of World Cup Qualifiers, placing Sky Sports as the home of live football.

Bundesliga International CEO Robert Klein added: “This is a partnership that will deliver the best of the Bundesliga week-in, week-out, through world class production and multi-platform coverage. With Sky as our partner, Bundesliga fans will benefit from a first class football viewing experience. This, paired with the Bundesliga’s trademark attacking style of football, means that fans can expect an action-packed season – featuring some of the world’s best players and the most exciting up-and-coming talent.”

Rugby League World Cup Postponed Until 2022 Following Withdrawal Of Australia And New Zealand

Rugby League World Cup 2021 (RLWC2021) and the UK Government have today announced their intention to stage the flagship event in the international Rugby League calendar in 2022.

The extremely difficult decision was taken by the RLWC2021 Board, which includes representation from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and the International Rugby League (IRL) Board.

This follows extensive and urgent consultation conducted by RLWC2021 Chief Executive Officer Jon Dutton and his team, which engaged players, competing nations, the Rugby League Players Association (Australia), UK Government, hosts, commercial and broadcast partners.

Tournament organisers faced several unique and complex challenges with the most significant being the non-release of up to 400 players, match officials and staff members from the NRL competition in Australia. This is despite all requests from international rugby league federations having been met which included the rigorous health measures that have been keeping thousands of elite athletes from around the world safe whilst competing in major sporting events across the UK over the last year.  

Ultimately this decision has been detrimental to the plans and ambitions of many of the competing nations and potential replacement teams. A key factor was ensuring that fans of Rugby League are able to enjoy the best possible tournament, which was not possible under these circumstances.

Jon Dutton, RLWC2021 Chief Executive Officer, said:

“Today is a challenging moment for everyone involved in Rugby League, but most importantly the players and fans of the competing nations.

“Ultimately, time and competing priorities from others forced us to make the most difficult decision in our six-year history. However, we and the sport of Rugby League are resilient, and next year we will deliver our vision of the biggest and best Rugby League World Cup ever.

“We have always prioritised player voice and player choice. We have established a player working group, met with senior players and in the last few days commissioned a player survey to domestic players in Australia and New Zealand that showed more than 85% wanted to compete at RLWC2021 this year. However, following the disappointing decision of the ARLC and NZRL to withdraw, and the subsequent impact on player availability for other competing nations, it is apparent that delivering the tournament this year would not be feasible.

“The wellbeing of all those involved in the tournament, particularly players and team officials, has been our priority. I would like to thank the RLWC2021 Board and my team for the relentless hard work and extraordinary measures that had been undertaken to create a safe and secure environment in line with other major sports events that have been successfully hosted in the UK this year.

“I would also like to thank all our committed partners as well as the Rugby League community at large who have been so supportive of our trailblazing event. We appreciate the continued and unequivocal support of the UK Government, as well as the understanding of our competing nations.”

Chris Brindley, RLWC2021 Chair, added:

“This process has shown that the RLWC Board are responsible leaders who have put the solidarity and unity of the sport first. The Board will now seek the commitment and alignment of all key partners immediately to deliver a clear timetable for the tournament next year.

“Now is the time for everyone who loves our game to come together, to show that Rugby League deserves its place on the international stage, and that the RLWC is a tournament we can all be proud of.”

Troy Grant, IRL Chair, said:

“On behalf of the whole international Rugby League community, I must thank Jon Dutton, Chris Brindley and their team for their unstinting efforts.  I know that their focus is now on 2022. I also place on record our thanks to the UK Government, our sponsors and partners for their support throughout this whole process. They have been outstanding and understanding friends and we look forward to continuing the journey with them.

“We must now move forward quickly from this point to build confidence in our sport internationally and to seize the opportunity which still presents itself; to deliver the best Rugby League World Cup ever. I look forward to 2022 and the future with optimism and a renewed focus on the importance of international Rugby League for all our members large and small.

“We have seen the success that the Olympic Games and the Euro 2020 championship experienced after their postponements, and we are all determined to deliver the best Rugby League World Cup ever in 2022.”

Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said:

“I am disappointed that we’ve needed to take the decision to delay the Rugby League World Cup. Despite working tirelessly to explore solutions that would allow us to go ahead as planned, circumstances beyond our control have meant that postponing the Rugby League World Cup until next year is the strongest option for staging a successful tournament.

“In the best interests of the sport and its millions of supporters around the world, I look forward to the Rugby League authorities in all competing nations accommodating a rearranged tournament in 2022, so we can put on the spectacle the fans deserve.”

Leeds United Launch $LUFC Fan Token Through Socios.com

Leeds United, in partnership with Chiliz, the leading global blockchain providers for the sports and entertainment industry, have announced that they will launch a $LUFC Fan Token on the fan engagement and rewards app Socios.com.

The $LUFC Fan Token will launch soon, with all existing MyLeeds members and season ticket holders having the option to receive a free $LUFC Fan Token for a limited time. Just one $LUFC Fan Token is enough to allow holders to access every engagement opportunity on Socios.com.

Fan Tokens are collectible digital assets, minted on the Chiliz $CHZ blockchain, that will create new experiences for Leeds supporters across the world, allowing them to become part of a vibrant and engaged digital community on Socios.com.

Fans can put their skills to the test against other fans from around the world in club-related games, competitions and quizzes, competing in global leaderboards and earning real-life and digital club-related accolades, benefits and experiences along the way. Fans will be able to access club related content and participate in interactive votes with the club over the course of the season. Fans will also be able to experience Socios.com’s geo-location, augmented reality feature ‘Token Hunt’. 

Socios.com is a direct-to-consumer (D2C) platform that leverages blockchain technology to provide the world’s leading sporting organisations with the tools to engage with their global fanbases.

48 major sporting organizations have partnered with Socios.com to launch Fan Tokens, including FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, AC Milan, Atlético Madrid, Manchester City, Inter Milan, Arsenal, Everton and the Argentina and Portugal national football teams, as well as a number of leading teams from F1, esports and cricket. 

Created by Chiliz, the leading blockchain provider for the global sports and entertainment industry, Socios.com has major expansion plans for 2021 and is targeting many more Fan Token launches throughout the world. Socios.com has multiple office locations around the world and has already opened new regional headquarters in Madrid, Istanbul, São Paulo and Buenos Aires. The company will open a new office in North America in the near future. 

“This partnership with Socios.com is another step forward for Leeds United as we look to provide more opportunities for our fans around the globe to get even closer to the club” said Paul Bell, Executive Director at Leeds United. “We are committed to innovation on and off the field and this represents our first step into blockchain technology, we are delighted to take this step with Socios.com” 

Alexandre Dreyfus, CEO of Chiliz and Socios.com, said: “Leeds United is already a globally recognised club, but they won new fans the world over with their impressive return to Premier League action last season.

“The club understands the importance of global fan engagement. Through $LUFC Fan Tokens, Leeds supporters the world over will be able to join a global community of fans brought together by their passion for the club, where they can enjoy influence, exclusive content, games, competitions and access to once-in-a-lifetime experiences and rewards.

“Leeds United become our fourth Premier League partner, but there’s more to come. The shift from passive to active fans through global fan engagement on Socios.com is now taking shape on the biggest stage in English football.”

CVC Purchase 10% Of LaLiga For 2.7 Billion Euros ($3.2b)

LaLiga has announced a strategic agreement called “Boost LaLiga” with the leading global investment fund CVC which will see a cash injection of 2.7 billion euros into the competition and its clubs. This ambitious investment plan, approved unanimously today by the league’s Executive Committee (Comisión Delegada), will provide LaLiga and the Clubs with all the necessary resources to fulfil its transformation strategy to become a leading global player in the digital entertainment market, while at the same time bolstering the competition and transforming the fan experience.

The transaction values​​LaLiga at 24.25 billion euros, a price tag that acknowledges LaLiga’s leadership as one of the most prominent sports competitions in the world, as well as recognizing its growth potential through a greater digital presence. In a coordinated effort between LaLiga and its clubs, the league will target greater direct interaction with fans, investment in the brand, the sport and in the internationalization of both. This is a higher figure than previous assessments considered for other projects with similar characteristics, which can only reflect the excellent work that has been carried out by LaLiga to date.

This agreement aims to lead the transformation currently experienced in the global entertainment sector, and to maximize every growth opportunity available to the clubs to develop a new business model that will allow them to diversify and maximize revenues through marketing models that will help to accelerate their digital transformation. Moving from the current single-product model, based almost exclusively on the game and the sale of audiovisual rights, to a multi-product/multi-experience one with a direct relationship with fans, amplified by technology and digital and analytical capabilities. In this sense, LaLiga is already well on the way to becoming a global player, with the best entertainment content, a strong digital presence and the ability to capture and analyse data that facilitates direct omnichannel interaction with fans all over the world, with a clear focus on the optimization of their experience with the brand.

The investment in improving the competition will drive growth in fan numbers and their experience with LaLiga. The technological capabilities of the LaLiga and the clubs’ ecosystem will also be strengthened, offering new content, new channels and new markets.

90% of the 2.7 billion euros proposed to be invested by CVC Funds will be earmarked for the clubs, including women’s football, semi-professional and non-professional football under the guidance of the Royal Spanish Football Federation and the Higher Sports Council (more than 100 million euros). Thus, making this strategic agreement an inclusive, equitable and democratic one that not only bolsters the economic viability of all Spanish football clubs but also opens up a new present and future for them by allowing them to advance in their development and transformation by at least a decade.

The resources provided by the agreement between CVC and LaLiga will also have a multiplier effect, not only in the world of football, but also in its contribution to building Spain’s image abroad via Brand Spain, in creating jobs for the sector and in attracting talent.

For the implementation of this strategic plan, the clubs take on a commitment to allocate the investment they receive to the promotion of their own Development Plan, agreed with LaLiga, which will include the following main areas: sports strategy, infrastructure, international development, brand and product development, communication strategy, innovation, technology and data plan and content development plan on digital platforms and social networks. All incorporating sustainability, good governance and diversity as fundamental values​​of the model.

LaLiga will keep its sports responsibilities as well as the organization and management of audiovisual rights sales.

CVC Funds bring to this project its financial firepower, its management capacity and its expert knowledge in the development of sports businesses thanks to its extensive experience of over 25 years in international competitions such as rugby, volleyball, tennis, Moto GP, Formula 1, plus the relationships it has firmly established with essential technological partners for the implementation of the specific projects contained in this plan.

This will enable LaLiga to continue their global expansion, which has recently been boosted by a new eight-year deal with ESPN to broadcast the league across the United States.

Beginning in August, hundreds of live matches across both LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank will be available each year, exclusively on ESPN+.

Beyond live matches, ESPN+ will offer a variety of surround programming, including match previews, highlights, magazine shows – and will continue to cover LaLiga extensively on signature ESPN+ shows including ESPN FC, Jorge Ramos y su Banda and Fuera de Juego. 

Select matches will air across ESPN networks each season, with coverage and highlights also available on SportsCenter and other ESPN studio programs, as well as on ESPN digital and social platforms.