With the increasing trend towards sports properties securing long-term commercial partnerships, the Deloitte Sports Business Group have looked at what this means for International Federations and some key factors to take into account before entering into such a partnership.
Multiple sports properties including IFs have entered long-term commercial partnerships. These partnerships include traditional sports marketing agencies as well as private equity and other external investors.
Why should an International Federation consider a long-term commercial partnership?
There are some common themes around why IFs (and indeed other sports properties) have entered long-term commercial partnerships: Investment capital.
“A long-term commercial partnership provides an opportunity for external investment to enter the sport, and thus accelerate the development of these activities.”
IFs with ambitious strategies to develop and improve elements of the presentation of their sport (e.g. broadcast production quality, live event experience, digital offerings, merchandising, fan engagement) are unlikely to be able to implement all of their plans at once, particularly if they have limited cash reserves.
A long-term commercial partnership provides an opportunity for external investment to enter the sport, and thus accelerate the development of these activities.
People and network
In addition to investment capital, a longterm commercial partner can also provide access to people with the skills, experience and connections required to implement growth activities.
Examples of resources partners could bring include:
• An incentivised management team with the drive to accelerate growth; • A strong network of people providing valuable connections; and • Specific skills and expertise that the IF does not have in-house – this is particularly the case in recent years in which digital initiatives have become a higher and rapidly evolving priority.
For example, the growth of direct-to-consumer opportunities (such as live-streaming through rights holder owned platforms and associated fan engagement through social media and mobile applications) are not historic “bread and butter” offerings for many IFs. A long-term commercial partnership with a partner that has strong digital capabilities including monetising digital assets could therefore be particularly attractive to IFs in this situation.
Who might the partner be and what commercial models are available?
There are a wide range of partnership types available to IFs and all can be specifically tailored to create a bespoke deal to suit the IF and the third-party partner…
iSPORTCONNECT’s latest Member Insights piece comes from Jason Siegel, President and Chief Executive of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission. Here, Jason provides a closer look at the legacy of the 1994 FIFA World Cup and why he believes 2026 has the potential to bring in even greater rewards.
I’m often asked why.
Why does Orlando want to host matches of the FIFA 2026 World Cup?
This question takes the conversation towards the ‘L’ word. Legacy.
For every great American city seeking to play their part in 2026, legacy is not one of the questions they face.
It’s the question.
It’s the why.
The “legacy potential” of the forthcoming FIFA World Cup in North America is huge and timely. As we anticipate the 2026 event, we can evaluate what 1994 delivered – and dream of an even more ambitious soccer-inspired agenda beyond 2026.
“America has always been soccer’s great growth opportunity – 2026 is surely the moment the dream becomes real.”
Orlando, as one of 17 hopeful US candidate host cities for 2026 and a favorite venue back in 1994, has had a ringside seat to watch the growing relevance and popularity of the game.
The USA is now a soccer nation, home to 100 million soccer fans. Orlando is now a soccer city.
The change has been immense. And in counting the benefits in purely soccer terms, you cannot divorce North America from the rest of the world. For FIFA and for the game, it is potentially the most lucrative region on earth – the biggest sponsorship, licensed merchandise and media marketplace in the world. America has always been soccer’s great growth opportunity – 2026 is surely the moment the dream becomes real.
Major League Soccer (MLS) is the greatest legacy of 1994. Creating a successful league was the USA’s promise to FIFA when it was awarded the event back then. MLS was founded in 1996 and 25 years on, there is a good story to tell.
MLS has doubled in size since 2009, when there were only 15 teams. There will be 30 franchises by 2022, including in Canada; an increase of 300%. The average MLS club has surged 400% in value since 2008 – Forbes put the average value of an MLS franchise in 2019 at US$312 million.
This picture been mirrored and even amplified in Orlando. March 8, 2015 was a day we will remember forever. 62,510 City fans flooded the Orlando Citrus Bowl for Orlando City’s inaugural MLS match against fellow expansion club New York City FC. The match was the largest ever for a soccer game at the Orlando Citrus Bowl and the second largest opening weekend for a MLS franchise.
Orlando has never been as organized around soccer as we are now. This is across government, the private sector and the grass roots. “Go Orlando” is working seamlessly with a huge network of local organizations to promote soccer tourism and – even during the pandemic – we have done so much to keep the dream alive.
We have helped nurse MLS through a desperate year, creating the environment for a safe resumption of play in the COVID-free Disney-Orlando bubble, thus enabling the League to save revenues through preserving many of its commercial contracts.
At national level too, the US men’s and women’s national teams have maintained their strong connection with the city. The men’s team has played seven matches in Orlando to date, winning the last five in a row, including all four held at our Exploria Stadium. And the women’s national team has had a clean sweep, winning every one of its 17 matches in Orlando. There are more to come.
Everything that has happened in the last few years – from the advent of Orlando City to the opening of the Exploria Stadium in 2017; from the Orlando bubble to the recent staging of the Concacaf Tournament in Orlando and many national team matches, confirms the upward trend for soccer in our area. It’s all part of the legacy of 1994. It’s been a great run.
The future lies with the young. Every sport needs strong grass roots, particularly soccer.
The FIFA World Cup USA 1994™ drove a doubling of youth football participation in America. In Orlando, we believe we are on course to double down again.
Orlando City FC joined Major League Soccer as an expansion franchise in 2015
As Alex Leitao, CEO of Orlando City Socer Club points out: “Our organization has invested significantly in the Greater Orlando community – Orlando City, Orlando Pride, Orlando City’s Development Academy, Orlando City Youth Soccer, Exploria Stadium, the men’s and women’s training grounds (in Osceola and Seminole Counties, respectively), and our new Youth Soccer Network”.
“Over the same timeline that Orlando City SC has been growing, we believe the youth soccer participation for both boys and girls in Orlando has likely quadrupled.”
Orlando has been developing into a major soccer center for young players. However, this growth has come to a screeching halt in 2020; a disastrous year for kids’ sport.
Orlando has a raft of urgent plans to resume this growth as we work towards 2026. First and foremost, we need to define the size of the problem. We are developing vital Orlando-specific statistics to guide the creation of mechanisms to push back against the decline in sport participation.
GO Sports has been joined by more than 30 regional leaders to participate in a newly formed youth sports task force. The Greater Orlando Youth Sports Survey, supported by Advent Health will be distributed via members of our task force and the results should give us a real picture of what we face at the youth level.
We believe soccer – inexpensive, universal – is the right remedy. Our recent launch of a Youth Soccer Network, will expand the pool of talented young players in the Orlando area and accelerate the uptake of this sport.
We are bringing soccer to under-served communities by providing free soccer programming and investing in safe places to play. To date, Orlando City Youth Foundation has installed nine mini-pitches in under-served areas of Greater Orlando. This will help all kids and, who knows, nurture some of the home-grown stars of tomorrow.
Orlando City Youth is Florida’s leading program for developing players from eight to 18 and the only club in Florida to offer both U.S. Soccer Development Academy program and the ECNL program. 2026 should bring thousands of young people not currently affiliated – including from underserved and immigrant communities – into the ranks as registered players.
So, looking forward, what will be the soccer legacy of 2026? Like a huge, slow-gathering wave, it is already having an effect, long in advance of the opening ceremony.
“Hopefully the excitement and energized atmosphere of the approaching 2026 event will introduce new people, young and old, to soccer.”
2026 is “the second half” for soccer in the USA. It will enable us to fulfil our soccer agenda. It will provide the momentum to bring the sport into under-served communities, as we work with the US Soccer Foundation to inspire participation and teach life skills. To create a sense of community through the sport.
And hopefully the excitement and energized atmosphere of the approaching 2026 event will introduce new people, young and old, to soccer and enable us all to develop that springboard for homegrown talent that will fulfil America’s ambitions as a great soccer nation.
Meanwhile, Orlando will help deliver – as the best host, with the best facilities to stage all levels of soccer competition – the framework for success. Legacy is not just a question – it is the question.
The new Formula 1 season is almost upon, with competitive racing back underway this weekend, as Bahrain hosts the opening race in the 2021 F1 calendar. Ahead of this, iSPORTCONNECT will be running some special interviews this week before lights out on Sunday.
To kick off the week we begin with Jefferson Slack, Managing Director of Commercial & Marketing at Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team. Jeff spoke to our very own Jay Stuart as part of a new series of ‘In Conversation With…’, looking at his personal entry to F1 this year and what it means to have the Aston Martin brand back in the sport.
The last time Aston Martin took part in Formula 1 was so long ago James Bond had not yet climbed behind the wheel of the car he made famous in Goldfinger. Sixty years later in Bahrain next weekend the new Aston Martin Cognizant team will start the Grand Prix with four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel joining Lance Stroll on the grid.
The latter is the son of none other than Lawrence Stroll, the billionaire chairman of Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings, the LSE-listed group that is jumping back into the racing game with its own Silverstone-based works team after a run as technical partner of the successful Red Bull team. The new team is actually a rebranding of Stroll’s Racing Point team, which competed in F1 for the past two seasons.
“Lawrence Stroll is a visionary. He understands both sides of the equation, the iconic luxury automobile brand and Formula 1.”
But Aston Martin’s new commitment represents a lot more than a branding exercise. It’s full integration of automobile company and motorsport competitor.
“It is an enormous leap,” says Jefferson Slack, the Managing Director of Commercial & Marketing at the Aston Martin Cognizant Team. “Lawrence Stroll is a visionary. He understands both sides of the equation, the iconic luxury automobile brand and Formula 1. This is the best activation ever undertaken by a car manufacturer. It’s a classic case of 1+1 = 3.”
Bear in mind that the ‘luxury’ identity of Aston Martin as an independent manufacturer changes the arithmetic from the start. If F1 gets only two of three thousand potential customers to the new team’s races during the season, that’s half the car the company sells in a year. And making dealers feel a part of the F1 adventure is very much part of the agenda.
You might think that this is also a big jump for Jeff, an American whose career has included four years as CEO of Inter Milan and senior roles at agencies like IMG and Wasserman. But not so much, he says.
“What makes F1 different is the scale of the market and the collaboration. It’s global and we travel around together.”
“My outlook has always been about trying to bring the best learnings from the U.S. to the international stage. They are different on the surface, one’s built around leagues and the other around federations, but underneath the models are usually pretty much the same. There is a central organising body, in the case of F1 there are two with the FIA and FOM. And we have ten entities with their own self-interests competing to win. That’s just like football with a league and the competing teams in it.”
In principle, the F1 team is like Inter.
“What makes F1 different is the scale of the market and the collaboration. It’s global and we travel around together.”
And when it comes to control, there’s an important difference in the media rights. “We have fewer rights than a football team. TV and highlights are controlled by FOM. That means a team needs to be pro-active and creative about the content it uses to engage fans.” Aston Martin Cognizant already has 10 people working full time on that content creation.
Building a fan base is a fundamental aim of the F1 investment. “We have a clear objective of getting people to register,” Jeff says. Again, the luxury profile fits the strategy. If you can get only 0.5% of the fans interested in buying an Aston Martin, you’re sitting pretty.
Aston Martin Cognizant F1’s new car for the 2021 season
At a time when the sports business is so focused on building data assets, Jeff sees the building of a fan community as the primary objective. “The big platforms are dominant when it comes to data. We know that we will not have direct access to all our fans or be able to monetize them directly, but it’s still a community, a fan base. At the end of the day what makes the Dallas Cowboys or Manchester United so valuable is the size of their fan bases. That’s what underpins the valuations.”
And what about the future of digital? Will rights owners like football clubs and F1 teams have significantly more direct access to data and monetization opportunities via their own in-house digital assets?
Jeff doubts that a big shift is coming. “It’s basically game over. The big platforms have the power. It’s their sandbox. We have to work with that.”
Aston Martin has its own mega-partner from the world of technology in U.S. multi-national Cognizant (2020 revenues of approx. $17 billion and 300,000 employees worldwide). “They know technology and they give us a capability that we could never have on our own to make us go faster.”
And there’s a marketing dimension too. With its global reach, Cognizant is already driving traffic on social and they will put television advertising behind the F1 team too.
“As we develop ways of moving beyond long-form linear content, the core product will become more valuable.”
Television remains as fundamental for F1 as it is for other major sports properties. F1 has been a bit more focused on staying ahead of the curve than most, pushing into innovative ways of producing broadcast content that speaks to fans directly with new camera tech and personalization options. And innovation will become ever more important.
“The big opportunity in television is in finding new ways to engage,” Jeff says. “The possibilities are huge. As we develop ways of moving beyond long-form linear content, the core product will become more valuable. Every time people say the value of rights will go down, they don’t. I think the value will continue to grow. But you can’t just keep doing what you’re doing.”
As for the first season on the track, Jeff sees a more competitive picture with FOM putting a cost cap in place for the first time in a series where resources tend to translate into results a bit more predictably than in other sports.
But he is realistic about the results to expect. “The Formula 1 championship has been won by the same team (Mercedes) seven years in a row. It’s not that different from football in the big European leagues. We’re probably fighting for third place overall (behind Mercedes and Red Bull). It’s not realistic to think we will win the championship this season. But we hope to win races and compete for the championship in the future.”
Lance Stroll took first for Racing Point in Bahrain last year so the new team might get off to a rip-roaring start. Regardless of what happens next Sunday and in the 22 other races this season, for the Aston Martin brand, the new F1 campaign looks like a sure winner.
The nomination of a new Olympic host city and election of an IOC president are among the biggest decisions in world sport and attract global interest and attention. Olympic Games advisor Michael Pirrie looks at the critical success factors behind Brisbane’s nomination as 2032 Games host city, and Thomas Bach’s reelection and legacy.
The art of calling an Olympic Games host city contest or presidential campaign can seem an inexact science on occasions; the outcomes can sometimes be cloaked in mystery and uncertainty – like picking the winning lottery numbers or interpreting the first wisps of white smoke signalling a new Pope.
The cost of getting such selections wrong can be high – the Olympic Movement ultimately depends on choosing the right cities and presidents.
“Bach’s vision for reform was much more than a marketing strap line to get him through his premier pitch for president.”
The most recent choice of Brisbane as preferred host city for 2032 and re-election of Thomas Bach as IOC president will help to secure and stabilise the Olympic movement in the current era.
BACH’S LEGACY
Bach’s journey as president from Buenos Aires to Brisbane has been pivotal to the durability of the Olympic Movement in ways not imagined when he arrived in the Argentine capital for the first presidential election in 2013.
Bach left the session as new leader with a powerful mandate and powerpoint presentation of his plan for the movement on a USB in his top pocket – the prototype of the forward looking, forward thinking Olympic master plan for the future: Agenda 2020.
Bach’s vision for reform was much more than a marketing strap line to get him through his premier pitch for president.
The plan has proven providential, sustaining the movement through enormous geopolitical, institutional, logistical and cultural challenges.
These have included high-risk detours for Games in Sochi and Rio when other cities were available and better prepared and positioned to host the global event.
The future and fortunes of the Olympic movement rely on the future of the Games and integrity its host city selection process.
Bach’s legacy is already profound even before he officially starts his new term, based on Olympic host city selection decisions and arrangements put in place so far.
These will be further strengthened by Bach’s re-election and new Agenda 2020 plus probity, independence and accountability measures to help manage the Games in the constantly changing world of Covid-19.
Brisbane is an important part of this new agenda and approach, and the city’s confirmation as 2032 host will be one of the first priorities of Bach’s new term as president.
The Olympic movement needs an extended line up of quality cities to deliver successive Games.
Brisbane’s likely selection for 2032 will build out the vital pipeline of host cities developed on Bach’s watch. This is paramount.
OLYMPIIC SUPERPOWER
The Olympic Movement is the world’s sporting superpower.
Like all superpowers, the movement inevitably, is in constant flux as the sprawling Olympic empire and its outposts attempt to respond and adapt to constantly changing international conditions.
Global and continental instability can dramatically deplete the pool of cities available and capable of delivering quality Games.
Brisbane 2032 builds on Bach’s historic joint 2017 announcement of Paris and Los Angeles as consecutive hosts for the 2024 and ‘28 summer Games.
With its promise of warm coastal city beach and surf conditions, Brisbane however is more than a continuation of sunny LA.
Thomas Bach has been president of the International Olympic Committee since 2013.
The Queensland capital is the first nominated host city of the Covid era.
Brisbane reflects the new politics and priorities of science, safety and stability influencing locations for major international events in wake of the pandemic.
The climate of change, uncertainty and fear that has engulfed the world and Olympic movement in wake of Covid and postponement of Tokyo was central to the broad base of support for Brisbane.
The IOC faced a make or break decision as the new year dawned with the next two Olympic cities in Tokyo and Beijing again in the grip of Covid.
Preparations for Games later in the decade in Paris and Los Angeles also were under challenge as Covid continued to ravage France and US.
This was creating deep uncertainty and anxiety within the movement over future prospects and options for the Games.
“As the 2032 city nomination approached, EB support coalesced around Brisbane as the city that could best provide some certainty and stability around sport and the virus.”
The IOC needed to determine where the Olympics belonged in a world of rapidly growing social, economic and political unrest.
This included growing international support for a boycott of next year’s Beijing winter Olympics amid mounting concerns over human rights violations; also initial notification of human-to-human transmission of Covid as the new virus began its global killing spree.
COVID CIRCUIT BREAKER
Brisbane is an answer to that anxiety about where the Games belongs amid current global instability; it is a much needed circuit breaker.
Olympic Games success depends on certainty, reliability and predictability in timing and implementation of planning.
The key challenge for the IOC Executive Board was to know which of the 2032 cities offered most stability for the global Olympic Games event in a decade of looming turbulence.
As the 2032 city nomination approached, EB support coalesced around Brisbane as the city that could best provide some certainty and stability around sport and the virus.
Support was also forming for Brisbane among key EB influencers such as IFs, NOCs and Olympic stakeholders and partners.
These included athletes and NBC, that Brisbane offered the safest and most secure environment for Olympic sport and a rich global broadcast and digital experience of the Games.
Speaking at the recent Australian Open Grand Slam, tennis superstar, Rafael Nadal said: “The country is doing great with the pandemic. Australia is probably one of the best examples in the world with how they react to these very challenging times.”
Sweeping early border closures, lockdowns, extensive testing, contact tracing and quarantine flattened the curve and the virus in Australia.
This placed Brisbane in a position to plan and grow its economic recovery, profile and future through the Olympic Games as a project of national and international significance.
NEW GAMES ERA
The message from Brisbane’s nomination is clear: the Olympic Movement and IOC are in a deep consolidation phase; a time for prudence and risk minimisation in the selection of host cities.
The era of expansion and experimentation that led to Rio and Sochi is over.
The migration of the Olympic Games further along the east coast of Australia to Brisbane is a journey towards safety and stability.
Brisbane follows Olympic Games stop overs in Melbourne and Sydney in a nation with some of the worlds best domestic sports venues and support services located in the nearby former Olympic coastal cities.
“Australia also rests in geopolitically stable Oceania, distant from most volatile world regions that can threaten major international events.”
These will support Olympic training and qualifying for Brisbane and provide enormous redundancy as potential reserve venues if necessary.
THE BRISBANE BUBBLE
Brisbane offers something unique to the Olympic movement: an Olympic oasis in a nation that has so far controlled the virus, and possesses a collection of world class venues, and a deep reservoir of proven sports events expertise and experience for the Games.
Australia also rests in geopolitically stable Oceania, distant from most volatile world regions that can threaten major international events.
Brisbane and Australia currently offer the best chance to deliver an Olympic event as close and familiar as possible to the pre-pandemic Olympic Games experience.
FUTURE PROOFING THE GAMES
Olympic organising committees are often cautioned that preparing for the Games over seven long years is more like a marathon than a sprint.
From my OCOG experience, Games planning and delivery is actually more like a marathon sprint.
The longer 11- year lead in for Brisbane provides a security buffer to help adapt to sudden threats in the countdown to 2032.
The expanded four-year timeline for Brisbane enables an emergency Plan B hybrid Games model to be developed in parallel with the master plan to cover a worst case scenario.
RISE OF SECOND CITIES
With so much virus still circulating in the world’s super cities and sports capitals from London and New York to Moscow, Brisbane opens up a new tier of second or mid sized cities to follow in the footsteps of Barcelona’s spectacular success as a smaller Olympic city.
Brisbane’s regional Games model also will help to pave the way for Budapest and Doha and other smaller cities as alternatives to traditional major cities in globally troubled times
Brisbane’s nomination for 2032 was as much about successful delivery of the Games as securing the Games.
While the Brisbane blueprint was born of a new era with a new focus, the city shares many of the same factors that have underpinned previously successful Olympic Games.
These include, most recently, the universally acclaimed London 2012 Games.
The success of the 2012 Games was based on London’s innovative vision and successful 3 year global media and marketing campaign against an unprecedented cavalcade of super cities, including New York, Paris, Moscow, and Madrid along with London.
CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS : LIKE LONDON
Like the London bid, which was expertly counselled by the British Olympic Association chaired by senior IOC member Sir Craig Reedie, Brisbane was guided by the high performing Australian Olympic Committee.
“Coates’ involvement as Australia’s senior IOC member in the Brisbane Olympic project generated Coe-like confidence in Brisbane.”
This was critical for Brisbane in order to understand what was important for NOCs, IFs and wider Olympic movement in planning for 2032.
Leadership was critical to both London and Brisbane.
In London, along with Sir Keith Mills, a world leader in marketing with a deep belief in sport, we had Seb Coe, the highly decorated and respected world and Olympic running champion with a sharp and intuitive understanding of international sport and politics.
Coe’s reassuring presence generated credibility and confidence in London.
NEW GAMES FIT & FOCUS
Brisbane had highly respected IOC senior executive member and Games operations specialist John Coates, whose oversight in the redesign of the pandemic stricken Tokyo Games has made it possible for sports mission impossible to be modified and staged later this year.
Coates’ involvement as Australia’s senior IOC member in the Brisbane Olympic project generated Coe-like confidence in Brisbane.
Brisbane also had veteran Olympic Games technical expert Craig McLatchey leading the vital 2032 master plan, based on new IOC funding arrangements and priorities for the Games.
These included fitting the Games footprint to the contours of the city, reducing new venue build and minimising costs through extensive temporary adaptation and co-sharing of existing venues and facilities.
Government and national support were highest success factors.
While London had highest level of central government support from former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and dynamic Olympic bid minister, the late Dame Tessa Jowell, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison also endorsed national government support for Brisbane.
This included a strategically and symbolically important meeting with Thomas Bach late last year in which the Australian leader expressed full support for Brisbane.
“A former tourism marketing executive, Prime Minister Morrison witnessed the significant sporting, economic, cultural and community uplift across Australia from the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.”
Morrison reinforced that support in a recent video message to the IOC Session last week, stating that “every level of government is working together to deliver Brisbane 2032.”
A former tourism marketing executive, Prime Minister Morrison witnessed the significant sporting, economic, cultural and community uplift across Australia from the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games – like Vancouver 2010 on Canada and London 2012 on the UK.
The Australian Prime Minster also leads the federal political party that supported the Sydney Games.
CONCLUSION – OLYMPIC OASIS
Brisbane provides a hub of stability where the Olympic Games can belong and adapt to current and new challenges in the decade ahead.
Brisbane also provides a natural home for the Games in a nation with an almost mythical connection to sport.
A nation where the 115,000 capacity Sydney 2000 Olympic stadium, the biggest in Olympic history, sold out night after night.
A nation with an innovative and resilient indigenous sports culture merging with immigrants and visitors who have brought a love of sport from all corners of the world. In recent times these have included Usain Bolt seeking a post Olympic career in football.
Australia’s diverse contributions to science and technology, industry, and medicine have impacted the world. These range from the black box flight recorder, ultra sound imaging and medical application of penicillin to wifi advances and space shuttle heat shield.
The nation’s sporting heroes and attachment to sport however have long been integral to Australia’s global profile, popularity and soft power.
In recent decades Brisbane and Queensland have been a production house for many of those household names.
These include the proudly indigenous Catherine Freeman, star of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and Ashleigh Barty, women’s world number one ranked tennis player; Olympic gold medal swimmers Kieran Perkins and Grant Hackett, world and Olympic gold medal champion sprint hurdler Sally Pearson, and many others.
Australia has long basked in the glow of its goldfields gold rush, wheat farms, surf beaches, amber beer, coastal culture and Olympic gold medals.
In sport’s darkened outlook, Brisbane’s golden landscapes offer an oasis of light and hope for the Olympic Games.
Michael Pirrie is an international communications strategy advisor and commentator on the Olympic Games and major events; a founding member of the London 2012 Olympic bid, Michaelwas also executive adviser to the London Olympic Games organising committee and chair, Seb Coe.
The Covid pandemic has not been easy for rights holders, particularly in the sports industry. The shutdown of sports and fan attendance posed many questions about how sports teams will cope.
Connexi undertook some research to delve deeper into the sport specific coping mechanisms and give you an inside look into how football clubs are reacting to the challenges that are coming about as a result of the Covid pandemic. Adapting and changing to the quickly changing environment to not only survive but redefine the future of the sport altogether.
Play for the name on the front of the shirt
The introduction of new digital assets has helped to provide new ways to showcase partnerships. Social media and other digital platforms have helped to create the new sponsorship assets, including virtual match sponsors, pre match shows, interviews with players and in one clubs’ case creating a new esports platform.
Two approaches have been taken with digital assets, either offering these new sponsorship opportunities or they are replacing physical branding in stadiums, for example programme adverts being replaced by digital advertisements. In some cases, On site branding has been created as a result of the pandemic with empty seats making way for branded space such as wraps or banners. Particularly in the higher divisions, this form of branding has 90 minutes of exposure to fans through televised games. One logo within the main TV arc has been able to deliver enormous amounts of media value.
Football is nothing without fans
Similar to partner exposure, digital takes centre stage with fan engagement. Virtual opportunities, through the use of social media platforms and other digital engagement tools, have provided clubs and their sponsors the ability to engage with their fan base on some sort of level. Clubs used the period of time to make developments to apps and to send out digital magazines in order to keep in contact with their fans. This also, in turn, created new advertising inventory to sell to partners.
“One club stated that they delivered virtual opportunities as additional rights in their own stead rather than as a replacement of the original rights.”
Social media platforms could be utilised in many different ways and this benefited the rights holders through flexibility. This was shown through the use of quizzes, polls, votes, competitions, behind the scenes footage, classic moments, and exclusive interviews, to name a few, all which maintained a high level of interaction with fans. Outside of social media, video calling technologies, such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, enabled clubs to be able to hold regular events when physical events were not an option. Whilst one club mentioned that the broadcasting of classic matches helped to fill the gap during the first lockdown.
Winning as a team
For football rights holders the common theme was that the majority of partners and sponsors were sympathetic to the situation. Flexibility and understanding, from both the rights holders and their partners, has been key to keeping the relationships strong. With clubs being understanding of each brand’s specific situation, some have struggled whilst others have grown.
During the pandemic, the vast majority of sponsors and partners remained associated with their club, or even in some cases committed to new deals. Ensuring that the clubs continue to receive revenue that has never been more important, particularly given the lack of income from ticketing. The use of digital assets has made up for the loss of brand exposure in some instances.
One club stated that they delivered virtual opportunities as additional rights in their own stead rather than as a replacement of the original rights. From this they were able to push rights into next season and extend partnerships by a year at no additional cost. Another club created new opportunities for exposure by launching a scheme to feed 1000s of people in their local community, with sponsors taking up the opportunity to help fund the scheme.
The game is evolving
Digital and virtual opportunities have progressed immensely over the last 10 years. The current high levels of engagement with social media channels, as well as the value association for brands, has provided clubs with new partnership opportunities that would not have existed a decade ago. Digital content and initiatives, particularly with a strong focus on social media channels, have allowed clubs to keep engagement with fans high when they otherwise may have struggled. Football clubs who have taken advantage of this have been able to continue to deliver value to both fans and partners. Not only continuing to maintain exposure for partnerships but also providing opportunities to remain in contact digitally with partners and their fanbases alike, thus proving to be a really important asset over this period.
Additionally to this is the ability for matches to be watched over the internet, as well as additional programmes that can be circulated digitally. The broadcasting of fixtures has meant that there is still a value to perimeter board sponsors, matchday programme adverts etc. Behind closed doors no longer means the same as it once did. Digital streaming and televising games has allowed for an exposure larger than the capacity of stadiums. Prior to the pandemic, each week of the Premier League saw 4 or 5 televised fixtures. However, during this period, every single game has been televised.
Changing tactics
The pandemic has encouraged clubs to be innovative. It has shown the importance of effective fan engagement and social media usage, as well as the need to mutually support partners through new and innovative campaigns. Ultimately, “supporting a club isn’t simply about turning up at the ground to watch a match”, there is much more too it and it shows the necessity to constantly engage with fans and give them a positive experience, whether they are present or not.
The sponsorship model has already been changing over the past 5 years, but the pandemic has accelerated this rate of change. Moving further away from the traditional badging and brand awareness methods to more meaningful, relationship driven partnerships. Partnerships have started to, and most likely will continue to, become more fluid, such as shorter term partnerships anchored on delivery rather than the number of years of a partnership term. The use of data to create partnerships has become more important as a result, providing a broader understanding of what quantifies success and therefore creating more successful partnerships off the back of it.
Changes will occur not only with sponsorship deals but also in stadiums when fan attendance returns. These changes will most likely be permanent rather than temporary with the most notable being the move to cashless stadiums. Over the past few years some clubs, mainly in the top level, have made this shift to contactless payments, but the Covid pandemic should lead to most, if not all, stadiums becoming cashless. Additionally there will be hygiene changes, in-stadia toilet facilities will be forced to improve, and sanitising stations will most likely be present for some time.
“Fan habits and working conditions have changed. A rights holder that is looking to adapt and be progressive will take advantage of this unique situation. Making changes that will not only help in the present but also for the future of the clubs.”
On the pitch, we could see, at least for the time being, a decrease in player transfers and more academy players getting a chance to play in the senior teams instead, due to rights holders refraining from large financial expenditures. This potentially will help to create a more stable future for the club and short term financial relief that could have big long term gains. Whilst outside of football we could see rights holders’ foundations working closer than ever before in their communities to support those that have been affected by Covid. Football clubs have shown large amounts of support for their local communities during this tough time, but with the effects potentially being felt for many years afterwards a continued reassurance of this support could be seen sport wide.
A winning mentality
The pandemic has brought about many challenges for rights holders, and in order to solve them clubs have had to “think differently”. This new mindset produced the inclusion of new products and initiatives to make up for the absence of physical stadium attendance in football. Within football club structures “traditions have historically been very entrenched”.
The Covid pandemic has changed that. Fan habits and working conditions have changed. A rights holder that is looking to adapt and be progressive will take advantage of this unique situation. Making changes that will not only help in the present but also for the future of the clubs. Adapting to the changing environment has given rights holders an opportunity to “try something new”, whether it be using new technologies or implementing stadium changes ready for fans returning. Some of these can already be seen with the emergence of new categories for potential sponsorship, including hygiene and food delivery sectors.
Conclusion
Football is a sport where there are large disparities between the levels. The Covid pandemic has brought about common problems that have been resolved in many different ways. Clubs of all levels would have found the situation very difficult if digital assets were not as big as they are now. Without them, football clubs would have been stripped to the bare bones, whilst solely being dependent on “the core element of the club, the football matches”. Commercial revenue is at the forefront for football clubs. The past year has shown the importance not only of having partners but also of having a strong relationship and aligned values with them.
This is potentially a period of time that lessens the league disparities, bringing the lower league clubs closer to the top leagues. Forcing lower league clubs to utilise digital methods of communication with fans and partners when they otherwise would not have made the jump. Even within stadiums, the implementation of cashless stadiums will bring dated stadiums into the modern world.
On all levels, we will most likely continue to see rights holders work harder for their sponsors in the future, with the added realisation of their support during this tough period. Mutual help has been so important to survival for both sides, but it was best put by one rights holder who said that “the more benevolent we are now during difficult times, the more that will be reciprocated by our partners when things return to normal”.
Deltatre have today announced a multi-year agreement with Major League Soccer making Deltatre the League’s web technology provider.
Under the agreement, MLS and Deltatre will work on a series of digital products for the League and MLS Clubs.
“Being selected by MLS is testament to Deltatre’s unique ability to provide cutting-edge digital solutions that serve the needs of the most forward-thinking and high-profile sports federations and rights-owners,” said Jeff Volk, SVP, Head of Business and Revenue, Americas at Deltatre. “This collaboration is another outstanding step for Deltatre, underlining our incredible progress and growth in the U.S.”
“Deltatre shares our commitment to implementing leading technology that enhances and evolves the fan experience,” said MLS SVP of Media Chris Schlosser. “Their impressive track-record in working with some of the largest sports leagues, allied to its reputation for innovation and delivery, made working together an obvious choice.”
The news follows a strong 12 months for Deltatre. Among many highlights, last year Deltatre announced it had completely redesigned and revamped Juventus FC’s digital ecosystem.
This collaboration marks another key milestone for Deltatre, boosting its already impressive presence in the U.S. Deltatre technology now underpins the digital offering for three of the largest North American professional sports leagues, adding MLS to a roster that also includes Major League Baseball.
Monday, March 8th 2021 is a key date for many across the world, as it represents International Women’s Day, when women across the world are celebrated for their achievements. It signifies a day in which women are also fighting for greater equality, which iSPORTCONNECT is totally behind, particularly in an industry with much to do.
On this day, therefore, we are thrilled to reveal our fourth annual iSPORTCONNECT Influential Women In Sport List for 2021, highlighting some of the industry’s key female players and those who have led from the front over the past 12 months.
This year YOU, our iSPORTCONNECT community, were able to play a part by being able to put forward those you believed should be recognised as being female leaders within the sporting space, nominating a huge amount of worthwhile contenders and helping us to create our Women In Sport Top Ten.
We also have four brand new categories we received nominations for from the community, in order to recognise those in other areas who are deserving of recognition for their efforts.
A massive thank you must also go to our seven external jury members (Ebru Köksal, Seema Jaswal, Fredda Hurwitz, Simon Chadwick, Lingling Liu, Anna Lockwood and Tim Crow) who were willing to give up their time to help us narrow down our contenders alongside iSPORTCONNECT to make up the final list.
Finally, here it is, the iSPORTCONNECT Influential Women In Sport Top Ten for 2021. Thank thank you to everyone who took part in nominating contenders and congratulations to all of our winners and to everyone who was nominated.
The Top Ten
Catherine Bond Muir – W Series, Chief Executive Officer.
Catherine has grown the W Series from the ground up and is providing terrific opportunities to female drivers in motor racing. In 2021 it will feature it alongside eight F1 Championship weekends, across the UK, Europe and the Americas.
Cynthia made history as the first ever female Chief Executive Officer in the the National Basketball Association when she was appointed in 2018.
Jane Fernandez – FIFA WWC 2023, Chief Operating Officer
Jane led Australia’s successful bid for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 and was recently named as Australia’s COO of the co-hosted event with New Zealand. She has united the sport, state and national governments to secure the largest female event in the largest global sport, at a time when female sport continues to gather momentum.
Jeanie Buss – LA Lakers, Owner & President
A longtime part of the ownership and executive with the Lakers, Jeanie was in charge of the organisation as they won their first NBA championship for more than a decade, become the first female owner of a championship team.
Kim Ng – Miami Marlins, General Manager
Kim, a leader of women in baseball for many years, was appointed as the first female General Manager in MLB history when appointed by the Miami Marlins towards the back end of 2020.
Megan Rapinoe – USWNT Footballer
As one of the most recognisable athletes in the world since the 2019 World Cup, Megan has used that platform to expose inequalities in sports and society. Raising awareness about gender bias and social injustice, Rapinoe has been a role model for all athletes in all sport.
Naomi Osaka – Tennis Player / NWSL Investor
Naomi has been a leader for women in sport in the past year, making her voice heard when discussing equality and equal rights while excelling on the court once again. She has also become an investor in North Carolina Courage in the NWSL.
Nita Ambani – Mumbai Indians / Reliance Foundation
Under Nita’s guidance the Reliance Foundation has been encouraging and creating a youth sports revolution in India all while she is leading the Mumbai Indians IPL franchise, who won yet another IPL title in 2020.
Stephanie McMahon – WWE – Chief Brand Officer
Stephanie has been helping a number of initiatives to boost the profile and give greater opportunities to women in sport as well as having to be part of leading the WWE through Covid.
Susan Whelan – Leicester City FC, Chief Executive Officer
Susan is a high class operator who highly professional, clearly successful, but also a warm and generous person. Susan is an excellent role model and is overseeing an extremely positive period for Leicester City as a club.
Shortlisted: Ashley Ehlert – International Ice Hockey Federation, Barbara Slater – BBC, Fatma Samoura – FIFA, Hashimoto Seiko – Tokyo 2020, Joanna Coates – UK Athletics, Julia Fry – Extreme E, Louise Johnson – Fuse Sport & Entertainment, Lucia Montanarella – IOC, Soraya Sobh – Fnatic, Tatjana Haenni – Swiss Football Association, Tracy Power – Rugby League World Cup 2021.
The Inspirational Standout During Covid-19
Sarah Wall – NETFIT, Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Australian Netball player Sarah Wall’s NETFIT saw their free Facebook Live fitness and skills series gain over 3,000,000 views through isolation-inspired streams lead by various elite and community players through NETFIT Netball’s Facebook Page. NETFIT also partnered with the INF (International Netball Federation) to create the 24 Hour Live Netball Challenge.
Shortlisted: Mikaela Shiffrin – created the Jeff Shiffrin Athlete Resiliency Fund to support athletes that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Tammy Parlour – co-founder of the Women’s Sport Trust, who has pulled together a report on how women’s sport responds to Covid. Sue Anstiss MBE – In 2020 she co-created the Women’s Sport Collective, founded during Lockdown one it offers women working in sport the opportunity to connect, learn and share.
Up-And-Coming In Sport Business
Alexandra Willis – All England Lawn Tennis Club, Head of Communications, Content and Digital
Alexandra has been leading the digital transformation of one of the UK’s most loved sporting brands, Wimbledon, while working for the AELTC. Later this year she will take up a new post as Communications and Marketing Director.
Joanna Coates – UK Athletics, Chief Executive Officer
Joanna is an outstanding CEO who has for years has tirelessly worked towards greater inclusion, equality and diversity across sport and is now doing so at UK Athletics. Prior to that she had led strong work at England Netball, culminating in a Commonwealth Games gold medal for the team and hosting the successful 2019 Netball World Cup.
Shortlisted: Sue Anstiss MBE – Women’s Sport Collective, Leadership Woman Football (Organisation), Jane Purdon – Women In Football.
Platform For Good: The Best Campaign Or Work Supporting Women In Sport
Burger King– Burger Queen Sponsorship With Stevenage FC
The fast food chain signed a deal to sponsor English Football League Two side Stevenage FC and were able to rework their logo to be named ‘Burger Queen’, something that was incredibly innovative and drew a huge amount of attention to women’s football.
Shortlisted: Nike’s ‘You Can’t Stop Us’ campaign, Extreme E for creating the first gender equal sporting format in motorsport, the WNBA’s Orange Sweater Campaign to engage with public figures to bring more attention to the league and women’s sport.
iSPORTCONNECT are delighted to reveal our jury for this year’s 2021 Influential Women In Sport List.
Following a whole host of nominations from you, our iSPORTCONNECT community, the jury will be providing their own opinions from the shortlist to bring together the final top ten, which will be released on International Women’s Day next Monday, March 8th.
We would like to give a massive thank you to the jury for giving their time to be part of this and are incredibly grateful to them for doing so.
Without further ado, here is our jury:
Ebru Köksal
A football and finance forerunner, Ebru Köksal, Chair of Women in Football, has a portfolio of Board and advisory roles including as senior advisor at J Stern &Co, INED at Doublepass BV, MNT Healthcare and the Professional Footballers Association. She is passionate about gender equality and building a better future for female leaders.
Seema Jaswal
You will currently find Seema presenting the Premier League’s global Match-Day Live coverage, ITV’s international football, BBC Snooker‘s Triple Crown events and the Premier League on Amazon Prime UK. Seema has presented a multitude of sports and covered some of the world’s most prestigious tournaments, including the 2020 UEFA Champions League for CBS Sports, the 2019 Cricket World Cup and 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Fredda Hurwitz
Fredda is a proud mum (human and furry) and a seasoned strategic global brand marketer (25+ years), whose experience is rooted in sports & entertainment, sponsorship & partnerships, employee and brand engagement for agencies, brands and rights holder. She’s the Founder & Chief Nut of Gingernut Thinking, a DC-based consultancy, working with SMEs, non-profits and agencies to help solve their marketing challenges and better articulate their “why”. Fredda is a regular contributor to the marketing press and a passionate supporter of causes focused on advancing access and understanding for children who are neurodiverse.
Simon Chadwick
Professor Simon Chadwick is a researcher, writer, academic, consultant and speaker with more than twenty-five years experience in the global sport industry. Chadwick is Director of Eurasian Sport at emlyon business school (based in Paris & Shanghai), a global-top-50 ranked, triple accredited business school. He is also Professor of the Eurasian Sport Industry and Director of CESI – the Centre for Eurasian Sport.
Lingling Liu
Dr. Lingling Liu is the Managing Director of China Sport Business Consulting Co., a boutique sports consulting firm based in Beijing and operating worldwide that provides strategic communication and sports marketing services.
Anna Lockwood
Anna Lockwood is an experienced media industry executive specialising in broadcasting and sports. She is currently the Head of Global Sales for Telstra Broadcast Services.
Tim Crow
Tim is an Advisor, Investor and Non Executive Director who has worked within the sporting space for over 30 years, most prominently in the area of sports marketing and sponsorship.
Team iSPORTCONNECT
Our eighth and final jury member consists of our very own Beth Hushon, Ben Page and Taruka Srivastava, joining forces to provide a vote on behalf of iSPORTCONNECT.
In our latest Member Insights piece, Nick Rusling, CEO of Human Race, give his thoughts and perspectives on how outdoor events will be able to return following the UK government’s announcement that it hopes to have all coronavirus restrictions within the country lifted by the 21st of June.
Outdoor exercise events are ready and raring to go in 2021. As a unique area under the events industry umbrella, there are a number of key steps that are being implemented to ensure they can go ahead in a Covid-safe environment.
Not only that, but the appetite for such events is strong; they play a critical role in society for charities, which are losing millions without them, as well as in supporting the nation’s mental and physical wellbeing and health. Once full lockdown restrictions are lifted, the industry stands at the blocks, awaiting the starting gun.
The state of play for the charity & events sectors
Outdoor exercise events are a significant part of the charity sector calendar, which are used as a key piece of fundraising. With government guidelines restricting large outdoor gatherings for much of the past 12 months, such events have been cancelled or put on hold.
“Large scale events like the London Marathon generate upwards of £150m to the UK economy, while even smaller-scale events like the Race for Life can generate revenues over £50m per year.”
As such, fundraising income from the 25 biggest outdoor exercise events organised by charities in the UK fell by approximately £100m in 2020. These events have historically been huge for charities, with the biggest raising £142m in 2019. Even sporting events which are not charity-owned, raise millions for charities each year; the London Marathon alone provides over £43 million annually to charities.
For race organisers, over 50% have reported losses of over half of their annual revenue as a result of the cancellation or postponement of events. Meanwhile, the economic impact of such events must not be underestimated either. Large scale events like the London Marathon generate upwards of £150m to the UK economy, while even smaller-scale events like the Race for Life can generate revenues over £50m per year.
The role of outdoor exercise events in society
At present, the UK is facing a growing obesity crisis, with 63% of adults in England overweight or living with obesity, which means making exercise a fun, and accessible, part of people’s lives, is crucial for the health of the country— and for easing the strain on the NHS.
“Parkrun alone claims to have got nearly 40,000 previously inactive people running.”
Many outdoor exercise events market themselves explicitly to those who are less active, ensuring they are accessible and designed for all fitness levels, so that they are fast becoming vital spaces for enabling those less accustomed to regular exercise to become active. Research finds outdoor exercise events tend to motivate people to become more active since they have a longer-term fitness goal; Parkrun alone claims to have got nearly 40,000 previously inactive people running.
As well as that, the impact of Covid-19 on the nation’s mental health is also well-documented, with doctors seeing a surge of mental health cases, particularly in the young. This is why outdoor exercise events will be more important than ever as the UK looks to get back on its feet when lockdown restrictions begin to ease, given the myriad mental health benefits of being active. Exercise can have a profoundly positive impact on depression and anxiety and can relieve stress, improve memory, improve sleep and boost mood.
Appetite for a return
Sportcal reported in September that 96% of past mass sports event competitors have expressed the confidence that they will participate in an event within the first 12 months once lockdown measures are eased, and the desire to compete in such events has remained strong even during lockdown, with over 61% taking part in virtual events.
Outdoor exercise events will thrive in a post-Covid-19 world, following the increase of people becoming active during lockdown. What’s more, there are simple ways that events organisers are already preparing for such a return. A phased return of events will give people the confidence to see they’re being delivered successfully and from there, the industry plans to deliver bigger events. With both space and time available to many organisers hosting such events outside means that people can be spread out in a controlled manner, while separate starting times mean that people will arrive at different times, putting less pressure on public transport.
Such events can be held across a longer time-frame so that participants can be spread out and can take part at a safe distance throughout. Sanitation stations can be erected at regular intervals, and participants can be encouraged to bring and maintain their own water bottle supplies- a practice that will also help events to reduce plastic waste.
“Once full lockdown restrictions are lifted, the industry stands at the blocks, awaiting the starting gun.”
Event planners have also been mapping out the logistics of managing the movement of people at such occasions; implementing simple features like channels can control the flow of people and maintain safe social distances .
The industry hopes smaller scale events to return from April or May, and plans to work alongside stakeholders, venues and local authorities to build confidence in these events and put in place measures to protect residents and control spectator numbers. Industry leaders have decades of expertise in managing such events with a logical and safe approach, and are therefore in the best possible position to bring these invaluable occasions back to society.
The events industry’s ongoing campaign, We Create Experiences, is reassuring businesses, stakeholders and consumers that events can be delivered safely this year, as well as pointing to their economic and social importance to the UK. We therefore look forward to a more active spring and summer in 2021. Together, let’s do it right.
The authorNick Rusling is CEO at Human Race, Chair of 2.6 Challenge and a leader of the MSO Group for the Outdoor Exercise Event industry
In one month’s time, on the 25th of March, iSPORTCONNECT’s eMasterclasses will return for 2021 in a new and improved format.
We are excited to utilising a brand new platform in order to provide the best experience possible to our members while they are attending our events and interacting with their peers.
The success of last year’s eMasterclasses were a delight to us to at iSPORTCONNECT, and we were pleased to be able to give something back to the industry by making these free and open to the public. However, we are slightly adapting this model for 2021 to something which resembles more closely to our physical events.
Our first event coming up will be our Media and Broadcast eMasterclass, and here are the four key points to note for the event changes:
1 – Chatham House Rule
Our eMasterclass events will now be running for three hours, split up into smaller sessions with breaks between each of these sections.
They will also follow the same procedure of Chatham House Rule, mirroring our physical events, in order to provide the most open discussion possible between everyone in attendance.
2. Invitation-only
Our events will be open exclusively to top-level executives at brands, right holders and broadcasters, if you would like to register interest for this event please contact our Community Manager Bethany Hushon on bethany@isportconnect.com
3. Capacity capped
There will be a maximum of 150 delegates allowed at these events in order to ensure there is intimacy and access to key decision-makers while keeping the conversation in-house.
4. Unique Networking
We will be utilising new breakout sessions to create a close & relaxed environment which will allow people to flow freely and get involved in networking virtually with each other and allowing new conversations to happen and connections to be made.
We have already announced our first speaker for the event, TV4 Media’s Head of Pay Channels and Rights, Johan Cederqvist, and more are on the way in the coming days and weeks as we build up to the event so stay tuned for further information.
