The Premier League and the English Football League have agreed a £250-million rescue package as they finally put an end to months of uncertainty for lower-league clubs who are struggling financially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The EFL said clubs in Leagues One and Two – the third and fourth-tiers – would receive sum worth £50 million ($67 million).
The Premier League is also set to provide further financial help to the EFL in a bid to secure £200-million loan facility for clubs in the second-tier Championship.
“Our over-arching aim throughout this process has been to ensure that all EFL clubs survive the financial impact of the pandemic,” said EFL chairman Rick Parry.
“I am pleased that we have now reached a resolution on behalf of our clubs and as we have maintained throughout this will provide much-needed support and clarity following months of uncertainty.”
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: “The Premier League is a huge supporter of the football pyramid and is well aware of the important role clubs play in their communities.
“Our commitment is that no EFL club need go out of business due to Covid-19. All football clubs continue to suffer significant financial losses as a result of the pandemic, but Premier League shareholders today unanimously agreed to provide additional funding and support for EFL clubs in real financial distress.”
The financial package for League One and Two clubs is reportedly locked at £30 million to be split between 48 clubs into those divisions with further access to another £20 million packages of monitored grants.
The £30 million is set to be paid immediately from the Premier League to help cover the loss from matchday revenue.
The monitored grants can be applied for by clubs in need, with a joint EFL and Premier League panel ruling on eligibility.
The Premier League has committed to cover up to £15 million in interest and arrangement fees to enable a £200 million loan to be secured for Championship clubs.
General Mills brand Old El Paso and NFL UK will be bringing the party to the Super Bowl as they announce a season-long partnership.
The new deal sees the brand become to an Official Partner of NFL and Super Bowl LV in the UK and Ireland.
Old El Paso, which is the category-leading Mexican food brand in UK & Ireland, will be hosting the ultimate Super Bowl night in as they team up with footballer and NFL fan Bayo Akinfenwa to celebrate the climax of the NFL season in Tampa, Florida on Super Bowl Sunday, February 7.
During the run-up to the hottest event in the NFL calendar, Old El Paso and NFL UK will be encouraging fans to ‘Make Some Noise for Super Bowl’ as they watch from the comfort of their homes. Akinfenwa will be creating content on his social channels showcasing how the Old El Paso range is the perfect sharing game-day food with easy recipes to complete any Super Bowl party with friends and family.
This content will be promoted on both NFL UK and Old El Paso social channels in UK & Ireland along with a holistic plan including further digital support, bespoke e-commerce partnerships and targeted media activity on Sky Sports/Sky NFL.
NFL UK Commercial Director, Michelle Webb, said: “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Old El Paso. They are the ideal ingredient to any Super Bowl party and will ensure our fans kick off the biggest event of the year in style. The brand resonates with our audience and it’s fantastic to see how their support has increased the popularity of the Super Bowl here in the UK. With the backing of brands like Old El Paso, and more places than ever to access NFL content, we will continue to see our fanbase grow here in the UK.”
General Mills Europe-Australasia spokesperson Arjoon Bose said ‘At Old El Paso, we’re passionate about creating the good noise that happens from connection via easy, talky, shared moments through food. We are excited to once again partner with a global cultural phenomenon that is Super Bowl which goes well beyond just a sporting event that transcends borders and unites friends and families.
“We want to become synonymous as the game day food of NFL here in UK & Ireland and inspire consumers to share all the joy and excitement of the NFL as they watch from home. Our content series with our Mexican-inspired recipes will hopefully help fans create the ultimate Super Bowl night in as they celebrate one of the biggest events of the year.’’
With today signifying International Day of Persons with Disabilities, iSPORTCONNECT is delighted to be able to feature a piece from 11-time Paralympic gold medallist Tanni Grey-Thompson.
In her piece, Tanni calls for further progress to be made in order to aid disability participants within sport, particularly at a time, in the Covid-19 world, where this is even more difficult than before.
There is no doubting that 2020 has been an incredibly tough year across the world and we must all be hoping that 2021 sees the end of the pandemic.
In the short-term many aspects of normal life will remain restricted, despite the UK’s move from a nationwide lockdown to a tiered system. However, the return of grassroots sport is to be welcomed as it will provide a huge boost to the physical and mental health of the nation.
“For those who are mentally disabled, they need the support and benefit that organised sports activity can bring. It gives them not only the social interaction that they desperately need but also a sense of belonging.”
The lack of access to sports facilities such as gyms and swimming pools have had a damaging effect on mental and physical health, with the benefits that they provide to ease the pressure on health services.
Mental health is particularly being challenged as people find themselves more isolated and the absence of opportunities for physical activity means that those with a disability miss out on sport which in many instances is a lifeline for them.
It seems apt that the re-opening of sports facilities has coincided with The International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), an event observed annually on December 3.
IDPD helps to promote the full and equal participation of persons with disabilities and to act for their inclusion in all aspects of society and development.
Of course, physical activity is about getting fit and having fun, but for those who are mentally disabled, they need the support and benefit that organised sports activity can bring. It gives them not only the social interaction that they desperately need but also a sense of belonging that they do not get elsewhere – and in some cases they do not understand why their access to sport has been denied.
Engaging with peers is fundamental for those with mental disabilities, who also learn valuable life skills that boost their confidence, health and enable them to make friends.
For those with physical disabilities, accessible facilities are also a problem, both in lockdowns and where more stringent social distancing and limited classes are concerned.
“We need to remember that sport brings young people together, it gives them an opportunity and a chance to think differently about themselves.”
At Laureus, Inclusive Society is one of the six Social Focus Areas towards which we provide funding and support to enable programmes to tackle, aligned to the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs).
We have two decades of experience and understanding of the frameworks and soft skills required to create a society where young people and children embrace physical and mental differences and can thrive through sport.
We have to be really mindful that, as a Foundation, we have to support and make sure that the projects and young people come out of this in the best shape that they possibly can because those projects ultimately save lives.
We need to remember that sport brings young people together, it gives them an opportunity and a chance to think differently about themselves, to think differently about the decisions they make and how they want to live their lives. That is what sport and Laureus does. It gives young people the chance to think differently.
“Sport is unique in its ability to bring people together and break down existing barriers of discrimination and it’s no exaggeration to say that lives depend on it.”
Delivered in partnership with Allianz and InsightShare, we recently commissioned a report entitled ‘Empowering abilities through sport’ which showcased the real-life experiences of disabled young people from Ethiopia, Thailand and Jamaica, who have benefited from the support of our projects. In each and every case, we have seen marked changes in their attitudes, their confidence and their abilities to communicate.
Sport is unique in its ability to bring people together and break down existing barriers of discrimination and it’s no exaggeration to say that lives depend on it.
FuboTV Inc. , the leading sports-first live TV streaming platform, has acquired Balto Sports, marking the company’s first move into the online sports wagering market.
Balto Sports is a Y Combinator company that develops tools for users to organize and play fantasy sports games. fuboTV intends to leverage its own proprietary technology along with Balto’s contest automation software to launch a free to play gaming offering.
In connection with the deal, Balto’s team will join fuboTV and will be instrumental in driving the company’s expansion into both free to play gaming and online sports wagering. The online sports wagering market is expected to reach $155 billion by 2024 according to Zion Market Research.
Additional announcements will be forthcoming.
David Gandler, co-founder and CEO, fuboTV, commented, “As we said in our third quarter earnings announcement last month, fuboTV sees the online wagering space as complementary to our sports-first live TV streaming platform. We believe there are significant synergies between consumers who enjoy wagering and our subscribers who enjoy streaming live sports, creating a flywheel opportunity. As we’ve previously expressed, one of our goals with wagering is to expand our total available market (TAM) by developing another important revenue stream for fuboTV, as we are doing with our growing ad sales business.
“The acquisition of Balto Sports will enable us to build a first class, free to play experience that brings consumers the best games around live sports. From there, we see a natural progression to layer on real money wagering in regulated markets complementing fuboTV’s live streaming video for a highly engaging user experience within our platform.
“We will be strategic in our approach to wagering as we consider and evaluate different opportunities and will adjust our plans accordingly. We’re excited to launch sports wagering, integrate it into our core offerings and deliver what we believe will be a truly groundbreaking live TV streaming platform to consumers.”
German manufacturer of oils, lubricants and additives for engines, Liqui Moly will become the main partner of the National Handball League as of July 1st, for a period of 5 years.
Through this partnership made through the agency Sport & Co, the brand associates its name with that of the LNH and in particular the French championship of the 1st division.
Leader in its market in Germany, Liqui Moly wishes to rely on French professional handball to develop its reputation and support its arrival in France. The NHL, through its 30 professional clubs, as well as through its various competitions and events, will offer Liqui Moly an effective promotional platform, throughout France, to support its business development plan.
David Tebib, President of the NHL : “In a context where brands are showing great caution, Liqui Moly places its trust in us to help achieve ambitious commercial objectives on the French market. This approach honors us. It is recognition of our ability to develop the reputation of our partners, and to integrate economic issues by accelerating the listing of their products. It also welcomes the place that handball now occupies on the chessboard of French professional sport. “
Ernst Prost, President of Liqui Moly : “LIQUI MOLY is a global company and France is a very important market for us, with enormous potential. The cooperation with the NHL through the LIQUI MOLY Starligue is a great opportunity for us to help our French distributors to develop this market successfully by increasing our brand awareness and creating demand. We are extremely proud to see that our brand and logo are now linked, for at least the next 5 years, to one of the most popular sports leagues in France. “
The WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) introduces a new corporate identity today, redefining the organization’s strength as a collective unit of inspiring athletes and tournaments.
The launch also reveals a new ‘WTA For The Game’ campaign that highlights the driving forces of the sport, aimed at creating deeper fan connections. The rebranding, which includes the WTA’s first logo redesign in 10 years, coincides with the announcement of a simplified numerical naming system for WTA tournaments.
The WTA was founded in 1973 when Billie Jean King rallied the support of her like-minded colleagues to form an association that would evolve into what is today a membership body representing two equal-partner constituencies: the athletes and the tournaments. Nearly 50 years later, tennis is the leading global sport for women highlighted by some of the most recognizable names in all of sports, with 32 countries and regions represented in the Top 100 of the WTA Rankings.
The sense of collective purpose and empowerment shared by the Tour’s trailblazers and passed on to subsequent generations provides the creative inspiration for the new ‘WTA For The Game’ campaign. Developed for the WTA by design agency Landor Australia, the new brand identity and marketing campaign will be fully integrated across the WTA, including television graphics, print materials, tournament branding, advertising, promotion and digital and social media.
New Logo
The WTA’s new brand image incorporates a dynamic reworking of the familiar letters W, T and A – with a tennis ball functioning as the crossbar of the A – and marks a return to a silhouette of a female tennis player. The serve action pictured in the logo was given prominence for its literal and figurative significance to the WTA. The serve is the only shot in tennis where the player has absolute control and where the point begins. It also accentuates the fearless initiative taken by the WTA’s early founders who took control of their destiny and blazed a trail for the women of tennis today. The symbol makes subtle references to the sport’s global nature, framing the athlete within a circle that evokes the universal spirit of the WTA’s platform.
“The WTA is built on the grit, passion and determination of generations of athletes and tournament promoters,” said Micky Lawler, President of the WTA and head of marketing initiatives. “Our new logo embraces the visual language of tennis ad celebrates heroic women who come together ‘For The Game.’ We will wear it as a badge of pride and a reminder of the power of unity among strong individuals – by joining forces, we build something bigger than ourselves.”
Marketing Campaign: ‘WTA For The Game’
The ‘WTA For The Game’ campaign will be highlighted by several consumer touchpoints, including 30 and 60 second commercial spots as well as influencer stories that will be broadcast, published and posted across WTA player, tournament and affiliate channels. To enhance brand synergy while building consistency for tennis fans, tournaments will have access to a range of marketing collateral, with scope to feature a wide array of WTA athletes, to meet their individual promotional needs.
Using the slogan ‘WTA For The Game’ as a starting point, fans are provided new insights into the individual narratives of players as they describe the defining moments that have shaped their tennis journey and what gives their game purpose. Furthermore, a series of fan engagement activations will be released as the 2021 season begins.
“From both the sporting and business perspective, we were inspired by the WTA’s inherent qualities of leadership, fearlessness and shared purpose, and aimed to deliver a brand strategy and visual platform that players and tournaments could use to amplify this powerful message,” said Jessica Murphy, General Manager of Landor Australia. “Fans are enthralled by individual skill and athleticism, but they also invest deeply in what motivates these head-turning women on and off court. Exploring these driving forces – the similarities and differences – is a key element of the brand.”
LaLiga has signed mobile technology company Mondia group as its technology and commercial partner for the creation of LaLiga Xtra, its first ever subscription-based mobile platform, to offer exclusive content and experiences to sports fans.
Through an agreement with Orange group, the platform will be made available in the coming months to the operator’s millions of customers in its Middle East and Africa regions. This is the initial roll-out of the platform and Mondia will continue to distribute the offering through other partnerships across the globe.
Users of LaLiga Xtra will be able to choose daily, weekly or monthly subscription packages and will find a multi-language platform rich in exclusive content and experiences for football fans. It includes video, images, articles, and infographics as well as upcoming fixtures and in-depth player and club info.
In addition, users can play games such as quizzes, a prediction challenge and LaLiga’s fantasy football game, with the option to compete against other users. Exclusive interactive experiences will also be on offer to LaLiga Xtra subscribers, including the chance to take part in a live chat with a LaLiga Ambassador.
There are 70 countries lined up to host this platform with availability for each country to be announced over the coming weeks and months. The platform will be available on desktop, mobile and tablet devices and will be hosted within the Orange ecosystem.
Speaking about this launch, Óscar Mayo, LaLiga’s Head of Business, Marketing and International Development, said: “This is an exciting venture between two organisations with an extensive global reach and the desire to build communities of football fans through engaging content and new experiences. We want to entertain fans all week long, not only during the 90 minutes of a match, and we are convinced that LaLiga Xtra will achieve this. Our goal has always been to get closer to fans across the Middle East and Africa to show everything that Spanish football has to offer. We’re excited to continue building these connections by working with Mondia and Orange group.”
Mondia has reached 1.4 billion global users and counting, having worked with brands such as Disney, Nintendo, Sony, Universal and various telecommunications companies. In this case, Mondia will organise integrations between LaLiga and Orange and will develop, manage and maintain the platform. Mondia’s digital payment entity, Mondia Pay, as the official digital payment partner, will direct payments through direct carrier billing and other cashless payment options.
“Our partnership with LaLiga is an endorsement of our expertise in creating digital experiences for all. Our ability to create an end-to-end solution including digital payments, is the real value Mondia brings together with our experience in operating in many markets across the globe”, said Paolo Rizzardini, Chief Commercial Officer at the Mondia group. “LaLiga is a premium content partner with a commitment to delivering exceptional experiences to their audiences, and we are thrilled to help make the initiative a reality”, he added.
Leaning on its two decades of experience, Mondia is adapting marketing strategies and promotions based on each market to tap into local nuances and cultures. The Orange group will also assist in this sense by contributing to campaigns, both online and offline.
While this new platform will initially be enjoyed by Orange group customers, there are plans to expand to more telecommunications companies around the world in the future. In addition, LaLiga and Mondia will study the data to refine the platform and to provide a continually improving user experience over time. END
Fulham Football Club has signed ClearScore as Official Principal Partner & Sleeve Sponsor, until the end of the current 2020-2021 season.
With over 9 million users in the UK, ClearScore is the country’s number one credit scoring and credit product marketplace. Their vision is to transform people’s attitudes to money and help them get on in life, as well as helping people to stay ahead of fraudsters with their free dark web monitoring tool, ClearScore Protect. Based in the capital a short distance from Craven Cottage, ClearScore is committed to having a positive impact not only on the nation’s financial wellbeing but also on local organisations in and around their home in South West London. This is the first time the company has partnered with a football club.
The ClearScore logo was visible on the sleeves of the Fulham players during last two Premier League fixture against Everton and Leicester City and will appear on the sleeves until the end of this season.
In addition to presence on the sleeves of the 1st team shirts, the ClearScore brand will also receive significant exposure to a worldwide Premier League audience via the club’s LED perimeter advertising and scoreboard on match days at Craven Cottage, as well as enhanced player content generation during the term of the partnership.
CEO and Co-founder of ClearScore Justin Basini said: “After what has been a difficult period for everyone, we’re delighted to be partnering with Fulham Football Club this 2020-2021 season, and bringing ClearScore’s vision for financial wellness and resilience to a new audience. We’re excited to be supporting Fulham, and wish them the best of luck for the rest of the season.”
Alistair Mackintosh CEO of Fulham FC added: “We are delighted to welcome ClearScore on board as Official Principal Partner and Sleeve Sponsor for 2020/21. We are excited to work with a progressive organisation which offers a broad range of financial information and services for free. The ClearScore logo complements our stylish playing shirts and provides fantastic exposure for the ClearScore brand to a global football audience.”
2020 has been an uncertain and frustrating year for the sports industry. Many leagues have been postponed or even canceled, while clubs are losing a great deal of matchday revenue. At the beginning of the crisis, a few athletes started streaming FIFA tournaments against each other. Some clubs picked up on the trend and started their own esports campaigns.
While the matches were warmly received by thousands of fans, they were not optimized for team or sponsor purposes. However, with a second wave of the Coronavirus coming, sports federations and leagues can now take matters into their own hands to reap the full benefits of esports marketing.
Read the full story here – https://strivecloud.io/blog/10-esports-campaigns/
Hisense, one of the world’s leading consumer electronic brands has agreed a two-year agreement with Leeds United to become an Official Partner of the club.
The new partnership will see Hisense, whose UK headquarters are in Leeds, support the newly promoted club in an initial partnership which includes LED perimeter advertising, media interview backdrop branding and extensive branding of the prominent East Stand. The deal will also see Hisense award winning televisions installed at both Elland Road and the Thorp Arch training ground.
Founded in China in 1969, Hisense is the world’s fourth-largest manufacturer of televisions and home appliances. As well as the core range of televisions and refrigeration appliances, Hisense also launched a cooking range in 2019, featuring hobs, hoods, ovens, and dishwashers. In recent years, the brand has become increasingly involved in professional football on a global scale, serving as an Official Sponsor of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, and of the re-scheduled UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.
Leeds United will be working pro-actively alongside Hisense UK to spearhead the brand activity, including exclusive fan offers, sponsorship optimisation and innovative brand activations showcasing the latest brand technologies over the next two seasons.
Through the partnership Leeds United will extend their own global brand reach via an exclusive Club branded App which will deliver LUTV and exclusive club content onto the Hisense VIDAA Smart TV platform
Howard Grindrod, Hisense UK’s Vice President, said: “Leeds United are a huge club with an iconic stadium, so we’re delighted to announce this profile partnership with one of the biggest clubs in England.
“We have a wealth of experience within the football sector internationally, and this is a fantastic opportunity to involve ourselves in a partnership with a Premier League club – even better that it’s a club on our doorstep.
“Leeds United pride themselves on attention to detail, which is something we feel resonates directly with Hisense and our product range such as 4K ULED TVs. As excitement continues to build into the new season, we’re looking forward to kicking off our partnership and supporting the local community and being part of arguably the best league in the world.”
Paul Bell, Executive Director at Leeds United added: “We are delighted to welcome Hisense into our Official Partners programme. As one of the leading consumer electronics brands in the World is further testament to the strength of the Leeds United brand that Hisense have chosen to Partner with the Club on our return to the Premier League.
Through the partnership Hisense will receive significant brand visibility through the Partnership, globally through the Premier League TV footprint and regionally through their high profile branding on the East Stand here at Elland Road that directly overlooks the M621 motorway and is seen by over 30 million vehicles annually.
As part of this partnership we are also excited about extending the reach of our video on demand channel LUTV and creating unique Club content for the Hisense VIDAA Smart TV Platform, taking our content into millions of homes.
We look forward to working with the team at Hisense to showcase their latest technologies and help to grow their brand presence within the global consumer electronics market.”
