SportAccord Opens Host City Application Process For World Sport & Business Summit

SportAccord has launched the host city application processes for future editions of its SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit and Regional SportAccord events.

Cities interested in hosting the global sports industry’s most influential annual gathering in 2022 or subsequent editions have been invited to submit a Bid City Application Form for the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit.

The inaugural edition of Regional SportAccord Pan America took place in December last year in Fort Lauderdale, USA, and those interested in hosting future editions in any year through to 2023 can complete a Bid City Application Form. Applications will be considered to host a dedicated Regional SportAccord for Europe, Asia, Africa or Oceania, as well as Pan America.

Each Bid City Application Form should be submitted along with a formal Letter of Commitment that has been signed on behalf of the prospective host city.

Information about who attends both events, as well as hotel accommodation requirements, short- and long-term hosting benefits, the financial commitments and hosting terms, and the bidding and selection processes can be found by accessing the City Application Information Packages for the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit here and Regional SportAccord here.

The SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit, first held in 2003, is the only global sports business gathering attended by all international sport federations and their affiliated umbrella organisations, as well as organising committees, hosting cities and regions, governments and administrations, rights-holders, agencies and athletes, plus experts and organisations from the sports media, technology, investment, medical and legal sectors.

With more than 1,500 key decision-makers representing at least 1,000 different organisations and over 150 cities and regions in attendance, the six-day event in March, April or May each year features high-level meetings, a conference programme split into multiple sector-specific ‘streams’, a bustling exhibition and numerous social events for delegates.

Nis Hatt, Managing Director, SportAccord, says: “We have already received numerous expressions of interest regarding future editions of both of these industry-leading events from prospective host cities from across the globe. We are focusing on the future with great optimism, with the highly anticipated World Sport & Business Summit 2021 in Ekaterinburg serving as a significant signpost, and we look forward to receiving formal applications in the coming weeks and months for events that will support a bright new chapter for the international sports movement.”

Regional SportAccord was launched in order to bring together international sport federations and organisations involved in the business of sport for a specific region, with the 2019 Regional SportAccord Pan America event attended by international sport federations, cities and ministries, rights-holders and industry experts. Designed to welcome more than 500 delegates from over 50 countries representing at least 200 different organisations, Regional SportAccord, held over three days, also showcases a two-day conference programme and an extensive sports industry exhibition.

Every Bid City Application will be presented to the SportAccord Executive Committee for review, and each city will receive feedback in due course.

Member Insights: Amazon, Disney+ And Netflix Are Set To Face A Power Struggle With Subscribers, Says Singula Decisions

With a global recession looming due to Covid-19, and people’s needs changing post-lockdown, popular streaming brands such as Amazon, Disney+, and Netflix, are set to face a power struggle with subscribers, according to an in-depth report launched by Singula Decisions, a specialist in subscriber intelligence.

The report further indicates that consumers are often left feeling ‘powerless’ and ‘guilty’ over costs associated with over-the-top (OTT) TV subscription services, which can fuel brand discontent and disconnection.

Respondents said they felt guilty and worried about the costs of keeping ‘luxury’ services, and the paper warns of a ‘saturation slump’ whereby subscribers no longer get the same pleasure from the service.Once subscribers have gone through the Acquisition phase of a subscription, they move on to the next critical moments of the lifecycle that impact Growth: Bill, Upgrade and Downgrade. This is where customer experience becomes of utmost importance.

Consumers also bemoan the fact that brands quickly disappear once they have signed up, only hearing from them when there is a financial issue, such as a price hike or upgrade option. The findings indicate that this is precisely the moment when brands should be listening and engaging with customers. This is particularly true now when OTT subscription services – which assumed ‘necessity status’ during lockdown – may be deemed ‘luxury’ items again as families tighten their belts and resume in-person socialising.

During COVID-19, leaders with very masculine qualities strongly prioritised the economy and ‘getting things done’. Leaders with strong feminine qualities closed borders, shut down schools and protected their people while the economy suffered. In terms of brands, masculine- dominant brands took advantage

Report author and director of QualiProjects, Jennifer Whittaker, said: “It’s important to consider the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown, where subscribers began seeing OTT TV as a necessity rather than a luxury, as subscriptions were fundamental to experiencing positive feelings in the midst of negativity and uncertainty. How brands behave moving forward will determine whether or not these new attributes stay, and the extent to which the OTT subscription monthly bill will be considered in the same class as the electricity bill. Brands must tune in to what subscribers truly want – financial transparency, better customer experience, more freedom and choice – if they are to support this change in the long-term.”

Bhavesh Vaghela, CEO of Singula Decisions, said: “OTT brands are missing a trick when it comes to building a loyal and passionate fan base at the moment the relationship is ripe with opportunities to grow services and protect revenues. After sign-up, the real challenge of building long-term relationships with customers begins, but brands are often too focused on monetary transactions. There are big opportunities at many key moments in the customer journey for them to demonstrate positive values – an ability to listen, empathise and act – and become more relatable in the eyes of customers.”

Revenue growth
This second in a series of three reports on the ‘Psychology of a Subscriber’, focuses on ways brands can grow their revenue and customer base. The findings, however, highlight how much work OTT brands will have to do to convince customers to remain loyal. The study reveals how TV streaming services continue to exhibit narcissistic traits, displaying an abundance of ‘masculine’ qualities (forward energy – doing, acting, creating), but very little in the way of ‘feminine’ qualities (receptive energy – nurturing, supporting, listening). The report advocates a more balanced approach that seeks to understand customers’ emotional and psychological needs through better customer experience, and ultimately create a connectedness with OTT brands.

The research also explores how brands can:

● Offer transparency around billing and ensure subscribers always feel in control during difficult times
● Stay connected to subscribers, listen to concerns, and reward customer loyalty post-pandemic
● Make upgrade and downgrade options easy and simple, with flexibility to quickly change
● Keep content original and relevant to assuage feelings of subscriber ‘guilt’ over costs
● Deliver best-in-class customer experience, from UX and marketing to payment plans and customer service
● Avoid rigid financial options that push consumers into a ‘child ego’ state, where they feel trapped and powerless, and eventually disconnect from the ‘authoritarian parent’ brand

LDN UTD And Leyton Orient FC Launches UTD AGAINST RACISM

Following the success of events addressing Knife Crime in Lewisham (in partnership with grime artist P Money), and suicide prevention during lockdown, LDN UTD has announced UTD AGAINST RACISM, a celebration of diversity through the medium of esports, to take place on 17th September 2020, in partnership with Leyton Orient FC.

Leyton Orient FC join the broadcast after the recent success of their first foray into esports: the “Quaran Team” lockdown tournament. Team GB triple jumper Daniel Lewis will be joined by Dermot Bailey (Team GB Wheelchair Tennis), YouTube superstar Joel ‘JMXFifa’ Morris, Sam Sargeant and Ouss Cisse on the talent lineup for the event; with more to be announced in the coming weeks.

The broadcast will be the first in the UK to take advantage of Sport Buff’s innovative fan engagement technology. Viewers will have the opportunity to take part in quizzes, polling and competitions to gain points and win a selection of prizes during the broadcast. Fans will be offered the opportunity to compete in open qualifiers across PUBG, Rocket League and FIFA on Sunday 13th September. The winners of the open qualifiers will receive prizes and the chance to compete with and against a lineup of sportspeople and gamers in the final bracket, broadcast live on LDN UTD’s Twitch channel and other platforms on Thursday 17th September, from 17:00BST onwards.

Registration for the qualifiers is via the LDN UTD website. Full details of qualifier formats will be released in the coming week.

Oliver Weingarten, Founder and CEO of LDN UTD: “We are excited for UAR and continuing to showcase our vision of uniting esports with social responsibility. However it is not about us – it is about celebrating diversity within the gaming community. We look forward to working with Leyton Orient and the talent involved to fulfil this remit.’

Danny Macklin, CEO of Leyton Orient FC: “Leyton Orient have always stood for equality, so for us to be involved with this event was a no-brainer. On the back of our Ultimate QuaranTeam success, we’re excited to take more steps into the esports world, and to do so for such a worthy cause is brilliant.”

McLaren Racing Partners Miory Steel To Help The Brand Expand

McLaren Racing has signed a multi-year Formula 1 partnership with Miory Steel, the leading producer of electrolytic tinning and cold-rolled sheet in Belarus.

The partnership aims to raise awareness of Miory Steel on a global level to support the growth of the young brand. Starting from the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix, Miory Steel branding will feature on the nose of the MCL35 and the sleeves of the McLaren pit crew.

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing said: “We are delighted to announce our new partnership with Miory Steel and contribute to the growth of their brand and business using McLaren’s strong marketing platform. We look forward to starting the partnership this season highlighting the brand on a truly global stage, as we continue to progress forward as a team.”

Aliaksei Kavalionak, Chairman of the Board, Miory Steel said: “We are very excited about the upcoming partnership with McLaren Racing. We see our cooperation as long-term, innovative and mutually beneficial for all its participants. The partnership with the leading Formula 1 team is the first case in the history of sovereign Belarus. And this achievement allows us to look to the future with inspiration, to expect active team-work at all levels of the partnership and be confident that the development of our relationship will be harmonious. We are happy to move forward together with McLaren Racing, for new challenges, to new goals and at any speed, achieving bright victories.”

Fanatics Signs 10-Year Deal With Rebel To Reach Australian Sports Fans

Fanatics, the global leader in licensed sports merchandise has teamed up with rebel, Australia’s leading retailer of sporting equipment, apparel and footwear and signed an innovative new deal that will provide sports fans across Australia with access to the most comprehensive range of licensed sports merchandise available anywhere in the country.

Australian sport fans are renowned for their passion and loyalty to their favourite teams but often lack the availability of products for the teams they love. Fanatics and rebel are partnering to solve that problem – and will offer Australian fans officially licensed products from some of the biggest sports leagues in the world, such as NFL, NBA, all major European Football Clubs, MLB and Formula 1.

The long-term deal, which will come into effect mid-2021, will see Fanatics enter its first significant partnership with an Australian retailer, as it becomes the exclusive supplier of US sports licensed team merchandise on the rebel website and will drastically improve rebel’s in-store licensed product availability. The new partnership expands Fanatics portfolio of retail partnerships around the world to better service fans and expand the licensed sports merchandise market.

The unique nature of the new partnership means that the rebel website (rebelsport.com.au) will now offer thousands of new products, currently not available with any other retailer in Australia.

rebel’s Managing Director, Gary Williams said the partnership further strengthened rebel’s ability to bring the best global brands direct to Australia’s sporting enthusiasts.

“Australians love their sport. Teaming up with powerhouse sports fan brand, Fanatics, is a terrific win for rebel customers who are loyal and passionate fans of sporting teams both here in Australia and across the globe” he said.

Through this new model, the expanded product assortment will be available directly via rebel’s national store network and online via www.rebelsports.com.au, with Fanatics’ fulfilling and shipping customer orders directly via its existing international warehouse and logistics.

Speaking about the new partnership, Fanatics’ International General Manager & Head of Corporate Development, Zohar Ravid, said: “We are absolutely delighted to partner with rebel, the leading sports retailer in Australia. We found a great partner and similar strategic vision in the Super Retail Group and rebel’s management team.

“rebel was already one of the leading destinations for Australian sports fans but now, thanks to this new partnership, these fans will have even more choice and similar access to official merchandise as local fans in the U.S. or Europe. Sports are a global passion and we are strong believers that all fans deserve the option to support and participate in their favourite teams’ triumphs and despairs.”

“For our +300 global partners, this partnership provides the opportunity to reach a large Australian fan base through the most dominant local retailer, reaching even more fans worldwide.”

Fanatics is the largest online licensed sports retailer in the world and partners with many of the biggest football clubs across Europe and some of the largest global sporting organisations, including NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, Ryder Cup, Tour De France and Formula One.

LaLiga Club Levante Launch ‘Solidarity Sneakers’ To Raise Disability Awareness

  • Together with local company Timpers, the Valencian club has created limited edition trainers to show abilities of people with visual disabilities.
  • 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the shoes go to the sports projects of the Levante UD Foundation.

LaLiga Santander club Levante UD always aims to make its mark when it comes to social inclusion. Integration and equality are the underlying principles of a club that has worked to create opportunities for people of all backgrounds and increase its standing in society.

Levante UD’s latest project is to create a new line of trainers with a broader social relevance. It contacted the Valencian brand Timpers, whose employees include people with visual disabilities, with the idea of starting a pioneering initiative. “We got in contact with Timpers to find a common project that could provide visibility for the social work that is carried out by both entities,” said Alberto Gil, Communication Director of Levante UD.

To read the full piece and subscribe to LaLiga’s Global Fútbol Newsletter, follow this link: https://newsletter.laliga.es/global-futbol/levante-solidarity-sneakers-timpers-disability-awareness

Real Sociedad Taps PTI Digital To Enhance Mobile Engagement And Digital Revenues

La Liga club Real Sociedad has signed an initial one-year deal with PTI Digital as the club looks to digital platforms in the recovery from COVID-19.

Known for their work in digital and technology innovation and having recently qualified for the Europa League, the club have appointed PTI as their Official Digital Partner to build upon the foundations within their mobile app delivery.

The deal will see PTI take on the management of the club’s official app, helping to enhance the fan experience in conjunction with driving new digital advertising and sponsorship revenues. Through the Rover platform, PTI will work with Real Sociedad to bring in new brands and advertisers, build experiences and campaigns within the app for the “Txuri Urdin” Family and to support their activation and provide the analytics behind post-campaign reporting.

Real Sociedad become PTI’s first Spanish client, having launched in the market just last month.

PTI CEO Mike Bohndiek commented “To work with a club who are widely recognised as one of the most innovative in La Liga from a digital perspective as our first client in Spain is a tremendous honour and showcases the dynamic nature of our service portfolio. Our team on the ground will take great pride in delivering to their needs.”

Real Sociedad’s Chief Innovation Officer Juan Iraola commented “For some time Real Sociedad have been looking at ways to drive new revenues using digital. In PTI, we have found a partner who can help us realise our vision in conjunction with our wider commercial and digital needs. We are excited to start this partnership which has significant potential to expand.”

PTI are looking forward to bringing their unique technology and digital expertise to drive commercial revenues to the region, with the company already engaged with 70+ sports and entertainment clients, helping them to Activate Digital Engagement in three core ways:

  • Advise, producing a digital strategy that delivers bottom line returns and technology roadmaps to activate digital outcomes
  • Activate, ensuring technology enables smarter campaigns and sponsorship engagement
  •  Monetise, enhancing revenue streams and driving return from digital assets

Williams Racing Acquired By Dorilton Capital

Williams Racing has been acquired by Dorilton Capital, bringing a successful conclusion to the Strategic Review which was launched in late May. Dorilton Capital is known for its long-term approach to investment and its key focus will be to restore the competitiveness of the team.  This marks the beginning of an exciting new era in the history of Williams, which with its new owner, is now well positioned to capitalise upon the sweeping rule changes coming into Formula One with the new Concorde Agreement.

As part of the Strategic Review, Williams together with the Group’s financial advisers, conducted a comprehensive review of all the options available to the Company, which included exploratory discussions with a series of potential investors. This strategic review has now successfully concluded and the Company is pleased to announce the sale of Williams Racing to Dorilton Capital. This Transaction received the unanimous support of the Board of Williams, including Sir Frank, who determined the Transaction delivers the best outcome for the Company’s shareholders and secures the long-term success of the Williams Formula 1 team.

Dorilton Capital is a private investment firm headquartered in the United States with a strong track-record of building and enhancing companies with a flexible and patient investment style. Dorilton recognises and appreciates the importance of respecting and retaining Williams’ heritage and culture and is committed to maintaining its identity. The team will continue to race and compete under the Williams brand, with the chassis name remaining unchanged. Dorilton has no plans to re-locate the team from Grove, its traditional home.

The new Concorde Agreement is set to transform the sport and will help address the historical challenges that Williams has faced as an independent constructor, by reducing the financial and on-track disparities between teams and creating a fairer, more competitive sport. The new changes present an exciting opportunity for Williams, which together with the new ownership, will secure the long-term future of Williams at the pinnacle of motorsport.

Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal, commented: “The Strategic Review was a useful process to go through and proved that both Formula One and Williams have credibility and value.  We have now reached a conclusion and we are delighted that Dorilton are the new owners of the team. When we started this process, we wanted to find a partner who shared the same passion and values, who recognised the team’s potential and who could unlock its power. In Dorilton we know we have found exactly that. People who understand the sport and what it takes to be successful. People who respect the team’s legacy and will do everything to ensure it succeeds in the future.As a family we have always put our team first. Making the team successful again and protecting our people has been at the heart of this process from start. This may be the end of an era for Williams as a family owned team, but we know it is in good hands. The sale ensures the team’s survival but most importantly will provide a path to success. We are enormously grateful to Dorilton for the faith they have shown in our team and we look forward to working with them now. I would also like to thank the Williams Board and our advisers who have worked tirelessly over the past months to make this happen and our employees who have remained steadfastly loyal.”

Mike O’Driscoll, CEO of Williams, commented: “The transaction announced today marks the next stage in the history of Williams Formula 1 at an exciting time in the sport. The Company has successfully completed its strategic review and we are pleased to announce the sale to Dorilton Capital, which delivers a great outcome for shareholders and secures the long term future of the Company.”

Matthew Savage, Chairman of Dorilton Capital, commented: “We are delighted to have invested in Williams and we are extremely excited by the prospects for the business.  We believe we are the ideal partner for the company due to our flexible and patient investment style, which will allow the team to focus on its objective of returning to the front of the grid.  We look forward to working with the Williams team in carrying out a detailed review of the business to determine in which areas new investment should be directed.  We also recognise the world class facilities at Grove and confirm that there are no plans to relocate.”

Stats Perform Acquires Live Betting Video Rights To Belgian Pro League And Cup

Stats Perform, the SportsTech leader in data and AI technology, has added the exclusive live betting streaming rights for Belgian football’s Pro League and Cup to its portfolio of premium betting video events.

Under the multi-year agreement, Stats Perform will have the exclusive right to distribute live video streams of the competitions to licensed sportsbooks outside Belgium, creating exceptional betting experiences online, on mobile and in retail betting venues. The streams will be accompanied by Stats Perform’s trusted, official data for these competitions. Leagues include all games of the Jupiler Pro League, 1B Pro League and key games of the Croky Cup.

Alex Rice, Stats Perform Chief Rights Officer, commented: “The Belgian Pro League has always delivered exciting football for their passionate fans, and are notorious for producing players who are now setting the big-five leagues alight. We’re delighted that Belgian Pro League has chosen us to be their official live streaming partner and to combine their live betting video rights with our official data rights. We are looking forward to working with the league and are committed to delivering the best possible betting experiences across their competitions.”

The Belgian Pro League official live streaming video rights announcement follows the recent news that Stats Perform acquired the betting streaming and data rights to the Brazilian leagues. Both of these partnerships form part of Stats Perform’s official betting live streaming portfolio which also includes Spanish La Liga soccer, French Ligue 1 soccer and numerous other European and global football competitions.

Riot Games Partners With Cisco to Power League Of Legends Esports

Riot Games and Cisco have announced a multi-year partnership that establishes the global technology leader as the Official Enterprise Networking Partner of League of Legends Esports. The partnership will provide reliable infrastructure and networking capabilities across five continents and three global events that will improve the competitive experience for pro players as well as enhance the viewing experience for fans.

Cisco’s networking solutions will power “The Realm” – the private game server used exclusively for pro-level competitive LoL Esports matches at three major global events: The League of Legends World Championship, The Mid-Season Invitational, and The All-Star Event. Cisco’s highly secure, flexible, and reliable networking technology will serve as the foundation to deliver the world’s most popular esport as it moves into its second decade.

“As a sport completely reliant on technology, it is essential that League of Legends runs on a trusted and reliable network,” said Scott Adametz, Esports Tech Lead at Riot Games. “With Cisco as a partner, we now are able to build and expand the infrastructure necessary to deliver the best esports experience possible for fans and professional players all over the world.”

“Our partnership with Riot Games brings together the leaders in esports and networking to offer the best possible connected experience for the players and millions of fans around the world,” said Brian Eaton, Director of Global Sports Marketing at Cisco. “Cisco is committed to redesigning the internet for the future, and esports has a big impact on that goal. With more people online than ever before for work and entertainment, it is critical to have a highly secure, flexible infrastructure in place to help ensure the visual quality and speed that will be required in the future.”

Cisco will provide Riot Games with a mix of its leading networking technology spanning Cisco UCS→ Blade and Rack Servers and Nexus Data Center switches, allowing for significant improvements to game play performance and studio broadcasting capabilities. In addition, Cisco also will provide a flexible architecture for Riot’s Regional Broadcast Centers (RBCs) that will support competitive integrity to serve global esports for years to come.

The Realm – Competitive Esports Server Upgrade

League of Legends is an esport that requires quick strategic planning and fast reaction timing. For pro players, it is essential to be able to face the least amount of lag (or “ping”) as possible. With Cisco technology being implemented in “The Realm,” Riot and Cisco are together working to help pro players compete on Summoner’s Rift at sub-1ms ping, allowing for near instantaneous reaction times and uninterrupted gameplay. The new Cisco servers are expected to offer up to 200% raw performance improvement over the previous technology.

Global Esports Networking 

In order to power the next decade of esports, Riot Esports will deploy a new collaborative global infrastructure and networking upgrades. Cisco’s global and regional footprint allows Riot the flexibility, accessibility, and security needed to produce world-class esports events in all corners of the globe. Using Cisco’s advanced networking technology, fans at home will be able to watch LoL Esports broadcast streams with reduced delay and improved quality, bringing them closer to the action.

Regional Broadcast Center Upgrades

As part of a global initiative to standardize and promote competitive integrity around the world, Riot Games will deploy more than 200 new tournament game servers in regional studios all centrally managed through Cisco’s new Intersight SaaS solution. Using Cisco’s UCS B-Series Blade Servers, C-Series Rack Servers,and Nexus 3000/7000 Series Switches, Riot Games will establish a common infrastructure footprint across the 12 RBCs including virtualization, storage, and computing to deliver improved performance with reduced latency for regional professional gameplay. Cisco blade nodes can easily adapt and support the broadcast centers without the need for new hardware, allowing for potential new esport applications to come online with ease.

Global Riot Object Storage

As a worldwide leader in esports, Riot Games will undergo a major, global expansion of their object storage system to support content distribution, media processing, and global content archive. Using Cisco’s Storage Optimized Computing Solutions, Riot will build an archive to protect their legacy of content that will more than triple the amount of usable storage and capacity.

LoL Esports has become the biggest esport in the world over the last decade, reaching a record-breaking 21.8 million average minute audience (AMA) for the 2019 World Championship Final. Cisco joins some of the world’s most recognized brands, including Mastercard, Louis Vuitton, Unilever’s AXE, Red Bull, OPPO, State Farm, and Secretlab, as premier global sponsors for League of Legends Esports.

“As we expand on the success of the first decade of our sport, we look to align with partners whose expertise will be a force multiplier for delivering the sporting experiences worthy of our pro players and fans,” said Naz Aletaha, Head of Global Esports Partnerships, Riot Games. “Cisco’s products are best-in-class, and we look forward to leveraging their technology and know-how as we continue to scale League of Legends Esports.”Riot