Amazon Prime Video To Broadcast Newly Created Autumn Nations Cup, Channel 4 To Show Three Free To Air Clashes

Amazon Prime has been announced as the UK Broadcaster of the newly created Autumn Nations Cup Tournament, due to kick-off on the 13th of November.

The Autumn Nations Cup is a new, innovative tournament that will take place over four weekends between November 13th and December 6th, 2020.

The competition will be a unique eight-team competition, involving the Six Nations as well as the rugby unions of Georgia and Fiji.

In recent months as the scale of the challenge presented by the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, it became apparent that fulfilling the traditional Autumn International fixtures would not be possible particularly as a result of travel restrictions preventing certain international teams from competing in scheduled fixtures.

This newly created tournament will replace the traditional Autumn International window for 2020 and ensures rugby fans all over the world will be treated to top class international rugby this Autumn.

Channel 4 have teamed up with Amazon Prime Video to ensure rugby fans can enjoy the entire tournament with Prime Video showing a range of games exclusively which will be available to Prime Members. This tournament follows hard on the heels of the conclusion of the Guinness Six Nations. Prime Video will also carry live coverage of England vs Ireland alongside Channel 4s live coverage.

Channel 4 will show live free to air television coverage of England’s clash with Ireland when the rugby giants meet in the Autumn Nations Cup this November.

Channel 4 – the only place where viewers can enjoy free to air television coverage of the tournament – will also show exclusive live coverage of the inaugural competition’s opening match between Ireland and Wales. In addition to three live matches, Channel 4 will broadcast highlights from all the rounds of the eight-team tournament after striking a deal with Amazon Prime Video.

The Autumn Nations Cup has been lined up to replace the autumn rugby internationals which have been kyboshed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The competition opens on Friday, 13th November, when Ireland take on Wales at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin live on Channel 4. The cup competition will be held over four weeks and features all Six Nations teams – England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales – who will be joined by Georgia and Fiji.

Channel 4’s Head of Sport Pete Andrews said: “We’re delighted to have teamed up with Amazon to bring rugby fans this fantastic tournament. It’s thrilling to be offering first class live international rugby on Channel 4 and it’s great to be launching the tournament live on a Friday night with Ireland v Wales. The England Ireland match-up the following week is a mouth-watering prospect live on Channel 4.

As well as live coverage of Ireland vs Wales (13.11.20) and England vs Ireland (21.11.20), Ireland’s game against Georgia (29.11.20) will also be live on Channel 4.

England will be in one pool with Georgia, Ireland and Wales while France, Fiji, Italy and Scotland make up the other pool. Channel 4 will carry highlights of the tournament’s conclusion, the finals weekend on 6th December. After playing other teams in their pool, the leaders of each table will play each other in a final. A finals weekend will also see the second placed teams of both groups play each other, both third placed teams play and so on. Channel 4’s coverage will be produced by Sunset + Vine Wales.

Channel 4 will also be showing live coverage of the Heineken Champions Cup Final on 17th October, about one month before the Autumn Nations Cup kicks off.

Ben Morel, CEO Six Nations Rugby commented, “We are absolutely delighted to formally announce details of the Autumn Nations Cup. A significant amount of time and effort has gone into delivering this new tournament format in testing circumstances and the spirit of collaboration amongst key stakeholders has been outstanding.

“While the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic made the traditional Autumn Test window unfeasible, we remained determined to deliver a unique and compelling tournament proposition which would ensure world class rugby for our fans globally, and competitive matches for players, unions and federations.

“We cannot wait for the tournament to get underway in November and fans can look forward to some outstanding matches featuring some of the greatest players in the world. We are especially pleased to be joined by Fiji and Georgia and expect them both to be tremendous additions to the competition.”

“We See Huge Potential For Borussia Dortmund In India” – Suresh Letchmanan, Borussia Dortmund

Suresh Letchmanan has been working as the head of Asia Pacific for Borussia Dortmund with special responsibilities for the business sectors Sales, Marketing and Business Development since October 2014. Previous to this task he headed the legal and business affairs of Dentsu Sports Asia as the company’s Vice President. Suresh specializes in strategic planning, business development, legal and general management across many areas. iSportconnect spoke with him about BVB’s APAC strategy, virtual tours and latest partnerships. Excerpts:

What’s the strategy behind BVB venturing into the India market?

Borussia Dortmund is following the developments of the Indian football ecosystem latest since the U17 FIFA World Cup which was hosted by India in 2017. Beside the massive socio-economic potential of India, we see a steadily growing interest for football. The quality of the Indian Super League is constantly improving and more and more (young) Indians start to play football in addition to the consumption of the same on TV, which makes India a very interesting market for Borussia Dortmund. We want to reach as many Indian football enthusiasts as possible in order to increase the number of our fans and followers. At the same time, we want to give back to our fans which means that we want to be as close as possible to them in order to make them feel like being a part of the BVB family.

On the technical side of things, we at Borussia Dortmund feel that we can support the further development of the Indian ecosystem especially in terms of sustainable and successful youth development. Therefore we partnered with the ISL club Hyderabad FC to increase our local footprint and to underline our long-term commitment in India.

What is BVB’s current India fan base? What are some of the fan engagement activities the club has undertaken for its Indian audience?

Back in 2017 we had one officially registered fan club founded by a group of passionate BVB fans in Pune. Today we can count on the support of eight official fan clubs spread all over India, from Delhi in the North to Chennai and Kerala in the South and from Mumbai in the West to Kolkata in the East. This makes us extremely proud. Beside the absolute number of Indian fan clubs, we are very happy to see how the clubs are getting more and more connected within the country and how they support each other in their activities. Thus, little by little a network of Indian fans in all major Indian cities is developing and growing which is extremely important and helpful for our future on-ground activities, once the pandemic is over.

In terms of fan engagement activities, we are of course trying to run as many activities online as possible due to the pandemic. The online meet & greets with former players but also with club officials are well received by our fans around the world and we are planning to have some new formats around the start of the new season. But of course, we all hope that the Corona-situation will end soon so that we can organize events on site again, just like we did before the pandemic. Especially the visits of our legends to cities like Kolkata and Bangalore, the watch parties in Cochin, Mumbai and Delhi as well as our football clinic in Mumbai were highlights for us and our local fans and we are hoping to bring this kind of activities back to India soon.

Tell us about your latest partnership with Hyderabad FC. Can we expect similar partnerships in future?

As already mentioned by Borussia Dortmund’s managing director, Carsten Cramer, we are really proud to have Hyderabad FC as our official club partner in India. The colors are obviously a perfect match but what is even more important to us is that we see many similarities at both clubs, e.g. in terms of a sustainable and holistic youth development and the importance of fans for the overall club culture.

Hyderabad FC is BVB’s first and exclusive club partner in India and the fourth international club partner beside the existing ones with Thai Premier League Club Buriram United, Australia’s NPL Club Marconi FC and Iwate Grulla Morioka in Japan.

What are the challenges of working in a complicated country like India where football is still not as popular as cricket?

The predominance and tradition of cricket in Indian is of course challenging for international football clubs but we see huge potential for Borussia Dortmund in India. Especially the upcoming generation seems to be pretty much into football and other sports beside cricket. In addition to the famous Yellow Wall and the overall thrilling atmosphere in Germany’s biggest stadium, the Signal Iduna Park, Borussia Dortmund is internationally well recognized for its success to bring young and highly talented players, like Jadon Sancho, Erling Haaland, Christian Pulisic or Gio Reyna, to the next level, which helps us a lot to attract new fans and football lovers in India, especially among the growing community of (young) Indians who enjoy playing football themselves and who are looking for young idols to identify with.

Any plans to focus on women’s football in India?

All of Borussia Dortmund’s grassroots activities are of course open and available for girls. In our first football camp in Mumbai in December 2018 we had a good proportion of really talented girls and we also participated in a conference called ‘She Plays All Win’ which explored opportunities to empower women and girls through football.

But since Borussia Dortmund has no girls and/or women teams in Germany yet, it would be presumptuous to say that we want to focus especially on this topic in India. However, we are absolutely aware of the importance of this topic and we will definitely continue to involve as many girls as possible in all our grassroots activities in India.

Member Insights: How Hungarian Fans Have Had The Opportunity To Cheer For Their National Team Virtually

Due to strict UEFA precautions still in force, spectators have not been able to enter the stadium during any national teams’ matches, but Hungarian fans have had the chance to use an application to post pictures on to the commercial surfaces of Puskás Arena and express their support for the national team this way.

The MLSZ (Hungarian Football Federation) Fan XP application made its debut at Sunday’s home match against Russia, enabling fans to post their photos before and during the match on to the giant screens of Puskás Arena and on to the LED walls next to the pitch through a moderated channel.

The digital innovation has been available for the first time on this match in the Nations League series, giving Hungarian fans an opportunity to support the players and show them that there is a nation behind them.

“It has made us very proud to help the Hungarian fans and stand behind our national team with our technology. Our solution already brought happiness to many fans who weren’t able to travel to their beloved teams’ matches in the past, unfortunately now we all have to watch our favourites from a distance. We hope that the fans will be able to return into the stadiums soon and encourage their teams in person.” – said Tom Vecsernyes, CEO of Seyu Solutions Ltd.

The article was originally published on Seyu’s website.

Eleven Sports Extends NFL Rights In Two Territories, Williams Racing Partners with Versa Integrity Group

ELEVEN is delighted to extend its partnership with the National Football League in Belgium, Luxembourg and Portugal. 

ELEVEN’s new deal will give American football fans the chance to enjoy the best live action from the NFL. ELEVEN will broadcast three NFL games every week of the season. Its coverage will include the playoffs and the Super Bowl. 

The NFL games form part of a premium package of live sports rights for ELEVEN in both Belgium and Portugal. In Belgium, ELEVEN is the Home of Belgian football for the next five years and fans can enjoy La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, NBA and more. In Portugal, ELEVEN subscribers can watch all the action from UEFA Champions League, La Liga and Bundesliga as well as F1. 

Luis Vicente, Chief Executive Officer, ELEVEN, said: “The NFL is one of the greatest leagues in the world and we’re delighted to be making it available to American football fans in Belgium and Portugal. We look forward to continuing to grow our partnership with the NFL.” 

Williams Racing

Williams Racing is pleased to confirm a new partnership with Versa Integrity Group (Versa), a leading provider of industrial inspection and maintenance services across all facets of critical infrastructure for the energy services industry.

Darryl Schimeck, CEO of the Versa Integrity Group said: “We are excited to partner with Williams Racing and introduce the world to Versa through the sport of F1.  Our shared devotion to excellence and safety signalled a clear opportunity between two brands focused on winning and continuous improvement.”

Tim Hunt, Commercial and Marketing Director for Williams Racing said: “In a relatively short space of time, we have already begun to see new commercial opportunities emerge in this new chapter for Williams. We are proud to be working with Versa Integrity in this new partnership. We share the same objective of providing our partners with services of the highest quality and we look forward to developing the relationship to deliver tangible business growth for Versa.”

Former Sky Sports Chief Barney Francis Joins WePlay As Strategic Advisor

Barney Francis, long-time former managing director of Sky Sports has been appointed to the Advisory Board of WePlay, the fast-growing, first-of-its-kind, performance marketing agency for the sports industry.

The TV sports heavyweight – a 20-year industry veteran – spent 10 years at the helm of Sky Sports before becoming CEO of Comcast’s Future Sport division in 2019, tasked with identifying global growth opportunities within sport’s changing landscape.

He will advise WePlay on business growth strategy, joining as an advisor to the WePlay Board that was formed in late 2019 following an initial round of investment. Chaired by Simon Cummins, Global Head of Odgers Berndtson’s sports, media & gaming practice, it also features Olivier Gers, Digital Media Advisor, former IMG, MediaCom, Endemol & IAAF (World Athletics) CEO, Adam Bellamy, former PureGym CFO and Nick Basing, Chairman of Ten Entertainment.

The appointment comes at a strategic time for WePlay, which specialises in helping sports brands to achieve their commercial growth objectives across emerging direct-to-consumer revenue streams, as the impact of Covid-19 accelerates the transition towards OTT/ SVOD, eSports, digital sponsorship and e-commerce.

The UK-based agency has a growing global presence with bases in London, Paris & Madrid, serving a global clientele including ESPN, UFC (Fight Pass), FIFA, LaLiga, European Club Association, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, IRONMAN, World Rally Championship, PGA European Tour, British Athletics, Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) and Olympique de Marseille.

Barney Francis said of the appointment: “WePlay is a really exciting agency, purpose built for this new era in sports. I’m a big fan of the “outcomes over outputs” approach that sets WePlay apart from the old agency guard. This is becoming increasingly important at a time when marketers need to justify every cent of brand spend.”

Simon Cummins, Chair of the WePlay Board, said: “Barney is a terrific addition to the team, which speaks to the direction of travel – not only for WePlay but the sports industry at large. We are very fortunate to have someone of Barney’s standing to join our existing Board.”

Luca Massaro, WePlay CEO, said: “It is absolutely fantastic to welcome someone of Barney’s experience, industry clout and knowledge to the WePlay team. The shift towards OTT and other direct-to-consumer sports revenue streams is accelerating exponentially and we have seen it directly over the Covid period, with 220% growth in our OTT business, 140% in ecommerce and over 300% in digital sponsorship. We have aggressive growth plans to expand internationally and I firmly believe that Barney can help us to achieve our ambitions for the future, building on a proud track record of year-on-year growth since the agency’s inception.”

888sport Becomes First Official Sports Betting Partner Of The NFL In The UK & Ireland

888sport, one of the world’s most popular sports betting providers, is delighted to announce it has signed a sponsorship deal with the National Football League (NFL) to become the NFL’s official sports betting partner in the UK & Ireland.  

The partnership is the first of its kind between the NFL and a sports betting provider in the UK & Ireland, and comes in time for the brand-new season, which begins on Thursday night when the Kansas City Chiefs, defending Super Bowl champions, host the Houston Texans. Celebrating a growing international passion for the NFL, particularly amongst sports fans in UK & Ireland, the partnership will also see 888sport become the official sports betting partner of the Super Bowl and official sports betting partner of the NFL London Games during the 2021-22 season. The deal will be supported by broadcast sponsorship of the Playoffs, the Super Bowl and Sunday and Monday Night Football, which start this weekend on the new Sky Sports NFL channel. 

The first full Sunday of NFL action sees Sky Sports airing three games: the New England Patriots against the Miami Dolphins; Tom Brady’s debut for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the New Orleans Saints; and the Los Angeles Rams hosting the Dallas Cowboys.

Providing fans with engaging content in the build up to fixtures, 888sport is also launching a new weekly social video series called ‘The Punt’, which begins on Thursday September 10. Available to watch via 888sport’s social channels, the series will welcome celebrity guests, including former Olympic gold medalist and Kansas City fan Sam Quek, Dallas Cowboys fan and social influencer Will Brazier and BBC journalist and Las Vegas Raiders fan Steffan Powell. Each week the panel will discuss the biggest talking points throughout the season. 

The partnership is the latest exciting development for 888 and the NFL, which expands upon the Group’s ongoing sponsorship of the New York Jets in the US – the first and only partnership of its kind between a pure digital gaming company and an NFL team. 

Guy Cohen, SVP Head of B2Cat 888, commented: “This is the start of an exciting chapter for 888sport. We pride ourselves on being at the forefront of live sporting experiences and we’re delighted to partner with an internationally adored brand such as the NFL. We look forward to playing our part in an exciting NFL season, which kicks off this weekend, and beyond.”

Chris Halpin, NFL Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and Growth Officer, said: “We are delighted to partner with 888Sport, our first official UK betting partner. It is a brand that will help us deepen fans’ engagement with our sport, and this partnership will provide us with strategic insights that will shape our broader sports betting strategy.”

ATP And Nitto Denko Corporation Extend Partnership Until 2025, ATP Also Adds Four New 2020 Events

The ATP and Nitto Denko Corporation have today announced a five-year extension of their highly successful partnership, until 2025. The extension will see Nitto continue as title partner of the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals, in partnership with the Italian Tennis Federation (FIT), as the event moves to its new home in Turin, Italy in 2021, following twelve editions of the tournament hosted at The O2 in London.

In addition to extending their title partnership of the Nitto ATP Finals, which began in 2017, Nitto will also become a year-round Gold Partner and the Official Athletic Tape of the ATP Tour. The partnership will provide Nitto medical taping products for use by ATP medical team at Tour events with Nitto branding featured on ATP physiotherapists’ official clothing.

“We are very proud to extend our partnership with Nitto for five more years,” said Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman. “Nitto are global industry leaders and have fully embraced their sponsorship of our season-ending event since our partnership began three years ago. Together with the FIT, we look to build upon that relationship and the record growth the event has achieved during its time in London. We also look forward to working closely with Nitto as our year-round Tour partner, as they assist in protecting players’ health by providing top quality medical products for use at events across the season.”

Hideo Takasaki, Nitto President, CEO & COO, said: “We are delighted and excited to be extending our partnership with the ATP and our long-term commitment to the Nitto ATP Finals. As a Gold Partner of the ATP Tour and its Official Athletic Tape Sponsor, we look forward to supporting tennis players participating on Tour, throughout the season. In Turin, a city with a strong spirit of innovation, we are confident the Nitto ATP Finals will be an event that amazes and inspires people all over the world.”

Nitto ATP Finals

Chiara Appendino, Mayor of Turin, said: “Turin is excited to welcome the Nitto ATP Finals in 2021 and write the next chapter in the event’s rich history. To be doing so with the long-term commitment of a world-leading partner like Nitto is a real statement of belief in Turin’s ability to deliver an exceptional and innovative event.”

Angelo Binaghi, FIT President, said: “We would like to thank Nitto for their invaluable commitment and support of the ATP Finals. The event has already received tremendous commercial interest from major global brands and will be a historic milestone for tennis in Italy, helping to inspire the next generations of players and fans.”

The Nitto ATP Finals is the largest indoor tennis tournament in the world, featuring the ATP’s top eight singles players and doubles teams competing over eight days for over US$ 9 million in prize money. The 2019 edition delivered record social and digital engagement, including 400 million impressions, 69 million video views and 12 million social interactions via ATP Tour and TennisTV channels.

Four New Events For 2020

The ATP has also announced the addition of four new ATP 250 events to the 2020 provisional schedule, as tennis continues its return following suspension of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The updated schedule introduces two new back-to-back ATP 250 events in Cologne (Germany, Indoor Hard) and new ATP 250 events in Sardinia (Italy, Clay), and Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan, Indoor Hard) issued as single-year licenses for 2020. The granting of licenses follows applications by tournament promoters and host localities able to satisfy strict health & safety, international travel, and ATP event requirements.

Updated ATP Tour Calendar

“Adding new events to the Tour calendar is a positive step given the many challenges our sport has faced this year, and I would like to thank all the event organisers on the calendar,” said Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman. “Our goal was to create additional opportunities for players and entertainment for our fans, and to do so in a safe and practical way. We are delighted to have tennis back on court again and these new events will help us finish the year strongly, as we build towards the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals.”

The provisional calendar remains subject to change and continued assessments will be made relating to health & safety, international travel policies, and governmental approval of sporting events.

Loch Lomond Whiskies Agrees An Exciting New Partnership With The European Tour

Award-winning, independent Scotch whisky distiller Loch Lomond Whiskies has agreed an exciting new partnership with The European Tour, becoming the first Official Partner of the innovative new UK Swing.

The partnership with the European Tour means that the distiller’s innovative and exciting range of Single Malt Scotch Whiskies will become “The Spirit of the Tour” throughout the duration of the UK Swing. Loch Lomond Whiskies have been “The Spirit of The Open” since 2018.

As part of the new relationship, Loch Lomond Whiskies’ hand sanitiser will be available on every tee during each of the six UK tournaments when the European Tour returns to action in July.

Loch Lomond Group were one of the first spirits companies in the world to utilise their existing resources and infrastructure to make hand sanitiser, so as to help and support those in need across the country throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. As the European Tour resumes, Loch Lomond Whiskies will help ensure good hygiene at all six UK tournaments as part of the European Tour’s comprehensive Health Strategy.

As an Official Partner of the European Tour’s UK Swing, Loch Lomond Whiskies will also support the launch of the new ‘Golf for Good’ initiative which will underpin all European Tour events in 2020 by  making a positive impact in the communities where the European Tour plays – and the wider world of golf – rewarding heroes of the pandemic such as front line workers, and promoting the many health benefits that golf offers to everyone.

Colin Matthews, CEO of Loch Lomond Group, said: “The European Tour is one of the most internationally recognised and respected golf bodies in the world and we are delighted to become a key partner of the UK Swing. This new association further extends our already very successful association with the game of golf through our existing sponsorship agreement with The R&A for both The Open and The Women’s British Open and The PGA and allows us to support the launch of the European Tour’s excellent “Golf for Good” initiative.”

Max Hamilton, the European Tour’s Head of Commercial Partnerships, said: “We are delighted to welcome Loch Lomond Whiskies and their award-winning brands as the first Official Partner of our new UK Swing. This innovative stretch of six events marks the start of our new Golf for Good initiative, enabling us to give back during these unprecedented times.  Our health strategy is vital to this and Loch Lomond Whiskies will also contribute to that through the provision of hand sanitiser. This is a great example of how brands can work together in different ways at the moment.”

ABB FIA Formula E Championship To Resume With Six-Race Berlin Showdown

  • ABB FIA Formula E Championship to be decided in Berlin at Tempelhof Airport, following approval of the FIA. 
  • Six behind–closed–door races to take place in nine days. 
  • Three double–headers on multiple track layouts to be held in quick succession on August 5/6, 8/9 and 12/13. 
  • Formula E and the FIA to implement strict safety measures to protect staff and competitors.

Formula E is set to resume racing in August at Tempelhof Airport in Berlin following approval of the FIA, with six races in nine days deciding who will win the 2019/20 ABB FIA Formula E Championship. 

The historic German airfield has been chosen to close out the current season, hosting three double–headers in quick succession on August 5/6, 8/9 and 12/13. Each pair of races will use a different track configuration, presenting opportunities for distinct strategies and the conditions for Formula E’s unpredictable and exciting racing. 

Formula E had already completed five races before the season was suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak, with DS TECHEETAH driver Antonio Felix da Costa (PRT) topping the standings, but only 11 points clear of nearest rival Panasonic Jaguar Racing’s Mitch Evans (NZL). 

Da Costa will be looking to use the six–race season finale in Berlin to seal his first Formula E title, promoting him onto the champions’ roll of honour alongside his DS TECHEETAH team–mate and two–time reigning champion Jean–Eric Vergne (FRA). 

The three double–headers in Berlin will complete Formula E’s revised season six calendar, taking the total number of rounds to 11. With the top–four drivers in the championship separated by fewer points than a single race win offers, it’s still all to play for when the racing recommences in Berlin. 

Formula E and the FIA have been working in close consultation with teams and local authorities to define a robust plan to conclude the championship in a safe manner. To mitigate risk, Formula E is implementing strict safety measures including racing behind closed doors with only essential staff and competitors travelling to the event. 

As per German government guidelines, there will be a maximum number of 1,000 people on site at any given time, including local suppliers and medical crews. All other operations will be carried out remotely. 

Key health and safety protocol includes mandatory coronavirus testing prior to the races, as well as on–site screening every day upon arrival at the track. Formula E will also actively enforce the use of face masks, social distancing and limit movement across workspaces with clearly defined zones for different event populations. 

For more information about the full list of measures being put in place, please visit www.FIAFormulaE.com/championship/closed–door–racing 

Track configurations and race start times will be revealed in due course on official Formula E digital platforms.

“Since taking action to suspend our season in March, we have emphasised a revised calendar which places the health and safety of our community first, represents Formula E’s distinct brand of city–centre racing and offers an exciting conclusion to the compelling season of racing we had seen so far. We’re heading to Berlin Tempelhof, a venue that our teams, drivers and fans love, to stage a nine–day festival of racing with three back–to–back double–headers. 

“The festival will feature three track layouts, presenting a new challenge and creating the conditions for an unpredictable and drama–filled climax to our season. The team at Formula E has been working incredibly hard over the past weeks to enable us to go racing again in Berlin. I’d like to thank the FIA, our manufacturers, teams and partners for their continued support, the city of Berlin for their cooperation and flexibility and our fans for their patience.”