How Fans Of LaLiga Clubs Are Making Their Presence Felt Inside The Stadiums

While games continue to be held behind closed doors, fans of LaLiga are following the action from home. But while fans are not attending the stadiums, LaLiga and its clubs have designed a range of different initiatives to ensure their support is still being felt.

From life-sized fan photos in the stands to applause being heard during the match, audio and visual elements have been used to help create a unique experience for the players and strengthen connections between clubs and their fans.

“It’s the time to be united and together,” the Elche CF communications department said of these campaigns. “Our fans are the driving force behind our club and we want them to be part of this exciting time.”

Elche CF’s fan photo initiative goes global
At Elche CF, more than 600 polypropylene, fireproof and hard-wearing templates were printed with fan photos and assembled inside the ground for the club’s first game after the return of the competition.

“Season-ticket holders were the first group to be given this option because we felt they had to have the chance to be close to the team,” the club noted. “Members of our supporters’ groups were also among the first to be informed and consulted on this initiative.”

“We’ve had many requests from football fans, in general, who want to be part of this. The idea was first launched by Bundesliga club Borussia Monchengladbach, with whom we’ve developed an excellent relationship off the back of this initiative…..

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Sportfive Agrees 3-Year Deal With Supponor

Sportfive, the global sports business agency, and Supponor, virtual advertising technology and solutions for live sports broadcasts, have agreed to extend their collaboration that has existed since 2017 by another three years.

Sportfive virtual advertising creates additional, highly effective and high-quality TV-relevant advertising inventory within the Bundesliga games. The sponsors and advertisers benefit from the reach and worldwide attention of one of the top leagues worldwide. The range of the Bundesliga has recently been boosted again, as the first and only European top league has successfully restarted. The possibilities of digitally fading advertising banners is particularly important for global and regional sponsorship partnerships outside the German-speaking market.

Over the past two seasons, Supponor’s proprietary technology platform has proven to be a reliable and authentic modification of regular broadcasting that enables virtual multiplication of gang advertising space for multiple international markets. This results in a wide range of opportunities for advertising partners such as the individual approach of target groups in different regions and the possibility of rights holders to acquire different partners per region. The focus markets for addressing target groups and playing out customized feeds are the USA, China, Thailand, Japan and EMEA. In the TV signal for DACH, the LED bands can be seen as they can be seen in the stadium, while the advertising space outside DACH is blended with individual content.

Philipp Hasenbein, COO at Sportfive, said: “We are proud that we were able to bring innovations into the industry together with our partners. The technology enables brands and rights holders to create additional added value. The innovative use of cam carpets underlines our role as a driver of innovation. We support our partner associations in promoting their positioning in the respective target markets and in reaching their target groups with country-specific advertising messages. ”

James B Gambrell, CEO at Supponor, said: “We are happy to extend our partnership with Sportfive as proof of the strong collaboration that we have built. The announcement of our expanded collaboration comes at a time when interaction with the audience is more important than ever, and virtual advertising technology can be the key to improved fan engagement and interaction with sponsors, leagues, and clubs. We look forward to working with them and expanding our partnership beyond Germany by distributing virtual solutions in live sports worldwide. ”

MCC Appoints Clare Connor CBE As First-Ever Female President

Former England captain Clare Connor is set to become the first-ever female president of the Marylebone Cricket Club in its 233-year history.

The announcement was made following an annual general meeting on Wednesday, 24 June, held online. The former England all-rounder featured in 111 internationals, scoring 1,604 runs and taking 104 wickets across formats. She was named the captain of her side in 2000 and held the position until her retirement from international cricket in 2006. She also led her side to a historic Ashes win in 2005.

The present MCC president, Kumar Sangakkara, who was appointed last for one-year tenure, has been invited to hold the position for another 12-month period due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Connor will replace the Sri Lankan on 1 October next year.

The former England skipper, who is currently the managing director of women’s cricket of England and Wales Cricket Board, said: “I am deeply honoured to be named the next president of MCC. Cricket has enriched my life so deeply already, and now it hands me this wonderful privilege.

“We often need to look back to see how far we’ve come. I made my first visit to Lord’s as a starry-eyed, cricket-obsessed nine-year-old girl at a time when women were not welcome in the Long Room. Times have changed. Now I find myself entrusted with this remarkable opportunity, the opportunity to play a part in helping MCC, cricket’s most influential club, to thrive and grow in an even more modern and inclusive future.

“MCC does wonderful work for communities in the UK and overseas. It stages the most uplifting events. It brings people together. And as we take small steps to emerge from this uncertain and difficult time, we are going to need the power of sport and strong sporting organisations like the MCC more than ever. I really am very proud to have been asked to be its next president.”

Australia And New Zealand To Host The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup

Australia and New Zealand were awarded the rights to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, with the FIFA Council voting to send the tournament to Asia-Pacific for the first time.

Following on from the astounding success of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 in France and the subsequent unanimous decision by the FIFA Council, the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 will be the first edition to feature 32 teams and it will also be the first to be hosted by Australia and New Zealand and across two confederations (AFC and OFC).

Football Federation Australia chairman Chris Nikou said the successful bid was an enormous opportunity to grow football in the region.. He added, “FIFA today has made not one, but two countries very happy. Our pledge to the FIFA family is that no stone will be left unturned to produce the best World Cup and grow the women’s game globally and in the Asia-Pacific region.”

New Zealand Football Federation president Johanna Wood said:  “Chris and I and the whole bidding team are extremely delighted with the result. We’ve always said with this bid, that it is as one and making history and creating opportunities.”

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern issued a joint statement: “Its a landmark decision for both sides of the Tasman as we recover and rebuild from COVID-19. The 2023 event will be the largest, and no doubt the best, Women’s World Cup that has ever been staged.”

Amazon Buys Naming Rights To Seattle’s KeyArena

Amazon has bought the naming rights to Seattle’s KeyArena and will change the name to Climate Pledge Arena.

Amazon announced its Climate Pledge initiative last year as the company promised to become net carbon neutral by 2040.

The 18,100-seat venue is undergoing a $930 million reconstruction project and will be home to Seattle’s new NHL team and the WNBA’s Seattle Storm, with a scheduled opening in Summer 2021.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said in a statement. “We’ve secured naming rights to the historic arena previously known as KeyArena. Instead of naming it after Amazon, we’re calling it Climate Pledge Arena as a regular reminder of the importance of fighting climate change. We look forward to working together with Oak View Group, a new Climate Pledge signatory, and NHL Seattle to inspire global climate action.”

The arena’s location in the lower Queen Anne neighborhood is just blocks from Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle and other offices for Google, Facebook, Apple, and more. The naming rights are part of expansion of the company’s footprints in sports as previously it has struck several streaming deals.

LaLiga Receives R&D+I Certifications For Technological And Innovative Work

LaLiga’s commitment to research, development and technological innovation has been recognised through both the Certification Agency for Spanish Innovation (ACIE) and the European Quality Assurance entity (EQA).

Both organisations, which are accredited certifiers of the ENAC (National Accreditation Body), have recognised several LaLiga projects due to the innovative nature of their technology.

The Calendar Selector tool, designed by LaLiga to optimise television viewing figures and stadium attendance with the use of artificial intelligence, has received recognition as a research and development project. The same certification has been applied to the Marauder, Lumiere and Tyche apps, which were created by LaLiga’s Antipiracy Department to help combat the illegal viewing of matches.

Over 20 projects developed by LaLiga have been certified as technological innovations, including its OTT platform LaLigaSportsTV, the real-time match analytics platform Mediacoach, Horeca (hotel, restaurant and cafe industry-focused), tools developed by the LaLiga BI & analytics department, corporate applications such as the clubs’ portal and the new LaLiga website, among others.

“We’re proud to receive these types of certifications because they validate all the hard work that we are doing within the world of technology at LaLiga. We are firmly committed to innovation and this recognition is a boost for us to continue down this path in the mid- to long-term,” explained LaLiga President Javier Tebas.

The recognition also provides a tax reduction with which LaLiga will be able to support its clubs financially to help them cope through these current uncertain times due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition, these certifications bring to the fore LaLiga’s commitment to investing in technology and innovation, through the creation of new jobs and the use of ground-breaking technology such as the Inferno supercomputer, which is currently being used by biomedical researchers in the fight against COVID-19.

Orange And Telefónica Agree Partnership To Broadcast LaLiga And Champions League

Orange and Telefónica have reached an agreement so that the former can broadcast the LaLiga and Champions League matches corresponding to the next season.

Both Vodafone and Mediaset have given up on acquiring the broadcasting rights of the parties. After reaching an agreement with Telefónica, which owns the television broadcasting rights of the main football competitions, Orange will offer its clients all the matches in the Spanish LaLiga, as well as the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League, throughout the 2020-2021 season.

The company will pay an amount close to 300 million euros to issue the best football to its customers from September.

Meanwhile, Orange becomes the only alternative operator that will broadcast the main sports competitions in the season that begins next month of September.

ESPN To Be Part Of FuboTV Line-Up

FuboTV has agreed a multiyear distribution deal with Disney to bring ESPN to its service to capture the sports fans.

As part of the agreement, subscribers to FuboTV’s $54.99 standard subscription plan will get ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, ABC, along with access to many other Disney Television Studios channels.

With ESPN now part of FuboTV’s offering, the company boasts that it has 100 percent coverage for tennis matches and live NFL games, and more US and international soccer than any other streaming service.

It also claims that through these newly added channels and others (some of which are available through channel add-ons to your plan), subscribers will get access to plenty of college football games, golf matches, college basketball, UFC wrestling, international sporting events, as well as all of the sports news and talk shows available on ESPN’s channels.

“With the addition to our lineup of the ESPN suite of channels, we continue to make good on our promise to sports fans to be the undisputed home of professional and college sports,” David Gandler, co-founder and CEO of FuboTV, said in a statement.

Sean Breen, Disney Media Networks’ EVP of platform distribution, said that with FuboTV’s “multiple access points across all major streaming platforms and a competitive price point, we continue to serve a growing audience that consumes video on multiple screens and attract new customers into the pay-TV ecosystem.”

David Beckham Co-Owned Guild Esports Launched Globally

David Beckham co-owned Guild Esports, a talent development company has announced its global launch.

Beckham, via DB Ventures, and Blue Star Capital have contributed towards a funding round by Guild Esports that’s targeting £25 million, with the latter investing £480,000 at 6p per share to maintain its 11.7 percent stake.

The company will allow the most able players who will be identified by scouts in order to be “coached and nurtured by industry leaders, the press release mentioned. To begin with, it will operate in FIFA, Fortnite, and Rocket League. Fergus Purcell, perhaps best known for his work with skate and streetwear brand Palace, was tapped to develop the company’s branding.

Beckham spoke on his involvement in Guild Esports: “Throughout my career I’ve been lucky enough to work with players at the top of their game, and I’ve seen first-hand the passion and dedication it takes to play at that level. I know that determination lives in our esports athletes today and at Guild we have a vision to set a new standard, supporting these players into the future. We are committed to nurturing and encouraging youth talent through our academy systems and I am looking forward to helping our Guild Esports team grow.”

Carleton Curtis, Executive Chairman of Guild Esports, commented: “The meteoric rise of esports shows no signs of slowing down and this is the perfect moment for Guild Esports to enter this exciting market. We have built an experienced management team and I am proud to have David Beckham as co-owner in this venture as his professionalism and deep experience of developing high-functioning sports teams aligns with our core strategy of building the best in class esports teams.

“At Guild Esports, David will be instrumental in helping shape the coaching programme implemented at our academies and we welcome his valuable mentoring as well as the inspiration he gives the younger generation of athletes. Esports is already one of the most popular spectator sports on Earth and will continue to grow globally as excitement, accessibility and knowledge of the sector soars. Guild looks forward to playing a big role in the future of this growing community.”