Extreme E And AFC Energy To Pioneer Zero Emission Vehicle Charging

Extreme E, the revolutionary new electric SUV off-road racing series, has announced it is embarking on a world-first collaboration with AFC Energy, with its pioneering hydrogen fuel cell technology which will enable its race fleet to be charged using zero emission energy.

Extreme E is the first event organiser to utilise hydrogen fuel cell power generators for charging, and the decision supports Extreme E’s goal of being sustainable and creating minimal local impact on the environments in which it races. This innovative solution from AFC Energy offers a completely sustainable fuel production process. The system use water and sun to generate hydrogen power which will then be used to charge all the ODYSSEY 21 E-SUVs off the grid. 

Not only will this process emit zero greenhouse emissions, its only by-product will be water, which will be utilised elsewhere on-site.

Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E, said: “This collaboration with AFC Energy is a game changer, not just for Extreme E, but also to the wider sports and events industry which could also benefit greatly from using this innovative, zero emission charging technology.

“AFC Energy is the leading provider of Alkaline Fuel Cell systems for the generation of clean energy. It has developed a wide range of technologies to enable sustainable off-grid power generation, which is easily transportable, offers high efficiency, and emits water, which we can utilise elsewhere in site, as its only by-product. 

“In everything we do around this championship we are focussed on being sustainable and supporting the environment, whilst also being innovative. It is fantastic that Extreme E is leading the way in motorsport when it comes to sustainable solutions like this. Motorsport is often associated with a high detrimental footprint on the environment through event infrastructures, but we are trying to change that, and this collaboration with AFC Energy is a huge step in the right direction.”

AFC Energy has engineered a bespoke H-PowerTM fuel cell system for Extreme E, which has been designed with a clear specification and focus on sustainable innovation.

Adam Bond, Chief Executive Officer at AFC Energy, said “We are honoured to have been selected by Extreme E in such a world class motor racing championship, designed to highlight not only the true potential of electric vehicle SUVs in some of the harshest environments on Earth, but also the need to raise public awareness of the debilitating impact climate change is having on our ecosystems. 

“The H-PowerTM system will showcase to a global audience exactly how Hydrogen can be used as a viable alternative to incumbent diesel generations in the remotest and harshest of environments.” 

Professional Triathletes Organisation Announces Appointment Of Chris Kermode As Vice Chairman

The Professional Triathletes Organisation today announced that it has appointed Chris Kermode as its Vice Chairman and member of the Board of Directors.

Chris started his career as a journeyman tennis professional from 1985-1988, after which he held a number of leadership positions in tennis. From 2013-2019, Chris served as Executive Chairman and President of the Association of Tennis Professionals.

As the head of the ATP, Chris was responsible for promoting global tennis to the next generation of fans and attracting new audiences with innovative broadcasts and formats. Under his leadership, he transformed the ATP’s season-ending World Tour Finals at the London O2 Arena into the largest and most successful indoor tennis event in the world and launched the Next Gen Finals to showcase the world’s top tennis professionals aged under 21. During Kermode’s tenure at the ATP, the amount of prize money paid in men’s professional tennis increased more than 70%.

Charles Adamo, Executive Chairman of the PTO commented, “We are very fortunate to have Chris come on board as Vice Chairman of the PTO. From his start as a professional player, Chris has experienced the formation of the ATP Tour in 1988, when tennis professionals sought to have a greater say in the growth and direction of their sport–the position professional triathlon finds itself in today. Chris rose to lead the ATP and helped fuel unprecedented growth in prize money and revenues in professional tennis. We are privileged he has agreed to devote his talents and experience to triathlon and the PTO.”

Kermode stated “The PTO business model and the triathlon market is compelling, and I am excited about helping the PTO achieve its goals. The PTO has many similarities to professional tennis which began to boom once the professionals started to act together to promote the sport and engage and expand their fan base. Given the decline in participation in sports like tennis and golf and the growth in triathlon, cycling and other endurance sports, professional triathlon has enormous potential to develop into a mainstream sport.

“This will require a unified front from the professionals and aligned interests with the commercial partners. That is why the unique ownership structure of the PTO, where the professionals and Crankstart Investments have equal interests in the success of the venture, is so valuable and why I am confident that the PTO can be the catalyst that turns triathlon into more of a mainstream sport.”

Rachael Joyce, Co-President of the PTO, stated, “It is a real pleasure to have Chris join the PTO in a leadership capacity. His background as a professional tennis player and business leader will address both the interests of professional triathletes and the commercial concerns of the organisation. It is a tribute to the PTO business model and the sport of triathlon that we have been able to attract someone of the calibre of Chris to help the PTO grow and thrive.”

Senegal And IOC Agree To Postpone Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2022 To 2026

President Macky Sall’s proposal was welcomed by IOC President Thomas Bach, following in-depth discussions on the subject. This postponement meets the requirement of responsibility and the concern for efficiency imposed by current circumstances.

The postponement of Dakar 2022 allows the IOC, the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the International Federations (IFs) to better plan their activities, which have been strongly affected by the postponement of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, by the subsequent postponements of major international sports events, and by the operational and financial consequences of the global health crisis.

At the same time, it allows Senegal to carry on the excellent preparations for the Youth Olympic Games. The two leaders, who praised the progress made so far, have jointly renewed their confidence in Dakar 2022 President Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye, IOC Member in Senegal, and both remain fully committed to the great success of these Youth Olympic Games, the first Olympic event ever to be organised in Africa.

The IOC and Senegal understand that this news will be disappointing for many young athletes. Both parties can only appeal to their understanding. This agreement results from the large scale of the operational challenges which the IOC, the NOCs and the IFs are facing following the postponement of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. With this in mind, the IOC will continue to offer all IFs and NOC Continental Associations the full content of the educational programmes of the Youth Olympic Games. This will allow for the objectives of this very important and much-appreciated component of the YOG to be maintained through the many events organised between now and 2026, in particular during the Continental Youth Games.

“This amicable agreement illustrates the mutual trust between Senegal and the IOC. I would like to express my sincere thanks to President Macky Sall, a great friend and supporter of the Olympic Movement, for this exceptional relationship of trust and quality. For all these reasons, I am sure that, together, we will organise fantastic Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 for Senegal, the entire African continent and all the young athletes of the world,” said IOC President Thomas Bach.

“I would like to reiterate that the IOC has my full support for the organisation of the Youth Olympic Games, postponed to 2026. I take this opportunity to reaffirm my confidence in the Executive Board and welcome the commitment of its teams, working side by side with us, to make Dakar 2026, the first Olympic event in Africa, a successful and memorable occasion”, said President Macky Sall.

The agreement was approved today by the IOC Executive Board, and will be submitted to the IOC Session for ratification this Friday, 17 July 2020.

WAVE.tv And IMG Sign Content Partnership Deal

WAVE.tv, the sports entertainment company for today’s fan, today announced a strategic partnership with IMG, a global leader in sports, fashion, events and media. The deal will see WAVE.tv’s portfolio of digital media brands distribute content from IMG owned and represented sports properties including Euroleague Basketball, Edge Sport and World’s Strongest Man, across Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube.

The agreement will dramatically increase the volume of traditional and non-traditional sports programming available on WAVE.tv’s media brands, including ‘WAVE TV,’ ‘Benchmob,’ ‘The Pump,’ ‘Buckets,’ ‘No Limits,’ and more. It will also create new direct and programmatic advertising revenue for both parties, while providing IMG’s properties with a steady stream of organic coverage and engagement with Gen Z and Millennial audiences.

In addition to distributing IMG sports content, WAVE.tv will take ownership of direct and programmatic sales related to the deal.

“Sports is this universal language that connects people from all over the world and creates authentic experiences for fans,” said Brian Verne, co-founder and CEO, WAVE.tv. “We continually seek fandoms to bring content and awareness to all genres of sports for today’s fan. Partnering with IMG allows us to continue to celebrate these unique moments and fandoms on a substantial scale and provide fans with an even larger community and sense of belonging. This is just the beginning of a bright and exciting future for us all.”

This new deal broadens and strengthens an already successful relationship built between the two companies over the last 18 months, which began with distributing World’s Strongest Man (WSM) across ‘WAVE TV,’ ‘Highlights WAVE,’ ‘Greatest Highlights,’ and WSM-focused Snap show ‘The Pump.’ The partnership was a way to test how WAVE.tv fans would respond to the non-traditional sport and gauge the viability of The Pump as a new standalone media brand. In a 12-month period, WSM content generated more than 345 million views, and the Pump now has a dedicated fanbase and is one of the company’s top performing properties.

Rebecca Levin, Director, Media at IMG, said: “While working together on World’s Strongest Man, we quickly realized that WAVE.tv and its digital platforms provide a unique opportunity for our brands to engage with today’s sports fans in entertaining new ways. Storytelling and creating memorable experiences are at the core of what we both do, and we’re excited to be providing more content and access for fans than ever before as we extend our partnership to include other IMG properties.”

In building a modern-day sports entertainment company, WAVE.tv has become the 4th largest sports media entity in the US and fastest growing overall, globally (per Shareablee.) Generating over 3.2 billion monthly views, WAVE.tv has over 60 million followers and subscribers, reaching over 200 million sports fans each month.

“This deal is a real sign of the times where IMG and WAVE.tv were able to combine forces and jointly focus on a massive shift that’s happening in the sports media landscape. The modern sports fan (18-34) consumes 90-95% of their sports content on core and emerging social media platforms. Digital native fans are taking over the sports world and they’re unlike any fans we’ve ever seen” said Greg Bobolo, SVP Strategy & Partnerships, WAVE.tv. “I’m thrilled to be able to work with such an esteemed company as IMG to develop and distribute programming for this next generation of sports fans. This is a one-of-a-kind and incredibly strong marketing partnership that has already delivered over 600 million views on pace to surpass 1 billion this year and it’s just getting started.”

Saudi Arabian Government Ban BeIN Sports’ Broadcasts

The Saudi Arabian government has brought in a permanent ban to block BeIN Sports from broadcasting within the country.

This means that the only Premier League broadcaster within the country can no longer show the product to Saudi Arabian fans, something the broadcaster has slammed in a response.

BeIN Sports released a statement, commenting: “We would question – as we have for three years – how Saudi citizens can watch Premier League matches legally in Saudi Arabia with this ‘permanent’ ban on the Premier League’s licensed broadcaster.”

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Competition has decided that BeIN had ‘abused its dominant position through several monopolistic practices’, therefore imposing the ban.

In addition to this they have also fined the broadcaster 10 million Saudi riyals (USD $2.67 million).

FEI And ClipMyHorse.TV Join Forces On Equestrian Live Streaming

The FEI and ClipMyHorse.TV (CMH.TV) have entered into an agreement that is set to change the future landscape of the global governing body’s live streaming services to millions of equestrian fans worldwide. CMH.TV is one of the world’s leading providers of live streams for equestrian sports.

“We are very excited with this new venture which is the result of open and productive conversations with the founder of ClipMyHorse.TV Mr Klaus Plönzke,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said.

“This is the first time the FEI will have an equity stake in a company which will allow us to actively contribute to shaping the narrative around the coverage of equestrian events.

“By bringing together our collective strengths, we can work towards the development of one combined live streaming service that provides high quality event coverage and a broader range of content to fans.”  

FEI.TV has traditionally live-streamed all major FEI Series and Championships, with an extensive range of replays, special features and historic events coverage available live and on-demand. Subscribers can now view coverage of international, national and local equestrian events, with commentary provided in English as well as local languages. They will also have access to the largest archive of equestrian video content and an extensive database of information on athletes and horses.

“ClipMyHorse.TV’s comprehensive platform and their extensive experience with production and streaming services within this sector will allow for an improved viewing experience for FEI.TV customers, while the look and feel of FEI.TV will, at least for the moment, stay the same,” FEI Commercial Director Ralph Straus said.

“The depth of the combined offering is unique and will provide equestrian fans access to a wide range of events all under one roof, from top international events to local competitions, together with online equestrian magazines, documentaries and other relevant programming.”

Currently the FEI.TV online television platform is providing coverage of past events and special equestrian features free of charge to everyone while live sport is on hold.

“The market for OTT and streaming services has grown substantially and we have seen an exponential rise in online viewing,” CEO of CMH.TV Markus Detering explained.

“We created the CMH.TV platform in 2007 with the express aim of making horse sport events across the world accessible to fans and followers everywhere and at any time.

“By pooling our resources with the FEI, we will be able to offer equestrian fans a more in-depth and enriching experience that will make the sport even more attractive and to a wider global audience.”

Member Insights: TV Subscription Brands ‘Failing To Build Trust’ With Consumers, Says Singula Decisions Report

ver-the-top (OTT) TV subscription brands consistently show ‘narcissistic’ tendencies, which can erode subscriber trust and ultimately make them disloyal, according to a new in-depth report launched today by Singula Decisions, a specialist in subscriber intelligence. 

The new study – ‘The Psychology of a Subscriber’ – found that a wide range of OTT streaming services, in both entertainment and sports, fail to connect with consumers on a deeper emotional and psychological level, by:

  • Not understanding the fundamental drivers motivating a subscribers’ behaviours and interactions
  • Invading their boundaries when asking for financial commitment too soon
  • Insufficiently tailoring the service to meet the moods and mind-set of each customer
  • Creating ‘avoidant’ or ‘ambivalent’ attachments to subscribers that do not build loyal relationships
  • Ineffectively providing subscribers with the ability to share more about themselves and to listen to their feedback.

Psychology of a Subscriber

The qualitative study, conducted and authored by Qualitative Researcher, Accredited Psychotherapist and Director of QualiProjects, Jennifer Whittaker, and Business Psychologist and Researcher, Katharina Wittgens, explores subscriber attitudes towards OTT TV brands in the UK and US, gaining a deep understanding of how consumers think, feel and behave throughout the customer journey. 

Qualitative Researcher, Jennifer Whittaker, said: “Many brands do not listen to subscribers, nor do they create a safe enough space for subscribers to come forward and give more. In fact, brands often have unconscious narcissistic tendencies and are blinded by the belief that customers are only there to serve, by giving ‘strokes’ to the ego – aka money to the account – and helping to build a good reputation. Unfortunately, brands cannot know subscribers until subscribers give more. But subscribers will only give more if they trust, and they’ll only trust if they don’t feel forgotten.” 

Part 1: Acquisition

This first report in a three-part series covers the acquisition phase of the customer journey. The research found that dissatisfaction and suspicion can begin from the moment a subscriber ‘joins’ a service, if asked to hand over financial information or commit to the brand too soon. While subscribers are at their most enthusiastic in the first months of engagement, brands rarely take advantage of their potential to become an advocate. 

Commenting on the findings, Bhavesh Vaghela, CEO of Singula Decisions, said: “We recognise how tough it can be to build a strong brand and grow a TV subscription business as consumers continue to dip-in and out of services every month.  We have seen strong consumer brands being created in other sectors such as retail, ecommerce and banking; consumers are loyal to these brands and TV subscription businesses are behind this curve.  OTT brands must think differently about how they build a service and experience that best suits the needs of their customers – and do a better job to emotionally connect with their customers to build trust and loyalty.”

Death of the demographic?

Bucking the trend of demographic differences, the study found that at the acquisition stage there weren’t huge variations in needs and experiences between age groups. From Gen Z to Baby Boomers, subscribers of all ages said they felt a sense of being “pushed” by OTT TV brands to commit to the platform financially or share private information. Both UK and US consumers also emphasised the need for a variety of content; American respondents search for unique content that is frequently updated, while British viewers seek value for money based on choice and options for the whole family. After joining the platform, subscribers felt brands were nowhere to be seen, without guidance on how to use the service or how to connect accounts with friends. 

Best practice opportunities

The findings do indicate, however, that brands willing to listen and take time to truly understand their customers, can build trust and loyalty. The report sets out nearly 40 best practice recommendations that can help brands to offer a simultaneous sense of both freedom and connection that subscribers crave in order to feel comfortable to share more of themselves.

Building a relationship that goes beyond a transactional one will have a huge impact on consumers who are faced with more choice than ever. OTT brands that take a lead from other industries, such as retail, ecommerce, and banking, and seek to connect with their customers on a more emotional level, can emerge much stronger.

Download a copy

‘Psychology of a Subscriber: Part 1 – Acquisition’ is the first of three reports looking at the psychological and emotional drivers’ consumers experience when subscribing to an OTT service. Part 2 – Growth which will be released in late August, will explore the relational dynamics and child-like emotions at play when subscribers interact with brands during the billing, upgrade and downgrade stages. Part 3 – Churn, will follow in October, discussing how a mismatch between brand and subscriber when leaving a service can lead to passive aggressive behaviours and explores the emotional impact of being made to feel like a number instead of a name throughout the relationship.

There will be an opportunity to hear the authors of the study discuss the research with Colin Dixon, Founder and Chief Analyst of nScreenMedia in a live webcast on August 10th at noon Pacific time. This webcast, the first in a series of three, is part of the Let’s DEW Lunch webinar series from Digital Media Wire.

For more information and to download the full report, visit psychologyofasubscriber.com.

Birmingham 2022 And CGFP Announce Sunset+Vine As Host Broadcaster

Birmingham 2022 and CGF Partnerships has appointed world-leading sports broadcast production company Sunset+Vine as Host Broadcaster, responsible for delivering coverage of the Commonwealth Games to a global audience of more than 1.5 billion.

The contract, which includes the option to extend coverage to the 2026 and 2030 editions of the Games, was awarded to Sunset+Vine following an international tender process.

Over the 11 days of the Games, held between 28 July – 8 August 2022, Sunset+Vine will capture multi-camera TV coverage of all 19 sports, ensuring 2,000 hours of spectacular sporting action is available to Rights Holding Broadcasters (RHBs) for distribution to territories around the world.

The agreement will ensure that there is far more sports coverage available than previous Games, with each of the 4,500 competitors taking part featured during the Games.

Sunset+Vine is also responsible for full coverage of the highly anticipated Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as additional material including preview series, support programming, highlights shows and short-form content.

A range of extra services will be provided including a 24/7 Games Channel featuring the best of each day’s action, and a Multi Channel Service consisting of six uninterrupted feeds with a mixture of live and delayed action for broadcast and digital platforms. Visiting Rights Holders will be accommodated in a state-of-the-art International Broadcast Centre which will be designed, installed and managed by Sunset+Vine.

The full service media agency is experienced in producing award-winning coverage of high-profile sporting events, including the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast in 2018 and Glasgow in 2014, the London 2012 and Rio Paralympics, the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London and the 2018 World Equestrian Games.

Most recently, Sunset + Vine won the RTS award for Best Sports Programme for its coverage of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup Final. That production has also been nominated for a BAFTA at the upcoming television awards on 31 July 2020.

In addition to its broadcast services, Sunset+Vine is committed to launching a Host Broadcast Training Initiative (HBTI) in the West Midlands designed to push boundaries by addressing the lack of diversity in the creative sector.

Tapping into the rich cultural and ethnic diversity of the West Midlands, the HBTI will offer training to 200 young people from the region over a twelve-month period, with 50% of participants recruited from underrepresented groups and a focus on creating opportunities for the BAME community.

At least 15% of the 1,600 technical and production workforce will come from Birmingham and the West Midlands and the HBTI will result in 150 Games Time employment opportunities for participants in the scheme.

CGFP, which is a subsidiary of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), has embedded resources integrated in the Birmingham 2022 delivery teams, who bring previous Games expertise and generate commercial income for the Games through corporate partnerships, TV rights, licensing and merchandise.

Ian Reid, Chief Executive Officer of Birmingham 2022, said:

“Sunset + Vine is internationally renowned for delivering award winning coverage of the biggest sporting events in the world. Working with them guarantees that more coverage of Birmingham 2022 will be made available than any other Commonwealth Games, putting the West Midlands firmly on the global stage and delivering an unforgettable experience for fans.

 “I’m also delighted that we’re working with a company that is dedicated to leaving a positive lasting effect on the media industry in the West Midlands by providing jobs and upskilling the future workforce, contributing to our Games mission to help the region grow and succeed.”

Jeff Foulser, CEO at Sunset+Vine, commented:

“This is such an exciting win for Sunset+Vine and we are delighted to have prevailed following a very rigorous bidding process.  The contract award further establishes the company as one of the few worldwide businesses with the creative and technical expertise to handle large scale events.  We thank Birmingham 2022 and the CGFP for placing their trust in us and look forward to delivering best in class production for all broadcast rights holders at the Games.”

David Leather, CEO of CGF Partnerships, said:

“Securing the Host Broadcaster is an important milestone for the 2022 Commonwealth Games and we are delighted to be partnering with a world leading sports production company in Sunset+Vine.

“A key part of our strategy is to create long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships and we now have the arrangements in place to partner with Sunset+Vine and ensure a very high-quality broadcast for the next three Commonwealth Games.

“This demonstrates a huge amount of confidence in the Commonwealth Sports Movement and in Birmingham 2022 to deliver fantastic Commonwealth Games.”

Nigel Huddleston, Minister for Sport, Heritage and Tourism said:

“I’m delighted to see that coverage of Birmingham 2022 will be produced by a UK-based, world leading production company in Sunset+Vine. Their commitment to providing employment and training opportunities in the West Midlands is particularly welcome, and will provide a vital boost to the industry in the region.”

David Tippett, Head of Broadcast at Sunset + Vine, added:

“Our aim is to capture the excitement and atmosphere of the biggest sporting event ever to be held in the West Midlands. We’ve reinvented the traditional broadcast model to produce creative and innovative coverage for the digital age which will engage audiences all around the world. We’ve built bespoke plans around the latest technology which will showcase the very best sporting performances in front of passionate fans in one of the UK’s most vibrant and diverse regions.”

INEOS TEAM UK Selects AWS in its Quest for the America’s Cup Trophy

Amazon Web Services, an Amazon.com company, has today announced that elite sailing team, INEOS TEAM UK, has selected AWS as its official cloud computing provider and is leveraging AWS’s high performance computing (HPC) capabilities to design, test, and optimize its ‘AC75’ challenger boat.

Using HPC on AWS to run computational fluid dynamics (CFD), INEOS TEAM UK engineers carried out up to 1,200 detailed performance simulations a day, 20 times more simulations than was possible with their previous on-premises HPC infrastructure at a fraction of the cost. By relying on AWS’s highly performant, scalable infrastructure, INEOS TEAM UK reduced its computational turnaround time from months to days, gaining valuable time to refine and optimize its boat designs and ultimately enhance its prospects for victory in the America’s Cup.

INEOS TEAM UK uses CFD to model the aerodynamics of its boat while racing, simulating the impact of air and liquid on objects such as the boat’s keel, rudder, hull, and sails. These simulations allow the team to quickly test hundreds of possible racing variables, from changes in wind direction and speed to the flexing and twisting of sails made of different materials. This method of testing has become especially critical to the team following the introduction of new rules for next year’s 36th America’s Cup that restrict all physical testing, meaning that no team is permitted to test multiple boats, or components of boats, in controlled environments such as a wind tunnel or water test tank.

Working on AWS, INEOS TEAM UK has reduced the upfront capital expenditure, lengthy procurement cycles, and regular hardware refreshes needed to run HPC on-premises by only paying for the resources it consumes in AWS. Using Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) Intel-powered C5 instances built on the AWS Nitro System, INEOS TEAM UK was able to ensure the fastest simulation time possible for its hull design, which required hundreds of servers for every simulation.

The team also used Amazon EC2 Spot instances, which take advantage of unused Amazon EC2 compute capacity to achieve the lowest cost per simulation, resulting in a 65% cost saving versus on-demand. In addition, to ensure fast disk performance for the tens of thousands of simulations it ran each week, INEOS TEAM UK used Amazon FSx for Lustre to provide a fast, scalable, and secure high-performance file system. Finally, the team worked with AWS solutions architects to design a cloud strategy that took advantage of multiple AWS Availability Zones in multiple AWS Regions to maximize efficiency and resilience.

“In recent months, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team has spent less time on the water than usual, meaning our simulation work with AWS has become more important than ever,” explained Sir Ben Ainslie, INEOS TEAM UK’s Team Principal and Skipper. “Working with AWS for the first time this year has given us access to more and faster computational resources, which has proven crucial in developing the fastest race boat possible. It has helped the team push ahead as we continue to design and develop our race boat for the America’s Cup.”

“They say that ‘time cannot be bought’, but by working with AWS, we are able to do just that,” said Nick Holroyd, Chief Designer, INEOS TEAM UK. “Much of the external shape of the INEOS TEAM UK boat will have gone through CFD simulations created using the AWS Cloud. By leveraging AWS’s virtually unlimited compute power, scalability, and resilience, we believe we’re in a strong position to design the boat that can bring the America’s Cup home to Britain.”

“INEOS TEAM UK is using AWS to transform the race boat design process and chart a new course for nautical innovation,” said Andy Isherwood, Vice President and Managing Director of Amazon Web Services EMEA. “The America’s Cup represents the pinnacle of engineering and the work that INEOS TEAM UK is doing with CFD is the pinnacle of cloud innovation applied to competitive sailing. We are pleased AWS is supporting the INEOS TEAM UK as its official cloud computing provider, and to be working with them to use AWS HPC to design the most technologically advanced boat in America’s Cup history.”

Sportradar Announces Appointment Of Alex Gersh As Chief Financial Officer

Sportradar, the global provider of sports betting and sports entertainment products and services, has appointed former Paddy Power-Betfair CFO Alex Gersh as its new Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Gersh will be based in Sportradar’s London office.

Gersh has 25 years of diversified international financial management experience and technical expertise in both public and private equity owned businesses in the UK and US and played a major role in the successful integration of Paddy Power and Betfair.

Most recently, he joins from online car purchasing startup Cazoo where he served as CFO. In addition, he has previously held senior financial positions at digital pay TV software solutions NDS Group (Nasdaq listed and private equity owned), Flag Telecom, British Telecom and Motorola. 

Gersh will report directly to CEO Carsten Koerl and will be responsible for the financial management, planning and performance of the group, including reviewing major investment decisions and new business opportunities.

He joins Sportradar at a key moment in the company’s global expansion as it continues to grow its market-leading presence across numerous strategic markets and complementary verticals including betting, OTT, audiovisual, media and integrity. This includes last year’s acquisition of award-winning sports betting and gaming platform Optima which created a global ‘one-stop-shop’ technology and services business capable of offering a complete turnkey solution. 

Carsten Koerl, Chief Executive Officer, Sportradar, said: “We are delighted Alex has joined us as our new Chief Financial Officer. His expertise is second-to-none with a proven track record in complex organisations. He possesses a profound understanding of the sports, betting, mobile and data sectors which will be vital as we enter the next stage of global growth for the business.”

Alex Gersh, Chief Financial Officer, Sportradar, said: “Sportradar is a business I have long admired and I’m thrilled to be joining at such an interesting time for the global sports and betting industries. Carsten and the management team have some very exciting plans over the coming years and I’m looking forward to helping the company achieve its goals.”