Community, Author at iSportConnect

LaLiga Bringing Broadcast Innovations For Resumption Of Play, PUMA And LaLiga Celebrate The Competition’s Return, League Wins Anti-Piracy Ruling In Russia

A few days before the competition returns, LaLiga has announced new broadcast experiences that will be part of the remaining eleven matchdays of the 2019/20 season.

Due to the unprecedented situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank matches will look and sound different than they did before the league was postponed.

The innovations have been implemented in two main areas: virtualisation of stands and fan audio as well as new camera positions and the images they will offer to viewers. Both will be carried out with the help of partners and implemented by Mediapro, the official production partner of LaLiga.

“We have made these broadcasting changes so fans can enjoy LaLiga,” said LaLiga President Javier Tebas. “We work with global partners to offer a great viewer experience. We are in an exceptional situation, but for us it has been important to be able to adapt and offer a compelling, cutting-edge broadcast to our fans.”

Virtualised stands and fan audio for television broadcasts

The biggest change for the return of the competition is the virtualised broadcasting that LaLiga will offer to international broadcast partners, which will allow matches to be seen in an attractive way that closely resembles how they looked and sounded before the competition was postponed.

For these broadcasts, the stands will be virtualised and will always offer to-scale images of seated fans wearing the colours of the home club. To develop this digital experience, LaLiga collaborated with Norwegian company VIZRT, which also works with other European leagues.

In moments when the game is stopped, this image of fans can be transformed into a canvas that matches the colour of the home team and will carry institutional messages among other offerings.

This innovative broadcast will also feature virtual sound, which has been obtained through collaboration with EA SPORTS FIFA, in a project called Sounds of the Stands. Through this, the audio library of LaLiga official sponsor EA, which was recorded in real stadiums, has been used and has been digitally adapted so that it can be implemented in real time during the match. It will be adapted to the flow of the game as certain situations occur, such as a goal or a foul, creating what is known as Atmospheric Audio.

Cameras: New angles to bring action closer to fans

The match itself will also be seen differently due to new camera positions.

Some cameras will shift their location to positions where they would previously have affected the sightline of fans in the stands. Among other examples, the aerial camera will modify its flight path to offer new shots, the bench camera will be moved to the opposite stand, while robotic cameras will be used in the tunnel for reasons of health safety.

All of these changes, which will be maintained as long as matches have to be played behind closed doors, continue LaLiga’s commitment to bring fans at home the best experience.

LaLiga And Puma

LaLiga is celebrating the imminent return of the football season with a new campaign that captures the excitement being felt by the league’s global fanbase in collaboration with its official partner PUMA.

The campaign, titled #LaLigaBouncesBack, launches with a video featuring an array of global sports stars, including LaLiga Santander players Luis Suarez, Antoine Griezmann and Jan Oblak, who are seen passing LaLiga’s official match ball, designed by PUMA. The ball is passed through nine different countries before arriving back in Spain, ready for competition to resume on 11th June.

Marc Bartra of Real Betis and Suso of Sevilla FC, who will face each other in El Gran Derbi to mark the return of LaLiga competition, also appear in the video.

In line with the #BackToWin campaign, launched by LaLiga and Movistar, the video conveys the message that restarting the competition is not only important for LaLiga and its clubs, but also for the millions of fans who follow the competition worldwide, as well as the wider sports industry.

Reflecting the international audience of LaLiga, the ball passes through the USA (via Fafa Picault of FC Dallas and Juan Pablo Torres of New York City FC), Singapore (including Raihan Rahman of Tanjong Pagar United), South Africa (including Themba Zwane of the Mamelodi Sundowns) and Mexico (including Rogelio Funes Mori), all of which are countries where LaLiga has already established global offices.

In addition, Japan (Louis Yamaguchi of Extremadura UD), Australia (including freestyler Jed Hockins), Indonesia (including Otavio Dutra of Persija Jakarta) and Philippines (Carlo Dorin, U18 National Team player) are included, while LaLiga Santander ambassadors Diego Forlan, Fernando Morientes and Christian Karembeu also feature.

LaLiga Wins Anti-Piracy Ruling In Russia

LaLiga has won a ruling at Moscow City Court that will see all LaLiga Santander content removed from three Russian websites that had been illegally streaming matches from the competition.

The domains mou.su, hdtennis.ru and liveball.ru were found guilty of showing pirated broadcasts of LaLiga Santander matches in Russia during 2020. In total, these websites were receiving over 1.14 million visits per month.

Having noticed the illegal activity, LaLiga’s in-house antipiracy department, consisting of over 25 technical experts, filed the complaint to the Moscow City Court and compiled the evidence against the three websites, assisted WebKontrol Ltd.

In accordance with Paragraph 4 Article 1253.1 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, the court ruled in favour of LaLiga and ordered the immediate removal of all LaLiga Santander matches from the three websites.

LaLiga has made significant investments in tackling anti-piracy on a global level in recent years, partnering with industry bodies and other rights holders in the process. Through these efforts it has successfully defeated pirate services in countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Denmark, Senegal and Indonesia to name a few.

The antipiracy team has also developed a range of in-house tools for detecting and acting against piracy which have been shared with other competitions including Belgium’s Jupiler Pro League and Dorna Sports, the rights holder to the world’s top motorcycling events.

Commenting on the ruling, LaLiga’s Audiovisual Director Melcior Soler, said: “Every ruling against piracy is another step towards removing this illegal practice from the industry. Our global team is able to detect cases across the world and successfully pursue legal action, leading the fight against those who are trying to cheat the rights holders, legitimate broadcast partners and fans.”

Sportradar To Offer Postponed European Championship As Part Of Simulated Reality Product Range

The official European Championship tournament may have been postponed until next summer, but Sportradar, a global provider of sports content and intelligence, is playing out the competition in full via its AI-driven Simulated Reality product.

Kicking off with Turkey vs. Italy at 8.00pm BST on Friday 12 June, as per the original competition schedule, Sportradar is offering Simulated Reality matches for all 51 games of the tournament including the final on Sunday 12 July.

Simulated Reality is completely AI-driven and algorithm based. Drawing on Sportradar’s comprehensive football database, the AI engine creates a huge number of different game situations, outcomes, and gameplays to generate an unpredictable outcome for football fans.

Simulated Reality has already successfully completed the seasons of all major European football leagues, with results mirroring real-life outcomes. Completed seasons include the top leagues in Germany, England, Italy, and Spain, with other leagues still in progress.

To mark the start of the Europe’s leading international football tournament within Simulated Reality, Sportradar is introducing two new features designed to enhance fan engagement.

Live video replays – The matches will now include a short, live video replay of significant moments within a game. Fans will be able to watch goals being scored, shots on target, own goals and penalties being scored or missed.
Automatically generated match reports – After each match customers will be automatically served a match reports which provides a summary of the game play alongside in-depth match statistics and analysis.

These new features are in addition to the 50+ selection of pre-match and live betting markets available for each match.

Werner Becher, Managing Director, US Betting at Sportradar said: “In the short time that Simulated Reality has been on the market, it has established itself as an authentic and credible alternative to traditional sports betting covering a range of sports including football, cricket and tennis. Now more than ever it is important that we closely listen to customer feedback so that we can continually improve and enhance our product range.

“The new features we’ve introduced at this time create further opportunities for our customers to engage with football fans and create a unique way to enjoy top level tournament football this summer.”

KitKat Teams Up With BLAST Ahead Of DoTa 2 Tournament

BLAST has announced a partnership agreement with KitKat that will see the Nestlé chocolate brand sponsor BLAST Bounty Hunt – the leading esports company’s online DoTa 2 tournament.

The agreement will give the global chocolate manufacturer a number of branding and content activation opportunities during BLAST’s online Dota 2 tournament which takes place from tomorrow (Tuesday, 9 June). The deal also includes sponsorship of in-broadcast feature ‘Captain’s Kick Back’, which will see team captains talk about their life in and outside of esports.

Leo Matlock, Commercial Director for BLAST, said: “We’re thrilled to add a brand as reputable and well-known as KitKat to our family of partners ahead of BLAST’s first DoTa 2 tournament. KitKat is a global brand and we are proud that they have chosen BLAST to further develop their burgeoning esports strategy with a bespoke partnership that maximises our far-reaching and innovative tournament approach.”

Georg Fischer, KitKat Marketing Manager Europe, Middle East & North Africa says “KitKat has always been about a smile in the break and getting a fresh perspective which is also very relevant in gaming and the highly competitive esports environment. We made our first steps in esports earlier this year and were overwhelmed by the positive feedback from fans, teams and partners alike. This confirmed the strong fit between KitKat and the community, and we look forward to a great collaboration with BLAST to bring meaningful, fun content and surprises to the DoTa 2 Bounty Hunt!”

Last month BLAST Bounty Hunt launched the new online DoTa 2 tournament which will feature the best teams from across Europe and the world. The tournament will be held across five consecutive days in June (9th-13th), where teams will compete for a prize pool of $150,000.

A dynamic prize pool and an interactive fan prediction game are two innovative new features that will be introduced in BLAST Bounty Hunt. These features have been created and brought to the fans by BLAST in collaboration with the competing teams.

Teams involved include OG Esports, Team Secret, Nigma, NIP, Alliance and Team Liquid playing BO3s until the Championship Final BO5. Teams will seed each other and play in double elimination brackets to reach the final two. Seeds 3-6 will playoff with the winners moving on to play seeds 1-2 for a place in the final.

Eurosport Announces Two Major Appointments To Production And Digital Teams

Eurosport has announced the appointment of Scott Young to the role of Senior Vice President, Production and Content. With over 30 years in the media industry, Young is expertly placed to help deliver Eurosport’s next phase of growth, bringing an enviable track record in live sports, major event production and on-screen innovation.

Young will be responsible for developing a unique and integrated content offering across broadcast and digital, realising opportunities presented by Eurosport’s enhanced digital products and broader technology transformation. In an exciting period set to see the safe return of live sport, Young will lead the production and operations for all Eurosport’s flagship events including the Olympic Games, cycling Grand Tours, tennis Grand Slams and winter sports World Championship and World Cup events.

Young takes up the role in September 2020. He will be based in London and Paris and report to Andrew Georgiou, President, Eurosport and Global Sports Rights & Sports Marketing Solutions.

Andrew Georgiou, President, Eurosport and Global Sports Rights & Sports Marketing Solutions, said: “Scott is one of the most talented and progressive leaders in sports production and it’s hugely exciting to welcome him to the Discovery family. He joins at a pivotal time for our business as we prepare to realise the opportunities delivered by the transformation of Eurosport’s global technology infrastructure, one of Discovery’s most significant capital investments. This will revolutionise how we deliver sport to fans, using cloud and remote technology within a unified production ecosystem for broadcast and digital to create and distribute world-class content from anywhere in the world.

“When you consider a project as complex as the Olympic Games, where Discovery serves fans in 50 markets, localised and in 19 languages, across its full range of free-to-air, pay-tv and digital platforms, it is clear this will be a game-changer for the scale and flexibility of our business.

“Given Scott’s extensive experience and success at delivering major production projects and leading world-class teams, I have no doubt Discovery’s already award-winning sport production and content offering will go from strength to strength and engage even more fans around the world.”

Scott Young, Senior Vice President, Production and Content, said: “Eurosport is one of the world’s most respected and highly regarded sports producers. I am impressed at how Eurosport’s production and on-screen experience has evolved under Discovery’s leadership. While its record-breaking Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 production and award winning Eurosport cube made waves through the industry, it is clear that the company hasn’t stood still and the production infrastructure it has created is ground breaking. I look forward to getting started.”

Young joins from Sky Sports, where he has been Head of F1 for the channel’s award-winning Formula 1 coverage since January 2018. Before moving to Europe, he spent five years as the Head of Television and Content at V8 Supercars (Australian touring car category) and more than a decade at Network Ten in Australia as the Head of Sport Production.

In his role at Ten, Young led the production of the network’s portfolio of sports rights, including premium categories of motorsport spanning Formula 1, MotoGP, the World Rally Championship, Indy Car and World Superbikes. Within a great number of achievements across the period, Young was Executive Producer for the Network Ten’s 2007 Rugby World Cup coverage, leading a team of more than 100 in France for the tournament, and lead the production of the world feed for the UCI Road World Championships’ first event in the Southern Hemisphere in September 2010. Beyond sport, he has produced and created a diverse range of productions across numerous genres viewed by audiences around the world.

Eurosport has also expanded its digital leadership team with the appointment of experienced digital media expert Amar Melwani (pictured) in the newly created role of VP, Distribution Partnerships and Rights Strategy where he will link up to Discovery’s global direct-to-consumer operation.

The addition of Melwani’s experience in leading digital teams, as well as his sports rights expertise, highlights the acceleration of the roll out of Eurosport’s direct-to-consumer strategy. This will see Eurosport engage its customers more deeply with enhanced experiences, driven by world-class products and localised sports content.

Eurosport’s digital products already serve sports fans in more than 50 markets in Europe with localised live and on-demand premium sports programming through OTT streaming on the Eurosport App and Eurosport.com, forming an unparalleled direct-to-consumer sports ecosystem.

Melwani’s appointment will see him further develop Eurosport’s future digital sports rights strategy, ensuring customers are provided with the widest multi-sport offering of world-class programming, however they choose to access it, to drive the continued growth and expansion of Eurosport’s direct-to-consumer business.

He will also leverage his business development experience to establish and manage third-party distribution partnerships for Eurosport’s digital subscription offerings, working with device manufacturers, operating system platforms and other strategic distibutors to make it even easier for customers to access Eurosport’s digital content on any screen.

Melwani joins from The Walt Disney Company where he managed partnerships, product marketing and analytics for the new global OTT platform, Disney+. He previously led rights acquisitions, content distribution and the direct-to-consumer business for Disney-owned ESPN across EMEA, and prior to this, managed the distribution of Sky’s international direct-to-consumer service.

Paul Rehrig, General Manager, Eurosport Digital, said: “As we continue to drive our direct-to-consumer strategy forward, we are excited to welcome Amar and will greatly benefit from his experience developing world-class OTT services and building distribution and commercial businesses within sports media. Even during this challenging period, Eurosport isn’t standing still. We are hard at work enhancing all aspects of Eurosport’s digital products – from content to product to underlying technology – all to better serve our customers.

Amar Melwani, VP Distribution Partnerships and Rights Strategy, said: “The scale and depth of Eurosport’s sport portfolio, combined with a unique level of country-by-country localisation across Europe, is unrivalled anywhere and provides an outstanding foundation for delivering best-in-class direct-to-consumer offerings to customers and partners. I look forward to working closely with the Eurosport leadership team on a digital-first approach that drives further growth throughout our business.”

Melwani is based in London and reports to Paul Rehrig, General Manager, Eurosport Digital.

Industry Leaders Come Together To Discuss Future Of Women’s Sport

French Football Federation Secretary General Laura Georges, Sports Innovation Lab CEO Angela Ruggiero and Google’s Head of Global Sports & Entertainment Marketing Partnerships, Content & Media Kate Johnson came together to discuss the future of women’s sport on Thursday, in the latest episode of Talking Sport – powered by Eleven Sports and World Football Summit.

The webinar was moderated by Co-founder of The Offside Rule Lynsey Hooper and titled ‘From World Cup glory to COVID-19: The future for women’s sport’. Some key take-outs from the session as follows:

Laura Georges, on female athletes being more available to sponsors:

“If you talk about Olympique Lyonnais, the best women’s team in the world, what makes the difference is that the president there is really giving a lot of support to the women’s team. Also, some brands decided that ‘ok, we cannot afford to have the men, but we’ll decide to work with the women’s team’. What they’ve found as brands by collaborating with Olympique Lyonnais and their girls is that the girls are available. They say ‘this is what we like, we are close to the players’. The players have the right image and are close to the fans. They take the time after the games and it’s really showing that ‘if we want to support the women’s game then we receive a lot back’. But, it’s also the decision of the leaders who say ‘ok, this is what I expect of you, you are a brand and you want to work with us, but you need to step up your game and really give the best of your knowledge and competence to put the women’s game forward’.”

Kate Johnson, on making more content available to fans:

“There’s going to be a call on players to be more accessible, there’s going to be a call on making sure that content and behind the scenes content is going to have to evolve. I think federations are going to have to open up the aperture on what they are willing to let fans into from a behind the scenes perspective and even from a broadcast and a commercial perspective, making sure that what used to be so protected from a commercial rights perspective, where content is concerned… We’ve got to change the game and make sure that content is more accessible to fans and also more accessible to brands because I think that’s where the value comes. For brands to continue to lean in from an investment perspective, there has to be increased value in terms of how they’re able to connect with their audiences too. I think there is an opportunity for women to actually be innovative and lead that charge.”

Angela Ruggiero, CEO of Sports Innovation Lab, on women’s sport’s greater flexibility:

“The biggest advantage that women’s sports has today is that we’re not beholden to the typical way of doing business. We don’t have long-term rights, we don’t have the same long-term contracts. We have the opportunity to lean in and to create more branded content… What if 90% of the league is just branded content around the athletes because we know fluid fans, which is what we talk about at Sports Innovation Lab every day, these new-age fans want to do things differently […] What can we do in the time of COVID-19 to think differently? To lean in to fluid fans, which do things very differently. They’re open to change, empowered to choose and constantly evolving. That’s the three pillars of the fluid fan. That’s what I want this conversation to be about. It’s about how do we rethink the model rather than go ‘please don’t cut us, it’s the right thing to do’. Yes, of course it’s the right thing to do. Let’s get that out of the way. How do we do things differently? That’s the conversations I get fired up about because women have the nimbleness that the men do not. And that is an advantage we should lean in to.”

Next week’s episode of Talking Sport will focus on investment opportunities and challenges during Covid-19 and beyond. For full details and to register click here.

World-Class On-Track Digital Experience For Sydney Racing Fans

Sydney’s Rosehill Gardens and Royal Randwick racecourses will lead the world in digital racing information and on-course raceday experiences for customers, sponsors and business partners under a major new project.

With Australian Turf Club Members and patrons preparing to return on track in coming months, the project provides dynamic up-to-the-minute wagering, racing, tipping and real-time race information for on-course punters on racedays.

The new multi-million dollar technology will feature integrated television systems across both racecourses as well as innovative digital cube displays.

It will include high-impact content to engage and entertain customers at Australian Turf Club racedays and events.

The project is part of a 10-year partnership between the Australian Turf Club and major venue technology experts PMY Group (PMY).

This world-class project includes:

LED systems stretching 150m along the Rosehill Gardens and Royal Randwick home straights
Winning Post LED displays
Dynamic LED boards inside the Royal Randwick Theatre Of The Horse
High Impact LED Cubes at Royal Randwick
Enhanced IPTV and digital stream technology

Australian Turf Club Chief Executive Jamie Barkley said: “Punters and racing fans at the track will receive the most up-to-date information in a dynamic and unrivalled experience, better than anything you may see at home.

“We are delighted to launch this technology at the home of the Longines Golden Slipper at Rosehill Gardens, and as we prepare to unveil more of the project at Royal Randwick.

“Punters will get the latest odds, market movers, late mail tips and real-time racing data without moving from their seats or vantage points trackside.

“We also look forward to our premium partners and raceday sponsors joining with the many creative options and content opportunities this technology will bring across the racecourses all throughout a day at the track.’’

PMY Managing Director Paul Yeomans said: “We are excited to partner with the ATC to deliver what we expect to be a game changer in raceday experience and entertainment.

“The multimedia and operational experience being delivered is the first in a number of technology initiatives we are set to roll out together, and it has been an absolute pleasure to support Jamie Barkley and his team as they continue to deliver on their vision to enhance the oncourse atmosphere for members and patrons.”

The first phase of the project will go live at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday 30 May before a second stage at Royal Randwick in July, 2020.

It features active collaboration with Australian Turf Club commercial partners who can provide new and fully immersive experiences.

The project is also aimed at attracting new brands to the ATC’s partnership portfolio.

Goodform: Fan Positivity For Sport Behind Closed Doors Has Grown

Fan Positivity For Sport Behind Closed Doors Has Grown & Fears Over Re-Attendance Can Be Quelled

Before COVID-19, the sporting world was characterised by a globalised and cyclical sporting calendar, with broadcast, commercial and matchday the three core financial pillars of its existence. While relentless, this calendar is also fragile, and the Pandemic has thrown it into disarray. With sports returning, the terrain has changed, and robust research is required to understand how. In the second part of our fan insights trilogy, we analyse sports fan perspectives to offer insights and guidance on how they expect sport to adapt, to understand how the sporting world will thrive again.

Fans are open to watching sport behind closed doors, but they want it to be accessible

Sofas will replace stands, and TV remotes will replace tickets, as many sports rights holders focus on getting sport up and running behind closed doors for unfinished seasons and beyond. A global spotlight is on the Bundesliga and UFC, who have pioneered the format, with the Premier League, Formula One, Royal Ascot and the PGA following close behind, and other including Premiership Rugby and ECB in the planning stages. Despite the lack of crowds, 71% of fans will not be deterred from watching sport behind closed doors on TV or online, helped by many having now seen it in action. Competitiveness, uncertainty of outcome and feats of sporting excellence are other elements that make sport, sport, and these remain very much alive behind-closed doors.

Growing openness to behind closed doors fixtures comes at a time when the format is also in its infancy. Virtual crowds and pre-recorded crowd noises (trialled by the Bundesliga) are all efforts to close the gap to sport as we knew it. However, sports rights holders should not just look at how to replace the atmosphere created by crowds, as this is likely to be unachievable, but also at how the at-home viewer experience can be enhanced. Wide-ranging commentary and punditry choices, referee mics and 5G automated score updates are just some potential avenues. However, what is imperative to sports fans first and foremost, is access.

74% of our Sports Fan Panel think it’s imperative that sport behind closed doors is available to watch as widely as possible. The Premier League has moved in the right direction, relocating 4 fixtures to the BBC for the first time ever, and also 4 to Amazon Prime, which will be free-to-air. With the Championship and potentially League One to resume, EFL’s iFollow, and also Formula One’s F1 TV, spearhead the rise of OTT platforms for sport, and a movement towards increased global accessibility – albeit usually behind a paywall. Other sports rights holders should review their digital offering, with it presenting opportunities to understand audience data in a more comprehensive way, and to engage fans in a highly personalised manner.

Fans are more anxious to attend live sport and need to feel safe before returning

With reliance on sources of revenue weighted differently on a sport to sport basis, getting live sport on the screen may be the overriding priority for some, but not for others. Many sports organisations will be very keen to get bottoms on seats to get revenue streams flowing again once lockdown ceases. However, a fan-led focus will need to be adopted to realise this. Sports should aim to remedy reattendance anxiety, which has increased by 27% in the month since our April 2020 survey, as fans’ knowledge of COVID-19 transmission improves. Growing anxiety also explains why the number of fans planning to reattend events as soon as they can has decreased by 19%, just in the past month.

Despite this, 41% of fans are still positive about supporting their beloved teams as soon as lockdown lifts – and the rest can doubtless be won over. With fan anxieties a roadblock to reattendance, clubs and event organisers can facilitate fans’ return to stadium gates, by tackling specific fears highlighted in research. Global survey data shows that regular disinfection is most important to sports fans when visiting public spaces, while adherence to social distancing measures and provision of hand sanitizer are also desired: return to stadium plans should incorporate these. Measures such as these will also need to be visible to fans as lockdown begins to lift, to quell fear of the unknown. As agreed by our Industry panel last month, strategising should begin now.

Sports that are quick to resume can tap into new audiences on a global scale

Excluding the Bundesliga, individual and non-contact sports will experience a quicker and/or smoother return to the screen. Mixed martial arts, snooker and horse-racing evidence this, with all three leading sports staging a comeback in recent weeks, albeit in a trimmed format. This will give them access to part of lost broadcast revenue at an earlier stage, while also avoiding the organisational headache of returning teams to training and eventually matchday. Sports that cross the fan viewership line first can even grow their audiences at this time, underlined by 56% of sports fans being more likely to watch sports that they wouldn’t normally watch as it makes a staggered return.

Having pivoted swiftly, Formula E and Formula One have been able to tap into this thirst for live sport like few other sports – throughout lockdown. Formula E’s Race at Home Challenge and Formula One’s Virtual Grand Prix highlight recognition of a growing esports market. Tapping into it will help bridge a new generation into the sport and unlock a revenue stream that can withstand all weathers, unlike broadcast, commercial and matchday. The buzz caused by Extreme E at what is dubbed a ‘crisis point’ for sport highlights its potential for growth, and that of the motorsport industry in general, particularly as crowds are not a core component of the sport for the at-home motorsport viewer.

Lets discuss…

The Sports Fan Panel represent over 50 sports and are a highly engaged audience that endeavour to shape decisions within sport. If you would like to explore the benefits of tapping into the Sports Fan Panel for your organisation, and view infographics such as the one below, then please click here.

Goodform: Fan Positivity For Sport Behind Closed Doors Has Grown

Fan Positivity For Sport Behind Closed Doors Has Grown & Fears Over Re-Attendance Can Be Quelled

Fans are open to watching sport behind closed doors, but they want it to be accessible

Fans are more anxious to attend live sport and need to feel safe before returning

Sports that are quick to resume can tap into new audiences on a global scale

Lets discuss…

ANNOUNCEMENT: LaLiga, EVOS ESPORTS, Betway, KFC Among Speakers For iSportconnect Esports eMasterclasses

iSportconnect is delighted to reveal the first confirmed speakers for our opening group of Esports eMasterclasses, commencing from 9th June, 2020.

The first session is ‘Esports 101: An Industry Overview’ in partnership with NiceCactus on 9th June at 3pm BST. This session will delve into the relationships between Publishers, Leagues, Teams & Fans, the Growth of Esports and the predictions for the next 5 years, alongside much more.

Speakers:

Allan Phang, Head of Marketing & PR, EVOS Esports

Ian Smith, Commissioner, Esports Integrity Commission

Gregory Bolle, Chief Revenue Officer, Nicecactus

To sign up for this eMasterclass please follow this link or use the banner at the bottom of the page

https://event.webinarjam.com/register/67/ml42yaz9

The second eMasterclass titled ‘How Not To Fail: Brands in Esports’ in partnership with Kairos Sports will take place on the 16th of June at 3pm BST. With more and more blue-chip brands entering the Esports space, how can Brands ensure they have a strong entry to market, and how can they be authentic in their approach? Join us to discuss this and much more.

Speakers:

Adam Savinson, Head of Esports Betway Group,

Josh Benge, Brand Engagement Lead, KFC

Drew Townley, CEO, Kairos Esports

To sign up for this eMasterclass please follow this link: https://event.webinarjam.com/register/68/6v9kqf0m

Our third eMasterclass ‘Innovation Throughout Covid-19: How Esports Has Grown Up’ on 23rd June at 3pm BST will explore how has the increased visibility over the period helped to grow the industry, how the industry can capitalise on this increase exposure to further monetise, how things will have changed post Covid-19, and more.

Speakers:

Leo Matlock, Commercial Director, BLAST Premier

Alfredo Bermejo ,Digital Strategy Director, LaLiga

To sign up for this eMasterclass please follow this link: https://event.webinarjam.com/register/69/xykq1al9

Member Insights: What Measures Are NGBs Taking To Ensure Their Long-Term Stability After Covid-19?

Phil Andrews, CEO of USA Weightlifting, evaluates how national governing bodies have had to adjust following the difficulties caused by Covid-19 and the subsequent postponement of many major events throughout 2020.

The postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games has had a big impact on national governing bodies (NGBs) large and small across the globe.

Covid-19 has placed an immense strain on the finances, resources, and staff at organisations, and has left many athletes questioning how they will survive the next 12 months. The situation is no different at USA Weightlifting (USAW) and we have had to work collaboratively to ensure that our long-term future is secured.

Many NGBs have been working together to help share the burden of the pandemic, with issues around revenue, expenses, and athlete welfare prevalent for all. This collaborative approach has helped to promote best practice across different organisations, with USAW partnering with USA Cycling, USA Triathlon, and the Canadian Weightlifting Federation. It’s clear that we are all in this together and any support that we can provide one another is invaluable.

With many competitions postponed this year, 2021 is likely to be one of the most expensive years in the history of sport. NGBs will have the same issues post-pandemic, but without the support and leeway given in 2020. They will still have the same income streams, but spending will be double in many cases, particularly in relation to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

At USAW, we are very fortunate that many of our members are still able to compete in some capacity from their own homes or garages, especially at an elite level. It’s led to us moving some competitions to virtual events where athletes are able to stay active and compete against one another to remain competitive.

That’s not to say we haven’t been hit hard financially by the cancellation of certain events, as well as the many coaching courses that we run throughout the country, but in some cases we have seen the emergence of virtual activities that we would not have envisaged pre-Covid-19.

Online camps and competitions that we had initially planned to role out a few years from now have been fast-tracked and could lead to a reduction in costs in the long run, potentially providing a welcome boost.

Another difficulty for all NGBs is maintaining consistent communication with the elite pool of athletes, particularly those that had qualified for Tokyo 2020. The Olympic and Paralympic Games is the pinnacle for many athletes, and the uncertainties around the event can have a negative effect on their mental health and wellbeing.

It’s vital that these athletes are given the necessary support to enable them to stay motivated and not be worried about external factors such as the financial implications of a postponed Games.

Clearly this is a very difficult time for everyone, but elite athletes are in a unique position where they’ve gone from regular competitions around the globe to individual training programmes with no guaranteed live sport in sight.

The situation is ever-changing and there is no easy answer to how NGBs will cope moving forward. One thing that we can all agree on is that the return of live sport – in whatever capacity that may be – will provide a welcome boost for all.