F1 Confirm Cancellation Of 2020 Singapore, Azerbaijan and Japanese Grands Prix

The 2020 Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japanese Grands Prix have been cancelled in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Formula 1 has confirmed.

Earlier this month the opening eight races of a revised calendar for the 2020 season were announced, beginning with the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring in the first weekend of July.

Since then F1 have continued to work hard to finalise the remaining calendar for the season, and are confident of having between 15-18 races by the time the season concludes in Abu Dhabi in mid-December. A new calendar is expected to be published before the season begins in Austria.

But today it was confirmed that the Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japanese races will not be part of the calendar for 2020.

A statement from F1 released on Friday morning said: “As a result of the ongoing challenges presented by COVID-19, we and our promoters in Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japan have taken the decision to cancel their races for the 2020 season.

“These decisions have been taken due to the different challenges our promoters face in those countries. In Singapore and Azerbaijan the long lead times required to construct street circuits made hosting the events during a period of uncertainty impossible and in Japan, ongoing travel restrictions also led to the decision not to proceed with the race.

“At the same time we have made significant progress with existing and new promoters on the revised calendar and have been particularly encouraged by the interest that has been shown by new venues in hosting a Formula 1 race during the 2020 season.

“We appreciate this is still a time of uncertainty and complexity around the world and will continue to ensure we proceed with the 2020 season in a cautious and flexible way. We have detailed and robust safety plans in place to ensure we begin our season in the safest possible way.”

On Thursday F1’s motorsports chief Ross Brawn explained that the plan for the second half of the season is coming together.

“Things are moving fast, but we still have time,” he said. “We have lots of different options and we’re very confident we’re going to have a great second half of the season.

“There is a contingency to have an extended European season with another one or two races if needed. I think Bahrain and Abu Dhabi will be the backstop of the season from what we can see at the moment. That gives us 10. We’ll find at least five or six good races in the middle.”

Brawn also revealed other European tracks are being evaluated, with the likes of Ferrari-owned Mugello, Imola, Portimao, and Hockenheim all understood to be under consideration.

“There are a number of good European tracks where we could add another one or two races on to make sure we have a comprehensive season,” he added. “We’re not going to declare it yet, as it’s still a work in progress.”

BT Sport Agree Deal To Show Coppa Italia And Turkish Super Lig

BT Sport has secured the rights to broadcast the Turkish Super Lig in the UK and Ireland, beginning with Goztepe v Trabzonspor tonight (12 June).

The Turkish top division, which resumes following a pause due to the Covid-19 pandemic, features the tightest title race in Europe with four teams separated by just four points who are in with a chance of winning the title. Trabzonspor lead the league on goal difference ahead of Basaksehir while defending champions Galatasaray are a point behind in third, followed by Sivasspor. Customers can catch the likes of former Newcastle strikers Papiss Cisse and Demba Ba plus Colombian hitman Radamel Falcao, Brazilian Robinho and Frenchman Gael Clichy.

BT Sport will broadcast three live games from each of the remaining eight match weeks, plus weekly highlights, marking the first time the competition has been broadcast in the UK and Ireland in English.

BT Sport viewers can also look forward to watching live football over the coming month including, twenty Premier League games, every fixture from the Bundesliga and the return of the FA Cup.

Coppa Italia Returns to BT Sport

Live action from the Coppa Italia returns exclusively to BT Sport. Juventus and AC Milan are the first sides back in play after Italian football was suspended back in March. The league returns with the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-finals and the opening fixture gives fans the chance to see Cristiano Ronaldo back in action for the first time in three months.

BT Sport will also be showing the Coppa Italia final on Wednesday 17 June.

BT SPORT 1

Friday 12th June, 19:45

Coppa Italia – Juventus v AC Milan – Semi Final – Second Leg

Saturday 13th June, 19:45

Coppa Italia – Napoli v Inter – Semi Final – Second Leg

F1 Confirm Cancellation Of 2020 Singapore, Azerbaijan and Japanese Grands Prix

The 2020 Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japanese Grands Prix have been cancelled in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Formula 1 has confirmed.

Earlier this month the opening eight races of a revised calendar for the 2020 season were announced, beginning with the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring in the first weekend of July.

Since then F1 have continued to work hard to finalise the remaining calendar for the season, and are confident of having between 15-18 races by the time the season concludes in Abu Dhabi in mid-December. A new calendar is expected to be published before the season begins in Austria.

But today it was confirmed that the Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japanese races will not be part of the calendar for 2020.

A statement from F1 released on Friday morning said: “As a result of the ongoing challenges presented by COVID-19, we and our promoters in Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japan have taken the decision to cancel their races for the 2020 season.

“These decisions have been taken due to the different challenges our promoters face in those countries. In Singapore and Azerbaijan the long lead times required to construct street circuits made hosting the events during a period of uncertainty impossible and in Japan, ongoing travel restrictions also led to the decision not to proceed with the race.

“At the same time we have made significant progress with existing and new promoters on the revised calendar and have been particularly encouraged by the interest that has been shown by new venues in hosting a Formula 1 race during the 2020 season.

“We appreciate this is still a time of uncertainty and complexity around the world and will continue to ensure we proceed with the 2020 season in a cautious and flexible way. We have detailed and robust safety plans in place to ensure we begin our season in the safest possible way.”

On Thursday F1’s motorsports chief Ross Brawn explained that the plan for the second half of the season is coming together.

“Things are moving fast, but we still have time,” he said. “We have lots of different options and we’re very confident we’re going to have a great second half of the season.

“There is a contingency to have an extended European season with another one or two races if needed. I think Bahrain and Abu Dhabi will be the backstop of the season from what we can see at the moment. That gives us 10. We’ll find at least five or six good races in the middle.”

Brawn also revealed other European tracks are being evaluated, with the likes of Ferrari-owned Mugello, Imola, Portimao, and Hockenheim all understood to be under consideration.

“There are a number of good European tracks where we could add another one or two races on to make sure we have a comprehensive season,” he added. “We’re not going to declare it yet, as it’s still a work in progress.”

FIBA Launches International Esports Competition ‘FIBA Esports Open’

FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, has announced the launch of its first-ever international esports competition for National teams, the FIBA Esports Open 2020. FIBA is thrilled to be joining the esports movement together with its National member Federations, as part of this pilot project.

This inaugural series of exhibition e-basketball games will take place from June 19 to 21, 2020. The national teams participating include Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Cyprus, Indonesia, Italy, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, New Zealand, the Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland and Ukraine.

Each team will consist of seven players, five on the court and two reserves. Games will be played remotely on NBA 2K using the Pro-AM mode and allowing full customization of player avatars, uniforms and arena designs.

The entire FIBA Esports Open 2020 series will be produced from the brand-new FIBA Esports Studio located in Riga, Latvia, with a daily four-hour show featuring up to six games. Each game will be livestreamed on FIBA’s Facebook, Twitch and YouTube channels with live commentary in English.

“FIBA is extremely proud and excited to start its esports journey with the FIBA Esports Open 2020, a pilot project of exhibition games between national teams in collaboration with NBA 2K,” said Frank Leenders, FIBA Media and Marketing Services Director General. “The esports initiative was identified by the FIBA Central Board as important and consistent with the strategic objective to enlarge the FIBA Family. In these challenging times, we feel encouraged by the enthusiasm of some of our National Federations who are already active in this space and have been our charter partners during the last few months.”

“NBA 2K is honored to partner with FIBA in creating the FIBA Esports Open 2020,” stated Jason Argent, Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations at 2K. “Through these matches, we’re excited to be able to celebrate the global appeal of basketball.”

LaLiga Is #BackToWin As Spanish Football Returns Tonight!

LaLiga makes it long-awaited return to our screens tonight and is #BackToWin to complete the 2019/2020 campaign!

Games from Spanish football’s top division will be taking place almost every day from Thursday, June 11th, until the end of next month, with the season set to close on the 26th of July.

It has been a long journey and much hard-work has gone into getting the season back on track during a very trying time for many around the globe and it is testament to LaLiga’s efforts that the season is set to be completed.

How did they make it to this point?

Stringent testing has been underway since early on in the pandemic for players at LaLiga clubs, as a motion started to be put in place to bring

LaLiga ensured that each training ground was sanitised and they would come to work individually prior to group training beginning in smaller groups on the 18th of May, where they would have separate routines and then expanding into the full squad on the first of June as the build up to the return continued.

Innovations

LaLiga will be broadcasting games like never before with virtual stands, a brand new experience which will be available to UK viewers watching LaLiga TV.

Stadiums will also be using the audio library from EA SPORTS FIFA game, which was recorded before in stadiums and has been digitally adapted so it can be implemented in real time during the matches.

There will also be brand new camera angles used by both the aerial camera and cameras within the stadium. This includes the tunnel camera which will be operate remotely rather than with a cameraman in order to comply with social distancing.

How will the lack of a crowd impact the games?

LaLiga Ambassador and former Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Liverpool midfielder Luis Garcia believes home advantage may be lacking as games return without crowds.

“In the Bundesliga in the first couple of weeks a lot of away teams have been winning, a stadium like Ipurua where Eibar play the crowd is next to you, they make that stadium feel like a box and big teams don’t like to play there.”

“Now it’s gone because the fans aren’t there and it looks more like a training session. The teams that adapt fastest to the situation will make the most of the games,” said Garcia.

Now the fun begins

With a terrific title race and a huge battle for the champions league spots coming up it’s set to be an amazing finish to the LaLiga season!

All we know is, it’s #BackToWin.

LaLiga Also Teams Up With Spanish Government

The Spanish government, LaLiga and the Confederation of Employers and Industries of Spain (CEOE) have come together in a bid to boost and promote Spain as a safe destination for tourism and sport in a campaign that will be given considerable visibility domestically and internationally over the remaining 11 rounds of fixtures in LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank.

It is a joint campaign by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism (via Turespaña), the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sport (via CSD – Spanish High Council for Sport) Ministry of Health, the CEOE and LaLiga to boost the tourism and sports industries in Spain, which are both so crucial to the economy and have suffered over the last few months during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The “Safe Sport, Safe Tourism” campaign, with the #SpainAwaitsYou hashtag, was unveiled today at LaLiga headquarters, in the presence of Isabel Oliver, the Secretary of State for Tourism; Irene Lozano, CSD president; Javier Tebas, LaLiga President; Antonio Garamendi, CEOE President; Manuel Muñiz, the Secretary of State for Global Spain; and Faustino Blanco, the General Secretary of the Ministry of Health.

LaLiga is very aware of the opportunity and responsibility that it has as an entertainment platform that reaches over 2.7 billion people globally, which is why it will be fully supporting this initiative, whose visibility will be boosted further by a specially created logo.

LaLiga will give global visibility to the campaign through a logo that will be seen on the competition’s international broadcasts, as well as through creative pieces and posts on its social media networks (on which it has over 100 million followers), region-specific virtual perimeter advertising boards, virtualization of stadiums and digital marketing strategies, among other initiatives.

“Spain is ready to safely welcome international tourists from 1 July. We have thoroughly prepared to ensure we guarantee the highest safety standards across our whole tourism industry by rolling out over 20 uniform protocols for the entire country. We want tourists to feel confident and we are sending out a very clear message that will be amplified by this campaign: Spain is waiting for you,” said Oliver, the Secretary of State for Tourism.

CSD president Lozano said that she is aware of the effort that LaLiga has put in to ensure the competition can return safely and added that it is “time to savour the restart. A safe return has been outlined, in accordance with a protocol that will allow the competition to start up again successfully. Everyone should know about the effort that we have put in. We know that there’s no such thing as a zero risk but all of us, with our footballers leading the way, are giving our absolute best and acting responsibly and sensibly to ensure everything goes well.”

LaLiga President Tebas admitted that he feels “immensely proud that professional football can keep helping boost Spain’s visibility beyond our borders and help the country’s economy. Football and LaLiga play a key role in promoting Spain all over the world, which is why it’s so important for us to be part of this project now. At LaLiga, we’re going to do everything in our power for Spain to come out of this situation as quickly as possible.”

CEOE President Garamendi spoke about how the campaign “is an unbeatable example of how the public and private sectors can act as one to bring a country together. During such difficult times, supporting Spain as a safe destination and showcasing the pairing of tourism and sport is everyone’s responsibility and, at the new CEOE, we’re going to keep working hard so that the authorities and businesses can come through this crisis together and build a better Spain that will benefit us all.”

The tourism industry is vital to Spain. It makes up 12.3% of the country’s GDP and employs 12.7% of the total number of people signed up for social security. There is no other sector that generates so much employment and, at the same time, is a tool for social cohesion, economic development, and population retention. It is also a transversal sector that has a multiplier effect in other parts of the economy, such as trade and transport. Spain is a leading global tourist destination, has been the most competitive country in the world since 2015, according to the World Economic Forum, and is second-ranked in terms of the number of international visitors and tourism expenditure.

Spanish sport is one of the drivers of Spain’s good reputation abroad because of the level of professionalism and impressive results achieved in terms of management and sporting talent. The considerable financial impact is seen by the fact that several studies have calculated that it makes up 2% of GDP and almost 2.5% of direct, indirect and induced jobs in Spain (Funcas, The Growing Role of Sport in the Economy and Society, 2019).

LaLiga has been working hard to promote Spain for many years. In 2018, it was named an honorary ambassador of the Spain Brand in the international relations category “because of its contribution to portraying a positive image of Spain the world over through football” and “helping Spanish companies and sportspeople with the internationalisation process.”

LaLiga is also working in tandem with its sponsors to promote and support tourism. Banco Santander is a clear example of this, with their “La Remontada” campaign that seeks to reactivate businesses, consumption and tourism in Spain, reflecting values such as hard work, perseverance and confidence to overcome adversity, all essential character traits of Santander Ambassador Rafa Nadal.

Emirates FA Cup Final To Be Renamed In Honour Of The Heads Up Campaign

The Football Association has today announced that this season’s Emirates FA Cup Final will be dedicated to Heads Up, with lead partner Emirates donating their title to the campaign. As a result, the showpiece event in the football calendar, provisionally scheduled to take place on Saturday 1 August 2020, will be known as The Heads Up FA Cup Final.

Spearheaded by HRH The Duke of Cambridge, Heads Up is a partnership between Heads Together and The FA that harnesses the influence and popularity of football to change the conversation on mental health.

The season-long Heads Up campaign was launched at The FA Community Shield and has been visible across all levels of football in England throughout the course of the 2019/20 season. Culminating in The Heads Up FA Cup Final, the campaign has strived to raise awareness, spark conversation and signpost support for those in need, highlighting to the nation that we all have mental health and it is just as important as physical health.

Speaking on a call this week with Arsenal first-team players, Head Coach Mikel Arteta and Academy Manager, Per Mertesacker, HRH The Duke of Cambridge commented: “We’re going to really use the Final as a moment to promote good, positive mental health for everyone. It’s quite timely bearing in mind what we’ve all been through with this pandemic. I think there’s going to be, sadly, a lot of repercussions from this in society, not just in football, in terms of people’s mental health. Hopefully the FA Cup can be a bit of a pivot that people can rally around.”

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, said: “Emirates has a longstanding partnership with The FA and the utmost respect for The Duke of Cambridge and his mission to destigmatise mental health through the Heads Up campaign. We are happy and honoured to donate our use of The FA Cup title, and use this platform to raise awareness for such an important cause. With the challenges that the world is facing this year, it’s more relevant than ever for us to use our global reach to inform and unite people around mental wellbeing.”

Mark Bullingham, The FA’s Chief Executive said: “After several difficult months for many throughout the country, mental health wellbeing is more important than ever.  We are delighted that, thanks to the support of Emirates, we are able to dedicate The FA’s showpiece fixture in the men’s football calendar to Heads Up.  I would also like to thank the BBC and BT Sport for their support for the campaign, as they share our passion to combat this important issue.  Together we will encourage people to talk about mental health, striving to remove the stigma that exists around it.  The Duke of Cambridge has always wanted to start the biggest ever conversation on mental health.  Renaming the FA Cup in this way, with millions around the world watching, is our way to help stimulate this discussion.”

Godric Smith, Chair of the Heads Up campaign, said: “We are extremely grateful to The FA and to Emirates for this unprecedented gesture of support. Dedicating the final of football’s most iconic domestic cup competition to Heads Up is a huge statement about the importance of mental health and their commitment to it. Given the many different impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever that we talk about our mental health and help support one another, and The Heads Up FA Cup Final will hopefully generate many more of those conversations amongst fans and the football community.”

Eurosport Agrees Long-Term Deal For Bennetts British Superbike Championship

  • Eurosport renews its exclusive LIVE coverage for the Bennetts British Superbike Championship with seven-year deal from 2021
  • Andrew Georgiou: “Our long-term partnership with MSVR gives us the ability to continue super-serving passionate communities of motorsport fans”

Eurosport today announced it has renewed its long-standing media partnership with series promoters and rights holders MotorSport Vision Racing (MSVR) to screen the Bennetts British Superbike Championship for a further seven years, effective 2021.

Eurosport and the Eurosport App will continue to screen exclusive coverage of the British Superbikes Championship across 54 territories and countries in Europe* as well as the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Northern Africa regions – meaning millions of superbikes fans across the globe can experience thrilling season-long racing.

Having partnered with some of the biggest motorsport events in the world including WTCR – World Touring Car Cup via Eurosport Events, FIM World Superbike Championship, MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, Formula E and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the agreement with MSVR highlights Discovery’s focus and long-term investment in sport-specific verticals and OTT products. The MotorTrend app is Discovery’s direct-to-consumer service for motorsport fans offering a wide selection of automotive series and exclusive specials.

Andrew Georgiou, President Eurosport and Global Sports Rights said: “In securing rights to the British Superbike Championship in Eurosport’s key markets and territories, Discovery is once again underlining its ability to offer a single partnership that brings together unrivalled expertise and opportunity in global distribution, all-platform live production and promotional infrastructure to create a valuable offering to motorsports fans throughout the world.

“Our long-term partnership with MSVR extends our ability to continue super-serving passionate communities of motorsport fans in the same way Discovery has done with cycling through world-class coverage and relationship with GCN as well as our golf proposition through GOLFTV.”

Stuart Higgs, MotorSport Vision Racing Series Director said: “To confirm this agreement within the very turbulent period we are all experiencing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic is a tremendous statement of confidence for the BSB Championship, reaffirming it as one of most recognised and appreciated motorsports series in the world.

“Eurosport have been with us from day one of this most recent era of the championship, and now as part of the broader Discovery Group with access to their multiple platforms we can continue to grow our audience both in the UK and internationally.”

Widely regarded as one of the most competitive two-wheel series in the world, the British Superbikes Championship showcases some of the most exciting up-and-coming talent and has played a key role in the career paths for Superbike World Champions Troy Bayliss, Neil Hodgson and James Toseland.

Eurosport first aired the British Superbikes Championship in 2008 while the 2020 Bennetts British Superbikes Championship season is provisionally scheduled to start on 7-9 August at the famous Donington Park circuit.

LaLiga Is #BackToWin As Spanish Football Returns Tonight!

LaLiga makes it long-awaited return to our screens tonight and is #BackToWin to complete the 2019/2020 campaign!

Games from Spanish football’s top division will be taking place almost every day from Thursday, June 11th, until the end of next month, with the season set to close on the 26th of July.

It has been a long journey and much hard-work has gone into getting the season back on track during a very trying time for many around the globe and it is testament to LaLiga’s efforts that the season is set to be completed.

How did they make it to this point?

Stringent testing has been underway since early on in the pandemic for players at LaLiga clubs, as a motion started to be put in place to bring

LaLiga ensured that each training ground was sanitised and they would come to work individually prior to group training beginning in smaller groups on the 18th of May, where they would have separate routines and then expanding into the full squad on the first of June as the build up to the return continued.

Innovations

LaLiga will be broadcasting games like never before with virtual stands, a brand new experience which will be available to UK viewers watching LaLiga TV.

Stadiums will also be using the audio library from EA SPORTS FIFA game, which was recorded before in stadiums and has been digitally adapted so it can be implemented in real time during the matches.

There will also be brand new camera angles used by both the aerial camera and cameras within the stadium. This includes the tunnel camera which will be operate remotely rather than with a cameraman in order to comply with social distancing.

How will the lack of a crowd impact the games?

LaLiga Ambassador and former Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Liverpool midfielder Luis Garcia believes home advantage may be lacking as games return without crowds.

“In the Bundesliga in the first couple of weeks a lot of away teams have been winning, a stadium like Ipurua where Eibar play the crowd is next to you, they make that stadium feel like a box and big teams don’t like to play there.”

“Now it’s gone because the fans aren’t there and it looks more like a training session. The teams that adapt fastest to the situation will make the most of the games,” said Garcia.

Now the fun begins

With a terrific title race and a huge battle for the champions league spots coming up it’s set to be an amazing finish to the LaLiga season!

All we know is, it’s #BackToWin.

LaLiga Also Teams Up With Spanish Government

The Spanish government, LaLiga and the Confederation of Employers and Industries of Spain (CEOE) have come together in a bid to boost and promote Spain as a safe destination for tourism and sport in a campaign that will be given considerable visibility domestically and internationally over the remaining 11 rounds of fixtures in LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank.

It is a joint campaign by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism (via Turespaña), the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sport (via CSD – Spanish High Council for Sport) Ministry of Health, the CEOE and LaLiga to boost the tourism and sports industries in Spain, which are both so crucial to the economy and have suffered over the last few months during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The “Safe Sport, Safe Tourism” campaign, with the #SpainAwaitsYou hashtag, was unveiled today at LaLiga headquarters, in the presence of Isabel Oliver, the Secretary of State for Tourism; Irene Lozano, CSD president; Javier Tebas, LaLiga President; Antonio Garamendi, CEOE President; Manuel Muñiz, the Secretary of State for Global Spain; and Faustino Blanco, the General Secretary of the Ministry of Health.

LaLiga is very aware of the opportunity and responsibility that it has as an entertainment platform that reaches over 2.7 billion people globally, which is why it will be fully supporting this initiative, whose visibility will be boosted further by a specially created logo.

LaLiga will give global visibility to the campaign through a logo that will be seen on the competition’s international broadcasts, as well as through creative pieces and posts on its social media networks (on which it has over 100 million followers), region-specific virtual perimeter advertising boards, virtualization of stadiums and digital marketing strategies, among other initiatives.

“Spain is ready to safely welcome international tourists from 1 July. We have thoroughly prepared to ensure we guarantee the highest safety standards across our whole tourism industry by rolling out over 20 uniform protocols for the entire country. We want tourists to feel confident and we are sending out a very clear message that will be amplified by this campaign: Spain is waiting for you,” said Oliver, the Secretary of State for Tourism.

CSD president Lozano said that she is aware of the effort that LaLiga has put in to ensure the competition can return safely and added that it is “time to savour the restart. A safe return has been outlined, in accordance with a protocol that will allow the competition to start up again successfully. Everyone should know about the effort that we have put in. We know that there’s no such thing as a zero risk but all of us, with our footballers leading the way, are giving our absolute best and acting responsibly and sensibly to ensure everything goes well.”

LaLiga President Tebas admitted that he feels “immensely proud that professional football can keep helping boost Spain’s visibility beyond our borders and help the country’s economy. Football and LaLiga play a key role in promoting Spain all over the world, which is why it’s so important for us to be part of this project now. At LaLiga, we’re going to do everything in our power for Spain to come out of this situation as quickly as possible.”

CEOE President Garamendi spoke about how the campaign “is an unbeatable example of how the public and private sectors can act as one to bring a country together. During such difficult times, supporting Spain as a safe destination and showcasing the pairing of tourism and sport is everyone’s responsibility and, at the new CEOE, we’re going to keep working hard so that the authorities and businesses can come through this crisis together and build a better Spain that will benefit us all.”

The tourism industry is vital to Spain. It makes up 12.3% of the country’s GDP and employs 12.7% of the total number of people signed up for social security. There is no other sector that generates so much employment and, at the same time, is a tool for social cohesion, economic development, and population retention. It is also a transversal sector that has a multiplier effect in other parts of the economy, such as trade and transport. Spain is a leading global tourist destination, has been the most competitive country in the world since 2015, according to the World Economic Forum, and is second-ranked in terms of the number of international visitors and tourism expenditure.

Spanish sport is one of the drivers of Spain’s good reputation abroad because of the level of professionalism and impressive results achieved in terms of management and sporting talent. The considerable financial impact is seen by the fact that several studies have calculated that it makes up 2% of GDP and almost 2.5% of direct, indirect and induced jobs in Spain (Funcas, The Growing Role of Sport in the Economy and Society, 2019).

LaLiga has been working hard to promote Spain for many years. In 2018, it was named an honorary ambassador of the Spain Brand in the international relations category “because of its contribution to portraying a positive image of Spain the world over through football” and “helping Spanish companies and sportspeople with the internationalisation process.”

LaLiga is also working in tandem with its sponsors to promote and support tourism. Banco Santander is a clear example of this, with their “La Remontada” campaign that seeks to reactivate businesses, consumption and tourism in Spain, reflecting values such as hard work, perseverance and confidence to overcome adversity, all essential character traits of Santander Ambassador Rafa Nadal.

Emirates FA Cup Final To Be Renamed In Honour Of The Heads Up Campaign

The Football Association has today announced that this season’s Emirates FA Cup Final will be dedicated to Heads Up, with lead partner Emirates donating their title to the campaign. As a result, the showpiece event in the football calendar, provisionally scheduled to take place on Saturday 1 August 2020, will be known as The Heads Up FA Cup Final.

Spearheaded by HRH The Duke of Cambridge, Heads Up is a partnership between Heads Together and The FA that harnesses the influence and popularity of football to change the conversation on mental health.

The season-long Heads Up campaign was launched at The FA Community Shield and has been visible across all levels of football in England throughout the course of the 2019/20 season. Culminating in The Heads Up FA Cup Final, the campaign has strived to raise awareness, spark conversation and signpost support for those in need, highlighting to the nation that we all have mental health and it is just as important as physical health.

Speaking on a call this week with Arsenal first-team players, Head Coach Mikel Arteta and Academy Manager, Per Mertesacker, HRH The Duke of Cambridge commented: “We’re going to really use the Final as a moment to promote good, positive mental health for everyone. It’s quite timely bearing in mind what we’ve all been through with this pandemic. I think there’s going to be, sadly, a lot of repercussions from this in society, not just in football, in terms of people’s mental health. Hopefully the FA Cup can be a bit of a pivot that people can rally around.”

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, said: “Emirates has a longstanding partnership with The FA and the utmost respect for The Duke of Cambridge and his mission to destigmatise mental health through the Heads Up campaign. We are happy and honoured to donate our use of The FA Cup title, and use this platform to raise awareness for such an important cause. With the challenges that the world is facing this year, it’s more relevant than ever for us to use our global reach to inform and unite people around mental wellbeing.”

Mark Bullingham, The FA’s Chief Executive said: “After several difficult months for many throughout the country, mental health wellbeing is more important than ever.  We are delighted that, thanks to the support of Emirates, we are able to dedicate The FA’s showpiece fixture in the men’s football calendar to Heads Up.  I would also like to thank the BBC and BT Sport for their support for the campaign, as they share our passion to combat this important issue.  Together we will encourage people to talk about mental health, striving to remove the stigma that exists around it.  The Duke of Cambridge has always wanted to start the biggest ever conversation on mental health.  Renaming the FA Cup in this way, with millions around the world watching, is our way to help stimulate this discussion.”

Godric Smith, Chair of the Heads Up campaign, said: “We are extremely grateful to The FA and to Emirates for this unprecedented gesture of support. Dedicating the final of football’s most iconic domestic cup competition to Heads Up is a huge statement about the importance of mental health and their commitment to it. Given the many different impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever that we talk about our mental health and help support one another, and The Heads Up FA Cup Final will hopefully generate many more of those conversations amongst fans and the football community.”

Eurosport Agrees Long-Term Deal For Bennetts British Superbike Championship

  • Eurosport renews its exclusive LIVE coverage for the Bennetts British Superbike Championship with seven-year deal from 2021
  • Andrew Georgiou: “Our long-term partnership with MSVR gives us the ability to continue super-serving passionate communities of motorsport fans”

Eurosport today announced it has renewed its long-standing media partnership with series promoters and rights holders MotorSport Vision Racing (MSVR) to screen the Bennetts British Superbike Championship for a further seven years, effective 2021.

Eurosport and the Eurosport App will continue to screen exclusive coverage of the British Superbikes Championship across 54 territories and countries in Europe* as well as the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Northern Africa regions – meaning millions of superbikes fans across the globe can experience thrilling season-long racing.

Having partnered with some of the biggest motorsport events in the world including WTCR – World Touring Car Cup via Eurosport Events, FIM World Superbike Championship, MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, Formula E and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the agreement with MSVR highlights Discovery’s focus and long-term investment in sport-specific verticals and OTT products. The MotorTrend app is Discovery’s direct-to-consumer service for motorsport fans offering a wide selection of automotive series and exclusive specials.

Andrew Georgiou, President Eurosport and Global Sports Rights said: “In securing rights to the British Superbike Championship in Eurosport’s key markets and territories, Discovery is once again underlining its ability to offer a single partnership that brings together unrivalled expertise and opportunity in global distribution, all-platform live production and promotional infrastructure to create a valuable offering to motorsports fans throughout the world.

“Our long-term partnership with MSVR extends our ability to continue super-serving passionate communities of motorsport fans in the same way Discovery has done with cycling through world-class coverage and relationship with GCN as well as our golf proposition through GOLFTV.”

Stuart Higgs, MotorSport Vision Racing Series Director said: “To confirm this agreement within the very turbulent period we are all experiencing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic is a tremendous statement of confidence for the BSB Championship, reaffirming it as one of most recognised and appreciated motorsports series in the world.

“Eurosport have been with us from day one of this most recent era of the championship, and now as part of the broader Discovery Group with access to their multiple platforms we can continue to grow our audience both in the UK and internationally.”

Widely regarded as one of the most competitive two-wheel series in the world, the British Superbikes Championship showcases some of the most exciting up-and-coming talent and has played a key role in the career paths for Superbike World Champions Troy Bayliss, Neil Hodgson and James Toseland.

Eurosport first aired the British Superbikes Championship in 2008 while the 2020 Bennetts British Superbikes Championship season is provisionally scheduled to start on 7-9 August at the famous Donington Park circuit.