Vuelta a España And Giro D’Italia Overlap In New 2020 UCI Calendar

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) today announces the revised 2020 calendars for the UCI WorldTour and UCI Women’s WorldTour, with a view to the resumption of the cycling season, halted due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic which has struck most of the world.

Since the interruption of the cycling season in March, an intensive consultation process involving the principal representatives of the families of men’s and women’s professional road cycling – organisers, teams and riders – has been carried out at the initiative of the UCI in order to draw up new calendars. These have been approved by the UCI Management Committee and, today, by the stakeholders of men’s professional road cycling via the Professional Cycling Council (PCC), which has exclusive competence over the UCI WorldTour calendar.

Given the evolution of the world health situation, on 15 April the UCI decided to extend the suspension period of competitions on the UCI International Road Calendar until 1st July (until 1st August for races on the UCI WorldTour and UCI Women’s WorldTour calendars). Our Federation also committed to revealing the new calendars before 15 May. After several weeks of discussions and collection of feedback – including from health authorities of concerned countries -, the UCI feels it now has enough information to be able, today, to communicate the dates, unanimously approved by the participants of the meetings, of the events on the revised 2020 calendars for the UCI WorldTour and UCI Women’s WorldTour. However these dates, crucial for stakeholders, naturally remain subject to the lifting, until the end of the season, of the restrictions relating to the organisation of events put in place by the authorities in the concerned territories. We note that the situation is a changing one, which could mean the UCI may need to adjust the calendar to take into account the development of the pandemic.

UCI WorldTour

In agreement with all the stakeholders, the UCI has established a revised 2020 UCI WorldTour which will start with the Strade Bianche on 1st August and finish with the Vuelta Ciclista a España on 8 November. The series will include 25 events, after the five events held at the beginning of the season – Santos Tour Down Under (Australia), Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (Australia), UAE Tour (United Arab Emirates), Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite (Belgium) and Paris-Nice (France) -, and the cancellation of six events at the request of their organisers due to the effects of the pandemic – E3 BinckBank Classic (Belgium), Tour de Romandie (Switzerland), Tour de Suisse (Switzerland), Volta Ciclista a Catalunya (Spain), Itzulia Basque Country (Spain) and Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa (Spain).

Featuring among the 25 events are 17 one-day races, including the five Monuments (Milano-Sanremo, Tour des Flandres, Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège et Il Lombardia) and eight stage races, including the three Grands Tours. It can be noted that the new 2020 calendar includes, in line with the UCI’s commitment made on 18 March, the biggest races of road cycling’s historical heritage. Regarding the Grands Tours, the length of the Vuelta Ciclistica a España (20 October – 8 November) has been shortened by one weekend at the request of the organiser, Unipublic, which has received confirmation from the authorities of the city of Utrecht that the conditions cannot be met for a Grand Depart in the Netherlands. The UCI would like to thank the organiser for the request to reduce the length of their event, which is in line with the general interest of the calendar. The length of the Giro d’Italia remains unchanged. It should also be highlighted that it has been possible to find space in the calendar for almost all the other UCI WorldTour events whose organisers did not request cancellation due to the health crisis. With the Aigle-Martigny 2020 UCI Road World Championships taking place in Switzerland at the scheduled dates, the 2020 season proposes a large majority of the most prestigious races originally registered on the year’s UCI International Road Calendar.

Despite the constraints linked to the desire to maintain as many races as possible in a limited space of time, the new calendar obeys a logic which provides a maximum of opportunities for different types of riders: alternating stage races and one-day races in August, which will enable the riders to gradually readapt to the rhythm of competition after three months of limited activity for some; the Tour de France, UCI Road World Championships, Giro d’Italia, Ardennes and Flanders events; and to close the season, the Vuelta Ciclista a España.

UCI President David Lappartient declared: “We have drawn up a solid, attractive and varied new calendar that is as realistic and coherent as possible. This has been achieved as early as was practicable and in line with information available today concerning the evolution of the pandemic. Riders, teams and organisers now have the dates they need to anticipate the resumption of racing on 1st August.

“This is a very important step that the entire cycling community, financially impacted by the pandemic, has been waiting for to move forward. I would like to acknowledge the spirit of solidarity and responsibility shown by all players – in this respect I thank Unipublic which accepted to reduce the length of the Vuelta Ciclista a España – and the courage that the families of professional cycling have demonstrated in these difficult times.

“We will continue to move forward together towards the resumption of the season, nevertheless with the reminder that the health of riders and all concerned parties is still the overriding priority, and that the recommencement of our activities will remain dependent on the evolution of the world health situation.”

Rory McIlroy And Dustin Johnson To Feature In Live PGA Tour Charity Match This Month

The PGA TOUR, NBC Sports and Sky Sports today announced the return of televised golf with TaylorMade Driving Relief, centered around a $3 million charity skins match supported by UnitedHealth Group to raise money and awareness for the American Nurses Foundation and CDC Foundation, two organizations helping to lead COVID-19 relief efforts.

On Sunday, May 17, from Seminole Golf Club, TaylorMade Driving Relief will feature two-time FedExCup champion and World No. 1 Rory McIlroy and 20-time PGA TOUR winner Dustin Johnson, teaming up against two Oklahoma State University alumni: PGA TOUR superstar Rickie Fowler and 2019 first-time TOUR winner and 2019 NCAA National Champion Matthew Wolff. The competition will follow strict CDC social distancing guidelines, local mandates and will utilize appropriate testing measures to help protect the health and safety of the golfers, production crew and others on site.

Additionally, Farmers Insurance® has pledged $1 million to back a birdies-and-eagle pool to benefit Off Their Plate, a charitable organization helping COVID-19 healthcare workers and impacted frontline shift employees.

Building upon this initial fundraising of $4 million, PGA TOUR Charities will announce a Text-To-Donate activation and online donation platform powered by GoFundMe to allow viewers to make additional contributions and raise funds for COVID-19 relief.

“We are excited about the safe and responsible return of live golf and the opportunity to raise significant funds for those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic through the TaylorMade Driving Relief event,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “With four of the PGA TOUR’s top stars in Rory, Rickie, Dustin and Matthew of Team TaylorMade participating and UnitedHealth Group serving as the foundation of charitable giving, and Farmers Insurance providing an additional bonus pool, golf fans around the world can look forward to a unique, interactive and entertaining event that will help those in need.”

 

Sir Bill Beaumont Re-Elected World Rugby Chairman

Sir Bill Beaumont has called on the game to become more united than ever and get working immediately to achieve sustainable growth in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic after being elected for a second term as World Rugby Chairman.

Beaumont achieved a first-round simple majority of 28-23 in the election which was independently managed by PwC, standing against Agustín Pichot. Standing unopposed, Fédération Française de Rugby President Bernard Laporte was elected the new Vice-Chairman. A new Executive Committee was also confirmed with seven new members elected to join the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Chief Executive and two independents Angela Ruggiero and Lord Mervyn Davies.

The results will officially be confirmed at World Rugby’s annual meeting of Council on 12 May after which the new leadership’s four-year mandate will begin. Both candidates agreed to an early announcement given the process concluded at first round stage and no further votes were required for the Vice-Chairman and Executive Committee positions.

Beaumont, in partnership with Laporte, will build on strong foundations to deliver a mandate of progressive reform, uniting stakeholders for the betterment of the game for all.

This will include enhanced governance reform, an aligned and integrated approach to the global calendar, accelerated prioritisation of player welfare, injury-prevention and modified contact variants, accelerated promotion of the women’s game and sustainable investment the sport.

Work is progressing on a global women’s 15s competition and a global men’s emerging nations 15s competition that, alongside a record number of fixtures against top nations, targets union competition needs, provides opportunity for all, enhances Rugby World Cup performance and delivers an annual champion.

“I am honoured to accept the mandate of the World Rugby Council to serve as the international federation’s Chairman once again and would like to thank my union and region colleagues, members of the global rugby family and, of course, my family for their full support.

“I would like to thank Gus for his friendship and support over the last four years. While we stood against each other in this campaign, we aligned in many ways, and I have the utmost respect for him. Gus is passionate about the sport and his contribution has been significant.”

Beaumont has called on the organisation to get to work, deliver the sport’s response to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic and implement progressive change. “Over the last four years we have achieved a lot, but we are at half-time and need to press on in the second half. I now have a clear mandate to work with Bernard to implement progressive, sustainable change.

“As an organisation, we must lead, be transparent, accountable and continue to serve for all. We must be united in our drive to make this great sport even better, simpler, safer and more accessible. We must listen to players, fans, competitions, our unions and regions, and take decisions that are in the best interests of all with our strong values to the fore.

“Now is not the time for celebration. We have work to do. We are tackling COVID-19 and must implement an appropriate return-to-rugby strategy that prioritises player welfare, while optimising any opportunity to return to international rugby this year in full collaboration with club competitions for the good of players, fans and the overall financial health of the sport.

“I am determined to ensure that the spirit of unity and solidarity that has characterised our work in response to an unprecedented global COVID-19 pandemic, is the cornerstone of a new approach that will deliver a stronger, more sustainable game when we emerge with new enthusiasm, a renewed purpose and an exciting future.”

Laporte added: “Congratulations to my friend Sir Bill Beaumont on his re-election. I would also like to express my best wishes to Agustín Pichot, a legend of Argentinian rugby and a great rugby leader. I also want to thank all unions who have expressed their opinion in this important ballot, giving a clear mandate for the governance which Bill and I will undertake on their behalf.

“During this unprecedented and global COVID-19 crisis, we must act and unite unions from the north and south and the professional leagues around a common objective to define a strong and sustainable future for all. We will pursue these reforms together and act in solidarity with the rugby family, to drive the game forward on and off the field, further the welfare of our players and make the sport more attractive and accessible.”

The new Executive Committee will comprise: Sir Bill Beaumont (Chairman), Bernard Laporte (Vice-Chairman), Brett Gosper (Chief Executive), Angela Ruggiero (Independent), Lord Mervyn Davies (Independent); Mark Alexander (South African Rugby Union), Khaled Babbou (Rugby Africa), Bart Campbell (New Zealand Rugby), Gareth Davies (Welsh Rugby Union), John Jeffrey (Scottish Rugby), Bob Latham (USA Rugby) and Brett Robinson (Rugby Australia).

SailGP Season 2 Rescheduled For 2021

With a continued emphasis on protecting the health and safety of its national teams, global staff, partners and event communities, SailGP has determined that its racing must remain suspended for the remainder of 2020. Consequently, SailGP Season 2 events will be rescheduled for 2021.

Two of the four impacted events have new dates for 2021 – San Francisco on April 17-18 and New York on June 4-5. SailGP also intends to return to the U.K. and Denmark during the rescheduled Season 2, replacing racing previously planned for August 14-15 and September 11-12 of this year.

Season 2 is set to be expanded from five to a minimum of seven events during the year-long period beginning in April 2021, spanning to the early months of 2022. Results from 2020 Sydney SailGP – the first and only completed event of the year – will be null and void.

SailGP CEO Sir Russell Coutts said: “This terrible pandemic has led to the tragic and ongoing loss of hundreds of thousands of lives, and first and foremost, our thoughts go out to those victims, and their grieving families and friends.

“The global nature of our league is one of our strongest characteristics, as we bring together top talent from all over the world to both organize and compete in a new form of professional racing. As we face this health emergency, our geographic diversity unfortunately becomes a potential liability both to ourselves and those around us.

“Our focus must necessarily shift to returning at a time when our events do not present undue internal or external risk.

“We’ll use the coming months to focus on important initiatives to make both our racing and broadcast even more attractive – including through further development of our F50 catamarans, simulator and gaming platform, as well as enhanced data integration via artificial intelligence – while continuing to work toward our ambitious target of carbon neutrality by 2025. I’m confident that our rescheduled second season will go beyond what we would have been able to deliver this year, and we’re extremely fortunate to have the ongoing support of partners including Rolex, Oracle, ROCKWOOL and our many broadcasters to help us get there.”

Two months ago in Sydney, teams representing Australia, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Japan, Spain and the United States took to the water in the world’s fastest sail race boats for what was anticipated to be the first of five events in 2020. There, four-time Olympic gold medalist Sir Ben Ainslie led the British entry to victory in his SailGP debut, overcoming the local favorite and defending season champion Tom Slingsby and his Aussie crew.

Ainslie said: “This has of course been a huge challenge for the entire world, and in particular for healthcare workers on the frontline of this crisis. At the end of the day, this is sport, and we’ll get back out there when it’s safe for everyone involved. Of course, it’s tough not to be out on the water, especially after I got my first taste of SailGP in Sydney a couple months ago. Racing these boats is a privilege, and I know we’ll have that moment again. In the meantime, I’ll be looking to find ways to be even better when we are up and racing again next year.”

Slingsby said: “Of course we’re incredibly disappointed to have to press pause on our bid to be back-to- back SailGP champions. We wish we could be out there straight away and get some payback, but there are greater concerns across the world at the moment. We’ll be ready when the time is right, and SailGP will be bigger and better than ever.”

In a bid to protect the organization throughout this unpredictable period, Coutts has temporarily forfeited his salary in its entirety, while remaining employees have voluntarily taken salary reductions effective through the end of the year. The overall workforce has been tapered proportional to the current modified requirements, while the contracted athletes are being compensated for more than 50 percent of the planned season activity.

The rescheduled Season 2 events will continue to be showcased around the world via partnerships with top-tier broadcasters in more than 100 territories, including in each team market: SKY Sports (U.K./Ireland), CBS Sports (U.S.), Fox Sports (Australia), Canal+ Sport (France), TVE and TV3 (Spain), TV 2 Sport (Denmark), and DAZN (Japan).

Audience figures from the 2020 Sydney SailGP (February 28-29), represented a 27 percent growth from the 2019 event that served as the global league’s world premier. Among that growth was a 16 percent expansion of the total broadcast audience, along with an 83 percent increase in social media video views and 234 percent jump in social media impressions.

In Q1 of this year, more than 13 million minutes of content were consumed across the league’s Facebook and YouTube channels, while SailGP’s new marketing campaign film It’s Not What You Think reached nearly 6.5 million people in the month prior to the season opener.

During the league’s inaugural season in 2019, fans embraced the SailGP concept, as the championship’s five events garnered a television audience of 256 million. In addition, more than 133,000 spectators watched the live events, 138,000 downloaded the award-winning mobile app and more than 100,000 eF50s raced in the debut of the league’s first-generation gaming platform.

In the months leading up to the 2020 start of Season 2, the league added national teams from Denmark and Spain, signed team title partners INEOS and ROCKWOOL, announced a new event in Copenhagen and brought on Endeavor as a minority shareholder.

Coutts said: “We’ve created a lot of growth and momentum from our first six events, and are 100 percent committed to becoming a leading rights holder and advancing the sport in a way that has never been done before. We’ll prioritize innovative improvements during this interim period, and then refocus on live events in early 2021.”

Expo 2020 In Dubai Postponed For One Year

Expo 2020 Dubai is gearing up to help shape a post-pandemic world and create a better future for all after a two-thirds majority of Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Member States voted in favour of postponing the next World Expo by one year.

The global mega event will now run from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022, a delay that allows all participants to safely navigate the impact of COVID-19, and allows the World Expo to focus on a collective desire for new thinking to identify solutions to some of the greatest challenges of our time.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Airports, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman and CEO of Emirates Group, and Chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee, said: “We welcome the decision of BIE Member States to support the delay Expo 2020 Dubai by one year. We are thankful to Member States for their continued commitment to contributing to a World Expo in Dubai that will play a pivotal role in shaping our post-pandemic world at a time when it will be most needed.

“Over the last 50 years, we have sought to build bridges, connections, and partnerships around the world because we believe in genuine collaboration to safeguard the future of all. This swift and overwhelming vote reflects the strength of our international partnerships and truly reflects the positive role the UAE and Dubai play with all countries around the world.

“This affirmation by the international community of Dubai’s offering and its ability to deliver, further strengthens our commitment to matching ambition with achievement to hosting an event that will capture the world’s imagination, when the time is right.”

With a BIE General Assembly impossible to stage due to COVID-19 restrictions, Member States voted remotely on the BIE Executive Committee’s recommendation for a delay as proposed by the UAE Government at the beginning of April and recommended by the BIE Executive Committee on April 21. While the vote remains open until 29 May, the two-thirds threshold was surpassed within a week of voting opening on 24 April.

Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, Secretary General of the BIE, said: “I applaud the swift response by BIE Member States. Their support for the postponement of Expo 2020 Dubai – which will be formally approved on 29 May – is a renewed sign of solidarity, and demonstrates the shared will to work together in ‘creating the future’.

“In their support for the one-year postponement of Expo 2020 Dubai, Member States of the BIE are giving the world the opportunity to reconvene in 2021, when together, we can address the challenges facing humanity and celebrate the unity and solidarity that strengthen us. With its theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, Expo 2020 Dubai will offer the world a unique platform to share the lessons, solutions and ideas for a better tomorrow.”

Expo 2020 Dubai retains its name and remains committed to hosting an exceptional event that will celebrate humanity’s resilience, creativity, culture and innovation – including major technological advances in the fields of medicine and science.

The first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, and largest ever event to take place in the Arab world, Expo 2020 will welcome 192 countries, plus businesses, multilateral organisations and educational establishments.

NFL Removes London Games From Schedule For 2020 Season

The National Football League announced today that it will schedule all 2020 games in the United States in order for the entire season to be played in NFL teams’ stadia under consistent protocols focused on the well-being of players, personnel and fans. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made this decision after consultation with our clubs, national and local governments, the NFL Players Association, medical authorities and international stadium partners.

“After considerable analysis, we believe the decision to play all our games domestically this season is the right one for our players, our clubs, and all our fans in the US, Mexico and UK,” said NFL Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer Christopher Halpin. “We greatly appreciate the support of our governmental and stadium partners in Mexico and the United Kingdom, who all agree with this decision, and we look forward to returning for games in both countries in the 2021 season.

“We also thank our incredible fans in those territories for their passionate support of the NFL. We will continue to serve them through our outstanding media partners and by being active supporters of both grassroots football and COVID-19 relief efforts in Mexico and the UK.”

The NFL had been planning to play one game in Mexico City at Azteca Stadium and four games in London – two at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and two at Wembley Stadium – during the 2020 season.  The Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins had all previously announced that they would be home teams for International Series Games in 2020.  These teams will now play all of their home games this season at their home stadia in the United States. 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “While the NFL’s many fans in London, the UK and Europe will obviously be disappointed by this news, it is absolutely the right decision to ensure the safety of everyone involved in the sport. I know that the NFL remains fully committed to London and I look forward to welcoming NFL teams back to the capital in 2021.” 

Alistair Kirkwood, Managing Director of NFL UK, said: “The NFL’s London Games have become a major part of the NFL season and the UK sports calendar. But the uncertainty in the current sporting landscape and the tremendous amount of long-term travel and planning required to stage successful London Games mean this is the sensible decision to make.

“Ahead of our games returning next season, we will continue to strengthen our ties to the UK community this season through programmes such as NFL Flag and the NFL Academy.”

Tottenham Hotspur Chairman Daniel Levy said: “We fully appreciate the difficult decision that the NFL has had to make, given the unprecedented circumstances everyone around the world is facing. We were overwhelmed with the response we received from everyone at the inaugural NFL matches in Tottenham last year at our new stadium – the sport’s only purpose-built stadium outside of the United States – and we were proud to deliver world-class facilities for the NFL family.

“We look forward to welcoming everyone from the NFL back to Tottenham in 2021 as we further develop our unique partnership and create even more memorable game days. Until then, we wish the NFL a successful season ahead and send our sincere thoughts and well-wishes to everyone who has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Mark Burrows, The FA’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “Wembley Stadium has had the privilege of hosting NFL games for the past 13 consecutive seasons, and they are undoubtedly one of the highlights of the stadium’s calendar. We were of course looking forward to welcoming teams back to Wembley this autumn – in particular, the Jacksonville Jaguars, who were due to be the first NFL team to play back-to-back international games here in London.

“However, we understand the challenges that sports across the world are facing as a result of this crisis and, as a valued partner, we fully support the NFL in their decision to schedule all games in the US this year. We wish them every success for the new season and stand ready to welcome the NFL back to our iconic venue in the near future.”

LaLiga Clubs To Return To Training This Week

LaLiga clubs are returning to training this week following the Spanish Ministry of Health’s approval for the return of sports training sessions.

In accordance with the Return to Training Protocol that LaLiga has drawn up with medical experts, professional players from LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank – the first and second divisions of professional football in Spain – will start training alone following medical tests carried out by club staff.

This return to training has been planned by LaLiga with measures that have been agreed with the relevant sports and health authorities in order to guarantee as much safety as possible for the health of all those involved.

These measures cover a period of approximately four weeks with different phases that, in any case, will be subject to the de-escalation process established by the government. Thus, together with the medical tests carried out by clubs, a staggered return to training has been implemented that will start with players training alone and end with group activities prior to the return to competition, scheduled for June.

Professional footballers returning to work will go hand in hand with the recovery of a very significant economic sector that accounts for 1.37% of Spain’s GDP and creates 185,000 jobs. This is at a time when the country’s economic situation is now the main concern, precipitated by the health crisis.

“This crisis has had a profound impact on all of us. The return of football is a sign that society is progressing towards the new normal. It will also bring back an element of life that people in Spain and around the world know and love,” said Javier Tebas, the president of LaLiga. “People’s health is paramount, so we have a comprehensive protocol to safeguard the health of everyone involved as we work to restart LaLiga. Circumstances are unprecedented, but we hope to start playing again in June and finish our 19/20 season this summer.”

FINA Confirms New Dates For FINA World Championships in Fukuoka, Road Cycling European Championships Postponed

Following consultation with the city of Fukuoka, Japan Swimming Federation, organisers, athletes, coaches, technical committees, TV partners and sponsors, FINA is pleased to announce that the FINA World Championships in Fukuoka (JPN), initially scheduled for the summer of 2021, will now take place from May 13-29, 2022.



“After liaising with the relevant stakeholders and receiving feedback from them, we have no doubt that the decision taken will provide the best possible conditions for all participants at the Championships. We look forward to witnessing the world’s best aquatic athletes from around the world competing in the city of Fukuoka (JPN) in 2022,” said FINA President Dr Julio C. Maglione. “At a time of unprecedented uncertainty, FINA hopes the announcement of these dates will allow for some clarity in planning for all concerned.”

The FINA Family would like to thank the authorities of the City of Fukuoka, the Japan Swimming Federation, Organising Committee of the FINA World Championships, and all our partners for their commitment and support in reaching this decision.

Moreover, the FINA World Masters Championships will take place across the island of Kyushu (JPN), from May 31-June 9, 2022.

The European Cycling Union (UEC) and the organizers of the 2020 UEC Road Cycling European Championships, originally to be held in Trento (Italy) from 9th to 13th September 2020, have reached an agreement to postpone the event by one year. “Having acknowledged the consequences of the pandemic outbreak in the last few weeks – Trentino Marketing CEO Maurizio Rossini explained – we are pleased with an outcome that satisfies everybody, and puts us in the position to set up the event at its best, and produce the greatest redemption from both the technical and the promotional sides”.

The Championships will take place in the first half of September as the final decision about the date – according to the options accepted by the organizers, 1-5 September or 8-12 September 2021 – belongs to the International Cycling Union (UCI) once the new season’s international calendar will be completed.

The event shifting to 2021 was the result of lengthy negotiations among the parties involved after the Coronavirus outbreak has frozen every sports activity to date. “We have reached the wisest decision afterward – Trento’s Tourism board Director Elda Verones argued – with the full consent by the City of Trento and all the local institutions. Given how the Coronavirus is affecting the economics, we can look forward to the next year’s event as a great opportunity to gather people and share our common thrive for upturn once the emergency will be finally over”.

The UEC, along with the UCI and the National Associations, will now evaluate alternative solutions to hold the 2020 edition in a new location.

Vindicia Webinar | A Digital Sports Economy: Engage Fans and Diversify Revenue Streams

In these unprecedented times, with live events canceled or postponed, the industry is effectively in hibernation due to the Coronavirus. Now more than ever, leagues, distributors and teams need to re-examine their digital strategy. Vindicia has teamed up with Pulselive to share practical advice on how to build fan engagement platforms to diversify revenue streams.

In this live webinar, you will learn how leading sports brands are pioneering their use of digital content, how to deliver content through highly engaging platforms to fans worldwide, and the monetisation models needed to grow a sustainable source of income in the coming years. In addition, Pulselive will share insights from their recent research into sports fan behavior during the COVID-19 crisis.

Hosted by:

  • Mark Bishop, Head of Marketing, EMEA & APAC, Vindicia
  • David Strachan, Creative Director, Pulselive

May 6, 2020, 15:00 – 16:00 BST (7:00 – 8:00 am PDT)

Follow this link to sign up – https://www.vindicia.com/company/events/live-webinar-digital-sports-economy-engage-fans-and-diversify-revenue-streams

LaLiga Creates Three New Programmes To Support Global Broadcasters

  • In order to bring audiences closer to the competition, LaLiga has produced three new shows for international consumption.
  • LaLiga players have been instructed on recording techniques to help produce quality content from home.

With ‘stay at home’ measures in place around the world, broadcasters have been adapting their content in order to keep audiences entertained. At LaLiga, this situation was quickly acknowledged and a strategy was put in place to create additional new programmes and support all  broadcast partners.

To observe social distancing, the team in Spain has taken a creative approach. Instead of regular camera crews and editing studios, the content is being produced remotely and with LaLiga players (or their families) even playing the role of camera operators.

As a result, three new shows have been created from scratch, thanks to collaborations between LaLiga and the clubs. LaLiga’s national and international broadcasters, including the league’s own 24/7 channel LaLigaTV, are now able to bring ‘LaLiga StayAtHome’, ‘LaLiga Nations’ and ‘LaLiga Clubs’ to their audiences.

“We have been proactive with the creation of these shows for LaLiga broadcasters,” Melcior Soler, director of LaLiga’s audiovisual department, said of the new programmes. “We are collaborating with clubs and players, who have been extremely willing to help. Together we are providing as much content as possible.”

Creating broadcast content from home

The ‘LaLiga StayAtHome’ programme is a 30-minute weekly show that brings viewers closer to the stars of the competition, who share their fitness routines, daily diets, interesting hobbies or their perspective on the current situation. Uniquely, content has been created directly from the homes of LaLiga players, who have recorded all the material themselves…

… To read the full piece and subscribe to the LaLiga Global Fútbol Newsletter follow this link: https://newsletter.laliga.es/global-futbol/laliga-creates-three-new-programmes-to-support-global-broadcasters