INDYCAR Releases New 2020 Season Schedule

An updated 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule was released today, displaying calendar adjustments implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Genesys 300 at Texas Motor Speedway remains the season opener with a night race on the 1.5-mile oval Saturday, June 6. The next race on the INDYCAR calendar will be the GMR Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course Saturday, July 4.

“Our teams and athletes are ready to get back on track and will deliver world-class action at Texas Motor Speedway and the Racing Capital of the World,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President & CEO Mark Miles said. “We appreciate the opportunity to begin our season during these unprecedented times, and I’m confident we’ll put on a great show.”

The REV Group Grand Prix at Road America has been rescheduled from June 21 to July 11-12, becoming a double-header with championship points races Saturday and Sunday on the iconic, 4-mile road course.

Two events have been canceled for 2020 due to local restrictions surrounding the pandemic: the Indy Richmond 300 on Saturday, June 27 at Richmond Raceway and the Honda Indy Toronto on Sunday, July 12 on the streets of Toronto.

The season finale will be the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, Oct. 25, a new date recently announced after the originally scheduled season opener March 15 in St. Pete was postponed due to the global health crisis.

Sportsnavi Becomes Official Media Partner Of LaLiga In Japan

LaLiga has taken an important step in its expansion strategy in Japan with the signing of the agreement that will make Sportsnavi inc. the first official media partner of the competition in the region.

Thanks to this agreement, LaLiga and one of Japan’s most visited websites join forces to provide fans in the country with a host of information relating to the day-to-day running of the competition, as well as stories surrounding clubs and their players.

“Joining together with Sportsnavi inc. will allow us to reach a larger number of fans. Reaching them through one of the most important outlets in Japan’s media landscape, and doing so in their language, will give us a great boost in generating more interest and knowledge around LaLiga,” said Rubén González, LaLiga delegate in Japan.

The agreement, which will be in force until the end of this year on a renewable basis, will give fans not just access to competition news but also a first-hand insight into the goings on around all LaLiga clubs.

“The agreement represents an unbeatable opportunity for those teams that enjoy less exposure here to have a platform that makes their stories, anecdotes and news available to fans”, Ivan Codina, LaLiga’s Managing Director for Japan, South Korea, South East Asia and Australia, stated.

“We’re extremely excited to partner with one of the most popular and influential sports organizations like LaLiga. With LaLiga’s rich history combined with its strong commitment for the new media, there are many stories to be told on daily basis and we’re glad we can play a significant role to share them with fans in Japan.” said Manabu Yamada, Chief Executive Officer of Sportsnavi.

One of the first exclusive contents the fans will be able to enjoy after the alliance is a documentary about Takefusa Kubo’s club promotion, going from the third tier of the Spanish football to the top division in just two seasons.

 Since the opening of the delegation in Japan in 2017, LaLiga has focused its efforts on promoting knowledge of the competition and its clubs among Japanese fans, as well as supporting local institutions and leagues in their growth strategies. 

Thanks to this double approach, LaLiga has signed commercial partnerships with HIS and Sony Bank, collaboration agreements with competitions such as the J-League and the Nadeshiko League, opened profiles in Japanese on Twitter and LINE and maintained a close relationship with Spanish institutions in the country such as the Embassy in Tokyo, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and the Cervantes Institute.

MTV And OTRO Combine For MTV Cribs Football Edition

OTRO Studios has been commissioned by MTV International to deliver a new footballer themed edition of MTV’s hit series, MTV Cribs titled MTV Cribs: Footballers Stay Home. Produced remotely by OTRO Studios the series will get up close and personal with a number of top international footballers as they help spread the ‘Stay home, Save Lives’ message amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Viewers will go on a journey through the footballers’ daily routines including how they are keeping fit, what’s hidden in their fridge and amusing pastimes.

MTV Cribs: Footballers Stay Home will consist of 4 x 22-minute episodes. The series will feature a number of well-known footballers from the biggest leagues in the world, including Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and David Luiz,  England and Manchester United Midfielder Jesse Lingard, Brazil and Manchester United midfielder Andreas Pereira, Belgian footballing legend Axel Witsel and FIFA 2017 female player of the year, Lieke Martens.

Production is underway with the footballers filming themselves, guided by a remote production team working from home. The series is set to air June 1st across MTV’s network of international channels and digital platforms, spanning 180 countries.

Due to current filming restrictions, OTRO Studios has devised a new technical set up to allow for remote filming. The footballers are using a high spec i-phone that is attached to a handheld camera rig, allowing the production team to see what the camera sees, in real time, via video conferencing. In addition, the players are hooked up via audio output from this high spec i-phone to the producer, who guides them around their Crib as if they were in their homes with them.

“MTV Cribs remains one of the most iconic shows in MTV’s history and whilst fans are home missing sports and seeking fitness ideas, we’ve asked some of our footie favourites to shed light on their stay-at-home routines, while giving the players a platform to reinforce the importance of staying home,” Craig Orr, Vice President Commissioning and Development, MTV International commented.

Claire McArdle, Managing Director, OTRO, added: “MTV Cribs is one of those rare things – a cult hit that is still going strong 20 years on – so we are over the moon to be working with MTV International on these special football episodes. Our production team has already done an extraordinary job negotiating the technical challenges of the current situation and we’re looking forward to delivering more unique insights into the homelives of football stars around the world.”

DAZN Extends Bundesliga Deal Until The End Of The Season

  • DAZN will stream nine live matches from the regular season and four relegation matches from the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2
  • Live matches will be available for all customers on the service in Germany and Switzerland

After the re-start of the Bundesliga last weekend, DAZN has today extended its partnership with the DFL to show multiple live matches from the competition on the sports streaming service in Germany and Switzerland, until the end of the season.

Thomas de Buhr, Executive Vice President DAZN DACH, commented: “We look forward to continuing to present the Bundesliga live to all football fans. The next match is this Friday, with the highly-anticipated derby in the capital between Hertha BSC and Union Berlin. The health and safety of everyone involved remains our top priority in the preparation and execution of our coverage.”

Kick-off is at 20:30 with DAZN’s presentation beginning at 20:15 CET. Lukas Schönmüller will present the programme, with punditry from Ralph Gunesch and Uli Hebel is the commentator. Alexander Schlüter will conduct pitch-side interviews at the Berlin Olympic Stadium. The Bundesliga continues on DAZN on Sunday 24 May, with the game between FC Schalke 04 and FC Augsburg.

In addition to the live matches, DAZN will continue to provide highlights of all Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 games on the platform, just 40 minutes after the final whistle.

FINA World Short Course Swimming Championships Postponed To 2021

Given the uncertainty related with the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, the safeguard of the athletes’ health and safety, and in accordance with the request of the UAE authorities, FINA has decided to re-schedule the upcoming edition of the FINA World Swimming Championships (25m), initially programmed to take place in December 2020 in Abu Dhabi.

The new dates of this competition are December 13-18, 2021, with the FINA World Aquatics Convention taking place also in Abu Dhabi, from December 10-12, 2021.

It will be the second time in the history that these Championships are held in the UAE, after a successful edition organised in 2010 in Dubai.

“We have worked in close co-operation during the last weeks with the UAE authorities on this matter and we believe this is the most suitable solution for all those taking part in this competition. The Abu Dhabi rendezvous in December 2021 will be a great achievement and will once more be a strong inspiration for the development of Swimming and Aquatics in the region”, considered FINA President Dr Julio C. Maglione.

Moreover, FINA is pleased to announce that its General Congress, where the FINA Bureau for the period 2021-2025 is to be elected, will take place on June 5, 2021 in Doha (QAT). The new members of the FINA Bureau 2021-2025 will initiate their term immediately after the conclusion of the Tokyo Olympic Games, to be staged from July 23-August 8, 2021.

BUNDESLIGA And SKYPERFECTV! Extend Partnership For Another 5 Years

SkyPerfecTV! (SPTV) will continue to be the home of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 in Japan after a new five-year deal was agreed between the broadcaster, the league and IMG. The deal, which begins at the start of the 2020/21 season, ensures that SPTV will exclusively show live, delayed and replay coverage of more than 200 matches per season. In addition, the long-term agreement includes live coverage and streaming of the highly-anticipated DFL Supercup to kick off the season, as well as crucial promotion/relegation play-off matches.

With more localised social media content developed for the passionate Japanese fanbase, the Bundesliga will be closer than ever before. The new broadcast deal was negotiated by IMG, who hold the Bundesliga media rights for Japan.

Speaking about the new agreement, Bundesliga International CEO Robert Klein said: “SPTV has been integral on our journey to connecting with Japanese fans. The Bundesliga continues to be a fantastic platform for Japanese national team players to become stars known around the world, and we particularly value our relationship with the Japanese fanbase. Not only do we want to continue bringing them exciting action on the pitch, but also to grow the Bundesliga community through active participation events and engagement with local fans.”

Eiichi Yonekura, Representative Director and President of SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation, said: “Since our exclusive broadcasting rights deal began in 2017, the Bundesliga has been a valuable partner in delivering the highest quality football to the Japanese football fans. With this renewed partnership, we look forward to bringing the fast and modern football that defines the Bundesliga home to Japan.”

Historically, the Bundesliga has featured many Japanese players, most notably legends such as Yasuhiko Okudera and Shinji Kawaga. Currently, three Japanese players call Bundesliga clubs home, including former national team captain, Makoto Hasebe (Eintracht Frankfurt), Japan’s star striker, Yuya Osako (Werder Bremen), and rising star, Daichi Kamada (Eintracht Frankfurt).

Online Exhibition Sales Process Launches For SportAccord 2021 In Ekaterinburg

SportAccord has launched the process for organisations involved in the business of sport to book exhibition space at the highly anticipated SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2021 in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

The movement’s most influential global gathering will reunite the international sporting community with an unmissable event from 23-28 May 2021. 

As the only global sports industry event attended by all International Sport Federations and their stakeholders, SportAccord will also bring together organising committees, hosting cities and regions, governments and administrations, rights-holders, agencies and athletes, as well as top-level experts and organisations from the sports media, technology, investment, medical and legal sectors.

With 2,000 of the sporting world’s most influential decision-makers set to congregate in a stunning city that bridges Europe to the west and Asia to the east, SportAccord 2021 will offer a unique and exclusive networking environment for exhibitors who are seeking to make new connections and strengthen relationships.

A range of stand options, ranging from 9m² to 27m², are available within the engaging exhibition hall at the state-of-the-art IEC Ekaterinburg-Expo convention centre, flanked by SportAccord Stakeholder offices and meeting rooms situated on the mezzanine just a short distance away. Visit the website to view the SportAccord exhibition interactive floor plan or click on the following to view a 3-D flyover of the SportAccord 2021 exhibition space. 

The hall itself will be a natural hub of activity at the heart of the event, and the vast majority of organisations that had planned to exhibit at SportAccord this year have already confirmed that they are committed to having a presence at the event in Ekaterinburg.

The exhibition space will feature a significantly larger SportAccord Café than in previous years, as well as a Network Zone (Including speakers’ corner), Meet & Greet Zone, Recharge Zone and a Media Zone, enabling even better networking opportunities. 

Ekaterinburg, Russia’s fourth-largest city by population and GMP (Gross Metropolitan Product), is home to numerous professional teams across a wide range of sports and will host games during the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship before staging the 2023 FISU Summer Universiade, having previously hosted 2018 FIFA World Cup matches and the 2019 AIBA World Boxing Championships.

With more than 40% of exhibitors at recent editions of SportAccord being cities and regions interested in hosting sporting events though, numerous cities – inside and outside Russia – will have a highly visible presence in the exhibition hall.

“With the sporting world looking forward to coming together again in a stunning setting, we are anticipating strong interest in exhibiting at this hugely significant edition of SportAccord in 2021,” SportAccord Business Development Manager Malcolm Hardman said.

“We have a range of stand options available and, as there has been a very positive response since the delegate registration process opened for SportAccord 2021 last month, we would advise those interested in benefiting from such tremendous exposure in the exhibition hall to get in touch soon.”

Head of Directorate of the Local Organising Committee Dmitry Putilin said: “SportAccord 2021 represents an outstanding opportunity for cities that are seeking to boost their event-hosting portfolios to enjoy unparalleled access to International Sport Federations and the global sports industry’s most important figures and organisations.”

Gfinity Signs Multi-Year Agreement With Formula 1 To Deliver F1 Esports Series

Gfinity, a world-leading esports and gaming solutions provider, announces that it has extended its relationship with F1 and been appointed to deliver the main elements of the F1 Esports Series in 2020 and 2021, and the 2022 qualifying events.  In addition, the previously announced F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix Series has been extended to June of this year.

As part of the agreement for the F1 Esports Series, in 2020 Gfinity will deliver the Pro Draft Reveal Show and the Pro Series; in 2021 Gfinity will deliver the Challenger Series qualifying events, Pro Draft live show and Pro Series; and in 2022, Gfinity will deliver the qualifying events.  Full details of the 2020 season format will be announced in due course.

Under the terms of the contract, Gfinity will deliver a dedicated account management team responsible for the delivery of all elements of the programme; a full league operations team responsible for writing all rules and governing the drivers participating in the tournament; and provide the use of ‘Race Control’, Gfinity’s proprietary in-race adjudication system. The Gfinity Arena in London will also be the main venue for live broadcasts.

Gfinity has been working with Formula 1 and Codemasters (CDM.L), a leading UK publisher of racing games, to design, develop and deliver the main elements of the F1 Esports Series since 2017.

In addition, further to the announcement on 23 March 2020 that Gfinity had been selected to deliver the new F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix Series, the Series has now been extended until June.  The Virtual Grand Prix Series will replace each live F1 Grand Prix that has been postponed due to the coronavirus.  Gfinity worked closely with Formula 1 on the conception of the series and oversees the delivery of the tournament, tournament operations and broadcast production.  The first race, the Virtual Bahrain Grand Prix took place on Sunday 22 March 2020. Since then there have been four additional Virtual Grand Prix in Vietnam, China, the Netherlands and Spain, and three F1 Esports Challenge Driver events.

John Clarke, Chief Executive Officer, Gfinity said: “The F1 Esports Series is one of the most exciting esports tournaments in the world and we are delighted to be working with F1 for a further two years. Signing a multi-year agreement highlights our ability to leverage our unique position at the centre of the esports ecosystem to design and develop esports solutions for our clients.  The Virtual Grand Prix Series has also caught the imagination of race fans as, shown by the amazing viewing numbers, and we are excited that a new, younger global audience is experiencing the F1 brand in a totally different way.”

Dr. Julian Tan – Head of Digital Business Initiatives and Esports, Formula 1 said: “We are delighted to extend our agreement with esports leaders Gfinity for another two years. Since 2017, we have seen the rapid growth of the F1 Esports Series and Gfinity have played a core part in that through their continued support in developing and delivering the series. We are excited to build on this foundation to bring further excitement to F1 Esports fans across the globe in the coming couple of years.”

Everton Agree Club-Record Kit Deal With Hummel

Everton Football Club has agreed a Club-record technical partnership with iconic sportswear brand hummel.

The three-year agreement will see hummel manufacture and supply Everton with bespoke playing, training and travel wear ahead of the 2020/21 season.

As technical partner, hummel will kit out the Men’s, Women’s and Academy squads as well as the Club’s coaching and Everton in the Community staff.

Founded in 1923, Danish sportswear brand hummel are one of the oldest team sport brands in the world with an incredible footballing heritage. The deal will see the Blues become hummel’s global flagship club partner.

Everton Chief Executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale said: “This announcement marks the start of an exciting new commercial relationship as we welcome hummel to Everton.

“It is really important that we drive maximum value from our commercial deals and this is a Club-record deal for a technical partnership for Everton. It is also important we work with brands that share our ambition and we have all been impressed with hummel’s originality, commitment to quality and vision to challenge expectations. We look forward to working with them to deliver our players and supporters an exciting range of products over the coming years.”

Umbro has been Everton’s technical partner since 2014 and will continue the partnership until the end of the 2019/20 season.

hummel CEO Allan Vad Nielsen said: “hummel is excited and honoured to partner with Everton.”

“Entry into the Premier League is integral to our ambitious growth plans, international expansion and focus on sport. Timing is also perfect as it is the 50th anniversary of Club legend Alan Ball introducing hummel to the UK market with his legendary white boots. Everton enjoys a massive following both domestically and globally, providing a fantastic engagement platform and positive outlook going forward.”

“We have great faith in Everton’s future plans, the Club’s impressive history and its many passionate fans – all providing a perfect fit for the hummel brand. We look forward to playing an active role in helping write the next chapter of the Club’s illustrious history.”

Sasha Ryazantsev, Everton’s Chief Finance and Commercial Officer, added: “hummel is a well-established and respected brand in the world of football that puts fans at the heart of the product. Throughout our discussions, their commitment and passion for our Club and our values was very impressive. This is an exciting partnership because of the shared vision we have for the future of the Club.”

hummel will join the Club and its official retail partner, Fanatics, in helping deliver official products to Everton fans, wherever they are in the world. Fanatics, the global leader in licensed sports merchandise, currently operate the Club’s Everton One and Everton Two retail stores as well as evertondirect.com, the Club’s official online store.

Commenting on the announcement, Fanatics UK General Manager, Danny Downs, said: “We have a fantastic long-term relationship with Everton and we are delighted that an iconic brand like hummel has joined the partnership.  We are looking forward to working with hummel, who have a proud heritage in European football and who I am certain will produce a fantastic range of merchandise and kits that Everton fans will love throughout the coming years.”

hummel is represented by its exclusive licensee Elite Group, specifically for its ‘Sport’ category, in the UK and Ireland.

An update on when Everton’s new 2020/21 playing, training, travel and leisure wear will be available to purchase will made in the coming weeks.

NASCAR And IMG ARENA Announce Global Sports Betting Initiatives

NASCAR® and IMG ARENA, a leading sports betting service and content hub, announced today that IMG ARENA has licensed official assets to create a virtual sports betting game that replicates some of NASCAR’s most iconic tracks, including Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Watkins Glen International. The virtual product, created by Leap Gaming*, will be offered to sports betting operators around the world. This deal expands IMG ARENA’s growing portfolio of virtual sports betting products, which now includes tennis, football, cycling, horse racing, speedway racing and greyhound racing.

Additionally, NASCAR and IMG ARENA have formed a long-term partnership that will provide international sports betting operators the ability to live-stream NASCAR Cup Series races for the first time. Cars returned to the track on May 17 at Darlington Raceway, and the remaining 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season will be available to betting operators outside of the U.S. and Canada.

“IMG ARENA is the leading partner for global sports and entertainment media. We are excited to work together to provide a global audience the ability to engage with our sport virtually and in real-time,” said Scott Warfield, Managing Director of Gaming, NASCAR. “The international sports gaming landscape is mature and vibrant, and this partnership allows us to offer compelling products that further enhance our international footprint.”

“Adding NASCAR to our client roster is a proud achievement. The brand is renowned in sport and entertainment with the high-octane race series providing must-watch, appointment-viewing content for more than 70 years,” said Freddie Longe, Executive Vice President and Managing Director at IMG ARENA. “The partnership significantly bolsters our streaming and official virtual sports offering with a product that we expect to be popular in a number of different markets.”

This partnership comes on the heels of an announcement made earlier this year introducing Penn National Gaming as NASCAR’s first authorized gaming operator in the United States. The partnership centered around a free-to-play, mobile game named NASCAR Finish Line, which offers users the chance to win a $25,000 jackpot every race.

Headquartered in London, IMG ARENA works with more than 460 leading sportsbook operators worldwide, providing always-on services including 24/7 live streaming and on-demand virtual sports products designed to evolve and inspire engagement by placing fans at the heart of the action. Its ground-breaking data collection system ensures that the fastest and most accurate sources of data are delivered live from the action to the end user in less than a second.

In the past year, NASCAR announced a series of agreements to prepare the industry and its fans for the rapidly growing sports betting landscape in the U.S., including its first authorized gaming operator, an exclusive data partnership, an integrity partner to safeguard and protect the sport, and unique content deals. Furthermore, the sanctioning body granted all teams and tracks the ability to sell marketing sponsorships to sports betting companies and licensed sportsbooks.

*IMG ARENA has been an investor in Leap Gaming since 2018. The two companies have a shared vision of developing official virtual content for federations such as NASCAR.