Nordic Broadcasting company TV4 Media have announced that they have extended their current deal to show Spanish football’s top division, LaLiga.
C More, one of the company’s channels, already had a deal in place to show LaLiga, however a new deal has now been reached for the next five year period, commencing in 2021 and culminating in 2026.
This comes just days after TV4 Media announced that they had won the rights to broadcast the UEFA Champions League in Sweden and Finland from 2021.
Casten Almqvist, CEO of TV4 Media, had said: “The UEFA Champions League has been at the top of our wish list of sports rights for a long time. This is the first example of how TV4 Media with Telia as our owner will raise the bar. The UEFA Champions League will be an important ingredient in creating Sweden’s and Finland’s best TV experiences.”
Now adding LaLiga to the Champions League, TV4 will have a large portion of football’s major rights in the region, while NENT has agreed a huge six year deal beginning in 2022, covering the whole Nordic region for Premier League football.
IRONMAN today announced in conjunction with host city partners and authorities in Hawai`i, United States and Taupō, New Zealand, that due to the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the 2020 editions of the IRONMAN® World Championship and IRONMAN® 70.3® World Championship cannot take place on their originally scheduled dates. The IRONMAN World Championship will now take place on February 6, 2021 returning to its historic original race month and marking 40 years since it first took place in Kailua-Kona on the Island of Hawai`i. While a new date for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship has not yet been determined, teams are working diligently with local and national officials and authorities to secure a date for early 2021.
IRONMAN has been closely monitoring the situation and guidance by the Hawaiian and New Zealand governments regarding mass gatherings, border and travel restrictions and other COVID-19 related issues to assess the feasibility of hosting the 2020 IRONMAN World Championship and 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship. Additionally, as the global COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact events around the world, both world championship events have seen a majority of their respective qualifying events postponed or unable to take place in 2020, impeding the ability to produce and host truly competitive world championship events. Based on these factors and circumstances beyond our control, coupled with a mission to give athletes and communities as much preparation time as possible, it is clear the world championship events cannot proceed as planned in October and November, respectively.
Similar to 1982, there will be two editions of the IRONMAN World Championship in a single year (February and October) to accommodate athletes who qualify during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
As a result of the continued impact of COVID-19, the qualifying window for the 2020 edition of the IRONMAN World Championship has been extended to provide further qualification opportunities. The most up-to-date information on overall qualification details for the IRONMAN World Championship can be found at www.ironman.com/im-world-championship.
The IRONMAN World Championship is the pinnacle of endurance sports with athletes from all over the world coming to Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i after qualifying at events on six continents. Each year more than 94,000 athletes vie for coveted slots to the IRONMAN World Championship with approximately 2,500 athletes making it to the starting line on race day. In 2019, the IRONMAN World Championship generated a total economic impact of $72 million USD per a study conducted by Markrich Research. In addition to tourism, IRONMAN and the IRONMAN Foundation have provided a total of $1.9 million USD in grant funding to the Kailua-Kona region since the inception of the IRONMAN World Championship.
“The IRONMAN World Championship has been a cornerstone in showcasing our island’s attributes to the world for decades. We fully support their decision to postpone these races, and we feel that it is the right thing to do to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of our community,” said Ross Birch, executive director of the Island of Hawai`i Visitors Bureau. “It also allows supporting industries to prepare the resources necessary to maintain the high standard the event has created over the years. We look forward to welcoming them back when the time is right and will do our best to assist with the transition.”
“The County of Hawai`i supports IRONMAN’s difficult decision to postpone the October 2020 IRONMAN World Championship event to early 2021. We look forward to welcoming the athletes, their families and supporters in early February of 2021,” said Harry Kim, Honorable Mayor for Kona.
The IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship has grown in stature and popularity since its inception in 2006 and is now the culmination of over 100 events. Every year more than 200,000 athletes compete annually for a place among the world’s best with over 5,000 athletes ultimately making it to the two-day event. Based on past economic impact studies, the 2020 edition of the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship is expected to create a total impact reaching $20 million NZD for the host city and region.
Taupō District Mayor David Trewavas said the postponement was expected given the effect COVID-19 was having on New Zealand and indeed the world. “This was no doubt a difficult decision, but the most important thing is that we as a community are ready to welcome these athletes when the time is right. We are proud to be home to the iconic IRONMAN New Zealand triathlon and are ready to showcase exactly why that is to the rest of the world. Bring on 2021.”
LaLiga and its international broadcast partners have started the countdown to the return of Spanish football by launching a special series called #BackToWin, which will be shown weekly to its international audiences.
The shows will reveal the main news stories from across LaLiga, including the overall strategy and preparations behind the return of LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank, as well as kick-off times and new broadcast features set to be introduced between now and the end of the current campaign.
The 30-minute episodes of #BackToWin will air weekly until the competition resumes. LaLiga president Javier Tebas will feature in the first of the programmes. Each weekly edition will see a leading figure from within LaLiga take centre stage and will involve the participation of several LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank players who will share their experiences of the lockdown in Spain and their expectations for when the LaLiga gets up and running again.
Football-related content focusing on the return to action will dominate this new show, which will also delve into football stats and storylines such as the race to be crowned LaLiga’s top scorer at the end of the season. LaLiga Ambassadors will also get involved by taking part a series of challenges, such as competing with each other to see how many shirts they can put on in the space of a minute.
#BackToWin is a show for LaLiga fans around the world and will be made available to all international broadcasters. Viewers in the UK and Ireland will be able to catch the episodes every Friday night at 8.00pm on 24-hour channel LaLigaTV, which is available on Sky (Ch. 435) as well as Virgin TV (Ch. 554) in the UK.
England football captain Harry Kane has agreed a deal to sponsor League Two side Leyton Orient’s shirt next season in order to show support for frontline heroes following the coronavirus pandemic.
The side’s alternative kits will bear the names of two charities and Kane has agreed the deal following a spell on loan with the side in the early 2010s. It is the latest in a series of gestures from sportspeople during COVID-19.
Leyton Orient FC said:
During these troubling times Harry wanted to support the club that gave him his first professional start and not only has he been so generous to the club, but he has also donated the shirt sponsorship to the following three causes.
Home Shirt – A thank you message to the frontline heroes
This donation will enable the benefactors to receive hospitality, where guests of both Haven House and Mind can escape reality for an afternoon at the Breyer Group Stadium to enjoy The O’s in action.
They will also receive huge coverage during the season, and we are pleased to announce that 10% of proceeds of each shirt sale will be passed to that charity.
GIVING BACK
“I was born and brought up only at a couple of miles from the stadium and I am really happy to have the opportunity to give back to the club that gave me my first professional start,” said Harry Kane on the sponsorship.
“This also gives me a platform to be able to say a big thank you to the many frontline heroes and charities out there who provide care and support during these challenging times.”
A TRUE ROLE MODEL
“Well where to start,” said Danny Macklin, Leyton Orient Chief Executive. “What started with a simple idea has escalated into a very unique and emotive shirt sponsorship agreement.”
“When we discussed with the England captain Harry Kane and his team at CK66, we all decided that we wanted this to be unique.
“We wanted to say thank you for the exceptional hard work and dedication of the frontline heroes during this pandemic and also bring attention to the other charities out there who have all suffering financial loss due to the pandemic.”
“We are in uncertain and worrying times across the world but thanks to their efforts we will get through this together.”
“Thank you, Harry, for your amazing support and generosity – you are a true role model for the modern game.”
Josh Stephens, Head of Commercial, said: “Further to Danny’s comments, I think every Orient fan has a soft spot for Harry and it’s fantastic that Harry is supporting three extremely worthy causes.”
“He is also supporting the club during these challenging times and we are extremely grateful to him and all at CK66.”
“As we all look forward to live football, I for one cannot wait until the O’s run out at the Breyer Group Stadium donning the ‘Thank you frontline heroes’ message.”
With elite football set for resumption this weekend with the return of the Bundesliga, David Sim, Head of Football & Broadcast at CSM Sport & Entertainment, looks at the role broadcasters are playing at this time.
In the late 20th century, live broadcasting revolutionised the world of sport. Be it ESPN in the USA, or BskyB in the UK, the revenue generated through major broadcast fees turned sport from a largely amateur pastime into the world’s most powerful cultural platform.
In the wake of Covid-19, though, the source that feeds this entire ecosystem has come to an abrupt halt, posing an existential threat to stakeholders across the industry.
With sports broadcasters a critical component of that network, how will they respond to the challenges that lie ahead? As the industry toys with the ethical, logistical and financial conundrum of getting live sport back in action, here are a few ideas on the role they can play in navigating this turbulent period.
Win together, lose together
The financial model of most major sports properties is, in large part, sustained by the income generated by broadcast contracts. But Covid-19 has robbed these two stakeholders of their most precious commodity: live sport.
For rights holders, though, TV revenue is often the lifeblood of its industry. Without it, the entire ecosystem is faced with a financial black hole.
For broadcasters, it means a loss of subscribers and a loss of advertising revenue. That is the rationale behind DAZN, BeIN, IMG, Sky Italia and Eurosport all opting to withhold rights payments for events either cancelled or indefinitely on hold.
For rights holders, though, TV revenue is often the lifeblood of its industry. Without it, the entire ecosystem is faced with a financial black hole. In the Premier League, the cost of repaying broadcast rights for unfinished fixtures is estimated to be £38m per club, a figure that would leave many staring down the barrel of insolvency. It’s a catch-22 that requires resolving.
From BBC and Wimbledon, to CBS and the Masters, the history books are littered with mutually beneficial relationships between rights holder and broadcaster. Now, more than ever, the two need to work together to share the burden of Covid-19. If broadcasters can absorb some short-term financial losses, they will safeguard the immediate future of much of the industry and, in turn, the product it sells. What better way to demonstrate your worth as partners than acting as true guardians of the game?
The role sport plays in filling our desire for excitement, jeopardy and community has only been heightened by the trauma of coronavirus and our enforced separation. Its value is greater than ever before. Those who choose to ride out the uncertainty will be best placed to capitalise on that.
When it comes to renegotiating next season’s fees, broadcasters will be able to agree increasingly favourable terms in a buyers’ market; a hitherto unfamiliar negotiating position but just reward for their continued investment.
On that front, we are already seeing signs of progress. Canal+, the chief broadcaster of Top 14 Rugby for 25 years, has committed to paying its final fee instalment for this season to help clubs ease cash flow problems. In the UK, Sky Sports will not demand a £36m rebate from the ECB despite the postponement of The Hundred. And in Germany, Sky Deutschland reaffirmed its commitment to the Bundesliga with an early rights fee payment, in return for a reduced fee next year.
For their part, rights holders should consider how they can maximise the value of existing contracts. Be it extra fixtures for next season, or increasing advertising space during the live broadcast, there are a number of “make goods” that rights holders can offer to help alleviate any loss in value of the original contract.
The popularity of Amazon Prime’s The Test, or Sky Sport’s World Cup Final Watch Along, demonstrate that fans respond positively to the greater level of insight provided by player-led content.
Match footage and highlights from the Bundesliga will be shown free-to-air on Sky Konferenz this weekend, and Sky Sports and BT Sport remain in talks with the Premier League to show unsold games on their free YouTube channels. The BCCI has granted Star India – its domestic broadcast partner of the postponed IPL – free access to its wealth archive cricket footage, while the Olympic Broadcasting Service, meanwhile, has offered all its media partners the opportunity to carry Olympic Channel 1 until 2021.
While the temptation for broadcasters to switch off the life support is understandable, a more pragmatic approach to avoid biting the hand that feeds them bodes well for those with a long term view.
Keep fans at the heart of the action
As live sport begins to re-emerge, it is evident it will do so in empty arenas; a reality that may be in place for some time. Nevertheless, the fan can still play an active role in enhancing the product that broadcasters choose to present back to us.
Where motorsport can rely on the noise of machinery to provide an atmosphere, the echoes that reverberate around cavernous football stadiums often devalue the product. The obvious solution in offsetting that is to pump simulated crowd noise through PA systems, increase “sound capture” and incorporate music into the broadcast offering. In Taiwan’s domestic baseball league, robot drummers have been deployed to that effect.
But why not put fans back at the heart of the experience? Modern sound technology allows us to record ourselves cheering on our team from home. If broadcasters and clubs can embrace virtual watching parties, they could collect that noise and feed it back through the broadcast channel or stadium PA, enhancing that connectivity with the fan.
Expect broadcasters to invest time and money into creating more evergreen content to help diversify their programming, particularly off the back of the recent success of The Last Dance for ESPN and Netflix.
In terms of the aesthetic , “tighter” camera angles is one routine method used to mask the lack of fans. Elsewhere, cardboard cut-outs – personalised in the case of Borussia Monchengladbach – are being deployed to replicate the presence of a physical crowd. I’m old enough to remember the mural Arsenal used at Highbury when the North Bank was under construction. It worked well at the time, but the evolution in technology in the 30 years since allows us to aim higher.
Rather than attempting to conceal the visual deficiencies of playing behind closed doors, clubs and broadcasters would be better served exploring fan engagement initiatives. Inviting your global fanbase to share artwork or messages of support –which could be collated and crafted into a CGI-friendly, digital mosaic – would be a more meaningful, compelling and interactive way of both elevating the visual presentation of the broadcast, while ensuring supporters remain integral to the action.
Shift to player-first coverage
Without the atmospheric presence of a crowd to augment the viewing experience, there is scope to recalibrate broadcast output towards developing a more intimate connection between player and fan. Typically, access to players during the window of play has been off-limits, but with athletes operating in radically altered circumstances, it’s a great chance to educate the audience around a unique challenge.
The popularity of Amazon Prime’s The Test, or Sky Sport’s World Cup Final Watch Along, demonstrate that fans respond positively to the greater level of insight provided by player-led content. Broadcasters, together with rights holders, need to consider how to best serve that interest.
That Sky Sports, BT Sport and the Premier League are reportedly discussing in-game interviews with substitutes and coaching staff is welcome news. But they could go further still.
It would be an opportune moment for the Premier League to introduce a ref mic – an innovation that has done wonders for rugby. Recording the communication between referee and the Stockley Park team will provide spectators with some much-needed clarity and transparency around the VAR process, in a far less hostile environment.
With that data in mind, will the likes of Fox Sports continue to broadcast esports series’, such as the eNascar Invitational, when the real life version reappears, or will esports return to the fringes?
When the PGA Tour returns to our screens in mid-June, rather than cutting away to vast green expanses, why not spend more time following the journey of player and caddie as they discuss their strategy to an upcoming shot. In a “fanless” era, the focus of the coverage needs to shift from atmosphere to athlete, taking us viewers into uncharted territory. By doing so, they will deepen the relationship we have with the sport.
Learn the lessons
There are lessons to be heeded from this crisis. For several sports broadcasters, this pandemic has exposed a gaping hole in its content offering. Expect them to invest time and money into creating more evergreen content to help diversify their programming, particularly off the back of the recent success of Netflix and ESPN’s The Last Dance.
While the move towards direct-to-consumer OTT platforms will not fade away entirely, the financial repercussions of Covid-19 will see rights holders continue to opt for the low-risk strategy of partnering with major broadcasters – not least for the comfort of a big cheque.
And esports, the alleged winner in all of this, will be a fascinating sector to keep an eye on. It has been tempting to assume that esports – that is, competitive multiplayer video gaming in front of spectators – has flourished during this pandemic as an alternative to live sport. But the data from McKinsey tells a different story. Just 3% of consumers over the age of 18 have started watching esports content as a result of Covid-19. In reality, it is online gaming – the umbrella term that includes esports – that is booming, with 16% of consumers surveyed by WARC, across 25 markets, having taken it up in the last two months.
With that data in mind, will the likes of Fox Sports continue to broadcast esports series’, such as the eNascar Invitational, when the real life version reappears, or will esports return to the fringes? The answer to that will be pivotal to esports’ endeavour to sustainably grow its audience base.
Covid-19 has, at least, granted rights holders and media partners pause for thought. How they choose to respond could reshape sports broadcasting for the better.
The ATP has extended the suspension of the ATP Tour through to July 31, 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The decision, made in close collaboration with Tour members, means ATP events in Hamburg, Bastad, Newport, Los Cabos, Gstaad, Umag, Atlanta and Kitzbühel will not take place as scheduled. The extended suspension also applies to the ATP Challenger Tour and to men’s events on the ITF World Tennis Tour.
“Due to continued uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, we regret to announce our decision to extend the suspension of the Tour,” said Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman. “Just like tennis fans, players and tournament hosts all over the world, we share in the disappointment the Tour continues to be affected in this way. We continue to assess all of our options in an effort to resume the Tour as soon as it is safe to do so, including the feasibility of rescheduling events later in the season. As ever, the health and well-being of the tennis community and wider public remains our top priority in every decision we make.”
Tournaments taking place from August 1, 2020 onwards are still planning to proceed as per the published schedule. A further update on the ATP Tour calendar is expected in mid-June.
WTA
Following the announcement of the WTA Tour suspension through July 12, the WTA events in Bastad, Lausanne, Bucharest, and Jurmala scheduled for July will not be held, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We regret this is the case but will continue to be guided by medical experts for when it is safe and possible to return to WTA competition. We continue to monitor the situation closely and are hopeful to be back on the court as soon as possible.
A decision regarding the dates in which Karlsruhe and Palermo may be played along with further updates to the WTA calendar will be made in June.
ITF
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has extended the suspension of all ITF tournaments through to July 31, 2020, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
All ITF circuits and event categories scheduled to take place during the newly extended period are suspended, including ITF Juniors, ITF Seniors, UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour, Beach Tennis Tour and the men’s and women’s ITF World Tennis Tour.
ITF President, David Haggerty said, “These are tough and disappointing decisions to make, but health and safety remain our primary concern. We continue to review the global situation and assess all our options to resume international competition the moment it is safe to do so. We are working closely with tennis stakeholders to review the calendar and make the right decisions together.”
While the global pandemic continues to prevent international competition, the partial lifting of government restrictions in some nations has permitted the resumption of recreational tennis and national competitions. The ITF has issued the following Return to Tennis guidelines for the staging of competitions with appropriate integrity, health and safety measures in place and advises recreational players to follow information and instructions from their national federation as they return to play.
The National Basketball Association and Wilson Sporting Goods Co. have announced a multiyear global partnership that will make Wilson the official game ball of the NBA, Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League.
The partnership will tip off at different times by league. The NBA Wilson game ball will first be used during the league’s 75th anniversary season in 2021-22. The other debuts will be during the 2022 WNBA season, 2021-22 NBA G League season, 2021 NBA 2K League season and the inaugural BAL season.
“This partnership with Wilson returns us to our roots as we plan for the future,” said Salvatore LaRocca, NBA President, Global Partnerships. “We were partners for 37 seasons dating back to when Wilson manufactured the first official NBA basketballs in 1946, and we look forward to growing the game of basketball together.”
“Our commitment to growing the game of basketball on the global stage is at the heart of Wilson and our new partnership with the NBA,” said Kevin Murphy, General Manager, Wilson Basketball. “Our passion for this game and the league runs incredibly deep, as does our history with it. And as we start this new chapter in the game, our focus and energy will be on supporting the league and the players, coaches and fans with the most advanced, high-performance game basketballs possible.”
Wilson will manufacture the NBA, WNBA and NBA G League game balls using the same materials, eight-panel configuration and performance specifications as current game balls and will also source the same leather currently used in the NBA. The NBA and its players will work jointly with Wilson to develop and approve the new game ball.
LaLiga, MEDIAPRO Group and Asian sports asset commercialisation giant Super Sports Media have announced the creation of a joint venture in China, which is born with the aim of providing more resources for the exploitation of commercial assets and studying new ways of doing business in the Asian country.
The new company, which has been established for an initial period of 15 years on a renewable basis, will begin to operate immediately across the territories of mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. It will work in parallel with LaLiga’s China offices and thus provide a great boost in the Spanish competition strategy in the region.
SFCM has been created in order to increase LaLiga China’s promotion and activation capabilities, which will benefit clubs and sponsors at a local level with exclusive advertising packages, the organisation of eSports tournament and the exploitation of other assets relating to LaLiga.
“LaLiga is joining together with two important partners in the business of sponsorship and licensing: Mediapro China and Super Sports Media, owner of the audiovisual rights for LaLiga in China and AFC (Asian Football Confederation) among other things. We want to continue growing and innovating in this market and working together with these partners will help us to strengthen our strategy and grow in new areas,” said Javier Tebas, President of LaLiga and member of the SFCM board…
BLAST, the global esports media network, has today announced the closing of an investment round of €12.5M Euros ($13.52 million).
The round was led by Johan Gedda, global technology entrepreneur and co-founder of Rocket Software, and Vækstfonden, a financing and investment vehicle with funds from the Danish State and the European Investment Bank. The round was completed with further investment from existing investors leading European VC funds Creandum, Heartcore and Maki.
With offices in Copenhagen and London, BLAST creates world-class esports entertainment through intimate broadcast studio shows, arena events, and online content. BLAST products are broadcast across major global TV networks, leading digital platforms and through BLASTs own broadcast platform.
In 2019, BLAST delivered 7 events across 5 continents with 1 billion minutes of broadcast in 19 different languages. In 2020, BLAST has expanded into DOTA 2 alongside its world-leading Counter-Strike: GO tournament series.
Johan Gedda said ‘the opportunity to combine and create a deeper technology stack that will evolve the future of esports is one of the reasons I am pleased to partner with BLAST. I am impressed by their plans and look forward to leveraging my experience in the technology space to help grow this exciting and fast-moving business.’
During Covid-19, BLAST has increased its output and introduced multiple new lines of tournaments, content series and commercial partnerships. BLAST has a full calendar from 30th April through to 21st June, bringing over 308 hours of world-class esports to fans around the world. Erik Balck Sørensen of Vækstfonden’s department of direct investments: “we have watched the leadership position taken by BLAST across the esports industry in Europe and beyond, and we are proud to support a European growth company as it moves to its next stage.’
The global esports market is on target to grow to over 1 billion USD by the end of 2020. The BLAST business model is centred on targeting the broadest esports and entertainment audience. The model is built around long term partnerships with the best teams, broadcasters, commercial partners and technology leaders.
Championship Horse Racing can confirm that, due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the inaugural Racing League has been postponed until summer 2021.
Chief Executive of the Racing League, Jeremy Wray, said: “Although disappointed, we are making the decision now to postpone the Racing League until 2021. We have committed £1.8m prize money to the British Horseracing Authority, and will use the time we now have to work with horsemen, our partners and stakeholders to make the competition a really positive addition to the flat racing calendar for next year.”
The Racing League will comprise 36 races over six consecutive Thursday evening meetings in July and August 2021.
Arena Racing Company (ARC) Chief Executive, Martin Cruddace, said: “Given the current period of uncertainty that everyone across British racing and the wider business world faces, it is of course the sensible decision to postpone the introduction of the Racing League until next summer.
Matthew Imi, Chief Executive of Sky Sports Racing, commented: “We remain excited at the prospect of working with Jeremy and his colleagues to launch the Racing League, albeit a year later than anticipated. The proposition is genuinely innovative and we look forward, as soon as we are able, to previewing next year’s competition and building the narrative across Sky Sports Racing and our digital and international platforms.”
