iSportconnect Announces Partnership With Connexi

iSportconnect is delighted to announce a new partnership with sponsorship platform Connexi.

Connexi’s platform allows brands, agencies and right holders to buy and sell commercially-relevant sponsorships effectively.

They use a data-driven approach in order to create the most relevant partnerships and operates in a way which is able to save time for both parties throughout the process of creating sponsorship agreements.

Connexi founder, Rory Stewart-Richardson, said: “It is great to join the iSportconnect community after getting to know their offering over the course of the last 6 months and attending some of their events, which I believe are the best in the industry. I’m looking forward to working closely with the team moving forward.”

iSportconnect founder and CEO, Sree Varma, commented: “We are absolutely thrilled to have signed this partnership between iSportconnect and Connexi.

“They are a business I have a great deal of expectation for as they continue to grow moving forward and we are excited to help provide them with greater insight and expertise working within the sports industry.”

About iSportconnect

iSportconnect was launched in 2010 with the aim of bringing together sports business professionals around the world in a sports business networking community enabling them to meet one another, find information and obtain access to a wide range of relevant services. The platform is now the largest global private network of sport business executives, where membership is exclusive and follows a strict door policy.

For more information about Connexi, please visit their website: https://connexi.co/

IOC To Reveal Destiny Of Tokyo 2020 Within Four Weeks

The IOC has announced that they will make an announcement in the next four weeks as to whether the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo will be postponed.

There have been numerous calls for the IOC to postpone the event in recent days due to the overall health and well being of people in the world due to coronavirus and all of the travel that comes with the Olympics.

It has also come from a number of governing bodies as under the current lockdown most of the Olympic athletes in many countries are unable to train properly ahead of the games.

In IOC President Thomas Bach’s letter to the athlete community he said: “We are working very hard, and we are confident that we will have finalised these discussions within the next four weeks.”

The IOC also released a statement, which said:

To safeguard the health of all involved and to contribute to the containment of COVID-19, the executive board of the International Olympic Committee today announced that the IOC will step up its scenario-planning for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

These scenarios relate to modifying existing operational plans for the Games to go ahead on 24 July 2020, and also for changes to the start date of the Games. This step will allow better visibility of the rapidly changing development of the health situation around the world and in Japan. It will serve as the basis for the best decision in the interest of the athletes and everyone else involved.

On the one hand, there are significant improvements in Japan where the people are warmly welcoming the Olympic flame. This could strengthen the IOC’s confidence in the Japanese hosts that the IOC could, with certain safety restrictions, organise Olympic Games in the country whilst respecting its principle of safeguarding the health of everyone involved.

On the other hand, there is a dramatic increase in cases and new outbreaks of COVID-19 in different countries on different continents. This led the EB to the conclusion that the IOC needs to take the next step in its scenario-planning.

A number of critical venues needed for the Games could potentially not be available anymore. The situations with millions of nights already booked in hotels is extremely difficult to handle, and the international sports calendar for at least 33 Olympic sports would have to be adapted. These are just a few of many, many more challenges.

Therefore, further to the study of different scenarios, it would need the full commitment and cooperation of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and the Japanese authorities, and of all the International Federations (IFs) and National Olympic Committees (NOCs). It would also require commitment from, and collaboration with, the Rights-Holding Broadcasters (RHBs) and our TOP Partner sponsors, as part of their continued and valued support to the Olympic Movement, as well as cooperation from all the Games’ partners, suppliers and contractors. It is in this spirit of the Olympic stakeholders’ shared commitment to the Olympic Games, and in light of the worldwide deteriorating situation, that the IOC EB has today initiated the next step in the IOC’s scenario-planning.

The IOC will, in full coordination and partnership with the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, the Japanese authorities and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, start detailed discussions to complete its assessment of the rapid development of the worldwide health situation and its impact on the Olympic Games, including the scenario of postponement. The IOC is confident that it will have finalised these discussions within the next four weeks, and greatly appreciates the solidarity and partnership of the NOCs and IFs in supporting the athletes and adapting Games planning.

The IOC EB emphasised that a cancellation of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 would not solve any of the problems or help anybody. Therefore, cancellation is not on the agenda.

After the EB meeting, IOC President Thomas Bach today wrote to the global athlete community to provide them with an explanation of the IOC’s approach.

In the letter, Bach stated once more that safeguarding the health of everyone involved and contributing to contain the virus is the fundamental principle, and said: “Human lives take precedence over everything, including the staging of the Games. The IOC wants to be part of the solution. Therefore we have made it our leading principle to safeguard the health of everyone involved, and to contribute to containing the virus. I wish, and we all are working for this, that the hope so many athletes, NOCs and IFs from all five continents have expressed will be fulfilled: that at the end of this dark tunnel we are all going through together, not knowing how long it is, the Olympic flame will be a light at the end of this tunnel.”

LaLiga And RFEF Agree Postponement Of LaLiga Until Further Notice

The Monitoring Commission established by the current RFEF-LaLiga Coordination Agreement AGREES the suspension of professional football competitions until the authorities of the Government of Spain and the General Administration of the State consider that they can be resumed without creating any health risk.

Both the RFEF and LaLiga wish to express our greatest public gratitude to all those who are dedicating their best efforts to provide essential services to the Spanish people and also share our condolences for all the deceased and a warm embrace from the world of soccer to the many families that are losing loved ones.

iSportconnect Reveal Updated Events Calendar For 2020

iSportconnect is delighted to announce our new events calendar for the remainder of 2020.

Following the ongoing coronavirus issue that is affecting life across the planet we have opted to postpone all physical events for 2020 until September when, all being well, life for as many of us as possible will be back to normal.

First, we intend to return on September the 12th for our rescheduled Broadcast Masterclass in Amsterdam, before our Nordic Summit on September the 21st and 22nd.

Towards the end of October we will head over to Germany for our Frankfurt Summit on October 22nd, before we finish the year with three events in November, kicking off with our Digital and Data Masterclass in Madrid on the 3rd.

Following this we will host a Stadia and Ticketing Masterclass on the 19th of November in London before we finish off 2020 with our Leadership Masterclass six days later on the 25th of November.

We hope to see as many of you as possible as these events and will of course provide updates closer to the time.

Azerbaijan Grand Prix Latest F1 Race To Be Postponed

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix has become the latest race of the 2020 season to be postponed, the organisers have announced.

Officials from the Baku City Circuit said on Monday: “The postponement was agreed upon after extensive discussions with Formula 1 as well as the FIA and the Government of the Azerbaijan Republic.

“This comes as a direct result of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic and has been based entirely on the expert guidance provided to us by the relevant authorities.”

It becomes the eighth race of the year to be postponed or cancelled – after the Australian, Bahrain, Vietnam, Chinese, Dutch, Spanish and Monaco Grands Prix – as the world reacts to the coronavirus outbreak.

After the first seven Grands Prix of the year were put on hold or called off, there had been hopes that the season could begin with the Azerbaijan race in Baku, but organisers have now confirmed the race will not go ahead as planned on June 7th.

LaLiga To Host Virtual LaLiga Tournament This Weekend

LaLiga and Santander bank have joined the #LaLigaSantanderChallenge, designed by Spanish video game influencer, Ibai Llanos, who invited the LaLiga Santander clubs to take part in an online tournament to be contested on FIFA 20, the video game published by EA Sports. 

Llanos, a sports commentator who specialises in online competitions, is the brains behind a challenge that saw him suggest that a player from each of the 20 top-tier outfits represent their team in the online event. This competition will allow followers of the best football on the planet to continue to enjoy the competition in a virtual form.

Llanos launched the challenge via his Twitter account on 16 March and the league’s players were quick to sign up for the initiative. The influencer’s idea was for all of the games to be available for fans to watch for free via his channel on Twitch, a video live streaming service that is mostly used to stream video games. Supporters from all corners of the globe who are keen to catch the action will be able to do so on Llanos’s Twitch account. 

LaLiga’s official video gaming competition, eLaLiga Santander, is supporting Llanos in the organisation of the tournament, the setting up of the games, the distribution of the stream and the creation of graphics during the streaming. Meanwhile, eLaLiga Santander’s official provider, LVP, will be in charge of the technical production during the event and will ensure that followers are offered an optimum viewing experience, with the company set to be responsible for the production and distribution of the signal to the various streaming channels, amongst a  number of other tasks.

Competition format & schedule

The tournament, set to be contested by 19 LaLiga Santander players, features a series of ties that will be decided in best-of-one games played over 18 minutes (2, nine-minute halves). The competition got up and running last night at 20:00 (CET) with the staging of the draw. The first matches get under way today, Friday, from 19:00, whilst Saturday’s action begins at 18:00. The curtain will come down on proceedings after Sunday’s games, which kick off at 18:30.

The last-16 draw in full:

CA Osasuna v CD Leganes or R. Valladolid CF

Sevilla FC  v Athletic Club

Levante UD v D. Alaves or RC Celta

Real Sociedad v Atletico Madrid

FC Barcelona v RCD Espanyol or SD Eibar

Getafe CF v Real Betis

Villarreal CF v Valencia CF

Granada CF v Real Madrid

A charity initiative

In a bid to contribute to society in the context of the current health crisis caused by coronavirus, Llanos’s proposal included the idea of making this a charity event, with fans who enjoy the #LaLigaSantanderChallenge invited to make donations as they watch the action unfold. All of the funds will go to UNICEF to assist the charity in its efforts to combat coronavirus.

#LaLigaSantanderChallenge to be covered across all of our channels

  • The official @LaLiga Facebook and Twitter accounts, just like on any other LaLiga Santander matchday.
  • On the @esportsLaLiga Twitter account and at @eLaLiga on Instagram, YouTube and Twitch. 
  • Via LaLigaSportsTV. 
  • Movistar+ will also broadcast the tournament on MOVISTAR DEPORTES 1, Channel 54 (available in Spain only).
  • The Movistar #Vamos news bulletins will offer live link-ups to the #LaLigaSantanderChallenge.

Choicely Help Fight Coronavirus With App Creation

iSportconnect partner Choicely have created an app that is built to help countries and cities combat the coronavirus outbreak.

The app can provide 5 key benefits:

  • Realtime information from push notifications
  • Instant self-assessment for Coronavirus and clear, immediate localised instructions
  • Applications can be ready in two weeks
  • Entreprise-grade scalability to millions of simulaneous users
  • Integrations available

More details in the graphic below

 

Formula 1 Launches Virtual Grand Prix Series

Formula 1® has today announced the launch of a new F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix series, featuring a number of current F1 drivers. The series has been created to enable fans to continue watching Formula 1 races virtually, despite the ongoing COVID-19 situation that has affected this season’s opening race calendar.

The virtual races will run in place of every postponed Grand Prix, starting this weekend with the Virtual Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday March 22. Every subsequent race weekend will see the postponed real-world Formula 1 race replaced with a Virtual Grand Prix*, with the initiative currently scheduled to run until May**.

The first race of the series will see current F1 drivers line up on the grid alongside a host of stars to be announced in due course. In order to guarantee the participants safety at this time, each driver will join the race remotely, with a host broadcast live from the Gfinity Esports Arena (or remotely if required) from 8:00pm (GMT) on Sunday March 22.

The series will use the official F1 2019 PC video game, developed by Codemasters, and the first virtual GP on the Sakhir track will be a 50% length race with 28 laps. The broadcast, which will be available on the official Formula 1 YouTube, Twitch and Facebook channels, is expected to run for 1 hour 30 minutes, with a qualifying period where grid positions will be determined based on the drivers’ fastest lap time.

Due to the wide variety of gaming skill levels amongst the drivers, game settings will be configured in such a way to encourage competitive and entertaining racing. This includes running equal car performance with fixed setups, reduced vehicle damage, and optional anti-lock brakes and traction control for those less familiar with the game.

The series is strictly for entertainment purposes, to bring racing action to fans in this unprecedented scenario the world has been affected by, with no official World Championship points up for grabs for the drivers.

During non-race weekends, Formula 1 will also be hosting online exhibition races, where fans from around the world will be given the chance to go head-to-head with F1 drivers. More details of these events will be available across the official Formula 1 social media channels in the coming weeks.

Julian Tan, Head of Digital Business Initiatives and Esports said: “We are very pleased to be able to bring some light relief in the form of the F1 Esports Virtual GP, in these unpredictable times, as we hope to entertain fans missing the regular sporting action. With every major sports league in the world unable to compete, it is a great time to highlight the benefits of esports and the incredible skill that’s on show.”

Frank Sagnier, Chief Executive Officer, Codemasters added: “We’re excited to be a part of the new F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix Series. With sporting events currently on hold around the world, it’s great that the official F1® video game can help fill the void by bringing together an exciting line-up of talent to race online during the postponed race weekends. It’s going to be competitive, action-packed, and a lot of fun for everyone involved.”

John Clarke, Gfinity Chief Executive Officer said: “Gfinity is proud to be playing its part in the design and delivery of the F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix series, which will bring exciting virtual racing to a legion of Formula 1 and Esports fans around the globe. The virtual Bahrain GP will feature all the thrills and spills of racing with F1 drivers and special guest celebrities going head-to-head, which promises to put a smile back on the faces of millions of sports fans.”

Travel Experts ATPI Answer FAQs Regarding Coronavirus

iSportconnect partner ATPI have shared a number of need to know answers for questions many are currently having about their travel.

ATPI specialises in providing travel management services and, within the sports industry, work with many athletes, sports teams and fans ensuring they are able to have seamless travel. They have in-depth knowledge of the logistics of sporting events such as the Olympic Games, the Commonwealth Games and the Volvo Ocean Race.

ATPI understand that staying informed and being proactive is what really matters in the face of the uncertainty presented by Coronavirus (COVID-19) and so we remain committed to empowering sports clubs, associations and governing bodies to fortify their safety and security processes and make the right decision for their organisation and their travellers.

See ATPI’s Coronavirus FAQ document for guidance on where to find the most up-to-date information regarding the spread of the virus, ATPI’s approach to the Coronavirus outbreak and what steps you can take if you are worried about upcoming travel plans.

For full information, follow this link – https://www.atpi.com/en/en_GB/about/coronavirus-covid-19-and-your-organisations-travel/

 

COMING SOON: iSportconnect eMasterclasses

iSportconnect will soon be announcing a series of eMasterclasses to be taking place over the next few weeks as we look to keep our members engaged and informed during the coronavirus period.

As stated yesterday, iSportconnect began as an online platform for those within the sports industry and we are committed to keeping our community engaged during this testing time.

Keep your eyes peeled on our website and social media channels as we’ll be revealing the key details in the coming days…

We look forward to (virtually) seeing you soon!