Fnatic are excited to officially announce the start of a ground-breaking partnership for esports, signing a multi-year partnership with BMW that seeks to focus on driving performance of Fnatic’s teams going forward.
The partnership will seek to make use of BMW’s industry leading research, design and technology to innovate how we look at esports and can improve every aspect of our performance. Working alongside BMW’s renowned engineers and designers, Fnatic will seek to maximise both software and hardware innovation to further entrench ourselves as the most forward thinking esports organisation.
“At Fnatic we are dedicated to maximising performance and entertainment through technology and innovation. It is these shared values that make BMW the perfect partner as we seek to level-up every gamer on the planet. As a pioneer in the automotive space, with a history of advancing entertainment in competitive sport and working with the best talent and teams, we are thrilled to be working with BMW to build the future of esports and entertainment together.” Glen Calvert, Fnatic
Alongside Fnatic, BMWwill be partnering with four of the most successful esports teams in history; Cloud 9 (US), Funplus Phoenix (China), G2 Esports (Germany) and T1 (South Korea). While competitors in the arena, each team is ‘United in Rivalry’ through their shared values and a drive to win, it is the competition that pushes development and enhances performance. The partnership will harness the competitive spirit, passion and dedication to achieving at the highest level shared by each team to create engaging content across channels.
“Esports shows us how sports entertainment can continue to thrive and play a key role considering today’s challenges. Our entry into esports is motivated by a commitment to become a sustainable, global partner, supporting the teams and the discipline as a whole, before, during and after these times of uncertainty.” says Jens Thiemer, Senior Vice President Customer and Brand BMW.
The Coronavirus was declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation on the 11th of March 2020. With no regard for geography, the virus has had a widespread impact on societies, economies and politics across the globe. The response to cancel sports competition has unarguably been the right one, but how has this affected the most important stakeholders in sport – the fans?
1788 members of our Sports Fan Panel shared their views on the impact that the Coronavirus pandemic has had on their lives and the wider sporting world. They were a hung jury when casting their vote on how current competitions should finish, but most were excited to re-immerse themselves in live sports. It seems COVID-19 has dealt a significant blow to sport, but fans are ready to bring it back to life.
The sporting world
There is speculation that the Rugby Football Union could suffer a £45 million loss in revenue due to the pandemic, and the Premier League a staggering £1 billion. Two of the biggest sporting competitions every year, the Six Nations and the Premier League, therefore face pressure to finish their campaign whilst minimising disruption to the fragile, cyclical sporting calendar. At an unprecedented time for sport, this is no easy task.
This struggle is compounded by the fact that fan opinions are split, meaning any decision made is bound to cause upset. 24% of the Sports Fan Panel want the Premier League season to end immediately and current standings to remain, whereas; 22% agree that the season should finish now, but argue that points be void. The remaining fans want the season to finish, with 22% wishing this to be from behind closed doors, but 19% arguing that fans should be in attendance.
This concept of fixtures and events taking place from behind closed doors has been discussed in sports news frequently in recent weeks. Finishing the season and hosting sport events with crowds in the foreseeable future, may not be possible until a vaccine for the virus is widely available. Who knows when this will be? With 43% of the panel agreeing that behind closed doors games should occur in the event of a pandemic, live games without fans would help fill the void for many supporters, but can they be deemed a panacea?
There is consensus amongst fans on how the pandemic has been handled so far. On the 11th of March, the same day COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, over 52’000 Atletico Madrid and Liverpool fans mixed in and around Anfield. Unsurprisingly, around 3 in 5 of our Sports Fan Panel agreed that the match, as well as Olympiacos v Wolves and the Cheltenham Festival – all of which took place as the potential scale of the pandemic was becoming apparent – should have been cancelled or postponed. But who do fans think are responsible for softening the impact of the virus on the sporting world?
84% and 79% of fans believe that governing bodies and the Premier League respectively, have a duty to support lower league clubs in the fallout of the pandemic. This will be welcome news for the Premier League, as their advancement of £125 million to EFL clubs, is likely to be supported by fans. Conversely, this may be deemed by clubs as a short-term adhesive for the impact of the pandemic, which will have long-term implications. But, the spotlight has turned to players, for now.
Fans’ lives
Our Sports Fan Panel have been doing less exercise during lockdown, which may be indicative of efforts to avoid transmission of the virus. However, 39% have been working out at home, with 23% of these individuals looking online for help. Evidenced barriers to exercise such as cost, time and inspiration are no longer as prominent, and the likes of Joe Wicks, Gym Shark and Tyson Fury, have taken note. Clearly, exercise habits are changing.
The Coronavirus has evidently impacted fans’ relationship with fitness, but what about their relationship with sport? With an entire roster of mega-events and elite competitions postponed or cancelled, a void has been opened in fans’ lives. The Olympic Games, Euros, Premier League season, Six Nations, Wimbledon, T20 World Cup and the Open, form just part of an extensive list. Unsurprisingly, 3 in 4 of our Sports Fan Panel agree that they are impacted by the loss of live sport.
So how can sports stay connected? Across broadcast, social media and other digital platforms, archive footage has been instrumentalised to drive fan engagement, even leading to a temporary re-naming of Match of the Day to ‘Match of Their Day’. This was the most popular method amongst fans to drive engagement, with 49% outlining highlights as the way to do this.
However, the majority of the Panel have cast their attention away from sport for a replacement, with only 16% choosing to spend time they usually use to watch sport, with consuming sport in a new way. It seems re-living moments of glory will bring joy to many fans, but nothing compares to experiencing it for the first time.
Hearing this, sports organisations may feel helpless, but, a standout finding from the survey will offer some comfort. 89% of fans plan to attend the same number of events once sport resumes and 72% will be no more anxious than before the pandemic. Although the way in which fans consume sport from the comfort of their own home is quickly changing, attending live sport events offers something that can’t be matched during this period.
Hopefully this will act as a turning point for sports rights holders, who can use this time to review and improve the live sports experience, which on the whole, has been neglected. More from us on this very soon.
Final thoughts
The sporting world may be changing rapidly, but the time-tested emotional bond between fan and club, team and athlete, seems resolute in the face of the pandemic. The reliance sports organisations have on traditional broadcast revenue may be changing as new channels come to the fore, but the prospect of attendance revenue upon sports return represents a light at the end of the tunnel for sports organisations. More so than ever, fans will be relied upon as the heartbeat of sport.
The British Gymnastics Foundation’s popular seated activity programme, Love to Move, has been made available online for free and expanded to help older people stay physically and mentally active at home.
The programme is designed to get older people moving and functioning better, integrating the use of gymnastic foundation skills, cognitive stimulation therapy and social interaction activities. The majority of the programme is based on movement patterns which work the left and right sides of the brain separately, benefiting older people and particularly those living with dementia and mild cognitive impairment.
The Foundation, partner charity of national governing body, British Gymnastics, has published the first session online and will be making additional sessions available on a regular basis. With those likely to benefit most currently isolating at home the programme, which has also been adapted to allow for social interaction ‘to screen’, can now benefit more lives than ever before.
Patrick Bonner, Head of the British Gymnastics Foundation, said:
“We have seen the positive impact Love to Move can have on the physical and cognitive aspects of older people in the last few years and we want to get the programme out to as many of those self-isolating as possible. This will mean that more people can feel the benefits and keep moving. We have already released the video of Kim Hall, our lead deliverer, so people can take part in sessions from their own home and will continue sharing resources online in the coming months.”
Love to Move started as a pilot project in 2015 and was trialled in care homes and community settings across the UK. The programme uses seated activities to help older people with their memory, balance, flexibility and finger dexterity, and it has already seen a marked improvement in many of its regular participants. It has since been rolled out across the UK but due to the current situation and requirement for the vulnerable and older people to remain in their homes, British Gymnastics Foundation made the decision to release the resource for free online. Former British Olympic gymnasts Kristian Thomas and Craig Heap are ambassadors for the programme.
Steve McFadyen, Sport and Leisure Programme Partnerships Officer at Alzheimer’s Society, said:
“We welcome the British Gymnastics Foundation’s decision to find creative ways to reach even more people affected by dementia, to encourage them to move a little bit more and feel the benefits of being active at home. Around 95% of people with dementia are over 65, and as an ‘increased risk’ group they are being advised to be particularly careful of the ‘stay at home’ rules.
“We know that people with dementia are finding it tough in these unprecedented times, with 80% of calls to our Dementia Connect support line around issues related to coronavirus. Keeping active at home both physically and mentally with fun and engaging seated activities can have a big impact on the health and wellbeing of people with dementia as well as their families or carers. It can help them connect with others through a shared experience, maintain or improve balance and put a much-needed smile on people’s faces. It’s free and accessible programmes like Love to Move that will be hugely beneficial to people living with dementia wherever they are.”
Kim Hall, the Lead Deliverer of the programme, added:
“The best thing about delivering Love to Move is seeing people’s quality of life improve. To see someone moving again, feeding themselves and re-engaging with their loved ones, and to see them visibly appear younger, brighter, more confident and happier is such a privilege.”
With additional time needed to ensure PGATOUR tournaments are staged in the most safe and responsible manner possible given the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the PGATOUR is announcing further schedule modifications for the remainder of the 2019-20 season, as well as plans for the opening portion of the 2020-21 PGATOUR Regular Season, the restart of the 2020 Korn Ferry Tour season and updates regarding the Mackenzie Tour – PGATOUR Canada schedule.
“The health and safety of all associated with the PGATOUR and our global community continues to be our No. 1 priority, and our hope is to play a role – responsibly – in the world’s return to enjoying the things we love,” said PGATOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Today’s announcement is another positive step for our fans and players as we look toward the future, but as we’ve stressed on several occasions, we will resume competition only when – working closely with our tournaments, partners and communities – it is considered safe to do so under the guidance of the leading public health authorities.”
The PGATOUR had previously targeted the week of the Charles Schwab Challenge (May 18-24) as the restart of the TOUR season, which has been suspended since THE PLAYERS Championship was canceled on Thursday, March 12. For health and safety reasons due to COVID-19, today’s announcement delays that timeline three weeks – to June 8, starting with the Charles Schwab Challenge – with additional tournaments being repositioned between then and the season’s conclusion, which is the TOUR Championship, ending on Labor Day (September 7).
At this time, the TOUR plans to resume play with the first four events closed to the general public but will continue to monitor the situation and follow the recommendations of local and state authorities in order to determine the most appropriate on-site access in each market. As such, the TOUR will continually review available COVID-19-related protocols that could be implemented at PGATOUR events to ensure the health and well-being for all involved.
All three events that were previously scheduled between May 18 and June 8 – the Charles Schwab Challenge, Rocket Mortgage Classic and the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide – have been moved to later dates in the calendar.
The RBC Heritage, originally slated for this week (April 13-19) but canceled on March 17, has been added back to the PGATOUR schedule in the week formerly occupied by the U.S. Open, which – as previously announced – has been postponed to September.
The RBC Canadian Open, originally scheduled for the week of June 8, has been canceled. Click here for a statement from the RBC Canadian Open. The Barbasol Championship, originally scheduled for July 13-19 opposite The Open Championship, has been canceled. The Open Championship was canceled on April 6.
Three invitationals on the updated schedule, the Charles Schwab Challenge (120 players), RBC Heritage (132 players) and the Memorial Tournament (120 players), will see their respective field sizes increase to 144 to provide additional playing opportunities for PGATOUR members.
Bianchi’s iconic celeste and La Gazzetta dello Sport’s pink are now united in an exciting new international partnership. For three years starting from 2020, Bianchi will be the official sponsor and exclusive bike brand of the Giro d’Italia, the most famous and iconic Italian race on the international stage, organised by RCS Sport and La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The collaboration between Bianchi and RCS Sport springs from shared intents and a common vision, which aims at internationalising Italian excellence through sporting events like the Giro d’Italia. The race reaches more than 800 million people in more than 200 countries around the world.
The three-year agreement between Bianchi and RCS Sports also includes other important fixtures of the WorldTour calendar. Along with the Giro d’Italia, Bianchi is also Official Sponsor of the UAE Tour, the only WorldTour stage race held in the United Arab Emirates, Il Lombardia, ‘the race of the fallen leaves’ and one of cycling’s five Monuments, as well as the amateur sportive, the Gran Fondo Il Lombardia. In addition, from 2021 the partnership will be further enriched by a unique event in the picturesque Tuscan hills, Strade Bianche. As part of the agreement with RCS Sport, Bianchi will supply the bikes for the technical assistance service operated by Shimano.
The collaboration with Giro-E is another strategic asset for Bianchi. Bianchi is Official Partner of the event withBianchi Lif-E, cycling’s very first electric intelligence mobility programme. Bianchi will supply the event with the Aria e-road carbon model.
Bianchi will also be official sponsor of the new-born Giro Virtual, taking place from April 18th until May 10th where professionals and amateurs will have the chance to ride the best stages of the Giro d’Italia 2020.
Salvatore Grimaldi (Bianchi Owner and Knight of Labour): “This partnership between Bianchi and the Giro is a dream come true. At this dramatic and important moment around the world, we felt the time was right to realise the partnership – because now more than ever, the people of Italy and those around the world need a reason to dream, a way of looking forward to the coming rebirth. It is a historic agreement between two big Italian names, both born in Milan and able to export the best of Italy through one of the most exciting and popular sports in the world, cycling”.
Fabrizio Scalzotto (Bianchi CEO): “We believe that the bicycle – used both for racing and non-competitively – will be fundamental to the resumption of normal life after Covid-19. The Giro is more than a bike race, it is a cultural phenomenon, it is a shared piece of human heritage. That’s why we have decided to announce our collaboration now, when Italy needs a reason to get back in the saddle.
Bianchi is a market-oriented company, and with this in mind we will adopt an innovative approach compared to traditional sponsorships. We are looking to develop activations and collaborative marketing projects to get even closer to our customers in Italy and all over the world, not only with our products, but also with our values of innovation and inspiration.
RCS Sport and La Gazzetta dello Sport’s events and communication platform will provide effective support in pursuing our strategy across the more than 60 countries worldwide where Bianchi is present.”
iSportconnect and Extreme E are delighted to announce that we will be holding a joint event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on Tuesday, 21 April, 2020 at 2pm BST.
Climate change is a subject which affects us all and Extreme E, with the help of iSportconnect, will take a look at how the powerful voice provided by sporting organisations can be used for good as we move forward in creating a better and more eco-friendly planet.
On the day we will host a special iSportconnect and Extreme E eMasterclass surrounding ‘Using Sport as a Platform for Climate Action’.
This live online event with iSportconnect will focus on how the world of sport has a responsibility to protect the planet, what organisations can do in terms of reducing their carbon emissions, how Extreme E intends to be at the forefront of sport’s climate initiative and much more…
The line-up for this eMasterclass will include Alejandro Agag, Founder of Extreme E, racing driver Jean-Éric Vergne, the double Formula E Champion and Extreme-E team owner, and renowned ocean scientist Dr Lucy Woodall.
Prior to this event, Extreme E will announce a sporting first; confirming the members of its Scientific Committee. This group of international recognised climate scientists will work with the electric motor racing competition’s management to lead its science education, research and legacy impact programmes.
Formula E has today announced it is teaming up with UNICEF to support the global coronavirus appeal, protecting vulnerable children and families most at risk during the coronavirus pandemic.
The partnership will focus on keeping children around the world healthy and learning in the face of coronavirus, with funds being directed to projects such as those contributing to remote learning programmes and the supply of essential protective equipment for hospital staff and care workers on the frontline.
Like UNICEF, Formula E has a vision of a brighter future for children and young people, growing up on a cleaner and safer planet. As a global sport with a purpose to counteract climate change by accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles, Formula E is naturally placed to use its platforms to raise awareness of UNICEF’s work to protect children against the effects of coronavirus.
Working in partnership with UNICEF, Formula E will launch initiatives to raise funds in support of the global coronavirus appeal. These efforts will build upon an initial donation to UNICEF from Formula E, to make an immediate impact on the charity’s work.
UNICEF’s comprehensive response to the coronavirus pandemic includes tackling both the primary health and wellbeing of children and young people across the world, and a secondary impact of lost educational opportunities, as well as the discrimination and stigma which come from widespread misinformation.
The impact of coronavirus on children so far has been huge. Already, a staggering 1.5 billion children are missing out on education due to school closures. With major disruptions to the global economy, many families risk losing their livelihoods and falling into poverty. This situation is unlike any the world has ever known.
Formula E’s donations, fundraising and support in raising awareness of UNICEF’s mission aims to change the lives of children across the world for the better.
Alchimie, Europe’s leading OTT content aggregator and dynamic distributor announces the launch of Unbeaten. The brand-new sports channel has been created exclusively for passionate sports fans around the world, and following its launch today on UK’s OTT platform TVPlayer, Unbeaten will be distributed on a variety of OTT platforms internationally.
Unbeaten is an English language sports news and entertainment channel showcasing engaging, existing and original programming featuring high-profile sports stars, news, highlights, and developments across a spectrum of major international sports. The subscription channel is not only compulsive viewing but offers a rare opportunity for OTT operators to carry a dedicated linear sports channel, an asset that is in high demand and short supply in the OTT space.
Daily original news shows, Life’s a Pitch, Sport Confidential, The Football Review, FIBA World Basketball, Combat and The Inside Line will provide fresh round-ups and provide viewers with an appointment to view, with each day’s show focusing on a different sport. Additionally, Unbeaten has access to a vast catalogue of recent and historical series, and will roll out over 1,000 hours of content, across football, Formula 1, basketball, golf, tennis, combat and e-sports, as well as a collection of other lifestyle sports. Future programming will include Olympics, European championship football, FIFA World Cup, and other global championship events in topical magazine-style preview and review shows.
Nicolas d’Hueppe, CEO and founder of Alchimie, said “We have created Unbeaten to super-serve the voracious appetites of sports fans around the world. The OTT channel, which is available on a wide range of digital platforms, is carefully curated and allows armchair sports addicts to access some of the best existing sports shows as well as new content specifically created for Unbeaten viewers.”
The first platform to distribute Unbeaten is Alchimie owned OTT platform TVPlayer in the UK. Alchimie UK’s managing director, Barry Llewellyn, said: “TVPlayer is delighted to be the inaugural launch platform for Unbeaten. This channel is an excellent addition to our line-up of vertical content channels, dedicated to the various passions of our diverse audiences.
“It is interesting timing for the launch of this channel, given that live sports events are currently on hiatus around the world, but the enormous appetite of fans for sports content remains totally intact and Unbeaten is perfectly positioned with a great collection of news updates and video magazine formats both now and when live sport returns to action.”
The World Athletics Championships in Oregon have been rescheduled to 15-24 July in 2022, following the postponement of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Oregon World Championships were originally scheduled for 6-15 August, 2021, but have been rescheduled to the following year to avoid a clash with the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The World Athletics Council approved the new dates this week after extensive discussions with the sport’s stakeholders including organisers of two other major championships due to take place in July-August 2022, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and the multisport European Championships in Munich.
The new schedule will prevent a direct conflict between any of these major events and, with careful programming, will ensure athletes can compete in up to three world-class competitions.
In an extraordinary international season for athletics, all three events will be held across an unprecedent summer of sport. The World Championships will begin a unique celebration of the sport, followed by the Commonwealth Games and the European Athletics Championships as part of the European Championships.
“This will be a bonanza for athletics fans around the world,” World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said.
“They will be treated to six weeks of absolutely first-class athletics. More than 70 of our Member Federations are part of the Commonwealth and more than 50 of our Member Federations are European so our guiding principle in rescheduling the World Championships was to ensure enough space was created around the centrepiece World Athletics Championship for athletes to choose other major events to compete in. We were also very mindful that we did not want to damage the other major championships in 2022, because they are also very important to our sport.
“We believe we have found a solution that will allow athletes who are eligible for the other two events to compete in them with the Commonwealth Games Federation planning to stage the athletics programme towards the end of their event. This will showcase our sport to its best advantage in the circumstances and we will continue collaborating with all competitions on the detailed programming.
“We would not have chosen to have three major championships back-to-back but it will give us a unique opportunity to promote our sport and its stars around the globe over a six-week period.
“I want to particularly thank Oregon 21 LLC and all its stakeholders for their collaboration and flexibility as well as all World Athletics’ partners and broadcasters who are so critical to delivering the Games and taking it into the homes of millions of fans.”
Niels de Vos, Executive Director of the World Athletics Championships Oregon 22, said: “I should like to thank Oregon’s stakeholders for committing so early to the postponement, allowing maximum flexibility on dates for our friends at World Athletics, just as they have been flexible with us in ensuring our plans can remain on track despite the 12 month postponement. Oregon 22, as we must now get used to calling it, will be kickstarting a global festival of international track and field championships in the summer of 2022 that will be a fantastic experience for athletes and fans alike.”
CGF President Louise Martin said: “I would like to thank the leadership of World Athletics for a hugely constructive approach to working with the CGF. Our collective objective has been to ensure that, in this unprecedented time of global upheaval in all our lives, as well as its impact on the international sports calendar, the interests of athletes are at the centre of all decision-making. We will continue to work together to create space within our schedules to provide athletes with the opportunity to safely compete to the best of their abilities at multiple world class events.”
Libor Varhaník, Interim Chair of the European Championships Munich 2022, said: “On behalf of all the stakeholders of the multi-sport European Championships Munich 2022, I would like to thank World Athletics for working constructively and collaboratively with us in finding a new event date that respects the major events already scheduled in 2022. The international sports calendar has been hugely impacted as we battle this terrible global health crisis, and in discussions with World Athletics and the Commonwealth Games Federation our mutual goal has been to put the interest of our athletes at the forefront of our thoughts.
“The European Championships will continue to work closely with World Athletics and the Commonwealth Games Federation to ensure that athletes, media and sports fans are able to enjoy an amazing summer of sport across three world-class events in 2022, from Oregon to Birmingham and culminating in Munich in August on the 50th anniversary of its hosting of the Olympic Games.”
ELEVEN SPORTS is continuing to offer housebound sports fans free access to its programming in Italy and Portugal.
All subscriptions have been frozen in Italy until 3 May, with Portugal making its full archive of content available free to fans until 31 May.
In addition to a packed archive of premium sports content, ELEVEN fans can enjoy new programming in both Portugal and Italy.
Portugal are re-airing Champions League matchdays with fresh analysis from ELEVEN presenter Pedro Pinto, and are live broadcasting regular interview shows with well-known stars from Portuguese sport.
In Italy, ELEVEN has launched a new Eleven at Home show with daily interviews from fans favourites from Serie C and D and new football and cycling programmes.
ELEVEN SPORTS Group is working with the World Health Organisation to promote vital health messages across its network during this unprecedented time. ELEVEN SPORTS Portugal have also launched a funding appeal on behalf of UNICEF to support its relief efforts in Portugal.
