Sportradar Brings K League To A Record Number Of Territories Ahead Of 2020 Season

The 2020 Hana1Q K LEAGUE 1 will be broadcast live from the opening match on 8 May in 17 countries, including Australia (Optus), Germany (Sportdigital), Hong Kong (TVB) and Malaysia & Brunei (ASTRO), with more territories still in negotiation.

The K League in December 2019 appointed Sportradar AG as its international broadcast rights distributor. Interest globally to broadcast the league has grown since the 2020 season was confirmed and announced in late April 2020.

With a day left till kick-off, 17 countries and 12 channels around the world have confirmed live broadcasting and streaming of K League matches. Discussions are currently ongoing with a number of broadcasters based in Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, USA, and Brazil.

German based Sportdigital Fussball, a broadcast channel dedicated to football, has acquired the rights to broadcast K League 1 matches in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and will begin live broadcast in these countries starting from the season opener.

In Australia, where the reputation and popularity of the K League has increased due to the strong performance of Australian footballers in the league, Optus Sports will broadcast two K League 1 matches per round. Optus Sports is a sports channel under the Australian IPTV service provider, Optus.

Arena TV Sports, a sports channel under Arena TV which is based in Serbia, will cover seven countries in the Balkan region including Croatia, Montenegro, and Serbia.

K League matches will also be broadcast and streamed live in China, India, Hong Kong and Israel, rounding out the number of territories at this time that the K League will be available in.

Besides TV broadcast, online content platforms such as Copa90 (UK) and Laola.tv (Austria) will carry out live streaming services across Europe and the rest of the world, excluding Korea.

Dylan Chuan, Sales Director, Audiovisual, Sportradar, said: “Live sport is an integral part of daily life for many people around the world, especially in these difficult and unique times. With the K League season kicking off on Friday, we are delighted to have worked with our partners – media companies, broadcasters and OTT platforms to deliver great entertainment and pulsating football action to fans across the globe.”

K League’s newly established media centre will be using a cloud server and an in-house Off-Tube system for the 54 main matches that will be broadcast overseas, with English commentary for the first time being sent to overseas satellites.

The season opener on 8 May between Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Suwon Samsung Bluewings will be specially streamed live on Twitter and YouTube.

LaLiga Clubs Turn To New Forms Of Communication To Connect With Fans During COVID-19

  • Clubs including Athletic Club and Celta de Vigo have opted for virtual press conferences where players talk to media and fans from home.
  • Other clubs like Sevilla FC and Málaga CF are calling older fans who live alone to provide company during these difficult times.

With COVID-19 now having caused a month of confinement in Spain, many traditional forms of communication have been disrupted. As league competitions remain halted, press conferences or fan get-togethers are also not taking place.

This has led club communication departments to come up with new forms of entertainment for their fans and to launch initiatives that keep lines of communication open through less traditional formats.

Many clubs have created new digital content with activities to do at home, from training routines to recipes through recommendations for books and movies, with the aim of making this period of confinement more enjoyable. Others are taking a step further in trying to facilitate conversations with key audiences, using the telephone and online platforms.

In a time of pandemic, these measures not only help to maintain a steady flow of new information. They provide an important human connection too.

Athletic Club: keeping contact with virtual press conferences
The communications department at Athletic Club has used this period to begin virtual press conferences, held online for fans and media to speak with the players, who answer questions from their home. The idea came from what the club described as “the need to keep our social following and the media in contact with our players,” while considering the reduced possibilities.

“Virtual press conferences are one of the ideas that we have launched and we post a new video every 3 or 4 days,” the club added. “This solution has been appealing to fans and the press, but we know that it is not the ideal and hopefully we can return to normal press conferences, because that will mean that the health emergency has subsided….

To read the full piece and subscribe to LaLiga’s Global Fútbol Newsletter please follow this link: https://newsletter.laliga.es/global-futbol/laliga-clubs-turn-to-new-forms-of-communication-to-connect-with-fans-during-covid-19/rrss

Bundesliga And Bundesliga 2 To Resume On May 16

At an Extraordinary Assembly of the DFL, held today by video conference, the 36 clubs of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 discussed the resumption of match operations. After the Executive Committee of the DFL yesterday, Wednesday, agreed in principle to continue the season “from 15 May”, 16 May has now been set as the specific date. The DFL is therefore following the wording of the federal and state decision, which says that the return of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 would be acceptable “from the second half of May”.

In both leagues, the season will continue from matchday 26. The subsequent matchdays will follow in the order originally planned. The final matchdays of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 are scheduled for 27 and 28 June, respectively. As the scheduling of the matchdays until the end of the season requires an adjustment to the overall schedule, final talks to coordinate this adjustment are currently being held with the DFB.

Meanwhile, the second wave of coronavirus tests scheduled before the start of team training is now complete. It comprised 1,695 tests. Two cases of infection were identified and reported immediately to the local health authorities, which will decide on what steps to take.

Infront and IIHF launch Esports Fan Championship

Infront, a Wanda Sports Group company and the exclusive media and marketing partner of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), will launch the IIHF Esports Fan Championship on 15 May in cooperation with eSport Studio, one of the leading esports companies in Germany.

Fans from the 16 nations which had qualified for the 2020 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship will be given the chance to represent their country in the digital tournament, which will be hosted on a new IIHF esports online platform.

Games will be played in EA SPORTS™ NHL™ 20 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One enabling participants to compete from home.

The first phase will consist of qualification tournaments run online from 15-22 May. Once a national PS4 and Xbox champion has been chosen they will compete in a playoff phase that will begin on 29 May, with a champion crowned on 5 June.

Both the national champions and the playoff finalists will have the chance to win prize money, hockey merchandise and ‘money can’t buy’ VIP-experiences.

The playoff tournament will be streamed live on the IIHF’s Twitch channel, making it publicly available to fans worldwide. Supporters can also follow the action on the IIHF’s other social media channels.

René Fasel, IIHF President, said: “We very much value our partnership with Infront as, thanks to its growing expertise in esports, we are able to bring ice hockey action to fans’ homes in a new and engaging manner. We look forward to seeing the fans create their own destiny and become stars of the virtual tournament by representing their home nation.”

André Fläckel, Infront’s Head of Gaming & Esports, said: “The IIHF Esports Fan Championship is a perfect example of how to leverage the potential of esports in the current situation and deliver a product that fans can get passionate about. Infront is proud to jointly work with the IIHF and eSport Studio, introducing such a promising project in such a short space of time.”

World Sailing Appoints David Graham As CEO

Matchroom Live Multi-Sport OTT Platform Launches

Matchroom Sport has launched Matchroom Live, a platform built and operated by sports streaming and video technology specialists StreamAMG, to give sports fans worldwide access to its portfolio of events.

The service allows fans to delve into the history books of all Matchroom’s offerings from Boxing to Darts to Snooker and many more for free. Fresh archive footage will be added continuously ensuring every sports fan has countless hours of sport to watch wherever they are in the world.

Fans will also be able to live stream ongoing events through a subscription package and pay-per-view options in territories without current broadcast rights holders. This will give fans direct access to the action including the World Darts Championship and Premier League Darts, Pool’s Mosconi Cup and World Pool Championship, plus the World Snooker Championship and the remainder of Matchroom Sport’s catalogue of live events.

Matchroom Live can be accessed on a dedicated video platform, with the ability to cast to virtually any device whether that be a console, Smart TV, or connected device. The service will also allow fans to watch up to four live events at once with the unique ‘QuadPlay’ view.

To provide a capable, flexible and future-proof platform for Matchroom, StreamAMG has employed the StreamPlay end-to-end solution, which combines a suite of video technology to offer a full OTT service and handle every aspect of sports streaming. Built on a fast and light architecture powered by the award-winning CloudMatrix content population system, fans benefit from best-in-class viewing experience across devices.

About StreamAMG: Stream Advanced Media Group provides online video solutions for media owners who insist on reliability, flexibility and scale. StreamAMG partners with organisations across sports, media and betting to build and implement fantastic user experiences. StreamAMG is recognised as a leader in video technology, live streaming and sports OTT, delivering over 30 million hours of live content and over 8,000 events per year.

Bundesliga Season To Return In May

Germany’s Bundesliga has been boosted by the news that it will be able to return to competition later this month.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel confirmed that football can resume in the country this month, behind closed doors, after discussions amongst the government.

The country has been able to restrict the movement of coronavirus far greater than other major European nations, such as Italy, Spain, France and the UK, therefore opening the door to a return to competition.

A number of smaller European leagues, including two more major leagues such as the Dutch and French league have opted to cancel the season, but the Bundesliga, as well as Serie A, LaLiga and the Premier League would likely face severe financial consequences were their seasons not to come to a conclusion.

This decision is likely to influence that of the other major leagues in those countries that have suffered far greater from COVID-19 than Germany, who will feel they must also ensure the completion of their campgains.

Umbro Announce Four-Year Partnership With England Rugby

England Rugby and Umbro have today announced a new four-year partnership. The English sports brand will be the Official Technical Kit Partner from 1st September 2020, when the iconic double-diamond of Umbro will be worn by the England Men’s teams, Red Roses, Sevens and age grade teams.

Umbro will provide the team’s match kit, training wear and off-field kit as well as offering fans a full range of supporter wear including men’s, women’s and children’s ranges from 1st September 2020. Umbro join England Rugby next season with nearly a hundred years of experience in the development of performance products that have been tried and tested at elite level, across sports.

Renowned for its pedigree supporting professional teams, Umbro has a heritage in rugby union; having previously supported each of the home nations, multiple clubs and the only British & Irish Lions team to win a series in New Zealand, in 1971.

The brand’s extensive experience across sports and its pioneering approach to developing kit and rigorous testing has ensured Umbro is ready for rugby.

Anthony Little, Managing Director – Umbro, commented: “The partnership between Umbro and England Rugby from September is a seminal chapter in our history.  The first time the England rugby team runs out onto the pitch, wearing the double-diamond logo, will be a proud moment for us, as an English brand.”

“Modern rugby is demanding but our approach at Umbro has always been to make sure our kits are fit for purpose and  we have been working tirelessly to ensure that we meet those demands and deliver a kit that will perform for England Rugby.”

“Simon Massie-Taylor, Chief Commercial Officer, England Rugby commented on the partnership: “We are delighted to be entering this new chapter with Umbro as Official Technical Kit Partner from September and welcome them into the England Rugby family. Umbro has a rich heritage supporting English sports and share our values in dedication to high performance and innovation. We look forward to unveiling the new kit later this year.”

Infront Announces New Pan-Asia Managing Director

Infront, a Wanda Sports Group company, announced today that Infront Pan-Asia Managing Director Ian Mathie has decided to leave Infront to pursue a new challenge. David Nivelle, currently Director at FIBA Marketing in Switzerland, will replace Mathie as Managing Director at Infront Pan-Asia.

The management transition is scheduled for the beginning of the third quarter, during which time Mathie will continue to lead Infront Pan-Asia supported by Julien Ternisien, Senior Vice-President Summer Sports and Chairman of the Infront Pan-Asia Steering Committee.

Infront President & CEO Philippe Blatter said: “Ian’s leadership and personal commitment have been instrumental in the development of our operations in Singapore and in ensuring our clients’ success there. I would like to thank Ian sincerely for his valuable contribution during his tenure and wish him all the very best for his next endeavours.”

“David brings a wealth of experience in the field of commercial development, general management as well as a significant track record and network in Asian sports business. In his role at FIBA Marketing, the strategic partnership venture between FIBA and Infront, David significantly contributed to the successful delivery of the FIBA World Cup 2019, which featured a record number of Global Partners for FIBA. He will ensure the continuity of our operations at Infront Pan-Asia and in addition to pursuing business development initiatives in South East Asia, David will continue to be available to the successful FIBA Marketing partnership in this key region for basketball,” he added.

Mathie commented: “I have enjoyed a very successful period leading Infront Pan-Asia during a crucial phase of development of the sports industry in Asia. After seven years of growing the business and following major achievements such as securing the partnership with the BWF, I feel that now is the right time to embrace new professional challenges. I would like to thank my excellent team and all my Infront colleagues for being part of this wonderful journey.”

The continuity and growth of Infront’s unique and successful partnership with FIBA is additionally enforced by the joint decision to appoint Andreas Biffiger (currently Head of Basketball at Infront) as Director of FIBA Marketing. Andreas will bring the wealth of his experience and energy to this partnership in order to ensure its next phase of growth.

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

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

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

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

UCI WorldTour

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

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

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

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

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

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