ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Provides 350 Million Pound Boost To UK Economy

The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 generated a total economic impact to the UK of more than GBP 350 million.

The findings of an economic impact and benefits analysis carried out on behalf of the ICC by The Sports Consultancy show that the tournament generated almost GBP 350 million of economic impact through additional money spent in the host economy by event visitors and organisers as well as business to business supplier contracts and broader consumer spend.

More than half a million bed nights were generated with an income of GBP 46.5 million thanks to almost 650,000 out of town spectators, 128,385 of whom were international ticket buyers.

London attracted the most direct economic impact of almost GBP 65 million, whilst semi final venues Manchester and Birmingham attracted a direct economic impact of GBP 36.3 million and GBP 29.7 million respectively.

The ICC Men’s CWC 2019 was one of the world’s most watched sporting events. The live coverage of the event reached a global cumulative average audience of 1.6 billion viewers whilst digital video content netted over 4.6 billion views confirming the event’s position as one of the world’s most watched sporting events.

ICC Chief Executive Manu Sawhney said: “The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 was an outstanding success across all measures which is further underlined by this report and the significant contribution of GBP 350 million it has brought to the UK economy. This makes it one of the biggest sporting events in the UK in recent history.

“ICC events provide a wonderful platform to connect more deeply with a diverse audience of hundreds of millions of fans and to aggregate audiences like never before even in our increasingly fragmented world.

“The rise of cricket tourism is clearly demonstrated with almost 20% of attendees coming from overseas and a total of 85% of ticket buyers coming from out of town with cricket fans increasingly prepared to travel to support their team. We expect this trend to continue to rise as the Asian sub-continent continues rapid economic growth.

“We are currently in the process of getting expressions of interest from our Members to host future events post 2023 as part of our ambitions to grow the game globally. This report clearly demonstrates staging ICC events not only provides our host countries with the opportunity to showcase the very best they have to offer to an enormous global audience they are also a major global driver for social, cultural and economic impact.”

Seven Formula One Teams Request ‘Full And Proper Disclosure’ Following Settlement Between FIA And Ferrari

Seven Formula One teams have requested ‘Full and proper disclosure’ from the FIA following a settlement being reached between the organisation and Ferrari.

An investigation was launched into whether Ferrari’sm engines used at points last season were legal, and with a settlement since being agreed to, which indicates that they may not have been, other teams are now demanding that full details are released to see to what extent Ferrari may have broken the rules.

The statement reads:

We, the undersigned teams, were surprised and shocked by the FIA’s statement of Friday 28 February regarding the conclusion of its investigation into the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 Power Unit.

An international sporting regulator has the responsibility to act with the highest standards of governance, integrity and transparency.

After months of investigations that were undertaken by the FIA only following queries raised by other teams, we strongly object to the FIA reaching a confidential settlement agreement with Ferrari to conclude this matter.

Therefore, we hereby state publicly our shared commitment to pursue full and proper disclosure in this matter, to ensure that our sport treats all competitors fairly and equally. We do so on behalf of the fans, the participants and the stakeholders of Formula One.

In addition, we reserve our rights to seek legal redress, within the FIA’s due process and before the competent courts.

McLaren Racing Limited

Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Limited

Racing Point UK Limited

Red Bull Racing Limited

Renault Sport Racing Limited

Scuderia Alpha Tauri S.p.A.

Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited

Captain Morgan Signs Partnership With MLS Canada

Captain Morgan is coming to Canada via the grand stage of Major League Soccer (MLS), joining the league’s teams, players and dynamic match-day atmosphere at stadiums and MLS national broadcast partners.

At a time of incredible growth for Major League Soccer, Captain Morgan today announced a multi-year partnership to become the official rum partner of MLS Canada. Captain Morgan wants the millions of passionate soccer fans of legal drinking age across Canada to rally their crews and get ready for what will be an extraordinary 25th MLS season.

As part of a wide-ranging partnership, building on Captain Morgan’s existing partnership with Toronto FC, MLS and Captain Morgan will collaborate on a multi-touchpoint marketing campaign. The campaign will extend to MLS venues through field-signage at MLS Canada’s three clubs.. Captain Morgan will also be featured in broadcast ads on TSN and TVA sports, as well as MLS digital platforms.

“We are thrilled to extend our partnership with MLS to Canadian soccer fans of legal drinking age, further connecting crews across Canada to their favourite soccer teams and rallying together to create exciting fan experiences,” said Mark Phillips, Director of Marketing, Diageo Canada. “We know soccer has a passionate and growing fan base here in Canada and we want to recognize that by bringing fans together to celebrate responsibly with Captain Morgan. Our partnership with MLS is a true testament to Captain Morgan’s commitment to providing soccer fans of legal drinking age with exciting experiences, whether they take in a match at home, in their local bar or celebrate a win in-arena.”

A true, spirited mix between Captain Morgan and MLS developed last year, when the two first announced their partnership in the U.S. and with five American MLS teams. The global soccer league and Captain Morgan have always stood for infectious fun for the crews of legal drinking age that take in a match or celebrate good times with a cocktail. MLS is a league on an unprecedented growth streak, with teams in Miami and Nashville beginning play in 2020 and four more to come in the near future. A beloved and growing sport, soccer in Canada and the U.S. has tripled in popularity in the last decade and is tied for second-most popular to watch among all spectator sports, making this an exciting and timely partnership expansion for both MLS and Captain Morgan.

“We are excited to welcome Captain Morgan to our lineup of partners” said Diego Moratorio, General Manager of MLS Canada. “Captain Morgan has already demonstrated how much it believes in MLS and the growth of the sport in North America and is now extending its commitment to Canada, where we will collaborate to raise the popularity of our league to even higher levels. This will be a fun and innovative partnership for many years to come.”

The ITTF Officially Unveils World Table Tennis

WTT is the ITTF’s new commercial vehicle to drive table tennis forward in the modern era, with innovations to all facets of the global table tennis product.

Since 2018, professional consultants Deloitte and Withers were hired to assist with remodelling the way that the ITTF does business, giving birth to World Table Tennis, which will run all of ITTF’s commercial and event business from 2021 together with its new partners which will be announced shortly.

“Through World Table Tennis, we are endeavouring to build a platform that really benefits our athletes and fans, enabling better structured events and higher prize money. Lots of time and resources have gone into this, as it’s a huge project that will revolutionise our sport for good. The professionalisation of our core top products is something that had been missing in our sport. This is a great moment for table tennis, and we cannot wait to enter our new era upon overcoming the unforeseen challenges of 2020.” – Steve Dainton, ITTF CEO

“We are committed to following our new strategy. We must be transparent, uphold good governance and make sure that all of our stakeholders can follow our steps forward. We want that players are more satisfied by prize money and events themselves, while we also want to support our members by making more money to reinvest into the development of our key stakeholders.” – Thomas Weikert, ITTF President

World Table Tennis is now open for business!

Events built to entertain!

Having analysed the global entertainment market and liaised with all stakeholders, WTT is introducing a brand new event structure, which will provide a much more modern entertainment experience for the professional table tennis players, fans, broadcasters, cities and partners.

At the pinnacle of the new event structure are the Grand Smashes. Up to four times per year for 10 days per event, the top 64 men and 64 women on the planet will compete for up to USD $ 3 million. Providing the perfect mix of the highest-level table tennis, community activation and entertainment, the Grand Smashes are the marquee events that all players want to win, all cities want to host, and all fans simply cannot miss!

Providing the constant, adrenaline-filled action throughout the year will be the WTT Series, giving all athletes adequate events to play in and enabling fans from all corners of the world to watch their idols in the flesh. USD $ 8 million in prize money is up for grabs across the WTT Champions Series and showpiece WTT Cup Finals, while the Star Contender and Contender Series offer opportunities for up and coming athletes to climb the ladder of professional table tennis.

The benefits of the new event structure are widespread: greater competition among athletes to attain more attractive prize monies; separate women’s events to brighten the spotlight on the next generation of female stars; iconic venues and locations for an “I was there” experience and world-class TV production and digital storytelling to entertain a growing global fanbase.

After all, WTT events are not designed just for sports fan, but all people who love to be entertained. With events spread around the world, WTT wants people to experience live table tennis who have never had the opportunity before.

Experience and expertise

In his role as Senior Commercial Strategy Consultant, Philippe Le Floc’h will be advising on WTT leadership and commercial strategy to drive table tennis forward in the modern era.

Le Floc’h, who has been operating at the highest level of sports business for more than 25 years, brings an invaluable wealth of experience in the field of sports marketing, thus bolstering WTT’s position of strength as it sets out to elevate table tennis to unprecedented heights.

At WTT, Le Floc’h will provide strategy on the overall master plan, event structure, media and digital rights, commercial contracts, commercial structure, sponsorship structure, public relations / communication / brand, and attend key WTT meetings and events.

“From the minute I heard about this project, it excited me. It is very rare that an international federation is so forward-thinking about the way it runs its commercial business. That is why I decided to get involved in this ground-breaking journey. I have high hopes for what this new business model can achieve and I believe that WTT will become a case study for all the other international federations. I look forward to using my years of experience to help WTT become a success and position table tennis among the global sporting elite.” – Philippe Le Floc’h, WTT Senior Commercial Strategy Consultant

LaLiga Clubs Seeing Rewards After Joining TikTok

Across social media, audiovisual content is creating the greatest impact, particularly among younger audiences. In this context, it is possible to understand the explosive rise of TikTok, the short-form video which arrived on the market a little over two years ago. In this time, it has become one of the most downloaded apps in the world with over a billion active users.

As the fastest-growing social media network in the world, there is clear interest in engaging with the TikTok community and creating content that will resonate on the platform. As they look to expand their international audiences, LaLiga clubs have become heavily involved in the platform, often with the support of the league’s digital team.

Four of these clubs, Cádiz CF, Atlético de Madrid, Sevilla FC and Real Sociedad, explained the approaches they have taken and the positive effect this has had on their global brands.

TikTok showcases Cádiz CF as a global club
LaLiga SmartBank side Cádiz CF created a strategic communications plan for TikTok, where the Andalusian club has more than 17,000 followers from a wide variety of countries. “Local approaches are not enough anymore, but a global vision of what our club is and who our footballers are does work,” explained José Grima Peña, the Cádiz CF communications director.

“When LaLiga opened up the possibility of joining TikTok, we didn’t even have to think about it.”

Reflecting on the novel concept of the platform, Grima added: “There’s a major difference as it’s not the message that is the priority, but rather it’s the image. It’s a completely different way of communicating.”

It quickly became clear that there was a need to present an international outlook and that highlighting less mainstream activity would be successful.

“We’ve come to realise that international campaigns work better than national campaigns,” added Grima. “It’s not just men’s football that captures the attention. Women’s football can even have greater interaction. TikTok is helping show that it’s not just the football that is important at a football club. A different kind of training session, a special activity or a simple gesture with the right music can go further than a news piece about who we are.”

Atlético de Madrid sees growing demand for content
At Atlético de Madrid, the club’s head of digital development Alejandro Ugarrio notes how quickly fans have embraced the club’s arrival on TikTok, where it has reached 440,000 followers already. “Our fans always respond when we launch a new official space, but in this case the reception has been even more spectacular than usual. We’re very grateful to all of the Atlético fans around the world.”

“On no other social network have we seen such a large demand for content,” Ugarrio continued. “It’s a great responsibility and, at the same time, it’s great news for us.”

In order to keep this content new and fresh, Atlético de Madrid is forging positive collaborations with players, competitions, influencers and partners while working alongside LaLiga to ensure that the account continues to grow.

“The growth in terms of the number of followers is really significant,” Ugarrio noted. “But, above all, what stands out is the view count.”

Sevilla FC adapting its tone
Sevilla FC has had a TikTok account since June of 2019 and has now passed the 40,000 followers mark. In particular, the club highlights the ways in which the posts on this network feel genuine. “The change we’ve noticed is the way that the content published is natural, with much less editing, plus it is generated directly on the mobile phone,” explained the club’s social media manager José Ángel Risco…….

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UK Sponsorship Awards 2020 – The Shortlist

Arts & Cultural Sponsorship

Antony Gormley & AccessArt25 at the Royal Academy of Arts

Sponsor: BNP Paribas

DHL Fashion Potential Award 2019 

English National Ballet and Cunard Dance the Atlantic

Portrait of an Artist

Sponsor: BP

Scottish Ballet Dance Health supported by Baillie Gifford

Somerset House – Hennessy: For The Culture

Live Entertainment & Event Sponsorship

Sponsored by Hammerson

Artichoke Trust (Lumiere) & Believe Housing – Keys of Light

Carlsberg & Live Nation Festival Programme 2019

English National Ballet and Cunard Dance the Atlantic

Huawei & All Points East

Social Purpose Sponsorship

Barclays FA Women’s Super League and Grassroots Football in Schools Sponsorship

Beyond The Invisible: How Standard Life turned the lens on endometriosis

DHL Race to RWC Supporting Grassroots Rugby Globally

EFL and Mind ‘On Your Side’ partnership

SAP Man City Community Heroes – Helping the world run better

Sponsor:  SAP

The UEFA Europa League Trophy Tour driven by Kia

Education & Learning Sponsorship

Artichoke Trust & Believe Housing – Lumiere Durham, Keys of Light

Cardiff Metropolitan University and Richard Parks: Creating One Cardiff Met

Get Set to Eat Fresh with Aldi and Team GB

Sustainability Sponsorship

Beyond The Bean – A Global Story of Nespresso’s Sustainability Credentials

FOOD: Bigger than the Plate

Sponsor:  BaxterStorey

The Positive Power of Clothes

Sponsor: Unilever Comfort

Smirnoff & Live Nation Festival Programme

Evian Wimbledon 2020

Best Sponsorship of Women’s Activities 

Partnered by Women in Sport

Acceptance in Women’s Football

Sponsor: Visa

Barclays FA Women’s Super League and Grassroots Football in Schools Sponsorship

Beyond The Invisible: How Standard Life turned the lens on endometriosis

Boots brings Glory to Women’s Football

Mars – #SupportHer

‘One Moment Is All it Takes To Change The Game’

Sponsor:  Visa

Best Use of Sponsorship to Encourage Diversity & Inclusion

Antony Gormley & AccessArt25 at the Royal Academy of Arts

Sponsor:  BNP Paribas

Barclays FA Women’s Super League and Grassroots Football in Schools Sponsorship

Coca-Cola and the Premier League – Where Everyone Plays

EFL and Mind ‘On Your Side’ partnership

Safe to be Me

Sponsor:  Aberdeen Standard Investments

Somerset House – Hennessy: For The Culture

TV Sponsorship

Partnered by Thinkbox

Bose Sponsor Channel 4’s F1 Coverage

Coors Light ‘Coldest Of All Time’

Forward Thinking Drama on ITV

Sponsor:  Hyundai

Hampton by Hilton Sponsorship of Travel & Adventures on Channel 5

Hillary’s Sponsors Homes on 4

I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

Sponsor:  Tombola Arcade

Print, Radio and Film Sponsorship

Getting to the Heart of it with TalkTalk

Magic Radio & Bensons for Beds

Pukka Herbs & Mail Media Metro: ‘The Wellness Connection’

Smash Hits + & Juliet

The Hometime Chip Shop Tour with Maldon Salt

Using Cinema to help Communities Defeat Terrorism  

Sponsor: Counter Terrorism Policing

Best Use of  Social Media & Online Platforms

Birds Eye: Fish Finger Lasagne

DHL Rugby World Cup #EpicMoments

Guinness House of Rugby

Save Our Shirt

Sponsor:  Paddy Power

This Is For Them

AIG Life UK

Winning the iPhone battle through AR

Sponsor:  Vodafone

Best Use of Mobile in a Sponsorship Campaign

Google Assistant & Live Nation

PayPal & The FA

Branded Content

Taking us on a journey to a ‘Better Future Now’

Sponsor: AXA

Pukka Herbs & Mail Media Metro: ‘The Wellness Connection’

‘Save Well, Spend Better’

Sponsor: Lloyds Bank

Three & LADbible’s Most Relaxing Place on the Internet

Using Cinema to help Communities Defeat Terrorism  

Sponsor: Counter Terrorism Policing

Wild Spirits, Made By The Sea

Sponsor: Talisker

Branded Content – Sport

Care for every position you play

Sponsor:  Dove Men+Care

Game Changing content for Women’s Sport

Sponsor:  Visa

Marriott Bonvoy & Manchester United

O2: Travel Fan in Japan

PayPal & The FA

Pros Behind The Pros by Beko

Best Use of Celebrity & Influencer Endorsement

Müller Champions Ambassadors 

Never Fully Dressed, official partner of Made in Chelsea

Sponsor:  Never Fully Dressed

Norwich City and Seriously – We Believe in the Huuhkajat

Sponsor:  Seriously Digital Entertainment

Pukka Herbs & Mail Media Metro: ‘The Wellness Connection’

UEFA Europa League vs

Sponsor:  UEFA

With The Right Support We Can All Be Stars

Sponsor:  DHL

Sports Sponsorship 

Sponsored by Dataflow Events

Coca-Cola and the Premier League – Where Everyone Plays

NatWest & England Cricket

OPPO: Be A Shotmaker

Paddy Power – Save Our Shirt

Sony Interactive Entertainment x UCL – PlayStation F.C Final 

Specsavers Ashes Series – The Test Experts

Grass Roots Sports Sponsorship

partnered by Sport + Recreation Allianc

DHL Race to RWC Supporting Grassroots Rugby Globally

Mitsubishi Motors Volunteer Recognition Programme

PayPal & The FA

BEST FOOTBALL SPONSORSHIP

Beko & FC Barcelona

Coca-Cola and the Premier League – Where Everyone Plays

DHL UNITED. DELIVERED.

Hyundai & Chelsea FC

Marriott Bonvoy & Manchester United

Reward Yourself with Hotels.com and Tottenham Hotspur

The eToro Fan Financial Statement

Best World Cup Sponsorship

DHL Rugby World Cup #EpicMoments

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019™ 

Sponsor: Visa

NatWest & England Cricket

O2 and England Rugby: Be their Armour, Wear the Rose

‘One Moment Is All it Takes To Change The Game’

Sponsor:  Visa

OPPO: Be A Shotmaker

Best Gaming Based Sponsorship

DHL & ESL – The Rise of EffiBOT

KFC & Kairos Esports

Mass Participation Sponsorship

Deloitte Ride Across Britain

I Am Team GB – presented by Toyota

Rights Holder Award – Best Activation of Assets – Judges’ Award

To be announced on the night

Business to Business Sponsorship

CIPD Simplyhealth Wellbeing at Work

Deloitte Ride Across Britain

DHL Fashion Potential Award 2019 

Morgan Stanley Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Visa Spend & Win Competition for Great British High Street

Visa’s Women’s Football activities

Brand Sponsorship

Sponsored by Sponsorium

Boots brings Glory to Women’s Football

Columbia & National Parks

Getting to the Heart of it with TalkTalk

Marriott Bonvoy & Manchester United

LADbible’s Most Relaxing Place on the Internet

Sponsor: Three

Paddy Power – Save Our Shirt

First Time Sponsor Award

Boots brings Glory to Women’s Football

Fratelli Beretta & Everton 

Chivas & Manchester United – Success is a Blend

Sensitive Moments with Sensodyne and Made In Chelsea

Sponsorship Continuity

Carlsberg & Live Nation 

Hilton and McLaren Partnership

Morgan Stanley Gardens at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

O2 and England Rugby: Wear the Rose

International Sponsorship

Beko & FC Barcelona

Bridgestone CHASE YOUR DREAM, NO MATTER WHAT

DHL Rugby World Cup #EpicMoments

OPPO: Be A Shotmaker

Sony Interactive Entertainment x UCL – PlayStation F.C Final 

The UEFA Europa League Trophy Tour driven by Kia

Best Use of Research and Evaluation

Sponsored by YouGov Sport

Boots brings Glory to Women’s Football

Hillary’s Sponsors Homes on 4

Love Island: The Cultural Zeitgeist

Measurement of Land Rover’s Rugby World Cup Sponsorship 2019

The Power of Live: Global Live Music Fan Study

The eToro Fan Financial Statement

Best Use of Public Relations in a Sponsorship Campaign

Partnered by the PRCA

Beyond The Invisible: How Standard Life turned the lens on endometriosis

CIPD Simplyhealth Wellbeing at Work

DHL Race to RWC Supporting Grassroots Rugby Globally

Paddy Power – Save Our Shirt

Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards 2019 PR Campaign

Special Award for Effective Use of a Smaller Budget

Anthony Nolan – Charity of the Year 

Sponsor:  haysmacintyre

Artichoke Trust & Believe Housing – Lumiere Durham, Keys of Light

Give Nature a Break

Sponsor:  Forest Holidays

The Hometime Chip Shop Tour with Maldon Salt

Sponsorship Innovation of the Year

DHL x ESL – The Rise of EffiBOT

Game Changing content for Women’s Sport

Sponsor: Visa

Google Assistant & Live Nation Digital Programme

NatWest & England Cricket

Norwich City & Visit Tampa Bay partnership

Sponsor:  Tampa Bay

Winning the iPhone battle through AR

Sponsor:  Vodafone

2020 Vision Award – Celebration of Craft & Creativity

Forward Thinking Drama on ITV

Sponsor: Hyundai

Give Nature a Break

Sponsor: Forest Holidays

Paddy Power – Save Our Shirt

Entered by: Octagon

Using Cinema to help Communities Defeat Terrorism  

Sponsor: Counter Terrorism Policing

 We Believe in the Huuhkajat’ – “The Huuhkajat through the Eyes of the Canaries”

Sponsor: Seriously Digital Entertainment

SPONSORSHIP AGENCY OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by CSM Live

Winners of the ‘Large’, Medium to Boutique’ and ‘Innovation’ prizes will be announced on March 24th.

  • 160/90
  • b2b partnerships
  • Bright Partnerships
  • Ear to the Ground
  • M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment
  • MatchFit
  • Octagon
  • WeAreFearless.

Matchroom Sport To Launch Online Streaming Platform

Matchroom Sport, one of the world’s largest suppliers of sports programming, is delighted to announce the launch of a global streaming platform to offer sports fans worldwide access to its portfolio of events.

Built and powered by sports streaming and video technology specialists StreamAMG, Matchroom Live will host a unique selection of its catalogue of sports to form a major multi-sport offering.

Audiences worldwide will be able to watch Matchroom Sport’s portfolio of events through a dedicated video-first website and on mobile with the ability to cast to virtually any device whether that be a console, Smart TV or connected device. The services will also allow fans to watch up to four live events at once with ‘QuadPlay’.

Launching this spring, Matchroom Live will offer:

  • Live broadcasts of Matchroom Sport events in non-broadcast territories, including the World Darts Championship and Premier League Darts, Pool’s Mosconi Cup and World Pool Championship, plus the World Snooker Championship and The Masters and the remainder of Matchroom Sport’s catalogue of live events.
  • Event highlights, full replays and an extensive catalogue of on-demand content covering all of Matchroom’s portfolio of events, available worldwide for free.

Primarily Matchroom Live will offer subscription packages and pay-per-view options. However, archive footage from past events will be available to watch for free.

StreamAMG is a long-standing partner to Matchroom Sport and has operated PDC.TV since 2016. The company also streamed Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Luiz II for the Indian Subcontinent in December 2019.

The first live broadcast on Matchroom Live will be of the first three days (April 13-15) of the 2020 US Open Pool Championship free worldwide.

Barry Hearn, Chairman, Matchroom Sport added: “Matchroom Live will allow us to reach new audiences, grow our international presence and offer world-class entertainment for fans across the globe. StreamAMG’s track record makes them a fantastic partner to launch this service and provide an excellent experience for viewers worldwide.”

Hugo Sharman, Chief Executive Officer, StreamAMG: “This is a unique platform with a unique offering. Matchroom Sport have always been quick to adopt new technology and new business models, and we’re delighted to support their ambition.”

Delta Signs Eight-Year Deal As Founding Partner Of LA2028

Delta Air Lines and LA28 have committed to an eight-year partnership beginning in 2021, making Delta the inaugural founding partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Los Angeles 2028 and a supporter of the United States Olympic and Paralympic teams.

Coinciding with the airline’s 95th anniversary on March 2, Delta and LA28 celebrated the partnership at an event at L.A.’s Griffith Observatory headlined by Delta Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Tim Mapes and LA28 Chairperson Casey Wasserman.

“Delta is in the business of connecting people, and nothing brings the world together quite like the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “The dreams and big ideas born in Los Angeles inspire us to imagine a better future. Partnering with LA28 is an investment in LA’s future and a commitment to work together to create a more connected, equitable and sustainable world.”

Wasserman added: “Delta embodies the spirit and strength of the Los Angeles Games, and we are proud they are taking this journey with us as an early and committed partner to the Olympic and Paralympic movement. Athletes from more than 200 nations and all corners of this country will descend on Los Angeles in just eight years. We embrace Delta’s passion and dedication to connect all of these dreams and Olympic and Paralympic stories in the years to come.”

“Los Angeles is a global crossroads — a city where everybody is welcome,” said L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti. “By bringing the world to Los Angeles and Los Angeles to the world, Delta is helping the City of Angels reach new heights.”

Four-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist and LA28 Chief Athlete Officer Janet Evans hosted the evening event. Five of America’s top athletes — Allyson Felix, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Michael Phelps, Kerri Walsh Jennings and Mallory Weggemann — joined local dignitaries and Delta partners for an exclusive sneak peek of what a special LA28 Airbus A350 aircraft livery could look like once the partnership launches in 2021.

Delta will become the Official Airline of LA28 and Team USA beginning Jan. 1, 2021, and include the Beijing 2022, Paris 2024, Milan Cortina 2026 and Los Angeles 2028 Games. As part of the founding partnership, Delta will co-create the LA28 Volunteer Program, which will include more than 25,000 community and employee volunteers. Delta will also partner on the LA28 Sustainability Collective, delivering creative solutions that reduce the environmental impact of the Games.

Delta’s partnership also includes a commitment to NBCUniversal over eight years, including multi-platform advertising within coverage of four upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games as well as media activation in non-Olympic years. NBCU will work closely with Delta to chronicle and celebrate its Olympic journey.

“The Olympics have the power to bring audiences together in a way that no other event can,” said NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell. “Delta’s unprecedented access to the Games and Team USA across all platforms truly represents the future of advertising. We cannot think of a better Olympic setting than our own backyard in Los Angeles, and we look forward to welcoming the athletes in 2028 to this dynamic city.”

Tokyo 2020 Postponement Could Be Allowed, Japan’s Olympic Minister Indicates

Seiko Hashimoto, the Japanese Olympic Minister, has admitted that this summer’s 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo could be postponed due to the coronavirus.

With less than five months to go until the Games is set to commence, the prospect of it going ahead is under increasing threat on a daily basis as the virus continues to spread across the globe, with no clear sign of stopping at the current point in time.

Numerous sporting events around the world have now been postponed or cancelled due to the ongoing health crisis and many have been taking a look ahead to Tokyo, despite Thomas Bach, President of the IOC last week stating that they are ‘fully committed’ to the Games going ahead at the correct time.

Hashimoto said: “We are doing all we can to ensure that the Games go ahead as planned.”

However, she added that Tokyo’s Olympic contract “calls for the Games to be held within 2020” and that “could be interpreted as allowing a postponement”.

Any delays to the Olympics could of course have huge knock-on effects for the athletes that have qualified for this summer’s event, but as the virus continues to expand across the planet it is clearly something being considered very carefully by sporting organisations around the world.

PGA TOUR, The Action Network Launch GolfBet Content Platform

The Action Network and the PGA TOUR today announced the launch of GolfBet, a first-of-its-kind, golf-focused betting content platform. GolfBet will be powered by The Action Network and hosted at www.actionnetwork.com/golf, and also will be available within The Action Network app. Through the strategic partnership, the PGA TOUR will provide GolfBet content distribution via TOUR digital platforms, footage rights to support GolfBet video content, and official TOUR data to ensure that GolfBet and The Action Network offer golf fans and golf bettors the most accurate data and compelling content available.

“We believe that golf fans and sports bettors alike are in search of a deeper level of information that has not existed until the launch of GolfBet,” said Norb Gambuzza, PGA TOUR’s SVP Media & Gaming. “The Action Network is the perfect partner to create this type of content platform to educate and entertain fans about responsible betting on golf while bolstering the overall gaming ecosystem. We are bullish that GolfBet content and the growth of sports betting will drive fan engagement and expand our overall audience.

“The PGA TOUR is one of the most forward-thinking leagues and rightsholders around the massive growing legal sports betting business,” said Patrick Keane, CEO of The Action Network. “Our consumers are passionate golf fans, and we are excited about the opportunity to enhance our coverage via the launch of the GolfBet platform.”

The PGA TOUR has been very active recently in the betting space, including a 2018 announcement of an integrity program, partnering with Genius Sports to protect its competitions from potential outside influences related to gambling. Later that year, the TOUR announced a global partnership with IMG ARENA to license its official, live scoring data to betting operators all over the world, which will revolutionize in-play betting on golf and will be available to the market later this year. In August, the TOUR partnered with DraftKings to relaunch “PGA TOUR DraftKings Fantasy Golf,” with exclusive intellectual property to differentiate DraftKings in the daily fantasy space. Now, with the launch of GolfBet, the PGA TOUR is developing a robust betting content ecosystem that supports both sports betting and daily fantasy.

“In a typical PGA TOUR season, there are approximately 1.2 million golf shots taken across our schedule,” Gambuzza said. “This represents a massive opportunity for in-play betting, new types of markets for operators who have access to official PGA TOUR data, and tremendous opportunities for content generation. We think that The Action Network has the unique expertise to develop a diverse array of tools, analysis, and other content which will help fans and bettors understand, access, and enjoy these new betting opportunities as the market evolves.”

In 2019, The Action Network produced more than 800 individual pieces of golf-related content and offered robust bet tracking and analysis tools focused on golf. “Action Network users tracked over 50 million picks on our platform last year, and golf was our fastest-growing segment at nearly 300 percent year over year,” Keane said.

In addition to The Action Network producing the majority of the weekly content for GolfBet with well-known experts like Jason Sobel, Josh Perry and Peter Jennings, GolfBet will also strike partnerships with other media companies to power the platform.

“We envision GolfBet as a one-stop platform where fans can get all of the most relevant and up-to-date betting information,” Keane added.

Max Wright, Senior Vice President of IMG ARENA, said, “Golf was one of the few major sports that had not yet offered consistent in-play betting markets. We see a massive opportunity for growth through ‘in-play’ betting once our official PGA TOUR betting data hits the market later this year.  This partnership between PGA TOUR and The Action Network is hugely complementary.  We believe that an information hub like GolfBet which delivers high quality content to help to inform and educate users about golf and golf betting will be a net positive for the growing golf betting market.”

GolfBet content is planned to be largely subscription free for the foreseeable future. The PGA TOUR and Action Network plan to work with TOUR’s domestic media partners, as well as Discovery on ex-U.S. collaboration opportunities, as GolfBet continues to grow on a global basis.