Get Set For The 2020 Financial Times Business Of Football Summit

Overview

Football is the world’s most popular sport, and, also, one of the most active sectors globally for deal-making. Whether it is M&A, private equity investment, stadium financing, media rights, sponsorship contracts, player transfers, or salary packages, the business of football has become a multi-billion dollar economy. And as with many other major asset classes, there are disruptive forces that are shifting the goalposts – challenging established systems and creating new opportunities for growth.

Building on its inaugural event in May 2019, the FT Business of Football Summit returns to renew its unique exploration into all of football’s key income streams, bringing together the biggest names in the industry to debate the financial future of the beautiful game.

Leading investors, club and league executives, regulators, broadcasters, sponsors, advisors and other key influencers will share expert insights and often surprising stories to give structure and colour to the major issues affecting the football economy.

The summit will explore the new technology that is transforming the way the sport is both consumed and played, radical proposals to expand regional and global tournaments, the continuing efforts by regulators to level the financial playing field, and the enormous growth potential for the women’s game following the success of the 2019 World Cup.

Why attend?

The Financial Times is once again bringing together football leaders with investors, bankers, broadcasters and other key stakeholders to discuss the changing shape of the football economy and the outlook for football as an asset class. Join to:

  • Network with a high-level audience of football leaders and influencers
  • Hear from club and league executives, and major investors
  • Discuss how new technology platforms will change access to football
  • Examine how big clubs can remain competitive and how smaller ones can stay in the race
  • Explore the most attractive opportunities amid a wave of private equity and corporate investor interest

For more details click here

Infront And CEV Sign Long-Term 12-Year Agreement

Infront and the European Volleyball Confederation will continue their partnership for another 12 years after the appointment was ratified by delegates at the Extraordinary General Assembly in Vienna, Austria on Saturday.

The new agreement – which was initially announced in December 2019 after approval by the CEV Board of Administration – will run from 2020 until 2032. For the first time the media rights for all CEV events across all three disciplines will be distributed by Infront as CEV’s exclusive partner.

The scope covers all national men’s and women’s volleyball events including the EuroVolley, European Volleyball Leagues and Olympic Qualification as well as the club competitions CEV Champions League, CEV Cup and CEV Challenge Cup. It also includes the CEV European Championships in Beach Volleyball and Snow Volleyball as well as all CEV-run continental events in both disciplines as of 1 July 2020.

Over the 12-year period it foresees guaranteed payments and the provision of comprehensive media, production and digital services by Infront in the value of over EUR 100 million.

Philippe Blatter, Infront President and CEO said: “Infront has been a dedicated and reliable partner of the CEV for more than two decades and in that time both the Volleyball and Beach Volleyball European Championships have seen exponential growth in TV audience. This new and unique partnership will allow Infront and CEV to further develop volleyball, beach volleyball and snow volleyball together through innovation, increased audiences and improved production while enjoying access to financial security on a long-term basis.”

Aleksandar Boričić, CEV President said: “This is a milestone agreement for the CEV and the whole European Volleyball family which clearly indicates our strong ambition to further invest into the growth of our sport in Europe. Infront has been a trustful partner of the CEV for the last 27 years and this new agreement will bring us even closer together and I look forward to jointly taking our sport to new heights across all disciplines. I am happy that the members of our Volleyball family understood the importance and benefits of this agreement, which clearly is in the best interest of all parties – and lays the foundation for a bright future for our sport.”

The UCI And Discovery Partner To Create New UCI Track Cycling World League

The UCI and Discovery have launched a new UCI Track Cycling World League set to debut in the 2021-2022 season.

By deepening its long-term relationship with the UCI, Discovery will harness its global scale, extensive media platforms and promotion expertise to help grow cycling.

Under the agreement, signed at the 2020 UCI Track Cycling World Championships presented by Tissot in Berlin (Germany), the management, TV production and distribution of the new UCI series will be entrusted to Global Cycling Network (GCN), in collaboration with Eurosport’s dedicated event promotion division, Eurosport Events, for an initial term of eight years. The partnership will ensure extensive international exposure for the new UCI Track Cycling World League via Discovery channels and platforms including Eurosport, the number one sports destination in Europe, and GCN, the world’s number one cycling media brand.

The new UCI circuit has a short, dynamic and attractive format that is perfectly suited to the needs of TV and the expectations of viewers. It aims to make track cycling more accessible and to open it up to new audiences who enjoy the spectacle of high-quality sport.

The competition programme for the new UCI league features four events for men and women: individual sprint, keirin, elimination race and Scratch race. The inaugural season will run from November 2021 to February 2022, following the 2021 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, and will comprise a target of six rounds, each running for around two hours.

The nine best-placed riders in sprint and keirin as well as all medallists of bunch races at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships will gain selection for the UCI Track Cycling World League.

Participants will wear jerseys inspired by their national flags, while the newly crowned UCI World Champions will sport their new rainbow jerseys for the occasion.

The events in the new UCI Track Cycling World League will:

  • Enable participants to collect UCI points according to a points scale similar to that used at the UCI World Championships;
  • Allow riders finishing in the top three in each event in the circuit’s final overall standings to qualify by name for the UCI World Championships (only if their nation does not qualify);
  • Allow riders to compete for attractive prize pots on top of their participation bonuses.

As of 2021, the UCI International Track Cycling Calendar will be structured around the following major competitions:

  • The UCI Track Cycling Nations Cup, comprised of three rounds held between March and September;
  • The UCI Track Cycling World Championships, held in October, after the UCI Track Cycling Nations Cup;
  • The new UCI Track Cycling World League, which will run from November to February.

UCI President David Lappartient said: “I am thrilled and delighted that Discovery will be by our side to help launch and promote our new UCI Track Cycling World League. Their expertise and recognised know-how in the fields of organisation and TV production and broadcasting will contribute significantly to the development and popular appeal of track cycling.

“With this new UCI circuit, the discipline will have a packed and attractive annual calendar that offers variety and will meet the expectations of new audiences while also appealing to existing cycling fans. Along with our new partner, we will grow the appeal of track cycling beyond the Olympic Games, where it has been on the programme since the very first Games of the modern era, in 1896.”

President, Eurosport and Global Sports Rights & Sports Marketing Solutions, Andrew Georgiou, said: “We are excited to deepen our longstanding relationship with the UCI and go even further to grow the sport across Europe. Eurosport Events is an increasingly important strategic offer within our business, affording rights-holders the opportunity to build and strengthen their event portfolios globally.

“The partnership with the UCI demonstrates what the scale and expertise of the wider Discovery family can offer partners in sport, providing both highly localised content to the widest variety of audiences as well as offering unrivalled expertise, analysis and storytelling from the best experts. Combining this strength in cycling with Eurosport Events’ promotional know-how and the global scale of Discovery’s channels and platforms, including Eurosport and GCN, we are confident we will build the UCI Track Cycling World League into a huge success. As Home of the Olympics in Europe, Discovery and Eurosport look forward to continuing to champion the riders who will be the stars of the velodrome all the way to Paris 2024.”

ANNOUNCEMENT: Thinkbox And Extreme To Speak At 2020 Broadcast Masterclass

iSportconnect are happy to confirm the next two speakers for our Broadcast Masterclass on Thursday the 19th of March in London.

Lindsey Clay, CEO of Thinkbox, and Alistair Gosling, Founder and CEO of Extreme, will be joining the likes of DAZN, Eleven Sports and TV4 Media at the event later this month.

We will be revealing two more speakers this Thursday as we count down to the Broadcast Masterclass, so keep your eyes peeled on iSportconnect’s channels…

Lindsey Clay

Following a twenty year career at ad agencies including McCann Erickson and J Walter Thompson, Lindsey joined Thinkbox where she has been CEO since 2014.  Thinkbox is the UK marketing body for commercial TV in all its forms and on every screen. Funded by the commercial TV companies, it exists to help advertisers and agencies get the best out of today’s TV.

Lindsey is also President of the Global TV Group, the informal grouping of TV broadcasters and sales houses’ trade bodies in Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia & Latin America.

Lindsey is a non-exec director of leading content agency, Somethin’ Else. She is a trustee of the Rank Foundation, on the board of its production company, CTVC and is Chair of the Rank Fellowship, its leadership award alumni group.  Lindsey is a member and recent President of WACL, a fellow of the Marketing Society and a member of MGGB.

Alistair Gosling

Alistair Gosling is an award-winning entrepreneur and investor with over 25 years of experience spanning media, marketing, events and large-scale sport and leisure destination development. 

Always armed with a ‘Can Do’ attitude, Alistair is the driving force behind The Extreme Sports Company and has overall responsibility for the strategic direction, critical decisions and overall management of business.

Initially focused on the fast-paced media sector, Alistair built a world leading TV distribution company, then in 1998, aged 27, he saw a gap in the market and had the vision for the EXTREME brand franchise and The Extreme Sports TV Channel. He partnered with UPC and Liberty Media, raised $35m and went onto to launch the brand in over 60 counties around the world.

To register your interest in attending the 2020 iSportconnect Broadcast Masterclass, please contact Theresa Muller at theresa@isportconnect.com

Invitation Policy: The Broadcast Masterclass is a complimentary event for iSportconnect members who are from governing bodies, sports teams, brands and broadcasters. There is no fee to become an iSportconnect member. No sports agencies, professional service providers & suppliers are allowed at our Masterclasses.

For limited partnership opportunities, please contact brandon@isportconnect.com

EFL And Mind Extend ‘On Your Side’ Partnership

The EFL has today announced a two-year extension to the ‘On Your Side’ partnership with Mind, which will see the mental health charity continue as the EFL’s Official Charity Partner until at least the end of the 2021/22 season.

The ground-breaking and innovative collaboration began in 2018 with the aim to increase the visibility and awareness of mental health, and raise vital money to deliver life-changing support across the country.

To launch the partnership, the EFL and Mind created the ‘On Your Side’ joint identity and for the first time ever in English football, a new lettering design incorporating the charity’s logo into the player name on the back of every EFL shirt was created, alongside bespoke pin badges in individual club colours for managers and club staff to wear and this will continue for the remainder of the partnership.

The EFL and its Clubs have also worked closely with Mind on a number of activations and high-profile campaigns involving players, staff and fans to highlight the importance of discussing our mental health, including the Kings Cross World Mental Health Day activation in 2018 and the ‘Goals Worth Talking About’ campaign to mark the date in 2019.

Through money raised through the partnership, Mind’s ‘Get Set to Go’ programme, which aims to support people with mental health problems to become physically active, has also been further extended with the involvement of nine EFL Clubs across the country.

A Mental Health programme developed by Mind has been provided to all EFL Clubs, offering mental health awareness training for all staff and supports Clubs to connect with their local Minds to form a legacy for the future, while matchday activations across all three Leagues at League matches and at EFL Wembley Finals have raised the visibility of the partnership and vital funds for the charity.

EFL Chairman, Rick Parry, said, “The EFL is extremely proud of the charity partnership with Mind and we’re delighted to be able to announce a two-year extension.

“Since the ‘On Your Side partnership began ahead of the 2018/19 season, we have worked closely with Mind and EFL Clubs to improve the approach to mental health in football and wider society, raising awareness and vital funds for the charity. Many players, managers, club staff and fans have also shared their personal stories to further encourage conversation around mental health.

“While important and positive steps have been made through the partnership, there is still work to be done to improve mental health within football and we look forward to working with Mind over the next two seasons as we continue to tackle one of society’s biggest issues.”

Chief Executive of Mind, Paul Farmer, said, “We are delighted to be extending our partnership with the EFL for a further two season. Working with the EFL and its 71 Clubs over the past two seasons has given us a brilliant opportunity to bring about real change, not only at community and club level, but also nationally. We look to continue this vital work in the seasons ahead with ambitious plans to reach more people who feel they have nowhere to turn and to ensure that whoever a fan supports, our partnership with the EFL means Mind is here to support them.”

The partnership extension announcement was made today at half-time of the Carabao Cup Final between Aston Villa and Manchester City.

DAZN Expanding To More Than 200 Countries & Territories

DAZN, the leading global sports streaming service, will dramatically increase its presence in 2020, expanding to more than 200 countries and territories.

The first global event on DAZN will be Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez’s soon-to-be-announced fight during Cinco de Mayo Weekend, which will take place on Saturday, May 2.

This first phase of DAZN’s global expansion will be an English-language service focused on boxing, building on the company’s significant investment in the sport over the past two years. DAZN holds international rights to many of the world’s top promotional companies including Golden Boy Promotions, Matchroom Boxing USA and GGG Promotions. Fighters such as Alvarez and Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin will be part of a robust year-round portfolio of premium fights and original programming on the new service.

“Beginning this spring, most of the world will have access to DAZN and its unmatched schedule of boxing events,” said DAZN Group Executive Chairman John Skipper. “Our roster of championship fighters represents some of the world’s most popular athletes and we’ll be working with them to stage spectacular international events for years to come.”

“Since our launch in 2016, we’ve seen an encouraging level of interest around our key events from both international fans and potential partners, which highlighted the opportunity to capitalize on our existing rights portfolio within boxing to fuel our expansion,” said DAZN EVP Joseph Markowski, who will oversee the global service. “Establishing DAZN as the global home of fight sports is just the first step and we couldn’t think of a better attraction for our inaugural event than Canelo’s traditional Cinco de Mayo Weekend fight.”

In addition to live sporting events, DAZN offers an ever-growing archive of classic fights, athlete features and a slate of original programming featuring 40 DAYS, The Making Of and ONE NIGHT.

To date, DAZN has debuted services in nine countries – Austria, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the United States – across four continents.

The DAZN app will be available globally on most internet-connected devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, PCs, and living room devices such as smart TVs, streaming sticks and game consoles.

Pricing by market will be announced in the coming weeks.

For fans outside of DAZN’s existing markets that are interested in gaining early access to the service via the DAZN beta community, registration is open at DAZN.com. Official invites will be sent out later this month.

The iSportconnect Weekly Deals Update

ATP + FedEx

The ATP and FedEx Express announced a sponsorship renewal that will see the shipping giant remain an ATP Platinum partner, while strengthening its sponsorship and becoming the new title sponsor of the ATP Rankings.

NBA + New Balance

The National Basketball Association and New Balance Athletics, Inc. announced a new multiyear agreement that will make the global athletic brand an official marketing partner of the NBA.

Manchester United + Mondelez

Manchester United has entered into a global partnership with Mondelez International, whose world renowned brands include Cadbury, Oreo, Toblerone, Milka and belVita.

TSN + WTA

TSN has announced it has expanded the network’s live court coverage with the addition of a slate of marquee WTA Tour events, featuring the biggest stars of women’s tennis, beginning with the QATAR OPEN.

Hublot + UEFA Women’s EURO 2021

UEFA Women’s EURO 2021 has partnered with Hublot, where the watch brand will serve as one of the European tournament’s official partners, providing the now iconic Hublot electronic referee boards used by fourth officials to indicate additional time and substitutions.

MLS + Second Spectrum

Major League Soccer announced on Wednesday a multi-year partnership with Second Spectrum, which becomes MLS’s first official advanced tracking data provider. Beginning with the 2020 season, Second Spectrum will put its proprietary optical tracking system to work for every MLS match.

European Leagues + Genius Sports, Sportradar And Stats Perform

On behalf of its members, The Association of European Professional Football Leagues and its data partners Genius Sports, Sportradar and Stats Perform are pleased to announce a second multi-league agreement for an additional three seasons ending in 2022, which marks the continuation of an initial cooperation that began in 2017.

Watford + American Airlines

Watford Football Club announced American Airlines as its Official Airline Partner for the 2019/20 season.

Searchlight Cpaital Partners / Forgelight + Univision

Univision Holdings, Inc., a leading media company in the United States, Searchlight Capital Partners, LP, a global private investment firm, and ForgeLight LLC, an operating and investment company focused on the media and consumer technology sectors, today announced a definitive agreement in which Searchlight and ForgeLight will acquire a majority ownership interest in Univision from all stockholders of Univision other than Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. (“Televisa”). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

HBA Media + Flo Sports

HBA Media and FloSports, an innovator in live sports streaming and original content, have entered into an exclusive agreement aimed at developing horseracing coverage through OTT platforms.

Leicester Tigers + Samurai

Premiership Rugby Club Leicester Tigers has selected Samurai Sportswear for all its match day, training & leisurewear kit in a three-year deal. Samurai will take over from current supplier Kukri from 1st July 2020. This will see all Leicester Tigers players, coaches and other club staff wearing kit designed and manufactured exclusively for the club by Samurai.

LaLiga North America + Verizon

LaLiga North America announced a multi-year partnership with Verizon, exclusive to the United States.

Bayern Munich + Google

Marseille + Hotels.com

 

The iSportconnect Weekly Deals Update

ATP + FedEx

The ATP and FedEx Express announced a sponsorship renewal that will see the shipping giant remain an ATP Platinum partner, while strengthening its sponsorship and becoming the new title sponsor of the ATP Rankings.

NBA + New Balance

The National Basketball Association and New Balance Athletics, Inc. announced a new multiyear agreement that will make the global athletic brand an official marketing partner of the NBA.

Manchester United + Mondelez

Manchester United has entered into a global partnership with Mondelez International, whose world renowned brands include Cadbury, Oreo, Toblerone, Milka and belVita.

TSN + WTA

TSN has announced it has expanded the network’s live court coverage with the addition of a slate of marquee WTA Tour events, featuring the biggest stars of women’s tennis, beginning with the QATAR OPEN.

Hublot + UEFA Women’s EURO 2021

UEFA Women’s EURO 2021 has partnered with Hublot, where the watch brand will serve as one of the European tournament’s official partners, providing the now iconic Hublot electronic referee boards used by fourth officials to indicate additional time and substitutions.

MLS + Second Spectrum

Major League Soccer announced on Wednesday a multi-year partnership with Second Spectrum, which becomes MLS’s first official advanced tracking data provider. Beginning with the 2020 season, Second Spectrum will put its proprietary optical tracking system to work for every MLS match.

European Leagues + Genius Sports, Sportradar And Stats Perform

On behalf of its members, The Association of European Professional Football Leagues and its data partners Genius Sports, Sportradar and Stats Perform are pleased to announce a second multi-league agreement for an additional three seasons ending in 2022, which marks the continuation of an initial cooperation that began in 2017.

Watford + American Airlines

Watford Football Club announced American Airlines as its Official Airline Partner for the 2019/20 season.

Searchlight Cpaital Partners / Forgelight + Univision

Univision Holdings, Inc., a leading media company in the United States, Searchlight Capital Partners, LP, a global private investment firm, and ForgeLight LLC, an operating and investment company focused on the media and consumer technology sectors, today announced a definitive agreement in which Searchlight and ForgeLight will acquire a majority ownership interest in Univision from all stockholders of Univision other than Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. (“Televisa”). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

HBA Media + Flo Sports

HBA Media and FloSports, an innovator in live sports streaming and original content, have entered into an exclusive agreement aimed at developing horseracing coverage through OTT platforms.

Leicester Tigers + Samurai

Premiership Rugby Club Leicester Tigers has selected Samurai Sportswear for all its match day, training & leisurewear kit in a three-year deal. Samurai will take over from current supplier Kukri from 1st July 2020. This will see all Leicester Tigers players, coaches and other club staff wearing kit designed and manufactured exclusively for the club by Samurai.

LaLiga North America + Verizon

LaLiga North America announced a multi-year partnership with Verizon, exclusive to the United States.

Bayern Munich + Google

Marseille + Hotels.com

 

ATP And FedEx Extend Global Partnership

The ATP and FedEx Express today announced a sponsorship renewal that will see the shipping giant remain an ATP Platinum partner, while strengthening its sponsorship and becoming the new title sponsor of the ATP Rankings.

As part of the agreement, FedEx will continue to benefit from global promotional rights together with an on-site presence at tournaments throughout the season, while also leveraging opportunities to engage with viewers across mainstream and digital platforms.

Last year the partnership celebrated its 10th year and the new agreement builds on FedEx’s extensive history of global sports sponsorships, including the unique worldwide footprint of the ATP Tour. During the new term FedEx will sponsor 13 tournaments each season, with the Mutua Madrid Open included for the first time.

Massimo Calvelli, ATP CEO, said: “FedEx has been a fantastic partner of the ATP for over ten years now and we’re delighted to announce this extension to our agreement. In addition to multiple tournament partnerships, the title sponsorship of the ATP Rankings provides FedEx with an unparalleled association with an asset that links the whole season together, and we look forward to a continued successful partnership.”

“The ATP Tour perfectly reflects what FedEx stands for: a global footprint, speed, excitement and precision,” said Wouter Roels, SVP Marketing International, FedEx Express. “Since we started our journey as Official Sponsor of the ATP Tour in 2010, we have enjoyed many memorable moments of passion, persistence on court and possibilities for players to inspire and connect with fans. Through our presence at the largest tournaments of the Tour, we will continue to engage with millions of fans all over the world through mainstream and digital media.”

With a focus on activation around the FedEx ATP Rankings, FedEx will also become the presenting sponsor of the ATP World No. 1 trophy ceremonies, presented annually at the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals.

LaLiga North America Announces Multi-Year U.S. Partnership With Verizon

LaLiga North America announced today a multi-year partnership with Verizon, exclusive to the United States. This multifaceted partnership will offer Verizon customers, through its loyalty program, Verizon Up, the chance to interact with the best soccer league in the world through experiential events, educational opportunities, youth and coaching programming, clinics and tournaments – all officially launching with ElClásico on Sunday, March 1st. The partnership will also explore how Verizon’s innovative technology can enhance the fan experience.

“This partnership with Verizon further validates North America as a key growth region for soccer and LaLiga, and where leading companies are recognizing the full potential of the sport and the audience it attracts,” said CEO of LaLiga North America, Boris Gartner. “We welcome Verizon to the LaLiga family and look forward to growing soccer and super-serving our fans together.”

“Our partnership with LaLiga gives our customers more access to the game they love with the exclusive opportunities that differentiate,” said John Nitti, Chief Media Officer, Verizon. “We look forward to being a part of LaLiga’s U.S. expansion and cultivating future technology innovations to enhance the game and fan experience.”

This announcement marks LaLiga North America’s latest arrangement to grow the awareness and visibility of the LaLiga brand within the territory and will continue throughout 2024.