LaLiga, through its President, Javier Tebas, will participate together with the Premier League in a reduced commission created by UEFA to remake the calendar for all European professional football.
This committee is made up of three members from UEFA, three from ECA and one from European Leagues, LaLiga and Premier League respectively.
NASCAR and iRacing announced today the formation of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, an exhibition esports series featuring many of the sports most talented and popular drivers. The simulation-style showcase will include a cross-section of competitors from the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series and a group of NASCAR dignitaries.
The multi-week series will kick off Sunday, March 22 at 1:30 p.m. ET on the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway. The remaining race and broadcast details will be announced at a later date.
“Until we have cars back on track, the entire NASCAR community has aligned to provide our passionate fans with a unique, fun and competitive experience on race day,” said Ben Kennedy, vice president, racing development, NASCAR. “Our long-time partners at iRacing offer an incredible product and we are excited to see how many of our best drivers will stack up in the virtual domain of competitive racing.”
NASCAR postponed events through May 3, prioritizing the health and safety of fans, the industry and race communities. The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series will provide much needed racing entertainment for sports fans on the premier motorsports racing simulation platform, often used by NASCAR drivers to prepare for race events.
The exhibition series will feature some of the best NASCAR drivers. Drivers currently expected to participate include:
– Dale Earnhardt Jr.
– Kyle Busch
– Denny Hamlin
– Clint Bowyer
– Kyle Larson
– Christopher Bell
NASCAR and iRacing have an unprecedented history in the esports space, currently in the 11th season of the longest-running officially sanctioned esports racing series, the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series. The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series features 40 of the best sim racers in the world competing for more than $300,000, one of the richest payouts in esports racing competition. The elite series features NASCAR and professional esports teams, including those established by NASCAR Cup Series drivers William Byron, Denny Hamlin and Austin Dillon.
Fox Corporation today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Tubi, a leader in the fast-growing free ad-supported streaming category, for approximately $440 million in net cash consideration at closing. The acquisition of Tubi underscores FOX’s long-term strategic initiatives to broaden and enhance FOX’s direct-to-consumer digital reach and engagement.
Tubi brings to FOX an expanded consumer offering with a sizable, younger-skewing and directly connected user base that spends over 160 million hours per month watching content on the service.
Tubi, which is currently available on more than 25 digital platforms in the United States, features over 20,000 titles and 56,000 hours of film and episodic television programming from over 250 content partners, including many of the major studios. The combination of Tubi’s reach, the resonance of its content and the quality of its technology platform have doubled the service’s usage and monetization over the last 12 months.
Tubi will also seamlessly integrate with and deepen FOX’s capabilities in key areas such as digital advertising, direct-to-consumer interfaces and personalization technology. Similarly, Tubi will be able to fully leverage FOX’s advertising and distribution relationships, as well as its formidable national and local promotional platforms, to further augment the service’s growth trajectory.
FOX plans to continue to run Tubi as an independent service anchored by its robust consumer offering of licensed entertainment content. FOX will evaluate opportunities to expand the Tubi offering not through original content, but rather in a cost-effective manner by leveraging our expertise in national and local news and sports programming.
Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fox Corporation, Lachlan Murdoch commented: “Tubi will immediately expand our direct-to-consumer audience and capabilities and will provide our advertising partners with more opportunities to reach audiences at scale. Importantly, coupled with the combined power of FOX’s existing networks, Tubi provides a substantial base from which we will drive long-term growth in the direct-to-consumer arena.”
Tubi Founder and CEO Farhad Massoudi, who will continue to head Tubi, added: “Fox Corporation’s relationships with advertisers and distribution partners, combined with the company’s dominance in news and sports programming, will help Tubi continue to grow and differentiate itself in the high-growth ad-supported streaming marketplace. I am proud of what the team has already accomplished here at Tubi and we couldn’t be more excited about joining such a fast-moving, entrepreneurial company. We look forward to working together with FOX to accelerate Tubi’s leadership position in the market and bring new competencies to FOX.”
FOX will finance the Tubi acquisition principally with the net proceeds from the completed sale of its stake in Roku, Inc. (“Roku”). In doing so, FOX preserves its balance sheet capacity by essentially exchanging a passively held minority investment for full ownership and control of a leadership position in the free ad-supported streaming market.
On the sale of FOX’s ownership stake in Roku, Murdoch added: “We were an early investor in Roku and continue to admire the ongoing accomplishments of Anthony Wood and his team. We are pleased to expand our partnership with them as a result of the Tubi acquisition.”
The Tubi transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals and the satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions, is expected to close before June 30, 2020.
Wanda Sports Group Company Limited today announced that the Company signed a $240 million senior term loan facility agreement with Credit Suisse AG, Singapore Branch, enabling the Company to refinance and prepay its existing senior 364-day term loan facility, dated March 15, 2019.
Mr. Hengming Yang, President and CEO of Wanda Sports Group said, “We are very pleased with the new credit facility. The successful refinancing demonstrates continued confidence in our business and operations, despite the global challenges and uncertainties resulting from COVID-19. We will continue to work diligently on behalf of our partners, athletes, fans and shareholders.”
Mr. Brian Liao, Global CFO of Wanda Sports Group said, “As always, we are committed to lowering our costs, monitoring our use of cash, and balancing our investments with disciplined management of our existing financial resources to optimize shareholder returns. The new facility provides the Company with additional financial flexibility, while allowing it to take advantage of the current favorable interest rate environment to lower interest costs.”
The term of the new facility is 364 days. The pricing will initially be LIBOR plus an applicable margin, and the term is subject to certain mandatory prepayment terms. These and the other principal terms of the new facility are outlined further in a Form 6-K (Report of Foreign Private Issuer) submitted today to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
ELEVEN SPORTS Belgium has secured LIVE and EXCLUSIVE rights to Belgian domestic football for the next five years.
In a landmark agreement, ELEVEN will bring fans in Belgium all the action from the Belgian First Division A, the First Division B, the women’s Super League, the Belgian Cup and the Belgian Super Cup from 2020/21 until 2024/25.
ELEVEN has established itself as the leading sports platform in Belgium since launching in 2015. ELEVEN channels are distributed by Belgian TV operators to over 750,000 homes across the country, with many more fans engaging with the latest action through ELEVEN’s OTT platform and social channels.
ELEVEN’s strong foundations and innovative, fan focused approach make it the perfect home for Belgium’s most loved package of sports competitions.
ELEVEN will now focus on creating a network of TV and digital platforms for Belgian football, which offers fans the ultimate matchday experience and unmissable content around the biggest games. ELEVEN’s Belgium football hub will be 100% dedicated to the domestic game 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Marc Watson, Executive Chairman, ELEVEN SPORTS Group, said:
“In these uncertain times, we are pleased to have some positive news to share with Belgian football fans. This is the first time ELEVEN has secured the domestic rights to one of European football’s major leagues. It is a milestone moment for the progress of our group and testament to the quality of our team and the fan-centric platform that we have built up in Belgium since 2015. It is also thanks to the fantastic support we have received from our local partners. We are dedicated to continuing to work through these current challenges to bring the best content possible to our fans around the world.”
Guillaume Collard, Managing Director of ELEVEN SPORTS Belgium and Luxembourg and Group Head of Acquisitions, said:
“The Pro League’s decision to grant us the rights to Belgian football for the next five years is an important moment for ELEVEN SPORTS Belgium. We are committed to delivering the best possible experience to fans, clubs and the Pro League, and playing our part in growing the Belgian game. We would like to thank the Pro League and the clubs for the efforts they have made over the past few weeks to bring everyone together around our ambitious project, in these difficult times .”
The domestic Belgian football rights are a milestone addition to ELEVEN SPORTS’ growing portfolio of football. Fans in Belgium already enjoy LaLiga, Bundesliga, Serie A and the FA Cup with ELEVEN. Across ELEVEN’s global network, supporters have access to the UEFA Champions League, Premier League and a host of domestic and international football.
iSportconnect are delighted to announce that Coca-Cola and Husky will be joining us for our next eMasterclass, taking place on Wednesday the 29th of April at 3pm BST.
The topic for this discussion will be ‘Sports Marketing In The Post-Pandemic Environment.
Joining us will be Ricardo Fort, Vice President, Global Sports & Entertainment Partnerships for The Coca-Cola Company, Eelco van der Noll, Global Head of Partnerships at AB InBev, James Hagen, Chief Chocolate Drinker at Huski Chocolate and Patrick Lowe, from LaLiga North America.
Follow this link to sign up: https://event.webinarjam.com/register/33/9v8p0fgm
Chelsea Football Club is joining the medical response to the coronavirus outbreak in London with the news the National Health Service has accepted the Club’s offer to make the Millennium Hotel at Stamford Bridge available for NHS staff.
The initiative came from club owner Roman Abramovich and, after contact with the NHS was made by Chairman Bruce Buck, it was decided the best way Chelsea can assist the NHS is to provide accommodation for NHS staff. Mr Abramovich will be covering the costs of providing the accommodation.
Many of the medical staff will be working long shifts and may not be able to travel home or would otherwise have to make long commutes. Local accommodation helps maintain the health and well-being of these crucial personnel at this critical time.
This will be for a two-month period, and then reconsidered in light of circumstances at the time. NHS staff will be those working in hospitals in the North-West London region, but that may extend to hospitals in other districts.
The number of rooms utilised will depend on demand but potentially all the rooms in the Millennium Hotel could be given over for this purpose. No staff showing symptoms will use the hotel.
Millennium Hotels and Resorts, who manage the hotel, are supportive and assisting the club in providing this service to the NHS.
Extreme E, the pioneering electric off-road race series, has bolstered its operations division with broadcast technology specialist Dave Adey joining the growing team as preparations for Season 1 continue.
With the championship committed to lessening its on-site footprint for minimal environmental impact, Adey’s role includes sourcing and utilising cutting-edge technology which supports a remote broadcast and race control vision.
Adey brings a breadth of experience in the industry, including roles as a Network Director at BBC Television in the early 1990s, Head of Broadcast Operations at ITV Digital at the turn of the millennium and senior management roles at BBC Broadcast and Red Bee Media in the mid-2000s.
His shift into motorsport came in 2014 when he consulted for ABB FIA Formula E for its inaugural campaign, where he was responsible for broadcast and technology and dealing with the challenges faced by an all-new global series.
“The experience gained through our work with Formula E has been a major benefit to us here at Extreme E,” stated Head of Broadcast and Technology, Dave Adey. “It’s been invaluable in helping us hit the ground running with Extreme E.
“We know exactly how to get infrastructure like this off the ground from a ‘standing start’. That said, the remote nature of Extreme E will provide us with a new set of obstacles to overcome entirely, on top of those we encountered during the formative years of Formula E.
“It’s an exciting prospect on a professional level – facing up to issues in locations that are entirely without basic infrastructure. Enabling remote production in places without any kind of mobile data, WiFi or power means we need to start from scratch in each case and we have to ensure we’re self-sufficient and self-contained to prevent an environmental impact whilst creating an event and the facilities to run and broadcast that event.”
To pull this off, a series of innovations and firsts will be implemented, with editing and production carried out back at Extreme E headquarters in London before delivery via the world feed to broadcast partners worldwide. Technologies will include specialised camera equipment and wireless infrastructure requiring reduced cabling, strategic placement of equipment to mimimise on-site and freight requirements, and the aforementioned remote race control and television facilities.
Extreme E is set to be broadcast across the globe with multiple partners already on-board and discussions currently taking place with more than two-dozen additional providers. The championship has announced deals with the BBC (UK), FOX Sports (United States, Canada and the Caribbean), FOX Sports Asia (Southeast Asia), Mediaset (Italy), Sony India (Indian subcontinent), FOX Australia, Dubai Sports (Middle East, North Africa), TVNZ (New Zealand) and BTRC (Belarus).
Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer at Extreme E, said: “Extreme E is a unique prospect for broadcasters and there’s a significant appetite for sporting competition of the highest level, driven by a sustainable message and a goal of raising awareness of climate change and the human impact on our environments.
“It is an incredibly specialist prospect from an operational point of view. Dave is an invaluable asset in that regard. To be able to lean on professionals of his stature and breadth of experience is key. Having helped deliver a world-class broadcast product from day zero on Formula E, with all the challenges involved there, he is well placed to deal with everything Extreme E will throw our way in the lead up to our January 2021 start-date and beyond.”
As well as live broadcast coverage, the championship will be accompanied by a deep-dive behind-the-scenes documentary series looking at the ups and downs of the series, its drivers, personnel and teams.
More on Extreme E’s broadcast innovations as well as announcements on teams, drivers and series partners will be made in the coming weeks as the championship builds towards its January 2021 start-date.
The UK Sponsorship Awards, due to take place in a couple of weeks, have been postponed until September.
In light of the current Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, the UKSA event organisers have taken the decision to postpone the event until Monday 21st September 2020.
This decision has been taken in light of the most recent WHO and UK medical advice, with a view to safeguarding our friends and colleagues in the industry. We thank you for your understanding at this challenging time for all of us.
The names of winners and finalists will be unveiled at the rescheduled event – just as they would have been on March 24th. All tables and tickets purchased remain valid and will be transferred to the new date. If you have any immediate questions, please get in touch – rosie@sponsorship-award.co.uk. Otherwise, we hope you and your families stay safe and well during this outbreak.
Much has been written about the devastating impact which the coronavirus is set to have on the sports and wider entertainment industry – as a result of the unprecedented disruption caused by the global pandemic.
There is no doubt as to the potentially significant long-term social, economic and commercial impact on stakeholders right across the industry: whether rights holders (governing bodies, federations, clubs and event organisers), broadcasters, brands, sponsors, commercial partners, suppliers, venues or service providers. Those affected will have a vested interest in the hosting of live events at physical venues, but also the marketing, advertising and promotion of these events online.
It is important, however, not to overlook the individuals at the very epicentre of the industry, and what the worldwide health crisis is likely to mean for them in both the short and longer term.
This article looks at some of the practical, commercial and legal issues that talent and their representatives should be alive to in light of the ongoing uncertainty: whether players, athletes, influencers, gamers or online talent.
The spread of the virus has led to a host of unprecedented postponements and cancellations across the world of domestic and international sport. Elite football in the UK and Ireland has been suspended for a minimum period of a number of weeks, and the postponement of Euro 2020 is all but certain.
Athletes should carefully review the terms of their existing player contracts or participation agreements and seek clarity from their employers as to possible scenarios.
A growing number of other international competitions across traditional sport have been affected, including the London Marathon, the Six Nations, Premiership Rugby, UEFA’s Champions league and Europa League, England’s Test cricket series in Sri Lanka, as well as major global events in tennis, golf, Formula 1, Formula E and cycling. The responses at the top layers of elite international sport have in most cases trickled down to the lower levels of domestic and grassroots competition too. There have been numerous examples of squad wide quarantines and self-isolations off the back of individual players and staff testing positive in various sports.
The esports industry has been similarly affected. Many tournament organisers have cancelled, postponed or adjusted events. Most notably the League of Legends European Championship (LEC) has suspended its spring season indefinitely and major international events have been cancelled across CS:GO, Overwatch, Dota 2, Call of Duty and FIFA to name but a few.
The uncertainty around whether the 2019/20 domestic season will be able to be completed creates a myriad of issues for athletes in the context of their contracts with their club or employer. For example, if the current domestic football or rugby season continues on into the summer and beyond, there will be question marks surrounding players whose contracts come to an end on 30 June 2020. Whilst there is an onus on clubs to take proactive steps to engage with players and agents who fall into that category, and indeed consider their strategy for registering new players for the remainder of this potentially extended season, players themselves, and their agents, should be proactively planning for the various possibilities.
There is no doubt that clubs across numerous sports will face significant financial pressures due to the loss of match day revenue during any period of postponement. Whilst players will continue to be entitled to their wages, clearly performance-related bonuses will be affected. One legitimate question which has already been raised is whether football’s financial fair play rules should be relaxed, or event temporarily suspended.
In the football context, there will inevitably be players and agents assessing their options for potential moves to new clubs during the summer 2020 transfer window. The position remains that the window will close in the UK on 1 September 2020. Whether this is likely to change or not given the possibility of an ‘extended’ season, is obviously far from clear, and any changes will need to be communicated in advance by the relevant league body.
It would be sensible for Talent or their representatives to review any existing commercial deals to identify any ‘red flags’ and assess whether there is a need to take proactive steps to mitigating any risk.
Athletes should carefully review the terms of their existing player contracts or participation agreements and seek clarity from their employers as to possible scenarios. The same should be said for individual athletes in sports such as tennis or golf, who as independent contractors face the prospect of losing out on significant revenue due to not being able to play for prize money.
It would be sensible for Talent or their representatives to review any existing commercial deals to identify any ‘red flags’ and assess whether there is a need to take proactive steps to mitigating any risk. This could involve initiating conversations with brand partners to ensure minimal disruption to brand campaigns or endorsement deals.
From a legal perspective, in many cases contracts will include “force majeure” clauses, which state that the parties are effectively released from performing their obligations if a specified event outside of the control of a party takes place. The way in which this clause is drafted and specifically how a “force majeure” event is defined, is key. I.e. whether a “pandemic” is expressly stated as being a “force majeure” event will be significant in informing what the Talent’s and brand’s respective rights and obligations are.
The sensible approach for a Talent to take is to proactively try to find solutions by working collaboratively with brand partners. For example, if a Talent is being engaged by a brand to deliver services as part of a digital campaign related to a specific event (such as, for example, Euro 2020 or the London Marathon), it would seem sensible to vary the contract to allow for the rescheduling or amendment of the services. Likewise, if being quarantined or having to self-isolate, or being restricted from travelling, prevents a Talent from delivering the services as part of the campaign or partnership, exploring creative ways of finding solutions makes sense.
There is inevitably a risk that the current uncertainty will lead to a natural decline in brand-related activity – whether endorsements, sponsorships or online campaigns. This is especially the case for activations related specifically to events or competitions directly affected by the responses to the virus. That said, there is nothing stopping Talent from pursuing new commercial opportunities. When doing so, however, it will be crucial to ensure that the drafting around “force majeure” in the contract with the brand is sufficiently robust. Ideally, there should be a degree of flexibility in the contract around what happens should the campaign or partnership be affected by coronavirus.
A “force majeure” clause will often state that after a period of time, the party affected by the event will be entitled to terminate the contract. Talent and their representatives should consider sensible wording around the parties committing to working together to agree a rescheduling of the services at the next available date, should the disruption continue. This is particularly relevant where a campaign or partnership relates to a specific event.
If a Talent wishes to partner with a brand as part of a global campaign involving overseas travel (for example, to attend video shoots or promotional events), thought will need to be given to what happens should a travel ban prevent the Talent from delivering the services, or indeed if a Talent feels uncomfortable traveling because of the risks to his or her health. These scenarios should ideally be factored into any contract negotiation and documented in the agreement itself.
It is worth noting that clubs, governing bodies and national team associations have duties of care towards their athletes and part of that duty relates to an individual’s health and wellbeing.
On one hand, there is a risk that brands’ budgets for these types of campaigns will be significantly reduced going forwards. On the other hand, there is an argument that the next few months will present a unique opportunity for Talent and brands to fill the void left by the lack of live sport by pushing out quality and engaging content online.
Finally, Talent should pay close attention to how payment terms are structured to ensure they are fairly remunerated for work carried out even if campaigns do not complete.
The profile of athletes and online talent, and the level of interaction and engagement through their social media channels, means that what they say and post online takes on heightened importance in times like these.
For the most part, this should be seen as a positive for Talent. Already we have seen numerous examples of athletes posting positive and in some cases inspiring messages of support, by emphasising that looking out for the health and wellbeing of others is more important than the results of a league or competition. The exchange on Twitter between Manchester City FC and Southampton FC is another example of a creative way of engaging with fans online. However, Talent should be alive to the risks associated with social media too. A post can go viral within seconds and will be monitored closely by clubs, governing bodies and commercial partners. As tempting as it might be to be critical or negative of others (whether sporting bodies, government ministers or world leaders) for their responses to the pandemic, Talent should ultimately think before they post and recognise the potential damage of saying something that could be construed as being insensitive or offensive.
Talent should ultimately listen to and stay abreast of official guidance from key stakeholders. This is first and foremost, the UK or Irish government (as applicable) and the World Health Organisation, as well as the relevant national federation or governing body in the sporting context. It is worth noting that clubs, governing bodies and national team associations have duties of care towards their athletes and part of that duty relates to an individual’s health and wellbeing.
There remain many ifs and buts, and plenty of unanswered questions, such is the unprecedented nature of how the Covid-19 crisis has impacted the world of sport and entertainment. Much of this uncertainty relates to how clauses in contracts are to be interpreted, who will share the commercial risk, and what this means for a Talent’s ability to earn a living and commercialise his or her image.
Whilst legal disputes are in some cases inevitable, it is hoped that from a Talent perspective, there will be ways of finding sensible and reasonable solutions when dealing with employers, regulators and brand partners – by taking a transparent and collaborative approach. Nevertheless, Talent and their representatives should be alive to the challenges posed by the ongoing disruption and the impact on their current and future contractual and commercial relationships.
Jonny Madill is a Partner in the Sports and Esports Group at sports, media and entertainment law firm Sheridans. He advises athletes, influencers, clubs, governing bodies, federations, event organisers, sponsors, brands, agencies and esports organisations. You can follow him on Twitter at @jonnymadill07 and @sheridanssport and contact him at jonny.madill@sheridans.co.uk.