iSportconnect Insights: Gambling The Most Dominant Area Of Sponsorship, Says Sports Industry

Gambling has been named as by far the most dominant area of sports sponsorship, according to those working within the sports industry.

A massive 64% of people who took part in the latest edition of our iSportconnect Insights survey, centred around sponsorship in sport, placed it in their top three most dominant sectors.

That figure then rises even further, to 75%, when looking at responses from UK participants, but could a drastic change in terms of gambling’s relationship with sport soon be on the horizon?

While gambling is becoming legalised more and more on a regular basis in the USA, it is no secret that the British government, as well as others, is looking at reducing the ability of gambling companies to so blatantly sponsor sport on a number of levels and it remains to be seen how big of an impact this will have on sport sponsorship as a whole.

Gambling in sport is also taking a large hit financially during the coronavirus pandemic, with betting sites losing out on most of their offerings, and it may be interesting to see if, following the culmination of this crisis, whether gambling organisations will be more or less inclined to sponsor sport.

iSportconnect’s latest Insights survey was completed in accordance with Goodform, who collated the results from professionals working in sports business.

Interestingly, direct communication with fans has been named as the biggest key to sponsorship within sport for brands.

68% of people told us that the ability to communicate directly with fans was in their three most valuable points for a sponsorship package.

Interestingly, influencer engagement was revealed as one of the least important factors when considering sponsor activation, possibly surprising considering its popularity in 2020.

53% of those who completed the survey believe access to players/athletes for promotional activities is one of the three most important factors in sponsorship packages for brands.

However, that number rises up to a huge 73% when focussing on answers provided by those working with rights holders and clubs, indicating that people working outside of these organisations do not see this as such a key factor.

You can receive a download of the full survey to find out even more interesting details by emailing Alexandra.kyrke-smith@goodformgroup.co.uk

Wanda Sports Group Agrees Sale Of IRONMAN Group To Advance

Wanda Sports Group Company Limited today announced that it has entered into a definitive stock purchase agreement with Advance, a private, family-owned business, to sell The IRONMAN Group in an all cash transaction at an enterprise value of US $730 million (subject to customary purchase price adjustments).

The IRONMAN Group is comprised of a global portfolio of mass participation sports events, across triathlon, running, trail running, cycling and mountain biking.  As part of the agreement, Wanda Sports Group will continue to operate IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon series, Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series and Epic Series off-road mountain bike series races of The IRONMAN Group in China under an exclusive license agreement.

Hengming Yang, President and CEO of Wanda Sports Group, said: “This transaction represents a great outcome for both parties. Advance is acquiring the world’s largest organizer of mass participation sports events and a portfolio of brands synonymous with excellence, and we will unlock significant value for our shareholders.

“Looking ahead, we will continue to leverage the strengths of our Infront and Wanda Sports China businesses to expand our global sports, media and marketing platform,” added Mr. Yang. “Our focus remains on ensuring our long-term partners get the most out of every event by increasing appeal, reach and fan engagement, organizing, operating and licensing popular mass participation events, and strengthening our foothold in China to serve the large and fast growing sports market. We will also benefit from a stronger balance sheet as we execute our strategy and create shareholder value.”

Andrew Messick, President & CEO of The IRONMAN Group, said: “We thank Wanda Sports Group for its support over the past four years and are proud of what we have accomplished together.

We look forward to continuing our work in China with Wanda Sports Group in the coming years.  Further, we are excited to join forces with Advance and benefit from its breadth of expertise as we continue to deliver the exceptional experiences for which we are known.”

Based in New York, Advance owns, operates and invests in companies spanning media, entertainment, technology, communications and education.

The sale is subject to customary conditions, including regulatory approval, and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2020.  The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the sale to repay the principal amount of US$230 million and related interest and fees outstanding under the Credit Suisse facility and the US$50 million outstanding under a promissory note issued to Wanda Sports & Media (Hong Kong) Holding Co. Limited.  As to the balance of the proceeds, the Company intends to use all or a substantial portion of them to fund dividends or share buy-backs, subject to shareholder approval.

Programme Of Revenue Relief For Lower-League Sports Clubs And Governing Bodies Launched

Halfspace Group have today announced the launch of a programme to open new revenue streams designed to support lower league sports clubs and governing bodies of all sizes during the Coronavirus.

Halfspace Group agencies (including ESB Connect & Scale Digital) have partnered with over 50 leading brands across sectors such as personal finance, home delivery, on-demand services, energy, clothing and more to offer monetisation campaigns for local clubs to activate to their fanbases. With each qualified fan engagement – which varies per brand partnership – the clubs will earn more revenue. The team hope that, with the correct messaging, fans will continue their online shopping through their local clubs thus ensuring revenue is attributed back to the teams they love.

The agency will be waiving their normal client retainer fees and will offer their services to clubs and governing bodies for free in light of the current economic circumstances. The team will cover their costs on a performance-only basis from the brands they work with.

“We have already seen the impact of the Coronavirus on local teams having to lay off staff,” Commented Halfspace Co-Founder Sanjit Atwal. “These clubs serve a crucial role in our communities to bring people together, offer hope and shared experiences. We will do all we can to help bring more brands to this endeavour and if we help save one job in the industry then it’s been worth it.”

ESL And PUBG Mobile Partner To Launh New Esports Programs

ESL, the world largest esports company, has joined forces with PUBG MOBILE, the most popular mobile game by Tencent Games and PUBG Corp., to establish a new esports program that will give players all over the world a chance to battle their way to a share of a $5 million USD prize pool.

The all-new format will be part of the PUBG MOBILE 2020 esports ecosystem, and ESL will be supporting in the delivery including building a brand new, innovative studio, exclusively dedicated to PUBG MOBILE esports, in Katowice, Poland. This will become the home of offline matches once all parties are advised that it is safe to do so by the relevant global health organizations. The construction of this studio demonstrates the long-term commitment from ESL and PUBG MOBILE to building the future of esports, while in the short-term competitions will be adapted to prioritize the safety of our competitors.

“We are very excited to support PUBG MOBILE in growing as a truly global esports title, sharing our expertise on how to successfully create an open competition on all levels. In the current climate it is important that all involved in the esports community act in a way that protects both our long-term future and our immediate concerns for the safety of our competitors. PUBG MOBILE and ESL together can achieve this, culminating in a high-class esports ecosystem” said Fabian Scheuermann, Vice President Product Operations & Strategy in Publisher Development at ESL.

Having already started the esports action for millions of players in January, ESL and PUBG MOBILE will be hosting numerous competitions leading up to a World Championship held later this year.

“In order to bring more opportunities to compete and great viewership experience to all PUBG MOBILE players, we have further grown our global esports ecosystem as amateur-semipro-pro level and country-regional-world level in 2020” , said James Yang, Director of PUBG MOBILE Global Esports, Tencent Games. “PUBG MOBILE is always committed to create bigger opportunities for players to enjoy the game and start their esports path to be the #1.”

As part of the agreement ESL becomes a commercial partner for the PUBG MOBILE Esports Program in 2020. ESL will, together with PUBG MOBILE, enhance media rights as well as solidifying brand partnerships to set the foundation for a long and successful competition system for teams and partners.

Players will qualify for regional finals through PUBG MOBILE Club Open competitions across North America, Europe, Turkey, CIS, Germany, Middle East & Africa, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, leading into the PUBG MOBILE Pro League of their respective regions. The PUBG MOBILE Pro League Americas will consist of one month of action with 16 teams battling it in 16 playdays. The leagues will give regional aspiring PUBG MOBILE gamers the chance to make their way to the PUBG MOBILE World League, where they can fight it out for a $1 million USD prize pool for each of the two seasons.

The World League will be the top level of competitive gameplay in PUBG MOBILE and will, if the health climate allows, take place for one month in the newly built studio in Katowice. The competition will consist of five broadcast days per week and 130+ players taking part, split up into the East and West Conferences. Emerging champions of The PUBG MOBILE World League will face off against each other at the World Championship, where the best of the best will compete for the lion’s share of a $1 million USD prize pool.

Australia Announced As Host Of FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022

FIBA has awarded the hosting rights for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 to Basketball Australia.

Basketball Australia and the Russian Basketball Federation were the two finalists bidding to host FIBA’s women’s flagship event two years from now.

The decision was taken by FIBA’s Central Board today, which took place via video conference, having both candidates submit their bids and then each give presentations to the Central Board.

This will be the second time that Basketball Australia will host FIBA’s Women’s Basketball World Cup, having done so in 1994.

Hamane Niang, President of FIBA, said: “The Central Board saw two excellent presentations today from two basketball strong National Federations. I would like to congratulate them on their outstanding work and the effort and commitment which has gone into their bids. There can only be one host country for this event, and for 2022 it will be Australia.

“We look forward to the biggest women’s event in basketball taking place in Sydney, and also the 12-month qualification period that will take place to be among the 12 teams playing in Australia.”

Andreas Zagklis, FIBA Secretary General, said: “I would like to congratulate Basketball Australia on their successful bid. Australia really is a powerhouse in basketball, with the women coming in second at the previous FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in 2018.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for the city of Sydney to both promote and take women’s basketball to the next level. We witnessed many successes at the last World Cup, and I am sure that in 2022 we will see even more. We are looking forward to a fruitful cooperation over the next two years in planning for this pinnacle event.”

The iconic Australian city of Sydney will host the event over 10 days in September and October 2022. The tournament will be played across two venues, both of which are located in Sydney Olympic Park. The sport-loving nation of Australia will get to witness firsthand 144 of the best players in the world, from 12 international teams in 38 games.

LaLigaTV To Broadcast #LaLigaClassics From This Week During League Suspension

Starting this week, LaLigaTV, the 24/7 channel offering “All of LaLiga, All in one place” will feature daily matches celebrating the best of the past two decades of Spanish football.

The new #LaLigaClassics series will air daily on LaLigaTV, starting at 6pm GMT / 7 pm CET, each week from Monday to Sunday. Launched in January 2020 in partnership with Premier Sports, LaLigaTV is available in HD to viewers across the United Kingdom and Ireland on Sky channel 435, as well as Virgin TV subscribers via channel 554 (UK only). 

This week’s LaLiga Classics line-up includes David Beckham’s first ElClásico at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu (2003/04) plus FC Barcelona’s memorable 2010/11 performance at RCD Espanyol featuring managers Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino. It also includes a star-studded Madrid Derby from 2009/10, a 4-3 thriller between Valencia CF and Málaga CF from the 2010/11 LaLiga campaign, and three other historic editions of ElClásico, totalling 15 goals, from the 2004/05, 2005/06 and 2006/07 seasons.

Furthermore, LaLiga’s UK and Ireland broadcast partner Premier Sports will show additional #LaLigaClassics matches and other exclusive content across its family of channels: Premier Sports 1 & 2 HD as well as FreeSports HD, which is currently available free-to-air on all major television platforms in the United Kingdom. Additional programming includes LaLigaTV’s ‘Talking Football’ series hosted by Guillem Balagué, as well as other LaLiga-focused shows such as: LaLiga 90 Years of History, the LaLiga World magazine show, LaLiga ZAP, Messi’s Top Goals, LaLiga Interviews, and more.

This is all part of LaLiga’s and Premier Sports’ commitment to fans in the United Kingdom and Ireland who continue to #StayAtHome in support of efforts to combat the Covid-19 outbreak.

For daily updates and a full schedule of all matches and other content, please visit:

Deltatre Hires Two To Strengthen Global Commercial Team

Deltatre has hired former Perform executive Adam Bowley, and Adam Bigwood, who joins from WWE, to strengthen its global commercial team.

Bigwood will take up the role of Director, Commercial Division and will be responsible for account management of key OTT clients. He will report to Pete Burns, VP, Commercial.

Bowley has joined as Commercial Manager and will assume account management duties for Deltatre’s LIVE clients in the UK. He will be based at the company’s London offices and report to Lawrence Bowden, Senior Director, Account Management.

Andrea Marini, Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial Officer, Deltatre, said: “We’re delighted to welcome both Adams to Deltatre. Their hires signal that even at this very difficult time, Deltatre is committed to helping clients offer the best services to their users.

Both have a high level of competence in delivering value to rights holders and rights owners, and I’m certain their knowledge will help Deltatre to foster new relationships across the industry, helping more partners reach their fans in ever more exciting ways.”

Bigwood joins Deltatre from WWE, where he served as Director of International Operations, MENA. While there he worked across all lines of the business, from content media distribution, OTT, content localization, live events, commercial, marketing and brand development. Previously, he lived in the Middle East, where he spent eight years working for OSN.

Bowley started his career with Sky Sports. From there he joined Perform Group where he spent ten years in various operational and management roles across design and production. He then supported the launch of DAZN in Japan and DACH regions, overseeing graphics and production workflows. Most recently, he spent 2 years working for Norwegian broadcast tech company Sixty, focussing on various business and product development functions.

Deltatre’s LIVE clients include BT Sport and the Swiss Football League, while in OTT, Deltatre works with the NFL and ATP Tennis TV. Both of these appointments continue the significant investment in high-profile appointments at Deltatre, that saw former MLB executive, James Johnson, join as VP of Business Development for the Americas earlier this year.

Olympic Games Facing ‘Unprecedented Challenge’ Says IOC President Bach

Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, has stated that the Tokyo Games is facing an ‘unprecedented challenge’ following the decision to postpone this summer’s event.

Bach told a media conference call, ” We have never seen such a spread of a virus worldwide before. Therefore, it is also an unprecedented challenge for the Olympic Games. This is why, to my knowledge, this postponement of the Games is a first-ever in Olympic history.”

The IOC President added that no specific dates have yet been discussed for the rearranging of the event, “The Prime Minister and I did not discuss the timeframe. This will be up to the Coordination Commission and the Organising Committee. This is part of their discussions about the scenarios. There are a lot of pieces in this huge and very difficult jigsaw puzzle.

“This is really a big challenge. Finances have not been discussed, because it’s about protecting human lives, and financial considerations cannot take priority. Prime Minister Abe has declared the full support and commitment of the Japanese government to make this solution work and to have successful Games in the end.”

When asked if the situation continues until next summer whether possible cancellation of the games could come into effect, Bach stated, “The concern and the commitment of the IOC are to organise Olympic Games in an environment and in a way which safeguards the health of all the people involved, of every participant in any capacity. This commitment will not change, and this principle will guide us in all the decisions we are taking, as it has guided us in all the decisions that we have been taking in the recent past.”

With other World Championships planned to take place next year, the IOC President commented, “These are exactly the reasons why on Sunday we had decided that we need at least four weeks to address these questions. These events are not the only ones. The Olympic Games is the most complex event in the world.”

Euroleague Basketball Partners With IQONIQ

Euroleague Basketball has announced a breakthrough partnership with IQONIQ, a new fan engagement platform made for sports and entertainment fans.

Euroleague Basketball manages and organises the continent’s two premier men’s basketball competitions, the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the 7DAYS EuroCup, which cover 42 basketball clubs based in 19 countries with a reach of 200 million worldwide fans and crown their seasons with the EuroLeague Final Four and the EuroCup Finals.

Starting immediately, the partnership makes IQONIQ the exclusive and official fan engagement and loyalty platform for the EuroLeague and the EuroCup for the next four years, until the end of the 2023-24 season.

IQONIQ is a new social media and fan engagement platform that targets the world of sport and entertainment by providing fans with an all-in-one ecosystem that rewards them for their commitment. As opposed to other social media platforms, IQONIQ offers direct benefits for its users, including loyalty program, in-app games and prizes, unique footage, special offers for tickets and merchandise, and much more.

For Euroleague Basketball, the partnership with IQONIQ exemplifies the organisation’s true commitment to engage with its fans and offer its clubs new and unique opportunities to further their ambitions in connecting with new and younger audiences, as well as with current and potential commercial partners.

For IQONIQ, the Euroleague Basketball partnership represents the third high-profile announcement within a month, following on from similar agreements with AS Monaco and Olympique de Marseille. The IQONIQ app is due to open to users at the start of the 2020-21 season.

Jordi Bertomeu, CEO of Euroleague Basketball, said: “Partnering with IQONIQ will help us achieve a new milestone in engagement with our fans. IQONIQ offers us the chance to build special relationships within our growing fan base and to bring that community closer together over a shared love of uniquely European basketball at its finest.

“In the last 20 years since the Euroleague Basketball’s inception, we’ve created a community of fans that we want to continue supporting. Having a fan ecosystem is the next logical step and we are eager to discover with IQONIQ new ways of rewarding our loyal fans.”

Kazim Atilla, CEO of IQONIQ, commented: “We are delighted to have signed this partnership agreement with EuroLeague Basketball, one of the most innovative and forward-thinking sports organisations in the world.

“Through this partnership, all clubs in the EuroLeague and EuroCup basketball competitions will be given unprecedented opportunities to engage with their fans, and vice versa, in new and mutually beneficial ways, further growing basketball across Europe – and the rest of the world – as a result. We look forward to working alongside Euroleague Basketball to fulfil our common ambitions in this regard.”

‘LaLigaSantander Fest’ To Bring Music And Sport Together To Beat COVID-19

Many people in various countries of the world are at home due to COVID-19. In view of this situation LaLiga, in collaboration with Banco Santander, Universal Music and its sponsors as well as players, clubs, artists and GTS have organised ‘LaLigaSantander Fest’.

This will be the first global charity festival that seeks to raise funds to acquire products necessary to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, which will be channeled according to the Spanish government’s health priorities in coordination with the High Sports Council (CSD). The charity macro-concert will bring together 20 top artists for the first time and will involve players from all LaLiga Santander clubs.   

The festival will take place on Saturday 28 March from 18.00 (CET) for fans around the world. A total of 20 top artists of the rank of Alejandro Sanz, David Bisbal, Aitana, Sebastián Yatra or Antonio Orozco, who have never previously been involved in the same event, will take part in ‘LaLigaSantander Fest’. Along with them will be 20 players from LaLigaSantander teams, who wasted little time in signing up to an initiative rolled out by the clubs’ association. All the participants in the festival will participate from their respective homes.

‘LaLigaSantander Fest’ will be broadcast simultaneously in all countries of the world. It can be followed through all LaLiga channels and the LaLigaSportsTV platform, as well as through the Movistar channel. In addition, LaLiga will offer the signal to all its international broadcasters.

Donations can be made through the Santander Foundation, through various channels that will be announced shortly. All funds raised will go towards the purchase of medical supplies in a coordinated effort with the health authorities and the CSD.

“LaLiga wants to support everyone who are in quarantine and at the same time, raise money to buy medical supplies to deal with COVID-19. We are very happy with the response we have received from all fronts; footballers, clubs, artists and sponsors have all joined together for this initiative. I am convinced that together we are going to create something very memorable,” said said Óscar Mayo, director of Business, Marketing and International Development at LaLiga.

Artists & international platforms

Alejandro Sanz, David Bisbal, Aitana, Sebastián Yatra or Antonio Orozco are just a few of the artists who will join the event this Saturday, with many more set to lend their voice to this cause. The identity of the remaining music artists will gradually be revealed throughout the week via LaLiga’s social media channels and by the artists and players on their own accounts.

LaLiga’s being played at home

This festival is part of the LaLiga se juega en casa (LaLiga’s being played at home) campaign, which seeks to support fans throughout this period of quarantine, making it more bearable and raising awareness about the importance of staying at home to halt the spread of COVID-19.

This concert will take place exactly a week on from #LaLigaSantanderChallenge, the online challenge that saw influencer Ibai Llanos invite all of the LaLiga Santander clubs to compete in a FIFA20 tournament. The competition, which was staged between Friday and Sunday, raised more than €142,000 towards UNICEF’s aid efforts.