How LaLiga’s Economic Controls Go Beyond Financial Fair Play

The strength of LaLiga is often referred to in terms of international trophies being won by Spanish clubs, but an equally if not more important measure is long-term financial health. Since 2013, with the clubs’ support, the league has made this a top priority and introduced a set of measures that ensure responsible spending across all clubs playing in LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank.

As well as getting a balanced financial situation and creating clear spending plans, these measures (called economic controls) have introduced squad cost limits that impose strict budgets before the transfer window opens. By taking this proactive approach, the league is adding features that are not included in UEFA’s mandatory Financial Fair Play rules.

“To create the best league it is essential that all clubs are financially sustainable,” said Jose Guerra, corporate general director at LaLiga. “Through our system we help clubs to spend freely and compete at the top level, without the risk of creating an unsustainable debt. No other league has something as comprehensive as this.”

Increasing disposable incomes
LaLiga economic control is implemented by a group of analysts who review the finances of every club before establishing a squad cost limit. With this number, clubs go into the new transfer window knowing the total amount they can spend on first team players and top coaching staff. Funds can be divided between transfer fees or wages according to the club’s preferences, as LaLiga does not impose a wage cap.

The rules are always evolving in line with changes in club operations and the participation of the clubs is key for this evolution.

In the event of disagreement between club and league, clubs can turn to independent bodies to settle any differences that may exist.

Applying these budgets over the coming seasons, the controls ensure that every club takes a long-term approach to how they spend their incomes. By working within strict limits, clubs are saving money year-on-year that is being invested into growth projects. Coupled with ongoing commercial activities, the financial health of the whole league is increasing.

To read the full piece and subscribe to the LaLiga Global Fútbol Newsletter follow this link: https://newsletter.laliga.es/global-futbol/how-laliga-economic-controls-go-beyond-financial-fair-play/rrss

FIBA Team Up With Ticketing Service TicketSocket For Five Years

FIBA and TicketSocket, a ticketing service operating worldwide, have entered into an agreement to provide state of the art ticketing solutions for FIBA events around the globe.

As part of this five-year partnership, TicketSocket will build a fully customized white label ticketing solution that will be made available to Local Organizing Committees of FIBA events, which in time may be offered to FIBA’s member federations as well.

TicketSocket is leading the way in empowering brands and sports event rights holders and organizers to secure control over a strategic area of their business. TicketSocket’s white label ticketing and registration solution allows organizations to own their branding, have full control over revenue and ticketing fees, increase overall sales with the right social marketing tools, and, most importantly, own their own customer data. TicketSocket is among the few companies who can provide truly international coverage and is trusted by some of the largest event organizations.

The partnership will allow participating Local Organizing Committees and National Federations to maximize the revenue generated from ticket sales of FIBA events and also allow FIBA to build a global database of basketball fans. With this partnership, TicketSocket becomes the Official Global Ticketing Provider of FIBA and Preferred Ticketing Provider of FIBA which gives access to association and IP rights as well as sponsorship exclusivity in the ticketing category.

FIBA Secretary General, Andreas Zagklis said: “We are very happy to welcome TicketSocket on board as FIBA’s Preferred Global Ticketing Partner. This partnership will not only be a great benefit to our Local Organizing Committees and National Federations by providing them with a resource to help maximize their ticket sales and revenue, but it will also help us in our strategic objective of enlarging the FIBA family. We are confident this partnership will be successful for both organizations and we look forward to a successful collaboration.”

Mark Miller, CEO and Co-Founder of TicketSocket said: “We are all thrilled to be joining the FIBA family today. The TicketSocket solution will enable FIBA’s National Federation members and Local Organizing Committees to have more control and more choice over their ticketing needs at events. This partnership provides them with a turnkey solution that will greatly benefit the basketball community worldwide.”

This agreement was brokered by FIBA Marketing, the strategic partnership between FIBA and Infront.

Coronavirus Sees The Four Major Active US Sports Announce Locker Room Closure

The four major sports with league seasons currently taking place have released a joint statement temporarily banning reporters from entering locker-rooms before and after games due to fears concerning coronavirus.

This decision has been taken a precautionary measure with the spread of the disease beginning to spread in the United States.

Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League issued the following joint statement:

“After consultation with infectious disease and public health experts, and given the issues that can be associated with close contact in pre- and post-game settings, all team locker rooms and clubhouses will be open only to players and essential employees of teams and team facilities until further notice. Media access will be maintained in designated locations outside of the locker room and clubhouse setting. These changes will be effective beginning with tomorrow’s games and practices.

“We will continue to closely monitor this situation and take any further steps necessary to maintain a safe and welcoming environment.”

LaLiga Will Be Played Behind Closed Doors For The Next Two Weeks

In accordance with information from the High Council of sports (CSD), LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank matches will be played behind closed doors, starting today (March 10) and for at least the next two weeks.

LaLiga will continue to be in permanent contact with the Ministry of Health and the CSD to follow its recommendations and / or decisions, prioritizing the health of fans, players, club employees, journalists, etc., due to the COVID-19 health crisis.

For several weeks, LaLiga has been working on alternative plans in coordination with UEFA in case health authorities decide to suspend any match, creating a plan to play these matches.

Meanwhile in Italy, which has been extremely highly affected, sport has been completely cancelled until the 3rd of April.

Formula 1 Announces Long-Term Global Partnership With Saudi Aramco

Formula 1 has today announced a new long-term Global Sponsorship deal with Saudi Aramco, the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals company.

This latest deal could be seen as Formula 1 moving one step closer to a Saudi Grand Prix.

Aramco will become Formula 1’s sixth Global Partner alongside DHL, Emirates, Heineken, Pirelli and Rolex.

Aramco selected Formula 1 as its first global sponsorship platform in recognition of the sport’s dynamic appeal and growing global fan base. Formula 1’s international platform will connect Aramco to an engaged audience of 500 million fans and allow it to better communicate its success stories to the world.

Formula 1 and Aramco will combine their considerable shared expertise to identify opportunities for the advancement of sustainable fuels, enhanced engine efficiencies and emerging mobility technology.

Following the announcement of Formula 1’s sustainability plans in November 2019, this partnership has the potential to further develop and accelerate its plans towards a power unit fueled by advanced sustainable fuels.

The deal will include trackside branding for Aramco at most races, title rights to the US, Spanish and Hungarian Grands Prix in 2020, broadcast integration and exposure through our digital platforms to showcase Aramco’s position as an innovator in transport technology.

Chase Carey, Chairman, and CEO of Formula 1, said: “We are delighted to welcome Aramco to the Formula 1 family as a long-term Global Partner as we start our 2020 season. We are looking forward to sharing our combined expertise and working with Aramco on technological innovation and we will benefit hugely from its capabilities and expertise in the fuel and energy sector.”

Aramco President and CEO Amin H. Nasser said: “We are excited to partner with Formula 1, a strong global sports brand with millions of fans around the world. As the world’s largest energy supplier and an innovation leader, we have the ambition to find game-changing solutions for better-performing engines and cleaner energy. Partnerships like these are important to help us to deliver on our ambitions.”

West Ham United Announce RoadX Tyres As Official Tyre Partner

West Ham United is delighted to announce RoadX Tyres as its Official Tyre Partner.

RoadX Tyres is a new tyre brand which successfully launched around the world at the end of 2019. The company focuses on providing comfortable and durable high-performance tyres and is backed with the highest level of testing, manufacturing, and research and development capabilities.

Janis Amolins, RoadX Tyre’s Sales Director for Europe, stated, “This is an exciting prospect for us. As a new brand in the market, we wanted to partner with a team that is in the biggest league in the world, and has one of the biggest fanbases out there. We are thrilled to partner with West Ham United for the next two years and look forward to engaging with their fans around the globe.”

West Ham United’s Chief Commercial Officer, Karim Virani said: “We’re really pleased to start our partnership with RoadX Tyres and look forward to working with them as they grow in their market. With RoadX Tyres being part of the Sailun Group in China, it is an absolute honour and privilege to be associated with such a prestigious and highly recognised organisation.”

PwC And Suirui Group Announced As Official Suppliers Of Beijing 2022 Olympics And Paralympics

During the critical preparatory stage of Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games adds two new members to its Official Suppliers.

PricewaterhouseCoopers is announced as the Official Accounting Services Supplier and will provide accounting and consulting services for Beijing 2022.

Meanwhile, Suirui Group is announced as the Official Office Collaboration Software Supplier and will provide office collaboration software and support services for Beijing 2022.

Extreme E Agrees Multi-Year Deal With The BBC For UK Broadcasts

Extreme E has agreed a multi-year partnership with BBC Sport which will see the new electric SUV off-road racing series screened live and free-to-air across BBC digital platforms to British viewers.

Every race on the calendar, comprising five formidable environments affected by climate change and environmental issues from the Arctic to the Amazon Rainforest, will be broadcast live across the United Kingdom, starting with the inaugural event in Dakar, Senegal, 23-24 January 2021.

Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer at Extreme E, said: “Our goal with Extreme E is to open this innovative new series up to as wide an audience as possible. Securing this deal with the BBC is a massive coup in what is a key market for us.

“The UK has an insatiable appetite for world-class motor racing and a groundswell of backing for sustainable technologies – particularly pertinent given the government’s plans to bring forward the transition to fully-electric motoring to 2035.

“It’s highly likely that there will be a number of home-grown drivers in the fold come January 2021 for the Brits to back, with the likes of Jamie Chadwick and Billy Monger signalling their intent to compete for a seat in the series by signing up to our Drivers’ Programme.

“Of course, there’s also an exciting British entry in Veloce Racing – the Esports outfit turned motorsport team – with Adrian Newey on-board as its Lead Visionary. I’m looking forward to seeing what the British talent can do come ‘lights out’ in just under a year’s time.”

Top tier drivers and teams will compete across Extreme E’s five-race odyssey to some of the most remarkable, remote locations on the planet, with the Season 1 calendar recently confirmed:

Provisional Extreme E Season 1 (2021) calendar:

23-24 January: Lac Rose, Dakar, Senegal
5-6 March: Al-‘Ula, Saudi Arabia
14-15 May: Kali Gandaki Valley, Mustang District, Nepal
28-29 August: Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
30-31 October: Santarém, Pará, Brazil

iSportconnect’s Influential Women In Sport 2020: The Reveal

Following International Women’s Day yesterday, iSportconnect is delighted to now reveal our Influential Women In Sport list for 2020. After beginning with an original shortlist of 25, it has now been whittled down to a top ten following receiving opinions from our panel of experts.

We must give huge thanks to our panel, Anna Lockwood, Head of Global Sales – Telstra, Sally Hancock, Managing Partner – Y Sport and Former Chair of Women in Sport, Aarti Dabas, Former Head of Media Rights for the ICC, and iSportconnect Chief Executive Officer Sree Varma.

THE TOP TEN (in no particular order):

Simone Biles, Gymnast – Currently one of the greatest athletes in the world and an ever-growing voice for women in sport.

Megan Rapinoe, Footballer – Someone who is never afraid to speak her mind and talk about social issues and has become a prominent figure in women’s sport, particularly following her incredible 2019 Women’s World Cup campaign.

Ellie Norman, Director of Marketing and Communications, Formula 1 – One of the biggest voices at one of sport’s largest global organisations and a true leader, in a sport stereotypically male-dominated.

Cathy Engelbert, Commissioner, WNBA – After overseeing her first season as commissioner of the WNBA in 2019 she will be looking to continue the league’s continual growth this summer. She was previously Deloitte’s first ever female CEO.

Fatma Samoura, Secretary General, FIFA – A key figure at one of, if not the biggest organisation within all of sport, for many years she has been, and continues to be, a leader for women aiming to move into sport.

Mary Davis, CEO, Special Olympics – Davis has led the Special Olympics as CEO since 2016 but been involved with the organisation for many years in a variety of roles since leaving full-time education.

Clare Connor, Managing Director – Women’s Cricket, ECB – A legendary player who captained her country during her career, Connor has spent a number of years in the governance space as she continues to grow the game of cricket for women and girls in the UK, recently spearheading a new campaign to transform the sport.

Serena Williams, Tennis player – Picked due to her overall impact both on the court, as debatably the greatest female player of all time, but also as a businesswoman.

Nita Ambani, Owner, Mumbai Indians – Ambani has led her Mumbai Indians franchise to becoming the most successful in IPL history and has been involved in many sports projects across different sports in the country.

Naomi Osaka, Tennis player – Osaka won two slam titles during 2020 and has become a strong female voice and social presence in sport.

Shortlisted:

Jeanie Buss, President, LA Lakers.

Kim Davis, EVP of Social Impact, Growth Initiatives and Legislation, NHL.

Marie Donoghue, Vice President of Sports Video, Amazon.

Mithali Raj, Captain, Indian Women’s Cricket Team.

Debbie Jevans CBE, Executive Chair, EFL.

Sinead El Sibai, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Dubai Duty Free.

Sally Bolton, Strategic Planning and Operations Director, AELTC.

Nathalie Boy de la Tour, President, LFP

Johanna Wood, President, New Zealand Football.

Florence Hardouin, General Manager, French Football Federation.

Sania Mirza, Tennis Player, India.

Michele Roberts, Executive Director, National Basketball Players Association.

Roxana Mărăcineanu, French Sports Minister.

Amaia Gorostiza, President, SD Eibar.

Lesa France Kennedy, CEO, International Speedway Corporation.

PGA TOUR Announces Landmark Domestic Media Rights Portfolio

The PGA TOUR today announced its new nine-year domestic media rights portfolio for 2022-2030.

“Following a comprehensive process of studying the market, talking to all interested parties and analyzing our various options, we’re excited to announce that we have entered into new agreements with our existing partners ViacomCBS and Comcast/NBC Sports Group, while establishing a new long-term relationship with Disney and ESPN+,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “We were extremely pleased with the interest we received from the market – both with incumbents and other media companies – and are excited that our current partners shared our vision for the future, and we are equally excited to be back in business with Disney and ESPN+.  These new deals will be a major win for our fans, bringing an elevated commitment from all three partners to help us expand and innovate our content and its delivery.”

Financial details will not be disclosed, but Monahan continued, “The nine-year deals will put us in a position to significantly increase player earnings, deliver more value to our tournaments and sponsors, and ultimately allow us to continue to grow our charitable footprint. Additionally, we are now able to reinvest in our sport in a way never before possible, including production, personnel and technology, and are well positioned to best serve and grow our fanbase in the years to come.”

Broadcast & Cable Television

CBS and NBC will maintain weekend coverage of most FedExCup tournaments, with CBS averaging 19 events and NBC eight events each season through the life of the agreements. Under the new schedule, one network will televise all three FedExCup Playoffs events each year, starting with NBC in 2022 and generally alternating with CBS, creating powerful, three-week coverage of the conclusion of the race for the FedExCup.

NBC Sports Group also will continue as the TOUR’s cable partner, with GOLF Channel providing all early-round coverage and early weekend coverage of every FedExCup event each season, along with PGA TOUR Champions and the Korn Ferry Tour. Further strengthening the ties, the TOUR and NBC Sports will expand their collaborative content and programming relationship.

Another central component of the new agreements will see the PGA TOUR assume responsibility of the onsite production area and technical infrastructure each week, enabling the TOUR to more efficiently aggregate, distribute and develop content for its various platforms worldwide. CBS and NBC will still use their own production and announce teams, led by their producers, directors and production personnel.

Additionally, the TOUR and its media partners will collaborate on creating more sponsorship and marketing opportunities, inside and outside PGA TOUR golf coverage, including access to the vast resources of ViacomCBS, Comcast/NBC Sports Group and Disney and ESPN+.

“We’re excited to extend NBC Sports’ historic partnership with the PGA TOUR as its foundational media partner.  We will continue to utilize our extensive platforms to showcase golf with unparalleled live tournament coverage, comprehensive news and high-quality content. Golf is a part of NBCUniversal’s DNA across our broadcast, cable, streaming and digital properties – nowhere more so than GOLF Channel,” said Pete Bevacqua, President, NBC Sports Group. “With more live golf coverage than all other U.S. media companies combined, our relationship with the PGA TOUR also includes THE PLAYERS and Presidents Cup, as well as elevating the PGA TOUR Champions, Korn Ferry TOUR and LPGA Tour via our world-class coverage.”

“Extending our successful long-standing relationship with the PGA TOUR was a top priority, and we are thrilled to add nine more years to this terrific partnership,” said Sean McManus, Chairman, CBS Sports. “As the PGA TOUR’s primary broadcast network, we are excited to showcase over two-thirds of all broadcast network coverage of the PGA TOUR, expand our schedule with all three FedExCup Playoffs events in alternate years, and to increase our use of PGA TOUR content across all CBS Sports platforms, with even more expansive content exclusivity.  For over 60 years the PGA TOUR, its tournaments and sponsors have been outstanding partners. We look forward to many more years of growth and success together.”

PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+

For the first time, the TOUR’s digital rights were negotiated concurrently with its linear offering and will have a new, exciting, direct-to-consumer home: ESPN+.  As a result of the new agreement, PGA TOUR LIVE – the TOUR’s subscription video service that was launched in 2015 – will live exclusively on ESPN+ beginning in 2022 and will be dramatically expanded to include multiple live content channels nearly every week of the FedExCup season.

Jimmy Pitaro, President, ESPN and co-Chairman, Disney Media Networks said, “We are looking forward to working with the PGA TOUR to bring current and future golf fans the next generation of TOUR coverage. ESPN+ will offer golf fans unprecedented access and storytelling at an incredible value on the industry’s leading sports streaming platform.”

Rick Anderson, Chief Media Officer, PGA TOUR added, “The relationship with Disney and ESPN+ gives the TOUR the opportunity to expand and diversify audiences, and the TOUR and ESPN will work together to bring new and unique content to our fans.”

ESPN+, the leading sports streaming service from Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN, has grown quickly to reach 7.6 million subscribers (as of February 3, 2020) and the new relationship will provide a significant growth opportunity for PGA TOUR content via ESPN+’s digital reach, innovative platform and young and diverse audience.

PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ will bring fans more access to the 30,000-plus golf shots hit each week on the PGA TOUR by delivering more than 4,000 hours of live streaming coverage annually.  PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ will include live coverage from 36 tournaments – from the TOUR’s Hawaii events in January all the way through the year – with at least 28 events having four full days of coverage, with four simultaneous live feeds each day. PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ will also feature on-demand replays of PGA TOUR events, original golf programs, edited speed round recaps and more.

All of this will be available to ESPN+ subscribers as part of the base subscription, alongside more than 12,000 other live sporting events, an unmatched lineup of studio programs, original series and documentaries, along with a library of other, on-demand programming.

ESPN+ is available through the ESPN App, (on mobile and connected devices), ESPN.com or ESPNplus.com.  It is also available as part of a bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, Hulu (ad-supported), and ESPN+ at a discounted price.

LPGA

As part of its Strategic Alliance with the LPGA, the PGA TOUR also successfully negotiated rights agreements that will see the LPGA Tour continue as anchor programming on GOLF Channel, along with expanded exposure for LPGA Tour events on NBC and CBS each year, beyond the U.S. Women’s Open, KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and AIG Women’s British Open, which are already on network.

Specifically, the TOUR secured the long-term extension of the LPGA/GOLF Channel partnership (2022-2030) with ancillary programming, including a season preview, season review and Road to the CME Group Tour Championship.  In addition, GOLF Channel will provide dedicated programming for the Symetra Tour each year, as well as enhanced marketing and promotional assets and expanded benefits for LPGA sponsors.

As part of the agreement, the LPGA maintains control of all of its media rights outside the United States and receives expanded digital content rights.

“This agreement is an important milestone in the strategic partnership between the LPGA and the PGA TOUR and a great example of the collaboration happening among golf’s biggest stakeholders,” said LPGA Tour Commissioner Mike Whan. “Thanks to the enhanced agreement with GOLF Channel and increased network coverage on NBC and CBS, more viewers in the U.S. and around the globe will experience the quality and diversity of the LPGA Tour. This gives us a domestic broadcast partner to help deliver another decade of unprecedented growth and provides a foundation that will springboard the women’s game into the future.”

“The LPGA is a very important industry partner, and we are proud that our strategic alliance has enabled these results,” said Monahan.  “I’m so impressed with Mike Whan’s leadership and the world-class talent of the LPGA’s athletes, and it’s exciting to know that when fans want to watch professional golf at the highest level, they are going to see both Tours on the same platforms – with the same partners – for the foreseeable future.”