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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 1^st 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

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

Hublot + UEFA Women’s EURO 2021

MLS + Second Spectrum

European Leagues + Genius Sports, Sportradar And Stats Perform

Watford + American Airlines

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

Searchlight Cpaital Partners / Forgelight + Univision

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

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.

Ian Watmore Named Next Chair Of England And Wales Cricket Board

Ian Watmore has been named as the England and Wales Cricket Board’s next Chair to succeed Colin Graves when he leaves the post in November 2020.

Watmore’s appointment as Chair-Elect has been made at this time to enable him to shadow his predecessor and ensure a smooth transition into the role. Watmore, 61, has a distinguished record across business, public life and sport with extensive experience gained from a broad range of senior positions.

He was offered the ECB position following a rigorous search and selection process run by a dedicated Nominations Committee chaired by ECB Non-Executive Director and ex-England cricketer, Lucy Pearson, and former England Captain and current Chair of the ECB Cricket Committee, Sir Andrew Strauss.

The Nominations Committee today made its recommendation to the ECB Board, which unanimously approved the choice. Watmore’s appointment will be ratified by ECB members at the AGM on 13 May. A lifelong cricket fan, Watmore will take over the role on the 1st of December. He said: “I am incredibly proud to be appointed to such a prestigious position and look forward to continuing Colin’s work and making the most of the tremendous momentum that cricket is currently enjoying.

“I feel privileged to be given this opportunity to help a sport that I care passionately about. All my life, I’ve seen the power of sport to unite communities. I look forward to working with the ECB and its stakeholders to grow the international, domestic and recreational game and make a positive difference to society.”

After graduating in maths and management science at Cambridge, Watmore rose to become the youngest ever CEO of Accenture UK. He has since held Permanent Secretary positions in the Civil Service and was appointed by The Queen in 2016 to chair the Board of Civil Service Commission, a post he will hold until 2021. He has reported to five Prime Ministers.

He has also held several senior roles within sport as both an executive director and non-executive director. He has been an independent board member of the England 2015 Rugby World Cup, Group CEO of the Football Association and a member of the board of the English Institute of Sport and the English Football League. While he was at the FA in 2009-10, he was proud to launch the Women’s Super League and the St. George’s Park project.

He also has a strong record of widening participation in grassroots sport including being a national organiser of the All Schools programme as part of the Rugby World Cup in 2015, and running a number of fundraising initiatives for community sports facilities in the south Manchester area, including at his local Lindow Cricket Club where his four sons played.

Lucy Pearson, speaking on behalf of the ECB Board, said: “Ian brings such a wealth of experience from the highest levels of business, sport and the public sector environment. With his broad skillset and deep understanding of all levels of the game, he is perfectly placed to support the ECB in delivering on our ambitions over the next five years.

“Ian has a lifelong passion for the sport and, in an incredibly strong field of candidates, he was the stand-out all-rounder.”

Mr Graves, the current Chair of the ECB, said: ‘’I am delighted that Ian has been appointed to be the next ECB Chair. When I took the post back in 2015, I could not have dreamed that the game would be in the shape it is today. The opportunity to grow cricket and bring more people into the game has never been so significant.”

How Technology Will Boost The El Clásico Viewing Experience For Fans

March opens with the most-anticipated fixture in the LaLiga Santander calendar, ElClásico, with Real Madrid CF taking on FC Barcelona on 1 March in Spain’s capital. A global TV spectacle, the match will be broadcast in detail by 33 simulcast 4K HDR-HD production cameras located around the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

LaLiga, along with its official producer, MEDIAPRO, will use all of their technological prowess to once again make ElClásico the most spectacular televised football match on the planet, bringing the best football to every corner of the world and allowing the viewer to experience the match atmosphere as if they were sat right there in the stadium.

Revolutionary technology to broadcast the best football

Matches from LaLiga take on another dimension thanks to being produced in 4K-HDR, which LaLiga uses for its biggest matches in partnership with the competition’s official producer, the MEDIAPRO Group. LaLiga is one of the few sporting events in the world that is broadcast in HDR which allows the viewer to enjoy the atmosphere of the game as if they were in the stadium.

This is the technology that will be used to bring Real Madrid CF versus FC Barcelona to all corners of the planet:

Tracking cameras from MediaCoach, automatically controlled to follow the game and offer a live tactical shot for coaching tems. The signal from this camera can be analysed in real time in the stadiums, as well as via streaming from any location. Additionally, the sound systems from the tracking cameras are able to modify the sound based on the real-time location of the ball, allowing the viewer to get a real feel of what the stars are experiencing.
Aerial camera: At 21 metres above the playing field, this is a camera that offers unique images for the viewer, providing a spectacular perspective of the game and stadium. Its height allows more flexibility and speedier movement, giving a unique perspective of the playing field.

This compact HD camera has a 2/3 wide-angle lens and a 14X zoom that broadcasts images by optical fibre from the playing field to the mobile unit. The camera can cover an area of almost 7,000 m2 during periods without play (pre-match, interval and post-match).

360° Replay Technology: by means of the 38 Ultra High Definition cameras placed throughout the stadium, this allows the creation of the 360° volumetric videoclips that are used in the broadcasts. This technology makes it possible to recreate 3D replays of any move and offers viewers from all over the world a unique perspective from any angle of the field of play.

Also, ‘Be The Player’ software, which debuted in the first leg of ElClásico in the 2017/18 season, puts the viewer in the same position as the player is located during a play. This angle lets the viewer see the action just as the player sees it on the playing field.

3D graphics: LaLiga is the only national competition in the world that uses innovative Live 3D technology to create virtual graphics in live broadcasts that complement the match information that the viewer receives, providing a unique and original visual enhancement of the match.

This tool also allows tactical and positioning changes and a deeper analysis of the moves to be displayed during action replays. Live 3D graphics are made possible both live and in replays thanks to tracking from three cameras.

ElClásico live in 182 countries

One hundred and eighty-two countries around the world will be able to enjoy an immersive experience and high quality football thanks to the technology used in the production and broadcasting of ElClásico, reaching a potential audience of more than 650 million people.

More than 23 accredited international television channels in territories such as France, MENA, USA, French Africa, Poland, Greece, Germany, Italy, Argentina, Belgium, Portugal, Brazil, India, China, Finland, Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Japan, and the Netherlands will witness the most-anticipated match of the season. This is in addition to the 210 broadcasters that will televise the match played between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona.