Community, Author at iSportConnect

Formula 1 To Broadcast All Of Preseason Testing On Own OTT Channel

Formula 1 has opted to show all six days of pre-season testing on their OTT channel, F1 TV Pro, for the very first time.

Subscribers to F1 TV Pro, as well as Sky F1 UK and Sky F1 Italia viewers, will be able to tune into live coverage of the tests at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from 0900 to 1300 CET and then again from 1400 to 1800 each day – that’s February 19-21 and February 26-28 – as the teams descend on the Spanish track to get their first look at the pecking order for the 2020 season.

F1 TV Pro will also host a daily Tech Talk show – analysing the latest innovations the teams are trialling for 2020 – as well as full coverage of the new lunchtime press conferences, due to be held daily across testing. Sky F1 UK’s round-up show will also be available on F1 TV Pro.

Improving the viewing experience even more, meanwhile, with 2020 marking the first year that pre-season testing will be an official F1 event, the teams have all unanimously agreed not to use vanity screens during testing – a move that coincides perfectly with F1’s extended coverage!

All F1 TV subscribers will have access to a much richer Live Timing page on the official F1 app this year, with fans able to follow all of the drivers’ lap-by-lap performance live using the fantastic lap segment feature, while also comparing drivers’ lap times against one another.

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TWO WEEKS TO GO: 2020 Esports Masterclass – Gfinity, Fnatic, Renault F1 And Betway Join Speaker Lineup

iSportconnect are delighted to announce four more speakers to the lineup for our Esports Masterclass at Withersworldwide in London on the 20th of February.

Graham Wallace, Chief Executive Officer of Gfinity and Andrew Cooke, General Counsel of Fnatic will be speaking and providing their expertise on the world of Esports.

Also joining us to discuss the ever-growing world of Esports are Guillaume Vergnas, Partnerships Development and Esports Manager at Renault F1, and Adam Savinson, Head of Esports at Betway.

Already announced for the event:

With a maximum of 150 invite-only delegates, iSportconnect provides a media/agency free opportunity to network with influential senior-level sports business executives. We are famous for our intimate and relaxed environment, encouraging ideas exchange and helping to introduce you to the right new connections.

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

Invitation Policy: The Esports 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

SailGP Sells Minority Stake To Endeavor

On the verge of embarking on its second season of operation, SailGP has sold a minority stake to global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor.

Endeavor’s investment position in SailGP values the global sports property at US$200 million after its highly successful first season.

As part of the investment, SailGP will benefit from access to the Endeavor network’s expertise across content production, media rights distribution, creative services, licensing, sponsorships and consumer marketing.

SailGP CEO Sir Russell Coutts said: “Endeavor’s partnership with SailGP represents a pivotal moment in our young and developing history. It strengthens our position going into our second season and signals the projected long-term value of SailGP. This is the start of a new era in our sport, and we couldn’t have a better partner than Endeavor.”

Endeavor President Mark Shapiro added: “SailGP is transforming the way people view sailing. For the first time, the sport is being packaged in a broadly appealing, consumable, consistent and exciting format, bringing it in line with some of the world’s top sporting events. If the first season is any indication, SailGP has incredible potential and strong value for its partners, and we look forward to helping forge the future of the league.”

Climate Conversation Set To Dominate First Global Sports Week Paris

The role of sport in the climate emergency is set to dominate discussions at the first Global Sports Week Paris taking place tomorrow and Friday at the Carrousel du Louvre.

The new annual gathering of the world sports economy is organised under the patronage of UNESCO and the high patronage of Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic.

The event will bring together 1,500 delegates and more than 100 international media around an agenda focussed on the future of sport at the intersection of business and society.

On the programme are issues ranging from sport’s role in driving gender equality to the impact of digital transformation on the industry’s core business model. Sports tech and social business also feature strongly.

But climate considerations dominate the agenda for the first edition, with keynote contributions expected on the subject from F1 Executive Chairman and CEO Chase Carey, Ocean Race Director Richard Brisius and incoming Wimbledon CEO Sally Bolton, alongside athlete activists including big-wave surfing star Justine Dupont.

Major sponsor brands including Dow, Adidas and EDF are also expected to share their vision of a sustainable future, alongside media executives including Yannick Bollore, Chairman of the Havas Group and the Vivendi Supervisory Board.

On Friday, Global Sports Week will be the stage for key carbon policy announcements from the All England Lawn Tennis Club (Wimbledon) and the French Football Federation in partnership with the French ministry of sport.

French sports minister Roxana Maracineanu will host a meeting of her international counterparts on the sidelines of the summit.

The agenda for Global Sports Week Paris has been significantly shaped by a group of 50 under-25s, drawn from 22 countries, and billed as representatives of a new global generation.

Global Sports Week Chairman Lucien Boyer explained: “We believe it is crucial to understand the interests and expectations of the emerging consumer generation if sport is to continue to grow its influence and impact in the world.

“On climate, we hear very clearly the young generation’s clamour for change. Sport itself faces tangible impacts, but it also has a great potential to contribute to solutions.

“We hope Global Sports Week can be a place to put some new ideas into action.”

Global Sports Week organisers confirmed details of the event’s own sustainability practices, which include no single-use plastics; zero waste; and the use of 100% recycled materials in the site build and overlay.

Dorna Sports And LaLiga Unite To Fight Piracy Issue

LaLiga and Dorna Sports have reached an agreement that will see LaLiga’s technological content protection department lend its anti-piracy services to the competitions managed by Dorna Sports. These include the Italian-based Dorna WSBK Organization, which runs the WorldSBK superbike championship.

With the signing of this agreement, both LaLiga and Dorna Sports reinforce their commitment to protecting global content distribution in collaboration with television operators and digital platforms.

As part of this partnership, LaLiga will use its own anti-piracy tools to monitor and eliminate illegal MotoGP™ and WorldSBK audiovisual content hosted on social networks, digital platforms and mobile apps.

Fake profiles that make fraudulent use of the logotype and name of Dorna Sports will also be monitored and eliminated, as well as those pertaining to Dorna’s competitions.

In addition, LaLiga’s human, technical and legal resources will be used to monitor and de-index those pages that illegally publish Dorna Sports content from search engines. The tools created by the LaLiga technological content protection team also allow the tracking, pursuit and compilation of legal evidence in order to fight illegal transmissions via IPTV and cardsharing.

Javier Tebas, President of LaLiga said: “With this alliance, LaLiga extends its commitment to fighting audiovisual piracy. Joining with Dorna Sports motivates us to keep working to protect competitions’ audiovisual value. Fighting against piracy is a top priority for LaLiga and we’ll continue to invest in technical tools and human resources to keep advancing in this field.”

Manel Arroyo, Managing Director of Dorna Sports added: “The signing of this agreement between LaLiga and Dorna Sports shows our complete commitment to the fight against piracy. The protection of audiovisual rights is and always has been of utmost importance for us because, due to the exclusive and attractive nature of the content we produce, it suffers much more from the consequences of piracy. Both MotoGP and WorldSBK will greatly benefit from the tools created by LaLiga’s technological protection team, which is a global point of reference and therefore a guarantee of security for our championships.”

Sportradar Expands Partnership With Major League Baseball To Develop New Virtual Baseball In-Play Game

Sportradar, the world-leading provider of sports data and content solutions, today announced an expansion of its existing partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB), launching a brand new virtual baseball in-play offering for licensed gaming operators in the US and across the world.

The virtual baseball in-play game is the first Sportradar virtual gaming solution developed in association with a major US sports league. Featuring official MLB team names and logos, this game gives fans yet another way to engage with Major League Baseball and allows licensed gaming operators to add extra value to their offering, combining fast-paced betting for mobile and online users, with longer betting cycles for retail. This new virtual baseball offering is based upon historical data and can be accessed all year long.

As with all of Sportradar’s virtual sports products, this product has been built for betting, ensuring the experience is as close to real-life as possible. As part of the collaboration, the product uses actual MLB data to simulate live game play. For the visuals, over 1,300 individual motions were captured using a combination of cutting-edge motion capture technology, and software developed specifically to add to the real-life look and feel of the game.

“We are very excited to work with Major League Baseball in bringing a virtual baseball gaming solution to the market,” said David Lampitt, Managing Director, Sports Partnerships at Sportradar. “Leveraging MLB’s official content, we are confident that we have an enticing product that consumers will love and that bookmakers will benefit from. As with all of our virtual sports offerings, our aim was to bring the most realistic look, feel, and betting experience to the market.”

Sportradar’s Virtual Gaming Solutions were first established in 2010. Utilized by over 180 bookmakers worldwide, the portfolio now includes Virtual Basketball, Virtual Tennis In-Play as well as soccer, horse and dog racing. All products use a combination of cutting-edge innovation, including Motion Capture, as well as Sportradar’s comprehensive pool of sports and betting data to create the most realistic virtual sports offering possible.

“We are pleased that our partnership with Sportradar has resulted in the development of this new virtual baseball offering,” said Kenny Gersh, MLB Executive Vice President, Gaming and New Business Ventures. “One of the reasons we partnered with Sportradar was to develop new, engaging products for our fans leveraging the power of MLB’s best-in-class content. This first-of-its-kind virtual offering does just that, and we are excited to bring fans this new entertainment option.”

Lyon Make Emirates Main Sponsor For Five Seasons

Ligue 1 football club Olympique Lyonnais has named Emirates as its new Official Main Sponsor after signing a new five-year partnership on Thursday.

The agreement, brokered by Infront, a Wanda Sports Group Company, means the iconic Emirates “Fly Better” logo will appear on the front of Olympique Lyonnais’ training kits and playing jerseys for all Ligue 1 and European matches until June 2025. In addition to shirt sponsorship, the agreement will provide Emirates highly visible branding across the Groupama Stadium – Olympique Lyonnais’ home ground – as well as hospitality, ticketing and other marketing rights.

Olympique Lyonnais has one of the best football records in France and has competed in European club competitions for 23 consecutive years.

Jean-François Jeanne, Infront France Managing Director said: “Infront France is extremely proud to have contributed to the relationship between these two prestigious brands. This partnership will help the development plan established by Olympique Lyonnais over the last few years and will consolidate Emirates’ market position in France. This agreement will demonstrate once again the high return on investment that can be achieved by brands that choose to communicate through sport.”

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Group Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates said: “It has been Emirates’ long-standing strategy to engage and connect with our customers across the world through sports. With Olympique Lyonnais, we’ve found a partner that mirrors our “Fly Better” brand promise of striving to achieve the highest levels of success, and there is already a connection between Lyon and Dubai with Emirates’ daily flights between both cities. This partnership is more than just a commercial deal, but also reinforces Emirates’ investment and economic contribution to both the Lyon region, and France as a whole, a country where we have been present for nearly three decades.

“We are thrilled to have Olympique Lyonnais, a team that resonates with fans both locally and globally, join our prestigious Football sponsorship portfolio.”

Jean-Michel Aulas, President of Olympique Lyonnais said: “The arrival of Emirates represents an incredible opportunity for our club and our city. We are delighted to be accompanied by a true world-class leader. Emirates embodies elegance and quality of service and is a premium brand with a proven track record in football and sports sponsorship. This long-term partnership is an excellent opportunity for both brands. We are grateful to the Emirates team for their confidence in us and look forward to working together.”

NENT Group Acquires Exclusive Rights To Premier League In Sweden, Norway, Denmark And Finland From 2022 To 2028

Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT Group), the Nordic region’s leading streaming company, has secured the exclusive Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and Finnish media rights to the English Premier League, the world’s leading national football league, in a ground-breaking six year deal that runs from 2022 to 2028. NENT Group currently holds the Premier League rights in Sweden, Denmark and Finland until 2022.

NENT Group’s Viaplay streaming service is the leading streaming platform in the Nordic region, and NENT Group also operates the Viasat pay-TV channels and a range of free-TV channels. NENT Group will now offer unrivalled coverage of one of the world’s premium sports competitions to viewers across the entire Nordic region for the first time.

Anders Jensen, NENT Group President and CEO: “I am thrilled with this new and extended agreement that once again confirms NENT Group’s leadership in the Nordic markets. Premier League football is a cornerstone of our sports offering, and the addition of Norway to our existing rights for Sweden, Denmark and Finland gives us a great foundation for the further development of this fantastic sports property. We have a proven track record of delivering world-class coverage of the Premier League to the large and dedicated fan base in the Nordics. Our sports teams are ready to take this to the next level in the many years to come.”

“We already broadcast and stream a wide range of sports events but this is a major milestone in the history of our sports coverage. The fact that the Premier League has again chosen us as a long-term strategic partner makes us very proud. With exclusive rights for four Nordic markets running until 2028, NENT Group is stronger than ever, and we are determined to build on this position even further and bring sports fans across the region even more and better coverage of this exciting championship.”

Richard Masters, Premier League Chief Executive: “We have a proud and historic relationship with fans in the Nordic region and are delighted that Nordic Entertainment Group has invested in the rights to broadcast the Premier League once again. Through their high-quality coverage and cutting-edge technology, we are confident that over the six seasons of this deal they will make the very best Premier League content available to our passionate fans across the region.”

iSportconnect And Choicely Announce New Partnership!

iSportconnect are thrilled to announce a new partnership with fan engagement platform Choicely.

Choicely was founded in 2014 with headquarters in Helsinki, Finland, and is a next level voting and engagement platform that can be used via apps or online.

The company allows users to create their own professional apps using stunning templates. They can then create content which will help them to reach and grow their audience and engage with them via powerful engagement and voting tools that can be published on the web or app and be posted to social media.

Kaius Meskanen, Choicely’s CEO, said: “We met with iSportconnect team in PwC Sport Scale Program and saw a great potential in partnering with them. The iSportconnect team has highly valuable insights and network in the sports industry and we believe Choicely technology can benefit the industry on a large scale.

“We are looking forward to working together to constantly develop our platform to better serve the sports leagues & teams who are facing a rapidly changing business landscape and user behaviour.”

Heikki Rotko, Chairman of Choicely, added:“The sports, entertainment and media industries are changing the way they engage with their fans. Social media platforms have brought a highly engaging content layer between the sports fans and the sports content and content owners need to adapt to the new online landscape.”

“Choicely has developed a platform that helps sports leagues and teams to increasingly keep their fan engagement on their own platforms. We are working with the iSportconnect team to help a growing number of sports leagues and teams to meet the new 2020 fan expectations.”

iSportconnect’s Founder and CEO Sree Varma commented: “We are delighted to have Choicely on board as the latest partner of iSportconnect and we are looking forward to helping Kaius and the team as they continue to grow and expand their business.

“They are an ambitious company who have a fantastic model and we hope to play a role in benefitting them moving forward.”

About iSportconnect

iSportconnect was launched in 2010 with the aim of bringing together sports business professionals around the world in a sports business networking community enabling them to meet one another, find information and obtain access to a wide range of relevant services. The platform is now the largest global private network of sport business executives, where membership is exclusive and follows a strict door policy.