First Global Sports Week Paris Concludes With A challenge To World Sports Leaders

The first Global Sports Week Paris concluded Friday with a challenge to leaders of the international sports movement to embrace change in order to protect and increase sport’s impact in the world.

The call to action came from a group of 50 under-25s, selected from 22 nations to serve as spokespeople for the emerging generation across the 15 keynote discussions at the heart of the event.

The ‘Young Sports Makers’ were among more than 2,000 delegates who attended across the two days of Global Sports Week, which sought to explore the future of sport at the intersection of business and society.

More than 250 investors and 130 international media were also present at the summit, organised under the patronage of UNESCO and the high patronage of M. Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic.

The agenda was dominated by issues including access to sport, digital transformation and athlete activism, alongside sport’s role in the climate emergency and driving gender equality.

Speakers from across sport, business, culture and society included F1 Executive Chairman and CEO Chase Carey, International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons, French Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu, eight-time Olympic Swimming champion Matt Biondi and Rolling Stones musician Matt Clifford.

Global Sports Week was also the stage for significant announcements from international sports bodies and brands, including:

  • The All England Lawn Tennis Club’s announcement of four new environmental commitments, which include reducing carbon emissions at Wimbledon to ‘net zero’ by 2030;
  • The French Football Federation (FFF’s)’s signature to the French Sports Ministry’s Charter of 15 Eco-Responsibility commitments, which will apply to all FFF events hosted at the Stade de France and the French Federation’s training facilities;
  • Paris 2024’s unprecedented agreement with the Agence Francaise de Developpement to expand funding for sport-led sustainable development projects around the world;
  • Banque Populaire’s new partnership with the French Surfing Federation; and
  • Danone making the Danone Nations Cup the first international tournament to participate in the ‘Common Goal’ campaign, committing to donate 1% of revenues to the charitable movement.

A series of sports tech and social innovation pitch contests also took place at Global Sports Week, including the Tremplin Invest Finals and the 2nd FFF Innovation Awards. The winners, selected from more than 250 international entrants, will benefit from the opportunity to collaborate with the world champion French Football Federation. They were named as:

  • Sceenic (UK) in the Fan Experience category;
  • Physimax (Israel) in the Sport Performance category; and
  • Tiraka (France) in the Social Responsibility category.

Commenting on the success of Global Sports Week, French Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu said: “Global Sports Week clearly has its place in the world sports calendar. We’ve been delighted to welcome such a diverse and international range of delegates, and impressed by their willingness to investigate ways for sport to change and to contribute across a wider range of social issues. It’s a great opportunity for Paris to gather these international leaders.”

Global Sports Week President and Co-founder Lucien Boyer said: “We are excited by the success of this first edition, which shows the world of sport has much to gain from listening to the new generation. Our vision was to offer disruptive formats, and voices coming from outside sports. We believe the sports movement is ready for change. This is a journey we look forward to continuing at next year’s Global Sports Week Paris.”

Premier League Considering Introduction Of OTT Platform, Says CEO Masters

Recently appointed Premier League Chief Executive Officer Richard Masters says the league has ‘considered’ the introduction of an OTT platform.

“During the last [bidding rights] process we spent quite a lot of time and invested a lot of resources in building our expertise and capacity in ‘direct-to-consumer’,” said Premier League CEO Masters, according to The Daily Mail.

“There is risk associated with it. The Premier League has been successful by seeking partnerships with established broadcasters and having secure funding as its model, as opposed to direct consumer revenue, which is an entirely different strategy. The transition from one to the other if and when it ever happens would be a big moment.”

He added: “We considered whether strategically it would be the right time to test a few markets then and decided not to. We were ready last time and we will be ready next time should the opportunity arise. Eventually the Premier League will move to a mix of direct-to-consumer and [traditional] media rights sales.”

These are highly interesting comments, particularly for the broadcast companies who will be expecting to bid for the rights during the next bidding process, for the 2022/23 to 2024/25 cycle.

The league’s current deals bring in a huge amount of guaranteed money to the league each cycle, so to put that under threat would be a bold move, however it at least shows that the Premier League are not afraid to explore new models.

INEOS Announced As Principal Partner Of Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team

INEOS has extended its existing performance partnership to now become Principal Partner to Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team as INEOS increases its position in sport.

Global manufacturer INEOS has teamed up with the world’s best Formula One team Mercedes-AMG Petronas through a new principal partnership.

This five-year partnership is part of INEOS’ wider investment in sport, which is driven by a passion for sport and a desire to instill in people the belief that there are no limits.

The extended partnership with Mercedes complements the wider INEOS sporting family which includes the INEOS 1:59 Challenge with Eliud Kipchoge breaking the two-hour marathon barrier, INEOS TEAM UK, Britain’s challenger for the 36th America’s Cup and Team INEOS, the world’s most successful cycling team. Ligue 1 football club OGC Nice and Swiss Challenge League side FC Lausanne-Sport are also part of the portfolio, alongside charitable participation initiatives, The Daily Mile, INEOS GO Run For Fun and the 1851 Trust.

“It’s a proud moment for INEOS to become Principal Partner to the world’s best Formula One team – and by extension to one of the world’s most prestigious brands, Mercedes-Benz”, said Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Founder and Chairman of INEOS.

“The Mercedes team is a leader in global sport and have consistently shown that they are at the forefront of technological innovation and human performance. Their grit and determination to redefine what is possible makes them a natural fit for INEOS.

“By strengthening our partnership with Mercedes-AMG Petronas it will allow us to identify and unlock even greater performance gains across the wider INEOS sports family.”

Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO of Mercedes-AMG Petronas commented, “It is a very proud moment for us to welcome INEOS to Mercedes in their new capacity as Principal Partner. The company’s ambition, dynamism and entrepreneurial flair are a perfect fit for the spirit of Mercedes-AMG Petronas.

“Both companies share a restless desire to improve every day and a strong commitment to achieving the very best results. Our partnership will be defined by tackling great challenges together – on the race track, on water and on the stages of the Grand Tours – and we will be aiming to raise the bar in each of them.

“Furthermore, this new partnership is an important cornerstone of our future plans in Formula One. It once again serves to demonstrate the attraction of the sport for ambitious, global brands with a long-term vision for success.”

The principal partnership is an extension to the performance partnership which was signed at the end of 2019 between INEOS and Mercedes-Benz Applied Science (MBAS). This partnership brings together world-leading experts from across the INEOS sports family to identify and unlock performance gains to make great things happen, every day.

NBA And Hennessy Announce Multi-Year Partnership

Hennessy and the National Basketball Association (NBA) have announced a multi-year partnership that makes Hennessy the Official Spirit of the NBA, Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and USA Basketball.

“We are pleased to be partnering with the NBA, a forward-thinking league that embodies our ‘Never stop. Never settle.’ mantra,” said Giles Woodyer, Senior Vice President, Hennessy U.S.   “There’s an energy pulsing through the NBA that compels it to evolve, to push the limits of its own potential.  Our new collaborative journey is rooted in this joint passion and will explore the realms of legacy, culture and innovation.”

“Our partnership with Hennessy provides an exciting opportunity to reach and engage with a broader segment of basketball fans around the NBA’s marquee moments,” said Dan Rossomondo, NBA Senior Vice President, Media and Business Development.  “As the iconic brand continues to expand its business in sports marketing, we look forward to creating elevated experiences and unique initiatives that celebrate the game of basketball.”

The NBA and Hennessy will tip off their partnership this month during NBA All-Star 2020 in Chicago, Ill., where Hennessy will serve as an associate partner of the NBA Celebrity Game presented by Ruffles and as a presenting partner of the pre-game red carpet. For more than 250 years, Hennessy has celebrated those who push the limits of potential through it’s “Never stop. Never settle.” ethos and will continue this tradition by celebrating the spirit of the NBA.

The Digital Transformation Of Sevilla FC: A Data Revolution

Football clubs are working to build the strongest possible relationship with their fans, while at the same fan interactions are becoming more diverse. Whether making a purchase inside the stadium, commenting on a social media post or browsing a mobile application, today’s fan touch points span the physical and digital and come from all over the world.

A common denominator is technology, as the majority of these interactions now involve some kind of online interaction, meaning data is generated. Capturing and understanding this data has therefore become central to any attempt to improve fan relations and thereby increase revenues. At Sevilla FC, this has led to the creation of a whole new way of working.

With the aim of moving the digitalisation of the club forward and of becoming closer with the fans, the Andalusian club began a digital transformation in the past year with the launch of its Business Intelligence Center, a platform for storing data on its contact with fans, both in physical and in digital spaces.

This includes data on the purchases of food and drink at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán stadium, on the sales of shirts in the club store, on the tickets sold on the website and on much more. Whatever the source, this information is now anonymised and used to build profiles of the club’s fans, allowing for a more personalised and mutually beneficial approach.

Bringing all data into one place
To begin, Sevilla FC carried out an analysis of all sources for existing and future data points, as well as of all contact points that needed to be integrated into its systems. This included interactions on its website, e-commerce transactions, Wi-Fi connections, promotions from its World Fans supporters club and the digital space for members and season ticket holders.

In the second phase, the club’s mobile app will be added, along with the stadium bars, brick-and-mortar shops and other points where information can be gathered.

Bringing such a variety of data points together is a technical and cultural challenge. Ramón Loarte, the club’s director of marketing, commercial and retail, is aware that this digital transformation requires a new way of thinking among the club’s employees. “It has been really difficult, but it has enriched the whole club, from ticketing to social media to IT to digital strategy to our data protection officer,” he said. “Everyone has completed the first phase satisfied, having seen how it has all evolved.”

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Euroleague Basketball Announces 2020 Fan XP Innovation Challenge Finalists

A group of 10 ambitious and forward-thinking startups from around the world have been selected as finalists for the Euroleague Basketball 2020 Fan XP Innovation Challenge.

A jury of global tech business professionals chose the finalists from among 80 aspirants from 17 different countries who applied to meet the challenge’s stated goals of offering solutions to create the best fan experience possible in one of three fields: broadcast-related fan engagement; in-arena fan engagement and/or smart arena solutions; and fan engagement through digital platforms.

iSportconnect’s Founder and CEO Sree Varma will be on the panel deciding the best new startup at the final event in Barcelona later this month.

The 10 finalists, hailing from seven countries on three continents, will present their projects at 4YFN, the startup exhibition of the Mobile World Congress, with more than 25,000 attendees, from February 22 to 24 in Barcelona, Spain.

The EB 2020 Fan XP finalists are:

  • Edisn of India is an AI computer vision platform that uses proprietary player recognition technologies to deliver enhanced fan engagement and provide additional monetization opportunities for content owners.
  • Stadiugraph of Italy Stadiugraph is a free app that enables fans to crowd-source and perform mosaic choreographies within minutes after being designed and approved by the majority of the supporters.
  • watafan from Spain offers sports stars the tools to create their own digital and gamified autographs that may be distributed from mobile to mobile by reading a QR code instead of a pen, guaranteeing collectible value for their scarcity and exclusivity.
  • StriveCloud from Belgium is a competitive gamification platform that attracts, connects and retains new fans by activating static customer service management (CRM) data through game mechanics and motivational psychology.
  • Pressenger of Spain helps apps interact with fans to visually communicate results and highlights; interactively share promotions, contests and quizzes; welcome fans to the arena; and send reminders about events and breaking news; among other innovations.
  • SeatServe, from the United States, is a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution that enables fans to use in-seat delivery and express pickup services at arenas, leading to an increase in revenue and customer satisfaction.
  • Piing, from the United Kingdom, is a digital platform that uses massively multiplayer games to turbo-boost fan engagement. Whole crowds join in games on a big screen, using their phones as controllers, boosting atmosphere and the fan experience.
  • YBVR of Spain offers interactive and immersive content for fans to engage in at home, at the arena or on the go. No longer will fans need to be physically present at a game to experience the magic of “being there”!
  • Vogo of France distributes live and replayed audio and video to spectators in arenas, transforming their game experience by providing multi-camera content on demand on tablets and smartphones, irrespective of the number of people connected.
  • ViciTV, from the United States, turns existing fan engagement investments by clubs into a global sports TV network, giving franchises the ability to control and personalize the gameday experience for out-of-market fans.

At the Euroleague Basketball 2020 Fan XP Innovation Challenge, the finalists will be able to present their pitches in a public session at the 4YFN conference, where a jury formed by top sports, tech, innovation, and investment specialists will select the winning startups.

4YFN is the world’s most influential startup business platform enabling startups, investors and corporations to create, discover and launch new ventures together. Held alongside MWC, 4YFN is the forum for entrepreneurship.

Serie A To Start New Esports League With Infront

Infront and Lega Serie A officially launched the eSerie A TIM on Wednesday, offering thousands of gamers the chance to compete for Italy’s top football clubs in the first edition of the event.

As the event’s exclusive media, marketing and digital partner, Infront will be delivering its full service offering throughout the tournament. This includes organisation of the competition with the support of leading Italian esports company PG Esport as well as 15 days’ worth of broadcast production of all events and matches.

The entire production will be broadcast live on Lega’s digital platforms and group and playoff stages will take place at Infront’s studios in Milan. Qualified players will have the opportunity to be picked by one of the participating Serie A TIM clubs in a draw. Full coverage of all phases will be broadcast on multiple platforms including YouTube and Twitch with a dedicated live feed made available for broadcasters.

This will be supplemented by additional content for all participating Serie A TIM Clubs.

The League will be divided into two phases: an online knockout tournament open to all amateur players offering a path to becoming a professional player followed by the full Championship. The tournament will feature a Group Stage, Play-Off and Grand Final which will feature the top eight players. Amateurs who qualify for the tournament will be selected by participating eSerie A TIM clubs to represent them.

On The Move: Latest Weekly Job Appointments

Chris Young has been named Senior Vice-President at Major League Baseball, while Morgan Sword has been appointed the association’s Executive Vice-President, Baseball Economics and Operations.

Richard Verow, the former Sky Sports executive has joined beIN Sports as Chief Sports Officer.

Kevin Thelwell has left his position as Sporting Director of Wolverhampton Wanderers to join New York Red Bulls as Head of Sport.

James Johnson is now Vice-President at Deltaltre.

Andrew Lamb is now Head of Partnership Development for The Ocean Race.

Jeff Plush is USA Curling’s new Chief Executive.

Jeremy Kanter has become CMO at Fever-Tree.

Wyatt Hicks was appointed NASCAR’s Managing Director for Digital Media.

Deepa Malik has been announced as President of the Paralympic Committee of India.

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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