WNBA And WNBPA Agree Groundbreaking New Long-Term Collective Bargaining Agreement

The WNBA have today announced that a brand collective bargaining agreement has been agreed with the WNBPA for eight years.

This latest WNBA CBA could now provide the groundwork for all female athletes in the United States to see salary increases within their professional leagues, and can be seen as a big moment for women’s sport to see such a large increase.

The new eight-year CBA, which commences with the 2020 season and runs through 2027, provides the foundation to chart a new course for women’s professional basketball. The 2020 CBA features significant investments by the league and its teams aimed directly at increasing player salary and compensation, improvements to the overall player experience, resources specifically designed with the professional female athlete in mind, as well as a commitment to implement an integrated marketing plan league-wide.

Foremost among the deal terms is a 53 percent increase in total cash compensation, consisting of base salary, additional performance bonuses, prize pools for newly created in-season competitions, and league and team marketing deals.  Under the new CBA, the league’s top players will be able to earn cash compensation in excess of $500,000, representing a more than tripling of the maximum compensation under the prior deal.  Other top players will have an opportunity to earn between $200,000 and $300,000.  And for the first time in WNBA history, the average cash compensation for players will exceed six figures, averaging nearly $130,000, resulting in an increase for all players from rookies to veterans.

Additional highlights include enhanced player experience with respect to travel and child care benefits, and expanded offseason career development opportunities.  The landmark agreement also features a more liberal free agency system, and a more robust and equitable revenue-sharing model based on league revenue growth.

“We approached these negotiations with a player-first agenda, and I am pleased that this agreement guarantees substantial increases in compensation and progressive benefits for the women of the WNBA,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.  “I want to thank the players, led by WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike and the WNBPA Executive Committee, as well as WNBPA Executive Director Terri Jackson, for their hard work, innovative thinking and professionalism throughout the process.  I also want to thank the league’s Labor Relations Committee and Board of Governors for their investment, commitment and leadership as we look forward to working together to make the WNBA a sustainable and thriving business for generations of women’s basketball players to come.”

“Cathy Engelbert, the first WNBA Commissioner, brought her perspective as a former women’s basketball student-athlete, her experience as a business professional and her passion for the game to these negotiations,” said WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike.  “We found common ground in areas that confirmed the league’s and the players’ intentions to not only make meaningful improvements in working conditions and overall professional experience, but also to improve the business with strategic planning and intentional marketing that will keep the WNBA front and center year-round.”

“With cautious optimism and trusting the league’s renewed commitment and investment, the players demonstrated a willingness to ‘lean in’ themselves and show an even greater commitment and investment in the W,” described WNBPA Executive Director Terri Jackson. “There are significant gains all across the board in this new agreement, and everything is in place for our players and the league to thrive.”

ITTF To Allow Multi-City Hosts Of World Championship Events

The ITTF have revealed that they are in talks with the Chinese Table Tennis Association to allow multiple host-cities for the 2022 ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championship Finals.

In a statement, the organisation says “This will enable greater TV coverage of more matches during the competition, as well as increased fan engagement over multiple host cities across the country, as has been witnessed in other major sports events, such as the FIFA and FIBA World Cups.”

ITTF CEO Steve Dainton said: “The philosophy of the new expanded World Table Tennis Championships Finals has always been focused on increasing the global footprint of our sport’s biggest event. This is a format that will eventually integrate all our members and maximise exposure of the event.

“By providing relevant content in multiple locations and engaging with a larger community / audience in the host country, the 2022 World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals have a higher potential to ensure worldwide media coverage and achieve commercial success.

“Due to the popularity of the sport, we believe that China is the ideal place to implement this new concept. Discussions have already been initiated with CTTA and they seem very positive,” he added.

They have also decided to implement new Table Tennis Review technology that was successfully introduced of TTR at the 2019 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals.

Dainton commented: “With the tech trend already so prominent in sports, we felt it was important to implement a new technology that will ensure a fair competition for all the athletes, empowering them to challenge any decision made by the umpire. The benefits of using the TTR system are very positive and we can actually talk about an evolution of the sport of table tennis. We received very positive feedback from the players and we anticipate a major improvement in terms of the viewers’ experience going forwards.”

Announcement: 2020 iSportconnect Hospitality Masterclass – Inter Miami CF, Virgin Atlantic, Scottish FA Confirmed

iSportconnect are delighted to announce the first three speakers for our 2020 iSportconnect Hospitality Masterclass, in partnership with Sodexo, at Emerald Headingley Stadium in Leeds on the 5th of February.

We are delighted to be welcoming Jeanene Valentine, Director of Ticket Operations at Inter Miami CF, the new MLS franchise founded by David Beckham, across from the United States to join us.

Dan Buckingham, Head of Clubhouses, Lounges and Spas at Virgin Atlantic, alongside Chris Rawlings, Chief Commercial Officer of the Scottish Football Association.

Our event will cover a whole range of topics within the hospitality sector of sport and is set to be a fantastic day of events, with a number of panel discussions and presentations on the day.

More speakers to follow soon…

Jeanene Valentine

Jeanene graduated from University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in Film & Television. After working in the film industry for a few years, she quickly changed her focus to sports and entertainment venues.

With over 20 years of ticketing experience, Jeanene quickly found her niche within the industry after assisting with the transition for the Los Angeles Philharmonic from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

She has managed seven venue/stadium transitions and openings. Most recently she collaborated with 3D Digital Venue and SeatGeek with the opening of Allianz Field, a 19,400-seat soccer specific stadium for Minnesota United FC. Currently, she is working on opening her eighth and ninth stadiums for David Beckham’s Major League Soccer team, Inter Miami CF.

Dan Buckingham

Dan looks after the global clubhouse lounge and Spa business for Virgin Atlantic, a key USP as part of their Upper Class experience. Renowned for their Lounges, Virgin Atlantic created some world firsts including the first Lounges to offer a la carte menus. With the announcement of the third runway at Heathrow and with a vision to become Britain’s second flag carrier, Dan is working on expanding, and creating new memorable experiences for their customers.

Chris Rawlings

Chris Rawlings has worked in the Commercial world of Sport since 1997, across Private and Public businesses, as well as working for a number of rights holders, including two Governing Bodies.

Chris Rawlings has operated in the Hospitality environment in a variety of capacities, including building and selling Hospitality Agencies, acquiring and delivering on Global Hospitality Sales Programmes (FIFA World Cup 2010), and the provision of hospitality offerings for stadium and non stadium owning organisations.

Chris Rawlings is currently the Chief Commercial Officer at The Scottish FA, who have recently completed the purchase of its National Stadium at Hampden Park.

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 Hospitality Masterclass, please contact Theresa Muller at theresa@isportconnect.com

Invitation Policy: The 2020 iSportconnect Hospitality 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

Extreme E Bring In Ken Block To Test E-SUV At Dakar Rally

Off-road racing supremo and YouTube superstar Ken Block will sample an electric racing car at the 2020 Dakar Rally, driving the Extreme E E-SUV. He will join the future alternative category together with E-bikes, E-trucks and hybrid cars to open the Grand Prix of Qiddiya, attached to the last stage of the rally, on Friday 17 January.

Block’s appearance comes after Extreme E’s Odyssey 21 was invited to appear in the 2020 Dakar Rally’s 20 kilometre finale, the Grand Prix de Qiddiya, in support of the event’s commitment to alternative energy vehicle participation in future editions. This special stage completes the gruelling twelve day, 7000+ kilometre event which tests man and machine to the limits across harsh desert terrains.

The American – whose viral Gymkhana video series has topped 550 million views – is a household name in the world of motorsport, having competed across the full spectrum of off-road disciplines including the FIA World Rally Championship, FIA World Rallycross and Rally America.

Ken Block said: “Dakar is always something I’ve been interested in experiencing so this is a great opportunity for me to come and see what makes the race so special. I appreciate the guys at Extreme E inviting me out.”

The run will provide critical data ahead of next year’s Extreme E season-opener in January 2021, with the championship’s ‘electric beast’, following its appearance at the curtain-raising shakedown last week in the hands of World RX driver and four-time Freeskiing World Champion, Guerlain Chicherit.

David Castera, Dakar Rally Director, added: “We encourage the participation of hybrid and electric vehicles in future events, with an objective of introducing a specific class for them.

“Extreme E’s presence here, along with world-class drivers Guerlain Chicherit and Ken Block, convinces us that we are heading in the right direction with this project, and inspires us to go even further and faster in our implementation of alternative energy vehicles in future Dakar Rally events.”

With almost one year to go to Extreme E’s inaugural series, starting end of January, 2021, the time spent in Saudi Arabia offers the ideal opportunity for research and development as Spark Racing Technology continues its testing on the car.

Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E, says: “With a huge amount of off-road experience under his belt, Ken is an ideal driver to steer our machinery through the toughest terrain at one of world’s most iconic motorsport events.

“The Dakar Rally’s demonstration stage of Qiddiya will allow us to showcase the ability of electric vehicles at this legendary rally event, and will also make history as the the first competitive outing for our electric beast.

“This will be a unique opportunity for the Spark team to gather crucial data to learn even more about the E-SUV here in Saudi Arabia, one of our five race locations in Extreme E, Season 1, and I can’t think of a better driver to push it to its limit than ‘Hoonigan’ himself, Ken Block!”

The Odyssey 21’s peak 400kw (550hp) output is capable of firing the 1650 kilogram, 2.3-metre wide car from 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds, at gradients of up to 130 percent.

LaLiga Attendances Rise 1.53% During First Half Of Season – LaLiga TV Hits UK

The LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank stadiums registered a total attendance of 7,605,952 in the first half of the 2019/20 campaign. This record-breaking figure represents an increase of 85,727 in the number of fans who attended stadiums at the same stage of last season and a year-to-year rise of 1.53%.

In LaLiga Santander, the figure of 5,398,206 in-stadium spectators shows a 5% increase on the number recorded at the halfway point of the 2018/19 season, with 255,086 more fans attending games.

Meanwhile, LaLiga SmartBank has posted record stadium occupancy rates at this stage of the season in comparison with previous campaigns, achieving levels of 51.6%. Meanwhile, it should be noted that the stadiums of the clubs competing in the Spanish second tier in the 2019/20 season boast bigger capacities than the arenas that hosted games in the 2018/19 campaign, with the total number of spectators now exceeding the 2.2-million mark.

Average stadium occupancy rates across the LaLiga Santander grounds have also risen during this period and sit at 74.3%, with an average of 28,412 in-stadium spectators.

The total stadium occupancy rates across the two divisions jumped from 61.4% in January of the 2019/20 season to the current 65.9%.

LaLiga has set itself a target of breaking new ground by surpassing 15 million in-stadium spectators across the two leagues. This would represent a significant rise from the figure of 13.1 million recorded at the close of the 2013/14 season.

LaLiga TV Makes UK Debut

LaLigaTV, the UK’s first dedicated channel showing all live content from a top football league, has launched today.

The channel is available to all SKY TV subscribers, who can access the channel free of charge for two full LaLiga Santander matchdays through January 28th. Available as a standalone channel via SKY TV, LaLigaTV offers exclusive broadcast of all live matches to viewers in the United Kingdom.

Following the initial two-week free trial period, the channel will be available to SKY TV subscribers for just £5.99 per month as a standalone HD channel, or £11.99 per month when purchased in a Premier Sports bundle which includes Premier Sports 1 and Premier Sports 2 HD channels.

Bundesliga And AWS Agree Technology Provider Deal

Amazon Web Services and the German Bundesliga have announced that they have struck a deal to make AWS its official technology provider to deliver more in-depth insight into every live broadcast of Bundesliga games and enable new personalised fan experiences.

Bundesliga will use AWS artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), analytics, compute, database, and storage services to deliver real-time statistics to predict future plays and game outcomes, and recommend personalised match footage across mobile, online, streaming, and television broadcasts.

Using AWS technology, Germany’s premier national football league will build new cloud-based services that automate processes, increase operational efficiency, and enhance the viewing experience for the league’s rapidly growing global fan base. By developing a new, next-generation statistics platform on AWS, using Amazon SageMaker, a fully managed service to build, train, and deploy ML models, Bundesliga will offer fans real-time predictions on when a goal is likely to be scored, identify potential goal-scoring opportunities, and highlight how teams are positioning and controlling the field, based on live data streams and historical data from over 10,000 Bundesliga games. Bundesliga also plans to leverage AWS ML services, such as Amazon Personalise, an ML service to create real-time and individualised recommendations, to offer fans personalised game footage, marketing promotions, and search results based on their favourite teams, players, or matches.

Using other AWS ML services, including Amazon Rekognition, an intelligent image and video analysis service, Bundesliga will build a cloud-based media archive that will automatically tag specific frames, from its more than 150,000 hours of video, with metadata such as game, jersey, player, team, and venue, so that the league can easily search historical footage and surface pivotal plays for in-game broadcasts, in more than 200 countries. This archive will enable Bundesliga to search across its entire history of football footage to provide a more enhanced viewing experience for fans and automate the current manual process of searching and tagging match highlights.

“We are extremely excited to be working alongside AWS to develop the next generation of football viewing experience,” said Christian Seifert, CEO of Bundesliga. “Innovation means challenging the status quo. Working closely with AWS, as one of the most innovative technology companies in the world, significantly enhances the investment we’ve made in innovation over the past two decades, all of which contributes to us being able to deliver a world-class football experience for our fans.”

“As the league with the highest average number of goals per game, and the highest stadium attendance globally, the Bundesliga is one of the most entertaining sports leagues in the world,” said Andy Isherwood, Vice President and Managing Director EMEA, Amazon Web Services, Inc. “We are thrilled to work with the Bundesliga and help them use cloud technology to give football fans around the world a more engaging match day experience and look forward to helping them leverage our deep portfolio of ML and AI services so they can deliver even greater insight into the world’s favourite game.”

Right Formula Acquires Marketing Minds

Award-winning global sports and entertainment consultancy Right Formula has begun the new decade with the acquisition of marketing services agency Marketing Minds. The announcement means Right Formula will significantly increase its client base and in-house service offering from 1 February, when the acquisition officially takes effect.

You can see an interview with Right Formula CEO Robin Fenwick about the deal here: https://tv.isportconnect.com/en-int/playerpage/103457

Right Formula, which was founded by CEO Robin Fenwick in 2009, is best known for commercial and activation work with clients including SAP, Epson, Kia Motors, Hilton Hotels, Red Bull, Aggreko, Pirelli, Logitech, Loch Lomond Whiskies and Genpact. With today’s announcement, Marketing Minds’ current clients including ExxonMobil and Dell will now join the Right Formula roster.

The Surrey-based Marketing Minds will relocate to Right Formula’s central London headquarters at the end of the month, bringing with them a wealth of experience in events, hospitality, design and digital. The addition of the Marketing Minds team will further strengthen Right Formula’s existing portfolio, which spans the full sponsorship spectrum.

Right Formula CEO Robin Fenwick said: “We’re absolutely delighted with this acquisition which consolidates our position on the sports marketing landscape, and I believe is a display of the company’s ambition as we enter 2020.

“At Right Formula we have a team of strategic, dynamic and passionate experts with experience across the sport and entertainment space. We thrive on being indispensable to our clients by helping them achieve outstanding business results through their sports and entertainment partnerships; and, with the acquisition of Marketing Minds, I believe we will be even better placed to do so. This is an incredibly exciting time to be part of the Right Formula story.

“I speak on behalf of the entire company when I say that we can’t wait to welcome the Marketing Minds team through our doors as we look to fulfil our potential in 2020 and beyond.”

Marketing Minds’ outgoing owner, John Stoakes, added: “I’ve personally known Robin for more than two decades and couldn’t think of a more appropriate owner to take forward and enhance the work that Marketing Minds has done since opening for business 26 years ago.

“It was vital for me to find a new structure where our current clients and staff would be in the safest hands as they look to develop their own careers. Given the alignment of our businesses – and track record of best-in-class, indispensable client work – I know that Right Formula, as a fast-growing consultancy, is the perfect solution. I wish Robin and the new team all the very best as they continue their upward trajectory.”

With the addition of the Marketing Minds team, Right Formula now comprises 55 staff across commercial, consumer activation, events, hospitality, internal engagement, PR and digital sectors and with a wide variety of sports and entertainment properties that include Golf, Football, Formula 1, Esports, Rugby, Sailing, Olympics, Formula E, Cirque du Soleil, Moto GP and Extreme Sports.

Paolo Dal Pino Elected President Of Serie A

The Italian Football League, Serie A, have appointed Paolo Dal Pino as the new President of the league.

An official communication released the news, which will see Dal Pino take over the role from Gaetano Miccichè, who was forced to resign in November last year due to an investigation into his election in 2018.

Dal Pino managed to make the eleven votes required for a majority from the 20 Serie A clubs.

 

On The Move: The Latest Weekly Job Appointments Within The Sports Industry.

Paolo Dal Pino has been voted as Serie A’s next President, replacing Gaetano Miccichè, who resigned in November 2019.

Neil Snowball was named the next Managing Director of County Cricket at the ECB.

Matt Goodman has been appointed New York City FC’s Chief Operating Officer & Chief Commercial Officer.

Amanda Duffy has left her position as the NWSL President to join the league’s Orlando Pride franchise as Executive Vice President.

Marius Vizer Jr will become General Secretary of the International Teqball Federation.

Adam Benson has joined Wasps as Chief Commercial Officer.

Mark Alford is the new Director of Sky Sports News, moving from his previous position as Head of Digital at Sky News.

Chris Bell will take over as Head of Commercial at Luton Town FC.

Mark Pannes is taking over as CEO of the Vancouver Whitecaps MLS franchise.

Excel Esports have announced two changes, with Wouter Sliejjfers becoming the CEO and Robin McCammon selected as the Chief Commercial Officer.

Anna Shaw has become the ECB’s Commercial Strategy Lead.

Allistair Spiers is now Head of Sales at Leciester City Football Club.

Scott McCubbin has started his new role as Premiership Rugby’s Head Of Business Development.

David Jenkins is to head up Global Expansion at IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals.

Craig Santicchia will become Partner Development Director for Fnatic

Norris Scott is now Futures Sport & Entertainment’s Senior Vice President.

Adrian Sargent has taken the role of Chief Financial Officer of The Goodwood Group.

Brandon Moyer has become Global CRM Business Analytics Lead at Under Armour.

Pete Morris joins Canon as Brand & Sponsorship Senior Manager, EMEA.

Nike And The Chinese Athletics Association Extend Partnership For 12 Years

Nike will continue to supply training equipment to The Chinese Athletics Association after the two signed a new 12-year partnership deal to continue Nike’s association.

Already with a huge presence in China, Nike will now be supplying Chinese athletes until after the 2032 Olympic Games. The deal also sees Nike coaches head over to China to provide international coaches for the development of athletes as well as taking them abroad for training camps.

“This partnership with Nike announced today will hopefully allow both parties to capitalise on our synergies and strengths, as part of the opening up of the Chinese sportswear market,” said CAA Vice-Chairman, Cai Yong.

“We look forward to working with Nike to increase interest in track and field, as part of our national goals to build a strong sports economy and physically active citizenry.”

Craig Masback, former athlete and Nike’s VP for Sports Marketing in China and Japan, stated:  “Nike is committed to promoting the development of Chinese track and field and its athletes for many years, and this renewed contract once again shows our confidence in the future of the sport in China.”