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.

Download Vidicia’s Latest White Paper – Is Your Subscription Billing System Restraining Your Business Growth?

Is your subscription billing system restraining your business growth?

Five indicators that it’s time to replace your current billing system

Subscription businesses initially look to an in-house or basic third-party subscription billing solution early on. However, as your business grows, your needs grow too. You need to be more agile, competitive, efficient, and automated. And you need to offer more choices for your customers. You will soon discover that the limitations of your billing system will restrain your business growth.

When is it time to stop investing in a limited or homegrown billing system and instead replace it with a professional solution from an expert third-party vendor? To determine whether your subscription business needs a more professional solution, ask yourself these questions:

  • Is your billing system a drain on your budget and resources?
  • Are you limited in your pricing models and the payment methods you offer?
  • Are you as agile as the competition? Or would you like to bring new and innovative offers to market more quickly?
  • Are you getting data and insights from your billing system?
  • Can you keep up to date with regulations for privacy and security?
  • Is your billing system making you money or costing you money?

Follow this link to download Vindicia’s latest white paper report – https://www.vindicia.com/resources/white-papers/your-subscription-billing-system-restraining-your-business-growth?utm_source=ppc&utm_medium=linkedin&utm_campaign=kb-monsterrevenue-Jan2020

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