Sportradar, the leading global provider of sports data intelligence, today announced it has agreed to a multi-year exclusive global media rights distribution package with the Korea Professional Football League (K LEAGUE) that will see it become a strategic partner in further growing the international coverage for one of Asia’s top leagues.
The K LEAGUE’s popularity is surging. Beyond swelling fan attendance on matchdays, online viewership figures have also steadily grown over recent seasons. To capitalize on this, the league is actively exploring growth opportunities beyond South Korea to amplify its brand to a global audience.
With Sportradar’s industry-leading expertise and experience in handling global rights, the company will work closely with the K LEAGUE in developing a comprehensive commercial strategy to enhance its global distribution and coverage for its media and digital rights.
Under this multi-year exclusive deal, Sportradar will also be providing its specialized Intelligence & Investigation services, which will support the K LEAGUE in the protection of its intellectual property via anti-piracy and illegal streaming investigations.
Dylan Chuan, Sportradar’s Sales Director, Audiovisual, APAC, said: “Sportradar is thrilled to be working with the K LEAGUE on this landmark deal. The Korean market is a key focus area for us, and we believe our experience in working with leading sports franchises will form the basis of a successful partnership and further strengthen the K LEAGUE’s reputation and appeal to a global audience.”
Mr Yeon Sang CHO, General Manager, K LEAGUE added: “We are delighted to partner with Sportradar and believe this partnership will provide enriched possibilities and further awareness for the K LEAGUE. This is a comprehensive deal that looks to increase international exposure and improve our efforts in protecting the integrity of the K LEAGUE brand. By building up opportunities in sports media and marketing with Sportradar in a long-term partnership, we look forward to developing the continued growth of the K LEAGUE and reaching out to new audiences around the world.”
Sportradar currently works with over 100 sports leagues and federations around the world and has key partnerships in Asia with The CBA League, The Asian Football Confederation, Max Muay Thai and the Indian Super League.
Lagadère Sports are reportedly to sell 75% of their sports agency for a fee reported to be in the region of €110 million.
The company today announced that it has received a bid from H.I.G. Capital, but said that the value “does not include the future value creation potential of the Group’s residual 25-per-cent interest in Lagardère Sports, or any potential gains from the Confederation of African Football agreement.”
Lagadère have also released a statement following the International Chamber of Commerce’s first ruling on their current dispute with the Confederation of African Football this past Friday.
CAF decided to permanently end their billion-dollar agreement nine years before its planned conclusion, which had seen the agency cover CAF’s media and sponsorship sales rights globally until 2028, and Lagadère are continuing to fight the decision.
The statement reads:
“Following the decision by CAF to unilaterally cancel its agency agreement with Lagardère Sports, Lagardère, in accordance with the contractual provisions, initiated emergency arbitration proceedings – aimed at keeping the contract in force pending the arbitration on merits – before the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Geneva.
On December 13th, while the emergency arbitrator rejected these interim measures, he did not rule on the merits of the case as this was not within his remits. Consequently, the outcome of the emergency proceedings does not in any way predetermine the outcome of any future arbitration on the merits of the case.
Under these conditions, Lagardère will steadfastly continue as planned to proceed with the broader, more encompassing arbitration (arbitration on merits) to obtain compensation from CAF.
Lagardère Sports is an established, respected company that has served CAF for many years with efficiency, loyalty and dedication, working collaboratively to grow African football and bringing the games to thousands of new fans each year. As such, the Lagardère group deems the actions of CAF to be unwarranted and will take all action at its disposal to defend its interests, mitigate the impact of any immediate harm to its business and protect the interests of its shareholders.”
LaLiga has made significant strides in terms of its presence in India by announcing two high-profile agreements today. The first is the appointment of international cricket ace Rohit Sharma as the first LaLiga brand ambassador in India, and the second is that LaLiga now has its first regional sponsor in the country, Dream11, the largest sports gaming platform in India.
With these two agreements, LaLiga takes a step forward with its presence in India and its bid to get closer to the local fans. With an office in New Delhi since 2017, LaLiga has its own staff based in the Indian capital working on nurturing the sport and building the LaLiga brand in the country. During these two years, LaLiga has worked on numerous ambitious projects in a variety of areas, such as the successful grassroots football development programme, LaLiga Football Schools; a pioneering broadcast partnership with Facebook to provide over 300 matches for free to fans on the Indian subcontinent; bringing one of LaLiga’s clubs, Girona FC, to India for the first time, and many more initiatives.The association with Rohit Sharma is yet another step in its bid to further the work on the growth which football is currently enjoying in India.
India is seen as a burgeoning football market with the Indian Super League growing in recent years and LaLiga, with their continued global expansion, are looking at growing within this market and establishing both the league and football as a key sport in India. By using key influencers such as Rohit Sharma, one of the world’s finest batsmen currently and a superstar with tremendous profile in India, it will be key to help the constant expansion and profile of LaLiga across the country.
Rohit, LaLiga’s new brand ambassador in India,said, “Football in India is undergoing growth and it’s heartening to see that it is no longer considered a sleeping giant in the country in this regard. Over the course of the past five years, we have witnessed significant growth in interest in football in India. Credit must be given to everyone who has contributed to this growth, including the fans.
“I am truly delighted to be associated with LaLiga. It’s encouraging to see the Spanish giant making inroads into the Indian football ecosystem through its grassroots programme and other projects. Personally, I see this as an interesting journey for me into the beautiful game together with LaLiga. I eagerly look forward to connecting with football fans in the country.”
Jose Antonio Cachaza (Managing Director, LaLiga India) and Rohit Sharma, LaLiga’s first ever brand ambassador in India
Thanks to the agreement with LaLiga, Dream11 – which has over 70 million users and offers football, cricket and basketball games, as well as other sports – will have an official LaLiga competition and football fans in India will be able to enjoy the clubs and stars of the Spanish league. Through this partnership, LaLiga furthers its commitment to digital innovation, and will now be able to reach a young, dynamic audience eager to enjoy the thrills and the passion of the best football in the world through Dream11’s fantasy game. The agreement, which extends to five seasons, also involves collaboration at other levels, such as on social media and the presence of the brand at LaLiga events in India. It is the second Indian brand to join forces with LaLiga, with BKT already a global sponsor of the competition.
Rohit, one of the world’s premier batsmen in the modern era and a self-confessed football fanatic, was unveiled before the local media at an event which took place in Mumbai, which also featured the presence of Jose Antonio Cachaza, LaLiga’s director for India. He is the first sportsman to hold this position, representing another step forward in LaLiga’s strategy in India and in its bid to get closer to local fans. The acclaimed sportsman, who will be one of the faces of LaLiga in India, perfectly represents the values that the Spanish competition stands for, including excellence, teamwork, authenticity, respect, commitment and passion. With his motivational and inspirational stature in the country as an individual and athlete, Rohit will help catalyse the growth of football and LaLiga in India.
Jose Antonio Cachaza, LaLiga’s director for India said, “India is a very important market for LaLiga from a global perspective. Since we came here in 2017, we’ve gained a better understanding of the pulse of the nation. Over the past two years, and after many ground-breaking initiatives, it is clear that India has a huge appetite for football. Rohit Sharma is the perfect example of this; as well as being one of the most renowned faces in Indian cricket, he is also an ardent football and LaLiga fan. In his persona on and off the field, Rohit embodies LaLiga’s values and principles. We are delighted to have him as LaLiga’s first ever non-footballing brand ambassador and as our representative in India.
The European Tour, in partnership with esports specialists DreamHack and Topgolf Entertainment Group, has launched golf’s first esports series, the European eTour.
Starting at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA in January, the inaugural season-long eTour will feature six esports contests held at European Tour tournaments around the world.
Players will go head-to-head in the leading online and mobile golf game, World Golf Tour (WGT) by Topgolf, which is currently played by more than 20 million people worldwide. A long-time leader in online golf competitions, WGT by Topgolf offers the most photorealistic golf gaming experience giving players the opportunity to virtually play some of the most famous golf championship courses. Topgolf is currently developing additional European Tour virtual venues to add to its portfolio of WGT golf courses.
The world’s best golf esports players will attempt to qualify for the live onsite events via an online tournament. Eight players will then compete onsite at European Tour events in an exciting nine-hole knockout match play format, initially in two round robin groups, before straight knockout semi-finals and final.
The five tournament winners, along with three wildcards qualifiers, will then contest the season-ending finale at the European Tour’s own season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, which takes place at Jumeirah Golf Estates from November 19-22, 2020.
DreamHack will bring their extensive esports events and streaming production capabilities to create a premium experience. Fans will be able to enjoy extensive live coverage as well as bespoke ancillary content of all six European eTour events across a multitude of platforms, including broadcast, digital and social media.
The European Tour held its first esports event earlier this year with WGT and DreamHack. The inaugural European eTour Championship took place at the 2019 Made in Denmark, and the success of that tournament led to the development of this series of one-day events across the 2020 calendar. The exclusivity of the European Tour’s esports experience amplifies the benefit of players participating in this event, and the ability to virtually be part of real world tournaments.
Rufus Hack, the European Tour’s Chief Content Officer, said: “The launch of the European eTour underlines the European Tour’s commitment to innovation and we believe this is an exciting opportunity for us to be leaders in a market that has huge growth potential. The esports industry allows the European Tour to engage with our existing audience in a different way and attract new fans outside of our traditional demographic through our broadcast and digital platforms. Our inaugural event in Denmark earlier this year gave a glimpse into the popularity of esports and we are looking forward to launching golf’s first esports Tour in 2020.”
Peter Nørrelund, CEO of DreamHack Sports Games, said: “We see a great future for sports games in esports. The combination of a good game and a strong Player in traditional sports is a winning recipe. World Golf Tour is a superior golf game and natural platform for golf esports, European Tour is one of the strongest brands in the world of sports and with our ability to create content, media products and build strong communities I am sure, that the European eTour will be a smashing success. I am thrilled with the partnership.”
YuChiang Chen, Topgolf Media President, said: “At Topgolf, we are constantly innovating around how we can connect people in meaningful ways and the competition of esports brings a large, diverse group of people together to share a common experience. WGT was always built to be a realistic simulation of golf; rewarding skill and mirroring the level of strategy, course management and mental toughness required to win in professional golf. The WGT players have been urging us to take this next step and we look forward to partnering with such innovative partners to further enhance the modern competition of golf and launch an unmatched esports tournament experience on WGT.”
The esports industry is one of the fastest growing media sectors with an audience of more than 380 million enthusiasts worldwide which is forecasted to surpass 1.6 billion by 2022. A majority of esports fans are in the 18-34 age demographic.
Saudi Arabia has become renowned at breaking boundaries in sport, a trend which continues with today’s announcement of a fully sanctioned Ladies European Tour (LET) event set to take place in the Kingdom from the 19th to the 22nd March 2020. The tournament, which will carry a USD$1 million prize fund, will be staged in collaboration with Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation.
The event is a watershed moment for the country, and will mark the first time that professional female golfers have played competitively in the country, breaking new ground in its ongoing transformation as part of Vision 2030.
The 72-hole stroke play competition, which will be broadcast domestically and to more than 340 million homes across more than 55 countries worldwide, will inspire a new generation of golfers throughout the Kingdom. A field of 108 LET professionals will contest for one of the richest prizes on the LET Schedule at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, near Jeddah, on the country’s stunning Red Sea coast.
Commenting upon hosting the event for the first time and setting new precedents within the sport, His Excellency Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Chairman of the Saudi Golf Federation and Golf Saudi, said: “We are delighted to be creating history by hosting the inaugural ladies professional tournament in March. I hope the tournament will inspire many women to take up the great game of golf and awaken their interest in this wonderful sport. We warmly welcome all the players to the Kingdom and wish everyone a rewarding experience in our magical country.”
Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, which is set within King Abdullah Economic City, also plays host to the European Tour’s Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisers. At the first staging in 2019, Major champion Dustin Johnson emerged victorious and the former World #1 will return to defend his title against a world-class field that also includes the likes of Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Tony Finau and Henrik Stenson, in January.
“I am incredibly excited by this announcement and it is an honour for the Tour to be part of history in bringing the first-ever professional women’s golf event to Saudi Arabia,” said Ladies European Tour Acting CEO, Alexandra Armas. “Confirmation of adding Saudi Arabia to our schedule for 2020 is an exciting prospect for everyone at the Ladies European Tour and having seen the quality of the event staging for the Saudi International, I am sure this will be a fantastic experience for our players.”
As well as confirming the historic tournament, Golf Saudi today announced it is working with several LET stars in order to promote golf to domestic audiences and to enhance the visibility of Saudi’s golf development programme and its golf tourism offer internationally. The UK’s Carly Booth, Amy Boulden and Rachel Drummond, and Swedish pair Camilla Lennarth and Isabella Deilert will each wear the Golf Saudi logo as ambassadors of the programme.
Looking ahead to the inaugural LET event, three-time Tour winner and Golf Saudi Ambassador, Carly Boothsaid: “I’m looking forward to being part of history with the other ladies on the tour and of course to competing over the Royal Greens course. I have visited Saudi Arabia on a number of occasions and been lucky enough to spend some time teaching local women and girls how to play; they have been so enthusiastic and I am sure that seeing professional golfers compete in their country will inspire them to take up the game and strive for their dreams.”
The 2020 event will showcase Saudi Arabia’s natural assets, as well as prioritising the country’s drive to increase golf participation significantly in the years to come. The Kingdom already has a strong track record when it comes to staging high-level sporting fixtures, including major football, boxing, motorsport and equestrian events.
Australia’s bid has been strengthened by the addition of New Zealand to produce a combined bid between the two nations for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
But South Korea have joined South Africa in withdrawing from the race to host the tournament this week.
South Africa withdrew from the race to host the competition earlier this week and have now been joined by the Koreans, who had possibly been hoping to host a combined tournament between themselves and North Korea.
However, with North Korea appearing unlikely to join forces with their southern counterparts, South Korea believe they cannot go forward on their own.
Australia and New Zealand hosted the Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2015 and have had their bid for the women’s FIFA World Cup approved by six Australian states already, with Australian Federal Minister for Youth and Sport, the Hon. Richard Colbeck, saying the Australian Government is committed to the joint bid which is a logical and compelling response to the expanded 32-nation format that will be introduced in 2023.
“Our Bid for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 strongly aligns with the Australian Government’s commitment to inspire more girls and women to participate in sport and increase their physical activity for better health and wellbeing,” Minister Colbeck said.
“Australia and New Zealand have a successful history of both staging and co-hosting major international sporting events. We have the infrastructure, expertise and enthusiasm to co-host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 and I wish FFA and New Zealand Football every success.”
New Zealand Minister for Sport and Recreation, Grant Robertson, said the joint Bid is an unprecedented opportunity for the two countries to showcase their commitment to women’s sport and continue to track records of successfully hosting major sporting events.
“New Zealand and Australia are both countries that champion and celebrate women’s sport, and it has been no surprise to see the football community, stadia, host cities and states across our two countries embrace this bid,” Minister Robertson said.
“We know New Zealand and Australia can work as a team to deliver something unique and world class, while also creating a legacy for women and for football in our countries and across Asia and Oceania.”
SportAccord President Raffaele Chiulli led the praise of Regional SportAccord Pan America 2019 as the inaugural event drew to a close yesterday at the Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center in Florida.
Offering his closing remarks at the end of an engaging conference program, Chiulli expressed his thanks to Greater Fort Lauderdale, Florida Sports Foundation, International Sports & Health Associates and MGO, as well as the event’s attendees, speakers and partners.
“This has been a very important occasion to meet, talk and learn,” Chiulli, who is also President of the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF), said. “Fort Lauderdale is a marvellous place and we have been made to feel very much at home. My main takeaway from this event will be the atmosphere here in Fort Lauderdale. The discussions have been open and constructive and this is how friendships are built and consolidated.”
SportAccord Managing Director Nis Hatt joined Chiulli in thanking José Rodriguez of the Regional SportAccord Pan America 2019 Local Organizing Committee, as well as the event’s Gold Partners: Florida Sports Foundation, Greater Fort Lauderdale and Panam Sports.
“I’d like to thank everyone who has contributed towards this inaugural event,” Hatt said. “I would also like to express my sincere thanks to nearly 550 people, representing 70 nationalities, who have come from across Pan America and also from around the world to help get this event off the ground.”
Leading sports stakeholders, influencers and decision-makers also lined up to hail the impact of the inaugural event, with the conference program focusing on the topic of ‘A United Approach to the International Sport Landscape in the Americas’.
Neven Iván Ilic Álvarez, President of Panam Sports and an International Olympic Committee (IOC) Member, said after his conference presentation: “I want to thank the organisers of this wonderful event and we will support the event in the future in any way we can.”
Nadia Comăneci, the legendary five-time Olympic gymnastics gold medal-winner, who also featured as a conference speaker, added: “I believe we have seen here at Regional SportAccord that doors are always open to discuss improvements in sport and I hope this is the start of an amazing opportunity for the future.”
Attention will now turn to the next event on the calendar – the highly anticipated 18th annual SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit from 19-24 April 2020 in Beijing, China.
Richard Masters will now be the permanent CEO for the Premier League to replace Richard Scudamore after an extended spell in the interim role.
Massimo Calvelli will become CEO of the ATP on the first of January.
Luis Vicente has been appointed as the new CEO of Eleven Sports.
Michel Possau will be the Rugby World Cup 2023 General Manager, as named by World Rugby.
Neal O’Rourke is the new managing director of Sky Österreich.
Ironman Group has announced two new appointments, Chris Marciani as Vice-President of Global Partnerships in North America and Matt Wikstrom as Vice-President of Global Partnerships for Global Business Development.
Stats Perform have announced roles the Hirdt brothers. Steve as Senior Director of Operations and Research and Peter as Senior Director of Content and Broadcast Service.
Cole Gahagan is new President of Content, Revenue and Enterprise Solutions at Learfield IMG College.
Major League Rugby have announced George Killebrew as their new Commissioner.
Keykavous Saeidi is now Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Mark McCafferty has become Chairman of Warwickshire CCC.
Markus Haggeney is Acting Secretary General of the FAI.
Erlinda Tabla is now Vice-President, head of legal at Eurosport, and head of legal at Discovery France
Katie Carew is now the New York Giants Director for Corporate Partnerships.
At a special meeting held today, Premier League clubs approved the appointment of Richard Masters as its Chief Executive with immediate effect.
Masters is the third person to have been offered the job, following Susanna Dinnage accepting the role before reneging on her agreement with the league and David Pemsel, who was forced to pull out of the running a fortnight ago following accusations about his private life in the British press.
Bruce Buck, Chairman of Chelsea Football Club and Chairman of the Premier League Nominations Committee, said: “Richard took on the role of Interim Chief Executive a year ago. Since then, the clubs have seen Richard rise to the occasion, dealing with our various stakeholders and partners with aplomb and skill.
“As Interim Chief Executive, he has faced challenges head-on and has proved himself. The clubs believe that this is the right appointment now in the long-term interests of the Premier League.”
Commenting on his appointment, Richard said: “I feel privileged to be given the opportunity to lead the Premier League in what will be one of the most exciting stages of its development.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the clubs and our partners and other stakeholders over the past year. This is one of the most incredible jobs in the world of sport and I now look forward to leading the League in the many opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.”
Richard has worked in the sports industry for more than 25 years. He joined the Premier League as Director of Sales and Marketing in 2006 and was promoted to Managing Director in July 2015.
Prior to joining the Premier League, Richard was Commercial Director at the English Football League and before that he worked for the England and Wales Cricket Board.
The Premier League Nominations Committee will now look to appoint a non-executive Chair promptly in the new year.
The ATP has announced the appointment of Massimo Calvelli as the ATP Chief Executive Officer, beginning 1 January 2020.
Calvelli brings a wide range of tennis and executive experience to the position and was the unanimous choice of the ATP Board of Directors. The 45-year-old Italian has been a highly respected sports executive in global sales, marketing, operations and product development for the past 20 years.
Calvelli will work closely with fellow Italian Andrea Gaudenzi, who becomes the new Chairman of the ATP on 1 January 2020. The two will serve in a new split role at the helm of the ATP, replacing the combined position of ATP Executive Chairman and President, currently held by Chris Kermode through to the end of 2019.
“I am delighted and honoured to be appointed as the new CEO of the ATP,” said Calvelli. “I have been involved in professional tennis for most of my life and I look forward to bringing my passion and knowledge of the sport into this role. It’s a very exciting time to be involved with the ATP Tour as we strive to build on the growth of recent years, and I look forward to getting started in January.”
Most recently, Calvelli was employed by Nike where he worked across multiple functions and oversaw all aspects of global tennis sports marketing. During his time at Nike, he has led negotiations with many of the sport’s global icons. Previously, the former professional tennis player was the Global Business Director for Wilson Sporting Goods.
Gaudenzi said: “Together with the ATP Board of Directors, I am delighted to welcome Massimo as the new CEO of the ATP. We share a great passion for the sport and I’m confident our diverse business experiences will serve the Tour well as we work on the future direction of men’s professional tennis.”
The appointment of Calvelli concludes an extensive leadership recruitment process undertaken over the last eight months by the ATP Board of Directors, with the assistance of global leadership advisory and executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates.
