ELEVEN SPORTS Appoints Luis Vicente As CEO

Luis Vicente will join ELEVEN SPORTS as the group’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on 15th January 2020.

Luis is a vastly experienced sports executive, with a 25-year track record of driving innovation, commercial growth and brand engagement for athletes, teams and governing bodies.

He joins ELEVEN SPORTS from FIFA where, as Chief Digital Transformation & Innovation Officer, he worked to champion new technologies, gaming, data and content strategies.

Luis has worked with some of the world’s leading brands in football and motorsports. He held leadership roles with Manchester City and Valencia CF and has offered strategic guidance to Real Madrid, AC Milan, the Premier League, LaLiga, Red Bull, Ferrari, Lotus and A1GP. He began his career in talent management, representing Luis Figo and Ronaldo Nazario among other world class athletes.

Luis takes over as CEO from Marc Watson, who will continue working to lead the ELEVEN SPORTS group forward in his role as ELEVEN’s Executive Chairman and Board Director of parent company Aser Ventures.

Marc Watson, Executive Chairman, ELEVEN SPORTS Group, has welcomed Luis to the group:

“Luis has a passion for innovation and new technologies and a history of helping to grow some of the biggest brands in sport. He is the perfect person to take ELEVEN to the next level. We’re delighted to welcome him to the group.”

Luis Vicente, CEO, ELEVEN SPORTS Group, said:

“ELEVEN has been disrupting the world of sports media since 2015 and has already developed a fantastic offering for millions of fans globally. My mission will be to help ELEVEN continue to grow, to further democratise our offering and give fans everywhere the opportunity to enjoy the best sporting moments with ELEVEN. I am very excited to get started.”

Luis also joins Aser Ventures as Board Member and Chief Digital Officer.

DAZN Takes Champions League Rights In Germany From Sky Deutschland

DAZN has won the bidding rights to the Champions League in Germany for the three seasons beginning from the 2021/22 season.

Sky Germany’s CEO, Carsten Schmidt, told BILD that they have lost the rights through the tender process, saying:

“In the tendering process that has just been completed, we have not been able to agree on a continuation of the cooperation after about 20 years of partnership with Uefa.

“We have an economically clear and responsible view on the value of sports rights, however, even in the interests of our customers, we were not prepared to go beyond the high value that we attach to this right.”

U.S. Reform Could Upset Olympic Status Quo

Changes in the governance of Olympic sports being considered by the U.S. Congress could be in conflict with the principles of the Olympic Charter, according to the chief of the national governing body of a leading sport.

Speaking at the Regional SportAccord in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, Jim Scherr, CEO of World Lacrosse, said that provisions in proposed legislation aimed at protecting athletes, however well intentioned, would contravene the Charter by giving the U.S. government an oversight role of Olympic sport in the country.

Congress is currently weighing an adjustment to the Amateur Sports Act of 1978 (which was last amended in 1998) that would give legislators the power to dissolve the board and/or management of the USOC or any Olympic national governing body.

“The aim of the changes is to protect the welfare of athletes and give them greater voice,” Scherr, a former CEO of the USOC, told iSportconnect in an interview after his conference session. “This is positive of course. However, giving government this sort of political lever would be contrary to the Olympic Charter. The criticism raised by some people that the USOC is hiding behind the IOC is not correct. The Charter does say that governments should not be in such a position.”

The U.S. government, unlike in many other countries, does not get directly involved in funding sport or the Olympic organisations. Support of the USOC comes indirectly through extra protection for Olympic trademarks enabling the USOC to offer partners more value from their association with Olympic sport.

The U.S. government also invests in safeguarding the security of the U.S. team and the Games when they take place in America.

Scherr said a place on the Olympic programme for lacrosse for the Los Angeles Games in 2028 is a possibility.

“Our primary aim is to grow the game,” he said. “I have not met a single athlete or person involved in lacrosse who doesn’t say it would be phenomenal to be part of the Olympics. One day we would like to be in the Games. However, whether or not we are in the Olympics in the future, we will continue to work to develop our sport and work for our athletes.”

Euroleague Basketball’s Startup Challenge Allies With The World’s Leading Tech Conference 4YFN

Euroleague Basketball has announced details of the 2020 Fan XP Innovation Challenge. It invites tech startups to join the sports fan revolution by presenting new innovations that create unique fan experiences in professional sports.

The Fan XP Innovation Challenge, an evolution of the previously held EB Tech Challenge, will be marked by a strategic partnership that will see 4YFN, a world-leading startup event and part of the MWC, collaborate in the recruitment and reviewing of applicant startups, as well as host the final phase of the competition, to be held in Barcelona on February 24, 25 and 26.

iSportconnect & iSportconnect Capital Founder and CEO Sree Varma will be on the jury overseeing the challenge and said: “I am delighted to have once again been asked to be part of the jury to select the winning startup in the 2020 Fan XP Innovation Challenge. It is always fantastic to see the new ideas that are being created every year and I look forward to being part of it.”

4YFN joins long-time Euroleague Basketball partner the University of La Salle-URL, who will continue to power the challenge in collaboration with its tech arm La Salle Technova, and new partners N3XT Sports, a strategic consulting firm specialized in sports technology, innovation and investments, who will provide continuous advisory support to the project.

“We are excited to find out what opportunities can be found in the crossroads of sports, fan experience, technology and innovation,” Jordi Bertomeu, President & CEO of Euroleague Basketball, said. “Besides learning about the latest trends in technology and finding solutions to our most important challenges, it is always rewarding to spend time with startups as they instill in our organization a highly valuable mindset of entrepreneurship and innovation. And sharing this journey with partners as University of LaSalle-URL, 4YFN and N3xt Sports, who combine for an amazing level of expertise in this field, makes it even more thrilling!”

Startups can now apply to participate at https://fanxp.euroleague.net/. Applications will remain open until January 10, 2020, and the selection of a maximum of 10 finalists will be announced by January 22, 2020. Finalists will be invited to attend the 4YFN conference in Barcelona to participate in the following activities:

– A minimum of 4 remote and in-person mentoring sessions with Euroleague Basketball executives to receive guidance on how to best adapt their existing solutions to a professional sports environment.

– Free access to the 4YFN conference, including the Fan XP Innovation Challenge public events.

– Free exhibition space at the 4YFN conference to present their solution to the 25,000+ visitors.

– Opportunity to present their pitch 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. (Jury members to be announced soon.)

– Private sessions with top Euroleague Basketball executives to expand knowledge and receive insights on the sports and basketball industries.

– Private networking opportunities to connect with sports/basketball professionals and jury members.

– Potential pilot test to validate concept at an official Euroleague Basketball event.

– Potential investment opportunities and investor meetings.

The startups that participate are required to satisfy the following conditions:

• Possess a product or service that provides an innovative proposal to upgrade the fan experience in sports and generates new or expanded revenue opportunities for sports organizations;

• Possess a product or service with significant potential for growth and a unique value proposition for potential investors;

• Company must have been operating for at least 2 years and have at least two full-time workers;

• Possess at least one Minimum Viable Product, at least in private beta phase;

• Have paying clients and/or users.

In general, startups that participate are expected to contribute to the improvement of the fan experience and generate direct or indirect revenue opportunities through broadcast, in-arena or digital platforms, or a combination of these.

Visit https://fanxp.euroleague.net/ to apply or contact fanxp@euroleague.net for more information.

Eurovision Sport Agrees FIFA Club World Cup 2019 And 2020 Deal In 37 Territories

Eurovision Sport has signed an agreement with Dentsu, the Japanese based agency, for exclusive media rights, on all platforms, to the FIFA Club World Cup 2019 and 2020.

Eurovision Sport, a division of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), represents Europe’s public service broadcasters. Covering 37 territories*, the new agreement ensures wide free-to-air coverage across Europe for the FIFA Club World Cup via EBU Member broadcasters and builds on the strong relationship between the EBU and FIFA.

The FIFA Club World Cup sees the current UEFA Champion’s League winner competing against the 5 other Confederations club champions (plus the host’s country club representative) in an annual eight-match knockout tournament.

Pascal Fratellia, Head of Football Rights at Eurovision Sport says, “We are very pleased to sign this new FIFA Club World Cup deal, building on a relationship initiated back in 2011. This agreement provides FIFA and Dentsu with a strong and reliable broadcast commitment from EBU Members and reaffirms our ambition and dedication to showcase premium football competitions free-to-air for fans.”

This FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2019™ will be staged from Wednesday 11 December until Saturday 21 December. Europe will be represented this year by Liverpool F.C, winner of the UEFA Champions League Final in 2019.

Brooklyn Nets Owner Joe Tsai Spending $10million On Esports Team Stake, Reports Say

Bloomberg has reported that owner of the Brooklyn Nets NBA Franchise, Joe Tsai, is to invest $10 million into buying a minority stake in the G2 Esports team.

Tsai is the co-founder of Alibaba and G2 are reportedly set to use the opportunity to boost the profile of their Berlin-based franchise in China.

Jens Hilgers, Chairman and Co-Founder of G2 commented: “The biggest challenge for Western teams is to properly play to Chinese culture, to understand the true thinking and mentality of the Chinese audience. That’s something that we will pay a lot of attention to, but with the support of a Chinese owner in our group, hopefully it goes a bit easier.”

“We want to be, from a talent perspective, a Western team. But we want to build fans so that when it comes to international competition, these fans can look to G2 Esports and say, ‘I’ve heard about these guys, I follow these guys, and that’s my favorite team when I don’t see my home favorite,'” Hilgers added.

British Olympic Association ‘Dismayed By Legal Tactics’ From Athletes

The British Olympic Association has issued a strong statement in response to continued legal action from major British athletes who dispute IOC ‘rule 40’.

These athletes have been protesting against sponsorship regulations with Mo Farah, Adam Gemili and Katarina Johnson-Thompson among those who are threatening to sue over their potential earnings.

Following a meeting that was conducted last week with representatives of the athletes that the BOA have claimed was productive, they say they are ‘dismayed’ by the continual legal tactics being shown from the opposition.

The statement said: “Despite those encouraging conversations, we have been dismayed by the ongoing legal tactics being conducted in the background, which in no way reflects the spirit of the discussions held.

“Therefore we have been forced to respond fully and robustly to the legal challenge and have done so in the best interests of all of the athletes we serve and the BOA – a not-for-profit independent organisation that receives no taxpayer or Government funds.

“All monies raised by the BOA are prioritised towards providing athletes with the best support in the performance environment. In the four-year period to Tokyo 2020 we will have taken over 700 athletes to nine multi-sport events, including youth Olympic Games and both senior winter and summer Games.

“We reiterate that it is clearly not in the interest of any party to enter into a protracted legal dispute ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

“As such, we continue to act in good faith and make ourselves available for further discussions with a strong desire to find a positive solution for the benefit of all athletes through constructive, open and transparent dialogue.”

 

Six Australian States Back 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Bid

Football Federation Australia has confirmed that six State Governments are now formally backing Australia’s FIFA Women’s World Cup™ bid for 2023, and will be in the mix to host matches if Australia is successful in its bid.

This follows the announcement that the Tasmanian Government has joined Western Australian, Victorian, Queensland, New South Wales and South Australian State Governments in supporting the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ Bid and committing to host matches.

The huge success of the 2019 tournament in France led to a decision by FIFA to expand the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ to a 32-team tournament, up from 24. With the deadline for 2023 bid nations to submit their plans to FIFA fast approaching on 13 December, FFA looks forward to providing greater detail of its bid vision and concept later this month.

FFA Chairman, Mr Chris Nikou said: “I congratulate and thank the State Ministers and Governments for joining us in partnership to deliver the best FIFA Women’s World Cup™ football has ever seen. We are excited about submitting a compelling bid to FIFA shortly and hosting a World Cup that fans and players will never forget.

“Following the FFA’s pioneering collective bargaining agreement to close the gender pay gap between Australia’s national teams, and our 10-year funding plan to drive growth in women’s football, Australia is perfectly suited to work in full partnership with FIFA to take women’s football to a whole new level.”

Matildas Captain, Sam Kerr commented: “Hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia would be a dream come true for me. There is so much untapped potential, not just in Australia but right across Asia and the Pacific region, that I really do believe we would offer something incredibly special to FIFA. I look forward to doing all that I can to support our bid right up to the last moment in May 2020 as this is my opportunity to give something back to the sport that has already given me so much.”

FFA Chief Operating Officer, Mr Mark Falvo added: “The FFA is delighted that six State Governments have so far shared our vision to bring the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ to Australia. Having these Governments onside for our Bid, is a tremendous boost as we prepare to lodge the Bid book with FIFA in Zurich later this week. The prospect of playing matches right across the country is an exciting one for the millions of football fans in Australia and we are resolute in the belief that we can deliver an outstanding tournament in what will be an amazing chapter in the history of women’s football.”

FIFA will announce the host of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in May next year.

Inaugural Regional SportAccord Targets Governance Issues

Frank discussion of governance themes figured prominently on the conference programme as the very first Regional SportAccord event opened today in Fort Lauderdale.

Mayor Dean Trantalis welcomed delegates to the Florida city, where David Beckham’s new MLS team, Inter Miami CF, will play its first season in 2020 in a refurbished 18,000-seat stadium.

Fort Lauderdale is investing $40 million in upgrading its swimming infrastructure and the mayor said that he is also hoping to build a half-pipe for skateboarding.

SportAccord Regional Pan America is taking place at the Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center, which will soon be transformed as part of a massive $1 billion project to transform the city as an event destination.

SportAccord President Raffaele Chiulli, President of the Global Association of International Sports Federations, set the tone for the day’s proceedings with opening comments stressing the critical role of sport as a positive force in wider society.

In a presentation on the changing global landscape of sport, Andrew Ryan, Executive Director of the Association of Summer Olympic Federations, pointed to the growth and ageing of the world’s population as one of the key global trends impacting sport, with mass events and masters sports competitions growing in importance.

Governance of the IFs has been improving over the years. A dozen years ago, for example, only a handful of the federations published their accounts. Now almost all of them do.

But that’s a “quick fix,” he said. “The most difficult thing to do is to change the culture of governance.”

Chiulli agreed. The biggest barrier to change is the “mindset” that doesn’t see the need for long-time practices to change. He added that the process of improvement needs to be from the top down.

Stephan Fox, President of the Alliance Independent Recognised Members of Sport, who joined them on the opening panel said a public perception that governance is poor is a challenge to deal with and one that is not really fair.

“The number of bad eggs is actually very small,” he said. “The media should do a better job of highlighting the good things that sport does.”

 

Fort Lauderdale Ready to Welcome Sporting World to Inaugural Regional SportAccord Pan America 2019

Hundreds of leading sports officials and executives are arriving in Fort Lauderdale from across the globe to explore development opportunities in the Americas with the inaugural edition of Regional SportAccord Pan America 2019 set to get underway. 

iSportconnect’s Jay Stuart and Brandon Garcia will be in attendance at the event so if you would like to engage then they will be available for the duration of the event.

A welcome reception tomorrow (Tuesday) evening from 7pm to 9pm will kick off proceedings before a packed conference programme runs across Wednesday and Thursday under the theme of ‘A United Approach to the International Sport Landscape in the Americas’ at the Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center.

A bustling exhibition and additional social events will provide further opportunities for dozens of sports commissions, regions and cities from across the Americas to forge closer relationships and explore opportunities with the international sports movement.

The conference programme will feature influential speakers such as Raffaele Chiulli, President, SportAccord and GAISF; Andrew Ryan, Executive Director, ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations); Stephan Fox, President, AIMS (Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport), Vice President, GAISF; Ivar Sisniega, Secretary General, Panam Sports; and Nadia Comăneci, Five-time Olympic Gymnastic Gold Medallist.

Speakers from the USA, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Chile, Mexico, El Salvador, Ecuador and Peru will also be featured on the programme, which will delve into topics including esports, good governance, social responsibility, knowledge transfer, safeguarding athletes, rebranding and the role of data in transforming host cities.

One of the speakers, Willie Banks, Council Member, World Athletics, two-time Olympian and former President of the US Olympians Association, said: “I am very happy that Regional SportAccord is taking place, because it is important that we communicate with each other about the strength of our region and find ways to improve the overall coordination of sport in the Americas.”

Prestigious Partners have also lined up to support the event, which is being hosted in Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County in partnership with International Sports & Health Associates and MGO Events.

Florida Sports Foundation, Greater Fort Lauderdale and Panam Sports have signed up as Gold Partners. The Silver Partners are Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance and Sarasota – Bradenton, while the Bronze Partners are CVB Leon, FITEQ (Fédération Internationale de Teqball) and Guadalajara.

The Top Media Partner is CNN, while the Official Media Partners are AFP, Connect Sports, Host City, iSportconnect, SportBusiness Group, Sportcal, SportsPro and Yutang Sports.

Nis Hatt, Managing Director, SportAccord, said: “We are immensely grateful for the strong support of all our Partners for this highly anticipated gathering. 

“We have attracted a large number of representatives from the International Sports Federation community, as well as Ministries of Sport, National Olympic Committees, cities and regions across Pan America, underlining the strong commitment in supporting this inaugural edition.”

Follow Regional SportAccord via Twitter @sportaccord using #RSA2019, or keep up-to-date via LinkedIn and Facebook, YouTube and Flickr, and for media enquiries, email: info@regionalsportaccord.sport