Tebas ‘Hugely Excited’ About LaLiga TV UK Launch

The launch of LaLiga TV, the UK’s first dedicated channel showing all live LaLiga content, was marked by an exclusive event in London hosted by LaLiga and its UK broadcast partner Premier Sports.

Special guests including LaLiga president Javier Tebas and former LaLiga player and manager Mauricio Pochettino were in attendance, accompanied by LaLigaTV talent and Spanish football experts Guillem Balagué, Semra Hunter, Gus Poyet, Simon Hanley and Graham Hunter.

The channel is now available to all SKY TV subscribers, who can access LaLigaTV free of charge for two full LaLiga Santander matchdays until January 28th. Available as a standalone channel via SKY TV channel 435, LaLigaTV offers all available 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.

As of today, LaLigaTV is also available on Virgin TV on Channel 554, at no extra cost to existing Premier Sports subscribers. Viewers of LaLigaTV have many exciting matchups to look forward to in the coming weeks, beginning this weekend with fixtures including Real Betis vs. Real Sociedad and FC 2 Barcelona vs. Granada CF, the first match in charge for new Barcelona boss Quique Setién.

It was also exclusively announced at the event that the forthcoming El Clásico fixture will be played on Sunday 1st March 2020, at 8pm GMT.

LaLiga President, Javier Tebas, said: “We are committed to providing the best content for our fans and I’m hugely excited about the launch of LaLigaTV in the UK. It is a very important step for us.”

WNBA Expands To 36-Game Schedule, Starts Cup Competition

The 2020 WNBA season will feature the first-ever Commissioner’s Cup tournament, an expanded schedule with 36 games per team and an increase in nationally televised games on ABC.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said: “We are incredibly excited to introduce a first-of-its-kind in-season tournament for our league and present more regular-season games on ABC, increasing the WNBA’s national television exposure.”

“The Commissioner’s Cup offers fans another competition through which to support their favourite teams and adds a new dimension to the season for our players and teams. And the 2020 schedule gives fans even more opportunities to see the best players in the world compete at the highest level and highlights the ABC/ESPN family’s continued commitment to the WNBA and women’s sports.”

The new Commissioner’s Cup will consist of designating a portion of regular-season games – 10 games per team – as counting towards Cup play. The team from each conference with the top record in designated “Cup games” will then compete for The Commissioner Cup title and a special prize pool.

The Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game is tentatively scheduled to be played on Friday, Aug. 14, two days before regular-season play resumes on Sunday, Aug. 16 following the Olympic break.

Carol Stiff, ESPN Vice President of Programming and Acquisitions, commented: “We are honoured to once again offer fans an extensive slate of WNBA matchups this season, with games on ESPN/ESPN2 and an increase on ABC.

“The WNBA continues to be a priority for ESPN, as it has been since its launch. We look forward to working hand-in-hand with the league, elevating women’s professional basketball to new heights.”

MLS Sells Broadcasting Rights In 11 Territories To BeIN Sport

BeIN sports have acquired Major League Soccer Rights in 11 countries until the end of the 2022 season.

With this new agreement, BeIN will broadcast MLS games in a large number of Asia-Pacific territories.

The eleven countries covered by this agreement, which is an extension of BeIN’s current deal, are Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Timor Leste, Malaysia, Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

Announcement: 2020 iSportconnect Hospitality Masterclass – ACC Liverpool, Everton FC and Rokit Williams Racing Join Lineup

iSportconnect can now reveal our latest three speakers for our 2020 Hospitality Masterclass in just under three weeks time.

Rob March, Head of Partnerships and Hospitality at ACC Liverpool and M&S Bank Arena, Amanda McReynolds, Head of Partnerships and Events for Rokit Williams Racing and Oliver Wright, Head of Sales and Corporate Hospitality at Everton FC will be taking part in the day’s events.

They join Jeanene Valentine, Director of Ticket Operations at Inter Miami CF, Dan Buckingham, Head of Clubhouses, Lounges and Spas at Virgin Atlantic, and Chris Rawlings, Chief Commercial Officer of the Scottish Football Association.

The 2020 iSportconnect Hospitality Masterclass is in partnership with Sodexo, and will be taking place on the 5th of February at Emerald Headingley Stadium in Leeds.

Our Hospitality Masterclass will provide great discussions surrounding the world of hospitality within the sporting world and will, of course, also be a fantastic networking event for all in attendance.

Rob March

Rob has worked in the major events sector for over 15 years. He was part of the Liverpool – European Capital of Culture 2008 delivery team from 2004 before moving onto Chester Race Company for four years and have been with ACC Liverpool Group for six and half years. 

In his current role he is responsible for the management of all venue Partnerships for ACC Liverpool and all Corporate Hospitality at the M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool.

Amanda McReynolds

Amanda leads the Partner Management and Events department of the Williams Formula 1 Team. After transitioning from competing at an elite level within the sport of gymnastics, Amanda has built a career focussed on delivering exceptional levels of partner satisfaction to drive long term revenue, growth and retention. Williams is an independent constructor within the world of Formula 1 and relies on partnership revenue to go racing.

Amanda is responsible for the management and renewal of the Williams Partner portfolio, including Title Partner – ROKiT, the delivery of all rights and benefits and trackside branding. In addition, Amanda is accountable for the delivery of all Merchandise and Licensing, including replica kit and external Events, such as car launches, running car demonstrations and Paddock Club Hospitality. Each of these areas is focussed on helping Partners to achieve their marketing objectives and around developing a growing team of Partnership Managers, Amanda has consistently driven improvements in experiential Hospitality at Williams, with Formula 1 known as one of the premier Hospitality experiences in business entertainment.  

Oliver Wright

Oliver has worked in the Sports Industry for the past decade, specialising in Football hospitality sales and operations. Following a career in bar and restaurant management, his experience includes spells with Manchester United, Lagardere and Leicester City.

At Leicester he oversaw the comprehensive refurbishment of the King Power Stadium upon their promotion to the Premier League and is currently at Everton Football Club, responsible for operations at Goodison Park and the premium admission, hospitality and catering strategy for their proposed new 52,000 capacity stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.

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

Nike Opts To Parter With T1 Esports Teams And Players

Nike today announced its exclusive apparel partnership with global Esports organisation T1 Entertainment & Sports.

They have introduced plans to develop training facilities and programs that improve the performance of professional gamers. The Nike partnership extends across all T1 teams and players, including the ultra-successful League of Legends (LoL) Champions Korea (LCK) team and Lee FakerSang-hyeok.

Nike is committed to empowering T1 athletes by providing cutting-edge training facilities at T1 Headquarters in Seoul, which is expected to open later this year. Utilising its unique sports research facilities and athletic training expertise, Nike will create and implement training programs that are designed to enhance the athletic capabilities of T1’s players and teams. Training program offerings will include physical and mental strength training that helps professional esports players further their careers.

In late 2019, Faker visited Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon to get a behind-the-scenes tour of Nike’s Sports Research Lab (NSRL) and began working with Nike trainers and biomechanists. As the exclusive apparel partner of T1, Nike will design all T1 team uniforms and every T1 athlete will wear Nike footwear and sportswear during competition.

We’re interest in understanding and learning more about the relationship between improved physical fitness and athleticism as it relates to gaming, said Brant Hirst, Marketing Director at Nike Korea. These athletes have unique skill sets that we believe we can help them improve through tailored training methods.

Partnering with Nike marks a historical moment in our organisation’s history as we work to transcend esports and further cement T1’s position as a global brand, said Joe Marsh, CEO of T1. Together we are thrilled to bring innovation to the next level through Nike’s premier training programs and performance wear that will help maximise our players’ potential and strengthen the longevity of their careers. Nike is renowned for supporting elite athletes of all types and we are excited to collaborate on apparel for our teams and fans to celebrate T1 in every corner of the world.

Established in 2012, T1 is recognised as one of the most successful organisations in the history of esports. The T1 League of Legends team is renowned for winning three World Championships (2013, 2015, 2016), two Mid-Season Invitationals, and eight LCK titles, making it the most celebrated esports team in the world. Faker is widely regarded as the most iconic player of all time and has helped the T1 LoL team acquire one of the largest, most influential fandoms in the world.

I can’t wait to see how Nike’s training and performance expertise will transform our team’s skills and the entire T1 organisation, said Faker, professional League of Legends player for T1. It’s great to see Nike supporting esports and we are excited to represent the Swoosh in competition.

On The Move: Latest Sports Community Job Appointments

Matt Webster will be the new Director of Marketing, EMEA for Twitch.

Tim Hunt is Williams Racing’s new Commercial and Marketing Director.

Erik Logan will take over from Susan Goldschmidt as World Surf League CEO.

Jonathan Anastas will be One Championship’s Chief Marketing Officer.

Will Thomas is now a part of Livescore Group as Head of Sponsorship.

Emir Osmanbegovic has become CEO of Nexiko Sport.

Christian Hindennach is Sky Deustchland’s new Chief Commercial Officer.

Shaun McHugh has joined Charlton Athletic FC as Chief Financial Officer.

Mark Devlin will be the acting CEO of Huddersfield Town FC.

Gianni Infantino, Yasuhiro Yamashita and David Haggerty have all joined the IOC as members.

Mariam Mahdavi is also an IOC appointment, as Legal Affairs Director.

Sami Arap has been appointed Chairman of the Brazilian Olympic Committee

Katy Chambers Mollica has joined LA 2028 as Head of Partnership Sales for US Olympic and Paralympic Properties.

Ed Tischler is going to be Gravity Media’s Managing Director.

Sarah Williams has taken the role of Partnership Growth at Leicester Tigers.

W Series To Combine With Formula 1 Events In 2020

W Series have added new races into their 2020 calendar that will see them combine with Formula 1 during their race weekend.

The races in USA and Mexico this coming autumn, alongside Formula 1 will form an exciting championship-deciding ‘double header’, held on consecutive weekends.

“We at W Series are absolutely delighted that, in only our second season, our championship has been welcomed by Formula 1, and we’re utterly thrilled that the final two races of the 2020 W Series season will therefore take place as part of the Formula 1 platform,” said Catherine Bond Muir, CEO of W Series.

“Our two all-new races will follow six races on the DTM platform, making a very varied, extremely exciting and truly international eight-race championship, in eight countries across the globe.

“I’m particularly pleased that W Series will now stage races outside Europe, and the USA and Mexico are of course both very important new territories for us.”

“Interest in and enthusiasm for W Series was enormous in our first season, 2019, among media and fans alike, and the addition of two all-new W Series races on the Formula 1 platform will inevitably increase that enthusiasm and interest,” she added.

BodyArmor Partner With 19 MLS Franchises

BodyArmor have announced exclusive partnerships with 19 MLS franchises at a promotional event.

The teams BodyArmor have associated with are:  Austin FC (who will join MLS in 2021), Chicago Fire FC, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew SC, D.C. United, FC Cincinnati, Houston Dynamo, Inter Miami FC, Los Angeles FC, Minnesota United FC, Nashville SC, New York Red Bulls, New York City FC, Orlando City SC, Philadelphia Union, Portland Timbers, San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders and Sporting Kansas City.

MLS and BodyArmor also announced their new youth soccer initiative which commences during the league’s landmark 25th season.

BodyArmor will join forces with MLS to support youth soccer programs across the United States and help develop the next generation of top soccer talent and work with MLS club youth programs to fully support coaches and team managers with sideline equipment and essential hydration needs.

BODYARMOR was announced in September 2019 as the “Official Sports Drink” of Major League Soccer in the U.S. starting in January 2020. It is the largest multi-year partnership in BODYARMOR history.

Announcement: 2020 iSportconnect Esports Masterclass – Riot Games, ESL and Formula One To Take Part

iSportconnect can reveal that we will be hosting our second ever Esports Masterclass on the 20th of February at Withersworldwide in London.

We are thrilled to be holding this event which will provide great insight covering a topic that is seeing such rapid expansion and becoming increasingly relevant and interlinked to those within the established sporting world on a daily basis.

For our first group of speakers we are incredibly pleased to announce that Alban Dechelotte, Head of Sponsorships and Business Development at Riot Games, Charlie Allen, Director of Global Brand Partnerships for ESL and Julian Tan, Head of Digital Business Initiatives and Esports at Formula 1 will be joining us to provide their expertise within this area of sports business.

To see more details on the event head to our Esports Masterclass page: https://www.isportconnect.com/event/esports-masterclass-2/

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

ATPI Sports Events Celebrates Strong Expansion In 2019

After a series of client wins, high-profile event success and team expansion throughout 2019, ATPI Sports Events, part of the leading travel and events business ATPI Group, celebrates another year of strong achievements, with a keen focus on continuing its global growth plans in 2020.

The beginning of 2019 saw ATPI Sports Events sign a two-year partnership deal with ABB FIA Formula E Championship NIO 33 FE Team. Becoming the official NIO Formula E Travel Desk, ATPI’s specialist sports events division successfully demonstrated its extensive experience in the fast lane, starting with the 2019 FWD Sanya E-Prix. The business secured three more high-profile sporting clients towards the end of the year, including activating a partnership between Vestas, a global leader in sustainable energy solutions and the Mercedes-Benz EQ Formula E Team for the upcoming ABB FIA Formula E Championship season. 

In addition, The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race appointed ATPI Sports Events as its official travel supplier to the 2019-20 edition of the event. As well as providing a dedicated Travel Desk for Clipper Race Crew and supporters to ensure that they were able to focus on what really matters to them, the team also created hospitality experiences for other Clipper Race partners, focusing on the race arrival and departure in a number of the international stopovers.

Ahead of the one-year countdown to the Olympic Games in Tokyo (July 24 to August 9, 2020), ATPI Sports Events also announced that ticket sales were open to all Canadian residents. ATPI Sports Events is the official and exclusive source of Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 event tickets in Canada, making it the only organisation authorised to offer tickets to Canadian residents. In addition to Olympic tickets, the team will also provide full-service, customisable hospitality packages for Tokyo 2020, including flights, accommodation, ground transportation, pre-travel information, English and French support on-site and sight-seeing excursions.

Other key wins included a four-year deal managing travel arrangements for the British Wheelchair Basketball teams and a travel services agreement with South African, New Zealand and Australian Rugby (SANZAR) from the commencement of its 2020 Super Rugby and Rugby Championship season.

Looking forward to 2020 the growth of the ATPI Sports Events business looks set to continue as countries worldwide prepare for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo and the team will continue to builds its sponsor activation proposition for clients at major sporting events worldwide. These include the European League, Champions League and Euro 2020.

Helen van Berkel, global head of events, the ATPI Group commented: “2019 has been an exciting year for the sports division with key new partnerships established with world leading sports and events organisations allowing us to drive greater efficiencies for our growing client portfolio. Through these wins, the ATPI Sports Events team can continue demonstrating its specialist travel and events expertise in the sports arena and deliver what really matters to clients in 2020 and beyond. Sustainability, a keen focus on community and drive for innovation and technology are all key in our approach to developing our client service offer into the new year and we look forward to working closely with our client partners to enable them to realise these ambitions.”

ATPI Sports Events is one of the world’s fastest growing events businesses with specialist teams delivering travel, events, corporate hospitality, ticketing, branding and sponsorship activation for leading events and sports brands around the world.

For more information visit: www.atpi.com