FC Barcelona Topple Real Madrid To Reach The Top Of Deloitte’s Football Money League

FC Barcelona have reached the top of Deloitte’s annual Football Money League for the first time after bringing in €840.8 million of revenue for the 2018/19 season.

By doing so they have toppled LaLiga rivals Real Madrid, who finished in second place with €757.3 million, with Manchester United in third place.

Of the top ten, five are Premier League clubs, with Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea joining United. Tottenham’s inclusion sees them become the highest placed London side, mainly in thanks to making the Champions League Final, with Arsenal out of the top ten in eleventh place.

Barcelona’s revenue margin to second place was the highest ever seen in the report, say Deloitte, with the Catalan side producing €83.5 million more than Real Madrid during the season.

Of the revenue produced by the top 20 sides in the report (€9.3 billion), almost half came via money from broadcasting, with the figure at 44%. Close behind was commercial revenue which accounted for 40%, while the remaining 16% of revenue was produced from matchdays.

One particularly interesting statistic to come from the report is that only 25% of clubs in the top 20 have more followers on Instagram than their most followed player on the platform.

View the full report here: https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/sports-business-group/articles/deloitte-football-money-league.html

AIG And New Zealand All Blacks Will End Partnership After 2021

New Zealand Rugby have announced that their partnership with AIG will be ending following the conclusion of the deal in 2021.

This means that New Zealand Rugby will soon be commencing their search for a new partner in preparation for the end of that deal, part of the reasoning behind this announcement, said New Zealand Rugby Chief Executive, Mark Robinson.

“We have enjoyed a hugely successful and mutually beneficial commercial partnership that has helped both AIG and NZR to strengthen our respective brands on the world stage. Through this partnership, NZR and the six national teams sponsored by AIG have been able to grow rugby’s presence in new and growing markets, with opportunities to play in new territories and introduce our teams to new fans all over the world,” Robinson commented.

“AIG was particularly active behind our teams achieving many significant milestones: the All Blacks playing their first ever Test match on United States soil with return fixtures in Chicago; a triple header featuring the Māori All Blacks and Black Ferns in Chicago; the Māori All Blacks playing in new cities in Canada, matches in Osaka and Tokyo, and a first-time South American tour to Brazil and Chile.

He added, “We will continue to work with AIG through another exciting period for our teams – with both the men’s and women’s sevens teams seeking gold at the Tokyo Olympics later in 2020, and the Black Ferns heading into the Rugby World Cup 2021 as defending champions and the tournament’s host nation.”

Daniel Glantz, AIG’s Global Head of Sponsorship and Strategic Partnerships, said: “We thank New Zealand Rugby for their partnership and are proud of our many accomplishments together. New Zealand Rugby’s staff and players have consistently demonstrated a commitment to excellence on and off the pitch, which has enhanced both of our brands and inspired rugby fans around the world.”

AIG’s sponsorship is currently scheduled to conclude at the end of 2021.

Team GB Partners With British Airways For Tokyo 2020

Team GB has appointed British Airways as its official airline partner ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games this summer.

The airline will fly hundreds of athletes and support team, along with their equipment to and from the Games as part of the partnership, which also includes ParalympicsGB. British Airways has been supporting British Olympic athletes for over a decade, since the Beijing 2008 Games.

To mark the announcement, athletes from a range of sports officially launched the partnership at London Heathrow airport. Representing skateboarding, which is being introduced at the Olympic Games for the first time in Tokyo, was 11-year-old Sky Brown who is set to be GB’s youngest summer Olympian, athlete Dina Asher-Smith, and boxer Cheavon Clarke who hopes to represent Team GB.

In addition, Ali Jawad, powerlifter, Maisie Summers-Newton, Para swimmer and Alfie Hewett, wheelchair tennis player, were also in attendance and all hope to represent ParalympicsGB.

Dina Asher-Smith, current British record holder and 200m World Champion sprinter, said: “Tokyo 2020 is going to be so exciting for the nation with a new generation of athletes and additional sports being added. Every athlete dreams of returning home on that British Airways plane carrying gold, silver and bronze luggage with them!”

With a long-standing history in supporting national sporting events and teams, British Airways will ensure Great Britain’s medal hopefuls arrive in Japan refreshed and ready to perform at their best. The airline will fly hundreds of athletes back to the UK ready for a warm welcome at the end of the Games.

Carolina Martinoli, British Airways’ Director of Brand and Customer Experience, said: “We’re so proud to be the official airline of Team GB and ParalympicsGB for the fourth consecutive Games. The Olympic and Paralympics Games always instil a sense of national pride and it’s an honour to fly the best of British talent in sport and be part of their journey – from start to finish.”

British Olympic Association CEO, Andy Anson, said: “British Airways is one of the most recognisable and prestigious brands in the world, so it is with great pride that we partner with them for the fourth consecutive Games.

“Tokyo 2020 promises to be an incredible event and securing a partnership of this calibre can only assist with our preparations ahead of the Games in July.”

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.