Viagogo Acquires StubHub From eBay For $4.05 Billion

eBay and viagogo have announced they have an agreement in place for eBay to sell StubHub to viagogo for $4.05 billion in cash.

viagogo and StubHub are two of the world’s biggest ticket marketplaces for live sport, music and entertainment events. The sale is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of 2020, subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions.

Combined, these complementary marketplaces will sell hundreds of thousands of tickets daily across more than 70 countries, giving fans seamless access to a wider selection of inventory around the world, while sellers, teams and artists will have the ability to more effectively reach a broader global audience.

“We believe this transaction is a great outcome and maximizes long-term value for eBay shareholders,” said Scott Schenkel, interim chief executive officer of eBay Inc. “Over the past several months, eBay’s leadership team and Board of Directors have been engaged in a thorough review of our current strategies and portfolio, and we concluded that this was the best path forward for both eBay and StubHub. We firmly believe in the StubHub business and we are excited about its future growth potential with viagogo as its owner.”

Eric Baker, viagogo’s founder and CEO, who also co-founded StubHub while in business school, but left before the business was sold to eBay for $310 million in 2007, said: “It has long been my wish to unite the two companies. I am so proud of how StubHub has grown over the years and excited about the possibilities for our shared future,” Baker said. “Buyers will have a wider choice of tickets, and sellers will have a wider network of buyers. Bringing these two companies together creates a win-win for fans – more choice and better pricing.”

Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, President of StubHub, added: “Bringing StubHub and viagogo together will allow us to drive further expansion and innovation, and create a more competitive offering for live event fans globally.

“This provides a great opportunity to expand our business, pursue new partnerships and execute our strategy. We expect a seamless transition for all our employees, partners and customers, and we are excited for what the future holds.”

UEFA Looking Into Potential OTT Channel For Champions League

UEFA are reportedly looking into creating an OTT service to stream Champions League fixtures.

The interest in this is reportedly coming from the fact UEFA see such little money coming in from the more minor countries covering the Champions League.

Currently, UEFA are having to go through the process of selling rights on a country by country basis, but companies are become less willing to splash huge amounts on the broadcasting rights of sports competition.

Last week BT Sport signed a deal which will see the competition broadcast on their channels in the UK until 2024.

Uefa’s General Secretary, Theodore Theodoridis, said: “For now, we have lots of [broadcast] partners and are looking forward to continuing our partnerships. We just want to be ready. We just want to have alternative options.”

“Traditional broadcasting has been there for sport and for football in general. Now we need to explore, also for the digital side. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

iSportconnect: Weekly Deals Update

Airbnb + Olympics

Airbnb and the International Olympic Committee have agreed a nine-year global partnership deal.

This agreement will now support the Olympic Movement and cover the IOC’s next five major global events until after the 2028 Olympic Games.

Atlanta Hawks + Intel Sports

The Atlanta Hawks have joined up with Intel Sports to provide a brand new viewing experience for fans inside the arena, watching on their local broadcast channel and on social media.

Puma + Borussia Dortmund

Puma has signed a huge new deal to stay on as kit supplier of Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund until 2028. The eight year deal is worth somewhere in the region of €250 million.

FIFA + GWC

FIFA have named GWC as an Official National Supporter of the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2019.

Sky Sports + The Masters

Sky Sports has become the exclusive UK broadcaster for the Masters golf tournament from next April, ending the BBC’s live coverage of the event.

EDF Group + Paris 2024

EDF Group has become the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games’ Premium Partner, joining the national partnership programme for Paris 2024 for a period of five years.

Borussia Dortmund + DAZN Media

Borussia Dortmund has joined up with DAZN Media to create a social media campaign that showcases the club’s 2019/20 football season, its star players and past masters to entertain and grow its fanbase in South East Asia.

ATP + Emirates

Emirates will remain as a premier partner for the ATP Tour after securing a new partnership extension for an extra five years.

BBC + Copa Libertadores and BBC + ISL 

The BBC has acquired two new broadcast deals in the week it lost the rights to show the Masters live to Sky Sports.

South America’s major football competition, the Copa Libertadores, will have its final broadcast on BBC as Flamengo play current champions River Plate.

They have also gained the rights to the International Swimming League’s event in London this weekend.

International Esports Federation Sign MOU With Motivate Media

The International Esports Federation and Motivate Media Group have announced a strategic partnership that will see its operations make significant headway in the Middle East.

Endorsed by the IESF, Dubai Sports Council, and Emirates Esports Association, the event will be a celebration of Dubai’s journey as a global destination hub for Esports organizations and industry leaders, thinkers, influencers and gaming enthusiasts.

Esports is the fastest-growing sports category globally with more than 300 million gamers in the Middle East alone. 

Colin Webster, President of the IESF and Ian Fairservice, Founder and Managing Partner of Motivate Media Group, signed an MoU establishing a joint venture that introduces the most significant initiative of its kind for Esports in the region. 

Webster said: “IESF is really excited to be collaborating with Motivate to establish a number of world-class Esports products that represents an important step in supporting Esports growth in the UAE, the Middle East and globally.

“The potential for Esports in the Middle East is now being realised. ‘A national strategy is required to establish and house this remarkable ecosystem, Dubai is an amazing city and Motivate Media Group, celebrating its 40th year, is a perfect partner that can help support this vision,” he added.

Fairservice commented on the deal: “With the evolution of technology and the ongoing emergence of all forms of sport as a cultural and entertainment touchstone in society, there is no better time to launch an initiative that embraces this convergence.

“We see the future in Esports as being one of the most dynamic and rapidly expanding platforms in new media and are thrilled to be partnering with a leading institution such as the IESF to develop this in the Middle East.”

AFEX Renews St Helens R.F.C. Sponsorship Through 2022

AFEX has announced the renewal of its sponsorship of St.Helens R.F.C. for another three years. 

The deal to become the exclusive foreign exchange partner for St.Helens R.F.C. was originally signed in 2015, and the relationship has culminated with the club’s record-breaking 2019 season and historic capture of the Super League Championship for the seventh time. 

A leading global provider of international payments and foreign exchange services to 35,000 corporate and private clients across the globe, AFEX is deeply involved in the sporting industry in the UK and around the world.

In tandem with its sponsorship commitments, AFEX assist clubs, organisations, federations, and industry service providers with tailored international payment solutions and hedging strategies to help reduce risk. The market expertise and personalised service AFEX offer is supported by state-of-the art technology. 

Branding for the company will continue to be displayed on the Saints’ official kit, including their shorts and socks. AFEX branding will also be featured across the Saints’ home stadium and official Saints webpage.

Dave Hutchinson, General Manager at St.Helens R.F.C. said: “It’s been fantastic to have AFEX as the Saints’ official global payments partner and we are delighted to have them on board for the next three years. AFEX offer a unique and valuable service and we are grateful for their continued support. It’s wonderful to work with partners like AFEX who are also fans of the club as they have the club’s interests at heart.”

“We’ve enjoyed our journey with the Saints so far—and what a journey! Congratulations to Saints on their winning season and their Super League title,” added Wayne Mitchell, Managing Director at AFEX. “We’re thrilled to be part of Saints’ family, and are especially proud to support a team who contributes so much to the community. We’re looking forward to the excitement of the next three years with Saints.”

Gillette Sponsors FIFA 20 Global Series

Gillette today announced its EA SPORTS FIFA 20 Global Series sponsorship. This Gillette sponsorship will drive engagement and connect the brand with younger audiences through football and esports.

Gillette will activate the EA SPORTS FIFA 20 Global Series sponsorship through Twitch and YouTube “Precision Play of the Day, Presented by Gillette” embedded broadcast segments, on-stream commercials, live on-air promotions, and unique branded content later this season.

Brent Koning, FIFA Competitive Gaming Commissioner for EA, said: “Gillette is a brand synonymous with its connection to the biggest sports in the world. EA SPORTS FIFA 20 Global Series sponsorships such as Gillette exemplify the worldwide power of this esport.”

Gary Coombe, CEO of Global Grooming at Gillette added: “The EA SPORTS FIFA 20 Global Series is an incredibly powerful esports platform, and to add it to Gillette’s long history in football, sports and esports is a true honour.

“We look forward to getting this season underway and working together with a world class video game publisher in EA SPORTS to connect with their fans and a whole new generation of Gillette consumers.”

BBC Agree Broadcast Deal For Copa Libertadores Final And International Swimming League

The BBC has acquired two new broadcast deals in the week it lost the rights to show the Masters live to Sky Sports.

South America’s major football competition the Copa Libertadores, will have its final broadcast on BBC as Flamengo play current champions River Plate.

They have also gained the rights to the International Swimming League’s event in London this weekend.

ISL is a brand new franchise competition launched this year, which has seen huge success, and the London match will be shown live this weekend.

ISL President Konstantin Grigorishin said: “We are very pleased to secure streaming coverage with the BBC for the ISL London match. This agreement shows the great interest that is developing around our ground-breaking professional league that regularly showcases our sport’s stars.

“We have partnered with premium networks in six continents for the first season of the ISL, and we expect more to come on board as awareness of the league grows amongst sports fans who enjoy this revolutionary competition.”

LaLiga Succeeds In Audiovisual Piracy Case

LaLiga has succeeded in a huge piracy case, after a court ruling in Andalusia ruled in favour of the Spanish football league.

The historic case will now see almost €500,000 in fines and compensation be paid, after penalising members of a dedicated network selling decoders with pirated content in the Criminal Court No. 4 of Malaga.

The sentence imposes 6 months in prison and a €1,800 fine to the administrator of the company that illegally distributed the content, as well as a €40,000 fine for the legal entity.

In addition, compensation of €200,000 to LaLiga, € 200,000 to Mediapro and €20,000 to EGEDA will be paid. The accused will also pay €10,000 for the procedural costs that have been generated.

This is one of the largest compensation settlements in the history of audiovisual piracy in Spain and the first sentence of its kind that LaLiga has achieved a regional operator.

This operation has resulted in the arrest of the twelve members of the organisation, the closure of seven web pages and two social media profiles where illegal services were announced, as well as visiting thirteen addresses across Spain.

WTA And ATP Merger Should Be More Seriously Considered

A possible combination between the Women’s Tennis Association and the ATP should be under real consideration, states WTA President Micky Lawler.

The male and female tennis tours are closely linked, in the main they operate almost separately to one another.

Lawler commented that she felt there needed to be a closer relationship between the two, and that merging both should be a greater possibility.

“I think that the closer we’re able to work together, the better it is for the sport. I think together is better. That’s how the sport became as popular as it is,” Lawler said at the SportsPro OTT Conference.

“So yes, I would like to see more collaboration and eventually coming together as one governing body, or at least to have an umbrella governance of the sport.

On a tour combination, she stated: “I think we should look at it more seriously. On the player side, I know that there isn’t always support for this, but it’s got to be fan-first.

“We do this for [the players] and they’re the only ones that have the leverage to grow the strength of every stakeholder in the sport,” Lawler added.

Puma Sign Huge Kit Rights Deal With Borussia Dortmund

Puma has signed a huge new deal to stay on as kit supplier of Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund.

The new agreement will begin in 2020 and run all the way until the end of the 2027-28 season, according to reports in the German press.

Those reports add that the deal is worth somewhere in the region of €250 million.

This is more than three times the amount of the current deal on a year by years basis.