Formula One Extends US Deal With ESPN

Formula One have agreed a new extension on their broadcasting deal with ESPN for the next three years.

The American sports giant will be showing the races without any commercials on either ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC and all of the practice and qualifying sessions will be broadcast on their network’s platforms either live or on-demand.

ESPN have seen a 19% increase in viewership of Formula One in the USA this year, with the channel also agreeing to continue to show the Formula Two and Formula Three championships.

Burke Magnus, ESPN’s executive vice president of programming and scheduling, said: “When we brought Formula One back to ESPN two years ago, we had faith that Formula One fans in the United States would support the coverage. That faith has been rewarded many times over, and we greatly appreciate how fans have responded in record numbers.”

Sean Bratches, managing director of commercial operations at Formula One, added: “The US is one of our key focuses for growth and ESPN know and understand the US sports audience like no one else. The combination of their dedicated coverage and Formula One’s amazing racing spectacle is a perfect partnership for us to build on our recent success with US audiences.”

Bolsonaro Tweet Ends McLaren And Petrobas Deal

McLaren have agreed to terminate their current sponsorship deal with Petrobas by mutual consent.

The deal had been under threat for past fortnight ever since the Brazilian President, Jair Bolsonaro, tweeted that the deal should be discontinued, after he described it as an “absurdity committed on the taxpayer by the previous government”.

Petrobas’ contract with the Formula One team had been due to last until 2023, however 64% of the company is government-owned, so as soon as Bolsonaro inserted his opinion it appeared only a matter of time until the deal was ceased.

“We see in McLaren a commitment to innovation and also the possibility of future partnerships,” said Roberto Castello Branco, Chief Executive of Petrobas, not entirely dismissing a potential deal again in the future.

Regional SportAccord Pan America 2019 Adds Nitro Circus CEO Andy Edwards As Speaker

Andy Edwards, the Chief Executive Officer of Nitro Circus, has been confirmed as a speaker at this year’s inaugural Regional SportAccord Pan America.

Edwards will participate in a panel session on ‘Rebranding – Opportunities, Challenges and Quick Wins’ at the event on the afternoon of Thursday, 12 December.

He will discuss the development of Nitro Circus from the global action sport collective’s initial focus on the creation of content to the formation of the Nitro Circus live tour and the Nitro World Games.

Edwards, who was appointed Nitro Circus’ CEO in February 2019 after two years as President and 10 years after launch of the organisation, which he co-founded, said: “Nitro Circus has undertaken an extensive development and expansion programme in recent years which has seen it become one of the world’s leading live events brands.

“In this Panel Session at Regional SportAccord Pan America I’m looking forward to sharing our experiences and discussing rebranding beyond the more traditional, simple understanding of an organisation perhaps changing its logo or color scheme. I want to talk about how we can navigate the challenges of expanding an existing brand to diversify without travelling too far away from the ethos of the core brand.”

Malcolm Hardman, Business Development Manager at SportAccord, said: “Nitro Circus is one of the most original and forward-thinking brands in world sport and we are delighted that Andy will bring his experience to the Conference programme at this inaugural Regional SportAccord Pan America 2019.

“Andy’s involvement in Nitro Circus’ transformation over the last decade will be of great interest to any organisations considering how they can adapt and continue to engage with sports fans in a changing world.”  

Only 31% Of Fans Believe VAR Is Benefitting The Premier League, Say Goodform

Goodform have completed their latest Sports Fanel Panel survey, in which they asked fans their opinion on VAR for a second time, to see if their views on the technology had changed after seeing it in action during Premier League games.

Has anything changed?

The early results indicate an overwhelmingly negative view from fans in comparison to how they viewed VAR prior to the season.

Now into the new season, the Sports Fan Panel showed a big drop-off to 31%, from the initial 50%, who thought VAR would have a positive impact on the league. While the amount of fans who felt VAR was negatively impacting the product has now risen to 34%, from 22% who thought this would be the case prior.

From the first 80 games of the season, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited said that there have been 475 incidents checked by VAR. With 59% of people saying VAR had been used well to review goals.

Is there a difference between in-stadium and viewing from home?

Results were markedly worse from match-going fans, with 42% stating it was worsening their experience of the match. They added reasoning to their concerns, 74% feeling that they did not receive enough information and 61% that the decision took too long. In the first survey, the time taken for a decision had been pointed out as a concern, with 85% worried it would take too long. However, 70% of fans do believe that by showing the incident on the big screen to give them more information would help.

But viewing from home the perspective was changed greatly, with 45% of people feeling it was positive and the same percentage believing it was negative. For home-viewers, 63% did say too much time was still being taken over the decision, but 60% felt there was enough information given to them.

The biggest change that could be made in the view of the fans at home, with 78% agreeing on the issue, is that referees and assistants should be mic’d up so that fans are able to hear their decision-making. Fans also were of the opinion that violent conduct and diving should also be reviewed.

Overall, while these results are not overly positive, there is still a long time for VAR to improve, having only been introduced into the Premier League this year. It will remain to be seen whether fans will warm to it over time.

Athlete-Centred Sports Strategies Bolstered By IF Forum

SportAccord and GAISF President Dr. Raffaele Chiulli says best practice strategies discussed at the International Federation (IF) Forum 2019 can act as a launchpad for positioning athletes at the heart of sports development.

Speaking in Lausanne at the conclusion of the three-day gathering, which is organised by SportAccord for International Sport Federations and supported by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Dr. Chiulli said that the vital topics discussed at the IF Forum would help to strengthen links between sport’s decision-makers and athletes.

“Working together with our athletes is clearly the most effective way for us to develop our sports all over the world,” Dr. Chiulli said. “This involves working side-by-side with the athletes, listening to them and ensuring that our actions are helpful to them. Whether it is looking at the events calendar, empowering our athlete commissions or improving facilities for our competitors, I believe there is something we can all do.”

He added: “I hope that our discussions will not end here. We will continue to work together for the good of sport worldwide, because we are the united voice of sports. The lessons here can be passed on to National Federations, to ensure alignment throughout sports. Good governance requires us to lead by example.”

How RCD Mallorca Rebounded To LaLiga With NBA Links

Two years ago RCD Mallorca were playing in the third tier of Spanish football, however following back to back promotions they have taken a huge league back up into LaLiga, Spain’s premier division.

The club has last competed in LaLiga in the 2012/13 season, but a new management model from CEO Maheta Molango has turned the club around.

Former NBA superstar Steve Nash, a lifelong football fan, joined up with Robert Sarver and Andy Kohlberg, owners of the Phoenix Suns NBA franchise, to buy Mallorca in 2016 and instigate this turnaround.

“The bridge between the best league in the world in terms of football, which is LaLiga, and the NBA, I think makes us a very special club,” Molango said of the Phoenix Suns connection.

Mallorca have taken the NBA model to create their own fan zones around games, with entertainment outside beforehand, as well as a ‘VIP corner’ in the stadium. This is used in a similar way to courtside seats in the NBA, where fans sit right next the court. At Mallorca, fans can watch the games from special VIP sections next to the pitch, rather than standard hospitality up in the main stand.

“We try to be ahead of the curve, we want to be innovative,” Molango said of these ideas, “We understand that the stadium doesn’t have to just be a place to watch football every two weeks, but it’s a place to hold events and conferences and those sorts of things. We believe that the experience of the stadium should be good and we have implemented some very creative things like the VIP Corner.”

The full story: RCD Mallorca: How the LaLiga island club put itself back on the map

World Sailing Sanctioning Deal Agreed With America’s Cup After CEO Disagreement

Emirates Team New Zealand have stated they have a sanctioning deal in place with World Sailing for the 2021 edition in Auckland.

World Sailing’s CEO Andy Hunt had been accused of “circumventing the process by contacting the New Zealand government” by Emirates Team New Zealand, before Hunt was announced to be leaving World Sailing at the end of this calendar year.

Thanks to this new agreement they will be able to pay World Sailing in order to use their rules and officials, with World Sailing said: “The agreement sees the America’s Cup re-established as a member of World Sailing’s family of special events. World Sailing will continue its role in ensuring the fairness and integrity of the America’s Cup through the appointment of race officials, the approval of the specialist Racing Rules of Sailing (America’s Cup Edition) and management of the anti-doping programme.

“World Sailing, the Defender and Challenger of Record will also work together on implementing sustainability programmes throughout the Cup, Prada Cup Challenger Selection Series and other preliminary events. The organisations will also work closely together on promoting and enhancing the media coverage of the sport globally.”

Kim Andersen, the World Sailing president, commented: “As one of the pinnacle events within the sport, it is vital that World Sailing and the Defender and Challenger of Record work collaboratively to ensure a fair competition on the water.”

Chimelong Group Agree Deal With CBA

Chimelong Group, the tourism operator, have signed a new sponsorship deal with the Chinese Basketball Association.

The CBA season begun this week and the league’s branding will now appear around Chimelong’s resorts, which are the Guangzhou Chimelong Tourist Resort and Chimelong International Ocean Resort in Zhuhai, with a third currently being built.

Yao Ming, Chairman of the CBA, told a press conference to promote the new deal that would learn and help each other to create beneficial experiences for fans.

Su Zhigang, chairman of the Chimelong Group, said it represented “Chimelong plus CBA, tourism plus sports, the best parent-child travel platform plus the most popular sport for young people. I believe this cooperation…through the mutual promotion of the travel platform and basketball, will better realise the common mission of Chimelong and the CBA – ‘Let people be healthier and happier’.”

Dubai Summit Speaker Spotlight: Brett Gosper

Brett Gosper, Chief Executive Officer of World Rugby, will be one of the headline speakers at iSportconnect’s Dubai Summit on the 5th of December.

Brett has overseen one of the biggest sporting events in the 2019 calendar, the highly successful Rugby World Cup in Japan, which culminates this Saturday as England face South Africa in the final.

He will be taking part in the summit alongside Manu Sawhney, Chief Executive Officer of the International Cricket Council, and Alexander Brown, Commissioner of Major League Lacrosse, as well as a number of other speakers.

Bio

Brett Gosper is a graduate of Monash University who has been CEO of World Rugby since 2012, overseeing major events such as the current Rugby World Cup in Japan.

Brett is responsible for the strategic and business operations of Rugby’s global governing federation. As the sport continues to reach out, engage and inspire participants in record numbers worldwide, Brett oversees the implementation of World Rugby’s record investment, development and player welfare strategies, the delivery of what is set to be a landmark Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan, the growth of the HSBC Sevens World Series and Rugby’s successful participation in Tokyo 2020 after its successful return to the Olympic Games in Rio 2016. A former top flight player for Queensland and Australia Under 21 and the Racing Club in Paris for nearly a decade, Gosper joined World Rugby in 2012. This followed a distinguished career with major international marketing services and media companies including Ogilvy, Havas, Omnicom and most recently as CEO McCann Erickson Europe, Middle East and Africa and CEO of McCann Erickson USA.

Previously he has served as Deputy Managing Director for TBWA Paris, London Chief Executive at Havas, New York Chief Executive at McCann, President of New York Group at TBWA. He spent six more years at McCann between 2005 and 2011, for two years as USA President and EMEA Chief Executive.

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 2019 iSportconnect Dubai Summit, please contact Joe Condon at joe@isportconnect.com

Invitation Policy: The Dubai Summit 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.

For limited partnership opportunities, please contact Brandon Garcia at brandon@isportconnect.com

British Wheelchair Basketball Partners With ATPI Sports Events

ATPI Sports Events and British Wheelchair Basketball have combined for a four-year charity partnership.

The world-leading travel provider will now become British Wheelchair Basketball’s first choice for the travel arrangements of its four GB Squads.

Both of Great Britain’s senior squads will be travelling next year after they qualified for the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo following great performances at the European Championships this year.

The introduction of ATPI will provide crucial benefits to British Wheelchair Basketball, providing clear and organised travel support to the squads.

British Wheelchair Basketball’s Chief Executive, Lisa Pearce, said: “The GB wheelchair basketball teams are amongst the best in the World; their phenomenal international success sees the squads travel extensively to ensure that they prepare by competing against the world’s elite.

“Undoubtedly our partnership with ATPI Sports Events is crucial to the team’s continued success, allowing the teams to truly focus on competition whilst their travel planning is in the safe hands of ATPI.

“It is charity partnerships such as our relationship with ATPI Sports Events which highlight the collaborative power and influence that our suppliers have on enabling British Wheelchair Basketball to deliver both corporate and performance objectives,” she added.

Speaking on the deal, ATPI Group’s Regional Managing Director, UK, France and Benelux, stated: “We are extremely proud to unveil our four-year partnership with British Wheelchair Basketball today. There is an incredible synergy between our organisations.

“We pride ourselves on our ability to deliver a service which is tailored for our customers’ individual travel needs.  It is absolutely our pleasure to be able to offer our services to British Wheelchair Basketball and its GB teams, and enable the team’s continued drive to bring home medals and realise international success and support the delivery of the Sports new five year strategy.”