World Rugby Retains IMG As Commercial Partner Agency Through 2023

IMG has been confirmed as the exclusive commercial partner agency for World Rugby until the end of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.

World Rugby began working with IMG in 1993 and they will now continue to represent the sale of the tournament’s top-tier worldwide partner programme, as well as delivering rights for all sponsorship operations, brand services, licensing and merchandising management.

It will be the eighth tournament cycle with World Rugby and IMG combining.

Brett Gosper, Chief Executive Officer, World Rugby, said: “We are delighted to announce a renewal with IMG to deliver key commercial services for Rugby World Cup 2023 in France. Following a comprehensive review, we believe that IMG are perfectly positioned to further enhance and grow our worldwide partner programme, sponsorship delivery, brand services and licensing management.”

Jonathan Kritzinger, SVP of Rugby, IMG, commented: “We are simply delighted to continue working with the team at World Rugby and remain part of this fantastic event. We have built a highly experienced group of execs to service this property, and this agreement represents the unmatched dedication and passion this team has for RWC.”

On The Move: The Latest Sports Industry Job Updates

Laurent Prud’homme has become Senior Vice-President, General Manager at Discovery France. Prud’homme has been working for Eurosport for almost 20 years and his key focus will be on ensuring the channel portfolio continues to develop and expand.

Faisal Galaria, formerly of Spotify and GoCompare, has been named Chief Executive Officer at Blippar.

World Bowling have announced that Andrew Oram is their new Chief Executive Officer.

Rugby League World Cup have made Stephen Brown their Chief Operating Officer.

Matt Young is now EVP, Global Chief Revenue Officer at Motorsport network, joining from Verizon. Motorsport network have also appointed Gary Learner to the role of EVP, Global Chief Technology Officer.

Kenneth Jarrett is the new Independent Director at Wanda Sports Group.

Made By Sport have announced Sophie Mason as Chief Executive.

Nickole Raymond Tara is now Senior VP, Global Portfolio at AEG Global Partnerships.

England Netball have appointed Fran Connolly as Chief Executive Officer.

Jacqueline DiPiazza has become Manager, Fan Engagement at Madison Square Garden Company.

Russell James is new Sales and Marketing Director at the England and Wales Cricket Board

Mat Bell is now Sales Manager at Melbourne Football Club.

LA Lakers And Delta Airlines Extend Deal

Delta Airlines and the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to an extension of their current partnership deal.

The Lakers have been sponsored by Delta since 2011, with this new deal being spearheaded by a brand new service Delta will offer to fans, called ‘Showtime Seat Exchange’.

This new service will allow season ticket holders who are unable to go to games to exchange their unused ticket for a flight with the airline for any of four specific fixtures.

Tim Harris, the Lakers President of Business Operations, said: “We are incredibly proud to partner with Delta on the launch of ‘Showtime Seat Exchange. For almost a decade, Delta has worked together with the team to create unique and innovative programs that give back, and this initiative is yet another example of their continued commitment to Lakers fans and the community.”

Swisscom Joins With Olympic Channel For Lausanne 2020

The Olympic Channel has signed a deal with Swisscom which will see Swisscom TV broadcast the Winter Youth Olympics in Lausanne in 2020.

All consumers who own a Swisscom TV UHD Box in Switzerland and Lichtenstein will be able to view the event, which runs from the 9th to the 22nd of January, by gaining access to the Olympic Channel app.

The Winter Youth Olympics will of course be the first major event of 2020 for the IOC, before the upcoming Tokyo Olympics begin in July next year.

Five LaLiga Clubs Set Away Ticket Prices At €25

Five LaLiga clubs in the north of Spain have agreed to a new intiative that will see them set ticket prices at €25 for away fans coming to games.

Athletic Club, Real Sociedad, SD Eibar, Deportivo Alavés and CA Osasuna have agreed to set away ticket prices at €25 for the matches between these teams.

The objective is to make it easier for supporters to travel to away games, developing respect between fanbases, with the initiative already spreading to other clubs across LaLiga Santander.

The main objective of the collaboration isn’t to increase attendances but to encourage a philosophy of union, bringing fans from different regions together to support their teams.

While this agreement has been struck between five neighbouring clubs, similar deals are already being rolled out across Spain. Athletic Club already has a similar arrangement with Celta Vigo, while CA Osasuna has pacts with Real Betis, Levante UD and Villarreal CF.

Athletic Club say: “We want to create a great atmosphere at each one of our derbies, as you could already see when we welcomed Real Sociedad and Alavés. We also want our supporters to be able to go and see their team away from home in a way that isn’t so costly.”

PSG Agree Partnership Deals With Replay And Gaussin

Paris Saint-Germain have signed an agreement with Fashion Box, the parent company of Replay, for the brand to become the club’s official denim partner for the next four seasons.

Replay and Paris Saint-Germain will work hand in hand to develop exclusive premium capsule collections, which will be available from 2020 via the official Paris Saint-Germain sales network and through Replay’s retail and online channels.

Marc Armstrong, Paris Saint-Germain Chief Partnerships Officer, added: “We are delighted to welcome Replay to the Paris Saint-Germain family. Our brands share a common ambition to connect with a young and fashion-conscious audience worldwide while embodying the values of Paris.  In recent years, Paris Saint-Germain has become the epitome of sport and style and we look forward to working closely with Replay to develop creative products and content for our global fan base.”

The club has also joined with Gaussin for the supply of self-driving, 100% electric vehicles for public transport and goods transport.

Jean-Claude Blanc, Chief Operating Officer of Paris Saint-Germain, adds: ” We are very happy to welcome Gaussin to the Paris Saint-Germain family. Like the Club training and training center project, which is scheduled to open in 2022, Paris Saint-Germain aims to make sustainable development one of the pillars of its corporate strategy. and to embody the aspirations of the new generation. Our collaboration with them will enable us to strengthen this commitment.”

Golden State Warriors Create Personal Ticket Exchange Platform For Suites

The Golden State Warriors have created their own ticket exchange platform for supporters to exchange tickets in the suites at their new Chase Center arena.

Suite Exchange, an authentic and verified resale marketplace connecting Chase Center premium suite holders with a broader network of buyers interested in hospitality for Chase Center concerts, events and Warriors games.

Warriors President and Chief Operating Officer Rick Welts: “We think this is a unique and innovative program that will provide a tremendous value add for our suite holders, which is always a primary goal of ours. There was a need for a program of this nature in the premium space and, with the move to Chase Center, the timing is perfect.”

Saudi Tour, Created By Tour de France Organisers ASO, To Start In 2020

Tour de France Organisers ASO are to start a Saudi Tour, beginning in February next year.

Amaury Sport Organisation, who also run the Vuelta a España, say the race will last for five days and begin in early February next year.

Yann Le Moenner, chief executive of ASO, said: “We are involved in the emergence of a new racing scene in the Middle East, which corresponds to the riders’ demands at the beginning of the year. The creation of the Saudi Tour and its sustainable installation in the calendar is part of this movement.

“This new race both represents an exciting organisational challenge, a coherent sporting event for an entire category of riders and a nice opportunity for the television viewers who follow the race to discover new landscapes. This is also for us an occasion to contribute to the development of cycling across the Kingdom,” he added.

Sabah Al-Kraidees, President of the Saudi Cycling Federation, said: “For this first edition, world-class riders from around the world will ride on the surrounding roads of the capital, Riyadh. This initiative fits perfectly with the ambition of Saudi Arabia to promote the Kingdom beyond its borders while promoting sport and especially cycling.

“The Saudi Tour is a great opportunity to publicise the country’s varied territories and historic sites and to let visitors discover our sense of hospitality.”

Amazon Adds Player Route Maps To NFL Coverage

Amazon have added another new feature to their streaming of the NFL’s Thursday Night Football fixtures.

From this week, fans will be able to see routes run by wide receivers, running backs and tight-ends when catching passes and making runs with the ball.

This is another new feature announced by Amazon for their NFL coverage, which has given fans access to live statistics that were only available to coaches and announcers of the games.

IOC Reinforces Integrity Efforts With Europol Agreement

Europol,  the European Union’s law enforcement agency, and the International Olympic Committee have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to reinforce cooperation in the fight against corruption in sports. The agreement was signed during the annual International Forum for Sports Integrity, organised by the IOC in Lausanne, Switzerland (photo above).

Corruption in sports degrades the efforts of athletes and the support of the public. It also brings important profits to organised crime groups which they then use to grow their other criminal activities such as drug trafficking, document fraud, money laundering and economic and financial crimes.

To strengthen the global coalition against corruption in sports, in particular the manipulation of sport competitions, Europol reinforces its cooperation with the International Olympic Committee, one of the leading actors in the sport world. Europol and the IOC have already intensified their cooperation in the past three years. The IOC plays a significant role in protecting integrity in sport across all Olympic disciplines.

The new agreement will focus on the exchange of knowledge and expertise, capacity building and further collaboration between Europol and the IOC. Cooperation between public and private sector is a key element in the effective fight against these organised crime groups causing an important damage to the integrity of sports and to its core values.

On the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, Europol’s Deputy Executive Director Will van Gemert said: “Corruption in sports is a global criminal phenomenon perpetrated by organised crime groups operating cross-border and often involved in other crimes. Working closely together in coalition with key partners like the IOC, is crucial in the fight against corruption in sports. Combating sports corruption means not only defending the integrity of sports, but also protecting the public from criminals who cause significant damage to the safety, security and wellbeing of the EU citizens.”

Thomas Bach, President of the IOC commented: “Signing an MOU with Europol today is another example of our deepening cooperation with law enforcement agencies and one more important milestone in the fight against manipulation of competition.”

At the Forum, a new publication, “IOC-UNODC Reporting Mechanisms in Sport: A Practical Guide for Development and Implementation”, was launched. The guide provides information on good practice for sports organisations with regard to receiving and handling reports of wrongdoing, including competition manipulation, harassment, doping and corruption.

President Bach praised the close cooperation with the many stakeholders. “In the spirit of this cooperation, we have taken many measures together since the launch of the IFSI in 2015,” he said. “The most obvious example is the Council of Europe Convention on the manipulation of sports competitions, which came into effect last month and is already being implemented in a large number of countries. This is an example of the IFSI in action.”

Ronan O’Laoire, the Global Coordinator for UNODC’s Global Programme for Safeguarding Sport from Corruption and Crime, pointed to the importance of developing effective reporting mechanisms in sport, “It is crucial for government agencies and sports organisations to identify and apprehend those responsible for wrongdoing in sport, including competition manipulation. Having effective reporting mechanisms in place to facilitate this is essential, and we believe that the Guide on Reporting Mechanisms in Sport, developed through our partnership with the IOC, sets out a highly effective basis to do just that,” he said.

President Bach also welcomed the launch of a Sports Investigators Network. “With this network of 200 trained investigators from International and National Federations, National Olympic Committees and sports disciplinary bodies, we can really go to the heart of the problem, which is having access to information as soon as possible and, in some cases, even before the problem occurs. Having this investigators’ unit in place will allow us to address issues from the roots,” Bach outlined.