Athlete Welfare Key Focus Of 2019 IF Forum

The crucial issue of athlete welfare will be the main focus of the 2019 International Federation Forum in Lausanne.

Representatives of international sports federations, stakeholders, governing bodies, public- and private-sector organisations will offer vital insights as part of a packed agenda from 28-30 October.

The annual event is organised by SportAccord for international sport federations and its stakeholders. The IF Forum is also supported by the International Olympic Committee.

IOC President Thomas Bach will offer welcome remarks alongside Philippe Leuba, State Councillor, Department of Economy & Sport at the Canton of Vaud, before SportAccord and GAISF President Raffaele Chiulli provides the opening address.

A series of speakers, including many with experience of being under the glare of the sporting spotlight, will then provide a series of unmissable perspectives via sessions, keynotes and fireside chats, with topics including safeguarding athletes, financial wellbeing, athlete welfare and mental health, protecting clean athletes and strengthening the athletes’ voice.

Nis Hatt, Managing Director, SportAccord, says: “The calibre of speakers underlines the growing importance of this event, and by putting the wellbeing of athletes at the heart of the discussion, the IF Forum 2019 will provide an essential platform for exchanging knowledge and ideas on a hugely important topic.

Liverpool Win Court Case Against New Balance

Nike will be the official kit supplier of Liverpool Football Club from the beginning of the 2020-21 season.

This news comes after Liverpool were victorious in their court case against current kit suppliers New Balance.

New Balance took Liverpool to court after the club had agreed a new deal with Nike to start after the current season. However, New Balance argued they had a clause within the current arrangement that would allow them to match Nike’s offer.

The football club, meanwhile, believed that Nike could offer them far more exposure and create additional revenue in comparison to New Balance due to terms within the new deal.

(From Tuesday) Member Insights: New Balance Vs Liverpool Case ‘To Set A Very Important New Precedent’

Judge Nigel Teare clearly arrived at the same conclusion as he today dismissed New Balance’s claim.

New Balance are likely to appeal this decision.

Discovery France Appoint Laurent Prud’homme As Senior Vice President, General Manager

Discovery Group have announced that Laurent Prud’homme Will Become Senior Vice President, General Manager for 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.

Kasia Kieli, President and CEO of EMEA, said: “Laurent is a recognized leader in the world of sports in France and internationally and I am very happy that he has accepted to take on new challenges by continuing the growth of Discovery France during this period of transformation of the French market. He joins a very strong and talented team in a thriving pay-TV business.”

Eleven Sports Media Partner With Celtic FC

As part of the deal, Eleven Sports will install their fan engagement platforms into Celtic Park and introduce regional brands to the club via Community and Associate partner programmes.

Eleven will deliver their award-winning StatZone content within Celtic Park on StatTV and on the club’s official social media channels via StatTracker.  StatZone content will give Celtic fans a deeper narrative in the build-up to, during and in the aftermath of each Celtic FC game.

Gordon Kaye, Head of Business Development for Celtic FC, said, “We are delighted to team up with Eleven Sports Media. We are sure this will be a very positive relationship with the club and one which will ensure our supporters enjoy an even better matchday experience at Celtic Park.”

Matt Cairns, Eleven Sports Media’s Chief Executive said: “Eleven is a company which is passionate about providing first-class services to the supporters of Britain’s biggest clubs, and to rights holders across sport. Our partnership team is excited to work with Celtic FC, a globally recognised football name, but one which has strong links with their local community.

“Our ethos has always been to create a better matchday, and it will be fantastic to see this at work with Celtic’s fans getting a real upgrade to the Celtic Park matchday experience,” he added.

NBA Launches ‘NBA 360’ In Europe And Middle East

The NBA and Sky Sports have announced the launch of ‘NBA 360’, a single curated, multi-view broadcast that will feature the most exciting moments from multiple live NBA games, starting from midnight on Friday, Oct. 25.

It appears as though the format will be similar to that of the NFL’s Redzone show, where the broadcast alternates between matches depending on where the most action is happening and for crucial, defining moments towards the end of games.

NBA 360 will include expert commentary and live coverage of Friday night’s games, including marquee match-ups featuring the 2019 NBA Champion Toronto Raptors as they take on the Boston Celtics and the local crosstown derby between the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets.  This special live broadcast will jump from game-to-game following the best action and the biggest plays of the night.

The iSportconnect Weekly Deals Update

Jeep will pay an extra €25 million each year for their partnership with Juventus. This is due to Juventus’ success in recent years which has increased brand awareness exponentially.

Liverpool Football Club’s official kit supplier from the beginning of the 2020-21 season will be Nike, in a five-year deal. This deal is now confirmed following the club’s court case victory over New Balance.

Manchester City and Nestlé have announced a new multi-year partnership to become the Official Coffee, Vegan and Vegetarian Partner of the club.

The Miami Heat have extended their American Airlines partnership to a worldwide deal. American Airlines are now the team’s official airline and international marketing partner.

Sky Sports Racing has agreed to a multi-year rights partnership deal with the New York Racing Association. Sky Sports will have exclusive UK and Ireland broadcast rights for all races from Woodbine, Saratoga, Aqueduct and Belmont Park Racecourses.

Formula One have agreed a deal with Twitch to show the Mexico Grand Prix weekend. All sessions of the race weekend in Mexico will be live-streamed in Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

NBA and Tabcorp combine for multi-year partnership deal. Tabcorp will now become an authorised betting operator of the NBA in Australia.

Eurosport and ATP Tour expand partnership in five European countries, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia.

Sportsbet.io expands Flamengo deal. The company had signed a three-month agreement with the club, however they have now extended the deal which will also include shirt sponsorship.

Three startups, WSC, Formalytics and LiveLike, have agreed partnership deals with UEFA. These new deals have come from UEFA’s Start-Up Challenge, which started in January this year.

Dentsu have signed a deal with the Copa America until 2028.

Utah Jazz have signed an additional three-year extension to their jersey sponsorship with Qualtrics.

Barcelona and Supponor agree to multi-year deal.

Red Bee and Spring Media Announce Women’s Football OTT Service.

Andrea Gaudenzi Appointed As ATP Chairman

The ATP has announced that Andrea Gaudenzi will take over as ATP Chairman for a four-year term on the 1st of January 2020.

He replaces outgoing Executive Chairman and President Chris Kermode, who had suffered criticism from a number of notable players in the past 12 months, including Novak Djokovic.

Prior to his business career, Gaudenzi is a former professional player on the ATP Tour, reaching a career-high ranking of number 18 in the world, so he is therefore expected to have a very player-friendly model,

Gaudenzi said: “The ATP has played a central part in my life in so many ways, and to be given this opportunity to serve as ATP Chairman is a true honour.

“I look forward to overseeing the future direction of the Tour and building on the sport’s global success and popularity at what is unquestionably one of the most exciting times in the history of men’s professional tennis. I’m very thankful for this opportunity and can’t wait to get started in January.”

Novak Djokovic, President of the ATP Player Council, added: “On behalf of the players, I’d like to welcome Andrea as the next Chairman of the ATP. As a former player, he has walked in our shoes and has also become a successful entrepreneur following his playing career. He has all the qualities to lead the Tour and we look forward to working together for the benefit of the players and the sport more generally.”

LaLiga ‘Players Pack’ Aims To Bring Sponsors And Players Closer

LaLiga has begun distribution of a ‘Players Pack’, a brand new initiative to bring LaLiga’s sponsors closer to players, coaching staff and boards of clubs.

The ‘Players Pack’ contains exclusive offers from LaLiga through sponsors Banco Santander, Movistar, Samsung and EA Sports. The initiative has been developed by the LaLiga Players’ Office and is designed to be repeated over the coming seasons.

Special products and offers by Banco Santander, Movistar+ and Samsung are included in the pack. Also included is a gift from EA Sports that contains the case for FIFA 20 with the name and squad number of every LaLiga player. Such initiatives are extending the reach of the sponsors through the networks of LaLiga players and clubs.

Oscar Mayo, LaLiga’s Director of International Development, highlighted the importance of this type of project for everyone at LaLiga: “We’re thrilled with the initial distribution of the Players Pack. This is a clear example of how LaLiga is developing its relationships not only with the biggest stars of our competitions, the players, but also our sponsors by offering them innovative assets,” he said.

On The Move: Latest Job Changes Within The Sports Industry This Week

Nike have announced John Donahoe will take over as the company’s new President and Chief Executive Officer on January the 13th, 2020. He replaces Mark Parker who will become Executive Chairman.

Patrik Frisk will become Under Armour’s Chief Executive Officer on the 1st of January, 2020, taking over from Kevin Plank, who founded the organisation in 1996. Plank becomes will become Executive Chairman & Brand Chief.

Andrea Gaudenzi has been appointed as ATP Chairman, to replace the outgoing Chris Kermode on the 1st of January, 2020.

Michael Dowse will become Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the United States Tennis Association, also commencing on the 1st of January, 2020.

Other Job Updates

Charlie McEwen has been named CEO, Rugby and Special Projects at CSM.

Emre Omer is to become Chief Financial Officer at the International Olympic Council.

Helen Phillips will be the first female President of British Gymnastics.

Ian Baynes is the new Commercial Director at SIS.

Twitch has appointed Doug Scott as Chief Marketing Officer.

Werner Becher was appointed SportRadar Managing Director of U.S. Betting.

Richard Bryan will be the new Player Welfare Director at the Rugby Players Association.

Matthew Bailey is now Senior Director of Sponsorship, Sales and Services at Misfits Gaming.

If you are changing jobs and want yours featured, please email ben@isportconnect.com 

Manchester City Announce New Partnership With Nestlé

Manchester City and Nestlé have announced a new multi-year partnership to become the Official Coffee, Vegan and Vegetarian Partner of the club.

This new collaboration means that Nestlé will now have their new plant-based Garden Gourmet burger, Nescafé Azera coffee and YES! nut, fruit and vegetable bars added to the matchday food and beverage offering at the Etihad and Academy Stadiums.

Damian Willoughby, Senior Vice President of Partnership at City Football Group, said: “Manchester City prides itself on partnering with some of the world’s leading organisations, so we are thrilled to be announcing this exciting new partnership with Nestlé Professional®. By enhancing the vegan options throughout our stadiums, we are offering fans an even wider selection of high-quality food and beverage options.

Katya Simmons, Managing Director at Nestlé Professional®, added: “The partnership with Manchester City, the Premier League champions, will help further boost the value we offer as a leading food and beverage company. This strategic collaboration aligns to Nestlé Professional® and City’s shared values to create new opportunities to nurture talent, make more possible and help communities”.