Tokyo 2020 Launches Official “Beat” For Next Year’s Games

The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games has moved beyond the concept of an official theme tune with the launch of ­an official “beat” for the 2020 Games (watch and listen below).

The project – called Make the Beat! – combines sound, technology and social media to invite fans around the world to encourage athletes using the official Tokyo #2020beat.

#2020beat will be a common sound in stadiums during the Games. It is an easy to follow melodic rhythm that fans can dance, clap or stomp to when they cheer athletes in venues or Live Sites in next year’s Games.

With a year to go before Tokyo 2020, fans are also encouraged to get into that Olympic and Paralympic celebratory mood early by creating their own #2020beat content on social media.

It is the first time in Olympic and Paralympic history to utilise a common cheering beat to build excitement for the Games.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK8W57a2rVY

Miraitowa used AI technology from Olympic World-Wide Partner Intel Corporation, the official Tokyo #2020beat was created which Someity collected from a range of 1,000 different sound samples reflecting five different rhythms from themes of sports, Japanese culture, daily lives and nature.

All the social media posts will be collected by Alibaba Cloud solution and will be displayed at the big screen of the venues and Live sites.

Researchers from Tsukuba University then contributed to the final selection of the official Tokyo 2020 beat.

As part of the #2020beat social media campaign, fans are invited to film themselves performing the rhythm to post their content on social media using the special hashtag #2020beat.

PGA TOUR Expands IMG ARENA Data Deal

The PGA TOUR and IMG ARENA have expanded their multi-year agreement to allow for the distribution of the TOUR’s official scoring data to betting operators within North America.

In November 2018, IMG ARENA was appointed as the PGA TOUR’s official data distributor for media and betting purposes across all events on the flagship PGA TOUR schedule. The expanded relationship includes betting sector exclusivity for the delivery of live, shot-by-shot match and event data to global operators.

The PGA TOUR’s official data is collected through its proprietary ShotLink system, powered by CDW. With an elaborate network of walking scorers, lasers and greenside cameras, ShotLink collects and distributes a rich set of data points from each shot in PGA TOUR competition in real time.

Combining PGA TOUR’s ShotLink data with IMG ARENA’s sector expertise will bring to market an innovative golf solution that provides PGA TOUR fans with new and exciting ways to enjoy the sport. The product is expected to be available worldwide in legal betting markets by early next year.

“As the sports betting market in the United States evolves, extending our relationship with the PGA TOUR is an important next step for IMG ARENA,” said Freddie Longe, Senior Vice-President and Managing Director at IMG ARENA.

“For the first time, sports fans will have access to shot-by-shot action, from tournaments all-year-round using official PGA TOUR ShotLink data. We continue to feel that golf has the audience, interest and following to become one of the leading in-play betting sports globally.”

“The PGA TOUR remains focused on safeguarding the sport, growing the game and deepening fan engagement with next-generation solutions,” said Ron Price, Chief Operating Officer of the PGA TOUR.

“IMG ARENA has proven credentials delivering fast data and live streaming in partnership with official rights holders, and we’re pleased to further extend our existing relationship.”

LaLiga Launches 24/7 Channel For UK

Premier Sports and LaLiga have today announced a historic agreement that will see every game from Spanish top-flight LaLiga Santander broadcast in the UK and Ireland via multiple platforms through the conclusion of the 2021/22 season. LaLiga will become the first football league to have a 24/7 dedicated channel in the UK and Ireland carrying all live games via all major TV platforms.

LaLigaTV will be made available by Premier Sports as part of its channel bundle on Sky TV and the Premier Player OTT streaming service for just £11.99 per month or £99 per year (with pricing and launch date on Virgin TV to be confirmed). Fans will also have the option to add LaLigaTV as a standalone service via Premier Sports, priced at £5.99 per month or £49 per year, once the channel is officially launched on Sky TV and the Premier Player during the coming weeks.

Additionally, from next week the free-to-air channel FreeSports will broadcast select match content as well as the LaLiga Highlights Show, a weekly program covering the highlights of every match following each round of fixtures, including each week’s best goal, best save and best player.

LaLigaTV is a 24/7 English-language channel that carries every live game from LaLiga Santander alongside hours of top-class weekly programming including LaLiga World, VIVA LaLiga and The LaLiga Show.

Familiar faces to UK and Ireland audiences feature regularly, including Guillem Balagué, Graham Hunter, Terry Gibson, Sid Lowe, Gaizka Mendieta, Simon Hanley, Semra Hunter, Quinton Fortune and Steve Archibald, among many others.

In addition to residential TV customers benefitting from this ground-breaking partnership, Premier Sports commercial venue customers will be able to show LaLiga via their Sky TV box or through Premier Sports’ soon-to-be-launched enterprise streaming solution provided by Screach, meaning bars across the UK can bring viewers all the big matches from around Europe every weekend.

Javier Tebas, LaLiga President said: “LaLiga is enjoyed across the globe, with an especially passionate fanbase in the UK and Ireland. Through our long-term partnership with Premier Sports, we’re happy to give fans of Spanish football a chance to enjoy LaLiga’s world-class content in a variety of formats, including via OTT and Premier Sports’ linear TV offering, as well as our own dedicated English-language channel, LaLigaTV. We trust that football fans across both these territories will enjoy unprecedented access to the best league in the world.”

Richard Sweeney, CEO of Premier Sports commented, “We are thrilled to be announcing this truly unique and game-changing agreement with LaLiga that signals the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Spanish football in the UK. We are extremely proud to be partnering with LaLiga to begin broadcasting the world’s greatest league to UK and Ireland viewers on Premier Sports and via the soon to be launched LaLigaTV channel.”

Avid MediaCentral | Publisher Empowers Media Companies to Monetize Content on Social Media

Wildmoka is happy to announce that Avid® (Nasdaq: AVID) today unveiled the new MediaCentral® l Publisher powered by Wildmoka, enabling media companies to create content, add graphics and branding, and publish news and sports videos quickly to social media to boost viewership and drive additional revenues.

According to the Pew Research Center, 68 percent of Americans get their news on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. For news and sports organizations, creating buzz across social media relies on getting the story out first across multiple platforms.

“With MediaCentral l Publisher powered by Wildmoka, Avid has significantly improved our customers’ ability to be first to deliver news on digital platforms,” said Ray Thompson, Director of Broadcast and Media Solutions Marketing at Avid. “Being first to deliver content improves our customers’ ability to engage viewers on social, drive consumers to their digital platforms, and increase digital revenue.”

MediaCentral l Publisher is a new SaaS offering powered by Wildmoka that will be available as part of Avid’s MediaCentral 2019 media workflow platform for news, sports and post-production operations that adds powerful tools for delivering content to social and digital properties fast. MediaCentral users can now log content, search for and access media, create a highlight sequence in the timeline, add graphics, and then publish across social and digital platforms using MediaCentral l Publisher.

“Wildmoka tools—used by broadcasters covering everything from breaking daily news to live sports events—have enabled broadcasters to increase engagement across social and digital properties, build their brand, and drive adoption of their owned digital properties across web and mobile,” said Thomas Menguy, President and Chief Technology Officer at Wildmoka. “Now with MediaCentral l Publisher powered by Wildmoka, Avid news and sports customers can deliver more content faster to social and digital platforms where a growing number of consumers are going, while actually monetizing that content to drive new revenue streams.”

MediaCentral | Publisher will be available in late September. IBC2019 Show attendees can experience MediaCentral 2019 powered by Wildmoka in action at the Avid booth, stand #7.B55,. Visit www.avid.com/products/mediacentral for more information.

Monterosa: “Everyone’s A Pundit Now”

Fans are an opinionated bunch. Whether it’s in the build up, throughout the game, about player decision-making, manager decisions, or post-match arguments about performances. Powering the official Premier League Player of the Month, has shown us how important it is for fans to have their voice heard, with millions of fans now voting each season and feeling like they’re at the heart of the action. We’ve seen this interactive approach increase dwell times by up to 10x.

Integrating that sort of interactivity has always been an exciting proposition to producers and viewers alike. But creative resistance involves concerns about screen clutter and obstructing the action. But in connected environments where personalising your preferences is the norm, do the concerns of the few need to hold back the experience for the many? The success of Snapchat and, later, Instagram Stories, is one indicator of how content creators can engage audiences when flexibility is provided. Overlaying interactivity on video tastefully is proven to improve engagement, and makes proven business models that utilise competitions/sweepstakes, voting and sports betting more effective. No longer will positive ROI depend on the “big interactive hit”, it will become business-as-usual.

“The future of sports is interactive, immersive and intense. As more sports leagues opt for digital broadcast options, the whole idea of what it means to watch a game is going to change.” – David Pierce, Wall Street Journal

What if we could make those options selective, putting the options in the hands – or should we say at the fingertips – of the viewers? A fan who wants to participate can interact with the content, whereas a more traditional ‘lean back’ viewer will have a completely different experience – all from the same screen, and under their own control.

Fan behaviour is changing

Fans are paying more, and expecting more. We all deserve more and expect sport to evolve itself as part of our ongoing commitment to investing our time and money in it. Brand sponsors are investing in their own content, influencers and fresh ideas to try and achieve cut-through and engagement that converts passive to active, measurable value.

PWC’s 2018 Sports Survey revealed that a massive 34% of fans view the ability to interact with talent as the most desired feature of live streaming. Everything and nothing has changed: we’re still the same people driven by our passions and intrigue.

With the Euros and Olympics just around the corner, taking place in so many locations and in different time zones, the potential to improve the viewer experience, and the associated return for broadcasters, is immense.

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Twitch all provide users with ways to interact with live video via commenting, polling and other mechanics. Following the lead set by HQ Trivia, mobile-first gameshows like Quipp in Germany and Austria (powered by Monterosa for ProSiebenSAT1), and many other versions globally have normalised interactivity with video. Our Quipp show is now expanding into sports, launching a football-themed version in collaboration with Kicker.

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In another bold move, Sky Sports has opted to publish its much sought-after Premier League highlights content on YouTube, for free. For a subscription business that is one of the UK’s biggest ad spenders, the benefits seem clear – the immense additional reach plus retargeting will fill the funnel with leads and certainly generate more subscriptions. But if audiences are moving to more interactive platforms, are we now admitting that traditional broadcast content isn’t enough for today’s sports fans? Red button and multi-camera content has been around for a generation, but maybe the tech was just too clunky and the audience too fresh to the idea of interactivity when the BBC and Sky first pioneered the approach.

“People remain huge football fans but they want choice in how they consume. Some watch Match of The Day because of the analysis, the longer highlights, commentary and the quality of the studio programming but others are very happy with the shorter highlights available on Sky Sports Football YouTube immediately after the game.

It’s a different kind of consumption.” – Tomos Grace, Head of Sport for EMEA, YouTube (The Drum)

A different kind of consumption, yes, but from the rightsholder/broadcaster’s perspective, why does this have to happen exclusively on a different platform? Where general consumption behaviours must be catered-for on social platforms, broadcasters’ own propositions have the potential to build consumption models suited to their billion-dollar investments in sports.

This trend for interactivity will inevitably continue. Not as a replacement for lean-back consumption, but a new optional mode that will be driven by innovation, tech platforms and audiences themselves. It will put pressure on the so called “traditional broadcasters” of sports and entertainment to keep up. The cost of not allowing viewers to be part of the action will be measured in reduced dwell times, higher subscription churn rates and declining viewer numbers.

We now live in a world of Twitch extensions, of TikTok lip syncing, where millions of people create interactivity on their Instagram stories every day. Viewers, skewing younger, watch a growing portion of their TV on connected devices. We believe the moment has arrived where the problems can be overcome and that a new generation of interactive options will become a fundamental part of every OTT platform, every broadcaster or rightsholder app that includes video.

Fans just want to have fun!

Let’s not forget that creativity and the resulting enjoyment of great content is the biggest driver of trend and adoption. There is a wow factor with interactive video that once you experience it, leaves you wanting more. Giving your opinion on whether a penalty was correctly awarded with hundreds of thousands of other football fans by simply tapping on the livestream on your mobile phone – seeing the result in real time, then hearing the commentators refer to the live results – that’s fun.

Next summer is going to be a fantastic opportunity to excite and engage national audiences as millions of homes become engrossed in UEFA EURO 2020 and the Tokyo 2020. Passionate fans will be supporting their national team and following their heroes, so why not make it the most interactive, fun and enjoyable summer of sport to date?

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If you hadn’t guessed by now, we at Monterosa are big believers in the power of interactive video. And our LViS | Interaction Cloud – already used to power mass interaction for premium broadcasters, sports organisations and brands around the world – is the quickest, most powerful and creatively versatile platform on which to build an interactive video strategy. Integrating seamlessly with whichever video solution you are currently using, our technology and track record of success are a potent combination.

If you are as excited by the possibilities of interactivity as we are, drop us an email and let’s get started, we’ve got some very exciting developments to share.

Allianz Global Investors Partnering In First Regatta London

Regatta London, the UK’s newest and most exciting waterborne mass participation challenge event, is delighted to announce Allianz Global Investors (AllianzGI), one of the world’s leading active asset management firms, as Sustainability Partner for its inaugural event in 2019.

On Sunday 29 September, thousands of rowers, kayakers and stand up paddle boarders will take on a 12 or 14-mile course along the River Thames in central London in the first event of its kind.

The river will be closed to traffic and, because the event happens on the day of the annual, planned test closure of the Thames Barrier, the normal tides will be significantly reduced.

Protection of the environment is at the heart of the event, which has been created by Tideway, the company building London’s ‘super sewer’ to clean up the River Thames for generations of Londoners to come.

Plans for Regatta London 2019 include:

  • No single use plastic bottles – all participants will be asked to bring their own water bottles and water refill points will be provided at the start and finish venues
  • Those taking part will be encouraged to share transport to reduce vehicle movements across the event
  • To avoid unnecessary use of metals or plastics, all finishers will receive a bespoke medal made of clay dug from the River Thames during the Tideway project. The clay has been excavated from approximately 25 metres below the Thames, which means that it was laid down approximately 52-54 million years ago. The medal’s lanyard is made from recycled plastic drinks bottles and can be reused after the event
  • Finishers will also get a sustainable T-shirt with base fabric made from bamboo, charcoal and recycled Polyester yarn and which meets the Oekotex Standard 100 European Environment Protection Certificate. Distributing the T-shirts at the finish removes the need for the shirts to be packaged in single-use plastic bags
  • Regatta London marks the final day of Recycle Week 2019. The event’s waste and recycling strategy includes: no leaflets at the event; clearly labelled and separate bins for different materials to ensure all waste can be recycled; discarded clothing to be donated to charity; and a focus on avoiding waste, not just recycling
  • Caterers will only use compostable cups and cutlery, paper straws and compostable packaging.
  • Regatta London is working closely with its suppliers to identify and use sustainable branding alternatives that do not include PVC or plastic, are manufactured using recycled content and are 100% recyclable. We also aim to re-use as much of our branding as possible for future years to limit unnecessary wastage.
  • Regatta London will use existing power from the venue where possible to reduce reliance on diesel generators

Andrew Triggs Hodge, a multiple gold medal Olympic rower and Tideway Programme Manager who has set up Regatta London, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have AllianzGI as Sustainability Partner for the first Regatta London. Celebrating and protecting the environment is at the heart of the event and their values are completely in line with this. With their support, we want to make Regatta London the most sustainable mass participation event in the UK.”

Beatrix Anton-Groenemeyer, Chief Sustainability Officer at AllianzGI said: “We are very pleased to be working alongside our portfolio company, Tideway, to help establish Regatta London as the pre-eminent sustainable mass participation event in the UK, helping reconnect Londoners with the river. Regatta London’s passion for sustainability is a natural fit with AllianzGI’s commitment to investing in a sustainable way to the benefit our clients and society as a whole”.

Limelight Sports, the agency of the Active World, has been working with Regatta London Ltd to enable them to make their ambitious vision a reality. This has included the business plan development, event design and stakeholder negotiation. As the event gets closer Limelight will be implementing a full delivery plan for the Regatta London campaign and event.

 

 

IOC Plugs Into Youth Leaders For Lausanne 2020 Design Ideas

The fourth annual IOC Youth Summit this weekend included a design challenge for the 53 young leaders in attendance. Based on a digital hackathon, the ‘createathon’ set 10 teams the task of creating an interactive and immersive IOC space for Lausanne 2020, where an estimated 100,000 fans are expected to pass through.

The concepts all focused around living the Olympic Values daily. They were supported by a group of coaches from local start-ups to Ted-Ex coaches and a pool of over 20 experts, including storytellers, virtual reality specialists, social media experts, architects, designers and many more.

The teams had three minutes to pitch to a judging panel made up of the experts and headed by Lausanne 2020 President Virginie Faivre, who reviewed the proposal based on delivery, feasibility and creativity.

The top three teams were invited to share their concepts with the IOC President, Thomas Bach, on the final day of the Summit. Following which, the President held a Q&A with all of the IOC Young Leaders.

He said: “The IOC Youth Summit is always a highlight of the year, as it is very inspirational to see young creative people so committed to the Olympic Values. They have developed a lot over the years and they now play an even more important role in the IOC decision making process. They give us inspiration in shaping the future of the Olympic Games and the Olympic Movement.”

Virginie Faivre, President of the Lausanne 2020 Organising Committee, commented: “We have put young people at the heart of Lausanne 2020 at every step to create iconic elements such as our mascot, medal, song and visual identity. I am delighted we can pool the diverse imaginations of the IOC Young Leaders. Their ideas are truly inspiring.”

Stats Perform Secures Argentina Betting Video Deal

Stats Perform has announced a five-year deal with the Argentine Football Association (AFA) for the rights to global betting video and data across competitions including Superliga Argentina, Copa Superliga Argentina, Argentina Cup and Recopa Argentina.

Under the agreement, Stats Perform will collect and distribute official fast data, deep data and Watch&Bet video streams for over 600 matches per season to licensed global sportsbook operators.

The new deal demonstrates the AFA’s commitment to growing its global appeal and providing a best-in-class betting experience.

Alex Rice, Chief Rights Officer for Stats Perform, said: “Argentine football means fierce rivalries, passionate fans and top quality teams and players. For many football fans, watching a club game in Argentina is a bucket-list ambition. We’re delighted to be able to bring this level of sports entertainment to our global betting partners and their customers.”

Rokit And Parimatch Join Brands & Partnerships Masterclass Speaker Line-Up

iSportconnect is delighted to announce that Ivan Liashenko , Commercial Marketing Officer – Parimatch and Fern Townend, Global Head of Sponsorship – Rokit will be speaking at the 2019 Brands And Partnership Masterclass which will be held on 12th September at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms, London.

The speaker lineup includes:

Paul Goodmaker – Global Head of Sponsorships – Castrol
Sam Jones – Managing Director – Wish
Zarah Al-Kudcy – Head of commercial partner development – Formula 1
Bobby Brittain – Marketing director – Godolphin
Russel Yershon – Strategic Advisor – Energybet
Matt Booth – Chief Commercial Officer – 32Red
Simon Freedman – UK Country Manager, Football – Science in Sport
Iqbal Gandham – Managing Director, Business – eToro
Mike Farnan – Business Development Director – Macron

 

To register your interest in attending the  2019 Brands And Partnership Masterclass, please contact Giulia Coke at info@isportconnect.com

Invitation Policy:  The 2019 Brands And Partnership 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.
For limited partnership opportunities, please contact Brandon Garcia at brandon@isportconnect.com

 

Abu Dhabi Will Host First Female UFC Bouts In Middle East

Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to the United Arab Emirates capital this week under a new multi-year deal with the Abu Dhabi government that it hopes will draw new fans from the Middle East to the sport.

Saturday’s UFC 242, headlined by Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier in a lightweight title unification match, will be just the third time UFC has come to the emirate — and the region.

Reuters reports:

UFC will now stage one event a year in Abu Dhabi, which holds most of the UAE’s oil wealth, over the next five years. It has granted a state media channel exclusive broadcasting rights for the Middle East and North Africa over the period.

“They (Abu Dhabi) are making a huge commitment to grow the sport,” UFC Chief Operating Officer Lawrence Epstein told Reuters on Thursday.

He declined to disclose financial details of the deal signed earlier this year.

Epstein said the UFC would stage all its Middle East events in the emirate, the only place it has so far held events in the region, but that they could jointly hold events in other cities.

Many Gulf Arab states are investing heavily to expand their sports and entertainment industries. Saudi Arabia has a multi-year deal with World Wrestling Entertainment to stage events in the country under Riyadh’s push to open up the conservative kingdom, improve quality of life and lure foreign visitors.

UFC hopes that its partnership with Abu Dhabi will help grow its brand in the Middle East, where mixed martial arts and other combat sports are already popular.

“It’s a big population. It’s a young population. It’s a population with discretionary income and what’s key to us is it’s a population that’s got an affinity for the sport,” Epstein said.

Saturday’s event show will be the first time female fighters compete on a UFC card in the Middle East.

The car features fights between Joanne Calderwood (photo above) and Andrea Lee, and Liana Jojua and Sarah Moras.

Asked how UFC would deal with potentially sensitive issues such as an openly gay fighter competing in the region, Epstein said while UFC does not take “political positions,” it respects the rights of its athletes.

Current bantamweight and featherweight champion Amanda Nunes is an openly gay fighter and the UFC has come out in support of the LGBTQ community.