AFEX Forges iSportconnect Partnership

iSportconnect is proud to announce the start of a new partnership with AFEX, one of the largest global, privately owned, non-banking providers of international payments and risk management solutions.

Established in 1979, AFEX has offices in 22 countries and is a trusted partner to more than 35,000 businesses and individuals worldwide, helping clients to process payments to more than 180 countries around the clock daily.

Already active in the world of sport, particularly in football and rugby, AFEX has a team of experts dedicated to supporting clients in navigating the often uncertain and complex global foreign exchange market.

“We are looking to expand our global footprint in the sports marketplace,” said Jon Delaney, UK Sales Director of AFEX. “iSportconnect’s vast network and knowledge make them the right partner to pair up with.”

He announced the partnership today with Ray James, COO of iSportconnect, at the AFEX EMEA headquarters in London.

Sky Creates American Sports “Pop-Up” Channel

In January, Sky Sports in the UK is launching a short run “pop-up channel” as a home for American premium content, Sky Sports USA.

The channel will be available from January 3 to February 5, and will show 40 live games from across the NFL and NBA, including every game from the NFL playoffs live and Super Bowl LIII from Atlanta.

The channel will carry the NBA’s annual London game January 17 with the Washington Wizards facing the New York Knicks at the O2 Arena. On January 21, the NBA marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day with four games, headlined by the Memphis Grizzlies’ traditional celebration of the inspirational leader’s life.

Olympic Channel Will Launch On Roku Platform

The Olympic Channel  is now available on connected TV devices for Android TV and Apple TV and will also launch on the Roku platform in January 2019.

Availability on additional devices will be announced in due course.

Content initially available on connected TV devices include a 24/7 live stream and the Olympic Channel library of original content featuring more than 50 series developed with best-in-class production companies from more than 25 countries

“As the Olympic Channel continues to grow and evolve, we are dedicated to making our content available wherever our audiences are watching in efforts to create more personalised experiences for our viewers,” said Mark Parkman, General Manager of the IOC’s global Olympic Channel. “With more and more consumers using connected TV devices, fans now have more options to discover our content and engage with their favourite sports and athletes.”

Content initially available on connected TV devices include a 24/7 live stream and the Olympic Channel library of original content featuring more than 50 series developed with best-in-class production companies from more than 25 countries.

Future plans for programming on connected TV devices include live events in select territories in collaboration with the Olympic Channel’s federation partners.

A Year-End Message From iSportconnect’s CEO

By Sree Varma

Wow, time does fly.

Can you believe that the Winter Olympics happened this year? PyeongChang feels like five years ago. Or is it just me, because iSportconnect has been so busy in 2018?

More to the point, we held our first Summit in Beijing and our first Summit in Madrid in 2018, both fantastic events with great speakers and, again, I can’t believe that they were months rather than years ago.

The important thing is at that those events, and at our other annual Summits in Lausanne and Dubai, and our many Masterclasses, we are always looking to the future. And it’s coming fast!

The year ahead is going to be a big one for major events – Rugby World Cup, ICC Cricket World Cup, FIBA Basketball World Cup, FIFA Women’s World Cup, to name a few.

I am pleased to say that we have featured top speakers from all those organisations in 2018, talking about 2019 and beyond.

But this message isn’t about people speaking. It’s about listening.

To you.

During 2018, we at iSportconnect have been listening carefully to members of our community. It has been a considered project to learn more about what you expect and want from iSportconnect as a networking platform (and let’s be clear, that is our raison d’être).

In 2019, in line with feedback, one of our top priorities will be the changes we are making in the way we do events, with improved formats, more stimulating content and enhanced networking opportunities. While continuing to enlist the most relevant and interesting speakers to share their ideas.

We also have a slew of new things we aim to do, including more and better video content, and we will keeping you up to date on those plans.

In the meantime, a big thanks to our many friends for your active participation, and to our partners for their continuing support and the valuable content that they make available to the community.

We will of course keep on listening, so please let us know your thoughts on what you would like to see and how we can be better in the New Year. iSportconnect is here to serve you, the members of our community.

All of us at iSportconnect extend our best wishes to you for this festive season.

What Fans Think About The Ryder Cup

Sports fans say the 2018 Ryder Cup encouraged them to watch more golf on TV, but also that they would enjoy the event more if they better understood the format of the competition, and many of them say they would like to see a new golf competition with both men and women competing.

Those were among the extensive findings gleaned from the market by Goodform through its Sports Fan Panel research (see above). Over 10,000 sports fans are signed up to the platform with nearly 1700 of them taking part in this latest survey..

Alexandra Kyrke-Smith, Goodform’s Head of Research & Insights, said: “It’s great to see some really interesting insights emerging from this piece that are applicable not just to golf but to the industry more widely. In particular, there is a clear appetite for formats which give a higher profile to female stars, potentially playing alongside their male counterparts. It was also interesting to see such a high proportion of those surveyed stating that they had been inspired to both play and watch golf more as a result – highlighting the importance of capitalising on major events to drive participation.”

The Sports Fan Panel is a unique platform constructed by Goodform, which provides innovative CRM, data and marketing services to clients such as Formula 1, Premiership Rugby and the English Football League

A key point of the Sports Fan Panel research is that Goodform formulates questions that deliver actionable results. The company’s mantra is, don’t ask a question if you can’t do anything with the data you get out of it

Listen to what Alexandra and Goodform Marketing Director Joe Kyle have to say about the company’s approach to research and the opportunity to learn more about what fans think and want via the Sports Fan Panel.

LaLiga Business Show: Real Betis And Eibar On Brand-Building

As Real Betis and Basque club SD Eibar square off in a LaLiga match in Seville this weekend, iSportconnect is pleased to present these timely insights from the two clubs on the challenges of building their brands in the globally.

With a mature local market in Spain, Real Betis needs to look to the international market for growth opportunities, according to Ramón Alarcón, the club’s General Business Director. The key to international growth is to have a good brand because people “follow a brand.”

For SD Eibar, based in a  tiny village in the Basque Country, what’s opening doors outside Spain is a high-profile foreign player. Eduardo Valdés, the club’s International Business Development Coordinator, talks about the positive impact his team’s star Takashi Inui is having in Japan.

LaLiga Business Show: Real Betis & SD Eibar Brand Case from iSportconnect TV on Vimeo.

Leading MLB Exec Moves To Esports

Major League Baseball Executive VP Chris Park is departing to take over as CEO of esports company G.Sports in the new year.

Gen.G, rebranded from KSV Esports, operates elite-level teams globally in League of Legends, Overwatch and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, among others.

The company is headquartered in Seoul with offices in San Francisco and Shanghai.

MLB has said that it does not plan to replace Park. Deputy Commissioner Tony Petitti will take over his responsibilities as part of an internal re-alignment.

Park, 39, was MLB’s Senior VP Growth, Strategy and International before promotion one year ago to Exec VP of Product and Marketing.

Arsenal Links With Beer Partner In Africa

English Premier League club Arsenal has reached a deal with SKOL as Regional Beer Partner in Rwanda, with plans to expand into other territories across Africa over the next two and a half years.

SKOL Brewery Limited Rwanda already sponsors several clubs in the region and the partnership will involve Arsenal staff providing football consultancy services to offer guidance and advice to support the development of these clubs.

Arsenal will also be providing football teams sponsored by the brand with trips to London to visit Emirates Stadium and receive coaching sessions with Arsenal coaches.

SKOL Brewery Limited Rwanda and Arsenal will also run coaching clinics to support grassroots football.

SKOL Brewery Limited Rwanda will promote the partnership through TV commercials, the production of special edition co-branded bottles and large scale on-pack promotions offering supporters the opportunity to win match tickets and official Arsenal merchandise.

Fans will also be able to attend sponsored match screening parties and join newly created official supporters’ clubs.

Arsenal Commercial Director Peter Silverstone said: “We are delighted to welcome SKOL Brewery Limited Rwanda to the Arsenal family. The partnership is a direct result of our successful partnership with the Rwanda Development Board and re-affirms our affinity with Africa.”

“We have nearly 90 million followers across Sub-Saharan Africa, and we’re looking forward to connecting with new fans in the region whilst sharing our knowledge and experience, developing coaching programmes and helping SKOL Brewery Limited Rwanda build their business.”

Ivan Wulffaert, General Manager, SKOL Brewery Limited Rwanda, said: “SKOL Brewery Limited Rwanda are proud of their approach to brewing and product quality. We always take that extra step to ensure the best experience for our customers and consumers. We are very happy and proud to partner with Arsenal FC as we view Arsenal as the team that takes great pride in their approach to football and the quality of their play on the pitch. A refined version of the great game.”

Sports Betting Will Be Legal In Washington D.C.

The Washington D.C. local government has voted to allow sports betting and the U.S. capital will become the first city in its region to allow residents and visitors to bet on professional sports.

The D.C. Council voted 11-to-2 to open up betting a move backed by Mayor Muriel E. Bowser, a Democrat, and the change will take effect as soon as she signs the legislation.

The D.C. Lottery will be the exclusive operator of a new mobile betting app, expected to be the most popular way to place wagers.

People will also be allowed to bet at sports venues such as the Capital One Arena and Nationals Park, and at private locations in the capital such as restaurants and liquor stores.

Sports betting operators at arenas must pay $250,000 for five-year licenses, while retailers that want betting on their sites must pay $5,000 for two-year licenses.

The D.C. Office of the Chief Financial Officer, which runs the D.C. Lottery, has forecast that betting is expected to raise $92 million for city coffers over the next four years.

D.C. joins eight other jurisdictions that allow sports gambling: Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, West Virginia and New Mexico.

Saracens Duo Launch Sport Injury Product Venture

Two Saracens rugby players have announced a new business venture targeting sports people who suffer from joint and muscle discomfort or have issues with sleep and anxiety.

George Kruis and Dom Day have launched ‘fourfive cbd’, a line of cannabinoid-based products targeting active professionals.

Since WADA’s policy change in January to remove cbd products from its prohibition list, the cannabinoid is being adopted by athletes of all levels and disciplines due to the benefits they lend to athletes in regular, intensive training.

Day explained: “Sustaining injuries is a common part of any pro-athlete’s experience but is incredibly frustrating since we want to be getting on with the job, as such we are serious about recovering as quickly as possible.

“Injury-induced frustration led me to try cbd – with no set expectations – so I was delighted with the positive effect it had on my rehab. I quickly became a vocal locker-room cbd advocate, which is how George came to try some products out and became an equally passionate fan.”

Fourfive cbd products are available to buy via the company’s website and through social media.