Betfred Super League extends broadcasting deal with beIN Sports France

Super League (Europe) has agreed a new broadcast deal with beIN SPORTS for the French territory. The renewed agreement will see the relationship between the Betfred Super League and beIN SPORTS continue for a further two years until the end of the 2019 season.

As part of the partnership, beIN Sports France will continue to televise all Catalans Dragons home games and additionally show a selection of televised games from the Betfred Super League and the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup.

Rugby Football League interim Chief Executive Officer, Ralph Rimmer, said: “Once again it is superb that beIN Sports France will continue to show all of Catalans Dragons home fixtures in the Betfred Super League.

“beIN Sports France is a great broadcaster and we are delighted that they will also show a selection of games from the Betfred Super League and Ladbrokes Challenge Cup over the next two years.

“beIN SPORTS have been a broadcast partner of Super League (Europe) for four years now and we look forward to the successful partnership continuing and ensuring the best of the sport is shown to a wider audience.”

Yousef Al-Obaidly, Deputy CEO of beIN Media Group, added: “This new agreement strengthens beIN Sports France’s multisport portfolio and reaffirms beIN Sports as the home of Rugby League.

“We are delighted to continue our partnership with The Rugby Football League and to support the continued growth of this discipline in France through our premium coverage.”

Do you want to stay ahead of the broadcast curve? Sign up to iSportconnect’s first Masterclass of 2018 now!

Major League Soccer awards expansion club to Miami

With an extraordinary ownership group at the helm and an agreement in place to build a world-class soccer stadium, Miami has officially been granted a Major League Soccer expansion team, Commissioner Don Garber announced today.

The club will be owned by a local and global group of entrepreneurs: global soccer and cultural icon and former MLS player David Beckham; Marcelo Claure, Sprint CEO, SoftBank board member and long-time Miami-resident and entrepreneur; Jorge and José Mas, the Miami-based leaders of telecommunications and construction giant MasTec; Masayoshi Son, founder and CEO of SoftBank; and entertainment entrepreneur and manager, Simon Fuller.

“It is with tremendous pride that we welcome Miami to Major League Soccer,” said Commissioner Garber. “With David Beckham, Marcelo Claure, Jorge and José Mas, Masayoshi Son and Simon Fuller leading the way, we know the right people are in place and the time is right for Miami to become a great Major League Soccer city.

“This ownership is committed to bringing Miami the elite-level soccer team, stadium and fan experience it richly deserves. We look forward to working with the entire organization on a strategic and successful launch for Miami’s MLS club.”

“Our mission to bring an MLS club to Miami is now complete, and we are deeply satisfied, grateful and excited,” said David Beckham.

“Our pledge to our fans in Miami and around the world is simple: your team will always strive to make you proud on the pitch, our stadium will be a place that you cherish visiting, and our impact in the community and on South Florida’s youth will run deep.”

Miami’s team will play in a privately developed, 25,000-seat state-of-the-art stadium in the city’s urban core.

The stadium will be designed by Populous, the global firm that has created MLS stadiums in Orlando, Houston, Kansas City and Colorado, along with Audi Field (opening this year in Washington, D.C.), and Allianz Field (opening in Minnesota in 2019). Populous has also worked on many of the top soccer venues around the world, including the new stadium for Tottenham Hotspur, opening this year, and the expansion of Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium in 2015.

Eleven Sports secures live rights to all LaLiga matches in Belgium

Eleven Sports has agreed an improved three-year partnership with LaLiga to extend its coverage of the Spanish football league in Belgium.

The new agreement means that fans will not miss a minute of the action as all LaLiga matches will now be available on Eleven Sports. Under terms of the previous deal, Eleven showed up to six LaLiga matches every weekend.

The improved partnership will commence at the start of the 2018-2019 season and includes exclusive highlights, near live clips for social media and regular magazine style shows to engage fans outside of the match experience.

Anouk Mertens, Managing Director, Belgium, Eleven Sports, said: “The three year extension of this partnership is evidence of the strong foundations we have built with LaLiga in Belgium by engaging dedicated fans through extensive live action and in-depth, pre and post-match studio and pitch-side analysis.

“Eleven Sports is available in every home in Belgium and we are delighted to offer all fans the opportunity to enjoy every match from one of the world’s top sports leagues.”

Melcior Soler, director of the audiovisual department at LaLiga, added: “Eleven Sports offers fans in Belgium fantastic coverage of LaLiga and we’re pleased to extend our partnership to ensure fans won’t miss a minute of the action.

“Our partnership has grown significantly since 2015 and we look forward to bringing fans in Belgium more from the likes of Messi, Ronaldo and Griezmann, as well as their local heroes such as Thomas Vermaelen, Yannick Carrasco, Adnan Januzaj and Andreas Pereira.”

READ MORE: Melcior Soler – Audiovisual Area Director of LaLiga – discusses social media, TV broadcasting and brand direction

Arqiva launches new Central Processing Platform for channel to platform market

Arqiva, a communications infrastructure and media services company, has announced the launch of a new Central Processing Platform for channel delivery within the broadcast industry.

Against a backdrop of constant change, insatiable consumer demand and evolving audiences, the scalable platform plans to bridge the gap between channel or content and provider – handling content aggregation, technical processing and delivery of new channels in a single place.

Alex Pannell, Commercial Director, Satellite & Media at Arqiva, said: “In today’s data-driven TV market, deep insights offer exciting opportunities to tailor services, packages and content to audience tastes and expectations. But the broadcast industry has to be able to respond quickly and nimbly if it wants to take full advantage of this.

“Through Arqiva’s Central Processing Platform, customers will have access to thousands of channels, from every corner of the globe – all already processed and primed for delivery from one central location – so they can continue to build their business to match evolving demand.”

The Broadcast Masterclass will bring together industry thought leaders to focus on new ways for media companies, rights owners and technology partners to prosper, thrive and grow as the digital revolution continues to disrupt the sports broadcasting market.

Register your interest now!

Directors’ Club: iSportconnect adds UN Women’s Nuala Walsh and Sport England’s Jennie Price CBE to ‘Women in Sport’ panel

iSportconnect is delighted to announce that Nuala Walsh and Jennie Price CBE have been added to the speaker lineup for the Women in Sport Panel, which will take place at the upcoming Directors’ Club on March 7.

Through the panel we want to commemorate the International Women’s Day week which ​​celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Panel discussion topics are set to focus on the importance of gender equality, the root of bias and discrimination behaviour and why it touches all in sport.

Walsh is set to bring significant value to the content programme, courtesy of her role as Board member of UN Women (UK), the only global entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, and that as Chief Marketing Officer at Standard Life Aberdeen.

Additionally, Walsh serves as a member of The Football Association’s Inclusion Advisory Board and works with the IAAF on achieving equality in athletics.

Price will offer delegates expert insight too, having served as Chief Executive Officer of Sport England since April 2007. Under her leadership, Sport England has seen the number of people regularly participating in sport grow by 1.6 million people since London won the bid to host the Olympic Games in 2012.

Price also led the team that commissioned the multi-award winning ‘This Girl Can’ campaign, which received substantial support and acclaim.

There will also be a one-on-one interview with Steve Brown, Chief Executive Officer at the Rugby Football Union, providing those in attendance with a unique insight into one of British sport’s biggest governing bodies.

A series of networking sessions will ensure there is ample opportunity to debate industry best practices, discuss business opportunities and forge new relationships. Chatham House rules will be strictly adhered to, promoting a free exchange of ideas within the room.

The venue and full speaker lineup for the event will be confirmed in due course.

What makes iSportconnect Directors’ Clubs so special?

  • Events are open exclusively to Director/C-Suite level executives at sports rights holders, sponsorship brands and broadcasters.
  • Capacity is capped at 150 delegates allowing intimate access to key decision makers in the sports industry.
  • No agencies or press can attend and, as we follow Chatham House Rules, all discussions will remain confidential.

Please contact Chris Edbrook (chris@isportconnect.com) to register your interest in attending

ITTF and Table Tennis England announce British Airways partnership

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and Table Tennis England (TTE) have today announced a new partnership with British Airways (BA).

As part of the agreement, BA will serve as the official airline partner of the 2018 ITTF Team World Cup, which is set to be held in London later this year.

Thomas Weikert, President of the ITTF, said: “We are delighted to welcome an iconic, global brand such as British Airways to the ever growing table tennis partner family.

“Our sport has global reach and high levels of fan engagement, attributes that can help brands such as British Airways to connect to audiences around the world. We look forward to a fantastic event in February.”

With a global TV viewing audience of over 355 million during the 2017 World Table Tennis Championships, and some matches featuring in the top 10 watched sporting events in China for 2017, table tennis will help BA to promote its brand in key territories.

Noella Ferns, Executive Vice President Greater China and the Philippines for British Airways and Iberia, added: “We are very excited to be working with a sport like table tennis which is incredibly popular around the world and of course in Asia.

“We have very specific targets for partnership activities and have been impressed by the approach and opportunity that ITTF and Table Tennis England colleagues provided. We wish all teams the best of luck, and look forward to a great event.”

Cities, organising committees and international sport federations commit in record number to the SportAccord Convention 2018 exhibition

With twelve weeks until the SportAccord Convention takes place at the Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre, Thailand from 15 – 20 April 2018, 77% of exhibition floor space has already been snapped up for the upcoming event.

The only annual sports business convention where all the international sport federations (IFs) are guaranteed to attend. Exhibitors include international sport federations, organising committees, cities and regions and make up over seventy-five percent of total exhibitors providing organisations involved in the business of sport ample opportunity to connect with these industries.

Joining SportAccord Convention 2018 as an exhibitor for the seventh time, Andrew Gettig, VP of International – Connor Sport Court said, “It is important for us to continue the momentum gained in Aarhus and previous editions, and position our company at the heart of the SportAccord Convention. We truly believe in its value and see the Convention as a unique platform that allows us to connect with the leaders of Olympic and non-Olympic sport movement, organising committees and host cities in one easy to navigate place.”

International sport federations, cities, and businesses interested in attending can book an exhibition booth online or discuss their requirements and options with the sales team.

The venue layout for SportAccord Convention 2018 has been designed to optimise networking opportunities for both exhibitors and delegates with access to the conference auditorium and official meeting rooms via the exhibition area which are all on one level. Exhibitors will also have access to the SAC networking mobile app to contact delegates, arrange meetings, and keep up-to-date with the latest news at the SportAccord Convention.

Nis Hatt, Managing Director of SportAccord Convention said, “The SportAccord Convention prides itself on providing an event that meets the needs of our partners, exhibitors, and delegates. This year’s exhibition promises to deliver that with dynamic feature area zones, a larger SAC Café including the Speakers Corner and an easy to access conference auditorium, only minutes away from the exhibition.”

The exhibition area will feature an all-new ‘Relaxing Zone’ for delegates which will incorporate a surprise element guaranteed to rejuvenate delegates. In addition, the exhibition area will also provide a touch of Thai culture with its special ‘Thai Pavilion’ which will include a variety of local Thai attractions.

Hatt went on to say: “Combine this opportunity to connect with sporting business leaders and the optimised exhibition layout, I am not surprised that our community has once again embraced the SportAccord Convention and that over 2/3’s of the exhibition floor space is already reserved.”

‘Enhanced’ booths remain the ‘go-to’ booth for SportAccord Convention with a variety of sizes and configurations still available. Entry-level booths will start at 6m² and include 4 delegate passes (increasing with booth size), graphics, TV, chairs, table, information counter, Wi-Fi, power, lights and carpet).

Registration for SportAccord Convention 2018 is in full-swing and organisations are encouraged to secure their delegate passes at CHF 2,500. Many delegates and organisations have already committed to attend the SportAccord Convention 2018 and passes are selling out.

The SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit provides a unique platform for leaders from international federations, cities, and industry to meet and discuss the business of sport. The annual 6-day summit also includes an extensive Conference programme and is host to all the Stakeholder General Assemblies attended by their Members. The SportAccord Convention also offers many other social and networking opportunities as part of its Official Schedule.

FIVB announces Hamburg as host of 2019 Beach Volleyball World Championships

The FIVB has announced that Hamburg, Germany will host the 2019 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships, as the federation continues to secure world-class cities to host its flagship events

Hamburg has been the home of the FIVB World Tour Finals for two consecutive seasons and will stage the tournament at the Am Rothenbaum Stadium.

Germany is also one of the countries within the FIVB’s Nucleus Project – a new strategy aimed at raising the professional standard of volleyball by focusing development on key individual markets.

FIVB President, Ary Graça, said: “Germany is a key market for the FIVB and we are delighted that Hamburg is committed to delivering major FIVB beach volleyball events and showcasing the great appeal and popularity of our sport.

“I have no doubt that the city will be an excellent host for the 2019 Beach Volleyball World Championships, and will build up on the success of the 2017 edition staged in Vienna. This event always demonstrates the FIVB’s core principles of skill, athleticism and teamwork, acting as one to achieve the ultimate success.”

Arsenal Football Club seals cryptocurrency partnership with CashBet Coin

Premier League club Arsenal has announced a new partnership with cryptocurrency CashBet Coin.

The deal, which makes CashBet Coin the Gunners’ exclusive and official blockchain partner, sees the north London club become the first major team in world football to officially partner with a cryptocurrency.

The agreement is set to give the cryptocurrency’s brand prominent placement courtesy of in-stadium advertising channels during Premier League fixtures at the Emirates Stadium.

Vinai Venkatesham, Arsenal’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “We are pleased to welcome Cashbet Coin as our partner. We are looking forward to working with CashBet Coin as they launch their new cryptocurrency.”

Dr. Mike Reaves, CEO and Founder of CashBet, added: “With our ICO for CashBet Coin, we are actively targeting a global, multi-billion dollar marketplace of iGaming content providers, operators and players.

“We are delighted to do so in partnership with one of world football’s true giants in Arsenal, enabling us to build our brand and engage this audience in a meaningful way.

“Designed specifically for iGaming, CashBet Coin will improve the online experience for real money, casino, social, skill-based, eSports and sports betting players through increased trust and transparency, faster payouts, reduced fees and dedicated player protection.”

iSportconnect adds FEI and EBU to Broadcast Masterclass lineup

iSportconnect is pleased to announce that two additional guest speakers have been added to the lineup for the Broadcast Masterclass on February 28, 2018.

Ralph Straus, Commercial Director at the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), and Stefan Kürten, Executive Director of EBU Sport, will bring extensive insight to the day’s content programme, which will focus on new ways for media companies, rights owners and technology partners to prosper, thrive and grow as the digital revolution continues to disrupt the sports broadcasting market.

Straus joined the FEI in 2015, having previously held positions at FIFA and the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in the United Arab Emirates. Straus also boasts significant experience in the private sector courtesy of roles at Swisscom and Royal Dutch Shell.

Kürten is responsible for the EBU’s business strategy and activities and he has helped to broaden the organisation’s sports rights activities.

Under his responsibility, the EBU has secured major sports rights for its members – including the football World Cup until 2022, Euro 2016, IAAF, IBU, ISU and the newly created European Championships 2018 – and currently holds more than 35 contracts with over 30 international sports federations.

The event offers a unique opportunity for leading executives to learn more about a crucial sector of the sports industry. Debates are set to include a number of crunch topics, including the rise of OTT and the future of the broadcast rights landscape, while a series of networking sessions will ensure those in attendance are able to share experiences and best practises.

Confirmed speaker lineup:

Peter Hutton, CEO of Eurosport

Jonathan Licht, Director of Strategy at Sky Sports

Aarti Dabas, Head of Media Rights, Broadcast & Digital at the International Cricket Council

Shane Warden, Director of Broadcast & Technology at ATP Media

Ian Holmes, Director of Media Rights at Formula 1

Ralph Straus, Commercial Director at the International Equestrian Federation

Stefan Kürten, Executive Director of EBU Sport

Proceedings will take place at K&L Gates’ London office, which is located in the modern iconic premises of One New Change in the heart of the city.

No agencies or press will be in attendance and, as Chatham House Rules will be adhered to, all discussions will remain confidential. A series of networking sessions will also allow delegates to forge new relationships and discuss potential partnerships in a relaxed atmosphere.

Want to attend? See our invitation policy below:

  • There is no fee to attend this event. However, the Broadcast Masterclass is open exclusively to senior sports business executives from broadcasters, rights holders and sponsorship brands only.
  • No agencies or press can attend and, as we follow Chatham House Rules, all discussions will remain confidential.
  • Capacity is capped at 150 delegates allowing intimate access to key decision makers in the sports industry.
Please contact Chris Edbrook (chris@isportconnect.com) to register your interest in attending.