The Jockey Club announces three-year partnership with National Express

UK coach operator National Express has today signed a three-year agreement to become ‘official coach and bus partner’ of The Jockey Club.

The partnership will provide dedicated National Express services from across the UK direct to all major events in The Jockey Club’s racing calendar.

The new services will provide customers with drop off and pick up from locations closer to and more convenient for the racecourses than any other coach operator.

Both The Jockey Club and National Express will be offering travel tickets and combined travel & racing packages to major events across web, mobile and all other sales channels.

John Boughton, Commercial Director for National Express Coach, said: “Alongside our UK coach network, we have a strong track record of providing coach travel to festivals and events across the UK.

“In 2017, we carried hundreds of thousands of passengers to iconic sporting and music events including Glastonbury Festival, The FA Cup Final at Wembley, 6 Nations at Twickenham and the Champions League Final in Cardiff.

“We’re thrilled to be working with The Jockey Club to bring great value, comfortable and convenient services from destinations across the UK to the biggest events in the race going calendar.”

Paul Fisher, Chief Executive of Jockey Club Racecourses, added: “We’re delighted to be working with National Express as our Official Coach and Bus partner from 2018. This is the first arrangement of its kind for The Jockey Club and it’s fantastic to welcome another new partner into our sport.

“We know from their existing partnerships in sport and entertainment that they will offer excellent value and travel for the millions of people who attend our racing and leisure events throughout the year.”

SNACK Media voted in for Football Blogging Awards strategic partnership

Snack Media has been brought in by the Football Blogging Awards [FBAs] as their strategic partner to develop and monetise the awards honouring the very best football websites, social influencers and bloggers around the world.

The FBA’s is the most significant event in the calendar for all those within the football content creation industry. It is an opportunity for publishers, writers, bloggers and vloggers to be recognised by their peers and win one of the many prestigious honours that are on offer on the night.

Founded in 2014, the Awards continue to grow year-on-year, with over 700 attending the previous event at Old Trafford. However, to ensure the continued expansion of this much esteemed ceremony the organisers have sought the strategic guidance of SN&CK Media to take it to the next level.

Snack Media – who is also the Professional Footballers Association’s [PFA] new digital media partner – will fulfil its role as strategic partner by developing and monetising the FBA’s using their innovative digital fan engagement tools and social media. They also plan to reward past and future award winners by helping them with growth and commercial opportunities.

Niall Coen, SN&CK Media CEO & Co-Founder said, “This is another exciting opportunity for SN&CK Media, following a fantastic year of growth in 2017, where we acquired four businesses [Snack Gaming, DigitalSport, DigitalSport Recruitment and a major publishing network to be announced soon].

“The FBA’s are considered the major awards event within our industry of sports publishing, so when we were approached to partner with them and, specifically, to bring our expertise, then we agreed almost without hesitation. We’re looking forward to a really exciting ceremony this year, especially as we know the level of competition is so high at the moment. Expect some big Awards to be presented.”

FBAs founder, Anthony Cooper said, “Having known SN&CK for a few years now, I was confident they were the right organisation to become a strategic partner and take the Awards to the next level.

“Football writers, bloggers and influencers are some of, if not the, loudest voices in football – we are so passionate about our clubs and the game, and we think about football 365 days of the year, even in the off-season.

“We have decided to move the Awards from its previous spot in November to the end of the 2017/2018 season to capitalise on the natural interest and excitement surrounding the 2018 World Cup.

“It’s only right that those who create content for the industry are recognised for their efforts and SN&CK and I have already begun discussing how to make the next incarnation of the event the best ever.”

Qatar Airways expands Formula E sponsorship agreement

Formula E has today announced that Qatar Airways has extending its partnership with the ABB FIA Formula E Championship.

As part of the agreement, Qatar Airways will become the race title partner for the Qatar Airways Paris E-Prix for a second year running and will also put its name to New York’s season finale event.

Qatar Airways is also set to serve as the official airline partner for the inaugural Rome E-Prix.

Alejandro Agag, Founder & CEO of Formula E, said: “After another enthralling season last year, we’re delighted that Qatar Airways has reaffirmed its commitment to Formula E by extending its partnership and becoming race title partner of not only the Paris E-Prix, but for this season, the New York City E-Prix as well.

“Our shared passion to strive for excellence and innovation will once again see the series make history in some of the world’s most recognisable cities – thanks to the support of Qatar Airways to help us in going places together.”

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, added: “As an airline which is always ahead of the curve and driven to innovate, it makes perfect sense for us to extend our partnership for flagship events this season as the official airline partner of the future of motor racing, through Formula E.

“With its ability to deliver thrilling racing events using the very latest environmentally-friendly technology, Formula E has demonstrated that this incredible sport is continuing to set the pace and win more new fans wherever their races take place.”

Faroe Islands appoints VERO Communications to support Olympic recognition campaign

Ítróttasamband Føroya, the Faroese Confederation of Sports and Olympic Committee (FCSOC), has appointed London-based sports communications consultancy VERO as advisors to its campaign to gain recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

VERO will work with FCSOC to help build and highlight the Faroe Islands’ case for Olympic recognition and participation in the Games, its passion and commitment to sport as well as its self-governing political status.

Commenting on VERO’s appointment, John Zerafa, VERO Director, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Faroese Confederation of Sports and Olympic Committee and look forward to supporting their campaign for Olympic recognition.

“The Faroe Islands has been seeking recognition for over 40 years, is a founding member of the International Paralympic Committee and is already recognised in its own right by a further eight International Federations, so it has a strong case to build from.”

Jon Hestoy, Vice President of the Faroese Confederation of Sports and Olympic Committee, added: “The Faroe Islands has competed in every Paralympic Summer Games since 1984 and we want to have the same opportunity to compete in the Olympic Games.

“The appointment of VERO reflects how seriously we take our Olympic ambition and we are looking forward to working with them and outlining our case to the IOC and wider Olympic family.”

Aberdeen Football Club strengthens its off-the-pitch operations

Aberdeen Football Club is strengthening its senior management team to deliver an ambitious strategy over the next three to five years that includes growing revenues from £14.5 million to £20 million.

The two goals are to become a European ‘Top 100’ club and, central to that, to deliver the £50 million plans for a community sports hub, football training academy and new stadium.

In pursuing this growth and modernisation strategy, the club has appointed Robert Wicks as Commercial Director.

Chief executive, Duncan Fraser, said: “The club is in an enviable, healthy financial position. Indeed, we are one of the most financially robust clubs in Scotland. If we are to consistently challenge for the very top flight of Scottish football and participate regularly in European football, we need to be ambitious and forward-thinking.

“We must dramatically grow our revenues and, to do this, we need a top-flight leadership team with experience and innovation, particularly in sales and marketing. We are delighted to have secured someone of Rob’s calibre into this new position and are confident he will play an integral role in implementing our strategy.”

With 17 years’ experience in sports marketing, a proven track record in delivering successful transformational change and commercial strategies, Mr Wicks brings a wealth of national and international expertise to the club.

Responsible for increasing corporate, retail and ticket sales, as well as driving new revenue-generating initiatives, he will lead the club’s marketing and communications efforts, building on the work of the existing team.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Wicks, added: “I’m excited about joining the club, which has so much history and heritage but which is on the cusp of delivering real innovation in its commercial operations. I’m also thrilled to be moving to a part of the country that offers so many of the outdoor pursuits my family and I enjoy.

“Football and motorsports may not seem to have much in common but the sales and marketing principles and the drivers for change in a digital world are very similar.

“At AFC, I will develop a comprehensive commercial strategy which will broaden and strengthen sponsorships, enhance and develop social media engagement and adopt a customer/fan centric approach.”

Mr Fraser reiterated the importance of securing new training facilities and a stadium as part of their growth ambitions. He said: “Our plans, arguably the most critical undertaken by the club in its 114-year history, are central to our modernisation programme and we need to gear up to make the most of the new facilities.

“We want to be at the heart of the community, inspiring our citizens and fans by being a club they can be proud of, competing and winning at the highest levels. Through the power and passion of football, AFC can touch the lives of so many across the region and through the brand, we can promote Aberdeen and the region in a way no other organisation can.”

Charles Russell Speechlys and Couchmans join forces to create a new model for legal services in sport

Charles Russell Speechlys has announced that the partners and staff of Couchmans LLP will join forces with the firm on 22 January 2018.

By combining its pre-eminent full-service s‎ports law offering with Couchmans’ s‎ports law boutique service, Charles Russell Speechlys will be uniquely placed to advise clients internationally on all the legal and strategic issues that they may encounter in the s‎ports and related technology, media and lifestyle sectors. ‎

Couchmans is a Tier 1 boutique practice and has been one of the leading brands in sports law for nearly two decades. Their 11 strong team advises clients operating in the sports, media, technology and lifestyle sectors around the world. It was founded in 2001 by Nic Couchman, who will become Head of Sport at Charles Russell Speechlys.

The arrival of the Couchmans team coincides with the appointment of Darren Bailey as a consultant. Darren was previously Director of Football Governance and Regulation at The FA, and is a leading expert in sports law, integrity and regulation.

James Carter, Managing Partner at Charles Russell Speechlys, says: “We are delighted to join forces with Couchmans. Charles Russell Speechlys has been at the forefront of providing legal advice to the sports sector for over 100 years and has acted in many of the leading cases and projects that have helped to shape what is now known as sports law.

“The addition of the market leading Couchmans team is a bold and innovative step forward for both firms and creates what we believe will quickly become the pre-eminent international sports sector legal practice.

“We firmly believe that through this combination, we will stay at the cutting edge of the sports business as it becomes increasingly global. Clients will have access to a commercially orientated, sector specialist service on a full service international platform, but will continue to benefit from the personal attention that is the hallmark of both firms.”

Nic Couchman comments: “Charles Russell Speechlys provides the perfect platform for us. Both firms are immersed in this sector and have a track record of innovation and working on ground breaking projects.

“We have helped to shape and guide the change and growth in the sports sector over two decades. This exciting next step in our development allows us to meet the needs of our clients who want sector specialist advice across the full range of legal disciplines with a global outlook.

“We intend to set a new standard for sports law firms, not just in the UK, but internationally.”

New awards for sports tech start ups launches

The Sports Technology Awards Group has today announced the launch of the STA Start Ups, its latest initiative which is dedicated to young companies globally.

Building on the success of the original Sports Technology Awards, the Start Ups celebrate tech-led innovation across 15 categories in sports, and is open for entries immediately. Start ups of all sizes eligible for entry, from bootstrap through to Series A.

STA Group CEO, Rebecca Hopkins, explained the launch: “The Sports Technology Awards attracted a wealth of entries from younger companies, so it was clear there was a gap in the market to serve them better.

“The aim of the Start Ups is to create a widely recognized mark of excellence that companies can use to attract potential investors and customers. This will be achieved through a judging process which is rigorous, conducted by experts and is fair to entries of all sizes and types.”

As well as young tech businesses, the STA Start Ups is looking to identify the stars of the sports’ investment community, with specific categories for Angels, VC/PEs and Accelerators; there are also categories for eSports, fantasy sports and betting.

The Start Ups’ Categories:

App Company
Broadcast and Emerging Media
Coaching, Athlete Performance and Welfare
Equipment and Apparel
eSports
Fan Engagement
Fantasy Sports
Gaming and Betting
Participation
Sports Commerce
Wearables
Web, Digital or Integrated Platform
Accelerator
Angel Investor
VC / PE

Entries close on 28th February with the winners being announced via a Live Stream on 21st March. Full details can be found here.

Betting on Football set to double in size in 2018

Betting on Football 2018 – the world’s largest international football and betting trade conference – is set to double in size compared with its 2017 event.

The fifth edition of the show (20-23 March), which is organised by SBC Events, will feature numerous leading speakers from the worlds of football and betting, while 70% of the exhibition space at Stamford Bridge has already been sold.

Some of the major speakers include: Juventus F.C. Commercial Director Giorgio Ricci, Leicester City Head of Partnerships Engagement Harj Hir, Swansea City Global Head of Partnerships Mark Davies, Snaitech CEO Fabio Schiavolin, Danske Spil CEO Niels Erik Folmann and Pinnacle CEO Paris Smith.

Betting on Football is set to feature 1,500 senior delegates, over 200 leading industry speakers, 40 key sessions, three conference rooms and 40 exhibitors.

This year’s conference agenda has been deliberately shaped around the upcoming World Cup, with a full day’s track covering key topics such as engaging customers in a live environment, standing out in the social media battleground and preparing for ‘life beyond the bonus’.

SBC Founder Rasmus Sojmark, said: “Betting on Football continues to go from strength to strength and has firmly established itself on the calendar of sport industry events. We’re thrilled that this year’s conference is set to be twice as big as 12 months ago, and the names who will be speaking need no introduction. We’ll be announcing plenty more speakers over the next couple of months and we’re all really looking forward to a fantastic few days at Stamford Bridge.”

Fabio Schiavolin, CEO at Snaitech, added: “It’s almost five years that we’ve been attending and speaking at Betting on Football. We like the way SBC has been organising this event. We like the audience, and it’s a good opportunity to exploit the conference to network and talk about our experiences. We also like the choice of Stamford Bridge as a venue, which is a good way to underline the relationship between betting and football.”

The World Cup and Beyond is one of three main tracks on the first full day (21 March), alongside Betting on Innovation, a series of presentations by companies bringing an innovative product to market.

There is also Global Market Profiles with Betting on Football underlining its international appeal by delivering updates around seven of the biggest sports betting jurisdictions, including the new window of licensing opportunity in Spain, the move towards legalised sports betting in the US and preparing for a World Cup-free summer in Italy.

The second full day (22 March) will feature a Leadership track exploring the philosophy of gambling, the value of investment and the influence of ‘designer bets’, while the Customer Journey track will be on hand to discuss bridging the conversion gap, cross-selling to football punters, building the perfect customer environment and striking a balance between a smooth and safe registration process.

In addition to the five main tracks, SBC Events will also launch three specialist forums – The Affiliate Insider Bootcamp, Esports Insider Super Forum and SBC Sponsorship Forum, all of which double up as standalone events and individual tracks as part of the wider Betting on Football conference agenda.

The Affiliate Insider Bootcamp will deliver content ranging from digital marketing hacks to the latest innovative technologies, while the Esports Insider Super Forum will feature six panels and workshops focused on the challenges that exist within the worlds of traditional sports and esports.

Meanwhile, the invite-only SBC Sponsorship Forum, managed by former AC Milan Chief Commercial Officer Jaap Kalma, has been designed to bring football clubs and betting brands together to discuss opportunities in football.

Nielsen Sports, a leading provider of analytics and insights within the sports industry, has already confirmed its participation in the forum through Managing Director Marco Nazzari.

F1 and FOX Sports LatAm agree new TV partnership

Formula 1 has announced a new partnership with FOX Sports Latin America.

For the next five years, from 2018 until 2022, FOX Sports will hold the exclusive broadcasting rights of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship on TV and digital platforms throughout Latin America (excluding Brazil).

The new agreement includes the coverage of practice sessions, qualifying sessions and Grands Prix, totalling 300 hours of live broadcasting on FOX Sports, FOX Sports 2 and FOX Premium Action channels.

Ian Holmes, Director of Media Rights, Formula 1 said: “We are very happy to have FOX Sports as a partner in Latin America for the next five years.

“This new agreement represents a great opportunity and will allow us to bring the FIA Formula 1 World Championship in 19 countries throughout South and Central America where Formula 1 has a strongly established tradition as well as huge potential to gather and galvanise new fans.”

Carlos Martinez, President, FOX Networks Group Latin America, said: “We are happy to have such a relevant property as the FIA Formula 1 World Championship back (on FOX Sports in our robust motorsport content proposal.

“We’re thankful to Formula 1 for trusting FOX Sports and our team to broadcast Formula 1 to more than 45 million Spanish-speaking homes in Latin America. The passion of Latin American fans for car racing makes this category key to our content offering, and we will contribute with our know-how to make the experience of living it in our portfolio unbeatable.”

The agreement with FOX Sports Latin America is added to the others F1 sealed throughout 2017, including Spain, Australia, France, Germany and the United States.

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Kent County Cricket Club appoints Paul Downton as Director of Cricket

Kent County Cricket Club has appointed Paul Downton as its new Director of Cricket.

He has sat on the board of Middlesex County Cricket Club for 19 following the end of his playing career in 1991.

Downton said of his appointment: “I’ll be responsible for the business of cricket and making us as competitive as we can be on the pitch.

“We will aim to maximise our resources and make good strategic decisions in developing and attracting talent to the club. The ambition is to connect with the communities of Kent and build teams that they can be proud of.”

Kent Chairman, Simon Philip, added: “Paul was the outstanding candidate from our thorough recruitment process. He combines vast cricket experience as a player and administrator with astute business sense from his career in finance.

“Paul played during very successful periods at Kent and Middlesex and we’re confident he will drive the club’s considerable ambitions on the pitch.”