Chelsea Football Club appoint Guy Laurence as new chief executive

Chelsea Football Club has today announced the appointment of Guy Laurence as their new Chief Executive.

Laurence will start his new position with the Blues at the start of February, reporting directly to the club’s Board of Directors.

Laurence will take overall responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the Premier League club, with a focus on increasing revenues through the development of commercial activities both in the UK and around the world.

Chelsea Chairman, Bruce Buck, said: “We look forward to Guy joining the club during an exciting period for Chelsea on and off the field.

“He will be working with the owner and the Board to increase our commercial revenues and maximise digital opportunities, identifying new ways to best serve our supporters here in the UK and further grow our international fan base.”

Laurence brings with him significant experience in senior roles courtesy of recent positions as the President and CEO of Rogers Communications, one of Canada’s largest communications and media businesses.

NFL announces schedule of London Games for 2018

The National Football League (NFL) today announced the schedule of London Games for 2018, with Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium set to stage a regular-season game for the first time.

Spurs’ new home will host a clash between the Oakland Raiders and the Seattle Seahawks, while Wembley Stadium will feature games between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans and the Los Angeles Chargers.

The order of the games, along with all kick-off times, is yet to be confirmed.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell: “We continue to be very excited by the growth of the NFL in the UK. The fans have demonstrated outstanding support and passion for the NFL over the past 11 seasons and we look forward to some great games in London this year.

“A key feature of our success is playing in iconic, world-renowned venues like Wembley and Twickenham, and we look forward to playing in what will be another incredible setting for NFL football at Tottenham’s new stadium.”

Tottenham chairman, Daniel Levy, added: “This is a milestone year for the club as we look ahead to the opening of our new stadium and all that it will bring to the area of Tottenham.

“The announcement of the first game of the NFL’s 2018 London Games to take place at our new home heralds the commencement of our 10-year partnership. This is one of the cornerstones of our vision for creating a world-class sports and leisure destination that will make Tottenham a hive of activity 365 days a year and drive the regeneration of one of the most deprived areas of London.

“The NFL will bring a whole new audience to the local area, showcase Tottenham and bring further economic and social benefits with truly global coverage and attraction.”

Martin Glenn, Chief Executive of the Football Association, commented: “The NFL holds huge value and importance to Wembley Stadium. We are proud to have hosted games under the arch for the past decade and to have played a key role in the growth of the sport.”

Betting on Football 2018 takes shape with new speakers and exhibitors

Leading speakers from across the industry have signed up to Betting on Football 2018 (20-23 March), while 70% of the exhibition space at Stamford Bridge has already been sold.

The list of confirmed speakers includes Snaitech CEO Fabio Schiavolin, Danske Spil CEO Niels Erik Folmann, Mr Green CEO Jesper Kärrbrink, Pinnacle CEO Paris Smith, Veikkaus Senior Vice President Jari Vahanen, Better Collective CEO Jesper Soegaard, OPTIMA CEO Jacob Lopez Curciel, Microgame CEO Marco Castaldo and Matt Scarrott, Director of Sportsbook & VIP at BetVictor.

There are still sponsorship opportunities available for #bofcon2018, the fifth edition of the largest international football and betting trade conference, while the 25% discount on individual tickets will run until Monday 19 January.

This year’s conference agenda has been deliberately shaped around this year’s 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’.

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, and Global Market Profiles, as Betting on Football underlines 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 stand alone 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.

Kärrbrink said: “SBC Events are here to stay. Great networking and seminar focus. With focus on sports betting the exhibition was also very targeted and you basically found something interesting in every booth. Also very impressed with the high number of attendees making it possible to have a lot of productive meetings in just two days.”

Schiavolin added: “It’s almost five years that we’ve been choosing to attend and speak 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, which is a good way to confirm the relationship between betting and football.”

Don’t miss out on the current 25% Early Bird Discount on tickets for Betting on Football 2018 – Go HERE to get it!

There are also still sponsorship and exhibition opportunities available – for enquiries about these please contact us on sales@sbcnews.co.uk.

Fox Sports expands World Cup coverage with Twitter and Snapchat agreements

Fox Sports has announced new Snapchat and Twitter agreements for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. The expanded relationships will provide dynamic opportunities tailored to each respective social media platform and the broadcaster’s audience.

Alexis Ginas, SVP of Cross-Platform Solutions, FOX Sports, said of the deal: “These exciting collaborations with Twitter and Snapchat mark a major opportunity to leverage the world’s greatest sports moment and our talent beyond the TV screen.

“Alongside our FOX Sports-owned properties, they’ll help amplify this summer’s incredible live events programming – 64 matches total at the FIFA World Cup. We’ll immerse fans in the ‘beautiful game’ even further through our experts and fun, creative content from Moscow.”

As part of the agreement, Fox will produce a 30-minute live show streamed exclusively on Twitter from Moscow’s Red Square each match day.

FOX will also provide near-live video highlights to Twitter for each game, including every goal scored as well as video featuring interviews and press conference clips.

READ MORE: How the 2018 FIFA World Cup will be won and lost by sponsors and advertisers

Anthony Noto, COO at Twitter, said: “We are excited to collaborate with FOX Sports to bring an exclusive daily live show, expert analysis and video highlights from the 2018 FIFA World Cup to Twitter alongside the best curated real-time conversation.

“Passionate soccer fans will need to look no further than FOX and Twitter to find everything that’s happening at this summer’s tournament.”

On Snapchat, FOX Sports will produce a Publisher Story that chronicles the day-by-day drama of the month-long tournament.

Ben Schwerin, Snap’s Vice President of Partnerships, added: “We’re thrilled to be one of FOX Sports’ first digital collaborators for the FIFA World Cup.

“What makes the tournament so exciting for us is that we are going to be able to deliver our community a perspective of the global game that brings them not only into the roaring stadiums in Russia, but also to those celebrating in cities around the world.”

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

PDC renews data and live media rights partnership with Sportradar

The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and Sportradar have today renewed their multi-faceted partnership that will see the latter continue in their role as official data and live media rights partner to the biggest darts competitions in the calendar.

As part of the agreement, Sportradar – who have worked with the PDC since 2011 – will renew its official data partnership across all PDC events for a further five years until the end of 2022 and will distribute official data to the betting industry exclusively, while distributing data to the media industry on a non-exclusive basis.

On the audiovisual side, Sportradar will hold the exclusive live rights for over 700 matches each year, spread across the World Series of Darts (WSOD) and the European Tour (ET) extending the existing deal for an additional 4 years also through to the end of 2022.

PDC Chief Executive, Matt Porter, said of the deal: “This year’s PDC World Championship witnessed a significant changing of the guard but we are excited with the continuity of our partnership with Sportradar.

“They have been by our side for over six years and we are delighted they will be with us for at least the next five. They get what we are trying to do as an organisation and as a sport, and we are delighted that we can continue working together, delivering more great content and insights to our increasing fanbase around the world.”

David Lampitt, MD at Sportradar, added: “The PDC is an ambitious organisation and their appetite for innovation matches our own. Darts continues to see phenomenal growth with a compelling World Championships further evidence of the scale of the sports attraction driven by the team at the PDC.

“We are proud of the role we have played in supporting that strong growth and we are excited about continuing to work with the team at the PDC to bring the best quality official darts content to our clients around the world.”

Prudential RideLondon announces Zwift partnership

Zwift, the online fitness platform born from gaming, and Prudential RideLondon have today announced a partnership that will see Zwift become the official training partner for 2018.

The London map was added to Zwift in 2016 based on the Prudential RideLondon route. Since then Zwifters have logged 34 million miles on the map. Prudential RideLondon is the only cycling event in the world where you can ride the route virtually before and after the event.

Zwift’s global appeal has also helped deliver a new international audience for the event with overseas entries to the 2018 ballot nearly doubling to more than 3,000 potential riders.

Eric Min, Zwift CEO and Co-Founder, said: “Training is an essential part of preparing for, and getting the most out of Prudential RideLondon.

“Knowing how to train properly for an event is not always easy. Kevin Poulton’s plan is designed to take the guessing out of the process and help get riders to that start line in the best possible shape. Training indoors using Zwift is a great way to efficiently fit training around a busy lifestyle.”

Hugh Brasher, Event Director, Prudential RideLondon, added: “We are delighted to have Zwift as our official training partner.

“The virtual Prudential RideLondon route on Zwift has already been a huge success with hundreds of thousands of riders from all over the world able to enjoy this amazing route all year round. Adding the challenging Leith Hill will make it even better and with their superb training advice our riders will be ready to take on this challenge.”

Prudential RideLondon has also announced plans to expand its route through the capital city, with Leith Hill and a Richmond Park-inspired section set to be added to the course.

First Directors’ Club of 2018 set for March 7 as RFU’s Steve Brown is confirmed as guest speaker

iSportconnect is delighted to announce that the first Directors’ Club of 2018 will take place in London on March 7.

The premium, invitation-only event will bring together a selection of C-level executives working at sports rights holders, brands and broadcasters in the world’s major cities.

Steve Brown, Chief Executive Officer at the Rugby Football Union, has been confirmed as a guest speaker and will provide those in attendance with a unique insight into one of British sport’s biggest governing bodies.

Having held a wide range of roles during his career, Brown boasts extensive experience in a variety of sectors including technology, finance, legal & governance, international relations, public affairs and stadia.

Event proceedings will incorporate a one-on-one interview style format, plus an International Women’s Day themed panel.

Delegates will have ample networking opportunities with some of the industry’s most influential people, while Chatham House Rules promote a free of exchange of ideas.

A 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.

ESPN and Dr Pepper agree extension to College Football Playoff sponsorship agreement

Dr Pepper will remain as the title sponsor of the College Football Playoff (CFP) series until 2026 after agreeing a deal with ESPN to extend its support for college football in the US.

The brand will also continue its presenting sponsorship of the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy.

Jim Trebilcock, chief commercial officer for Dr Pepper Snapple Group, said: “Dr Pepper is synonymous with college football. Since signing on as the first sponsor of the College Football Playoff four years ago, we’ve strengthened that connection exponentially, tapping into the extraordinary passions of fans of both football and Dr Pepper.

“We are very proud to be extending our partnership with ESPN and the College Football Playoff for another six seasons, and we’re looking forward to giving our fans more of what they crave in the coming years.”

Formula E announces ABB title sponsorship deal

ABB and Formula E have today announced a new partnership aimed at championing e-mobility for a sustainable future.

Formula E has established itself as the number one all-electric international motor sport in recent years and ABB is set to bring its name and innovation and technology leadership to the series, which will be now known as the ‘ABB FIA Formula E Championship’.

By joining forces, ABB and Formula E will be well positioned to push the boundaries of e-mobility.

ABB CEO, Ulrich Spiesshofer, said: “We are extremely excited to partner with Formula E in writing the future of e-mobility.

“Today, two pioneers are uniting. ABB and Formula E are a natural fit at the forefront of the latest electrification and digital technologies. Together, we will write the next phase of this exciting sports activity and foster high-performance teams. Together, we will write the future – one electrifying race at a time.”

Alejandro Agag, founder and CEO of Formula E, added: “This is a historic day for Formula E and I’m honored to welcome the global technology leader ABB as the title partner of Formula E, with its background and expertise in the field of electrification and digital technologies.

“Our two companies are synonymous with pushing the boundaries of what is possible. Together, as partners, we will showcase breakthrough technology on a global scale to fans and consumers who follow the ABB FIA Formula E Championship.”

AC Milan announces Asian betting brand Vwin as first official regional partner

Serie A football club AC Milan has announced an official multi-year partnership with Asian online betting brand Vwin.

Vwin has become the Italian team’s first official regional partner and will work with Milan in Asian countries to launch customised marketing campaigns.

The partnership is set to be developed via multiple strategic tools including the use of Milan’s brand and image to promote Vwin’s services, digital media exposure opportunities and other activities tailored specifically to the Asian market.

VWin’s COO, Mr. Eric, said: “We are excited to collaborate with AC Milan, I am convinced this will be a successful partnership for both sides. We can’t wait to share the future that awaits us”.

AC Milan’s Chief Commercial Officer Lorenzo Giorgetti, added: “We are proud to welcome VWin, leader in the online betting industry in the Asian territory, in AC Milan’s family of partners.

“Vwin is our first Regional Partner in Asia. This agreement represents to our club a first and important step in the development of our commercial strategy on this key market.”