Nathan Homer hails GolfSixes’ impact on younger fans and social media: ‘Innovation is vital for golf to continue to grow’

GolfSixes – the short-format golf concept – attracted younger, new fans to the game while delivering impressive social media engagement, according to new analysis released by the European Tour.

Data from the inaugural GolfSixes competition in 2017 shows that the event saw a 42% increase in new golf fans compared to standard European Tour tournaments.

Those attendees were also 14% younger than those seen during the rest of the golfing calendar. By virtue of attracting a younger following, social media engagement around the event also exceeded the average rate seen at other European Tour tournaments by 24%, delivering over 20 million social impressions.

In response to the positive findings, GolfSixes will return to the European Tour calendar on May 5th and 6th, 2018, as an inclusive ‘festival of golf’ that encourages even more fan engagement, as well as featuring a junior tournament.

The GolfSixes format was trialled in response to growing demand for shorter, more intensive competition. It replicates other successful short-form sport concepts such as the T-20 Big Bash, World Rugby Sevens Series, Nitro Athletics and Tie Break Tens.

Nathan Homer, Chief Commercial & Marketing Officer of the European Tour, said: “GolfSixes combines the camaraderie and intrigue of team golf with the drama and intensity of a shorter format. The players love it, and the fans enjoy the different, more entertaining atmosphere. Last year we tested the concept and this year we will dial up the fan engagement still further.

“Golf needs a route for younger fans, groups of adults and families to get involved. We know that GolfSixes appeals to those audiences while still offering something to our die-hard fans. We have to keep innovating in order to grow our appeal and the statistics suggest GolfSixes can have a powerful presence in the golfing calendar.

“GolfSixes is still in the early stages of its development but the combination of player feedback and tournament data suggests it is here to stay. Innovation is vital for golf to continue to grow its fan base and we look forward to seeing how the next iteration of GolfSixes will support that goal.”

READ MORE: The rising tide of new sporting formats should be embraced – not fought against

Minnesota Vikings become first NFL team to launch VR application for Oculus

The Minnesota Vikings have become the first National Football League (NFL) team to launch a virtual reality application for Oculus courtesy of a partnership with VR/360 company Zeality.

The application is called ‘Vikings VR’ and takes fans directly inside U.S. Bank Stadium to view 360 videos and photos from Vikings games and events.

Content from various phases of the construction of U.S. Bank Stadium, plus key events from the first regular season game played at the Vikings new home – and every home game since – is viewable in Vikings VR.

Vikings Executive Director of Digital Media and Innovation Scott Kegley, said: “Virtual reality and 360 content is very important to our organisation.

“We understand only a small percentage of our large fan base is able to attend a Vikings game or event. We want to bring experiences to them, and immersive technology is allowing us to do that.”

Zeality Co-Founder and CEO Dipak M. Patel, added: “We’re excited to partner with the Vikings to drive a new category of experiences for their fans and partners.

“The Vikings are not only innovating new ways of creating content using immersive media, they are also one of the leaders in delivering these experiences to their fans.”

Happy New Year from The iSportconnect Team!

We’ve had a lot to celebrate as a business over the last 12 months as we continue to expand into new markets and forge new partnerships.

Our repertoire of events has grown even further, leading to the successful launch of the Summit format in both Lausanne and Dubai.

We have big plans in place for 2018 and look forward to seeing you all on the next step of our journey.

Enjoy the holidays and good luck for 2018!

The iSportconnect Team

Take our end-of-year member survey for the chance to win an Amazon Kindle

FIFA announces award of media rights in Russia and Italy for 2018 FIFA World Cup

FIFA has announced deals in Russia and Italy for media rights to 2018 FIFA World Cup.

In Russia, rights have been granted to the 2SPORT2 consortium (representing Channel One, RTR and Match TV), which will provide coverage of the competition in the host country.

In Italy, Mediaset has secured live rights to all 64 matches to be aired on its free-to-air channels. The rights sales process in Italy was conducted by the MP & Silva agency on behalf of FIFA.

Rights in both territories have been awarded on a platform-neutral basis, allowing fans to enjoy TV, internet, mobile and radio coverage of the competition.

FIFA’s Chief Commercial Officer, Philippe Le Floc’h, said: “We are delighted to take two important steps closer to finalising the global broadcast offering for 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

“The Russian consortium of broadcasters did a fantastic job of transmitting the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 this summer in the host territory, and we know that they will help to convey the special atmosphere that we will enjoy in Russia next summer.

“In the Italian market, we are very pleased to have Mediaset as a partner and Italian fans will be able to enjoy all 64 matches of the FIFA World Cup on free-to-air channels.”

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

SBC Awards caps ground-breaking 2017 for SBC Events

The disco-themed SBC Awards provided SBC Events with a fittingly stunning finish to 2017, a year in which both its headline conferences recorded growth of more than 100%.

The success of the ceremony at the Artillery Garden, which featured a silent auction that raised £1,700 for GambleAware and saw bet365 collect the Bookmaker of the Year prize for the fourth year in a row, consolidated a ground-breaking year for the news and events company. For the official photos of the SBC Awards 2017, click here.

The fourth edition of Betting on Football at Stamford Bridge in May attracted more than 1,100 delegates, a 150% increase from 2016. Networking space at the event was trebled to cater for 40 exhibitors, while the conference area played host to more than 140 speakers including Chris Kamara, one of many sporting stars to support SBC Events in 2017.


Betting on Sports 2017, held in September at Olympia Conference Centre, took this progression to another level by welcoming more than 1,300 delegates, a 120% climb from the previous year. There was space for over 60 exhibitors, while delegates were treated to parties at two of London’s most spectacular venues, Altitude 360 and Under the Bridge.

SBC Events presented the most comprehensive agenda the industry had ever seen, with more than 44 sessions and 180  speakers including 70-times capped Scottish rugby union player Kenny Logan, while the exhibition space featured the chance to ‘meet and greet’ Michael Vaughan, England’s most successful Test cricket captain and Mr Green ambassador.

Betting on Sports also introduced the ‘Betting on Esports’ track, which will be expanded on for the Esports Insider Super Forum, one of three exclusive new events to be launched at next year’s Betting on Football (20-23 March) alongside the Affiliate Insider Bootcamp and SBC Sponsorship Forum.

Planning is also well underway for the five other tracks at #bofcon2018 – World Cup and beyond, Global Market Profiles, Leadership, Customer Journey and Betting on Innovation, a series of presentations by companies attempting to grow their business by bringing an innovative product to market.

The list of confirmed speakers includes the likes of Mr Green CEO Jesper Kärrbrink and Snaitech CEO Fabio Schiavolin, alongside SBC Events debutants such as Paddy Power Betfair Fraud Director Jacqueline Hart.

SBC Managing Director Andrew McCarron said: “It has been a landmark year for SBC Events. With the support of our sponsors, we have overseen huge growth of the Betting on Football and Betting on Sports conferences.

“This has been mixed with the successful running of a series of well attended one-day events featuring sporting stars, including the H20 Data Semina with Ruud Gullit and John Barnes, the SBC Snooker Forum with Ronnie O’Sullivan and the SBC Gibraltar Forum with racing legend Richard Dunwoody.

“Plans are already well underway for the fifth edition of Betting on Football, which has been brought forward from May to March to address key industry issues ahead of next year’s FIFA World Cup in Russia. We look forward to welcoming the entire sports betting industry to Stamford Bridge in just a few months time.”

Major League Soccer awards expansion club to Nashville

Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber has today announced that the city of Nashville, Tennessee has been awarded an MLS expansion club.

Nashville’s MLS team will be owned by the investment group, Nashville Soccer Holdings, LLC, led by John R. Ingram, the chairman of Ingram Industries Inc.

As a result of a private-public partnership between the club’s owners and the community, the team will play in a new, 27,500-seat soccer stadium at The Fairgrounds Nashville.

Commissioner Garber said: “Nashville is a rising city with a passionate soccer fan base, a dedicated ownership group and civic leaders that truly believe in this sport.

“Nashville continues its ascent as one of America’s most dynamic communities, with its incredible energy and creativity. For us, that makes it a perfect place for MLS expansion.

“John Ingram and his partners had a plan to bring MLS to Nashville during the last year and they executed it at every level. Thanks to their vision, the soccer fans of Tennessee will soon have their own MLS club and a state-of-the-art soccer stadium that undoubtedly will be a centerpiece of the community.”

Ingram added: “This is a landmark day for Nashville and for all of the loyal and ardent soccer advocates in our state and our region.

“During the last year, with the support of our partners, the fans, and civic and community leaders, we were able to make a strong case for why Major League Soccer belonged in the great sports town of Nashville.

“Thank you MLS owners and Commissioner Garber for your confidence in us. We will have a team that everyone can be proud of, and we will take a leadership role in enhancing the growth of the sport in a region that already has a passionate soccer culture. Nashville is going to be a very worthy addition to MLS.”

Brentford FC and Oui Chef announce partnership

Oui Chef has become the latest business to join Brentford Football Club’s partnership family, having signed up to be an official club supplier.

The firm has supplied the food consumed by the Brentford players every day at the club’s Jersey Road Training Ground for the past two years and has now extended their partnership further.

Oui Chef also support the Championship club by assisting with early morning deliveries to ensure the food consumed by the players is fresh.

Adam Ward, Brentford FC Partnership Development Manager, said: “Oui Chef provide some of the vital ingredients that fuel our team, so it’s fantastic that they have formalised their relationship with Brentford FC. We hope this can be a fruitful partnership that continues to grow.”

Keval Patel, Managing Director at Oui Chef, added: “Having worked with Brentford for the past couple of years, we’re thrilled to partner with them and be part of the exciting journey they are currently on as both of our brands continue to organically grow.”

Birmingham announced as host of 2022 Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) today announced that it has selected Birmingham as the host city partner of the XXII Commonwealth Games in 2022.

Birmingham 2022, which is expected to take place from 27 July – 7 August 2022, marks 20 years since Manchester 2002, the last time the Games were held in England.

CGF President Louise Martin CBE said: “We warmly congratulate Birmingham and England on today’s announcement – it is a defining moment for this truly Commonwealth city.

“With its rich history, cultural diversity, youthful dynamism and ambitious spirit, Birmingham embodies all that we cherish about the Commonwealth, and so the Commonwealth Sports Movement looks forward to collaborating with all the Games partners to showcase the city’s humanity and pride to a global audience over the coming months and years.

“The vast majority of the Games venues are in place, and with extensive experience in the UK of hosting successful major events – including Manchester 2002, London 2012 and Glasgow 2014 – the CGF looks forward to a truly spectacular Games that delivers not only for the 2.4 billion citizens across the Commonwealth but the wider world, too. Today is a fantastic day for Birmingham, global Britain and our resurgent Commonwealth Sports Movement.”

The foundations for the Games have now been laid, with the official handover to Birmingham set to take place at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony on April 15 next year.

Sports Minister Tracey Crouch said: “The UK has a brilliant track record for putting on the biggest sport events in the world and it is great news that Birmingham has been selected to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“I am sure that we will put on an event that will make the country proud, leave a strong sporting legacy and strengthen relationships with our friends across the Commonwealth.”

Eleven continues to build on Bundesliga success in Poland

As the second half of the 2017/18 football season approaches, Eleven Sports is introducing even more content in Poland aimed at boosting ever-growing viewing figures driven by action from Bundesliga and LaLiga Santander.

Eleven Sports acquired live rights to the top two tiers of the German league earlier this year from Bundesliga International, a subsidiary of the German Football League. To date, Eleven has shown close to 100 Bundesliga games, 68 Bundesliga 2 games and the German Supercup.

Thanks to the popularity of Bundesliga, Eleven Sports continues to grow in Poland with the platform’s services regularly named among the best performing sports channels in the market with viewers aged 16 to 49 this season, according to figures from Nielsen.

Eleven is now set to build on that success in 2018 with the launch of new football programming, including a new daily sports show to supplement Bundesliga action which will include the latest news updates and highlights from every match.

“When we purchased Bundesliga rights, we were very confident that they would prove to be one of our greatest programming assets. The first half of this season has proved that our expectations were right.” said Danny Menken, Group Managing Director, Eleven Sports.

“We are thrilled that many fans in Poland are tuning in to Eleven Sports to watch the top-class action from Germany’s top football leagues.

“Thanks to our great relationship with Bundesliga, we are able to offer Polish fans an engaging match experience that goes beyond what has traditionally been offered in the market and we are looking forward to building on this success in 2018.”

The supplementary content will add to the in-depth, pre and post-match studio and pitch-side analysis that Eleven already offers.

During the first half of the season Eleven has delivered more content than ever before in the market around Bundesliga matches with magazine and highlights shows, live in-stadium studio analysis at 10 matches and LIVE pitch-side analysis during three games.

The self-produced studio shows are helping to gain traction with fans with audience figures showing that fans treat studio segments as an essential part of the viewing experience with 50% of viewers watching pre-match programming, 90% watching half-time studio analysis and 60% watching post-match studio analysis.

Ricoh launches ‘The Age of Digital Information video’ as part of The Business of Rugby campaign

Global technology company Ricoh has today released their second video ‘The Age of Digital Information’ as part of The Business of Rugby campaign, which investigates the latest business thinking and strategies the 12 Premiership Rugby clubs are utilising as well as the innovations and new technologies they are investing in.

Ricoh’s latest video explores how Premiership Rugby clubs are adapting and indeed thriving in this new era of mass data and how they are leveraging this data and the knowledge it provides to gain competitive advantage on and off the pitch.

To complement ‘The Age of Digital Information’ video Ricoh will also be launching a series of business blogs identifying how businesses can best harness their data and examining the invaluable insights that can be gleaned from it.

Premiership Rugby clubs are clearly embracing data and are recognising its importance in not just winning games but in the development of their players. Data is now defining training strategies and regimes, with the use of drones, GPS, Accelerometers and videos monitoring a player’s every move, coaches can now easily identify areas for improvement and create individual and specific targets for each player.

However, catering to all the players’ data needs, requirements and even requests requires investment and can be time consuming for the clubs. Therefore, this video shows that clubs employ statisticians and analysts to process and interpret the data, now so readily available to them, and illustrates that they must continue to evolve and expand their organisation structure to ensure they are managing their data efficiently.

That being said, it’s not just statistical management and interpretation that clubs investing in but also the platforms and tools used to share and present that data to the players. With rugby clubs consisting of players with variable digital skill sets, clubs are considering the best way to communicate their data to ensure each player understands, engages and remembers it.

Through continual technological advances spurred on by this new thirst for real time and accurate data, the sheer amount of information now available to the coaches and players is almost mind-blowing. But how much data is too much?

Ricoh’s latest video investigates how Premiership Rugby players really feel about the scrutiny they are now under. As Danny Care, Harlequins Captain and England International, put it “there are no hiding places anymore.”

Chas Moloney, Marketing Director for Ricoh UK & Ireland, commented: “Embracing data, and the processes that provide it, is vital for any organisation to stay competitive However, ensuring you have the right people to manage and interpret that data effectively is just as important.

“At Ricoh, we believe that investing in people and ensuring they have the right skill sets and capabilities is key to achieving success. And for me as a rugby fan, it’s been fascinating to see how Premiership Rugby clubs apply and embrace a very similar approach to running their businesses.

“In times of change, when businesses face increasingly complex challenges, data intelligence is one of the most reliable ways to establish a clear strategic direction. Having the right people to analyse, interpret and use this data will remain crucial for achieving success, both in rugby and business.”

Ben Kay, Ricoh ambassador, added “It’s extremely obvious that the game of rugby has moved on dramatically since my day, predominantly due to the influx of data now accessible to clubs, coaches and players. When I was playing, I just knew when I had a good or bad day on the pitch and it was up to me to recognize my mistakes and identity ways to improve.

“However, today it’s very different; as a player’s every move is now monitored and analysed. With this volume of data now available to players, clubs need to ensure they are not bombarding them with stats and figures but rather they need to strike a balance between allowing players to think for themselves and providing them with the relevant data they need in order to develop.”

For further information about the campaign please visit www.rugby.ricoh.co.uk or follow @imaginechangeuk