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.”

Major League Baseball announces partnership with Regis Corporation

Major League Baseball (MLB) has announced a new partnership with haircare specialist Regis Corporation.

As part of the agreement, the Supercuts brand is set to become the official hair salon and official hair stylist of the North American league.

Noah Garden, executive vice president of commerce for MLB, said: “We are pleased to welcome Supercuts and the Regis Corporation into the baseball family.

“After a memorable 2017 season, 2018 is poised to be another thrilling year of baseball and we’re glad that Supercuts is joining us to be a part of the excitement.”

Hugh Sawyer, president and chief executive of Regis Corporation, added: “We are delighted to establish this exclusive, multi-year partnership with MLB.

“We anticipate that our new relationship with MLB will be a highly effective platform for Supercuts’ well-known national brand to support the growth of our local market Supercuts franchised and company-owned salons across North America.”

The sponsorship will also be featured on a range of marketing sectors including broadcast, digital, mobile and social.

European Breeders’ Fund becomes an official partner of The Jockey Club

The British arm of the European Breeders’ Fund (EBF) has become an official partner of The Jockey Club, it was announced today, in recognition of the major investment domestic Stallion Studs make into British Racing via the British EBF.

The partnership is designed to help to heighten awareness within the British Racing industry of the significant contribution the British EBF is making to racing in this country, using the platform The Jockey Club can provide through its 15-strong group of racecourses nationwide.

The vast majority of the £1.6 million per year supplementation of prize money that the British EBF provides is via contributions from the income of stallions standing in Great Britain.

EBF enhancements to prize money are always reflected above the minimum value of a race, so owners benefit directly from the fund. The trustees also direct money into parts of the programme that encourage progression or which require support.

Stephen Wallis, Group Director of International and Racing Relations at The Jockey Club, explained why The Jockey Club were keen to initiate the new partnership: “The European Breeders’ Fund has been an integral part of the landscape of British Racing for more than 30 years.

“We are proud to stage the largest number of EBF races at The Jockey Club’s racecourses and thus help to facilitate this important initiative for horsemen. We are very pleased to be working with the British EBF now as an official partner in the promotion of our sport and in support of our prize money aims

“Hopefully the group-wide platform we offer will help to showcase to the industry what a significant contribution the British EBF is making to racing in this country.”

Philip Mitchell, Chairman of the British EBF, commented: “The trustees of the British EBF are delighted that The Jockey Club is acknowledging British stallion studs and owners’ support of British Racing in this way.

“We hope that this new relationship will increase the profile of the organisation and help more people understand what we do and how we are funded. The Fund is still a vital tool to boost prize money which we could not provide without the support and generosity of the stallion masters.

“We are working with other racecourses and groups on similar projects to the group-wide partnership with The Jockey Club and its racecourses, and hope that the initiative that they have shown in approaching us will pave the way for further industry engagement.”

RCD Espanyol announce Alfa Romeo sponsorship deal

LaLiga football club RCD Espanyol has announced a sponsorship agreement with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Spain (FCA).

As part of the agreement, Alfa Romeo has become the official vehicle of the club during the 2017/2018 season.

The Italian vehicle manufacturer will benefit from brand exposure inside and outside the RCDE Stadium, while the side’s first-team squad, manager and coaching staff will also enjoy of a fleet of Alfa Romeo vehicles.

RCD Espanyol Marketing Director, Antoni Alegre, said: “This agreement represents the union between two brands with a great history and prestige in their sectors.

“It will be a pride for all fans, players and managers to enjoy this agreement and be able to move towards our objectives.”

Luca Parasacco, CEO of FCA Spain and Portugal, added: “With this sponsorship, RCD Espanyol becomes a strategic ally for us when it comes to sharing future projects in Catalonia.”

ADT announces new sponsorship deal with Washington Wizards

ADT, provider of security and automation solutions for homes and businesses, has announced a new sponsorship with NBA team Washington Wizards.

As part of the agreement, ADT will present the ‘first responders salute’, celebrating emergency personnel at select Wizards home games, as nominated by members of their community.

The partnership has been agreed for the remainder of the 2017/18 season.

Patrick Duffy, Monumental Sports and Entertainment Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with ADT on the First Responders Salute.

“This program is all about giving thanks to those that make us feel safe in our community. Thank you to both the First Responders and ADT for keeping our fans, friends and families safe.”

Jason Shockley, Vice President, Corporate Communications at ADT, said: “Whether you’re at home or on-the-go, we believe everyone deserves to feel safe.

“It’s a team effort to save lives and bring peace of mind to families, and we’re honored to celebrate local first responders who make a positive impact in their community together with the Washington Wizards.”