ECB set to introduce fully independent Board as governance reforms are approved

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today announced its membership had unanimously approved significant governance reforms – paving the way for the creation of a fully independent Board next year.

All 41 members approved a series of changes to the ECB’s Articles of Association which will include the ECB’s Board reducing in size from 13 directors to 12 with effect from next May’s Annual General Meeting.

The far-reaching changes, which follow a review led by the Board’s Deputy Chairman, Ian Lovett, mean ECB will exceed the minimum standard required for national governing bodies set out in Sport England’s recently published Code for Sports Governance.

Board Composition

Under the new arrangements, the ECB’s new 12-strong Board will comprise three different categories of Director:

  • Independent Non-Executive: Four non-executive directors who will be fully independent and need not have a close connection to cricket. This will include one senior independent non-executive director.
  • Cricket Non-Executive: Five non-executive directors with relevant experience drawn from the wider cricket network. Appointees will be required to stand down from any other current cricketing post which creates an actual or potential conflict of interest.
  • Chair and Ex-Officio Roles: Three ex-officio directors, being the ECB Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer.

All the non-executive Directors will be appointed for terms of three years and will be able to hold office for a maximum of three terms. The Chair will be appointed for a single term of up to five years with the CEO and CFO serving as ex-officio members for the duration of their tenure.

The recruitment process for the new positions will begin immediately with ECB committed to ensuring at least 30 per cent of Board Directors are female as part of its support for gender diversity

Board members whose terms of office expire before the next AGM or whose roles are affected by the changes to the Articles of Association will be required to stand down in due course.

Commenting on the changes, ECB Chairman Colin Graves said: “These are ground-breaking changes to our governance which have been based on extensive consultation with all our stakeholders across the professional and recreational game.

“They will help make the Board more representative of the whole game, embracing a broader and more diverse mix of independent voices as well as drawing on the experience and expertise of those working within the cricket network.

“My sincere thanks to our Deputy Chairman, Ian Lovett, for overseeing such a thorough and comprehensive review process and winning unanimous, game-wide approval for these important and necessary reforms.

“They are fundamentally important to the future of our game; reflecting ECB’s broader desire to modernise structures, improve strategic decision-making and give cricket the best possible platform for continued growth.”

Direct economic impact of London’s Summer of World Athletics exceeded £107 million

As the sporting calendar almost draws to an end, an event impact study has demonstrated the huge benefits of London hosting the world’s biggest sporting event in 2017.

The study, undertaken following the World Para Athletics Championships and IAAF World Championships London 2017 has revealed the positive impact the ‘Summer of World Athletics’ had on the city with unprecedented results achieved.

London became the first city ever to host both the World Para Athletics Championships and IAAF World Championships in the same year with more than 3,300 athletes from more than 200 nations competing in 30 sessions across 20 days.

The study, delivered by The Sports Consultancy, in partnership with Nielsen Sports, Gracenote and PCSG, assessed the total direct economic impact of the Summer of World Athletics as exceeding £107million.

More than a million people attended both Championships with events not just held in the London Stadium but across the capital. The IAAF World Championships were awarded a Guinness World Record for tickets sold in excess of 705,000, whilst the World Para Athletics Championships with 305,000 ticket sales, exceeded the figures for all previous editions of the event combined.

The report also revealed that a £2.1million investment was made into grassroots athletics and running with the official inspiration programme and ‘Team Personal Best’ engaging with 250,000 people through 733 events with 250 held in the host city alone. Further to that, an average 45% of those surveyed said they had been inspired to do sport or active recreation more often than usual as a result of attending the Championships.

The Championships also impacted audiences across the globe via broadcast and social media. On digital channels there were a recorded 1.6 billion potential impressions for the official hashtags #IAAFWorlds and #ParaAthletics. In addition the official mascot of the IAAF World Championships, Hero the Hedgehog, reached 4 million through the two main highlight videos on Facebook whilst the BP ‘Energy Within’ Campaign video featuring Richard Whitehead, released around the World Para Athletics Championships, attracted over 10 million Facebook views.

Finally, in the UK alone more than half the available viewing audience – a 10m peak – tuned in to see the British Team success in winning the 4x100m relay gold at the IAAF World Championships, and overall the events achieved a 942m cumulative viewing audience.

The study also reported:

  • The World Para Athletics Championships contributed a direct economic impact of £28.16m to the London economy and a total economic impact ranging between £38.86m and £56.89m, resulting in a total contribution to GDP of between £16.17m and £23.67m.
  • The IAAF World Athletics Championships contributed a direct economic impact of £79.01m to the London economy and a total economic impact ranging between £109.03m and £159.60m, resulting in a total contribution to GDP of between £45.36m and £66.39m.
  • Percentage of event attendees that agreed that hosting both Championships showcased London as a positive, vibrant city: 97%.
  • Percentage of attendees agreed they felt proud in London hosting both Championships: 98%.
  • Percentage of attendees agreed that hosting both Championships had a positive impact on London’s communities: (World Para Athletics 95%, IAAF World Championships 91%).
  • Percentage of those surveyed who said they had been inspired to do sport or active recreation more often than usual as a result of attending the Championships: (World Para Athletics 47%, IAAF World Championships 42%).
  • 15,578 tickets were sold for the championships through the sports and community groups programme.
  • As part of sustainability initiatives, 59% of spectators made use of the refill stations at the events with reusable drinks bottles.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “When it comes to hosting global sports events, this unforgettable summer proved once again that nobody does it quite like London. Our great city made a huge success of hosting both the World Para Athletics Championships and the IAAF World Championships – the first time both events had ever been staged in the same stadium, in the same year. London 2017 provided a lifetime of memories and showed that London is, without question, the sporting capital of the world.”

UK Athletics Chair Richard Bowker, said: “Once again, in 2017, London showed it can stage the greatest athletics events in the greatest athletics stadium in the world. Both the World Para Athletics Championships and the IAAF World Athletics Championships provided an inspiration to millions of people both in the UK and abroad.

“Not only can we reflect so positively on the efforts that went into organising what are unanimously being regarded as ‘best ever’ championships, UK Athletics is immensely proud of all the British athletes who competed in London this summer. We are confident the performances demonstrate we are in great shape as we continue to prepare for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020.”

Xavier Gonzalez, the IPC’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “The World Para Athletics Championships in London were by far the best yet, taking the event to a whole new level. Record crowds and broadcast audiences around the world were rewarded with record breaking performances by the Para athletes.”

IAAF President, Sebastian Coe, said: “It has been a phenomenal year of athletics, at the epicentre of which were the outstanding IAAF World Championships London 2017. We witnessed the greatest number of athletes, the highest level of performances and largest stadium audiences ever seen across the event’s 16 editions. This report shows the positive impact of hosting an IAAF World Championships.

“We would like to thank the Mayor of London and London 2017 Organising Committee for their dedication in documenting the event and its impact and creating with us the first comprehensive report that will enable the IAAF to have informed and detailed discussions with future cities wanting to host our events.

“Hosting sporting events must provide mutual benefit to a city, a country, the sport, the fans and all partners. London was a potent advertisement of the power and passion that athletics ignites and the strong and exciting future that awaits it when our sport delivers it right.”

UK Sport CEO Liz Nicholl, said: “Our own extensive research demonstrates that hosting major events provides significant social and economic benefits and we are delighted this new study shows this to also be the case with the World Para Athletics Championships and IAAF World Championships.

“Thanks to investment from the Government and The National Lottery, the UK has staged another world class event; these successful World Championships form part of our ambitious strategy to maintain the UK as a world-leading host of innovative and inspirational international sporting events.”

Iain Edmondson, Head of Major Events at London and Partners, said: “London once again showed the world how it puts on world-class sporting events that are exciting, welcoming and accessible for all, and that demonstrate #LondonIsOpen.

“This report demonstrates that, five years on from the successful 2012 Olympics, world-class events in the London Stadium continue to be an impressive draw for international visitors and Londoners alike.”

Matthew Wilson, Director of Consulting at The Sports Consultancy, commented: “This report clearly evidences the extensive impact the IAAF World Championships and World Para Athletics Championships delivered to London’s businesses and citizens. These events delivered a direct economic impact to London which significantly exceeds that generated by the previous editions of each event.

“Moreover, London 2017 delivered compelling evidence across a broad range of impact parameters, evidencing successful engagement of London communities, enhancement of London’s reputation as a global tourism, major event and business destination as well as a champion of diversity, and investment in sport participation – not just in London, but throughout the UK and internationally.”

Project11 renews contract with West Bromwich Albion Football Club

Project11 are proud to announce the renewal of their existing contract with West Bromwich Albion Football Club.

This deal will see the London-based Sports Marketing company gain continued access to some of the most in-demand perimeter LED advertising space in football, namely the English Premier League.

Renewing the agreement until the end of the 2019/20 season, Project11 are looking forward to extending rights further and continuing to develop this successful relationship.

Partner at Project11, Scott Taylor, spoke of the long-running partnership: “We value West Bromwich Albion greatly as one of our Premier League club offerings. Project11 currently hold perimeter rights to four clubs within the Premier League, with more on the horizon.

“We have enjoyed seeing the historic West Bromwich Albion grow with new ownership and a passionate fan base. This extension is another great signing for Project11.”

Having finished in the top 10 last season, and a global name, the club’s popularity is rapidly growing around the world.

The acquisition of West Bromwich Albion in 2016 by Chinese entrepreneur, Guochuan Lai, controlling shareholder and Director of sports development company Yunyi Guokai, has proven to be a driving force in the club’s success, showing no signs of slowing down any time soon, with the introduction of ‘soccer towns’ across Asia in discussion.

This strategy to grow the club’s following, influence and fan base throughout Asia is already proving popular, with the Youth Academy set to become a key feature in multiple locations, giving more fans than ever before the opportunity to get closer to the club and become increasingly involved at a grassroots level.

Simon King, Chief Commercial Officer at West Bromwich Albion Football Club, said: “We are delighted to have extended our agreement with Project 11 and look forward to working with them in future.”

Land Rover renews Brumbies rugby sponsorship

Land Rover have renewed their sponsorship of Australian rugby club Plus500 Brumbies and will continue as shirt sleeve sponsor for the 2018 and 2019 Super Rugby seasons.

Land Rover, owned by British multinational car manufacturer Jaguar, specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. The partnership extension is a vote of confidence in the organisation and aligns two brands which are at the forefront of high performance and innovation.

Brumbies CEO, Michael Thomson, said: “We are very happy that Land Rover have renewed their sponsorship of the Plus500 Brumbies for another two seasons of Super Rugby.

“The support of Land Rover, and our other sponsors, is vital to the club and we are delighted that they have agreed to continue to work with the club for the 2018 season.

“Land Rover are renowned for being the premier off-road vehicle and for having a continuously developing and innovative brand. We share those values at the Plus500 Brumbies.

“These are exciting times for the Brumbies as we prepare for the new campaign with Dan McKellar installed as our new Head Coach alongside an experienced coaching set-up and a vibrant playing group.”

Tim Krieger, General Manager, Communications and Public Relations of Jaguar Land Rover Australia added: “Land Rover are delighted to be extending our successful partnership with the Brumbies which began in 2011 and we look forward to building on this throughout the upcoming season and into the future.”

Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur signs partnership with Healthspan

Healthspan has today announced a deal with Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur. The agreement sees Healthspan become the north London club’s official vitamin and supplement supplier covering both the first team and academy squads.

Tottenham Hotspur join Southampton FC and Nottingham Forest as Healthspan’s official partners in football, as well as an extensive list of professional clubs who utilise Healthspan’s range as customers.

Dr Shabaaz Mughal, Head of Medical & Sports Science for Tottenham Hotspur said: “We are delighted to add Healthspan Elite to the Club’s roster of official suppliers. Their elite range of vitamins and supplements will further allow us to cater to the individual needs of each of our players.

“Healthspan are well known in professional sport for providing supplements of the highest quality, and they are widely used throughout the Premier League. We are excited to work with them not only with their existing range of products but also in collaboration with their specialists to find new and innovative ways to support the health and well-being of our players and maximize their performance.”

Chris Fisher, Healthspan’s Head of Sports Nutrition, added: “We are extremely proud to be working with Tottenham Hotspur and we hope we can contribute to the Club’s continued success.

“It is a great time to bring Tottenham Hotspur on board in a year where we have signed new deals with the likes of Scottish Rugby and Southampton FC. Partnerships like this provide us with access to the club’s performance teams and deliver unique insights so we can continue to provide best-in-class products for players and fans alike.”

Canadian Olympic Committee announces UnderArmour partnership

The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) has named Under Armour as the official high performance footwear supplier for team Canada for the next eight years.

As part of the partnership, team Canada athletes will first appear in Under Armour high footwear at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 opening ceremony. Team Canada will also be provided with winter boots, running and training shoes for the event.

Derek Kent, chief marketing officer, COC said: “This new Under Armour partnership is ultimately about providing the most innovative and high performance footwear for our athletes.

“The COC is very proud to be Under Armour’s first ever National Olympic Committee partner and we look forward to partnering with their brand at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games and beyond.”

Courtney Carlson, vice president North America marketing, Under Armour added: “As Under Armour’s first partnership with the Canadian Olympic team, we are proud to support team Canada’s Olympic pursuit and provide state-of-the-art high performance footwear to the talented roster of athletes.”

Leeds United to become first club to deploy virtual hybrid perimeter technology

English Football League championship club, Leeds United, have taken the ground-breaking step of installing a new Virtual Hybrid perimeter LED display at Elland Road.

The new system combines ADI’s LED hardware with Supponor’s advanced augmented reality technology, making it possible to deliver traditional LED content to fans in the stadium, whilst virtually overlaying the content seen by international viewers.

The installation comes as EFL clubs gain new rights to stream live matches for international fans. The potential for virtually overlaying different brand messages for different audiences, as well as those watching international TV broadcasts, brings with it new commercial opportunities.

Leeds plan to begin streaming customised feeds featuring virtual perimeter content later in the 2017/18 season, subject to final EFL approval.

Leeds United Managing Director, Angus Kinnear, said: “Virtual Hybrid LED technology creates a huge commercial opportunity and, with growing International audiences driven by new live streaming rights, it’s possible for EFL clubs to reach a wider fan base.

“This technology will help us compete on the global stage and build a platform for growth. ADI bring a wealth of experience as the market leader in stadium LED and their Supponor-enabled Virtual Hybrid perimeter system, with its ability to overlay different brand messages for different territories, presents an incredible opportunity for partners.

“We are now looking forward to working with stakeholders across the industry to make virtual replacement a commercial reality.”

ADI’s CEO, Geraint Williams, added: “Leeds United is a club with huge ambition and we’re delighted to be joining them on their journey to challenge convention. The installation of a new Virtual Hybrid perimeter LED display makes the club the first in the world set to commercialise the technology in this way.

“The market has demonstrated a real appetite for a credible virtual overlay solution, and we’re excited to be working with Leeds United, a club with truly progressive leadership, to help realise the commercial potential of their media value.”

ESPN Films library to launch on ESPN Player

ESPN’s award-winning ESPN Films documentaries are set to be made available to fans in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) on streaming service ESPN Player.

The sports documentaries can be streamed on demand by anyone subscribing to one of ESPN Player’s packages – which also offers NCAA sports, IndyCar, X Games and a host of other events.

Commenting on the launch, Charly Classen, Vice President and General Manager, ESPN EMEA, said: “ESPN Films has redefined sports documentaries, raising the levels of production and storytelling to new heights.

“The quality of the series is such that they can be enjoyed by fans on non-sports fans alike, so we’re delighted to make them accessible to subscribers across EMEA.”

A total of 15 films are currently available on ESPN Player, with new films available introduced each month. Many films will be from the critically acclaimed 30 for 30 series while the entire selection of films will rotate monthly.

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BT and Sky agree deal to sell each other’s channels

UK pay-television operators BT and Sky have agreed a multi-year deal to make rival channels available on each other’s platforms.

BT will now be able to market and sell Sky’s NOW TV service – which offers Sky’s most popular content, including Sky Sports – to BT TV customers.

In addition, BT has agreed to wholesale its BT Sport channels to Sky, allowing Sky to sell these channels directly to Sky satellite customers. The BT Sport channels include exclusively live UEFA Champions League and Premier League football. This will mean that satellite customers will be able to buy BT Sport from Sky as well as from BT.

Gavin Patterson, chief executive of BT, said: “This is an important day for BT and for our customers, who will be able to enjoy a whole range of Sky’s sport and entertainment programming on their BT TV boxes.

“This is the next logical step for our TV and content strategy. Having built up an outstanding portfolio of exclusive sports rights and a loyal base of customers, we feel that now is the right time to broaden the ways in which we distribute BT Sport.

“This agreement fits with our strategic goal of being the best provider in the UK of converged network services, and adding NOW TV boosts our growing roster of outstanding content from the likes of Netflix, great pay channels like AMC and all the major catch-up services.”

It is expected that these new services will be available to customers from early 2019.

Broadcasting is dead – and more alive and dynamic than ever before in the digital world. Television and video content is everywhere, with multiple platforms and devices available at billions of fingertips around the globe.

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UK Sport and BBC Sport announce live streaming collaboration

UK Sport and BBC Sport have announced a major new collaboration that will lead to more major Olympic and Paralympic sporting events being live streamed to the public, free of charge.

BBC Sport has committed to providing technical and editorial support to sports to enable them to broadcast their events more widely and has offered to live stream the key moments of all UK Sport-supported major events on its market-leading sport website, rights permitting.

And as part of UK Sport’s £30m investment over eight years (2017-2025) to bring some of the world’s top sporting events to towns and cities across the country, it is procuring live streaming technology to increase the number of sports that have access to a universally recognised platform such as the BBC, allowing them to stream their major events to a far wider audience than those that can attend on the day.

UK Sport-supported major events already secured include the 2018 Women’s Hockey World Cup, 2018 Boccia World Championships, 2019 Netball World Cup and 2019 World Road Cycling Championships. UK Sport is also supporting Liverpool’s bid for the 2022 World Gymnastics Championships.

Director of BBC Sport, Barbara Slater, said: “We have been covering Olympic and Paralympic Sports for decades and we are now taking that commitment to a completely different level.

“We are going to be streaming more live sport for more people, across mobile, computers, tablets and TV. We will be working closely with UK Sport to ensure the major events they support in the UK reach the biggest possible audience.”

UK Sport Director of Major Events, Simon Morton, said: “Our mission is to inspire the nation with the success of our Lottery-funded athletes on the world stage. A key part of that involves hosting the some of the biggest international sporting events here in the UK so that the public can see our stars in action for themselves.

“By working with our partners to enable them to live stream more of these major events on easily accessible platforms such as the BBC Sport website we will help realise that vision.”