Nascar extends Goodyear sponsorship agreement

NASCAR and The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company have announced a renewed sponsorship agreement that ensures Goodyear is the exclusive tire of NASCAR’s top three national series.

The newly signed agreement continues Goodyear’s designation as the “Official Tire of NASCAR” and extends an uninterrupted relationship that started in 1954.

Brent Dewar, NASCAR president, said: “We proudly join Goodyear in celebrating our renewed and longstanding partnership.

“For more than half a century, NASCAR and our teams have trusted Goodyear tires. Our partners’ commitment to innovation and excellence plays a key role in our unyielding pursuit to deliver the best racing product in the world.”

Rich Kramer, chairman, CEO and president of Goodyear, added: “We are tremendously proud of the pivotal role Goodyear plays in the best racing competition in the world and excited that NASCAR drivers will be crossing the finish line on Goodyear tires in the years ahead.

“With this new agreement in place, we celebrate our enduring relationship with NASCAR and the continuing value of NASCAR to the Goodyear brand.”

Table Tennis England secures major event for London for first time since 1950s

Table tennis will return to its roots next year when London hosts its first major event in the sport since the 1950s.

Since the International Table Tennis Federation was founded in the city in 1926, England has hosted only a handful of major table tennis-only events. Winning the rights to host the Team World Cup represents a major step for the sport and its governing body, Table Tennis England.

The event, which will take place at the Copper Box Arena in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in February, will mark a welcome return for table tennis to the the scene of the 2012 Olympics.

Sara Sutcliffe, CEO of Table Tennis England, believes that winning the rights to host the event needs to be viewed from an international perspective, given the sport’s huge global footprint.

She said: “Whilst we’re still growing the broadcast audience for table tennis in the UK, the Team World Cup is a huge deal internationally. It is expected to reach a global audience of 500 million households so this is a great example of us being able to host an event in a sport which may not yet have the exposure it deserves at home but which is huge around the world.

“Three hundred and fifty million people play table tennis in China and more than that number of Chinese tuned in for the Olympic tournament in Rio. The sport is a staple in Japan, Brazil, Germany, where the event will also be widely televised. It will be a reminder to people around the world that London is open for business and a great place for sport.”

London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, added: “London looks forward to welcoming the very best table tennis players and fans from around the globe to our world-class Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

“I urge Londoners and visitors to take up this opportunity to see this elite tournament in one of our top venues. London is the sporting capital of the world and is building on the success of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by creating new memories that last a lifetime.”

Thomas Weikert, President of the International Table Tennis Federation, said: “Everyone at the ITTF is excited about bringing one of our marquee events to the birthplace of table tennis – London.

“Table Tennis England are doing a fantastic job preparing this event, and we are sure that it is going to be a fantastic spectacle for all the fans in England and across the world.”

ATP announces two new deals with Amazon Prime Video

ATP and ATP Media today announced two new deals with Amazon Prime Video – live and on-demand distribution rights to the ATP World Tour in UK and Republic of Ireland, and the availability of Tennis TV on Amazon Channels in the US.

Amazon Prime members in the UK and Republic of Ireland will have access to 37 ATP World Tour events on Amazon Prime Video from 2019 to 2023.

As part of the agreement, Amazon have full exclusivity, outside of Tennis TV, to all ATP World Tour Masters 1000s, twelve of each of the 500s and 250s, and the Next Gen ATP Finals.

Amazon will also become the ATP’s exclusive third-party pay-TV partner for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals at The O2 in London and the Eastbourne International, with the latter two starting in 2018.

In addition to live coverage, Prime members will have on-demand access to completed matches, highlights, tournament review shows, press conferences, and additional original content.

Tennis TV on Amazon Channels

Tennis TV, ATP Media’s direct to consumer streaming service, can be subscribed to via Amazon Channels for Prime members in the US on a non-exclusive basis starting in 2018.

Subscribers to the Tennis TV service via Amazon Channels will be provided with the ability to watch over 2000 live matches from the ATP World Tour, as well as a wide variety of on-demand content including classic matches and highlights.

Chris Kermode, ATP Executive Chairman & President, said: “We’re thrilled to work with Amazon across these two agreements, including a landmark UK rights deal from 2019, as it marks a pivotal moment in our sport. Our agreement with Amazon allows us to open up a digital space that is only becoming increasingly important in the world of sport & entertainment.”

Mark Webster, CEO ATP Media, added: “To be able to bring a household name and global brand such as Amazon to the world of tennis is hugely exciting and the move from traditional linear TV to an OTT offering shows tennis remains at the cutting-edge of global sports media.”

“Our goal is to deliver compelling content to Prime members,” said Jim DeLorenzo, Head of Sports, Amazon Video. “We are excited to bring our customers in the US, UK, and Ireland more tennis with the ATP World Tour and Tennis TV.”

Stuart Watts, COO ATP Media, said: “The UK deal is a first in the UK for sports broadcasting on this scale and we are delighted to work with Amazon to provide more coverage than ever of the very best of the ATP World Tour. The synergies between a global brand such as Amazon, the ATP and ATP Media are clear for all to see, making this an exciting development for us.”

READ MORE: New players vs traditional giants: what’s next for the sports media rights landscape?

Arsenal announces WorldRemit as first-ever official online money transfer partner

Arsenal Football Club has announced WorldRemit as its first official online money transfer partner.

The digital money transfer business has joined forces with the north London club to accelerate their growth and help more people save money on international transfers.

The global partnership is set to support WorldRemit’s ambitious growth plans by generating awareness at Premier League matches at Emirates Stadium while also connecting with the club’s vast following on social media.

As part of the agreement, WorldRemit will work with first-team players to create unique content to engage fans and potential customers around the world.

Vinai Venkatesham, Arsenal’s chief commercial officer, said: “This is an exciting new partnership with WorldRemit who, under their inspirational CEO, are looking to transform the way people can transfer money to family and friends around the world.

“We share mutual values and look forward to working together to build their global presence through our broadcast, social and digital channels, which reach millions around the world. We look forward to a long and successful partnership.”

Ismail Ahmed, WorldRemit chief executive officer, added: “Football is a language that everyone understands. Growing up in Somaliland, you would always see kids playing football – even during the war.

“It’s a passion which connects people all over the world and we are proud to sponsor a club whose values are so closely aligned to our own and those of our customers. This partnership with Arsenal creates opportunities for us to thank and reward our loyal customers and to connect with new audiences around the world.

“We look forward to using the power of football to support and inspire young people to fulfil their potential and to the opportunities which we can create together.”

Eleven Sports expands portfolio with Taiwanese basketball partnership

Global sports provider Eleven Sports has announced a partnership with Taiwanese basketball team Formosa Dreamers to show all their fixtures in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Basketball League.

Fans in Taiwan will be able to enjoy all home and away games of local side Formosa Dreamers for the whole season, starting on Saturday 18 November.

Eleven Sports has also secured live and exclusive action from the ASEAN Basketball League playoffs in Taiwan.

“Our aim is to meet unmet demand and make locally relevant, underserved sports content available to fans in each of our domestic markets,” said Danny Menken, group managing director, Eleven Sports.

“Following on from the ground-breaking success of the Taiwanese baseball team the Lamigo Monkeys, we are thrilled to bring more premium action from another top local side. Basketball is very popular in Taiwan and we are looking forward to collaborating with Formosa Dreamers to expand their reach and grow their fanbase amongst loyal sports followers across the country.”

Cheng-Chung Chang, president and co-founder of Formosa Dreamers, said: “We are very excited to partner with Eleven Sports to showcase the action from Formosa Dreamers home and away games this season.

“We have seen the exciting and innovative ways in which ELEVEN has promoted the Lamigo Monkeys on air, online and via social media and we are confident we can work together to create a successful team and build a loyal following ensuring the whole of Taiwan gets behind the team.”

EFL announces record five-year partnership with Sky Bet

The EFL has today announced a record five-year partnership that will see Sky Bet continue as the organisation’s title sponsor until 2023/24. The new agreement represents a 20% year-on-year increase from 2019/20 on the current deal.

Under the new agreement, Sky Bet will also become the official betting and gaming partner of iFollow and have the right to live stream 16 midweek EFL Championship fixtures on a ‘watch and bet’ basis, plus various other offerings.

EFL Chief Executive, Shaun Harvey, said: “This agreement represents the largest title sponsorship in EFL history and once again illustrates how our commercial operations are maximising the revenue opportunities and exposure for the EFL and its Clubs.

“Sky Bet has been a significant and valued partner since first sponsoring the EFL in 2013/14. They have helped support the growth of the EFL and its competitions and I would like to thank Sky Bet, not only for their efforts in the partnership to date, but also for their vision and foresight during the negotiation phase.

“I am delighted that an agreement has been reached and the EFL is looking forward to continuing to work with our friends at Sky Bet from now until 2024 on enhancing the experience for supporters whilst ensuring this is done in the most appropriate and responsible way.”

Sky Betting & Gaming Chief Executive, Richard Flint, added: “We’re delighted to sign this new deal with the EFL and believe the additional focus we and the League are both placing on responsible gambling will show that well run betting operators can play an active part in raising awareness of problem gambling.

“By using our sponsorship and marketing capabilities to highlight how customers can gamble safely we hope to ensure that nothing gets in the way of people’s enjoyment of sport, definitely not betting.”

The announcement coincides with Sky Bet’s launch of a new commitment to raise awareness of responsible gambling. A new marketing campaign, underpinned by an enhanced Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), has been designed to help customers stay in control and gamble safely.

READ MORE – New players vs traditional giants: what’s next for the sports media rights landscape?

PGAs of Europe establish supplier partnership with Thomas Lyte

Thomas Lyte have today agreed a supplier partnership agreement with the PGAs of Europe to expand their support of golf, PGA Professionals and Professional Golfers Associations.

The Association will work together with the team at Thomas Lyte to introduce their corporate gifting service, as well as the creation of trophies and awards, to the network of 35 Member Country PGAs and the 21,000 PGA Professionals within the PGAs of Europe.

The PGAs of Europe will continue to access Thomas Lyte products including the Association’s annual awards that are given to individuals and organisations at the Annual Congress Gala Awards Dinner.

As official suppliers, Thomas Lyte will extend a discount for their products online to PGAs and their member professionals.

PGAs of Europe Chief Executive, Ian Randell, said: “We are delighted that Thomas Lyte have become an official supplier to the Association.

“We have enjoyed an unofficial relationship for a number of years but now the formalisation of the partnership means that we can work closely with each other for mutual benefit of both our businesses.”

Tim Munton, Commercial Director of Thomas Lyte, added: “We greatly value the relationship we have had for many years with the PGAs of Europe and it is great to formalise it by becoming Official Suppliers.

“We very much look forward to working more closely with the PGAs and their members, providing them with a range of options for their trophies, awards and gifts.”

Sodexo becomes a leading player in Sports & Leisure globally with the acquisition of Centerplate

Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Life services, and Olympus Partners have announced that Sodexo has signed an agreement to acquire Centerplate, Inc. a provider of food and beverage, merchandise and hospitality services at sports facilities, convention centers and entertainment facilities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Spain, for 675 million US dollars from Olympus Partners.

Tracing its roots to 1929, with executive offices in Stamford, Connecticut, Centerplate, Inc. is the fourth largest operator by revenues in the United States Sports & Leisure market, the largest market globally.

Centerplate serves stadiums and arenas, annually hosting more than 116 million guests across its portfolio of premier venues for marquee events, including 14 Super Bowls, 36 U.S. Presidential Inaugural Balls, All-Star and Championship games for professional football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, collegiate athletics, and many of North America’s largest conventions.

Centerplate’s last twelve month revenues to June 2017 were 998 million US dollars. For reference, Sodexo’s Fiscal Year 2016 revenues for the Sports & Leisure segment were 903 million euro.

This acquisition substantially strengthens Sodexo’s position in the North American market, and brings the Group’s Sports & Leisure business to scale in the region. In the UK, the acquisition supports Sodexo’s strategy to grow its stadia and cultural destination portfolio.

The acquisition also positions Sodexo as a leading player in Sports & Leisure globally, more than doubling its footprint.

The combined entity will benefit from significant synergies gradually ramping-up from the first year. The acquisition is expected to be mildly accretive to earnings from Fiscal 2018.

Chris Verros, CEO of Centerplate, will lead the new combined business in the United States. Centerplate’s European operations will be integrated into Sodexo’s existing Sports & Leisure business in the region.

The acquisition is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to be closed by end-2017.

Pierre Henry, Vice-President of the Group Executive Committee and CEO Sports & Leisure Worldwide for Sodexo, said: “This acquisition is another step in our long-term strategy to become a leading player in every market in which we are present. Centerplate is an ideal partner with highly professional, dedicated teams who bring a wealth of industry expertise.

“We look forward to working together with Centerplate to bring exceptional Quality of Life experiences to tens of thousands of fans and spectators around the world.”

Chris Verros, Centerplate CEO said: “With Sodexo, we share the same vision to deliver a unique and memorable service for our clients and guests through our tailored food and beverage programs, unique hospitality design, rewarding event and retail services.

“Centerplate’s clients will benefit from Sodexo’s global capabilities, solution innovations, other on site services and geographic reach.”

Formula E appoints CSM Sport & Entertainment to delivery Global PR brief

Formula E – the electric street racing series – has today appointed CSM Sport & Entertainment (CSM) to handle global and local PR.

CSM will be responsible for delivering greater brand awareness for Formula E through consistent sport and lifestyle media coverage in key markets including: UK, USA, Germany, France, Italy and Brazil.

Renato Bisignani, Formula E Director of Communications said of the appointment: “Formula E is at a pivotal moment in its journey as we take it mainstream. With its global footprint I’m confident that in CSM we have a strong partner that will help us fast track the growth of the series and become an effective extension of our existing team.”

Scott Branch, Head of Communications, CSM Brandsadded:
“CSM has been working with brands and teams in Formula E over its first three seasons, which have seen huge growth for the series. We are already working hand-in-hand with the in-house team to develop a season long narrative that will play out across relevant media and help turn sports enthusiasts around the world into fans of Formula E.”

The team is being led by Paul Garbett, Communications Director from CSM’s HQ in London, but extends to CSM offices across the globe.

The fourth season of the FIA Formula E Championship kicks off on 2 December in Hong Kong and sees 10 teams and 20 drivers go wheel-to-wheel in 11 cities spanning five continents.

OPRO extend partnership with Rugby Australia

Mouthguard manufacturer OPRO has today extended its partnership with Rugby Australia.

OPRO will continue as the organisation’s official mouthguard partner for a further four years, incorporating the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

OPRO Managing Director, David Allen, said: “This partnership provides OPRO with a terrific platform to grow our business on and off the pitch. We are delighted to extend our long-term relationship with Rugby Australia over the coming seasons, up to and beyond the 2019 Rugby World Cup.”

As part of the new agreement, OPRO will also be the official mouthguard supplier of the Australian women’s team – the Wallaroos – as well as the Australian Men’s and Women’s Sevens, the Australian Under 20s and the Australian Schoolboys.

OPRO are dedicated to providing world-class technology and safety to athletes at all levels of sport and are the official mouthguard partner of more than 60 teams including England Rugby, New Zealand Rugby, New South Wales Waratahs, Melbourne Rebels and 11 AVIVA Premiership Rugby teams.