FC Inter launch new football academy in China

FC Inter opened the Academy WIFA Sichuan in the city of Chengdu, China, following a strategic agreement between FC Internazionale Milano, Suning Sports Group and Wawa International Football Academy.

The Academy WIFA Sichuan is the fourth Inter academy in the country.

The new opening represents the first step in a wider development plan shared by Inter and Suning for the growth of the Inter Academy project in China.

“We are delighted to be able to unveil this project, which sees us become active players alongside Suning in the Sichuan area, especially given that we are collaborating with such a well-organised, solid partner like WIFA,” said Inter Vice President Javier Zanetti.

“We are passionate about strengthening football culture by sharing our technical expertise and training coaches and young players in their countries of origin according to international footballing and ethical standards.”

Mark Zheng, Suning’s deputy general manager of competition management, added: “The development of this partnership is an important first step in the process of raising awareness and improving football training in China.

“It’s something that Suning is fully committed to promoting, by drawing on the professionalism and expertise of Inter.”

WIFA founder and president Pu Wen said:“WIFA and Inter Academy will work together to develop youth football in Sichuan province with the objective of creating the next chapter in the history of Chinese football. For us, this is about our responsibility to society and responding to the huge demand from fans here in China,” said WIFA founder and president Pu Wen.

Eleven Sports and YouNow sign sports content agreement

Global sports provider Eleven Sports and live streaming pioneer YouNow have today announced a partnership that will see YouNow’s new, blockchain-powered Rize app showcase live content from Eleven Sports in the US.

YouNow, the 40-million-user live streaming network for millennials and Gen Z, will launch Rize, the world’s first cryptocurrency-powered mobile video app in January.

The video technology will enable viewers to actively engage with one another and the competition itself in real time, while consuming Eleven Sports’ diverse array of sports content.

Rize’s community will join their friends from around the world on live video while watching live streams of a diverse range of sports from Soccer to the Kontinental Hockey League. For the first time, they’ll be able to feel like one of the thousands of fans in the stadium, watching the game and celebrating with fellow fans.

“The YouNow fan is mobile, young and connected and we’re excited to team up with them and target this passionate audience,” said Danny Menken, Group Managing Director, Eleven Sports.

“We have recently proven our strategy to reach new audiences in innovative ways by live-streaming top sports action on social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter.

“Interactive communities such as YouNow create a wide-open field for immersive ways to serve up live sports – we’re bringing sport to the fan, and this partnership underscores that goal.”

Adi Sideman, CEO of YouNow, added: “We are delighted to bring Eleven Sports’s premium content to our products. We welcome a programming partnership that leverages our live streaming expertise, their worldwide sports business, and a passionate audience that seeks to participate in the experience.”

Lidl nets European handball sponsorship

German global supermarket chain Lidl has signed up as an official sponsor of European handball’s flagship event, the Men’s EHF EURO 2018.

The deal was brokered by Infront Sports & Media and marks the retailer’s second international engagement in handball on a global level, after being sponsor of the World Handball Championship 2017.

The agreement is set to give Lidl extensive brand exposure during the competition. Infront is the exclusive media and marketing partner of the European Handball Federation (EHF) for the EHF EURO events and has now filled six of the maximum eight sponsorship slots for the competition, which takes place 12-28 January 2018, in four venues across Croatia.

As official sponsor and official fresh food partner, Lidl’s rights package comprises the positioning of floor stickers on the courts at each game and advertising on all the perimeter LED boards.

For the first time, LED boards will also be placed behind the goals, giving sponsors even greater brand visibility.

A LIDL spokesperson said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Lidl and our customers. We are proud to be connected to such an event and are looking forward to building a successful partnership in accordance with our mission statement ‘Simply more joy for life.”

Stephan Herth, Executive Director Summer Sports for Infront, added: “We are thrilled to have secured Lidl in their first sponsorship of these championships. Their commitment clearly underlines the growing popularity of handball, not only as a spectator sport, but also as an ever appealing marketing platform.”

Brentford Football Club partners with Novotel Hotels

Brentford Football Club has announced an official club supplier partnership with Novotel London Brentford, solidifying an existing relationship.

After more than three years working with the club, Novotel London Brentford has now signed up as a Brentford FC official club supplier for the 2017/18 season and beyond.

Brentford FC has been using the nearby Novotel, which is on the corner of Ealing Road and Great West Road – a few minutes from Griffin Park, as part of match preparations in recent years.

Before every home match the Brentford players use the modern and contemporary hotel for their pre-match meal and analysis. It is also used to house new signings before they find permanent accommodation in the area and by the Club for meetings and events.

James Parkinson, Brentford Commercial Director, said: “Novotel London Brentford has always been very supportive of The Bees. Our First Team certainly enjoy the set up and association with such a prestigious hotel property.

“Brentford FC are moving into exciting times with the launch of digital partnerships and a new stadium move. To build on our relationship during this period and take key partners on this journey shows the Club taking positive commercial steps.”

Terence Beach, General Manager Novotel London Brentford said; “We are delighted to be supporting our local club, Brentford FC, welcoming the new signings and hosting meetings and events for the Club.

“Our hotel is perfect for business and pleasure with built-in meeting rooms for people to work as well as areas to relax and unwind after a busy day so is ideal for team members to enjoy.”

LaLiga scores big on social media in Arab world

LaLiga has managed to surpass 4,735,000 Facebook followers in Arab countries. The Spanish competition, which is currently fully immersed in a brand internationalisation programme, has been publishing geolocalised content across Arabic-speaking countries on its official Facebook page on a daily basis since the beginning of this year.

LaLiga has also had a Twitter account in Arabic since February 2017, which now has over 70,000 followers. The official account, @LaLigaArab, garnered 17,000 followers in its first week and 2.82 million impressions in its first month alone, and averages 5.5 million impressions per month, with this figure undergoing continuous growth.

With the aim of bringing LaLiga closer to fans in Arab countries, LaLiga uses Facebook and Twitter to publish information about the competition and its past and present Arab players, plus interviews and statistics, as well as offering congratulations during the main festivals and celebrations.

The countries in the Arab world where the Spanish competition enjoys the strongest following on Facebook are Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, and it manages to reach a total of 22 Arab countries through its posts.

The digital growth experienced by LaLiga across the Arab world is a reflection of the global expansion which has occurred in all of LaLiga’s digital channels in recent months. By publishing content in more than ten different languages, including English and Chinese, LaLiga has amassed a community of over 40 million followers on all of its social media channels. Furthermore, LaLiga has its own YouTube channel.

The provision of content on social media to followers in the Arab world augments other actions taken by LaLiga in Arab countries, including opening an office in Dubai four years ago headed by Fernando Sanz. This office led the way by opening the first LaLiga High Performance Centre in the world in 2016 and has also managed to make the United Arab Emirates the location for the implementation of LaLiga’s first academy this year.

2017 has been a key year for the internationalisation of the Spanish competition, which now has representatives in the UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco working on different projects extending as far as Mauritania, Algeria and Tunisia.

LaLiga, whose international presence is practically unrivalled among other domestic competitions, is watched in 182 countries via its 90 international broadcasters. In addition to UAE, it has offices in the United States, Nigeria, South Africa, China, India, Singapore and Belgium, and it has 44 international representatives selected through the LaLiga Global Network programme distributed across other strategic countries.

Santander confirm end of Ferrari Formula 1 sponsorship

Spanish-based financial giant Banco Santander has announced it will end its agreement with Ferrari after eight seasons, as well as its association with motorsport Formula 1.

Previous agreements included taking the title sponsorship of several races over the years, including the British Grand Prix from 2007 to 2014, and the Spanish GP from 2011 to 2013.

The company’s relationship with Ferrari began in 2010.

In a statement, Santander said that it “will conclude its successful sponsorship of the Formula 1 racing team, Scuderia Ferrari, which it has supported for the last eight seasons.

“The bank will also conclude its corporate sponsorship agreements with F1, which have helped increase Santander’s brand recognition around the world over the last 11 years.”

Four finalists named for next two MLS expansion teams

Major League Soccer announced today that Cincinnati, Detroit, Nashville and Sacramento have been named finalists for the two expansion clubs that are scheduled to be announced later this year.

Owners and officials representing the four prospective expansion markets will make formal presentations to MLS Commissioner Don Garber and the League’s Expansion Committee in New York on December 6, 2017.

The four selected markets and ownership groups are:

Cincinnati: Carl H. Lindner III – Co-CEO of American Financial Group and Owner, Chairman and CEO of FC Cincinnati; Scott Farmer – CEO of Cintas Corporation.

Detroit: Dan Gilbert – Owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Founder and Chairman of Quicken Loans, Inc.; Tom Gores – Owner of the Detroit Pistons and Founder, Chairman and CEO of Platinum Equity.

Nashville: John Ingram – Chairman of Ingram Industries Inc. and CEO Nashville Soccer Holdings; Wilf Family – owners of the Minnesota Vikings; Turner Family – Managing Partners of MarketStreet Enterprises.

Sacramento: Kevin Nagle – Managing Partner of Sac Soccer & Entertainment Holdings and Minority Owner of the Sacramento Kings. Jed York – CEO of the San Francisco Forty-Niners. Mark Friedman – President of Fulcrum Property Group and Minority Owner of the Sacramento Kings, and other limited partners.

Commissioner Garber said: “The leaders of the Cincinnati, Detroit, Nashville and Sacramento MLS expansion ownership groups have bold visions and innovative plans for their clubs, stadiums and their involvement in their respective communities.

“We are pleased these highly-respected business and sports leaders have been so determined to bring Major League Soccer to their cities. We have been greatly encouraged by the progress that all four of these groups have made and we are looking forward to their presentations.”

Following the presentations on December 6, 2017 a meeting of MLS’ Board of Governors on December 14, 2017 in New York City will include additional discussions on expansion with ownership representatives from every MLS club.

The next two MLS expansion teams are scheduled to be announced before the end of the year. Two more expansion teams are scheduled to be selected at a later date.

This past January ownership groups from 12 markets submitted formal bids for an MLS expansion team. The other eight markets were Charlotte, Indianapolis, Phoenix, Raleigh/Durham, St. Louis, San Antonio, San Diego and Tampa/St. Petersburg.

While only Cincinnati, Detroit, Nashville and Sacramento are being considered for the next two expansion teams, all remaining markets are under consideration for the following two expansion clubs that will be announced at a later date.

In December of 2015, MLS announced plans to expand the league to a total of 28 teams. Los Angeles Football Club begins play in 2018, becoming the league’s 23rd team, and discussions continue to progress for an MLS expansion team in Miami.

Jim DeLorenzo, Head of Sports, Amazon Video: ‘ATP deal will give Prime members tremendous value’

New players are entering the sports broadcast market as shifts in consumer habits present new opportunities for companies and rights holders to prosper, thrive and grow.

But while talk of big moves into the market represent speculation in some quarters, Amazon has already made plenty of significant ones.

Perhaps none more so than the recent deal for live and on-demand distribution rights to the ATP World Tour in UK and Republic of Ireland. The new agreement will make Amazon Prime Video the home for practically all major men’s tennis, barring the four grand slam tournaments.

Jim DeLorenzo, Head of Sports, Amazon Video, believes the offering will bring “tremendous value” to Prime members. He told iSportconnect: “We always look to broaden the selection of compelling content we provide to our customers. Tennis is an exciting and truly global sport with a large fan-base, and the ATP is the leader in men’s tennis.

“This partnership brings more than 1,500 live matches from 37 top tournaments and extensive on-demand content to Prime Video, at no extra cost to a Prime membership. This adds tremendous value to Prime members in the U.K. and Ireland.”

But, having built Prime’s success on a broad range of television series and feature-length films, why has Amazon decided to move into the live sports sector?

DeLorenzo said: “For any video content we start with the customer and work backwards to bring them what they want. This month marks the 10-year anniversary of the launch of Prime in the U.K., and 10 years in we continue to invest in faster delivery, expanded selection and incredible content for members to watch, read and listen.

“We keep adding benefits and value to Prime because we know that we get a great reaction from Prime members every time we offer them new benefits or they engage with more of the benefits – both in terms of new members joining Prime, and members who use multiple benefits being more likely to stay with Prime.

“In the Prime Video business, the way we engage customers in the service is by offering them TV and movies that they love, that they’re passionate about, that they want to seek out, and that’s where sports is a great fit for us. We know many Prime members around the world are passionate about sports and that they want options of how to watch their favourite events and athletes.”

If Amazon Prime’s users’ collective appetite is successfully whetted, it appears to be likely that more international sports content could be on the cards in the future. But DeLorenzo opted not to speculate about future opportunities: “It’s too early for us to speculate how we may approach live sports content going forward.

“We streamed NFL Thursday Night Football games this season, and while we’ve been pleased with the audience numbers and the positive customer response, we are still in the early days and continue to learn.”

As for the ATP broadcast itself, plenty of potential ideas as to how Amazon will present their product have been suggested, ranging from special offers of merchandise for those watching to an additional social element. But we we will have to wait to discover how the finished product will look.

DeLorenzo added: “It’s too early to talk about anything specific, but I can say we are always looking to innovate in ways that enhance the customer experience.”

Broadcasting is dead – and more alive and dynamic than ever before in the digital world – but staying ahead of the curve has never been more difficult. Click here to sign up to iSportconnect’s Broadcast Masterclass.

bwin.ru becomes the first non-Russian online betting brand to be officially licensed and operated in the country

GVC Holdings PLC (LSE:GVC), the multinational sports betting and gaming group and DIGITAL BETTING LTD, supported by Rambler&Co, the Russian media group, have today announced the launch of bwin.ru, the first non-Russian online betting brand to be officially licensed and operated in the country.

The partnership, which brings together one of Russia’s largest and most creative online media companies with one of the world’s most popular gaming brands, will be amongst the first licensed online betting services offered in Russia and it is anticipated it will take a leading position in the market.

Dmitry Sergeev, general director of DIGITAL BETTING, LLC (CEO bwin Russia): “We are pleased to officially announce the launch of bwin in Russia.

“We have worked extremely hard to adapt the platform in line with the regulatory requirements and we are excited to be live in the market. In preparing bwin.ru we have incorporated feedback and request from our customers which were collected during the pre-registration stage.

“We are sure that Russian bettors will want to choose bwin, and trust us with their business.”

Anton Rozhkovskiy, Chairman of the Board of Directors of NGO Mobilnaya Karta, LLC (First TSCUPIS) said: “We are pleased to announce the launch of bwin.ru on to the Russian market, the first global sports betting brand bwin licensed in the country and operated by DIGITAL BETTING, LLC.

“The emergence of such a major player in the industry is a sign of the growth of the interactive gambling market and of the infrastructural readiness of the Russian betting industry for the coming of foreign gambling operators.”

bwin.ru offers its clients an innovative product for placing interactive bets. A web based offer for desktop and mobile is now available to customers, with native iOS and Android apps set to be introduced in the near future.

bwin.ru offers an expanded selection of the most popular Russian events which previously have had limited availability on bwin.com. The odds have been formulated for Russian customers and are highly competitive with other offers in the market.

Goodform signs industry expert duo Stuart Fenton and Ed Coan

Sports-focused data and insight agency Goodform has secured the services of two industry-leading consultants to broaden the agency’s client offering.

It signals further growth for the current holders of the coveted ‘Best Business Serving Sport’ at the Sports Business Awards. The two consultants are award-winning sports copywriter and marketer Ed Coan (below) and digital strategy expert Stuart Fenton (main image).

“Ed and Stuart’s credentials are second to none,” said Goodform Managing Director Michael Jones. “We have brought them on board to complement our existing services and add genuine value in their specialist areas of expertise.”

Ed has worked in the sports sector for more than 30 years, across various high-level commercial, marketing and chief executive roles. He has handled strategic management, marketing and communications projects for numerous organisations. These include world and national sports governing bodies, clubs, sponsors, apparel manufacturers and tournaments.

His many years at the FA means he has significant knowledge of major events, Wembley Stadium, and sports governing bodies, from grassroots through to world-class tournaments. Additionally, his experience has seen him become a sought-after writer/editor of bids for major international sporting events.

Stuart led the digital strategy for two of the biggest sporting events to hit the UK in recent times – the 2015 Rugby World Cup and 2017 IAAF World Championships.

Developing the digital marketing campaigns for both events, his work played a major role in them becoming the most successful tournaments of their type ever. The 2015 Rugby World Cup was regarded as the most commercially successful of all time, whilst the 2017 IAAF World Championships achieved a Guinness World Record for the number of tickets sold for the event.

Ed and Stuart’s experiences will be brought to bear on Goodform’s already-impressive client list, which spans the sporting world. The agency’s core services focus on the use of data and insight to drive tangible growth – whether in revenue, participation or membership – or all three at the same time.