Arsenal and KONAMI announce official partnership

Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. (KONAMI) have today been confirmed as an official partner of Premier League club Arsenal.

As an official partner of the north London outfit, KONAMI will benefit from greater access to the Gunners’ first-team squad and Emirates Stadium. KONAMI has also agreed extensive licensing and promotional rights – including access to the club’s social media platforms.

Vinai Venkatesham, chief commercial officer, Arsenal Football Club, said: “Our working relationship with KONAMI to date has been extremely successful from a licensing perspective and we are delighted to extend this and welcome them as an official partner.

“We look forward to getting started in the next phase of our relationship with KONAMI and creating some fun and exciting content that both Arsenal and wider football fans will enjoy.”

Jonas Lygaard, senior director – brand and business development for Konami Digital Entertainment, added: “We are determined to work with the best clubs football has to offer and are delighted to partner with Arsenal.

“The relationship we formed last year has gone from strength to strength, most notably when Emirates Stadium played host to the PES LEAGUE World Final.

“As such, we were keen to work even closer with such a highly regarded club and the new agreement will allow us to perfectly recreate and feature Emirates Stadium and the club’s many stars within PES 2018.”

JP Morgan Chase becomes Official Bank of Golden State Warriors

Chase announced today that it has been named the official bank of the Golden State Warriors.

As part of the new partnership, Chase will have signage and ATMs throughout Oracle Arena and will debut the newly renovated J.P.Morgan Club.

Earlier this year, the Warriors inaugured Chase Center, the state-of-the-art sports and entertainment complex which will open in the fall of 2019 and serve as the home of the current NBA Champions.

“As our naming rights partner for Chase Center, we’re excited to continue to strengthen our partnership with Chase as our latest Warriors partner and official bank,” said Chip Bowers, Warriors chief marketing officer.

To celebrate the new partnership and the start of the new season, Chase will launch a Golden Victory Ball tour, starting on 10th October, in five cities throughout the Bay Area for five days leading up to the start of the Warriors 2017-18 season.

“Chase is delighted to deepen our partnership with the Golden State Warriors – true champions in every sense of the word,” said Jim Wening, Head of Middle Market Banking for JPMorgan Chase in the Bay Area.

“We hope Dub Nation enjoys the Golden Victory Ball tour as much as we do, as we all prepare to celebrate another championship season.”

SFR Sport agrees exclusive rights in France and Belgium to Anthony Joshua’s next three fights

SFR Sport has secured exclusive exclusive rights in France and Belgium to Anthony Joshua’s next three fights.

The coverage will commence when the British fighter faces Kubrat Pulev for the WBA and IBF belts in Cardiff on October 28.

Should Joshua beat his rival later this month a unification bout against America’s Deontay Wilder in 2018 could be on the cards.

The fight package was negotiated by SFR’s parent company Altice and is also set to give SFR Sport access to seven other major fights over the next two years, plus exclusive interviews and related content with Joshua ahead of his fights.

“This agreement is an immense honor for our group,” saidFrançois Pesenti, Managing Director of SFR Sport.

“In the wake of recent announcements of the acquisition of the most prestigious European soccer and basketball competitions, Altice’s association with Anthony Joshua once again illustrates its ability to give its subscribers the best of sport.”

Hulu agrees exclusive esports content deal with ESL

Esports company ESL has announced a new partnership with video-on-demand service specialists Hulu.

As part of the agreement, ESL will produce four unique series exclusively for Hulu focusing on topics such as gamer training, preparation and industry trends, plus ESL tournaments.

The four esports series in the deal will include Player V. Player, Bootcamp, Defining Moments and ESL Replay.

Nik Adams, Senior Vice President of Global Media Rights and Distribution, ESL, said: “The partnership with Hulu marks ESL’s first original series on an on-demand streaming service, and will showcase the diverse nature of esports through high quality storytelling.

“Esports appeals to a younger, more digitally savvy audience so Hulu is a perfect platform to build out our original content and expose the world of esports to new audiences.”

Lisa Holme, Vice President of Content Acquisition, Hulu, added: “Esports is one of the fastest growing areas of media and entertainment, and, through this first-of-its-kind deal with ESL, we can now bring the popular world of esports to Hulu.

“We know our viewers, especially those watching Hulu on consoles, are hungry for this type of content – so we’re excited to offer it on Hulu for the first time.”

iSportconnect adds Standard Life and F1 to Dubai Summit lineup

iSportconnect is delighted to confirm that two additional guest speakers have been added to the lineup for the Dubai Summit on November 29.

Nuala Walsh, Chief Marketing Officer at Standard Life Aberdeen, and Murray Barnett, Head of Global Sponsorship & Commercial Partnerships at F1, will take part in a series of discussions and interviews, offering delegates a unique insight into the sports industry.

Already confirmed to speak at the event are Brett Gosper, CEO of World Rugby, and Adolfo Bara, General Manager Marketing & Sales at LaLiga.

The Summit represents a breakthrough opportunity for up to 150 top-tier executives in sport and entertainment to experience and enjoy the unique learning and networking benefits of iSportconnect’s exclusive invitation-only event concept.

Further speaker announcements and a venue will be confirmed in due course.

iSportconnect Launches Summit in Olympic Capital

There is limited space for this exclusive event so please email Chris Edbrook (chris@isportconnect.com) to confirm your interest in attending.

Dates will soon be announced for a Beijing and Singapore Summit as part of a ‘World Tour’ of iSportconnect Summits in 2018.

What makes the iSportconnect Summit so special?

  • The Summit is open exclusively to Director/C-Suite level executives at sports rights holders, sponsorship brands and broadcasters.
  • Event capacity is capped at 150 delegates allowing intimate access to key decision makers in the sports industry.
  • No agencies or press in attendance and as we follow Chatham House Rules, all panel discussions will remain confidential.

DraftKings launches its platform in new European markets

DraftKings, the world’s largest daily fantasy sports platform, has today announced the continuing expansion of its operations in Europe, with the launch of its games in Ireland and Austria.

Both Ireland and Austria have strong sports’ cultures and dedicated followers of professional teams and leagues. Austrian sports fans in particular have a strong affinity for American football. Each year the largest NFL season kick-off party in Europe takes place in Vienna.

Ireland has an engaged professional sports fan market, as well as a long history of season-long fantasy football, with golf and soccer on the rise in recent years. Additionally, MMA is an extremely popular sport in Ireland, particularly given the success of homegrown hero Conor McGregor.

“Sports fans in Europe are embracing the game inside the game through DraftKings’ contests and content,” said Jason Robins, DraftKings CEO.

“As we looked to expand our European footprint, it was an easy choice to launch in Ireland and Austria, given their renowned passion for sports.”

DraftKings’ European expansion is underpinned by its success in the UK and Germany. In the UK, September 2017 saw 51% year-over-year growth in entry fees and 31% year-over-year growth in new customers.

In Germany, September saw 46% growth in registered customers, the largest monthly growth to-date. DraftKings intends to continue expanding its geographic footprint, both in Europe and elsewhere, in 2018.

DraftKings will deliver all 10 of the sports currently available in the U.S. to Ireland and Austria, including seven soccer leagues, NFL, MLB, NBA, CFL, NHL, Golf, NASCAR, eSports and Mixed Martial Arts.

Cricket Australia sign three-year partnership with Mastercard

Mastercard and Cricket Australia have today announced a three-year partnership that sees Mastercard become the Official Payment Provider of Cricket Australia, including the upcoming Ashes series against England.

The deal sits under Mastercard’s global Priceless platform, which offers exclusive experiences to offer to fans and cardholders.

As part of the deal, fans and cardholders will be able to travel with the men’s national team or serve as mascots.

The partnership is the second major sports partnership for Mastercard in Australia, after partnering with Tennis Australia for the Australian Open and Mastercard Hopman Cup in January 2017.

Sarah Pike, VP marketing and communications at Mastercard Australasia, said: “The Ashes is the pinnacle of cricket, and we’re incredibly proud to partner with Cricket Australia for this highly anticipated season and the next three years.

“Our commitment to this sponsorship, like our many others, is to passionately and relentlessly pursue opportunities on behalf of fans that would normally be unimaginable. Together with Cricket Australia, we’ll make this the most Priceless summer.”

General Manager, Broadcasting, Digital Media and Commercial for Cricket Australia Ben Amarfio added: “The 2017-2018 summer of cricket is shaping up as a rare occasion for cricket fans and so it is fitting to have the Priceless experts, Mastercard, on board as we approach the season to make it an even better experience.

“The partnership also represents our focus on securing investment for the benefit of all Australian cricket. We are pleased to have Mastercard as the Official Payment Provider of Cricket Australia and we look forward to working with this great innovator to bring new experiences to the game over the next three years.”

Host City becomes official Delivery Partner of SportAccord Convention 2018

SportAccord Convention today is delighted to welcome Host City onboard as the Official Event Development Partner for its sixteenth edition, set to take place at the Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre in Thailand from 15 – 20 April 2018.

Commenting on the importance of the partnership, Ben Avison, Editorial and Conference Director of Host City said:

“Host City is delighted to have become SportAccord Convention’s Delivery Partner. We see this as the natural evolution of an increasingly powerful relationship between two crucial platforms supporting the community of stakeholders in major international events.

“SportAccord Convention and Host City have enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship for many years through media partnerships and conference activities.

“Host City particularly values opportunities to reinforce and forge new connections with leading people and organisations involved in major events.

“As well as being a focus for Host City’s high quality editorial coverage, SAC2018 in Bangkok will also provide a welcome opportunity for us to build engagement in Host City’s own events – including Host City Asia, which will bring the world of international event hosting to Beijing at the end of May 2018, and our annual global conference and exhibition in Glasgow in November 2017.”

SportAccord Convention is also a Silver Sponsor to Host City 2017 taking place in Glasgow from 28-29 November 2017.

Nis Hatt, Managing Director of SportAccord Convention said, “As an Official Delivery Partner, we’re delighted to have Host City onboard, given the importance and complexities of hosting major sports events.

“Host City has provided first-class support and media coverage for SportAccord Convention, and in recent years, with Ben Avison involved as a moderator for our CityAccord conference. We value their expertise and encourage delegates to draw on their experience in the lead-up to and during the SportAccord Convention in Bangkok.”

To network and connect with delegates ahead of the SportAccord Convention 2018 including international sports federations, cities, regions, organising committees, rights holders and suppliers, organisations involved in the business of sport can register for the SportAccord Convention in Bangkok as a delegate, or become involved as a partner and/or exhibitor.

The annual SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit runs for 6 days and features an extensive Conference programme including CityAccord, a sell-out 3-day exhibition, and hosts the stakeholder General Assemblies attended by their Members. The Convention also offers many social and networking opportunities as part of its Official Schedule.

LaLiga agrees partnership with El Corte Inglés

LaLiga has agreed a new partnership with department store group El Corte Inglés. The deal will cover the 2017-18 season and sees El Corte Inglés become LaLiga’s official travel agency.

El Corte Inglés is set to benefit from brand exposure at over 700 matches featuring teams in the top two divisions of Spanish football. The company will also have an opportunity to launch exclusive marketing campaigns in its range of stores.

LaLiga president, Javier Tebas, said of the partnership: “We are very satisfied that a company with the experience and recognition of El Corte Inglés has joined the football family.

“This union with one of the most important national brands is a demonstration that the value of LaLiga continues to grow, as well as our effort to be linked to brands which offer fans of Spanish football a 360-degree experience.”

World Rugby appoints official travel agents for RWC Sevens 2018 in San Francisco

World Rugby and Sports Travel & Hospitality (STH) have today announced the appointment of local and global official travel agents (OTAs) who will deliver travel packages for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 in San Francisco.

The domestic travel programme will be operated by USA Eagles Tours, which is serving as North America’s official tour operator. STH will operate the global travel programme through the appointment of 10 leading agents from 10 nations and territories following a comprehensive selection process.

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: “What could be more exciting or offer a superior overall experience for a traveling fan than to stage Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 in San Francisco? With the rugby at its heart, a trip to the Bay Area in July 2018 could really be the holiday of a lifetime.

“To get you there and make sure everything runs smoothly will be STH and a group of expert official travel agents who will take care of all the details, allowing you to enjoy every minute of the trip.”

USA Rugby CEO Dan Payne said: “Making sure that all fans visiting from across the globe are well taken care of is paramount for us. By partnering with STH and USA Eagles Tours, we’re giving supporters the opportunity to avoid travel planning and streamline their sevens experience in San Francisco.

“This is going to be a huge event, we want fans to enjoy themselves with a stress-free experience and enjoy all that the City by the Bay has to offer.

“STH and USA Eagles Tours provide an amazing service in curating specialised tour packages so we were thrilled to partner with them as the official tour provider. I have great confidence they will build an amazing experience in San Francisco for our fans and help us meet our ticket sales goals.”