Sky Sports agree rights deal for Wilder-Ortiz heavyweight title fight

Sky Sports have agreed a deal to show the upcoming world heavyweight title fight between Deontay Wilder and Luis Ortiz.

The American is set to put his WBC belt on the line at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn, in the early hours of Sunday, November 5.

The undercard includes the likes of Bermane Stiverne, Dominic Breazeale, Sergey Lipinets and Akihiro Kondo.

“We’re thrilled to be showing this huge heavyweight fight on Sky Sports, just a week after Joshua-Pulev,” said Sky Sports’ Head of Boxing, Adam Smith.

“Wilder is the WBC holder and is always exciting to watch and Ortiz is tricky and talented.”

 

UNILAD agree deal to live stream British Basketball League games

British Basketball League (BBL) has announced a deal to live stream a game each week on UNILAD and UNILAD Sport’s Facebook pages, the former of which has 32 million followers worldwide.

UNILAD is set to show live BBL games in full for the entire 2017-18 season and will also feature highlights packages to help ensure the sports secures more coverage than ever before.

Every BBL fixture is already being shown on LiveBasketballTV (242 games in total) and BBC Sport will be broadcasting 23 live games from December.

Ed Dowdell, UNILAD’s Sports Commissioner, said: “We are really excited to be working with the British Basketball League and can’t wait for the season to get underway from Worcester on Friday.

“We’re looking forward to bringing our fans a game each week and showcasing the best of British basketball to our global audience.”

Bob Hope, BBL Commercial Director, added: “This is yet another chapter in the story of BBL’s unrelenting pursuit to become a major professional sports league in the UK.

“Our agreement with UNILAD is a great opportunity and also links closely to our Digital Strategy, which is evolving rapidly as we try to maximise the growing popularity of the sport.”

The first game to be streamed will be on Friday 29 September when Worcester Wolves entertain London Lions.

Saracens agree three-year partnership with Thomas Cook Sport

Aviva Premiership rugby union side Saracens have announced a three-year partnership with Thomas Cook Sport.

The travel agent will become the club’s ‘Team Travel supplier’ for the Senior Squad as well as Supporter Travel.

As part of the deal, Thomas Cook Sport will develop a range of exclusive offers for Saracens fans, many of whom will be following the team in Europe this season.

Mitesh Velani, CEO of Saracens, said: “On behalf of everyone here at Saracens we are delighted to announce Thomas Cook Sport as our Preferred Travel Supplier. Thomas Cook Sport are a leader in sports travel for both professional sporting organisations and fans so it’s great to have them on board as we begin another exciting season both at home and abroad.

“Their commitment to our fans, players and everyone connected with the Club will play a vital role in bringing Saracens fans around the world closer together, both at the Allianz Park and on the road.”

 

Rob Slawson, Head of Thomas Cook Sport, added: “Saracens have proved themselves as a top side in the English & European game in the last few seasons, their Premiership win in 2015/16 followed by two back to back European titles is a truly incredible feat and we’re delighted to add them to our growing Rugby Union & Team Travel portfolio.

“We are looking forward to contributing as much as we can to the team’s continued success by delivering our best in class Team Travel service for the Saracens squad and offering excellent travel packages for their passionate supporters.”

FA announces Women’s Super League restructure

The Football Association (FA) has today approved changes to Women’s Super League licences, meaning the top tier of English women’s football will be only for full-time clubs from the 2018-19 season.

All clubs will be required to re-apply for their places, while new teams will have an opportunity to secure a license and join the top tier.

Current WSL tier one clubs have until 10 November to submit their applications and teams outside tier one will be able to apply in March 2018.

In an official statement the FA said the restructure had been sanctioned to create a “stronger commercial model” and to “improve the performance of the women’s game on and off the pitch”.

Katie Brazier, The FA’s head of women’s leagues and competitions, said of the news: “This announcement is a landmark moment for women’s football in this country. The changes will continue our journey to transform key elements of the women’s game.

“Providing an elite performance environment that will produce more and better players, increase the interest and excitement via a more competitive league, attract a greater number of fans and in turn deliver improved commercial viability for clubs and the leagues.

“The decision was made following a full review of women’s and girls’ football competitions and extensive and valuable dialogue with the clubs, who have been really supportive of the changes being introduced.”

New Orleans Pelicans partner with Coca-Cola

The New Orleans Pelicans have announced an agreement with Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED, Inc., naming Coca-Cola the Official Soft Drink Partner of the New Orleans Pelicans.

Pelicans President Dennis Lauscha, said: “With over 100 years in the beverage industry, Coca-Cola UNITED and its local bottling companies have earned a world-renowned reputation as a leader in the community. I particularly want to thank the great people of Coca-Cola UNITED and its New Orleans associates.

“We are thrilled to partner with Coca-Cola and bring its products to the Smoothie King Center, which will only further enhance the fan experience.”

Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED has been active in partnering with local teams, organizations and institutions for more than 115 years.

Similar to the Pelicans, the goal of Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED has always been to help provide memorable experiences through the enjoyment of quality products, promotions and entertainment.

Rocky Weigand, Crescent City Division Director, Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED, Inc., added: “Pelicans fans will now get to take in a winning Pelicans season while enjoying refreshing Coca-Cola products.

“We are so proud of this partnership because it’s an expression of the pride we take in New Orleans. We’ve partnered with the New Orleans Saints since day one of the team’s inception so this is really a natural fit for Coca-Cola UNITED.”

Eurosport announce record-breaking year for cycling coverage

Eurosport today pledged to continue to invest in its industry-leading coverage of cycling after it was announced more fans tuned in to the sport’s flagship events in 2017 than ever before.

Record numbers switched on Eurosport’s unrivalled coverage of cycling’s Grand Tours – the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España – with the broadcaster reporting a 26% increase in average live audience numbers versus 2016.

The 2017 Vuelta a España alone saw Eurosport achieve an average live audience of 1.3 million, a 46% increase on the previous year. The broadcaster’s average audience across all Vuelta coverage (live and non-live) reached 1.1 million, up a staggering 81% from 2016.

An average live audience of 785,000 watched the 21 stages of Eurosport’s coverage of the Tour de France in July, a 10% rise from 2016. Eurosport’s innovative, all-screens approach to covering the sport’s biggest race in 2017 – which for the first time saw every minute broadcast live – was recently rewarded with a nomination in the ‘Best Live Event Coverage’ at this year’s TV Sports Awards.

In May, an average of 1.3 million viewers watched Eurosport’s live coverage of the Giro d’Italia (+21% vs 2016) with 4.8 million fans tuning in during the final stage. During the event, Eurosport partnered with CA Technologies to take fans closer to the peloton than ever before with upgraded App experience providing individual rider GPS and biometric data, such as their altitude, speed, power, cadence and heart rate, in real-time.

Eurosport CEO, Peter Hutton, said: “We pushed the boundaries of innovation in 2017 with the first live broadcast in 360 Virtual Reality during a professional race at La Route du Sud in June and we believe there is room for even more innovation in our coverage.

“We are also aiming to feature more local experts on-site at future major events who’ll discuss the big stories of the day to their local audiences, while we will look to further unlock the power of data to explain the sport and help meet our goal of being the natural home of every cycling fan on digital and broadcast platforms.”

Hutton added: “It’s been a fantastic year for cycling on Eurosport and our investment in local production and data continues to pay dividends. Our numbers are all the more impressive when you consider we broadcast 40% more live hours of coverage for the Giro d’Italia and an additional 28% for the Tour de France, meaning we essentially have more fans watching for longer.”

READ MORE: Peter Hutton interview | Linear TV channels and the importance of exclusive content

Premier League and EFL clubs invest in virtual replacement perimeter technology

A number of Premier League and English Football League (EFL) clubs have invested in new perimeter technology this season, which gives them the ability to integrate ADI and Supponor’s virtual replacement technology.

Virtual replacement technology makes it possible to deliver traditional LED perimeter advertising to fans within the stadium, whilst virtually overlaying the content seen by viewers watching in different countries.

The new platform adds value to the media space by creating a highly targeted platform for brands to localise their message for audiences around the world.

These systems have already been installed at Everton, Derby County and Crystal Palace, with another due for delivery at Brentford Football Club in October.

New systems will also be installed at three more Premier League and Championship clubs during the current season.


ADI’s CEO, Geraint Williams, said: “It’s an incredibly exciting time for the commercial potential of perimeter media value.

“Virtual Hybrid technology makes it possible for media rights owners to commercialise the same in-game inventory in multiple markets, on many different platforms, and offer a highly targeted solution for partners.

.”Whilst our Virtual Hybrid technology is already well proven in a live stadium environment and on commercial broadcast feeds, the next step now comes in bringing more clubs, leagues, federations and broadcasters together to define the commercial model to make virtual overlay a reality.”

Charlie Marshall, COO at Supponor added: “There is a clearly a demand from clubs and brands across the world for a solution that integrates virtual overlay technology with LED.

“Our technology has been deployed on non-LED signage throughout La Liga, NHL, and Serie A over several seasons and will now accelerate the rollout on LED.”

Virtual Hybrid digiBOARD was awarded Gold at the Sports Business Awards in 2017 and is a finalist for this year’s Football Business Awards, taking place in London.

iSportconnect adds Eurosport and Reuters to Media & Communications Masterclass lineup

iSportconnect is delighted to announce that Fiona McLachlan, VP Communications at Eurosport, and Jeff Perkins, Commercial Director, EMEA, at Reuters, have been added to the lineup for the Media & Communications Masterclass on October 10th 2017.

The content programme will consist of four panels, with a variety of topics set to be debated, dissected and discussed within a relaxed atmosphere. Subjects such as how to lead successful campaigns, the power of digital and media engagement are sure to spark intriguing conversations among high-ranking attendees.

Already confirmed to speak at the event are Robert Sullivan, Strategy and Communications Director at The FA, Steve Wilson, Director of Communications and International Relations at ITF and Joanna Manning-Cooper, Director of Digital, Marketing and Communications at RFU.

The half-day event will be held at Charles Russells Speechlys‘ offices in London and is set to offer delegates a unique insight into a specialist sector of the sports industry.

The event will be co-ordinated in partnership with Adrian Bevington of Adrian Bevington Sport & PR Ltd.

There will be ample time for delegates to take part in a series of networking sessions and share experiences and best practices with their distinguished peers. The Chatham House rule will be strictly adhered to, encouraging a free exchange of ideas.

Further speaker announcements will be confirmed in due course. Please contact Chris Edbrook (chris@isportconnect.com) to register your interest.

Content Programme

Panel 1: Leading a Successful Campaign

Panel 2: Harnessing the Power of Digital

Panel 3: Media and Fan Engagement

Panel 4: Internal Communications & Stakeholder Engagement

HOST PARTNER

EVENT PARTNER

ONE Championship expands 2018 calendar to 24 events

ONE Championship has today unveiled an expanded 2018 calendar, featuring a schedule of 24 events across the biggest cities in Asia.

Japan and South Korea are set to debut as the mixed martial arts organisation has added six events to its calendar when compared to 2017.

The series will begin in Jakarta and is set to incorporate three trips to Shanghai before coming to a climax in Bangkok.

Chatri Sityodtong, chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, said: “We are thrilled to announce our incredible 2018 calendar of events for ONE Championship.

“We have 24 massive shows planned for all sports fans in Asia and will continue to showcase the absolute best in martial arts, delivered by our homegrown martial arts superheroes.

“2018 is going to be an epic year of action and I can’t wait to get things started.”

Full schedule:

Saturday, 20 January: Jakarta, Indonesia
Friday, 26 January: Manila, Philippines
Saturday, 24 February: Yangon, Myanmar
Friday, 9 March: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Saturday, 24 March: Bangkok, Thailand
Friday, 20 April: Manila, Philippines
Saturday, 12 May: Jakarta, Indonesia
Friday, 18 May: Singapore
Saturday, 26 May: Shanghai, China
Friday, 8 June: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
TBC, June: Beijing, China
Friday, 27 July: Manila, Philippines
TBC, July: Seoul, South Korea
Saturday, 11 August, Bangkok, Thailand
Saturday, 18 August: Shanghai, China
Saturday, 15 September: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Saturday, 22 September: Jakarta, Indonesia
TBC, September: Tokyo, Japan
Saturday, 6 October: Bangkok, Thailand
Friday, 16 November: Manila, Philippines
Friday, 23 November: Singapore
Saturday, 8 December: Jakarta, Indonesia
Saturday, 15 December: Shanghai, China
Saturday, 22 December: Bangkok, Thailand

PGA TOUR renews live streaming agreement with Twitter

The PGA TOUR has announced that it has renewed an agreement with Twitter to be the exclusive global platform to distribute – on a free basis – more than 70 hours of live competition from PGA TOUR LIVE across 31 tournaments during the 2017-18 PGA TOUR Season.

Twitter will begin live streaming at the CareerBuilder Challenge on January 18 and conclude its service at the season-ending TOUR Championship in September. Consistent with 2017, coverage will typically include the first 60 to 90 minutes from the early Thursday and Friday morning hours of PGA TOUR LIVE’s OTT subscription window, on a global basis.

Additionally, for 2018 Twitter will also exclusively distribute the TOUR’s live 360 video coverage for select holes at top-tier PGA TOUR events, including the Presidents Cup, the 16th hole at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and the famed 17th hole at THE PLAYERS Championship, stemming from the TOUR’s recent virtual reality deal with Intel.

Rick Anderson, Chief Media Officer of the PGA TOUR, said: “We have seen tremendous growth of PGA TOUR LIVE during our streaming partnership with Twitter.

“The positive feedback from our fans was resounding following the initial year of streaming PGA TOUR LIVE to Twitter’s global audience. We look forward to continuing the relationship to reach new audiences and driving new value for our advertisers.”

Todd Swidler, Global Head of Live Video Business at Twitter, added: “We are very excited to collaborate with the PGA TOUR once again to bring live golf to Twitter.

PGA TOUR LIVE coverage will continue to give passionate golf fans around the world live video and real-time conversation all in one place on Twitter, while also bringing innovative advertising opportunities to sponsors.”