IOC Executive Board to propose nine new Members to Session in Lima

The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will propose nine new Members for election at the 131st IOC Session in Lima.

Five of these nine new proposed Members are Individual Members. Amongst these five are three women and two men.

In line with Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC’s strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement, the IOC Members Election Commission, chaired by HRH The Princess Royal, proposed them to the EB following a targeted recruitment process that is guided by a specific set of criteria.

Four new proposed Members, in accordance with the Olympic Charter, are representatives of the constituents of the Olympic Movement: the National Olympic Committees (NOC) and the International Federations (IF).

These four have been chosen in close consultation with the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC).

These nine candidates offer various skillsets and come from backgrounds as diverse as sports, management, volunteering, engineering, business administration, commerce and tourism, the media and NGOs.

All of them can bring skills and experience needed by the IOC, and aim to further strengthen the ranks of the Olympic Movement in the years to come. All proposed members have been vetted by the IOC Ethics Commission, which has conducted integrity checks.

The nine candidates are as follows:

Five proposed Individual Members:

Baklai Temengil
(Female, Palau, ONOC Vice-President, Individual Member, 23.10.1966)

Jiri Kejval
(Male, Czech Republic, President of the Czech Olympic Committee, Individual Member, 30.11.1967)

Kristin Kloster Aasen
(Female, Norway, Vice-President of the Norwegian Olympic Committee, Individual Member, 04.01.1961)

Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul
(Female, Thailand, President of the Badminton Association of Thailand, Individual Member, 16.02.1965)

Luis Mejia Oviedo
(Male, Dominican Republic, President of the Dominican Republic Olympic Committee, Individual Member, 04.09.1953)

Two proposed Members representing an NOC or a continental association of NOCs:

Neven Ivan Ilic Alvarez
(Male, Chile, PASO President, Member representing an NOC or a continental association of NOCs, 04.04.1962)

Khalid Muhammad Al Zubair
(Male, Oman, President of the Oman Olympic Committee, Member representing an NOC or a continental association of NOCs, 23.11.1970)

Two proposed Members representing an IF:

Jean-Christophe Rolland
(Male, France, Olympic rowing champion, President of World Rowing, Member representing an IF, 03.07.1968)

Ingmar De Vos
(Male, Belgium, President of the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, member representing an IF, 05.08.1963)

IOC President Thomas Bach said: “These nine candidates will add to the huge range of knowledge and experience within the IOC membership. In line with Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC has taken another step towards a more diverse membership, which will continue to drive reform and reflect the world in which we live.”

Morocco confirms bid to host 2026 FIFA World Cup

The Moroccan Football Federation has today announced to football’s world governing body FIFA that it will bid to host the 2026 World Cup.

The impending bid represents Morocco’s fifth candidacy, having come up short already in 1994, 1998, 2006 and 2010.

In April, the United States, Canada and Mexico announced a joint North American bid to host the tournament.

If successful, Morocco will become only the second African nation to host football’s flagship event following South Africa in 2010.

The North African country has received backing from The Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Ahmad Ahmad, who said he was “convinced” the country is ready to host a World Cup.

The 2026 tournament will be the first with an expanded 48-team tournament, moving up from the current format of 32 qualifiers. A decision on who will host event will be made in 2020.

Morocco previously won the right to host the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations but pulled out over concerns related to the Ebola outbreak in western Africa at the time.

CBF appoint Synergy Football agency to help market national team rights

CBF Futebol, Brazil’s soccer governing body, has announced a new partnership with Synergy Football agency.

The agency has been appointed in order to help sell media rights for La Seleção’s national team fixtures for the period from November 2017 to 2022 World Cup.

Marco Polo Del Nero, president of the CBF, said: “CBF’s board of directors consulted with many specialist agencies, conducted an exhaustive interview and negotiation process, and opted for Synergy for its global experience and especially for its sales role in the Brazilian media, where it represented for a long time the main European championships, among them the Uefa Champions League.

“We are confident that this step will be significant for our national team and for Brazilian football.”

Patrick Murphy, Executive Director of Synergy, added: “The Brazilian national team is one of the most iconic and authentic teams in the world and we are honoured to be able to advise CBF to bring the media rights performance of this powerful and historic national team to a new level.”

Synergy Football’s advisory role brings an end to CBF Futebol’s in-house approach to marketing its rights.

Synergy has led the sale of media rights and sponsorship to the UEFA Champions League for more than a decade – raising revenues to more than £3.6 ($4.7) billion.

Discovery agrees Olympics deal with German broadcasters ARD and ZDF

German broadcasters ARD and ZDF have today agreed a deal with Discovery Communications to show the Olympic Games from 2018 to 2024.

The agreement is set to include free-to-air broadcast rights to the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang and Beijing, plus the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.

The 2024 edition of the Summer Olympics Games, which is expected to take place in Paris, also forms parts of the deal.

Daily coverage will be produced by Eurosport, a Discovery-owned channel, and alternate between ARD and ZDF, with German viewers able to tune in on television and live stream via mobile devices.

Peter Hutton, chief executive of Eurosport, said: “This commitment between Discovery and ARD/ZDF is another example of our game-changing approach to premium live sport, empowering viewers to watch the biggest moments in sport whenever and however they choose.

“For the Olympic Games, our ambition is to share the world’s greatest event with more people, on more screens, than ever before. Establishing free-to-air partnerships with the best national broadcasters across Europe, such as ARD/ZDF, will enable us to fulfil this transformational goal.”

Susanne Aigner-Drews, managing director of Discovery Networks Germany, said: “We have discussed a partnership with ARD-ZDF for some time and our new collaboration for the Olympic Games until 2024 shows our desire to put viewers first.

“They will enjoy unrivalled coverage and have the chance to follow every moment, through more than 100 events, for the first time with Eurosport.”

Liverpool and Western Union announce sleeve sponsorship deal

Liverpool FC and Western Union have announced a multi-year partnership that will see Western Union become an official principal partner of the club, while also becoming Liverpool’s first-ever official shirt-sleeve sponsor.

Western Union’s logo is the first to appear on the Merseyside outfit’s shirt sleeves and sixth to appear on the shirt since the inception of Liverpool FC in 1892.

Billy Hogan, chief commercial officer and managing director at Liverpool FC, said: “Western Union is an instantly recognisable brand with a truly global footprint and we are absolutely delighted to welcome them as our first ever shirt-sleeve Sponsor and official principal partner.

“We are very much looking forward to working with Western Union through this partnership to create new experiences and opportunities for our fans both in the UK and abroad.”

Liverpool, which celebrates its 125th year of existence in 2017, has more than 700 million active followers globally, across television, social and traditional media.

Jean-Claude Farah, president of global payments at Western Union, added: “The businesses of Western Union and Liverpool FC are both driven by our passion for bringing communities together, whether that be through moving money or delivering the excitement of football experiences.

“This partnership goes far beyond a badge on a shirt, as we will be bringing our digital money transfer expertise to better connect Liverpool FC and fans around the world.”

To celebrate the launch of the partnership, Western Union will be offering Liverpool fans in the UK, Ireland, France, Denmark, Norway and Sweden a money transfer promotion, running from now through until the end of August.

Volkswagen agrees new long-term partnership with UEFA

UEFA has announced that Volkswagen has signed an agreement to become a partner with European football’s governing body for all UEFA national team football competitions running from 2018 until 2022.

This will include the newly created UEFA Nations League Finals in 2019 and 2021, the European Qualifiers for UEFA EURO 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the 2019 and 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championships, UEFA Women’s EURO 2021, and UEFA Futsal EURO 2018 and 2022.

The new deal will see Volkswagen, who recently replaced Mercedes as the main sponsor of the German national team, expand its presence across football. Volkswagen also owns Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg.

Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess said: “No other sport is as powerful as football or unites so many people. Furthermore, UEFA EURO 2020, which is being played across the entire continent, is a fantastic project. Our wish is to contribute towards building bridges between all countries and for football fans with our mobility and creativity.”

Guy-Laurent Epstein, Marketing Director of UEFA Events SA, said: “We are proud to have such a great European brand with such a genuine passion for football at our side.

“That holds especially true given the tasks that lie ahead of us: UEFA EURO 2020 will place the most rigorous demands on mobility. There is a grand idea and an innovative concept behind this tournament and we are very happy to have the support of Volkswagen on this exciting journey.”

Facebook’s new ‘Watch’ platform set to feature live sports section

Facebook has announced that it is launching a new platform called ‘Watch’ which will see the social media powerhouse take on Youtube and traditional television networks.

The launch will give users of the platform an opportunity to watch shows consisting of episodes with live or recorded content – including sports.

The sports broadcast landscape is changing as new players enter the market and Facebook’s offering will represent an additional place fans can watch sports content.

“We’re introducing Watch, a new platform for shows on Facebook. Watch will be available on mobile, on desktop and laptop, and in our TV apps,” wrote Daniel Danker, Director of Product at Facebook.

“Shows are made up of episodes — live or recorded — and follow a theme or storyline. To help you keep up with the shows you follow, Watch has a Watchlist so you never miss out on the latest episodes.

“We think Watch will be home to a wide range of shows, from reality to comedy to live sports. To help inspire creators and seed the ecosystem, we’ve also funded some shows that are examples of community-oriented and episodic video series.

“We’re excited to see how creators and publishers use shows to connect with their fans and community.”

Watch is expected to feature a wide range of sports content in addition to the current deals in place. Major League Baseball streams weekly Friday night games on Facebook Live while Univision Deportes has deals with MLS and Liga MX to show a number of live matches on Facebook.

Watch will have a limited release in the USA before being rolled out across the globe.

Football Association announce bid to host 2021 UEFA European Women’s Championship

The Football Association (FA) has today announced its intention to bid to host the 2021 UEFA European Women’s Championship.

Following the success of this summer’s UEFA European Women’s Championship in the Netherlands, England will officially enter into the bidding process later this year.

The FA announcement comes after March’s launch of ‘Gameplan for Growth,’ a project born to create a sustainable and successful high-performance system for women and girls football.

Martin Glenn, FA chief executive officer, said: “The Lionesses’ performances at the Euros this summer gave the country great pride. It also showed the significant impact that hosting a major European tournament can have on growing and developing women’s football.

“The KNVB and UEFA really raised the bar, hosting a fantastic tournament, and we hope and believe we could meet those standards.”

The 2017 European Women’s Championship was UEFA’s biggest-ever female tournament and the semi-final between England and the Netherlands generated a peak audience of 4m viewers in the UK on Channel 4.

Baroness Sue Campbell, FA head of women’s football, added: “I’ve seen first-hand the positive impact these tournaments can have in raising the profile and popularity of the women’s game at all levels.

“This is another wonderful opportunity to maintain the momentum around women’s football and the feelgood factor generated by the Lionesses in the Netherlands. I’m right behind the bid.”

The UK government and local authorities are also supporting the bid for this major event.

Sports Minister Tracey Crouch said: “The Lionesses had a great campaign in the Netherlands and made the country proud.

“Hosting the next European Championships would provide us with a great opportunity to further grow the game and attract the next generation of players and fans.

“I look forward to working with The FA as they develop the feasibility of their bid.”

Conor McGregor becomes Official Ambassador for Betsafe

Betsafe has announced it has signed UFC star Conor McGregor as an EU Ambassador, just weeks ahead of the Mayweather vs McGregor fight in Las Vegas on 26th August.

With Floyd Mayweather having made five trademark applications around a 50-0 record, McGregor is determined to ensure his rival’s record will not proceed beyond 49 wins.

Betsafe is offering odds of 49/1 to all new customers that the Irish star will be victorious.

McGregor and Betsafe have also teamed up to create ‘Notorious Airways’, an exclusive private jet service to fly competition winners to the most-talked about fight in history and receive a taste of the McGregor lifestyle.

Speaking about the partnership, McGregor said: “Today I’m happy to announce that I’m partnering up with Betsafe. It is an honour for me to be an Ambassador for this great brand. Although real gamblers know the odds are stacked against them, we also know that passion overcomes the odds.”

READ MORE:  Floyd Mayweather v Conor McGregor set to smash boxing betting records

The sponsorship with Conor McGregor will run for the next 18 months across Betsafe’s EU territories.

Betsafe branding will appear on McGregor’s shorts for the upcoming Mayweather fight, and a variety of exciting activations will bring Betsafe customers closer to the UFC star over the coming months.

Nicola Fitton, Managing Director at Betsafe, said: “Conor is one of the biggest athletes in the world today, defined by his extreme talent, work ethic and personality, which are values that we reflect every day at Betsafe.

“We firmly believe that passion always overcomes the odds, and there is no sports star in the world today that both inspires and embodies passion as much as Conor.”

Capital One announce new arena naming rights partnership in washington

Monumental Sports and Entertainment (MSE) and Capital One have announced that Capital One will become the new naming rights partner for the arena in downtown Washington.

The arena will be called Capital One Arena beginning immediately, with the full signage and branding shift to occur in Autumn 2017.

The arena hosts over 220 concerts, shows and events a year, including the Washington Capitals, Washington Mystics, Washington Valor, Washington Wizards and Georgetown men’s basketball matches.

“Capital One is one of the most influential local businesses in our region over the last two decades, so we couldn’t be more pleased to partner with another homegrown company to create more incredible memories for sports fans, music fans, families and friends all across our region,” said Ted Leonsis, Founder, Majority Owner and CEO of MSE.

“Capital One shares our deep commitment to both economic and philanthropic investment in the larger Washington, D.C. community and we look forward to working closely with them. We are also proud today to be announcing a significant investment by MSE to continue improving the arena experience for every fan who comes through our doors. We want every fan’s experience at Capital One Arena to be monumental.”

MSE announced a separate £30.8 ($40 million) investment in Capital One Arena. Capital One Arena is one of the few privately-owned arenas in the country, and throughout its ownership, MSE has made over £77 ($100) million in investments to ensure it remains a best-in-class facility.

In 2016, Billboard Magazine ranked the arena 8th in the USA and 13th worldwide among top-grossing venues with a capacity of over 15,000.

In the coming months, Capital One Arena will host some of the biggest tours in the world including Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Guns n’ Roses, Andrea Boccelli, Jay-Z and more.

It will also host the A-10 men’s basketball tournament in March of 2018 and the East regionals of the 2019 NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

“As a top local employer and major consumer brand, Capital One has deep roots in Washington, D.C. and we are excited to strengthen our contributions to the sports and entertainment landscape in our own backyard,” said Kleber Santos, President, Retail and Direct Banking, Capital One.

“Monumental Sports and Entertainment shares our commitment to strengthening the economic and social well-being of the local community, and we are thrilled to partner with them on Capital One Arena.

“Our collaboration will be great for the D.C. community, the fans who come to support their teams, the talent and events at the arena, and exceptional for our customers who will benefit from our ability to offer access to unique opportunities and experiences at the arena that money can’t buy.”