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.”

Women’s Cricket World Cup records global viewing increase of almost 300%

More than 180 million people around the world are estimated to have watched this summer’s ICC Women’s World Cup and there was an almost 300% increase in viewing hours* in comparison to the last edition in 2013.

There was significant growth in audiences in all territories, but particularly impressive was an eight-fold increase in viewing hours in South Africa and a huge increase in viewers in India, particularly in rural areas, since 2013.

The ICC’s decision to ensure that every match was available for viewing either on television or via live-streaming as part of its commitment to the global growth of the women’s game has paid dividends.

An extraordinary 156 million people viewed the event in India, of which 80 million was rural reach and 126 million were for the final alone. India’s fine performances contributed to a 500% increase in viewing hours in their country.

In the United Kingdom the World Cup final attracted most viewers for any televised cricket this summer, while the entire event saw a 300% increase in terms of viewing hours compared to last time.

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said: “We are absolutely delighted with the impact the Women’s World Cup has had. Instinctively we felt that the time was right to invest in women’s cricket and take it to the widest possible audience to accelerate the growth of the game and these numbers have confirmed that.

“We congratulate all eight teams for providing the entertainment, the cricket was competitive and compelling and when you have that it makes it much easier to attract an audience. The sport must now work collectively to maintain interest and continue to drive growth.”

READ MORE: England women’s cricket team to be shown on terrestrial TV for first time as ECB agrees new deal with Channel 5

ICC Head of Media Rights, Broadcast and Digital, Aarti Dabas: “The broadcast and digital numbers have far exceeded our expectations and have justified our decision to back the women’s game.

“It all goes to show that there are millions out there who are willing to follow and watch an event like the ICC Women’s World Cup and the details of these numbers are a reflection of that.”

*A viewing hour is one person watching one hour of cricket (or two people watching 30 mins each, or three people watching 20 mins each, etc.)

Fantastic Media delivers new visual identity for Premier League newcomers Huddersfield Town

Integrated marketing agency Fantastic Media have partnered with Huddersfield Town to deliver a new visual identity for the Premier League newcomers.

Fantastic were approached by Huddersfield Town after an historic season which saw the Terriers win promotion to English football’s top flight for the first time in 45 years.

A contributing factor to the club’s success on and off the field was their ‘Terrier Spirit’, a phrase coined by Head Coach David Wagner to give an identity to his team’s style of play.

This ‘never say die’ attitude was evident in games last season and permeated every aspect of the club, from the Boardroom to the terraces. Fantastic Media took this theme, developing a new Terrier as the visual representation of this Terrier Spirit.

Huddersfield Town’s Commercial Director, Sean Jarvis, said: “Fantastic Media has a great reputation in the sports marketing sector and have also been a long-term supporter of the club, so it was natural that we chose them to create this new Terrier.

“We wanted something that epitomises our Terrier Spirit; that shows our tenacity, determination and focus. Taking our iconic Terrier to a new level is important as the Club goes to the pinnacle of the football pyramid in all other areas.

“Fantastic did a great job of creating this new Terrier Identity as can be seen by the overwhelmingly positive reaction to it by our fans.”

Paul Whitcroft, Creative Director at Fantastic Media, added: “The aim was always to create a Terrier that the fans could be proud of as well as reflect the club’s position at the top of the football ladder.

“Key to the development was longevity, we wanted something that looks Premier League but can be a permanent part of the club’s identity.

“We took the character traits of a Terrier and the team; pride, tenacity, hard work and fight as inspiration for this new identity.”

The visual identity was developed at the agency after a business Insight workshop between the club and Fantastic.