IOC awards 2018-2024 broadcast rights in Africa

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has awarded exclusive broadcast rights to DStv SuperSport, Econet Media and the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 and the Olympic Games in 2024 in a city yet to be selected, in the following territories:

  • DStv SuperSport has acquired pay TV media rights in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa*.
  • Econet Media has acquired free-to-air and pay TV media rights in Sub-Saharan Africa*.
  • SABC has acquired free-to-air media rights in South Africa.

The announcement follows the completion of a competitive tender in the region. The Econet Media and SABC agreements include a commitment to broadcast at least 200 hours of live/same-day coverage of each edition of the Olympic Games, and daily highlights of the Olympic Winter Games on free-to-air television.

DStv SuperSport and Econet Media will also work with the IOC to support the development of the Olympic Channel, including the production of localised content and linear distribution across the region.

IOC President Thomas Bach said: “We are delighted to be working with DStv SuperSport, Econet Media and SABC to be able to bring Olympic fans more coverage than ever before

“I have visited many countries across Africa and have witnessed first-hand the important role that sport and the Olympic Games play on the African continent. The IOC redistributes 90 per cent of the revenue derived from its commercial agreements to support the development of sport around the world, including in Africa.”

Gideon Khobane, Chief Executive of DStv SuperSport, said: “As long-time partners of the International Olympic Committee, SuperSport is delighted to have secured these excellent Olympic rights. The Games produce consistently good ratings, no doubt because of the non-stop drama and action that make for compelling viewing. We look forward to putting together a multi-platform, multi-channel offering that will reflect the Olympics in their full glory.”

Joseph Hundah, President and Group Chief Executive of Econet Media, said: “We are excited to bring all the Olympic action to our audiences across Africa through our extensive multi-platform offering, which includes Africa’s biggest free-to-air channel, Kwesé Free Sports, and our Kwesé TV satellite service. The Olympics are without doubt the biggest international sports event, and we look forward to joining Africa’s sports fans as they cheer on our continent’s champions”

*Territories include:
Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

IOC votes unanimously in support of double allocation of 2024 and 2028 Games

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has today voted in favour of awarding both 2024 and 2028 Games at the IOC session in Lima, Peru, scheduled for 13 September 2017.

John Coates, president of the Australian Olympic Committee, presented the proposal to the IOC Executive Board during the 130th IOC Session in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The proposal recognised “the exceptional circumstances and unique opportunities presented b the candidatures of Los Angeles and Paris” and presented the following decision:

1. To request the IOC Executive Board to conclude a tripartite agreement with Los Angeles and Paris and their respective NOCs for the simultaneous election of the host cities of the Olympic Games 2024 and 2028 during the 131st IOC session in Lima.
2. Should such tripartite agreement be reached, the 131st IOC session will ratify the agreement, thereby electing one city for the Olympic Games 2024 and the other city for the Olympic Games 2028. To that effect, the 130th IOC Session waives the seven-year deadline set out in Rule 33.2 of the Olympic Charter.
3. Should an agreement not be reached, the 131st IOC Session will proceed with the election of the host city 2024 in accordance with the current election.

READ MORE: Dual 2024-28 award announcement set to revitalise games as Olympic Movement reaches crossroads in 21st Century tale of change and survival

Coates also said that both cities are open to a simultaneous election. Now, they only need to reach an agreement with the IOC to ratify this decision.

IOC President Thomas Bach called the IOC decision a “golden opportunity” for all concerned.

“Ensuring the stability of the Olympic Games for 11 years is something extraordinary,” Bach said.b”That is why we say this is a great day for the Olympic Games and the Olympic Movement, and it’s a great day also for these two wonderful cities, these two great Olympic cities,” he stressed.

Silverstone casts doubt over future of British Grand Prix by activating Formula 1 contract break clause

Today, the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC), the owners of the Silverstone racing circuit has formally triggered the break clause in its contract with Formula 1, now owned and managed by Liberty Media.

This means that unless a new contractual arrangement can be reached with Liberty, 2019 will be the last year that the British Grand Prix takes place at Silverstone.

BRDC made a net loss of £7.6m ($9.8m) over last two years hosting British Grand Prix, £2.8m ($3.6m) in 2015 and £4.8m ($6.1m) in 2016, and they’re expected to lose a similar amount this year.

John Grant, Chairman of the British Racing Drivers’ Club, said:  “We have reached the tipping point where we can no longer let our passion for the sport rule our heads. It would not only risk the very future of Silverstone and the BRDC, but also the British motorsport community that depends on us.”

“This decision has been an extremely difficult one for us to take. The BRDC is at the heart of British motor racing and we have been promoting the interests of our sport and its fans for generations.”

The BRDC has been the custodian of Silverstone for almost 70 years – owning and operating the circuit, which is the only venue licensed to run a Grand Prix in Great Britain. The organisation has invested £50m over the last 10 years to develop Silverstone. Today, the British Grand Prix attracts over 350,000 spectators and draws a TV audience of over 400 million people.

However, as has been widely reported, the BRDC’s current contract to host the British Grand Prix – agreed in 2009 with the previous owners of Formula 1 – requires the organisation to pay a Promoter’s Fee to Liberty Media in order to host the British Grand Prix.

This Promoter’s Fee increases by 5% every year. This means that over the first eight years of the contract, the 5% escalator has increased the Fee from £11.5m ($14.7m) in 2010 to £16.2m ($20.8m) in 2017.

The organisation remains in discussions with Liberty Media about finding a solution that secures the long-term financial viability of the event and hopes that an agreement can be reached.

Grant continued: “We’ve been in ongoing discussions with Liberty’s new F1 team about how the situation could be resolved – putting forward a number of proposals that we believe could secure the long-term, financial viability of the event.

Although we have now activated the break clause, we have made it clear that we are open to working with our friends at Liberty to find a solution that works for all parties. Our hope is that an agreement can still be reached so that we can ensure a sustainable and financially viable future for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone for many years to come.”

 

Host City brings cities and events closer – Sir Craig Reedie

Sir Craig Reedie CBE highlights how Host City 2017 enables event owners and hosts to work together, with Host City Asia presenting fresh opportunities

The owners, organisers and hosts of major events need to keep talking and Host City conferences are playing a crucial role in this process, according to Sir Craig Reedie CBE, President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and former Vice President of the International Olympic Committee.

The fourth Host City conference and exhibition – Host City 2017 – takes place in Glasgow on 28 and 29 November. The first Host City Asia conference takes place in Beijing on 18 October.

Sir Craig Reedie said: “Host City is a really good conference involving cities that want to host events. Anything that can be done to put sport and cities together at an early stage is a good idea and I look forward to this happening in Glasgow and Beijing.

“The Glasgow event is getting bigger and bigger each year – that shows that there is a need for it.

“I expect Host City Asia in Beijing will show what a different market is like. China is full of large cities and there are lots of options within the country. For sports that are big in China – badminton for example – there is always a bidder for a major event.

“So, it will be interesting to see what lessons are learned from the Host City event in Beijing; because in the rest of the world it’s a question of encouraging cities to bid.

“Communication is vital in both the bidding phases and the delivery phase. The IOC appear to be looking at changing the Winter Games bidding process going forward, to make that process more comprehensive and start even earlier.

“On occasions costs ended up to be too high and that was the really limiting factor in terms of new bids. The IOC has to understand this and do something about it, to sit down with the cities who are interested well in advance and find out if we can work together.”

Event rights holders including international federations, national Olympic committees, bidding and organising committees comprise a substantial and growing part of the Host City audience.

Sir Craig Reedie has immense experience leading all these types of organisations, from bringing badminton into the Olympic Programme and presiding over the sport’s international federation to chairing the British Olympic Association and the London 2012 bidding and organising committees. Until 2016 he was Vice President of the International Olympic Committee and is currently President of the World Anti-Doping Agency.

A full transcript of the interview with Sir Craig Reedie will be published in the Autumn issue of Host City magazine.

For more information about Host City visit www.hostcity.com

iSportconnect announces Brand Marketing Masterclass

iSportconnect is delighted to announce that we will be hosting a Brand Marketing Masterclass on September 11.

More than ever, brands are at the heart of the business of sport and this all-day event will offer an exclusive opportunity to engage with thought leaders in a challenging and fast-changing global business.

Blue chips and rising stars will be in attendance as delegates learn and brainstorm about brands and sports partnerships within a relaxed atmosphere.

Debates will be stimulating and the networking opportunities second to none, with current topics and challenges of tomorrow set to be on the agenda throughout a series of panels and keynote speeches.

Chatham House rules will be strictly adhered to, as with all iSportconnect Masterclass events, encouraging a free exchange of ideas.

Three speakers for the event, which will be staged at Pinsent Masons’ offices in central London, have already been confirmed and will provide a wealth of knowledge on a variety of topics.

Please contact Dimitrios (dimitrios.syrmis@isportconnect.com) to register your interest.

Confirmed speaker list:

James Young – Head of Partnerships at Lucozade Ribena Suntory

Adolfo Bara – General Manager Marketing & Sales at LaLiga

Fiona Taag – Head of Global Sponsorship & Europe Marketing Communications at DHL

Scroll over the interactive image below to discover what makes iSportconnect events unique…

HOST PARTNER

Reading Football Club appoint Ron Gourlay as CEO as Nigel Howe takes up Vice Chairman position

Reading Football Club are pleased to announce that Ron Gourlay has been appointed as Chief Executive at Madejski Stadium, with Nigel Howe set to take up the role of Vice Chairman at the club.

Gourlay arrives at Reading with more than 25 years’ experience in football, having previously occupied senior roles at Manchester United and Umbro and as well as a variety of other director-level roles at Chelsea Football Club, where he succeeded Peter Kenyon in 2009 to serve as CEO for five years.

In his first season at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea won the Premier League and FA Cup double and during his tenure as Chief Executive with the Blues, the club also earned both Champions League and Europa League silverware. He now begins his role with the Royals with immediate effect.

“I am delighted to take up this new position as Chief Executive at Reading Football Club and I consider it a real honour to be presented with the fantastic challenge of guiding the club to the next level,” Gourlay said.

“I look forward to working closely with all the staff who, through their dedication and commitment on a day-to-day basis, strive to make this club successful at every level – and I am excited to be working alongside manager Jaap Stam and his coaching team, Director of Football Brian Tevreden and a very promising squad of players ahead of what I am sure will be another exhilarating campaign in the Sky Bet Championship.”

In parallel, Nigel Howe has been appointed as Vice-Chairman at Reading Football Club and will predominantly oversee the development of the Royal Elm Park project as well as the continuing advancement of our new training ground at Bearwood and potential plans to expand the Madejski Stadium complex itself.

Howe, who has held the position of Chief Executive at Reading since 1995, initially helped to guide the club through the transition to its Madejski Stadium home but also steer the Royals to the top tier of English football for the first time in its history in 2006.

Nigel retains his position on the EFL Board as a Championship representative and will continue to help direct and enhance the reputation of Reading Football Club as a Director on the Royals’ Board.

Howe said, “After more than 21 years as Chief Executive at Reading Football Club, I am extremely excited to be appointed to the position of Vice Chairman.

“On a personal note, I have thoroughly enjoyed every twist and turn during my tenure as CEO and, on behalf of all the staff and supporters, I would like to welcome Ron to Reading – a magnificent club with tremendous potential.”

International Triathlon Union extends partnership with SEL Sport & Events Logistics

International Triathlon Union  (ITU) is pleased to announce that we have extended our partnership with SEL Sport & Events Logistics (SEL) to serve not only as the global logistics partner for ITU but also the travel solutions partner.

“We are delighted to further develop our relationship with SEL, which has proven itself to be delivering and adding value to ITU to the highest standards”, said Marisol Casado, ITU President and IOC Member.

“We are thrilled that a company such as SEL Logistics, which has more than 25 years of experience in major events, will be delivering not only the logistic services they’ve been providing for more than a year, but will also take care of all ITU travel solutions as an international sporting federation with multiple events across the world.

“The delivery of our branding elements from race to race all over the world, and the travels of all ITU staff, Technical Officials, and Executive Board are now centralised and organised to the best quality standards”, she said.

As a part of the agreement, SEL Sport & Events Logistics will provide logistics and freight forwarding for ITU to all WTS events in 2017, and extend this service to all 16 World Cups , Paratriathlon World Series, and Paratriathlon World Cups.

As part of SEL’s 360 degrees services, they will be implementing their proven Travel Solutions, allowing ITU to centralise workloads and increase productivity around the available resources.

“Triathlon is a sport for all – for all ages, for all levels of competition – truly global. So for us to have the opportunity to support ITU in its quest to broaden its reach, we are excited. We shall always endeavour to optimise solutions and services for ITU , and all stakeholders.” said Pier Bottero, Chief Executive at SEL.

ITU and SEL will continue to develop the partnership and build towards 2020 and beyond in an effort to improve it’s efficiency for LOC’s, athletes, and fan experiences at ITU events worldwide.

How data is driving Wimbledon’s digital content creation

Wimbledon boasts one of the most iconic brands in modern sport, despite hosting the tennis world for just one fortnight per year.

The Championships may be widely regarded as a traditional outfit but, as their digital strategy proves, the organisation is far from old fashioned.

Social media has been embraced, ensuring Wimbledon remains part of the online conversation even when the world’s elite players are not donning their all-white outfits in SW19.

Wimbledon is also at the forefront of data usage, with every point, rally, ace and tantrum helping to create engaging content and generate revenue.

Central to the tournament’s ongoing success is Alexandra Willis, head of communications, content and digital at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, who is adamant data is a key driving force behind content creation.

“We use data at Wimbledon in three different ways,” Willis told iSportconnect at May’s Digital Fan Engagement Masterclass.

“Firstly the data is the story itself if you think about our live scoring and all of our statistics and all of that very rich statistical information that tennis fans enjoy following along as they are watching matches.

“The second way that we use data is more back of house. We are analysing what our fans are talking about, what they’re interested in and the types of content they are consuming. We then use that to help us adjust our content plan.

“So – for example – if fans are talking a lot about Canadian tennis we’ll try and produce more content about Canadian tennis.

“The third area that we are using it is then trying to turn some of the data and those statistics into stories themselves. So what really is the different between [Andy] Murray and [Roger] Federer and why should one win and why should one lose?”

Willis added: “This is all part of our broader strategy to make digital the gateway into Wimbledon and therefore increase the value of our brand. That’s how we generate long term return. We’re not looking for short-term commercial gain but long-term revenues.”

World Rugby appoints Tom Hill as Chief Commercial Officer

World Rugby has announced the appointment of Tom Hill as Chief Commercial Officer.

A leader with a proven track record during nearly 20 years at the leading edge of the global sporting commercial environment, Hill starts his new role end of September 2017 and joins as rugby continues to experience record global participation, fanbase and commercial growth.

Hill will be responsible for driving forward World Rugby’s commercial, broadcast and marketing strategies as the sport seeks to break new markets as a mainstream sport, inspiring new audiences and unlocking commercial opportunities in line with its strategic vision to grow the global rugby family.

Hill joins from Manchester United, one of the biggest sports brands, where, as Global Head of Partnerships & Operations, he was part of a highly-successful commercial team, growing the club’s sponsorship revenues through the acquisition and retention of international partnerships.

A rugby fan, Hill has also extensive elite rugby pedigree, having held previous roles as Sales and Marketing Manager for the Rugby Football Union (2005-2008), General Manager of the England Rugby Supporters’ Club (2002-2005) and Commercial Director with English club Saracens (1998-2002).

World Rugby Chief Executive Brett Gosper said: “Tom’s exceptional track record with some of the biggest brands in sport is perfectly suited to World Rugby’s strategic mission to grow the global game through expanding and strengthening our commercial footprint, unlocking partner opportunities in new markets and inspiring new audiences through fan-first innovative broadcast and digital channels.”

“Tom joins a strong and dynamic management team at a time of exceptional global growth, Rugby World Cup going from strength to strength with a record Worldwide Partner programme for the first tournament in Asia in 2019 and strong candidates for 2023, the growth of rugby sevens as an Olympic sport and more fans than ever before engaging with us and the sport through social media.”

Hill added: “I am delighted to be joining the experienced team at World Rugby. It is a sport that I am very passionate about and have grown up with, both playing and latterly coaching. I am excited about the depth and breadth of commercial opportunities for the sport, which will ultimately underpin accelerated global growth.”

“The overwhelmingly positive reaction of sports fans and non-sports fans to rugby sevens’ debut at the Rio Olympic Games, especially among younger audiences in new markets and the explosive participation and interest growth in women’s rugby, is very exciting when considering the future commercial strategy.”

England cricket legend Michael Vaughan to attend Betting on Sports with Mr Green

Betting on Sports 2017 (12-15 September) will provide delegates with the opportunity to meet England’s most successful Test cricket captain, Michael Vaughan.

Vaughan, the test captain between July 2003 and August 2008, racked up a record 26 wins in charge of the team, with only 11 defeats in his 51-match reign. His 18 centuries included a score of 166 in the third test of England’s infamous Ashes series win in the summer of 2005.

As a brand ambassador and the first ever ‘Sports Gent’ for Mr Green, one of 15 first-time exhibitors at #boscon2017, he will be appearing at the second edition of the largest international sports and betting conference alongside Enda Gaffney, the company’s Head of Sportsbook.

The former number one ranked test batsman in world cricket will also be completing a 20-minute Q&A at the Mr Green Stand during the mid-morning refreshment break on the first full day of the conference (Wednesday 13 September).

Vaughan said: “During my time with Mr Green, I’ve been impressed by the smartness they bring to their operations. As someone who enjoys the occasional fun bet and the chance to deliver great tips and offers, I’m looking forward to representing the brand at Betting on Sports, and engaging in a Q&A session with fellow sports enthusiasts.”

Alex Beecham of Mr Green commented: “We are delighted that Michael Vaughan, one of the best cricketers of his generation and our first ever ‘Sports Gent’, has committed to representing Mr Green at the conference, just a few days after the conclusion of England’s test series against West Indies. We expect him to be a big hit with our affiliates at the event, as well as with cricket lovers across the sector.”

The world of cricket is an interesting betting market, with concerns over integrity on an international level, but exactly how to embrace the sport from a betting perspective is just one of the topics that will be discussed in a newly added cricket session on the second day at Betting on Sports.

The panel, which includes Genius Executive Director Anthony Charles, will also assess Unibet’s Official Betting partnership with Warwickshire CCC, which includes the delivery of betting opportunities around Birmingham Bears’ home matches in the T20 Blast.

● Betting on Sports 2017 tickets are right now available at a nice 20% July Discount. BOOK HERE – don’t forget to use the code: JULY20 to get the discount!
● If you are interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at #boscon2017, please contact us on sales@sbcnews.co.uk