ITU opens bidding for 2018 ITU World Paratriathlon Series and World Cups

The International Triathlon Union (ITU) announced that it has opened bidding for the 2018 ITU World Paratriathlon Series (WPS) and ITU Paratriathlon World Cup (PWC) events to all National Federations and cities interested in hosting the premier races.

After a very successful first year of the World Paratriathlon Series, with three cities hosting spectacular races across the world and more para-triathletes than ever competing for the overall rankings, ITU is opening the possibility for more cities to join the circuit.

Up to four cities can bid to organise a WPS, which can be combined with a World Triathlon Series event or ran independently.

As per the World Cups, in 2018 ITU will aim to organise 8-10 events Worldwide that can be combined with another ITU event or ran independently.

With the goal set for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, para-triathletes will compete to secure points on the rankings, as well as trying to qualify for a spot at the World Championships, which in 2018 will be held in conjunction with the ITU World Triathlon Series Grand Final in Gold Coast, Australia.

Cities interested in hosting a World Paratriathlon Series race or a Paratriathlon World Cup must submit bid documents in conjunction with their respective National Federations before September 4, 2017.

iSportconnect praised for ‘insightful and innovative’ Celebrating Summer of Athletics special event

iSportconnect, the largest global private network of sport business executives, has been praised for hosting an “insightful and innovative” networking session as part of the ‘Celebrating Summer of Athletics’ special event.

The event was well attended with over 70 delegates, including c-level executives from BOA, The Jockey Club, BBC and World Rugby, present at PwC’s offices in central London as the capital prepares to play host to the 2017 IAAF World Athletics Championships, the biggest international sports event of the year.

Michael Pirrie, International Olympic communications advisor, moderated proceedings while a quartet of esteemed guest speakers shared expert insight into a variety of intriguing topics.

Sir Craig Reedie, President of WADA, Nick Bitel, Chairman of Sport England, Ed Warner, Co-Chair of London 2017 and Adam Pengilly, IOC Member, exchanged informed viewpoints and opinions, sparking passionate responses from the high-ranking delegates in attendance.

The networking session was also well received, with delegates full of praise for the panellists, opulent venue and opportunity to increase their respective knowledge bases.

Sara Sutcliffe, CEO, Table Tennis England: “I thought it was great event. iSportconnect put together an excellent group of eminent speakers and we all gained some really good insight into the problems – or challenges – facing athletics globally. Plenty of insightful and innovative solutions were also discussed during the network session.”

Sir Craig Reedie, President, WADA: “I was on the panel of the first ever iSportconnect Directors’ Club all those years ago and I’ve enjoyed watching the company develop and watching the events develop.

“It was an interesting audience and they all thoroughly enjoyed themselves during the networking session. The panel was really interesting and I believe the topic of a summer of wonderful sport and in particular the World Athletics Championships worked really well. It was also great to have Ed Warner here, who’s running the event in London.”

iSportconnect boasts an exciting calendar of events and you can stay up-to-date with announcements on isportconnect.com.

Please contact Rags on rags@isportconnect.com to register your interest in future iSportconnet events.

Wildmoka and Relevent Sports announce partnership for 2017 International Champions Cup

Wildmoka, a leading digital content creation platform provider, and Relevent Sports, a division of RSE Ventures and host of the International Champions Cup, today announced a new, strategic partnership.

In the partnership, Relevent will use Wilmoka’s live video editing platform to clip and publish near-live video highlights from Europe’s top clubs playing in the 2017 International Champions Cup.

Fans worldwide will be able to visit Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and view video highlights of the biggest plays from matches featuring Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and AS Roma.

Wildmoka co-founder, Cristian Livadiotti said: “We are delighted to be partnered with Relevent Sports and help them give their fans what they want most – quick and easy access to the best highlights.”

“Soccer fans are the most diehard, loyal fans in the world and we wanted to give them a way to watch video highlights of the best plays, wherever they are, on whatever device they use,” said Bruce Bundrant, CCO of Relevent Sports.

“We chose to work with Wildmoka because their platform solution gives us the most efficient way to cut clips and share highlights to our fans across multiple, digital destinations.”

LGT Vestra US teams up with Jacksonville Jaguars as official UK Founding Partner

It was announced today that wealth management company LGT Vestra US has become an Official UK Founding Partner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, the UK’s NFL home team.

The partnership stems from mutual transatlantic business interests and a shared entrepreneurial vision.

LGT Vestra US was established to meet the growing need from clients with a transatlantic footprint for suitable investment solutions. The Jaguars were the first and only team to make a multi-year commitment to play in the NFL London Games.

The partnership will see LGT Vestra US working in conjunction with the Jaguars through a variety of year round joint business-to-business activities, including the Jaguars annual home game at Wembley Stadium each year.

In addition to working together in a business capacity, the partnership will also see the Jaguars and LGT Vestra US collaborate on community outreach projects.

These projects aim to generate a positive impact on the community in London through a range of American football related activities, fostering the growth of American football and the popularity of the Jaguars team at a grassroots level.

Paul Nixon, CEO LGT Vestra US, said: “The Jaguars and LGT Vestra US embody an entrepreneurial ethos coupled with a desire to support the local community. Working together to deliver the outreach projects and develop American football at a grassroots level is an exciting prospect and we look forward to working with the community in London to foster change.”

Hussain Naqi, Senior Vice President, international development for the Jacksonville Jaguars, added: “This relationship represents a new chapter in growing our transatlantic capability and we are extremely excited to welcome a partner on board who shares our international ambition and capability.

“LGT Vestra US’s support for our community work here in London will be invaluable in allowing us to expand the offering and engage even more children across the capital through this great sport.”

IAAF reaches multi-year agreement with EBU and ESPN for Europe & Africa rights

On the eve of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships London 2017 (4 to 13 August), the IAAF has reached a new, multi-year agreement with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and ESPN Media Distribution for the sale and distribution of a broad collection of media rights.

The deal includes the next three IAAF World Championships and IAAF World Indoor Championships, and more than a dozen other competitions in the IAAF World Athletics Series.

Together, the EBU and ESPN Media Distribution will represent the media rights to IAAF events across Europe and Africa, hoping to increase access to the sport’s top global competitions to hundreds of millions of fans across the two continents via a combination of free-to-air television, pay television and digital media platforms.

The EBU will represent the free-to-air television rights for its members in numerous countries across Europe, ESPN will represent the IAAF media rights across Africa and the two will collaborate to represent the rights for pay television, digital media and additional free-to-air opportunities across Europe.

IAAF CEO Olivier Gers said: “We saw extraordinary crowds in both Kampala and Nairobi for our cross country and U18 Championships this year. This new broadcasting agreement with two of the principal players in the broadcasting world will be a step forward in the IAAF’s strategy to engage young people and bring the spectacle of the sport and the amazing athlete stories to the millions of fans across Africa and Europe in the mobile and flexible formats they want.

“The increased use of streaming, supplementing traditional broadcasts on a variety of platforms, will allow the IAAF’s top events to reach as wide an audience as possible.”

Charly Classen, Vice President and General Manager, ESPN EMEA, said: “IAAF Athletics is a fantastic, globally relevant sports property with an incredibly exciting opportunity in front of it. Working with the IAAF and EBU we’re very excited to help grow the sport and further broaden the appeal of its competitions, make the most of both traditional and emerging media platforms and help build the next generation of Athletics fans.”

Director of EBU Sport Stefan Kürten said: “Working with ESPN gives us a unique opportunity to increase the reach and engagement of this popular sport, maximizing traditional distribution while embracing the digital consumer.”

Gfinity announce broadcast deal with BT Sport

Gfinity has announced a broadcast deal with BT Sport in addition to their ground-breaking partnership with the BBC.

The new partnership will help to bring esports, which is already watched by millions online, to an additional audience via a traditional television sports broadcast.

Gfinity’s Elite Series will be featured on BT Sport’s broadcast platforms and marks the first time British esports has enjoyed a dedicated esports arena, The Gfinity Esports Arena.

The Elite Series tournament showcases competitive gameplay from eight well-known franchises made up of today’s best professional players alongside newly drafted superstars of tomorrow.

Neville Upton, CEO, Gfinity plc said: “We are very pleased to launch this partnership and deliver the Elite Series to our fans on TV, through BT Sport.

“BT Sport has shown a commitment to be at the forefront of sports broadcasting and this is an amazing opportunity to bring esports to a new audience in the UK, showcasing the incredible engagement and passion of the gamers and fans. We look forward to working with BT Sport to grow esports in the UK through engaging and innovative new content.”

Andy Haworth, BT’s managing director of content and strategy, added: “This fantastic tie-up with Gfinity marks our latest move to support and engage with the passionate and extensive gaming community here in the UK.

“The popularity of competitive gaming is growing rapidly and we are excited to announce that the inaugural season of the Elite Series will be broadcast on BT Sport.”

READ MORE: Power up – number-crunching the incredible growth of esports

Paris 2024 welcomes Olympic hosting progress after Los Angeles statement

Following the IOC’s historic decision to jointly award the 2024 and 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Paris 2024 welcomes the statement by the IOC and the Los Angeles bid.

Paris 2024 is committed to a ‘win-win-win’ outcome and believes that today’s announcements help all parties move forward in a positive way.

Tony Estanguet, Co-Chair of Paris 2024, said:

“Paris 2024 is proud to be working together with the IOC and our friends in Los Angeles to reach a positive solution for both cities, the Games and the whole Olympic Movement for 2024 and 2028.

“Today’s announcements are a sign of the progress being made and the delivery of a good solution to the IOC Members in September in Lima.

“Paris 2024’s vision is built on sharing our project with every walk of society in France and beyond. It can rely on the unity of the five founding members to deliver – in coordination with the IOC – a fantastic centenary Games built on passion, purpose and engagement. We are ready for 2024.

“We are now looking forward to the opportunity of working with Los Angeles and contributing to successful Games both in 2024 and 2028.”

The Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic bid committee announced yesterday its intention to host the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in 2028.

Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris, added:

“Paris and Los Angeles are two amazing global cities that are united in their support of the Olympic cause and we stand together now to help the Games thrive in 2024 and 2028.

“As the announcement shows, dialogue between the IOC and the two cities is progressing well. We are confident that a ‘win-win-win’ agreement can be finalised ahead of the IOC Session in Lima.”

Right to Play announced as charity partner for IAAF World Championships

London 2017 Ltd has named the children’s education charity, Right To Play as its charity partner for the IAAF World Championships.

Right To Play uses sport and play to improve the lives of vulnerable children in some of the world’s poorest communities.

Already a charity partner to British Athletics, Right To Play inspires athletics fans to give children around the world a sporting chance in life.

London 2017 Ltd Championship Director, Niels de Vos said: “Having supported Right To Play since June last year when they came on board as a partner to UK Athletics, I am delighted to have them as our partner for the IAAF World Championships. These Championships give us a fantastic opportunity to shine a light on their work, alongside the world’s best athletes.”

London 2017 Ltd and Right To Play are teaming up to show the positive impact that sport and play can have on young lives and to raise awareness and funds for Right To Play’s work.

The goal is to raise enough money over the course of the Championships to reach 100,000 children with Right To Play programmes.

Greg Rutherford, Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European Champion and Right To Play Athlete Ambassador said: “Many of us take playing sports for granted but not all children have the same opportunities in life. Right To Play’s approach is unique and effective and I’m proud to be their ambassador.”

“As a charity that has sport and play at its core, Right To Play is a natural partner for the World Championships,” added Nikki Skipper, National Director at Right To Play UK.

“The athletes competing here in London are the ultimate symbols of the power sport can have in helping individuals reach their potential. Our approach to education builds children’s confidence and life skills, enabling them to realise their own potential. Whether that is a child from a remote village in Ghana or a refugee in Lebanon – we make a real difference to children’s lives around the world.”

The IAAF World Championships London 2017 (04-13 August) are hosted in London this summer, with 2000 athletes from 200 countries set to compete.

 

IAAF announces ITN Productions as worldwide joint venture production partner

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has joined forces with ITN Productions to form a joint venture company for host broadcasting and media production of the sport’s biggest events.

The company will incorporate traditional and digital production at competitive events, plus 24/7 storytelling to cover the activities of the whole athletics family.

Pending completion of agreements and final approval from the parties’ respective governing bodies, the company is expected to commence operations in January 2018.

IAAF CEO Olivier Gers said: “This is a great sport with outstanding athletes and stories and I was delighted by the amount of interest we received to our Request for Information (RFI) when it opened in May.

“We have some exciting new ideas and were looking for a partner who shares our vision and is also prepared to think outside the box and bring the excitement, fun and spectacle of the sport to our fans all over the world.

“We look forward to starting this new venture and liaising with our Member Federations and local organising committees, strengthening the relationship between our competitions and our fans.

Mark Browning, Group MD, ITN Productions, added: “ITN Productions is one of a very few production companies that can combine live and outside broadcast production with editorial expertise, on a global scale.

“This is a true partnership and we share the ambition and vision of the IAAF to excite existing fans and entice new ones through creative flair and technical innovation.”

PGA agrees livestream deals with Twitter and GiveMeSport

The PGA has announced plans to livestream the upcoming PGA Championship on Twitter and GiveMeSport’s Facebook page in an effort to attract a younger audience.

As part of the agreement GiveMeSport’s website and Facebook page, which boasts over 26 million likes, will broadcast live coverage of all four-days of the tournament at Quail Hollow.

Supporters will be able to enjoy uninterrupted coverage via their mobile phones, laptops and desktop computers as golf’s elite battle for supremacy in North Carolina.

Jae Chalfin, GiveMeSport’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Bringing live TV sports rights to Facebook will open up the audience to golf in a completely new way.”

“The PGA of America is excited to bring the 2017 PGA Championship to millions of golf fans in the UK,” said PGA of America Chief Executive Officer Pete Bevacqua.

“By delivering this season’s final major to fans of all ages across BBC, Facebook and Twitter, we hope to serve the core golf audience and invite new fans to enjoy Major Championship golf across the platforms they frequent.”