ECB announces Sky Sports and BBC media rights deals from 2020 onwards

The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today announced the award of media rights for all of its domestic First Class County and international matches, played at home, from 2020 to 2024.

The partnerships with Sky Sports and BBC will deliver a combined income of £1.1 billion for all media rights

The deal will provide fans with live international T20s, matches from the women’s and New T20 competitions, primetime evening highlights, digital clips and radio’s Test Match Special delivered by BBC.

Announcing the new long-term partnerships, Tom Harrison, Chief Executive Officer of ECB, said:

“This is a great result for cricket. ECB has secured the reach, revenue and relevance the game deserves, to help it to grow.”

“Sky Sports have offered a true partnership – more than a broadcast deal – with their shared vision for cricket. Their innovation and production standards are widely acclaimed. Here, they further increase their live commitment and have added bold ideas to drive engagement and to help to get a bat and ball in more hands.

“BBC are valuable long-term partners, bringing cricket to listeners, viewers and a new digital audience. We are delighted they will go to another level with live coverage of international and domestic T20 – men’s and women’s – alongside prime-time highlights shows and a commitment to taking the game to even wider audiences.”

MEDIA RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION: 2020 TO 2024

Sky Sports:

  • Test matches (Live / Highlights / Clips)
  • International T20 – men (Live / Highlights / Clips)
  • One-Day Internationals – men (Live / Highlights / Clips)
  • England women’s Internationals (Live / Highlights / Clips)
  • New T20 competition (Live / Highlights / Clips)
  • Women’s T20 competition (Live / Highlights / Clips)
  • County Championship (Live / Highlights / Clips)
  • County T20 (Live / Highlights / Clips)
  • One-Day Cup (Live / Highlights / Clips)

BBC TV:

  • Test matches (Highlights / Clips)
  • International T20 – men (2 x Live / Highlights / Clips)
  • One-Day Internationals – men (Highlights / Clips)
  • England women’s internationals (1x T20 Live / Highlights / Clips)
  • New T20 competition (10 x Live incl. Final / Clips)
  • Women’s T20 competition ( 8 x Live incl. Final / Clips)
  • County Championship (Clips)
  • County T20 (Clips)
  • One-Day Cup (Clips)

BBC Radio:

  • Live coverage of all competitions, domestic and international

Formula One appoints Ellie Norman as head of marketing

Ellie Norman has been appointed as Formula One’s new head of marketing.

Norman joins the motor racing body from Virgin Media, where she served as head of advertising for five years.

During her time at the telecoms giant Norman led memorable brand campaigns including a ‘9.58 seconds’ advert starring Usain Bolt.

She was also responsible for a transition away from the sponsorship of V Festival towards strategic partnerships at Southampton Football Club, Bafta TV and EGX.

Sean Bratches, managing director of commercial operations at Formula One, said: “Ellie’s appointment represents the latest addition to our expanding management team, aimed at increasing engagement with Formula One fans globally.

“Her previous experience across major automotive and media brands will help Ellie to drive Formula One’s marketing strategy forward.

Norman added: “The commercial potential of the brand is enormous and I can’t wait to work with Sean and the growing Formula One team to unlock new opportunities to engage with Formula One fans around the world.”

iSportconnect announces new partnership with Engage Sports Media

iSportconnect, the largest global private network of Sport Business Executives, is pleased to announce a new partnership with Engage Sports Media (ESM).

Over the last 5 years ESM has established itself as a leader amongst the new breed of modern content companies, producing and distributing world class digital content for sports IP owners and sponsors, backed by major investment in analytics, publishing and technical solutions, demonstrably driving new commercial value.

ESM are delivering clear digital content strategies and sponsor activations for a variety partners across multiple sports including: Arsenal, MLB, Goodwood, World Rugby, Emirates Team New Zealand and Godolphin, ESM’s next phase is to service partner and sponsor growth across its 3 main content hubs in London, Mumbai and Dubai.

iSportconnect Founder and CEO Sree Varma said: “We are delighted to announce our latest partnership with Engage Sports Media. We look forward to helping each other grow and build on our respective positions as industry-leaders.”

Speaking of the partnership, ESM Director Casey Harwood said: “Since our early partnerships with MCFC and the FA and with subsequent investment from the Swedish media group MTG, we have been investing and building competencies to bring value to our clients and drive sponsor value.

“Now with a staff of over 70 specialists to support growth, it’s time to communicate to a wider group of domestic and international partners; the iSportconnect model of matching fast changing sport industry needs with our specific skills and resource is the targeted and no-nonsense approach we want to continue to take.”

England & GB Hockey announce new Official Performance Nutrition Supplier

MSC Nutrition will be the Official Performance Nutrition Supplier to England and GB Hockey, in a four year deal encompassing the World Cup and through Tokyo 2020.

The new partnership will see MSC Nutrition provide England & GB Hockey’s men’s and women’s national teams with their nutritional supplements and support required for training and competitions. As well as working alongside the national team and their nutrition specialists, the partnership will also see MSC work closely with all levels of the amateur game to deliver insight and content.

England & GB Hockey’s Performance Director Ed Barney said, “As we look toward Tokyo 2020 we must maximise every opportunity for a competitive advantage and performance nutrition is fundamental to our success. We’re delighted to have MSC Nutrition on our team and the experience they bring in supporting individual athlete needs in a team environment will be critical to our next cycle.”

Nicky Edmonds, founder of MSC Nutrition commented, “ I am absolutely thrilled to be working with GB & England Hockey, as a company we were gripped by the excitement of the Rio games and this is a fantastic opportunity to work across all levels of hockey across the country.

We’re looking forward to working closely with England Hockey’s nutritional team, to provide our products for both teams and where necessary we’ll develop bespoke supplements as we learn more about hockey’s specific requirements.”

HotelPlanner.com announced as latest Clipper 2017-18 Race team partner

HotelPlanner.com, a leading online group hotel bookers, will make its debut as a Team Partner in the upcoming Clipper 2017-18 Race.

The HotelPlanner.com yacht is set to be one of twelve teams participating in the eleventh edition of the unique nautical event, which will start in Liverpool, UK, on Sunday, 20 August.

“We are very pleased to welcome HotelPlanner.com as a Team Partner for the Clipper 2017-18 Race,” said Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.

“As a new addition to the Clipper Race family, HotelPlanner.com will bring fresh energy and outlook to their team, which will be needed during their gruelling journey around the world.

“Like the Clipper Race, HotelPlanner.com is a leader in its field, and its experience in providing the best group hotel booking options means our crew and their supporters will have a fantastic experience in every stopover port.

“I wish the HotelPlanner.com Skipper and team all the very best for their campaign.”

HotelPlanner.com Co-founder and CEO Tim Hentchel added: “We are honoured and excited to partner with the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

“As a travel technology company always striving to set industry firsts, we respect the extreme endurance, confidence, and fearlessness exhibited by the event’s brainchild Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, and the sailors who set out to confront Mother Nature’s most epic challenge.”

READ MORE

iSportconnect 2017 Corporate Regatta

 

Geneva selected as preferred bid to host new combined World Cup of Tennis finals

The ITF Board of Directors has selected Geneva as the preferred bid to host the World Cup of Tennis finals – a new combined season-ending event including the finals of Davis Cup and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas.

The finals are the centrepiece of a series of historic reforms that will transform Davis Cup and Fed Cup.

The ITF AGM will be asked to approve the full reform package at its meeting in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in August 2017.

Geneva was chosen by the Board at their meeting in Frankfurt on Tuesday from a shortlist of six cities across three continents that also included Copenhagen (Denmark), Istanbul (Turkey), Miami (USA), Turin (Italy), and Wuhan (China).

The Board will receive feedback from the Davis Cup and Fed Cup Committees on the potential format of the event that could also include the Fed Cup semifinals in a move that would allow the Fed Cup World Group to expand from eight to 16 teams.

The traditional home-and-away format will continue for all other rounds of Davis Cup and Fed Cup.

ITF President David Haggerty said: “The creation of the World Cup of Tennis finals is at the heart of a series of reforms that represent the most significant changes in the history of Davis Cup and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas. Change is needed to ensure that we maximise the full potential of these iconic and historic competitions. We’ve consulted widely and listened carefully, and believe we will deliver an exceptional new event for fans, players and nations.”

 

Power up – number-crunching the incredible growth of esports

In 1980, Atari held the Space Invaders Championship across the United States, recognised as the earliest large-scale esports competition.

Almost 40 years later, the sector is projected by forecasters* to reach $696m in revenues this year as part of recent remarkable year-on-year growth.

As iSportconnect gears up for its inaugural esports masterclass this week, we take a look at some of those head-spinning numbers in the world of gaming from last year and the future.

$1.5bn

The projected figure of annual revenues by 2020, based on market research on current sponsorship levels and event attendances.

385.5 m

Total global audience this year, made up of 191m enthusiasts and a further 194m occasional viewers.

2022

The year that esports will officially become a medal event at the Asian Games in China.

$3.64

How much esports enthusiasts will each spend on average. This includes all revenue streams, while the average direct spending per fan on merchandise, tickets, or subscriptions is $0.33 in 2017.

Touch the interactive image below to discover more about esports…

71%

The number of global audience who are male. The demographic is, not surprisingly, skewed towards the younger generation too with more than half aged 18-34.

424

2016 saw this number of esports events with a prize pool above $5000.

$32.2m

Ticket revenues from such events.

47%

Number of fans who say they buy more in-game content after a specific eSports event. Even 38% say they buy products from the sponsors themselves at these sessions.

$93.3m

Total prize money in 2016 globally.

*Information collated from Newzoo’s 2017 Global Esports Market Report

Corporate Sponsorships Reimagined: City Football Group

It took a lot to get City Football Group to where it is today. In 2008, we were one club; today, we are six teams, with eight offices operating in seven countries around the world. It’s been a rapid expansion project, one that necessitated a leading technology partner.

When your business is as global as ours, high premiums get placed on seamless process, people management, and operational control. We explored the market and chose SAP for its great product, but even more so for its passion, experience, and expertise in sports.

It’s not sexy to talk about backend software, but SAP solutions for HR, procurement, finance, and operations have become and will continue to be a game changer for us. They have enabled us to scale quickly, align globally, and keep everything running smoothly from the boardroom to the pitch.

With a solid technology partnership in place, we’re positioned to help the Club grow its footprint both here in Manchester and across the globe. We’re working together to invest for the future. Not only do we believe in SAP’s sports performance solutions, but we love what they are doing for youth around the world. SAP also shares our commitment to diversity and inclusion, which is something that can only help our business.


Beyond the boardroom, we’re exploring new innovations in fan engagement and player performance. The Etihad Stadium has a new interactive fan wall, powered by SAP HANA, where fans can explore in-depth individual and team statistics. For the other millions of fans around the world, we’ve worked to develop website widgets and a match day app. These tools help fans understand the team, enable us to tell our story, and in turn, we provide them with the forum to share theirs.

On the pitch, City Football Group will continue to co-innovate on new technological enhancements in the areas of talent management, football performance and human performance for future versions of the SAP Sports One Solution, as the partnership continues to push the boundaries as to what is possible.

By Damian Willoughby, senior vice president of Partnerships for City Football Group

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FIFA release Garcia report on 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup bids after leak – Update

The report investigating the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups, awarded to Qatar and Russia in December 2010, has been officially released by FIFA following its leak to German newspaper Bild.

A statement late on Tuesday confirmed new chairpersons of FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee, Maria Claudia Rojas and Vassilios Skouris, have decided to publish the Garcia Report “for the sake of transparency”.

Former US prosecutor Michael Garcia was put in charge of scrutinising the double award by FIFA’s own ethics committee in 2012, following numerous allegations of corruption.

Upon delivering his report in September 2014, chairman of the ethics committee adjudication chamber Hans Joachim Eckert decided not to release the report to the public, and provided his own summation which cleared Russia and Qatar from any wrongdoing.

Garcia himself resigned from his investigative role on the committee in protest at the “erroneous representations of the facts and conclusion” of his report.

The 430-page document has led to FIFA bringing corruption charges against some of its own members.

You can read the whole report here.

–

FIFA statement in full: 

The new chairpersons of the independent Ethics Committee, Maria Claudia Rojas of the investigatory chamber and Vassilios Skouris of the adjudicatory chamber, have decided to publish the Report on the Inquiry into the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup Bidding Process (the so-called “Garcia Report”).

This had been called for on numerous occasions by FIFA President Gianni Infantino in the past and also supported by the FIFA Council since its meeting in Mexico City in May 2016. Despite these regular requests, it is worth noting that the former chairpersons of the Ethics Committee, Cornel Borbély and Hans-Joachim Eckert, had always refused to publish it.

The Ethics Committee will meet in its full composition under the new chairpersons for the first time next week, and it was already planned to use this opportunity to discuss the publication of the report. However, as the document has been illegally leaked to a German newspaper, the new chairpersons have requested the immediate publication of the full report (including the reports on the Russian and US bid teams, which were conducted by Mr Borbély alone) in order to avoid the dissemination of any misleading information.

For the sake of transparency, FIFA welcomes the news that this report has now been finally published.

Facebook to live stream UEFA Champions League matches in the US through partnership with Fox

Football fans in the United States will be able to watch matches from next season’s UEFA Champions League live on Facebook through a partnership with Fox Sports.

The social network will be able to stream Europe’s elite club competition from September through the official Fox Sports Facebook page, and also on their Spanish page to appeal to the Latin community.

The deal follows on from Facebook live acquiring live streaming rights to Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, and Liga MX matches.

Fox Sports will live-stream two matches per match day in the group stage, four in the round of 16 matches and four quarterfinal matches. Some matches will be exclusive to Facebook and the Fox Sports Go app, while others will be simulcast on TV.

“Facebook is a social-media powerhouse and a great partner to help us grow soccer in the United States,” said David Nathanson, Fox Sports’ head of business operations. “As people spend more and more time on mobile devices and social networks, offering matches on this platform is a natural extension.”

Football is the most followed sport on Facebook, with 34 million people generating 98 million interactions on the site earlier this month in relation to Real Madrid’s Champions League final triumph over Juventus.

“We’re excited to help Fox reach new audiences, people consuming content on digital, mobile and social,” said Dan Reed, Facebook’s head of global sports partnerships. “We’re bullish on soccer.”