NHL renews multi-year sponsorship deal with Verizon

Verizon, the “Official 5G Network of the NHL,” and the National Hockey League (NHL®) have announced a multi-year sponsorship renewal continuing Verizon’s role as the League’s Official 5G Partner, Official Wireless Services Partner and Official Mobile Edge Computing Partner in the United States.

Additionally, as an Official Technology Partner for the NHL, Verizon has been selected to deploy Verizon Private 5G Wireless Network across NHL arenas to help game day operations roll out new and transformative solutions to advance the sport and improve the overall fan experience.

“Innovation is driven by a vision and the technology to support it, which makes this partnership with the NHL a perfect fit for Verizon and Verizon Business,” said Kyle Malady, CEO of Verizon Business. “Our collaboration with the NHL showcases what transformative network connectivity can bring to venues and fans alike. Having a forward-looking partner in the NHL opens up significant opportunities from an operational standpoint, when you look at the business of professional hockey, to enhancing in-game efficiencies and the fan experience.”

NHL Venue Innovation

Under the terms of the agreement, Verizon Business is currently piloting Verizon Private 5G Wireless Network in select arenas, with plans to roll out the technology to NHL arenas in future seasons. Utilizing Verizon’s 5G network technology and Mobile Edge Computing (MEC), the NHL, and enterprises across industries, can tailor solutions to meet specific business needs, delivering enhanced reliability, security, speed, and flexibility both on and off the ice. These advanced technologies, which are enabled by Verizon 5G, include wireless Officials’ iPads for replay review, which is currently piloted at the Prudential Center, as well as video coaching, and coach/video coach communications.

Furthermore, as the “Official 5G Network of the NHL” in the United States, Verizon will continue efforts to deploy 5G Ultra Wideband network across NHL arenas, providing ultra-fast in-arena connectivity to enable fans to download and watch videos, livestream, manage their fantasy teams and check scores with virtually no lag. By creating more immersive and interactive experiences, through the power of 5G and MEC, Verizon is changing how fans consume live sports.

“The passion for innovation and the work already done in partnership with Verizon makes this renewal even more exciting for us,” said David Lehanski, NHL Executive Vice President, Business Development and Innovation. “Creating the solutions and experiences of tomorrow is not only a function of applying cutting-edge technologies from world-class companies, it’s also a function of being able to truly collaborate with them to uncover meaningful new use cases. In Verizon, we have a partner that listens before bringing to bear their industry-best knowledge and solution set.”

The extended partnership with the NHL demonstrates Verizon’s ongoing commitment to shape the future of sports entertainment. With Verizon’s reliable 5G network and innovations like cashierless checkout, Verizon is paving the way for a new and improved stadium experience.

2024 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series™

Fans can experience Verizon’s latest venue improvements and multiple Verizon activations live at the 2024 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series™ on Feb. 17 and Feb. 18 at MetLife Stadium. Verizon invites fans to the New Amsterdam Vodka® NHL PreGame, located in Parking Lot G of MetLife Stadium, where they can tailgate in style with games, charging stations, comfortable seats with plenty of photo opportunities and a chance to win exciting prizes.

By attending the NHL PreGame, Verizon customers can get a chance to win upgraded game seats in Verizon’s exclusive Hotspot section1, which includes comfortable heated seats, cozy blankets and exclusive gift bags. Verizon customers will also have access to the Hotspot Lounge on the 100 level concourse, which will feature charging stations, photo opportunities, and complimentary hot chocolate.

For fans looking for even more Hotspot connectivity, Verizon’s myPlan mobile plans give customers access to $10 monthly “perks,” like 100 GB of Mobile Hotspot. This perk saves you $35 monthly – and over $400 annually – and is only for Verizon customers.

How Augmented Reality is leading improvements for fans to improve the sporting spectacle

David Granger, content marketing consultant pens down his insights on how Augmented Reality has acted as a boon for the sports industry.

Over the last few weeks the new liveries (and slightly strange team names) have been unveiled ahead of the 2024 F1 season.

There’s much to get excited about. There are a marathon 24 rounds, those new cars’ colour-schemes and the sixth (final?) season of Drive to Survive. Plus… new methods of experiencing (let’s hold on the “enjoying” for now) motorsport are being mooted.

F1 has always been at the absolute forefront of technology in its cars, but hasn’t always been the most progressive in terms of fan experience. It was very much Paddock v Fans – anyone who’s had to queue to get in or out of Silverstone or taken the trains/buses/hikes through the park to get to the Monza circuit from Milan will know the glamorous side of the sport is for the few.

However, the sport, its teams and supporters are taking steps to introduce technologies which will enhance the racing – even if they can’t stop one team’s domination this year. 

Or are they? 

If you’ve seen the incredible footage demonstrating Apple’s Vision Pro the $3,500  mixed reality headset, as an augmented method to follow Formula One races at home with a virtual track displayed on your living room floor, then you’d be rightly impressed. 

But it’s a concept. 

The footage comes from a John LePore and BlackBoxInfinite who are imaging what F1 (or any other sport) could look like if the augmented reality headset and 3D spacial designers combine their skills. This would not only be great for motorsport, but team sports as well could vastly improve the experience for home spectators watching from behind their headsets.

These augmented reality ideas are being explored in other series. Nascar has established a dedicated group from across its departments to see how emerging tech can be used to enhance the sport for fans and sponsors. 

NASCAR COO Steve O’Donnell is quoted by sportsbusinessjournal.com : “We have a dedicated group focused on emerging technologies. There’s an incredible amount of learning to do in the sport, especially on, ‘How we can enhance the fan experience?’ We want to take it one step at a time and do it right. You want to be on the forefront of AI (artificial intelligence) working with sponsors, but ultimately making it a better fan experience.”

It’s not just motorsport. SportsProMedia.com reports the National Basketball Association will launch an app in which you can stream up to five games overlaid with real-time data, stats and scores. An app from Major League Baseball immerses spectators in a virtual ballpark providing visualisation from live ball-tracking. And the Professional Golfers’ Association Tour launched a Vision Pro app which overlays stats on 3D renders of courses again powered by live shot-tracking data.

Sadly, progress via new technology is not always welcomed with resounding success. When Mahindra Racing made the bold move of recruiting a virtual influencer, AI female avatar Ava to join its comms team, motorsport fans went decidedly cold on the idea. One perspective was motorsport would do anything *but* hire women to join its teams. A slightly chastened Mahindra, removed the influencer from its roster while reiterating its commitment to both diversity and inclusion. It was an interesting, innovative idea, but perhaps should have spent slightly longer with the planning team, and HR, before Ava’s signing was announced.

So bring on the motor racing year, and let’s see if there’s as much action on track as there is off it in 2024.

So much happened in the last few weeks and the market reacted well

Carlo De Marchis, ‘a guy with a scarf’ pens down this month’s business index.

Let’s see who did well and try to find some reasons for this good moment.

Media, sport and betting did well. Check this list of increased market cap in the last month.

Related news that may have an impact are:


– Disney, Fox and CBS announcing a new sport streaming JV

– Amazon started adding ads to Prime video and added and ads-free paid package

– NFL Super Bowl betting reached record 

– WWE (TKO) did a deal with Netflix for their “Raw” show from 2025

– Netflix earning will beat expectations

– Roblox is growing 20% on all metrics

– Amazon wins exclusive streaming rights for NFL playoff game

DraftKings+27.39%
Flutter Entertainment Group+25.43%
Disney+18.85%
Netflix+14.37%
TKO+14.29%
Amazon+11.12%
Roblox+8.98%

DraftKings reports Q4 2022 results after the bell tomorrow. The fantasy sports and betting leader has a strong history of trouncing revenue estimates, beating by 9.3% on average over the past two years. Last quarter, DraftKings posted blowout 57.4% year-over-year revenue growth to $790 million, exceeding forecasts by 12.9%. For Q4, analysts expect slowed 44.6% top-line expansion to $1.24 billion and $0.18 adjusted EPS. While Wall Street has turned more bearish recently with multiple downward revisions, DraftKings has consistently left doubters in the dust. With gaming peers like MGM Resorts and Boyd Gaming also recently topping projections, expectations are elevated heading into tomorrow’s high-stakes release.

FanDuel parent company Flutter Entertainment listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Monday under the ticker symbol FLUT. The move gives Flutter and its leading US sports betting brand FanDuel greater access to capital markets and US investors. It also positions Flutter to compete more directly with DraftKings, currently the largest US public pure-play in the rapidly growing sports betting industry. FanDuel already leads with 43% US market share in sports betting revenue, but DraftKings garners more headlines. The NYSE listing could give Flutter’s valuation a boost and allow it to close the gap. Flutter will retain its London Stock Exchange primary listing but delist from Euronext Dublin.

Disney’s streaming operating losses fell dramatically to $216 million as Disney+ shed 1.3 million subscribers last quarter. However, Disney still expects Disney+ to gain 5.5-6 million subscribers next quarter and profitability by 2024. Overall, streaming results were mixed – Hulu gained 1.2 million customers while ESPN+ lost 800,000. On the content front, Disney+ landed exclusive rights to a Taylor Swift tour film. Disney also continues pushing into gaming through a $1.5 billion investment in Epic Games, eyeing a separate Disney metaverse. Finally, higher pricing and advertising revenue boosted average monthly Disney+ and Hulu revenues per subscriber. But work remains towards achieving sustained streaming profitability.

Netflix is poised for strong growth in 2023, with earnings per share projected to surge 53.1% in the current quarter to $4.41. The streaming giant has topped earnings estimates in three of the last four quarters. For the full fiscal year, Netflix earnings are expected to climb 40.7% to $16.93 per share. Revenue growth is also robust – sales are estimated to hit $9.25 billion this quarter, up 13.4%, and $38.54 billion for the year, a 14.3% jump. The momentum should continue into 2024 as well, with earnings forecast to grow 21.8% to $20.63 per share next year on sales of $43.04 billion, up 11.7%. If Netflix meets these projections, it will cap several years of market-beating growth.

Morgan Stanley started coverage of sports and entertainment giant TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO) with an Equalweight rating and set a $95 price target. The outlook considers TKO’s lucrative deals with major broadcasters like NBC and Netflix for premium live sports rights, which ensures strong cash flow conversion and contracted revenue growth. However, Morgan Stanley adopts a cautious view on sports rights inflation, expecting TKO’s core properties like UFC and WWE to see more modest growth during upcoming renewals. The $95 target represents ~22x 2026 price/free cash flow, indicating confidence in long-term profit drivers but also reflecting a prudently conservative take on near-term subscription revenue expansion. While TKO boasts strong margins and liquidity, 2024 guidance has faced recent downward revisions amidst timing uncertainties. The analysis sees TKO’s current valuation as fairly reflecting predictable growth levers but remains guarded on upside potential.

Roblox’s standout growth persisted in 2023, cementing its role as a vital social hangout for youth culture. Key metrics like daily active users, engagement rates, and monetization all notched fresh records. Importantly, users continue aging up, with now over half of the platform’s audience over 13 years old. This expands marketing options for brands seeking hard-to-reach Gen Z and young millennials. With strong momentum heading into 2024, Roblox looks set to sustain 20%+ user growth while launching improved advertising products and real-world commerce integration. Forward-thinking brands should leverage Roblox to drive awareness and sales among the next generation of buyers immersively socializing in virtual worlds.

Here’s the full index:

NWSL signs Google Pixel as official mobile phone

Google Pixel is teaming up with the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), one of the fastest-growing leagues in professional sports, as its Official Mobile Phone.

Pixel puts the best of Google’s AI, services and now NWSL fans can use it to stay even more connected to all of the action and dive deeper into their favorite teams and players.

This announcement builds on Google’s previous work to elevate women’s sports through partnerships and media spend. During this multi-year partnership, Pitchside with Pixel program will use Pixel’s leading AI-powered camera and features to capture content for NWSL’s social media channels, giving fans exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to highlights and an intimate glimpse into players’ experiences on and off the field.

And as the Presenting Partner of the NWSL Playoffs and Championship, Pixel will be front-and-center when the competition reaches its peak, bringing fans closer to the action.

The rapid growth of the NWSL lives in the athletes. These women are not just phenomenal athletes; they are also dynamic role models and powerful forces shaping the future of sports. This partnership was a natural addition to a portfolio that includes investments in women’s teams throughout the world, including Arsenal Football Club and Liverpool Football Club.

SportAccord, Birmingham West Midlands: World’s leading legal minds tackle athlete representation and rules for transgender athletes at LawAccord

Legal experts tackling topical legal issues confronting IFs including athlete representation, rules for transgender athletes in international sport and how to ensure integrity in decision-making will come together at LawAccord, one of the four specialist streams at this year’s SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit.

There will also be an opportunity to get the inside track on institutional developments, with a presentation and Q&A session from Matthieu Reeb, Director General of the Court of Arbitration for Sport; and Ross Wenzel, General Counsel at the World Anti-Doping Agency. The Sports Law Practice Group from Swiss law firm Kellerhals Carrard will provide an update on recent decisions from the European Court of Justice.

Sport’s most influential industry gathering will take place from 7 to 11 April in Birmingham – West Midlands and bring together more than 1,500 leaders and key decision makers from over 120 International Federations (IFs), the International Olympic Committee and organisations involved in the business of sport. 

Meet the speakers!

Hear from sports law experts, including Áine Power, Deputy Legal Director at the International Equestrian Federation, who will share insights on involving athletes when drafting rules: 

“The ‘best’ rules are those that are formulated and drafted further to thorough consultation with the relevant stakeholders. It goes without saying that athletes are the key stakeholders in our sport – no athletes, no sport. Therefore, it is essential that we hear from the athletes as part of the rule revision process, it helps us ensure that our rules are fit for purpose.”

Prof Yannis Pitsiladis, Professor of Sport and Exercise Science at Hong Kong Baptist University and member of the IOC Medical and Scientific Commission, will provide a scientific perspective on regulating the participation of transgender athletes in elite sport:

“Establishing policy for the inclusion of transgender athletes in elite sport is immensely challenging due to the need for a fair and non-discrimination policy of integration (inclusion), while considering physiological differences, hormone treatments and sport-specific demands, requiring nuanced assessments amidst our evolving scientific understanding.”

Tanja Haug, Board Member of the Biathlon Integrity Unit will address the need for independent decision-making in international sport: 

“In sport, independent models are needed in all areas where integrity is at stake – where adherence to ethical values, unbiased decision-making, avoidance of conflicts of interest, accountability and transparency are crucial to ensure good governance and protect athletes and the future of sport. This applies in particular to the areas of anti-doping, safeguarding, competition manipulation, anti-corruption, vetting and election monitoring.”

For the full list of speakers and topics please see the LawAccord programme: https://www.sportaccord.sport/2024-wsbs/the-schedule-2/?_keyword=law

LawAccord – join the world’s leading sports law experts and institutional leaders

The delegate pass for World Sport & Business Summit 2024 is available at the rate of CHF 2,000 until 29 February 2024, and will increase to CHF 2,500 from 1 March. Click here to register now. 


A special one-day rate of CHF 600 is available to legal practitioners who wish to attend LawAccord only. If you are interested to attend, please send us an email at lawaccord@sportaccord.sport 

Partners

The SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2024 is supported by a number of partners and suppliers:

A marathon of sporting excellence, loss & hope

In this week’s Member Insight piece, Michael Pirrie analyses the outpouring of global grief that greeted the sudden death of Kenyan marathon great Kelvin Kiptum, and what his loss & legacy mean to world sport.

World athletics has been running on empty this week, mourning and processing the sudden passing of Kelvin Kiptum, Kenya’s emerging superstar runner, on the threshold of sporting greatness.

The death of the world’s fastest marathon runner, in a road car crash, after years of brutal road work training, is cloaked in tragic irony and loss on a scale rarely encountered in sport.

While the 1958 Munich air disaster claimed the lives of several Manchester United players, unlike the late Sir Bobby Charlton, Kiptum would not survive his crash.

The magnitude of Kiptum’s loss has left the world of sport in shock, trying to comprehend the rare and confronting circumstances of the athlete’s fateful death.

The suddenness of Kiptum’s passing and his remarkable running achievements, while still in the formative stages of a rapidly evolving career, have perhaps been the most difficult for many to reconcile.

The tragedy reflects how unknown the gap between life and death can be in sport as in all of life.

In contrast to Kiptum, the legendary NBL star, Kobe Bryant, died in a helicopter crash in 2020 aged 41, after 20 historic seasons.    

The loss of such a profoundly talented young athlete as Kiptum, with almost unheralded potential, has been hardest to grasp, drawing comparisons with greats also lost prematurely in other fields.

These include iconic Hollywood actor, James Dean, who also died in a car crash, also aged 24.

The stark contrast between the violent circumstances of Kiptum’s death and the uplifting possibilities in sport and life embodied in his running heightened global bewilderment.

Kiptum’s loss will be widely felt, from world athletic championships to international blockbuster marathon events where the unassuming Kenyan first announced himself has the next big thing in athletics.

Kiptum became the most exciting athlete on the planet last year with landmark wins at the London Marathon and later at the Chicago Marathon, where he shattered the world record in a time of 2:00:35, delivering one of the single greatest performances in sporting history.  

The world’s biggest audiences were awaiting Kiptum in Paris later this year, where he was predicted to run rings around the Olympic host city marathon course and clock the first sub two hour time  – the current Olympic marathon record stands at 2:06:32

Kiptum’s Paris marathon had been eagerly anticipated as a highlight of the Games, and possibly one of great performances of the century, taking sport into new territory like Usain Bolt had done in shattering the 100 metres record in Beijing in 2008. 

British long distance runner Emile Cairess, who finished sixth in the London Marathon last year, expressed sport’s deep grief over Kiptum’s passing.

 “Many people thought they would never see a sub two-hour marathon in their lifetimes but since he (Kiptum) came along, it’s like it was just a given that he would do it because of his exceptional performances so far.”

“It was almost certain that he would have done it. It’s terribly sad and a real shame that we won’t get to see him again or to attack that barrier.”Kiptum was a sporting supernova who seemed destined for greatness – after herding animals barefooted on a family property as a young boy, Kiptum was initially unable to 

afford a pair of shoes to run in his first major competition   

Kiptum abandoned his father’s plans for his only child to become an electrical engineer, deciding to electrify the world instead with high voltage running performances.

CONCLUSION

Kelvin Kiptum’s death, on the road to sporting greatness, after a car crash on roads that he had conquered during  countless hours of training, has shocked and transfixed the sporting world.

The Kenyan’s untimely death, before he could fulfill his enormous potential is an enormous tragedy – for the young runner, for his family, and for sport.

The world has been deprived of a singular sporting talent; an athlete on the brink of redefining the boundaries of sport and human achievement.

Kiptum was the great hope of the Paris Games; of pulling off possibly the greatest sporting milestone of the century – like the late Sir Roger Bannister who took sport into a new era last century with the first sub four minute mile.

Kelvin’s death was a tragic reminder of hope’s fragility.

But this was not a tragedy of false or lost hope.

 Kiptum demonstrated the sub-two-hour marathon, the holy grail of athletics, long regarded as improbable if not impossible, is now within close reach.

The young Kenyan leaves a legacy of achievement, inspiration, and hope for others to follow that will survive his death.

BBC Sport to broadcast UK Athletics major events

BBC Sport and UK Athletics (UKA) have announced a broadcast partnership and coverage for the 2024 Major Events series. Fans can watch live coverage from the UK Athletics National Indoor Championships, the UK Athletics Championships and the London Athletics Meet across BBC One, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

2024 is an action-packed year with the upcoming European and World Championships as well as the Olympic and Paralympic Games taking place in Paris this summer. Fans can follow the highs, lows and photo-finishes from the UK Athletics starting on February 17 and 18 with the UK Athletics National Indoor Championships at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham.

As the summer of sport warms up, BBC Sport will also show coverage of the Olympic Trials at the UK Athletics Championships on June 29 and 30. Attention then turns to the capital for the London Athletics Meet as part of the Wanda Diamond League series on July 20, at the London Stadium.

Philip Bernie, Director of BBC Sport says: “This partnership serves as a terrific build-up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Viewers can watch BBC Sport’s exclusive coverage with expert commentary across TV and online and follow these athletes in top action, as they strive for excellence on the world stage.”

UKA CEO Jack Buckner says: “We are thrilled to confirm BBC Sport as our broadcast partner for our 2024 Major events series.

It’s a huge year ahead for our sport and we are looking forward to working with the team at BBC Sport to bring our big events into people’s homes. The BBC Sport digital and TV audiences give us a great platform and allow the British public to really follow the action in the build up to the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

Viewers can watch the final farewell for the athletes who will be leaving for Paris as the Olympic Opening Ceremony starts just six days later, on BBC One. Both the UK Athletics Championships (indoor and outdoor) will be available across the BBC’s digital channels.

Beijing to host the World Aquatics Championship

World Aquatics has confirmed that the Chinese capital will host the World Aquatics Championships – Beijing 2029, following a bidding process and careful consideration by the World Aquatics Bureau.

The flagship World Aquatics event will welcome more than 2,500 world-class athletes from over 200 countries and regions to compete in the six aquatic sports of swimming, diving, water polo, artistic swimming, open water swimming and high diving.

A proven host with a strong record of successfully delivering World Aquatics events, the People’s Republic of China has organised over 100 major aquatics competitions, 37 of which have taken place in Beijing. Having previously hosted two editions of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, alongside countless other major sporting events, Beijing promises an unforgettable experience for both athletes and fans.

Further solidifying its commitment to aquatic sports, China will host three World Aquatics events in 2024 alone: the World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup in Beijing (5-7 April), the World Aquatics Diving World Cup – Super Final in Xi’an (19-21 April), and the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Shanghai (18-20 October).

The showcase World Aquatics event will be organised in close cooperation with the China Swimming Association and the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports.

World Aquatics President Husain Al-Musallam said: Beijing has repeatedly welcomed major aquatics events, providing excellent conditions that enable our athletes to perform at their very best. For this, we are deeply grateful,” said World Aquatics President Al-Musallam. “Thanks to our longstanding collaboration with our friends in China, we know the global aquatics community can look forward to world-class sporting action and entertainment in one of the world’s most iconic cities. We are also very thankful to the other cities that expressed an interest in hosting. The World Aquatics Championships have become a compelling event for participants, spectators, viewers, partners and organisers alike.”

An aquatics hotspot, Beijing has hosted 15 editions of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup, along with multiple World Cup events in swimming, diving, artistic swimming and water polo. China also hosted both the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Hangzhou in 2018 and the World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai in 2011.

In addition to the World Aquatics Championships – Beijing 2029, the Chinese capital will also host the World Aquatics Masters Championships – Beijing 2029. The exact dates for both of these events will be announced in due course.

With the World Aquatics Championships – Doha 2024 currently taking place in Doha, Team China had a dominant first week in the Qatari capital, taking 16 golds out of 29 events to top the medal table.

“The People’s Republic of China is deeply passionate about aquatic sports. We have a very proud history of welcoming the best aquatics athletes to our country,” said China Swimming Association President Zhou Jihong. “We are therefore very honoured with Beijing being awarded the opportunity to host the world’s largest aquatics event, the World Aquatics Championships, in 2029.”

Following Doha, the 2025 and 2027 editions of the World Aquatics Championships will be hosted in Singapore and Budapest, respectively.

McLaren signs Optimum Nutrition as official sports partner

McLaren Racing has announced Optimum Nutrition, the world’s number one sports nutrition brand, as Official Sports Nutrition Partner of the McLaren Formula 1 Team for the 2024 season and beyond. 

With a key focus on the McLaren F1 Team drivers and pit crew, the partnership unites two brands with high human performance at their core, constantly striving for better. Optimum Nutrition will support the team’s performance, health and wellbeing with science-led sports nutrition products driven by innovation, ensuring the team can unlock its potential throughout the 2024 season. 

Building on the team’s accomplishments in the 2023 season – including breaking the Guinness World Record for the fastest ever pit stop, with a 1.80-second stop at the Qatar Grand Prix, Optimum Nutrition will support the McLaren team to help everyone stay at the top of their game. 

Optimum Nutrition branding will feature on the pit crew overalls and set-up kit, and the driver overalls of McLaren Formula 1 Drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. 

Matt Dennington, Executive Director, Partnerships & Accelerator, McLaren Racing, said:  “It is great to welcome Optimum Nutrition to the team. We operate in a high performance environment and our people are our most important asset, so it’s fantastic that Optimum Nutrition will support our continuous push for improvement and excellence across everything we do.” 

Colin Westcott-Pitt, Global Chief Brand Officer, Glanbia Performance Nutrition, said: “We’re delighted that Optimum Nutrition, which has been trusted by all types of athletes across many sports for 35 years, has joined McLaren Racing as Official Sports Nutrition Partner. Both McLaren and Optimum Nutrition are dedicated to peak human performance and excellence so we are thrilled to be working together during the forthcoming F1 season.”  

The Indian Sports Management Association launches formally in India

The Indian Sports Management Association (INSMA) was formally launched today via a virtual ceremony.

The objective of the organisation is the promotion of sport management scholarship (academically) in India and help bring the work of the next generation of sport management leaders (both from academia and industry) to the forefront on the global stage. One of the major strategic priorities of the next cycle is development of a world-leading academic journal to promote sport management scholarship in India.

It is evident from our research that there are academics pursuing world-leading research in sport management scholarship in an Indian context, but they are not able to publish either due to higher APC charges or lack of credibility among existing journals in India.

The association will be accredited by the international bodies AASM & WASM.

The current advisory board consists of:

Prof. Rob Wilson (Education)

Dr. Mike Rayner (Global Partnerships)

Dr. Christina Phillipou (EDI)

Vanessa Asell-Tsuruga (EDI)

Dr. Jo Clarke (Research)

Prof. Girish Ramchandani (Research)

INSMA Governing Body consists of:

Mr. Sarthak Mondal – President

Arko Biswas  – Treasurer

Mr. Arup Soans – General Secretary

Dr. Shiny Raizada – Vice-President (Education)

Ms. Taruka Srivastava – Vice-President (Marketing)

Mr. Samrat Ghosh – Student Coordinator

Dr. Jo Clarke, PhD Senior Lecturer and Course Leader at Leeds Beckett University, UK said: “It was great to engage in some honest discussions about the sport policy context and future areas of growth with a range of academics, practitioners and students interested in sport management in India. #INSMA has the potential to be a pivotal network to advance the sport management scholarship in India. Exciting times ahead!”

Vanessa ÅSELL TSURUGA, Founder of Collective Visibility said: “The work of INSMA – Indian Sport Management Association is perfectly in line with the path I have created for myself in the last couple of years. I want to diversify speakership and thought leadership in the current sports landscape. I am intent to include the Global South in my efforts.”

Sarthak Mondal said: “A career in sport management in India is filled with all forms of struggle for students. While it looks glamorous from the outside, the truth is it is a closed industry where people are recruited on the basis of trust. Sport management graduates in India face a lot of challenges, whether it is related to higher education, research or careers in the industry. There is a lot of potential among the Indian students but that is lost as they are not nurtured properly. As a result, we decided that it is the right time to create the INSMA.”