MotoGP extends partnership with Network4Media Group for Hungary

MotoGP and Network4 Media Group have signed an agreement for another four years, until 2027 inclusive, for the Luxembourg-based media company to continue to bring Hungarian fans the world’s biggest motorcycle racing Championship.

The Network4 Media Group has been broadcasting MotoGP™ since 2020, and thanks to this new agreement, fans will not miss a single important moment of the championship in the coming seasons either.

Under the extended contract, Network4 Media Group will continue to hold exclusive rights to MotoGP™, Moto2™, Moto3™ and the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship, which of course includes the awesome Tissot Sprint for the MotoGP™ class, introduced across the calendar in 2023. Hungarian audiences will be able to follow all the races, practice and qualifying sessions on Network4’s usual platforms (ARENA4 and MATCH4 sports TV channels and the NET4+ streaming service).

Ever since MotoGP™ has been available to Hungarian audiences, Network4 is the only broadcaster that has shown fans truly comprehensive coverage, including the best documentary series and extra content about the world of MotoGP™ and has also been providing multi-camera broadcasts on its streaming platform called NET4+.

There will be plenty to watch as this new contract begins too: the 2024 MotoGP™ season promises to be of record length, with a provisional calendar of 22 Grands Prix waiting for riders, teams and factories next year. The first race weekend of the season is planned for March 8-10 in Qatar, and the checkered flag will be waved for the last time on November 17 in Valencia, Spain. In total, the Championship will stage 22 race weekends across 18 countries, and the 2024 season will also see the sport celebrate its 75th anniversary as the world’s first motorsport World Championship. As ever, it only promises to get even better!

2024 is also a key season for Hungary, with Balaton Park included on the calendar as a reserve venue ahead of a planned return to the iconic Hungaroring in 2025. If there is a Grand Prix on the shores of Lake Balaton in 2024, and for future Hungarian Grand Prix events, they will be broadcast by Network4 Media Group on its free-to-air channel called MAX4 so that as many Hungarian viewers can see the historic event as possible.


András Borsány-Gyenes, President of Network4 Media Group: “We are proud to be able to continue broadcasting MotoGP races in the future. There is a significant and growing audience for top level motorcycle racing in Hungary, and we will continue to work to provide them with the best possible quality, extra content and multiple platforms to show them all the important moments of the series.”


Alex Arroyo, Head of Media Rights at Dorna Sports: “We’re very happy to extend our partnership with Network4. Hungary is an important market and home to our reserve venue next season as just a first step, with plans already announced to race at the Hungaroring from 2025. We know that with Network4 our Hungarian audience will continue to get top quality coverage, and new fans joining the sport – as audiences continue to increase – will have a fantastic broadcast waiting for them when they tune in.”

“Gen AI is a CXO priority”

EXL recently organised a Sports and Media Analytics Meetup in New York which was attended by 20+ sports leagues, clubs and media conglomerates, more than 250 analytics leaders and had 6 expert panels and informative sessions.

With a focus on cutting-edge subjects such as gen AI, data privacy, data cleanroom, and fan experience, the event delved deep into the intersection of technology and sports. Through engaging discussions and presentations, the event fostered a collaborative environment for the exchange of ideas and the advancement of analytics.

The focus was that for Sports & Media companies to successfully navigate the evolving industry landscape, they need to embrace the change & adapt to new realities, obsess over fan experience and optimize every touchpoint, ask the right questions and separate signal from noise.

EXL provided a sneak peek into the Insights Harbor product, which spans the Communication, Media, and Entertainment industry. 

Outtakes from Panel Discussion: Gen AI in Sports & Media: Is it the most significant event of the 21st Century?

  • Gen AI will have a transformational impact on society, industries, and daily life as the advent of electricity.

  • The impending wave of Gen AI is poised to complement the workforce rather than displacing it.

  •   Bias in the data, IP concerns and data governance issues are the key challenges for Gen AI solutions.

  • Early applications in the industry are focused on accelerating insight generation and improving organizational efficiency while taking a cautious approach on implementation in customer facing applications.

Presentation: Gen AI Industry Trends and EXL Sports Data Analytics Solution

  • According to 250+ EXL client conversations, Gen AI is a CXO priority.

25% of organizations are setting up infrastructure and conducting proof-of-concept trials

50% of organizations have started developing AI strategies and prioritizing use cases

  • Gen AI can be used in the sports industry to enhance fan experience through hyper-personalization and aid in insight generation.

  • EXL showcased the Sports Data Analytics Solution (SDAS) for Sponsorship Insights and a Conversational BI tool.

From Data to Discoveries: Harnessing Graph Neural Networks for Business Decision-Making

Within the Sports and Media industry, Graph Neural Networks can be used to build customer behavior profiles, enhance content recommendations, optimize influencer marketing, and zero-in on password sharing.

Panel Discussion: Unlocking Synergy- Empowering Clubs to Reimagine Fan Engagement

  • Data cooperation between leagues and clubs enables the development of a customer 360 view, enhancing personalization, targeted marketing, and CRM strategy formulation.

  • A balance between actionability, accuracy, and turn-around time is key for the adoptability of centralized solutions at scale.

Panel Discussion: Fan Experience & Personalization in a noisy world: How can data and analytics help?

  • The high emotional engagement of fans mandates a carefully crafted personalization strategy in the sports industry.

  • Varied and evolving fan behaviors, along with ever-increasing engagement avenues, shape the context for personalization.

Presentation: Data Clean Rooms (DCR) & Collaborative Intelligence: Pioneering Privacy First Innovations

  • Key use cases for DCR include audience segmentation, lookalike modeling, personalization and funnel optimization.

  • Data encryption, differential privacy, scoped access, and auditing are best practices for laying the foundation of DCR.

  • These best practices enable the generation of valuable insights while ensuring the protection of sensitive information and the maintenance of data integrity.

For more information, visit EXL website here.  For more information, contact Sameer at Sameer.Jain@exlservice.com.

Bundesliga inks long-term strategic partnership with Coupang Play

Bundesliga International has entered into a long-term strategic partnership with leading digital streamer Coupang Play, which will officially begin at the start of the 2024-25 season.

The agreement gives Coupang Play exclusive rights to Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2, as well as the German Supercup and the relegation play-off matches. The cooperation was commemorated by a signing ceremony in Seoul.

Coupang Play is considered the go-to destination for football fans and a leading streaming service provider in Korea. In addition to the broadcast of Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 matches, Coupang Play will incorporate the latest Bundesliga offerings, including “Goal Arena” – enabling viewers to see all the action from the five matches taking place simultaneously on a Saturday evening. There are also further plans to launch Bundesliga’s award-winning “Interactive Feed”, which gives football fans the unique ability to curate their own broadcast experience, according to their own preferences.

The two parties will also work together on a series of additional projects to promote the development of football in Korea, including marketing activations and knowledge sharing on topics such as technological advancement. Furthermore, Bundesliga sides will be invited to compete in the Coupang Play Series, an elite pre-season event that takes place in Korea.

Additionally, Bundesliga International and Coupang Play will work together throughout the partnership on future editions of the “Bundesliga Dream”, bringing the best young talent from Korea to train and play in Germany, as part of a long-term talent development programme and content format to grow football in Korea.

Bundesliga International Chief Marketing Officer Peer Naubert said: “This strategic partnership goes way beyond the broadcast agreement; this is an opportunity to highlight the best of the Bundesliga with a partner that shares our ambitious and exciting vision.

“Over the last four decades, the Bundesliga has been privileged to have some of the best Korean players, including Bundesliga Legend Cha Bum-Kun, Son Heung-Min, Cha Du-Ri and Koo Ja-Choel. This season, the league boasts the likes of Jeong Woo-Yeong, Kim Min-Jae and Lee Jae-Sung, three important national players making their mark in Germany. It is not just about the past, or even the present: we are excited to support in the identification and development of future generations of Korean stars, and we believe that Coupang Play is the ideal partner to embark on that journey with.”

Head of Coupang Play Stephen Kim said: “We are pleased to partner with Bundesliga International to bring world-class football matches to our customers. We are excited to contribute to the advancement of Korean football through this comprehensive partnership, which also encompasses technology and youth talent development.”

The Bundesliga is the home of Korean talent, from legends of the game such as Asian player of the 20th century, Cha Bum-Kun, to current Korean national team captain Son Heung-min. The 2023-24 season saw the arrival of record signing Kim Min-Jae (FC Bayern München), joining 2023 Asian Games winner Jeong Woo-Yeong (VfB Stuttgart) and 2014 Asian Games winner Lee Jae-Sung (1. FSV Mainz 05). Over the last 20 years, the Bundesliga has seen more Asian players than the rest of the other top five European leagues combined.

The World Round-up: What have we learnt over the past three weeks

Over the last three weeks, we have been jetting around the world and had fantastic insights from Africa, US and the Middle East.

Sportico’s Eben Novy-Williams pens down important points from his interview with LA28 Chairman Casey Wasserman.

Read it here

The host committee for the Los Angeles Olympics has been speaking with Major League Baseball and its players about the sport’s biggest stars competing in the 2028 Summer Games, according to LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman.

Petra Santini, Partner at Portas Consulting, outlines the importance of understanding sport’s value chain, particularly in the region.

Read it here

The Middle East’s sport sector is booming. It is currently valued between c.$10-15bn with some estimates of up to $25-30bn by 2030 being cited. Governments are pushing the development of sports, to benefit the country socially and economically, while private investors are increasingly attracted to the sector for financial returns.

Cynthia Mumbo, CEO of SportsConnect Africa pens down how October has witnessed a series of significant milestones for the Confederation of African Football (CAF), with the announcement of crucial sponsorships and partnerships that promise to transform African football and have a broader impact on the global soccer landscape.

Read Cynthia’s thoughts here

In a significant development for the Confederation of African Football (CAF), IMG has been appointed as the official sales partner for CAF’s 11 competitions. IMG will provide marketing intelligence, data analysis, and consultancy services to CAF, helping to maximize the commercial potential of its competitions and generate new revenue streams.

International School Sport Federation moves headquarter to Lausanne

In a landmark decision, the International School Sport Federation (ISF) has relocated its global headquarters to Maison du Sport International in Lausanne, the Olympic capital.

This pivotal move, slated for January 2024, marks a strategic leap forward, aligning with Lausanne’s rich legacy of sporting excellence and innovation. Supported by the city and Canton of Vaud authorities, our new home is a testament to our commitment to youth empowerment and the collaborative spirit that defines the Olympic Movement. We look forward to a future where ISF and Lausanne together will foster a new generation of sporting talent and global citizens. 

Strategic Move for Global Impact 

After a storied 50-year history in Brussels, the ISF is poised to embark on a transformative journey from its new base at the Sport International House in Lausanne. This strategic relocation is the result of a forward-thinking decision by the ISF’s Management and Executive Committees and underscores the organization’s commitment to harnessing the potential of international sports federations for the betterment of school sports worldwide. 

Laurent Petrynka, ISF President, underscores the significance of this move: “Elevating the values of equality, respect, and fair play through school sports is more than a mission—it’s a passion that drives us. Lausanne represents a beacon of these ideals within the international sports community. This relocation is a declaration of our dedication to enriching the lives of young athletes across the globe.” 

Capitalizing on Lausanne’s Vibrant Sports Ecosystem 

Lausanne’s reputation as a hub for sports federations offers fertile ground for synergistic growth and enhanced opportunities. The ISF will tap into this vibrant ecosystem to foster deeper connections, elevate its profile within the international sports arena, and amplify its influence in shaping the future of school sports. 

Fortifying International Alliances 

Ahead of the relocation, the ISF has been actively forging partnerships, as evidenced by its participation in the recent IF Forum in Lausanne. At the forum, the ISF signed new Memorandums of Understanding with prominent federations such as the International Fencing Federation (FIE), United World Wrestling (UWW), and World Taekwondo (WT), reinforcing its commitment to elevating the operational standards of international school sports events. 

Since its inception in 1972, the ISF has been at the forefront of promoting school sports, touching the lives of students in over 200,000 schools across 134 member countries. Recognized by the International Olympic Committee since 1995, the ISF is dedicated to fostering a spirit of camaraderie and competition through its premier events, including the esteemed ISF Gymnasiade. Its mission extends beyond the playing field, striving to instill a culture of health, learning, and inclusivity among the youth of the world. 

iSportConnect Sports Tech Index powered by SportsTech Match – 23rd November

Who’s hot in Sports Tech? Who is doing deals, launching new products and generally doing some of the best work in the sector? That’s what the Index attempts to dig into. Whether established players or the up-and-coming stars, we go a little deeper for you…

The tenth edition of the sports tech index sees Teamworks (communication and collaboration platform for athletic organisations) strengthen its position at the top on the back of a number of expanded client partnerships in the last month. Our top 3 remains unchanged with Fanbase (fan engagement platform) and Stack Sports (SaaS platform offerings for the sports industry) consolidating their positions at #2 and #3 respectively on our rolling index following multiple new client wins in the past 4 weeks.

Genius Sports (sports data and betting) stay at #4 following the announcement of an expanded partnership with FanDuel and Seat Unique (ticketing) climb to #5 following one partnership renewal and two new business wins with leading British rugby union teams on the hospitality sales side.

New to our top twenty this month are Stellis (sports technology product development) at #16= and Verizon (telecommunications) at #20. Stellis have continuously announced new client wins over recent months, predominantly in their home market of Poland while Verizon have announced diverse new business wins in stadium connectivity and AR.

Want to know more?

Subscribe to the SportsTech Match monthly newsletter for an overview of the activity that generated points towards the index this month (via the footer on the website).

The iSportConnect Sports Tech Index is designed to help rights owners and investors quickly assess who is “hot” from a product and new business perspective and provides sports tech vendors with an incentive to focus their PR announcements on what matters to the market. It follows a simple scoring system (see below).

The iSportConnect Sports Tech Index is published on a monthly basis on iSportConnect.com. Click here to read more about how the Index is calculated.

FIFA renews Qatar Airways deal until 2030

FIFA has renewed its longstanding partnership with Qatar Airways until 2030 as its Global Airline Partner.

The agreement will cover significant FIFA tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup 26, FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™, the FIFA World Cup 2030™, as well as all youth men’s and women’s tournaments, commencing with the ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup™ in Indonesia.

Since May 2017, Qatar Airways has been an integral part of FIFA’s global initiatives, and with this renewed partnership will continue to play a vital role in the development of football worldwide.

The announcement comes on the heels of the immense success of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, which captivated audiences around the globe with its incredible stadia, unmatched hospitality, and pure on-the-pitch drama – culminating in a Final for the ages.

As FIFA’s Global Airline Partner, Qatar Airways will be able to engage with fans on a deeper level, both at tournaments and through various digital platforms.

“Today I am very proud to announce the renewal of our partnership between Qatar Airways and FIFA. It is a great partnership that has brought a lot of success to FIFA, and of course as well to Qatar Airways,” said the FIFA President during the ceremony.

“My thanks to Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, the GCEO, and to the whole fantastic team of Qatar Airways. One year after the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, here we are again to celebrate.”

Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer said: “We are excited to extend our partnership with FIFA as the Global Airline Partner. As an airline, we are committed to connecting the world, and this partnership allows us to reach millions of football fans. Football has the power to unite people across cultures and continents, and we are proud to continue to be part of this incredible journey. We eagerly anticipate the upcoming tournaments and look forward to creating unforgettable experiences for fans around the world.”

SAP partners Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 to accelerate operational efficiency

SAP has announced a multiyear partnership with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team starting in 2024.

As an Official Team Partner, SAP is teaming up with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team to accelerate operational efficiency and unlock new data insights to deliver performance gains. SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition serves as the technology foundation for the team, enabling them to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud solutions from SAP can help inform and predict decisions, optimize resources and future-proof their IT infrastructure.

Efficiency is the cornerstone of success in Formula One. Therefore, mastering the cost-cap challenge and optimizing the team’s complex supply chain are two areas of focus for this partnership. Formula One’s cost cap restricts how much teams can spend each season, with severe penalties if exceeded. The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team plans to navigate this complex course by using the SAP S/4HANA Finance solution to allocate, save and use resources more efficiently.

With SAP Business AI technology embedded, the team can forecast costs, predict final budget needs, and optimize both the supply chain and stocked items. To run its state-of-the-art operation, the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team is looking forward to leveraging SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition for a secure and future-proof cloud environment. The team can also take advantage of SAP Build solutions and SAP Business Technology Platform to implement a transparent, intelligent enterprise architecture – bringing together a single view of data and systems from various sources across the organization. Doing so can lead to shorter lead times for critical car components, helping ensure a seamless flow of parts during race weekends.

“Formula One is one of the most technologically innovative sports in the world, where incremental gains yield significant results. Given the extreme conditions under which Formula One teams operate, motorsports provide a global platform to showcase skill and engineering excellence,” said Julia White, member of the Executive Board of SAP SE and chief marketing and solutions officer. “But beyond the race day performance, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes. SAP is proud to partner with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team to make sure its operations are as fine-tuned as its cars.”   


This partnership has the potential to create a new blueprint for the automotive industry. Formula One is where latest innovations for the automotive industry are invented and premiered. Together, SAP and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team will deliver new innovations backed by Formula One insights that will go on to serve and shape the businesses of other SAP customers.

“We are delighted to announce SAP as an Official Team Partner of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team,” said Toto Wolff, CEO and Team Principal, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. “We have a shared heritage and commitment to innovation and improvement, which will meaningfully contribute to our on-track performance. SAP is a global leader in its field, and we could not think of a better partner to help us improve our efficiencies in 2024 and beyond.”

Why No Code Apps Are Here To Stay

It was a long time ago that one needed to know coding to build an app. Thankfully, we have moved on from that era as no-code tools are here to stay, and they’re powerful enough to let you build almost anything you can think of without ever typing function(). 

Still, professional sports organizations have built their high quality apps with custom code, because No Code Mobile App Builders haven’t been suited to such advanced solutions. That’s why building a high-quality sports app used to be a luxury only the big players could afford – that’s not the case anymore.

Choicely App Builder is used to build high quality apps for professional sports and media organizations like ITV, International Judo Federation, and AFTV (Arsenal Fan TV).

Choicely has written an eBook on “Growing Digital Fan Engagement & Revenue With No Code Sports Apps” which describes how modern sports apps can be built without any code, and what kind of features the app can have.

Download the eBook to learn:

1. What is no code, and how you can build smart, high-quality apps with it

Many custom-coded apps have the risk of becoming legacy tech. They’ve been customized over time, but at some point updating the code of the app becomes so complicated and expensive that the app becomes a roadblock to innovation.

No code development solves many of the technological challenges and risks that traditionally come with custom-coded apps. 

No code solves many problems of custom-coded apps. For example, they are expensive and slow to build and launch.

According to Choicely’s estimate, a professional sports app with some advanced features can cost 74% less when built with no code

These apps can be highly automated so the required updating is minimal – For example, one of Choicely’s sports customers gets about 10,000 hours in user engagement for every 1 hour they spend on the app.

2. How you can grow fan engagement with interactive tools

Active engagement with fans is crucial – fans who have an emotional connection with the brand have a 306% higher lifetime value.

The eBook shows some interactive fan engagement tools like voting, rating, surveys, and polls.

AFTV is a great case example of a brand that actively engages with their fanbase.

3. How to monetize your fanbase with an App

There are plenty of monetization opportunities in apps, beyond ticketing, merchandise, and sponsorships.

No Code and more affordable apps make reaching positive ROI easier to grasp. You can estimate your app ROI with a calculator like the one on Choicely’s site.

The eBook presents a case studies like Helsinki Cup, the 2nd largest junior football tournament in Europe and Choicely’s work with the International Judo Federation.

No Code reduces the risk of failure – you can build your app piece by piece, see a demo version of your app first, make adjustments at a low cost, launch when you’re happy – and make changes flexibly even after that.

The visual and comprehensive 34-page eBook contains case examples and concrete ideas for building a modern sports app without coding.

Learn more about the eBook and download it on Choicely’s website.

AFBC Congress elects Berhanu Eyassu Wossen as President of Confederation

The Congress of African Boxing Confederation (AFBC) took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with Presidential elections as the key point of agenda. Mr. Berhanu Eyassu Wossen from Ethiopia was elected as new the AFBC President by acclamation, being the only candidate following a withdrawal from the other candidates. In total, there were 44 countries present at the Congress.

IBA President Umar Kremlev welcomed the delegates and called for unity. ‘We came here today to unite all Africa, and I am happy to see a close-knit team. In order to take our business to the next level, we need further events, where athletes can have the opportunity to earn money.

“I see a lot of countries in Africa that need our support, and in the past we have been extremely supportive of them. The National Federations need to be more active in applying for Financial Support. Today, I would like you to elect your new President, to allow one of the candidates to start the huge work ahead for the sake of the AFBC continent’s future,’ President Kremlev claimed.

The newly elected AFBC President Wossen promised greater support for the continent, saying ‘I promise to find financial support for our continent. Let’s think about our future together, as we need to be united.’