The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has appointed PHAR Insight to undertake an analysis of the value Lead Global Partner (LGP) sponsorship opportunity can deliver to brands.

The LGP partnership provides the opportunity to be recognised as the leading brand associated with women’s tennis in the world, and has been developed by the WTA to reflect the strategic goals that brands are increasingly aiming to achieve through their sponsorships.

To that end, as well as calculating the value delivered from on-court branding at 54 events in 33 countries, PHAR Insight’s work will focus on the range of other benefits, including access to its 2,500 professional players, provided to a brand through the partnership – including the strength of the opportunity’s strategic benefits.  

Steve Tseng, Chief Sales Officer at the WTA, said of the appointment: “We have worked very hard to create a partnership which goes much further and deeper than year-round global media exposure alone, and provides brands with unique access and content to enable them to engage meaningfully and distinctively with consumers. 

“An analysis just of media value would never capture the extent and depth of the value that a brand can receive from this partnership.  And so we were extremely impressed that the tools which PHAR Insight has developed assess not just all the tangible benefits which is impressive in its own right, but also the strength of the opportunity’s strategic attributes. PHAR Insight’s analysis now enables us to have a much more strategic discussion with brands, by enabling us to demonstrate more comprehensively the value that the LGP opportunity can deliver.”

Alastair Macdonald, Director of PHAR Insight, commented: “It’s easy to get blinded by the sheer scale of the media exposure that the WTA schedule delivers for a brand, but this only tells one part of the story.  A large number of powerful strategic attributes makes the LGP opportunity one of the most interesting currently available in world sport. 

“Given brands’ increasingly strategic approach to sponsorship, and focus on understanding the value of their investments, it is essential that any analysis reflects the strategic value meaningfully.  Our new analysis tools and proprietary valuation algorithm take these strategic considerations into account, and are showing that the WTA’s LGP opportunity has the potential to deliver some of the strongest returns in the sponsorship industry.”

The newly launched CFH Racing has confirmed that it will be powered by Chevrolet after a new deal with the US manufacturer.

The new team is being formed by a merger between Ed Carpenter Racing – a Chevy team since its inception in 2012 – and Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing, which has been using Honda engines since it entered competition in 2008. 

“I am very proud that CFH Racing will be powered by Team Chevy for the 2015 season,” said Carpenter. “Team Chevy has delivered for ECR over the past three years, and I know that our new combination of CFH Racing and Chevrolet will continue to put us in a great position moving forward. 

“We are totally confident in their product, and cannot wait to début the Chevrolet Aero Kit starting in 2015,” he added. 

“We are pleased that the newly formed CFH Racing will compete with Chevrolet’s twin-turbo V6 in the Verizon IndyCar Series beginning in 2015,” responded Jim Campbell, Chevrolet’s vice president of performance vehicles and motorsports. 

The team is expected to field two cars in 2015, with Josef Newgarden already signed to extend his stay in the #67 car building on three years with SFHR. It’s yet to be announced who will be at the wheel of the #20 car in 2015, which this year has seen driving duties split between Carpenter on oval tracks and Mike Conway on street and road courses. 

Sarah Fisher and her business partner Wink Hartman said that they were delighted to have clinched the deal to use Chevrolet engines next season. 

“I have been extremely grateful for the partner that Honda has been in my career and to SFHR,” Fisher said. “We are thankful for their ongoing support of the Verizon IndyCar Series. 

“The decision to partner CFH Racing with Chevrolet was the first of many that we will make together as a team,” she continued. “The process was sincerely a group effort and encourages all of us as to how we will work as a team.” 

“The team is excited to start a strong relationship with Chevy going into the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series,” added Hartman. “CFH Racing continues to develop into a top tier team with a contract with Chevy.”

The International Association for Disabled Sailing (IFDS) and International Sailing Federation (ISAF) have both unanimously agreed to merge into one entity it has been announced at the 2013 ISAF Annual Conference drew to a close in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.

The merger will create a single governing body for MNAs and sailors to better serve the needs and interests of sailors with disabilities.

IFDS President John Twomey said: “We are delighted that both IFDS and ISAF unanimously agreed to form a merger.

“At the IFDS Annual General Meeting our members gave full support and I was delighted to see the same from ISAF Council.

“The round of applause received from ISAF Council and was incredibly touching and now the work can begin to align IFDS and ISAF, it’s one we look forward to implementing.”

As a single governing body the merger will be able to provide consistency within the sport, from relationships with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to technical support and operational efficiencies.

IFDS will retain responsibility for the Paralympic Sailing Competition, including event and equipment selection as well as the IFDS World Championships.

The processes that will enable the merger, including all the necessary structural and regulation changes, will be completed by November 2014.

Columbus have been announced as the host of the 2015 NHL All-Star Weekend, two years later than planned.

Commissioner Gary Bettman made the announcement and said the festivities will take place at Nationwide Arena on Jan. 24-25, 2015.

Columbus was originally awarded the 2013 All-Star Weekend but that event was canceled due to the lockout.

“The commissioner made a promise, and that promise has been kept,” Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman said. “As a politician, that’s always something good to hear.”

Bettman said there was never any serious consideration of taking the next available All-Star Game anywhere but Ohio’s capital city.

“The only issues we had to deal with were logistical,” Bettman said. “We had to make sure that the convention center and hotel space were available. We wanted to come back as quickly as possible, but we had to make sure we were able to do it.”

There won’t be an All-Star Game this season because of the Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Columbus will become the third straight first-time host of the NHL’s big weekend, following Raleigh, N.C., in 2011, and Ottawa in 2012.

Rajasthan Royals player Ajit Chandila, who was accused of spot-fixing during this year’s Indian Premier League, has been granted bailed by a New Delhi court

Chandila, who was arrested on May 16 with teammates Shantakumaran Sreesanth and Ankeet Chavan, is the main suspect accused in the scandal. Test fast bowler Sreesanth and Chavan were granted bail on June 10.

The court said that there was ‘no credible evidence’ against Chandila.

The three players were alleged to have conceded more than a specified number of runs per over in return for money from illegal bookmakers.

Chennai Super Kings team principal Gurunath Meiyappan was also arrested before being granted bail, while Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra conceded to betting on matches but was not arrested.

Ruffneck Scarves have agreed a partnership with Seattle Reign FC as they begin their first season in the newly established National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

The Reign will be looking to start a supportive fan base, bronchi and the team scarves will help to advertise the club while also being an item for fans to cherish and generate a positive atmosphere around the Starfire Sports Stadium where games are to be held. 

The NWSL is the latest edition of professional women’s soccer in America. Since the WPS folded roughly one year ago, America’s best players need a new organized league, and the NWSL will provide a great home for talented American female soccer players to play consistently. This should only serve to keep women’s American soccer at the top level worldwide.

For its inaugural season, the NWSL will consist of 8 teams spread across the country. Several former WPS clubs have entered the new league like the Boston Breakers, the Chicago Red Stars, Sky Blue FC, and the Western New York Flash. But there will also be a host of new clubs including the Seattle Reign FC.

Several players set to play with the Seattle Reign FC include star goalkeeper Hope Solo and midfielder Megan Rapinoe, two key American players. With members of the national team spread throughout the NWSL, it will be interesting to see how the players play in different uniforms and against one another. Having a goalie as commanding as Solo should help the Reign be competitive in the upstart league. Also, the team will be an exciting addition to the city that already generates massive support for Seattle Sounders, a men’s soccer team in the MLS. With a women’s team in the fold as well, soccer support should improve in the city.

The Seattle Reign FC is the creation of Bill Predmore, the owner of POP, a digital marketing agency based in Seattle. Recalling the historic women’s basketball team of the same name, the Reign soccer club will be a testament to professional women’s sports in Seattle. 

Ruffneck Scarves has worked with countless soccer clubs since 2007 and provides custom team scarves for organizations like the MLS, Adidas, and the US Soccer Supporters Club. Additionally, Ruffneck makes custom scarves for countless youth clubs, school teams, and professional soccer leagues like the USL, NASL and the NWSL.

Ruffneck Scarves president, Jeff McIntyre says of the new opportunity to work with Seattle Reign FC: “We are excited about the opportunity to work with Seattle Reign FC, and the potential this club has for growth in professional women’s soccer. They are in a soccer-crazy region and are sure to get lots of love from local supporters for years to come.”

Baseball’s 2014 European Championship will be played in the Czech Republic.

The Technical Commission of the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB) announced this decision and the new pools in a press release. The pools for the next European Championship were made based on the recent results from the 2012 tournament in the Netherlands and a CEB ranking spanning the last ten years. The CEB Executive had approved the new system in March this year.

The top ten teams of the 2012 European Championship will be qualified automatically for the next edition. 12 teams will have the chance to play a B-Level Qualifier from July 22 to 27, 2013. Another 15 teams will play a C-Level European Championship in the summer of 2014. Interested federations to host these events can submit their applications until November 1st, 2012 (B-Level) and November 1st, 2013 (C-Level). The rankings won’t be needed in the future, as promotion and relegation will determine the pools.

Italy won its second straight European Championship in September, defeating the Netherlands in the championship game. Spain finished in third place, while Germany, the Czech Republic and Sweden completed the top six.