The British Amateur Boxing Association (BABA), which operates the GB Boxing team, has appointed sport and entertainment agency Generate to develop and deliver a new commercial strategy.

Generate will be working with the British Amateur Boxing Association to plan and deliver a commercial strategy including maximising broadcast media rights, digital, event innovation, CRM and sponsorship opportunities to leverage increased interest in the sport following the success of the 2012 Olympic Games.

Generate will work in collaboration with the BABA’s retained Media & Communications Consultant, Lee Murgatroyd, and report to the Chief Executive (CEO) of the BABA, Matthew Holt.

Matthew Holt said: “We believe that boxing possesses a great combination of assets and are looking forward to working with Generate to create a strategy that will allow us to develop the sport and ensure we continue to capitalise on the success of 2012 as we focus on the road to Rio in 2016.”

Andy Muggleton, Co-Founder & Commercial Director at Generate, said: “We’re delighted to be working with the British Amateur Boxing Association at what is an undoubtedly exciting time for the sport of boxing.

“We have a real passion for the sport, and having previously worked on commercial strategy with NGB’s such as the British Canoe Union, Volleyball England and Archery GB we believe there is a fantastic opportunity to deliver a strong commercial plan for the sport.”

Circuit of The Americas (COTA) and motorcycle racing legend Kevin Schwantz has become a new ambassador for the circuit.

Schwantz will serve as an official ambassador for COTA and work to promote the upcoming Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas MotoGP event set for April 11-13, 2014.

“Kevin is a great champion and partnering with him gives us an opportunity to learn from his deep knowledge, as well as continue to celebrate his accomplishments,” Circuit Chairman Bobby Epstein said. “Kevin and I have always shared the desire to see him be a part of COTA, and it’s awesome to finally see it become a reality. A great American track and a great American champion in the same city can’t be kept apart. As a result, casual riders, current racers, future stars and the fans all win.”

“I look forward to being the ambassador for two-wheel racing for COTA, especially as the 2014 MotoGP season begins and returns to Texas,” Schwantz said. “Grand prix motorcycle racing has been my life, and to help COTA market and promote that moving forward is exciting!”

As a COTA ambassador, Schwantz will play a prominent role in a variety of promotions for the upcoming Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas event in April, including media availabilities and fan activities. For example, Schwantz will serve as Grand Marshal for the MotoGP race on Sunday, April 13, and will lead the parade laps scheduled for COTA’s personal seat license holders on Friday, April 11, between grand prix practice sessions.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board has approved the introduction of an International Women’s Championship.

This bi-lateral competition involving the top eight ranked women’s teams will determine qualification for the next Women’s World Cup.

Competing countries will include Australia, here West Indies, anesthetist England, doctor New Zealand, Sri Lanka, South Africa, India and Pakistan with promotion and relegation at the end of the first cycle.

Each team will play the others in a series of matches between mid-2014 and the end of 2016, with the top teams qualifying automatically for the ICC Women’s World Cup in 2017. 

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said: “This is a very positive step for the profile and competitiveness of women’s cricket.

“It guarantees a more regular and balanced programme of meaningful ODI cricket for a broader group of nations than ever before.

“The ICC Women’s World Cup last year set a new benchmark in terms of quality and public interest and with this added context the pathway to the 2017 event in England looks really exciting.”

The bottom countries at the end of the International Women’s Championship will be joined by a number of teams from the ICC’s regional qualification structures to play in an ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier which will determine the final Women’s World Cup participants.

London will have their first afternoon game after the timeslots for the three regular season games in London have been announced.

The announcement also creates a new morning time slot for viewers in the United States.

The NFL said Wednesday that the game between the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 26, diagnosis 2014, will start at 1:30 p.m. local time.

The league said the switch will make it easier for a global audience to tune in and also create an unprecedented fourth game window for American viewers that day.

The Wembley games have traditionally started at the same time as the 1 p.m. kickoffs in the U.S. The other two London games scheduled for next season — Dolphins-Raiders on Sept. 28 and Cowboys-Jaguars on Nov. 9 — will both start at 6 p.m. local time.

The Global Ocean Race (GOR), one of sailing’s greatest challenges, is set to receive a major lift for its third round-the-world event for Class40 yachts, now scheduled to start in September 2014.

Organisers of the Class40 Association-endorsed race announced that in order to raise its profile and bring it the attention the event deserves, they have taken three important steps: 

• Brought in a team of experts in media, ocean racing promotion and marketing 
• Expanded the number of classes in the race, so that entries can now be single-handed, two-handed or fully-crewed 
• Delayed the start by one year to take full advantage of the new arrangements 

Meanwhile, they have agreed a number of sponsorship deals for the event and can already confirm a strong entry interest from at least eight solid Class40 projects. 

“We have successfully completed two Class40 round-the-world races,” said Josh Hall, the GOR Race Director and CEO, “but we believe it is time for the race to fully evolve. To that end, we have created a new management structure bringing in some of the most experienced people in media, sponsorship and the marketing of a truly global yacht racing event. To permit our new team the appropriate timeframe to realise the planned levels of media and funding, we have decided to delay the race until 2014.”

“Our boats cost a fraction of those in the other major ocean races, opening up the thrill and adventure of sailing at speed through the Southern Ocean to a whole new generation of skippers and crew,’ explains Hall. ‘In times of recession, I believe this will attract both aspiring ocean sailors and fully-experienced yachtsmen. Our boats now regularly average the speeds that Maxi Yachts in the Whitbread were doing just over a decade ago. It offers the best of sailing on a budget that many more can afford. Crucially, it also allows sponsors, who have been leaving the sport due to the massive costs, to return.”

Central to the new organisation will be a Steering Board, created to boost the organisation that supports the event. Members include a top TV producer who has overseen Olympic coverage for the BBC among others; a former CEO of three major broadcasting organisations; a leading public relations professional; a specialist in sponsorship fund raising and management and a commercial director with extensive international experience. Four of the five have already been contracted and each has considerable experience in ocean racing promotion, marketing and media coverage. The names of the Board and full details of the changes will be released in the New Year. 

“These appointments bring one of the sport’s most experienced and successful teams to the GOR and justify our delaying the start of the race,” added Hall. 

Paciolan, the leading provider of ticketing, marketing and fundraising solutions in college athletics, today announced that the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) has renewed its partnership with the company.

Pitt will continue using Paciolan’s core ticketing and fundraising technologies, and will also implement Paciolan’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution, Access scanning system, and email marketing solution, as well as leverage the company’s partnership with StubHub to accommodate secondary ticket sales. Pitt has been working with Paciolan since 1991.

“We are pleased to continue our long-standing partnership with Paciolan to expand our efforts, offer new services and elevate the fan experience,” said Steve Pederson, athletic director, University of Pittsburgh. “We value the exceptional and comprehensive support received from both Paciolan and StubHub to offer a completely integrated and expansive ticket resale platform to Pitt fans.”

To achieve success with ticket resale, Pitt began working with secondary ticketing marketplace provider StubHub this fall, via Paciolan’s strategic partnership. The integration allows season ticket holders the opportunity to resell unused tickets on the secondary market, and provides buyers the ability to get great seats along with the ability to print and receive tickets instantly at home. The process is simple, fast and delivers incremental value to both Panthers fans and Pitt Athletics.

Additionally, Pitt recently integrated Paciolan’s Access Management and Access scanning solutions at Petersen Events Center, home to the Panthers’ men’s and women’s basketball teams. The system will enable Panthers fans to bypass will call into Pitt’s venues using print-at-home tickets. The Access Management solution allows university staff to track attendance and catch fraudulent tickets at the entrance, while it enables them to tailor marketing and retention programs.

In 2012, Pitt increased online season renewals by more than 10 percent year over year with the use of Paciolan’s robust ticketing platform. The university has also pushed online single-ticket purchases and transactions with enhanced digital technology. For 11 consecutive years since its opening in 2002, Pitt has sold out men’s basketball at the 12,508-capacity Petersen Events Center, with every season ticket holder being an active contributor to the Panther Club Athletic Scholarship Fund, the official fundraising program for Pitt Athletics.

Pitt will implement Paciolan’s CRM solution which allows it to enhance its ticket sales efforts and efficiently manage relationships with Panthers’ season ticket holders and donors. The university is also able to accurately capture every interaction with fans and enhance its communications process to provide personalized services for its fans.

“Every decision we’ve made for additional services and products has come with Panthers fans in mind,” said Chris Ferris, associate athletic director, external relations, University of Pittsburgh. “Paciolan has been a tremendous partner that has provided us with the best services possible and in turn enables us to offer exceptional customer service to our fans.”

Pitt has also been able to enhance its communications with their season ticket holders and fans using Paciolan’s PACmail email marketing solution. The system allows Pitt staff to pull data from its customer database and send customized marketing letters to Panther fans and supporters to promote and create awareness of upcoming games and fundraising events.

“Paciolan’s PACmail solution offers services that fuel our outbound sales program and provides fantastic touch points with fans throughout the entire process,” said Justin Acierno, director of marketing and ticket operations, University of Pittsburgh. “By employing its elements and allowing us to fully leverage marketing efforts, it has created an effortless transition to segment lists targeted to certain groups or tailor specific messages to our ticketholders and supporters.”

“We are ecstatic to extend our partnership of 20-plus years with an institution like the University of Pittsburgh,” said Dave Butler, chief executive officer of Paciolan. “They continue to push the envelope with initiatives to ensure Panther fans receive the best solutions and services with their continuous objective to be a forward-thinking university.”