WADA confirm another Russian cyber attack

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has confirmed that the Russian cyber hackers, ‘Fancy Bear’ have leaked another batch of confidential athlete data from WADA’s Anti-Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS).

Similar to the leak that the Agency announced on 13 September, this time the group released the confidential athlete data of 25 athletes, from eight countries, into the public domain.

The targeted athletes include ten from the United States, five from Germany, five from Great Britain, one from the Czech Republic, one from Denmark, one from Poland, one from Romania, and one from Russia.

As disclosed on 13 September, the group has illegally gained access to ADAMS via an International Olympic Committee (IOC)-created account for the Rio 2016 Games.Confined to the Games, the account includes such confidential medical data as Therapeutic Use Exemptions delivered by International Sports Federations (IFs) and National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs). The group is releasing the data that it has obtained from this account in batches.

“WADA is very mindful that this criminal attack, which to date has recklessly exposed personal data of 29 athletes, will be very distressing for the athletes that have been targeted; and, cause apprehension for all athletes that were involved in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games,” said Olivier Niggli, Director General, WADA. “To those athletes that have been impacted, we regret that criminals have attempted to smear your reputations in this way; and, assure you that we are receiving intelligence and advice from the highest level law enforcement and IT security agencies that we are putting into action,” Niggli continued.

“Given this intelligence and advice, WADA has no doubt that these ongoing attacks are being carried out in retaliation against the Agency, and the global anti-doping system, because of our independent Pound and McLaren investigations that exposed state-sponsored doping in Russia,” Niggli continued. “We condemn this criminal activity and have asked the Russian Government to do everything in their power to make it stop,” he continued. “Continued cyber-attacks emanating from Russia seriously undermine the work that is being carried out to rebuild a compliant anti-doping program in Russia.”

WADA is reaching out to NADOs and IFs whose athletes are impacted by this new data release so that they can provide them with the necessary support.

New Orleans to host NBA All Star Game

New Orleans has been selected to host NBA All-Star 2017. 

The 66th NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, viagra order Feb. 19, ailment at Smoothie King Center– home of the New Orleans Pelicans. 

In addition to the game, pills the Smoothie King Center will host the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, Feb. 17 and State Farm All-Star Saturday Night on Saturday, Feb. 18 while the NBA All-Star Practice, NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and NBA Development League All-Star Game presented by Kumho Tire will take place at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. This will mark the third time the “Crescent City” has been the site of the league’s annual midseason celebration, having previously hosted the event in 2008 and 2014. 

The game was previously scheduled to be held in Charlotte, N.C.

“New Orleans is a world-class destination for sports and entertainment and we are very appreciative that the city is once again hosting our All-Star festivities,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.  “We are grateful to Tom and Gayle Benson and the Pelicans organization and to Governor John Bel Edwards, Mayor Mitch Landrieu and the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation for inviting us back for what promises to be another exciting and memorable celebration of the game.”

“We are grateful that the NBA has selected us to host the 2017 NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans,” said New Orleans Pelicans Owner Tom Benson.  “We have made tremendous upgrades to the Smoothie King Center and know the building will be a first-class venue to host the myriad of events associated with All-Star weekend.  New Orleans has hosted the All-Star Game twice in the past nine years, and is a perfect destination for NBA fans.  As we know, the NBA will engage thousands of local children and charities during this weekend.  On behalf of my wife Gayle and the entire Pelicans organization, we thank Governor Edwards, Mayor Landrieu, the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau, SMG, and all of the others that worked so hard in a short amount of time to bring the All-Star Game to New Orleans.”

In addition, in the wake of the devastating floods that have affected tens of thousands of Louisiana residents, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) have joined the Pelicans and the New Orleans Saints to provide financial and other ongoing support of the flood rescue, relief and rebuilding efforts.

 

Disney BAM Tech investment puts it smack in the middle of the OTT race

From Ooyala’s Jim O’Neill

No, the world hasn’t ended, but hell apparently, has frozen over. ESPN is going over the top, direct to consumers, something the pundits said would never happen.

Disney CEO Bob Iger, Tuesday talking about the company’s $1 billion investment into streaming tech vendor BAM Tech, said that while the sports broadcaster has been “an incredible growth engine,” the business had matured and was now looking at an OTT direct-to-consumer play to reignite that growth.

“I can’t sit here today and absolutely predict that,” Iger told Bloomberg TV. “(But) we think the over-the-top services offer consumers a great user experience. So, we think ultimately it’s positive. Whether it stems the tide completely we don’t know, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.”

Disney will get a 33% stake in the startup spun off from Major League Baseball.

“This is a whole new world where distributors are going into the content space and content owners are going into the distribution space,” Iger said. “We are looking at a marketplace that is so dynamic.”

Iger also said other Disney properties could also soon go D2C using a technology “that’s vital to our future” and gives Disney the ability to “jumpstart” other branded businesses into the D2C space.

“Our investment in BAM Tech gives us the technology infrastructure we need to quickly scale and monetize our streaming capabilities at ESPN and across our company,” Iger said. “We don’t have specific plans, nor do we have a date,” but the deal “inevitably put us into that business.”

Iger also said Disney would move forward in other OTT plays as well, confirming that ESPN and the Disney Channel will be part of AT&T and DirecTV’s planned online video service.

“It’s possible that a lot of these service will be lighter in nature in terms of fewer channels at lower cost,” he said, noting that the surge in virtual MSOs “may come at a good time because it may help either retain customers who have been customers of a multi-channel bundle or attract new customers that may not have signed up for the current multichannel product because it’s got too many channels at a cost they deem too high.”

Disney’s deal with BAM Tech gives it the option of becoming a majority stakeholder down the road and allows Disney to invest in two installments, one now and one in January. The cash, he said, will be used to fuel development of the BAM Tech video platform.

BAM Tech already is used by HBO Now, WWE and the NHL.

As recently as February, ESPN chief John Skipper said ESPN would likely avoid a D2C offer because, “we do not believe it to be, right now, a good business.”

But continued subscriber losses apparently has helped change that. The network has lost some 11 million subscribers since 2011, including a whopping 4 million in the past 12 months and more than two million since February.

Never say never.

Stay tuned.

Nike to stop selling golf equipment

Nike will stop selling golf equipment after years of falling sales.

Instead they will focus their efforts on their more traditional areas of strength – footwear and apparel.

“We’re committed to being the undisputed leader in golf footwear and apparel,” said Trevor Edwards, President of Nike Brand. “We will achieve this by investing in performance innovation for athletes and delivering sustainable profitable growth for Nike Golf.”

“Athletes like Tiger, Rory and Michelle drive tremendous energy for the game and inspire consumers worldwide,” says Daric Ashford, President of Nike Golf. “Over the past year the MM Fly Blade Polo, the Flyknit Chukka and Air Zoom 90 have all connected strongly with golfers. We’ll continue to ignite excitement with our athletes and deliver the best of Nike for the game.”

Last year sales at Nike’s golf unit fell by 8% to $706m, the third year of declining sales.

Nike follow Adidas’ lead who also looked to bow out of golf equipment, looking to sell the brands TaylorMade, Adams and Ashworth brands, which represent about 60% of its golf unit.

 

Amazon announce release date for their first sport original series

Following closely off the back of Netflix’s recent announcement to begin making original sports content, Amazon Prime have announced the release date of their first series – All or Nothing.

The first season of the docu-series follows the Arizona Cardinals’ 2015 season, from the draft through the NFC Championship game. It will be available July 1st in the UK.

John Hamm of Mad Men, will narrate the series.

The move by both Netflix and Amazon have raised eyebrows in the sport business world, with many suspecting this is the first step of many into creating sports content.

Netflix’s audience share and VOD model could prove tempting for sports teams wanting adding exposure for their brand.

For Amazon, their Prime model could tempt many viewers into purchasing sports items as they watch content – which would also be appealing for teams looking to push merchandise.

Amazon worked with NFL Films – the most decorated filmmaker in sports television history with 123 Sports Emmy Awards.

As the sports broadcasting world continues to be disrupted by new technology and new distribution platforms, there could well be two major players entering the market as well. Watch this (digital) space.

London Sport appoints Epsilon for ‘Groundbreaking’ Data project

London Sport has appointed Epsilon UK to deliver a groundbreaking big data project to help get 1, health 000, viagra 000 Londoners more active by 2020.

The project will bring together numerous sources of anonymised data to gain a deeper understanding of the lifestyles, attitudes and behaviours of Londoners.

With technology playing an increasingly decisive role in people’s engagement with physical activity and sport, Epsilon has been tasked with finding hidden correlations that will aid the sector to change its offers and develop more sophisticated strategies to get people active.

Epsilon specialises in fusing data, technology, creative and media to help brands build relationships with people.

“Epsilon has a proven track record in seeing what other agencies don’t.

They have tried and tested experience in distilling big data and delivering big ideas, as well as exceptional standards in handling sensitive data, which together makes them the ideal partner for this project” said London Sport Chief Executive, Peter Fitzboydon.

Genevieve Woods, Client Service Director at Epsilon added, “We have considerable experience working in this area and are looking forward to helping London Sport achieve their ambition of 1,000,000 Londoners more active through this innovative project.”

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EXCLUSIVE: British Athletics’ Performance Director: “We’re ready for Rio”

As the Olympics in Rio gets ever closer, iSportconnect caught up with Neil Black, Performance Director at British Athletics, for a quick Q and A about how everything is looking.

iSC – How is prep for Rio going?

NB – Prep for Rio is good. I’ve just returned from one of the many warm weather training camps in preparation for the Olympics and Paralympics. Lots of good early season performances, people performing well.

iSC – Is there a goal in mind for Rio?

NB – The goal is to get great performances, for athletes to perform at their best on the day, in the final. We’re looking at PBs and best performances. When you do that, you win as many medals and get as many good positions as you get. 

iSC – For such a huge event is form relevant? Or is it so big do you consider it a one off?

NB – Some gain confidence from form, knowing that they are following a plan and that the number of competitions prior to the main one is being completed, and things are therefore going well. Others are on a different plan, which involves heavier training, not necessarily demonstrating performance until they actually get there.

iSC – Are there any athletes that are flying under the radar and may shock some people in Brazil?

NB – We always work on the basis that there will people there who will come up and shock.

We have people like Chris Baker in the high jump who’s making good progress this year and previously wouldn’t have been heard of. We would, and he would, have expectations of touching on the door of making the finals. Once you get in the finals you can potentially win medals.

We also have people like Shelayna Oskan-Clarke in the 800m, who jumped onto the world stage last year finishing 5th in the world championships. She is expecting to do as well, if not better, but people may not have heard of her.

There are young people making progress who we are looking forward to seeing what they can do.

iSC – Is there one key thing athletes should be aware of going to Rio?

NB – The real key thing is preparing for your absolute best performance, when it matters, in the final, on that day. That’s our focus and that’s where we are heading

Dow Jones announced as new partner of SPORTACCORD CONVENTION 2016

SportAccord Convention is delighted to announce Dow Jones, viagra a global provider of news and business information, ask as the Top Media Partner for this year’s SportAccord Convention. Dow Jones will help to raise the profile of the SportAccord Convention, through advertising as well as providing access to news services on a trial basis for delegates.

Commenting on the partnership, Simon Greenberg, Global Head of Rights at News Corp, and leading the Dow Jones Sports Intelligence team said:

“SportAccord Convention is where the decision makers in world sport meet each year to debate the major issues. The business of sport is a compelling arena for Dow Jones, and in particular Dow Jones Sports Intelligence, the first sports specific due diligence service, which we established in 2015 to assist the sporting world to meet the challenges of transparency, compliance and good governance.

“It’s a time of great change in world sport as the industry drives forward to improve confidence by enhanced self-regulation. Dow Jones Sports Intelligence plays a vital role to research, verify and validate any counterparty relationship in the sports industry stakeholder chain.”

As part of the partnership, Dow Jones have helped to engage some of the leading Speakers for this year’s SportAccord Convention, with the Plenary Conference having established itself as the central platform for delegates to hear the latest on sport and sport business globally.

Commenting on the partnership with Dow Jones, John Hewitt, Event Operations Manager, Communications from SportAccord Convention, who led the Dow Jones partnership negotiations said:

“When the decision was made to introduce a Top Media Partner for the upcoming Convention, we couldn’t have imagined a better match than with Dow Jones. Their presence and reach within the world of business is unparalleled. This partnership facilitates commercial opportunities across Dow Jones and the Wall Street Journal, enabling us to further engage with key global decision-makers inside and outside of sport.”

Now in its 14th edition, the SportAccord Convention will take place from 17-22 April 2016 at the SwissTech Convention Center in Lausanne, Switzerland. For further information on the Convention including the Official Schedule or to register as a delegate, visit: www.sportaccordconvention.com

JOIN THE DEBATE: What Impact Will Loss of Sponsors Have on Sharapova’s Career?

On Monday, Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova admitted to failing a drug test at the Australian Open in January. 

Her major sponsors, such as Nike, Tag Heuer and Porsche, acted very swiftly by cutting their ties with the 28-year-old five-time Grand Slam winner.

Sharapova tested positive for Meldonium, which is a substance that was banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on 1 January 2016.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has provisionally banned Sharapova from 12 March.

“I take responsibility for my professionalism in my job and I made a big mistake,” Sharapova said at a press conference in Los Angeles.

“I know there will be consequences and I don’t want to end my career this way. I really hope I will be given another chance to play tennis again. I can’t blame anyone but myself. I have let my fans down.”

Can Sharapova rebuild her career and image after this? 

Will more sponsors follow suit and end their relationship with her? 

Share your thoughts by joining the discussion on iSportconnect HERE.

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IMG appoints new head of entertainment sales and partnerships

Sports and media company IMG has appointed Gary Marenzi as head of entertainment sales and partnerships.

Marenzi previously served as president of Paramount International Television and MGM Worldwide Television.

Marenzi will operate out of Beverly Hills and London. The newly created post sees him with oversight for global sales of entertainment programming.

Read more HERE.