NEW YORK, NY (March 7, 2017) – Tough Mudder, Inc. announces global expansion deals with ESPN Media Distribution and Sports Media and Entertainment 360 (SME360) that furthers the brand’s global content reach and geographic event footprint. ESPN Media Distribution, the rights agency division of the global sports network, will represent Tough Mudder’s global video rights for the leading active lifestyle brand’s collection of competitive events. Market entry specialist SME360 has become the official licensee of Tough Mudder events in New Zealand.

ESPN will serve as the international distributor for Tough Mudder’s global digital and linear broadcast video rights to the company’s competitive event series and original video content offerings for the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Programming includes: World’s Toughest Mudder, one of the planet’s most gruelling, 24-hour extreme endurance challenges that features more than 1,500 participants from around the world;  Toughest Mudder, six, eight-hour, overnight competitive endurance races held across the globe; The Challenge Within*, five video shorts and a broadcast hour of heart-warming stories of “everyday heroes” who overcome their own mental and physical hardships by running a Tough Mudder challenge; and Mission Mudder*, a fast paced series that follows Olympic athletes as they are put through a series of Tough Mudder events.

*(The ESPN partnership excludes the rights in the UK and Ireland for Challenge Within and Mission Mudder, which are held by SKY Sports).

Building on Tough Mudder’s innovative approach to broadcasting sporting events through multimedia distribution platforms, this partnership further solidifies Tough Mudder’s position as a leader in endurance and sporting event video coverage. Since 2016, the company has expanded its media and content portfolio through partnerships with Sky Sports, CBS Sports and The CW Network.

With the multi-year partnership with SME360, the 2017 New Zealand event weekend will feature Tough Mudder’s signature 10-12-mile obstacle course challenge on November 4 – 5 at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park. The partnership with SME360 marks the first time Tough Mudder will license its event in the country.

This new partnership follow the success of Tough Mudder’s 2016 licensed events hosted in Bali and United Arab Emirates, which attracted close to 7,000 participants from more than 38 countries.

“As a leader in multi-video platform content in the sports and active lifestyle industries, we are thrilled to team with another premier leader in sports media, ESPN, to further expand our global video distribution footprint and bring Tough Mudder action and inspirational stories to hundreds of millions more people worldwide,” said Will Dean, Co-Founder and CEO of Tough Mudder, Inc. “Our new partnership with SME360 and fantastic current mate, IMG, ensures that people from all walks of life around the world receive the same unparalleled event experience that has made Tough Mudder the must-do challenge for active lifestyle enthusiasts and weekend warriors alike.”

In addition to global expansion, the 2017 events season marks the first year of the company’s new competitive live event offerings includingTougher Mudder, a competitive start wave with prize money for top finishers, taking place at every Tough Mudder event in 2017, and Toughest Mudder, an 8-hour, overnight competitive event with more than $100,000 in prize money to be awarded over the course of the six global events

With its unique team-based obstacle course challenge once viewed as a niche extreme sports offering, Tough Mudder has proved its staying power and transformed into a worldwide brand. Tough Mudder is proud to partner with over 20 of the world’s leading brands in 2017, including Merrell, who is returning for the second year as the company’s exclusive presenting partner for the Tough Mudder and Tough Mudder Half event series. Merrell joins the returning roster of companies including Jeep, Bosch, Kingstone Press and more. New partners who will unite with Tough Mudder this year include:

• Vega, the official protein shake and protein smoothie partner for Tough Mudder events in the United States
• Fisherman’s Friend, the official lozenge partner for all events in Canada
• For Goodness Shakes, the official protein drink partner for Tough Mudder events in The United Kingdom

IDG Capital Partners have completed a deal to acquire a 20% stake in French Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyonnais.

The deal had been held up due awaiting the second part of the payment, but the Chinese investment fund has now completed the necessary financial transfers.

IDG paid an initial €30m on December 23 and OL Groupe, the publically-traded holding company which controls Lyon, on Monday evening announced that it had received the balancing payment of €70m which concludes the deal on February 24.

Included under the agreement announced in August was a partnership to form a joint venture to raise Lyon’s profile in Asia. Lyon said the venture would seek to generate commercial partnerships and increased profile for the club in Asia, along with assisting in football development in the region.

Lyon finished up as runner-up to Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 last season and currently sits fourth in the 2016-17 table following Sunday’s 5-0 win over Metz.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has broken ground on a $1.6bn new terminal at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the latest phase in a $14bn airport modernization project that forms part of LA 2024’s promise of fast, convenient transport for international Games visitors.

The new terminal is set to be completed in 2019, and will see 12 new gates, a new baggage system and dining and retail amenities added to the famous airport.

The terminal is just one component of a $14bn modernisation plan that includes upgrades to nearly every terminal in the airport, plus a new rail line that will connect airport passengers directly to LA’s public transportation system and reduce the volume of cars in the terminal area and surrounding freeways.

LA 2024 Chairman Casey Wasserman said: “The LAX modernization plan being spearheaded by Mayor Garcetti and the City Council will take place with or without the Games, but it will undoubtedly enhance LA 2024’s ability to offer an outstanding end-to-end Games-time experience for every visitor.”

Location: London, UK

Closing Date: Open until filled

Overview:

Background

The NBA’s international offices work to carry out the league’s strategy of growing the game of basketball globally by hosting NBA events around the world, creating sponsorship opportunities for local businesses, developing merchandising strategies with regional licensees, selling international media packages, and overseeing international public and media relations.  Based in London, the Director of Events, Marketing & Operations will work across all business units on the design, planning and implementation of NBA events and operations throughout EMEA.

Key Responsibilities

Serve as EMEA City Manager for Global Games in region, focusing on overall management of event operations; including:

• Work closely with NY/NJ colleagues on event operations and logistics;
• Day-to-day contact for event promoter and venues;
• Support management of marketing plans and ticket sales initiatives working in conjunction with Marketing team;
• Liaison with Global Partnerships on partner deliverables;
• Budget planning & internal event memo process;
• Support tracking all event costs;
• Manage any relevant agency contracts/RFP process.

Serve as project manager for new events (outside of existing event program); including:

• Manage projects from inception to completion;
• Coordinate involvement of other departments both in region and from US departments;
• Manage third party contractors, where needed.

Support management of celebrity/influencer marketing programs; including:

• Foster relationships with targeted ambassadors across sports and entertainment;
• Serve as internal contact to leverage opportunities;
• Manage contract process.
• Manage day-to-day operations of player marketing initiatives serving as primary contact for EMEA
• Support management on strategic partnerships in effort to maximize NBA business opportunities across region
• Maintain open and ongoing communication lines with New York and regional EMEA offices
• Monitor, research and track European trends in event sponsorship and marketing

 

Skills & Experience Required

Desired:

• Fuent in English. A second language preferred, additional languages a plus
• Direct European event management experience
• Ability to work well in complex and dynamic environment
• Ability to develop strong relationships both internally and externally to execute successful events based on stated objectives
• Expertise in project management techniques and application
• Team player, self-motivated and goal oriented
• Excellent management skills (may have direct reports)
• Strong communication skills (verbal and written)
• Broad knowledge of event marketing, experiential marketing, media, brand management, promotions – conception through execution and event management
• Position will require significant international travel
• Excellent computer skills including PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator

How to apply: visit http://www.sportsrecruitment.com/jobs/details/2514/director-marketing-and-events-operations

 

 

SPORTELAmerica, will be held from 14 to 16 March 2017 in Miami and is the Convention of the entire Americas, uniting the world with the North,Middle and South American sports marketing and media industry. The Americas offer a versatile sports market, showcasing some of the most exciting sports leagues and contents of the world. SPORTEL brings together leading personnel from the sports marketing and media industries in an exciting way. 

The location of the Sportel spring event alternates between Asia and the USA. The last time in America was in 2015, when there were 689 attendees representing 355 companies from 41 countries. Although one aim is to facilitate access to the growing Latin America, the Miami edition is truly global. In 2015, 40% of the delegates were from North America, 11.5% from South America, 37% from Europe, 9% from Asia and the Middle East, 2% from Oceania and 0.5% from Africa.

 Over decades SPORTEL has received the highest respect of the “Sports Marketing and Media” industry.
 For 27 years SPORTEL features international decision makers, representing sports networks,Internet and social media, world federations, production and content right owners, as well as technology providers and marketing agencies, simply any business related to sports event and media business.
 All these big players unite annually to decide on how sports is marketed and watched in the homes of billions of people in the entire world.
 
David Jones, sales and marketing Director :
“With growing business opportunities throughout the Americas we aim to unite as many as possible and help develop sport as a business for media and marketing. For example we’ve seen governments throughout Latin America aiming to legalize sports betting. This development alone is a major opportunity for brands and sports organizations to be marketed and associated with sports, events and media. Further new media and modern tech such as VR and AR are on the forefront, which can be seen and met at SPORTELAmerica 2017”
 

“MEET THE ELITE” is a statement for guaranteed quality of high-level attendees! The “elite” are industry leaders that make it a point to attend SPORTEL as their prime business meeting every year!

 

 

F1 side Manor Racing are at serious risk of closure after its operating company were placed into administration following a failed takeover approach.

The directors of Manor Racing have placed Just Racing Services into administration. The news comes as extended negotiations with an Asian investment group failed due to probable impact on the team’s 2017 schedule.

Manor finished bottom of the 2016 F1 Constructors’ Championship, with Sauber overtaking them on the season’s final day. This position cost Manor around £10m in prize money, which ultimately has made their financial position untenable for future seasons.

Major international sports broadcaster Eurosport has secured a three-year deal to air coverage of the Liga Nacional de Football Sala, the pre-eminent Spanish futsal league.

The Eurosport 2 channel will show coverage of the 2017, 2018, and 2019 tournaments; with the 2017 edition due to kick off in February.

The channel will air coverage of one full game per week on an exclusive basis, with other terms included in the deal including coverage of special futsal events including the super cup and play-offs.

The Liga Nacional de Football Sala is one of the world’s leading futsal competitions.

Retired pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva has been appointed as the chair of Rusada, treatment the new supervisory board of the Russian anti-doping agency.

The Russian 34-year-old, pharmacy viagra who has been the pole vault world record holder for over a decade, was part of the Russian team banned for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Isinbayeva has never been implicated of any wrongdoing, and has publically expressed scepticism of findings by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the McLaren report.

The two-time Olympic gold medallist will lead a ten-person committee, and is also a non-executive member of the International Olympic Committee.

Former France national team coach Bernard Laporte has been elected the new President of the French Rugby Federation (FRF). Laporte, order who left his job as manager of Toulon earlier this year, denture defeated Alain Doucet and incumbent Pierre Camou with a vote share of 53%.

Laporte is widely expected to scrap Camou’s previous ambition of creating a new national Rugby stadium, with French rugby set to continue sharing the Stade de France with the French national football team.

Laporte, who coached the French team to successive World Cup semi-finals, has previously stated his ambition to develop the infrastructure of the national game at grassroots level.

LaLiga has announced a new partnership with STIHL, the market leader in forestry, agricultural and gardening machinery, seeing them become an official sponsor.

“LaLiga joins forces with an international market leader and does so during what is a very symbolic week, the week of ‘El Clasico’, the most watched sporting event in the world. It also does so at a key moment, midway through LaLiga’s international expansion process,” said iSportconnect member Adolfo Bara, LaLiga’s managing director of sales, marketing and sponsorship.

He also highlighted that, as part of LaLiga’s global expansion, they had recently opened offices in Nigeria and India and would continue their work on several international projects. “We are assisted in our work to export our brand of football to other countries by our LaLiga ambassadors who are here today,” he concluded at the partnership unveiling event.

“For a company like ours that has been in Spain for 30 years, it’s a huge satisfaction to be part of the best league in the world. We’re a market leader and have to partner the very best,” said said Bernhard Iber, STIHL’s managing director for Spain. “Here at STIHL, we support sport and the values that it represents, such as teamwork, excellence, hard work and leadership. In that sense, there is no better partner than Spanish football to continue that path.”