Facebook And ELEVEN Join iSPORTCONNECT’s Media And Broadcast eMasterclass

iSPORTCONNECT are happy to reveal the next speakers who will be featuring at our Media & Broadcast eMasterclass to be held on March 25th.

Pedro Presa, ELEVEN Group’s Chief Direct To Consumer Officer and Léa Bayssat, Sports Partnerships at Facebook will be joining our esteemed list of speakers.

PEDRO PRESA – ELEVEN GROUP CHIEF DIRECT TO CONSUMER OFFICER

Pedro is overseeing the development of ELEVEN’s global platform, including the launch of the ELEVEN Next, ELEVEN Women and ELEVEN Esports content verticals and ELEVEN’s D2C network. 

Pedro began his entrepreneurial career developing Beach Soccer in Nigeria and Chile, having previously worked in marketing and communications roles at major European football leagues in France and Spain, and the European Professional Football Leagues in Switzerland. 

He then co-founded MyCujoo with his twin brother João in 2014.  Pedro helped transform MyCujoo from a two-person start-up with a single customer in Switzerland into a company with thousands of partners and millions of users from over 150 countries worldwide, and oversaw MyCujoo’s acquisition by ELEVEN in 2020.

LEA BAYSSAT – SPORTS PPARTNERSHIPS AT FACEBOOK

She joined Facebook 4 years ago from a Creative agency in Paris to manage Media Agencies and advise on their marketing spend on Facebook and Instagram. After 2 years in that role in Dublin, she joined the Sports Partnerships team in London to collaborate with our Sports Teams partners, helping them to grow & engage their fans, but also to monetize better through Facebook and Instagram.

Other eminent speakers include Keegan Pierce, International Development, LaLiga UK & Ireland, Roger Brosel, Head of Content & Programming, LaLiga,Richard Sweeney – CEO, Premier Sports and FreeSports, Jérôme Parmentier, Head of Broadcast & Media Rights at the International Olympic Committee and Johan Cederqvist, Head of Pay Channels and Rights at TV4 Media.

If you would like to register interest for this limited event please email bethany@isportconnect.com or by heading to this link – https://www.isportconnect.com/event/emasterclass-series-media-and-broadcasters/

We do hope you will be able to join us for this all-new event, and follow iSPORTCONNECT’s website and social media channels for the key news to ensure you do not miss out on what should be a great event, providing insight and networking for all.

Why Are Sports Subscribers So Disloyal?

All this week, iSPORTCONNECT in collaboration with Singula Decisions, will give you insights into the Psychology of a Sports Subscriber to celebrate the launch of the new report from the specialists in Subscriber Intelligence.

Have you ever wondered if all subscribers are the same? Do they think, feel or behave in similar ways irrespective of the type of OTT service they are signed up to? And can the type of service you provide impact subscriber loyalty and longevity? 

In a new consumer study into the Psychology of a Sports Subscriber, Singula Decisions revealed that from a psychological and emotional perspective, there are many similarities between sport and entertainment subscribers. But unlike an entertainment OTT service, sports delve much deeper into the psyche of a subscriber which creates a complicated relationship between the brand and the subscriber.

Sport subscribers don’t care about your brand

All sports subscriptions have 3, not 2, parties in the relationship – the subscribers, the brand and the sport. For many subscribers, they only care about the sport… so a brand becomes simply the vehicle to getting to watch their favourite player or team.

It is the sport (and not the brand) that actually fulfils several core human needs for subscribers, which means that are typically less loyal to their sports subscriptions – so can be very fickle, selfish and will naturally leave when any alternative is available. Subscribers will instead blindly follow teams and other fans to new subscriptions when new seasons begin, rather than making independent choices. And churn easily when a sporting season ends, since they feel that nobody is making efforts to keep them and new customer deals are typically much better. 

THE NEED FOR FREEDOM & CONNECTEDNESS

Human beings have two core psychological drives – for Freedom (both From and Towards something) and for Connection. German neurobiologist Dr Gerald Hüther explains in detail how these early simultaneous drives towards Connection and Freedom to ensure our survival, leave a huge imprint on our collective psyche and inform our behaviours throughout our adult life.

Subscriber behaviours in their relationships with all subscription brands clearly demonstrate a desire to fulfill both of these drives, through their interactions the service as well as through their passion for a certain type of content. But these drives are more noticeable in sports subscribers to a much higher and more intense degree. 

Watching sports has that magical ability to make us feel connected to others, without needing to be physically together! When you watch live sports you just know that many others are watching with you, at the same time, no matter where they are or which continent they are watching from.

Freedom is about that ecstatic feeling of being in the throes of a game when the heat is on and the energy is intense. Sports brands provide subscribers with the ability to ride out this intensity ‘live’ and indulge oneself without remorse.

DON’T GIVE UP ON THE RELATIONSHIP!

If brands are simply vehicles to content, this means any other brand could swoop in and take away subscribers once rights are sold on or up for grabs. Brands therefore need to consider how they can cater to these core human drives – not only through the content they offer, but also through how they interact with a subscriber base that is intensely passionate about sports. 

All Sports brands must work much harder to building relationships to counteract disloyalty, in order to ultimately grow revenue, services and subscription longevity. Sports executives must build a brand that goes beyond sport, and this begins by recognising the need to transition from a transactional to a more emotional relationship with each and every subscriber. 

Think differently and take a fresh look at your subscribers by downloading a copy of the new report for more info and advice. Click here.

LaLiga And Premier Sports Join Broadcast eMasterclass

We are pleased to announce the newest speakers for our Media & Broadcast eMasterclass to be held on March 25th.

On the panel LaLigaTV: Growing the reach of a linear channel, will be Richard Sweeney – CEO, Premier Sports and FreeSports, Keegan Pierce, International Development, LaLiga UK & Ireland and Roger Brosel, Head of Content & Programming, LaLiga.

Richard Sweeney

Hailing from Dublin, Ireland, Richard’s career in the sports broadcasting industry spans 30+ years having been heavily involved in the early formation of Setanta Sports. He was COO in the UK of Setanta Sports. Richard has been CEO of Premier Sports since 2011 overseeing operations from offices in Dublin, London and Luxembourg acquiring the rights to globally renowned competitions including the Rugby League World Cup, NRL, Scottish Cup Football, LaLiga, Serie A, PRO14 during this time. Richard has also managed the creation of sister channel FreeSports in 2017, the operations of designated boxing channel, BoxNation in late 2019 and more recently, the expansion of Premier Sports to Asia in 2020 with a dedicated rugby OTT platform with rights to Six Nations, Gallagher Premiership and PRO14.

Keegan Pierce

Sports media executive with 18 years’ experience in broadcasting, PR/comms, marketing, sponsorship and content creation on behalf of industry stakeholders including agencies, leagues/clubs and rights holders. Fluent in five languages with a track record of business development and cross-cultural team leadership in regions including Europe, Middle East, Asia-Pacific and the Americas. Based in London, Keegan oversees UK & Ireland international business development for LaLiga Global Network. Part-time lecturer in Sports Management at Esade Business School in Barcelona.

Roger Brosel

Sports media professional with 16+ years of experience in live broadcast, programming and digital media. Before joining LaLiga >5 years ago, Roger led the content team for Manchester City and was previously executive producer for big sports events in four different continents, working for broadcasters such as beIN Sports. Based in Barcelona, Roger’s areas of expertise are sports content, strategy and production management with a solid tech background. He has also supervised rights management, content creation and delivery for sports rightsholders and governing bodies.

Other already revealed speakers are Jérôme Parmentier, Head of Broadcast & Media Rights at the International Olympic Committee and Johan Cederqvist, Head of Pay Channels and Rights at TV4 Media.

If you would like to register interest for this limited event please email bethany@isportconnect.com or by heading to this link – https://www.isportconnect.com/event/emasterclass-series-media-and-broadcasters/

We do hope you will be able to join us for this all-new event, and follow iSPORTCONNECT’s website and social media channels for the key news to ensure you do not miss out on what should be a terrific afternoon.

Hisense becomes Official Sponsor of 2018 FIFA World Cup

 

Hisense, one of China’s largest consumer electronics companies, has become an Official Sponsor of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. The company has been number one in Chinese TV market shares for the last 13 years, and its success in China has helped to support the rapid expansion of its international business reach to over 130 countries around the world. It currently ranks third overall in all global TV shipments.

As an Official FIFA World Cup Sponsor, Hisense will engage in various global marketing and advertising activities for both the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup™. Its logo will be associated with these two upcoming FIFA events and the company will have access to marketing opportunities both on and off the pitch, including advertising boards in stadiums and on-screen credits. In addition, Hisense televisions will be the official televisions of the competition. It is expected that the partnership will see Hisense reach over 200 territories and greatly enhance its international brand exposure.

Speaking about Hisense’s role as an Official Sponsor of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Liu Hongxin, President of the Hisense Group, said: “Over the years, Hisense has gained a lot of experience and seen strong brand growth through sports sponsorships. We are honoured to take on our biggest challenge yet, the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and we believe that the competition will vastly improve global awareness and economic value for Hisense as a truly international brand. The FIFA World Cup brings together the highest levels of competition and prestige in global football, making it the perfect sports event for us to be a part of.”

FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura said: “FIFA is delighted to welcome Hisense on board as an Official Sponsor of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. We look forward to working with them to promote the competition, particularly in China, where the company is a market leader in consumer electronics, and where the popularity of football continues to grow.”

Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay to host FIBA AmeriCup 2017

SAN JUAN (FIBA AmeriCup 2017) – The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) in the Americas on Wednesday confirmed Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay as the host nations for the FIBA AmeriCup 2017, taking place from 25 August to 3 September.

Competing in the continental cup will be Argentina, Canada, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, the United States of America (USA), Venezuela, the Virgin Islands and a South American representative yet to be determined*.

The FIBA AmeriCup 2017 will open with a Group Phase consisting of three (3) groups of four (4) teams each. This stage of the competition will be played in a round robin format in Medellín (Colombia), Bahía Blanca (Argentina), and Montevideo (Uruguay). The best team from each group will advance to the Final Phase, where they will join Argentina, who qualify automatically because of its status as the main organizer of the competition. The Final Phase will take place in Cordoba (Argentina), where the winners of the Semi-Finals will square off in the title game for the right to be crowned continental champions.

The full calendar of the competition is as follows:
Group A: Medellín, Colombia – August 25-27
Group B: Montevideo, Uruguay – August 27-29
Group C: Bahía Blanca, Argentina – August 28-30
Semi-Finals and Final: Córdoba, Argentina – September 2-3

Bangkok to Host 2018 Sportaccord Convention

LAUSANNE, Switzerland – SportAccord Convention is delighted to confirm that the ultra-modern city of Bangkok, Thailand will be Host City for the next edition of the SportAccord Convention in 2018 where Muaythai is the national sport. Known as the land of smiles, thanks to the welcoming nature of the people, the Convention is looking forward to returning to South East Asia where there are plans to make the 16th edition of the SportAccord Convention a family event for delegates and their families.

SportAccord Convention is the world’s premier and most exclusive annual event at the service of sport. It is focused on driving positive change internationally and dedicated to engaging and connecting; rights holders, organising committees, cities, press and media, businesses and other organisations involved in the development of sport.

On becoming Host City to the next SportAccord Convention, H.E. Mrs. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, Minister of Tourism and Sports of Thailand said, “We are delighted and honoured to be hosting the next edition of the SportAccord Convention in Bangkok, Thailand. We believe our city will provide a wonderful experience for delegates and the sports world who will be able to experience the culture and warm hospitality of the Thai people.”

The city of Bangkok is served by many of the international airlines with most countries offering direct flights and is also the main hub for South East Asia. A dynamic city, Bangkok is a great city to explore with lots to offer in terms of culture, shopping, and delicious food, all at affordable prices.

For those who are bringing their families, the Convention are planning a strong cultural programme. Families will also have an opportunity to further enjoy their stay in Thailand with vacation packages on offer. For those who would like to experience culture and arts outside the city, delegates can immerse themselves in the north of Thailand, a one hour flight away. For those who would prefer some sea and relaxation, a one-hour flight South will transport you to the stunning beaches and islands. A two-hour drive east or west of Bangkok and you are within easy-reach of the sand and sea.

Commenting on the announcement of next year’s new Host City, Francesco Ricci Bitti, President of SportAccord Convention and ASOIF said:

“It will be a pleasure to bring the 2018 SportAccord Convention to Bangkok, Thailand and I would like to thank the government of Thailand for supporting the Convention which will be the 16th edition.  I am sure it will embrace all the qualities and opportunities that city and country have to offer. I am confident our collaboration with Bangkok and the government of Thailand will provide an excellent platform for the international sport community to build on the excellent work achieved at past Conventions while more than meeting the needs of our Stakeholders and delegates.”

Unicef UK Gifts a Team Entry in World’s Largest Ocean Race

Today it is revealed that Unicef, the world’s leading children’s organisation, will once again have a team entry in the 40,000-nautical mile Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, one of the planet’s toughest endurance challenges, which starts this August.

The cost of the team entry has been donated by the race organisers to Unicef UK, the Official Clipper Race Charity. The 2017-18 Race will mark the second consecutive edition that the organisation has been gifted one of the event’s twelve 70-foot yachts, which will represent Unicef and its work to make a safer world for children as the teams race around the planet.

Clipper Race CEO and co-founder William Ward said: “As the Clipper Race approaches its twenty-first year of operation, I feel very fortunate to be in the position where I can gift the cost of a team entry to our official charity partner, Unicef, to support its vital work around the world.

“Just like the race and its intrepid crew and partners, Unicef has a truly global reach, working around the world to save the lives of the most vulnerable children, work that myself and the crew got to see first-hand during the last race edition. Not only do I hope that we can raise more funds and exceed our previous £323,000 total raised but that together we can continue to positively impact the lives of more children in danger.”

Unicef operates in 190 countries around the world, including every port on the Clipper Race route, and has done more to ensure the world’s children are vaccinated, educated and protected than any other organisation.

During the eleven-month-long ocean odyssey the Unicef branded yacht and its crew will visit six different continents as part of the race fleet, including stopovers in the UK, South America, Cape Town, Sydney, Sanya and Qingdao – China, Seattle, and New York – USA, Derry-Londonderry, and Europe. The distinctive blue and white yacht will enable local Unicef offices and projects to raise awareness of their work with the local communities and engage with their partners.

“Unicef UK is very proud to be associated with Clipper Race and the wonderful team taking on this enormous physical challenge. The generosity shown to us through the yacht donation, alongside the wonderful fundraising efforts of the amazing crew members taking part, will go a long way in highlighting and helping to resolve the many dangerous challenges lots of children around the world face every day; violence, disease, hunger and the consequences of war and disaster.”, said Mike Penrose, Unicef UK’s Executive Director.

Unicef has been the Official Clipper Race Charity since the 2015-16 race when its branded yacht entry became a fantastic fundraising emblem and generated much needed awareness and engagement around the world in destinations including South Africa, Australia, Vietnam, China, the US and Panama. The Clipper 2015-16 Race and its supporters raised more than £323,000, helping Unicef protect children in danger, transform their lives and build a safer world for tomorrow’s children.

The Clipper Race is unique in that it trains amateurs to take on 40,000 nautical miles of the world’s most challenging oceans under the leadership of professional skippers.

Approximately 700 crew members from more than 40 nationalities will participate in the Clipper 2017-18 Race and fundraising to help keep more of the world’s most vulnerable children safe from danger has already begun, with an increased target of £400,000 set by the Clipper Race organisers.

To learn more about the Clipper Race and Unicef, visit: www.clipperroundtheworld.com

IOC Says Jamaican Sprinters’ 2008 Samples Not Suspicious Enough to Investigate

By Christian Radnedge

The International Olympic Committee has denied that any cover up took place of possible doping violations after claims that positive tests by Jamaican sprinters in 2008 were not investigated.

A German documentary at the weekend alleged that a number of Jamaican athletes had traces of clenbuterol, a banned muscle-building substance, in recent re-tests of urine samples from 2008.

While no athletes were named, there were fears that sprint king Usain Bolt, who won three gold medals in world-record times at the Beijing Olympics that year, could be one.

However, the IOC said in a statement on Monday it had concluded there was no pattern of organized cheating, after consulting the World Anti-Doping Agency.

“During the re-analysis of the stored urine samples from the Olympic Games Beijing 2008, the laboratory found in a number of cases of athletes from a number of countries and from a number of different sports, very low levels of clenbuterol,” the IOC said.

“The IOC carefully deliberated whether or not to proceed with these cases.

“In particular, the IOC consulted with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) who was fully involved in the decision-making process.

“All of the values were below 1ng/ml and therefore in the range of potential meat contamination cases.”

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iSportconnect Nominated for Sport Business Award

 

The iSportconnect team is proud to announce its nomination for the Sport Business Awards 2017, under Best in Sports Media.

The SBA is a brand new event celebrating sporting successes off rather than on the pitch, culminating in a lunchtime ceremony at the Brewery on 2nd June 2017. Over 70 sports organisations have been shortlisted for 15 unique awards.

iSportconnect has been shortlisted for Best in Sports Media along with six other organisations, including  Dunsar Media, Football Whispers, InCrowd, Liverpool F.C. (LFCTV), Olympic Channel, Sky Sports (Snapchat channel).

iSportconnect enters the list of finalists thanks the high-class content produced over the past year, such as Road to Rio coverage, Big Interview and several exclusive columns from sports business experts.

The SBA judging panel is made up of numerous leading figures in the business of sport, including Jane Allen, CEO of British Gymnastics and Philip Bernie, Head of BBC Sports.

 

Sports Business Awards Release Shortlists

The Sport Business Awards has announced its shortlisted organisations for their first edition.

 

Best Business Serving Sport (more than 20 employees)

  • adi.tv
  • Goodform
  • MTD International B.V.
  • School Lettings Solutions
  • StreamAMG
  • The Jockey Club Services
  • The O2
  • The Ticket Factory

Best Small Business Serving Sport (less than 20 employees)

  • All Sport Insurance
  • Beyond 90
  • Designwerk
  • FKPro
  • HRP Equestrian
  • Icons Shop Limited
  • ILG Business Ltd
  • Traveleads

Best Fan Engagement Programme

  • Arsenal Football Club – Junior Gunners
  • Chelsea Football Club – Chelsea FC Junior Fan Engagement
  • EXTREME international – Lochdown
  • Kick It Out and the Football Supporters’ Federation – Fans For Diversity
  • Liverpool FC – LFC WORLD
  • NTT DATA – NTT DATA / The Open Championship
  • Rewards4Racing Limited – Rewards4Racing

Best in Sports Media

  • Dunsar Media – insidethegames.biz
  • Football Whispers
  • InCrowd – Aston Villa FC – Official App
  • iSportconnect
  • Liverpool Football Club – LFCTV Documentaries
  • Olympic Channel
  • Sky Sports – Sky Sports Snapchat

 

Best Mass Participation Event

  • British Canoeing – National Go Canoeing Week
  • Cancer Research UK – Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life Pretty Muddy
  • Human Race – Cancer Research UK London Winter Run
  • International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) – World Table Tennis Day
  • Royal Bank of Canada – RBC V Series
  • Royal Parks Foundation – Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon

 

Best Match (or Game) Day Experience

  • Cardiff City Football Club
  • Chelsea Football Club
  • Manchester City Football Club
  • NTT DATA / The Open Championship
  • Premiership Rugby – The Aviva Premiership Rugby Final 2016
  • Professional Darts Corporation – World Darts Championship
  • Sepang International Circuit Sdn. Bhd. – 2016 Formula 1 PETRONAS Malaysia Grand Prix

 

Best Non-sporting Use of the Venue

  • Emirates Old Trafford
  • Everton Football Club – Goodison Park
  • Manchester City Football Club – City Football Academy
  • Silverstone Circuit Ltd – The Silverstone Wing
  • The Kia Oval

 

Sports Tech of the Year – for Sport and in Sport

  • adi.tv & Supponor
  • CFC Express
  • Football Whispers
  • Kick It Out – Updated Reporting Application
  • Peak UK – Racer ST
  • STATSports
  • StreamAMG – StreamMP
  • Tottenham Hotspur Football Club – Stadium Project Virtual Reality Suite

 

Best Operations Team

  • Brighton & Hove Albion FC
  • Cancer Research UK Events Team
  • MTD  Olympic Games Rio Project Team
  • The O2

 

Best Professional Services Firm in Sport

  • haysmacintyre
  • KSS
  • Onside Law – Tennis
  • PKF Francis Clark
  • Shakespeare Martineau LLP
  • Sportscover Europe Limited
  • The Jockey Club Services
  • The Sports Consultancy

 

Best Sports Charity, Community and CSR

  • Access Sport CIO
  • Albion in the Community
  • Everton in the Community
  • GreaterSport
  • Kick It Out
  • Premiership Rugby – Hitz
  • The Arsenal Foundation in partnership with Save the Children
  • The Sporting Memories Foundation

 

Best Sports Club/Sports Event Hospitality

  • Arsenal Football Club – Matchday Hospitality
  • Keith Prowse – The Gatsby Club – The Championships, Wimbledon
  • Lord’s Cricket Ground – Captains’ Lounge Hospitality package
  • Manchester City

 

Best Sports Event of the Year

  • British Cycling – 2016 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
  • EA SPORTS – EA SPORTS FIFA 17 Launch
  • Harlequins – Harlequins Big Game 9
  • ONE Championship
  • Premiership Rugby – Aviva Premiership Rugby Final 2016
  • Professional Darts Corporation – World Darts Championship
  • Sepang International Circuit Sdn. Bhd. – Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix 2016

 

Best Sports Governing Body Initiative

  • British Canoeing – National Go Canoeing Week
  • England Hockey – To become a Nation where Hockey Matters
  • Euroleague Basketball – Euroleague Basketball launches first ever true league in European professional sports
  • European Tour – Access All Areas – social media campaign
  • International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) – World Table Tenis Day(WTTD)

 

Sports Innovation Award

  • British Rowing – Go Row Indoor
  • Coleman Racing
  • InCrowd – TribeCast
  • Jockey Club Services
  • Levy Restaurants UK
  • runbritain Click Your Clock
  • Table Tennis England
  • TASS (Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme

 

The distinguished panel of judges will be deliberating over the next month or so to decide the winners.