Russia’s final Olympic delegation will be 271 out of their original 387 athletes – after the final Court of Arbitration for Sport decisions were taken in Rio. Five athletes are still waiting to hear their fate.

It means only 50 athletes outside of the IAAF’s ban have been prevented from taking part. The IAAF’s blanket ban on Russian athletes excluded 67.

It’s a blow for WADA, who called for a complete ban on Russian athletes. Many IFs were still making their final decisions with the opening ceremony just days away.

Many will be disappointed that such a large contingent of Russian athletes will be allowed to compete, after the McLaren report uncovered state sponsored doping by the Russian between 2012 and 2015.

CAS said it was hearing an unprecedented amount of cases at it’s emergency pre-Games committee. The court told iSportconnect that they will set a record in 2016 for the most number of cases they had ever ruled on.

The International eSports Federation (IeSF) has partnered with Alisports, allergy part of the Alibaba Group, allergist to boost eSports in China.

The partnership announcement mentioned three areas of interest, bronchi to host a tournament for both professional and amateur players, to help get eSports recognized as sport and to work together to create unique IP, what form that takes is yet to be seen.

Alisports CEO, Mr. Zhang Dazhong said: “As the most authoritative international organization in e-sports industry, IeSF has been committed to promoting eSports movement into the mainstream, including pushing it into the Olympic Games, which is consistent with our ideal,”

“We are honored to cooperate with IeSF as the exclusive global partners in a long-term. I believe the two sides will jointly promote the development of the global e-Sports industry.”

IeSF President, Mr. Byung Hun Jun added: “This partnership is one big step to IeSF, I believe IeSF and Alisports will maximize each other’s strength by this partnership. I also believe e-Sports Stadium can be transformed to be a fashion place for Youth. IeSF will make our all effort to be with more e-Sports fans in more countries together with Alisports from now on.”

We are living through one of the most extreme transformational shifts in human behaviour, herbal where everyone is a media owner and brands no longer have all the power.

These two truths create unparalleled opportunities, but also threats.

Businesses are changing, traditional marketers are under pressure, impulse decision making is across the board and confusion is rife.

We’ve seen record numbers in both broadcast rights deals and sponsorship revenues, participation levels have risen and a plethora of new brands have entered into the sporting world, all keen to get a piece of the action.

Undoubtedly, 2016 will bring a wealth of new openings for businesses, but with them comes uncertainty and a lack of direction.

Knowing these opportunities and the challenges they’ll bring, we’ve put together this detailed guide looking at the key trends that are set to shape the digital sports industry in 2016.

In this guide, you will read about:

– The growth of influencer marketing and its impact on generating sales

– The opportunities in mobile marketing for customer acquisition

– How Facebook will become the dominant advertising platform

– What 2016 means for Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram

– How to utilise your video marketing budget to reach sports fans

– Is virtual reality all it’s cracked up to be?

– How eSports is becoming a phenomenon

Below is an exclusive extract from the white paper. To read more, please click here.

INFLUENCER MARKETING TAKES OVER

Influencer marketing is the use of trusted personalities and influential accounts as brand advocates. Influencers come in many forms, from the unofficial Facebook pages with hundreds of thousands of fans in deep debates about their sports club, to the parody Twitter accounts that post memes and funny quotes purely for entertainment value.

Influencers are a force. They are not just an additional media platform to connect with the audience, they are the only real media platform that connects.

Many smart brands have been executing strategies with influencers for almost a decade with the attempt of having an impact on engagement and conversion levels.

Nike and adidas are known for their blogger outreach campaigns, sending apparel and footwear to bloggers and influencers for the amplification and abundance of ‘earned media’.

These businesses recognise the ‘klout factor’ that influencers have and the opportunities for consumer engagement on a higher scale than traditional advertising.

Clever brands recognise the human element between the influencer and the consumer, which cannot be replicated in any other form of advertising and so they’ve been responsible for some of the biggest viral trends.

“When KSI mentions a new football game, I have to try it. I know he won’t put his name to a game that isn’t worth it.” Real Madrid fan

Influencer marketing offers a solution to cutting through the saturated timelines to reach fans and potential customers by pushing branded messages through a trusted source.

Studies have shown that teenagers trust influencers more than the biggest celebrities in film, TV and music.

A study in 2015 of 125 marketers showed that businesses made on average $6.50 for every $1 spent on influencer marketing, making it very effective in driving tangible business value.

Unsurprisingly, the cost of using influencers is increasing. The price in 2013 for a branded Vine generating three million loops (views) was $400 compared to $10,000 to $15,000 in 2015.

With 60% of marketers set to increase their influencer marketing budget in 2016, this year looks like it will be a profitable one for influencers.

To read the full white paper, please click here.

International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) president Sebastian Coe has set out his 10-point road map to restore trust in athletics.

The road map recognises problem in two main areas; the governing body and the sport itself, which has led to major breakdown of trust in athletics following a doping crisis in 2015.

Sebastian Coe said: “Be under no illusion about how seriously I take these issues. I am President of an international federation which is under serious investigations and I represent a sport under intense scrutiny.

“My vision is to have a sport that attracts more young people. The average age of those watching track and field is 55 years old. This is not sustainable.

“The key to making that vision a reality is creating a sport that people once more trust in. Athletics must be a sport that athletes, fans, sponsors, media and parents alike know is safe to compete in on a level playing field and one in which clean effort is rewarded and celebrated.”

The IAAF’s 10-point road map:

Building trust in the governing body

– Organising the governing body so there are clear lines of responsibility.
Timeline: Began immediately after presidential election and will be completed mid-2016 with the appointment of a new CEO.

– Forensic review of operations and finance.
Timeline: Forensic accountants from Deloitte and the leading legal firm Freshfields began work in November at the IAAF HQ. It is being overseen by Paul Deighton, former CEO of LOCOG and UK Government Minister. Delivery of report to IAAF Council in March. Completion mid-2016.

– Greater accountability and vetting of IAAF officials.
Timeline: Vetting process to be concluded and new Commissions and Special Advisory Groups to be in place by mid-2016.

– More transparency and communication from the independent IAAF Ethics Board (formerly Commission).
Timeline: changes to the Procedural Rules and the Statutes of the IAAF Ethics Commission were approved by IAAF Council on 26 November with immediate effect.

– Rewriting the IAAF Constitution to make sure it is modern, fit for purpose and capable of delivering the guidance and protection that is required.
Timeline: This process is underway but a new Constitution needs the approval of the IAAF’s Member Federations. The next IAAF Congress takes place in London in August 2017.

Building trust in competition

– Establish a separate integrity unit for athletics that ensures greater independence in reviewing key issues impacting upon the integrity of competition such as doping, corruption, betting and age manipulation.
Timeline: integrity unit to be operational before the 2016 Olympic Games.

– Double the anti-doping budget ($4m to $8m).
Timeline: upon establishing the integrity unit in mid-2016.

– Double the current international testing pool of athletes to one thousand athletes.
Timeline: upon establishing the integrity unit and doubling the budget in mid-2016.

– Dedicate greater resources to investigating doping schemes in athletics involving athlete support personnel, including employing specific investigative expertise within the integrity unit.
Timeline: upon establishing the integrity unit and doubling the budget in mid-2016.

– Ensure greater accountability of Member Federations in anti-doping and other integrity-related matters, with closer monitoring by the IAAF and sanctions to be imposed by the IAAF Council for serious non-compliance (e.g. suspension from membership or ineligibility for major championships).

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With just a week to go until the inaugural TV Sports Awards takes place, ed some of the biggest names from the world of sports have confirmed their attendance.

The new ceremony, impotent which will be presented by Sky News presenter Kate Abdo and television presenter Guido Bagatta, is set to honour some of the biggest brands and most influential figures in the global sports media industry.

The event coincides with the annual SPORTELMonaco convention and will feature an array of sporting legends such as former FIFA World Player of the Year, Luís Figo, Italian World Cup winning captain, Fabio Cannavaro and former Manchester United and England legend, Rio Ferdinand.

Also attending the star studded event are Indian professional tennis player and multi Grand Slam mixed doubles champion Mahesh Bhupati, along with current Juventus FC goalkeeper, Norberto Murara Neto, and German footballer Célia Šaši?, winner of the UEFA Best Women’s player in Europe award for 2014/2015.

Co-organised by SPORTEL and Play for Change, in collaboration with Eurosport and Infront Sports & Media, the inaugural ceremony will be held at the Yacht Club de Monaco on Monday, 12^th October 2015, in support of Play for Change, a global sports charity dedicated to the provision of life changing opportunities for children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Awards will be presented across five categories, including; Best Sports Broadcaster, Best Live Event Coverage, Best Digital Media Project, Media Executive of the Year and Best TV Rights Deal.

A Play for Change award will also be presented to recognise a top-class athlete who is responsible for extraordinary social responsibility work through supporting, funding and advocating worthy campaigns, initiatives and projects for vulnerable children through sports.

Marie Le Page, Director for Play for Change, said:  “We look forward to hosting world-renowned sportsmen and sportswomen plus some of the most important stakeholders in the sport and media industry at the ceremony. A live auction will be run on the night which will help raise funds for Play for Change to develop and grow our global programmes that help transform the lives of young vulnerable children through sports and education”.

“Play for Change uses sport and education as a driver of social change and the TV Sports Awards is a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of our work to an influential audience. The evening will celebrate the best of the sport media industry but also reflect on the power of sport in helping to change the lives of disadvantaged communities and children.”

For more information, visit www.tvsportsawards.org.