Eurosport takes Six Nations across Asia
Eurosport has announced a new agreement to expand its rights to show the upcoming Six Nations Championship, asthma to fans across Asia.
The Asia-wide agreement for the 2017 Championship includes a range exclusive rights and new territories, adiposity including China, sickness Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand bringing the tournament to more fans on more screens than ever before.
Read more HERE.
Prince Ali Submits FIFA Presidency Bid Ahead of Deadline
Prince Ali bin-al Hussein from Jordan has confirmed he will submit a bid to become the next president of FIFA.
Candidates have a deadline of 26 October to formally bid to replace Sepp Blatter as FIFA president, with the election set for February 26.
Prince Ali has refused to reveal the five nominations he has received, which is one of the main criteria required to stand for election.
The Jordanian failed to beat Blatter at the last FIFA election in May, when the Swiss was initially re-elected for another four-year term.
Blatter has since decided to step down amid allegations of corruption and a criminal investigation.
The 79-year-old has also recently been handed a 90-day suspension for a £1.3 million payment made to UEFA president Michel Platini, who has also been suspended for the same duration.
“I am confident that FIFA can emerge from this difficult period with its reputation restored and become an organisation that is once again viewed with respect,” Prince Ali said
“This time of crisis at FIFA is an opportunity for positive change. Many good ideas have emerged in the current discussion over FIFA’s future.
“A better future will only come if ideas turn into action – and that will only happen if FIFA has the right leadership.”
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Former Olympic Swimmer Evans Named Vice Chair of LA 2024 Bid
Former American Olympic swimming champion Janet Evans has been named as the new vice-chair for the Los Angeles 2024 Olympic bid committee.
Evans will head up the athletes’ commission as part of her role.
Read more HERE.
iSportconnect Secure New Partnership With Digital and Social Agency WePlay
iSportconnect, ask the world’s largest global private network of sports business executives, is delighted to announce an exciting new partnership with London based digital and social agency WePlay.
The deal sees WePlay become the Official Social Media Agency Partner of iSportconnect.
WePlay specialise in the sports industry and help brands and rights holders navigate the digital landscape and convert their communities into customers.
Among WePlay’s current client list are Yokohama Tyres, MoneyGram and BETDAQ.
iSportconnect Founder and CEO Sree Varma said: “We are delighted to have signed this partnership with WePlay, who are a growing digital and social agency. The link between sports and digital and social media has become huge in recent years and WePlay are becoming big players in this field.
“This partnership will enable us to tap in to the endless opportunities this sector provides and allow us both to take our platforms to the next level.”
Luca Massaro, founder and CEO of WePlay, comments: “I am thrilled about where this partnership can take us. Not only is there a natural synergy between us in terms of our values and our vision, but we also share a commitment to excellence.
“This will enable us to drive forward innovation and help push the boundaries of the most exciting industry in the world – sports. I am confident that by aligning our areas of expertise, we will be able to offer brands and rights holder’s unrivalled opportunities that capitalise on exciting, new avenues of engagement and revenue growth. The plan is that as they grow, so too will we, and we look forward to help fuelling this growth.”
About WePlay
WePlay is a digital sports agency specialising in social media, content creation, product development and CRM.
Based out of London, the team helps brands and rights holders navigate the digital landscape and convert their communities into customers.
Its clients currently include: Yokohama Tyres, MoneyGram (sponsors of Ligue 1 Champions Paris Saint-Germain and Bundesliga club, FC Schalke 04) and BETDAQ (a Ladbrokes company).
IOC Selects Beijing to Host 2022 Winter Olympics; Lausanne Win 2020 Winter Youth Olympics
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has chosen Beijing as the host city for the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games ahead of Almaty, Kazakhstan.
The decision was made by the IOC in Kuala Lumpur today at the 128th IOC Session.
The vote between the two cities was closer than expected, with Beijing gaining 44 votes to Almaty’s 40, a difference of just two voters. Beijing will become the first city to host both the Summer Olympics and Winter Olympics, after the city held the 2008 Summer Olympics.
The Beijing 2022 Bid Committee commented: “We are honoured and humbled by the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to award Beijing the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. It is with an incredible sense of excitement that we express our thanks to the IOC and the wider Olympic Movement.”
Speaking exclusively to iSportconnect, Michael Pirrie, Executive Adviser for major sports events, said the IOC’s decision to choose Beijing was not a surprise and was low risk.
“It was expected, we’re talking about a city and a country that’s hosted arguably one of the biggest and most famous Games in recent times, the 2008 Summer Olympics,” he said.
“They’ve now created Olympic history; they’ll become the first city to host a summer and a winter Olympic Games.
“Beijing is a city that’s proven it can deliver the Summer Olympic Games, arguably the biggest and most complex piece time event in the world. There’s also a vast new market there in northern China to create a whole spectacular snow resort and facilities for Asia in the years to come.
“But also the Beijing bid was very appealing to the IOC in terms of it was low risk. In many ways we saw that with Tokyo when they won the 2020 Games Bid, they marketed themselves as the low risk, the safe set of hands bid and in these times when there has been long-term problems with the planning for the Rio Games and the problems with Sochi, I think the IOC felt that they wanted to give the Games to a city that they felt had all the resources which China and Beijing certainly do.”
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Prince Ali is iSportconnect Readers’ Choice to Succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA President
iSportconnect readers have voted for Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein as the preferred candidate to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president.
The 79-year-old Swiss announced this week he was to lay down his mandate, despite having been re-elected for a fifth term in office just days before at last week’s FIFA congress.
His decision comes amid huge pressure from the criminal investigations into alleged corruption in world football by the US Department of Justice and the Swiss authorities, who are specifically looking at the bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
iSportconnect ran the poll this week to see who readers would like to see take over at the extraordinary congress Blatter called – which is likely to take place anytime from December to March.
Jordan’s Prince Ali told CNN this week: “I think this is the right move from Sepp Blatter and I think we have to look to the future.
“I am always there to serve football and I think that’s the most important thing and to do so much work to fix this organisation in a proper way. I am at the disposal of our national associations.”
He grabbed 43 per cent of the total vote share, while there was not much enthusiasm for UEFA president Michel Platini who only secured 7 per cent himself.
However, 32 per cent believe that none of Prince Ali, Platini, Issa Hayatou or Michael van Praag was the right candidate to take FIFA forward.
In the ‘Others’ section, one suggestion was head of US Soccer and FIFA executive committee member Sunil Gulati while Asian Confederation President and new FIFA vice-president Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa was also named.
IPL and Twitter Renew Partnership for New Season
The Indian Premier League (IPL) and Twitter have renewed their partnership for another season.
The two parties will again collaborate to “bring new products and experiences to enhance the cricket viewing experience for fans”.
More info HERE.
Peter Griffiths Named as COO of NFL International
Bahrain & UAE Withdraw From Handball World Championship
Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have withdrawn from the 2015 Handball World Championship to be held in Qatar.
UAE’s withdrawal was confirmed in a statement by the International Handball Federation (IHF), buy but a reason wasn’t given by either.
The tournament will be taking place in Doha from January 15 until February 1.
Bahrain informed the IHF of its decision on Friday. A statement by the IHF added: “The issue will be dealt with by the Council of the International Handball Federation in its next meeting scheduled for November 21, ambulance 2014, when a corresponding decision regarding this matter will be made and announced.”
Despite no official reason being given for the withdrawal of both nations, it is believed the political tension between the Gulf countries is a factor.
The IHF said in a statement: “Just like in the case of Bahrain, the (UAE) case will be handled by the Council of the International Handball Federation in its next meeting scheduled for 21 November…when a corresponding decision regarding this matter will be made and announced.”