Location: Houston, Texas, USA

DFL (Deutsche Fußball Liga) broadcast services subsidiary Sportcast has entered into a joint-venture with global sport media services company Deltatre to establish a new company named Sportec Solutions GmbH, based in Cologne.

Sportcast, also based in Cologne, is already the exclusive host broadcaster of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2, and the new Sported Solutions will be in charge of all official match data gathering, storage and distribution for Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 matches.

DFL has decided to bring official match data gathering in-house as a way to create a long term innovative legacy that will give the league full control on this core asset, offering a better service for all its rights-holders and greater value going forward.

Deltatre is the ideal long-term partner because of its 30 years’ experience in the sport media business, it is the official match data provider for the highest level international football federations, and is a well-established player in digital sport innovation. Building on its high-quality and innovative know-how, Deltatre will also provide comprehensive operations services as part of the deal.

Sportec Solutions will start operating live from the 2017-18 season onwards.

“The main reason for this step is the growing market expectations with respect to the scope, quality and availability of official match data both nationally and internationally,” explains Ansgar Schwenken, DFL Director, Football Affairs & Supporters and a member of the Executive Committee. “German professional football would also like to highlight its role in this area as a driving force in the development of innovative content. This will be additionally supported by Deltatre skills and experience.”

“DFL and Deltatre both have a long history, paired by a common strong push to innovate. We are very proud to partner on this exciting initiative and to put our experience, creativity and technology at Sportec Solutions disposal. With the goal of advancing official data solutions with a broad range of technology, analytics and content, together we will support the DFL in bringing football to the next level. Both the DFL and our existing clients will benefit from Deltatre’s growing expertise in the football data field with now major operations both in the international federations and national leagues space” said Giampiero Rinaudo, Deltatre CEO.

This venture for Deltatre, acquired by Bruin Sports Capital last July, is a first major step that will see the newly created group partnering with rights-holders worldwide to provide best-in-class innovative services and new revenue opportunities.

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Visit Florida have re-signed deals with Fulham Football Club and the Jacksonville Jaguars to promote the Sunshine State in the London market.

The terms of the new $1.25 million deal for 2016-2017 include the Visit Florida logo emblazoned on all home, asthma away and third Fulham jerseys, order a massive mural on the roof of Craven Cottage Stadium that can be seen by aircraft approaching Heathrow airport, recipe riverside signage on the Thames, LED digital messaging in the stands and dugouts, and on field and pre- and post-match interview backdrops. 

Other Fulham marketing initiatives involve promotional opportunities, as well as tailored digital and social media engagement through the Club’s collective digital reach, which was the highest of all Sky Bet Championship clubs last season.

The deal also incorporates Visit Florida messaging and promotional opportunities with the Jacksonville Jaguars tied to their October 2 game against the Indianapolis Colts at Wembley Stadium in London.  This marks the fourth year the Jaguars have played an AFC South opponent as a home game in London as part of the NFL’s International Series.

The UK is Florida’s top overseas travel market with 1.7 million visitors to the state in 2015 who spent $1.5 billion.  Outside of the U.S. and Canada, the UK has the most direct scheduled seats on flights into Florida, with 1.7 million in 2016.  The average party size for UK visitors is 2.4, the largest of Florida’s international origin markets.

“Our VISIT FLORIDA partnership combines the best of two worlds, the UK’s preferred leisure destination that is Florida and one of the UK’s most respected and beloved football clubs that is Fulham,” said Fulham chairman and Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan. “I am elated to have VISIT FLORIDA returning to Fulham and the Jags for what I believe is one of the more distinctive and imaginative partnerships, not only in football, but in all of sports.”

In its second year running, viagra the TV Sports Awards (TVSA) 2016 will recognise, generic award and celebrate excellence in the sports media industry across nine categories.

The event includes a gala dinner and auction, anesthetist and will be held on Monday,24thOctober at the Fairmont MonteCarlo, Monaco. Supported by SPORTELMonaco, the prestigious event will feature an array of sporting legends, as well as high-profile guests from the world of sport, media and entertainment.

Kate Abdo, broadcaster for Sky Sports and presenter of the Ballon d’Or, will host the event which will showcase exceptional sports media achievements in aid of Play for Change, a sport and education charity for vulnerable children. The award categories include: Best Sports Broadcaster, Best Live Event Coverage, Best Digital Project, Best TV Rights Deal, Media Executive of the Year, Agency of the Year, Best Football Rights Deal and Sports Commercial Partner of the Year.

Three nominees will be shortlisted in each category by an independent committee formed of representatives from influential and well-respected sports media partners.

These include iSportconnect, Sportcal, SportsPro, TV Sports Markets and SportBusiness International. The sports media industry will be able to cast their vote online for each category.

The Play for Change award will be shortlisted by a panel of experts in the Sport for Development field and presented to 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 sport.

The 2015 winner of this award was attributed to Rio Ferdinand for his support and work with the Rio Ferdinand Foundation. Nominations will be announced in August and the voting system will be open from midSeptember onwards. The evening will welcome the renowned Sotheby’s auctioneer Edward Rising to help raise valuable funds for Play for Change.

The auction will include exclusive items as well as oncein-a-lifetime experiences. Marie Le Page, Director of Play for Change, said: “Play for Change is thrilled to be collaborating with SPORTELMonaco again for the second annual TV Sports Awards.”

“The TV Sports Awards are not only committed to honoring excellence in the sporting world, but also to promoting sport’s ability to contribute to positive change in society. These awards compliment the SPORTELMonaco convention perfectly, by showcasing and celebrating the very best of the sports media industry in the past year.”

She continued: “Improving the lives of vulnerable children through sport and education is at the heart of what we do and together we can continue to leave a legacy to those who need it the most.”

This exclusive event will operate a strict closed door policy. Tables for the TVSA are available to reserve via the official awards website, please visit www.tvsportsawards.org for more information.

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In the UK, Sky and BT Sport have dominated the headlines for their record breaking deals to show Premier League football. However across Europe more people are taking notice of Eurosport, now owned by Discovery.

Last year they won the pan-European rights to show the Olympics from 2018 in a €1.3bn deal, their most significant investment in sports right to date.

They were also rumoured to be one of the bidding parties in last year’s auction of the Premier League matches, won by BT and Sky.

They are clearly in a position to become one of the dominant media companies in the world of sports broadcasting, and iSportconnect caught up with Eurosport’s CEO Peter Hutton at the Telegraph’s Business of Sport.

iSC– Thanks for joining us Peter. How has Discovery’s purchase of Eurosport affected the company and how does the future look moving forward?

PH – “Discovery bought Eurosport just over a year ago, and the idea of what was going to happen over the next year was a transformation – we were told to change the image of Eurosport and I think it’s gone better than expected.”

“We’re still trying to change, to change our content, to change our image and change the way people perceive us. The investment continues in terms of rights and production – it’s not just about providing better content, it’s about treating it in the right way.”

“To give it more of an identity to have national heroes as presenters and characters you can empathise with. It will take time and the Olympics is the first step in that direction but it’s a long road.”

iSC– You’ve recently gone through a rebrand, why was that decision taken at that time?

“We could’ve done the rebrand earlier to be honest, but for me I think it was important to rebrand when the story had genuinely changed. We wanted to make the content better and the rebrand is the personification of that change.”

“The thing about Eurosport is that it has a long history – we all see it in a certain way and to move away from that pan-European content, maybe second tier content some of the time, it was a big jump, so we needed to make the change and let people know we’d made the change.”

iSC – Where does Eurosport currently sit in the British broadcasting marketplace?

“The great thing over the last two years is you see the ratings rise that Eurosport has had compared to BT Sport and Sky, and the rating rise is a fraction of what is being spent.”

“I’d like Eurosport to be seen as the home of certain sports – whether it be the home of cycling or grand slam tennis, or the Olympics, so people go ‘there’s a big event on – we’ll watch it on Eurosport.’”

“If that works and establishes us as a brand connected with the biggest events in sport, then we have a justifiable place in the homes of fans across the UK.”

iSC– The deal to attain the rights to the Olympics moving forward is a hot topic in the sports world, how are you tackling this currently?

“A lot of people are excited by the Olympic rights deal but we have to do it right – we have to put an identity on it. We have to do things differently, we have to do things in a way that makes it really appeal to an audience.”

“We’re looking at the design and how we market it and want to invest in that production. Getting Jonathan Edwards in as a presenter for the Olympics is an early move, but we wanted to build him into the channel early on – but I think it will be the first announcement of many over the next few years as we build to 2018 and the first Winter Games.”

iSC – What does the future hold for Eurosport?

“I think you’ll see Eurosport invest in content, production, and market those stories better.”

“We want to get those stories across all sorts of digital platforms to attract a new audience into the channel. Dealing with sports properly and building a relationship with the audience based on the fact we deal with the sports properly. “

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FIFA have suspended secretary general Jerome Valcke and relieved him from his duties ‘until further notice’ after allegations emerged that he was involved in a World Cup ticketing scandal.

Valcke is alleged to have been involved in the re-selling of World Cup tickets for above face value and to benefit from the profits.

World football’s governing body released a statement saying the secretary general has been placed on leave and will hand the case over to the ethics committee.

The statement read: “Fifa today announced that its secretary general Jérôme Valcke has been put on leave and released from his duties effective immediately until further notice.

“Further, Fifa has been made aware of a series of allegations involving the secretary general and has requested a formal investigation by the Fifa ethics committee.”

Valcke, 54, has been FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s right hand man at the organisation since 2007. This latest news involving the Frenchman casts further scrutiny on FIFA and creates more negative coverage following the corruption scandal. 

FIFA’s investigation will be led by Cornel Borbély, the head of the investigatory arm of the ethics committee.

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The IOC President Thomas Bach today welcomed Rome’s 24-strong delegation to the IOC’s headquarters in Lausanne for a day of positive talks, which emphasised the city’s public support and unity.

The day-long seminar was part of the IOC’s new invitation phase for potential host cities, introduced as part of the IOC’s Agenda 2020 reform programme.

Undersecretary of State Claudio de Vincenti, Rome Mayor Ignazio Marino, Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) Secretary General Roberto Fabbricini and the General Director of the Rome 2024 Committee Claudia Bugno led Rome’s party, which also included experts from the fields of transport, urban planning and business development.

Mayor Ignazio Marino outlined how Rome’s bid for the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics would look to blend tradition and innovation – a concept in keeping with the IOC’s own principles for the Games.

Mayor Marino said Rome’s bid would be focused on leaving a sustainable legacy for the city and would make the most of the facilities and sporting infrastructure which already exists. Many of the venues Rome will use for the 2024 Games will utilise facilities built for the 1960 Olympics – the last time Rome hosted the Games.

Mayor Marino said: “64 years separate Rome in 1960 and the city we want to present in the world in 2024. We are once again at a crossroads and our proposal will celebrate Rome’s special history and culture but be both modern and innovative.”

He added: “We will not build cathedrals in the desert, we won’t allow a waste of money or work.

“We are not going to overbuild. We are going to develop what already exists. Rome is ready for these challenges – we want to use the Games to build a modern city.”

Undersecretary of State Claudio de Vincenti, representing Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, pledged the full support of the Government for “all of the activities of the Rome 2024 Committee” and stressed the country’s unity behind the Rome bid.

He said: “The Italian people and citizens share the same commitment and the vision of an edition of the Olympic Games that can embrace the entire country, spreading and sharing the Olympic values from Rome to Milan, Venice, Genova, Florence, Naples, Palermo and all the other cities. The 2024 Olympics would be the games of Italy hosted by its Capital.

“The Italian bid aims at enhancing the Olympic project highlighting its uniqueness, sustainability, reliability and transparency: a project that Italians will be proud of.”

In her technical presentation to the IOC, Rome 2024’s General Director Claudia Bugno emphasised the bid’s commitment to launching a completely transparent Financial Master Plan funded by public as well as national and international private investments. The presentation also set out how Rome has been closely studying and analysing previous Olympic hosts.

She said: “I believe that an organization that could efficiently mix private and public resources could have the chance to transform the candidature into a real opportunity for the socio-economic development of the City, the Region and the entire country.

“We are committed to a unique Festival of Sport that can encapsulate the best of the Olympics, of Italy and of Rome: from art to innovation, cultural heritage to education, sporting excellence to beauty and the Italian lifestyle.

“As with the 1960 Games, which transformed Rome and the Olympic movement, we are looking to launch short and medium term initiatives which will leave a legacy for the city, even in the next two years.”

iSportconnect, pills the world’s largest global private network of sports business executives, is delighted to announce David Sheepshanks, Chairman of St. George’s Park at the FA as the latest confirmed panellist for the first Sports Performance Masterclass.

The inaugural event will take place at Grange St. Paul’s hotel in London on 14^th July.

Sheepshanks will be joining an impressive panel which already includes:

– Les Reed, Executive Director at Southampton Football Club

– Dr Raphael Brandon, Head of Science and Medicine at the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB)

– Richard Gould, Chief Executive of Surrey County Cricket Club,

– Ken van Someren, Head of Research & Development at the GSK Human Performance Lab

– Simon Wilson, Director of Football Services at City Football Group.

David Sheepshanks is best known for his extensive career in Football, serving The FA, The Football League and Ipswich Town over the last 25 years. Today he is Chairman of St George’s Park (previously known as The FA’s National Football Centre) incorporating FA Learning, the Coach Education arm of the FA.

David was awarded the CBE in the 2013 New Year’s Honours list for services to football and local charity.

iSportconnect Chairman Michael Cunnah said: “It’s a pleasure to welcome David as a panellist for this interesting new event. Having worked in football for over 20 years and now as Chairman of St George’s Park, he will add a valuable perspective to the discussions.”

The iSportconnect Sports Performance Masterclass is the latest in a line of successful and insightful events this year and will gather industry professionals to discuss and share best practice on sports performance.

Invitation Policy: The Sports Performance Masterclass is an exclusive invite only event to senior industry executives and other similar positions at governing bodies, federations, teams/clubs and brands only.

To register your interest please contact Sylvia-Line Lamaro at sylvia-line@isportconnect.com

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World Rugby has confirmed that France, Ireland, Italy and South Africa have all registered an interest to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

All four nations met World Rugby’s deadline of June 15 to submit an interest. The USA had also expressed an interesting in submitting a bid, but ultimately decided against it.

World Rugby Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: “We are delighted with the strong level of Rugby World Cup 2023 hosting interest from unions and governments, which highlights the enormous appeal of Rugby World Cup as a low-risk, high-return economic, social and sporting driver.

“We look forward to further detailed dialogue as the process progresses. 

“Although USA Rugby ultimately decided not to proceed with a formal bid, it was very encouraging that they originally had expressed an interest in hosting rugby’s flagship tournament.

“In the end, they decided to focus instead on other upcoming projects, not least the hosting of Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018, but they are an ambitious and progressive union and I have no doubt they will bid to host Rugby World Cup at some point in the future.”

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