FC Barcelona and Rakuten, a global leader in internet services have extend their partnership for an additional season, once the initial term of the contract expires on June 30, 2021.

This means that Barça and Rakuten are reaffirming their alliance at a time marked by the social and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, extending the partnership to June 30, 2022.

It also means that Rakuten will remain as FC Barcelona’s Main Global Partner and Global Innovation and Entertainment Partner, and its brand name will continue to appear on the front of the first team shirt in the 2021/22 season. The assets included in the extension will be optimized to be more suitable and aligned to the circumstances of the post-pandemic era.

The decision to extend the partnership reflects how FC Barcelona and Rakuten are reasserting their mutual trust and desire to continue working together on new and innovative programs with global impact in the future, like those that have already defined their relationship over the last three years and have helped to position and consolidate their respective brand presences in key international markets.

Play Magnus Group has entered into an agreement with Eurosport for the pan-European and Asian broadcasting rights to the 2021 season of the Champions Chess Tour, the first professional online chess tour.

The game will take its place alongside other premium sporting events on Eurosport’s platforms for viewers in more than 60 markets across Europe and Asia. The rights do not apply in Norway.

Play Magnus Group CEO Andreas Thome said: “We are happy and proud for this important collaboration. By partnering with a leading sports network like Eurosport, we are able to bring chess entertainment to a whole new audience and extend our reach globally. Instead of exploring a traditional sale of rights, we have decided to focus on working closely together with Eurosport to develop the sport of chess. At this stage, securing wide distribution is critical for attracting commercial partners for the Champions Chess Tour and building the value of chess broadcast rights over time.”

Trojan Paillot, VP Rights Acquisitions and Distribution at Eurosport, said:“Chess has a great potential to attract a dedicated, global audience and Eurosport has a proven track record in its ability to increase awareness of a sport and establish a solid platform for rights holders to grow their fanbase and attraction towards new territories. Play Magnus Group is known for innovating and modernising a game played by over 650 million people globally. Eurosport will facilitate and fasten the development of the game thanks to a combined linear and digital approach, bringing Chess to the widest number of people through our broadcast and distribution operations.”

The rights for Eurosport do not apply in Norway. Play Magnus Group announced on 15 October 2020 that NRK and TV 2 jointly have purchased the broadcasting rights for The Champions Chess Tour in Norway.

The Champions Chess Tour was started as a response to the Covid-19 outbreak in the spring of 2020, when all physical chess tournaments were cancelled. The first season, which went by the name Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour, was the first professional online chess tour and became a great success with over 17 million unique viewers. The tour included 5 tournaments, and 25 of the world’s best players participated.

In the 2021 season of the Champions Chess Tour, which runs from November 2020 to September 2021, Magnus Carlsen and the world’s top players will compete over ten tournaments for a total prize fund of USD 1.5 million. The tour features fast-paced, exciting rapid-format chess with all games played on www.chess24.com. Beginning on November 22, fans will experience coverage from the world’s best commentators, opportunities to interact with the players, and a modern broadcast production that highlights the excitement and emotions of chess.

Cricket Australia has signed a new broadcast deal with streaming platform LIVENow that will show Australia’s 2020-21 summer of cricket in 70 countries across mainland Europe and Asia.

The deal includes all international matches on India’s tour of Australia this summer as well as the KFC BBL and select games from the Rebel WBBL, starting from Wednesday.

The star-studded Indian side led by skipper Virat Kohli will face Australia in six white-ball internationals, starting in late November, before the showpiece Border-Gavaskar Test series in December and January.

“Cricket is a truly global sport, and we’re really excited to be partnering with LIVENow to take cricket to as many countries as possible through this ground-breaking new partnership,” said Nick Hockley, Cricket Australia’s interim CEO.

“We know there are thousands of Australian and Indian expats living across Europe and Asia. They’re going to be able to enjoy every ball of what is shaping up to be a massive summer of cricket in Australia.”

The men’s internationals and both BBL competitions will be available to watch on LIVENow in Japan as well as more than 50 European countries, including France and Germany, while the two Big Bash tournaments will be available in 18 Asian countries including Singapore, Hong Kong and Indonesia.

LIVENow is a subscription-based service that live streams sports, music events and entertainment on a pay-per-view basis.

“To bolster our live sports programming with such great content is a real win for us at LIVENow,” said LIVENow Director, Marc Watson.

“Cricket fans will have plenty to choose from and sports fans looking to discover something new can easily access these matches from home. We’re pleased to be able to showcase the best of what’s on offer and bring Australia’s summer season of cricket to an international audience on LIVENow.”

The British & Irish Lions and SA Rugby have named Castle Lager will be the official title partner of the 2021 Tour of South Africa.

The Castle Lager Lions Series kicks off on Saturday 3 July 2021 and sees the Lions visit some of the most impressive stadiums in world sport culminating in three Test matches against Rugby World Cup champions, the Springboks.

As part of the agreement, Castle Lager will receive a comprehensive range of in-stadia rights, including ticketing, hospitality and pouring, as well as kit branding rights, and access to Springbok and Lions players and coaches.
The deal also sees a newly created, Castle Lager branded Tour Series logo for use across a wide range of broadcasting, merchandising, digital and social media platforms.

The announcement comes off the back of the massive interest in the Castle Lager Lions Series from South African rugby supporters. More than 324,000 applications for tickets have been made since the ballot opened just nine weeks ago, with tickets for the three Test matches being oversubscribed.

It also coincides with the launch of the Castle Lager Lions Series dedicated website www.lionsseries.com and social media channels, where rugby supporters can keep up to date with all the latest Tour news, read and watch exclusive content, as well as enter competitions to win merchandise.  

“Castle Lager has extensive experience in rugby sponsorship, and we are delighted that they have made such a significant commitment to supporting the Tour,” said Ben Calveley,British & Irish Lions Managing Director.

The new partnership with Castle Lager reaffirms the brand’s commitment to SA Rugby and the Springboks having first begun its association in 1997.
“This represents a hat-trick for our friends at South African Breweries,” said Jurie Roux, CEO of SA Rugby.

“They have now been the series partner for all three British & Irish Lions tours to South Africa in the professional era: first under the Lion brand in 1997 and now with Castle Lager for the 2009 and 2021 tours.

“It’s a tribute both to their enduring support for South African rugby but also to the appeal of the sport and of a tour by the British & Irish Lions.
“The first two professional series to South Africa were epic events that entranced the rugby nation. I am sure next year’s edition will be the same.”

The Castle Lager Lions Series begins on Saturday 3 July 2021 when the Lions face the DHL Stormers in Cape Town. Three weeks later the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg will host the first Test – a venue which previously hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final.

The second Test follows on Saturday 31 July at the Cape Town Stadium before returning to Gauteng for the final Test on Saturday 7 August at Emirates Airline Park, the storied venue of the 1995 Rugby World Cup final.

“We are very proud to become the official title partner for such a massive sporting event in the Lions Tour,” said Castle Lager Brand Director, Kudzi Mathabire.

“Castle Lager has an established track record of enhancing the sports events it is associated with, and we look forward to working with the Lions and SA Rugby to create a truly memorable Series”.

The Mayor of London has joined forces with esports org LDN UTD to provide participants from across the capital with a unique opportunity to pursue a career in one of the world’s fastest growing industries.

Esports is competitive video gaming and seen as the fastest growing consumer industry in the world, with gamers from all over the world competing and forging successful careers in titles such as FIFA, Fortnite, and League of Legends.

The LDN UTD Inter-Borough Esports Championships will use the power of esports and education to tackle rising rates of youth unemployment.

Young people across the Boroughs of Hackney, Kingston, Lambeth and Lewisham will be able to sign up to a range of digital workshops, hosted in partnership with Staffordshire University London, Salford University and the University of East London. The workshops will be themed around a variety of topics including video editing, social media management and graphic design – all skills that have been a contributing factor in making esports a billion-pound industry worldwide, with global audiences eclipsing 500 million already in 2020.

Each workshop is designed to give participants a taste of the skills required to forge a career in that given industry, and how those skills are transferable into the world of esports. Leading experts and special guests will offer unique insights throughout the workshops, including FaZe Clan’s FaZe Tass – one of esports biggest names. There will also be the opportunity for some participants to further their education and experience through work experience or an internship with LDN UTD – the esports org that unites gaming and esports with social responsibility – and other industry partners.

In tandem with the digital workshops, budding gamers from the four Boroughs will go head-to-head in the inaugural LDN UTD Inter-Borough Esports Championships, which will give players the option of competing in either FIFA ‘21 or NBA 2K from 5th – 19th December. The tournament will be broadcast live across streaming platform Twitch and hosted by Rambo, founding member of LDN UTD’s Social Impact Thinktank and lead FIFA content creator.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “The growth of esports over the past 12 months has been considerable. The industry is generating millions of pounds for our economy, as well as creating much needed jobs for our community, particularly here in London. With that growth comes a level of responsibility, and I am proud that my Sport Unites programme is able to help fund LDN UTD, an organisation who are using their platform and the power of esports.”

Oliver Weingarten, Founder and CEO of LDN UTD said: “The broader perception of esports is often focused around the very best individuals or teams competing in global tournaments – but in reality, there are lots of other roles that play a vital part in creating this hyper-modern entertainment form and we’re hoping to shine a light on that over the coming months.

As the epicenter of the UK’s esports industry, we want to encourage young people from across London that this isn’t just something you do at home with your friends, it really is a viable career option.”

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, SportAccord and GAISF President Dr. Raffaele Chiulli, and World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised sport’s resilience and influence at today’s fully virtual International Federation (IF) Forum 2020, with IFs assured that preparations are being put in place to deliver safe Olympic Games next year.

SportAccord and GAISF President Dr. Raffaele Chiulli, referring to the theme of the IF Forum 2020 – ‘How Sport and Society Can Emerge Stronger from a Global Crisis’ – commended sport’s collective response to the pandemic.

“By working together and tapping into the experiences and knowledge of our colleagues across the world today, we have a huge learning resource at our disposal,” Dr. Chiulli said.

“This year has provided many challenges, but I think it is also important to recognise that our movement will be able to look back on 2020 with a lot of pride. I have been truly inspired to see the creativity of International Sport Federations in how they have engaged followers and stakeholders through innovative channels and campaigns.”

The International Olympic Committee President told the IF Forum’s delegates that collaborative work with the organising committee and other partners and stakeholders, including IFs, will ensure Tokyo is “the best prepared Olympic city” for the postponed Games.

He added to IF representatives, who were tuning in worldwide: “The health and safety of all concerned has always been and remains our top priority. Because of the fast-changing situation, we may not yet have all of the answers to the operational questions that are at the top of the minds of all IFs, but please rest assured that we are developing a toolbox of Covid countermeasures for every possible scenario.”

“In this context, the encouraging developments in so-called rapid testing and vaccines give us all good reason for cautious optimism. These developments will greatly facilitate the safe organization and give us additional countermeasure tools. In this way, we are prepared for safe Olympic Games, whatever conditions the world will be facing next summer.”

Dr. Tedros, who has been at the forefront of the international response to the pandemic, pledged WHO’s support to IFs, sports, event organising committees, sportspeople and fans.

“Working with representatives here today, we have issued guidance on running safe events. It calls for a risk-based approach to decide if and how an event should proceed,” Dr. Tedros said.

“It is up to each of us to reinforce the essential role of sport as an enabler for better health, and WHO continues to strengthen our collaborations with sports entities, Federations and athletes. We are working to ensure that sports can be practiced safely, both at amateur and professional levels.”

Cycling’s governing body the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Eurosport Events have unveiled the official name, logo, short introductory film, revised schedule and brand ambassadors for their new track cycling series set to debut a year today.

The UCI Track Champions League – the project for which was presented in March 2020 under its working title UCI Track Cycling World League – promises to be one of the most exciting, dynamic events on the cycling calendar. It aims to expand the global fanbase of the track discipline through fast, shorter-format racing where every race matters, the stakes are high and only the best athletes qualify.

Today’s brand identity reveal is the first step that the UCI and Eurosport Events are taking together to reinvent the profile of track cycling. The name ‘UCI Track Champions League’ reflects a joint commitment to the prestige of elite sporting competition in each race. The bold circular logo depicts the track itself, with diagonal lines overlaid across it to convey the high speed of riders around it. It is the embodiment of a new type of event ready to capture the imagination of track and cycling followers globally.

With interest in track cycling naturally reaching a high during any Olympics Games, the UCI Champions League will ultimately be the culmination of an incredible year for the discipline. From Tokyo for the postponed 2020 Olympics in August, to Turkmenistan for the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in October, and finally to six iconic velodromes in Europe for the UCI Track Champions League, the best international sprint and endurance riders are set to take centre-stage in the cycling world.

The UCI and Eurosport Events reviewed the schedule for the inaugural season – originally set to start in November 2021 and end in February 2022 – announced earlier this year. Today they have confirmed that the UCI Champions League will instead be held across six consecutive weekends between November and December 2021.

The new shorter schedule mirrors the action-packed format of the racing itself. Male and female athletes will battle it out to emerge as champions in a compelling programme of Individual Sprint, Keirin, Elimination and Scratch races. Races will all be completed in one day and broadcast over a two-hour regular slot over the six weekends. The revised schedule will allow the stakes to heat up on the track and keep fans invested in the story of the competition week after week.

The nine best-placed riders in Individual Sprint and Keirin, as well as all medallists of bunch races at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships, will gain selection for the first UCI Track Champions World League. Riders at the UCI Track Champions League will then be eligible to gain coveted points towards the next UCI Track Cycling World Championships.

Acting as official ambassadors of the UCI Track Champions League will be two legends of track competition at an Olympic and International level: Kristina Vogel and Sir Chris Hoy MBE. Vogel, from Germany, is an eleven-time UCI World Champion and has won two gold medals and a bronze medal at the Olympic Games. Hoy, from the UK is the most successful track cyclist in history, with 6 Olympic golds, 11 World titles and 34 World Cup golds to his name.

Vogel and Hoy will be participating in the broadcast of the 2021 UCI Track Champions League on Eurosport, the ‘Home of Cycling,’ and its sister streaming platform Global Cycling Network. The joint production team, who are responsible for broadcasting the most famed races on the cycling calendar, will give millions of viewers access to innovative, fan-first digital content.

Whilst the official launch of the UCI Track Champions League will take place in March 2021 – when final details about the racing format and prizes will be confirmed – UCI and Eurosport Events have today released a teaser film along as a first glimpse of the action on the track. Watch the film on the brand-new UCI Track Champions League website at ucitrackchampionsleague.com.

UCI President, David Lappartient declared: “Today, together with our partner Eurosport Events, we are pleased to present the name, logo and ambassadors of the future track cycling circuit, specially designed for television fans. From November to December 2021, the UCI Track Champions League will bring together the world’s best sprinters and endurance specialists over six closely spaced weekends in short formats, with the aim of broadening the discipline’s audience to a new, thrill-seeking public. With its strong visual identity, its legendary ambassadors, and its compact calendar, the new track competition promises to bring a breath of fresh air to a historic discipline of our sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

François Ribeiro, Head of Eurosport Events said: “Last March 1st, at Berlin UCI Track Cycling World Championships, Discovery and UCI took a long-term joint commitment to bring track cycling into a new dynamic under a revamped sporting format. The Covid-19 pandemic did not affect that ambition: 12 months ahead of kick-off by November 2021, we are super excited to reveal UCI Track Champions League identity. That brand says it all: highest sporting standards, designed for champions only, spectacular venues, unique on-event experience, global coverage. 2021 will be a big year for international track cycling: Olympic Games in August, World Championships in October, and UCI Track Champions League with 6 events over November and December, possibly in Europe only for the first season. As a promoter, Eurosport Events and GCN are aiming to create each year a strong climax for track cycling, away for road season, with an intense narrative for fans.”

Kristina Vogel, Ambassador to the UCI Track Champions League said: “I am thrilled to be working with the UCI and Eurosport Events in my capacity as official Ambassador to the UCI Track Champions League. Their vision is an exciting one: to create a race that is not only going to be an amazing sporting spectacle, but that will draw track cyclists from across over the world to take on the ultimate high stakes challenge. The new UCI Track Champions League aims to place emphasis on the experience of the riders themselves, so it is humbling for me to be consulted as part of the development of the inaugural season as Ambassador. I’m very much looking forward to the action on the track kicking off next year.”

Sir Chris Hoy MBE, Ambassador to the UCI Track Champions League said: “I’m excited to reveal my new role as Ambassador today alongside multiple Olympic and UCI World Champion Kristina Vogel. The UCI Track Champions League is set to bring the action and atmosphere of track cycling closer to viewers than ever before. After a long career on the track experiencing that adrenaline rush first hand, I’m pleased the cycling discipline is being recognised by Eurosport Events as one to promote on a global level.”