Taruka Srivastav, Author at iSportConnect

LaLiga Ventures Into Hospitality With TwentyNine’s Concept

LaLiga has unveiled a new hospitality concept: LaLiga TwentyNine’s to promote LaLiga and its clubs around the world.

LaLiga TwentyNine will allow sports fans to experience a full range of sports competitions in a unique and experiential way.

LaLiga TwentyNine’s takes its name from 1929, the year that LaLiga was created. It will combine gastronomy, entertainment, football and other sports in a unique and interactive environment, with technology playing a key role. This is the first time that a sports competition has created a licensing model of this kind on a global scale, generating new opportunities for the industry.

Through this project, LaLiga will deepen fan engagement inside and outside of Spain, while expanding the international image of the competition as well as the LaLiga brand, going beyond football: It’s not football, It’s LaLiga.

Óscar Mayo, business, marketing and international development director at LaLiga, said: “LaLiga TwentyNine’s will mark a before and after in the world of entertainment. We are combining leisure, sports and gastronomy to offer people something they have not seen before. The key will be the unique experiences that will be on offer in this reimagined sports bar.”

LaLiga TwentyNine’s will be spaces that can be found at street level, in shopping malls, airports, within establishments such as hotels, cruise ships or amusement parks. The first of these spaces is expected to open in Barcelona at the start of next year and after this, inside the PortAventura World amusement park in Tarragona.

Unique experiences in a multipurpose space

LaLiga TwentyNine’s will feature different zones where customers will enjoy unique experiences, beyond those created around ElClásico or the derbies of LaLiga Santander.

Part of the space will be dedicated to gastronomy where the culinary experience will take centre stage. There will also be a multipurpose stand that recreates the stands found in LaLiga stadiums, providing spectators with the sensation of being inside the ground itself, surrounded by other fans experiencing the emotion of live sport. Visitors will be able to watch LaLiga matches and other major sporting events from international and local competitions, such as tennis, basketball, or baseball. Special events will also be arranged with LaLiga Santander ambassadors or clinics with coaches from LaLiga clubs.

In addition, the sites will have a zone dedicated to eSports for gamers, a fan engagement area, a merchandising area and a ‘Beat Center’, where fans can learn more about LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank, buy LaLiga products or participate in contests and quizzes about the competition.

For those wishing to further push the boundaries of innovation and gastronomy, a space called B-eat Experience will also be available in certain sites. This premium area will combine unique gastronomic experiences with 360º projections. Designed as an exclusive area, this zone will be created in select LaLiga TwentyNine’s around the world.

All these different areas are designed to be flexible so that they can be built according to the local interests and needs of each territory. However every site will have the same look and feel to give users a consistent image of LaLiga.

Beyond enjoying ElClásico or the derbies of LaLiga Santander, these spaces will be open 365 days a year and will provide exclusive offers to fans, helping them to make LaLiga TwentyNine’s a regular meeting point.

Global presence through Barceló Hotel Group and other partners

To bring the project to a global audience, LaLiga has signed an agreement with Barceló Hotel Group, a Spanish hotel chain with more than 252 hotels in 22 countries, which grants it exclusive rights to LaLiga TwentyNine’s licenses in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

In the words of Sara Ramis, Chief Marketing Officer of Barceló Hotel Group: “From Barceló Hotel Group, we continue to bet on experiential innovation, creating unique and differentiated experiences in our hotels. LaLiga TwentyNine’s is an innovative concept that unites us with a prestigious brand in LaLiga to develop this new concept of sports bar in which our clients will enjoy surprising experiences linked to sports.”

“This ambitious project represents LaLiga’s commitment to innovation in its international development and the creation of new business lines that add value to our clubs,” explained Óscar Mayo. “We are doing this hand in hand with strategic partners that have deep experience in the hospitality or restaurant sector to help take the concept of a traditional sports bar much further through unique user experiences.”

Puerto Rican Football Federation Partners Genius Sports For Live Data

The Puerto Rican Football Federation (FPF) has agreed a new live data partnership with Genius Sports.

As a member of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), the FPF is investing in new technologies to drive its digital transformation, including Football LiveStats, Genius Sports’ data collection system capturing real-time team and player statistics from pitchside.

Key data points including assists, shot locations and time in possession per team will be automatically published across the federation’s websites through configurable Widgets and MatchCentres, providing fans with an enhanced match-day experience.

Data from Football LiveStats will also be integrated with FIFA’s new Competition Management System, automating how the FPF creates squads and fixture lists, allocates referees and collates match reports.

Iván E. Rivera Gutiérrez, President of the FPF, said: “For the Puerto Rican Football Federation (FPF), it is a privilege to sign an agreement with Genius Sports, a prestigious company recognised worldwide. The agreement is a way of being up to date and on par with other technology-level associations and various platforms for the use of competition systems, statistics, website, among others.

“In addition, this agreement will put us on the map at an international level, something that makes us proud as Puerto Ricans who love this sport.”

Fernando Martinez, Head of Commercial, Latam & Caribbean, at Genius Sports, said: “Statistics are at their most valuable when they’re fast, accurate and can provide fans with new and exciting insights. Through Football LiveStats, the FPF is expanding the value and reach of its live data and we look forward to playing such a crucial role in their growth going forward.”

BBC To Show England Cricket Highlights

The BBC will show highlights of every Test and one-day international played by England this summer, starting with the three-Test series against West Indies in July.

It carry highlights of England’s Test summer at prime time in 2020.The corporation also announced that it will broadcast programmes at 7pm on the evening of each day of all three Tests against West Indies in July.

Highlights of the proposed three-match series against Pakistan in August would also be screened by the Beeb, who will also show round-ups of any ODI action that can be staged this summer.

All the programmes will be scheduled on BBC Two and fronted by Isa Guha, the BBC’s new lead cricket presenter. Alison Mitchell, Sir Alastair Cook, Phil Tufnell, Michael Vaughan and Carlos Brathwaite will also be part of the coverage.

DAZN To Reportedly Sell Goal.com For $125m To TPG

DAZN Group is reportedly in talks with investment company TPG to sell Goal.com for $125 million according to the NY Times.

DAZN has been going through tough financial times because of the coronavirus pandemic. DAZN has invested billions of dollars on sports rights in various countries and its online sports streaming business, which has sustained heavy losses in its efforts to grow its subscriber base.

The New York Times further reported that TPG, which has investments in a broad range of other media and entertainment companies, including Spotify and the Creative Artists Agency, would be acquiring Goal through one of its affiliates, according to people familiar with the discussions, who declined to be identified because the deal had yet to close.

The talks, the executives said, started late last year as part of DAZN’s plans to focus and grow the cash-intensive streaming business. Under the proposals for the sale, DAZN has committed to continue working with Goal.

Tijuana To Host WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup 2020

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) has named as the host city for the WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup 2020 from 30 October to 8 November.

The tournament was originally scheduled from 14 to 23 August before being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. The announcement follows the confirmation on Tuesday that the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup will also be held in Tijuana from 12-21 November.

The WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup 2020 is currently scheduled to officially restart the WBSC international baseball calendar, taking place from 30 September to 9 October in Ciudad Obregon and Los Mochis, also in Mexico.

Tijuana will host the fifth edition of the WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup. It will be the third edition played in Mexico.

WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari said: “Having Tijuana confirmed as host of two premier WBSC World Cup events back-to-back represents how much baseball means to the city. This is the first World Cup double header in our history, providing a wonderful opportunity to celebrate baseball and sport as we look forward to the restart of the international calendar.”

World Bowling Signs UN Sports For Climate Action Framework

World Bowling has signed the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework as part of its ongoing efforts to promote bowling as an environmentally friendly sport.

The Sports for Climate Action initiative calls on sporting organisations to acknowledge the contribution of the sports sector to climate change and our responsibility to strive towards climate neutrality for a safer planet.

By signing the Framework which brings more than 100 organisations including the International Olympic Committee (IOC), World Bowling has demonstrated its commitment to playing an important role to ensure the sports sector is on the path to a low-carbon future.

In line with the five core principles enshrined in the Framework, World Bowling will strive to:

Promote greater environmental responsibility;
Reduce the overall climate impact from sports;
Use our platform to educate for climate action;
Promote sustainable and responsible consumption; and
Advocate for climate action through our communications

World Bowling President, Sheikh Talal Mohammed Al-Sabah said: “Joining the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework is a big step forward that we are proud to take. This will provide a perfect opportunity for World Bowling to work closely with the UN, IOC and other sports organisations to develop, implement and enhance the climate action agenda in sport.”

IOC Olympic Movement Sustainability Senior Manager, Julie Duffus said: “The IOC is proud to be working with World Bowling on the Sports for Climate Action Framework to tackle the climate emergency that we face today. Sport has a unique power to bring people together, and tackling the challenges posed by climate change requires large scale collective effort. The Framework provides sport with the perfect opportunity to harness this power and help the world address these challenges. The IOC will work hand in hand with World Bowling, and other sport organisations, to define how sport will address, reduce and adapt to our ever changing climate”.

QubicaAMF CEO, Emanuele Govoni said: “As a partner of World Bowling, we are excited to support the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework. Through some of our newest products, like the EDGE String Pinspotter and advanced string pinspotter technology, we are delivering an economically and environmentally friendly impact through a combination of factors including being energy efficient, reduced power consumption and the need for fewer spare parts.”

RLWC2021 Signs Kuehne+Nagel As Official Logistics Partner

Rugby League World Cup 2021 (RLWC2021) named Kuehne+Nagel, a leading logistics companies as the Official Logistics Partner of the tournament.

As part of the partnership, Kuehne+Nagel will provide logistics services for the Rugby League World Cup, including requirements for all of the 61 matches across the men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments, all 32 participating teams, and the fulfilment of warehousing and storage needs.

Driven by an ethos to support good causes, Kuehne+Nagel has excellent sustainability credentials and rank amongst the 25 most sustainable companies according to the SXI Switzerland Sustainability Index, with the company having a dedicated ambition to make all shipments carbon neutral by 2030. In 2018, RLWC2021 pledged its support to the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework, created to drive emission reductions of sports operations and tap the popularity and passion of sport to engage millions of fans in the effort.

Kuehne+Nagel join Eversheds Sutherland, Deloitte, Manchester Metropolitan University and Kappa as Official Partners of Rugby League World Cup 2021.

Jonathan Neill, Commercial Director at RLWC2021, said: “Our approach to partnerships starts with wanting to work with organisations that align with our values, and share elements of our vision – such as connecting people and bringing communities together – so we can deliver a mutually beneficial partnership. Kuehne+Nagel firmly believes in delivering progress to society and we will both work together to continue to have a positive impact on the world around us.

“By having truly world class partners like Kuehne+Nagel and their market leading capabilities and insight, along with positive engagement to thousands of customers and colleagues, we will be able to deliver the biggest and best ever Rugby League World Cup.”

Brian Cox, National Manager, Kuehne+Nagel UK, added: “We are delighted to be the Official Logistics Partner for RLWC2021 and hugely excited to be part of this tournament. We are really looking forward to working with RLWC2021 and utilising our global transport and logistics network and expertise, to support the success of this event.”