General Mills Partners The Aphetor Games To Strengthen Engagement With Gen-Z

Snack bar brand Nature Valley from General Mills has announced a pan-European partnership with The Aphetor Games, a new content-first sports event for influencers and content creators, as part of its bold strategy to strengthen its engagement with Gen-Z.

Thirty-five of the world’s best content creators, with a combined audience reach of over 70 million followers, will meet in Rhodes, Greece are going head-to-head in 6 epic challenges across 5 days since 11th July till 16th July.

The Aphetor Games is making a lot of noise in the sports and marketing sectors through its disruptive, non-exclusive approach to content creation and distribution. Aphetor’s open-source model enables the influencers themselves to create and publish content on their own channels and is designed to be an antidote to the declining audience figures for traditional sport driven by the born digital generation’s changing media consumption patterns.

Nature Valley is working with Aphetor to inspire the audience to build on their European “Get Out More” campaign by co-creating the Nature Valley Splash and Dash, one of Aphetor’s main challenges, as well as working with a hand-selected, pan-European squad of competing Creators, including Nife Agunbiade to create a wide range of content from the event. In addition, Nature Valley and Aphetor will develop a unique A/R Filter Game on Instagram, which will allow the audience to ‘Get Out More’ themselves and compete as virtual Aphetors against the participating creators and win Nature Valley prizes as rewards for being active.

The event is content-creator heaven, with production crews, cameras, editors, designers, publishers, and talent managers already on-site – enabling the delivery of world class content at pace. The authentic integration of Nature Valley’s products and brand into the resulting content ecosystem delivers efficiencies in pan-european scale, reach and engagement that more traditional media can’t match.

Aphetor co-founder, Carsten Thode, said: “Nature Valley and Aphetor share a bold vision to be restlessly innovative and culturally relevant to target the born digital generation. Our model is revolutionising how audiences consume sports and entertainment content, Aphetor providing a blank canvas for the biggest content creators in the world to capture and distribute content across their channels. Rhodes, Greece, will provide a stunning backdrop for Aphetor Rising, and the opportunity for Nature Valley to reach new audiences.”

Arjoon Bose, Europe-Australasia Head of Culture & Brand Experience for parent company General Mills said: “With our organisational focus on bold brand building and modern marketing leaning into the culture capital of today, Aphetor Games with their disruptive model and vision of creating ‘the outdoor Olympics of content creators’ grabbed our attention.

“The partnership will genuinely enable us to inspire the digital native to ‘’get out more’’ which is our ethos of Nature Valley and reach younger audiences, through the lens of their creator heroes with the positive uplifting content they crave on their go-to social destination with everyday outdoor challenges which is different from traditional sports. Working with the pan-European creator squad will also serve as a future-forward experimentation to drive relevance and reach as a regional digital ecosystem for the brand for the first time.’’

The Seven Network To Broadcast Extreme E In Australia

Premier Australian media company, the Seven Network, has today confirmed it will broadcast innovative electric race series, Extreme E, on its free-to-air network and market-leading BVOD platform, 7plus.

Seven, which is part of Seven West Media, will air Extreme E’s one-hour highlights programmes throughout its capital cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, and regional Queensland.

Produced following each of its five X Prixs, the highlights show features the best of Extreme E’s electric-SUV race action from remote corners of the planet affected by the climate crisis. Already in 2021, the championship has ventured to the deserts of Saudi Arabia in April, followed by the beaches of Senegal in May. Next stop is Greenland in August, where viewers will witness Australia’s top female rally star and current Extreme E championship leader Molly Taylor and her Swedish teammate Johan Kristofferson along with off-road legends Sébastien Loeb, Carlos Sainz Snr and Jutta Kleinschmidt, battle it out for racing honours on the edge of the ice cap – all with the aim of shining a spotlight on the devastating effects of climate change on the world’s most vulnerable ecosystems.

Seven West Media is one of Australia’s most prominent media companies, with a market-leading presence in content production across broadcast television, publishing and digital.

The company is home to some of Australia’s most renowned media businesses, including the Seven Network and its affiliate channels 7two, 7mate, 7flix; broadcast video on demand platform 7plus; 7NEWS.com.au; The West Australian; and The Sunday Times.

With iconic brands including Australia’s leading news and breakfast programs 7NEWS and Sunrise, Big Brother, SAS Australia, Farmer Wants A Wife, The Voice, Dancing With The Stars: All Stars, Home and Away and Better Homes and Gardens, Seven West Media is also the broadcast partner of the AFL, Cricket Australia, Supercars and the Olympics.

Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer at Extreme E, said: “Australia is a hugely important territory for Extreme E and so we are delighted that its premier network Seven will be broadcasting our excellent highlights shows.

“Australia is undoubtedly way ahead of the curve when it comes to concern for the environment so I am confident that audiences here will really identify with what is at the heart of Extreme E. Our mission to race without trace whilst simultaneously raising awareness of climate issues, means it is vital that our series reaches as many people as possible throughout the world.

“Working with Seven not only provides viewers in Australia with a thrilling and innovative motorsport championship – and one that Australian female superstar Molly Taylor happens to be leading – but also helps convey the benefits of electrification through our entertaining broadcast package.”

Managing Director Seven Melbourne and Head of Network Sport, Lewis Martin, said: “We’re rapt to add Extreme E to Seven’s unrivalled motorsport line-up, starting with the highlights of next month’s Arctic X Prix in Greenland. Extreme E is an exciting new format fans will love and the Aussie public will get right behind Seven motorsport’s own Molly Taylor as she bids to take out the inaugural championship.

“It adds to a massive year on Australia’s Home of Motorsport, which already includes the Supercars Championship – headlined by October’s iconic Bathurst 1000 – and the TCR Australia Series.”

Paris 2024 Adds Sanofi As Premium Partner

Sanofi will become a Premium Partner of Paris 2024 for the Olympic and Paralympic Games being held in Paris in 2024.

Paris will become the second city to host the summer Olympic Games three times with the last Games held in Paris 100 years ago in 1924.

For Sanofi, whose headquarters are based in Paris, this commitment to Paris 2024 is a unique opportunity to engage its 100,000 employees in one of the largest sporting events in the world.

Sanofi’s commitment to Paris 2024 also highlights the company’s societal impact strategy and affirms its commitment to the values ​​of inclusion, diversity and openness to the world, as well as its environmental ambition.

The company welcomes the desire of Paris 2024 foster the values of the Games to make them even more open to the public and more sustainable and intends to contribute by highlighting the benefits of physical activity on health.


Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson added: “Sanofi is proud to contribute to the success of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024. It represents a great opportunity to unite our employees around values ​​shared with the Olympics and Paralympics, such as inclusion and diversity, openness to the world, courage, determination and excellence.”

As with the work the Company has been doing with the Sport dans la ville association for more than 15 years to integrate young people socially and professionally, sport is a vector of hope and perseverance. Sporting events bring progress and each year, Sanofi employees from throughout the world are actively involved in raising awareness among the population about the impact of diseases and on the daily lives of patients who suffer from them.


Tony Estanguet, Chairman of Paris 2024, said: “I am happy that a leading French company like Sanofi is joining the Paris 2024 adventure. We share the same values ​​of high standards, creativity and sharing, and the same desire to be useful. Sanofi’s mobilization alongside us will enable us to promote the Games throughout France, to share the benefits of sport with as many people as possible, and to contribute to a more active and healthier society.”

Finally, through this partnership and the engagement programs that will be offered by Paris 2024, the French Company intends to mobilize its employees and its sites in Paris and throughout France to contribute to the success of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in its native country.

Serge Weinberg, Chairman of Sanofi’s Board of Directors, comments:
“Paris 2024 will be a major global event for France and it is important for Sanofi to contribute to its success. The Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 will highlight Sanofi’s exceptional footprint in France and our contribution to the dynamism of its regions.”

AC Milan Makes OPPO Italy Official Mobile Partner

AC Milan and OPPO Italy has signed a new partnership that sees the Italian branch of one of the leading smart device brands become the new Official Mobile Partner of the Rossoneri.

This new deal represents a meeting point for two globally recognised excellences in their respective fields, always projected towards a future in the name of innovation.

OPPO Italy and AC Milan have always pursued perfection through a pioneering approach to offer the most advanced solutions in their respective sectors and to ensure the best possible performances.

On the one hand, OPPO is characterised by its constant research in terms of innovation and design, thus raising technological standards day after day through an increasingly rich ecosystem. On the other hand, AC Milan shares this performance-oriented vision with an innovative approach to constantly deliver cutting-edge ideas and solutions for tomorrow.

The new partnership, which will officially kick off today with an event at Il Centro di Arese attended by Honorary Vice-President Franco Baresi and brand ambassador Daniele Massaro, is an important opportunity for OPPO Italy to work closely with the Rossoneri to create joint exclusive events and initiatives, with the aim of connecting and exciting all sports, tech, innovation and style fans.

Casper Stylsvig, AC Milan Chief Revenue Officer, said: “AC Milan is a modern and innovative Club, some characteristics that we share with OPPO, a dynamic and globally renowned brand. That is why we are proud to welcome OPPO to the Rossoneri family and we are sure that we are going to be able to show our values through joint initiatives.”

“We are delighted to become the Official Mobile Partner of AC Milan, one of the most famous Italian and international clubs. The perfect combination of orientation, innovation and enhancement of excellence that brings our brands together will allow us to create unique and engaging projects. This important collaboration is the opportunity to showcase our rich ecosystem and to further expand our fan base to all Rossoneri fans,” commented Li Ming, General Manager at OPPO Italia.

This partnership is part of OPPO Italy’s broader strategy and further confirms the actual support and strong commitment of the company in sports. A strategy designed to ignite the passion for the game, to bring more and more people closer to sports in general, and to support new generations of sportspersons, in perfect continuity with OPPO’s values marked by innovation, high-level performance and perfection.

2021 World Rowing Championship Regatta, Shanghai Cancelled

Due to the pandemic and related mitigation measures, the Shanghai Organising Committee (OC) believes that it is not feasible to stage the 2021 World Rowing Championships and has proposed to cancel the event.

Taking into account all information received, the World Rowing Executive Committee has accepted this proposal and decided to cancel the event.

An official statement read: “World Rowing very gratefully acknowledges the hard work of the Shanghai OC and the Chinese Rowing Association, and considerable investments into rowing made by the Government of Shanghai and looks forward to the time when international rowing can come back to China.”

MLB And Mastercard Renew Partnership

Mastercard and Major League Baseball (MLB) have announced a multi-year extension of their partnership and Mastercard’s ongoing role as Presenting Sponsor of the All-Star Game.

This builds on Mastercard’s more than 20-year history of delivering Priceless experiences and innovation to baseball fans in stadiums as well as across MLB viewing channels.

Through the partnership, Mastercard is also providing MLB fans with enhanced payment technologies at the game and throughout the season by working closely with MLB, point-of-sale providers and concessionaires in stadiums. Mastercard and MLB will work together to support a contactless and cashless environment through the integration of touchless contactless point of sale systems and reverse ATMs, as well as provide an enhanced e-commerce checkout experience with Click to Pay on MLB digital platforms (MLB.TV, Tickets.com and MLBshop.com). Leveraging Mastercard technology, MLB enhanced the 2021 MLB All-Star Game ballot voting by deploying Mastercard’s NuDetect® fraud detection technology to ensure a seamless and accurate count throughout the two-phase fan-voting process.

Mastercard and MLB continue to team up to provide consumers Priceless experiences that unlock exclusive access and bring fans closer to their passions both at home as well as in-person. Further, as both longstanding partners of Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C), Mastercard and MLB work together to deliver Priceless experiences that help consumers give back and help fund groundbreaking cancer research. Priceless experiences launched in support of Stand Up To Cancer leading up to the All-Star Game include, but are not limited to:

  • The Mastercard Ballpark Sensory Experience: A multi-sensory unboxing experience that brings the sight, sound, taste, touch and scent of legendary MLB ballparks into your home for the ultimate at-home baseball fan experience. Plus, bid in our auction for once-in-a-lifetime in-stadium Priceless experiences too. 100% of the purchase amount to be donated to SU2C to help cancer research. For more information click here.
  • Field of Dreams™ Experience: Win an overnight stay for four at the original farmhouse used to film Field of Dreams™ in Dyersville, Iowa, on August 12, 2021, during the MLB at Field of Dreams presented by Geico between the Yankees and White Sox. Experience provides guided access to the original filming locations from the 1989 Universal Pictures film and the new MLB field to take in the game. 100% of the purchase amount to be donated to SU2C to help cancer research.
  • Digital Stand Up To Cancer Placard: Consumers can join the MLB All-Star Game placard moment virtually on July 13th to honor those affected by cancer by displaying a digital SU2C placard that will be made available to use on Snapchat.

“Mastercard has been an incredible partner to Major League Baseball for more than two decades and we take a lot of pride in this great relationship that we’ve forged together,” said Noah Garden, MLB Chief Revenue Officer. “The partnership between Mastercard and MLB has truly evolved over the years as technology and our fans’ habits have evolved. Mastercard helped us bring new payment technologies to the forefront for our fans over the years and we are going to continually innovate this space together for the benefit of baseball fans everywhere.”

Sky NZ Secures Exclusive Rights For FIFAWWC2023

FIFA has awarded the exclusive rights in New Zealand for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ to Sky Network Television Ltd (“Sky”).

As part of the agreement, Sky will show all 64 matches of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, the biggest event in the international women’s game, on its Sky platforms in New Zealand. One match per day, including the key matches in the tournament and all games involving the New Zealand team (commonly known as the Football Ferns), will be made available nationwide on a free-to-air basis to encourage even more viewers to experience and enjoy women’s football.

The Sky coverage of the tournament will reach fans across all platforms with highlights, support programming and other digital content.

Sky was a Media Rights Licensee in New Zealand for the 2019 edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ and will extend its coverage for the 2023 tournament. Sky has committed to supporting the growth and development of the women’s game and bringing women’s football to the widest possible audience in New Zealand. With a reach of over three million households, Sky is the leading pay TV operator in New Zealand, which will provide a unique opportunity to engage with fans across the country and promote the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

Sarai Bareman, FIFA’s Chief Women’s Football Officer, said: “FIFA is excited to welcome Sky as our official broadcaster of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 for New Zealand. Sky has shown a strong track record of broadcasting women’s football in New Zealand and this deal will provide unprecedented coverage of the tournament, as well as bringing women’s football to more fans and new audiences. We look forward to working with Sky to promote the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 to accelerate the growth and visibility of the women’s game in New Zealand in the lead-up to 2023.”

Sky CEO Sophie Moloney said: “We are truly honoured to have been chosen to deliver the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Aotearoa New Zealand and thank the FIFA team for the confidence they have placed in us. We are committed to supporting the growth and development of the women’s game alongside our support for women in sport across dozens of other codes, athletes, teams and communities throughout Aotearoa.”

The deal with Sky concludes the sale of media rights in the two host markets, following FIFA’s announcement of the award of the exclusive media rights in Australia to Optus Sport on 4 June.

J Sports Bolsters Cycling Portfolio With Amaury Sport Organisation Partnership

Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.) and J SPORTS have signed an agreement to extend exclusive broadcast rights in Japan for A.S.O.’s major events portfolio.

This agreement, which includes the Tour de France, La Vuelta, Paris-Roubaix, Critérium du Dauphiné, Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège…, strengthens the dominant position of J SPORTS as the “home of cycling”.

Announced today, during the final week of the 2021Tour de France, this new rights agreement will extend the fruitful and trusting partnership between J SPORTS and A.S.O, which began in 1998.

From 2023, J SPORTS will offer its subscribers live coverage of over 20 A.S.O. events thanks to its multi-platform coverage (including linear television channels as well as its OnDemand digital OTT platform).

As part of the extended agreement, J SPORTS has also retained the exclusive Japanese rights to the Dakar Rally, the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris, as well as adding other men’s and women’s cycling events, in particular the freshly announced Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, to be launched in July 2022.

J SPORTS Corporation President, Ichiro Hase said: “We are thrilled to extend and expand our long-standing partnership with A.S.O. This early new agreement shows the strength of our relationship and the shared vision and commitment to further develop the enormous value of the Tour de France and many other A.S.O. organized events.

The deal ensures that J SPORTS continues to be the “home of cycling” with all three Grand Tours and prestigious classics, and to pursue our mission to deliver the races full of heart-pounding action live to millions of fans across Japan for many more years to come. By the expansion of the line-up and with more women’s races included, it will also be a powerful driver of our business to succeed in the fast-changing environment surrounding media and sport. Our brands share a great history and a very exciting future together.”

A.S.O. Managing Director, Yann Le Moënner said: “We are proud to extend our partnership with J SPORTS, who have contributed to building the Tour de France brand in Japan on and off the screen.

We value the expertise of J SPORTS in bringing the essence of our events into Japanese homes through original programming and state-of-the-art production innovations. We are pleased that this knowledge and this quest for excellence can continue to benefit the Tour de France, La Vuelta, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the Dakar Rally, Paris-Roubaix and many other events.”

International Media Productions Bags ‘Race Of Champions’ Media Rights Distribution

International Media Productions (IMP) and SPORTFIVE have announced a multi-year partnership, which focuses on the comprehensive and worldwide media rights distribution for all ‘Race Of Champions’ (ROC) events from 2022 onwards.

IMP – the rights-holder, promoter, and organizer of the ROC events – hereby trusts SPORTFIVE in its capacity as an international sport business agency with vast experience in the field, a global sales force and the suitable, comprehensive network to distribute and commercialize the international media rights of the event.

The overall ROC event as well as the partnership between IMP and SPORTFIVE involves the ROC Nations Cup, to find the world’s fastest nation, and the individual Race Of Champions, to crown the Champions of Champions. The ROC World Final 2022 will take place on the 5th and 6th of February as the largest event in the Swedish Norrbotten region on the frozen Baltic Sea at Pite Havsbad.

For now, among others motorsport stars such as Mattias Ekström (2x DTM Champion & FIA World Rallycross Champion), LeMans winner Tom Kristensen, X-Game gold medallist and US-legend Travis Pastrana, Johan Kristoffersson (3 x FIA World Rallycross Champions and winner of the two first Extreme e races), Petter Solberg (2x FIA World Rallycross Champion, 1x FIA World Rally Champion) and rising WRC Star Oliver Solberg are already confirmed as participants – with more popular world stars to be announced in the coming weeks and leading up to the event.

The 2022 World Final event is striving for carbon-neutral operations as ROC’s promoter and its host venue are committed to setting a high bar with regard to sustainability in motorsports.

Fredrik Johnsson, President of IMP/Race Of Champions, states: “We are very happy to partner with SPORTFIVE for the broadcasting rights. Their extensive international experience is very important to support the growing global exposure of the Race Of Champions.”

Tigran Sirunyan, Senior Vice President Media at SPORTFIVE adds: “We are delighted to partner with IMP for the distribution of this traditional global motorsport event and to deliver the action to as many motorsport fans as possible across the globe.”

Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment Names Thaddeus “Tad” Brown As CEO

Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) Co-Founders Josh Harris and David Blitzer have named Thaddeus “Tad” Brown as Chief Executive Officer.

In his role as CEO, Brown will oversee all business and growth functions for the HBSE brand and its properties, including the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Devils and Prudential Center. Brown begins with the organization on Tuesday, Aug. 3.

“We are thrilled to welcome Tad to the HBSE family,” said HBSE Co-Founder Josh Harris. “Tad is an exceptional leader in our industry, and one with a deep passion for innovation and community engagement. With nearly twenty years’ experience leading the Houston Rockets and Toyota Center, we are confident that he will bring a fresh energy and new ideas to our teams, organization and local communities.”

“Tad has an extensive track record of success in the sports and entertainment industry, and we are excited to have him on board to lead our elite management team for HBSE’s next chapter,” said Co-Founder David Blitzer. “With his experience and passion for growing businesses and global brands, he is poised to continue our organization’s path forward and reach new levels of achievement.”

Brown joins HBSE after nearly two decades with the Houston Rockets, Toyota Center and Clutch City Sports and Entertainment, 15 of which were spent as CEO. In his role in Houston, he was a member of the NBA’s Board of Governors, served as the representative to the Executive Committee, and served on the league’s Media Committee. Over his tenure, Brown helped position the Rockets as one of the NBA’s premier global franchises, as well as a cornerstone of the Houston community.

The business thrived under his leadership, setting Toyota Center records for sellouts, attendance, total events, and customer satisfaction. Additionally, Houston hosted NBA All-Star Weekend in both 2006 and 2013, as Brown played a key role in making Toyota Center the first NBA building to have two All-Star Games over a seven-year period. His extensive knowledge of media rights helped fuel the Rockets growth, including the creation of the Houston Regional Sports Network in 2012, now established as AT&T SportsNet Southwest.

In 2017, Brown orchestrated the sale of the Rockets by Leslie Alexander to Tilman Fertitta for a then-NBA and global sports franchise record $2.2 billion.

In addition to guiding the business growth and success of the Rockets and Toyota Center, Brown led the organization’s strong community outreach and charitable endeavors. He was past President of the Houston Children’s Charities, served on the Board of the Greater Houston Partnership’s Opportunity Houston Committee and the Board of Central Houston, as well as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Brown’s move to HBSE also reunites him with longtime friend and colleague, Daryl Morey, the 76ers President of Basketball Operations. During their time together in Houston from 2007-2020, the Rockets compiled a 640-400 (.615) record, the second-best of any NBA team, while becoming one of the NBA’s most successful franchises.

“I want to thank Josh Harris and David Blitzer for this incredible opportunity to lead HBSE in its next chapter,” Brown said. “This role not only allows me to work for innovators like Josh and David; it also allows me to work alongside some of the industry’s best talent that has been assembled across the HBSE organization. This is a world-class sports and entertainment organization that cares about the cities and fans it serves. My family and I are thrilled to begin our new journey and I’m eager to help guide HBSE to even greater heights.”

Prior to joining the Rockets, Brown was a Founder and President of Streetball Partners International. For more than a decade, he worked in partnership with NBC Sports and the NBA to build Streetball into the world’s largest global grassroots basketball property.