FIFA Names Former TEAM Marketing CEO As Chief Commercial Officer

FIFA has named Simon Thomas as its Chief Commercial Officer.

He was previously CEO of TEAM Marketing, where he was instrumental in driving significant growth in UEFA’s main club competitions. Before this, he worked for other high profile sports organisations, including Nike and the Sydney Olympics. Subsequent to TEAM, he became Global Head of Sport for the international Fox Sports Channel and most recently has been operating his own boutique agency and consultancy. He has very strong leadership credentials and a track record of implementing organisational change.

At the same time, and after three successful years of leading FIFA’s Commercial Division, Philippe Le Floc’h has decided to return to Malaysia for personal reasons and will continue his career in the Asian region.

FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura said: “We are delighted to be bringing Simon on board. His appointment further confirms FIFA’s commitment to forge ahead with the development of our in-house capabilities, the growth of our competitions, and the management of our sporting assets. We believe that we are building the right team to take FIFA to the next level and to extract the full potential from a diverse and dynamic media and sponsorship marketplace, the results of which will be invested straight back into the development of football across the entire world.”

“We also thank Philippe for his valuable contribution over the years and look forward to continuing to work with him in the future.”

Cisco Systems Will Sponsor ZEN-NOH 2019 ITTF Team World Cup

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has signed a partnership with Cisco Systems.

As part of the partnership, Cisco Systems G.K. (Cisco’s operating company in Japan) will become an Official Sponsor of the ZEN-NOH 2019 ITTF Team World Cup, which will take place between 6th – 10th November in Tokyo, Japan. The event will feature the top 12 men’s and women’s national teams as they compete in one of the most prestigious events in the sport.

The ITTF Team World Cup will also serve as a test event for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where Cisco Japan will be a domestic sponsor.

“We are proud to be partnering with the ITTF to bring the 2019 Team World Cup to life in Tokyo. This partnership further showcases Cisco’s commitment to the sport of table tennis and the importance of digital transformation throughout the sports industry as a whole.” – Dave West, President and General Manager, Cisco Systems G.K.

“Having an internationally recognised Fortune 500 company sponsoring one of our major events of 2019, the ITTF Team World Cup, is a reflection of the growth of ITTF events over the past few years. Just as Cisco Systems are pioneers in the world of technology, the ITTF too is breaking new ground in the world of sport and entertainment. I believe that our shared commitment to new and innovative ideas will form the basis for an extremely fruitful partnership.” – Matt Pound, ITTF Marketing Director

Cisco Japan’s partnership with the ITTF builds on existing relationships with Japanese table tennis stars Kasumi Ishikawa and Tomokazu Harimoto. The pair have benefitted from Cisco’s cutting-edge technology which enables players to hone their strategy ahead of matches and stay connected with their coaches and family.

BetVictor NPL Names PlayMaker As League’s First Player Performance Partner

BetVictor Northern Premier Football League (NPL) has signed sports data analytics brand PlayMaker as league’s first player performance partner.

The 12-months deal will see PlayerMaker’s AI-driven boot-mounted device offered to players across the NPL’s 62 semi-professional clubs.

Players at participating NPL clubs will have the opportunity to train wearing the PlayerMaker device, providing the coaches and players with access to a comprehensive set of tailored metrics held securely. The NPL will also be discussing with the FA whether players can wear the PlayerMaker device in competitive matches.

Guy Aharon, CEO and Co-Founder of PlayerMaker, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be acting as the NPL’s official player performance partner over the next year, providing consultation services for performance optimisation and access to a stream of accurate and objective datapoints at a granular level. It is fantastic to see the NPL embracing technology in this way and we look forward to collaborating with their clubs over the coming year.”

Mark Harris, Northern Premier Football League Chairman, said: “The BetVictor Northern Premier League has always led the way in adopting digital technology. We are also committed to helping drive forward standards in coaching and player development. This exciting new partnership with PlayerMaker is the next stage in this journey.”

FIBA Signs A Strategic Partnership With Wanda Until 2031

International basketball governing body FIBA has signed a strategic partnership with Wanda Group.

As part of the agreement, Wanda will continue as a global partner for the next 12 years, covering the next three World Cup cycles. As a global partner, Wanda will have global marketing rights to the next three cycles of the FIBA Basketball World Cups and World Cup Qualifiers, the Women’s Basketball World Cups, the FIBA Continental Cups and also the FIBA Youth World Cups.

Wanda will also receive exclusive marketing rights across a wide range of categories including real estate development, shopping malls, hotels, travel agencies, movie theatres, movie and film production and film studies and amusement and theme parks.

FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis said: “Today is a very important day for FIBA, not only because it is the start of the FIBA Basketball World Cup but it is also the day of a landmark announcement and celebration of this strategic global partnership extension with the Wanda Group.”

“This 12-year extension confirms that Wanda and FIBA together think long-term and share the same vision. With this agreement, Wanda becomes one of the longest partners of FIBA in its 90 years of history.”

Wanda Group Chairman, Wang Jianlin said: “This strategic partnership between the Wanda Group and FIBA will greatly promote the development of basketball globally. It will also bring more top international basketball competitions to China and strengthen basketball’s position as the number one team sport in the country and contribute greatly to its development.”++

Inter Milan To Get Fashionable With Hugo Boss Partnership

FC Internazionale Milano has signed Hugo Boss as its official fashion partner.
The two-year agreement will see Hugo Boss supply all the official uniforms for the players, coaches, directors and technical staff.
The squad will wear BOSS for the first time at the beginning of the Serie A 2019/2020 championship season and at all official club events, including European competitions.

FC Internazionale Milano Corporate CEO Alessandro Antonello. “Inter are the pride of the city of Milan, the global fashion capital. Both Inter and Hugo Boss have always been synonymous with innovation and ambition and we have no doubt that this will be a hugely successful partnership.”

Volker Herre, Managing Director (Southern Europe) at Hugo Boss, had the following to say about the partnership: “Inter are a legendary club and one of the most successful teams in the world. This is why they are the perfect partner for our brand and why we’re really happy about this excellent collaboration.”

FA Signs Deliveroo As England’s First Sleeve Sponsor

FA has entered into an agreement with Deliveroo which will see the restaurant chain become England’s first sleeve sponsor.
As part of the agreement, Deliveroo will also partner with the world’s oldest cup competition, the Emirates FA Cup, with more plans to be rolled out from the 2019-20 season onwards.

Mark Bullingham, The FA’s CEO, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Deliveroo as our latest partner across the England teams and the Emirates FA Cup. Deliveroo is an ambitious and growing company and it’s fitting that they join us at a time when the England teams are going from strength to strength and The Emirates FA Cup is reaching a larger audience than ever before.”

Will Shu, Deliveroo’s founder and CEO, said: “We couldn’t be more excited to support the England teams. Both the men’s and women’s teams are doing incredible things and we’re proud to be playing a part in their success.

“The Emirates FA Cup is a global phenomenon and, as a business that is expanding across the world, we can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.”

Man City Extends Partnership With PZ Cussons

Manchester City has extended its partnership with PZ Cussons’ soap brand, Premier Cool to be the Club’s Official Personal Care Partner in Nigeria.

Through this partnership, Premier Cool has released City-branded personal care products in Nigeria, as well as digital and on-pack promotions to engage with fans and consumers. Premier Cool has also hosted football training sessions across Nigeria, hosted by City coaches and using the Club’s football methodologies.

Premier Cool was launched in Nigeria in 2010 and has recently been relaunched to the market.

Senior vice president of partnerships for City Football Group, Damian Willoughby, commented, “Nigeria is an exciting market for Manchester City – the passion for football is huge and City’s fanbase is growing rapidly. This partnership with PZ Cussons is bringing City right into people’s homes and we are excited to further grow our presence in Nigeria alongside the Premier Cool brand.”

Brand and Activation Manager, Premier, Eniola Ogunlade, said: “After working seamlessly together for the past four years, we can proudly say that it has been a mutually beneficial relationship. This renewed partnership is a confirmation of the immense faith Premier Cool and Manchester City have in each other, as we continue to find innovative ways to offer greater opportunities to our consumers and football fans alike. As you are aware, we have just relaunched the Premier Cool brand to offer even greater value with more variants, and renewing our partnership with the current Premier League champions tells you we mean business and that of course, we want to stay winning. We are very much excited about this next chapter and all I can say is our consumers should expect many more amazing opportunities.”

Warwickshire CCC Joins Forces With Village Gym

Warwickshire County Cricket Club has joined forces with Village Gym as their Official Gym Partner for the next three years.

Village Gym will be the playing squad’s first choice fitness and wellness club, supporting the players’ strength and conditioning programmes.

Village Gym has 30 Clubs nationwide, three of which are local to Birmingham (Solihull, Dudley and Walsall). Each Village Gym offers a large gym floor packed with the latest Technogym equipment, an extensive group exercise class timetable with over 400 classes per month, an indoor, heated swimming pool (with a sauna, steam room and whirlpool) and an experienced personal training team to support its members in reaching their fitness goals, fast.

Located between Shirley and Dickens Heath, Village Gym Solihull will support members of the Warwickshire squad throughout the year, whilst the partnership will also provide squad access to its numerous clubs around the country when the Bears are playing matches away from Edgbaston Stadium.

Ben Seifas, Commercial Partnerships Manager at Edgbaston, said: “Strength and conditioning plays a key role in preparing the players for the demands on the county season, so having access to a leading gym facility is critical to our cricket management team.

“We want to ensure that our players have access to the very best facilities, and Village Gym in Solihull is one of the leading gyms and fitness clubs in the region. We’re thrilled to secure this initial three‐year partnership and look forward to working with the Village team.”

Chris Southall, Leisure Director at Village Gym, said “Village Gym are delighted to be working with Warwickshire CCC and to be supporting the players over what we all hope will prove to be a successful season for them. Village Hotels and Village Gym are delighted to be strengthening our links with the local community, and it’s great for us to be associated with such an iconic stadium as Edgbaston.”

ITTF Signs ZEN-NOH As Title Sponsor For 2019 ITTF Team World Cup

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has named ZEN-NOH as the Title Sponsor of the 2019 ITTF Team World Cup, taking place between 6th – 10th November in Tokyo, Japan.

ZEN-NOH, otherwise known as the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations, is headquartered in Japan. At the 2019 ITTF Team World Cup, ZEN-NOH has exclusivity to the Food & Beverage category.

ZEN-NOH has already built a strong track record in the sport of table tennis, including having been Title Sponsor of the 2014 World Team Table Tennis Championships in Tokyo.

Now as Title Sponsor of the 2019 ITTF Team World Cup, ZEN-NOH will be partnering one of the most prestigious international table tennis events, held every two years, in which the best 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams in the world will lock horns in search of some of the sport’s most highly coveted silverware.

Japan hosted the very first ITTF Team World Cup event in 1990 in the city of Chiba. Twenty-nine years later, the tournament returns to Japanese shores at a crucial moment in the nation’s sporting history. Indeed, the 2019 ITTF Team World Cup serves as a test event for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

“We are delighted that ZEN-NOH returns as Title Sponsor of a major ITTF event in Japan. We look forward to working with the Japan Table Tennis Association (JTTA) and ZEN-NOH to present an exciting and memorable Team World Cup, paving the way to more extensive cooperation in the future at further ITTF events globally.” – Kimberly Koh – ITTF Head of Sponsorship

“We at ZEN-NOH have had a great opportunity in the past to support ITTF events and, through that experience, we are proud to be Title Sponsor of the 2019 Team World Cup. We look forward to welcoming people from around the world with our Japanese food!” – Jinde Genichi, then ZEN-NOH President & CEO, Board of Directors

“As you all may know, since the beginning of this year, both male and female Japanese players have been making great progress around the world. Table Tennis is a hugely popular sport throughout Japan and I look forward to seeing our players putting in proud performances and our fans providing strong support for the success of this event.” – Sadayoshi Fujishige, JTTA President

Eurosport Secures WTA Coverage Rights In Russia From 2020

Eurosport has signed a new four-year deal for exclusive WTA coverage in Russia from 2020.

The new agreement comes in to effect from January 2020 and will see Eurosport cover every major WTA event for the next four years, with up to 47 tournaments worldwide and more than 800 matches produced for broadcast each year available on Eurosport’s online streaming service, Eurosport Player.

Laurent Prud’homme, SVP Rights Acquisitions & Syndication at Eurosport, said: “Expanding our exclusive position in tennis is a major win for fans in Russia, who will enjoy enhanced coverage of the best players in the world, and local heroes, week-in, week-out. With ten Russian players inside the top 100 in the WTA Rankings, interest in tennis has never been greater and Eurosport will power people’s passion for the sport by delivering the best experiences and content across all screens.

“We are delighted to partner with the WTA and look forward to maximising the scale of our relationship to super-serve tennis fans in Russia on all Eurosport platforms and devices. Adding exclusive WTA events to our unprecedented tennis portfolio and innovative coverage of all four Grand Slams and the ATP Tour, means Eurosport truly is the Home of Tennis in Russia.”

“The WTA is thrilled to have partnered with Eurosport to become the exclusive broadcast partner in Russia,” stated Micky Lawler, WTA President. “Russia is one of our top global markets with a history of producing exceptional talent, and we are delighted to join forces with Eurosport in telling the exciting WTA player stories to the Russian fans.”