DAZN Gets Man City Rights In Japan

Manchester City has partnered with sports channel DAZN.

As part of the deal, DAZN will be City’s Official partner in Japan and will be the exclusive live host broadcaster for Galaxy Entertainment EUROJAPAN CUP 2019 – Yokohama F. Marinos vs Manchester City – on 27 July 2019 at Nissan Stadium, Yokohama, Japan.

DAZN has the exclusive rights for 2019-20 EPL in Japan.

Martyn Jones, Executive Vice President, DAZN Japan, commented: “We’re delighted to collaborate with the Premier League Champions Manchester City around their first game in Japan.

“The club share DAZN’s ethos in changing the game and innovating to drive success so this is a natural partnership and will develop foundations to further enhance the clubs relationship with fans in Japan. The timing couldn’t be better for DAZN as we firmly establish ourselves as the No.1 football broadcaster with Premier League rights exclusive for the next three years from August.”

Damian Willoughby, Senior Vice President of Partnerships at City Football Group, said: “We’re delighted to be teaming up with our Official Partner, DAZN, as they continue to creatively push the boundaries in technology and sports consumption. DAZN have been a significant factor in revolutionising football in Japan and are therefore the perfect partner to bring fans of the game closer to Manchester City during our time in market, especially with DAZN becoming the home of all EPL football in Japan for our 19/20 title defence.

Chelsea FC Renews Agreement With Singha Until 2022

Chelsea FC has renewed its partnership with Singha until 2022.

Singha will retain exclusive pouring rights inside Stamford Bridge, while continuing to help engage Chelsea’s growing audience across South-East Asia and in particular, the company’s native Thailand.

The partnership makes Singha Chelsea’s longest-running partnership having begun in 2010.

Chris Townsend OBE, Chelsea Commercial Director, said: ‘It is fantastic news that we have been able to extend our long-term partnership with Singha. They are a highly valued part of the Chelsea family and have been a key factor in our continued popularity in South-East Asia.”

“We have a hugely passionate and ever-growing fanbase in the region, and we are delighted to bring those many supporters closer to the club through our work alongside Singha.”

Voravud Bhirombhakdi, Singha Corporation director, added: “Football is the most popular sport in Thailand and Singha is the country’s leading sponsor of international football. We began to sponsor Chelsea Football Club nine years ago and we are pleased to extend the partnership for another three years.

“Singha has been working with Chelsea promoting football development in Thailand to give Thai people the chance to get close to a world-class football team. At the same time, we would like to share Thai culture through Singha beer to UK football fans. We are looking forward to developing our strong relationship over the coming years.”

Australian Grand Prix To Keep Time With Rolex

Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix 2020 has secured Swiss watch manufacturer Rolex as Title Sponsor.

Chairman and CEO Formula 1, Chase Carey, said: “We are pleased to announce that, as has been the case for many years now, the next FIA Formula One World Championship season will get underway in Melbourne. The Albert Park circuit is one of the most popular venues on the calendar, much appreciated by everyone who works in Formula 1. There can be no better place to start the 2020 season, which will be significant as the sport will celebrate its 70th anniversary.

“We are also pleased that Rolex, who have been one of our Global Partners for many years, will continue to be the title sponsor of the 2020 Australian Grand Prix.”

Acting Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Adem Somyurek, said : “Melbourne is the sports and major events capital of Australia and proud home of the Grand Prix for 25 years. The four days at Albert Park drew 324,100 people through the gates in March, up 10 per cent on 2018. It’s fantastic that we will once again take pole position in 2020.”

Rolex SA, Communication & Image Director, Mr Arnaud Boetsch, said: “The Rolex Australian Grand Prix is always eagerly anticipated, marking the start of another exciting Formula 1 season. This is the pinnacle of motorsport, where success is built on cutting-edge technology, skill and teamwork.

“Rolex is dedicated to the pursuit of perfection in everything it does and we are delighted to enter our eighth year as Title Sponsor of this season-opening race in Melbourne.”

Discovery Names General Manager Of Eurosport Digital

Discovery has appointed Paul Rehrig as General Manager, Eurosport Digital.

Rehrig joins Discovery and Eurosport from AMC Networks where he served for nearly eight years as EVP of Digital and Business Development. Rehrig was responsible for growing revenue from AMC Networks’ global digital partnerships and building the company’s successful direct-to-consumer subscription businesses.

In his new role at Discovery, Rehrig will oversee the development and implementation of strategies to enhance and grow Eurosport’s suite of digital direct-to-consumer products, including the Eurosport App, Eurosport Player and Eurosport.com.

Rehrig will report to Peter Faricy, Discovery’s CEO, Global Direct-to-Consumer, and will be based in London where he will work closely with Andrew Georgiou, who joins Discovery later this year as President, Eurosport and Global Sports Rights & Sports Marketing Solutions, as well as the Eurosport and Discovery EMEA leadership teams.

Peter Faricy said: “We are thrilled to welcome such a distinguished leader with a proven record of launching and running successful direct-to-consumer businesses and products globally. Paul is the perfect fit to lead our outstanding Eurosport Digital team as we focus on building products that sports fans love.

“As we look to the exciting opportunities ahead, Paul will ensure Eurosport delivers the immersive multi-screen products and experiences that are essential for powering people’s passions and engaging targeted global communities around sport.”

Rehrig commented: “I have been hugely impressed by how Eurosport has become a digital pioneer and leader in sports under Discovery’s leadership. Serving sports fans with programming and content across Europe is a significant responsibility and I’m thrilled to lead such a world-class team. There is a massive opportunity to enhance and expand Eurosport’s digital product experiences and innovate in myriad ways that more deeply engage fans and build audiences and subscribers across the region.”

Paris Saint-Germain Links With Gaming Company Supercell

Paris Saint-Germain has joined forces with mobile gaming company Supercell which will become an Official Partner of the club.

Kylian Mbappé, Neymar Jr, Marquinhos, Angel Di María, Julian Draxler and Presnel Kimpembe marked the start of this new partnership by getting to grips with Supercell’s newest game Brawl Stars.

Brawl Stars has been launched with a promotional campaign featuring the Paris Saint-Germain players in a fvideo that has now been released on social media.

Paris Saint-Germain Chief Partnerships Officer Marc Armstrong said: “Our two brands share the same global ambition and a young and dynamic identity that appeals to a young audience. With more than 75 million fans on social media, nearly a quarter of them in Asia, the club will help Supercell to consolidate its popularity around the world.”

Manuel Langegger, Marketing Manager of Supercell in Europe said: “We share the same goal of entertaining global audiences by producing innovative, high-quality content. We are delighted to associate our brand with Paris Saint-Germain, a leader in the sports world and innovator in the eSports scene. The club has already set up an eSports team around our game Brawl Stars which we are extremely excited about.”

MLB Announces Esports League In China

Major League Baseball will soon be organising an esports tournament as per Sohu.com.

MLB has already posted that they will be looking at Chongqing, Chengdu, Xi’an, Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai to host the tournament on their Weibo account.

Shao Yinxin, director of marketing and media for MLB China, said: “By appealing to a younger demographic with games that they enjoy, this will help increase the penetration of baseball into their lives.”

FIBA Renews Genius Sports Partnership

FIBA, the world governing body of basketball, and Genius Sports, a sports data, technology and integrity services provider have renewed their landmark partnership.

This partnership will support the adoption of essential solutions such as FIBA Organizer, a digital competition management tool, and FIBA LiveStats, the foremost play-by-play data collection system, operated at courtside across more than 85,000 games annually around the world.

FIBA LiveStats will enhance the capture and distribution of split-second statistics to enrich the live fan experience for basketball audiences globally as well as deliver new commercial opportunities for the sport. This includes across league and federations’ official websites, mobile apps, social media, broadcast, OTT and highlights platforms, fantasy sports, sponsors and in-stadia scoreboards.

FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis said: “We are very pleased to continue this long-term and unique relationship with Genius Sports. We have been working together for more than 15 years to develop and offer state-of-the-art digital tools for national federations and leagues. Thanks to this renewal, we will continue the joint efforts in creating innovative tools and make sure that our sport is even more attractive to fans around the world.”

Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports Group, said: “The Genius Sports and FIBA partnership has been one of the most influential and innovative in sports technology. Together, we’ve powered over 500,000 games from courtside in over 150 countries and engaged more than 25 million fans.

“But, this renewal is as much about the future as our achievements to date, and we’re excited to introduce a number of cutting-edge innovations later this year, driving the next stage of digital transformation and data analytics for leagues and federations at all levels of basketball.”

Arsenal Strikes A Pre-Season Broadcasting Deal With Premier Sports

Premier League club Arsenal FC has agreed an exclusive broadcasting partnership with Premier Sports.

As part of the partnership, Premier Sports will have exclusive live coverage of all the 8 Arsenal preseason fixture as the Gunners gear up for the 2019/2020 Premier League season.

Arsenal will travel to Meadow Park to face National League side Boreham Wood before beginning their US tour versus MLS side Colorado Rapids. Arsenal will then take part in the International Champions Cup against German giants Bayern Munich, Italian side Fiorentina and 13 time European Champions Real Madrid.

The Gunners will then return to the Emirates to face French side Lyon, Angers away before facing Barcelona a week prior to the start of the Premier League season.

FC Barcelona Bets With 1XBET Until 2024

FC Barcelona has signed 1XBET as its global partner until 30 June 2024.

FC Barcelona and 1XBET will be working together in different activations from a wide range of assets, including access the players to create promotional material and marketing campaigns.

Josep Pont, member of the FC Barcelona board and head of its Commercial Area said: “We are convinced that this deal with 1XBET will help us to continue to grow both on and off the field. This deal consolidates our global expansion strategy and we are sure that it will help us to connect with new sports fans all around the world”.

Alex Sommers, spokesman of 1XBET said: “We are very pleased to reach an agreement with one of the best clubs in the world. We are certain that 1XBET has something to offer to all FC Barcelona fans. We expect that the cooperation of two world-class brands will be lucrative for both parties. Barcelona’s slogan is “More than a club” and we hope that over the next 5 years, the fans will come to realize that 1XBET is more than a bookmaker.”

Eleven Sports Extends TVI And UEFA Champions League Agreement

Eleven Sports has extended TVI and UEFA Champions League partnership for another two years in Portugal.

As part of the extension, TVI will continue to show one game per match-week featuring a Portuguese team for the next two seasons. TVI will also show the final free-to-air in accordance with Portuguese regulations.

Eleven Sports will continue to show every game – from the qualifiers to the final – on its own platforms. Last season Eleven showed 125 UEFA Champions League matches which combined with supplementary programming constituted more than 300 broadcasting hours.

Jorge P Sousa, Managing Director, Eleven Sports in Portugal, said: “TVI has been a very important strategic partner for Eleven Sports in our first year of activity in Portugal. We are very pleased with the growth we have achieved together, and this was naturally a key factor in the discussions and negotiations that we held with the various national channels that showed interest in acquiring the Free-to-Air rights of the UEFA Champions League.

“TVI presented the best proposal and we are delighted that we will continue to innovate together, giving excellent airtime to the Eleven brand on FTA and enabling Portuguese fans to watch some of the best football in the world on Eleven Sports and TVI/TVI24.”

Bruno Santos, TVI’s General Director of Programs and Antenna, said: “TVI is always looking for the best content and there is no bigger sports event than the UEFA Champions League. In last year’s edition, all the games broadcasted by TVI were the most watched programs of the year. We are therefore very pleased to renew this partnership with Eleven Sports for another two seasons.”