Cloud9 Partners Puma For Apparel Collection

Cloud9 has signed a multi-year deal with Puma to launch a full apparel collection later this year.

The agreement will cover each of Cloud9’s esports teams outside of its Overwatch League venture, London Spitfire. Puma will further become Cloud9’s official apparel and footwear provider.

Under the agreement, Puma will create and distribute a Cloud9 clothing collection, which will be available for purchase by September on both Puma and Cloud9’s official websites and in Puma’s flagship store in New York City.

Matt Shaw, Puma’s Head of Digital Marketing and Gaming, told The Esports Observer: “This is a big step in a new direction and one we’re really excited to take. While we will definitely sell basketball shoes, what we’re trying to do is be culturally relevant. This is very much in the same vein.”

FIBA To Launch FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series

The first-ever FIBA 3×3 competition dedicated to women will start tomorrow.

“We are excited to launch the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series,” FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis said.

“Similar to what FIBA achieved in basketball with the new women’s national team competition system, the tremendous growth of the 3×3 basketball discipline now allows us to offer women a chance to play 3×3 at the highest level on a regular basis. This will represent a unique opportunity to bring new countries on the focus as well as for the best players to prepare and offer an amazing show at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.”

Each team will represent their national federation at the Women’s Series.

Eight teams (Australia, China, France, Japan, Mongolia, Netherlands, Ukraine, USA) will compete in the inaugural event in Chengdu, China from May 31- June 1, 2019.

A total of 8-12 events are expected to take place this year from May to September and will be announced throughout the season on the official websitehttps://ws.fiba3x3.com.

Teams will be allocated to events based on the number of events they have already been allocated to and their team ranking.

National federations interested in registering a team and/or hosting a Women’s Series event can still contact FIBA for more information.

LaLiga Invites Madrid Tourists To Experience The Spanish league

Between 30 May and 1 June, the Callao City Lights venue is set to be transformed into an entertainment hotspot for football and technology lovers looking to experience the Spanish league at close quarters. Callao City Lights, located in Madrid’s Plaza del Callao, will become a focal point for football fans seeking entertainment.

Madrid is poised to become the world capital of football as the city hosts the Champions League final between Tottenham and Liverpool, to be played at the Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday 1 June. The showpiece will see thousands of fans descend on some of Madrid’s most iconic landmarks, including the Puerta del Sol,  Cibeles, the Puerta de Alcala, Gran Via and the Parque del Retiro, to name but a few.

To further demonstrate its commitment to sports fans and to football supporters in particular, La Liga is keen to give tourists the chance to enjoy their visit in new and innovative ways.

Inside the venue, LED football pitches, digital images of LaLiga stars and an interactive map displaying the location of the clubs across Spain will be assembled.  Outside, giant digital screens will be erected on Gran Via and Callao to ensure that even the most easily distracted visitors don’t miss the opportunity to discover the competition and its clubs.

In addition, visitors to the attraction can experience holograms of the LaLiga Santander and LaLiga 1l2l3 stadiums; view replica models of the clubs’ changing rooms; and get a close-up glimpse at the teams’ official kits.

 

Callao City Lights OPENING HOURS (CET):

Thursday 30/05: 10:00 – 16:00 & 18:30 – 22:00

Friday 31/05: 10:00 – 16:00

Saturday 1/06: 10:00 – 22:00

Lenovo To Ride With MotoGP Until 2020

MotoGP has named Chinese company Lenovo as its technical partner until 2020.

Dorna staff willl be equipped with Lenovo desktop PCs, laptops, workstations, tablets, monitors, and data centre solutions.

In addition, the collaboration with Lenovo will enable Dorna engineers to explore new and better ways of packaging video in dynamic formats, allowing TV viewers to see what’s happening in the moment from all angles, tapping into data from high-tech sensors (like the gyroscopic 4K cameras on each bike).

The Lenovo brand will further be visible part at each MotoGP race weekend. Lenovo will appear on on-screen graphics during TV broadcasts at every Grand Prix and will be featured on prominent banners in the pitlane at each circuit.

Gianfranco Lanci, Chief Operating Officer for Lenovo, said: “MotoGP is on its way to becoming the largest spectator sport in the world; Dorna will use Lenovo’s technology to push the limits of motorsport coverage to make it the most entertaining to watch from nearly any enabled location around the world. We’re delighted about the opportunity to have Lenovo products at the heart of transforming how spectators enjoy the excitement of MotoGP on big and small screens, but also, the brand visibility the partnership will drive.”

Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta said: “We are extremely happy to extend our partnership with the world’s #1 company in computing. Besides the strong partnership that Lenovo have with Ducati and also with the MotoGP eSport Championship, this new agreement shows the commitment from Lenovo to contribute, thanks to their top quality devices, to making MotoGP even better as a sport.”

European Solheim Cup Team To Wear Skechers Footwear

European Solheim Cup Team has named Skechers as official footwear sponsor for the 2019 tournament in Gleneagles, Scotland.

As part of partnership, Skechers GO GOLF Pro 2 Solheim Cup colorway that will be exclusively worn by a selection of Team Europe women during the tournament on 9th – 15th September 2019. In addition, caddies, coaches, and officials will be outfitted in Skechers footwear.

“We are delighted to join with Skechers as our Official Footwear Partner for the 2019 European Solheim Cup team,” said European Solheim Cup director Polly Clark. “The styling, performance and comfort the brand offers made the selection process an easy one.”

European Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew said: “I love to wear Skechers GO Golf as the footwear is so comfortable, which is especially important at The Solheim Cup, where the players can walk up to five rounds in three days. I know that the shoes will perform in all conditions and that the players will be able to focus totally on their games.”

Dignitas Secures Caffeine As Exclusive Broadcast Partner

Team Dignitas has roped in social broadcasting platform Caffeine as its exclusive broadcast partner.

Under the deal, Dignitas and Caffeine will produce original digital series that highlight popular teams, including Dignitas’ World Championship-winning Rocket League and female CS:GO teams. Caffeine will also become the official broadcasting partner for Dignitas’ upcoming influencer initiative that will produce original content and live shows for influencers at the confluence of gaming and pop culture.

Michael Prindiville, CEO of Dignitas said: “With features like live hosting, Caffeine is revolutionizing the live streaming game. We couldn’t be more excited to unveil our new diversified content offerings around this platform. I see a future where traditional sports fans absorb live sports content just like gamers do – through the eyes and voice of their favorite influencers – creating yet another meaningful advancement in both the evolution of media and the bridge between sports and gaming.”

Ben Keighran, Founder and CEO of Caffeine said: “Dignitas can now create truly interactive live shows that bring its players and teams closer to the fans — content that can only exist on Caffeine’s zero delay streaming platform.”

 

Red Bull To Abolish Air Race World Championship Post 2019

Red Bull has decided not to continue the Red Bull Air Race World Championship beyond the 2019 season.

The remaining races this year are: Kazan, Russia, 15-16 June; Lake Balaton, Hungary, 13-14 July and Chiba, Japan, 7-8 September.

In a statement, Red Bull mentioned: “There have been more than 90 races since Red Bull Air Race began in 2003. These have given the world’s most exceptional pilots the opportunity to compete in high speed flying at low altitude with extreme maneuvers. The Red Bull Air Race provided sports entertainment of highest quality but did not attract the level of outside interest as many other Red Bull events across the world.

Red Bull thanks the pilots, their teams, partners, the host cities as well as the Red Bull employees for all they have done to make these enjoyable and memorable events.’

The Spot To Launch Sport Innovation Hub

The Spot has unveiled its Sport Innovation Hub, which will be officially supported by Eurovision Sport, Nagra Kudelski, SwissTiming and UEFA.

The aim of the new Hub is to complement The Spot by offering a permanent, strong platform for sport and innovation in the region. It has been jointly created by the Canton of Vaud, the City of Lausanne, ThinkSport, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), UNIL and the Smart Move academic network.

Philippe Leuba, State Councillor and Head of the Department of Economy, Innovation and Sport (DEIS) of the Canton of Vaud said:  “This hub will provide incubation and accelerator programmes for start-ups. It will also serve as think tank for our sport and innovation community. It will foster collaboration, facilitate the initiation of new projects and offer educational programmes where needed.”

François Bussy, vice rector for research and international relations at the University of Lausanne (UNIL) said: “UNIL, EPFL and the many other academic institutions in our region generate a considerable number of start-ups as spin-offs. Many of them will be part of the Sport Innovation Hub, they will feed it and help to make it evolve.”

 

International Masters Games Association Appoints Redtorch For Digital Strategy

International Masters Games Association has appointed Redtorch to develop digital strategy.

The London-based agency will develop and implement a digital strategy to engage and grow audiences: aiming to increase participation in Masters sport, develop a valuable community of Masters athletes, and grow commercial potential.

Jens V. Holm, CEO of IMGA, said: With this new appointment, we’re excited to work with Redtorch to identify how we can use data and digital strategy to engage more people with Masters sport, support our event host partners, and create new value for the Masters sports community.

Jonny Murch, CEO of Redtorch said: “There are incredible stories to tell about Masters athletes, so it’s exciting to be partnering with IMGA to help expand and drive their mission. From Auckland to Kansai and beyond, we’ll work to encourage athletes to practise sports regularly. As an agency with a passion for the positive impact sport can have, it’s extremely satisfying to be involved in such a dynamic project.”

Chicago Cubs Powers Up With Dynegy Partnership

Chicago Cubs has named Dynegy as the official and exclusive energy provider.

The multi-year partnership will aim to ensure efficient use of power. In addition to powering the ballpark, Dynegy will have a strong in-ballpark sponsorship and marketing presence as part of its multi-year deal.

Gabe Castro, vice president, business markets for Dynegy. “We know people and businesses have a choice when it comes to their energy provider. Dynegy is honored to be associated with one of baseball’s most celebrated clubs and the nostalgic ballpark in which they play.”

Sydney Seiger, chief marketing officer for Dynegy said: “We’re excited about some of the innovative things we’ve got in the works due to this partnership agreement. We’re developing unique offers and electricity plans exclusively for Chicago Cubs fans.”