Bundesliga Opens Its First Office In China

The Bundesliga has opened its first office in Beijing to expand its presence in China.

The new office will aim to improve communication between the German league and its fans and partners in China.

One of its first activities will be to organise a four-day visit to Beijing in April by former Germany and Bayern Munich coach Juergen Klinsmann as part of the Bundesliga Legends Tour.

The Beijing office will be led by Patrick Stueber, Head of China, who was Senior Audio Visual Rights Manager at Bundesliga International.

He will be joined by Sunny Sun, Head of Marketing and Business Development China, and Bo Zong, Senior Project Manager China, DFL Digital Sports, who manages the Bundesliga’s Chinese digital projects.

This is the second representative office that the DFL has opened in Asia. The Bundesliga has had a presence in Singapore since 2012, and opened a new office in New York last October.

Various clubs of the Bundesliga already have representative offices in China such as Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Mönchengladbach, FC Bayern München, FC Schalke 04 and VfL Wolfsburg.

Robert Klein, CEO of DFL subsidiary Bundesliga International, said: “It’s great to be on the ground in China. The office is open and our local team is up and running. We have a deep relationship with Chinese sports fans and look forward to engaging with them day in day out, allowing them to experience ‘Football As It’s Meant To Be’.”

The ‘Football as It’s Meant to Be’ hashtag has been shared more than 400 million times in China.

Red Bull Racing Signs Data Partnership

Formula 1 team Aston Martin Red Bull Racing has partnered with data warehouse company Snowflake Computing to obtain data in real time.

As part of the deal, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing will use Snowflake’s cloud-built data warehouse to gain a more holistic view of its business. Meanwhile, Snowflake will be provided with marketing opportunities.

Snowflake CMO Denise Persson said: “Formula One racing thrives on pushing the boundaries of performance, which is the same ethos Snowflake operates on with our technology.”

“By providing instant and infinitely scalable access to data when organisations like Aston Martin Red Bull Racing most need it, our customers can put data in the driver’s seat to make quick business decisions and ultimately drive their competitive edge both on and off the track.”

Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s Head of Technical Partnerships Zoe Chilton said: “A large part of our success is built on our technology and innovation partnerships, and our new collaboration with Snowflake is a continued step toward securing yet another strong Formula 1 season. We are excited to be working with Snowflake to get instant access to insights throughout this racing season.”

 

Formula 1 To Develop Blockchain Game With Animoca

Formula 1 has agreed a global licensing deal with Animoca Brands Corporation Limited to develop and publish a blockchain game – F1 Delta Time.

As part of the licencing agreement, Animoca Brands will assist in driving fan engagement by developing and publishing the new blockchain game.

The game will have a collectible component based on non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as well as a racing component utilising those NFTs. The first phase of the game, featuring NFTs based on Formula 1 intellectual property, will be launched on  May 10, 2019.

Animoca Brands Co-founder and Chairman Yat Siu said: “Securing a partnership to make blockchain games with Formula 1 – one of the most recognised brands in sport – is a notable achievement. We will leverage Formula 1’s considerable global reach to drive product uptake and revenue growth as together we seek to increase consumer exposure to blockchain.”

 

ESPN Forges Harlequins Rugby Content Deal

English Premiership rugby club Harlequins has agreed a strategic content partnership with ESPN.

As part of the deal, both partners will engage new audiences, drive brand awareness through the distribution of exclusive and non-exclusive content across respective channels.

Both will further collaborate to amplify unique content based around Harlequins talent, including topical debates on the latest news and issues in the game, and cross-sport discussions as well as exclusive behind-the-scenes footage

Charly Classen, ESPN Vice President & General Manager, EMEA, South Asia & Australia/New Zealand said: “This is a huge year for rugby, so we are looking forward to working with one of the sport’s most celebrated teams.

“ESPN already runs the most popular fantasy rugby game in the UK, and the partnership will bring even more new and engaging content to our audiences. Alongside our in-depth coverage online and on the ESPN app, it makes ESPN the ultimate home of rugby in 2019.”

Harlequins Director of Communications Imogen Gaunt added: “We are extremely excited at the prospect of co-creating exclusive, quality content for our supporters to access across both our own and ESPN’s extensive channels.

“This provides an excellent opportunity for us to deepen relationships with our fans, but also to grow our audiences in new territories as we look to broaden our appeal beyond traditional boundaries.”

 

Harlequins Signs An Official Wealth Management Partner

Harlequins have named Charles Stanley as its Official Wealth Management Partner.

The deal which also makes Charles Stanley the Club’s Official Player Welfare Partner will see it working closely with the backroom staff to deliver support across the men’s and women’s squads on and off the field.

It will further receive naming rights for the club’s West Stand.

Paul Abberley, Charles Stanley Chief Executive, said: “Charles Stanley and Harlequins are a great match as both have long and stable track records, having been around since 1792 and 1866 respectively, demonstrating strength and resilience.

“I am delighted to be working with our new partners, who share a similar vision: to be the best in our fields, focusing on our people and our performance. This is also a great example of how we put our clients at the heart of our business, as this new partnership is in direct response to client feedback.”

David Ellis, Harlequins’ Chief Executive, added: “We are so pleased that Charles Stanley has joined our family of partners; a company which is synonymous with quality, durability, innovation and with the customer at the heart of everything they do.

“Their ethos aligns with Harlequins and we look forward to sharing and learning from each other as our partnership evolves. The Club is proud to partner with them and we look forward to welcoming them and their clients to the newly-named Charles Stanley Stand.”

 

MLS Ropes In SendtoNews For Digital Distribution

Major League Soccer (MLS) has signed a digital distribution deal with digital video platform SendtoNews.

As part of the agreement, STN will have the exclusive rights to distribution of MLS video content which includes highlights, interviews and more to local digital publishers across North America.

Matthew Watson, CEO of SendtoNews said: “SendtoNews is excited to add Major League Soccer to our roster of professional sports league partners which includes MLB, NFL, NBA, PGA Tour and dozens of other content creators.

“With our video distribution platform, we are able to help expand Major League Soccer’s digital offerings and provide more places for fans to engage with their content.”

MLS SVP of Media, Seth Bacon said: “Major League Soccer is constantly seeking new distribution opportunities to bring our content to more fans in more places. SendtoNews’ relationships with local media partners will undoubtedly offer more destinations for fans to experience MLS.”

 

 

EU Slaps Nike With €12.5 Million Fine Over Mechandising Products

The European Commission (EU) has slapped US sportswear giant Nike with a 12.5 million euro ($14.14 million) fine for preventing cross-border sales of soccer merchandise of some of European clubs.

As per EU, Nike’s illegal practices took place from 2004 to 2017. It was related to licensed merchandise for FC Barcelona, Manchester United, Juventus, Inter Milan, AS Roma and the French Football Federation.

The Commission investigation found that Nike’s non-exclusive licensing and distribution agreements breached EU competition rules for eg. Nike imposed a number of direct measures restricting out-of-territory sales by licensees, such as clauses explicitly prohibiting these sales, obligations to refer orders for out-of-territory sales to Nike and clauses imposing double royalties for out-of-territory sales.

Nike enforced indirect measures to implement the out-of-territory restrictions, for instance threatening licensees with ending their contract if they sold out-of-territory, refusing to supply “official product” holograms if it feared that sales could be going towards other territories in the European Economic Area (EEA), and carrying out audits to ensure compliance with the restrictions.

However, the Commission granted Nike a 40% fine reduction for cooperation.

European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said: “Nike’s actions deprived soccer fans in other countries of the opportunity to buy their clubs’ merchandise such as mugs, bags, bed sheets, stationery and toys. Nike prevented many of its licensees from selling these branded products in a different country leading to less choice and higher prices for consumers.”

 

MLB Collaborates With DKNY Sport For Women’s Fashion Line

Major League Baseball (MLB) has announced a collaboration with DKNY Sport for woman’s athleisure wardrobe.

As part of the deal, DKNY Sport x MLB will have sneaker dress, coach’s jacket, cropped hoodie and leggings—cobranded with an MLB team icon.

The collection will be available from 28th March on dkny.com, mlbshop.com, fanatics.com, Macy’s, and select ballparks throughout the U.S. Pricing ranges from $40-$70 for tops, $60-$80 for fleece and bottoms, and $80-$160 for outerwear.

DKNY will further host a large-scale VIP launch event in partnership with MLB on Opening Day 2019 with a two-hour interactive, engaging VIP event featuring notable attendees across the fashion, lifestyle and sports sectors.

 

Hublot Named As Official Watch Of ICC Cricket World Cup

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 has named Swiss watchmaker Hublot as the Official Timekeeper and Official Watch.

Hublot has further roped in former England captain Kevin Pietersen and Indian limited overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma as Friend of the Brand. Meanwhile, they have announced Michael Clarke as an Official Ambassador.

As official watch, Hublot has created The Hublot Classic Fusion Chronograph ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 which is a limited series watch. The 45mm satin-finished and polished titanium case houses HUB1155, a skeletonised automatic chronograph calibre with a date at 6 o’clock and only 100 pieces will be made.

Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO Hublot said: “Timing is vital in cricket. Cricket is a skillful, passionate game that brings people together all over the world. Hublot shares this global passion and is proud and excited to unveil the official ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 watch and to be working with cricketing legend Kevin Pietersen.”

 

Borussia Dortmund Strikes Partnership With Club Marconi

Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund has joined forces with Sydney-based National Premier League Club Marconi.

As part of the partnership, Dortmund’s coaching staff will travel to Marconi during school holidays and select three junior players to travel to Germany for an intensive training with the club.

Borussia has earlier partnered with clubs across China, Singapore and Thailand.

Marconi football chairman Robert Carniato said:“Borussia Dortmund is the perfect fit with our club philosophy. They are a club that develop their own players, they focus very much on producing their own, that fits perfectly with what we are doing at Club Marconi.

“Like Borussia Dortmund, our purpose is to provide a career path for our young players, this partnership will enable us to offer that internationally. Our coaches will benefit greatly, learning from Borussia Dortmund this can only benefit our players in the future as the knowledge is passed down.”

Borussia’s Chief Operating Officer Carsten Cramer said: “This is a milestone and marks a new chapter in the growth of our international story and most importantly into the history books of our club to have a partnership in Australia. We are pleased and are delighted to welcome Club Marconi into our black and yellow BVB family.”