AS Roma Renews Partnership With Hyundai

AS Roma and Hyundai Motor have signed the extension of their partnership agreement.

After joining forces ahead of the 2018-19 season as part of a multi-year deal, the club and the Korean car manufacturer have extended that accord – which will see Hyundai continue as the club’s Main Global Partner for the 2021-22 campaign.

The Hyundai logo will continue to feature on the back of the Giallorossi shirt in domestic competitions throughout the season, as new boss José Mourinho oversees his first campaign in charge of the club.

The logo will also continue on the shirt of the club’s Coppa Italia-winning women’s team.

“With the extension of this partnership, we would like to praise AS Roma for another season of hard work and determination,” said Andreas-Christoph Hofmann, Vice President Marketing and Product at Hyundai Motor Europe.

“The club’s fans are just as passionate and resilient as the players they love, and that’s exactly why we’re delighted to announce the continuation of our partnership.

“By sponsoring the top clubs at the highest calibre of football, Hyundai’s pan-European strategy will continue to see success with AS Roma on our side.”

The two parties have enjoyed a productive partnership since 2018, introducing a number of innovative initiatives – that, wherever possible, have always put the supporters at the heart of the action.

“We are delighted to continue our relationship with Hyundai,” said Alexander Scotcher, AS Roma’s Commercial Director.

“In recent years a strong synergy has been created allowing us to carry out important initiatives for the Club and for our fans.

“With Hyundai we share the same values both on and off the field, and on the road. The continuation of the partnership is the natural result of what we have built together so far.”

XB Net Renews Distribution Deal With BoyleSports

XB Net, the leading provider of premium content for North American horse racing, has renewed its distribution deal with Irish / UK betting group, BoyleSports.

The deal deploys an expansive range of XB Net’s live pictures, data and betting services from a peerless network of over 60 North American tracks (over 75% of U.S. horse racing) allowing BoyleSports to flexibly fill its programming timetable with a prolific pipeline of rapid-cycling betting opportunities which are proven to enhance engagement for new and existing fans of the sport.

The daily schedule of engaging content, which neatly complements the UK and Ireland’s domestic racing action, provides BoyleSports with a reliable source of fast-settling betting content between 18:00 and 05:00 CET.

This immersive action is proven to capture and retain the attention of audiences during competitive digital-entertainment cycles, driving new revenue streams across many of the planet’s most prestigious horse races. These include the Pegasus World Cup, and two legs of this summer’s recent Triple Crown, featuring the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, alongside the season’s flagship finale at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Del Mar (5-6 November).

XB Net is the proven pacesetter for live North American racing content, managing international rights, data, odds and live broadcast and video streaming on behalf of its growing global portfolio of partners. Harnessing low-latency feeds from more than 2,500 meetings, showcasing over 25,000 races per year, North American racing is engaging more and more bettors as worldwide operators plug the gaps on an uncertain sporting calendar.

Currently working with many of the world’s leading fixed-odds, spread-betting and commingled wagering companies (such as Flutter Entertainment, bet365, William Hill, Playtech and Entain) XB Net enjoys a growing geographic footprint in mature and emerging markets across Europe, the UK & Ireland, Asia, North and Central America, and Australia.

David Burgin, Trading Director at BoyleSports, said: “Throughout the pandemic’s postponements and lockdowns, our loyal customers quickly came to appreciate the fresh excitement and value that US racing brings to their betting experience. Regardless of whether they’re dropping in to watch one race or the entire card, it provides a trustworthy and regular flow of quick-fire betting opportunities which invariably hit the mark.

“Since the UK and Ireland’s daily domestic racing is primed to transition neatly into high-quality evening meetings stateside, top-class 24/7 programming has now become the new normal for our players, due in no small part to this ongoing collaboration with XB Net and their expertise in betting solutions. We look forward to seeing how these progressive products continue to perform across some of the highlights on the US calendar, including the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.”

Simon Fraser, Senior Vice President of International at XB Net, added: “BoyleSports is a big brand whose expertise and customer service is best-in-breed. So, it’s a timely moment at which to collaborate with their leading digital sportsbook and burgeoning retail focus, two channels which have embraced the benefits and utility of North American racing. While domestic racing is long since back in full swing, those players who were drawn to North American racing during the pandemic have mostly been retained which constitutes another welcome endorsement of our services.

“Wherever you set your scene in the world, delivering the right content at peak leisure-times remains paramount during a new era of variability for any sportsbook tab. XB Net’s wide range of low-latency racing solutions and racetracks are now ensuring the requisite elasticity for BoyleSports.”

Pulseroll Signs GB Gymnasts As Brand Ambassadors

Muscle recovery brand, Pulseroll, has partnered with GB gymnasts, Jennifer and Jessica Gadirova.

The twin sisters, who only started competing in senior competitions this year, are part of the four-person Artistic Gymnastics team representing Great Britain at the Olympics next month. They will use Pulseroll’s range of vibration therapy massage devices in the build-up to the Games as part of their daily recovery routine.

Jessica announced herself on the World stage recently with a Gold, a Silver, and a Bronze medal at the European Championships. Twin, Jennifer, was the first British gymnast to win a medal at the Junior World Championships in 2019 and like her sister will be aiming for more medals in Japan.

The sisters join over 50 other Team GB athletes who will be using Pulseroll products at Tokyo 2020. As well as a wider partnership with British Gymnastics, Pulseroll also proudly support British Rowing, GB Weightlifting and GB Boxing. Pulseroll also recently received investment from London 2012 Gold medallist, Anthony Joshua, who also joined the company as a Specialist Advisor.

Jessica and Jennifer Gadirova, said; “Training to be Olympians takes a lot of hard work and a lot of hours in the gym so rest and recovery for us is extremely important. We are really grateful to Pulseroll for their support, we use the Pulseroll products every day and they have made a massive impact in helping our muscles to recover so we’re 100% ready to train at our best for each session.”

Pulseroll Founder, Paul McCabe said;“We have worked closely with British Gymnastics over the last year, so I have been lucky enough to see the emergence of the Gadirova twins. They have both got huge futures ahead of them but, like Pulseroll, are just at the beginning of their journey.

“We can’t wait to watch them compete in Tokyo and are proud to be part of their team helping them with their preparation and recovery at this Olympics and beyond.”

Atos Selected As Digital Technology Partner By The European Olympic Committee

Atos has been selected by the European Olympic Committees (EOC) as its official Digital Technology Partner for the 2023 and 2027 editions of the European Games.

As part of this partnership, Atos, long-standing supporter of the Olympic Movement, and EOC, the governing body for Europe’s 50 National Olympic Committees, will work together to improve fan engagement.

With its complete portfolio for decarbonized data-driven business transformation in sports, Atos will enable European National Olympic Committees, Organizing Committees and federations to create premium digital content facilitating the delivery of this ambitious international sport event.

For the third edition of the European Games in Krakow and the regions of Malopolska and Silesia in Poland, Atos will be responsible for safely capturing, processing and releasing data for all sport events. Atos will implement a new digital platform which will enable European fans to access the competitions’ official statistics, results, and athletes’ personal records and will enable audiences to experience the event in a new and disruptive way. By using the data of fan interaction, EOC will get the opportunity to enhance end-user personal experience, whether onsite or watching the Games remotely – ultimately increasing fan participation.

Spyros Capralos, President of the European Olympic Committees, highlighted the importance of having a trusted partner over the next few years: “Atos is second to none in the field of digital services for sports and major events, with a unique Olympic expertise and ability to ensure safe and secure innovative solutions. We are thrilled to have Atos by our side as the Digital Technology Partner of the European Games until 2027.’’

“We are delighted with this collaboration with the European Olympic Committees. More than ever, we strongly believe that innovative digital approaches can fundamentally transform the experience of sports fans. By combining people, processes and technology, we will look to deliver successful European Games in 2023 and 2027,” said Patrick Adiba, Head of Major Events at Atos.

Earlier this year, Atos was also selected as the Official Digital Partner of the European Athletics, the governing body for athletics in Europe. The first results of this collaboration were witnessed at this year’s European Athletics Indoor Championships, which took place in Torun, in Poland, from 5-7 March 2021, where Atos designed and developed a new secure, digital and decarbonized ecosystem to manage data for the event focusing on fan and athlete engagement.

Bolton Wanderers Confirm Neil Hart As New CEO

Bolton Wanderers have confirmed the appointment of Neil Hart as the club’s new Chief Executive Officer.

Neil, who originally hails from Rochdale, takes up the position immediately having been previously the CEO at Premier League neighbours Burnley Football Club, where he spent seven years including a spell at the helm of the Clarets’ award-winning community programme, Burnley FC in the Community.

Neil established Burnley FC in the Community as a high impact charitable organisation building a highly competent team of people growing the charity to over 100 staff and driving multimillion-pound funding into the community programme which resulted in the acquisition and building of a number of community facilities in East Lancashire, with one being opened by former Prime Minister, Theresa May, in 2019.

The community programme delivered over 40 different projects engaging with over 33,000 individuals per annum. Neil then took on the Club CEO role in March 2019 and led the club through the challenges of the pandemic and supported with the ultimate takeover of Burnley FC in early 2021.

Prior to his arrival in East Lancashire, Neil played a leading role in developing a successful and highly-regarded community engagement programme at Watford FC over eight years with the highlight securing a single government grant of £4.2 million to build a state of the art community facility and he was instrumental in developing a broader portfolio of successful community partnerships.

Having left Turf Moor amicably in March, following Burnley’s takeover by an American consortium, Neil is looking forward to a new and exciting challenge at the University of Bolton Stadium.

He said: “As a founder member of the Football League, Bolton Wanderers has a rich heritage and history and it is an exciting time to be joining the club.

“With our ‘One Club, One Community, One Town’ vision, the Club is at the very heart of our community. We should always remember our roots and what the club, and indeed football, means to the town of Bolton and our residents.

“I cannot wait to get started and I’m really looking forward to meeting our supporters and working with the staff, Board, Manager and all our local businesses and community partners.

“This opportunity to lead Bolton Wanderers into an exciting future feels right. There is a huge opportunity for everyone at the Club to move it forward in a pragmatic way within a sound and sustainable financial framework.

“There is much hard work ahead and we are definitely up for that challenge – everyone at Bolton Wanderers will get 100% from me every day.

“For me, it’s about the collective and as a family I’m certain the journey ahead for us all will be an exciting and positive one.”

Bolton Wanderers Chairman Sharon Brittan said: “Neil has over 20 years of working in professional football and with a very strong background in community programmes he was the ideal candidate to lead Bolton Wanderers Football Club into an exciting future.

“Neil’s experience at the top level of football from his time at Burnley will bring enormous benefits to our football club and will serve us well going forward.

“He inherits some talented and loyal staff who all remain extremely dedicated to our supporters and the local community.

“Following a thorough recruitment process, the Board and I are delighted that Neil has accepted our offer to become CEO and we all looking forward to working with him.”

DAZN Secures Rights To WE League Until 2029

The WE League has agreed to make DAZN, a sports-focused livestreaming service, its official broadcasting partner for eight seasons, from 2021-22 to 2028-29.

DAZN started services in Japan in 2016, and distributes a large number of major domestic sports such as Meiji Yasuda Life J League and professional baseball, as well as sports content from around the world. Together with DAZN, which has a proven track record in delivering sports content, we will deliver an attractive Yogibo WE League watching experience.

The Yogibo WE League will be distributed on DAZN, and a certain number of games will be available for free on DAZN YouTube channels and social channels so that more people can watch and know about women’s soccer.

In addition, the live stream video will be produced by the WE League as the official WE League video with copyright. In addition to distribution on DAZN, the official video will be used for public relations activities and improvement of competitiveness.

Martin Jones, Executive Vice President, DAZN Japan Investment GK said: “We are very pleased that DAZN has become the official broadcasting partner of the Yogibo WE League. The other day, we announced that we have acquired the broadcasting rights for the UEFA Women’s Champions League globally, but with the addition of the Yogibo WE League, we will be able to deliver the hot games of female soccer players who are active in Japan and overseas to Japanese fans. I did.

“We believe that improving visibility, that is, having many people watch it, is the key to the development of women’s sports. As an official broadcaster, DAZN will prepare the foundation for more people to come into contact with the Yogibo WE League and women’s sports. In addition, I would like to support the success of women through sports together with everyone involved.


WE League Kikuko Okajima Chair said: “We would like to express our sincere gratitude for supporting the WE League and the women’s soccer world as a title partner. Yogibo wraps your mind and body, energizes us and sends us out to the outside world. We are very pleased and reassured that we can work together with Web Shark, who has developed many Yogibo products and is attracting attention, toward the realization of the WE League philosophy.

“We are very pleased that the Yogibo WE League will be aired for eight seasons on DAZN, a global sports distribution platform.”

Tata Communications To Enable Virtual Video Assisted Referee Solution With SailGP

Tata Communications, a global digital ecosystem enabler, is enhancing the sports experience of fans with its Virtual Video Assisted Referee (V-VAR) solution.

Powered by Tata Communications’ Media Cloud, this solution enables an unlimited number of umpires, referees and judges to connect remotely from anywhere across the globe to assess and declare the winner when contestants are racing to the finishing line, offering a high-tech, nail-biting experience to excited fans during a race. With this Tata Communications offers sporting events and federations the flexibility of ‘anywhere refereeing’.

SailGP, the global sailing championship, becomes the first sports organisation to deploy Tata Communications’ V-VAR for its nine-event season spanning 2021-22 with its umpires located in London, Portugal and New Zealand. SailGP Season 2 spans across Bermuda, Italy, UK, Denmark, France, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, and the US.

For the league’s second season, Tata Communications is carrying 20+ video feeds from the broadcast centre at the event venue-site. Every signal is instantly available in Tata Communications’ Media Cloud enabling incredible processing power. Through these applications, V-VAR takes the widely popular concept of Video Assistant Referee to the next level, allowing judges from all over the world to analyse the action and officiate remotely as if they were on the ringside of the event.

Warren Jones, Chief Technology Officer, SailGP said: “We are excited to be the first sport to use Tata Communications’ Virtual Video Assisted Referee solution. We are constantly looking at ways to innovate and use technology to not only bring our global fans closer to the action, but also create digital solutions that support our Race for the Future ethos. The V-VAR not only ensures that our umpires have immediate access to all the data needed to make crucial, split-second decisions, but also – by being able to operate remotely – we reduce the carbon footprint of our umpiring operations.”

In addition to the V-VAR solution, SailGP also leverages Tata Communications’ Video Delivery Network (VDN) – a next generation low latency streaming platform for delivering a broadcast experience direct to consumer. VDN combines the best parts of traditional broadcasting and new-age OTT applications, providing high quality, low latency, synchronous viewing along with the interactivity and next generation data feeds, providing a truly unique experience. The VDN-powered SailGP app was available to the sailing fans at the Bermuda event, enhancing their event interaction while enjoying the live competition.

Dhaval Ponda, Global Head of Media & Entertainment Business at Tata Communications, commented, “We are happy to further digital innovation & help reduce carbon footprint in live sports through Virtual Video Assisted Referee solution. Also, our low latency streaming solution enables global sports federations deliver video in sync or faster than live TV. From umpires to fans, these digital solutions enable organisations to offer a thrilling and high-drama experience to the entire sports ecosystem.”

He adds, “Our experience of delivering over 9,000 global live events across multiple sports disciplines, has so far reached over 2 billion sports fans with sports content delivered across various broadcast platforms. We are excited to be a part of SailGP, a one-of-its-kind global event, and are looking forward to an exciting season.”

FC Barcelona Appoints Ferran Reverter As New CEO

Ferran Reverter has been appointed as the new CEO of FC Barcelona, after already being invited several times to get to know the club and the new team of directors.

He will be reporting directly to the board and its president, Joan Laporta.

Reverter replaces the former incumbent Óscar Grau, who remained in the position throughout the transition from Josep Maria Bartomeu’s board, the Managing Commission led by Carlos Tusquets and the first few weeks under the newly elected board.


He holds a degree in economics from Pompeu Fabra University (1994), which he followed up with a management development programmes at the IESE Business School of the University of Navarra.

Laporta’s board has recruited the new CEO on the back of his work as Executive Director of German multinational MediaMarktSaturn RetailGroup from October 2018 to the present day. Before that he was Director of Operations at the same company for four years.

He entered MediaMark in July 2002 as head of new technology purchasing, and then managed the store in Mataró, serving in various roles before becoming Executive Director of MediaMarkt Iberia from July 2013 to September 2018, after which he moved to the company headquarters in Ingolstadt.

Reverter’s business career began with the family firm called Manufacturas Rever, for which he was sales manager until November 2000.

He has always been a keen follower of sport, and goes jogging every day. He is a born leader and is noted for his positive outlook, even under pressure. He is resilient natured and always has great plans for the future.

AFC Signs Global Sponsorship Deal With Yili

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have announced its partnership with dairy giant Yili for the 2021 to 2024 rights cycle.

Yili joins the AFC family as the first Official Global Partner of the AFC national team competitions from China PR and will be the exclusive sponsor in the dairy products category, the water category, and other selected beverage categories.

The agreement encompasses all major AFC national team competitions, including but not limited to the final round of the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar featuring the Continent’s top-12 football nations, and Asia’s flagship national team competition – the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 – which will be played in 10 state-of-the-art venues across China PR, as well as the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 and the AFC U23 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2022.

As part of its comprehensive physical and digital activation rights, Yili will become the exclusive presenting partner of the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 opening ceremony and enjoy prominent brand exposure through the provision of the official flag bearers of the tournament. Fans will be able to enjoy unique content like the Top Scorer Award presented by Yili in all AFC national team competitions, starting with the final round of the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar in September 2021.

Dato’ Windsor John, the AFC General Secretary, said: “The AFC is delighted to have entered into a global partnership with Yili from 2021 to 2024.

“Today’s agreement represents a partnership between two world-class brands. The AFC’s competitions have continued to grow in stature, and I am confident that this collaboration will promote the long-term objectives of both the AFC and Yili in forging stronger relationships with our fans and consumers respectively.

“We thank Yili for their confidence and trust in Asian football and we look forward to working with Yili to ensure we continue to strengthen the game for all our stakeholders across the Continent.”

“We are delighted to become the AFC’s first official global partner from China PR,” said Zhang Jianqiu, CEO of Yili Group.

“In line with our corporate belief – “Yili means the best quality” – Yili has pledged an unwavering commitment to producing quality products and being the most trusted global healthy food provider. Since 2005, Yili has been a proud partner of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, the Chinese Olympic Committee and the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, providing high-quality healthy products for athletes and consumers and actively promoting a healthy lifestyle.

“Today, Yili is one of the world’s top five dairy producers and has been ranked as Asia’s leading company in the dairy sector for seven consecutive years. Yili has been servicing millions of global consumers with world-class quality nutrition products, which strongly resonates with the AFC’s ambition to promote a healthy lifestyle through football among millions of fans.

“Together with the AFC, Yili is devoted to supporting the development of Asian football by bringing professional nutritional support for athletes and providing fans with high-quality, diversified and healthy products, as well as by promoting healthy lifestyles. We believe that deep collaborations enable stronger collective outcomes. In the future, we look forward towards working closely with the AFC to inspire, nourish and light up the football dream of everyone!”

The partnership was secured by the AFC’s exclusive commercial partner Football Marketing Asia (FMA) who will manage the rights delivery and work closely with Yili and the AFC on launching a range of activation campaigns to bring fans a truly unique and exciting experience.

Patrick Murphy, Board Member and CEO at FMA, commented: “We are proud to welcome Yili as an Official Global Partner of AFC national team football. Yili is highly experienced in sports sponsorship, and it is safe to say we share huge ambitions, especially with regards to the continued growth of Asia’s number one sport in China PR.

“We also share a commitment to bring exceptional experiences to the millions of fans of AFC football. We are looking forward to collaborating with Yili’s teams through the cycle, starting immediately with the preparation for the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar and culminating in the AFC Asian Cup China 2023.”

LaLiga Agrees Three-Season Broadcast Deal With Viacom18 For India

LaLiga has agreed a three-season broadcast partnership on the Indian subcontinent with Viacom18 Media, India’s youngest and leading media conglomerate.

Home to some of India’s more exciting and entertaining properties, Viacom18’s flagship youth brand MTV has now teamed up with LaLiga to bring the competition exclusively to the Indian sub-continent starting from the coming 2021-22 season.

Enabled and supported by Rise Worldwide, LaLiga will air exclusively on MTV in India, along with select national and regional network channels and livestreamed via the Voot OTT platform and Jio, India’s leading digital service provider. Collectively the agreement will cover India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Maldives, with commentary provided in English and Hindi. Standout matches will also be made available on additional Viacom18 channels with further commentaries in regional languages Bengali, Kannada, Telugu and Malayalam.

Given the following that football currently enjoys in India, Viacom18 and MTV are committed to building a wholesome entertainment-driven ecosystem centred around LaLiga, in a bid to further build fandom of the game among a potential audience of 800 million people.

Consumption and following of football in India has increased consistently over the past decade, especially amongst the younger demographic. Currently in its 91st season, LaLiga is one of the most followed football leagues across the world and is home to Europe’s finest talent and football clubs including Atlético de Madrid, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and others. MTV is the premier destination for youth entertainment and content in India and boasts of a strong affinity with younger viewers.

This new commitment and alliance with Viacom18 represents a further step in LaLiga’s growth strategy for India, where it has had an office since 2016 and has developed important sports and training projects, including its partnership with the Vicente Ferrer Foundation as well as commercial agreements with Dream11 and BKT, which is also a global partner of LaLiga. In addition, its followers on social networks have grown to more than 6 million in India and more than 13 million on the subcontinent.

Speaking about the agreement Oscar Mayo, Executive Director at LaLiga said, “We are excited to partner with Viacom18 (MTV India) and further bolster LaLiga to an ever-growing football fan base in India. Having set one of the highest standards of football globally and India gaining tremendous momentum, we are confident that we will reach and engage with the youthful audience that MTV as a destination appeals to.”

Speaking about LaLiga on MTV, Anshul Ailawadi, Business Head – Youth, Music and English Entertainment said, “We at MTV have always known that football enjoys a groundswell of support amongst young-at-heart Indians. LaLiga in particular is a cultural phenomenon all over the world. When the folks from RISE Worldwide introduced us to LaLiga team, we realised that this was a partnership waiting to happen – the vision was common, the vibes were good, and we quickly put pen to paper.”