British Basketball League agrees broadcast partnership with FreeSports

The British Basketball League (BBL) has sealed a broadcast agreement with FreeSports to expand its reach to fans.

As part of the partnership, FreeSports will broadcast one BBL game per week. The channel will also broadcast BBL across a number of platforms, complementing existing weekly coverage by BBC Sport, UNILAD and Livebasketball.tv.

Richard Webb, operations manager at FreeSports said: “We are delighted to be showcasing the UK’s top basketball League on television and thrilled that we can bring free access to over 18 million UK homes.

“Basketball is now the second most played sport by school children in the UK with over 35% participating so we believe it only right that British Basketball is put front and centre in the continued growth of the sport.”

BBL commercial director, Bob Hope added: “In an exciting development we would like to welcome FreeSports as a brand new BBL partner. FreeSports is to televise 15 live BBL games, commencing January 28, 2018 to the end of the current season.

“The additional exposure this provides, will give The British Basketball League unprecedented media coverage, substantially increasing our viewing audience of League games and adding further to our commercial appeal.

“Most significantly, this new agreement will provide fans with the opportunity to watch an additional game each week, free to air, on traditional big screen television format, thereby adding to the value of the online and mobile options provided by our other media partners, BBC Sport, UNILAD and LiveBasketballTV.”

USA Rugby names United States Marine Corps as official partner

USA Rugby has announced the United States Marine Corps (USMC) as an official partner ahead of the 2018 USA Rugby National Development Summit.

The military branch will host the welcome reception during summit in Denver, Colorado, January 19-21.

As part of the partnership, USMC branding will be visible on USA Rugby materials and USA Rugby managed events across the nation as well as a presence and integration at select events. The partnership was brokered by USA Rugby’s commercial arm, Rugby International Marketing.

David Sternberg, Rugby International Marketing CEO, said: “The Marine Corps is, of course, a remarkable organisation and has a strong connection with the American sports community. We’re very proud to be a part of this family.”

Captain John Grady, advertising officer, Marine Corps Recruiting Command, added: “The Marine Corps recognizes that athletes competing in the sport of rugby share many of the same values as those exhibited by Marines.

“We’re excited to start our partnership with USA Rugby, and look forward to engaging these men and women who exemplify our fighting spirit.”

Vita Coco appoints Maro Itoje as new brand ambassador

Vita Coco Coconut Water has announced Saracens, England and British & Irish Lions rugby player Maro Itoje as its new brand ambassador.

As Vita Coco’s brand ambassador, Itoje will be featured in a wide range of media elements to create an engagement campaign to educate consumers on the benefits of coconut water and invite new consumers into use the brand.

Itoje said: “What really appealed to me about Vita Coco is their challenger brand story. Vita Coco were the outranked underdogs and rose to the top, and it’s that kind of challenger mentality that I must maintain every time I take the pitch.”

Giles Brook CEO Vita Coco, EMEA added: “We’re delighted to welcome an athlete and character of Maro’s calibre to the Vita Coco team and are excited to continue educating consumers on the functional benefits of coconut water. We’ve signed a long-term deal because we believe in Maro and our ability to grow together, he’s a great fit for the brand.”

ONE Championship announces partnership with Global Citizen

ONE Championship has partnered with Global Citizen, an international advocacy organisation, which has the aim of ending extreme poverty across the world by 2030.

Global Citizen will leverage ONE’s platform to engage millions of martial arts fans around the world to support initiatives and find solutions to the issues associated with extreme poverty.

Fans will have the opportunity to take action and engage with specific policy areas including, education, food security, hunger and nutrition, global health, gender equality and empowerment.

Chatri Sityodtong, chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, said: “It is with great excitement that I announce ONE Championship’s partnership with Global Citizen, an NGO with the goal of ending extreme poverty across the world by the year 2030. Just like Global Citizen, ONE Championship aims to inspire the people of the world to come together to solve some of the world’s biggest challenges.

“Our ONE Championship athletes embody the spirit of perseverance and many have risen through poverty through martial arts, inspiring millions of people around the world with their journey. Through our collaboration across all 24 of our live events scheduled in 2018, ONE Championship and Global Citizen aim to affect positive movement in our society.”

Wei Soo, co-founder of Global Citizen, said: “We are thrilled to be joining forces with ONE Championship to bring Global Citizen to Asia. ONE Championship reaches millions of young people around the region and together we will engage them on issues that impact the entire world.

“Since we launched Global Citizen in 2012, over 13 million actions have been taken, and we are excited to drive more actions and increase our impact for the world’s most marginalized people through this partnership.”

The PGA Tour set to bring fans a live VR experience at Phoenix Open

The PGA Tour has announced that a live 360 and virtual reality (VR) experience will be available for fans during all four rounds of the upcoming Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Supporters will be able to view a live VR experience via Samsung Gear VR headsets on a global basis through the ‘PGA Tour VR Live’ app, available on the Oculus store.

A ‘PGA Tour VR Live’ app will be launched on Daydream by Google – available on the Google Play Store – giving fans an additional way to experience hole 16 at TPC Scottsdale.

Rick Anderson, PGA Tour chief media officer said: “The 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale during the Waste Management Phoenix Open is one of the most exciting in golf. We look forward to bringing that excitement to our fans who can’t physically be at the tournament through live virtual reality. They will be able to experience all the thrills from home.”

David Aufhauser, managing director, Intel Sports Group said: “Intel True VR technology turn sports into amazing immersive experiences, and Intel is always working with our partners to deliver new ways for fans to get closer to the action.

We’re thrilled to work with the PGA Tour to continue delivering compelling experiences with Intel True VR technology at the Waste Management Phoenix Open by leveraging our technology – from the cameras to the data processing to our application platform – to create interactive ways for fans to participate.”

ESPN announces official sponsors for X Games Aspen 2018

ESPN has unveiled brands including SoFi, Harley-Davidson, LifeProof, Monster Energy and The Real Cost (FDA) as official sponsors of the X Games Aspen 2018, which will be broadcast live on ESPN and ABC.

GEICO has also returned as the event’s official music sponsor and will be joined as new sponsors such as Botanicare, Great Clips, Netflix Original Series Altered Carbon, Nobis and Zelle and Polaris.

Fans will also have the opportunity to browse product displays and on-site activations provided by Comcast Xfinity, D’Angelico, Hibachi4Hire, Home Team BBQ, iHeartRadio, Munch, Wendy’s and White House Pizza at ‘X Fest’.

Sponsor packages include content creation and rights to the official marks and logos while sponsors will also have a media presence during the X Games telecasts, plus prominent positions across X Games social platforms and VIP experiences on-site.

Greg Rossi, vice president of multimedia sales, ESPN said: “The long-standing partnerships, as well as the new brand relationships, we’ve fostered around X Games Aspen are a testament to the quality event and spectatorship we deliver year after year at Buttermilk Mountain.

“Our established relationship with the venue and local organizers allow us to create a fan experience that is highly engaging and immersive to those both on site and watching at home.”

Eleven Sports secures broadcasting rights to European international football competitions in Belgium

Eleven Sports has secured live and exclusive rights to broadcast  the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers and the European Qualifiers to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Belgium.

Eleven Sports will also show the live draw for both qualifying tournaments, and has exclusive rights to all highlight programmes, including matches featuring Belgium. It also has rights to near live clips on social media. The UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers are scheduled to start in March 2019 and will finish in November 2019.

Eleven Sports has further secured live and exclusive rights to all matches from the inaugural UEFA Nations League, including those featuring Belgium if they reach the Nations League Finals.

Anouk Mertens, managing director, Eleven Sports in Belgium said: “We continue to build and enrich our offering in the long term and these rights are a great addition to our other strong international rights featuring many Belgian star players in LaLiga, Serie A and Ligue 1.

“We are looking forward to working with UEFA to bring even more top football action to our fans and showcase the best international talent on the continent.”

Guy-Laurent Epstein, marketing director of UEFA Events SA said: “We are delighted to extend our partnership with Eleven Sports to now include Belgium. Eleven will provide extensive exposure of the new UEFA Nations League and the European Qualifiers with Belgian football fans now being able to enjoy the best fixtures from the UEFA National Teams for the next four years.”

Glory Sports International names Marshall Zelaznik new chief executive officer

Glory Sports International appointed Marshall Zelaznik as its chief executive officer to lead the company’s global operations.

Zelaznik has previously worked as global head of business development and content at Major League Gaming (MLG) where he helped to maximize distribution opportunities for Activision Blizzard’s esports properties.

He was also part of the team that launched the Overwatch League where he helped secure a landmark deal with Twitch as the league’s exclusive third party distribution partner. Zelaznik also served as executive vice president and chief content officer for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

Zelaznik said of his appointment: “From the time I was young boy, watching boxing matches, I was always impressed with the talent, skill and heart of fighters who stepped between the ropes. I have been very fortunate to be able to work in the combat sports space for many years and to be given this chance to work with Glory, to help lead its future, is very humbling.

Glory has done everything right to get to this point and I will ensure that my effort is singularly focused on continuing to develop Glory as a place where fighters remain proud to compete. Glory will be committed to building a platform for our athletes to showcase their incredible talent for the world.”

Glory vice chairman and co-founder Scott Rudmann added: “Marshall joining as CEO is an important moment in GLORY’s company history and indeed in the history of professional combat sports.

“Our mission is to bring the absolute best stand-up combat to legions of hungry fans around the world. Together, under Marshall’s leadership, we will achieve that goal at larger and larger scales.”

Capgemini announced as the global innovation partner for HSBC Rugby Seven Series

The World Rugby League has named Capgemini as its official global innovation partner for HSBC Rugby Seven Series.

As part of the partnership, Capgemini will leverage technology and innovations like data and infographics on digital and social platforms to enhance fan experience. It will also produce a web series on tactics and performances.

Capgemini will also serve as the key sponsor of the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018, which takes place in July.

Paul Hermelin, chairman and CEO, Capgemini Group said: “Our sponsorship of the Sevens Series combines perfectly our heritage with our global reach, in an innovative and inclusive way. It is the next chapter in the story of Capgemini’s support for rugby.

“We are looking forward to enabling our clients to discover this fast-moving format, and I know that many of Capgemini’s 200,000 strong team are excited about supporting and even playing Rugby Sevens in the months to come.”

Bill Beaumont, World Rugby chairman said: “We are delighted to be welcoming Capgemini to our growing and global commercial family for Men’s and Women’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018.”

RPA names Canterbury of New Zealand as official teamwear partner

The Rugby Players’ Association (RPA) has announced Canterbury of New Zealand as its official teamwear partner in a multi-year deal.

As part of the agreement, Canterbury will supply the RPA with highly functional team clothing for use across a range of different activities within the organisation.

Canterbury will further support the RPA’s player welfare initiatives and will work closely with players to develop their boot and protection products.

Simon Rowe of Canterbury said: “We’re delighted to be working with the RPA and this new relationship reinforces Canterbury’s commitment to developing the game. We’re excited by the opportunity to work with the players to better understand their needs and enhance their experiences in the game.”

RPA Group CEO, Damian Hopley, added: “It’s fantastic to welcome Canterbury on board as a RPA partner and we are extremely proud to be forming this new relationship with such an iconic rugby brand. We are looking forward to working together to provide ongoing support to our members for years to come.”