NBA Extends Multi-Year Partnership With Twitter

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Twitter have announced a multi-year partnership extension that will bring additional content to Twitter Spaces, Twitter’s new live audio feature, throughout the NBA’s landmark 75th Anniversary Season and beyond.

The league will also continue to provide fans with the best moments on the platform, with additional live content, highlights, Twitter Moments, and live streams that are complementary to TNT’s game broadcasts.

The NBA’s 40 scheduled Twitter Spaces will include 75th Anniversary-themed versions planned around tentpole moments and marquee events such as Christmas Day, NBA All-Star and the NBA Finals. The Spaces will feature NBA players, legends and other members of the NBA family discussing on-court storylines and reflecting on the league’s storied 75-year history. The Spaces will also allow for sponsorship, giving brands new opportunities to connect and engage with fans through live NBA audio.

“We are excited to continue to partner with Twitter to connect the NBA Twitter community to our game and content as we celebrate our 75th Anniversary Season,” said Jennifer Chun, NBA Senior Vice President and Head of Content Partnerships. “We look forward to building on our innovations with Twitter by bringing live, interactive audio content to Twitter Spaces and driving NBA fans on Twitter to engage with NBA live game telecasts and direct-to-consumer offerings.”

“As we continue to evolve our partnership with the NBA, we are thrilled to celebrate the #NBATwitter community by bringing expanded content to the timeline,” said Sarah Personette, Chief Customer Officer at Twitter. “With the addition of NBA Twitter Spaces to go along with highlights and #NBATwitterLive, we’re able to deliver premium content to the NBA’s biggest fans, while giving brands more opportunities to align with one of the most exciting communities on Twitter.”

SailGP Appoints Ben Johnson As SVP, Strategy And Commercial Development

SailGP, the purpose-driven, global racing league, has announced the hire of Ben Johnson as SVP, Strategy and Commercial Development, to lead North America and support the league’s rapid global expansion.

Since launching in 2018, SailGP has delivered incredible live racing action at dozens of iconic locations, broadcasting in more than 175 global markets to over 256 million homes on premier channels including CBS and CBS Sports, SKY Sports, BeIN, FOX, Tencent, JSport, SuperSport and Canal+.

SailGP recently announced its expansion to ten teams for Season 3 with the addition of franchises from Canada and Switzerland, and a 2022 calendar that is expected to feature at least three races in North America including Season 2’s US$1 million winner-take-all final race at the United States Sail Grand Prix | San Francisco, March 26-27.

In the newly appointed role, Johnson will lead the league’s North American expansion across broadcast and digital rights, commercial partners, agency relationships, and venues and host locations.

SailGP CEO Russell Coutts said: “The demand to grow the SailGP brand in North America is unparalleled and presents an incredible opportunity. As we strive to accelerate the expansion of the league globally, we see North America as a critical part of our global footprint. We’re excited for Ben to lead that rapid expansion and contribute to the championship’s growth across all aspects of the business.”

Johnson said: “I am incredibly motivated to join SailGP and be part of the league’s inspiring, purpose-driven growth. The quality of the sport and competition is the best in the world and will capture a new generation of fans and audiences.”

SailGP Season 2 next travels to Sydney for the Australia Sail Grand Prix presented by KPMG, December 17-18 before closing out the season in San Francisco in March 2022.

FIFA Launches Climate Strategy And Commits To Net-Zero Emission By 2040

FIFA is taking a leading role in the world of sport by confirming its pledge to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change − Sports for Climate Action Framework. This includes a commitment to reducing emissions by 50% by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2040, as part of a detailed FIFA Climate Strategy that lays out plans to accelerate the delivery of solutions to protect our beautiful planet and our beautiful game.

“This is a critical moment. The change in weather patterns is impacting the environment and its rich biodiversity, food security and access to fresh water, as well as the health and well-being of individuals,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino in a video address to the delegates gathered in Glasgow.

“Following my election as FIFA President in 2016, FIFA became the first international sports organisation to join the UNFCCC Climate Neutral Now campaign, pledging to measure, reduce and compensate the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the FIFA World Cups™. I am proud to announce today that − based on our long experience with climate action in football − FIFA has developed a comprehensive climate strategy and is committed to investing substantial resources that will allow FIFA and football to reach the ambitious and necessary objectives of the UNFCCC Sports for Climate Action Framework.”

The FIFA Climate Strategy consists of four pillars and three key goals that will put FIFA on the path to climate-friendly performance, to protect FIFA’s tournaments from the negative climate change impacts, and to ensure climate-resilient football development across FIFA operations and events by 2040.

It includes a host of concrete initiatives to:

  • educate the global football workforce on climate-related impacts and climate-friendly solutions;
  • adapt football regulations and activities to be more resilient to current and anticipated impacts of climate change;
  • reduce the carbon emissions of FIFA and football to contribute to the Paris Agreement and the UNFCCC Sports for Climate Action Framework objectives; and
  • invest in climate protection and support football stakeholders with access to know-how to tackle the impacts of climate change.

“We, as inhabitants of this planet, must all make this our priority,” added FIFA Council member Isha Johansen in addressing the Sports for Climate Action − On the Race to Zero session at COP26. “Football also has the power to radically shift mindsets on climate change and mainstream climate action. We have a huge, attentive audience and it is our duty to amplify these key messages. We will help educate fans on climate change and encourage them to play their part in protecting the planet and the beautiful game. We have a moral, urgent duty to accelerate our action. Our commitment to protecting our climate remains unwavering.”

LaLiga Opens Bidding Process For Sale Of Audiovisual Rights In Spain

LaLiga has opened the bidding process for the exclusive sale of LaLiga Santander audiovisual rights in Spain, including Andorra, on non-exclusive terms. These rights cover a period of up to five seasons, from 2022/23 until 2026/27.

The audiovisual content is divided into seven options, each one made up of several lots, intended for both terrestrial and non-terrestrial television.

The main difference with respect to the 2019/20-2021/22 procedure is the structure, offering several alternatives each with their corresponding lots. This allows potential broadcasters to choose the option, or options, which best suit their preferences or broadcasting capabilities without being bound to a single option. Once the bids have been considered, LaLiga will award, in accordance with the award criteria described in the procedure, only one (1) of the options with their respective lots.

In addition, the number of seasons offered has been extended from three to five. Broadcasters who wish to place a bid may do so for a period corresponding to three, four and/or five seasons. This increase in the number of seasons allows for a greater number of broadcasters to be involved in the bidding process.

The remaining audiovisual content traditionally offered by LaLiga will be available in one or more subsequent bidding procedures once this current procedure has concluded.

The deadline for placing bids is 12:00 CET on 13 December 2021.

Potential broadcasters will be able to send their inquiries to LaLiga up until 24 November 2021 and responses will be published on the official LaLiga website on 1 December 2021.

Red Bull Racing Launches Digital Collectibles

Red Bull Racing’s has launched its Digital Collectibles.

In the past 18 months, whilst the majority of Formula 1 races have been closed off to spectators, Red Bull Racing fans from around the globe have stuck with us through thick and thin, providing unwavering support and boundless enthusiasm whilst we battle it out week in, week out, against our competitors for this year’s world championship.

Red Bull Racing’s partner Tezos, the Team’s official Blockchain Partner,limited series of unique pieces of racing memorabilia for them to exclusively own – starting with the Team’s first and only Mexican driver Sergio Perez and his limited-edition Mexico GP helmet!

Racing in front of his home crowd for the first time in Red Bull Racing Honda colours, Sergio Perez will wear a unique, special edition Mexico GP helmet design for this week’s Mexican Grand Prix – and it’s yours to own! With a run of only 10,000 units dropping today on our chosen marketplace Sweet (powered by Tezos), the Team’s first Digital Collectible and future collector’s item is available for a limited time only. To complement the launch, the Team will also be giving away Digital Collectibles of Checo’s limited-edition Mexico GP race suit design worn in today’s Mexico City Show Run.

The Team will announce further drops in the very near future, built on Tezos, including uniquely designed special one-off Digital Collectible pieces for thousands of fans.

Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing Team Principal and CEO, said: “Red Bull Racing has always been at the forefront of innovation and technology, both on and off track, and our first set of Digital Collectibles carries on that tradition thanks to partners like Tezos. We’re really excited to be able to give fans a new, immersive and fun opportunity to get even closer to the Team by owning part of our history with some truly special pieces of team memorabilia. And most importantly, we’re committed to making this access affordable and accessible for as many fans as possible. With our blockchain partner Tezos and through Sweet’s platform, which gives fans a complete environment in which to enjoy our collectibles, we’re bringing a whole new world of Red Bull Racing to fans.”

IBF Inks Internet Partnership With StrikeNet

The International Bowling Federation (IBF) and Flexfibre, a boutique global internet and network service provider, have just unveiled a bold next step in unlocking the sport of bowling on a world stage.

Strikenet is a world first: an internet ecosystem exclusively for the bowling industry, offering consistent, superfast, prioritised connectivity for everyone involved in the sport worldwide. It draws on Flexfibre’s global network, with 5,800 suppliers providing bespoke connectivity solutions in more than 200 countries, including the most remote regions.

StrikeNet brings the connectivity needed to drive StrikeCloud, the IBF’s new digital transformation initiative, which is deploying a wealth of smart tech to reimagine the bowling experience for players and fans through new, content-rich interactions. With StrikeNet the IBF has secured the level of performance and consistency needed to attract, engage and delight every kind of audience that uses StrikeCloud. But it’s also a package designed around the everyday needs of the world’s 12,800 bowling venues, helping overcome headaches such as dealing with legacy systems and awkward physical spaces.

StrikeNet users can look forward to a compelling range of future-proof benefits, including next- generation wireless LAN & WAN, a cloud-converged OTT media network, and not least, peace of mind through 24/7 support.

Chris Neilson, Innovation & Business Development Director of IBF said: “As our digital transformation gathers pace, it’s critical that we have a high level of connectivity across the globe — to enable our unifying mission for the sport, while also supporting digital transformation on the ground for everyone with a stake in the bowling industry.”

Neil Lonergan, CTO of Flexfibre says: “From the start we’ve been inspired by the IBF’s ambition to connect one of the world’s largest grassroots sporting movements and create the bowling centres of the future. With StrikeNet we’re thrilled to be playing a part in the mission, channelling Flexfibre’s capabilities towards a more connected, inclusive and engaged worldwide bowling community.”

Andrew Oram, CEO of IBF said: “StrikeNet is the bespoke solution we’ll need to deliver across challenging and diverse environments, enabling us to champion the sport for players and fans at all levels. This is a key step in the roll-out of our digital transformation and we’re delighted to have Flexfibre as a partner on the journey.

Klarna Becomes Founding Partner Of Angel City Football Club

Klarna, the leading global bank, payments and shopping service has joined Angel City Football Club (ACFC) of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) as Founding Partner.

The multi-year deal marks Klarna’s first official partnership with a sports organization globally, introducing the brand’s all-in-one shopping platform to new audiences and offering fans an innovative way to shop, pay and support their favorite teams. Additionally, Klarna has been integrated as a payment partner on ACFC’s online store.

Both Klarna and ACFC are known for pushing the boundaries in their respective worlds, which is why it was a natural fit to partner. Klarna is challenging outdated traditional credit and payments industry models that had lost sight of evolving consumer needs. There are now over 90 million global customers spanning 20 markets choosing Klarna as a better way to shop and pay. At the same time, ACFC–an upstart soccer franchise with a majority-women-led ownership group and front office–is flipping the traditional sports model on its head with its history-making leadership.

“Klarna thrives from making bold choices that transcend industries including fashion, beauty, gaming, travel and now sports,” said David Sandstrom, CMO of Klarna. “We approach every new partnership with the same question, ‘Who are our fellow minded partners who share the same values and ambitions?.’ ACFC is a natural fit as we look to support like-minded organizations working to challenge the status quo. Both founded on innovation, the forward-thinking vision of this team aligns with Klarna’s commitment to driving meaningful change for consumers.”

With both companies placing innovation at their core, through this collaboration, Klarna and ACFC aim to bring the best experience to ACFC fans while also making a positive impact on the Los Angeles community at large. ACFC and Klarna will collaborate to initiate social impact programming in the Los Angeles community.

As an expansion of their give-back programs, Klarna and ACFC will work together to support planet health initiatives by helping to create green spaces in areas where that is currently lacking. ACFC’s disruptive partnership model reallocates 10% of all sponsorship funds towards community programs, while Give One powered by Klarna is committing 1% of all funding rounds to planet health initiatives focusing on climate action, biodiversity, and human development. In addition to their give back program, Klarna has also added a carbon tracker in app to empower consumers with better info on their purchases.

“Angel City looks for partners who align with our purpose, wanting to set higher expectations and have a positive impact,” said Angel City FC Founder and President Julie Uhrman. “Together, with Klarna through our Angel City Sponsorship model, we will work together to create green spaces across LA, which is a first for ACFC. Additionally, we’ll be offering Klarna as a payment option in our online store, which allows our fans a more flexible way of making purchases and representing our team.”

Team BikeExchange Signs Partnership With Alé

Team BikeExchange have announced that the innovative Italian clothing brand, Alé, has signed a partnership agreement with the squad for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

The Veronese brand will join the Australian outfit from January 1st, 2022, bringing its textile expertise and its Research & Development laboratory, which has dressed numerous cycling champions over the years. The garments will be made from the PR. R and PR. S lines, with the fabrics, fits and cuts specifically designed by Alé to support Team BikeExchange riders to achieve their performance goals in the coming seasons.

Alessia Piccolo – CEO of APG said: “It’s with great pleasure that we announce the important partnership with Team BikeExchange. We will dress the team with our unmistakable design, providing them with the best textile engineering in the field of cycling clothing. Our Style Department is already working on the graphics, which will be impactful as always. While waiting to discover the new jersey design and the new 2022 line-up, I wish the whole team the best for their off-season preparations, and I can’t wait to start collaborating and winning together.”

Brent Copeland – Team BikeExchange General Manager said: “We are very pleased to begin this new partnership with Alé; a brand that is investing heavily in our beloved sport, both in terms of marketing and continuous research and development of top-quality products. These two aspects are very important to us because they can support us in the continuous growth of our team, both in terms of international visibility and for the performance of our athletes. We are only at the beginning, but we expect to continue growing together for a long time.”

ICC Partners Faze Technologies To Create Digital Collectibles

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a partnership with Faze Technologies (Faze) to create exclusive digital collectibles of the greatest moments from ICC events. 

Combining the ICC’s deep archive of historical moments with cutting-edge technology on the Flow blockchain, this new experience means fans can collect NFTs of some of the most talked about shots, catches, and wickets from ICC events. 

Finn Bradshaw, ICC Head of Digital said: “We are delighted to be able to continue to provide new ways for fans to celebrate the game we all love. Cricket has an outstanding track record of using technology to connect fans with our sport and this is our next evolution, from trading cards to video NFTs where fans can own their favourite plays from ICC events.”

Anshum Bhambri, CEO of Faze Technologies added: “Faze is building the metaverse for cricket. We are in a unique position to combine NFTs, gaming, financial utilities, and money-can’t-buy experiences to create a platform for cricket aficionados to collect, use, play, and interact with cricket through NFTs. We can’t wait to give more than 1 billion cricket lovers the opportunity to own the game that means so much to them, and to engage with cricket in a whole new way.”

As well as the NFTs, the new platform will also engage with users through a variety of activations developed around marquee events, and the chance to win once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. The ICC x Faze Digital Collectibles experience is open for early registrations and will take the craze for cricket to the next level with access to amazing features, integrations, gaming, and community engagement that place fans at the center of the sport. 

SailGP Signs KPMG Australia As Presenting Partner

SailGP has announced a new partnership with KPMG Australia, which sees the leading professional service firm become Presenting Partner of the Australia Sail Grand Prix I Sydney. The international racing event will take place on December 17-18 on Sydney Harbour.

One of the first major events to return to New South Wales and Australia, since the onset of the pandemic, the partnership is yet another exciting announcement off the back of Tom Slingsby’s Australia SailGP Team winning the Spain Sail Grand Prix in spectacular fashion last month. Slingsby’s Australia team heads into its home event at the top of the SailGP Season 2 leaderboard.

SailGP CEO Russell Coutts said: “SailGP is thrilled to bring SailGP back to Sydney Harbour in December. We are grateful to the Australian government for working with us to allow this event to proceed, especially with the defending champions hosting their home event in Sydney. It’s going to be a fantastic two days of racing and we are looking forward to seeing thousands of fans come out to experience and enjoy the most exciting racing on water.”

KPMG National Managing Partner for Client Experience & Brand Amanda Hicks said: “Sponsoring the world class SailGP, a climate positive sport, brings together our commitment to economic recovery, the wellbeing of our planet and our people. The joy of being out of lockdown and once again being able to participate in sport and society is an added bonus, especially one that aligns closely to our purpose of reducing our impact on the environment to build a more sustainable and resilient future.”

KPMG employs almost 10,000 people in Australia, providing professional services to organizations across a wide range of industry, government and civil society sectors.

With SailGP going from strength to strength in Season 2, and returning to Sydney for the third time since the league’s inception, Slingsby – CEO and driver of the Australia SailGP Team – welcomes KPMG on board which further cements SailGP’s status as a marquee event in the Australian sporting calendar.

Slingsby said: “We’re thrilled to welcome such a well-known and respected organization in KPMG Australia to the SailGP family. We’re excited to experience their excellence firsthand, and apply their expertize to elements of what we do, as we continue to represent the sport and our country with pride.

“We race against the very best sailors in the world, in these incredibly fast boats and securing KPMG as Presenting Partner reinforces the prominence of how our sport is growing. SailGP is having a huge impact in the development of a broader following for sailing both here in Australia, and overseas. We greatly appreciate KPMG’s involvement in the Australia Sail Grand Prix in Sydney this December as we strive to finish on top in front of a home crowd.”