“Venturing Into Sports During Covid-19 Was A Key Part Of Our Marketing Strategy”

FLUÈRE, a category leader in distilled non-alcoholic spirits and part of the Next Frontier Brands recently partnered with Andretti United of Extreme E. iSportConnect spoke with Roiby Gonzalez, Chief Marketing Officer for Next Frontier Brands, to find out more about their sports partnerships.

Tell us more about the brand?

Next Frontier Brands is an international fast-moving consumer goods company dedicated to bringing premier beverage and wellness products to consumers globally.  We acquire challenger brands like FLUÈRE and provide an infrastructure for strategic, healthy growth. 

“The series spans beyond motorsports, it spotlights climate change issues throughout the world… that really struck with Next Frontier Brands leadership.”

FLUÈRE is an award-winning category leader in Distilled Non-Alcoholic Spirits. The brand was founded in the Netherlands and is currently sold in over 30 different countries including the UK and USA. 

So why did you choose to partner with Andretti United, particularly the choice of venturing into sports during Covid-19?

Partnering with the Andretti United team on the Extreme E platform was ideal for FLUÈRE to demonstrate its eco-friendly values and commitment to sustainability. The series spans beyond motorsports, it spotlights climate change issues throughout the world… that really struck with Next Frontier Brands leadership.

Venturing into sports during Covid-19 was a key part of our marketing strategy, we predicted that content would be consumed at astonishing rates during lock-down and set out to find the right partner… Extreme E was it. The series provides education, technology, competition and travel experiences all at once. An entertainment game-changer.

Do you think from a marketing perspective that sport is increasingly becoming a very popular category for most of the brands to invest in or be part of? 

Sports are woven into society through region, history and tradition. They are multi-generational and thanks to the internet have reached optimum accessibility.

The “real-time” effect of social media gives consumers an intimate connection to teams and athletes alike which brings entirely new forms of marketing engagement opportunities. There has never been a better time for brands and sports organizations to work together.

What are the COVID challenges which your brand has faced and how have you overcome those challenges?

For Next Frontier Brands, COVID was an opportunity to re-strategize. Rather than building brands from scratch, we agreed on engaging category challenging brands and investing into them. FLUÈRE was one of those brands, fighting for market share in the peak of COVID before Next Frontier Brands provided the resources necessary to ride the storm out. FLUÈRE’s marketing efforts were shifted towards consumer engagement and their distribution was harmonized with that of our portfolio. This allowed the brand principals to work with our New Product Development teams and plan for the future of the brand.

“We are also in talks with a few athletes that are very well aligned with some of our brands”

We overcame the chaos and uncertainty of COVID by making a plan and sticking to it.

What are your future plans with regards to the partnership?

Team Andretti United has been an ideal partner for us in Extreme E and we plan on exploring even better ways to work together.

Are you looking to explore other sports as well?

Yes, of course! Formula E is in our radar, we are also in talks with a few athletes that are very well aligned with some of our brands. Stay Tuned!

Catapult Sports Acquires Data Analysis Firm SBG Sports Software

Catapult Sports announces the acquisition of SBG Sports Software (SBG), a global leader in video and data analysis to elite sports teams and motorsports. 

The acquisition supports Catapult’s mission of delivering the most comprehensive and insightful set of performance metrics for athletes and teams worldwide. Catapult’s acquisition of SBG accelerates the company’s video analysis technology capabilities.

Founded in Melbourne in 2006, Catapult was formed as a partnership between the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and the Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) to maximize the performance of Australian athletes ahead of the Sydney Olympics. After 15 years, Catapult is the global leader in providing software solutions that enable over 3,200 elite teams worldwide, across major leagues such as the NFL, EPL, NBA, NCAA, and NHL to use technology to optimize performance. Catapult’s video software, performance analysis via wearable tracking, and athlete management solutions provide comprehensive data and insights that enable teams to make high-quality informed decisions across every element of their performance operations.

London based SBG, was founded in 2008 in collaboration with Mercedes F1 with the purpose of developing products that can capture large amounts of live data and video for race strategy. They quickly developed a leadership position in motorsports with some of the biggest names in F1, Formula E, and Indy Car. SBG transformed its innovations from motorsports, the most data intense sport, to create disruptive solutions for soccer and rugby. Its products specialize in real-time capturing of video and data, to generate unique insights and visualizations that assist teams in rapidly breaking down key factors driving performance.

“From our early discussions it was clear that SBG and Catapult shared a common vision for the future of sports technology and the significant impact data will have in helping customers optimize performance. It was even clearer that combining our technologies, product solutions, and talent would have immediate and long-lasting impact on our customers. We are confident the acquisition of SBG will significantly contribute to Catapult’s continued focus in developing the most sophisticated sports technology platform and its growth,” said Catapult CEO Will Lopes.

Catapult has been at the center of the fast-growing sports technology market. It pioneered wearable’s technology to deliver insights to help athletes avoid injuries, play at peak performance, and manage return to play from injury. Its platform of solutions has expanded, organically and inorganically, through the years. Catapult’s long-term focus is to support teams via its platform to gain a clearer understanding of the relationship between data and performance outcome.

“We are excited to join the Catapult family and I am confident that together we will continue to push the boundaries of technology and innovation to serve our customers,” said SBG CEO Gareth Griffith.

Liverpool FC Adds Kodansha As Official Publication Partner

Liverpool FC has signed Kodansha, to the club as its official publication partner.

The multi-year deal with one of the world’s largest publishers will see the club and Kodansha work together to inspire young fans to harness their creativity and follow their dreams of achieving careers in the creative industry.

Reaching readers across 40 countries, Kodansha publishes a wide range of products, including TV and anime, magazines, picture books and novels, and official merchandise. It is also a publisher of the popular comic and graphic novel series manga, which originated in Japan and was developed in the late 19th century. Manga has become extremely well loved by audiences of all ages all over the world, with titles such as Attack on Titan, Akira and Sailor Moon some of the best-known examples.

Focusing on community outreach and the belief that ‘stories can inspire and change people’s lives’, Japan-based Kodansha is teaming up with the club’s official charity, LFC Foundation, to launch ‘Creative Works’.

Commencing in September 2021, an employability programme will be delivered to a total of four cohorts of students from Liverpool John Moores University and local sixth form colleges and aims to inspire young people from challenging backgrounds to achieve careers in the creative industry.​

Throughout the programme, participants will receive support and mentoring with creative skill building, CV and interview techniques, public speaking and confidence building, and workplace expectations to prepare them to achieve their career goals.

Working with seven creative organisations in Liverpool across various sectors, including theatre, media and gaming, participants could also be in with a chance of earning a work experience placement.

Kodansha has also committed to making various donations to support the wider Liverpool community over the course of the partnership. Initially, it will also be making generous donations with creative and art materials, to support children’s literacy and inspire creativity from a young age.

Billy Hogan, CEO of Liverpool FC, said: “As a football club, there are so many incredible stories throughout our history, stories that are retold and kept alive through the power of creativity and storytelling. They spark excitement, memories and imagination in our fans around the world.

“Through our partnership with Kodansha, one of the world’s largest publishers, we look forward to creating programmes which will help inspire future generations through creativity and storytelling.

“Over the past 18 months, our LFC Foundation has been building its ‘Works’ initiative, to provide a range of employability schemes for those aged 16 and over to help get their foot on the career ladder. We are delighted to work with Kodansha to launch ‘Creative Works’, a programme that will provide opportunities for young people to pursue their dreams in creative careers and realise their potential.”

Yoshinobu Noma, president of Kodansha, said: “Having lived in the UK for quite some time now, I have a very special feeling about this partnership with LFC.

“Every single match that the team plays in front of their fans all over the world, incredible stories are created and shared, sparking joy and excitement. We want to harness that extraordinary power to inspire impossible stories and build a strong, successful partnership. Let us create stories that bring passion and ignite inspiration around the world, together.”

Veloce Racing Enters Into The 2021 W Series Championship

Veloce Racing has announced its entry into the 2021 W Series Championship ahead of the highly anticipated curtain-raiser this weekend (26 June) at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria.

Alongside its flourishing Extreme E outfit and market-leading esports ecosystem, the organisation has successfully secured a second real-world motorsport franchise in another innovative series.

Reigning W Series Champion Jamie Chadwick will also drive for the London-based organisation in W Series, having already competed for Veloce Racing in the opening two rounds of the all-electric off-road SUV championship in Saudi Arabia and Senegal, securing a second-place finish in the latter.

The 23-year-old Brit will be partnered by Brazilian ace Bruna Alberti Tomaselli, who has made waves in the southern and central American motorsport arena. Noteworthy performances include a win and a subsequent fourth place overall in Brazil’s Formula Junior Championship in 2014 while she more recently recorded victories in one of the country’s leading GT series, Imperio Endurance Brasil.

Veloce joins the championship at an intriguing time. W series has assigned this season as a transitional period, while they make the necessary changes both on and off-track before making the switch to a fully team-based series in 2022.

Rupert Svendsen-Cook, Team Principal, Veloce Racing commented: “We’re delighted to be taking the next step on the Veloce journey and announcing our entry into the 2021 season of W Series. As a competition that showcases the very best female racers and consistently delivers top quality action, it is the perfect platform for Veloce as an organisation.

“Veloce has a passion for pushing boundaries, demonstrated by our thriving esports setup and pioneering Extreme E team, and entering the W Series is another significant step in marking us out as a forward-thinking, disruptive presence in the motorsport arena.

“I’ve worked with Jamie for many years now; she is our lead female in the Veloce Extreme E team and of course the reigning W Series Champion. Although still early in her career, she possesses a wealth of talent and when paired with Bruna Alberti Tomaselli the two will be an incredible force carrying the Veloce banner.”

Jamie Chadwick, Driver, Veloce Racing commented: “What amazing timing for us to make this announcement. Fresh off the back of our Senegal podium, it’s great to be able to sign for Veloce in W Series as well and keep things consistent with the team despite racing in two different championships.

“I’ve been working with Veloce and Rupert for a long time so I’m really looking forward to being able to carry our momentum from Extreme E into another series that I’m really passionate about. I’m also really excited to be working with Bruna. She obviously hasn’t raced in W Series before so can bring a fresh perspective to the team which will be really useful.

“Obviously I’d love to successfully defend my title but there’s a lot of really talented women on this grid so I know it won’t be easy. Of course, I’ll be giving it everything and be gunning for glory but it’s important to take each race as it comes and not get ahead of ourselves.”

Bruna Alberti Tomaselli, Driver, Veloce Racing commented: “Veloce is such a new and exciting team, I can’t wait to get started! The team may still be young, but they clearly have an excellent approach to racing and I think the importance of esports can’t be underestimated in the modern motorsport world.

“It’s going to be brilliant to drive with Jamie in my first season. As the first-ever W Series Champion, she’s clearly a very fast driver and it will be great to work with her and learn all I can.

“As there has been a year off from the championship, I think that will help me in adapting to the cars and the series. It isn’t as fresh in everyone’s mind as if they had been racing last year, so I’m hoping I’ll be able to get up to speed early in the season.”

Williams Racing Renews Partnership With PPG

Williams Racing has announced that PPG, a leading global manufacturer of paints, coatings and speciality materials, will continue as the team’s long-standing Official Supplier.

The partnership marks its 18th consecutive year, as PPG’s paints and coatings continue to ensure that Williams Racing cars achieve minimum weight and high definition. This synchronised focus on performance and appearance is a hallmark of PPG’s innovative paint system, which allows for an increase in paint application speed, in addition to reducing the total volume of the high-finish coatings.

The custom approach contributes to vital weight reductions, translating to all-important time savings on the racetrack, while simultaneously achieving the highest possible presentation standards for Formula One race car – the Williams FW43B.

“Williams Racing is delighted to continue our relationship with PPG, which began in 2003,” said Al Peasland, Williams Racing Head of Technical and Innovation Partnerships. “We have benefited enormously from the constant innovation and quality that PPG has been able to deliver. Through dedication and creativity, the company has consistently provided a custom approach to help meet our demands in a fast-paced and challenging industry. We look forward to continuing our partnership with PPG for many years to come.”

PPG will supply paint finishes for Williams Racing cars and for use within the team’s headquarters at Grove. PPG will also have prominent branding on the team’s race trucks, within the garage and in the hospitality areas at Grands Prix.

“PPG has been in the paints and coatings industry for more than 135 years, and we understand the importance of heritage – something that is equally important to Williams Racing,” said Juan Navarro, PPG Marketing Director, Automotive Refinish, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

“We share similar ethos, as we both partner with our customers to create mutual value. This is perfectly exemplified through our collaboration to improve the overall performance of the Williams Racing Formula One car. We are excited to see what the team has in store for the 2021 season and beyond.”

Discovery Signs eToro As Financial Services Partner For Tokyo 2020

Discovery and eToro have signed a new partnership that names the world’s leading social investment platform as Discovery’s exclusive financial services partner for its Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 coverage.

As the Home of the Olympics in Europe, Discovery will help provide significant engagement opportunities at scale for eToro across 50 markets and in 19 languages. Alongside coverage on Eurosport’s television channels, Discovery’s streaming products discovery+ and the Eurosport App will be the only places to watch every unmissable moment from the Games, with Discovery’s localised coverage bringing fans closer to their national heroes than ever before.

As part of a major awareness building campaign, the agreement encompasses more than 1,000 TV billboards and over 300 TV spots during the Olympic Games. These will be showcased across Eurosport’s channels and digital streams guaranteeing brand exposure of what promises to be a unique global event that brings the world together this summer. Its placements will feature prominently around coverage of swimming, diving, athletics and team sports such as football.

eToro will also benefit from three weeks of visibility in the build-up to the Games that includes placement around Eurosport’s exclusive Olympic content and formats including Head to Head, where Olympic icons are pitted against each other, and Olympic Stories, which explores some of the most defining moments in Olympic history. Heightened engagement with audiences around Eurosport’s summer of sport, featuring world-class coverage of the Tour de France and several motorsport events, will also be achieved by eToro.

Mike Rich, Head of Sports Marketing Solutions at Discovery, said: “We are looking forward to working with eToro and welcoming them as our first exclusive financial services partner for our Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 coverage. They have recognised the opportunity content and programming can bring, as well as Discovery’s ability to offer an access point to the largest aggregated audience of households and engaged sports fans in Europe.

“Our unrivalled Games time coverage sees us unlock the power of the Olympic Games for our brand partners who will benefit from visibility at a scale no other broadcaster can match. We welcome the opportunity to further build awareness of eToro and look forward to bringing the brand to viewers across Europe.”

Nir Szmulewitz, Chief Marketing Officer at eToro, said: “Our partnership with Discovery for its Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 coverage continues eToro’s global sports broadcast sponsorship programme. We sponsor sports as the sense of community among spectators and fans is strongly aligned with eToro’s social features.

“We are an online community of more than 20 million registered users and our sponsorship programme aims to raise awareness and educate people about the opportunities offered by investing. We are excited to partner with Discovery to bring unrivalled coverage of the Olympics to Europe.”

iSportConnect Founder Sree Varma Inducted In RealFevr’s Advisory Board

Fantasy marketplace RealFevr has inducted iSportConnect founder Sree Varma to its advisory board.

RealFevr, based in Portugal, have been operating for five years, with the company currently creating an immersive experience between fantasy sports and blockchain technology.

Sree said: “It’s fantastic to be joining the advisory board of RealFevr. They are such an innovative, exciting company for the modern business of sport and I’m really looking forward to bringing my expertise to the table as the company continues to progress.”

Fred Antunes, CEO of RealFevr said: “Since my first contact with Sree and iSportConnect, it was clear to me that they were both going to play a decisive role in RealFevr’s growth. Sree, not only has vast experience and knowledge of the sports market, but he is also an extremely intelligent person with a great focus on innovating and evolving.

“These are all qualities and traits that I value in the people around me and thus help me to make the best choices for RealFevr. Inviting Sree to be on the company’s Board Advisor was one of the most natural decisions, such is the value he can add to it. Furthermore, with RealFevr’s upcoming official presence in London, this great relationship will be even closer.”

Sree Varma launched iSportConnect in 2010 with a mission to bring together global sports business executives. Under his leadership, iSportConnect has become the world’s largest private sport business network, working to build and enhance relationships across the world of sport.iSportConnect now has more than 23,000 global members from the industry and keeps its vast community connected through its consultancy work, worldwide events and other offerings.

Sree is also a minority investor in LDN UTD, Connexi and Scene, among other business endeavours and has been a judge in the Euroleague FanXP Innovation Challenge for the last three years. He was named in the CityAM Top 100 Entrepreneurs, as well as winning awards at the 2013 Great British Entrepreneur Awards, 2019 British Asian Business Awards and was recently shortlisted as a 2021 SPIA Sport Business Leader.

About RealFevr:

RealFevr is a 100% Portuguese startup – with over 1.2M registered users distributed globally -, based in Lisbon and created in 2015 with the goal of revolutionizing the Fantasy Leagues market. For several years the platform has been a market leader in Portugal, being proof of that the more than 150 thousand active users and the numerous official partnerships with entities such as Liga Portugal, the Portuguese Football Federation, ZeroZero, among others. 

Besides the five years of experience developing and managing a reference product in the market, RealFevr’s team has an extensive background in IT, Gaming, Betting, Crypto and Customer Support, giving its customers and partners extreme confidence in the quality of service. Currently, the company has 23 employees spread all over Europe and plans to increase this number in the short term. 

With the Fantasy Leagues concept proven in national and international territory, RealFevr’s next major goals are now to enter the global market of sports NFTs and the international consolidation.

Unibet Strikes Partnership With Stewart-Haas Racing To Expand In The US

Unibet, a part of Kindred Group, collaborated with championship-winning NASCAR team Stewart-Haas Racing and driver Kevin Harvick to further grow its presence in the United States, specifically in motorsports. This is Unibet’s first US partnership in motorsports and within NASCAR.

For the first time in the US, Kindred Group, through its brand Unibet, will serve as a primary sponsor for two NASCAR Cup series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and at Martinsville Speedway (VA).

Unibet will also serve as the primary sponsor during the NASCAR Xfinity Series race in Indianapolis, with Kevin Harvick as the driver. Unibet will 14th of August make their debut as NASCAR-sponsors at Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania, with Harvick and the No. 4. team

This is Unibet’s first US partnership in motorsports and within NASCAR. As the Official Sportsbook, the exclusive partnership will connect Stewart-Haas Racing’s fan base with Unibet in various meaningful activations throughout the season.   

“Sponsorship is an important part of our marketing initiatives in the states, where sports betting is legal. Racing fans are extremely passionate about their sport and their driver in particular. Unibet exists for this reason, to enhance fans’ passion for their sport. Our platform is straightforward, easy to understand and filled with insights that allow our players to make informed bets. Integrating Unibet into the sport that fans watch and cheer for, is the best way to tell our story. We are By Players, For Players”, says Manuel Stan, Senior Vice President USA, Kindred.

“We’re proud to represent and work with Unibet, now and in the future. Fans are the lifeblood of our sport and Unibet offers a new and insightful way for fans to engage with our sport in a meaningful way. We’re looking forward to kicking off our partnership with Unibet this weekend at Pocono, where Pennsylvania residents can experience Unibet’s offerings firsthand,” concludes Brett Frood, President, Stewart-Haas Racing.  

MLB Signs FTX As Cryptocurrency Exchange Partner

FTX Trading Limited and West Realm Shires Services and Major League Baseball (MLB) have announced a new long-term, global partnership.

FTX.US has partnered with MLB in relation to the US, and FTX.COM internationally. FTX.COM and FTX.US have, together, established FTX as the Official Cryptocurrency Exchange brand of MLB. This deal, the first-ever partnership between a professional sports league and a cryptocurrency exchange, was established to create increased brand awareness for FTX and continued innovation for MLB.

In addition, FTX.US has formed an agreement with MLB Players Inc., a subsidiary of the MLB Players Association that manages all of the commercial activities for the organization. FTX will have group player rights, which allows the organization to use highlights of players in content creation.

FTX.US will become MLB’s first-ever umpire uniform patch partner. Beginning with the MLB All-Star Game, presented by Mastercard, on July 13th, an FTX.US logo patch will adorn all umpire uniforms for regular season, Postseason, Spring Training and Jewel Event games. This new agreement also provides FTX with worldwide marketing rights associated with MLB marks, logos and special events. Fans will see applicable FTX brand promotion around nationally televised MLB games, MLB.com, MLB Network, MLB.TV, social media platforms and more high-impact baseball media. FTX and MLB will announce additional partnership activation details at a later date.

FTX CEO and founder Sam Bankman-Fried commented on the news, “It’s an honor for FTX to be the first cryptocurrency exchange to be associated with the history and tradition of America’s national pastime. FTX.COM and FTX.US are excited to enter this first-of-its-kind partnership with Major League Baseball. At FTX, we strive each day to make a positive global impact, and there is no better partner for us to achieve this goal with than with MLB and its international fan base. We look forward to announcing further details of our long[1]term partnership throughout the remainder of this year

MLB chief revenue officer Noah Garden stated, “This is an incredibly exciting announcement for everyone in Major League Baseball as we partner with a global leader in the early stages of their unbelievable growth.

“FTX quickly cultivated itself into a worldwide leader in the ever-evolving cryptocurrency industry and continues to build on its already impressive reputation. Our fans have been early adopters in using new technologies to engage with our game. We cannot wait to start collaborating with Sam and the entire FTX team.”

SportAccord To Launch A Dedicated Conference For Financial Issues And Investment Opportunities

SportAccord has announced that InvestAccord, a new conference dedicated to exploring financial issues and investment opportunities, challenges and best practice strategies in sport, will launch at the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2021.

The new conference concept at SportAccord 2021 in Ekaterinburg, Russia, will take place on the morning of Thursday, 11 November 2021 at the IEC Ekaterinburg-Expo and will feature expert speakers, timely topics and pitches from the sports industry’s most exciting technology start-ups.

The conference will be geared towards investors, as well as International Sport Federations, sport organisations, promoters and properties that are interested in exploring new revenue streams, investment sources and how sport and business can work together.

InvestAccord will feature panel sessions and presentations focusing on topics like esports, investing in sports technology and the sports investment landscape. A panel of investors, asset managers and experts will also be on hand to provide insightful feedback following quickfire five-minute pitches from ambitious start-ups in areas such as ‘HealthTech’, ‘SmartTech’, blockchain and NFTs, social media and big data, and augmented reality.

InvestAccord will sit alongside SportAccord’s other established conference streams, offering delegates clear signposts to specific areas of interest during a busy week of meetings and networking opportunities in Ekaterinburg, from 7-12 November 2021.

“Dividing our conference programme into sector-specific streams in recent years has proved to be a hugely successful step, and the launch of InvestAccord is a natural extension of that strategy,” SportAccord President Dr. Raffaele Chiulli says. “Given the importance of financial matters encountered by International Sport Federations, it is the right time to launch a dedicated conference programme that will focus on this vital aspect of life in the sports industry.”

The annual World Sport & Business Summit is a six-day event attended by leaders of the global sports community. As the only global sports industry event attended by all International Sport Federations and their stakeholders, SportAccord also brings together organising committees, hosting cities and regions, governments and administrations, rights-holders, agencies and athletes, as well as top-level experts and organisations from the sports media, technology, investment, medical and legal sectors.