Scuderia AlphaTauri Signs Blockchain Platform Fantom As Team Partner

Scuderia AlphaTauri has signed Fantom – a leading smart contract platform – as an Official Team Partner, ahead of the iconic Monaco Grand Prix next week.


 

Fantom is a global blockchain platform designed for instant transactions with low costs and is revolutionising the user experience. Setting the groundwork for a digital financial system, Fantom focusses heavily on eco-friendly technology and has dramatically reduced the energy consumed in the blockchain process. Holding a similar high-tech driven philosophy to Motorsport that regularly disseminates its innovation into the real-world, Fantom also sees real-life applications of its platform in industries such as pharmaceuticals and education.

This partnership will allow Fantom to utilise the team’s established platform to continue its staggering growth on a global scale, with the logo visible on the top of the halo of the AT02 at both the Monaco and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix. Furthermore, our racing driver Pierre Gasly will continue his Brand Ambassador role with Fantom, displaying the logo on his cap throughout the season.


“This is another great partnership for Scuderia AlphaTauri and I’m happy to welcome Fantom on-board.” commented Franz Tost, Scuderia AlphaTauri Team Principal. “As a team working at the pinnacle of motorsport, we’re always interested in new, innovative technologies and Fantom shares with us a constant hunger for success, which put them at the forefront of the blockchain industry, while operating sustainably. We are pleased to support their continuing growth on a global scale and I look forward to seeing the Fantom logo displayed on our cars as we race through the streets of Monaco.”


 
Harry Yeh, Quantum Fintech Group Managing Director said: “We are extremely excited about this partnership. Fantom’s technology is incredibly fast but at the same time it is following a green and eco-friendly approach, which aligns perfectly with the Scuderia AlphaTauri F1 team and with the ambitious sustainability strategy of the sport. I haven’t been this bullish about a tech start-up investment as I am with Fantom. We want to continue to attract even more people globally to the platform through this partnership.”

BBC To Broadcast 2021 Copa America

The BBC to broadcast all 28 games from the 2021 Copa America tournament.

The competition, which begins on 13 June and is being hosted by Colombia and Argentina, will feature the 10 teams in the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol).

Nine-time winners Brazil will defend their title from 2019 when they beat Peru in the final.

The tournament will be streamed across BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

The Copa America was due to take place in 2020, just one year after the last one, after Conmebol decided to reformat the competition calendar so it would take place in the same year as the European Championship.

Among the players set to take part are Brazil’s Neymar, Gabriel Jesus and Roberto Firmino, Argentina’s Lionel Messi and the Uruguay strike partnership of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani.

The tournament, which is being held across two host nations for the first time, sees teams split into two groups of five where the top four of each move on to the quarter-finals.

Norwich City Renews Partnership With Falcon Power Generation

Norwich City Football club have renewed their partnership with Falcon Power Generation.

Falcon Power Generation was established in 2015 as a trading title of Falcon Tower Crane Services Ltd. With four depots throughout the UK (Scotland, Manchester, Bedfordshire, and Norfolk) Falcon Power Generation are therefore ideally placed as a national distributor.

The company operates over 300 diesel generators and has a modern fleet ranging from 20kVA to 1250kVA. From weddings to concerts to outdoor cinemas to festivals to telecoms and construction, Falcon Power Generation have equipment readily available whether this be for short or long-term hire to meet your needs and can be delivered next day from any one of our four depots. Whether you require instant power, or a simple back-up to ensure uninterrupted supply, Falcon’s sets can be on hand to ensure your application runs smoothly.

Andrew Brown, managing director of Falcon Power Generation, said: “We at Falcon Power Generation are delighted to have renewed our partnership with Norwich City Football Club for another season. The club is the heart of the community in Norfolk and their successful promotion campaign has certainly lifted the spirits of the community, which has undoubtedly been a tough year.

“A massive congratulations to Norwich City Football Club for another unforgettable year. Personally, as a lifelong fan of the club, I am delighted we can continue the partnership for another year and help support the club to try and remain in the topflight.”

Sam Jeffery, head of commercial operations for Norwich City, added: “We’re really pleased that Falcon Power Generation have decided to extend their partnership with the club and continue the great work that their partnership allows them to do for local charities around Norfolk. 

“Andrew Brown and his team are big supporters of the club and we thank for their brilliant and ongoing support.” 

Mo Farah Joins Therabody As Athlete Ambassador

Therabody, formerly known as Theragun, a global leader in wellness technology, announced that BritishOlympian Sir Mo Farah, will be joining its team of athlete ambassadors.

“As a professional athlete, I am always looking for new ways to recover and Therabody has given me what I need with products that work. It’s exciting for me to be a part of a brand that I truly believe will help my performance,” said Therabody Athlete, Sir Mo Farah.

The most decorated athlete in British athletics history, Farah credits his historic athletic performance to his daily training and recovery routine which now incorporates the use of Therabody’s Theragun PRO™ and RecoveryAir pneumatic compression boots. Both the Theragun PRO and RecoveryAir devices are truly in a league of their own with top-of-the-line, commercial-grade treatment for both professional athletes like Farah and everyday people worldwide.

The training and preparation that precedes a race is crucial and with few rest days, a consistent recovery routine is essential. As a Therabody Athlete, Farah is excited to introduce their products to so many everyday runners that don’t know how important recovery is, but will see what it can do for them.

The advantage of using the Therabody range of devices also lies in the easy customization of the areas to be treated, according to need. “Theragun’s portability and personalization makes it such a valuable recovery tool for me. I love to use the Theragun right before training to help activate my muscles, and I have noticed I am not as tight after I finish a run. And then of course it helps me properly cool-down and recover so the next day, I can go out and do it again,” explains Farah.

As a Therabody ambassador, Farah joins a top-level suite of pro-athletes who tout the countless performance and recovery benefits that Therabody offers, including professional golfer Collin Morikawa, footballer Trent Alexander-Arnold, professional basketball player Paul George, and professional sports teams including Real Madrid and Manchester City among others.

Dafabet To Sponsor World Pool Masters

Dafabet will title sponsor this year’s World Pool Masters, which will take place at Europa Sports Park, Gibraltar from May 22-25, live on Sky Sports.

Dafabet title sponsored pool’s biggest invitational event in 2017 and again in 2019, the last time the Masters was staged. David Alcaide won a dramatic final that year, banking the 9-ball to lift the title in front a jubilant crown.

This year’s Dafabet World Pool Masters again welcomes the crème de la crème of global talent to Gibraltar, with the likes of World Champion Fedor Gorst, Mosconi Cup MVP Jayson Shaw and Championship League Pool winner Albin Ouschan all hoping to deny Alcaide a third Masters title.

The Dafabet World Pool Masters will be broadcast live around the world including on Sky Sports, DAZN and Matchroom.Live.

Emily Frazer, Managing Director of Matchroom Multi Sport, said: “We are thrilled to have Dafabet on board again for the World Pool Masters. We always enjoy working with the team and their support of the event helps us to continue to push boundaries and take pool to every corner of the globe.

“We’re excited for the Dafabet World Pool Masters to return to global TV audiences and a digital audience of millions following the action across our social media platforms.”

John Cruces, Head of Sponsorships at Dafabet added: “We’re very happy to be the title sponsors of this year’s tournament. It’s the third time we’ve sponsored the event and we’ve always been happy with the coverage we’ve received. A lot of credit has to be given to the Matchroom team for being able to ensure the tournament takes place safely. We wish all the players the best of luck.”

The Dafabet World Pool Masters carries a $100,000 prize fund as 24 of the world’s best players battle it out to take home one of the longest-running international titles in the sport. The tournament will begin at 6.30pm local time on Saturday, May 22 and continues for four days until a champion is crowned on the evening of Tuesday, May 25.

ESPN Secures Broadcast Rights For LaLiga In The US

ESPN and LaLiga have reached an expansive, long-term agreement that will make ESPN+ the new English- and Spanish-language home for LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank in the United States for the next eight seasons (through 2028-29).

Beginning in August, hundreds of live matches across both leagues will be available each year, exclusively on ESPN+. ESPN is already the home of Spanish Copa del Rey, Copa de la Reina and Supercopa de España.

LaLiga Santander, the top division in Spanish soccer, is one of the world’s marquee sports leagues, featuring 20 clubs, including perennial global powers FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla FC, and more. ESPN+ will stream live and on-demand replay coverage of all 380 LaLiga Santander matches per season. In addition, ESPN+ will livestream a selection of LaLiga SmartBank matches each round all season long, including five postseason promotion play-offs. All matches will be available to fans in both English and Spanish. 

Beyond live matches, ESPN+ will offer a variety of surround programming, including match previews, highlights, magazine shows – and will continue to cover LaLiga extensively on signature ESPN+ shows including ESPN FC, Jorge Ramos y su Banda and Fuera de Juego. 

Select matches will air across ESPN networks each season, with coverage and highlights also available on SportsCenter and other ESPN studio programs, as well as on ESPN digital and social platforms.

The eight-year LaLiga rights agreement adds to the industry-leading lineup of soccer on ESPN+, which currently  includes Spain’s Copa Del Rey, the German Bundesliga, MLS, England’s FA Cup, EFL and Carabao Cup, Dutch Eredivisie, Scottish Premiership, UEFA National Team Football, USL, and much more. In total, ESPN+ offers fans more than 2,900 matches per season (more than 1,000 in both English and Spanish).

“This agreement will bring the excitement, passion, iconic clubs and global superstars of LaLiga to U.S. sports fans with unprecedented access and coverage,” said Burke Magnus, Executive Vice President, Programming & Original Content, ESPN. “As the sport of soccer continues its ascendance in the U.S. market, we are incredibly excited to work with LaLiga to establish a deeper connection to American fans through our company’s industry-leading streaming platforms, television networks, and digital and social media assets.” 

“We are absolutely thrilled to bring LaLiga to ESPN in the U.S.,” said Javier Tebas, President, LaLiga. “This is an historic eight-season agreement in U.S. soccer broadcasting that speaks to the power of LaLiga and its clubs in the largest media market in the world and will bring the world’s best soccer league to American screens in a more comprehensive and modern way than ever before.” 

Added Russell Wolff, Executive Vice President and GM, ESPN+: “This agreement creates a true home for LaLiga in the U.S. for years to come and cements ESPN+ as the premier platform for soccer. We’re excited to showcase the brilliance of LaLiga in our English and Spanish coverage for the growing legion of soccer fans and ESPN+ subscribers.” 

Said Boris Gartner, CEO North America, LaLiga: “Partnering with ESPN will allow us to have unique LaLiga programming across ESPN+ and ESPN’s network and digital platforms, super-serving existing fans and introducing new consumers to the drama and passion of LaLiga. The league, clubs, and players will be as close to the American fans as they’ve ever been at a time where soccer is growing leaps and bounds in the U.S.”

The deal also includes rights for Canada. TSN and RDS, Canada’s leading sports networks, will deliver comprehensive coverage of LaLiga matches, highlights, and news to Canadian viewers through multiple platforms, including live streaming on TSN.ca, RDS.ca, and the TSN and RDS apps.

91% UK Fans Eager To Get Back To The Stadium, Says OneFootball

Football fans across Europe feel confident and safe about returning to stadiums ahead of fans being welcomed back by Premier League clubs according to survey results released by OneFootball, the world’s leading football media platform.

More than 50,000 of OneFootball’s highly engaged active users from across France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom (UK) participated. The survey found:

  • Europe-wide enthusiasm for a return to stadiums, with more than 74% in each surveyed market saying they will feel confident and safe  
  • UK fans are the most eager with 91%, followed by Portuguese and Spanish fans, 90%. German fans are the most apprehensive, with 75% saying they will feel confident and safe
  • This is echoed across all areas with 65% of UK fans and 84% of Italian fans prepared to do ‘whatever it takes’ to go to their team’s first home game, while only 47% of German fans would do the same
  • More than 90% of fans in the UK, Italy, France and Portugal are in favour of UEFA EURO 2020 taking place, compared to only 56% in Germany
  • More than 74% of fans in the UK, Spain, France and Portugal are prepared to wear masks in stadiums

The majority of fans in the UK, 61%, and Spain, 59%, are also happy for football players to receive early access to vaccines, while just 32% in Germany and 43% in Italy believe footballers should be prioritised.

Participants, the vast majority of whom were under 30, shared answers via the OneFootball platform from 23-26 April, with the results analysed by OneFootball’s research team based in Berlin. The study is the first in a series being undertaken by OneFootball to explore the evolving football landscape and current trends, and provide a deeper understanding of the new generation of football fans and what matters to them.

Patrick Fischer, Chief Business Officer, OneFootball, said: “Our highly engaged users represent the modern football fan and the results from our study are clear – fans want to get back into stadiums and support their favourite clubs and national teams.

“For more than 12 months, we have seen the impacts of fans being unable to support their clubs in person in large numbers. Re-establishing the strong connections between players, teams and fans on matchdays will reinvigorate the game and, looking ahead to this summer’s EURO 2020, it is sure to be a celebration of football with passionate fans across Europe at the heart of the tournament.”

“OneFootball has a unique position within the football ecosystem and we are committed to providing our partners, and the wider industry, with the latest insights and trends. We look forward to sharing the results from our upcoming research in the months ahead.”

BBC To Broadcast Wanda Diamond League Until 2024

Wanda Diamond League event will be shown live on the BBC until 2024.

The BBC’s four-year-deal begins with coverage from Gateshead on Sunday, 23 May on BBC Two – the first of 14 meetings in the 2021 series.

The Diamond League offers the chance to see leading British athletes compete against the world’s best track and field stars.

All meets will be available live on either BBC TV or BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio and BBC Red Button.

Barbara Slater, director of BBC Sport said: “These events showcase the very best talent that athletics has to offer as well as the emergence of the stars of the future. In what is set to be a thrilling year for the sport, we’re delighted to bring viewers a wealth of live athletics coverage from the Diamond League.”

The series takes place throughout the summer, ending with a two-day meet in Zurich in September.

IFSC Agrees Broadcast Deals With Four Partners To Expand Coverage

The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) has announced new broadcasting agreements with four partners. 

The new deals will see an increase in coverage of IFSC competitions both live and delayed across linear television and digital platforms in additional territories.

In the IFSC’s first ever deal with an Italian broadcaster, RAI Sport will broadcast all IFSC World Cup and World Championships competitions in 2021 on a live and delayed-as-live basis. The sports channel of Italy’s national broadcaster will also air the IFSC’s monthly highlights show.

Israel’s sport channel Sport5 will cover the 2021 IFSC season after agreeing to a deal that gives the broadcaster exclusive television rights and non-exclusive mobile and simulcasts in the country. This includes all Boulder, Lead and Speed finals of the 12 World Cup competitions in addition to the World Championships set to take place in September. Sport 5 is Israel’s largest sports media outlet, with five sports TV channels available on cable and satellite. The IFSC will continue to broadcast live events via its YouTube channel in the territory.

With an eye to increasing the digital footprint of IFSC competitions, Zhibo.tv in China has acquired exclusive digital rights with a commitment to broadcast all IFSC competitions live or delayed for the 2021 and 2022 seasons in the territory of China. The deal also includes non-exclusive rights for the 2021 World Championships and the IFSC events taking place in China. As one of the biggest sports-only digital platforms in China, Zhibo.tv continues to develop digital partnerships worldwide and the agreement with the IFSC adds another leading International Federation to its growing list of clients.

Switzerland’s free-to-air public broadcasting association SRG-SSR will also be increasing its coverage of IFSC competitions, after beginning with a live broadcast of the season opener in Meiringen, Switzerland – the first time SRG had broadcast an IFSC World Cup. The deal also includes the live broadcast of the IFSC Lead World Cup in Villars, Switzerland, set to take place in July. 

Commenting on the new broadcast partnerships, IFSC President Marco Scolaris said: “With live sport returning to the global sporting calendar, we have seen increased demand for rights to show our competitions and we are delighted to welcome these partners to the IFSC for the 2021 season. We are confident that these partnerships will provide climbing fans around the world a more comprehensive offering of our events. I would like to extend our gratitude to all our Member Federations and local organisers, for their outstanding, tireless work; and to our athletes, who are always able to compete at the highest level, despite the many difficulties.”

Table Tennis England Teams Up With Recast To Garner New Audiences Globally

Table tennis will be showcased to new audiences around the world as a result of a partnership between Table Tennis England and Recast – generating income to reinvest in the grassroots of the sport.

Table Tennis England is one of the first organisations to partner with Recast, joining the likes of Champions League finalists Manchester City and golf’s European Tour.

Recast is a multi-sport, subscription-free app which provides dynamic content including live sport, highlights and behind-the-scenes footage, to supporters.

By watching that footage, supporters help to generate income for rights-holders or content creators such as Table Tennis England, at no cost to themselves.

Table tennis clubs and individual athletes will also be able to share their own content – such as live streams of matches – and generate income and in turn raise the profile of the sport.

Those who use the app earn in-app credits by simply signing up, watching adverts, sharing content and inviting friends. They can watch their favourite footage for free, while creating credits which can be ‘cashed out’ by Table Tennis England.

Table Tennis England Chief Executive Sara Sutcliffe said: “We are delighted to have this opportunity to work with Recast to develop their exciting platform from the early stages.

“The digital landscape for sports broadcasting is evolving quickly and Table Tennis England is determined to keep up with the times and to provide extra value for current supporters and attract new audiences to our sport by exploring new ways to broadcast and stream content.”