UEFA Champions League Final To Now Take Place In Portugal

The UEFA Champions League final between Manchester City FC and Chelsea FC will be held at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto on 29 May 2021, kick off 2100 CEST, following an offer to stage the game by the Portuguese FA (FPF) and the Portuguese authorities.  

The final was originally scheduled to take place at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul but, following the UK government’s decision to place Turkey on its red list of COVID-19 travel destinations, staging the final there would have meant none of the clubs’ domestic fans would be able to travel to the game.  After a year of fans being locked out of stadiums, UEFA thought that everything needed to be done to ensure the supporters of the two finalist teams could attend.

UEFA discussed moving the match to England but, despite exhaustive efforts on the part of the Football Association and the authorities, it was not possible to achieve the necessary exemptions from UK quarantine arrangements.

The Portuguese authorities and the FPF stepped in and worked quickly and seamlessly with UEFA to offer a fitting venue for the final and, as Portugal is a green list destination for England, fans and players attending the final will not have to quarantine on their return home.

The decision does not come without big regret for the work that the Turkish football authorities have done over the last two years to ensure the successful staging of the final in Istanbul. UEFA is grateful also for their continued partnership and cooperative spirit as well as the understanding they showed in this particular circumstance and will urgently look into future opportunities for the city of Istanbul.

The stadium capacity for the match will be finalised and confirmed in due course in cooperation with the Portuguese authorities and the FPF.  However, fans of the competing teams will be able to buy tickets through the clubs in the usual way, with the 6,000 tickets per club going on sale as soon as possible from today.  Arrangements for the sale of tickets to the general public will start on 24 May 2021 at 1400 CEST.

The number of fans from each team who will be able to attend is the same as was planned in Istanbul.

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin said: “I think we can all agree that we hope never to experience a year like the one we have just endured.

“Fans have had to suffer more than twelve months without the ability to see their teams live and reaching a Champions League final is the pinnacle of club football.  To deprive those supporters of the chance to see the match in person was not an option and I am delighted that this compromise has been found.

“After the year that fans have endured, it is not right that they don’t have the chance to watch their teams in the biggest game of the season.

“Once again we have turned to our friends in Portugal to help both UEFA and the Champions League and I am, as always, very grateful to the FPF and the Portuguese Government for agreeing to stage the match at such short notice.

“They have worked tirelessly in very tight time constraints in finding solutions for the many challenges that hosting a game of this magnitude presents.  Whenever there has been an obstacle, they have been creative in the solutions presented and the success of staging this year’s final is entirely down to their hard work and persistence.

“We accept that the decision of the British Government to place Turkey on the red list for travel was taken in good faith and in the best interests of protecting its citizens from the spread of the virus but it also presented us with a major challenge in staging a final featuring two English teams. 

“The difficulties of moving the final are great and the FA and the authorities made every effort to try to stage the match in England and I would like to thank them for their work in trying to make it happen.

“The Turkish football federation and the Turkish authorities have recognised the UEFA’s efforts to give fans of the competing clubs a chance to watch the game. The Turkish Football Federation and the authorities have always been reliable partners of UEFA and Turkey has hosted many UEFA events over the years with great success. I hope to be in Istanbul and Turkey for a Champions League final and many other events in the near future.

“I hope the final will be a symbol of hope at the re-emergence of Europe from a difficult period and that the fans who travel to the game will once again be able to lend their voices to showcase this final as the best in club football.”

HealthAccord To Explore ‘The Power of Sport – The Power to Change’ During SportAccord 2021

SportAccord has announced that vital policy-based and practical steps to enhance the health and wellbeing of athletes will be explored under the theme of ‘The Power of Sport – The Power to Change’ during HealthAccord at the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2021.

The conference will take place on Tuesday, 9 November 2021 at the IEC Ekaterinburg-Expo in Ekaterinburg, Russia, with SportAccord having confirmed last month that the 2021 edition of sport’s most influential gathering will be staged from 7-12 November 2021.

HealthAccord will feature panel sessions and presentations covering essential issues, including accessible sport and sport policies, mental health, athlete injury monitoring and prevention, the influence of high-performance sports on the body, and safeguarding athletes.

HealthAccord Steering Committee Members Dr. Margo Mountjoy, Chair, ASOIF Medical and Scientific Consultative Group, IOC Medical and Scientific Commission-Games Group FINA Bureau; and Prof. Fabio Pigozzi, President, International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS) will also speak during the conference.

Dr. Mountjoy said: “There has never been a broader appreciation of the role sport can play in terms of the mental and physical health of its participants. The past year has shone a spotlight on the key issues in this regard, and HealthAccord will bring together the most effective ideas and approaches that can continue to drive this positive momentum.”

Prof. Pigozzi added: “HealthAccord provides a great opportunity for SportAccord delegates to hear from healthcare professionals, technology experts and policy-makers. All of these individuals recognise the importance of athletes in the development of sports and wider society, and now is the ideal time for essential discussions to take place, enabling future strategies to be fine-tuned.”

HealthAccord will sit alongside SportAccord’s other conference streams – CityAccord, the newly launched InvestAccord and ArtAccord, LawAccord, MediaAccord and the main SportAccord Summit programme – offering delegates clear signposts to specific areas of interest during a busy week of meetings and networking opportunities in Ekaterinburg.

RLWC2021 Partners The National Lottery For Social Impact

Rugby League World Cup 2021 (RLWC2021) and The National Lottery have announced an historic partnership that further enhances the tournament’s vision to deliver widespread positive social impact through the biggest and best Rugby League World Cup in history.

The trailblazing tournament and its core Rugby League communities will gain huge benefits from the investment as The National Lottery become an Official Partner of RLWC2021, which includes being an Official Partner of the RLWC2021 CreatedBy Capital Grants Programme.

With less than six months before the first match, which will see the men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions taking place simultaneously for the first time at a major sporting event, organisers are delivering tangible and positive change to people’s lives through a ground-breaking social impact programme which will benefit some of the most disadvantaged communities in England.

The CreatedBy Capital Grants Programme is the cornerstone of this social impact programme and is delivered in partnership with DCMS and Sport England. The programme is dedicated to improving the environments where Rugby League takes place, and invests in facilities and equipment to provide accessible and welcoming environments and a legacy in local communities. The significant investment from The National Lottery will further strengthen the programme and allow RLWC2021 to deliver even more projects of more value to the community club game that has suffered so much during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RLWC2021 Chief Executive, Jon Dutton said: “This is another significant moment for our trailblazing tournament. Local communities have faced significant challenges during the pandemic, so the opportunity to deliver good news and look to the horizon is uplifting. The ability to make a difference to people’s lives as well as supporting the future of grassroots Rugby League has always remained our mission, and this partnership further enhances our promise to put people, place and civic pride at the very heart of the event.

“We thank The National Lottery and look forward to working with them on the journey to the biggest and best ever Rugby League World Cup later this year.”

As part of the sponsorship, The National Lottery will receive extensive rights including branding at all 61 matches during the tournament, tickets, player appearances, social media assets, unique experiences such as The National Lottery ‘coin toss’ before each game, and becoming the sponsor of the tournament’s volunteer workforce, ‘The Power Squad’.

RLWC2021 Commercial Director, Jonathan Neill added: “Our partnership with The National Lottery is another example of working with organisations that align with our vision, mission and values. The National Lottery has been changing lives and investing in sport and communities since 1994, and their support to RLWC2021 via their investment in our sponsorship, activation and CreatedBy programme will continue this.

“Sponsorship plays a critical role for us in both driving revenue for the tournament and also helping achieve our wider goals and ambitions. Our partnership with The National Lottery will do all that, whilst supporting their objectives and providing benefits back to National Lottery players, as well as having a profound impact on the communities we collectively engage.”

Nigel Railton, Chief Executive of National Lottery operator Camelot said: “Every day, The National Lottery and its players make a huge difference to communities across the UK – and have been doing so since 1994. Sports, such as Rugby League, which have such a connection to the local community, make a huge difference to individuals and society as a whole. I am proud that The National Lottery is able to play such a key role in supporting the Rugby League World Cup 2021 and the wider community after such a tough year – while, at the same time, being able to give back to National Lottery players who make all of this possible.”

Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston added: “We are delighted to be hosting the world’s premier international Rugby League tournament, which will provide much excitement and entertainment as we recover from the coronavirus pandemic. 

“The National Lottery delivers for so many good causes around the country, so I welcome their involvement as major sponsors. This partnership will provide significant long-term support to the sport including infrastructure and equipment for Rugby League loving communities up and down the country.”

Premier League Renews Broadcast Agreements With Sky Sports, BT Sport, Amazon Prime Video & BBC Sport

Premier League clubs have unanimously agreed a proposal to conclude a three-year renewal of the League’s UK live and non-live broadcast agreements with Sky Sports, BT Sport, Amazon Prime Video and BBC Sport. 

This follows approval in principle for the renewal from Government after an extensive period of consideration.

The approval from Government will be embodied in an Exclusion Order under the Competition Act 1998, which will enable the Premier League to conclude the renewals without conducting its normal broadcast rights tender process. 

In light of the damaging impact of the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the English football pyramid, the Premier League was able to demonstrate to Government exceptional and compelling reasons for the Exclusion Order.  

This is based on the renewals safeguarding the world-leading levels of financial support committed to the football community through solidarity, youth development and wider community and good causes contributions.

The UK renewals for the next broadcast cycle – from seasons 2022/2023 to 2024/2025 – will be concluded at the same overall value as the current arrangements between the Premier League and its broadcast partners.  

As part of the Premier League’s developing strategic plan, the renewals will provide financial certainty to clubs throughout professional football as a result of maintaining current levels of support and enables the League to commit to increased funding. This will give security and continuity throughout the pyramid until at least 2025.  

Pre-pandemic, the Premier League budgeted to commit £1.5bn to the pyramid over a three-year period, more than any other sporting organisation provides to its community. 

On the basis of the Exclusion Order and the UK renewals, that commitment will be maintained during the next rights cycle and will be supplemented by an additional £100m of funding. This additional £100m will be provided over the next four years only, and will extend support to areas of the football community particularly vulnerable to the impacts of COVID-19.

The additional funding will be available to more than 1,000 clubs in the National League system, women’s and girls’ football, EFL League One and League Two clubs and the Football Foundation. It will also support a number of football-wide projects, which will include the Premier League’s work looking at head injuries in football, anti-discrimination and fan groups who receive funding from the Premier League. 

Richard Masters, Premier League Chief Executive, said: “The Premier League would like to express our gratitude to our broadcast partners for their continued commitment to the Premier League and support for the football pyramid.  

“We are hugely appreciative of the Government agreeing in principle to allow this arrangement and for their continued support for the Premier League and the English game. COVID-19 has had a significant impact on football, and renewals with our UK broadcast partners will reduce uncertainty, generate stability and promote confidence within the football pyramid. 

“We know that, once concluded, this will have a positive impact on the wider industry, jobs and tax revenues and will enable us to maintain and increase our existing solidarity and community financial commitments to the football pyramid for the next four years, even though we are yet to understand the full impact of the pandemic.  

“Once concluded, this arrangement will have a positive impact on the wider industry, jobs and tax revenues”

Marc Allera, CEO Consumer, BT Sport said: “Throughout this difficult year the Premier League and broadcasters have all worked together to find pro-active solutions to ensure the Premier League, and the lower leagues, have a safe and secure way out of the pandemic.  This in principle renewal of our broadcast rights is great for our viewers, but also helps to provide vital support for the broader football community that relies on the Premier League.”

“The fantastic news for our viewers is that, once the deal is concluded, they will be able to continue to enjoy the Premier League alongside the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League exclusively live on BT Sport.” 

ASOIF Signs MoU With IAEH To Measure The Value Of Major Sports Events

ASOIF signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Association of Event Hosts (IAEH), aimed at jointly establishing appropriate “common event impact measures” which will be widely accepted and can be applied to all major sports events.

Common data standards for measuring tangible impacts of major sport events enable event stakeholders to cost-effectively assess the value of events and their return on investment. They also facilitate the comparison between events within the same sport over time as well as across different sports. Impacts to be measured include economic, reputational, social and environmental. 

The common measures will be finalised in the second half of 2021. ASOIF and IAEH will then jointly endorse recommendations, guidance and tools to help their members implement the common event impact language. As a next step, both organisations will collaborate to obtain additional support, research and funding from third-party organisations to enhance the tools available for robust measurements of impacts currently regarded as intangible. 

ASOIF Executive Director Andrew Ryan will join IAEH members at the 2021 IAEH AGM on 15th June to speak about the landscape of IF events in the coming years and introduce the MoU signed between the associations. 

The Chair of IAEH, Susan Sawbridge, said of the partnership with ASOIF: “The IAEH exists, in part, for event hosts to share knowledge and generate greater long term social and economic benefits from hosting events. A common view of event impact measurement standards is extremely helpful if we are to do this well, building a shared language for understanding and growing international events as they move from destination to destination.”

The IAEH provides a platform for ‘not-for-profit’ event hosts to collaborate on generating the best possible value from hosting major sporting and cultural events. IAEH members can learn from successes and challenges in delivering major events, sharing knowledge and generating greater long term social and economic benefits from hosting events.

ASOIF Executive Director Andrew Ryan commented: “This is a significant step for the project’s progress, as ASOIF members and IAEH members, the International Federations and City Hosts, represent the key stakeholders in major sports event delivery and hosting.”

The British & Irish Lions Make A Comeback On TV With Channel 4

Live coverage of The British & Irish Lions will return to terrestrial television for the first time in nearly 30 years with Channel 4’s broadcast of the -Vodafone Lions 1888 Cup against Japan.

In addition to live coverage of the pre-Tour Test match against Japan from BT Murrayfield on 26 June, Channel 4 will also show highlights of all three Tests against South Africa.

This will be the first time the Lions have been on terrestrial television since the 1993 Tour of New Zealand and highlights of all Castle Lager Lions Series Tour matches will be shown on All4.

It’s the latest coup from Channel 4 Sport which earlier this year brought free-to-air live Test cricket back to television screens after a 16-year break with its coverage of England’s our in India.

British & Irish Lions Managing Director Ben Calveley said: “We are delighted that Channel 4 are our broadcast partners for our first match on home soil since 2005. 

“I am looking forward to the excellent coverage and analysis that Channel 4 will no doubt provide and going on the recent squad announcement I’m sure the interest and numbers tuning in will be considerable for this clash.”

Channel 4’s Head of Sport Pete Andrews said: “This is set to be a mouth-watering contest with Alun Wyn Jones leading the Lions against the reigning World Champions.

“It’s fantastic news for rugby fans who will relish the opportunity of seeing the British & Irish Lions in action on free-to-air television.”

The Lions matches, presented by Lee McKenzie, are the latest addition to Channel 4’s rugby portfolio which includes live coverage of the Heineken Champions Cup Final between La Rochelle and Toulouse on 22 May and live coverage of Ireland’s Autumn Internationals against the All Blacks, Argentina and another country, yet to be confirmed.

Portuguese Startup RealFevr Raises €2.2M In Series A Round Funding

Portuguese startup RealFevr, the official partner of Liga Portugal and the  Portuguese Football Federation has announced a €2.2M investment.

The  Series A round raised by the company was successfully completed in just 22  days and included the participation of Portuguese VC Shilling and  SportMultimédia, the international VC’s Moonrock Capital and Morningstar  Ventures, and several private investors – mostly from Portugal, USA and  Australia. 

With a valuation of €16M and an intended equity round of €1.6M, the startup ended up largely exceeding the goals and expectations, by raising a final value of €2.2M.

“The speed with which this round was completed demonstrates the very high demand and ‘appetite’ of investors for the NFT industry, a business area in whichwe intend to enter, directly validating the project’s structure and roadmap. We have a few challenges ahead of us, but we are extremely confident in its  success”, says Fred Antunes, CEO of RealFevr and President of the Portuguese  Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies Association, a position that has made him a  reference in the sector. 

The capital raised will be invested in product development, recruitment,  acquiring new digital rights, as well as expanding the business internationally.  The opening of a new headquarters in London is already planned for the 4th  quarter of 2021. 

The Portuguese startup is preparing the launch of a global marketplace of  officially licensed sports video collectibles, which will be announced very soon. 

“We are not getting into the fever of NFTs just because of the current market trend,  but because we believe in their intrinsic value and we are here for the long term. We  work daily to make our platform a global reference in the sports industry. In 2015,  we started that path with the creation of Fantasy Leagues and now we take the  next step, keeping that vision as our goal.

The way Blockchain technology allows us  to transform historic moments of sport into true art in motion is absolutely thrilling  and has been one of the main sources of the very high motivation that the entire  team is committed to”, says Fred Antunes. 

Until the end of the year, RealFevr wants to hire more than two dozen new  employees – namely for the job roles of Back End and Front-End Developer, UI/UX  Designer, Lead Analytics, Customer Support, and Game Controller – to scale the  company to the size of its ambition. 

WorldSBK To Be Streamed In 50 Markets In Europe

Dorna WSBK Organization (DWO) has announce a five-year contract extension with Eurosport, making WorldSBK available for fans across more than 50 markets in Europe through localised live and on-demand coverage. 

Eurosport, Discovery’s leading multi-sport brand, will also remain the exclusive home of WorldSBK until at least 2025 in 32 markets in Europe* including the UK and Ireland, France, Poland, The Netherlands, and the Nordics.

Eurosport will show the MOTUL FIM World Superbike Championship, as well as WorldSSP and WorldSSP300 classes, live across Europe on its channels Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 2 including extensive coverage of events throughout all WorldSBK sessions. Fans will also be able to stream the action across all screens, live and on-demand on the Eurosport App and on Eurosport via discovery+ in available markets.  

Eurosport will bring viewers closer to the action with presenters and commentators working on-site from the heart of the WorldSBK paddock at selected races to deliver exclusive content and enhanced experiences for fans. 

Trojan Paillot, VP Rights Acquisitions and Syndication, Eurosport said: “We have a rich heritage of screening the best motorsport races across Europe and are always looking to further expand our world-class portfolio of events to offer fans the greatest choice.

“The World Superbike Championship features some of the most exhilarating racing on two wheels and by securing the exclusive long-term rights in more markets in Europe than anyone else, it reaffirms our reputation as the home of motorsport.”

Manel Arroyo, Managing Director, Dorna Sports, said: “We are thrilled to renew and reinforce our historical partnership with Eurosport. This renewal will ensure that our Championship will be available to the largest audience of fans across Europe through one of the biggest sport broadcasters. The competition promises to be exceptional with fresh changes to the rules and Dorna is very excited to be bringing a new look WorldSBK to millions of people via Eurosport’s established audience. Eurosport’s dedicated coverage to the Championship combined with the track action will make for more content hours for fans to enjoy a truly immersive WorldSBK experience, and another memorable era of the Championship for everyone involved.”

Miami Dolphins Names Heineken USA As Hard Seltzer Partner

HEINEKEN USA To Be Exclusive Import Beer and Hard Seltzer Partner of the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium.

Through this partnership, fans will be able to enjoy eight Heineken® branded bars throughout Hard Rock Stadium, with concentrated branding in the southwest corner quadrant of the stadium. A reimagined two-story lounge will become the Heineken® Hideout to bring fans an exciting new experience when the 2021-2022 NFL season begins this summer.

HEINEKEN has a long history of supporting national sports teams, with team partnerships across Major League Soccer (MLS), National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), National Hockey League (NHL) and Formula One (F1), but this is the brand’s first sports partnership with an NFL team and stadium.

“We are incredibly proud to partner with the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium as we welcome fans back to experience live entertainment and sporting events again this fall,” said Jonnie Cahill, HEINEKEN USA CMO. “We have always been fiercely passionate about creating unforgettable fan experiences, and we look forward to bringing that same ambition to our first NFL team partnership.”

With consumers continuing to explore low and no alcohol options, the brand will also be promoting alcohol-free Heineken® 0.0 during the fourth quarter of preseason and regular season Miami Dolphins home games. Heineken® 0.0 is the number one alcohol-free beverage brand*, and fans will have an opportunity to try it themselves at sampling events throughout the season.

“We are thrilled to work with HEINEKEN on their first NFL partnership,” said Steve Mullins, Miami Dolphins, Vice President of Corporate Partnerships. “Hard Rock Stadium is a global entertainment destination, and we are excited about this opportunity with HEINEKEN to amplify our in-stadium experience and develop engaging content for the upcoming football season.

Network4 To Broadcast Bundesliga In Hungary

Network4 will be the new home of the Bundesliga in Hungary after the broadcaster agreed a four-year deal with Bundesliga International, a subsidiary of DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga.

The partnership will ensure Network4 has exclusive rights to deliver live coverage of more than 300 matches per season from the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2. The long-term agreement also includes live broadcasting of the German Supercup and the all-important relegation play-offs each year. In addition, Network4 will also broadcast a number of on-demand Bundesliga programmes, such as the Bundesliga Highlights Show and Bundesliga Weekly, to keep Hungarian football fans up to date on the latest from the German top flight.

From the start of the 2021-22 season Network4, the fastest growing TV network in Hungary, will broadcast all matches from the Bundesliga, until the conclusion of the 2024-25 campaign. With games shown on both linear and via the broadcaster’s new dedicated OTT-sports platform ARENA4+, Network4 will be the go-to place for fans to see their favourite Bundesliga stars.

All matches will be available on ARENA4+, Network4’s ground-breaking online platform, capable of delivering next-gen broadcast solutions with user-defined original or localised commentary. The majority of games will also be available on ARENA4, the newest and fastest growing linear sports channel in Hungary. Furthermore, select Bundesliga matches will be simulcast on Network4’s flagship channel, TV4. Underlined by the DFL’s approach to provide its broadcast partners with state-of-the-art media content and services, fans in Hungary can now look forward to getting never before seen content possibilities on theARENA4+OTT platform.

Bundesliga International CEO Robert Klein said: “From players such as Péter Gulácsi and Willi Orbán at RB Leipzig, to Pál Dárdai who has graduated from player to coach at Hertha Berlin, the Bundesliga has always been a stage where Hungarian players have shone. This latest agreement highlights the popularity of the Bundesliga and we look forward to working with Network4 to bring engaging, localised content to fans throughout the country.”

Network4 Chairman of the Board Andras Borsány-Gyenes said: “Our goal is to take the Bundesliga broadcast experience to the next level. ARENA4 and ARENA4+, together with Bundesliga International, ensure that, making each and every game across the two leagues available. Some key matches will also be showcased on our main channel, TV4. From the coming season, we will also be able to provide a very sophisticated OTT experience as yet unseen by Hungarian viewers. Fans will never have to miss any key moments from any game.”