The Value Of Women’s Sport Is Set To Treble To £1bn By 2020, Says Two Circles

Women’s sport in the UK currently generates approximately £350m per year in revenue. However, Two Circles project that over the next decade this will treble to more than £1bn.

Funded by Sport England, the Women’s Sport Trust partnered with Two Circles to research the attitudes and behaviour of sports fans and industry insiders around the visibility of women’s sport.

To realise this potential, the sports industry will need to make women’s sport more visible to our audiences and make engagement with women’s sport more prominent in our strategies and reporting.

The interplay between fans, rights owners, media, and brands defines the women’s sport economy, with fan attention and monetary spend the key currencies. The greater fan attention given to an athlete or sports property, the greater the opportunity for that athlete or property’s rights to be monetised, and the greater interest in making them more visible.

The report further stated that more than half of the revenue in women’s sport in the UK is currently generated by two sports: tennis and football. Regardless of sport, though, most fan attention and therefore revenue generation comes in peaks throughout a season or cycle. This points to the widespread need in women’s sport for greater perceived value to be created, whether it is signalled by price point, by prize money, or by branding. For women’s sport to grow sustainably, fan and industry interest and perceptions of value need to be more broadly and widely spread. This is underpinned by consistent visibility.

The research has found that there is overwhelming agreement across the sports industry that women’s sport is important and should receive investment. In the words of multiple stakeholders, it’s ‘the right thing to do’. However, purpose and profit are not currently aligned to enable women’s sport to thrive.

When women’s sport is seen as ‘the right thing to do’ purely in terms of social responsibility, rather than as a long term driver of business success, it can fail to receive the detailed commercial attention and support it needs in order to grow. However, when women’s sport’s success is approached using exactly the same commercial frameworks as men’s sport, or measured using the same commercial methods, it risks being seen as a poor business decision.

All Six Premier League Clubs Withdraw From Super League

Chelsea FC, Arsenal and Manchester United will not be participating in the European Super League.

In a statement Manchester United said: “We have listened carefully to the reaction from our fans, the UK government and other key stakeholders.

We remain committed to working with others across the football community to come up with sustainable solutions to the long-term challenges facing the game.

iSportConnect’s Digital & Data eMasterclass: LaLiga , Minnesota Vikings And AELTC Confirmed As Speakers

For iSportConnect’s second eMasterclass of the year, taking place next month, we are going to be looking at the world of Digital & Data with some key industry figures.

We’re therefore very pleased to be able to announce the three more names who will be joining us live on the day: Alfredo Bermejo, Digital Strategy Director – LaLiga, Scott Kegley, Executive Director, Digital Media & Innovation – Minnesota Vikings and Alexandra Willis Head of Communications, Content & Digital –AELTC.

The already confirmed speakers include Marissa Pace, Chief Marketing Officer at World Rugby, Gorka Llort, Director of Digital and Strategy for Dorna Sports, and Finn Bradshaw, Head of Digital at the ICC.

The event will be taking place on Thursday, May 20th between 2-5pm BST.

Alfredo Bermejo

Born in Madrid, Alfredo is an executive with more 10+ years of experience in the Sports Industry, always working in international companies. Alfredo joined LaLiga as Digital Strategy Director in 2017 after spending 3 years leading Facebook Media Partnerships Team in Spain and Portugal, where he worked closely with the main sports and news publishers in both regions to help them achieve their business objectives and build broader audiences.  Before that he spent 7 years as Head of International Clients within the Sponsorship Team of Real Madrid.

Scott Kegley

Scott is in his seventh season with the Minnesota Vikings and 16 th in the NFL. As the Executive Director, Digital Media & Innovation, Scott oversees all aspects of digital media, social media, mobile strategy, online editorial content and international growth & engagement. Under Scott’s leadership, the team has created several innovative digital campaigns, winning three Shorty awards, two CLIO awards, one Webby award and an Emmy.

Prior to joining the Vikings, Scott spent nine seasons with the San Francisco 49ers as the head of their social and digital teams. Scott was named to Leaders Under 40 Class of 2017. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife Lauren and their two French bulldogs, Cosette and Hugo. He’s originally from Sacramento, California and graduated from the University of Southern California.

Alexandra Willis

She is an award-winning content, digital, communications and marketing strategist currently employed as the Head of Communications, Content and Digital at the All England Club and The Championships, Wimbledon.  She is a creative storyteller and strategic thinker with journalism background and a vision for multi-platform content creation and industry and business innovation.  She is an approachable change leader educated at Oxford University and Harvard Business School.

In 2021, iSportConnect’s digital events are taking the same format as our usual physical events, with these four key points for our community:

  • Chatham House Rule, allowing discussions to remain confidential
  • Invitation-only for top-level executives at brands, right holders, media owners, and members of the iSportConnect Community
  • Capacity capped at 300 delegates allowing intimate access to key decision-makers in the sports industry
  • Networking break out sessions to create a relaxed environment for everyone in the room to connect & exchange ideas.

If you would like to join us for the event, please register your interest page by clicking the ‘register interest’ button on this link > iSportConnect’s Digital & Data eMasterclass

Warwickshire CCC Strikes Three-Year Betting Deal With Dafabet

Warwickshire County Cricket Club has confirmed a new three-year partnership with global sports betting brand Dafabet to be its exclusive betting partner.

In addition to securing branding in prominent locations at the iconic Edgbaston Stadium, Dafabet is working closely with Warwickshire CCC on its enhanced live stream of T20 match days and on digital content creation.

Dafabet will also provide support for the community programmes that are delivered by the Edgbaston Foundation, the official charity of Warwickshire CCC.

Ben Seifas, Commercial Partnerships Manager at Warwickshire CCC, said: “We started working with Dafabet on commercial branding opportunities in 2020 and, with a further 21-day programme of major match cricket secured over the next three years, it’s great to extend this into a commercial partnership.

“Dafabet is one of the most recognisable brands in the sports betting industry and we’re thrilled that its team want to work with us on enhancing our digital content for Members and supporters and by providing opportunities to expand our community programmes.”

Warwickshire’s home ground of Edgbaston hosts a seven-day programme of Major match cricket in 2021, including England’s men’s LV= Insurance Test match versus New Zealand, the Royal London One-Day International versus Pakistan and Vitality Blast Finals Day.

John Cruces, Head of Sports Marketing and Sponsorships at Dafabet added: “We’re very happy to partner up with Warwickshire and expand our cricket portfolio, the Club are very well known at County level and Edgbaston needs no introduction at all in the international world of cricket. We’re looking forward to working together.”

British Gymnastics Signs The Turmeric Co. As Official Nutrition Partner

British Gymnastics has teamed up with The Turmeric Co. who become the Official Nutrition Partner of British Gymnastics.

The Turmeric Co. produce a range of turmeric shots, using a unique formula developed over 15 years. Each shot uses 100% raw ingredients which creates a product that is rich in vitamins and nutrients. Through this partnership, athletes will be able to access The Turmeric Co.’s products to support their training and competition regimes.

Nick Horswell, British Gymnastics Senior Commercial & Business Development Manager, said: “We’re thrilled to announce The Turmeric Co. as our Official Nutrition Partner.

Nutrition is such an important area of focus for our athletes, so we’re really excited to partner with The Turmeric Co. who will provide us with products and share their expertise in this field.

This is an exciting announcement for us, and we are sure this will benefit our athletes during a busy time of preparation.

“We would like to thank Thomas and the whole team at The Turmeric Co. for their support, and we can’t wait to get started with them.”

Thomas Hal Robson-Kanu, Founder of The Turmeric Co., added: “It is a pleasure to have partnered with British Gymnastics and we are delighted to be supplying the British Gymnastics team with our range to support their health and well-being through natural nutrition, hopefully long into the future.

We can’t wait to cheer these athletes on at major championships, and will be delighted to see them all perform to the best of their abilities and hopefully bring back some medals for Great Britain!”

British Wheelchair Basketball Announces Creation Of Women’s Premier League

British Wheelchair Basketball has announced the creation of the inaugural Women’s Premier League.

The British Wheelchair Basketball Women’s Premier League will be the first of its kind for women’s wheelchair basketball in the world, and the very first professional para-sport league in the UK.

The introduction of the league is a game-changing moment for the sport and will attract the world’s best wheelchair basketball players, signposting the UK as a destination for high level, quality competition for aspiring female talent. The first season will run from December 2021 to May 2022.

The creation of the Women’s Premier League is integral to British Wheelchair Basketball’s 12-year strategy, which set out bold targets of delivering a Professional Domestic League, developing a world- class high-performance system and doubling participation in the sport.

To meet this ambition, British Wheelchair Basketball are also today announcing four High-Performance Partnerships, operating at university sites across the UK. The universities will each be home to a Women’s Premier League team, with franchises based at:

  • Cardiff Metropolitan University
  • Loughborough University
  • University of East London
  • University of Worcester

The High-Performance Partnerships will be centres of excellence for wheelchair basketball in the UK for both men and women. These Partnerships will develop and nurture wheelchair basketball talent, acting as hubs to incubate and develop future elite athletes and increase access to the Paralympic talent pathways across the UK.

Lisa Pearce, British Wheelchair Basketball’s Chief Executive, said: “I am absolutely delighted to be announcing the creation of British Wheelchair Basketball’s Women’s Premier League and our new High-Performance Partnerships. The league will provide incredible opportunities for elite female talent, both in the UK and internationally and we expect the teams to attract the best players in the world.

“We have selected four fantastic universities to become the first British Wheelchair Basketball High-Performance Partnerships and these hubs will be absolutely central to the sport as we work to deliver our World Class Performance Programme strategy. They will nurture talent and facilitate the opportunity for world-class athletes to adopt a dual career approach.

“Today is an important moment in achieving our big ambitions for the sport and working with the universities is central to raising the profile of the sport, building new audiences and creating more opportunities for people to play across all levels.”

Great Britain’s Wheelchair Basketball player, Amy Conroy, added:

“The introduction of the Women’s Premier League is massive for the sport and for us as players. Historically there has been a bit of a gap in elite level competition for female players so I’m absolutely thrilled that British Wheelchair Basketball are ensuring we have equal opportunity to develop and flourish.

“The sport is fast-paced and high-octane, and I can’t wait for more people to be able to watch us in action. I hope that it will also challenge misconceptions about disability sport and inspire more people to try wheelchair basketball for themselves.”

The High-Performance Partnerships are now recruiting elite players for their Women’s Premier League teams and their university BUCS teams.

Discussing their selection as one of British Wheelchair Basketball’s High-Performance Partnerships, Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Director of Sport, Ben O’Connell said:

‘Following a rigorous application and interview process, we are delighted to be awarded one of the four inaugural High-Performance Partnerships for British Wheelchair Basketball (BWB). 

“This recognition identifies our University as a centre of excellence for disabled athletes and builds on our already well-established partnership with Disability Sport Wales. It is also testament to the quality of our existing holistic basketball programme that sees Men, Women & Wheelchair athletes competing at the highest levels in both National & Student leagues. Working in partnership with BWB, we aim to attract a greater number of students and elite level athletes to Cardiff Met, and support the performance aspirations of the National Governing Body on the global stage.  

“The addition of the HPP is a further demonstration of the University’s commitment to inclusion and diversity and we are excited to increase participation and continue to attract the highest level of disabled athletes as we look ahead to the Paralympic and Commonwealth Games.”

Nik Diaper, Head of Para Sport at Loughborough University, added: “To be awarded the High-Performance Partnership is testament to the vision, hard work, and dedication we have to Para sport at Loughborough University. The new Lightning team will undoubtedly attract some of the country’s top female sporting talent and we’re looking forward to seeing what we can achieve.”

Dr Ian Pickup, Pro Vice Chancellor, Education & Experience at the University of East London said:“We feel incredibly privileged to be entrusted with one of the first professional women’s wheelchair basketball franchises in the country. We are now looking forward to building something which East London can really get behind. Women’s sport, across the board, is growing all the time and I am proud of the role that UEL is playing in supporting female athletes.

“The East London Phoenix will be a team that represents the city. I’m sure they will inspire and encourage the next generation of female athletes – and not just wheelchair basketball players – so this really is a landmark moment for us, and sport in London.

“We’ve worked hard over the last decade to turn our sports offering into one of the best in the country, for both elite and recreational athletes, and to now have a franchise is another step on the journey.

“UEL is a university that is committed to providing its students pathways to explore different career options and we have a number of dual-career athletes. A host of players who will represent the Phoenix will be just that, giving them options to not only play elite sport but develop other skills and interests away from the game.”

Professor David Green CBE, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Worcester, added:

“The University of Worcester is thrilled to be able to continue to play an active role in the development of British Wheelchair Basketball. The University was home to the men’s and women’s teams in the lead up to the 2016 Summer Paralympic Games in Rio, and hosted the 2015 European Wheelchair Basketball championships, one of the most successful disability sporting events in recent times.

“The University’s work to promote inclusive sport is recognised across the globe and we are therefore delighted to be selected as part of this High-Performance Partnership initiative, which is ground breaking and exciting in so many ways and will certainly provide opportunities to improve elite performance and increase participation generally in the UK.”

Suzuki Renews Deal With FIM MotoGP World Championship

Dorna Sports has announced that an agreement has been signed with Suzuki Motor Corporation to renew their involvement in the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship for the period ranging from the 2022 season to the 2026 season.

As a consequence of this, Suzuki Motor Corporation will deploy its Factory Team – actually known as Team Suzuki Ecstar – in the MotoGP™ World Championship’s MotoGP™ class.

Suzuki’s racing story began in 1960 with an entry into the Isle of Man’s legendary Tourist Trophy, and last year the brand from Hamamatsu in Japan celebrated their 100th Anniversary, alongside the milestone of 60 years in racing. The news that Suzuki’s factory journey will continue is extremely positive, especially following a highly successful period which culminated in brilliant results last year; Suzuki’s Spanish pairing of Joan Mir and Alex Rins took 1st and 3rd in the Championship standings, meaning the excellent achievement of winning both the MotoGP™ Riders’ and Teams’ titles.

Shinichi Sahara, Project Leader and Team Director: “As Suzuki Motor Corporation we are proud to continue to compete in the MotoGP World Championship, as we all share the challenging ambition of measuring ourselves against the top motorcycling competition in the world. We started this new journey in 2015 and in only six years we achieved the Riders’ World title, together with the Teams’ title, and we are still hungry for more success. For these reasons we have extended our agreement with Dorna, with the hope and the commitment to continue the development of the technical and racing sides of the company.”

Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports: “We are very happy with the renewal of the agreement with Suzuki, a factory with which we have been racing for years in the World Championship and enjoy great cooperation. Their return to MotoGP in 2015 immediately proved a success, confirmed with the culmination of winning the riders’ World Championship in 2020 with Joan Mir. We proudly extend this partnership and hope to continue setting milestones with this iconic brand.”

beIN Media Group To Broadcast Extreme E

beIN MEDIA GROUP, the global sports and entertainment group, has secured the non-exclusive broadcast rights to the debut season of eco-conscious motorsport series Extreme E across 24 countries in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA).

beIN SPORTS will air live races featuring the 100 per cent electric motorsport cars, highlight shows and the series’ 20-part magazine programme, Electric Odyssey.

The Extreme E season began with the inaugural race in Saudi Arabia on April 3, and will go on to visit Senegal (May 29-30), Greenland (August 28-29), Brazil (October 23-24) and Patagonia (December 11-12).

By holding races in areas that are suffering at the hands of the climate crisis, such as deserts, tropical rainforests and the Arctic, the aim of the series is to raise viewers’ awareness of environmental issues and inspire them to take steps towards protecting the planet.

With some of the biggest stars in motorsport – including Jenson Button, Sebastien Loeb and Jamie Chadwick – the championship promises to be a thrilling adventure for motorsport fans in the MENA region.

Duncan Walkinshaw, Director of Programs at beIN MENA said: “We are delighted to broadcast Extreme E to our millions of subscribers all across the Middle East and North Africa. Extreme E is not only committed to raising awareness of climate change, but it is also focused on promoting gender equality and creating a level playing field for all, with 50 per cent of its drivers being women. By broadcasting the series, we look forward to shining a spotlight on the inspiring women in motorsport, aligning with the ambition behind our beINSPIRED project.”

Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer at Extreme E added: “This is another great broadcaster relationship for Extreme E and I’m delighted beIN Group will be showing our unique sport for purpose.

“Our inaugural X Prix in AlUla, Saudi Arabia was a great success and we can’t wait to continue the race for both our planet and to crown the very first Extreme E champions as we look ahead to our second X Prix – the Ocean X Prix – in Lac Rose, Senegal at the end of May. It is going to a great spectacle for fans across the world.”

beIN entertains and operates in 43 countries globally, including 24 countries across the MENA region.

With broadcast on satellite in 4K and Full HD, the beIN experience is also available on mobile, tablet, computer and other home devices through beIN CONNECT.

NFL Agrees Podcast Partnership With iHeartMedia

iHeartMedia, podcast publisher and the National Football League (NFL) have announced an exclusive podcast partnership to launch the NFL’s podcast network, which will include the distribution of NFL Media’s existing podcasts, (Around the NFL, Move the Sticks, NFL Fantasy Football, Huddle and Flow, NFL Total Access: The Locker Room, Good Morning Football and NFL Legends) as well as the co-production and distribution of two dozen new original podcasts.

“Podcasts are an increasingly important way to reach fans and a compelling way to tell NFL stories,” said Kevin LaForce, Senior Vice President, Media Strategy and Business Development. “We look forward to partnering with iHeartMedia to bring the NFL Podcast Network to life and deliver our podcast content seamlessly to fans on their platform and anywhere podcasts are consumed.”

As part of the exclusive deal, the new podcast slate will develop new shows with NFL Films utilizing some of the best content from their archives, while also creating new podcasts focusing on NFL history, inside access, and more. These NFL podcasts will be distributed through the iHeartPodcast Network.

“Our partnership with the NFL is an incredible moment for iHeart – and the podcast industry, period,” said Conal Byrne, CEO of iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group. “The NFL represents sports at its highest level – with the greatest athletes and the most heart-pounding games the world has seen. These are legendary stories, and we can’t wait to roll out a slate of incredible new podcasts to capture it all – for iHeart’s huge audience and the NFL’s massive fanbase alike.”

“We’re excited to partner with the NFL to extend their reach through podcasting to millions of listeners around the world,” said John Sykes, President of Entertainment Enterprises at iHeartMedia. “With these upcoming podcasts, fans will be able to experience the NFL in a new way through rich, deep-dive audio content on their favorite teams and exclusive commentary from their favorite players.”

The Super League: “It Has The Potential To Aggressively Compete With The Three Big American Leagues”

This past weekend the EFL celebrated its 133rd birthday and then was faced with the following news: “Twelve of Europe’s leading football clubs have come together to announce they have agreed to establish a new mid-week competition, the Super League, governed by its Founding Clubs.”

iSportConnect speaks to Professor Simon Chadwick of EMLYON Business School and Dr. Paul Widdop, Senior Lecturer of Sport Development at Manchester Metropolitan University to get their views on why this development has occurred and what it could mean for football.

AC Milan, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur have all joined as Founding Clubs. It is anticipated that a further three clubs will join ahead of the inaugural season, which is intended to commence as soon as practicable.

A joint statement by the clubs mentioned: “Going forward, the Founding Clubs look forward to holding discussions with UEFA and FIFA to work together in partnership to deliver the best outcomes for the new League and for football as a whole.”

“Football is based on open competitions and sporting merit; it cannot be any other way.”

However, UEFA, the English Football Association, the Premier League, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), LaLiga, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and Lega Serie A quickly responded: “If this were to happen, we wish to reiterate that we – UEFA, the English FA, RFEF, FIGC, the Premier League, LaLiga, Lega Serie A, but also FIFA and all our member associations – will remain united in our efforts to stop this cynical project, a project that is founded on the self-interest of a few clubs at a time when society needs solidarity more than ever.

“We will consider all measures available to us, at all levels, both judicial and sporting in order to prevent this happening. Football is based on open competitions and sporting merit; it cannot be any other way.

“As previously announced by FIFA and the six Federations, the clubs concerned will be banned from playing in any other competition at domestic, European or world level, and their players could be denied the opportunity to represent their national teams.”

“Globalisation has changed the balance of economic power across the world and this is significant in terms of both revenues and money going into football and also in the way football is consumed.” – Simon Chadwick

In a letter to UEFA and FIFA, seen by the PA news agency, the Super League replied: “We are concerned that Fifa and Uefa may respond to this invitation letter by seeking to take punitive measures to exclude any participating club or player from their respective competitions.

“We hope that is not your response to this letter and that, like us, your organisations will recognise the immediate benefits of the competition established by SLCo. We also seek your co-operation and support on how the competition can be brought within the football ecosystem and work with us to achieve that objective.

“Your formal statement does, however, compel us to take protective steps to secure ourselves against such an adverse reaction, which would not only jeopardise the funding commitment under the grant but, significantly, would be unlawful. For this reason, SLCo has filed a motion before the relevant courts in order to ensure the seamless establishment and operation of the competition in accordance with applicable laws.”

Professor Simon Chadwick of EMLYON Business School, shared his opinion on the development with iSportConnect, saying: “I have been expecting this for some time. Last year in October when Josep Maria Bartomeu resigned as FC Barcelona president, he openly talked about the league. Globalisation has changed the balance of economic power across the world and this is significant in terms of both revenues and money going into football and also in the way football is consumed. There have been big changes in digital technology compared to April 2007, when the last time Super League was discussed. Since then we have seen the emergence of media and OTT platforms.

“There are couple of scenarios that spring to mind, neither are good for football in England.” – Dr. Paul Widdop

We also know the likes of Netflix are influencing the way people are consuming their audio-visual content. Since 2007, we have seen influx of money from the Gulf, China and more recently from the United States. So the talk of formation of Super League is not a surprise but you have to balance all of this against the discussions taking place around UEFA’s proposals for the Champions League and UEFA obviously is in a very difficult position in a sense that it clearly needs to keep its big clubs happy and the big leagues happy because they are the entities that generate the most money from TV deals, sponsorships, etc…

“At the same time it is a representative organisation which represents Poland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland etc. So UEFA always walks a fine line between favouring a few and favouring many. And the Super League story is much about top clubs putting pressure on UEFA to favour them rather than the many.”

Dr. Paul Widdop, Senior Lecturer of Sport Development at Manchester Metropolitan University, co-founder of the Football Collective and research editor at Connect Sport, also spoke to iSportConnect on the announcement.

Asked where this potential commercial powerhouse could rank in the world of sport, he said: “I think it has the potential to aggressively compete with the three big American leagues (the NFL, MLB and NBA). There are many commentators reporting that the Super League would be boring and lack interest. I don’t agree with that, I think there is a market for this approach, and whilst the culture between European and American sports league are different, there is value for these clubs to pursue this type of closed agreement. Inevitably there will be a major backlash from sections of fans and supporter groups across Europe. But I think what many forget is that these are global clubs in global cities with global fan bases with varying needs, desires and wants.”

As to what will be the impact it will have on league football at the League level below the Premier League in England, he added: “There are couple of scenarios that spring to mind, neither are good for football in England.

“Firstly, let’s say the EPL suspend these clubs from the competition, then they are devaluing the brand of the EPL and ultimately will inevitably see a rewriting of the current broadcasting contracts, which are now an essential source of income. However, those who bang the drum of competitive balance will be happier as they will through the back door get a league that is less unequal.

“Secondly, if these clubs are allowed to break away to form a mid-week super league and allowed to continue in domestic competition, there will be a huge competitive advantage given the figures being talked about in the Super League, and competition will be effectively removed, not to mention the huge growth in inequality. Any structural change to a system has the potential to cause a cascading effect, by that I mean if resources and revenue started shrinking at the elite level this will have a devastating cascading effect on money and resources flowing through the system, and teams would find it very difficult to remain afloat. But we have been sleepwalking to this scenario since the early 1990’s, building a model of football built on principles of neo-liberalism.”

As details continue to emerge on this Super League it will be of great interest to see the continued reaction from fans, who appear strongly opposed to these changes, could turn the tide on the Super League. It seems we are at the tip of the iceberg.