Extreme E To Keep Time With Zenith

Extreme E has onboarded Swiss luxury watchmaker Zenith as the Official Timekeeper and Founding Partner of the pioneering electric off-road racing championship.

The agreement was signed right on time ahead of the inaugural season of Extreme E, which starts this weekend in the AlUla region of Saudi Arabia on 3-4 April.

As Official Timekeeper and Founding Partner, Zenith will provide live timing at each event directly to the Command Centre, the innovative pit wall and strategy room where key team players will be located on-site.

Fans will also be able to follow their favourite team and driver and view live sector times via the official Extreme E website and on mobile devices.

Zenith’s philosophy of chronometric precision and boundless innovation is the perfect fit for Extreme E’s exciting knockout style racing format. Each driver pairing will compete against the clock in a number of qualifying heats, with the fastest two teams progressing to the Final.

Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E said: “The margin of success in motorsport has always been measured against the stopwatch and that’s why I’m delighted that Zenith is joining as Official Timekeeper and Founding Partner. Zenith is a master of accuracy and a name recognised worldwide for timing and excellence. With only milliseconds the difference between victory and defeat, we can rely on Zenith’s chronometric precision throughout our first season of Extreme E.”

Julien Tornare, CEO of Zenith, said: “Building a green and sustainable future is something very much at the core of what Zenith is doing today. We are absolutely thrilled to join Extreme E as its Official Timekeeper and Founding Partner. It’s exciting to be at the start of what will undoubtedly become the future of off-road extreme racing, while also bringing environmental issues to the forefront.

When developing our next collection that we will unveil in the coming days, this is exactly the kind of environment we envisioned for it: Innovative, off the beaten path and pushing the limits of performance to the extreme, where every millisecond counts and every racer can make their mark.”

AC Milan And BMW Agree Multi-Year Partnership

AC Milan and BMW have signed a new multi-year partnership, which will see the Italian branch of the German premium automobile manufacturer become the Rossoneri’s new Automotive Partner and Premium Partner.


The two global brands, excellences in their respective fields, join hands to design a future together in the name of innovation, sustainability and style, with a focus on new generations. A vision shared by both AC Milan and BMW, which combines the ability of the two brands to create an emotional bond with their fans and customers, through the fusion of the Club’s values, on and off the pitch, and BMW’s distinctiveness and holistic model. Two brands with a future-oriented pioneering approach, which over the years have been able to generate innovative ideas and solutions for the future, in their respective fields.


This is a key partnership for BMW, which will see the Italian branch of the premium automobile manufacturer headquartered in Munich work closely with AC Milan on a number of exclusive events and initiatives to connect and excite all sports fans as well as car, innovation and glamour enthusiasts across the globe.


As a Premium Partner of AC Milan, BMW will be fully integrated across the AC Milan business, providing product showcasing, exposure on the Club’s digital and physical assets as well as opportunities to develop compelling branded content.

The new partnership will also provide AC Milan with access to BMW’s technology and innovative mobility solutions, which will also be made available to players and staff of the Men’s First Team.

AC Milan President Paolo Scaroni said: “Welcoming an internationally recognised brand and an excellence in the automotive industry such as BMW to our family of Premium Partners gives us great pride.”
“BMW, much like AC Milan, is a synonym for excellence, style and innovation, so we are truly delighted to embark on this journey and head toward a progressive and sustainable future together, for the benefit of all.”

Massimiliano Di Silvestre, President and CEO of BMW Italia S.p.A commented: “As part of our partnership, we are not just limiting ourselves to comms and visibility collaborations, social media interactions, or physical and digital events. Our ambition is to go beyond the technical aspects of a traditional partnership, by pooling some aspirational values of our brands, in order to be more authentic. These shared elements have naturally emerged during our preparatory meetings. The key words will be culture, style and burst of innovation, but also corporate social responsibility and sustainability.”

Casper Stylsvig, Chief Revenue Officer of AC Milan added: “AC Milan and BMW are two global icons with a legendary heritage, a shared vision and a future to design together. Strategically, this partnership represents a very important moment in the Club’s growth path that will allow to engage and excite millions of sports fans all over the world by leveraging on the strength of the two brands”.

The British & Irish Lions Name OPRO As Licensing Partner

The British & Irish Lions has signed a new licensing partnership with the world’s largest mouthguard manufacturer, OPRO.

The agreement is one of a number of new license deals secured by brand licensing specialist The Point.1888, who have partnered with the Lions to create a new range of products ahead of the eagerly awaited Castle Lager Lions Series in South Africa against Rugby World Cup champions, the Springboks.

The partnership grants OPRO the rights to produce Lions-branded mouthguards available for purchase through its network of global retailers.

The relationship also sees all players selected in the Lions squad provided with OPRO’s, award winning, custom-fit mouthguards. OPRO are the official mouthguard partner of more than 85 teams and associations across the world, including England Rugby, Rugby Australia, New Zealand Rugby and 11 Gallagher Premiership clubs.

“We are delighted to welcome OPRO to our family of licensees,” said Tom Halsey, British & Irish Lions Commercial Director.

“OPRO’s pioneering approach to mouthguard technology and player welfare sets it apart from any competitor. We look forward to another successful partnership with them.”

Daniel Lovat, Sports Marketing Director for OPRO, commented: “It’s a huge privilege to once again be partnered with the Lions and we also thanks The Point. 1888 for their fantastic support.

“We’re excited to launch the range of Lions-branded mouthguards alongside our retail partners and also support the squad during the Tour, ensuring they’ve the very best protection for their teeth.”

OPRO is the latest in a list of recent Lions’ license deals secured by The Point.1888, which include:

Reach Publishing: The experienced sports publisher will produce a Lions pre-Tour magazine, Tour guide and bookazine.
Super Socks / Snugzy: The online retailer will produce a range of Lions-branded personalised socks and cushions aimed at all fans.
Disrupt Sport: The innovation sports manufacturing company will create a portfolio of quality print on demand Lions products, including posters, stickers, puzzles, wallets, phone cases and bumbags.

“We are delighted to be working with these new partners to support what is set to be an incredible few months for the Lions in South Africa. With some very varied partners on board, we are thrilled to be appealing to so many fans across the entire family, as well as supporting the team whilst they play,” added Hannah Stevens, Head of Retail at The Point. 1888.

ATP Signs Tennis-Point As Official Racket Sports Products Retailer Until 2025

The ATP and Tennis-Point, the tennis brand of SIGNA Sports United, have announced a multi-year partnership, which sees the global tennis online retail platform become the Official Racket Sports Products Retailer of the ATP Tour until 2025.

Tennis-Point is part of SIGNA Sports United, the global leading online sports commerce and tech platform in the bike, tennis, outdoor and team sports categories, and operates the world’s leading tennis online retail platform, with 14 local-language online shops offering one of the widest ranges of tennis products globally.

Through the partnership, Tennis-Point will look to broaden its global reach and awareness through dedicated brand exposure on the ATP’s website and official social channels, which currently reach over 8 million followers. Tennis-Point will also connect ATP to the platform technologies of SIGNA Sports United in order to launch the ATP Tour shop and make it accessible to fans via the ‘Shop’ icon on ATPTour.com from 1 April.

Daniele Sano, ATP Chief Business Officer, said: “We are delighted to partner with Tennis-Point, whose focus on the customer experience matches our ethos of putting the fan first. In addition to their fast-expanding commerce capabilities, the brand’s creative marketing initiatives and an existing presence at ATP tournaments make it the right fit to promote the ATP Tour to millions of recreational players around the world.”

Nelson Artz, Tennis-Point Chief Brand Officer, said: “The partnership with the ATP Tour resonates perfectly with our brand mission to be ‘more than just a shop’. We are very grateful to be able to join this family of global tennis enthusiasts. Together with the ATP Tour we want to further increase the love of our favourite sport and the number of players on the courts. The professional sport, with its spectacular matches and tournaments, is instrumental to driving the development of youth participation and making tennis one of the leading recreational sports overall.”

Stephan Zoll, CEO of SIGNA Sports United, said, “ATP and Tennis-Point entering into an exclusive partnership is the culmination of the efforts we have made to develop our unique sports commerce and tech platform capabilities and to lead the sports ecosystem into the digital age. We are sure that the cooperation between ATP and Tennis-Point will be of great benefit to the global tennis community.”

Team GB Partners DB Schenker Ahead Of Tokyo Olympics

Team GB has partnered with globally renowned logistics provider DB Schenker.

DB Schenker, based in Middlesex, will have the task of delivering 27 containers-worth of sporting equipment, food items and home from home necessities to ensure that athletes have the best possible environment when they arrive at Team GB’s pre-Games Preparation Camps and into the Olympic Village.

Team GB has an impressive pre-Games Preparation Camp, which incorporates Keio University, Yokohama International Pool, Todoroki Stadium, as well as the Yokohama Intercontinental Grand Hotel, all of which provide venues to train, prepare and rest and recover ahead of the Games starting on July 23rd.

The home away from home environment is something that Team GB prides itself on at Games-time with athletes not wanting for anything when it comes to things such as sleep kits, their favourite tea bags or pots of peanut butter.

There will be a total of 27 freight containers that would cover a football field, which will contain 550 pallets worth of goods making their way to Tokyo, including over 1500 water bottles, 600 pillow packs and 500 bags of Team GB pin badges to name but a few. These containers will set sail from Southampton in the next fortnight.

In addition to this huge shipment of Team GB goods, DB Schenker are providing logistics, transport, freight forwarding, warehousing and set-up in Tokyo. They are also providing land, air and ocean freight services, along with their expertise on and extensive knowledge of large-scale handling of goods and freight internationally.

Focussed on sustainability, Team GB are minimising their carbon footprint by opting to send almost all of their shipment by ocean with DB Schenker.

DB Schenker will also be providing their services and support to Team GB for the Beijing Olympic Winter Games, in February 2022.

British Olympic Association CEO, Andy Anson, said: “We’re proud to be working with such a globally recognised company as DB Schenker.

“One of the key elements of Team GB is the provision of a comprehensive performance environment for athletes to train and prepare as they get ready for the biggest sporting moment of their careers.

“The delivery of key training equipment and other vital items to Tokyo is a complex process but working with an organisation as professional as DB Schenker gives us great confidence that when the athletes arrive in country, they will have a fantastic set-up.”

Ray Hennessy, CEO at DB Schenker UK said: “As the world begins to emerge from the global pandemic the Tokyo Olympic Games will symbolise optimism, confidence and positivity. Team GB will once again lift our spirits and make us proud.

“Three of the core values of DB Schenker; Push Limits, One Team with One Goal and Winning Together epitomise the spirit of the Olympics and we are honoured to partner Team GB. Supporting the team to bring home gold, with our global transportation and logistics expertise, delivering essential equipment from sporting apparel to physio couches.”

UK Sport To Invest £2.4m In Eight Sports

UK Sport has officially launched its new National Squads Support Fund, which will see up to £2.4m invested into a further eight sports.

Six Olympic and two Paralympic sports will initially benefit from the National Squads Support Fund. It is expected to have an impact on over 100 athletes that would otherwise not receive support and offer a crucial contribution in enabling them to represent their country on the biggest stages.

The National Squads Support Fund will positively contribute to the development of credible national squads, specifically enabling athletes to attend major international championships and access other events that form the critical path to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The investment into these eight sports brings the number of sports set to receive funding from the Government and The National Lottery to 51 with 36 on World Class Programme and seven on Progression. The breakdown of investment to the eight sports as part of the National Squads Support Fund is as follows, up to:

Artistic Swimming – £216,250
Goalball – £245,000
Handball – £375,000
Sitting Volleyball – £375,000
Softball – £288,750
Volleyball – £260,000
Water Polo – £375,000
Wrestling – £260,000


Sally Munday, CEO at UK Sport, said: “The National Squads Support Fund is a key part of our new investment approach and demonstrates our commitment to a wider group of sports and athletes in our Olympic and Paralympic high-performance community. We are investing in a longer-term, holistic view of success, powering a broader range of sports, champions and medallists, built on the highest standards of integrity and partnership.

“Thanks to the ongoing support of the Government and The National Lottery, it is really pleasing to be confirming these eight summer Olympic and Paralympic sports set to benefit from the National Squads Support Fund. This is an important contribution for the athletes and sports involved, and we are looking forward to working with these eight sports and watching their progress as a result.”

The National Squads Support Fund is available to summer Olympic and Paralympic sports that did not receive World Class Programme or Progression funding as part of the December investment process through to Paris 2024 and beyond.

In addition to these eight sports, UK Sport is currently in discussions with the new Olympic sport of Breaking which is also eligible to be considered for an investment from the National Squads Support Fund.

Paul Bray, Chairman at British Handball, said: “This funding is a significant moment for our sport and everyone at British Handball is hugely grateful to UK Sport for recognising the need to support sports such as handball going forward. This financial support adds to that which we gratefully receive from the International Handball Federation (IHF) and is absolutely crucial in securing our sport at the elite level, providing the pathway and platform for our athletes, coaches and staff to represent Great Britain at the highest level.”

Richard Callicott OBE, President at the British Volleyball Federation, said: “The British Volleyball Federation is pleased with the award made by UK Sport. It will provide us with a way forward to compete and train as we prepare for Paris 2024 and gives our players an increased incentive by being recognised. We thank UK Sport for having the vision to recognise the value of helping unfunded sports on the first steps to future success. Creating the National Squads Support Fund is a great move in the right direction. We look forward to showing what we can achieve.’

Craig Anthony, Chief Executive at British Wrestling, said: “British Wrestling is delighted to receive this National Squads Support Funding, which will give us the opportunity to support talented wrestlers to compete on the world stage. These funds will aid the continued growth of our performance programme and give our athletes the experiences they need to develop. Wrestling is an incredibly diverse sport and this funding from UK Sport and the National Lottery will help us in our mission to support wrestlers from all backgrounds to achieve their potential.”

Transpacific Yacht Race Signs 1080 Media TV As Host Broadcaster

London based global sports media producer 1080 Media TV has been appointed Host Broadcaster of the iconic 2225-mile Transpacific Yacht Race from Los Angeles to Honolulu, slated to run this July with stringent Covid-19 precautions for more than 60 entries.

This is the 51st edition of the biennial classic ‘open water’ race which was first sailed in 1906 and has become one of the world’s greatest challenges for ocean racers and adventurers. 1080 Media TV has been appointed to create dynamic multi-channel content for a worldwide audience spanning television shows, highlights, news packages and social media.

‘’This is a new departure for us as part of our concerted drive to bring the race to a broader international audience beyond our traditional following in the US and around the Pacific Rim,” says Dobbs Davis, Director of Media Operations at race organisers, Transpacific Yacht Club. “Given the history of this race, the scale of its organisation, and it’s continually growing reputation as a spectacular race to compete in, we are keen to harness 1080 Media TV’s skills and sphere of operations to begin that process.”

1080 Media TV has an impressive track record of global multi-channel sports coverage and distribution, especially in capturing human adventure stories in world sailing challenges which have grown in audience appeal with new technology and techniques immersing fans in the action.

‘’We’re extremely pleased to have been selected by the Transpacific Yacht Club as their host broadcast partner,” says Cliff Webb, Founder and CEO of London based 1080 Media TV. “It’s been on my list of ‘must do’ sailing races for many years, given its reputation, and our background in the sport that has seen us involved in most of the high-profile events and regattas around the world.

“Our team is really looking forward to creating a fabulous TV show around the event, news and highlights coverage. We already have interest from broadcasters around the world as we begin the process of broadening international exposure for the race and ensuring content can be readily repurposed for digital and social platforms.”

1080 Media TV has built a flexible production platform to meet the growing demand of omnichannel content creation: SPORTSCAST | 360™ which it says provides a highly flexible and versatile toolkit to maximise engagement and impact. It has a solid distribution network with previous shows reaching over 900 million households in more than 170 global territories. In addition to its sailing portfolio the company has covered world championships in tennis, golf, table tennis, windsurfing and rafting.

UEFA To Bring In A New Champions League Format, According To Reports

UEFA is set to agree on a new Champions League format, featuring a 10-match first phase from 2024, according to various media reports.

The proposal, which has been under discussion for almost two years, is expected to be signed on Tuesday and then signed off by Uefa’s executive committee.

Under the new format, the current group stage will be scrapped, drastically impacting how the current competition stages take place. These additional fixtures in the opening phase are set to impact most of the major leagues, in particular that of English football, as it means an extra two weeks will have to be utilised to play these first-phase fixtures, likely in the weeks where the EFL Cup currently takes place.

In its place, the number of qualifiers for the competition, will be expanded from 32 to 36, with space for two ‘wild card’ entries.

The wild cards will be reserved for clubs with the highest Uefa co-efficient – points used to rank clubs based on past European success – who have not qualified for the competition through their league position.

If the format was being used now, based on the current table it would mean Liverpool would gain a Champions League spot despite being seventh in the Premier League.

The new format appears to remove the current round of 16, instead with 8 teams heading into the second stage automatically, while teams 9-24 head into a play-off.

However the final rule-changes come out, it is certain that this has the potential to shake up a large portion of European football.

Gloucester Rugby Appoints SecuTix As Ticketing Technology Partner

Gloucester Rugby has appointed ticketing engagement platform SecuTix, as part of a broader digital transformation taking place across the club and the Kingsholm Stadium.

Following a competitive pitch, SecuTix will be the Premiership club’s new Ticketing Technology Partner and will play a key role in helping the club achieve its ambition of creating the best digital experience for rugby fans in the UK.

SecuTix will focus on growing Gloucester Rugby’s fan base, increasing ticketing revenue and providing a first-class fan experience. Using the SecuTix 360 platform, Gloucester Rugby intends to use data-driven audience insights to understand their fans better and deliver personalised, targeted marketing campaigns.

Alex Brown, Chief Operating Officer at Gloucester Rugby, said: “We are delighted to partner with SecuTix to deliver our ticketing solution from July 2021, enabling Gloucester Rugby to provide a more user-friendly platform for our supporters. Our focus is to develop and improve our digital offering and SecuTix provide the platform for us to achieve this.


“We are excited for the return of fans to Kingsholm Stadium and believe our partnership with SecuTix will help to deliver an exceptional ticketing and fan experience.”


David Hornby, SecuTix UK Managing Director, added: “We’re excited to partner with a club that is leading the way in terms of sports technology. The new high capacity WiFi network at Kingsholm makes it one of the best-connected stadiums in the UK, so the opportunities for a better ticketing and fan experience are endless. With engagement sitting at the heart of the open SecuTix platform, we look forward to connecting with the club’s other digital partners and modernising the customer journey for Gloucester fans.”

World Archery And Sony Pictures India Renew Broadcast Deal

World Archery and Sony Pictures India Private Limited have renewed their exclusive rights agreement that sees the linear broadcast of international archery tournaments on their network and digital platforms across the Indian subcontinent.

The new deal runs for the upcoming season, including events on the 2021 Hyundai Archery World Cup and the 2021 Hyundai World Archery Championships. The exclusivity covers India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and the Maldives.

India has already secured four quota places to the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games but will look to upgrade its single women’s spot to a team ticket at the final qualification event in Paris in June.

The nation recently announced its Olympic and international team for 2021. It is led by top archers Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das, who were married during the pandemic and the couple are likely to compete together in the mixed team competition in Tokyo.

India will host the Commonwealth Shooting and Archery Championships in early 2022.