World Rugby To Postpone Women’s Rugby World Cup 2021 To Next Year

World Rugby has recommend the postponement of Rugby World Cup 2021, scheduled to be hosted in New Zealand between 18 September-16 October, until next year.

The recommendation will be considered by the Rugby World Cup Board and World Rugby Executive Committee on 8 and 9 March respectively.

While appreciating the recommendation is extremely disappointing for teams and fans, it has their interests at heart, and gives the tournament the best opportunity to be all it can be for them, all New Zealanders and the global rugby family.

The recommendation is based on the evolution of the uncertain and challenging global COVID-19 landscape. It has become clear in recent discussions with key partners including New Zealand Rugby, the New Zealand Government and participating unions, that, given the scale of the event and the COVID-19-related uncertainties, it is just not possible to deliver the environment for all teams to be the best that they can be on the sport’s greatest stage.

The challenges include uncertainty and the ability for teams to prepare adequately for a Rugby World Cup tournament both before and on arrival in New Zealand, and challenging global travel restrictions.

World Rugby can assure teams, New Zealanders and the global rugby family that the recommendation to postpone the tournament will help to ensure that Rugby World Cup 2021 will be all it can be next year for players, fans and the rugby family – one of the great Rugby World Cups.

PGA Tour Signs Amazon Web Services As Official Cloud Provider

Amazon Web Services has announced that the PGA TOUR (TOUR) has selected AWS as the Official Cloud Provider of the TOUR.

AWS and the TOUR are partnering to transform the way golf content is created, distributed, and experienced, bringing fans closer to the action on the course while also helping the TOUR streamline its media operations. With this agreement, AWS becomes the Official Cloud Provider, Artificial Intelligence Cloud Provider, Deep Learning Cloud Provider, and Machine Learning Cloud Provider of the TOUR.

The TOUR will use AWS machine learning, storage, compute, analytics, database, and media services to quickly process and distribute video footage from each golf tournament, while also giving fans new ways to engage with TOUR content. The TOUR captures hundreds of hours of raw footage at each tournament and will leverage AWS to rapidly transform this content into exciting new digital experiences that provide fans with a more complete and personalized experience across TOUR competition. For instance, Every Shot Live, an over-the-top (OTT) streaming platform powered by AWS, will give viewers live access to every shot from every player in a tournament. During a tournament like THE PLAYERS Championship, fans will have access to more than 32,000 shots from a starting field of 144 golfers.

The fans can choose to follow any player in real time and experience each shot via streaming content. In addition, AWS will power TOURCast, an evolution of the TOUR leaderboard that will give fans video game-like control of the golf viewing experience, allowing them to change their viewing perspective with alternative camera angles, navigate around the course, view speed rounds, and display player and shot stats on demand.

The TOUR will also use AWS media services to make it faster to deliver video content for televised event coverage and OTT streaming for online viewers. To accomplish this, the TOUR will use AWS to simultaneously process and distribute OTT content, formatting it for reliable viewing over a variety of delivery platforms and devices, including smartphones and tablets. Using AWS Media Services, the TOUR will make tournament footage available globally to authenticated broadcasters, content subscribers from AWS, and other sources.

In addition, the TOUR will build a data lake for real-time and historic multimedia content on Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3). The TOUR will migrate nearly 100 years of media content to AWS – including video, audio, and images dating back to the 1928 Los Angeles Open – and will stream live footage from future tournaments into the data lake. The TOUR will then use Amazon Rekognition (AWS’s deep learning service that makes it easy to add image and video analysis to applications) to automatically tag content with specific metadata like player names and sponsor logos.

This will help the TOUR and its content partners search, review, annotate, and package new content, as well as give them instant access to key moments from throughout the TOUR’s history to aid commentary and add depth to event coverage. Fans, too, will benefit from enhanced access to years of this tagged and archived golf footage and highlights through the TOUR’s web and mobile apps.

To round out the partnership, AWS will become a Trustee of First Tee, a youth development organization supported by the TOUR that reaches more than 3.7 million young people across the United States and select international locations each year, helping them build their strength of character through the game of golf. As part of wide-ranging support for First Tee, AWS will assist the organization in developing an online community for coaches, parents, and participants where they can access the First Tee curriculum and resources and connect with peers in the program.

“This transformational partnership with AWS will give our fans the opportunity to experience the PGA TOUR like never before,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Growing and diversifying our fan base is a top priority for us, and thanks to the collaboration and innovation from AWS, we are creating more ways to experience the game of golf, while personalizing our content to enable fans to engage with the tournaments and players they support.”

“The world’s top sports organizations – for instance, the NFL, NHL, Formula One, NASCAR, Bundesliga, and now the PGA TOUR – continue to turn to AWS to help them innovate for their fans and players at an unprecedented rate,” said Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon Web Services, Inc.

“The partnership and experience we create with the TOUR will be unique. Unlike other sports, there’s more than one ball in play on a golf course, which makes it harder for fans to follow how every player is performing. Our collaboration with the TOUR will change the way that fans will be able to connect with the sport by giving them real-time access to virtually every moment on the course and letting them determine how they experience the game.”

Ospreys Appoint Ex-Man City Executive Nick Garcia As CEO

The Ospreys have appointed former City Football Group and Manchester City executive Nick Garcia as the Chief Executive of the regional rugby franchise.

Y11 Sports & Media, the new Ospreys owners, have underlined its global ambition with the recruitment of a leading management executive from outside rugby to take charge of the Ospreys.

The appointment of Nick Garcia, 45, is a bold statement of intent of the Ospreys ambition of being a global sporting brand and a leading rugby franchise.

Nick Garcia was part of the transformational team that led Manchester City’s expansion to City Football Group; a collection of football clubs around the world with shared playing philosophy, brand and commercial strategy. A model that has set the innovation benchmark for sports franchises globally.


The Ospreys Board conducted an extensive interview process to appoint a new CEO who has a track record for sports innovation and an ability to adapt to the changing sports environment.

Nick has a track record of driving sustainable success through operational efficiency and increased commercial revenue whilst building on the organisations culture and heritage, with the supporter at its core.

His appointment is part of the long-term strategy to place the Ospreys at the forefront of professional rugby and to drive the regional franchise to embrace the challenges ahead whilst capitalising on the changing rugby landscape.

He will work with the Board to devise and execute a global strategy to deliver on and off field success for the Ospreys, serving the community of supporter’s in Wales and beyond.

At CFG Nick had a remit across clubs in Manchester, New York, Melbourne and Yokohama, where he gained valuable insight into sport franchise operation and, most importantly, the value of club history and understanding its community of supporters.

He was then appointed Group CEO of Al Jazira Sports and Culture Club in Abu Dhabi, a leading football club in the U.A.E, where he led the turnaround of the club through a renewed vision using global best practice on and off the pitch to ensure sustainable success.


This major appointment will see Andrew Millward, the current managing director of the Ospreys, move to Chief Operating Officer, and charged with leading the rugby strategy with the RMB and PRO14.

Nick Garcia’s appointment follows Ospreys high calibre recruitment of Corin Palmer as Performance Director, and Toby Booth as Ospreys Head Coach. Garcia will be responsible for all areas of the Ospreys business and will report to the Board. He and his family will move to Swansea to start work on April 12th.

Nick Garcia, Ospreys Chief Executive Officer, said: “The Ospreys is a pillar of Welsh rugby and the community, with an impressive history of success and a reputation of innovating to deliver results. The ownership’s vision for the club and the changing rugby landscape makes this an exciting role. I’m truly honoured to have been chosen to lead the Ospreys in this next phase.”

eToro To Stake £1m As Part Of DS TECHEETAH Deal

DS TECHEETAH has launched a first of its kind sponsorship deal with global investment platform eToro where eToro will stake £1 million for DS TECHEETAH to invest on its platform and the team will keep any profits made.

DS TECHEETAH will invest the money in some of eToro’s top investors, using eToro’s innovative CopyTrader feature. The team will also invest in themes that align with the team’s values by investing in two of eToro’s thematic portfolios: Renewable Energy and Driverless. The latter portfolio contains a number of stocks in the electric car sector, including Stellantis – the owner of DS Automobiles, the manufacturer of DS TECHEETAH.

Dylan Holman, Global Sponsorship Manager of eToro, said: ‘We are excited to work with DS TECHEETAH, who believe in our product as much as we do. We hope that by structuring our partnership in this unique way, we can raise awareness to more people around the world of the potential to grow their wealth through investing. We hope to work with more companies in a similar way in the future.

“2020 saw a meteoric rise in retail participation in capital markets and we think this trend is here to stay. People want simple access to markets. eToro is a social investing platform where people can execute trades, but also see what others are doing and talk to each other. We were the first to bring social investing to the masses and took this concept one step further by inventing CopyTrader.”

CopyTrader allows users to automatically copy the same trades as top investors in proportion to the amount users choose to invest. To copy an investor on eToro there is no cost and trades are carried out at exactly the same time and at the same market rate. CopyPortfolios offer people access to thematic investing.

Keith Smout, Chief Commercial Officer of DS TECHEETAH, said: “We always want to be at the forefront of innovation, which is one of the key values of Formula E and DS TECHEETAH. There is a lot of synergy with this deal as a number of the DS TECHEETAH team, including two-time Formula E Champion Jean-Eric Vergne, have been using eToro’s CopyTrader. We have seen the benefits of investing in the financial markets and we’re excited about this partnership, as we aim to help demystify investing to our fans throughout the season.”

World Surf League Signs Rip Curl As Title Partner

The World Surf League (WSL) and Rip Curl have announced the three-year partnership of the Rip Curl WSL Finals, the new one-day competition that will decide the men’s and women’s World Surfing Champions.

The inaugural Rip Curl WSL Finals will take place in San Clemente, Calif. at Lower Trestles. At the conclusion of the regular season, the top five men and top five women on the CT rankings will head to Orange County for this one-day, winner-take-all shot at the World Title.

Often referred to as one of the most high-performance waves in the world, there is nowhere to hide at Lowers. To win at Lowers will require a unique combination of technical mastery and explosive innovation. The Rip Curl WSL Finals waiting period will run from September 8 – 17, 2021, a choice time of year for solid Southern Hemisphere swells to light up the cobblestone point.


“I am a huge fan of the decision for the new CT format, it’s like multiple games throughout the year,” said Tyler Wright, two-time WSL Champion. “I love the idea of competing head-to-head against the best in the world. It’s at a whole other level of competitiveness and really means you can throw down everything on one day. Trestles is an equalizer, with the potential for the highest of performances and the greatest of heat strategy.”

“We are thrilled to announce the Rip Curl WSL Finals,” said Cherie Cohen, WSL Chief Revenue Officer. “Throughout a long tenure as core promoter of professional surfing, Rip Curl has consistently delivered innovation and kept its edge. It makes sense that we would partner to make history and launch the new format to crown a men’s and women’s World Champion. We look forward to building a successful franchise together over the next three years.”

“Torquay, Trestles, Hossegor – these are our home beaches so it makes perfect sense to come on board with the WSL Finals and its new format at Lowers in 2021,” said Neil Ridgway, Chief Brand and Marketing Officer at Rip Curl.

“Rip Curl has been supporting pro surfers in the race for world surfing titles for decades and we have won either a women’s or men’s crown with our pro team 11 of the last 13 years so when the new format came out we wanted to get behind WSL in its first three years of the new system.

Hopefully, it shows to anyone with a pro surfing dream that from the juniors to the upper-echelon it’s a great part of surfing and that it provides all of the drama the last event of the tour race is known for. We wish all the women and men the very best in the race. Who knows, it could be in the Mentawai next year and if nothing else the sponsorship means we get to go!”

Borussia Dortmund Signs BetMGM As Regional U.S. Partner

BetMGM will become the exclusive Regional U.S. Partner of Borussia Dortmund, the popular German champion soccer club.

The partnership features cross-marketing opportunities as well as fan-focused assets such as social media promotions, and BetMGM customer sweepstakes awarding special Dortmund prizes.

“BetMGM becoming the first U.S. sports betting operator to partner with a German soccer club is a major milestone, and who better to team up with than the legendary Borussia Dortmund,” said Matt Prevost, Chief Revenue Officer, BetMGM.

“As interest in Bundesliga within the U.S. continues to skyrocket, BetMGM customers can engage with one of Germany’s most prestigious clubs and watch every Bundesliga game through the BetMGM app.”

As an exclusive Regional Partner, BetMGM has rights to player imagery and team logos, as well as additional team assets for marketing applications. BetMGM customers will enjoy exclusive signup offers for Dortmund fans, along with access to co-branded content on the club’s English-language social media channel, @BlackYellow.

Benedikt Scholz, Head of International / Commercial & New Business at Borussia Dortmund, said, “We are very pleased about this partnership with BetMGM as our new regional Partner in the U.S. It is wonderful news for our U.S.-based fans that they are now able to watch BVB matches via the BetMGM app. Together, we will broaden our reach and further develop our presence in the U.S. market.”

LIVENow Appoints Peter Leible As Head Of Sports

Peter‌ ‌Leible‌ has ‌joined‌ ‌LIVENow‌ ‌as‌ ‌Head‌ ‌of‌ ‌Sports‌ ‌hitting‌ ‌the‌ ‌ground‌ ‌running‌ ‌to‌ ‌build‌ ‌a‌ ‌global‌ ‌team‌ ‌and‌ ‌establish‌ ‌LIVENow‌ ‌as‌ ‌a‌ ‌destination‌ ‌for‌ ‌sports‌ ‌content;‌ ‌where‌ ‌fans‌ ‌can‌ ‌follow‌ ‌the‌ ‌sports‌ ‌they‌ ‌love‌ ‌or‌ ‌discover‌ ‌something‌ ‌new.‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Lara‌ ‌Vanjak,‌ ‌Chief‌ ‌Operating‌ ‌Officer‌ ‌at‌ ‌LIVENow‌ ‌comments:‌ ‌ ‌“We‌ ‌have‌ ‌known‌ ‌Peter‌ ‌a‌ ‌long‌ ‌time‌ ‌and‌ ‌his‌ ‌expertise‌ ‌will‌ ‌establish‌ ‌LIVENow‌ ‌as‌ ‌an‌ ‌exciting‌ ‌player‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌sports‌ ‌rights‌ ‌ecosystem.‌ ‌He‌ ‌brings‌ ‌with‌ ‌him‌ ‌a‌ ‌wealth‌ ‌of‌ ‌experience‌ ‌and‌ ‌a‌ ‌strong‌ ‌track‌ ‌record‌ ‌of‌ ‌driving‌ ‌innovation‌ ‌and‌ ‌sustained‌ ‌business‌ ‌growth‌ ‌over‌ ‌three‌ ‌decades‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌sports‌ ‌industry.‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

“‌We‌ ‌expect‌ ‌his‌ ‌appointment‌ ‌to‌ ‌have‌ ‌a‌ ‌huge‌ ‌impact‌ ‌on‌ ‌our‌ ‌business,‌ ‌building‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌success‌ ‌we’ve‌ ‌seen‌ ‌from‌ ‌Serie‌ ‌B,‌ ‌Serie‌ ‌C‌ ‌and‌ ‌Australia‌ ‌vs‌ ‌India‌ ‌Men’s‌ ‌International‌ ‌Cricket.‌ ‌Not‌ ‌only‌ ‌will‌ ‌he‌ ‌curate‌ ‌an‌ ‌offering‌ ‌that‌ ‌will‌ ‌inspire‌ ‌a‌ ‌global‌ ‌audience‌ ‌but‌ ‌his‌ ‌leadership‌ ‌will‌ ‌support‌ ‌our‌ ‌overall‌ ‌mission:‌ ‌building‌ ‌a‌ ‌world‌ ‌leading‌ ‌marketing‌ ‌and‌ ‌distribution‌ ‌network‌ ‌for‌ ‌pay-per-view‌ ‌live‌ ‌events‌ ‌across‌ ‌sport,‌ ‌music,‌ ‌entertainment,‌ ‌fitness‌ ‌and‌ ‌education‌ ‌verticals.”‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Peter‌ ‌joins‌ ‌LIVENow‌ ‌from‌ ‌Bundesliga‌ ‌International‌ ‌where,‌ ‌most‌ ‌recently,‌ ‌he‌ ‌was‌ ‌Head‌ ‌of‌ ‌Global‌ ‌Audiovisual‌ ‌Rights,‌ ‌responsible‌ ‌for‌ ‌$250‌ ‌million‌ ‌of‌ ‌media‌ ‌rights‌ ‌sales.‌ ‌Based‌ ‌in‌ ‌Munich,‌ ‌following‌ ‌a‌ ‌move‌ ‌from‌ ‌Singapore‌ ‌after‌ ‌six‌ ‌years‌ ‌heading‌ ‌up‌ ‌Asia‌ ‌for‌ ‌DFL‌ ‌Sports‌ ‌Enterprises,‌ ‌owner‌ ‌and‌ ‌operator‌ ‌of‌ ‌Bundesliga.‌ ‌ ‌

Peter‌ ‌is‌ ‌an‌ ‌alumni‌ ‌of‌ ‌MP‌ ‌&‌ ‌Silva,‌ ‌prior‌ ‌to‌ ‌its‌ ‌sale‌ ‌by‌ ‌co-founder,‌ ‌and‌ ‌founder‌ ‌of‌ ‌LIVENow,‌ ‌Andrea‌ ‌Radrizzani.‌ ‌Peter‌ ‌was‌ ‌the‌ ‌Managing‌ ‌Director‌ ‌APAC‌ ‌at‌ ‌MP‌ ‌&‌ ‌Silva‌ ‌in‌ ‌Singapore,‌ ‌before‌ ‌moving‌ ‌to‌ ‌Munich‌ ‌to‌ ‌open‌ ‌an‌ ‌office‌ ‌and‌ ‌represent‌ ‌the‌ ‌company‌ ‌across‌ ‌Germany,‌ ‌Austria‌ ‌and‌ ‌Switzerland.‌ ‌ ‌

Leible‌ ‌comments:‌ ‌ ‌“It’s‌ ‌a‌ ‌great‌ ‌pleasure‌ ‌to‌ ‌be‌ ‌back‌ ‌working‌ ‌with‌ ‌Andrea‌ ‌and‌ ‌we‌ ‌believe‌ ‌there‌ ‌is‌ ‌a‌ ‌huge‌ ‌opportunity‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌pay‌ ‌per‌ ‌view‌ ‌model.‌ ‌A‌ ‌lot‌ ‌of‌ ‌rights‌ ‌holders‌ ‌are‌ ‌looking‌ ‌for‌ ‌ways‌ ‌to‌ ‌increase‌ ‌their‌ ‌revenues‌ ‌or‌ ‌to‌ ‌get‌ ‌any‌ ‌coverage‌ ‌at‌ ‌all.‌ ‌We‌ ‌are‌ ‌here‌ ‌to‌ ‌work‌ ‌with‌ ‌those‌ ‌rights‌ ‌holder,‌ ‌help‌ ‌them‌ ‌find‌ ‌an‌ ‌audience‌ ‌and‌ ‌build‌ ‌a‌ ‌global‌ ‌community.”‌ ‌ ‌

 ‌LIVENow‌ ‌is‌ ‌home‌ ‌to‌ ‌amazing‌ ‌live‌ ‌experiences‌ ‌and‌ ‌aims‌ ‌to‌ ‌entertain,‌ ‌engage‌ ‌and‌ ‌educate.‌ ‌Leible‌ ‌anticipates‌ ‌building‌ ‌the‌ ‌sports‌ ‌content‌ ‌slate,‌ ‌acquiring‌ ‌rights‌ ‌to‌ ‌high‌ ‌interest‌ ‌yet‌ ‌niche‌ ‌sporting‌ ‌content‌ ‌initially.‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

He‌ ‌continues:‌ ‌ ‌“I‌ ‌am‌ ‌fortunate‌ ‌in‌ ‌that‌ ‌there‌ ‌is‌ ‌a‌ ‌lot‌ ‌of‌ ‌content‌ ‌to‌ ‌choose‌ ‌from.‌ ‌Football,‌ ‌rugby,‌ ‌handball,‌ ‌cricket,‌ ‌baseball,‌ ‌tennis,‌ ‌archery,‌ ‌horse‌ ‌racing‌ ‌and‌ ‌more.‌ ‌As‌ ‌LIVENow‌ ‌cements‌ ‌its‌ ‌reputation,‌ ‌this‌ ‌will‌ ‌only‌ ‌grow‌ ‌and‌ ‌expand.‌ ‌I‌ ‌can’t‌ ‌wait‌ ‌to‌ ‌get‌ ‌started.”‌ ‌ 

ELEVEN Secures WTA Rights For Portugal Until 2023

ELEVEN has secured Women’s Tennis Association rights in Portugal for three seasons, from 2021-23.

ELEVEN will broadcast the WTA Finals and WTA 1000 tournaments LIVE across its linear and digital channels, making a total of 10 tournaments a season available to Portuguese tennis fans (full schedule below).

The WTA Tour features the best tennis players in the world, including Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams Simona Halep and Ashleigh Barty.

The WTA rights will sit alongside ELEVEN’s ATP 250 coverage and a host of premium LIVE sport including the UEFA Champions League, LaLiga, Bundesliga F1 and NFL.

Jorge Pavão de Sousa, Managing Director of ELEVEN Portugal, said: “We’re delighted to bring top women’s tennis to ELEVEN Portugal, to further strengthen a content offering that also the ATP 250, UEFA Champions League, LaLiga, F1 and much more.”

Micky Lawler, WTA President, added: “We are thrilled that the WTA will be part of ELEVEN’s new broadcast line-up. We look forward to bringing the very best of women’s tennis to the screens of our Portuguese fans.”

Sports Flick Bags UEFA Champions League Rights For Australia

Sports Flick – a Sydney-based streaming service that launched late last year has beaten some of sports broadcasting’s biggest players to secure the exclusive rights to the UEFA Champions League in Australia, as per media reports.

The streaming service previously bagged the K-League from Optus, who secured the South Korean top division last year post Covid-19.

The company streams UEFA Women’s Champion League, Cricket, Boxing, European Baseball Super League, European Handball, Indian Baseball, Panama Baseball, International Rugby League, Football, Ji-Jitsu, Wrestling, Future Wrestling Australia among others.

DHL Express Forays Into Cricket With Mumbai Indians Sponsorship

DHL Express, express service provider, has come on board for the five times Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Mumbai Indians as a Principal Sponsor and Official Logistics Partner.

This partnership with Mumbai Indians marks DHL Express’ first-ever cricket sponsorship, globally.

The association with global brands like DHL Express highlights Mumbai Indians growing stature as a fast-emerging global sports club and preferred brand of choice. Brand Finance had recently awarded an AA++ brand strength rating to Mumbai Indians, reflecting a consistent high brand investment, stakeholders trust and performance of the team.

Commenting on the partnership, RS Subramanian, Senior VP and MD, DHL Express India, said, “Globally, DHL supports some of the world’s largest and most popular sports formats – from football to rugby, Formula One and even esports. Today marks our foray into another crowd favorite: T20 Cricket. Cricket is a game that is well-loved and followed with ardent devotion in India, and many nations across the world. It, therefore, gives me great pleasure to come on board as a Principal Sponsor and Official Logistics Partner for Mumbai Indians.”

Sandeep Juneja, VP – Sales and marketing, DHL Express added, “As the team behind the five-time IPL winning sports team, Mumbai Indians, our brand will be placed prominently at the back of the jersey. With this new association, we will be able to take our brand into the living rooms of a large cricket fan base that cuts across gender, age groups and geography.”

A Mumbai Indians Spokesperson said, “We are delighted to partner with global brand DHL Express. The combination of DHL Express’ international market network, and Mumbai Indians’ global fan following, brings in a unique dimension to our partner association programme, allowing both brands to leverage its vast consumer interface.”

“We are proud of the fact that global brands such as DHL Express see Mumbai Indians as their preferred partner. It is testament to the trust that our club has earned and established through continued on-field success in conjunction with strong brand ideology.”