LaLiga Partner G2 Strategic: Digital Ticketing Creates New Opportunities For Clubs

While LaLiga stadiums remain closed to fans due to the coronavirus pandemic, there is hope that supporters can safely return during 2021. When they do, the experience may be different to what it was before. 

For more than four years, LaLiga clubs have been working together to bring technology into the heart of their operations. In the current climate, this can help to meet new health and safety measures and improve long-term relationships with fans.

To help clubs share expertise and best practice, LaLiga is utilising the Customer Experience Committee (CXC), a series of workshops created in 2016 to help all clubs build the most effective relationships with fans. The current focus of the CXC is the future of the matchday experience, focusing on business intelligence, digital ticketing and service innovation.

Supporting this initiative is G2 Strategic, a global sports, entertainment and venue development consultancy that has partnered with LaLiga since 2016 and provides its expertise to all clubs of LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank. 

For G2 Strategic CEO Marshall Glickman, the need for clubs to embark on digital transformation, from ticketing to engaging the new generation, is greater than ever.

“Paper ticketing was on its way out before COVID-19 and the transition will now accelerate,” Glickman said. “In fact, digital ticketing, if properly implemented and with the right software to back it up, will open up a myriad of new opportunities for clubs to monetise and collect valuable customer data. We will be able to associate every ticket with the person that is using it, data that is extremely valuable to the club, while still providing the customer with GDPR protections.”

“Digital transformation is not only about paperless ticketing, contactless payment and touch-less access control,” he continued. “It’s also about smart signage, crowd intelligence software, artificial intelligence, augmented reality and other methods that make the fan experience convenient, safe and, especially, responsive to the sensitivities of the next generation of fans.”  

With assistance from G2 Strategic, LaLiga has been working alongside clubs to incorporate such technologies for the past five seasons. “LaLiga is doing an amazing job promoting these concepts and investing capital resources,” Glickman continued.

“We must ensure that clubs are able to adapt and this means capital and human resources to upgrade the stadiums and create new commercial assets that can be well monetised. The clubs participating in the CXC are having regular dialogue about just about every topic that impacts the experience of our existing customers, and especially about what changes should be considered to attract the next generations.”

Managing health requirements digitally


While many of the concepts that the CXC have been discussing were being developed even before the pandemic, the arrival of COVID-19 has presented some unique challenges. LaLiga is working alongside G2 Strategic and clubs to ensure that the eventual return of supporters to stadiums is as safe and secure as possible. 

Glickman believes it will be essential for clubs to bring in the mandatory use of hand sanitiser, social distancing, compulsory mask wearing, cashless transactions and more, with technology playing a significant role.

ESPN+ And Cricket West Indies Strike Five-Year Broadcast Deal

ESPN+ has finalized a new five-year agreement with Cricket West Indies for exclusive U.S. rights to all men’s and women’s matches in the International Cricket Council Future Tours Program played in the Caribbean.

The deal also includes domestic CWI matches for a total of 124 matches including 20 Tests, 46 ODI and 58 T20s.

The new deal will start February 7 with domestic CG Insurance Super50 Cup matches, including the championship final on February 27. The first international event of the agreement begins March 2, when Sri Lanka travels to the West Indies. Additional tours this year include Australia, South Africa and Pakistan, with India (2022, 2023), New Zealand (2022, 2024) and England (2022, 2024) among others set for subsequent years.

“ESPN is THE sports channel for American households and sports fans and we’re delighted that West Indies cricket will now be enjoyed in the homes and on the devices of millions of Americans,” said Johnny Grave, CEO of Cricket West Indies. “We have an ambitious strategic plan to increase West Indies presence and profile in North America and our new five-year agreement with ESPN is a crucial partnership that will help us achieve our goal.”

“Cricket West Indies is among the best in the world and their ICC schedule over the next few years is second to none,” said John Lasker, Vice President, ESPN Digital Media Programming. “Cricket has always been a priority for us with ESPNcricinfo leading the way as the premier destination for cricket coverage and news. Adding a strong slate of CWI events to ESPN+ is just the latest example of our commitment to cricket and serving fans with the best, most comprehensive cricket content in the U.S.”

ELEVEN Secures Five Year LaLiga Extension

ELEVEN SPORTS Poland will be the home of LaLiga Santander for the next five seasons, alongside CANAL+. 

ELEVEN, who have held the rights to LaLiga in Poland since 2015, will continue to deliver five LaLiga matches LIVE to Spanish football fans each weekend. The five additional games will be sublicensed to CANAL+.

ELEVEN and CANAL+ will alternate first picks each matchday. Every El Clasico league fixture between Barcelona and Real Madrid will be shown simultaneously across both platforms. 

One fixture each week from Spain’s second tier LaLiga SmartBank will also be available from both ELEVEN and CANAL+.

Krzysztof Świergiel, ELEVEN SPORTS Poland Managing Director, said: “LaLiga has been a very important part of ELEVEN Poland’s programming offer since the very start. So we are delighted to be able to guarantee fans more top action from one of the greatest leagues in the world for another five seasons across our linear channels and OTT service. We look forward to continuing to work with LaLiga in the years ahead.”   

ELEVEN SPORTS Poland’s portfolio of football rights also includes Serie A, Ligue 1, the Bundesliga, the FA Cup, Liga NOS, the Carabao Cup, the Sky Bet Championship and the Spanish Supercopa.

The ELEVEN group and LaLiga work together to bring the best of Spanish football to fans in Belgium, Luxembourg and Portugal too.

Tour de France Strikes Stragetic Partnership With AzkoNobel

AkzoNobel has teamed up with one of the world’s most colorful sporting events by becoming Official Supplier to the Tour de France.

The strategic three-year partnership will see the company offer support through its extensive portfolio of pace-setting brands, as well as creating opportunities to engage in projects with local communities.

“AkzoNobel and the Tour de France is an irresistible combination,” explains AkzoNobel CEO, Thierry Vanlancker. “Both organizations share an exciting and proud history, where passion and sustainable performance meets innovation and tradition.

“The race is all about teamwork, expertise and human endeavor; attributes that strongly resonate with AkzoNobel, our pioneering spirit and our commitment to being a frontrunner.”

He adds that as well as helping AkzoNobel to engage with both new and existing audiences and customers, the partnership will also offer opportunities to make a difference to communities across France.

“We’re always looking for ways to make a positive social impact through the transformative power of paint and this partnership will open up some wonderful opportunities,” continues Vanlancker. “We’re looking forward to getting started and are excited to be part of such a prestigious event which is so well loved around the world.”

USA Gymnastics Signs Livestreaming Deal With FloSports

USA Gymnastics (USAG) and FloSports, a leading sports streaming and original content network have entered a multi-year digital streaming partnership to deliver gymnastics competition programming to global audiences through FloSports’ award-winning digital platform.

The gymnastics community will now be able to engage with the sport like never before, providing access to previously unaired content, including state, regional and national events spanning all five competitive disciplines – acrobatic, men’s artistic, women’s artistic, rhythmic, and trampoline and tumbling.

Beginning with the 2021 season and running through 2025, USAG and FloSports will broadcast more than 35 events to audiences in North America and around the world. This year kicks off with podium training and other elements that have historically not been broadcast at the highly anticipated 2021 Winter Cup, set for February 26-28, which will mark the return of elite gymnastics in the U.S. following the cancellation of the 2020 premier event season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Beyond providing enhanced access to USA Gymnastics Premier Events, FloSports’ content will also include rarely-featured access to events across all disciplines, and never-before-broadcast grassroots events featuring some of the best up-and-coming athletes in the country.

Scheduled programming will include various state and regional championships, Level 9 Eastern & Western Championships, National Elite Qualifiers, USAG Development Program Championships, USAG Collegiate Championships, and numerous Rhythmic, Trampoline & Tumbling, and Acrobatic events. Programming will be available through FloSports’ dedicated gymnastics channel, FloGymnastics. A list of major USAG events to be streamed on FloGymnastics can be found on the following link: FloGymnastics & USA Gymnastics Event Schedule.

This partnership also aims to empower athletes by providing them a platform to share their stories and connect with fans through dedicated editorial coverage and compelling video content, providing a whole new window into the sport of gymnastics.

As a key part of the partnership, FloSports and USAG have committed to making a significant annual investment directly toward supporting athlete health and wellness initiatives. FloSports believes in building a supportive infrastructure for young athletes and is committed to assisting with their development by providing additional funds to augment existing USAG programs.

This year, the funds will be used to bolster USA Gymnastics’ existing mental health programming by increasing awareness around mental health, providing additional services for National Team members and providing educational resources for the larger gymnastics community.

“FloSports has been a strong advocate for Olympic sports since our founding and these have been at the core of our product and content offerings. We live and breathe these sports daily and understand how to engage athletes and enthusiasts to build a strong community around them,” says Mark Floreani, CEO and Co-Founder, FloSports. “We are proud to partner with the team at USAG to expand access to gymnastics to a wider audience, build a global community around this sport and support the health and wellness of their athletes.”

“We are thrilled to be welcoming FloSports, a partner who is aligned with our goals of expanding athlete health and wellness resources and providing outlets for our athletes to tell their stories,” said USAG CEO Li Li Leung. “We know the FloSports platform will provide a unique opportunity for us to continue growing the sport of gymnastics at all levels and across all disciplines.”

Manchester City Renews Partnership With Midea

Manchester City has announced an expansion to its global partnership with leading consumer home appliances producer, Midea.

Midea’s relationship with City commenced in January 2020 and will now grow to include the Manchester City Women’s team.

The highlight of the partnership’s initial term has been the Midea Home Challenge – a six-week campaign where players, legends and fans took part in a series of challenges and trick shots using household appliances whilst at home during lockdown. The campaign, which generated 2.6m engagements on social media, was a creative solution to integrate Midea’s brand with City audiences whilst navigating the logistical restrictions of lockdown and providing entertainment for fans.

Throughout the next term of this partnership Midea will continue to produce digital campaigns with men’s and women’s players, as well as branding appearing across the Etihad Stadium and the Club’s online platforms.

Stephan Cieplik, SVP of Global Partnerships at City Football Group, said: “Our partnership with Midea has been extremely successful since we launched last year. The Midea Home Challenge has been one of our most popular content campaigns which not only created high levels of digital engagement but provided fans around the world with fun challenges to help keep them entertained whilst at home.

“Midea is a brand whose values and ambitions align with Manchester City and we are delighted that we are now expanding this partnership to include further teams within the City Football Group family.”

Brando Brandstaeter, Head of Brands & Communications at Midea Group’s International Business Division, commented: “We were thrilled to announce our partnership with Manchester City last year. In light of the pandemic, we mobilised our teams to create the Midea Home Challenge, which helped kick-off the partnership in an unexpected but engaging way.

The cooperation with Manchester City during these challenging times has given us the confidence to expand and strengthen our relationship with the City Football Group by adding Manchester City Women’s and New York City FC to our roster – something I am very much looking forward to bring to life for Midea.”  

IOC To Align With Paris Agreement On Climate Change

In response to the growing climate crisis, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is aligning with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change by setting a target to reduce its direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent, by 2030.

In addition to reducing its emissions, the IOC will offset more than 100 per cent of its remaining carbon emissions. This will be mainly done through the Olympic Forest project, which is part of the Great Green Wall – an existing UN-backed initiative to combat desertification in Africa’s Sahel region. These offsets will make the IOC climate positive by 2024, meaning that it will be removing more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits.

The IOC will also continue to use its influence to encourage others within the sports world to take action against climate change. 

“Sport depends on a healthy planet,” said IOC President Thomas Bach. “As the leader of the Olympic Movement, we have a responsibility and an opportunity to protect our climate. This ambitious target puts the IOC in line with the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, and helps to advance action on climate change.”

“The IOC’s ambitious commitment to reduce its carbon emissions in line with the Paris Agreement is a clear testament to how seriously the IOC addresses the climate crisis, and offers a powerful example of how sport can contribute to the global efforts,” said HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, Chair of the IOC Sustainability and Legacy Commission.

The IOC is already a carbon-neutral organisation, having offset its 2017-2020 emissions through its carbon partnership with its Worldwide Olympic Partner Dow.

In the four-year period from 2016 to 2019, the IOC’s average carbon footprint was about 53,000 tonnes of CO2e per year. In order to achieve the 45 per cent cut in emissions, the IOC has set an intermediate reduction target of 30 per cent, to be achieved by 2024. The IOC Sustainability and Legacy Commission has been tasked with developing action plans to achieve both targets, with the support of the IOC administration.

Worcestershire CCC Appoints Cynthia Crawford As President

Worcestershire CCC have named Cynthia Crawford MBE as the County’s new President.

Cynthia will succeed the late Cecil Duckworth CBE in this prestigious role for a two-year term, subject to the approval of members.

Cynthia will become the Club’s 40th President since Lord GW Lyttelton held the inaugural position from 1865, and also the Club’s first female President.

Cynthia has been a Worcestershire supporter since she moved to the city from her Powys home in the 1960s.

For 35 years she was Personal Assistant to former Prime Minister, Baroness Margaret Thatcher, including her eleven and a half years at Downing Street, up to her death in 2013.

She has been President of the Worcestershire Supporters’ Association for the past eight years after accepting an invitation from the then Chairman, Ken Mills MBE.

Cynthia also played a key role in organising the benefit years of several Worcestershire CCC legends including Basil D’Oliveira CBE, Vanburn Holder, Alan Ormrod and Graeme Hick MBE.

Worcestershire CCC Chairman, Fanos Hira, said: “I’m delighted to report that the board unanimously approved the recommendation to members of Cynthia Crawford as our new President to take over from the late Cecil Duckworth.

“I am particularly pleased that someone so capable, who has such a strong association with our Club and who has provided such great support to Worcestershire CCC, will be our new President. I am, on behalf of the whole Club, very pleased.”

Mrs Crafword is looking forward to her new post at New Road and the opportunities that lie ahead.

She said: “I was very honoured and proud to serve as President of the Supporters’ Association and I have the same feelings about being asked to become Worcestershire CCC President.

“It is a post I am delighted to accept at a club and wonderful ground which means so much to me and can never be replaced in my heart.

“It has provided so many happy memories since I was first taken to New Road as a young girl with some friends of my parents who were from Claines.

“We thoroughly enjoyed every minute, and I could not wait to go back the next day.

“All in all, I’ve enjoyed every minute of being at New Road, like winning back to back County Championship titles. I hope to see more exciting days ahead and will carry out my duties as President to the best of my ability and for the good of Worcestershire.”

LaLiga North America Creates New Platform To Recruit American Talent

LaLiga North America, together with global sports agency ISL, is launching LaLiga Next: a platform that will provide young players between the ages of 14 to 18 the opportunity to showcase their talent and start a professional football career in a LaLiga youth academy.

The launch of LaLiga Next is an important milestone for LaLiga in the United States, as it represents the first legitimate recruitment process for young American players led by an international sports league in North America.

This project is part of LaLiga North America’s action plan to contribute to the growth of the sport known as ‘soccer’ in the United States, while continuing to provide all resources and opportunities to help American talent in its preparation for the 2026 World Cup.

With these types of initiatives, LaLiga is encouraging and facilitating the arrival of new American talents to Spain at a young age. Already promising young stars are emerging in the competition, such as Sergiño Dest and Konrad De La Fuente at FC Barcelona, and Yunus Musah at Valencia FC.

“LaLiga Next aims to contribute to the development of young American talent, providing players an opportunity to showcase their talent, an experience that will step up their game, and ultimately, the chance to kick off their dream of becoming a professional soccer player and one day represent their country in the World Cup”, says Nicolás García Hemme, VP of Strategy & Business Development for LaLiga North America. “Our goal is to collaborate with local clubs to become their international recruitment arm and continue to add new locations every year in different American regions.”

This unprecedented initiative will start between June 21st and July 13th 2021, with several Talent ID events held across different cities in the United States. The initiative is expected to gather thousands of participants. 

Approximately 60 players will be selected by LaLiga scouts to embark on a Spanish Showcase in Madrid. During a period of 10 days, this group of players will train and compete with the best clubs in Spain under the supervision of different technical directors from LaLiga youth cubs, who will recruit the best player from each age category to participate in a sponsored training camp with a LaLiga youth club.

“Soccer in the US is becoming a reference in the production of talent; Dest,Pulisic, Musah, Tyler Adams, Reyna just to name a few,” explains Marc Segarra, ISL Co-founder. “The common trait of all these American players is that they have experience overseas. For that reason, we strongly believe that having an established path such as LaLiga Next will enable aspiring professional soccer players in the United States achieve their dreams.”

German Grand Prix Signs Liqui Moly As Sponsor Until 2023

Dorna Sports has signed a new agreement with Liqui Moly that will see the German lubricant giant take top billing at the German Grand Prix from 2021 to 2023.

The event will therefore be named the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland for the next three years. 

Founded in Ulm in 1957, Liqui Moly has become a globally-recognised byword for quality in lubricants, with 4,000 products available worldwide – all researched, developed and manufactured in Germany.

A long-term partner of MotoGP™, the company has been the exclusive lubricant supplier to the Moto2™ and Moto3™ classes since 2015, an agreement recently extended until 2023, and was the title sponsor of the Gran Premio de Teruel in 2020. The Liqui Moly name also features on now-iconic trackside advertising at the majority of the tracks on the MotoGP™ calendar; another contract recently extended for another three years. 

This new agreement to title sponsor the next three German Grands Prix only serves to strengthen the partnership between Dorna and Liqui Moly, and includes private Liqui Moly hospitality on site at each Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland to make it a true blue-riband event. 

Peter Baumann, Marketing Director, Liqui Moly: “After having been successfully present at MotoGP for nine years, we can now take our cooperation with Dorna to a new level. We are very pleased about the opportunity to be the official title sponsor of our home Grand Prix from this year on. The Liqui Moly Motorcycle Grand Prix of Germany will further strengthen our global brand presence.”

Pau Serracanta, Managing Director, Dorna Sports: “We’re very proud to announce this agreement with Liqui Moly and add to our ever-growing partnership. The Liqui Moly name is a well-established and respected part of the MotoGP paddock and it’s gives me great pleasure to see their commitment to the sport expand once again. Liqui Moly stands for quality, something perfectly showcased in their role as exclusive lubricant supplier to the Moto2 and Moto3 classes, and it’s great news to see the Liqui Moly name take top billing at their home Grand Prix over the next three years.”