Washington Capitals Collaborates With Kiswe For Virtual Gameday

The Washington Capitals and global video technology Kiswe announced the launch of Virtual Gameday presented by NBC Sports Washington, a second screen experience available on mobile and electronic devices that offers fans an in-venue experience from home.

Entertainment highlights of the Capitals Virtual Gameday experience include a recorded National Anthem performed by Capitals anthem singers M. Sgt. Caleb Green (Ret.) and Sgt. Major Bob McDonald and timeout and intermission sponsored activations and entertainment featuring Capitals in-arena host Sandra Draganoiu and PA announcer Wes Johnson. Each Capitals Virtual Gameday also features a sweepstakes presented by Capital One that gives fans a chance to win a Fanatics Capitals Reverse Retro jersey.

Capitals Virtual Gameday also features pregame player warm-ups, the player introduction video and starting lineups, and live game stats. Users can also chat with fellow Capitals fans.

“Nothing will replace the excitement of having our great fans at Capital One Arena, but the Capitals are thrilled to partner with Kiswe to convey the amazing arena atmosphere to fans at home,” said Hunter Lochmann, Monumental Sports & Entertainment Chief Marketing Officer.

“Capitals Virtual Gameday is an incredible second screen experience that offers our fans both familiar and new interactive elements while also allowing the organization to engage with corporate partners in an innovative digital format. Combined with game broadcasts on NBC Sports Washington, Capitals fans can look forward to experiencing home games in a unique, interactive format through the Virtual Gameday environment.”

Manchester City Collaborates With Unilumin Sports For LED Solutions

Manchester City has announced a global partnership with Unilumin Sports, the world’s leading LED displays solution provider for global sports, focused on its advanced pitchside LED solutions.

Embracing the latest advancements in LED technology, Unilumin’s extensive range of products provides both indoor and outdoor display and lighting solutions across sport, mission critical control and command rooms, smart conference rooms, broadcast, commercial space, smart city, staging and event sectors.

Headquartered in Shenzhen, China and operating in over 100 countries worldwide, Unilumin chose Manchester City as its first partnership in the Premier League to strengthen its world-leading reputation in top-level international sport. 

As part of this new partnership, Unilumin will leverage its relationship with Manchester City to showcase its high-tech pitchside LED solutions and create experiences to engage with its customers and stakeholders around the world. The Club will also explore opportunities to develop its pitchside signage and display infrastructure through Unilumin’s technology and expertise.

Stephan Cieplik, Senior Vice President Global Partnerships, commented: “We are delighted to announce this new partnership with Unilumin Sports. Unilumin’s world-leading technology puts them at the forefront of their industry and we have been impressed with both their drive to constantly innovate and quality of their solutions. We look forward to developing this relationship and sharing our expertise together.”

Paul Liu, Director of Unilumin Sports commented: “Unilumin’s award winning signage and market proven solutions have benefited sports clubs, organisations, and stadium owners all over the world and our latest venture into Premier League football with Manchester City only strengthens our position as the industry leader in LED displays. “City’s commitment to use innovations and the latest technologies to create a smart stadium that can deliver a captivating fan experience and create authentic connections with their audience makes them the perfect partner for our brand.”

AC Milan Signs Jeeny As Transportation Partner

AC Milan and Jeeny have announced a multi-year partnership that will see the latter become the Official On Demand Transportation Partner of the Men’s and Women’s First Team in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and UAE.

The new partnership with the popular Middle Eastern-based company is an important step for AC Milan to enhance its presence in the region. 

AC Milan Chief Revenue Officer Casper Stylsvig said, “As the youngest team in Europe, we are truly delighted to join forces with a young and dynamic brand such as Jeeny. We share a modern vision and mentality, which will surely help us grow our brand in the Middle Eastern area.” 

“This partnership with AC Milan, one of the most successful football clubs in Europe, is aimed at our audiences in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and UAE, who are passionate about the sport. We are proud to kickstart 2021 embarking on this ride with our new partner!” added Jeeny Co-CEO Eugen Brikcius.

Jeeny, a joint venture between Rocket Internet and IMENA, has strengthened its position in the Middle East over the years, becoming the second-most-popular ride-hailing service in the region.

Jenson Button To Own Extreme E Team JBXE

Extreme E welcomes its third Formula One World Champion to the series in the shape of Jenson Button, who will not only own a team – JBXE – but will also be one of the team’s two drivers.

Arguably Button’s biggest move since leaving Formula One in 2017, his entry to Extreme E signifies his latest venture in the world of motorsport. Over the past three years, the Briton has successfully tried his hand at many other disciplines and championships including the FIA World Endurance Championship, the Le Mans 24 Hours, British GT and Super GT, which he won with Team Kunimitsu in 2018.

While much of his racing career has been spent on the smooth asphalt of the race track, Button has always had a passion for off-road racing. His late father, John Button, was a leading rallycross driver in the 1970s and ‘80s, claiming the runner-up spot in both the British Rallycross Championship and Lydden Hill Rallycross Championship in 1976.

Always a driver looking to explore different racing challenges, Button first experienced off-road racing himself in 2019 while contesting the Baja 1000, one of the most gruelling races of all time, where competitors take on the Baja California Peninsula and its tough terrain and extreme heat.

Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E said: “I’m thrilled to welcome another major name in the world of motorsport in Jenson Button. He is one of the most popular drivers in the business and Extreme E will give him the opportunity to live out one of his long-held passions, to compete at the highest level in off-road racing.

“Jenson, alongside his peers, will give further weight to our mission to raise awareness of the global climate crisis, while doing what we love – racing. It’s going to be fantastic to see the biggest names in motorsport on the starting line in Saudi Arabia in April – it is set to be an incredible form of entertainment, but with a strong and purposeful message around our planet.”

Extreme E, starting April 2021, will see electric SUVs competing in extreme environments around the world which have already been damaged or affected by climate and environmental issues. The five-race global voyage highlights the impact of climate change and human interference in some of the world’s most remote locations and promotes the adoption of electric vehicles in the quest for a lower carbon future for the planet.  

Jenson Button, Founder of JBXE, said: “JBXE has been a long time coming and I’m both delighted and proud to announce its formation and entry into the inaugural Extreme E Championship. I caught the off-road bug a few years back which led to me entering my own team in a few races including the Mint 400 and even the Baja 1000 and I absolutely loved it! It was around the same time I first heard about the plans for Extreme E which I’ve followed with great interest and what Alejandro Agag, Ali Russell and the team have managed to create is nothing short of incredible, and thanks to them and our partners Apater Capital and Pipt we get to be a part of it. 

“In Extreme E they’ve created a product that will offer first class racing and entertainment to the fans, but also serves to highlight the impact of climate change. Whilst we will of course compete to win on track, as a collective we will also work to maximise awareness whilst racing in places that have been damaged or affected by climate change over the years. Alongside the awareness piece, Extreme E themselves are committing legacy initiatives at each destination which help protect already damaged ecosystems impacted by climate change. 

“On track I’m delighted to say there are some world class opponents to go wheel-to-wheel with and Extreme E is a world-first which sees true equality with male and female drivers both as teammates and as opponents out on track.

“On that note I still have the exciting task of appointing and announcing my co-driver which will take place in the coming weeks and then all focus will turn to the opening race in Saudi Arabia.”

IOC Reiterates That Tokyo 2020 Games Will Safely Take Place

The International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee have dismissed claims that the Tokyo 2020 Games are set to be cancelled.

A report in the Times claimed the Japanese government has “privately concluded” that the Olympics and Paralympics will have to be called off due to rising coronavirus rates.

IPC released a statement: “The IPC, IOC, Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and all delivery partners are fully committed and focussed on delivering safe and secure Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer. This position has not changed and has been confirmed once again today by the IOC, Tokyo 2020 and the Japanese government.

“Since last March’s postponement, everyone involved in the delivery of the Games has been working tirelessly to develop COVID-19 countermeasures and plans which we believe will mitigate the risk for the athletes, all Games stakeholders and, importantly, the Japanese public.

“In early February, the IOC, IPC and Tokyo 2020 will publish the first editions of Playbooks targeting Games stakeholders. These Playbooks will start to explain exactly how we aim to deliver this summer’s event and outline the personal responsibilities each person attending the Games must follow to ensure safe and secure Games.

“Compared to March 2020, we now know much more about how the COVID-19 virus behaves, much more about how to organise safe sport events during a pandemic and are encouraged by the international roll-out of several vaccines.

“By the time of the Games this summer, we are optimistic that daily case numbers will be much lower than during these dark winter months. We are also confident that the extensive testing programme to be implemented before, during and after the Games – one of several measures that will be taken targeting Games stakeholders – will help minimise the risk of virus transmission. Finally, each sport event that has taken place globally since the outbreak of the virus has provided us all with valuable learning experiences which are helping to continually shape our plans for Tokyo.

“There is no doubt the Tokyo 2020 Games will be very different to any previous Games and that this summer’s event looks a long way off right now. However, we believe that with the robust measures and plans we have in place, the Games can and will go ahead safely.”

The Japanese Cabinet Secretariat of the Headquarters for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, said: “Some news reports circulating today are claiming that the Government of Japan has privately concluded that the Tokyo Olympics will have to be cancelled because of the coronavirus. This is categorically untrue.

“At an IOC Executive Board Meeting in July last year, it was agreed that the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 would be held on July 23 this year, and the programme and venues for the Games were rescheduled accordingly. All parties involved are working together to prepare for a successful Games this summer.

“We will be implementing all possible countermeasures against COVID-19 and will continue to work closely with the IOC, the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in our preparations for holding a safe and secure Games this summer.”

ELEVEN Belgium Agrees Multi-Year Extension With UFC

ELEVEN Belgium has agreed a multi-year rights extension with the UFC, to continue bringing MMA fans all the best combat action.

ELEVEN’s coverage gets underway with UFC 257: POIRIER vs. McGREGOR 2 on Saturday, January 23rd. The bout sees Conor McGregor return to the Octagon after a year away.

UFC is the leading Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) competition in the world, with a fast growing audience of dedicated fans in Belgium.

Viewers will be able to enjoy all the action from UFC as well as Cage Warriors with the ELEVEN fight pass, available for € 6.99 a month.

Guillaume Collard, Managing Director of ELEVEN Belgium and ELEVEN’s Group Chief Rights Acquisition Officer, said: “Since ELEVEN launched in Belgium in 2015, MMA has been a core pillar of our programming. It is a sport that continues to grow year after year and the number of fans in Belgium is increasing all the time. We’re looking forward to bringing all the best MMA action to fans for years to come.”

ELEVEN Belgium’s UFC extension further strengthens its premium portfolio of rights. ELEVEN’s ‘Home of Belgian Football’ offering gives fans comprehensive access to all tiers of the Belgian game, while subscribers also have access to LaLiga, Bundesliga, Serie A, NFL and NBA.

ELEVEN is the only sports platform in Belgium and Luxembourg available to sports fans in every household.

Northampton Saints Renews Partnership With Nutrition X, Elonex, Triad And Opro

Northampton Saints have announced the extension of four partnership agreements, with Elonex, Nutrition X, Triad and OPRO all continuing their support of the Club.

“At Saints we pride ourselves on our ability to build meaningful relationships with our partners that deliver value on both sides,” said Ulundi Makhanya, the Club’s Head of Commercial Partnerships.

“To have four existing partners continue their partnership with us is testament to that, and we’re excited to continue building on the successes we’ve had with all four brands.

“On the pitch, Nutrition X and OPRO have made a big contribution to the team’s training and matchday preparations, supporting the performance department with their best-in-class sports nutrition products and bespoke mouthguards, respectively.

“Off the pitch, Triad and Elonex have been a huge asset in supporting the Club’s digital strategy across our website and social channels, and delivering a first-class matchday experience at Franklin’s Gardens.”

“We’re delighted to have renewed our long-standing partnership with Saints,” said Elonex Chief Executive, Nick Smith.

“And as the Club’s official digital advertising partner we look forward to continuing to deliver unique matchday exposure for advertisers on the big LED screens at Franklin’s Gardens, particularly when we can welcome big crowds back to the stadium!”

Nutrition X Managing Director, James Markey, said: “It’s fantastic to continue working with Saints.

“Without doubt, the last year has presented some real challenges from a nutrition and training perspective, and we’re thrilled to be able to offer support to each of the players, ensuring they’re fully fuelled with all of the sports nutrition that they need to hit every match with a bang.”

Chris Timm, Marketing Director at Triad, said: “Triad have worked with Northampton Saints on their digital content execution for the past five seasons and have been an official partner since 2018.

“We work closely with the Saints’ content team and other partners to bring content to life across digital screens in the stadium, as well as on online platforms, and are delighted to continue our partnership with Premiership Rugby’s most innovative Club.”

“It’s been a pleasure to have supplied Northampton Saints with our mouthguards over the years and we are delighted to have renewed our partnership again,” he said.

“We’re dedicated to providing the very best protection for players at all levels and are delighted the Club continues to place their trust in us.”

The Sharks Agrees Fan Engagement Partnership With Roc Nation

The Sharks, one of world rugby’s most internationally renowned teams has joined forces with Roc Nation for a unique and tangible partnership driven by innovation, community, and integrity.

With a strong culture of inclusivity underpinned by diversity, The Sharks has stood at the forefront of creating opportunities since the club’s establishment in 1995, sharing strong values with those of minority-owned company Roc Nation.


With both brands built on a strong notion of family and entertainment, the partnership has been designed to reward, excite, and challenge the norm, reaching new audiences via purpose-driven initiatives and creative community-facing activation.

The relationship will add value to current and future commercial partnerships through innovative activation and Global amplification.

Dr. Eduard Coetzee, CEO of The Sharks said: “Roc Nation is an internationally renowned company and we are delighted to welcome them to The Sharks family. With their expertise and relationships in the international market, our vision of taking The Sharks brand to the world is very much on track.

“Working together with our team at The Sharks, Roc Nation will assist in growing our fan base in new territories and will ensure that our approach will always be of an international standard. We look forward to the sharing of minds, a bold approach and the creativity that this partnership will produce, that will position our brand as the leading brand in world rugby”.

Michael Yormark, Co-CEO of Roc Nation Unified said: “Roc Nation is thrilled to embark on this unique partnership with The Sharks, supporting Ed and his first class management team to position the club as the premium rugby club in South Africa and around the world. Leveraging our subject-matter experts across our International offices we are confident that The Sharks will be the envy of the rugby world, attracting top players from around the world. Success in this
partnership is not just accomplishment on-field, but how we build upon the business structure to guarantee long-term sustainable success.”

UCI Appoints Inside Edge As Global Sponsorship Sales Agency

Independent sports marketing consultancy, Inside Edge, has been appointed as the global sponsorship sales agency for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships and will be responsible for marketing the sponsorship rights for the inaugural event to be held in Glasgow and Scotland.

This is a major milestone for the Championships as it looks to establish purpose-led partnerships with brands that will help drive forward the event’s ambition to deliver meaningful societal change by creating and supporting programmes and ideas that help more people to ride bikes more often.

Over the next three years, Inside Edge will have international exclusivity in marketing all available rights for the Championships and through an innovative ‘one partnership team’ approach, the agency will work alongside the host and the cycling governing body to pool all rights and develop a single set of innovative packages for global sponsors.

As well as being the single biggest cycling event in history, the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will be a catalyst for behaviour change across Scotland from now until long after the event. It will celebrate the power of the bike and all it can bring to our everyday lives, whether it’s physical and mental health, easing congestion on the road to help the environment or simply making it easier for people to get around.

It is this vision and ambition that will provide brands with a unique opportunity to gain visibility around a new event concept with long lasting societal impacts.

Paul Bush, 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships Chair, said: “The appointment of Inside Edge is a key milestone on our journey to 2023 as we look to bring on board brand partners who will help us successfully deliver this brand-new event and create meaningful societal change by celebrating the unique power of the bike to deliver on our important policy outcomes.

“Inside Edge’s experience, shared vision and data-led approach to help create purpose-led partnership opportunities will be vital to our success, and we look forward to working with them over the next three years.”

Andrew Markham and Jon Naspe, Co-founders of Inside Edge, said: “Inside Edge is delighted to be representing the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships and we will be applying our extensive experience of running international partnership sales processes for best in class rights holders to ensure that this ground-breaking platform is a commercial success.

“We will start to reach out to organisations that align with the clear objectives of the Championships and its key stakeholders over the coming months. Principally we will be targeting brands that are looking to drive positive societal change through projects that encourage more diversity in sport, enhance physical and mental wellbeing and bring greater awareness to environmental sustainability initiatives.

“Cycling is more than a sport, it is a part of everyday life for over a billion people globally, be that as a way of commuting, spending time with family and friends or just being active. There is a real opportunity for brands to work with us to build a meaningful dialogue with a desirable, highly engaged audience and leave a long-lasting legacy for Scotland, the UK and the wider world.”

UCI President David Lappartient said: “The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow and across Scotland will bring together thousands of cyclists around 13 of cycling’s existing UCI World Championships into one mega event for the first time. This landmark cycling festival, celebrating the power of the bike, will delight athletes and fans for what will remain an unprecedented experience in our sport’s history. I am confident that Inside Edge, as global sponsorship sales agency for the Championships, will translate this ground-breaking event into a commercial success.”

St. Helens Agrees Fan Engagement Deal With IQONIQ

St.Helens R.F.C. has signed sports and entertainment fan engagement platform IQONIQ as its new Platinum and exclusive engagement partner.

Through the platform which will launch in early 2021, Saints fans will benefit from a host of exclusive content, prizes and rewards.

IQONIQ also feature on the back of the Club’s 2021 playing shirts.

The three year deal sees Saints join a number of world-renowned club’s and leagues including football’s La Liga, AS Roma, AS Monaco, Real Sociedad and Crystal Palace FC along with McLaren Racing, to join the IQONIQ platform.

Launching in early 2021 to fans, IQONIQ is a new social media and fan engagement platform that targets the world of sport and entertainment from a unique perspective. It provides fans with greater links and connectivity with global sports clubs and their athletes. It’s varied and dynamic all-in-one app creates a whole new platform that provides fans with a more personalized and interactive approach.

This means Saints fans from all over the world will soon have the latest information from Saints in the IQONIQ app, in which you can obtain rewards, exclusive content, in-app games and special merchandise and ticketing offers following a detailed engagement loyalty program, thus strengthening the way you relate with their favourite stars, teams and clubs.

St Helens R.F.C. General Manager, Dave Hutchinson said: “Here at Saints we are always on the lookout for interactive ideas and concepts to grow our fan base not just locally, but around the world. With this in mind, there is nothing better than establishing this partnership with a leading fan engagement organisation in IQONIQ, who already work with so many high profile sports Clubs.

“As a Platinum Partner, we are delighted they will also feature on the back of both our 2021 Home and Away replica and playing kits. We are also excited to be able to soon launch our Saints related content on the IQONIQ app which will give fans a number of exclusive opportunities.”

Kazim Atilla, CEO of IQONIQ, said: “We’re proud to partner with back to back champions, St.Helens R.F.C., and further our footprint in Rugby League.

“We are looking forward to working with the club to engage their passionate fans, which are such a huge part of the club’s rich history and heritage. In 2021 and beyond, with the shared goal of a ‘digital first’ approach, our platform will look to grow the Saints fan base further, helping them to benefit with a range of exclusive offers rewards, content, in-app games and special merchandise and ticketing offers.”