SportsPro Magazine Issue #102

Issue 102

www.sportspromedia.com

Issue 102

STARTING ELEVEN The global network branches out

@SportsPro

US sports betting: the state of play

Waking Disney’s streaming giant

Queensland: host with the most

LIVE, DIRECT AND DIGITAL: THE NEW BROADCAST REALITY 28-29th November 2018 I Madrid, Spain Returning for its second year, the SportsPro OTT Summit has already cemented itself as the must-attend event for OTT and digital leaders across the sports industry.

Join 500 like-minded experts to meet and discuss how new technology and strategies are changing sports consumption forever. Piracy, media rights, launching OTT platforms, streaming challenges, AI and Machine learning, the use of social and many more topics will be covered in depth.

ConďŹ rmed Speakers

Chief Technology Officer, NBC Sports Group

Chief Operating Officer, Turner Sports

Marketing Director, UEFA

Vice President, Broadcast & Media Rights, IOC

Managing Director, Sky Sports

Director, Sports Partnerships, Twitter

Chief Media Officer, PGA TOUR

Chief Digital Officer, PSG

Official Partners

Event organised with the support of the

Find out more at: www.sportspro-ott.com events@sportspro-ott.com |

@SportsProEvents | #SPOTT18

CONTENTS | ISSUE 102

38 COVER STORY 38 Big game network Eleven Sports is the disruptive startup on a mission to transform the way fans consume sport. Having recently launched in the UK, Ireland, Portugal and Myanmar to take its footprint to 11 markets across three continents, the UK-based content provider is plotting a path to global preeminence.

FEATURES 28 Lessons from The Brand Conference 2018 The Brand Conference returned to Lord’s Cricket Ground in September. With sport and media in a pronounced state of flux, there was plenty to discuss.

34 Updating the odds: what’s the latest on the US betting market?

In May, a Supreme Court ruling struck down a 26-year-old piece of legislation that had outlawed sports betting across most of the US. Individual states are now free to make their own gambling laws, creating an enormous, unique new market.

48 Waking a streaming giant in 2017, ESPN parent Disney purchased a majority stake in streaming specialist BAMTech. Just over a year later, ESPN+, the media giant’s first direct-to-consumer offering, is combining premium content with niche events to revitalise a sports broadcasting powerhouse.

56 Bright ideas As stats-driven fans continue to go in search of a more data-rich experience, sports tech company Genius Sports is driving digital transformation for federations of all shapes and sizes across Asia.

60 New logiq 44 Fight for America

44

DAZN launched its direct-to-consumer streaming service in the US in September.

Chief financial officer Paul Morton explains how the company is taking its fight for subscribers to a heavyweight market.

Sportlogiq, an upstart player in data tracking and analytics, has its sights set on revolutionising sports consumption.

SportsPro spoke to chief executive and co-founder Craig Buntin to discover how.

SportsPro Magazine | 3

CONTENTS | ISSUE 102

COMPANY PROFILES

94 Cracking the code Talk of a sporting curse is etched into Gold Coast folklore, leading many in the local community to wonder whether domestic silverware might never come.

72 64 On the radar Sportradar has developed its media rights business by combining video with its core specialism: sports data. As more players enter the content game, it is that combination which sets the company apart.

68 Live and kicking FC Diez Media manages commercial rights to club competitions organised by South American soccer body Conmebol. A year into the landmark project, the venture is working to maximise the value of some of the region’s most coveted assets.

72 Sky minded Sky Sports has been the market leader on the UK pay-TV scene for a generation.

Changes in digital technology and viewer behaviour are throwing up new trials but managing director Barney Francis insists the broadcaster will continue to set the agenda.

98 Easy as AEG Delivering measurable value to brands in the digital age demands bold creativity.

Paul Samuels, executive vice president of AEG Global Partnerships, outlines the company’s approach to activating on some of the world’s leading properties.

82 Eurovision Media Services: Vision and progress 102 Sport Industry NextGen: Britain’s got talent 108 Scoopa: Keeping up with the times 116 Phenix: Phenix rising

104 From the horse’s mouth With the International Equestrian Federation having overhauled its commercial strategy to focus on each of the sport’s seven disciplines, commercial director Ralph Straus explains the importance of the changes in expanding equestrian’s offering to partners.

AT THE FRONT 6 Editor’s Letter 8 The Matt Slater Column 10 Digest American betting revolution – a dead cert?

12 110 A second wind Once a symbol of one of the most unlikely success stories in sailing’s history, Maiden was found abandoned and decaying in the Seychelles in 2014. Now, after a rescue mission supported by HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, the yacht has been given a new lease of life.

78 Watching closely: OWL on TV In the wake of the Overwatch League grand ďŹ nals, SportsPro spoke to commissioner Nate Nanzer about the series’ future as a broadcast product.

Ashley Blake

14

Excite and engage: Three steps to sponsorship ROI Ged Colleypriest

16 18 20 22 27

Premature Facts Movers and Shakers SportsPro World Gallery The Shot: Laver Cup

AT THE BACK

86 Gold standard This year’s Commonwealth Games showcased the city of Gold Coast’s major event hosting capabilities. Now, municipal authorities are out to position the entire state of Queensland as a world-class destination for international sport.

54 FeedConstruct: Constructing partnerships

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120 122 124 126 128 130

Deals Review Sponsorship Deals Inside the deal Index At large Jottings

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THE HOST BROADCASTER WWW.HBS.TV

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EDITOR Michael Long EDITOR-AT-LARGE Eoin Connolly DIGITAL EDITOR Tom Bassam SENIOR WRITER Sam Carp STAFF WRITER Nick Friend EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Stephan Georgiou ART DIRECTOR Daniel Brown PHOTOGRAPHIC AGENCY Getty Images MEDIA PARTNER Press Association

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MANAGING DIRECTOR Nick Meacham COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Jon Abraham COMMERCIAL CONSULTANT Richard Partridge SENIOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Charlie Barker BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGERS Tom Purdy, Oliver Hallinan BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE Jamie Brown BUSINESS OPERATIONS MANAGER Kirsty Arundale EVENTS MANAGER Yin Khoo HEAD OF EVENTS CONTENT William Tubbs

SportsPro magazine is published by: SportsPro Media Ltd 3rd Floor, Two America Square, London EC3N 2LU, UK Tel: +44 (0) 207 549 3250 Fax: +44 (0) 207 549 3255 Email: info@sportspromedia.com Web: www.sportspromedia.com (SportsPro Media Ltd is part of the Henley Media Group Ltd www.henleymediagroup.com) NOTICES: Issue No 102 SportsPro Magazine (ISSN 1756-5340) is published bi-monthly throughout the year. Printed in the EU.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Available at a cost of UKÂŁ199 (Print subscription), and UKÂŁ149 (Digital Subscription). Back issues are available for UKÂŁ40 and delivered anywhere in the world at no extra charge. Subscriptions are available by logging on to www.sportspromedia.com EDITORIAL COPYRIGHT: The contents of this magazine, both words and statistics, are strictly copyright and the intellectual property of SportsPro Media. Copying or reproduction may only be carried out with written permission of the publishers, which will normally not be withheld on payment of a fee. Article reprints: Most articles published in SportsPro Magazine are available as reprints by prior arrangement from the publishers. Normal minimum print run for reprints is 400 copies, although larger and smaller runs are possible. Please contact us at: info@sportspromedia.com

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THE SLATER COLUMN

ON THE BEAT WITH MATT SLATER With England’s Football Association weighing up another bid for the Fifa World Cup, Press Association’s chief sports reporter muses on Britain’s major event hosting credentials.

I

n the dark and dubious world of sports politics, Zurich, 2nd December 2010, was the nadir for English football.

Two votes, one of them our own, for the David Beckham-backed, governmentfunded, royal-approved bid to host the 2018 Fifa World Cup. A perfect technical report, millions spent on consultants, events and videos and only one other voter preferred the Football Association’s (FA) vision to bland Belgium, skint Spain and risky Russia.

The fact that England even tried to… well, cheat a bit but still got that wrong, said it all.

Ignored as a serious player on the pitch, the game’s birthplace was an antique irrelevance off it. Only football’s fraudsters cared about the English bid and that was because it was there for the milking.

And yet here we are, sat at the front of the class, with our hand in the air, begging to be picked again.

Last month, the British government’s agency for elite sport announced its 15-year strategy for attracting dozens of major events to these shores and said the “crowning achievement” would be winning the right to stage the 2030 World Cup. So, is this: a) proof of Einstein’s IDPRXV GHÀQLWLRQ RI LQVDQLW\ RU E

something has changed?

The FA and British government certainly want it to be b) - but if a) is true, they would, wouldn’t they? And this time they might just be right.

For starters, the electorate has changed. Humiliating England was one (relatively minor) thing, handing the 2018 World Cup to Russia was another and giving the 2022 tournament to Qatar was in a whole different league of shock.

The ructions caused by the decision to stage a World Cup in the desert started a chain reaction that eventually closed Fifa’s cosy club of kleptocrats.

What was once in the gift of a very mixed bunch of two dozen blokes is

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now decided by all 211 of Fifa’s member associations. Still a mixed bunch and very blokey but the fact there are so many more of them appears to have reduced the risk of the vote being hijacked by shadowy deals on the side.

The process has changed, too. With various law enforcement agencies breathing down its neck, Fifa brought in the good governance gurus and came up with a by-the-book bidding procedure, based on a timetable and monitored by a technical assessment team.

The ructions caused by the decision to stage a World Cup in the desert started a chain reaction that eventually closed Fifa’s cosy club of kleptocrats.

What had been a mix between a Eurovision-style geopolitical popularity contest and a used-car auction has become more of a tendering process.

Just as there is in all other walks of life, there is still scope for someone to win on price and big promises, but Fifa’s bidding process might be the best in sport now. It certainly delivered the right result this summer in Moscow, where a built-and-paid-for North American bid beat a Moroccan pitch big on passion but short on actual stadiums for the 2026 tournament.

In fact, that ‘United’ win for Canada, Mexico and the United States provides a good template for what an England bid would look like, as it would never be called an England bid - it would, instead, be a British Isles bid, most likely with Ireland involved, too. With the World Cup seemingly settled on becoming a 48-team, 80-game affair, a joint bid spreads the burden and the fun, as

well as dissipating any talk of English entitlement.

In fact, that may have started to happen already. In another, albeit subtle change to 2010, the FA does not wear its ‘founding-father credentials’ so boldly these days. It now introduces itself as the English FA and spends a lot of time and effort on bridge-building within Europe and beyond.

You might even say the FA has just got more competent, off and on the ÀHOG )LQDOO\ EXLOGLQJ D 1DWLRQDO )RRWEDOO Centre was a good start, as was the big push on women’s football and ongoing efforts to improve grassroots facilities.

Eight years ago, not a great deal was happening for the Three Lions, Lionesses and age-group clubs but FA staff can now walk into any Fifa gathering with a bit more puff in their sails after the twin World Cup wins at under-17 and under-20 level in 2017 and recent semiÀQDO VKRZLQJV IRU WKH PHQ·V DQG ZRPHQ·V senior teams.

And then you have the Premier League, still growing, still exporting an idea of British football around the globe, still proving on a weekly basis that this country can and does host a decent sports event.

That point could be made about the entire British sports sector, though.

The warm afterglow of London 2012 might be fading but the UK has not stopped bidding for and winning sports events. Next year alone, the Cricket World Cup, golf ’s Solheim Cup, cycling’s Road World Championships and 15 other major events take place on these shores.

Other countries have deeper pockets and no country can win them all but despite bad experiences in the past, Brexit and the likelihood of increased competition in this space, Britain is open for business if you are a sport looking for the perfect party venue.

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DIGEST SECTION TEXT HERE ISSUE 102

Next time in

The Disruptors Edition

The Agenda

With technological innovation upending business models and reshaping commercial revenue streams across the industry, Issue 103 of SportsPro will profile the pioneering organisations, brands and individuals who are disrupting their respective fields and using the power of creativity to challenge convention.

In the wake of this year’s OTT Summit, the second edition of SportsPro’s high-level gathering for those whose business is direct-to-consumer streaming, there will also be an exclusive, in-depth look at the strategies and technologies transforming a sports broadcasting and media sector in kaleidoscopic flux.

Elsewhere in the magazine we’ll reflect on another eventful year in the global sports industry with a look back on the 25 standout stories that shaped 2018, and hear from one of the smartest minds in the business, George Pyne, whose three-year-old Bruin Sports Capital venture has quickly built a burgeoning investment empire.

Dates for your diary in the weeks ahead

25TH OCTOBER TO 3RD NOVEMBER Artistic Gymnastics World Championships Doha, Qatar

9TH TO 24TH NOVEMBER ICC Women's World Twenty20 Guyana, Saint Lucia and Antigua The planet’s elite female cricketers head to the West Indies

15TH TO 18TH NOVEMBER DP World Championship Dubai, United Arab Emirates

25TH NOVEMBER Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Yas Marina Circuit, United Arab Emirates Another Formula One world championship comes to a head Icons designed by Freepik

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ISSUE 102 By the numbers

What they’re saying this issue

p56

p38

“We’re very selective about what we do. I think that’s a reflection of the changing marketplace.

You don’t have to carpet-bomb a country with marketing these days to build awareness.”

Marc Watson, Eleven Sports

p48

“We have an ability to scale better than anyone else out there, and have been responsible for some of the largest scale live streaming events of all time.”

Andy Schneider, Disney Streaming Services

p72

“There are other sports and other sports rights that have gone, that have left us, and that’s fine. Our job is to spend our customers’ money well on the things that are of real importance to them.”

Barney Francis, Sky Sports

p98

“In essence, we’ve got a real estate approach to the world of entertainment. A lot of other companies do it the other way around.

It’s just the way we do business.”

Paul Samuels, AEG Global Partnerships

SportsPro Magazine | 11

THOUGHT LEADER SPORTS BETTING

AMERICAN BETTING REVOLUTION â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A DEAD CERT? Ashley Blake

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shley Blake is a Partner at leading sports law Ã&#x20AC;UP 76& /HJDO DQG *HQHUDO &RXQVHO DW 7KH 6SRUWV &RQVXOWDQF\

05-07 MARCH 2019

#SPORTELASIA SPORTELASIA.COM

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Meet the Elite SPORTS MARKETING & MEDIA CONVENTION

THOUGHT LEADER SPONSORSHIP

EXCITE AND ENGAGE: THREE STEPS TO SPONSORSHIP ROI Ged Colleypriest

O

nce upon a time, sponsorship was quite a straightforward pursuit.

In 1919, Somerton Park, home to Newport County, was almost sold for housing. Local steelwork boss WR Lysaght purchased the ground and leased it back to the club. County kept their home and the fans, many of whom worked for Lysaght, were naturally grateful for the support. Lysaghtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s was a company grounded in employee relations and this gesture did plenty to demonstrate the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s values to the people of Newport.

As Lysaghtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s generosity demonstrates, sponsorship was once the purest of all marketing.

Fast forward 100 years and this purity has become somewhat clouded. The number of sponsors, the complexity of messaging, and the demands of providing instant ROI can create an environment that makes it feel like brands are always â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;on the takeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re only after a fanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s money.

So whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the answer? Well, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s QR ÂśRQH VL]H Ă&#x20AC; WV DOO¡ VROXWLRQ EXW LQ P\ opinion, there are three simple things that we can do to create a better experience for brands, rights holders and fans alike.

Firstly, give fans a reason to care if you want their cash. In isolation, becoming a FOXE¡V Ă&#x20AC; IWK RIĂ&#x20AC; FLDO ERRNPDNHU LV XQOLNHO\ to really get the tongues on the terraces wagging. Give them a reason to engage with your product above and beyond a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;free betâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

An interesting approach has been adopted by Paris Saint-Germain recently with their cryptocurrency partner Socios. com. The partnership uses blockchain to give fans the opportunity to vote on such matters as the clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new jersey and where they should tour in pre-season. If they can communicate this to fans in a way that makes the product easy to understand then they could be on to a winner.

Secondly, as a sponsor, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important WKDW \RX Ă&#x20AC; QG \RXU UROH %HFRPLQJ DQ RIĂ&#x20AC; FLDO SDUWQHU LV DOO YHU\ ZHOO EXW LW FDQ seem somewhat meaningless unless youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re able to demonstrate clearly what your

14 | www.sportspromedia.com

actual involvement is. When you get it right, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hugely powerful.

Take Wimbledon, for example. The All England Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s policy of only working with sponsors who provide a clear service to The Championships means that the onus is placed on the role the sponsor plays rather than simply a logo on a perimeter board. Players are seen drinking Robinsons squash, striking Slazenger balls and being ferried to centre court in luxury courtesy of Jaguar. In many ways, Wimbledonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sponsorship model is that of the oldschool arrangement outlined in paragraph one, albeit with much more lucrative results, for rights holder and brands alike.

Something else that Wimbledon has done well is embrace the social age. The traditional, reserved image of Wimbledon might lead you to think that social media is not the most natural bedfellow of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oldest tennis tournament. However, the All England Club has succeeded in creating contemporary social content that opens the sport up to potential new audiences without alienating its core following.

Wimbledon and Paris Saint-Germain are, of course, sporting giants. At Underdog Sports Marketing, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all about helping brands and clubs punch above their weight.

Clever use of social is something that can be employed by rights holders of any size,

often by taking advantage of assets that are under oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very nose. /RRN DW Ă&#x20AC; UVW FODVV FULFNHW LQ (QJODQG While the glitz and glamour of its sexier cousin T20 might command the big EXFNV LQ WKH ODVW IHZ VHDVRQV Ă&#x20AC; UVW class cricket has used digital to provide match coverage to its fans. The games ZHUH DOUHDG\ EHLQJ Ă&#x20AC; OPHG IRU FRDFKLQJ purposes and now all but a few County &KDPSLRQVKLS VLGHV VWUHDP WKHLU Ă&#x20AC; [WXUHV giving fans coverage that TV simply wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t in this day and age. The views may not be monstrously large but across the course of a season, there is certainly an engaged community of supporters that should interest the right brands.

Give fans a reason to care. Explain how you help the club beyond just a logo on a perimeter board. Embrace the social revolution.

Times may have changed since Lysaghtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day but I believe there is something to be gained by returning to some of the simplicity of messaging while the platforms we use get more complex. %\ GRLQJ WKLV ZH FDQ FUHDWH D QHZ ZRUOG of sponsorship that excites fans and delivers proper business results.

Ged Colleypriest is the founder of Underdog Sports Marketing.

BUILD A STAND-OUT BRAND WITH A .SPORT DOMAIN NAME Why the new .sport domain name from GAISF is a powerful marketing tool “Critically, these benefits must be seen alongside the significantly enhanced search engine visibility that .sport delivers, which together add up to a significant commercial opportunity.”

The process of allocating .sport names and managing the programme is the responsibility of GAISF, whose ownership of the domain protects the integrity of .sport by ensuring that only properly qualified organisations and individuals can use it.

GAISF is offering two different options for securing its brand new digital presence.

1.

An organisation can apply for its chosen domain name and will have priority during the first open sales window.

During this period, domain names can be reserved through https://start.sport or one of the other .sport accredited resellers. From January 2019, the extension will be open for registration to the wider public.

2.

The other option allows stakeholders to acquire a full portfolio of domains, securing multiple extensions that reflect all potential sub-brands (<MainBrand>.sport, <SubBrand>.sport), products (<ProductName>.sport) and taglines (<Tagline>. sport). The benefits are also secured by a “watch system”, which informs the domain owner about any tentative applications by third parties to acquire names similar to the brand in question, along with other rights and benefits.

GAISF, the Global Association of International Sports Federations, is making the recently launched .sport domain name available to agencies, consultancies, media companies, sports sponsors, publishers, retailers and other commercial organisations operating in the sports sector.

The roll-out to the commercial sector follows the rapid take-up of .sport among International Federations, Organising Committees and other sports stakeholders. To date these include, among others, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), Badminton World Federation (BWF), International Federation of University Sports (FISU), the newly-formed International testing Agency (ITA) and the Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympic Games.

The .sport domain name gives companies working in sport the opportunity to accelerate brand building by taking a fast track to enhanced awareness and greater visibility, while creating a significant point of difference with competitors in the intensely competitive global sports marketplace.

While any company can apply for a .sport domain name, only those which meet key criteria and are recognised as fully committed members of the global sports community will be accepted. In effect, this means that .sport becomes a mark of authenticity and signifies acceptance and trust within the global sports ecosystem.

“These are key attributes of all successful sports brands.

Consequently, adoption of .sport offers its users a significant brand-building tool and may be seen as an accelerator for challenger brands in various commercial categories whose objective is to quickly build awareness and credibility,” said Pierre Germeau, Head of Digital Services at GAISF.

GAISF President Patrick Baumann sees .sport as a game changer for all stakeholders in world sport.

“It can be transformational not only for International Federations but for all reputable sports stakeholders, which work hard to promote the best image of sport. Each domain offers stakeholders a significant and respected online presence, tailored specifically to their individual needs.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for stakeholders to become part of the evolution of digital sport. Our objective is to develop a safe and trusted space, controlled for the good of sport. We will develop a strong and united ecosystem that truly benefits our GAISF Members, our stakeholders and fans all over the world.”

For more information on the .sport extension programme, please contact Pierre Germeau at pierre.germeau@gaisf.sport or call +41 21 612 30 72.

PREMATURE FACTS

The big crash It was only November of last year that Martin Truex Jr was holding aloft the Nascar Cup Series Championship trophy in Florida. Now, less than 12 months on, his Furniture Row Racing team are preparing to cease operations at the end of the 2018 season. Without a primary sponsor to replace 5-hour Energy and seemingly without a hope, team owner Barney Visser has admitted that he is no longer prepared to borrow money to keep the stock car racing outfit afloat. It is a sad end for a single-car team that overcame initial struggles to defy the odds, but more pertinently, it is a sorry reflection of a motorsport series’ slide that shows no sign of abating.

Blair’s next project?

Reports that former British prime minister and part-time Newcastle United fan Tony Blair (right) has been mentioned as the possible next chairman of the Premier League sparked both shock and consternation in September.

The ex-Labour Party leader’s name is said to have cropped up in informal conversations

as clubs seek to replace the outgoing Richard Scudamore, who is due to stand down by the end of the year after nearly two decades.

Other names rumoured to be in the running to succeed Scudamore include former BT chief executive Gavin Patterson and Sky Sports boss Barney Francis.

Conversation peace

Ahead in the cloud

Political relations have been thawing on the Korean peninsula for some time, with high-level dialogue continuing between the North’s Kim Jong Un and the South’s Moon Jae-in. After fielding joint teams at this year’s PyeongChang Olympics and Asian Games, the neighbouring nations - who are technically still at war - have now agreed to pursue a cross-border bid for the 2032 Games, a move that would make theirs one of the unlikelier proposals ever tabled. Skeptics have been quick to dismiss the proposal as a madcap, pie-in-the-sky idea, and so it may be, but is it not the thought that counts?

If nothing else, the likely prospect of a heated and widely discussed bidding race must be a tantalising one for the often-unloved International Olympic Committee (IOC).

At a time when terms like ‘game-changing’, ‘innovative’ and ‘groundbreaking’ are kicked about the industry with mind-numbing regularity, Alibaba Cloud’s new cloud computing solution for Olympic broadcasting appears genuinely transformative. Set to be in place for Tokyo 2020, the solution will enable Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) to deliver large volumes of video footage to rights holding broadcasters efficiently and securely whilst helping to streamline the most complex and demanding live environment sport has to offer. More than that, though, it is a sign of China’s rising power. By the time the next Winter Games arrive in Beijing in 2022, Alibaba could be propping up the entire global tech infrastructure on which Olympic sport increasingly depends.

16 | www.sportspromedia.com

Space jam The commercialisation of space is the next frontier for a host of private firms, and so it could be for one lucky sponsorship agency. In an apparent attempt to emulate terrestrial sports organisations like Nascar, not to mention just about every new stadium build, American space agency NASA is considering selling naming rights to spacecraft and permitting its astronauts to endorse products and appear in commercials. While such a move would be a giant leap for NASA, it would undoubtedly represent a small step for corporate America.

Connect the moments that matter to the people that matter.| Elevate your social media strategy

Official Data Provider Learn more about GameBeats at sportradar.com or contact us today at sales@sportradar.com

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Movers and shakers August and September 2018 This is an edited selection of appointments made in the weeks before publication. For daily updates on the movers and shakers in the sports industry, visit www.sportspromedia.com Please email appointments to: info@sportspromedia.com

Todd Kline Todd Kline has left his role as chief commercial officer of the Miami Dolphins to take up the same position with fellow National Football League (NFL) franchise the Washington Redskins. The American departs the Dolphins after three full seasons, during which time he oversaw all sponsorship revenue and activation for the Floridabased team, including corporate partnerships and media sales.

Ivan Gazidis Premier League club Arsenal have confirmed that chief executive Ivan Gazidis has left the club to take up the same role with Serie A giants AC Milan. The top-flight English soccer side have addressed the 54-year-old’s departure by promoting Vinai Venkatesham to the position of managing director, with Raul Sanllehi elevated to the role of head of soccer.

18 | www.sportspromedia.com

Susanne Lyons

Nick Franklin

Tim Hollingsworth

Larry Probst has confirmed that he will relinquish his role as chairman of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) at the end of this year having spent a decade leading the organisation.

Susanne Lyons has been chosen to replace the 68-year-old and will begin a four-year term on 1st January 2019. Probst’s resignation comes shortly after that of chief executive Scott Blackmun back in February. Lyons also took on that role on an interim basis before Sarah Hirshland was announced as Blackmun’s permanent successor in July.

The World Surf League (WSL) has appointed Nick Franklin as president of the Kelly Slater Wave Company (KSWC). Franklin was previously executive vice president of next generation experience at The Walt Disney Company, where he oversaw the guest experience at Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. In his new role, he will be tasked with driving the global growth and commercial development of the KSWC, the pioneering wave pool technology company the WSL acquired in 2016.

Tim Hollingsworth has been appointed as the new chief executive of Sport England. His appointment to the UK sports funding body comes after Jennie Price announced her departure from the role back in May, vacating a position she had held since 2007.

Hollingsworth, currently working under the same job title at the British Paralympic Association (BPA), will start his new role in November.

Philipp Lahm Tim Ellis The National Football League (NFL) has appointed Tim Ellis as its new chief marketing officer, ending his seven-year stint in the same role with video game giant Activision Blizzard. He will replace Dawn Hudson, who stepped down earlier this year to become the chief executive of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Ellis will be responsible for all aspects of the NFL’s marketing organisation and will directly oversee research, content development, consumer engagement, advertising, promotions, marketing operations and branding.

Former Germany soccer captain Philipp Lahm will lead his nation’s Euro 2024 organising committee after the German bid successfully fought off Turkey to host the tournament. The former Bayern Munich defender, who retired from the sport last year, was also an ambassador for the bid.

Seth Waugh Golf’s PGA of America has named Seth Waugh as its new chief executive. The former Deutsche Bank Americas chief executive, 60, will be tasked with guiding the business and overall strategy of the organisation, which is responsible for operating the PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup. Waugh replaces Pete Bevacqua, who left the organisation in July to join North American media giant NBC Sports Group in the newly created role of president.

Amit Bhatia

Jorge Pavão de Sousa

British-Indian businessman Amit Bhatia has been appointed as the new chairman of English soccer club Queens Park Rangers. Bhatia, who first purchased a stake in the Championship outfit in 2007 and has previously served as vice chairman, replaces co-chairmen Tony Fernandes and Ruben Gnanalingam, who have vacated their roles in order to facilitate the appointment.

Eleven Sports has appointed Jorge Pavão de Sousa as its managing director for Portugal.

As part of his role, Vodafone’s former head of TV will focus on expanding Eleven’s growth in the country, including increasing revenues, developing strategic partnerships and overseeing the platform’s day-to-day operations.

Steve Phelps

Marie Donoghue Internet giant Amazon has recruited former ESPN executive Marie Donoghue as vice president of sports video. Donoghue spent 17 years with ESPN and played a key role in its original content successes including the 30 For 30 documentary series and Oscarwinning documentary OJ: Made in America.

Benjamin Morel Benjamin Morel has been announced as the new chief executive of Six Nations Rugby. He will take on the role from 5th November, replacing John Feehan, who stepped down in April after a 16-year association with the international rugby union tournament. Morel most recently served as managing director for the National Basketball Association (NBA) in Europe and the Middle East, playing a key role in the league’s international growth.

Nascar has promoted Steve Phelps to the role of president, giving him responsibility over all competition and business operations for the motorsports sanctioning body.

Phelps succeeds Brent Dewar, who was only promoted to president from chief operating officer in July 2017.

Dewar has elected to step down and will instead transition to a senior consulting and advisory role in 2019.

Charlie Brooks Premier League giants Manchester United have appointed Charlie Brooks as their new director of communications. Brooks began his new role with the top-flight English soccer side in October, vacating his position as vice president of communications at US sportswear brand Nike. The appointment ends United’s long search for a director of communications after Phil Townsend stepped down in February, calling time on a 14-year spell with the club to join Uefa in a similar role.

Jorge Pavão de Sousa Managing director, Portugal, Eleven Sports What attracted you to your new role?

I was drawn in by the fantastic opportunity to shake up a traditional market and change the way that sport is presented in Portugal. With exciting properties such as the Uefa Champions League, La Liga and Formula One, we have a great platform to provide real entertainment value for fans through our innovative and dynamic coverage of world-class competitions.

It is a privilege to join an amazing team – in Portugal and across all of Eleven’s markets – and I am very excited to work with everyone to develop and grow our business in Portugal and around the world.

What are your top priorities going into the role?

We have already established Eleven Sports as a major player in Portugal, but our aim is to become the go-to destination for sports fans across the country. Through our fan-centric programming and storytelling we will build communities of loyal followers who love sport.

As with all Eleven’s markets, we are taking a platform-agnostic approach, which means that we want to make our content available where fans want to watch it. We will use our dynamic approach to develop partnerships and find the best local partners to ensure every fan is catered for.

Hugh Chambers The UK Motor Sports Association (MSA) has announced Hugh Chambers as its new chief executive. Chambers will begin his role with UK motorsport’s governing body on 1st November, assuming responsibility for the overall strategy, leadership and management of the organisation.

Tom Glick The National Football League’s (NFL) Carolina Panthers have named City Football Group (CFG) chief commercial and operating officer Tom Glick as their new team president. Glick, who will oversee the Panthers’ day-to-day operations, has been appointed

by David Tepper, who purchased the franchise earlier this year and has set about assembling his leadership team.

FEATURED MOVER

Chuck Arnold Chuck Arnold has replaced Peter McLoughlin as president of the National Football League’s (NFL) Seattle Seahawks. Arnold, who has worked for the franchise for 25 years, most recently as chief operating officer, will also oversee the management of the team’s CenturyLink Field stadium as part of his dual role as president of First and Goal Inc.

What is the biggest challenge you expect to face?

Portugal is a traditional market in terms of sports broadcasting, so when we are trying to do things differently there is bound to be some push back.

It’s very important that we stay true to our principles and follow the trends in areas such as digital and on-the-go consumption of sport.

Business as usual isn’t always good for the fans and with new players comes innovation and new ideas. For example, we are the first sports service in Portugal to broadcast from the pitchside before and after games.

Once we start our Formula One coverage, we will also have a team on the ground at every race bringing more stories and more engagement from where the action is happening – this hasn’t been done before in Portugal.

How will you draw on your past experience?

For me, it has always been about the fan. And that is exactly how we will operate at Eleven Sports with our focus on what the fans want to watch, how and when. We will be customer obsessed!

I am also a believer in experimentation to challenge the status quo. It’s very important that we constantly evolve and try new things. If an idea fails, we try again and do it better next time.

What was your dream job growing up?

Fighter pilot, Formula One driver or a centre forward!

SportsPro Magazine | 19

SPORTSPRO WORLD HOSTINGS AND HAPPENINGS

D

E 2 1

B

3 6 5

A

C 4

F

Conferences 1

Barcelona, Spain

FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium will host the fourth edition of the Sports Technology Symposium on 15th and 16th November. The event assembles experts in performance and data analytics and digital to share innovative ideas with members of the sporting community.

Speakers already confirmed for the 2018 edition include Major League Baseball (MLB), Cricket Australia and Barcelona’s main sponsor Rakuten.

2

Geneva, Switzerland

The International Sports Convention returns to the PalExpo in Geneva for the first time since 2016 on 5th and 6th December. The two-day event will see 2,000 guests from 67 countries treated to 18 sports conferences and seminars, along with a sizeable exhibition space for business, networking and sales.

20 | www.sportspromedia.com

3

Portorož, Slovenia

The Slovenian seaside resort of Portorož is staging this year’s edition of the Sporto sports marketing and sponsorship conference on 22nd and 23rd November. Last year’s event welcomed 400 delegates and 18 speakers, with 16 countries represented.

4

Singapore

The third edition of Mass Participation Asia will take place at Hilton Singapore from 10th to 11th December. Over the course of the two days, delegates can expect a host of curated speakers, content and networking opportunities in an effort to foster collaboration and drive best practice across the mass participation industry.

5

Hangzhou, China

209 national federations will be in attendance at this year’s Fina World Aquatics Convention in the Chinese city of Hangzhou. Attendees will come together from 8th to 10th December with an aim of sharing best practice, encouraging engagement in aquatic sports and boosting elite performance in all Fina disciplines.

6

Tokyo, Japan

Sport Innovation Summit Tokyo will descend on the Japanese capital’s Roppongi Hills on 29th and 30th November. The two-day event will see 25 speakers from organisations such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Rugby World Cup 2019 showcase their innovations during 15-minute conferences.

Hosting A

Orlando, USA

Major League Soccer (MLS) has confirmed that its 2019 All-Star Game will be held in Orlando.

The 25,500-seater Orlando City Stadium will welcome the annual mid-season exhibition game featuring the best players from US soccer’s top flight in the summer of next year.

Opponents for the MLS All-Stars have yet to be announced.

B

New York, USA

The International University Sports Federation (FISU) has revealed the US resort of Lake Placid as the host of the 2023 Winter Universiade. The agreement marks the second occasion that the New York village will stage the 11-day multisport event for university athletes, having first done so in 1972.

C

Senegal

Senegal is set to host the 2022 Summer Youth Olympic Games after receiving the backing of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) executive board. The country was one of four nations – along with Botswana, Nigeria and Tunisia – in the frame to stage the multi-sport event after the IOC agreed to pursue an African host for the Games in February.

D

Milton Keynes, UK

Woburn Golf Club has been announced as the host of the 2019 Women’s British Open major tournament. The venue has staged the competition on ten previous occasions, the first nine of which took place on the Duke’s Course, while the 2016 edition was played on the Marquess Course. It has also been revealed that Royal Troon in Scotland will stage the event in 2020.

E

Germany

Uefa has selected Germany to host the 2024 European Championships. Turkey were the only challengers to Germany’s bid and miss out on hosting the tournament for a fourth time as the winners secured victory with a 12-4 vote. 2024 will mark the first time Germany has hosted the competition as a unified country, having held the 1988 tournament as West Germany.

F

Gold Coast, Australia

The SportAccord World Sport and Business Summit will be staged at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in 2019. The event, to be held from 5th to 10th May next year, was secured for the Gold Coast through a partnership between Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ), Tourism Australia (TA), the Gold Coast City Council and Destination Gold Coast (DGC), with the support of TA’s new Business Events Bid Fund.

Queensland’s Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre will host next year’s SportAccord Sport and Business Summit from 5th to 10th May

SportsPro Magazine | 21

GALLERY

A typically raucous Ryder Cup crowd surrounds the ninth green

Francesco Molinari (left) won the deciding point

England’s Tommy Fleetwood

A dejected Tiger Woods confronts the media

Ian Poulter revels in another Ryder Cup win

Familiar foes face off in the opening ceremony

Ryder Cup 2018 Le Golf National in Paris was the site of the 42nd Ryder Cup golf tournament from 28th to 30th September. This year’s edition of the always eagerly anticipated biennial contest saw Team Europe secure a deserved 17½-10½ win and reclaim the trophy from bitter rivals Team USA.

22 | www.sportspromedia.com

Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson

Record European points winner Sergio Garcia

American fans watch and hope

Team USA captain Jim Furyk

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy

Justin Thomas takes the fight to Europe

Europe’s victorious captain Thomas Bjørn

Dustin Johnson with his wife Paulina Gretzky

Rickie Fowler

Smiles all round as Europe claim their seventh win in ten years

Team Europe get their hands on the trophy

SportsPro Magazine | 23

GALLERY

North and South Korea united to win team bronze

Clarisse Agbegnenou of France takes down Australia’s Katharina Haecker

Heavyweight champion Guram Tushishvili

International Judo Federation president Marius Vizer (left) meets Russian leader Vladimir Putin

Baku’s National Gymnastics Arena

Vizer with Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev

The public came in numbers to support their heroes

Agbegnenou won her third world title

Daria Bilodid, the new -48kg world champion

A Japanese judoka awaits her medal

World Judo Championships The International Judo Federation (IJF) took the 32nd edition of its flagship event, the World Judo Championships, to Azerbaijan for the first time from 20th to 27th September. More than 750 athletes from 124 nations competed inside Baku’s National Gymnastics Arena.

24 | www.sportspromedia.com

SportsPro’s Eoin Connolly discusses fan engagement with Hookit, McLaren and Feld Entertainment

Attendees compete in the inaugural Black Book Esports Series

Porsche GT3

Bose global marketing lead Ian McGibbon

Panellists talk motorsport sponsorship

Porsche Motorsport’s Michael Dreiser

Esports Series competition winners

Formula One commercial chief Sean Bratches

Petronas’ Noor Afiza Yusof

DHL’s Sabrina Kreienborg chats to delegates over coffee

Renault F1

Nissan Formula E

Black Book Motorsport Forum London’s Grange Tower Bridge Hotel played host to the fifth annual Black Book Motorsport Forum on 21st September. Individuals from all corners of the global motorsport industry convened to discuss key matters of the day - from evolving the fan experience to electric racing and esports.

SportsPro Magazine | 25

SECTION TEXT HERE GALLERY

Povetkin takes one on the chin

Britain’s heavyweight king enters the stadium, cheered on by an adoring crowd of around 80,000

Veteran ring announcer Michael Buffer

Povetkin sits stricken on the canvas

Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn (centre)

Joshua poses with fans, Lucozade in hand

Future foes Oleksandr Usyk and Tony Bellew

Joshua takes the victory

In retaining his three world titles, Watford-born Joshua extended his professional record to 22-0

Joshua v Povetkin

paimages.co.uk PAImages

British heavyweight Anthony Joshua recorded a dramatic seventh round stoppage of Russia’s Alexander Povetkin at London’s Wembley Stadium on 22nd September, affirming his status as one of boxing’s standout talents.

26 ||www.sportspromedia.com www.sportspromedia.com

THE SHOT LAVER CUP

THE SH T Roger Federer kisses the Laver Cup trophy after leading Team Europe to a 13-8 win over Team World and a second successive title at Chicago’s United Center.

September’s event drew 93,584 fans over its three days.

Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

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INSIGHT THE BRAND CONFERENCE

LESSONS FROM THE BRAND CONFERENCE 2018 The Brand Conference, SportsPro’s annual event for the sponsorship and marketing sector, returned to Lord’s Cricket Ground for its fifth edition on 26th and 27th September. With sport and media in a pronounced state of flux as tech-led changes in consumer behaviour take hold, there was plenty to discuss at the famous old north-west London venue.

By Eoin Connolly

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APPLYING AI CLEVERLY IS A SMART MOVE For brands, one of the most compelling promises of the digital age was that data could help them make smarter pitches to customers who would be happy to receive their entreaties. Yet according to a recent study by eMarketer, cited

by IBM Watson head of strategy Jeremy Waite in the opening keynote of The Brand Conference 2018, 55 per cent of consumers no longer want to provide any of their personal information to marketers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; at all. 90 per cent of emotional conversations about shared interests now take place on private messaging apps rather than social media.

The ongoing crises around the uses and abuses of personal data are just some of the harbingers of a new information era â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one laid out by Waite in a breathless 30-minute presentation. IBM is a company with 380,000 employees.

Each year, it spends around US$6 billion on research and development.

The greater chunk of that goes on technology that is barely encroaching LQWR WKH PDLQVWUHDP OLNH DUWLĂ&#x20AC;FLDO intelligence (AI) and the supremely powerful quantum computing systems needed to keep teaching it.

It will be news to no one that IBM is a big company, but what that information reveals more pertinently is how quickly tech is set to reshape whole industries all over again. 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created worldwide every day and the interpretation of that will change a lot of what we understand about how people think and interact. It will also take automated systems to keep up with that rate of development, which is where AI comes in.

And as Waite noted, borrowing from Stephen B Johnson: if you want to understand the future, look at where people are having the most fun. That means entertainment â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and sport, of course.

Broadly speaking, AI has two uses in media that are pertinent to brands and rights holders. One is

â&#x20AC;&#x153;People make decisions with their hearts and justify them with their heads.â&#x20AC;? in marketing. More sophisticated AI systems are being taught to identify patterns of activity and sort consumers into different personas â&#x20AC;&#x201C; using anonymised, rather than personalised data â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which can determine how they might be expected to behave in various preGHĂ&#x20AC;QHG FRQGLWLRQV â&#x20AC;&#x153;People make decisions with their hearts,â&#x20AC;? Waite said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;and justify them with their heads.â&#x20AC;?

The other use for AI is to cut down on the labour time that goes into a number of elements of media production. The IBM Watson system was used by Wimbledonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in-house team to create automated highlights packages at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edition of tennisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; grass-court Grand Slam, with sentiment measurements used to pick out moments of heightened excitement or emotional VLJQLĂ&#x20AC;FDQFH ,W ZDV DOVR XVHG E\ Fox Sports in the US to create a Fifa World Cup highlight machine

IBM head of strategy Jeremy Waite delivers the opening keynote

ahead of Russia 2018, with every Ă&#x20AC;QDOV PDWFK VLQFH DUFKLYHG and tagged to allow users to build bespoke video packages.

Even more ambitious than that was a project undertaken with music streaming giant Spotify, which worked with IBM Watson to help producer Alex da Kid discover a new unsigned female artist. The route by which Rapsody was found across social media and other platforms â&#x20AC;&#x201C; using an AI-powered search that had been trained to process emotionally loaded terms â&#x20AC;&#x201C; was a demonstration of the growing aptitude of AI systems for natural language perception.

The power of AI will become only more valuable as visual and voice interfaces come into wider use. Yet Waite was keen to underscore its potential as a means of helping people to work smarter â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an â&#x20AC;&#x153;augmented assistantâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; rather than as a threat to their jobs. IBMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own research suggests that the average employee spends 19 per cent of their time looking for tools to help them get things done. AI might free them up to be more creative and productive. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The best brands in the world,â&#x20AC;?

Waite said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;spend around seven to ten times more on people than on technology.â&#x20AC;?

SportsPro Magazine | 29

INSIGHT THE BRAND CONFERENCE

MEASUREMENT IS CHANGING SPONSORSHIP IN SUBTLE WAYS Broadly speaking, the goal of sponsorship deals has never changed.

“In order to be successful,” said Monster Energy vice president of marketing for EMEA Jimmy Goodrich, “you need to understand what both sides are trying to get out of this.”

Yet while the object remains the same, the process of execution is constantly changing. With greater scope than ever before to monitor the performance of media output, brands are being increasingly prescriptive in what they want from a given partnership. Yet the expansion of digital media and the proliferation of outlets has created its own opportunities.

“Rights holders are rightly held to a higher standard to deliver value,” said World Surf League (WSL) chief executive Sophie Goldschmidt, “but there are more ways of doing that than ever before.”

And even the biggest rights holders are realising, too, that they

30 | www.sportspromedia.com

have to demonstrate an appetite for this approach in order to keep pace. Formula One commercial partnerships director Zarah AlKudcy, who revealed that under new owner Liberty Media the series had rediscovered itself as “a media and entertainment brand with the soul of a racing driver”, explained how much work had gone into giving sponsors scope to showcase their brands in a breadth of ways.

Heineken, for example, is keen to emphasise its role in making a Grand Prix weekend a festival, rather than just a race. So as well as ensuring its beer partner’s trackside branding is optimised around each circuit, Formula One helps improve visibility and access to its products around the venue and supports a range of activations. At some events, for example, Heineken has given fans the opportunity to take the pre-race spots vacated by ‘grid girls’ since the start of the season, while at others it has made use of LQÁXHQFHUV RU SURPRWHG LWV VDIH driving campaigns.

As Scott Tilton, chief executive of ‘spontech’ pioneer and event partner Hookit, explained,

Representatives from BFGoodrich Tires, the World Surf League and Hookit discuss the shifting landscape of sponsorship

more detailed measurement will inevitably change the structure of partnerships. Brands are increasingly keen to track how their sponsorships are doing in real time, which will soon result in more performance-based deals. Machine learning and AI will also help to identify and follow trends digitally, something that will make the process even more reactive.

The possibilities of digital measurement are already affecting brand behaviour. Tyre manufacturer and WSL sponsor BFGoodrich Tires – which uses the series to target surfers who might consider its products to get their vehicles close to the ocean while carrying a set of boards – conducted a recent launch with no traditional media. $Q LQÁXHQFHU OHG HYHQW ZDV SXW together to promote the tyre, with Hookit data used to construct its strategy and attach a “dollar value” to its performance.

Storytelling remains central to sponsorship but being persuasive – and being able to prove that persuasiveness – is only getting more important. In the UK, National Football League (NFL)

sponsor and hair-colouring product Just For Men is building its association with the sport around physical activations, retail presence DQG D FRXQWU\ VSHFLÀF FRQWHQW campaign called ‘Tackle The Grey’ – a series of short clips explaining ‘grey areas’ in the gridiron rulebook that works neatly with its message but would be too entry-level for the US. And in working with its partners, the league itself sees more rigorous benchmarking as a chance to develop. According to NFL UK director of sponsorship Michelle Webb, the organisation is aiming to get into the mindset of brands to understand what they want. In fact, she says, companies that are not meticulous enough to set meaningful KPIs around sponsorship are not those the league wants to work with.

“Rights holders are rightly held to a higher standard to deliver value.” to a founding stake in content company Dugout, to a hologram press conference for their Audi Cup friendly tournament.

The initiative that perhaps best encapsulates their approach is FC Bayern Hackdays, a series of events that bring together developers from all over the world – many of them Bayern fans – to try and create new apps or concepts that enhance the experience of following the club.

For Stoll, these gatherings allow the club to harness “the fantastic power of passion and smart people and football”, and they often produce creative and unexpected solutions.

One of the core lessons of these occasions is the potential of ‘gamifying’ use with the club’s digital assets by offering rewards for more engagement, but Bayern are also giving fans other intuitive, enticing reasons to make contact. They are one of the most active teams in the world on the gif-creation platform Giphy, working up a wealth of content for supporters to manipulate and share. Since the launch of Apple’s iOS 11 brought augmented reality (AR) to the iPhone, Bayern have also been trying to make use of

DIGITAL IDENTITY TAKES MANY FORMS FC Bayern Munich’s sporting preeminence is compounded season after season, with six straight Bundesliga titles and serial appearances in the latter stages of the Uefa Champions League. That success has now been complemented by pioneering work in the digital space, where the German soccer club are not just content to leverage the inevitable popularity of their social channels or websites, but are actively seeking ways to create new experiences and a meaningful, valuable presence.

Opening the second day of proceedings at Lord’s with his presentation, Bayern head of platforms, digital and innovation Benjamin Stoll explained that the club put great stock in the ownership and control of new systems to allow them to move quickly to adopt popular new technologies – or abandon fading ones. Bayern have been involved in experiments and new activities that are still fairly unusual in club soccer, from the launch of a multi-platform TV channel to help professionalise their media output,

that capability. AR models of stars Manuel Neuer and Arjen Robben have found their way via smartphone into bus stops in India and living rooms around the world, while the graphics have also been used to help fans order replica jerseys.

Then at the other end of the technological scale there is FCB Lite, a scaled-down, low-data version of the club’s website for users in territories with much lower penetration of high-speed broadband.

At the Allianz Arena, meanwhile, codes have been embedded into photos of great moments from Bayern’s history – when a photo is taken of the image, it brings up a video documenting that moment.

The stadium’s distinctive LED outer skin has always been another means for the club to communicate, PRVW UHFHQWO\ EHLQJ UHFRQÀJXUHG for a friendly in honour of longserving former captain Bastian Schweinsteiger and in support of Germany’s ultimately successful bid for the 2024 Uefa European Championship.

All of this is in service of the idea of embracing the club’s

Copa90’s James Kirkham and David ‘Vuj’ Vujanic

SportsPro Magazine | 31

INSIGHT THE BRAND CONFERENCE

Roc Nation president Michael Yormark delivered a high-intensity presentation

digital fanbase as fully as possible and there is a lesson in that for other teams and rights holders. As Formula One’s Zarah Al-Kudcy suggested in her presentation later on day two, when talking about the series’ esports followers and those players who knew courses DQG GULYHUV IURP WKH RIÀFLDO championship game, the time has come to consider how to treat GLJLWDO ÀUVW IDQV ZLWK WKH VDPH care as those who attend events or watch broadcasts.

AUTHENTICITY IS INVALUABLE – ESPECIALLY IN THE AGE OF THE INFLUENCER “If they believe you, they believe it’s right for their audience,” said Copa90 head James Kirkham on day two, discussing the trust between brands and those they choose to sponsor. As fan-focused platforms like the digital soccer FKDQQHO DQG LQGLYLGXDO LQÁXHQFHUV – whether in the sports or lifestyle space – become more prominent, authenticity is ever more the watchword.

32 | www.sportspromedia.com

As its president Michael Yormark spelled out in a high-intensity presentation on the end of day one, authenticity is at the core of the work done by Roc Nation, the sports and music talent agency owned by rap icon Jay Z. It has devised four-step programmes for developing the brands of its clients, and then for putting together partnerships for those clients that make sense.

Athlete brands are established by assessing goals and objectives; identifying passion points; creating storytelling opportunities; and then by building authentic partnerships.

Those partnerships are founded on that authenticity; sponsors are integrated into the life of the client; unique content is designed around the association; and the SDUWQHUVKLS LV DPSOLÀHG DFURVV WKH two channels.

The Roc Nation model has yielded a sequence of deals that KDYH EURXJKW EHQHÀW WR WKH VSRQVRU and apparent delight to the client.

Rising NFL prospect Todd Gurley insisted that he didn’t care about any other deal but Gatorade, and duly signed with the sports drink giant; NBA champion Kevin Durant walked into the agency’s 1HZ <RUN RIÀFH FDUU\LQJ D ERWWOH

of Sparkling Ice, and was made an ambassador for the small Seattlebased company within a matter of days; Belgian soccer star Romelu Lukaku joined the books at Puma, which had supplied boots to his father, as well as to his idol, Thierry Henry.

Genuine promotions in the LQÁXHQFHU VSDFH FDQ DULVH IURP following the regulations to WKH OHWWHU $Q LQÁXHQFHU LV IUHH to endorse a product of their own accord if they have been sent it with no tacit promise of promotion, as Jaclyn Wilkins, VHQLRU DVVRFLDWH DW ODZ ÀUP DQG event partner Charles Russell Speechlys, explained. Once money has changed hands, however, it becomes an advertisement.

Striving for authenticity carries its risks, at least as far as brands are concerned. During an enjoyably freewheeling interview with Kirkham, Copa90 presenter David ‘Vuj’ Vujanic pointed out that while consumers might be sceptical of campaigns like Nike’s recent endorsement of NFL activist Colin Kaepernick, they would still respond positively to something done with the right intent. Pulling off something satisfying might mean surrendering a little control – though he insisted that “nothing’s going to happen if someone turns up in Puma on a Nike shoot” – but that it would be worthwhile for the resulting impact.

9XMDQLF UHFRXQWHG ÀOPLQJ DQ early episode of his own online series ‘Fifa and Chill’ at the home of the now Everton striker Theo Walcott, whose decision to make coffee for presenters and crew had a humanising effect on the player.

“We still talked about the boot he was wearing,” Vujanic added.

Working up effective branded content is “a creative battle”, Vujanic said, but one that can be won if both sides go into it with the right attitude. “As long as it’s a mutual, collaborative process,” said Kirkham, “it will succeed.”

Or to put it another way, as Vujanic did: “Just be honest. And pay well.”

BEFORE IT COULD COME HOME, FOOTBALL HAD TO BE SET FREE For once this year, England didn’t expect very much. The national soccer team set off for the Fifa World Cup in Russia with an inexperienced squad and on the back of a disastrous second-round exit at the hands of Iceland at Euro 2016. Pessimism and gallows humour were very much the order of the day.

Of course, the summer didn’t pan out quite like that and England fell in love anew with its Three Lions as they made a charming and XQOLNHO\ UXQ WR WKH VHPL ÀQDOV %XW the repaired relationship between players and fans was only part accident, as Football Association (FA) marketing director Georgina /HZLV H[SODLQHG RQ WKH ÀUVW GD\ While the FA had the good fortune in stumbling across a head coach in Gareth Southgate who brought fresh humility and purpose to the young side – and was “a gift for us as a marketing team”, according to Lewis – a lot of the work of rebuilding the relationship between the squad and their supporters had already been laid out. The online video used to announce the players making the trip to the tournament – fronted by youngsters from across the country – was shared widely on social media to much acclaim. The format, which teased the identities of the

Georgina Lewis (left), head of marketing at The FA, is joined on stage by Jaclyn Wilkins of Charles Russell Speechlys and Sporf’s Nick Speakman

Delegates mingle during the postevent networking drinks

“As long as it’s a mutual, collaborative process, it will succeed.” last few selections until the very end, also gave the governing body the chance to “own the moment” for a bit longer than they would have with a traditional press release.

The FA needed to be agile on social media to capitalise on developments during the tournament but shrewd planning also helped to forge stronger links with fans. A live YouTube Q&A programme created a direct conference between players and supporters, with Southgate and captain Harry Kane joining the show the day after England’s eventual exit to Croatia. But the FA social team could also react to the many memes that trailed the team’s exploits, particularly after supporters reclaimed the ‘Football’s Coming Home’ chant that had GHÀQHG (XUR · RYHU WZR GHFDGHV earlier. /HZLV UHÁHFWHG WKDW WKH PRVW HQJDJHG ZLWK RIÀFLDO SRVW RI WKH tournament came immediately after end of the team’s run, with the responsive sentiment proving hugely positive. But the FA largely stepped aside when it came to celebratory content, instead letting fans and other media ride the

wave. That left the way clear for the likes of Sporf, whose founder Nick Speakman noted that social media users “actively searched for content” during euphoric peaks.

Nevertheless, for all the serendipity of June and July, the FA strategy has been built “to last multiple years”, said Lewis. The next step will be to make the most of growing interest in the junior teams and the women’s side, who play in their own World Cup in 2019. A recent partnership with Disney is intended to help reach \RXQJ JLUOV DJHG ÀYH WR HLJKW DW D time when the entertainment giant is focusing on movie heroines with greater personal agency.

The FA’s experience will have been watched closely by Netball England’s Joanna Adams and the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) Sanjay Patel, both of whom are looking to weave the interest from home World Cups next year into commercial and grassroots development – and in Patel’s case, a much-discussed new domestic competition called The Hundred.

Strong planning and a light touch would appear to provide a potent formula.

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INSIGHT SPORTS BETTING

Updating the odds: whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the latest on the US betting market?

In May, a Supreme Court ruling struck down a 26-year-old piece of legislation that had outlawed sports betting across most of the US. Individual states are now free to make their own gambling laws, creating an enormous, unique new market.

By Eoin Connolly

E

arlier this year, the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest sports market faced up to a fundamental change in how it is watched and where it might make its money.

In many countries, betting is woven deep into the cultural fabric of sports followership. Yet since 1992, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act â&#x20AC;&#x201C; otherwise known as PASPA or the Bradley Act â&#x20AC;&#x201C; had

34 | www.sportspromedia.com

effectively outlawed sports betting across the US, with exemptions for Nevada, Delaware, Oregon and Montana. Full sports betting would only continue in Nevada â&#x20AC;&#x201C; home to the gambling mecca of Las Vegas.

In the quarter of a century since, PASPA has been the subject of continued debate â&#x20AC;&#x201C; some economic, some concerning the stimulus it gave to illegal betting markets. But its downfall

had legal roots. In May the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled in favour of a case brought by the government of New Jersey, with VL[ MXVWLFHV Ă&#x20AC;QGLQJ WKH ODZ WR EH LQ contravention of the US Constitution â&#x20AC;&#x201C; VSHFLĂ&#x20AC;FDOO\ WKH 7HQWK $PHQGPHQW ZKLFK regulates the federal governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right to impose laws on states that fall outside those set out in the American founding document.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The US is not just copying and pasting what has worked elsewhere in the world.â&#x20AC;?

There would be no immediate national change in the law, but each state could now choose whether to permit sports betting.

Relevant groups in the US had been preparing for the ruling for some time, with some state representatives putting together â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;anticipatory billsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; that could be triggered in the event of a change in national law. The major leagues have also been positioning themselves, notably through partnerships with the likes of global data, video, betting and integrity services provider Sportradar. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The ruling was only four months ago but already since then there has been a Ă XUU\ RI DFWLYLW\ IURP DFTXLVLWLRQV WR joint ventures to commercial deals, all

leading towards multiple states being up and running, with more on the way,â&#x20AC;? says Prof Dr Laila Mintas, the US deputy president of Sportradar. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At Sportradar weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also been busy, having signed most of the operators in the US for our services. I think that constitutes moving quite quickly.â&#x20AC;?

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the legal picture? $V RI ODWH 6HSWHPEHU Ă&#x20AC;YH 86 VWDWHV had cleared new legislation to allow sports betting. One of those, Nevada, had already legalised the practice, while Delaware, New Jersey, Mississippi and West Virginia all introduced and passed bills in their state governments over the summer.

Lawmakers in three other states â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and New York â&#x20AC;&#x201C; hope to be able to legalise sports betting locally by the end of 2018 or early in 2019. Another 22 states either have bills or other legislation under discussion that would fully legalise sports betting, or they already allow some limited form of sportsbook to be operated and would now be entitled to amend their regulations further. The former group includes California, where sports betting could even be on the ballot in the next state voter referendum, scheduled for 2020.

A further 23 states, including some like Texas, Florida and Washington with several big-league teams, have no current plans to repeal laws against sports betting.

Socially conservative Utah is thought to be extremely unlikely to allow gambling on sports any time soon, and would need to rewrite its constitution to do so.

Jennifer Roberts, a law professor and the associate director of the International Center for Gaming Regulation at the University of Nevada, said to NBC News in August: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think most people thought it would be, you know, probably like 20 states coming out with legislation and it would be passed immediately in several states. But I think that some jurisdictions are taking it a little slower.â&#x20AC;?

Roberts also told NBC News that she expected around 20 to 30 states would KDYH OHJDOLVHG VSRUWV EHWWLQJ ZLWKLQ Ă&#x20AC;YH WR ten years.

The case to further liberalise sports betting laws throughout the US will be supported by those who point to potential tax windfalls and the need to curb an illegal gambling market valued at US$150 billion by the American Gaming Association trade group â&#x20AC;&#x201C; though more conservative estimates are closer to US$80 billion. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every new market has regulations that bring infrastructural challenges,â&#x20AC;? says Prof Dr Mintas. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The US is only unique in that every state brings its own set of rules to follow, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s almost as though they have to be treated as 50 different countries. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a lot of experience of working in regulated markets around the globe and are advising our partners â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including leagues, legislators, regulators and operators â&#x20AC;&#x201C; on good and bad practices around the world, as well as what can be learned from other jurisdictions.

SportsPro Magazine | 35

INSIGHT SPORTS BETTING

read. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Core federal standards are critical to safeguarding the sports we love, the millions of athletes across the country who play these games at all levels and our fans.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x153;It remains to be seen where the discussion will end,â&#x20AC;? says Prof Dr Mintas, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but it clearly shows that the US is not just copying and pasting what has worked elsewhere in the world, and will eventually create their own very unique marketplace.â&#x20AC;?

The NBAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Adam Silver has led calls for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;integrity feesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very important in order to convert the US$200 billion offshore market into legal channels is that the legal framework allows mobile or online betting and in-play betting across the entire states, rather than limiting it to the casinos or racetracks only. The tax rates need to be reasonable so registered operators can compete with the off-shore offerings.

Whilst, additionally, measures need to be in place to safeguard sports integrity.â&#x20AC;?

In late August, several major US sporting bodies backed a national legal framework proposed by Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, who followed Republican senator Orrin Hatch in calling for the introduction of a uniform set of federal standards. Schumerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s suggestions included a legal age for sports gambling of 21, with no advertising targeted at anyone below that age, as well as a commitment by OHDJXHV WR SURYLGH RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDO LQIRUPDWLRQ WR bookmakers and to monitor betting activity.

A joint statement issued by the National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB) and golf â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PGA Tour said: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;As legalised sports betting spreads across the states, there is a need for consistent, nationwide integrity standards to safeguard the sports millions of fans love. We strongly support the legislative framework outlined by Senator Schumer and we encourage Congress to adopt it.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Separately, the National Football League (NFL) and college sportsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; NCAA issued their own combined statement. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Protecting the integrity of our sports is of paramount importance to the NFL and NCAA,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; it

36 | www.sportspromedia.com

How big could the market be?

With states coming round to sports betting on their own terms, the eventual scale of WKH QDWLRQDO ZDJHULQJ PDUNHW LV GLIĂ&#x20AC;FXOW WR peg just yet. According to an estimate by %DUFOD\V QHW SURĂ&#x20AC;WV IRU JDPEOLQJ RSHUDWRUV could exceed US$10 billion. Comparisons with mature markets can only reveal so much, but based on a raw extrapolation of sports betting activity in the UK, a report

by Ibis World roughly estimated that fully legal sports betting in the US would be worth an annual US$55 billion.

7KDW Ă&#x20AC;JXUH FRXOG SURYH VRPH ZD\ RII the mark but the potential of sports betting in the US has already proved enough to entice overseas investment. As the share prices of UK and European-based bookmaking groups leapt in the wake of the SCOTUS ruling, Paddy Power Betfair moved quickly to strike a merger agreement with daily fantasy operator FanDuel, taking a 61 per cent stake in an entity that would combine the two companiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; US$612 million of US assets. The deal allows for a full takeover by the Dublin-based ERRNPDNHU RYHU Ă&#x20AC;YH \HDUV The daily fantasy sector - with its existing digital and mobile infrastructure and access to players used to basing predictions on competitive minutiae offers one route into the new betting market. The other comes through casinos. ,Q -XO\ 0*0 5HVRUWV FRQĂ&#x20AC;UPHG D new US$200 million joint venture with GVC â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a UK bookmaking group whose assets include the Ladbrokes, Coral and Sportingbet brands. Each party will contribute an equal half stake and parts of the leadership team, with plans for a headquarters in a major technology hub and a raft of new recruitment.

In late September William Hill â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a British gambling company which began its US operation in Nevada in 2012 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; partnered with International Game Technology to create a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;full-service

solution for sports bettingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for lottery operators within US states.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has led demands from US leagues for a statemandated â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;integrity feeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a levy from legal betting activity that would recognise sports bodiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; status as the originators of the data used â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but legislators have largely rejected the concept. Nevertheless, there is clearly a dimension to the arrival of sports betting that ties into an already rapidly growing sector in US sports media. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Data just became even more valuable,â&#x20AC;? notes John Shea, the president of marketing and events at the Octagon agency. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sports marketers have been looking at data as content and a way fans can engage with their favourite sports, while teams and athletes have revered data as a method to drive performance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With the Supreme Court ruling and subsequent state level actions, data just became even more critical to the team and leagues for their own integrity efforts, to the sportsbooks and betting entities, and to the fans who will choose to lay down a wager on this weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s big matchup.â&#x20AC;?

How are the commercial prospects developing?

Octagon was involved in the biggest betting sponsorship deal to date in the US, bringing together its client, MGM Resorts International, with the NBA. That partnership is worth a reported US$25 million over three years and will see 0*0 5HVRUWV EHFRPH WKH RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDO JDPLQJ partner of the NBA and the Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Basketball Association (WNBA).

7KH FRPSDQ\ ZLOO EH DEOH WR XVH RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDO NBA and WNBA data and branding, on a non-exclusive basis, across its portfolio of land-based and digital sports offerings throughout the US, while its casinos will be promoted across the leaguesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; digital and social platforms and through promotional content series.

7KH Ă&#x20AC;UVW WHDP LQ WKH 86 WR VLJQ D EHWWLQJ VSRQVRU ZDV Ă&#x20AC;WWLQJO\ HQRXJK WKH

Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer

NHLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vegas Golden Knights. It signed with William Hill in September. Hugh Weber, the president of the leagueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New Jersey Devils, predicted that access to betting sponsorship would yield a US$5 million advantage for his own team.

The most-watched sports league in the 86 WKH 1)/ FRQĂ&#x20AC;UPHG DW WKH HQG RI August that it would permit its teams to pursue sponsorship deals with casinos that work alongside bookmakers and betting companies, though they would still be prohibited from directly advertising any associated sportsbook. The Dallas &RZER\V EHFDPH WKH Ă&#x20AC;UVW WHDP WR WDNH advantage of the new rules a few days later when they signed with Oklahomaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Winstar World Casino and Resort.

A survey conducted by Nielsen for the American Gaming Association (AGA) predicted that legalised sports betting could deliver a US$2.4 billion windfall to NFL teams through sponsorship, data sales and the increase in broadcast rights fees that might result from higher interest in games. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a boon for the leagues and teams,â&#x20AC;? argues Shea. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gambling-related companies are poised to create a top sponsorship-spending category that will rival the dollars seen in telecom and auto, and bring a residual effect that will drive up costs for other brands across partnership LQYHVWPHQWV DQG PHGLD 2Q WKH Ă LS VLGH ULJKWV KROGHUV ZLOO EH XQGHU VLJQLĂ&#x20AC;FDQW pressure to keep conservative and familyfocused brands happy and maintain the OHDJXH RU WHDP EHQHĂ&#x20AC;WV WKRVH EUDQGV VHHN â&#x20AC;&#x153;Media rights have to be a part of this conversation, too. A recent study concluded that the NFL will see as much as an 18 per cent uptick in media rights revenues due WR OHJDOLVHG JDPEOLQJ 7KLV Ă&#x20AC;JXUH H[FOXGHV future integrity fees received by the league. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ultimately, leagues and teams hold the power to control the entry points and assets that will be available to the gambling companies and how categories are developed to maximise revenue, while protecting the integrity of their sports.â&#x20AC;?

The demands and dynamics of the betting market, meanwhile, are already being factored into broadcast plans. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are also seeing the start of media outlets, across both linear and OTT platforms, developing dedicated content to cover the legalised betting sports ecosystem including odds, player data, and predictive modelling,â&#x20AC;? says Shea. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the last year alone,

Barclays estimates that net profits for gambling operators could exceed US$10 billion upon legalisation

development dollars have poured into new sports betting shows by the likes of CBS, ESPN, Fox, The Action Network, Fan Duel, DraftKings, and ViSN with more outlets in the works. Along with that content will DOVR FRPH D SUROLIHUDWLRQ RI VSRUW VSHFLĂ&#x20AC;F experts to guide legal gamblers.â&#x20AC;?

In March the NBA began trials of a new â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;micro-paymentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; system in collaboration with digital partner Turner Sports. Subsequently, the league announced it would offer fans the option of purchasing access to a live stream of a game in the fourth quarter for US$1.99. It is likely that competition operators would consider ways of allying that kind of approach to in-play betting markets.

What does the rest of the international market have going on?

The SCOTUS ruling has come at a time when mature international betting markets are showing different signals about what sports gambling might herald in the US. Australian lawmakers are set to review a ban on in-play online betting after a report indicated that bettors were being drawn to illegal and offshore sites.

Those regulations are in place, ostensibly, to shore up anti-corruption DQG PDWFK Ă&#x20AC;[LQJ HIIRUWV EXW WKH\ KDYH had the knock-on effect of boosting trade at Totaliser Agency Board (TAB) shops, which are permitted to take in-play wagers in-store and over the telephone. The operators of such outlets, as well as those at racecourses and in pubs, have spoken out against a change in the law.

Australia is one of a number of countries, including Italy and France, to

restrict the promotion of sports betting, while tougher rules around advertising and sponsorship are also on the agenda in the UK. In July, campaign group GambleAware said it was â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;disturbingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;worryingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; that nine of the 20 clubs in English soccerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top-tier Premier League, and 17 of the 24 in the second-tier Championship, have some form of betting sponsor on their shirts in the ongoing 2018/19 season.

Gambling companies from Europe and Asia have made up an increasingly valuable chunk of the sponsorship market in the UK and beyond.

The British opposition party, Labour, has in turn proposed a ban on advertisements for betting companies during live sports broadcasts, part of a package of measures aimed at protecting children in the audience as well as the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s estimated 430,000 problem gamblers. Other suggestions included outlawing the use of credit cards to place bets and a UKÂŁ100 million a year levy on companies to help fund treatment for gambling addiction.

Putative sports betting regulators in the US will be made aware of these ULVNV EXW LQWHUHVW ZLOO VWLOO Ă RXULVK ,Q 6HSWHPEHU )RUPXOD 2QH FRQĂ&#x20AC;UPHG RQH of the biggest commercial partnerships in its history â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a deal with London-based Interregional Sports Group (ISG), valued by the Financial Times at US$100 million RYHU Ă&#x20AC;YH \HDUV WR VHOO EHWWLQJ VSRQVRUVKLSV in a number of territories.

Both ISG and Formula Oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s American owner, Liberty Media, will be among many sensing massive opportunities as this new market opens up to the world.

SportsPro Magazine | 37

COVER STORY BROADCASTING

BIG GAME NETWORK Eleven Sports is the disruptive startup on a mission to transform the way fans consume sport. Having recently launched in the UK, Ireland, Portugal and Myanmar to take its worldwide footprint to 11 markets across three continents, the UKbased content provider is plotting a path to global preeminence.

By Michael Long

38 | www.sportspromedia.com

S

ince its formation in 2015, Eleven Sports has set out to bring a consumerfocused approach to the business of sports broadcasting. Its tagline â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;For the fansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; says it all. By HPSOR\LQJ D GLJLWDO Ă&#x20AC; UVW SODWIRUP agnostic distribution model that comprises both linear cable channels and an over-the-top (OTT), directto-consumer streaming platform, the ambitious young network is among a new breed of sports content aggregator. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are a very customer-orientated EXVLQHVV Âľ DIĂ&#x20AC; UPV 0DUF :DWVRQ OHIW

the networkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s executive chairman and chief executive. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not about EHLQJ Ă H[LEOH IRU SODWIRUPV LW¡V DERXW EHLQJ Ă H[LEOH DQG JLYLQJ FKRLFH WR WKH customers and not dictating to those customers where and how they watch our service.â&#x20AC;?

Part of Aser, a burgeoning group of business interests owned

by Andrea Radrizzani, the Italian FR IRXQGHU RI WKH 03 6LOYD agency, Eleven Sports now operates, VRPHZKDW Ă&#x20AC; WWLQJO\ LQ PDUNHWV worldwide. This summerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s launches into the UK, Ireland, Portugal DQG 0\DQPDU IXUWKHU EROVWHUHG DQ eclectic and rapidly maturing global operation that already spanned Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, Poland, Singapore, Taiwan and the USA. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In all of our markets we try to bring learnings from other markets and innovate coverage,â&#x20AC;? says Watson, an Englishman who serves as Elevenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chief strategist and deal-maker. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Actually in some of our markets we see pretty staid production coverage and quite low standards. We see that as an opportunity both to improve quality and to freshen up coverage and appeal to a new and younger demographic as well as traditional sports fans.â&#x20AC;?

Eleven announced its entry into WKH 8. DQG ,UHODQG EDFN LQ 0D\ ZKHQ LW PDGH D VLJQLĂ&#x20AC; FDQW VSODVK by acquiring the exclusive rights to broadcast La Liga, the top division of Spanish soccer, from the 2018/19 season onwards. Those rights were previously held by Sky Sports, for years the dominant player in the British pay-TV market,

Eleven Sportsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; UFC coverage is set to debut in the UK next year

and were soon supplemented by the addition of exclusive rights to top-tier soccer from Italy, the Netherlands, China and Sweden. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve actually got more live football than anyone else in the UK at the moment,â&#x20AC;? says Watson, who has form in shaking up the British sports broadcasting landscape having previously masterminded BTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entry several years ago. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re putting more high-quality, top-league live action on most weekends than everyone else put together.â&#x20AC;?

If pocketing top soccer rights heralded Elevenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arrival in some style, a subsequent deal for live and exclusive rights to this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PGA Championship further underlined the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intent. After Sky Sports and the BBC reportedly withdrew from the bidding process, the opportunistic newcomer stepped in, eventually streaming coverage of the golf major for free via its own OTT platform and on Facebook, part of an initial drive to sign up subscribers to its paid-for service.

Yet the UK launch wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t all plain sailing. In line with the technical hiccups that have been encountered by almost every nascent digital service, Elevenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PGA Championship streams were hampered by incidences of buffering, prompting some viewers to vent their frustration on social media. Nevertheless, according WR 'DQQ\ 0HQNHQ WKH QHWZRUN¡V group managing director, those glitches were â&#x20AC;&#x153;all smoothened out very quicklyâ&#x20AC;?.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in the business of live sport, whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a TV company or an internet company, from time to time youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to experience technical issues,â&#x20AC;? adds Watson. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You have to accept that.

You need to be ready to apologise, which we did, and then learn from it, look at the quality of your infrastructure and your processes so you can do your absolute best to avoid something like that happening again. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But in the meantime we are really enjoying building out our direct-to-consumer customer base, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going very well. We think weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re creating a lot of value for the business. For now, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to continue to do that.â&#x20AC;?

Elevenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s UK operation is supported by a strategic partnership ZLWK ,0* ZKLFK KDV DFTXLUHG D minority stake in two new channels, Eleven Sports 1 and 2. The former channel is focused solely on soccer, while the latter provides live coverage RI Ă&#x20AC; JKW VSRUWV FRPSHWLWLYH JDPLQJ and extreme sports. Four â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;pop-upâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Live Event channels have also been created to avoid programming clashes, with a dedicated LaLigaTV channel airing 24-hour coverage of 6SDQLVK VRFFHU¡V WRS Ă LJKW Efforts to expand distribution in the UK and Ireland, where Eleven will also air the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) from 2019, have precipitated talks over carriage deals with Sky, BT and Virgin 0HGLD WKH PDUNHW¡V WKUHH OHDGLQJ

SportsPro Magazine | 39

COVER STORY BROADCASTING

pay-TV providers. At the time of writing, those discussions are still ongoing, but the fact they are happening at all serves to illustrate the company’s guiding principles.

“Our philosophy in all our markets is not to tell the customer where they have to watch our service but to try and make sure the service is available wherever they want to watch it,” explains Watson. “That means if they want to watch it via their set-top box provider, we are always open to that.

We will always be in discussions with local platforms about trying to make that happen.”

Beyond traditional outlets, distribution on social media is a key avenue through which Eleven is striving to reach its target audience.

In the UK, where the network now shows at least one La Liga and one Serie A match per week on Facebook, providing fans with free content on social platforms serves several functions, helping to promote the Eleven brand and generate additional advertising revenue whilst drawing consumers towards its paid-for OTT services and channels.

“We’re very selective about what we do,” says Watson. “I WKLQN WKDW·V D UHÁHFWLRQ RI WKH changing marketplace. You don’t

40 | www.sportspromedia.com

have to carpet-bomb a country with marketing these days to build awareness. You can do it much more cost-effectively than that and we do focus very strongly on the cost-peracquisition of our customers. That’s one of our most important metrics.” ***** Pedro Pinto joined Eleven Sports in July. The former managing director of communications at European soccer body Uefa was hired as a non-executive director of the network in his native Portugal, where he had recently relocated to establish his own consultancy business. His brief throughout August’s launch spanned many day-to-day functions. In addition to promoting and fronting Eleven’s Uefa Champions League coverage, Pinto was initially charged with managing relationships with the media, commercial partners and rights holders, as well as assisting with production and programming. ´, GHÀQLWHO\ ZDQWHG WR EH SDUW of this project as soon as I started to hear more about it and the way they wanted to change sports coverage in Portugal,” says Pinto, who had become well acquainted

Spanish soccer’s La Liga headlines Eleven’s rights portfolio in the UK and Portugal

with Radrizzani during his days as a sports correspondent and presenter at CNN International. “I spoke with Danny and we aligned on what they wanted to do in Portugal and what I felt the Portuguese market needed.”

Pinto will take on more of an advisory capacity as Eleven becomes more established in Portugal, at which point his remit will focus on consulting in key areas of the business such as rights acquisitions and editorial programming. The responsibility for the daily running of the network will instead sit with Jorge Pavão de Sousa, who was installed in September as Eleven’s managing director in Portugal after a stint as head of TV at Vodafone.

Once fully operational, Eleven’s core Portuguese team will be “lean and mean”, says Pinto, in line with the network’s streamlined operations in other markets. As the only territory where Eleven owns Uefa Champions League rights, however, the requirements and expectations will be unique. As a result, a team of more than 30 editorial staff, including experienced journalists, social media managers and freelance commentators, have been enlisted to help deliver what is undoubtedly its most premium programming.

“We’ve got a lot of guys from radio because we feel that’s more the look and feel we want for the channel, not so much the traditional Portuguese commentators on TV, which are sometimes a little bit overtechnical, over-serious,” says Pinto.

“We’re not going to invest greatly in building a core team of 20, 30, 40 people. It has to be responsible and organic growth, not expanding too quickly. At the moment, as a startup company in Portugal, that wouldn’t be advisable.”

“The market is really ready for us. The consumer is screaming to get us onboard.”

0DUNHW FRQGLWLRQV LQ 3RUWXJDO indeed differ markedly from that which greeted Eleven in the UK and Ireland, where competition for sports rights is growing as new digital players emerge as challengers to Sky and BT Sport.

For the past two decades, four of Portugalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest media companies have held equal shares in Sport TV, a group of premium subscription channels which has controlled all the major sports rights in the country ever since.

As an ambitious newcomer with bold plans of capturing a VLJQLĂ&#x20AC;FDQW VKDUH RI WKH PDUNHW RQH that had announced its entry by pocketing exclusive rights to two of the most sought-after properties - namely the Uefa Champions League and Spainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s La Liga - it is perhaps unsurprising that Eleven has encountered noticeable hostility from the status quo in Portugal. â&#x20AC;&#x153;From a broadcasterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prospective, Portugal is a country with - how shall I put thisâ&#x20AC;Śthereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of tradition here,â&#x20AC;? observes Pinto. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s culturally a market where things donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t change drastically and dramatically from one day to the next. So the fact that a player like Eleven Sports has come in, bought a series of rights, is trying to establish itself as a major player, has created shockwaves.

Pedro Pinto (right) presents Elevenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Uefa Champions League coverage in Portugal

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not saying that those VKRFNZDYHV DUH QHJDWLYH ,¡P MXVW saying that the market itself is trying to adapt to them. As you can imagine, the channel that has had the monopoly for the last few years is using their personal and professional network to try to place challenges in our way as we try to spread our coverage and guarantee distribution on all the operators. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t felt anyone being aggressive towards us at all. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve just felt a lot of curiosity, a lot of surprise, a lot of adjustment from the market to our entrance. But thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exciting, to try to overcome these challenges and succeed because we feel there is plenty of space in the market for two sports channels.â&#x20AC;?

Such hostility, according to 0HQNHQ LV WR EH H[SHFWHG ´:H also saw it in Poland,â&#x20AC;? he says, pointing to a market where Eleven has quickly amassed around two million subscribers across its own OTT platform and four channels, including a 4K service, since its launch in 2015. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When we entered there, everyone was neglecting us.

No one wanted to talk with us.

They thought that within a few months we would go away. Of course, we did not. It took us a year to get decent distribution in Poland.

Now we are by far the biggest premium sports provider there.â&#x20AC;?

0HQNHQ GHVFULEHV WKH ´VSHFLDO market dynamicsâ&#x20AC;? in Portugal as â&#x20AC;&#x153;a bit of a strange situationâ&#x20AC;? but he nevertheless sees â&#x20AC;&#x153;a massive opportunityâ&#x20AC;? there, especially since Eleven has already gained â&#x20AC;&#x153;a lot of tractionâ&#x20AC;? among consumers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When there has been, for such a long time, a monopolist in the market, it means that no one is happy,â&#x20AC;? says the Dutchman. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The fans are not happy because theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not getting what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re asking for in terms of quality, in terms of pricing.â&#x20AC;?

He adds: â&#x20AC;&#x153;What we see there is the market is really ready for us. The consumer is screaming to get us onboard. So far we have launched our own OTT service.

Nowo, which is the smallest of the four operators, we have a deal with them and they also, on behalf of us, do the discussions with the other operators. I really believe that in a short timeframe we will have full distribution in the market.â&#x20AC;?

7R WKDW HQG 0HQNHQ EHOLHYHV WKH strength of Elevenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;super-goodâ&#x20AC;? content portfolio will ultimately win the day. Besides elite club soccer from Spain, France, Germany, Belgium and Scotland, Elevenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Portuguese rights portfolio includes Laver Cup tennis, Spanish league

SportsPro Magazine | 41

COVER STORY BROADCASTING

basketball, the National Football /HDJXH 1)/ DQG 00$ ZKLOH Formula One will be added to the mix from 2019. In particular, 0HQNHQ LQVLVWV WKDW RZQLQJ WKH coveted Uefa Champions League rights in Portugal gives Eleven VLJQLĂ&#x20AC; FDQW OHYHUDJH RYHU WKH established players, not least since %HQĂ&#x20AC; FD DQG )& 3RUWR WZR RI WKH countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most-followed clubs, have TXDOLĂ&#x20AC; HG IRU WKLV VHDVRQ¡V JURXS stages. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In our view,â&#x20AC;? he continues, â&#x20AC;&#x153;there is not one operator that would be able to not offer our channels to its subscribers because it would be suicide.â&#x20AC;?

According to Pinto, who was born and raised in Portugal but has spent much of his professional career working in the US and the UK, Elevenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programming will bring a fresh approach to the way sports coverage is produced.

Rather than having presenters sat in a remote TV studio, he notes, live broadcasts are being delivered from on the pitch to bring viewers FORVHU WR WKH DFWLRQ 0HDQZKLOH interaction with the teams and athletes are showing a side of sport not previously championed in the Portuguese market. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to bring to Portugal is bring fun into sports coverage, entertainment value, and a more dynamic approach,â&#x20AC;? insists Pinto. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We feel that there is too much energy spent on talking about the negative side of football and the negative side of sport and not enough celebrating the athletes and the protagonists. This is what Danny and I aligned on very early. ´0\ SHUVRQDO RSLQLRQ LV that historically the fans really havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been placed as the FHQWUH RI DWWHQWLRQ WKH OHYHO RI interaction with fans, even with the development of social media, hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been what I feel it should be. We want to be celebrating the sports that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re broadcasting with the fans in a very natural and more informal way because in Portugal it has been very serious, very conservative, very traditional and very formal in the way they approach it. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not saying there

42 | www.sportspromedia.com

arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t great professionals in Portugal covering sports, but just culturally itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s old-fashioned. We want to bring entertainment value to this market.â&#x20AC;? ***** Elevenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rapid expansion over the past three years is a mark of an ambitious global growth strategy that has served it well from the outset. With every launch into each new market, the scale of the operation - and the distance travelled by the networkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s senior executives - is by necessity growing. ´0RVW RI WKH WLPH ,¡P RQ WKH SODQH Âľ VD\V 0HQNHQ ´2Q WKH weekends I try to be always at home - itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not always possible. The rest of the time I travel around the world to all our territories, together ZLWK RXU 0'V DQG WKH UHVW RI WKH teams to develop the business, to have discussions with key rights holders, to go to conferences, etc.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m always on the road. ´,W FDQ EH WRXJK VRPHWLPHV , have a family and of course I like to spend a lot of time with them. But at the same time we have no time to lose. We are super-ambitious at Eleven, we are very fast-growing, and it means that you always need to be on the ball, especially as we have businesses all around the world. It means a lot of traveling. I mean itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2018, you could easily say

Eleven Sports chiefs Marc Watson (left) and Danny Menken, pictured in Portugal on 19th September

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;do a Skype callâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or whatever but in reality that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really work. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a people business. People want to see you and want to have a face-to-face discussion with you.

And also you need to be there locally to really understand the dynamics of the market. You cannot get that from a powerpoint or just from a discussion - you need to be there, feel it, and really discover whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening because the devil is always in the detail. Some small things can make a big difference.â&#x20AC;?

As well as championing accessibility and affordability, the secret to Elevenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success so far has been in combining a local mindset with a global outlook, VD\V 0HQNHQ 7KH QHWZRUN¡V internal process for identifying potential content acquisitions and negotiating with rights holders is overseen by experienced managing directors in each local market, DORQJ ZLWK 0HQNHQ :DWVRQ DQG Guillaume Collard, Elevenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s global head of business development and rights acquisition. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a big team in our HQ in London, which is always busy with looking at new opportunities,â&#x20AC;?

H[SODLQV 0HQNHQ ´:H ZLOO DVN them to look at a market and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll look at the dynamics, look at the demographics, look at everything.

Sometimes markets can become YHU\ LQWHUHVWLQJ VXGGHQO\ 3RUWXJDO is a very good one. We were always

interested but when you want to enter a market, you need to have really killer rights. For Portugal, suddenly we were able to buy Champions League and La Liga. At that time, [Cristiano] Ronaldo was still at [Real] 0DGULG VR IRU XV WKDW ZDV GHĂ&#x20AC; QLWHO\ killer content. And then you have a window of opportunity to enter a market and you buy more rights some key rights, some smaller rights and then you have an offer to start.â&#x20AC;?

Elevenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to build out compelling content offerings in each of its markets is testament to the connections of its senior executives - to quote Watson, the network was able to purchase Bundesliga rights in Portugal â&#x20AC;&#x153;not because we necessarily bid more money, but because weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a client of Bundesliga across numerous marketsâ&#x20AC;?. Drawing on those connections has helped the company scale up quicker than many of its digital rivals, enabling it to secure widespread distribution in the process. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In three yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; time, we have been able to get distribution to more than 18 million households so we have proven we can get the DXGLHQFHV Âľ QRWHV 0HQNHQ ´7KHUH LV not one single rights holder that tells us we cannot get a deal with them because we still need to start in a market. They all know that within a year we have full distribution. Never, not even when we started, has there EHHQ D GLIĂ&#x20AC; FXOW\

Eleven streamed this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PGA Championship live and free-of-charge in the UK

â&#x20AC;&#x153;In Poland, for example, the incumbent, Canal Plus Sport, who have been there in the market for 25 years, have the local league and Premier League, which have always been considered to be the biggest rights. After 25 years [they have] 1.5 million subscribers. We have far beyond two million subscribers in just three yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; time, so we not only give them the same number of subscribers and reach, in most FDVHV ZH VLJQLĂ&#x20AC; FDQWO\ LQFUHDVH WKH audiences for big rights holders.

6DPH LQ %HOJLXP ZH DUH WKH RQO\ channel there with full distribution in the market. Not even Eurosport has full distribution there.â&#x20AC;?

For Watson, the past three years spent charting Elevenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth have, RQ UHĂ HFWLRQ EHHQ D ZKLUOZLQG )URP a blank sheet of paper the network KDV PRUSKHG LQWR D IXOO\ Ă HGJHG global operation - and it is still early days. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We remain, relatively speaking, a pretty small and nimble company with a relatively small number of decision-makers,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re able to make decisions very quickly and once we make a decision, we move extremely quickly to launch our services. We see that as a competitive advantage of Eleven Sports in every market around the world.â&#x20AC;? /RRNLQJ EDFN RQ WKH SDVW Ă&#x20AC; YH years, Watson notes how sports broadcasting has undergone a VLJQLĂ&#x20AC; FDQW HYROXWLRQ VLQFH KH spearheaded BTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entry into the

UK market in 2013. Changing consumption habits and rising connectivity have given rise to a growing appetite for digital content and, subsequently, a proliferation of OTT services. Eleven itself is riding that wave, of course, but so too are traditional broadcasters, new streaming players and rights holders, creating both challenges and opportunities for everyone competing in what is an increasingly congested marketplace. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thanks to developments in technology, consumers are now much more accessible,â&#x20AC;? says Watson. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Connectivity makes it cheaper, faster and easier for new entrants like Eleven Sports to come in and disrupt the market. We have seen rights values plateauing, and in some cases falling, which again creates opportunities for entry for companies like ours. â&#x20AC;&#x153;On the negative side, there is also a growth in competing directto-consumer content from rights holders. This isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t very welcome but also isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t surprising. We still see an important role for platforms like ours to package different sports properties and make them easily accessible to the consumer for a very competitive price. The sum of aggregated content is always more valuable than the parts.â&#x20AC;?

Looking ahead, Watson says that ZKLOH (OHYHQ LV ´KLWWLQJ SURĂ&#x20AC; WDELOLW\ in our key marketsâ&#x20AC;?, the company has not set itself a target in terms of the number of territories it plans to enter. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eleven has quite a nice ring to it,â&#x20AC;? he says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m certain we will exceed 11 markets.â&#x20AC;?

0HQNHQ RQ WKH RWKHU KDQG LV PRUH forthcoming. Asked whether the company can feasibly maintain its current rate of expansion, he says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hopefully yes - and maybe more.

The good thing is we have now such a good working machine, we know exactly the right things to do when we enter a market. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have all the relationships with the rights holders, service suppliers, etc. Now, every additional market becomes more and more easy, actually.â&#x20AC;?

SportsPro Magazine | 43

FEATURE OTT

Fight for America DAZN Group, the digital media specialist known until recently as Perform Group, launched its eponymous direct-to-consumer streaming service in the US in September. With a programming line-up built around boxing and MMA, chief ďŹ nancial oďŹ&#x192;cer Paul Morton explains how the company is taking its ďŹ ght for subscribers to a heavyweight market.

By Michael Long

G

oing big in America is the holy grail for many a British export. For the poster child of live sports streaming, it is strictly a matter of business.

Often described, perhaps UHGXFWLYHO\ DV ÂśWKH 1HWĂ L[ RI VSRUW¡ UK-based DAZN has taken its over-the-top (OTT) streaming service to American shores for the Ă&#x20AC;UVW WLPH KDYLQJ LQLWLDOO\ ODXQFKHG in Germany, Australia, Switzerland and Japan in 2016, and then in Canada last year. It could be the

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Matchroomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boxing chief Eddie Hearn speaks at a DAZN media event

EROGHVW DQG PRVW VLJQLĂ&#x20AC;FDQW SOD\ yet for a company with designs on EHFRPLQJ WKH ZRUOG¡V OHDGLQJ GLJLWDO sports content provider.

Over the course of the summer - a period which also encompassed a separate launch into Italy - DAZN bosses spent several months building a US rights portfolio that centres on boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA). In June, the company partnered with Viacom-owned MMA promoter Bellator, signing a global ULJKWV GHDO ZRUWK D QLQH Ă&#x20AC;JXUH VXP $ three-year agreement for exclusive US

ULJKWV WR WKH Ă HGJOLQJ :RUOG %R[LQJ Super Series was announced the following month, while in September DAZN penned a multi-year deal to show English-language coverage of Combate Americas, a US-based MMA promotion geared towards Hispanic fans.

But it was the venture that preceded those deals which truly VLJQDOOHG '$=1¡V LQWHQW LQ VSRUWV PHGLD¡V PRVW FRPSHWLWLYH PDUNHW In May, just days after snaring former ESPN president John Skipper to oversee its US operation, DAZN revealed a landmark eight-year deal with British-based Matchroom Boxing. Trumpeted at the time as the biggest in boxing history, the deal would see the promoter and 3HUIRUP *URXS '$=1¡V SDUHQW company, invest a combined US$1 billion to create Matchroom Boxing USA, a joint venture that would VWDJH Ă&#x20AC;JKWV D \HDU DFURVV WKH 86 with DAZN serving as the exclusive American broadcast partner for those HYHQWV SOXV 0DWFKURRP¡V H[LVWLQJ Ă&#x20AC;JKW QLJKWV LQ WKH 8. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a dream scenario for us,â&#x20AC;?

Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn said on announcing the deal. â&#x20AC;&#x153;America we have well and truly arrived. Let the fun begin.â&#x20AC;? '$=1¡V 86 VHUYLFH ZHQW OLYH on 10th September. Priced at US$9.99 month, the ad-free, no-

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We think that boxing has become unaccessible and unaffordable for the majority of boxing fans.â&#x20AC;? strings-attached platform provides exclusive behind-the-scenes content and original programming as well as coverage of live events, the Ă&#x20AC;UVW RI ZKLFK VDZ 0DWFKURRP¡V heavyweight boxing star Anthony Joshua - now a DAZN brand ambassador - successfully defend KLV ,%) :%$ DQG :%2 ZRUOG WLWOHV DJDLQVW 5XVVLD¡V $OH[DQGHU Povetkin on 22nd September.

The Matchroom deal, which has since been expanded to Canada, HQVXUHG WKDW QR Ă&#x20AC;JKW FDUGV ZRXOG be delivered via pay-per-view (PPV), with North American viewers instead able to access them YLD '$=1¡V VXEVFULSWLRQ VHUYLFH It was an important statement from both parties, one articulated with characteristic candour by +HDUQ VKRUWO\ EHIRUH -RVKXD¡V defeat of Povetkin.

In September, the outspoken Londoner proclaimed that the current PPV model - the very model that has sustained boxing for a generation - â&#x20AC;&#x153;would end in tearsâ&#x20AC;? owing to what he sees as over-saturation on both sides of

WKH $WODQWLF :KLOH 339 UHYHQXH UHPDLQV WKH OLIHEORRG RI WKH Ă&#x20AC;JKW JDPH +HDUQ DUJXHG WKH LQGXVWU\¡V move to put more and more bouts, PDQ\ RI WKHP QRW H[DFWO\ ER[ RIĂ&#x20AC;FH material, behind one-time paywalls was only undermining the business DQG KLWWLQJ Ă&#x20AC;JKWHUV KDUGHVW For DAZN, too, the decision to initially build its US service DURXQG Ă&#x20AC;JKW VSRUWV LV URRWHG LQ its belief that boxing fans are being underserved by the PPV model. Echoing Hearn, company executives have vocally heralded their strategy as taking PPV-grade Ă&#x20AC;JKWV DZD\ IURP 339 RXWOHWV DQG their overarching intention is to UHWKLQN WKH ZD\ Ă&#x20AC;JKW VSRUWV FRQWHQW in general is delivered. ´7KDW¡V WKH UHDVRQ ZH¡UH ODXQFKLQJ LQWR LW Âľ FRQĂ&#x20AC;UPV 3DXO 0RUWRQ '$=1¡V FKLHI Ă&#x20AC;QDQFLDO RIĂ&#x20AC;FHU ´EHFDXVH ZH WKLQN WKDW boxing has become unaccessible and unaffordable for the majority of boxing fans. By launching DAZN in the US in an accessible ZD\ LQ D ZD\ WKDW \RX GRQ¡W QHHG DQ\ KDUGZDUH RU NLW \RX GRQ¡W QHHG

Boxing greatness, past and present: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sugarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Ray Leonard (left) interviews Anthony Joshua

to be part of a broader broadcast bundle - you can simply download the app and subscribe for a very UHDVRQDEOH 86 D PRQWK LW¡V very much about reengineering the ZD\ Ă&#x20AC;JKWV DUH EURXJKW WR WKH Ă&#x20AC;JKW sports audience.â&#x20AC;?

Morton adds that, according to '$=1¡V RZQ HVWLPDWHV WKHUH DUH PLOOLRQ Ă&#x20AC;JKW VSRUWV IDQV LQ WKH US â&#x20AC;&#x153;who are willing and able to pay for content but who have been priced outâ&#x20AC;? by the PPV model.

Speaking to SportsPro on the eve RI -RVKXD¡V FODVK ZLWK 3RYHWNLQ KH DGGV ´,W¡V RQO\ D YHU\ VPDOO VXE VHFWLRQ RI Ă&#x20AC;JKW VSRUWV IDQV that have been able to consume WKH ODUJHVW Ă&#x20AC;JKWV DQG WKRVH ODUJHVW Ă&#x20AC;JKWV KDYH EHHQ VFUHHQHG RQ D YHU\ infrequent basis. ´:KDW ZH¡YH EHHQ DEOH WR do with our partnerships with Matchroom and Bellator is to ensure that over the course of a \HDU ZH¡OO EH VFUHHQLQJ PRUH WKDQ OLYH HYHQWV :H¡OO EH VFUHHQLQJ PRUH WKDQ RQH PDMRU Ă&#x20AC;JKW QLJKW HYHU\ ZHHN DQG ZH¡OO EH GRLQJ LW DW D very competitive price point.â&#x20AC;?

SportsPro Magazine | 45

FEATURE OTT

For Perform - which rebranded as DAZN Group in September as part of a broader corporate reorganisation, one which served to underline the importance of the streaming service to the wider group - the Matchroom deal UHSUHVHQWV D VLJQLĂ&#x20AC; FDQW RXWOD\ )RU Morton, though, it is an investment worth every penny - provided, of course, Matchroom can continue WR SXOO LQ WKH SUL]H Ă&#x20AC; JKWHUV SXQWHUV will pay to watch. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In exchange for that investment Matchroom are committed to VWDJLQJ Ă&#x20AC; JKWV D \HDU IHDWXULQJ some of the biggest boxers in some of the major premium venues across the US,â&#x20AC;? he explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To get a return on our investment WKRVH Ă&#x20AC; JKWV QHHG WR GHOLYHU VLJQLĂ&#x20AC; FDQW VLJQ XSV DQG XOWLPDWHO\ a subscriber base.â&#x20AC;?

Recent reports suggest Hearn is working on a deal to add middleweight star Gennady *RORYNLQ WR WKH SURPRWLRQ¡V VWDEOH DIWHU WKH .D]DNKVWDQL Ă&#x20AC; JKWHU¡V agreement with HBO expired IROORZLQJ KLV UHPDWFK ZLWK 0H[LFR¡V 6DXO Âś&DQHOR¡ $OYDUH] LQ 6HSWHPEHU Mayweather Promotions-backed Gervonta Davis is another highSURĂ&#x20AC; OH 0DWFKURRP WDUJHW EXW DQ\ deal to sign Golovkin in particular would be a major coup for both the promoter and DAZN given his stature both in the US and worldwide.

46 | www.sportspromedia.com

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our US team are working very closely with the Matchroom team to ensure that we get the best boxers RQ RXU Ă&#x20AC; JKW FDUGV Âľ VD\V 0RUWRQ ´:KDW WKDW LQYHVWPHQW GRHV DQG that commitment from DAZN, is give Matchroom the certainty and the backing to go out and collate D YHU\ VWURQJ VWDEOH RI Ă&#x20AC; JKWHUV 7KDW¡V QRW RQO\ H[LVWLQJ Ă&#x20AC; JKWHUV but investing in up-and-coming Ă&#x20AC; JKWHUV DQG EXLOGLQJ D VWRU\ DURXQG WKRVH Ă&#x20AC; JKWHUV WR GULYH DXGLHQFH HQJDJHPHQW DURXQG WKHLU Ă&#x20AC; JKWV Âľ '$=1¡V VWDWHG DLP LV WR EHFRPH â&#x20AC;&#x153;the home of boxingâ&#x20AC;? in the US, but its expansion comes at a time of heightened competition and SHUFHSWLEOH Ă X[ LQ WKH Ă&#x20AC; JKW VSRUWV marketplace. HBO and CBS-owned Showtime have long been the dominant market players - although the former recently announced it would end its live boxing coverage from this October after 45 years in the business. Meanwhile ESPN has moved to throw its considerable weight behind Top Rank Boxing over the coming years and Fox Sports recently signed a new deal ZLWK $O +D\PRQ¡V 3UHPLHU %R[LQJ Champions (PBC) series. MMA will be a similarly tough nut to crack.

From a digital perspective, UFC Fight Pass reigns supreme in the US PDUNHW ZKLOH 'LVQH\¡V QHZ (631 streaming service will be added to the mix when its new deal with the UFC kicks in at the start of next year.

DAZN Group executive chairman John Skipper (left) with DAZN chief executive James Rushton

Paul Morton, the chief ďŹ nancial oďŹ&#x192;cer at DAZN

%XW LW LV QRW RQO\ Ă&#x20AC; JKW VSRUWV that DAZN is eyeing. Morton, a Perform stalwart who has served in his current role since July 2016, believes there are a wealth of rights acquisitions â&#x20AC;&#x153;under considerationâ&#x20AC;? in the US market, and while he will not be drawn on which properties are of interest, he says the major domestic leagues could all come into play when their rights come up for renewal in 2021 and 2022. ´:KDW ZH¡YH GHPRQVWUDWHG EHIRUH LV WKDW ZH DUHQ¡W DIUDLG WR DFTXLUH domestic rights if they can be acquired at an economically sensible SULFH Âľ KH DGGV SRLQWLQJ WR '$=1¡V prior purchases of Serie A rights in Italy and Uefa Champions League rights in Germany and Austria. ´:H DUH ZLOOLQJ WR FRQVLGHU EX\LQJ rights if we think we can build a sensible business model around it.

Clearly, in the event that we ever have aspirations to acquire any of the major US sports domestically, we would need to have demonstrable evidence over a number of years that we have a strong and robust platform that would be capable of delivering the kind of scale and volume that a domestic US rights holder would expect a broadcaster to have. ´,W¡V QRW D FRPPHQW HLWKHU ZD\ RQ what the long-term objectives are but certainly we absolutely need to demonstrate that we have a scaleable, Ă H[LEOH SODWIRUP WKDW ZRXOG EH capable should that be something we want to consider at a later date.â&#x20AC;?

In the interest of building a name for itself and proving the concept WR SRWHQWLDO SDUWQHUV '$=1¡V deal with the National Football League (NFL) to exclusively carry WKH OHDJXH¡V 6XQGD\ 7LFNHW DQG RedZone offerings in Canada could prove pivotal. The service debuted in the country last year but its live streams were soon hampered by WHFKQLFDO LVVXHV LQFOXGLQJ PXIĂ HG sound and persistent buffering, leaving Canadian viewers frustrated and forcing both the company and the NFL to apologise for ÂśLQDGHTXDWH VHUYLFH¡ '$=1 KDV VLQFH PDGH VLJQLĂ&#x20AC;FDQW LQYHVWPHQWV WR DGGUHVV ODVW VHDVRQ¡V issues, while it has also moved to sign sub-licensing agreements for Sunday Ticket coverage with a selection of cable and satellite providers. Nevertheless, NFL executives are likely to be monitoring the performance of the service with interest throughout the ongoing season. ´:H EHOLHYH WKDW LQ &DQDGD ZH can achieve the subscriber and audience milestones that we have set ourselves,â&#x20AC;? insists Morton, WKRXJK KH GHFOLQHV WR JLYH VSHFLĂ&#x20AC;F Ă&#x20AC;JXUHV ´+RSHIXOO\ LW¡OO EH D JRRG showcase for US rights holders that the model can work.â&#x20AC;?

Proving the viability of the subscription-only model is a challenge DAZN will continue to face across each of its seven markets. Self-described as the ZRUOG¡V Ă&#x20AC;UVW SXUH 277 VSRUWV provider, its strategy so far has been to avoid selling advertising, and to build its service on a compelling mix of premium international properties and highly soughtafter local programming, such as domestic soccer in Japan and Italy. :KHWKHU WKDW DSSURDFK ZLOO ZRUN in the US, where sport formats are ripe for advertising and competition for the most coveted rights is always voracious, remains to be seen. ´7KH ZD\ WKDW ZH¡YH PRGHOOHG the US is slightly different to KRZ ZH¡YH PRGHOOHG WKH RWKHU markets because of the nature of the content,â&#x20AC;? explains Morton. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The other markets largely revolve

DAZN signed a nine-ďŹ gure global rights deal with MMA promoter Bellator in June

around seasonal leagues, whether they be European soccer or Japanese soccer, [so] we know that ZKHQ SHRSOH FRPH LQ WKH\¡UH OLNHO\ to stay with us for the remainder of the season. I think in the US it ZLOO EH D ELW PRUH VSLN\ DQG ZH¡OO see people dip in and dip out of the VHUYLFH EDVHG RQ WKH Ă&#x20AC;JKWV â&#x20AC;&#x153;But certainly, given the quality DQG WKH TXDQWLW\ RI WKH Ă&#x20AC;JKWV ZH¡OO do everything we can to keep them as engaged and retained on the service for as long as possible.â&#x20AC;?

In any case, says Morton, '$=1¡V FRPSHWLWLYH HGJH RYHU its digital rivals is that it does not reserve its best programming for linear distribution. â&#x20AC;&#x153;DAZN only KDV RQH RIIHULQJ Âľ KH DGGV ´:KHQ you sign up to DAZN, you know \RX¡UH JRLQJ WR EH JHWWLQJ LW DOO ,I \RX VLJQ XS WR (631 \RX¡UH not necessarily getting everything that ESPN has on offer. To get everything that ESPN talks about and advertises, not only do you QHHG (631 EXW \RX DOVR QHHG D cable subscription. ´:LWK XV ZH¡UH YHU\ RSHQ LQ terms of the content that we have, and anyone who signs up to our service knows that they are going to get everything.â&#x20AC;?

7KDW XOWLPDWHO\ WLHV LQWR '$=1¡V USP, which Morton says is to â&#x20AC;&#x153;give sports fans a better and fairer way to watch sportâ&#x20AC;?. He adds that the company always looks to â&#x20AC;&#x153;exploit

the full value and potential of IP to give subscribers a very personalised, immersive, data-driven approach to how they consume their sportâ&#x20AC;?.

He continues: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Having that IP delivery means we can log every action that our subscribers take on the platform so it means that we can put data at the heart of our business and make sure that we are making decisions in terms of how we acquire customers, where we acquire them from, how we programme content, how we editorialise the product, how we make decisions around rights renewals and the value of rights. Because we have that level of customer intelligence, we can make very educated and intelligent business decisions off the back of that data.â&#x20AC;?

Looking ahead, Morton FRQĂ&#x20AC;UPV WKDW WKDW GDWD LQIRUPHG approach will continue to guide WKH FRPSDQ\¡V JOREDO H[SDQVLRQ More new market launches are in the pipeline for 2019, but it will be the potential for major rights acquisitions that will ultimately determine where DAZN goes next. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As we sit here today, we have delivered pretty much bang on our projections in terms of subscribers,â&#x20AC;?

0RUWRQ VD\V ´:H DUH YHU\ KDSS\ with what we have delivered and ZH¡UH YHU\ FRQĂ&#x20AC;GHQW LQ RXU RXWORRN for the rest of 2018 and 2019 based RQ WKH ULJKWV WKDW ZH KDYH :H VLW here in a very good place.â&#x20AC;?

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FEATURE OTT

Waking a streaming giant Last year, The Walt Disney Company purchased a majority stake in live streaming specialist BAMTech, signalling a major strategic shift at the House of Mouse. Just over a year later, ESPN+, the media giantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ rst dedicated direct-to-consumer service, already boasts one million paid subscribers, and is combining premium content with niche events to revitalise a sports broadcasting powerhouse.

By Sam Carp

F

ew names in the global media industry, if any, are more synonymous with entertainment than The Walt Disney Company. Whether it EH IRU LWV PXOWLYHUVH RI Ă&#x20AC; OPV DQG programming, beloved animations or the mammoth theme parks that have been developed on the back of its much-loved cast of brands and characters, Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is a name that reverberates around the world.

At the same time, though, a deeply ingrained way of doing things can breed a resistance to change. But sometimes it is the ever-evolving landscape â&#x20AC;&#x201C; rather than the company itself - which dictates the direction that even a media powerhouse such as Disney must take. )RU DOO WKRVH Ă&#x20AC; HOGV LQ ZKLFK Disney has long led the way, the volatile art of taking its vast array of content over the top was one the company had side-stepped, or at least seemed happy to leave for others to experiment with whilst watching with interest from afar. That was, however, up until August 2016, when Disney showed its hand and revealed where its priorities now lie. It was then that the company made a big bet on BAMTech, splashing out US$1 billion on a 33 per cent stake in the live streaming specialist spun off from Major League Baseball

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The launch of ESPN+ marked the beginning of a major strategic shift at Disney

Advanced Media (MLBAM). One year later, Disney agreed to pay a further US$1.58 billion for another 42 per cent of the company, upping its total stake to 75 per cent.

As a result, Disney Streaming Services was born, a subsidiary of Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newly created directto-consumer and international division. The move, described at the time by Disney chairman and chief executive Bob Iger as an â&#x20AC;&#x153;extremely important strategic shiftâ&#x20AC;?, would also see the company end its content licensing arrangement with 1HWĂ L[ LQ IDYRXU RI ODXQFKLQJ LWV

own direct-to-consumer streaming service in 2019, featuring its Ă DJVKLS 'LVQH\ 3L[DU 6WDU :DUV and Marvel titles.

More pertinently, though, Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s acquisition of BAMTech provided it with the tools to reinvigorate its cash cow, sports EURDGFDVWLQJ JLDQW (631 ZKLFK was looking to arrest welldocumented drops in revenue and a long-term decline in subscriber numbers fuelled by trends like cord-cutting and the reluctance of younger viewers to splurge on cable packages.

The plan, according to Iger, was WR ODXQFK DQ (631 277 VHUYLFH LQ early 2018, equipped with around 10,000 additional live sporting events each year that arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t offered on the networkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s traditional TV channels. As LW WXUQHG RXW (631 ODXQFKHG RQ 12th April this year, not only ushering in a new era of content distribution for the self-acclaimed â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;worldwide leader in sportsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, but also marking the Ă&#x20AC;UVW VWHS LQ 'LVQH\¡V DPELWLRXV SODQV to conquer an increasingly crowded streaming space. ´(631 LV D PDMRU PLOHVWRQH DV WKH Ă&#x20AC;UVW GLUHFW WR FRQVXPHU service from The Walt Disney Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new direct-to-consumer and international segment,â&#x20AC;? begins Andy Schneider, general manager RI (631 'LVQH\ 6WUHDPLQJ Services. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It represents a new area of innovation for the entire company, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more than just the launch in and RI LWVHOI ² LW¡V WKH Ă&#x20AC;UVW HQGHDYRXU WR hit the public market, so that makes it very exciting, especially for us. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quite a bit of opportunity here. We know that there are a lot of passionate sports out there that have been historically underserved, and (631 RIIHUV D QHZ ZD\ IRU (631 and The Walt Disney Company to connect directly with fans, give them more sports, and provide them with an entirely new kind of digital experience.â&#x20AC;?

,QGHHG ZKLOH (631 LV offering live events from highend properties like Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Hockey League (NHL), both of which have been key drivers of VXEVFULSWLRQV IRU (631 RYHU WKH years, the service is also equipped with a broad array of rights including rugby union, cricket, tennis and college sports.

OTT services, by their very nature, arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t restricted by issues such as schedule clashes and D Ă&#x20AC;[HG DPRXQW RI WLPH WR Ă&#x20AC;OO PHDQLQJ (631 FDQ DIIRUG WR pack its streaming platform with those niche sports and events that arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t regularly available on its linear networks. For Disney, the hope is that this strategy can draw PRUH KDUGFRUH IDQV WR (631 consequently plugging the gaps in (631¡V WUDGLWLRQDO VXEVFULEHU EDVH ´(631¡V FRUH PLVVLRQ LV WR ensure that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re serving sports fans everywhere and anywhere,â&#x20AC;? explains John Lasker, vice president of digital SURJUDPPLQJ DW (631 ´%HFDXVH RI the restrictive nature of a 24/7 linear television network, we see that thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an opportunity to achieve or support that mission by serving sports fans at a broader scale, breaking the walls of 24/7 linear television, and being able to serve fans of all shapes and sizes YLD (631 Âľ

ESPN+ is combining premium sports with niche events to attract hardcore fans

The strategy, then, isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t solely to reach out to the next generation of consumer, as is often believed to be the case when a new dedicated sports streaming service is launched.

Rather, it is to meet the needs of fans of all ages across a wider variety of sports in order to build and GLYHUVLI\ (631¡V DXGLHQFH â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a combination of all those WKLQJV Âľ FRQĂ&#x20AC;UPV 6FKQHLGHU ´DQG really when we thought about WKH DXGLHQFH IRU (631 ZH segmented into three categories.

7KH Ă&#x20AC;UVW EHLQJ WKH FRUH (631 fan who wants more sports, and bringing our big league rights from MLB and the NHL to the service also helps to satisfy those fans. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But the other two segments were the niche sports fan and the underserved team fan. So when you get into niche sports, we have put together a very compelling offering with combat sports, but also cricket and rugby, and then college sports.

The very broad offering we have there really does appeal to those underserved team fans.â&#x20AC;?

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not to say, however, that Disney isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t putting premium FRQWHQW DW WKH KHDUW RI WKH (631 offering â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in fact, it appears to be quite the opposite. ,Q 0D\ (631 PDGH RQH RI LWV biggest moves since launching the streaming service, wrapping up

SportsPro Magazine | 49

FEATURE OTT

D UHSRUWHG Ă&#x20AC; YH \HDU 86 ELOOLRQ deal for rights in the US to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Starting in January next year, the agreement will see the company replace Fox Sports as the exclusive home of 30 events each \HDU ZLWK Ă&#x20AC; JKW QLJKWV VHW WR EH VSOLW EHWZHHQ (631¡V OLQHDU FKDQQHOV and its new digital offering.

7KH PRVW VLJQLĂ&#x20AC; FDQW WKLQJ IRU Lasker, though, is that 15 of those ERXWV ZLOO EH H[FOXVLYH WR (631 PHDQLQJ IDQDWLFDO Ă&#x20AC; JKW IDQV ZLOO have to be signed up to the service LI WKH\ ZDQW WR JHW WKHLU Ă&#x20AC; [ RI WKH worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most popular mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Exclusivity is absolutely key,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are really two things going on. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to add more to the pie, meaning not necessarily taking anything and moving things from traditional services WR (631 EXW WKH RSSRUWXQLW\ is really to do more, and in doing more itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to make sure that fans understand what the proposition is and what the value is that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting. So exclusivity from an event perspective, as well as exclusivity from a league and in some cases category perspective, is going to be important for us. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With the UFC we have a longterm rights agreement that kicks in in January, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth mentioning that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had a massive amount of success here relative to our subscriber rates and our engagement, and we havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hit the ground running yet on the UFC side. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just how you agree pieces of content that are exclusive - itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s being able to deliver on a

50 | www.sportspromedia.com

John Lasker (left), vice president of digital programming at ESPN, and Andy Schneider (right), general manager of ESPN+, Disney Streaming Services

ESPN+ will exclusively show 15 UFC events each year from 2019

promise throughout the season of any individual property, and the UFC agreement is representative of that. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a UFC fan in the US, come January you most likely have WR KDYH DQ (631 VXEVFULSWLRQ WR be equally served as a fan, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s certainly part of our goal.â&#x20AC;?

And it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just UFC fans who will have to treat themselves to an (631 VXEVFULSWLRQ LI WKH\ ZDQW to follow their favourite sport. The UFC deal was soon followed by an agreement with Nevada-based boxing promotion company Top 5DQN JLYLQJ (631 H[FOXVLYH rights to 12 live events annually, with a further 24 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;premium international eventsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to also appear exclusively on the streaming platform.

Around about the same time, (631 VHFXUHG DQ H[FOXVLYH PXOWL year deal with Serie A, Italian club VRFFHU¡V WRS à LJKW WR EULQJ PRUH than 340 matches each season WR (631 7KDW WLH XS ZDV WKHQ supplemented by agreements to

show Dutch soccerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eredivisie, the Chinese Super League (CSL), Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hyundai A-League and Englandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prestigious FA Cup knockout competition.

Add all that to a deal for Major League Soccerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (MLS) MLS Live out-of-market streaming package, coverage of the United Soccer League (USL), and an exclusive local media rights agreement with the Chicago Fire, and it quickly EHFRPHV FOHDU WKDW (631 LV DOVR being primed as an essential service for American fans who want yearround soccer coverage. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All of the different rights around certain categories of content, whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Top Rank and UFC, or the multitude of soccer rights that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve brought to the table, we really look at ZKDW WKDW GHĂ&#x20AC; QLWLYH RIIHULQJ LV Âľ says Schneider. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With those two categories in particular, we feel like if you are a global soccer fan or a combat sports fan, then we are a must-have offering for you.â&#x20AC;?

Beyond all the live events, (631 LV DOVR EOHVVHG ZLWK DQ array of original programming, documentaries and series. The challenge for dedicated OTT broadcasters launching from scratch LV WR Ă&#x20AC; QG VXSSRUW SURJUDPPLQJ to complement their live offering, but there is no such problem for (631 :LWK DQ H[WHQVLYH FRQWHQW pool that includes every episode of the popular â&#x20AC;&#x2122;30 for 30â&#x20AC;&#x2122; documentary franchise, it already boasts a rich archive of content which will draw consumers to the service. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would certainly highlight that as what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re tapping into,â&#x20AC;? says Lasker. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got some of the best in the business with our (631 )LOPV FUHZ WKH GHYHORSHUV and creators of 30 for 30, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clearly something that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve tapped into as a value proposition and as a differentiating factor to any other competitor in the market. ´-XVW LQ WKH SDVW Ă&#x20AC; YH PRQWKV weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve launched 20 original shows and series which we think we have an opportunity outside of the live event content that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re creating that complements that fan interest with great original storytelling and news and information - a product that again we have not been able to do through our traditional services.â&#x20AC;?

With such a vast array of content on offer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from both a live and on-demand perspective â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one would be forgiven for thinking WKDW DQ (631 VXEVFULSWLRQ IHH would force consumers to empty their pockets. However, at the time of launch, fans would have been pleasantly surprised to learn that the service was available for US$4.99 per month or US$49.99 for an annual subscription. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to do is essentially take price out of the equation,â&#x20AC;? says Lasker. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Any individual piece of value that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to attract fans with whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a collection of games or an entire league like MLS, or an LQGLYLGXDO Ă&#x20AC; OP LW¡V OLNHO\ WKDW WKH fan or user would pay US$4.99 for that individual piece of content. So our goal is to attract them with the things that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re initially interested

ESPN+ is home to major soccer competitions including Serie A, the Eredivisie and the FA Cup

in, and then try to retain them by showcasing all the other pieces of value and great content that they would get via their US$4.99 a month subscription.â&#x20AC;?

And if the immediate goal was to arrest the slide and bring VXEVFULEHUV EDFN WR (631 WKHQ early indications suggest that (631 LV DOUHDG\ VHUYLQJ LWV purpose. It was announced in September that the platform has already racked up one million paid VXEVFULEHUV MXVW Ă&#x20AC; YH PRQWKV DIWHU launching â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a landmark which Kevin Mayer, chairman of directto-consumer and international at Disney, described as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;an important milestone for any video subscription serviceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That is a major milestone in the general direct-to-consumer industry and certainly amongst any other sports offerings out there,â&#x20AC;? adds Schneider. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is a very VLJQLĂ&#x20AC; FDQW DFKLHYHPHQW DQG , WKLQN itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s testament to the compelling content and programming and the incredible user experience that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re providing fans, and those are things that have helped us achieve that and also stand out from the rest of the competition.â&#x20AC;?

Standing out from the competition is something which might seem easy WR GR IRU D EUDQG OLNH (631 ZKLFK DOUHDG\ VKDUHV D XQLTXH DIĂ&#x20AC; QLW\ ZLWK consumers that new digital players are still trying to build.

But in what is an increasingly saturated market, there is a lot to be said for a service that is capable of delivering a dependable, high-quality stream to a large live audience. Global OTT broadcaster

DAZN, for example, which has now launched in the US, was forced to apologise in August to Italian viewers after its opening weekend of Serie A coverage was affected by buffering issues, while Eleven Sports and Amazon were both subjected to criticism during their recent streaming debuts in the UK. 3RZHUHG E\ %$07HFK¡V proprietary streaming technology, (631 LV \HW WR PDNH KHDGOLQHV for the wrong reasons. As well as supporting the likes of WWE and the NHL on a global basis, BAMTech is also powering the (XURVSRUW 3OD\HU GLJLWDO OLYH DQG on-demand video service across 69 different territories. It is that scalability and capability that Disney had in mind when it made LWV ELJ LQYHVWPHQW 1RZ (631 appears to be reaping the rewards. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Streaming video over the internet is still very challenging because at its core the internet wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really designed for video,â&#x20AC;? says Schneider. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our group here at Disney Streaming Services has really focused on that challenge for quite a long time â&#x20AC;&#x201C; even back when we were known as BAMTech â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and we have an ability to scale better than anyone else out there, and have been responsible for some of the largest scale live streaming events of all time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So we brought a lot of great technology and expertise to offer the best possible video quality and scalability to consumers, and I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of the reasons why youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen a strong reception from both media and consumers during our launch.â&#x20AC;?

SportsPro Magazine | 51

Big Screens

Creative People

Innovative Video

0203 012 5566 www.fonix.co.uk

Stream direct from your venue to a live global audience With production staff bringing years of experience in some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading broadcasting companies, including the BBC, Fonix have the complete skillset for OTT.

From BBC to OTT Fonix have the expertise to bring you the whole picture in streaming live events

Features: • Seamless streaming of live events - from sports and music to festivals • Multiple outputs including perimeter screens, internal hotel and concourse TVs • One person operation, or multiple

• Powerful social media integration and interaction • Replays, slow motion, branded transitions • Animated graphics and stings • Bespoke branded scoreboards, and timers

COMPANY PROFILE FEEDCONSTRUCT

Constructing partnerships Digital content provider FeedConstruct is less than a year old but, fresh from signing a landmark deal with the Professional Squash Association, the company is now targeting an increased presence in the media rights sector.

H

eaded up by the Badalyan brothers, Vigen and Vahe, FeedConstruct is one of 11 trademarks under the SoftConstruct family of companies, which also includes BetConstruct, Spring BME, Ucraft, FinConstruct, FastToken, FastShift, BetOnPolitics, BookieApp, and PandaVR. SoftConstruct’s experience in the sports industry dates back to 2004, when the company started out as a B2C operator. In 2011 SoftConstruct created another brand, BetConstruct, which was established exclusively to offer betting and gaming solutions. As the profile and data capabilities of the software developer expanded, the company developed further products.

Back in March, SoftConstruct integrated four products into its Megafeed platform to create FeedConstruct, combining high quality live streams, odds feed, statistics and scouting data. For its live streams, FeedConstruct implements a cross-platform player solution in high

definition with a video on demand option. Additionally, or as a standalone offer, FeedConstruct also offers access to an in-depth, customisable, statistics portal that can be tailored to regional specifications, features API integration, and can be delivered over multiplatforms. Gaming data that draws on the company’s bookmaking expertise provides insights from more than 300 traders while a team of over 1,000 scouts is capable of delivering realtime stats from sports events ranging from global to local in interest.

What’s more, FeedConstruct’s Friendship platform is designed as a global marketplace of unique sport and gaming videos to help federations and digital content suppliers turn their content into a successful business by allowing them to sell it and reach out to the more than 300 buyers.

Since its launch, the company has been active on conference floors across the industry, raising the profile of its offering at gatherings such as SportsPro Live, Belgrade

FeedConsruct’s Friendship platform enables greater content control

54 | www.sportspromedia.com

Future Gaming, and the Netherlands Sports Analytics Conference. It will also have a presence at October’s Sportel convention in Monaco.

“FeedConstruct has already made a powerful start with its four-in-one data feed solutions and yet we are not going to stop there,” says George Arabatlian, head of FeedConstruct. “As for now we are actively promoting our Friendship platform [which has been] developed for federations to sell their sports content directly to buyers globally. And we have more upcoming projects for FeedConstruct.”

The company is targeting two main markets. Firstly, it is seeking to provide data feed solutions to a broad array of sports content providers, including federations, leagues, clubs and agencies. Secondly, it is providing betting operators with data feed products such as odds feed, live video streaming, live scouting data and statistics.

When a partner signs up, Arabatlian and the FeedConstruct

team then work on behalf of that client to maximise distribution.

“Once the content of live video streaming is in the system, all the promo materials are sent to the partners,” he says. “FeedConstruct’s business development team participates in around 100 expos around the world and does the promotion of the content. For local sales FeedConstruct has 15 regional offices around the world as well.”

In an increasingly crowded marketplace, it the Friendship platform that FeedConstruct sees as its competitive advantage, promising to empower its partners by offering greater control over their content.

“By joining the Friendship platform, sports content providers are becoming decision-makers for their own content,” explains Arabatlian. “They build their pricing strategy and offer discounts in order to increase brand awareness in the market. Also, all the federations, leagues and clubs are getting detailed reporting regarding the sales force, which helps them to

understand the level of popularity among competitors. We offer a payper-match model to operators as it is the most effective and profitable to use for such expensive products like live video streaming or scouting data with lower prices.”

Price flexibility and the notion of partnership are key to the FeedConstruct model. This allows its partners to set their own price for their content and offer discounts, as well as to obtain information regarding purchase frequency, pricing, and in which region customers are based.

“They set the price-per-video and get income from each individual purchase instead of selling content in bulk to a reseller,” adds Arabatlian.

“With transparent sales tracking, content suppliers can monitor where and when the streams have been sold.

For buyers, they benefit from the payper-match model, as it allows them to purchase single videos instead of getting expensive packages.”

The approach seems to be working. In mid-September, the

Price flexibility and the notion of partnership are key to FeedConstruct

Professional Squash Association (PSA), organisers of the elite global tours in squash, agreed a deal with FeedConstruct to deliver its live video in a pay-per match-model. PSA chief commercial officer Tommy Berden excitedly described the platform as a “perfect fit” for its World Tour and Challenger Tour circuits.

Czech betting agency Tipsport is another satisfied customer. Petr Komárek, the company’s head of odds portfolio, data and streaming, said: “We are now getting data for thousands of sporting events and can provide our clients with better offers. We highly appreciate our partnership with FeedConstruct and are willing to discuss opportunities for further cooperation.”

Contact FeedConstruct Email: sales@feedconstruct.com Visit: www.feedconstruct.com

SportsPro Magazine | 55

FEATURE DATA

Bright ideas As stats-driven fans continue to go in search of a more data-rich experience, sports technology company Genius Sports is driving digital transformation for federations of all shapes and sizes across Asia to help them reach their followers anywhere, at any time.

By Sam Carp

G

enius Sports is making its mark in unchartered territory. Perhaps more widely known for its partnerships across Europe and the US, where the global sports WHFKQRORJ\ Ă&#x20AC; UP FRXQWV WKH OLNHV of Major League Baseball (MLB), German soccerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bundesliga and the PGA Tour among its extensive suite of data and integrity partners, WKH FRPSDQ\ KDV VSHQW WKH SDVW Ă&#x20AC; YH years ramping up its efforts in Asia, where more and more sporting organisations are waking up to the EHQHĂ&#x20AC; WV RI GHYHORSLQJ D GHGLFDWHG digital strategy.

56 | www.sportspromedia.com

â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a real emphasis amongst Asian sports to invest and transform their digital infrastructures,â&#x20AC;? says Thomas Klingebiel, Genius Sportsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; commercial director for Asia. â&#x20AC;&#x153;While this isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t unique to Asia, it is happening at a rapid rate with leagues and federations looking to improve everything from their fan-facing platforms to the technology that runs their day-to-day operations.â&#x20AC;?

A brief look at changing consumption patterns - generally GHĂ&#x20AC; QHG E\ D VKLIW IURP OLQHDU 79 to mobile and online - makes it straightforward enough to understand why.

Genius Sports has provided a competition management system for the Asian Football Confederation since 2016

According to a recent report from digital soccer platform Copa90, 79 per cent of fans under the age of 25 are using a second screen whilst ZDWFKLQJ VRFFHU D Ă&#x20AC; JXUH WKDW LV RQO\ OLNHO\ WR EH LQWHQVLĂ&#x20AC; HG DFURVV $VLD where Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia account for three of the top four countries in the world for

time spent per day on the internet.

Those same three sports-fanatical nations also feature in the top four for time spent on social media, with users in the Philippines clocking up a staggering average of three hours and 57 minutes every day. &RPELQH WKRVH À JXUHV ZLWK WKH À QGLQJV RI D UHFHQW 0F.LQVH\ study, which revealed that 60 per cent of millennial sports fans check scores and sports news via social media platforms, and it is hardly surprising that Asian sports are evolving their engagement strategies to reach their followers across multiple platforms before, during and after games.

“Recently, there has been a noticeable shift where Asian sports are both taking control of their data and enhancing their digital strategies,” begins Steven Burton, managing director of Genius Sports. “Traditional engagement platforms such as television are still vitally important to sports’ global reach and reputation, but in order to build a loyal audience with VLJQLÀ FDQW FRPPHUFLDO SRWHQWLDO and opportunities, Asian sports can’t afford to neglect digital. ´/DVW \HDU VDZ D À YH SHU FHQW increase in the number of internet users, a 14 per cent rise in active social media users and eight per cent more mobile connections across Asia. These key components must be at the heart of Asian sports’ digital strategies, enabling them to reach fans on the go, with split-second engaging content across multiple platforms.”

Put simply, fans are no longer VDWLVÀ HG E\ ZDWFKLQJ VSRUWV - they now crave a plentiful supply of immediately available complementary data which can help them form opinions that they can then plaster all over Twitter, Facebook, or whatever other platform on which they think their followers will listen.

Watching the polished broadcasts and browsing the sophisticated mobile apps of English soccer’s Premier League and North America’s National Basketball Association (NBA), which are rife with plush

graphics and stats covering just about everything the fan can think of, it’s easy to take for granted the systems that are processing such a rich feed of data. It’s even easier to ignore that this is what a lot of lesser known Asian sports leagues are up against.

It would be wrong to suggest, however, that Asian federations across the board are playing catch-up in this space, and Klingebiel points out that there are various examples of competitions and organising bodies at the top of Asian sport that have already implemented advanced strategies that are helping them rival some of the pioneering leagues across the globe.

“In terms of the top-tier sports and competitions,” he says, “I would say they are keeping pace with some of the most innovative leagues in the world, attracting large audiences both domestically and on an international scale. Obviously the better the sport is run, the better the experience and content it provides, the more the fans engage and the bigger the audience reach is.”

Where there is still work to be done, he adds, is within the lower echelons of competition, where leagues and federations aren’t QHFHVVDULO\ DOHUW WR WKH EHQHÀ WV WKDW KDYLQJ FRQWURO RYHU WKHLU RIÀ FLDO data can provide, and indeed the type of technology solutions which could be at their disposal.

“I think the gap here potentially comes with the second or third tier of competitions, but this isn’t unique to Asia and the potential is still very exciting,” he says.

“In terms of the role data is playing in the development of Asian sports,” Klingebiel adds, “I see it coming from several pretty distinct areas. One is from the administrative and management side, where control over data can help to modernise DQG HQKDQFH WKH HIÀ FLHQF\ RI D sport’s operations. With the right technology infrastructure, data can save sports valuable time and cost, informing their decisions while automating key processes.”

Indeed, this is one of the very advantages that Genius Sports’ technology solutions are already

Thomas Klingebiel, Genius Sports’ commercial director for Asia

providing, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the governing body for soccer in the region, can vouch for that.

The AFC joined forces with Genius Sports in November 2016 to provide its member associations with a competition management system (CMS) which allows them to control and manage all competition formats including league, knockout and round-robin tournaments.

The service has already been adopted by a growing number of the AFC’s members, including the associations of Hong Kong, the Philippines and Singapore, ZLWK HDFK EHQHÀ WLQJ IURP *HQLXV Sports’ expertise through training, development, product workshops and regular support to ensure they get the most out of the data-driven technology.

“In general, like other areas of development of our member associations, we see this as a vital component to ensuring they are operating as modern sports organisations,” says Stuart Larman, director of member association development for the AFC. “The AFC sees this as a crucial area and as in all major confederations there LVQ·W D RQH VL]H À WV DOO VROXWLRQ “Therefore, with a number RI UHJLRQDO DQG FRXQWU\ VSHFLÀ F workshops we have helped member associations grow their digital output and have been willing to share content as member associations look to begin their own digital journey. Every country has DOVR EHHQ SURYLGHG ZLWK VSHFLÀ F

SportsPro Magazine | 57

FEATURE DATA

reports which highlight their challenges and opportunities.â&#x20AC;?

As well as enabling member associations to generate their own competition schedules within the space of a day, the AFCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CMS also gives organisations which might not have the necessary infrastructure the means to generate team and SOD\HU SURĂ&#x20AC;OHV FUHDWH DQG GLVWULEXWH pre-game information to media SDUWQHUV DQG FROODWH RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDO UHFRUGV to create historic statistics that can be shared and consequently used to engage fans.

If nothing else, the partnership has been a revolutionary one for the AFC, which is now equipped with a digital strategy which Klingebiel believes is one of the PRVW UHĂ&#x20AC;QHG LQ $VLDQ VSRUWV â&#x20AC;&#x153;The AFC is driving the digital transformation of their sport across their 47 member associations,â&#x20AC;? he states. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our competition management system enables member associations to dispose of LQHIĂ&#x20AC;FLHQW RU SDSHU EDVHG V\VWHPV in return for advanced software that enables leagues to create a seasonlong schedule in a matter of hours. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The AFC is enabling their member associations to control WKHLU RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDO GDWD WR FUHDWH KLVWRULF archives on their competitions, integrate their statistics and information across other platforms while streamlining their operations.â&#x20AC;?

Beyond that, though, modernising and enhancing the HIĂ&#x20AC;FLHQF\ RI D VSRUW¡V GD\ WR day activities is just one area that Klingebiel sees data helping to

transform Asian sports. The next step, he says, is focused on reaching those stats-hungry fans who are more likely to engage with a sport when large amounts of data-fuelled content are being made available to them on a regular basis. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The second part is around enhancing the fan experience,â&#x20AC;?

Klingebiel asserts. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Analysis is the second most popular form of content amongst fans and statistics are obviously a key part of this.

Whether thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highlighting recent or historic form to distributing live updates or providing detailed team and player stats after each game, fans want engaging content that changes quickly and can be consumed on a second screen.â&#x20AC;?

One example which Klingebiel is quick to point to is the Philippines Basketball Association (PBA), one of the largest and longest-running basketball leagues in Asia, which Ă&#x20AC;UVW SDUWQHUHG ZLWK *HQLXV 6SRUWV LQ 2014 with a key focus on enhancing its fan engagement strategy.

Using FIBA LiveStats, a realtime courtside stats collection tool developed by Genius Sports alongside basketballâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s global governing body, the PBA is now able to distribute those accumulated stats and data sets across its instadia scoreboards and reports, as well as on its website, mobile app, broadcasts and fantasy sports site. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The PBA placed a real emphasis RQ WDNLQJ FRQWURO RI WKHLU RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDO data and building an ecosystem of digital products to meet their fansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; needs and professionalise their

Genius Sports recently opened a Singapore oďŹ&#x192;ce to manage its operations in Asia

58 | www.sportspromedia.com

appearance in that way,â&#x20AC;? explains Klingebiel. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we look at some of the results, they have been very impressive. Since 2014, their GameCentres have received over 25 million page views, accounting for around 15 per cent of the total sessions in that period from our global network of over 200 basketball leagues and federations.â&#x20AC;?

The end game of all this, though, isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t only about helping sporting organisations such as the AFC and the PBA to grow their global fanbase, but to accelerate WKHLU Ă&#x20AC;QDQFLDO JURZWK DV ZHOO $V Klingebiel explains, a wide-reaching digital portfolio is likely to attract additional partners, ultimately providing further opportunities to monetise. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Taking control of data can be a major revenue driver,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Putting more content out there, engaging fans on a deeper level and increasing your global audience will all directly bolster a sportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bottom line. With a loyal and engaged DXGLHQFH VSRUWV FDQ EHQHĂ&#x20AC;W from increased sponsorship, and advertising opportunities can be created while their data can also be commercialised through media and third-party partners.â&#x20AC;?

And therein lies the challenge for Asian sports: in keeping a global audience engaged. They arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t merely competing for fansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; attention with one another, but with an international sporting community which is recognising the QHHG WR JURZ LWV SURĂ&#x20AC;OH LQ $VLD Soccer clubs and leagues around the world â&#x20AC;&#x201C; namely the Premier League and the Bundesliga, in SDUWLFXODU KDYH ORQJ LQĂ&#x20AC;OWUDWHG WKH UHJLRQ VHWWLQJ XS RIĂ&#x20AC;FHV DQG WDNLQJ pre-season tours to a continent where they know fans are watching overseas competitions just as much as they tune into domestic ones.

And that attention is only going to deepen as the eyes of the sporting world continue to shift towards Asia which, having already staged the last Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, is set to welcome the next two editions of the event.

Meanwhile, Japan is gearing up to

The PBAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s GameCentres have received over 25 million page views since 2014

host next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rugby World Cup, while the 2019 FIBA World Cup will be taking place in China.

In short, the Asian sports market only looks set to become more crowded, meaning now is not the time for federations, leagues and competitions in the region to stand still. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you look at a country like China, LW KDV DQ RIĂ&#x20AC; FLDOO\ IRUPXODWHG SODQ E\ the government to become a proper sports economy, driving participation rates and the quality of the competitions,â&#x20AC;? says Klingebiel. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Chinese Super League (CSL) is partly D UHĂ HFWLRQ RI WKDW EHFDXVH VLPLODUO\ to other countries, the domestic league â&#x20AC;&#x201C; at least prior to all this investment â&#x20AC;&#x201C; wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t globally known. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Indonesian football OHDJXH LVQ¡W Ă&#x20AC; JKWLQJ IRU H\HEDOOV against Indonesian basketball or Indonesian badminton, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Ă&#x20AC; JKWLQJ IRU YLVLELOLW\ DJDLQVW WKH English Premier League. The CSL LVQ¡W Ă&#x20AC; JKWLQJ IRU PDUNHW VKDUH against the Hong Kong Premier League or the Chinese Basketball /HDJXH WKH\¡UH Ă&#x20AC; JKWLQJ IRU H\HEDOOV against La Liga and the Bundesliga. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Against this increasingly competitive landscape, Asian sports have to have a unique and dynamic digital strategy that puts the fans at the heart of their approach.â&#x20AC;?

Clearly, then, despite all the good work that is already happening within Asian sports, there remains plenty to be done. In the immediate

future, Genius Sports will be assisting the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI), which it partnered with in May this year to provide a management platform in time for the start of the new season in March.

That particular deal will see the company provide live data collection software and real-time distribution across a fully hosted mobile app and automated social media publishing service, as well as implementing its integrity services to help protect ,QGRQHVLDQ VRFFHU IURP PDWFK Ă&#x20AC; [LQJ Looking even further ahead, though, this seems to be just the beginning of Genius Sportsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; activities in Asia, especially given the new era the organisation is about to embark upon. The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent acquisition by SULYDWH HTXLW\ Ă&#x20AC; UP $SD[ 3DUWQHUV D well-known investor in fast-growth WHFKQRORJ\ Ă&#x20AC; UPV ZLOO KHOS WR spearhead its global expansion, and %XUWRQ FRQĂ&#x20AC; UPV WKDW $VLD UHPDLQV at the heart of those plans. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a hugely exciting time for our business,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Apax is one of the largest private HTXLW\ Ă&#x20AC; UPV LQ WKH ZRUOG ZLWK DQ incredible track-record of growing technology businesses. â&#x20AC;&#x153;International expansion will naturally be high on our agenda going forward and Asia is a big part of that. :H UHFHQWO\ RSHQHG D QHZ RIĂ&#x20AC; FH LQ Singapore and the acquisition will accelerate our growth and expansion across Asia, allowing us to broaden

our product set and enhance the support we provide to our existing partners while also enabling us to undertake more long-term digital transformation projects with sports.â&#x20AC;?

On top of that, Burton reveals that Apaxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s investment will enable Genius Sports to grow â&#x20AC;&#x153;both organically and through strategic acquisitionsâ&#x20AC;?. The company LQWHQGV WR KDYH D VSHFLĂ&#x20AC; F IRFXV on partners that can develop its offering to sports leagues and federations, whether thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s across coaching and analytics, enhancing the fan experience or optimising their approach to digital, which he ultimately predicts will be crucial to the Asian sports industry over the coming years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Digital transformation will dominate the Asian technology sector both in and out of sport,â&#x20AC;? says Burton. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A recent IDC and Microsoft study predicted that approximately 60 per cent of Asia 3DFLĂ&#x20AC; F¡V *'3 ZLOO EH GHULYHG IURP digital products by 2021, adding an estimated US$1.16 trillion. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For sport, we will see more leagues and federations undertaking long-term digital transformations that give them control over their data and enhance everything from performance levels on the SLWFK WR WKH HIĂ&#x20AC; FLHQF\ ZLWK ZKLFK they run competitions or register participants. And of course, the fan will continue to be at the heart of Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s focus on digital.â&#x20AC;?

SportsPro Magazine | 59

FEATURE DATA

New logiq Sportlogiq, an upstart player in data tracking and analytics, has its sights set on revolutionising the way viewers watch sport. SportsPro spoke to chief executive and co-founder Craig Buntin to discover how.

By Tom Bassam

S

portlogiq is a company with big plans and a product it believes can fundamentally change the way sport is consumed. $Q DUWLÀ FLDO LQWHOOLJHQFH $, GDWD analytics platform that tracks live video in real-time, the Sportlogiq product is unlike anything else on the market and the aim for the Canadian company is to compete with and replace some of the most

HVWDEOLVKHG QDPHV LQ WKH À HOG ² names like Sportradar, Opta, and Second Spectrum.

Sportlogiq may not be a name familiar to many, perhaps because it started life as something rather different. Craig Buntin, Sportlogiq’s chief executive and co-founder, is a former Olympic À JXUH VNDWHU ZKR UHWXUQHG WR school once his skating career ended with no intention of

Sportlogiq cofounder and chief executive Craig Buntin

Most National Hockey League teams utilise Sportlogiq’s player-tracking technology

60 | www.sportspromedia.com

working in sport again. Originally, he wanted to build technologies for self-driving vehicles. However, that initial intention fell by the wayside and he found his talents returning in a direction he was more familiar with.

He met Sportlogiq co-founder Mehrsan Javan when the latter was defending his PhD thesis in computer vision and technology design for security surveillance.

They began applying technology that would detect anomalous actions in airport security footage to sports, then developed it to detect different types of plays.

Sportlogiq grew from there.

For the past couple of years, Sportlogiq has been quietly developing its software in partnership with a number of 1DWLRQDO +RFNH\ /HDJXH 1+/

WHDPV ,W KDV JURZQ IURP D IRXU person team three years ago into a 60-strong business with broad expansion plans. What started as just an idea drawn on a wall by Buntin and Javan in a college lab is now rather bigger.

Buntin explains Sportlogiq’s

founding query: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We asked, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;What does the future look like? What will VSRUW ORRN OLNH Ă&#x20AC;YH \HDUV IURP QRZ LI all these different technologies exist?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; ´, QDLYHO\ SDLQWHG D SLFWXUH RI what we could do with a full 3D reconstruction of every player on WKH SLWFK WLPHV SHU VHFRQG , GHVFULEHG KRZ PHDVXULQJ VSHFLĂ&#x20AC;F body motions, ball position, and the relative positions of every other player could allow a computer to see and understand the game the same way that a human does. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[Javan] quietly sat back, and in D FDOP UDWLRQDO VFLHQWLĂ&#x20AC;F YRLFH he told me: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re nuts. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re piecing together 100 pieces of technology that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exist yet.

Building this will be next to LPSRVVLEOH EXW ,¡P LQ ¡ â&#x20AC;&#x153;We then split that vision for where we were going into eight different areas, eight different VSHFLĂ&#x20AC;F W\SHV RI WHFKQRORJLHV WKDW needed to be built, and we brought

each one of those to a different university lab across the country.

We got some government grants, we funded all of the research at each one of those labs, and we basically brought on eight of the WRS UHVHDUFKHUV LQ WKH FRXQWU\ ² professors running their own labs ² HDFK SXW RXW PXOWLSOH 3K'¡V WKDW are working on these projects.â&#x20AC;? ,W LV VWDUWLQJ WR SD\ RII %DFN in August, Buntin signed the FRPSDQ\¡V Ă&#x20AC;UVW OHDJXH ZLGH GHDO becoming the data partner of the 6ZHGLVK +RFNH\ /HDJXH 6+/

The deal signalled a move into WKH QH[W SKDVH RI WKH Ă&#x20AC;UP¡V SODQV moving out of single-team deals and into new territory. Buntin tells SportsPro that he wants his startup to become the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading VSRUWV WHFK FRPSDQ\ ,W LV QR VPDOO ambition, but given the premise of Sportlogiqâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s product it is not entirely unrealistic.

Currently sports data is largely

Sportlogiq are looking to break into soccer having built their business in ice hockey

collected manually by large teams of people tuned into video feeds of games. Sportlogiqâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s product automates the whole process, removing the human element and providing deeper context to events KDSSHQLQJ RQ WKH Ă&#x20AC;HOG 7KH $, monitors more than 158 million data points per game on a latency of milliseconds to provide insights as deep as whether a pass was made under pressure, or even whether that was the optimal pass in the situation. ´1RZ WDJJLQJ YLGHRV LV Ă&#x20AC;QH LW does give you that human context to it for whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening, but it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give you the entire picture,â&#x20AC;? says Buntin. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get is all the context: if a player received a pass, was the player under pressure?

Were there other passing lines open? â&#x20AC;&#x153;All of the contextual pieces of that pass are just simply not being captured in the industry right now. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What we wanted to do really was build a machine that could

SportsPro Magazine | 61

FEATURE DATA

see, understand, and describe the game the same way that a person can. And unless you can really understand, contextually, everything thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening on the pitch, and every motion of every player, you just canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do that.â&#x20AC;?

Whilst consumers are bombarded with more statistics than ever before, Buntin is right: that level of data depth is not currently available on the market and it certainly is not widely understood.

The furore that ensued after former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger cited expected goals to explain a defeat to Premier League rivals Manchester City last season could partially be put down to lack of understanding of the metric. What Sportlogiqâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s product does well is provide that understanding. ´,PDJLQH VLWWLQJ EHVLGH RQH of the top coaches in the world to watch a game,â&#x20AC;? adds Buntin. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That coach will see each player, how theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re moving, where theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re positioned, and probably have a pretty good idea of what tactics theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re attempting to execute. The coach will then distil all of that information down to the key things that a player needs to know.â&#x20AC;?

Sportlogiqâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technology is able to break down insights for coaches but also for broadcast. Up to this point, it has only been adopted for LFH KRFNH\ FRYHUDJH EXW WKH $, FDQ be adapted for any sport. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hockey is the perfect testbed with the way the sport moves,â&#x20AC;? says %XQWLQ ´7KHUH¡V WKH Ă RZ HOHPHQW to this sport; similar to basketball, similar to football, you really see the similarities in the technology itself, or in the way the game is played.

62 | www.sportspromedia.com

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a Canadian company who of course know hockey very well, but it was never about starting a hockey company - it was about building a technology that we could then scale across multiple sports. ,Q RXU Ă&#x20AC; UVW WZR DQG D KDOI \HDUV ZH signed on 25 NHL teams, so we now are really the primary product used across the NHL. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We began predicting game outcomes with over 67 per cent accuracy, and so we really cut our teeth.â&#x20AC;?

For Buntin, the move into Swedish ice hockey hits a number of key markers for Sportlogiqâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strategy. Sweden is a country where both ice hockey and soccer are major sports, and, in the SHL, Sportlogiq has found an organisation willing to bring in all of its partners to collaborate across every vertical and develop a solution that allows the company to showcase its full capability.

However Sweden, and ice hockey, is just the start for Sportlogiq in Europe and the plan is to move into soccer sooner rather than later. â&#x20AC;&#x153;From what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen there really is massive opportunity [in soccer], just in terms of opening the insight of the game to the fans,â&#x20AC;? says Buntin. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Even on the predictive modelling side, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so much that is yet to be done, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a huge, huge sport, period.â&#x20AC;?

He adds: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are very, very much engaged with multiple players in the UK right now. Even the Premier League teams that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re working with right now, the interest, the enthusiasm, the excitement is H[DFWO\ ZKHUH LW ZDV ZKHQ ZH Ă&#x20AC; UVW started in the NHL a few years ago.

Sportlogiqâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s AI monitors more than 158 million data points per game on a latency of milliseconds

Sportlogiqâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technology contextualises data to provide insights for coaches and broadcasters

´:H¡UH VHWWLQJ XS DQ RIĂ&#x20AC; FH LQ London quite literally right now. We are hiring, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking to bring on the best people in the world, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking at London as really a long-term player for us.â&#x20AC;? ,W LV DOO YHU\ ZHOO KDYLQJ GHVLJQV on a particular market or industry but why should soccer leagues abandon their existing, longestablished partners to link up with D Ă&#x20AC; UP ZKLFK KDV QRW EHHQ DURXQG as long as some of their current data contracts? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Firstly,â&#x20AC;? replies Buntin, â&#x20AC;&#x153;our tracking system is currently the only fully automated real-time player tracking system in the world. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re operating on a latency of milliseconds, when our competitors right now are coming at this delivering data within hours.

6R MXVW EHLQJ DEOH WR Ă DW RXW acquire the data and deliver the X/Y positions of the ball and the players in real-time, for us thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the foundation on which the company was built. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now, what we can do with that, if you look at a fast-dynamic player, somebody who has run any number of kilometres in a game, that might be a stat that a fan might get right now, and you have some sense of

Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how they do itâ&#x20AC;Ś a Sportlogiq insight Using standard, single-camera game footage, speciďŹ c game events are ďŹ&#x201A;agged (shots, passes and possessions), timestamped, and their X/Y coordinates are recorded. The player-location data is then transformed into meaningful and actionable insights for teams, automated stories for broadcast media, and in-depth insights for sports betting.

Certain things can be seen based on event data, but vital parts of the game that can inďŹ&#x201A;uence that event-based data can be missed. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good example of how inďŹ&#x201A;uential a player can be without even touching the ball from Belgiumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s last-minute World Cup last 16 win over Japan:

In this instance we can see Kevin De Bruyne passes to Thomas Meunier, which is a great pass. However, we miss the fact that Romelu Lukaku made a run from right to left that created the space for Meunier to run into and eventually receive the pass.

Meunier crosses it into Lukaku, who has now made a run from left to right, which creates space on the left.

While heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s making his run, the Japanese defender is tracking his run and going with him allowing space to be created and another run to happen in that area.

whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s running the most. Data is only data; what really matters to fans is stories, so understanding context and having it broken down as to why itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important, or how one player is using running. ´7KH VHFRQG WKLQJ DV , mentioned earlier, a video tagging company might tag all of the passes. Well, we can tell you not only where the passes were, but how many times where a few players will have put pressure on the passes. So is a player a VWURQJ SDVVHU XQGHU SUHVVXUH" ,V a player making better decisions, i.e. making the passes through areas where heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got more space? ,V WKH SOD\HU PDNLQJ VXFFHVVIXO passes when there is no space to make those passes? Those are the kind of metrics that we can now deliver, and the type of stories that we can now tell. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our technology enables broadcasters, digital media companies, and OTT streaming services to tell more stories and tell better stories.â&#x20AC;?

This is important because when Lukaku is in direct relation to the ball and plays a dummy, the Japanese defender was with him all along, and by playing the dummy, he takes the Japanese player out of the game twice - once on the initial pass to Meunier, and the other from the pass to Nacer Chadli.

Despite having worked primarily in ice hockey, Buntin says that 80 per cent of Sportlogiqâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technology is transferable across sport. He acknowledges there are challenges in DFKLHYLQJ WKDW Ă&#x20AC; QDO SHU FHQW EXW cites the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth in such a short space of time as to why he has FRQĂ&#x20AC; GHQFH LW FDQ EH GRQH He says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We built the company with the objective of fundamentally changing all sports at all levels. So far, we have deployed our products in hockey, soccer, and American football, but we have our sights set high. ´, WKLQN RQH RI WKH NH\ WKLQJV weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done well and will continue to focus on is making sure that the scientists and the athletes, coaches and scouts are speaking the same language. This means making sure that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got the brightest and the best team together every step of the way. We are really excited about the team building our soccer products, and we will continue to bring on the best in each sport we take on.â&#x20AC;?

Chadli, who tapped in the game-winning goal, owes it all to Lukaku who essentially created space by breaking down the Japanese defence with two runs and a dummy all without touching the ball.

Perhaps uniquely for Sportlogiq, as it serves both teams and consumers, there is a ULVN RI LWV GDWD SURGXFW EDIĂ LQJ viewers with insights more suited to teams. Choosing how much to retain is a nice problem to have in a world where everyone wants to be better informed. NHL teams want to drive on detail about an opponentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spacing, weaknesses and optimal line-ups but that information is less interesting to a TV viewer. Conversely, what might be obvious to a team, such as expected goals, will be really interesting to fans. ´>,W¡V DERXW@ EHLQJ VHOHFWLYH LQ WHUPV of how deep you can go down,â&#x20AC;? says Buntin. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That is really the line that we do walk in hockey. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been doing it successfully in hockey and our assumption is that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to do it successfully in soccer.â&#x20AC;? ,Q D VSRUW VFUXWLQLVHG E\ VR PDQ\ a new product offering something that promises deeper levels of insight should certainly have a chance to succeed.

SportsPro Magazine | 63

FEATURE MEDIA RIGHTS

On the radar Sportradar has developed its media rights business by combining video with its core specialism: sports data. As more and more players enter the audio-visual content game, it is that combination which sets the company apart from its rivals.

By Nick Friend

S

portradar, the Switzerlandheadquartered multinational RUJDQLVDWLRQ Ă&#x20AC; UVW PDGH its name in the collection and analysis of sports data, and providing services to online betting companies. Since being founded

64 | www.sportspromedia.com

at the turn of the millennium, the company has become known as a JOREDO OHDGHU LQ LWV Ă&#x20AC; HOG Similarly, its reputation as the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier integrity service provider has grown in recent years, after evidence from Sportradarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Fraud Detection System (FDS) was used in support of the Court of Arbitration for Sportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rulings in VHYHUDO PDWFK Ă&#x20AC; [LQJ FDVHV H[SOLFLWO\ DIĂ&#x20AC; UPLQJ WKH FUHGLELOLW\ RI WKH ZRUN produced by their Integrity Services department. They now provide

integrity solutions to more than 75 sports governing bodies and leagues around the world, including iconic global sports brands such as Fifa, the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Hockey League (NHL) and the International Cricket Council (ICC).

In April 2016, the company FRQĂ&#x20AC; UPHG LWV SXUFKDVH RI WKH Sportsman Media Group â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a group of digital media production companies â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including its Austrian over-the-top (OTT) sports streaming platform Laola1.tv.

Two years on, the Laola1 digital service makes up just one aspect of Sportradarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s media rights business.

The service is unique among the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offerings in that its directto-consumer model goes against an overall strategy built on providing a range of backend solutions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What a lot of people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see from the outside is that we produce, ZH SURFHVV DQG ZH H[SORLW RXU PHGLD rights in many different ways,â&#x20AC;?

H[SODLQV /XNDV 6HLOHU PDQDJLQJ director of Sportradarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s audio-visual strand. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have our own OTT service â&#x20AC;&#x201C; parts of which are clientfacing, although most of it is a B2B VHUYLFH LW SURYLGHV D VHUYLFH WR ULJKWV holders and broadcasters. We also offer a service to monetise these OTT solutions. The scope of what we do with media rights has really changed and has become much broader than most agencies.â&#x20AC;?

When Seiler speaks of the versatility of Sportradarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s media rights portfolio, he does so both in the knowledge of the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SURJUHVVLRQ IURP LWV LQLWLDO H[LVWHQFH as a service provider to betting companies, and in recognition of the importance of Sportsman Media Group in assisting the growth of its rights business. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Although our roots are in data and data-driven operations, over the ODVW Ă&#x20AC; YH RU VL[ \HDUV ZH KDYH JURZQ RXU H[SHUWLVH RXU YLGHR WHFKQRORJ\ LQ PHGLD ULJKWV Âľ KH H[SODLQV ´7KH acquisition of the Sportsman Media Group really matured our offerings in that area. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We now service our clients in more or less all commercially

relevant areas of media rights H[SORLWDWLRQ :H KDYH VWDWH RI WKH art production â&#x20AC;&#x201C; both internal and H[WHUQDO ² DQG SURGXFWLRQ ORJLVWLFV services operating on a worldwide basis, a signal distribution department with bespoke clientfacing, booking and signal management tools, we globally trade broadcast media rights, as well as building and selling sports betting-related streaming products.â&#x20AC;?

It is a thorough service. By way RI DQ H[DPSOH 6HLOHU SRLQWV WR OLYH sports coverage provided to betting and gambling websites, which then stream matches and races in accordance with their relevant betting products. The company has deals with the likes of Bet365 and William +LOO KH H[SODLQV ZLWK 6SRUWUDGDU holding ultimate responsibility for the maintenance of the package.

Regarding the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s B2B rights agreements, Seiler notes the LPSRUWDQFH RI EHLQJ Ă H[LEOH DQG innovative with the rights owned by Sportradar, highlighting a necessity to provide a more creative solution than simply reselling a product. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just a case of buying the rights and selling them,â&#x20AC;? he states. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about making a product out of what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re handling and then selling it. ,W¡V D UHĂ&#x20AC; QHPHQW D FR SURGXFWLRQ effort that we go through. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel that the future for us is solely in trading something.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about building products for and on behalf of our business partners rather than on behalf of our consumers.â&#x20AC;?

As Seiler says, Laola1.tv is a product that separates Sportradar from many of its competitors in an LQFUHDVLQJO\ Ă RRGHG LQGXVWU\ â&#x20AC;&#x153;The main differentiating factor is that we are a B2B company,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As part of our Sportsman acquisition, we did purchase Laola1.tv, but that is very much focused on one particular market.

We have no intention of being a business-to-consumer operator or a business-to-consumer company, in media rights anyway. Everything we do in this space is either acting as an intermediary or as a services company.â&#x20AC;?

Lukas Seiler, managing director of Sportradarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s audio-visual unit

6HLOHU¡V H[SODQDWLRQ RI 6SRUWUDGDU¡V unique position in an ever-growing market comes with OTT and traditional linear platforms locked in something of a digital arms race. A host of direct-to-consumer streaming services are now competing for ownership of the same live sports content.

However Seiler, who has watched the situation develop with interest given Sportradarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own place within the industry, believes that the nature of the content being created will see little change even as other fundamentals of the media rights game continue to evolve. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everybody has been talking about the transition towards a digital marketplace and it is hitting us at full force,â&#x20AC;? Seiler says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are right in the middle of it.

Linear broadcasting environments need to adapt to that marketplace and they need to understand the way that they have reached out to clients in the past is also in transition. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It simply means that they have to adapt the way that they distribute and the way that they address a client to the changing environment.

The content that people are looking for is still somewhat similar â&#x20AC;&#x201C; maybe not the same but still similar. However, the way that it is distributed and the way that it is brought to clients has changed.â&#x20AC;?

SportsPro Magazine | 65

FEATURE MEDIA RIGHTS

The National Basketball Association is one of Sportradarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s many partners

If deals like Amazonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s breakthrough agreement to stream 20 Premier League matches per year in the UK from 2019 are viewed as watershed moments in the industry, they still should not cause mass concern among linear broadcasters, suggests Seiler. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think intimidation should be the right reaction to what we DUH VHHLQJ Âľ KH H[SODLQV ´/LQHDU broadcasting has been an established business. They have a way of accessing consumers, they have a method by which they can present their viewers with good content.

66 | www.sportspromedia.com

â&#x20AC;&#x153;What they need to do is adapt â&#x20AC;&#x201C; some providers are doing the right thing by driving technology and innovation. None of this is new, but it is materialising because some broadcasters struggle to UHĂ&#x20AC; QDQFH WKH ULJKWV WKDW WKH rights holders demand and also because in some countries linear distribution is simply deteriorating. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Those, really, are the markets where direct-to-consumer OTT solutions grow strong and they are now emerging in the strong and more established environments as well. I think thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing

Sportradar relaunched Borussia Dortmundâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s club OTT platform, BVB-TV

that linear broadcasters have to be fearful of. They simply have to adopt some of the things that these consumer-facing OTT platforms are doing so well: change their mechanisms, change their business models, change the way in which they reach out to clients. â&#x20AC;&#x153;On the basis of what they are good at, that could be quite an H[FLWLQJ GHYHORSPHQW IRU WKHP DV well. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing to be scared of, so to speak, but they do need to be open-eyed to see whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coming and you need to modify whatever youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing to develop.â&#x20AC;?

Seilerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s view of the changing media landscape is reflective of the macro trends affecting WKH LQGXVWU\ KH SODFHV PXFK of the success of digital platforms at the feet of changing consumption habits across the world. In Southeast Asia, IRU H[DPSOH ZKHUH )DFHERRN signed a UKÂŁ200 million Premier League rights deal in -XO\ 6HLOHU H[SODLQV WKDW PXFK of the consumption of live sport occurs on mobile devices.

In both Europe and North America, consumption remains

largely tethered to traditional channels, while in other areas such as Africa and Latin America viewers are still dependent on the strength of IP and mobile distribution setups.

(TXDOO\ KH H[SODLQV 277 platforms continue to face the challenges posed by the need to monetise their products.

The shifting nature of content distribution has sparked an attendant evolution in business models, yet many remain in their H[SHULPHQWDWLRQ SKDVH 5LJKWV holders often face a trade off between growing reach and securing revenue, while nascent streaming platforms have their work cut out to convince audiences of their merits, even as some appear to be gaining a substantial foothold in the industry. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is still a certain reluctance â&#x20AC;&#x201C; at least among older audiences â&#x20AC;&#x201C; of going totally digital,â&#x20AC;? Seiler says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we take the generation of our parents and grandparents, they can Ă&#x20AC;QG LW H[WUHPHO\ GLIĂ&#x20AC;FXOW WR Ă&#x20AC;QG football matches online and then having to sign up for it. Then, they are wary of signing up for whatever the platform is because they might not have heard of them. Currently, the issue that we are seeing is really recouping the money that they are spending.â&#x20AC;?

He adds: â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you look at technology, whilst itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s true that bandwidth is growing, and we have developed solutions to handle millions of concurrent users, linear TV currently still has the ability to reach more or less everyone on this planet. IP distribution simply cannot do that everywhere at the moment.â&#x20AC;?

Seiler, though, remains convinced of Sportradarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to contribute meaningfully to the media rights business as it FRQWLQXHV WR VSLQ RQ LWV D[LV 7KH company boasts more than 1,000 clients in more than 80 countries across five continents, working with organisations including Google, Yahoo, Twitter, William Hill, Bet365, Fifa, and the

The World Rally Championship sits within Sportradarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s media rights portfolio

Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). Such a varied portfolio, as Seiler suggests, is proof of Sportradarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s standing as an ideal partner for businesses on the lookout for a reliable and highly regarded B2B provider. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The level of reliable quality that we deliver at in all our areas of service seems to have been perceived as very compelling DPRQJVW RXU FOLHQWV Âľ KH H[SODLQV â&#x20AC;&#x153;The capacity to generate and H[SORLW D FRPELQDWLRQ RI YLGHR and data is something not many industry companions can currently deliver. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In what seems to be a currently somewhat fragile commercial environment, the fact that we have EHHQ DEOH WR EXLOG DQ H[FLWLQJO\ well-growing and well-sustained, SURĂ&#x20AC;WDEOH EXVLQHVV PD\ DOVR provide for some security and trust in the capability to live up to future H[SHFWDWLRQV Âľ It is a reputation that lends itself to further growth in the media rights business, with Seiler H[SODLQLQJ WKDW WKH FRPSDQ\ KDV shown its versatility, as well as a QRQ UHOLDQFH RQ VSHFLĂ&#x20AC;F ULJKWV packages.

He says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sportradar is not very dependent on individual content items or sporting events. It is needless to say that we will always see the need to offer a range of FRQWHQW IURP JOREDOO\ H[WUHPHO\

popular to relevant in a very unique particular niche to our clients, but it is not one single or even a bundle of partnerships that we are fully dependent on. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Audio-visual media rights are and will always be one of the core content items generating audiences and driving business.

It is the combination with sports information â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially live data â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that we believe will deliver the most compelling products for clients going forward. This LV H[DFWO\ ZKHUH ZH VHH RXU H[SHUWLVH DQG ZKDW ZH ZLOO EH focusing on today and in the future.â&#x20AC;?

Looking ahead, Seiler sees no reason to believe the appetite for sport will change dramatically in the coming years. While the modes of delivering content are evolving, in the end new digital players and traditional media companies are all ultimately trying to achieve the same objectives. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They all have one thing in common,â&#x20AC;? he points out. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They are all bringing sports content to a consumer. Yes, it is by different means, different technology and by a different package. Yet what we are seeing is a simple amalgamation here. Over time, we will not see much of a difference between the different means of broadcast, in transition from old to new.â&#x20AC;?

SportsPro Magazine | 67

FEATURE AGENCIES

Live and kicking FC Diez Media is the joint venture set up by IMG and DAZN Group to manage commercial rights to every club competition organised by Conmebol, the governing body for soccer in South America.

A year into the landmark project, acting chief executive Bruno Rocha explains how the venture is working to maximise the value of some of the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most coveted assets.

By Michael Long

68 | www.sportspromedia.com

E

very so often a deal is signed that has the potential to transform the commercial outlook for a sport in a given territory or region forever. In South American soccer, such an agreement was announced a little over a year ago.

In September 2017, Conmebol, the continent’s highest soccer authority, put pen to paper on a wide-ranging partnership with agency powerhouse IMG and Perform Group, the digital media specialist which recently rebranded as DAZN Group. Under the terms of the four-year deal, which covers the period 2019 to 2022 and is reportedly worth in the region of US$1.4 billion, the two entities would team up to create FC Diez Media, a 50/50 joint venture that would work exclusively to package and commercialise media and marketing rights to Conmebol’s top continental club competitions, including the elite Copa Libertadores and the secondtier Copa Sudamericana.

While the price tag garnered much of the attention - the guaranteed minimum represented more than double the income of Conmebol’s previous agreement WKH VLJQLÀ FDQFH RI WKH GHDO GLG QRW JR XQQRWLFHG )RU WKH À UVW WLPH in its 100-year history, Conmebol had issued a formal invitation to tender for some of its most coveted and lucrative rights - a process implemented after many of the confederation’s top executives were embroiled in the 2015 Fifa corruption scandal that centred on the awarding of these types of commercial contracts.

“This contract represents a huge advance towards our strategic goal of generating more value for the development and growth of South American football,” Conmebol president Alejandro Domínguez said after accepting IMG and Perform’s offer. “We believed in big, we did things well, and today we achieved a great result.”

Spanning consultancy in the areas of audiovisual media rights, sponsorship, licensing, broadcast

production, competition growth and digital strategy, FC Diez Media’s remit is broad. Overseeing that expansive mandate is acting chief executive Bruno Rocha, who, as FKLHI FRPPHUFLDO RIÀ FHU DW 3HUIRUP Content, had previously headed up business development and broadcast sales for the company’s other mediafocused joint ventures with the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).

Looking back, Rocha says FC Diez Media has “come a long way” in just one year, having managed to get through an “outstanding” amount of work during that time. /HJDO HQWLWLHV DQG RIÀ FHV KDYH now been established in Asunción, Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo, he says, while dozens of executives specialising in sponsorship, marketing and media distribution

opportunities - but hopefully Conmebol will be able to take advantage of that moving forward.”

FC Diez Media initiated its tender process for broadcast rights to the Libertadores in February, inviting bids covering two territories: one for Brazil, and another for the nine countries that comprise Spanishspeaking Latin America. Crucially, LW ZDV WKH À UVW WLPH WKH ULJKWV WR WKH UHJLRQ·V Á DJVKLS FOXE FRPSHWLWLRQ had been sold separately from the Sudamericana, and while, at the time of writing, no deals have been formally announced, Rocha says broadcaster appetite for the Libertadores has proved stronger than expected.

“That was a very interesting process and I think it was a very successful process for us,” he says. ´:H QRW RQO\ DFKLHYHG RXU À QDQFLDO targets but also really changed the

“We changed the way the contracts were done and set a very good precedent for Conmebol.” have been hired on a full-time basis. A permanent chief executive is set to be installed by the end of the year, at which point Londonbased Rocha will step into a different capacity.

“A big part of what we had to do is communicate well with [Conmebol] and make sure they understood and were in agreement with a lot of the things that we’re doing,” explains Rocha. “We think a lot of things we are executing now will impact the value of their rights for many years to come, way beyond the term of our agreement - the way we’re structuring the broadcast agreements, for example.

There might not be some value generated in the very short-term with the amount of rights that we’re retaining - highlight rights for sponsors, for other licensing

way the contracts were done and set a very good precedent for Conmebol for growth moving forward.”

If interest has been piqued by the implementation of a transparent tender process, it is not only traditional broadcasters that have been circling. In early October, for example, Facebook secured a deal for a package of Libertadores matches in all ten Conmebol territories, having recently acquired Olympic and Uefa Champions League rights in Latin America. Speaking prior to the deal’s announcement, Rocha notes the company’s “aggressive” tactics in the region but says some digital players may not be so willing to invest at this time.

“For us, the more bidders we can have for any property, the better,” he says. “Given some of the

SportsPro Magazine | 69

FEATURE AGENCIES

FC Diez Media acting chief executive Bruno Rocha

market conditions and the volatility that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen in Argentina, and Brazil to a lesser extent, I think some of those companies might be a bit more cautious to make offers now, especially some of those that havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been in the region before in this capacity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re certainly hoping thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be a good level of interest. Again, there are not many local properties like this that are available for sale in a transparent process like this, in a process where any company can come in, submit a bid and have a fair chance of winning. A lot of the local leagues are sold directly and many of them are locked for many years, so to have the chance to acquire local football rights in the region is a pretty unique opportunity.â&#x20AC;?

While the Libertadores tender appears to have been particularly fruitful, the sales process for the Sudamericana has been altogether more challenging. FC Diez Media opened its tender for that competition to broadcasters and media companies in May, only to terminate the process in July pending â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;further internal deliberationsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

The original tender included rights covering two territories: one for Brazil, and the other for the Latin American region, as well as Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. Two rights packages were made available: RQH LQFOXGLQJ WKH Ă&#x20AC; UVW SLFN RI ties in the Sudamericana and the Ă&#x20AC; QDO H[FOXVLYHO\ DQG WKH RWKHU comprising the second pick of ties with exclusive rights to the Recopa, an annual match featuring the champions of the previous yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Libertadores and Sudamericana.

70 | www.sportspromedia.com

Brazilian giants Flamengo lift last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Copa Sudamericana trophy

Asked whether the decision to suspend the tender was a result of the Sudamericana being a tougher sell than the Libertadores, or if FC Diez Media had perhaps misread market appetite, Rocha disagrees.

Citing uncertainty brought about E\ GLIĂ&#x20AC; FXOW PDUNHW FRQGLWLRQV KH VSHFLĂ&#x20AC; FDOO\ EODPHV D VWUXJJOLQJ Argentinian peso, this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presidential elections in Brazil, and the impact of consolidation in the media market owing to Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s acquisition of 21st Century Fox assets and the merger of AT&T and Time Warner. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There were a lot of factors that led to offers not being at the level that we wanted, or companies not being able to make an offer at that time,â&#x20AC;? he explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That led us to take a step back and engage in direct negotiations with the companies to understand if there were changes we could make to make the rights more attractive for them, and if we could time this properly to actually allow them to be in a position to make an offer.â&#x20AC;?

Rocha is nevertheless FRQĂ&#x20AC; GHQW WKH GHFLVLRQ WR VHOO WKH Sudamericana separately from the Libertadores will pay off in the long-term. He notes the â&#x20AC;&#x153;intrinsic valueâ&#x20AC;? of both competitions, pointing out that last Decemberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 6XGDPHULFDQD Ă&#x20AC; QDO ZRQ E\ 5LR de Janeiro-based Flamengo, was among the highest-rated matches of 2017 on Brazilian television. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We felt that by bundling those two events together, we wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

necessarily get the appreciation of the Sudamericana that we felt was fair,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why we decided to split the events and then create individual packages.â&#x20AC;?

In addition to managing the ongoing tender processes, including those for Conmebolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s equivalent womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and youth competitions, FC Diez Media was heavily involved in this summerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision to award next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Libertadores DQG 6XGDPHULFDQD Ă&#x20AC; QDOV WR 6DQWLDJR and Lima respectively. That process was yet another innovation brought about by the new partnership: for WKH Ă&#x20AC; UVW WLPH WKH FOLPD[HV RI ERWK competitions will be played in a single-game format in 2019, rather than the traditional two-leg system, mirroring the format used in Uefaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s European competitions.

On the production side, meanwhile, FC Diez Media is collaborating closely with Conmebol in a number of areas. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We work with them to essentially put tenders together, set the production standards and do the inspections of all companies in the region,â&#x20AC;? says Rocha. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had a team working really hard, visiting production companies in every single country to understand their infrastructure and their capability to deliver the production at the level that we need.â&#x20AC;?

In September, Spanish agency Mediapro secured a four-year deal to produce and distribute the international signal for both the Libertadores and the Sudamericana.

As part of that arrangement, a

production hub is now being set up in Buenos Aires, with content from more than 260 matches set to be made available in Spanish, Portuguese and English. Match highlights, social content and promotional videos will also be SURGXFHG WR IXOĂ&#x20AC;O REOLJDWLRQV WR DOO commercial partners.

From a production standpoint, Rocha says the strategy is to identify best practices from other properties around the world and apply those to the Latin American market. Much of that knowhow has been gleaned through IMG and Performâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extensive portfolio of work elsewhere, but FC Diez Media has been conscious of pushing the envelope too far too soon. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of the work was done pre-tender, even before we won the rights, because in order for us to determine how much we would offer for those rights, we spent a lot of time thinking about the landscape, how we would package the content in a way that we felt would allow Conmebol to maximise value,â&#x20AC;? he adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We looked a lot at the volume of the schedules and thought about what packages we could create that would allow us to maximise the value but also generate greater exposure to the content.â&#x20AC;?

From a sponsorship perspective, FC Diez Media is looking to Ă&#x20AC;QDOLVH DJUHHPHQWV ZLWK XS WR eight Libertadores partners, some of which are likely to be renewals with existing sponsors such as

The Copa Libertadores is one of South Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most revered sports properties

Santander, Bridgestone, Amstel, DHL, Tag Heuer and Nike.

Limiting the number of partners will â&#x20AC;&#x153;preserve the premium aspectâ&#x20AC;? of the competition, says Rocha, but while the number of companies involved will not necessarily rise, the assets at their GLVSRVDO PRVW GHĂ&#x20AC;QLWHO\ ZLOO When the new partnership was announced last year, IMG was already serving as the exclusive sponsorship sales agent for the Libertadores having been appointed to that role by Conmebol in February 2017. Since then, the company has been working with the confederation to overhaul and modernise its commercial programme. That process should bear fruit for the coming three-year cycle, says Rocha. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A big part of what we spent time doing was trying to create new assets for sponsors of the Copa Libertadores that traditionally had invested with the mindset of VHFXULQJ Ă&#x20AC;HOG ELOOERDUGV DQG EUDQG association, but not necessarily having a lot of other assets to activate the partnership because of the way the rights were sold previously,â&#x20AC;? he explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To give you an idea, sponsors in Conmebol didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t retain rights for sponsorship activation so they would have to acquire highlight rights from Fox, for example, to be able to use highlights in their sponsorship activations. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We spent a lot of time liaising with sponsors to really educate

them on the new assets and the new things we could do in terms of digital activation and other assets that we could create together. We tried to generate more value for Conmebol on that basis.â&#x20AC;?

As for what the future might hold for IMG and DAZN Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s partnership in South America, Rocha reveals there are â&#x20AC;&#x153;no conversations to go after new rights togetherâ&#x20AC;?. For now, he says, the focus is â&#x20AC;&#x153;on delivering value to Conmebol and having a great case studyâ&#x20AC;? that might just open more doors on the continent further down the line. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not thinking about anything else until the end of the year when all the contracts are Ă&#x20AC;QDOLVHG DQG H[HFXWLQJ Âľ KH DGGV â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot to be done after the deals are done in terms of delivering the events, managing the production, and advising Conmebol on all the different areas of their operation, which was a big part of our commitment as well. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of people are just thinking about the media and sponsorship agreements but there is so much that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll do with Conmebol, and is expected from us, in terms of revenue distribution to the clubs and best practices that Conmebol can implement that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not thinking about - in terms of youth academies and general sponsorship practices and club relationships. There is so much to be done that I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect this to be over anytime soon.â&#x20AC;?

SportsPro Magazine | 71

THE PROFILE BARNEY FRANCIS

Sky minded Sky Sports has been the market leader on the UK pay-TV scene for a generation, becoming a signiďŹ cant national cultural force in the process. Changes in digital technology and viewer behaviour are throwing up new trials but â&#x20AC;&#x201C; speaking ahead of his appearance at the SportsPro OTT Summit in November â&#x20AC;&#x201C; managing director Barney Francis insists the broadcaster will continue to set the agenda.

By Eoin Connolly

T

he story of Sky Sports is the story of pay-TVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success in the UK. The concept of subscriptionbased television took some time to gain traction with British consumers in the late 1980s and early 90s and when it did, it was premium sport â&#x20AC;&#x201C; at least as PXFK DV H[FOXVLYH Ă&#x20AC;UVW UXQ PRYLHV DQG niche entertainment â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that had convinced people to stump up the additional cash.

Of course, getting the pay-TV model to pay its way is not always as simple as it looks. Both Sky Sports and the broader Sky TV platform it both sustains and is supported by have seen off their share of contenders. Now, though, after a generation in command of the high-end content market, a whole new set of rivals is emerging from different sectors in a rapidly changing environment.

As well as the cultural change that led the British public to believe paying for TV is worthwhile, Skyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s story also encompasses the many ways in which technology has shaped and responded to consumer behaviour. The company was the Ă&#x20AC;UVW PRYHU LQ GLJLWDO 79 LQ WKH ODWH V bringing a suite of interactive services to its coverage on the back of it. In the 2000s it incorporated DVR technology and later HD through its Sky+ boxes. Not every innovation set in â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3D was a notable dead end â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but setting the pace in the viewing experience became a core part of the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s identity, with sport often the most visible part of that strategy.

In the past decade, changing tastes have been developed elsewhere. The rise of digital subscription services and mobile viewing, along with the appetite for time-shifted viewing that products like Sky+ had done much to engender, has transformed the job of broadcast media

72 | www.sportspromedia.com

providers everywhere. Skyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s response came in two parts: its Sky Go streaming service launched in 2011 and Now TV â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a SDUHG GRZQ Ă H[LEOH QRQ FRQWUDFW PHDQV of accessing its channels â&#x20AC;&#x201C; arrived the following year.

At Sky Sports, Barney Francis has been responsible for satisfying these changing tastes since 2009 when he replaced the late Vic Wakeling as managing director.

After joining the network in 1999, he had already been a part of some of its most VLJQLĂ&#x20AC;FDQW SURJUDPPLQJ PLOHVWRQHV ² IURP LWV Ă&#x20AC;UVW H[FOXVLYHO\ OLYH FRYHUDJH RI

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got the backbone of rights that our customers see real value in.â&#x20AC;?

Test cricket in England to new landmarks in soccer coverage. But though his near decade-long tenure has been marked by further progress, Sky Sportsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; dominance has come under consistent threat.

For much of that time the biggest domestic challenge has come from BT Sport, an upstart service launched as the former UK telecoms monopoly turned to high-end content as a means of selling its high-speed broadband. Unlike those rivals predating Francisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; time in charge â&#x20AC;&#x201C; like the short-lived terrestrial platform ITV Digital and the British arm of Irelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Setanta Sports, which met an equally swift GHFOLQH ² %7 6SRUW KDG WKH Ă&#x20AC;QDQFLDO FORXW to properly trouble Sky Sports in bidding

races. More to the point, it still exists. <HW LQ VSLWH RI D Ă XUU\ RI ULJKWV FRXSV â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not least the long-term capture of Uefa Champions League and Europa League soccer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; BT Sport has fallen back and consolidated its position in second place in the UK, with its parent deeming the gap to Sky as too big on which to risk an assault in the face of wider corporate GLIĂ&#x20AC;FXOWLHV ,QVWHDG DV YLHZHU KDELWV continue their evolution, what will likely exercise minds at Skyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s west London headquarters will be how to counter DQ HPHUJLQJ SKDODQ[ RI GLJLWDO Ă&#x20AC;UVW RSHUDWLRQV 1HWĂ L[ LQ WKH HQWHUWDLQPHQW space and, in sport, Amazon Prime Video and dedicated players like Eleven Sports and DAZN â&#x20AC;&#x201C; even if the latter is yet to arrive in the UK. As sport moved deeper into the OTT era, Sky Sports made perhaps its most dramatic programming decision to date in the summer of 2017. In place of the numbered TV channels that had existed since its foundation came a series of single-sport, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;verticalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; channels: Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Football, Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Golf, alongside the more generic Sky Sports Action and Sky Sports Main Event.

These â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;genre channelsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; took their cue from Sky Sports F1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which came into existence when world motorsportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading series debuted on the platform in 2012 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and from the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;pop-upâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; channels that had previously been created for the duration of events like golf â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ryder Cup and Test cricketâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ashes. Pricing was also adjusted to suit with viewers given the chance to subscribe only to the channels they wanted. A Sky Sports Mix channel had already been created for users who had only paid for the basic Sky package.

SportsPro Magazine | 73

THE PROFILE BARNEY FRANCIS

The point being emphasised to fans in the UK was clear: Sky Sports is still the destination for a range of the very best events available. And for all the hype that surrounds the Silicon Valley set, Francis is keen to remind the industry that his company – at a time when the wider group is set for a US$40 billion takeover

by US media giant Comcast – retains the capacity for telling innovation. ***** Was the channel repackage the end of a journey or the start of one?

I think as I look back and reflect, it was an obvious thing to do. It’s funny, I’ve just had a session with some of the Now TV guys, who asked me the same thing.

When I started this job nine years ago, we had three sports channels and we had a website, and that was pretty much it. Over time, obviously, we’ve increased the rights portfolio, etc, but back then – nine years ago, ten years ago, even 20 years ago – the way people consumed was obviously hugely different and we used to schedule Sky Sports largely around live events, and in between that we had expensively produced magazine programmes.

So I think as we looked at how consumption was changing, we looked at what our customers were saying, combined a lot of research and realised it was time to change and move into a new era. It’s probably the biggest

change that we’ve ever launched, moving from numbered channels to genre channels.

What it helped us do was create instant clarity for our customers. It provided optionality as well, because you often hear that a fan of x sport doesn’t like to hear that they’re paying towards sport y. And it’s something that we learned from Sky Sports F1, really: we needed to offer up optionality so that those that wanted it all could have it all, and those that didn’t could dip in and have one channel, two channels, three channels, etc.

When we arrived on the plan it just seemed an obvious thing to do, and a year on we’ve had an incredible quarter of subscriber growth.

Premier League viewing this year is up about 19 per cent, the [English] Football League is up 27 per cent, the Scottish Premiership is up 60 per cent. Now you can put all those down to lots of factors – certainly, in Scotland’s case, you can say that there’s been a real Steven Gerrard effect – but we also like to think that the clarity of the offering means that when people know there’s Premier League football on, they’re not going anywhere in search of it. When they know there’s a Football League game on, they know they don’t have to think, what channel is it going to be on? So it’s really allowed us to have clear scheduling principles, and then the customer offering is crisper and has more variety than ever before.

So we’re really happy a year on. The obvious test would be: would you go back?

And I don’t think there’s one person in this big, broad organisation of ours that would contemplate that.

Pay-TV giant Sky Sports has been synonymous with the Premier League since its formation in 1992

74 | www.sportspromedia.com

This is a time when there are a lot of different offerings emerging in the OTT space and when you also have tech companies coming in and providing services. But at Sky Sports you’re tethered to and supporting a broader entertainment platform. How does that factor into how you package your channels and how you address changes in viewer behaviour?

There’s a couple of things. Firstly, there’s always been competition, wherever that’s come from. In the early days, it was obviously from the free-to-air terrestrial channels, and then there were other pay-TV providers, going from ITV Digital through to Setanta and ESPN and BT, and of late you’re referring to the OTT offerings – in this country, Eleven and Amazon; elsewhere, DAZN across some of our other European territories. So there’s always been competition.

I do actually think what people don’t perhaps give us enough credit for is that we’ve been OTT for some time. Sky Go launched in 2011. Now TV launched as a transactional OTT offering in 2012. So we’ve actually been in this game of OTT for the last six years.

Sky Sports Cricket was one of several single-sport, ‘vertical’ channels introduced in the summer of 2017 as part of a broader programming shift at Sky

We know – firstly, broadly, as a multiplatform pay-television provider – how difficult it is to provide a constant service that fulfils your customers’ needs and to create a business out of that. And we also know how difficult it is to provide that volume of streams.

For Man United-Tottenham on Monday Night Football recently, when Tottenham won up at Old Trafford, that evening we had 900,000 concurrent streams across the Sky group. That includes Italy and Germany as well but the vast majority of those were in the UK. So as well as doing over two million on D2H [direct-to-home] through the set-top box, we also had hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people watching that game through either Now TV or Sky Go. So it’s not new to us, either the customer experience, the challenge of making multistreams available and work without buffering issues, or also how you secure rights to enable you to exploit those rights on those platforms.

None of it is new to us.

Obviously, we watch with interest how Amazon have done and how Eleven have done particularly, and we see the issues that they’ve had to confront. They’re not unusual in the area in which they work and we have obviously encountered those

problems over the years – but, as I’ve said, we’ve been streaming since 2011 so we’ve got seven years’ worth of experience. We’ve anticipated it, because there’s always been competition and we know the problems that it can bring.

Does that speak as well to the positioning you need to create as an established media company, with the expertise that you have, in an era where newcomers from other sectors are coming in to try and offer similar services?

That’s absolutely right, and that’s the wealth of experience that we’ve built up. We are not just a D2H business, we are not just a broadband business, we’re not just a mobile business, and we’re not just a streaming business. We want to be in people’s homes providing different opportunities for them to engage with our content, whether that be sport or movies or entertainment, news, or any of the genres.

A long time ago, we moved away from just being a D2H subscriber business because we knew that the consumption habits of people were changing.

How important is it, then, to foster a cultural outlook within the company that doesn’t get wedded to a certain way of doing things if the market is going to move in a different way?

Don’t forget, across Europe, we employ something like 28,000 people so the simplest research we can ever do is internally. Of course we do customer research but every one of those 28,000 is a customer and we’re across every demographic, as you can imagine.

There are very simple questions that I might ask on a Monday of what my team have watched and how they watched it, what else is going on, and you get a really clear insight into people’s lives in 2018 Great Britain; what the challenges are in terms of keeping them watching content. So we’re pretty able, internally, to move with the times. As you would imagine, every one of those employees here is a media consumer of different things and they consume those things in different ways.

My habits are going to be very different to my colleague’s here, but the one thing that is certain is that we know we have to work as an organisation to provide alternatives for everybody – whether it’s on the bus to work or when you’re on a plane and you want to

SportsPro Magazine | 75

THE PROFILE BARNEY FRANCIS

Sky Sports has positioned Formula One at the heart of its programming since the global motorsport series debuted on the network back in 2012

download stuďŹ&#x20AC; to your iPhone or your iPad, or whether you want to be sat in front of the telly with your mum and dad or up in your room in your student digs, etc, etc. We know that we have to cater for everybody.

***** The Premier League has been at the core not just of Sky Sportsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; success but of the whole companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and though (QJOLVK VRFFHU¡V WRS Ă LJKW LV QRZ D global powerhouse it owes much of its commercial success to its relationship with its primary domestic broadcast partner.

The competition for those rights has reached unprecedented peaks of intensity during Francisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; spell in charge at Sky Sports, with the arrival of BT Sport on the scene among the factors helping to drive prices up throughout the last decade.

Skyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to the league was most strongly tested back in 2015, when it forked out over UKÂŁ4.18 billion for the coverage it is currently showing to British and Irish viewers.

As eye-watering as those terms were, Sky Sportsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; success in remaining the leagueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lead partner looks in hindsight to have helped consolidate its overall lead in the UK. When the rights returned to market this year, with BT moderating its expectations and no other companies PDNLQJ D VLJQLĂ&#x20AC;FDQW SOD\ 6N\ ZDV DEOH WR pare down its spend and retain its lionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

76 | www.sportspromedia.com

share of attractive available packages for seasons 2019/20 to 2021/22.

Still, the UKÂŁ3.57 billion it will send the Premier Leagueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s way represents a considerable chunk of its rights outlay which, when coupled with the UKÂŁ600 PLOOLRQ Ă&#x20AC;YH \HDU H[WHQVLRQ LW DJUHHG last year with the lower-tier English Football League (EFL), underscores the importance of domestic league soccer.

Elsewhere, it also saw off BT Sport in the summer of 2017 to complete D WHQ Ă&#x20AC;JXUH Ă&#x20AC;YH \HDU GHDO ZLWK WKH England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; continuing a lengthy partnership but with the rights holder carving out new live coverage for the free-to-air BBC. Greater exclusivity is built into its renewal with Formula One, already in place from 2019 to 2024. Meanwhile a seven-year extension signed with Matchroom Sport in January means that PDC World Championship darts will UHPDLQ D SRSXODU &KULVWPDV Ă&#x20AC;[WXUH DQG the kind of big-time boxing cards that have made world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua one of the faces of the network will continue to feature.

Alongside that, however, there has been some movement of rights away from Sky Sports. Amazon has swooped in to take coverage of US Open tennis and the menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ATP World Tour; newcomer Eleven Sports got Spanish soccerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s La Liga and golf â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s US PGA Championship.

That latter deal was an indication of Ă XFWXDWLRQV LQ WKH JROI PDUNHW DQRWKHU NH\ source of subscribers to the Sky platform.

Stability came in the form of an agreement signed in January to continue carrying the Masters, while Sky Sports Golf remains home to The Open, the US Open and the European Tour. The PGA Tour is also on the channel until 2021 but negotiations on a renewal will then need to be held with Discovery, which picked up the global rights in a unique US$2 billion agreement in June.

Balancing the broadcasterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interests away from its headline attractions is a complex equation. But one thing that Francis is certain of is that premium coverage of premium sport is fundamental to Skyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts to stay ahead.

Is it fair to say you were pretty satisfied with the Premier League rights outcome?

Yeah, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re very happy. As always, we go into these things with a plan of what we want to achieve and we achieved that. We got the games we wanted in terms of the slots, we got the games we wanted in terms of the quality of the picks, and we got the volume.

Since Brussels intervened and put in a no-single-buyer rule, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been successful in getting the maximum number of games every time. Our goal this time was to, while not being able to change the maximum, improve upon the quality of the games â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exactly

what we did. Obviously, the commercial side of things and the financial quantum is out in the public domain but, overall, we’re very, very happy with the outcome.

If there’s one thing that we love, it is providing the Premier League in all its colour and all its glory to our customers. How we contract with the Premier League and the commercials that go with that is the balance and the test that we put ourselves through.

We’re very, very happy with the outcome.

Between that and the ECB rights which you held on to last year, that’s a pretty sizeable outlay. The picture has shifted quite a lot beyond that. How do you strike a balance in terms of your priorities and retain the character of your output?

The first thing is that we know from our customers what they value. Whilst our rights portfolio has changed quite a bit over the last few years, we know what are the key components for our customers. We know that they like big events in big sports, presented in an entertaining and informative way. The research of our customers and the research of the viewing data underpins our rights acquisition strategy, and then it’s about bringing that to life on screen.

As you will have seen, there are other sports and other sports rights that have gone, that have left us, and that’s fine. They’re the vagaries of the rights market: if someone wants to value at a different level to us, there’s nothing we can do about that. Our job is to spend our customers’ money well on the

things that are of real importance to them. So that’s what we’ve done.

We can’t have it all, because rights are expensive and – as discussed on the previous competitors in this space – it is hard to make it pay as a business. So we are always cognisant of the fact that we won’t overbid – we will bid at value and then hope to bring that to life onscreen.

Within this suite of genre channels, you now have two channels that are effectively branded in the shape of Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports F1. Given the way the market is changing – and the broader partnerships you’ve had in the past with sports like netball – is there an opportunity emerging for a company like Sky to do the whole lot for a rights holder? What’s your reaction to something like the PGA Tour’s partnership with Discovery, for example?

Everyone gets excited, obviously, when there’s any kind of change in the market. I mean, there are an awful lot of considerations. You look at the demographic of golf, as you’ve said – and of tennis, as of late – and I think what the average demographic that watches those sports wants is a clarity of proposition, and they want to be able to find it simply. In launching, we completely understood that it was going to set a trend and it was going to make it very clear.

Whatever the preface is, where it’s Sky Sports or whether it’s somebody else, the preface followed by the name of a genre

Sky Sports airs English cricket under a ten-figure, five-year broadcast rights deal signed in 2017

of sport is going to be the simplest way to consume it. That said, you’ve still got to find a way to deliver high-quality HD and UHD output on a non-buffered service to as many customers as possible for you to be taken seriously. And of course, that will take some time.

But as we always say to all sports, the possibility is there for any sport to have its own genre channel as long as it’s going to do some business – as long as it’s going to attract customers and as long as it’s going to create viewership around the clarity of that proposition. For some sports, that’s obvious.

For others, perhaps less so.

You’re about nine years into this job now. What do you see as being your future in the role and what are you going to have to address in that future?

As I look out on the horizon, we’ve tied up Premier League, Football League, Formula One, ECB and various other rights for the long term. The challenge is how we’re going to bring those to our customers. That will be driven on the one hand by how we produce and market and publicise events, but also by the hardware with which they’re consumed.

I think that with Sky Q, [the company’s top-tier set-top box and viewing service] which launched a couple of years ago and just keeps getting better and better and better, there’s so much more that we can do there as a single platform on which you can consume in so many different ways. We watch with great interest what is happening with the other hardware providers, whether it be Apple or whoever. What’s the next iteration of the iPhone and is that going to have an impact on consumption?

I don’t think the world is going to get too much slower. I don’t think the fight for the attention of people’s eyeballs is going to get any easier. The one thing we do know is that we’ve got the backbone of rights that our customers see real value in, and if that’s the starting place then that’s a good place. It doesn’t mean that we let up at all – we know that we have to make viewing compelling and interesting and entertaining and informative and all of those things – but having those rights as a backbone is a good place to start.

What we do know is that a lot’s changed over the last nine years and it will certainly change a hell of a lot quicker over the next nine. And that’s why we wanted to position ourselves in the best place with these longterm rights deals.

SportsPro Magazine | 77

FEATURE ESPORTS

Watching closely: OWL on TV In the wake of the Overwatch League grand finals and their US primetime TV debut, SportsPro spoke to commissioner Nate Nanzer about the series’ future as a broadcast product.

By Tom Bassam

“It’s super-exciting because there is no playbook that we have to follow.”

78 | www.sportspromedia.com

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The Overwatch broadcast booth inside Brooklyn’s Barclays Center

Overwatch League commissioner Nate Nanzer

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SportsPro Magazine | 79

FEATURE ESPORTS

London Spitfire players celebrate winning the inaugural Overwatch League title

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80 | www.sportspromedia.com

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July’s grand finals marked the Overwatch League’s mainstream TV debut

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SportsPro Magazine | 81

COMPANY PROFILE EUROVISION MEDIA SERVICES

Vision and progress Chief executive Marco Tinnirello reflects on another year of progress at Eurovision Media Services, the business arm of the European Broadcasting Union.

F

or much of 2018, Eurovision Media Services, the business arm of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), has been busy preparing for and executing on several major sporting events, including this summer’s inaugural European Championships, staged across Berlin and Glasgow in August.

In preparation for these events, the company took steps to enhance its service for clients, rolling out new digital tools including a new nearlive clipping and web publishing solution, and an upgraded version of its content management platform, Eurovision Highway.

“We held several workshops with our clients this year where we discussed how they were going to use event content on different platforms,” reveals Marco Tinnirello, the chief executive of Eurovision Media Services. “Many expressed the need to create online and social media clips quickly to give audiences that ‘in the moment’ feeling. This feedback fed into our decision to develop these new tools.”

Tinnirello explains that Eurovision’s near-live clipping and web publishing solution enables rights holders to distribute event content using a simple online tool within seconds of the action taking place. This tool can be used to create video clips, exclusive interviews and highlights packages and publish them to online or social platforms with a single click.

Additionally, Eurovision is able to provide a team of editorial staff to support clients who don’t have the time or resources to develop content in-house.

Supporting the web publishing tool is Eurovision Highway, which is essentially an online video library that enables rights-holding broadcasters to easily search, preview, select

82 | www.sportspromedia.com

Marco Tinnirello, chief executive of Eurovision Media Services

and download event content and additional footage created within the platform. These assets can be used to create new clips that showcase the event which can be distributed efficiently to their own TV channels, online and social platforms.

Looking back on the European Championships, which saw multiple sports federations come together to stage their continental competitions for the first time, Tinnirello says the project was “a big success”.

Eurovision Media Services acted as the host broadcaster and distributor for the event, which was wellreceived by audiences across Europe despite being a novel concept.

The project itself was the first major multi-sports production carried out

by Eurovision on such a large scale.

With 300 on-site cameras and more than 900 staff spread across Berlin and Glasgow, plus a remote team

Eurovision was an integral part of delivering this year’s European Athletics Championships in Berlin

located in Geneva, the company spent a considerable amount of time strategising and coordinating with a whole host of stakeholders.

“We’re well known for our global satellite and fibre network and for providing content distribution services, but this event also proved that we have the capacity to handle large productions too,” says Tinnirello.

“I believe that taking the lead on the production and content distribution helped us to better serve our clients as we were able to provide a holistic approach to our services. We covered the whole value chain from A to Z, allowing us to meet the needs of content owners and rights holders at the same time.”

Tinnirello adds that general event feedback from rights holders has been resoundingly positive, with many reporting impressive TV ratings.

A thorough debrief will take place in the latter months of this year, during which time Eurovision’s clients, partners, service providers and staff will fully assess the European Championships experiment.

Among the other innovations rolled out by Eurovision this year is a remote graphics solution that facilitates the creation of regionalised TV graphics more seamlessly than ever before. Where previously event operators had to produce several signal versions at the origin and transmit them separately to rights holders - a process that quickly becomes complex and costly when undertaken on a large scale Eurovision’s new solution removes much of the legwork.

“Our latest remote graphics service allows our clients to adapt their TV graphics at the point of reception while still distributing one clean feed to all rights holders,” explains Tinnirello. “They can add

a level of personalisation and get closer to their key audiences to maximise the event value for their sponsors and partners.”

Prior to its launch, Eurovision had been researching, developing and testing the solution for some time - first internally, and then in collaboration with sports federations on actual events. The first pilot test took place during the FIS Ski World Cup event in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, while further testing was conducted during the 2018 SportsInnovation Conference in Dusseldorf, Germany. In both cases, Eurovision gave clients exclusive access to witness the remote graphics solution in action in conditions similar to a real live production environment.

The beauty of the new graphics solution, says Tinnirello, is its inherent capacity to provide a more tailored and personalised experience.

Through the use of regional alphabets, languages, units and brand logos, rights holders are able to deliver a more engaging viewing experience for audiences, which should result in improved TV ratings.

For event operators, too, the solution raises the possibility of striking deals with several sponsors who can then benefit from on-screen logos targeted at different regions. ”Working closely with sport federations and managing their content, we understand their ambition to address audiences around the world as well as their potential sponsors,” adds Tinnirello.

“Rather than imposing a common version of the sports programme on different regions, they would like to get closer to the viewers by using local languages, units, and regional sponsors.

“We often see on-screen sponsors with logos imbedded into the TV graphics and clients who distribute only one version of their signal around the world. Unfortunately, this means that the advertising is limited to that one sponsor. This limits the sponsorship revenue possibilities for event organisers who enjoy international exposure.”

Ultimately, says Tinnirello, the graphics solution has been created

in response to the industry’s broader push for greater customisation, not to mention the fact that audiences now have certain expectations about the level of personalisation they receive from all channels, including television.

“We know that our clients want to drive more fan engagement across all platforms and devices,” he continues. “Live sport content will remain a valuable commodity in years to come due to the fact that it is ‘live’. That being said, there is an unprecedented amount of content produced at the venue of these events that can be capitalised on.”

Indeed, when it comes to engaging audiences with compelling content, Tinnirello sees myriad opportunities, not least in the continued emergence of overthe-top (OTT) streaming services.

But with opportunity comes a certain amount of risk. With respect to OTT, Tinnirello says the key for rights holders will be in tailoring the right types of content to the right platforms, and in delivering highquality video content to audiences that now demand it.

“OTT allows our clients to directly engage with viewers, collect data and monetise their content in different ways than linear television,” he says. “However, it’s not that easy to deliver the right content, at the right time, on the right platform and we know that sport federations still want to put their content on both

first and second screens.”

Looking ahead, Eurovision has a busy few months coming up. In addition to working on major soccer, cycling, and rowing events, the company’s focus will soon shift to a busy season of winter sport, while it is also gearing up for the industry’s autumn trade shows, including Sportel Monaco. Preparations are also underway for events taking place in 2020, which will, of course, be another banner year for international sporting occasions.

“As you saw with the European Championships, together with the EBU, we provide an end-to-end solution for our clients from the acquisition of sports rights, through production and venue services, to distribution,” says Tinnirello. “We also enhance, enrich and create additional content through our digital services to ensure our clients maximise their content reach.

“In other words, our strategy is to keep content at the centre and make it easy for the content owners. This is what we do and the direction we will continue to head.”

Contact Eurovision Shannon Williams Email: shannon.williams@ eurovision.net Phone: +41 22 717 23 70

SportsPro Magazine | 83

1912 STOCKHOLM (SWE): FIRST TIME IN THE OLYMPIC GAMES

2009 INTRODUCTION OF SHOOTING AND RUNNING COMBINED IN LONDON (GBR) DURING SENIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

1948 LONDON (GBR): UIPM IS BORN

2010 FIRST MIXED RELAY AT THE YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES IN SINGAPORE AND UIPM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH LASER SHOOTING INSTEAD OF AIR PISTOL

1981 THE FIRST WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TOOK PLACE (INDIVIDUAL + RELAY) IN LONDON (GBR)

2011 MIXED RELAY IN ALL UIPM MAJOR COMPETITIONS

1989 MEN’S RELAY IS INTRODUCED

2012 LONDON (GBR): FIRST TIME COMBINED SHOOTING AND RUNNING IN OLYMPIC GAMES

1991 HANDICAP START FOR RUNNING EVENT

2013 DISTRIBUTION OF LASER SHOOTING EQUIPMENT TO MORE THAN 65 COUNTRIES TO DEVELOP THE SPORT THE FIRST UIPM TRIATHLE WCH COMBINING WITH BIATHLE

1992 WOMEN’S RELAY IS INTRODUCED

2014 SECOND YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES IN NANJING (CHN).

IMPLEMENTATION OF FENCING BONUS ROUND, MAKING THE SPORT MORE ATTRACTIVE TO SPECTATORS AND BROADCASTERS

1993 ONE-DAY FORMAT INTRODUCED AT UIPM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN DARMSTADT (GER)

2015 FIRST LASER-RUN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS. CONSISTING OF LASER SHOOTING AND RUNNING, LASER-RUN IS DESIGNED TO ALLOW MORE ATHLETES AN ENTRY POINT TO MODERN PENTATHLON IN PERPIGNAN (FRA)

1994 AIR PISTOLS ARE INTRODUCED

2016 ALL IN ONE: THE INTEGRATION OF THE FIVE SPORTS IN ONE SPORTS COMPLEX, AS ENVISAGED BY DR. KLAUS SCHORMANN, IMPLEMENTED IN RIO 2016 OLYMPIC GAMES

1996 ATLANTA (USA): FIRST TIME ALL 5 DISCIPLINES IN ONE DAY

2018 NEW VISUAL IDENTITY LAUNCHED BRAND NEW UIPM EDUCATIONAL PLATFORM AND E-LEARNING FOR COACHES AND JUDGES

2000 SYDNEY (AUS): FIRST TIME WOMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S COMPETITION AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES

2020 TOKYO (JPN): ALL FIVE DISCIPLINES WILL BE CONTESTED IN ONE STADIUM IN OLYMPIC GAMES

2008 BEIJING (CHN): FULL STADIUM WITH 40,000 SPECTATORS ON BOTH FINAL DAYS AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES

DESTINATION PROFILE QUEENSLAND

Gold standard This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Commonwealth Games successfully showcased the Australian city of Gold Coastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s major event hosting capabilities. Now, municipal authorities are out to position the entire state of Queensland as a world-class destination for international sport.

By Michael Long

The sun sets on Supercarsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Townsville 400

I

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not what you see in the stadiums and the structures only, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what you feel,â&#x20AC;? says Tom Tate, the mayor of the City of Gold Coast. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The community feels that the pride of the city itself has moved forward, the reputation of the city, the status of being an international city - thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s come to fruition due to the legacy of the Commonwealth Games. You talk to Gold Coasters now and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re walking around with a spring in their steps, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve JRW FRQĂ&#x20AC; GHQFH ZKLFK PHDQV PRUH investments and more jobs for the next generation.â&#x20AC;?

The city of Gold Coast has always prided itself on its sunny disposition. A polished, purposebuilt place that radiates positivity at every turn, this gleaming metropolis on Queenslandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eastern coast was the physical embodiment of the Australian dream long before it hosted this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Commonwealth Games. The Gold Coast is, in

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both character and demeanour, a cheery, glass-half-full town that invites every visitor to feel part of something bigger, and nowhere is its ingrained pursuit of selfimprovement more evident than in the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marathon.

Each year, thousands of elite road racers, amateur enthusiasts and charity fun-runners gather before dawn to celebrate their collective get-up-and-go, buoyed by the shared belief that personal development comes through running anything up to 41.195km.

When SportsPro awakes at 5.30am on a mild winter Saturday in late June - bleary-eyed after a gruelling 23-hour slog from the UK via Dubai, yet somehow compelled to tackle the 10k - the streets outside are a hive of activity. The sun will not rise over the taut Coral Sea for another hour yet hundreds of animated locals are already out in force, eagerly piling on to buses and trams as they make their way

through the early morning half-light to take part in one of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best-loved annual occasions.

Now in its 40th year, the Gold Coast Marathon has gone from strength to strength, expanding in line with the trajectory of one of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fastest-growing cities.

Originally founded as a suburban race to promote a local health awareness campaign, the marathon has blossomed into one of the premier road races in Australia and one of only two in the country to hold IAAF Gold Label status. In 2018, the race reached maximum FDSDFLW\ IRU WKH Ă&#x20AC; UVW WLPH ZLWK more than 6,500 entrants taking to the start line for the signature marathon, including record numbers of international runners, and around 21,000 more stepping up for the shorter categories.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve progressively worked to really build this event up to be the number one race in Australia, which we had achieved by about 2008,â&#x20AC;? says race chief executive Cameron Hart. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Each year the number of people wanting to take part in the marathon has been growing. We sold out about two months before race day. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good in some ways - the demand is there for next year - but the challenge on us now is building that capacity. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking at some course changes to not only increase capacity but make the HYHQW Ă RZ HYHQ EHWWHU PDNH LW D better experience for the runners.â&#x20AC;?

Beamed to a worldwide audience of 70 countries and 800 million households, the Gold Coast Marathon encapsulates the broader aspirations of a city ORRNLQJ WR GHYHORS LWV SURĂ&#x20AC; OH RQ the international stage. Thanks to a concerted overseas marketing effort and promotional support from event partners including the Gold Coast Airport and Japanese sportswear brand Asics, the race has witnessed a recent spike in international entrants, particularly from the developing Asian markets of Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong and China. Today, the marathon weekend generates in excess of AUS$28.5 million in economic impact, attracting north of 60,000 people and contributing more than 100,000 visitor nights. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The big thing about the Gold Coast Marathon is that we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a very big host population to draw from,â&#x20AC;? notes Hart, who oversees the delivery of the event on behalf of Events Management Queensland, a wholly owned subsidiary of the state government. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re talking about a 600,000 host population welcoming 28,000 runners, so we have to bring people in.â&#x20AC;?

Bringing people in is what the Gold Coast does best; not for nothing is the city known colloquially as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the holiday stripâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

Not only does tourism make this place tick, a large proportion of its resident population moved in from out of town, drawn by the promise of pleasant weather, a comparatively

The Gold Coast Marathon has helped put its host city on the international map

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Very clearly our government has said that we are open for business.â&#x20AC;? low cost of living and an improved quality of life. When it comes to attracting major events, too, the Gold Coast has long punched above its weight. Much like the 1982 Commonwealth Games and the World Expo of 1988 helped put nearby Brisbane, Queenslandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best-known and most populous city, on the international map, state authorities now see their second city undergoing a similar transformation.

According to Kate Jones, Queenslandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s minister for innovation, tourism industry development and the Commonwealth Games, Aprilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sporting showpiece - the largest event in the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history, which arrived on time and on budget - demonstrated the extent to which the Gold Coast has come of age. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sixth-largest city but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a capital city,â&#x20AC;? she tells SportsPro, â&#x20AC;&#x153;so for us it was about showcasing that this is a city that has always been strong in traditional tourism, but could absolutely grow in the global market as a place where you could host major multi-sports events.â&#x20AC;?

The Queensland state government invested some AUS$1.5 billion to stage the Games, with an additional AUS$2.6 billion pumped into upgrading critical transport infrastructure. The hostsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; commitment to legacy and

sustainability meant that seven Games venues were upgraded and only three were built from scratch: the AUS$105.3 million Gold Coast Sport and Leisure Centre and the AUS$40 million Coomera Indoor Sports Centre - both of which have been handed over for community use since the conclusion of the event - and the AUS$59 million Anna Meares Velodrome, which was constructed at the site of the 1982 Games in Brisbane, just an hourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drive north along the M1 highway. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We invested hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade or build 18 new world-class sporting facilities that are now available to the market,â&#x20AC;? says Jones. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a great selection of quality accommodation because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always been a tourism hub, but now we have a new string to our bow, which is all about saying that we have this new world-class sporting infrastructure. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Very clearly our government has said that we are open for business.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve just doubled the event funding bucket that we have at the state level to make us more competitive globally and obviously within Australia. The investments that the Commonwealth Games delivered not only in sporting facilities but also other infrastructure such as public transport - AUS$1 billion worth

SportsPro Magazine | 87

DESTINATION PROFILE QUEENSLAND

of public transport infrastructure was brought forward because of the Commonwealth Games - make south-east Queensland much more connected and interconnected than ever before.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The best address on earthâ&#x20AC;?

More often than not, cliches hold true. If the international perception of the archetypal Australian lifestyle is an image of sun, sea and sand and the occasional cold beer - so it is that the daily life of the typical Queenslander begins and ends at the beach.

6XUĂ&#x20AC; QJ DQG VXUI OLIH VDYLQJ DUH culturally entrenched staples, of course, so much so that their longestablished member clubs occupy prime plots of beachside real estate.

Considered the social heartbeat of modern Australia, they have long functioned as safe havens and second homes not only for children all across Australia, but for the millions of adults and parents who have grown up in exactly the same environment.

For Queenslanders and out-oftown visitors, the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coastline has always been its top draw card. It was hardly surprising then that TV coverage of the Commonwealth Games portrayed a picturepostcard setting awash with aerial shots and broadcast segments Ă&#x20AC; OPHG DW WKH IDPHG VXUI VSRWV of Surferâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Paradise and Burleigh Heads. For GOLDOC, the Gamesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; local organising committee, the event was an unprecedented

88 | www.sportspromedia.com

opportunity to show the world how this photogenic palm-lined tourist mecca - with its high-rise KRWHOV Ă DVK\ FDVLQRV DQG \DFKW Ă&#x20AC; OOHG PDQVLRQ GRWWHG ZDWHUZD\V - sparkles from the air.

Yet, in truth, there is more to Queensland than its much-vaunted VXUĂ&#x20AC; QJ DHVWKHWLF )XUWKHU LQODQG beyond the turquoise fringes of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coveted coastal locales, a wave of new microbreweries, coffee shops, restaurants, bars and vineyards has spilled over into the hills of the interior hinterland.

Foodies and wine buffs come from across the globe to enjoy local fare away from the throngs that gather down at the buzzing oceanside tourist traps. Food tourism in Queensland has ballooned exponentially, to the point that it now sits alongside traditional holiday-making and the endurance sports, health and wellness and

Septemberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ITU World Triathlon Grand Final, held on the Gold Coast

Queensland is a hub for outdoor sports like mountain biking

adventure sectors as a major growth area for the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tourism industry. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our major advantage is not only our climate but the fact that we are Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tourism state,â&#x20AC;? says Jones. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a whole community who love having people from all different backgrounds and all different ethnicities coming to our state, and we roll out the welcome mat.â&#x20AC;?

Jones is not the only patriotic Queenslander who waxes lyrical about her stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s year-round climate, mild winter temperatures, and miles upon miles of golden beaches. Up here, the locals delight in touting the annual number of sunshine days, which generally run to well over 300.

And with over 200 national parks DQG Ă&#x20AC; YH RI $XVWUDOLD¡V 81(6&2 listed World Natural Heritage sites - including, of course, the planetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest coral reef system - it is true that Queensland is an outdoor loverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s playground.

It is the combination of these climatic conditions and natural qualities that has long made Queensland a bucket-list destination for international WUDYHOOHUV $FFRUGLQJ WR RIĂ&#x20AC; FLDO Ă&#x20AC; JXUHV WRXULVP LQ WKH VWDWH LV now worth some AUS$23 billion per year in visitor spending, contributes 7.5 per cent of Gross State Product (GSP) and employs 220,000 Queenslanders. It also goes some way to explaining why the state has become a hub for athletic talent - from elite triathletes, runners, swimmers and ironman

competitors, to world-class racing drivers and top-ranked golfers.

Yet Queensland has another ace up its sleeve. While it may not have a single, globally renowned urban and cultural centre like New South Wales and Victoria, whose major event hosting strategies have tended to focus on Sydney and Melbourne respectively, the sprawling state effectively comprises a disparate collection of cities ranging from international hubs like Brisbane and the Gold Coast, to smaller regional centres such as the Sunshine Coast, Townsville and Cairns.

As a result, the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population, and by extension its sporting infrastructure, is more diffuse and varied than in neighbouring territories - though spread across an area seven times the size of Great Britain, Queensland is home to little more than four million residents. Still, in spite of this decentralised landscape the diverse cities that comprise the state are actually far more connected than they appear on the map.

Much of that is down to the work of Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ). As the state-backed body that works to drive visitor growth and economic development through the attraction and promotion of major events, TEQ collaborates with the local councils and other stakeholders in each of its regional hubs to help identify, secure, develop and promote major events content across the state. Since the Commonwealth Games, an event secured with the support of a whole host of entities, including private companies and the Australian federal government, those partnerships have only been galvanised. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of the major success stories of the Games was the unique partnership approach between state government bodies, regional tourism organisations, local councils and Tourism Australia to leverage activities leading up to and during the event,â&#x20AC;? explains Leanne Coddington, TEQâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chief executive. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This approach allowed not only the wider promotion of Queensland and its unique tourism experiences but also provided added event

All eyes on a bigger prize With the 2018 Commonwealth Games having showcased Queenslandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to stage major international sporting events, local stakeholders have now set their sights on the biggest of them all. A key feasibility study, commissioned by the South-East Queensland Council of Mayors, is due to conclude at the end of the year that will determine the viability of a bid for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Though Brisbane and the Gold Coast would likely form the Games epicentre, the bid itself would not focus on one speciďŹ c area, but would rather incorporate multiple hubs across the wider region of south-east Queensland. That decentralised proposal, coupled with the fact that existing venues and temporary facilities would be utilised to alleviate the cost to local taxpayers, aligns with the International Olympic Committeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aim of ensuring a more aďŹ&#x20AC;ordable and sustainable future for the Games.

For now, though, it is early days. A 2016 survey showed that 62 per cent of southeast Queenslanders were in favour of a possible Olympic bid, but Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk recently said state authorities â&#x20AC;&#x153;would not go down this pathâ&#x20AC;? without full support from the public. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What is so heartening for me is, oďŹ&#x20AC; the back of the success of the Commonwealth Games, the ďŹ rst thing that people said was that we should be in a position to host the Olympic Games in future,â&#x20AC;? says Kate Jones (left), Queenslandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s minister for innovation, tourism industry development and the Commonwealth Games. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What we are seeing, as population growth happens in south-east Queensland, as weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen 18 brand-new, world-class sporting facilities in our region of Australia, we are now in a position to be out there in market and globally competitive for the ďŹ rst time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That automatically makes people start saying, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;well, does this end up with an Olympics?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Who knows. But certainly weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in a position that we were not in ďŹ ve years ago because we just didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the sporting infrastructure or the associated transport and road infrastructure that we now have because of the [Commonwealth] Games. So the world is our oyster.â&#x20AC;?

value well beyond the commercial investment made to secure it.â&#x20AC;?

If those unique governmental partnerships have been the engine driving the growth of Queenslandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s major events and tourism sectors, TEQ funding has helped grease the gears. In return IRU WKH GHSDUWPHQW¡V YLWDO Ă&#x20AC; QDQFLDO operational and marketing support, incoming event organisers and promoters must deliver against prescribed economic KPIs and other performance targets such as out-of-state visitation and hotel occupancy rates. For Coddington, that hosting model creates mutually EHQHĂ&#x20AC; FLDO SDUWQHUVKLSV PHDVXUDEOH results and, most importantly, chimes perfectly with TEQâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s overarching message, which is simple: come for the spectacle, stay for the destination experience.

From a sporting standpoint,

Queenslandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s major events calendar currently runs from Januaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Brisbane International tennis tournament to the Australian PGA Championship, staged at the Gold Coastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s RACV Royal Pines Resort in late November and early December.

Yearly highlights in between include the Magic Millions horse racing carnival, the Townsville 400 and Gold Coast 600 Supercars events, WKH &DLUQV ,URQPDQ $VLD 3DFLĂ&#x20AC; F Championships, the Quiksilver DQG 5R[\ 3UR VXUĂ&#x20AC; QJ FRQWHVWV RQ the Gold Coast, the Noosa and Mooloolaba triathlon festivals on the Sunshine Coast, and the annual Brisbane stop of the State of Origin rivalry that pits representative rugby league teams from Queensland and New South Wales in a hotly contested three-game series.

All told, the diverse spread of that packed year-round schedule,

SportsPro Magazine | 89

DESTINATION PROFILE QUEENSLAND

which is promoted as part of an integrated marketing campaign dubbed ‘It’s Live! in Queensland’, speaks to the decentralised nature of the state. According to Coddington, TEQ’s aim now is to continue to expand and diversify that portfolio.

Having grown the value of the state’s annual major events calendar from AUS$380 million in 2015 to AUS$780 million this year, the

Major teams, properties and events

A

VLJQLÀ FDQW RYHUVHDV DQG LQWHUVWDWH visitation and contribute strongly to the Queensland economy.

“That comes in many forms, whether it be a broadcast or social media platform that allows us to showcase our hero experiences to a global audience, or a unique opportunity to strengthen Queensland’s position as a worldclass events destination.”

body’s ambitious target is to hit AUS$1.5 billion by 2025.

“To do that we will continue our holistic approach to not just securing events but leveraging Queensland content to ensure success for both the state and the event’s rights holder,” she continues. “We will also continue to target events that provide the greatest return on investment - that is, events that drive

Venues

National Sporting Organisations

Cairns Taipans (NBL)

D

Brisbane Lions (AFL)

Cairns Ironman AsiaPacific Championship

Brisbane Broncos (NRL)

Cairns Convention Centre

Brisbane Bullets (NBL)

Brisbane Heat (BBL)

B

North Queensland Cowboys (NRL)

Townsville 400 (Supercars)

Brisbane Roar (A-League/W-League)

A

Cairns

Queensland Firebirds (Super Netball)

Queensland Reds (Super Rugby)

1300SMILES Stadium

B

Townsville

North Queensland Stadium (under construction)

Triple Eight Race Engineering

Suncorp Stadium

C

Sunshine Coast Lightning (Super Netball)

The Gabba

Noosa Triathlon

Anna Meares Velodrome

Mooloolaba Triathlon

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

Sunshine Coast Australian Cycling Academy

University of the Sunshine Coast

90 | www.sportspromedia.com

C

D Gold Coast E Brisbane

Cricket Australia NCC

Squash Australia

1

DJR Team Penske

1

Coomera Sport and Leisure Centre

2

Runaway Bay Sports Super Centre

3

Gold Coast Titans (NRL)

4

Gold Coast Aquatic Centre

5

Griffith University

6

Gold Coast 600 (Supercars)

7

Australian PGA Championship

8

Carrara Indoor Sports Stadium

9

Metricon Stadium

10

Gold Coast Suns (AFL)

11

Gold Coast City Convention and Exhibition Centre

12

Cbus Super Stadium

13

Bond University High Performance Training Centre

14

Roxy Pro/ Quiksilver Pro

15

2

3

4 5 6 7 9

8

10 11 12

13 14

E

15

SportsPro Magazine | 91

DESTINATION PROFILE QUEENSLAND

Queensland: The host with the most

T

hough the Commonwealth Games has garnered much of the attention, the international events momentum has been building in Queensland for some time. In July of last year, the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Battle of Brisbaneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, the largest boxing event ever staged in Australia, saw 51,000 IDQV Ă&#x20AC; OO WKH FLW\¡V 6XQFRUS 6WDGLXP to watch local favourite Jeff Horn beat Filipino great Manny Pacquiao.

That event was followed by the same venueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hosting of game three of the Bledisloe Cup, the annual contest between Australian rugby unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wallabies and New Zealandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s $OO %ODFNV DQG WKH Ă&#x20AC; QDO RI WKH 2017 Rugby League World Cup. Last year also saw the arrival on the Gold Coast of the BWF Sudirman Cup, a biennial world mixed team badminton championship.

Looking ahead, there is plenty more to come. This November, the Gold Coast will once again play host to another edition of the Pan 3DFLĂ&#x20AC; F 0DVWHUV *DPHV DQ HYHQW comprising more than 13,000 athletes from over 30 countries.

Starting next year, a new cycling festival featuring professional, amateur and mass participation HYHQWV LQFOXGLQJ WKH Ă&#x20AC; QDO RI WUDFN cyclingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Six Day Series, a UCI

Gran Fondo and several national championships - will be held in Brisbane, while the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Anna Meares Velodrome will stage a leg of the UCI Track World Cup in December 2019. In 2020, the Gold Coastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Broadbeach Bowls Club, recently renovated to the tune of AUS$4.95 million, will stage the World Bowls Championships, an event sandwiched between menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s editions of cricketâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ICC World Twenty20 tournaments.

Each of those events - and PDQ\ PRUH VWLOO WR EH Ă&#x20AC; QDOLVHG will help bolster the reputation of a state whose professional sports scene is by now well-established.

With three National Rugby League (NRL) sides, two Australian Football League (AFL) franchises, a pair of successful Super Netball teams, and a smattering of elite soccer, rugby union, cricket, WULDWKORQ DQG EDVNHWEDOO RXWĂ&#x20AC; WV Queenslanders have no shortage of representatives to rally behind.

Peel back the layers of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sporting landscape, however, and one discovers a top-to-bottom ecosystem that runs deep beneath the professional ranks.

On the Gold Coast - recently announced as the host of next Mayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SportAccord World Sport

Mass participation events like the Sunshine Coast Velothon are key drivers of economic growth in the region

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and Business Summit, one of the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest gatherings - an abundance of high-performance training centres, university campuses and state of the art KHDOWK DQG Ă&#x20AC; WQHVV IDFLOLWLHV VHUYH elite teams and athletes arriving for pre-season camps and development purposes. Elsewhere in the city, the development of the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct, home to the Commonwealth Gamesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Athletes Village, has brought myriad elements of the Queensland sports sector within a stoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s throw from each other. Likewise, the Gold Coast Sports Precinct realises a similar concept, comprising a cluster of venues including the Metricon Stadium, the home of the Gold Coast Suns AFL team which served as the centrepiece of the Games.

A short hop across town, the Gold Coast Sports Super Centre, a multi-sports facility originally built ahead of the Sydney 2000 Olympics and which offers onsite accommodation to the local community and travelling parties, has become a cherished part of the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sporting fabric, while %RQG 8QLYHUVLW\ $XVWUDOLD¡V Ă&#x20AC; UVW SULYDWH QRW IRU SURĂ&#x20AC; W XQLYHUVLW\ and the internationally renowned *ULIĂ&#x20AC; WK 8QLYHUVLW\ DUH ERWK DW WKH bleeding edge of the Gold Coastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sporting capabilities.

Beyond those facilities, a plethora of mixed-use community venues have been developed or redeveloped all over south-east Queensland in recent years, largely thanks to the Commonwealth Games - from championship-grade golf courses and multi-surface tennis academies, to downhill mountain biking trails, BMX WUDFNV Ă&#x20AC; WQHVV J\PV JUDVV Ă&#x20AC; HOGV swimming pools, and other more novel attractions like Top Golf.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more, the emergence of sporting goods companies such as Body Science, a Gold Coast-based, family-run compression wear, apparel and performance nutrition brand, and Vald Performance, an athlete testing startup founded by the Queensland University of Technology in 2014, has brought a further dimension to the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s burgeoning sports scene.

For the Gold Coast City Council, sport now sits alongside tourism and a thriving movie industry as a key vehicle for generating economic growth and international prestige.

Domestically, too, a key focus of the councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Commonwealth Games legacy programme has involved luring more national sporting organisations (NSOs).

Prior to the Games, Triathlon Australia, Mountain Bike Australia and the Oceania division of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) relocated their headquarters to the city, each of them drawn not only by the climate, lifestyle and new facilities, but the promise of certain Ă&#x20AC; QDQFLDO DQG RSHUDWLRQDO LQFHQWLYHV offered up by the council.

For Triathlon Australia in particular, there were many factors that motivated the governing body to pick the Gold Coast, which in 6HSWHPEHU EHFDPH WKH Ă&#x20AC; UVW FLW\ WR host the sportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world championships three times, as its new home. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Gold Coast has always been the home of triathlon,â&#x20AC;? says chief executive Miles Stewart. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ever since we started, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always been some of the best training squads training out of

Townsvilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s North Queensland Stadium is due to open in early 2020

Local favourite JeďŹ&#x20AC; Horn wins the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Battle of Brisbaneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largestever boxing event

here and certainly the best athletes have trained here throughout the history of triathlon. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always been a very attractive place weather-wise, cycling-wise itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pretty amazing. [There are] not too many places [where] you can be this close to the beach and this close to the hinterland.â&#x20AC;?

Away from the Gold Coast and Brisbane, sport has become a valuable economic development tool for local authorities across Queensland, each of whom has their own distinct set of challenges and strategic objectives.

On the Sunshine Coast, a run of hinterland-backed beach resorts strung out like jewels on a necklace from Noosa Heads in the north to Caloundra in the south, sport is as much about community-building as fuelling tourist visitation and economic growth. The local council has set out a ten-year strategy to attract and retain major events, initiating a sponsorship programme to entice tourists during the low seasons and generate media and brand exposure.

As well as sponsoring the Sunshine Coast Lightning, back-toback national netball champions in WKHLU Ă&#x20AC; UVW WZR VHDVRQV WKH FRXQFLO has helped fund a recent wave of facility development in the region, including the AUS$2.5 million Maroochydore Gymnastics Club, ZKLFK ZDV UD]HG E\ Ă&#x20AC; UH LQ 2FWREHU 2017 but has since been restored thanks to state government and

council grants, private donations and community fundraising efforts.

Further north in Townsville, a provincial town with strong military heritage and a population of around 200,000, the local council is making a concerted push to expand its sporting capabilities. :LWK Ă&#x20AC; QDQFLDO VXSSRUW IURP 7(4 and other entities, Julyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Townsville 400 Supercars race has grown exponentially, attracting some 120,000 people over its three days.

Meanwhile construction work is underway on a new 25,000-seater, expandable rectangular stadium that will play host to the North Queensland Cowboys NRL side, concerts and other events when it opens in early 2020. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The great thing about the stadium is itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in the centre of the city so for us this project was about urban revitalisation for the whole of Townsville,â&#x20AC;? says Bridget Woods, the director of tourism and events at Townsville Enterprise. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We see a really big opportunity in womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sport; the size of the stadium will really suit womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sport, but obviously weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be looking at everything. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d love to do some Twenty20 cricket matches because I think they can be done RQ D VPDOOHU Ă&#x20AC; HOG 7RJHWKHU WKH Townsville Council, Stadiums Queensland, Tourism and Events Queensland, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve started some conversations with the bigger sporting codes.â&#x20AC;?

SportsPro Magazine | 93

FEATURE GOLD COAST

Cracking the code Recent years have seen the city of Gold Coast emerge as an international sporting hub, yet national success for its representative professional teams remains frustratingly elusive. Talk of a sporting curse is now etched into Gold Coast folklore, leading many in the local community to wonder whether domestic silverware might never come.

By Michael Long

T

he story of the Gold Coast is written in its people. Of the roughly 600,000 inhabitants who call this burgeoning city home, most are not born here. Around 80 per cent are in fact out-of-towners, the majority of whom have relocated from elsewhere in Queensland or from neighbouring New South :DOHV 7KDW LQĂ X[ LV D PHDVXUH RI the oceanside townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s allure and the driving force behind its rapid population and economic growth, but it has also posed a distinct challenge for those Gold Coasters whose business is to promote sport in the local market.

94 | www.sportspromedia.com

Graham Annesley, now head of elite football operations at the NRL, ran the Gold Coast Titans until October

For the Gold Coastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s two representative professional teams the Suns of the Australian Football League (AFL) and the Titans of the National Rugby League (NRL) - converting settlers into avid fans has never been easy. Almost every newcomer with an interest in sport EULQJV ZLWK WKHP H[LVWLQJ DOOHJLDQFHV that arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t readily abandoned, and more often than not professional teams based on the Coast are consigned to second-favourite status. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People who havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been to the Gold Coast or who have been here just for a holiday, they see such a tiny strip of the city,â&#x20AC;? says Mark (YDQV WKH 6XQV¡ FKLHI H[HFXWLYH â&#x20AC;&#x153;They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand the breadth and the depth of industry, infrastructure, people, families, where theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve come from, and why WKH\¡YH FRPH KHUH 7KH Ă&#x20AC; UVW WKLQJ you learn about the Gold Coast is the people who are here want to be here. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no better place to live. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of them will also take some risk to come here and to set themselves up, and they enjoy this balance between working hard and then having a great environment to get away from work. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an interesting thing for us to try and position ourselves: what is the elite sporting team role within that community?â&#x20AC;?

As both the Suns and the Titans have found, that question has no straightforward answer, especially in a community that has almost no tradition of sporting achievement.

While the city has enjoyed success in other sports, most notably in outdoor pursuits like triathlon and VXUĂ&#x20AC; QJ QR *ROG &RDVW EDVHG IRRWEDOO club has won a national title in its code. Indeed, the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s professional VSRUWLQJ KLVWRU\ LV RQH RI Ă RSV and failures, of teams disbanding RU UHORFDWLQJ GXH WR SRRU RQ Ă&#x20AC; HOG SHUIRUPDQFHV Ă&#x20AC; QDQFLDO WURXEOHV ownership turmoil, or all of the above. Gold Coast United, the professional soccer side founded by the outspoken local businessman and politician Clive Palmer, were the most recent to materialise from nothing and quickly bite the dust, having had their A-League license revoked in 2012 after just three seasons.

Needless to say, such misfortune weighs heavily on the minds of Gold Coast sports fans. Claims of a sporting â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;curseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; are already etched into local folklore, with the regional press having described the city as a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;graveyardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and a place where â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;teams go to dieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rugby league on the Gold Coast has had a bit of a potted history,â&#x20AC;? says Graham Annesley, who, until recently, served as the Titansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; chief H[HFXWLYH ´7KHUH¡V EHHQ VHYHUDO other attempts to have a professional team on the Gold Coast that failed for various reasons. That probably stretches back 20 years now. Some of them were internal issues around the game itself and the way it evolved, others were maybe a bit to do with the way the code has been conducted here on the Gold Coast.â&#x20AC;?

In keeping with the Gold Coastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s narrative of sporting disappointment, the Titansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; own history is a tale of mistakes and mismanagement. The club was formed in 2007 after the NRL failed in its efforts to place a second team in nearby Brisbane, only to be taken over by the league eight years later after spiralling into voluntary administration amid mounting GHEWV RII Ă&#x20AC; HOG VFDQGDOV LQYROYLQJ illicit drugs, and overspending on

“A city of this size deserves to have representation on the national sporting stage.” player contracts. One particularly damaging debacle saw several Titans players convicted of charges LQFOXGLQJ SRVVHVVLQJ DQG WUDIÀFNLQJ cocaine. More recently, the club’s decision to award a bumper AUS$1.2 million contract to Jarryd Hayne, a cross-code star who made international headlines when he signed with the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL) in 2015, was widely deemed WR KDYH EDFNÀUHG DIWHU XSVHWWLQJ dynamics in the locker room.

Annesley, a former referee turned politician, joined the Titans in 2013.

Previously based in Sydney, he was in the midst of a 13-year stint as the 15/·V FKLHI RSHUDWLQJ RIÀFHU ZKHQ the club secured their license.

“The Titans have had a chequered history - we’ve done a lot to alienate supporters in the past, both businesses and regular fans,” he

says, speaking to SportsPro in early July, prior to returning to the league RIÀFH DV KHDG RI HOLWH IRRWEDOO operations in October. “The club has had some well-documented offÀHOG GUDPDV WKDW KDYH VHW XV EDFN LQ that area. But it’s an area where we’re trying to demonstrate consistency and stability, but also that the club can be relied upon to be here longterm and managed well.

“We’ve gone to great lengths to improve corporate governance, IRU H[DPSOH (YHQ WKRXJK ZH·UH privately owned, we’ve got a completely independent board RI KLJK SURÀOH EXVLQHVVSHRSOH to ensure that the club always maintains the highest levels of corporate governance. We want to be able to demonstrate to the general public that the days of the Titans being fragile are over.”

For Annesley, the process of

The Gold Coast Titans have struggled on and off the field in recent times

rebuilding bridges dominated his Titans tenure. Well aware that average regular season attendances at the team’s Cbus Super Stadium have generally been trending downwards, GURSSLQJ IURP ZHOO LQ H[FHVV RI 20,000 ten years ago to less than 13,000, he made it a priority to get the local community back onside.

Late last year, the Titans came under new ownership when a private consortium led by two locally based families, the Frizelles and the Kellys, assumed 100 per cent control of the club. In the months since, restoring public trust has been an inevitable focus for the new regime.

“People, I think, are very forgiving and they will get behind a team if you can demonstrate that you’ve got the right people and processes in place and they can have faith in that,” says Annesley.

“We’ve tried very hard to work hard in the community; our players spend more time in the community than probably any other NRL club.

But we also try to demonstrate that everything we’re doing is for the ORQJ WHUP EHQHÀW RI QRW RQO\ WKH Titans, but also the Gold Coast.

“A city of this size deserves

SportsPro Magazine | 95

FEATURE GOLD COAST

Gold Coast Suns chief executive Mark Evans

to have representation on the national sporting stage, in national competitions. Other sports have failed with national teams on the Gold Coast in the past, so we need to make sure that we can really embed this in so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s here for decades to come.â&#x20AC;?

Prior to rejoining the NRL, Annesley had been working to lay the foundations for a more sustainable future after one of the most turbulent periods in the clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history. Having reportedly lost some AUS$3 million or more for several years, the Titans are understood to be closer to breaking even now than ever before, despite languishing on the lower rungs of the NRL ladder. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our biggest challenge is growing revenue,â&#x20AC;? says Annesley. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got our costs very well under control. :H UXQ D YHU\ HIĂ&#x20AC; FLHQW ORZ FRVW business in professional rugby league terms, probably in professional sport in Australia if you compare the major codes. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had a very good handle on our costs now for the last three or four years. Revenue is an area where weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re probably not where we need to be in comparison with some of the other clubs. That can be a challenge, particularly on the Gold Coast. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Gold Coast has, for a long period of time, gone through these boom-bust cycles. Thankfully now the city is at a level of maturity

96 | www.sportspromedia.com

where thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s evening out, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not seeing those wild variations in the economy. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a capital city, and therefore you tend not to have the major corporate dollars in a city like this, a regional city, particularly with Brisbane only an hour up the highway, where most of the corporate entities tend to reside.â&#x20AC;?

Like the Titans, the Suns are in the midst of plotting an untrodden SDWK WR Ă&#x20AC; QDQFLDO VWDELOLW\ DQG they, too, are taking a communityfocused approach to get there.

Established as one of two AFL H[SDQVLRQ WHDPV LQ WKH FOXE SOD\HG WKHLU Ă&#x20AC; UVW JDPH LQ $SULO RI that year, and have since been based at a redeveloped Metricon Stadium in the Gold Coastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sports precinct at Carrara. Yet it is fair to say the early years have been somewhat challenging for the startup franchise; in a league of 18 teams, D WK SODFH Ă&#x20AC; QLVK LQ UHPDLQV their best-ever showing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve just reinvigorated a EXVLQHVV SODQ IRU WKH QH[W WKUHH WR Ă&#x20AC; YH \HDUV DQG KDYH NHSW PRVW of the challenges within a threeyear frame, just so that we can be really pointed about what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to do,â&#x20AC;? says Evans, who joined the Suns in early 2017 having previously managed football RSHUDWLRQV DW WKH $)/ OHDJXH RIĂ&#x20AC; FH LQ 0HOERXUQH ´7KH Ă&#x20AC; UVW WKLQJ we had to recognise is weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re eight years young and while we want

to move on and feel like weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a IXOO\ Ă HGJHG JURZQ XS HQWLW\ that means all of your efforts still have to be about how you embed yourself into the community and inspire them to be a part of you. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s two elements to that.

One, you have to build an onĂ&#x20AC; HOG SURGXFW WKDW LV H[FLWLQJ DQG people feel like itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be DEOH WR VWDQG XS DJDLQVW KLJK Ă&#x20AC; QDOV pressure. That attracts everybody the most, but the second part is you have to continue to push a deeper footprint into the community. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about doubling down on schools, local charities, local football programmes, and when the opportunity is there to stand up to be Gold Coast, you have to take that opportunity.â&#x20AC;?

For the AFL, setting up shop on the Gold Coast was undoubtedly a gamble, not least since it saw them venture into largely unchartered territory. While the NRL could point to a passionate rugby league fanbase throughout Queensland when it approved the launch of the Titans, the AFL would have been fully aware that the roots of Aussie rulesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; heritage had always EHHQ Ă&#x20AC; UPO\ SODQWHG LQ 9LFWRULD 7HQ of the leagueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 18 teams, many of them established over the course of decades, are based in and around Melbourne, with only the Brisbane Lions calling Queensland home prior to the arrival of the Suns.

It was no secret then that the Suns, wooden spoon recipients in their inaugural campaign, would have to be propped up, at least initially, by the leagueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s centralised business model and a shared revenue distribution system Evans calls â&#x20AC;&#x153;very Americanâ&#x20AC;?. Similarly, the process of educating and engaging the Gold Coast market was always going to be a long-term punt. Then, of course, there was the small matter of attracting the required calibre of playing talent to be competitive from the outset. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a draft system so nationally you can select any kid and bring him to your club for a PLQLPXP RI WZR \HDUV Âľ H[SODLQV Evans. â&#x20AC;&#x153;More than likely, it means

that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re relocating players. For some other [teams], particularly in Melbourne, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a much greater chance of selecting a kid who doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to relocate, so WKDW PDNHV KLV Ă&#x20AC;UVW WZR \HDUV D OLWWOH easier than travelling interstate, dislocation from family and home sickness and trying to start your career and all those sorts of things. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But, once this place is going right, there is an amazing attraction to being able to train hard, being able to do all the things you need to do as a player, but then escape some of the other pressures that you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t escape if you live in Perth, Adelaide or Melbourne. When we JHW WKH RQ Ă&#x20AC;HOG SURGXFW WR EH EHWWHU and [there is] more of a chance that SOD\HUV ZLOO H[SHULHQFH VXFFHVV WKH rest of it should work really well for us.â&#x20AC;?

Despite their past and present challenges, both the Suns and the 7LWDQV KDYH WKHLU VLJKWV VHW Ă&#x20AC;UPO\ RQ the future, as evidenced by the fact both teams have recently moved into new headquarters. Earlier this year, the Titans leased a relatively modest XQLW ZLWKLQ D PL[HG XVH IDFLOLW\ RQ the grounds of a private golf club, a FRPSURPLVH UHĂ HFWLYH RI WKHLU QHZ ownershipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to a more Ă&#x20AC;VFDOO\ SUDJPDWLF IXWXUH 7KH 6XQV on the other hand, have moved into altogether more ostentatious surroundings.

Constructed at a cost of AUS$22 million - including AUS$15 million from the federal government and AUS$5 million provided by the Suns themselves - their new base boasts a state of the art training facility and sits adjacent to their Metricon Stadium as part of a ZLGHU PXOWL VSRUWV FRPSOH[ EXLOW for this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Commonwealth Games. The building houses every department of the club - from the players and coaching staff to a workforce of around 40 IURQW RIĂ&#x20AC;FH DGPLQLVWUDWRUV DQG encapsulates the ethos of a 21st century, forward-thinking franchise.

Indeed, signs of a team building for the future are found right throughout the facility. Audiovisual equipment displays content

â&#x20AC;&#x153;All of your efforts still have to be about how you embed yourself into the community.â&#x20AC;?

The Gold Coast Suns joined the Australian Football League in 2011

DFFRUGLQJ WR LWV VSHFLĂ&#x20AC;F GHSDUWPHQW 79V LQ WKH ORFNHU URRP PLJKW VKRZ WUDYHO SODQV IRU WKH QH[W DZD\ game, while those in the front RIĂ&#x20AC;FH ZLOO GLVSOD\ PHPEHUVKLS targets. In-house media capabilities, including a high-tech production hub with an editing studio and green screen, are evidence of a club with aspirations of developing more of their own content for fans and sponsors. Upstairs, a well-stocked kitchen contains two of everything so younger players can be taught how to cook for themselves, in line with the Sunsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; broader emphasis on personal character development.

Elsewhere the aptly named â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;war roomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, a windowless inner sanctum, sits at the cultural and architectural heart of the building, its walls lined with whiteboards for strategising and brainstorming ideas. As Tim Carey, the Sunsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; facility operations manager, puts it, â&#x20AC;&#x153;decisions made in this room affect peoplesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lives.â&#x20AC;?

And the Suns certainly have many more big decisions to come. Inside

the entrance to the new HQ, an empty trophy cabinet speaks to the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work in progress. Filling it will not be easy. Nevertheless, Evans insists progress for the Suns is as much about putting in the hard yards RII WKH Ă&#x20AC;HOG DV ZLQQLQJ JDPHV RQ LW ´:H IHHO LW¡V VLJQLĂ&#x20AC;FDQW IRU WKH Suns and the Gold Coast community WR SOD\ Ă&#x20AC;QDOV IRRWEDOO Âľ KH VD\V â&#x20AC;&#x153;We still have a very strong eye on how weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re increasing the number of participants in kids and schools programmes, and then to grow the number of teams and eyeballs, because that is the 30-year play: that these kids grow up not ever having barracked for another team. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happened in Sydney, it took 30 years - it will take 30 years on the Coast. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re eight years into that, but LQVLGH RI WKH QH[W WKUHH WR Ă&#x20AC;YH \HDUV we have to prove to our community, and to the AFL community, that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve progressed up the ladder and DUH LQ DQ H[FLWLQJ SKDVH ZDWFKLQJ what that does for increasing the supporter base and the participation base on the Coast.â&#x20AC;?

SportsPro Magazine | 97

FEATURE SPONSORSHIP

Easy as AEG Delivering measurable value to brands in the digital age demands bold creativity. Paul Samuels, executive vice president of AEG Global Partnerships, explains the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique approach to selling commercial assets and activating on some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading arena, team and event properties.

By Michael Long

A

EG Global Partnerships occupies something of a privileged position within the sponsorship sales space. A division of Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading sports and live entertainment companies, the dedicated business unit straddles the neighbouring realms of

98 | www.sportspromedia.com

AEG Global Partnerships executive vice president Paul Samuels

rights holder and agency, having been established in 2008 to sell commercial rights to every property and asset owned or operated by the wider AEG network globally.

It is a remit as far-reaching as the company itself. With an extensive portfolio spanning music, sport and entertainment, AEG manages KLJK SURĂ&#x20AC; OH YHQXHV WHDPV DQG

events within its domestic market of the United States as well as internationally in the major markets of Europe, Asia, Australia and South America. Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s O2 Arena, the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s busiest concert venue, is perhaps the jewel in its international crown, while other non-US properties operated under the AEG banner include

Berlinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mercedes-Benz Arena, Shanghaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s venue of the same name, Hamburgâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Barclaycard Arena, Brisbaneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Suncorp Stadium, the Deutschland Tour cycling event, and the Eisbären Berlin ice hockey team, to name just a few.

All told, AEG Global Partnerships sells and services marketing partnerships around more than 10,000 events each year, working with more than 1,000 brand partners and generating over US$550 million in annual revenues. The breadth of that remit - with a portfolio of commercial assets spanning everything from arena naming rights and founding partnerships to critical supplier deals, premium seating and corporate suites - has helped position the company at the forefront of a global sponsorship industry estimated to be worth more than US$65 billion. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When it comes to selling, we do it in a very unique way,â&#x20AC;? says Paul Samuels, executive vice president of AEG Global Partnerships, who oversees the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sales operation in all markets outside of the US. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have the ability to entertain people, to get people to feel excited about our properties. When weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re entertaining, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to explain how music is powerful, if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a music property, and how you can really engage with music. You take them to, say, the Grammys in Los Angeles or The Brits in London, we can really showcase what we deliver as a business.â&#x20AC;?

Samuels has been with AEG for over a decade, having joined AEG Europe in late 2007 after a stint heading up sponsorship for UK-based telco O2, where he negotiated the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original naming rights deal with AEG for what was then known as the Millennium Dome. Since then, he has seen many companies, people and trends come and go in a sponsorship industry that UHPDLQV LQ D FRQVWDQW Ă X[ RZLQJ to the vagaries of external market forces. One thing that has endured throughout, though, is the innate KXPDQ GHVLUH IRU UHDO OLIH Ă&#x20AC; UVW hand experiences.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nothing beats the real experience,â&#x20AC;? says the Englishman. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When people get involved with AEG projects, they really get to believe and see and feel what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re buying. I personally bought a sponsorship from AEG, and I believed in them so much I came to work for them!â&#x20AC;?

He adds: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great company; they really care about what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re delivering. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the key thing. Some sales agencies sell a deal and move on - you never see them again. We canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do that. We have to deliver what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re selling and over-deliver so they renew.

That, I think, is quite unique.â&#x20AC;?

This year, AEG Global Partnerships achieved its best Ă&#x20AC; UVW WZR PRQWKV RI EXVLQHVV ever, signing US$95 million in contractually obligated income to record its most lucrative start to a year yet. According to Samuels, much of that success is testament to the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agency-cum-rights holder positioning, not to mention D FOLHQW Ă&#x20AC; UVW DSSURDFK WR IRUJLQJ and maintaining brand partnerships. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a sales agency, you can sell things which are on a piece of paper,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a rights holder that also has the ability to create things, we can mould things WR Ă&#x20AC; W WKH ULJKW EUDQG , QHYHU ZDQW to see my sales team going out with a standard deck in a presentation, selling the same one to a bank as theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re selling to a pharmacy company. Everything we do should be unique to that brand.â&#x20AC;?

Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s O2 Arena is one of AEGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crown jewel properties

In a bid to differentiate itself in what is an increasingly congested space, AEGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approach has always been to be creative, to take risks, and to play the long game no matter the property in question, says Samuels.

To that end, he explains, the company always seeks to â&#x20AC;&#x153;do deals that will lastâ&#x20AC;? - with terms ideally UXQQLQJ WR D PLQLPXP RI Ă&#x20AC; YH \HDUV â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind taking risks,â&#x20AC;? he continues. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not everything we do and touch works. Coachella [one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest music and arts festivals] is probably 20 years old QRZ LQ WKH Ă&#x20AC; UVW FRXSOH RI \HDUV LW lost millions and millions of dollars.

1RZ LW¡V RQH RI WKH PRVW SURĂ&#x20AC; WDEOH parts of our business. Fortunately we have an owner who doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind investing, doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind sitting it out.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not a public company. He can sit on things and make them work.â&#x20AC;?

Samuels is, of course, referring to Philip Anschutz, the billionaire entrepreneur who founded AEG in 1994 and has since built the company from the ground up through a series of big-money acquisitions and joint ventures with entities across the globe. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In Germany, [Anschutz] bought a lot of land 20 years ago and sat on it,â&#x20AC;? adds Samuels. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He then built a new arena, which is the MercedesBenz Arena, and then sat on all the land around it, which any public company would never be able to do they wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be able to justify sitting on land. He did, and then recently we sold off parcels of land around

SportsPro Magazine | 99

FEATURE SPONSORSHIP

WKH DUHQD IRU D JRRG SURÀW 1RZ we’re building and opening up a new entertainment district at the end of October: Mercedes Platz.”

Mercedes Platz, a large-scale entertainment complex located in east Berlin, mirrors the same urban regeneration approach AEG has successfully employed in both downtown LA - with its LA Live project - and London’s Greenwich, site of The O2. AEG has committed €200 million to the development, which features a music hall, a movie theatre, a bowling alley, two hotels, cafés, restaurants and bars, as well as Mercedes-Benz Arena.

“In essence, we’ve got a real estate approach to the world of entertainment,” says Samuels. “A lot of other companies do it the other way around. It’s just the way we do business.”

When it comes to delivering value for both fans and sponsors investing in sport, AEG’s philosophy is to apply lessons learned from working in other industries, particularly music.

Where once the sports industry might have led the way in sponsorship activation and coming up with innovative ways of working with brands, Samuels believes its preeminence among entertainment formats is no longer so clear-cut.

“Ten years ago,” he says, “the world of entertainment watched the world of sport and was going: ‘let’s learn from the sport guys. That’s how you do it.’ That’s changed now.

I think people in sport are watching how people in entertainment and music are doing it.

“In sport, there was a bit of ‘well this is who we are’ whereas entertainment has had to work KDUGHU WR JHW EUDQGV WR DIÀOLDWH themselves with that product. And actually, sport is entertainment. I don’t think there’s any difference.

When people go and watch a sporting event, they want to be entertained, they want an experience, and that’s what football clubs are doing now.

“People expect a great experience, people expect great food, great

100 | www.sportspromedia.com

“There’s nothing worse than a rights holder having assets they’re not using.” drink. 20 years ago people in sport probably thought that was mad so I do think the world is changing, both on the experience side and also on the sponsor side. ´6SRQVRUV ZDQW EHQHÀWV IRU WKHLU customers, interaction, that face-toface time, they want to entertain the customer. That’s where it’s going.

Ten years ago, you’d never get someone working in sport calling a fan a customer. Now they will, and those who aren’t are realising they’re having to. Nowadays you can watch easier at home - it’s much more accessible to watch via television and other channels - so actually you do KDYH WR ÀJKW IRU WKH FXVWRPHU µ Indeed, success is never a given LQ WKH ÀHOG RI VSRQVRUVKLS :LWK attention spans dwindling and consumer behaviour evolving all the time, the task of engaging and exciting audiences is growing ever more challenging. Brands are confronted with a broader palate of options on which to spend their marketing budgets, and a broader array of channels through which to reach their target demographics.

Those trends have prompted a good deal of blue-sky thinking and creativity among both rights holders and agencies, but Samuels still sees a lingering tendency to jump for whatever shiny new toy is in vogue at any given moment - be it a technological innovation or an emerging content platform. Such a tendency can often be counterproductive, he argues, increasing the likelihood of consumer aversion and potentially eroding EUDQG LQWHUHVW DQG DIÀQLW\ “When you are a content-driven company - take a football club as an example - they’ve got enough content and the fans want it daily,” he explains. “That’s great and it

really works. I think you’ve got to be very careful where you’re over-providing content when people don’t really need it. With a music festival, from the moment a festival goes on sale to the actual event, that’s the perfect time we can promote content to our fans.

We’ve got to be very careful that we don’t overdo it, where we’re driving people mad because we’re not always-on content.

“But I do think people do want more technology and different ways of working - for instance, apps.

Apps have been around for years and people have created apps for the sake of creating apps. There’s nothing worse than an app that doesn’t really do anything. Where an app becomes more powerful is when it becomes a tool which is essential to your experience, and that’s when it becomes more powerful to brands.”

Citing The O2 in London, Samuels explains that AEG is working to turn the venue’s dedicated app into a personalised, more intuitive and indispensable tool for controlling every aspect of a visitor’s journey.

“From October we are changing our ticketing system to make it safer, to stop ticketing touts on the secondary market,” he says. “Every ticket will be digital, and to get your ticket you need to download the app.

A bit like having the British Airways app, the app now becomes essential to my experience. At The O2, you get ten per cent discount if you order food and drink through it. So I’ve got the app - it’s my ticket, it gives me discounts on food and drink, it gets me into places, gives me information, it has tickets to some of the private bars our sponsors have.”

If providing a more personalised fan experience is the general direction of travel for every rights holder, technology is very much at the heart of those efforts - from using virtual reality headsets to sell season tickets ‘off plan’, to creating customised digital experiences that deliver information tailored to each individual user’s personal preferences. Apps are no different.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;If Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to British Summertime in Hyde Park to see Stevie Wonder, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really want to be bombarded with information about The Libertines or whatever bands are playing,â&#x20AC;? suggests Samuels. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You can really make it directed and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where a lot of brands now are interested in the app, what they can get out of it, and how they can drive revenue out of this technology. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The thing about the app is we know where youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going now. If someone is walking around the festival site, as they get close to certain areas youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be able to send them a message about a sponsor activation. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hey, have you tried the Coke Zone?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; And you just happen to be standing next to it without even realising.â&#x20AC;?

On-site opportunities of that kind are leading sponsorship agencies to rethink traditional revenue streams, too. As the bread and butter of facility sponsorship inventory, marquee naming rights deals and founding partnerships remain core HOHPHQWV RI Ă&#x20AC;QDQFLQJ D QHZ DUHQD development or renovation. Yet, as those in the business will be keenly aware, packaging them up for sale is far from straightforward. Samuels believes the art of selling naming rights deals in this day and age hinges on the extent to which the package can be tailored to the needs RI D VSHFLĂ&#x20AC;F SDUWQHU 7KH GHYLO KH says, is in the details. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Though brands are less interested in the branding and

AEG has committed â&#x201A;Ź200 million to develop Mercedes Platz in Berlin

the signage, they still want it, but they want other things as well,â&#x20AC;? he adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;O2 didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do the deal with The O2 because of the branding and the naming because O2 was an established brand. It was all the EHQHĂ&#x20AC;WV IRU FXVWRPHUV OLNH SUH VDOH tickets for O2 customers, private bars, special experiences - oh and by the way, we get all this branding as well.â&#x20AC;?

Samuels negotiated O2â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original deal with AEG in 2005. After switching companies a few years later, he renegotiated terms from the other side of the table when a decade-long renewal, reportedly worth as much as UKÂŁ15 million a year, was agreed by both parties in early 2017. As he recalls, those discussions involved identifying which elements of the partnership were working for O2 and which elements were not, and then reworking the terms of the deal accordingly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We increased the pre-sale that they had - from ten per cent to 20 per cent of tickets - because that is still the number one feature that works really well for them,â&#x20AC;? he explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was also quite nice to see that some RI WKH FRUH EHQHĂ&#x20AC;WV VWLOO H[LVW EXW actually it was protecting them from the future and the new technology thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coming, ensuring that O2 has the categories they believe theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to need in the future and can have ownership of. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Where before it was just about mobile phones, a wearable watch is now a phone, so how do they capture

that category to ensure that thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not going to be other brands coming in that compete with them? The downside of a naming rights deal for brands is [knowing how to] futureproof your exclusivity for a long period when you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even know whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coming round the corner.â&#x20AC;?

7KH SURFHVV RI IXWXUH SURRĂ&#x20AC;QJ a naming rights deal requires a FHUWDLQ GHJUHH RI Ă H[LELOLW\ IURP both sides, says Samuels. Allowing for unforeseen changes such as altered consumer behaviour patterns or advances in technology is crucial for protecting a clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interests, and while it is important for sponsoring brands to make the most of the assets at their disposal, it is ultimately the role of the rights holder or agency to ensure any changes are accommodated. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Even if the deal didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have protection for them for something that happened in the future,â&#x20AC;? says Samuels, â&#x20AC;&#x153;youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be a bad rights holder to say: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;huh, tough, see you in ten yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Because you know what?

Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not going to renew with you. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All of our brands and partners often come to us with requests, new ideas, things that we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even think about at contract stage, ZKLFK LV DEVROXWHO\ Ă&#x20AC;QH :H ZRUN with brands and sometimes thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a further investment needed, other times itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about swapping assets, ZKLFK LV Ă&#x20AC;QH DV ZHOO 7KHUH¡V nothing worse than a rights holder having assets theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not using that I know I could sell elsewhere.â&#x20AC;?

SportsPro Magazine | 101

COMPANY PROFILE SPORT INDUSTRY NEXTGEN

Britain’s got talent Now in its fourth year, the Sport Industry NextGen Leaders programme identifies, rewards and develops 30 up-and-coming executives from across the UK sports industry. Its aim is to nurture the rising talent that is set to shape the sports business in the years to come.

P

ut simply, Sport Industry Group’s guiding principle is to help and support the sports industry in any way it can. It is perhaps best known for organising the prestigious BT Sport Industry Awards, yet the group’s work extends far beyond recognising the industry’s elite at star-studded galas.

One initiative that has become a key focus for the group in recent years is the Sport Industry NextGen programme, whose aim is to nurture exactly the kind of talent April’s awards were set up to honour.

Now in its fourth year, the freeto-enter professional development programme identifies, rewards and develops 30 young and up-andcoming sports executives who are already making waves in their respective sectors, and whose work is set to shape the global sports business in the years to come.

“Everything we aim to do at Sport Industry Group is to try and support the industry,” explains Alex Coulson, the group’s managing director.

“That’s both the individuals and the organisations within the industry, and then also playing our part to help the sport industry’s positioning and how it’s perceived as a contributor to economy and wider society.

“From a leadership point of view, sport is often on a bit of a pedestal for all the reasons that the sport industry exists - people are attracted to it. However, the leadership has not always matched up to those expectations. We’re conscious that you can’t always change the leaders at the very top but we can help develop those who are on their way to the top and hopefully put sport and the sport industry in a better position for the future.”

For each year’s cohort of Leaders,

102 | www.sportspromedia.com

Sport Industry Group managing director Alex Coulson

who are usually aged 30 years or younger, the NextGen journey begins at Sport Industry NextGen Unlocked, an evening networking event held in London in February that introduces the industry to the group for the first time. Together, they then embark on a year-long series of training and development experiences known as the Leadership Package, which is designed to promote effective leadership and develop important skills and knowledge. Backed by Barclays, the programme is delivered by a selection of Sport Industry Group partners, including law firm Howard Kennedy, Loughborough University London, and the Inspirational Development Group (IDG) at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

All told, the programme comprises more than a dozen experiences - covering everything from discussions and workshops on topics like leadership philosophy and important legal matters, to outdoor and classroom-based team problem solving exercises and a membership to the Sport Industry Breakfast Club, a series of four content-led networking breakfasts held over the course of the year.

“We give the Leaders an insight into the legal challenges they

may face in their careers, ranging from commercial contracts and intellectual property to private wealth and reputation management,” explains Lois Langton, a partner at Howard Kennedy. “We aim to get them thinking about the possible situations that may arise using past case studies so they can be prepared and on the front foot, as well as discussing topics that are increasingly likely to come up in the future such as the implications of technology and privacy.”

Steve Swanson, the director of sport business and leadership at the Institute for Sport Business, Loughborough University London, adds: “We aim to deliver an enhanced understanding of leadership, where the Leaders are considered in relation to their own unique set of abilities, roles, and relationships. As part of this process there is a reciprocal effect, where the Leaders themselves are an invaluable part of co-creating leadership thought and best practice especially relevant to the sport industry.”

Alongside each of the partners, the programme is administered by a selection of high-profile ‘coaches’ that includes respected senior figures from within and outside the sports industry.

Coaches for 2019 include, among others, Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president David Grevemberg, Sport England chief executive Jennie Price, and Alastair Campbell, a writer, communicator and strategist best known for his role as former British prime minister Tony Blair’s spokesman.

“The best thing about the course is the people – that’s both my fellow Leaders and those coaches and mentors that have shaped the

Leadership Package,” says Dan Smith, a 2018 Leader who serves as head of track & field, cross category and operations sports marketing at Nike.

“Those coaches have added so much value, learning from their experiences and getting forced out of our comfort zones has been an invaluable experience for all the participants.”

As Coulson explains, the notion of reciprocal learning has become a key focus of the NextGen programme, which should be considered more as a forum for exchanging ideas than a typical one-way training course. In short, the idea is that the partners and coaches also learn from the Leaders, whose past experiences and approaches to leadership form an integral part of the programme.

“We wanted this to be a really meaningful programme for the Leaders and use those experiences to help the industry and all of us,” says Coulson. “But it’s not just one-way traffic here because whilst they’re getting a lot of support and experience, it’s so important to hear from the real engine room of the industry - their ideas, challenging the way things have been done before.

“Increasingly I find that our partners, and anyone who’s lucky enough to spend some time with the Leaders, learn so much from them. And then between the Leaders themselves, the amount of learning they have off each other, both consciously making efforts to pick each other’s brains, and then

subconsciously just spending time together. It’s a wonderful win-win all round.”

For Yath Gangakumaran, a 2016 Leader who currently serves as director of strategy at Formula One, the real value of the programme lies in that emphasis on knowledgesharing. “There aren’t many dedicated strategists in the sports industry,” he says, “so I think being able to provide bigger picture thinking and a different mindset to the key themes in the industry proved beneficial to partners and coaches.”

Clare Barrell, another 2016 Leader and current international relations adviser at UK Sport, agrees. “The exposure to talented, progressive peers from all sectors of the sport industry, united in a desire to learn from one another, to do better and to be better made being part of the Sport Industry NextGen network a unique experience, and one that I continue to benefit from,” she says.

“The idea that we ‘gave back’ was very important to our cohort, and I’m particularly proud of the professional and organised way in which we maximised the opportunity of an audience with Tracey Crouch [the UK minister for sport] to discuss ethical leadership and our own commitment to support diversity in the sport industry.”

Coulson reveals that the programme has seen “a staggering increase in the number of

Each year’s cohort of Leaders is unveiled at February’s Sport Industry NextGen Unlocked event in London

applications” each year, with more and more “big budget-holders” and “big decision-makers” striving for inclusion. “You can see by the calibre of the leaders who make it how hard that is,” he says. “It’s such a huge achievement to get on there and that shouldn’t be underestimated.”

Ultimately, adds Coulson, the programme is not only about rewarding, honouring and nurturing those young executives who are already making their presence felt within the industry. Most importantly, he says, it is about forging close relationships and creating lasting bonds that will serve and sustain the Leaders long into their careers.

“We’re always quite keen to celebrate a broader diversity of leadership, and that’s something that’s a lot more achievable at this age-group,” he says. “It’s important for young people looking to join the industry that they see themselves reflected in its leaders. That’s something that’s quite important to the Sport Industry NextGen programme and something we’re keen to improve on a lot more moving forward.”

Contact Sport Industry Group Email: info@sportindustry.biz Phone: +44 (0) 207 240 7700 Visit: sportindustry.biz/nextgen

SportsPro Magazine | 103

FEATURE EQUESTRIANISM

From the horse’s mouth With the International Equestrian Federation having overhauled its commercial strategy to focus on each of the sport’s seven disciplines, commercial director Ralph Straus explains the importance of the changes in expanding equestrian’s offering to potential partners.

By Nick Friend

104 | www.sportspromedia.com

A

s a term, the notion of equestrian is as complex as it is overly simplistic.

On the surface, it is an all-encompassing concept that GHĂ&#x20AC; QHV KRUVH VSRUW +RZHYHU the truth opens the door to seven distinct disciplines: dressage, jumping and eventing - the Olympic trio - are joined by reining, vaulting, driving and endurance. $OO DUH VSRUWV LQ WKHLU RZQ ULJKW each of them regulated by their RZQ UXOHV DQG SRVVHVVLQJ WKHLU RZQ markedly different fanbases.

For Ralph Straus, the commercial director of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), understanding the differences EHWZHHQ WKH VHYHQ VSRUWV DV ZHOO as the need to clearly distinguish EHWZHHQ WKHP KDV EHHQ fundamental in the renovation of the global governing bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commercial strategy. ´:KDW ZH GLVFRYHUHG GXULQJ WKH comprehensive research study is WKDW WKH SHRSOH ZKR DUH LQWHUHVWHG in jumping have a different GHPRJUDSKLF SURĂ&#x20AC; OH WR SHRSOH WKDW are interested in dressage or in vaulting,â&#x20AC;? he explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Different people from different demographic backgrounds are visiting those events. Dressage is more familyorientated, jumping is more male, vaulting attracts quite young audiences given its Cirque du Soleil Ă DYRXU Âľ According to a study carried out by the FEI, the sport of equestrian possesses a fanbase close to 750 PLOOLRQ DFURVV LWV YDULRXV VWUDQGV ZLWK up to 75 per cent of those female depending on the discipline. Many ZHUH IRXQG WR KDYH IDPLOLHV ZKLOH also possessing a higher than average income and an inherently brand OR\DO FKDUDFWHU +RZHYHU DV VLQJXODU HQWLWLHV HDFK VSRUW EULQJV ZLWK LW LWV RZQ SRVVLELOLWLHV The initial stage of the federationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research, Straus says, has been crucial in directing its IROORZ XS ZRUN :KDW WKH GLIIHULQJ GHPRJUDSKLFDO GHPDQG KDV VKRZQ LV a capacity for equestrian to attract a ZLGH UDQJH RI FRPPHUFLDO SDUWQHUV â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you look at it from a company

SRLQW RI YLHZ GHSHQGLQJ RQ WKH sport, there are different commercial partners involved in the sport,â&#x20AC;? he continues. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If, as an external example, you look at the automotive sector audiences, they are totally different depending on the brand.

Where one brand may be more focused on premium positioning, DQRWKHU FRXOG ZDQW WR DVVRFLDWH PRUH ZLWK WKH RXWGRRUV )URP WKDW perspective, the premium brand ZRXOG PRUH OLNHO\ JUDYLWDWH WRZDUGV D VSRUW OLNH MXPSLQJ ZKLOH WKH RWKHU might be better suited to a sport like HYHQWLQJ ZKLFK LV DOZD\V RUJDQLVHG outside and is muddy by nature. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We learnt through all this that the FEI is not governing one sport, but is actually governing seven different sports. Each sport has a unique target audience, different potential partners, different formats. The disciplines are connected through one common denominator and that is the horse and the passion for the horse.â&#x20AC;?

Facetious though it sounds, to XQGHUHVWLPDWH WKH SRZHU RI WKH KRUVH itself in the commercial strategy of the sport is to fail to comprehend the size of the global market. Estimated WR EH ZRUWK DQ DQQXDO ½ ELOOLRQ 60 million horses and ponies are LQYROYHG LQ WKH VSRUW ZLWK WKH LQGXVWU\ SURYLGLQJ DQ HVWLPDWHG WZR PLOOLRQ MREV ZRUOGZLGH ² QRW RQO\ in the training and coaching stakes, EXW LQ WKH HTXLQH Ă&#x20AC; HOGV RI QXWULWLRQ stabling and medication.

As Straus highlights, much of HTXHVWULDQ¡V IROORZLQJ FRPHV WKURXJK an interest in the animal rather than the complexities of the competition. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of people are not necessarily interested in the top competitions, nor in the FEI as an organisation,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What they are interested in is the horse. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something that, as DQ HTXHVWULDQ IHGHUDWLRQ ZH KDYH LQ FRPPRQ ZLWK WKHP â&#x20AC;&#x153;Therefore, in terms of our content, part of that has to be based around the top competitions, but ZH KDYH DOVR KDG WR GHYHORS D QHZ FRQWHQW VWUDWHJ\ ZLWK D ORW RI WKH content focused on the horse itself ² WKLQJV OLNH WUDYHOOLQJ ZLWK KRUVHV fashion for horses, medication,

Ralph Straus, commercial director of the FEI

QXWULWLRQ WKH WRS SODFHV LQ WKH ZRUOG to ride a horse. The focus has to be RQ WKH KRUVH LQ RUGHU WR HQJDJH ZLWK D ZLGHU IDQEDVH Âľ Equally important in the GHYHORSPHQW RI WKH VSRUW KRZHYHU is eliminating the perception of D VSRUW VWLOO GHĂ&#x20AC; QHG E\ WUDGLWLRQ DQG HOLWLVP 7KH VSRUW KDV JURZQ LPPHDVXUDEO\ LQ UHFHQW WLPHV ZLWK QHZ PDUNHWV RSHQLQJ XS LQ 6RXWK America and China, alongside longstanding homes in Europe and North America. The FEIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s statistics VXJJHVW WKDW PRUH WKDQ PLOOLRQ individuals ride a horse at least once D ZHHN ² FRPSHWLWLYHO\ RU RWKHUZLVH ,W LV D SDUWLFLSDWLRQ Ă&#x20AC; JXUH WKDW supports the commercial directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s belief that the federation is enjoying some success in tackling preconceived ideas about the sport ² ERWK LQ WHUPV RI DFFHVVLELOLW\ and in disbanding antiquated misconceptions of class. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some of these perceptions are QRW LQ FRQIRUPLW\ ZLWK UHDOLW\ Âľ he maintains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you look at the idea of it being a very elite sport, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe it is. If you look at the number of participants, France has the third biggest Olympic association due to the many riding schools and pony clubs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The accessibility to horse VSRUW ² OLNH ZLWK WHQQLV RU IRRWEDOO ² LV GHĂ&#x20AC; QLWHO\ WKHUH 2I FRXUVH going to the absolute top is a different discussion, but it is no different to Formula One or a lot of other sports.

SportsPro Magazine | 105

FEATURE EQUESTRIANISM

â&#x20AC;&#x153;On one hand, the sport is very traditional in that it has a lot of WUDGLWLRQV ² WKH WKUHH 2O\PSLF disciplines came from a military background. A lot of these sports are more than 100 years old. They have been organised for centuries.

There is a lot of tradition in the VSRUW ZKLFK PDNHV LW XQLTXH ´$W WKH VDPH WLPH WKRXJK QHZ technologies are introduced and there are a lot of young people involved in the sport.â&#x20AC;?

Despite equestrianism being a WUDGLWLRQDO VSRUW ZLWK DQ LPSRUWDQW heritage, it very much embraces technology and innovation. The )(,¡V SDUWQHUVKLS ZLWK /RQJLQHV PLUURUV WKLV QLFHO\ 7KH 6ZLVV ZDWFKPDNHU LV D KHULWDJH EUDQG WKDW invests heavily in the development of cutting-edge time-keeping and GDWD KDQGOLQJ VHUYLFHV ZKLFK DOORZV fans to more comprehensively IROORZ GLIIHUHQW HTXHVWULDQ competitions.

More generally, though, the decision to consciously divide equestrian into its seven constituent disciplines has affected the entire commercial structure of the FEI, Straus says. Where previously the body combined the most valuable competitions

LQ RQH GHDO LW KDV QRZ WDNHQ a more focused approach by attempting to meticulously pair HDFK RI LWV VSRQVRUV ZLWK WKH PRVW appropriate discipline. ´6SRUW LV JRLQJ DZD\ IURP simply being about brand exposure and as much media exposure as possible to customised partnership offerings,â&#x20AC;? he suggests. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a unique audience in the equestrian FRPPXQLW\ ² LW¡V SUHGRPLQDQWO\ IHPDOH DIĂ XHQW KLJKO\ HGXFDWHG very brand loyal. And the SDUWQHUVKLSV ZH ORRN WR HVWDEOLVK are very customised in order to match those demands. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are also trialling incentiveEDVHG GHDOV ZLWK SDUWQHUV DW WKH PRPHQW ZKHUHE\ WKH\ FDQ UHFHLYH a reduction or an increase in their investment depending on the success of the partnership and the exposure. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We look for brands that Ă&#x20AC;W ZLWK WKH GUHVVDJH EUDQG LQ terms of having similar values and positioning. For example, companies that are both classy and SUHPLXP ZKLFK ZRXOG UHVRQDWH ZLWK D GUHVVDJH DXGLHQFH WKDW HQMR\V KLJK SXUFKDVLQJ SRZHU Âľ From a branding perspective, the federation has sought to underline these nuances by creating different

In focus: FEI partners Longines OďŹ&#x192;cial Top Partner, OďŹ&#x192;cial Timekeeper and OďŹ&#x192;cial Watch of the FEI Ariat International FEI Jumping Discipline Sponsor and FEI Dressage World Cup Series Sponsor Boehringer Ingelheim FEI Equine Health Partner and FEI Campus Partner China National Sports International (CNSI) FEI Business Partner in China JetSet Sports FEI Hospitality Provider OTTO Sport International FEI Campus Partner SAP OďŹ&#x192;cial Analytics Sponsor of the FEI Dressage World Cup Series ATPI FEI Travel Agent and FEI Travel Desk Pixio FEI Campus Sponsor and FEI Dressage Supplier

Jumping has a tradition and identity that is distinct from other disciplines under the FEI umbrella

106 | www.sportspromedia.com

identities for each of its seven disciplines, focusing on the unique aspects of each one and providing all VHYHQ ZLWK WKHLU RZQ EHVSRNH GLJLWDO strategies. ´/DVW \HDU ZH ODXQFKHG )DFHERRN pages for each of the disciplines,â&#x20AC;?

Straus explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jumping, for H[DPSOH QRZ KDV LWV RZQ )DFHERRN SDJH DQG LWV RZQ FRPPXQLW\ ,W makes a lot of sense and those pages DUH JURZLQJ TXLFNO\ 1RZ WKH IDQV have an opportunity to just consume WKH FRQWHQW WKH\ UHDOO\ ZDQW WR VHH They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to go to the FEI SDJH ZKLFK IHDWXUHV DOO WKH GLIIHUHQW sports. They can go straight into the content they enjoy most.â&#x20AC;?

Seven different Facebook pages ZHUH ODXQFKHG E\ WKH )(, LQ ZLWK GLIIHUHQW GLJLWDO FKDQQHOV dedicated to bringing horse sport to its fans through video, images,

articles and graphics. Collectively, WKH\ KDYH DPDVVHG D IROORZLQJ RI XSZDUGV RI RQH PLOOLRQ ZLWK D ZHHNO\ UHDFK RI PLOOLRQ ,W LV D set of numbers that accentuates WKH VSRUW¡V JURZWK DQG LQFUHDVHG commercial prospects.

Of the decision to split FEI content across its seven disciplines ZKLOH DOVR PDLQWDLQLQJ RYHUDUFKLQJ assets, Straus explains its VLJQLĂ&#x20AC;FDQFH LQ DOORZLQJ WKH VSRUW WR cross-promote the various strands across its differing demographics.

At the same time, though, LW DOORZV IRU D VWURQJ IRFXV RQ each individual discipline. One UHVXOW RI WKH GLJLWDO RYHUKDXO ZDV a 400 per cent increase in the YLHZHUVKLS RI WKH )(,¡V VRFLDO DQG RQOLQH FKDQQHOV LQ DORQH On Facebook and Instagram, the federationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s accounts have seen IROORZHU JURZWK RI DQG per cent respectively.

6LPLODUO\ )(, 79 ² WKH federationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s over-the-top (OTT) subscription service launched as IDU EDFN DV ² KDV SURYLGHG FRPPHUFLDO SDUWQHUV ZLWK RSSRUWXQLWLHV WR HQJDJH ZLWK WKH sportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s digital-savvy community.

According to Straus, the equestrian community is more technophile WKDQ WUDGLWLRQDOLVW ZKLFK SURYLGHV PRUH WKDQ D KLQW DV WR ZKHUH WKH future lies for the sport.

Driving is one of seven disciplines governed by the FEI

´7KH ZRUOG LV FKDQJLQJ ZLWK technology and innovation,â&#x20AC;? Straus states. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening in the arena, providing information, digital screen graphics, additional VWDWLVWLFV DQG DQDO\VLV RQ KRZ WKH KRUVH LV MXPSLQJ DQG KRZ LW¡V landing after the jump can all be LPSURYHG ZLWK WHFKQRORJ\ â&#x20AC;&#x153;It can be used for fan enhancement, for analysis, to increase the sportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance.

Around the sport, there are GHĂ&#x20AC;QLWHO\ D ORW RI LQQRYDWLRQV DQG changes that can be made. ´:H DUH ZRUNLQJ ZLWK 6$3 DW WKH moment to develop an e-judging OHDJXH ZKHUH ZH JLYH SHRSOH WKH chance to judge dressage via an app ² ERWK RQ VLWH DQG UHPRWHO\ Âľ Indeed, tradition is by no means a criticism to be levied upon a sport steeped in history, nor is it a barrier to developing innovative sponsorship opportunities. The )(,¡V SDUWQHUVKLS ZLWK 6$3 WKH *HUPDQ EDVHG VRIWZDUH corporation, is just one of a number of commercial deals signed by the federation as it seeks to WUDQVIRUP LWV RZQ % % UHSXWDWLRQ ZKLOH UHPDLQLQJ Ă&#x20AC;UPO\ DWWDFKHG WR its unique heritage.

One of these, he explains, is the arrival of an esports game on the equestrian scene - a pairing that ZRXOG VHHP DQ XQOLNHO\ Ă&#x20AC;W EDVHG

solely on antiquated perceptions RI WKH VSRUW 1HYHUWKHOHVV ZLWK GLVFXVVLRQV RQJRLQJ ZLWK D SDUWQHU in China - a huge market not only for the FEI, but also for the JDPLQJ ZRUOG LW LV D GHDO WKDW makes perfect sense. ´,W LV GHĂ&#x20AC;QLWHO\ VRPHWKLQJ WKDW ZH ZDQW WR GR Âľ DGPLWV 6WUDXV ZKR ZRUNHG RQ WKH ODXQFK RI WKH )LID eWorld Cup during a previous role at soccerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s global governing body. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our Chinese partner - CNSI is developing an esports game DURXQG HTXHVWULDQ ZKLFK ZLOO EH launched in China early next year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Depending on the uptake LQ &KLQD ZH DUH ORRNLQJ DW opportunities to launch this in RWKHU SDUWV RI WKH ZRUOG (VSRUWV LQ HTXHVWULDQ LV GHĂ&#x20AC;QLWHO\ VRPHWKLQJ WKDW ZH DUH YHU\ DFWLYHO\ ORRNLQJ DW ,W ZLOO EH ODXQFKLQJ VRRQ Âľ ,W LV SHUKDSV D Ă&#x20AC;WWLQJ ambition for a federation that has placed great emphasis on the modernisation of its commercial, digital and content strategies. +DYLQJ IRFXVHG RQ GLYLGLQJ equestrian into its seven distinct GLVFLSOLQHV WKH )(, LV QRZ ZHOO SRVLWLRQHG WR EHQHĂ&#x20AC;W $V 6WUDXV emphasises, his is a sport on the rise: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think those are the three key REMHFWLYHV DQG ZH KDYH GHYHORSHG D QXPEHU RI VWUHDPV WKURXJK ZKLFK to implement them.â&#x20AC;?

SportsPro Magazine | 107

COMPANY PROFILE SCOOPA

Keeping up with the times Released in January 2017, Scoopa has built its business on distributing video content such as highlight shows and news releases to rights holders quicker than ever before. Managing director Rene Alles explains why the company’s centralised cloud platform could transform the sports media industry.

“

W

e believe that news needs to be new.” Those are the first words of Rene Alles, managing director of Scoopa, as he explains the German cloud technology company’s unique capacity to influence the media rights industry.

Scoopa possesses what – on the surface, at least – seems a straightforward plan. It is, in essence, a delivery service for large-file video content; a service provider offering broadcasters a means of accessing and transferring their licensed assets, and a platform for rights holders to create online content archives, secure their footage and, hence, protect their legacies.

However, it is the speed and reliability of Scoopa’s service that sets it apart. While content delivery is by no means a novel concept, the platform enables rights holders to download high-resolution, broadcast-quality content in one click. Once signed up to receive a particular set of assets, the technology then automatically

Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge breaks the marathon world record

Scoopa’s platform in action at this year’s BMW Berlin Marathon

108 | www.sportspromedia.com

notifies all relevant holders by email of content without the need to download items repeatedly.

In comparing the technology to Dutch-based computer file transfer service WeTransfer, Alles highlights the crucial difference between the pair. “Once you receive that email with the available download, that is then yours forever,” he says. “The big thing with Scoopa to understand is that you are not transfering content and making uploads and downloads on both ends over and over again.

You do one upload to our system and just share the content. You can manage the full archive with your smartphone. Also, there is no limitation on the size of any piece of content that comes through.

We even have terabyte files on the platform.”

It is this that provides Scoopa’s most inimitable of selling points: the ability to merge the downloading of enormous file sizes with a speed that permits almost immediate use for broadcasters,

all solely through the use of the internet. It is, among other things, a rejection of the ‘old-school’ and the antiquated – a modern-day, rapidfire alternative to satellite transfers, ftp-servers, mountainous hard drives, and expensive and arduous deliveries of large amounts of data.

The thinking behind Scoopa’s business plan comes down to what Alles sees as a need for speed.

“Sports organisers and federations have to fight for their airtime to get reached, to get their content on their different platforms,” he says. “They have to give their broadcasters and their media partners the content that they require without any hassle and without any complicated workflows as quickly as possible. This is the most complex part of any rights deal.”

It is this complexity that Scoopa seeks to mitigate. Alles uses the example of this year’s BMW Berlin Marathon to highlight the role that his company is already playing in the almost instantaneous provision of large-file video content.

“Scoopa was in use to bring all the non-live content – nationally and internationally – with highlights to all the broadcasters,” he says.

“Marathon running is a sport where watching it live is nice but, really, most people just want to see the one minute where [Eliud] Kipchoge crosses the finishing line. We had hundreds of broadcasters taking the content minutes after it had happened at the same time.

“If this is done by a regular server, it will burn! You might have a 500 megabyte line in this server, but if you divide that by 100, it suddenly takes hours to take down a five gigabyte file. With Scoopa though, it is unlimited. This is what is possible today. You can go to our website and just click a button to start a platform for just €69.99 per month.

“For example, Eliud Kipchoge crosses the line at the Berlin Marathon on Sunday at 11:11am EST. At 11:14am, on a news website, they had the first content online – just three minutes after the world record had been beaten.”

As Alles is keen to stress, Scoopa is one of many media distribution platforms on the market. However, he says, its capacity to supply high-resolution content directly to a centralised cloud for rights holders to manage is a key differentiator.

What’s more, by removing the need for costly software and technical assistance, its product streamlines workflows for a whole host of clients, including Infront, the sports marketing agency that has already signed a deal with the company to use its platform at each of its events.

Crucial to Scoopa’s success so far has been Alles’ own understanding of the broadcast landscape, as well as an appreciation of the fluidity and portable nature of the industry, he says. As a result, the platform ensures that if a client were to lose internet connectivity midway through their file transfer, there is no need to restart the process.

“We recognise your file and recognise the fact that 50 per cent or whatever amount is already uploaded and it takes it on from there so you don’t have to start

again,” Alles explains. “This is one of the key things. For example, if you have an ENG [electronic newsgathering] crew doing interviews for a sports broadcaster, in the past they would have a centralised truck in a compound. Now, you can run into the press room where there tends to be good internet connection and you can use that to begin the upload of the interview.

“Ten minutes later, if it hasn’t already been uploaded to the cloud and someone tells you that you have to jump into the taxi to head to the airport, you have to take out the LAN card cable. You would then come back into Scoopa via LTE. You might have a completely different IP address but you just succeed with the last gigabytes of your upload.

“Crucially, it is all centralised – you are not sending the content into the stadium or to the broadcaster, but to one central cloud.”

Once on the hub, uploaded content is stored there permanently and can then be sent out to clients within seconds at the tick of a box.

When that client’s box is ticked, all coverage relevant to the particular rights holder is sent automatically alongside an email to confirm receipt.

From there, the coverage is available for the client to download, own and distribute freely to its platforms.

To highlight the benefits of the service, Alles shares the experience of German television broadcaster ARD. “For example,” he says, “the 8pm news might be coming from Hamburg, the high noon magazine show comes from Berlin and the morning magazine show comes from Cologne. The concept is that once the content – an interview with Joachim Loew, let’s say – is up on the cloud, everyone will get an email so that content can go all around the country to the different programmes.”

The speed at which the whole process occurs is what Alles believes will push Scoopa to the forefront of the industry. As the focus on immediacy becomes everheightened in sports broadcasting, he says, Scoopa’s service may well prove essential.

Scoopa managing director Rene Alles

“Once the content has been uploaded once onto the cloud, you don’t need to move the large files any more – they are there, they are stored there,” he states. “If you were to ask me now for a complete high-resolution match from May featuring Alex Zverev to be sent to your email address, I could set up an account in the BMW Open platform and put a tick in the box next to your name and you would receive an email with a copy of the final recording of the Zverev match, with it all ready for download and you are then able to download 200 gigabytes of tennis.”

Contact Scoopa Email: rene@scoopa.com Phone: +49 221 337 4471 Visit: www.scoopa.com

SportsPro Magazine | 109

FEATURE THE MAIDEN FACTOR

A second wind Once a symbol of one of the most unlikely success stories in sailingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history, Maiden was found abandoned and decaying in the Seychelles in 2014. Now, after a rescue mission supported by HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, the yacht has been given a new lease of life and is set to embark on yet another round-the-world voyage equipped with a powerful message.

By Sam Carp

110 | www.sportspromedia.com

A â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;

ppalledâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is the word that British sailor Tracy Edwards uses to describe her reaction when she learned that Maiden had been abandoned in a marina in the Indian Ocean back in 2014. Battered, bruised and rotting away, the once majestic 58-foot yacht had been reduced to a relic of what it once was, LWV VDLOV QRW VR PXFK Ă XWWHULQJ LQ WKH ZLQG DV WKH\ ZHUH Ă RXQGHULQJ Rewind 25 years from that unsavoury discovery and Maiden was a symbol of hope, courage and unlikely triumph. It was then, LQ WKDW (GZDUGV OHG WKH Ă&#x20AC;UVW all-female crew to second place in the Whitbread Round the World Race, causing what she describes as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;collective dropping of jawsâ&#x20AC;? among the male-dominated sailing community. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What Maiden really did was it allowed people to dare to dream,â&#x20AC;? says Edwards. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just about women sailing around the world, it was about showing that if you believe in something and you work hard and you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give up and you have the support and strength of people around you, then anything is possible. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It took womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sailing and womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sport forward a long way, and it made some big differences â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it made people think, which was the most important thing.â&#x20AC;?

The journey to success, however, was far from straightforward.

Edwards set out on her sailing career as a stewardess on a charter boat before taking part in the 1985/86

Whitbread aboard a vessel called the Atlantic Privateer. It was at that point that she started to question why, in a Ă&#x20AC;HOG RI ERDWV DQG VDLORUV RQO\ four crew members were female.

Edwards then announced her intentions to enter a team of female yachtswomen into the next edition of the round-the-world event, but with no shortage of disbelievers DQG H[WHUQDO Ă&#x20AC;QDQFLDO VXSSRUW QRW forthcoming, her vision was in danger of crashing into the shore before having a chance to reach its peak. That was, however, until a chance meeting with the late HM King Hussein of Jordan. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I met HM King Hussein before I took off on the 1985/86 race,â&#x20AC;? explains Edwards. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was very instrumental when I said I wanted to enter an all-female crew and he was really encouraging and telling me that I must do it for gender equality. He was so ahead of his time in that sense and such an extraordinary man.â&#x20AC;?

Clearly seeing the potential of Edwardsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; mission, HM King Hussein organised funding from Royal Jordanian Airlines to help her purchase a second-hand, ten-year-old yacht called Prestige, which would later come to be known as Maiden. The rest, as WKH\ VD\ LV KLVWRU\ 2Q UHĂ HFWLRQ LW ZDV WKDW FUXFLDO Ă&#x20AC;QDQFLDO VXSSRUW which enabled Edwards and her teammates to record what was not only a sporting success, but a victory for aspiring female athletes everywhere.

Tracy Edwards (centre) led the ďŹ rst all-female crew to second place in the 1989/90 Whitbread Round the World Race

SportsPro Magazine | 111

FEATURE THE MAIDEN FACTOR

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thanks to HM King Husseinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support, it was Royal Jordanian Airlines who came in as our sponsor, because no one in Britain would sponsor us,â&#x20AC;? says Edwards. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Then, of course, we went to the Whitbread, we won two legs and FDPH VHFRQG RYHUDOO VR ZH MXVWLĂ&#x20AC;HG everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s faith in us.â&#x20AC;?

Today, with Maiden once again in need of rescuing, it is a familiar source coming to the boatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aid.

One of the young women inspired by the achievement of Edwards and her comrades was HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, the daughter of HM King Hussein.

Now, just like her father did, she has facilitated the refurbishment of Maiden so that it can be restored to its iconic status and continue to spread the same ethos it stood for three decades ago.

Indeed, Edwards reveals that even after a successful crowdfunding bid to reacquire Maiden, it remained a mystery as to how the boat was physically going to be returned to the UK. Since its desertion in the Seychelles, the yacht had fallen into such disrepair that it couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be sailed, while there still wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enough money to transport it back aboard a cargo ship. It was then, upon catching wind of Maidenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plight, that HRH Princess Haya picked up the phone. â&#x20AC;&#x153;HRH Princess Haya called me and said: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;how can I help?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;,â&#x20AC;? recalls

112 | www.sportspromedia.com

Edwards. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She became part of the team and has taken over where her father left off which is quite an extraordinary story really. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so passionate about everything we believe in, which is the empowerment of women. Maiden very much represents that, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s taking it to another level now.â&#x20AC;?

And it would be fair to say that there are few people whose values align as closely with what Maiden stands for than those of HRH Princess Haya. A former athlete herself, HRH Princess Haya was the Ă&#x20AC;UVW ZRPDQ WR UHSUHVHQW KHU QDWLYH Jordan in international equestrian sport and claimed a bronze medal at the Pan-Arab Equestrian Games

HRH Princess Haya (centre) visits the refurbished Maiden alongside Prince Charles and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall

Maiden returns to the UK in poor condition after being abandoned in the Indian Ocean

in 1992. She later became president of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) and a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). HRH Princess Haya has also long championed the belief that sport has the power to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;improve lives, empower women and break down barriers between people and nationsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

The manifestation of that belief comes in the form of Anything is Possible, a global initiative launched

by HRH Princess Haya in 2017 which aims to inspire individuals to overcome challenges and achieve their potential through sport.

And it is under that banner that Maiden is embarking on a multiyear global tour to raise funds for The Maiden Factor foundation, a new fundraising scheme that will tap into the vesselâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historic story to spread awareness for girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; education around the world. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were lucky enough to do what we did, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done our bit, now we want to do what we can to help the next generation make sure that they get further ahead than us earlier,â&#x20AC;? explains Edwards. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want this process to keep grinding on, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m passionate about girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; education, so we said why donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we use Maiden to promote awareness and raise money for girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; education and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kind of how the whole project grew.â&#x20AC;?

For Edwards, it is almost impossible to ignore the symmetry between the two scenarios which stirred the contributions of HM King Hussein back in the 1980s and those of his daughter now. As she explains, such continuity and understanding has been pivotal to getting Maidenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest venture off the ground. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really important that we have someone who really gets it and is with us for the right reasons,â&#x20AC;? says Edwards. â&#x20AC;&#x153;HRH Princess Haya is very hands on. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got this wonderful enthusiasm for all humanitarian work, and quite IUDQNO\ , GRQ¡W NQRZ KRZ VKH Ă&#x20AC;WV everything she does into one day â&#x20AC;&#x201C; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quite extraordinary. She has a real sense of duty, and just an

empathy and a passion for human rights and humanitarian causes, and girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; education is one of those.â&#x20AC;?

Maidenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission is one that clearly resonates with royalty in the UK, too. Ahead of the yachtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s imminent departure, HRH Princess Haya welcomed Prince Charles and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, to view the refurbished boat and to meet the charity tour crew.

Edwards also points out that when 0DLGHQ Ă&#x20AC; UVW VHW VDLO DOO WKRVH \HDUV ago, it carried a note from HM King Hussein - â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;With faith, honour and courage, anything is possibleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Nearly \HDUV RQ ZKHQ DQ HLJKW VWURQJ crew sets off from Southampton at the end of this year, the message will remain very much consistent with what it was back then. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t changed at all really,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;HRH Princess Haya says if somethingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth doing once then itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth doing again, and I think sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s absolutely right. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The message then, as it is now, is if you have a voice, use it. If you can stand up for other people, do that; if you can be anything, be kind; and if you can advance equality of all people then do it, because for HM King Hussein it was very much across the board; it was religion, ethnicity, culture, education and gender. His vision was for total equality for everyone, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the message that Maiden WRRN DURXQG \HDUV DJR DQG itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not hugely different from the message weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re taking around the world today.â&#x20AC;?

6RPHZKDW Ă&#x20AC; WWLQJO\ WKH Ă&#x20AC; UVW VWRS on Maidenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s global tour will be -RUGDQ PDUNLQJ WKH \DFKW¡V Ă&#x20AC; UVW HYHU visit to the docks of a country that

Maiden is set to embark on a global tour promoting girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; education

HM King Hussein funded Maidenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ rst round-theworld voyage

has played such a pivotal role in its journey. The boat will be making stopovers in locations around the world, including India, Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, the US, South Africa and various destinations in South America. At each stop, working with a number of partner charities, the crew will be meeting community-led and femalefocused programmes to promote girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; rights to education. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our focus is on girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; education, EHFDXVH ZH EHOLHYH LI WKH PLOOLRQ girls around the world who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t currently have an education had 12 years of quality education, then it would solve pretty much all of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s problems,â&#x20AC;? asserts Edwards. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a hugely important message.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s evolved and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s changed, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very much the same â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you cannot have equality with 50 per cent of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population not having the same education. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yes, our main aim is we are fundraising as we go around for our foundation, which funds a number of partner charities that get girls into education, but for us itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also about awareness, and Maidenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great way of raising awareness: sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of huge interest, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s famous already and sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a huge boat as well, so you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really miss her as sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coming in somewhere. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our message is that everyone in HYHU\ FRXQWU\ VKRXOG EH Ă&#x20AC; JKWLQJ IRU

girls to have an education because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to all of us.â&#x20AC;?

Edwards is also keen to highlight WKDW FRPSDUHG WR \HDUV DJR at least, Maiden is now receiving support from an unlikely source. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The involvement of men has changed the face of what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re GRLQJ Âľ VKH VD\V ´ \HDUV DJR PHQ were saying either â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or Âś, GRQ¡W FDUH¡ EXW \HDUV ODWHU WKH support we have from men who are leading the conversation in some areas is so important. As women, to keep looking in the mirror and having the same conversation with ourselves, we had to have the other 50 per cent of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population involved, and I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the great difference and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an amazing difference.â&#x20AC;?

Whether there can be a tangible measure of success for Maidenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest voyage remains to be seen â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially given that just getting the yacht to this point has been a triumph in itself. For Edwards, though, the goal is very much clear. ´,W ZRXOG EH WR UDLVH D VLJQLĂ&#x20AC; FDQW amount of money as we go around DQG Ă&#x20AC; QLVK ZLWK D ORW PRUH SHRSOH understanding what we need to do to get girls the right education,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Awareness is everything; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just the easy social media stuff that gets shared and people forget about it. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a real deep understanding of what we need to do, so that for me would be success.â&#x20AC;?

SportsPro Magazine | 113

COMPANY PROFILE PHENIX

Phenix rising Sports fans are watching more digital video than ever, yet subpar online viewing experiences are keeping many consumers tied to traditional broadcast packages. As rights holders continue to grapple with the challenge of providing high-quality live streams to large audiences with near-zero latency, Chicago-based Phenix claims to have solved one of the industry’s most pressing problems.

L

atency is a common headache for online video providers. Today’s consumers expect a live viewing experience that is on par with, if not better than, broadcast, and they rarely hesitate to publicly express their disgruntlement if they experience anything less, damaging service provider reputations and, perhaps worse still, leading to loss of viewers and revenue.

As recent events have shown, delays between the live event and the online stream are the bane of the over-the-top (OTT) streaming industry. High-profile cases of ‘live’ streams lagging up to a minute behind broadcast, as well as persistent incidences of rebuffering and outages during major events like the Fifa World Cup, the Super Bowl and the US Open tennis tournament, have highlighted

116 | www.sportspromedia.com

Jed Corenthal, chief marketing officer at Chicagobased tech company Phenix

the challenges that remain for operators distributing content over the internet. Those challenges have underlined why many in the industry believe ultra-low latency will be the key differentiator for content providers in future, and have in turn given rise to a growing number of companies and solutions that profess to have solved the challenge of providing broadcastlike streams to large audiences.

“That’s the impetus for what we’ve done and that’s what we’ve built,” says Jed Corenthal, the chief marketing officer at Phenix, a Chicago-based streaming technology company. “It’s scaleable real-time streaming around the world, with users all watching at the same time, regardless of their connection or their device.”

Phenix is certainly not the only company claiming to have solved the complex problem of delivering live video and data with subsecond latency globally and at broadcast scale. Yet its proprietary solution differs from others on the market in important ways. While traditional streaming formats such as HLS or HTTP Live Streaming break video into small segments or ‘chunks’ that must be buffered prior to playback, the Phenix platform utilises data packets that facilitate the transfer of video at ultra-fast speeds. Supported by all the major browsers - including Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge and Opera - and compatible with the vast majority of devices, the technology is integrated within the company’s private fibre network rather than

the public internet, which Corenthal says helps increase throughput and minimise packet loss.

“As far as we know,” he adds, “there’s nobody who’s been able to stream at half-second or less, reach millions of people in sync, and adapt to each end user’s network conditions. We separate ourselves by providing the whole system that works out of the box. We can stream to many people in sync regardless of device in near real-time, a halfsecond latency or less, end-to-end.”

Phenix was co-founded in 2013 by private investor Scott Paseltiner and Stefan Birrer, a software architect and entrepreneur who earned a PhD in computer science from Northwestern University, where he researched and published a number of papers on live streaming algorithms. After graduating, Swiss-born Birrer cut his software engineering teeth working on video and real-time data projects for major tech companies including Skype, IBM and Rabbit Inc. He also helped build Barclays’ chat system for their global trading platform.

“That’s where the idea for Phenix came from,” says Corenthal. “The idea was basically to provide a platform that would stream content in real-time but be able to stream that content to millions and millions of people simultaneously, which, certainly at the time that he was thinking about this, had not been even conceived of, let alone accomplished.”

Though headquartered in Chicago, Phenix now employs a workforce of nearly two-dozen

technology specialists that spans both US coasts, with a development team based in Kiev, Ukraine. To date, the company has raised around US$8 million in both seed and Series A financing. Applications for its technology include live sporting events, online gambling, online gaming, and anywhere else where speed matters. The Phenix platform also supports integrated real-time data, making it possible to create interactive and more immersive live online experiences.

“We are purely a backend provider; we are a B2B player so we’re not a consumer-facing company, at least not at this point,” explains Corenthal. “Our goal is to license our technology to anyone and everyone who is streaming sports, esports, sports betting, auctions, news - anywhere where speed and broadcast-sized audiences are important. Those are the verticals that we’re focusing on mostly because of the desire and the need for real-time streaming at scale.

“Imagine if you’re watching a golf match and something pops up on your screen that says ‘will Tiger Woods make this putt?’ You have not a long time to place a bet, if you want to do that, before he sets up and putts. The providers of today really don’t have the technology capable of doing something like that. In fact, one of the things that we’ve learned is a lot of the betting houses in Europe have to close their bets sooner than they would like to because of the latency.

“Paddy Power Betfair, Bet365 and William Hill and all these other guys are potentially losing revenue because they can’t take bets up until the very last second. That’s what we’re trying to solve and that’s what we’re trying to do: make people aware that there is a technology that now exists that can handle that.

“That’s also the biggest challenge that we have - there’s an education.

Most people are so used to the way it is that they don’t realise that what we do exists and works. But we have clients in the trivia space, we have clients in sports and esports that are

all using the technology. So it does work and it’s proven to scale reliably.

Our mission is to just make people aware that this technology is out there for them to use.”

Corenthal is so confident in the power of Phenix’s modular solution that he insists the technology is capable of handling just about any problem even the biggest live sports properties could throw at it - events like last year’s much-hyped boxing bout between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor, for example.

“There’s no limit to what we can do,” he adds. “It’s not limited by us, it’s limited by how many people they can get to stream the content.

“We’re talking to some of the bigger sports properties around the world like in India, where you’re talking about five, seven, eight, ten million people are streaming cricket matches and things of that nature. I think that it’s not really up to us, it’s up to them.”

But dealing with large audiences is only one benefit of the solution.

What makes Phenix’s technology more powerful than most, says Corenthal, is that it is robust and agile enough to withstand unexpected spikes in traffic at any given moment. He explains that the secret lies in what the company calls ‘flash crowd elasticity’, which automatically provisions resources in a matter of seconds to handle large numbers of viewers joining popular streams without interruption.

“For example,” he continues, “there have been streams of the World Cup or the Super Bowl where more users came on than was expected and everybody that was streaming lost their stream. With us, that wouldn’t happen. What would happen is the first million people, let’s say, that were streaming would continue to stream - they would see no difference at all - and then the next group of people that came on would probably get a message that would say ‘hang on for a few seconds while we provision the resources’.

“Then, within a matter of seconds, the streams would start for them as well without the platform crashing

and without that million people previous losing their stream. That’s a big difference.”

Another point of difference is Phenix’s unconventional pricing model, says Corenthal. “Where we differ from traditional CDN pricing, which charges by the gigabyte, we charge per viewer minute,” he continues. “We do that for a number of reasons. One is, typically with CDN pricing you start out with a contract at the beginning of the year and then things change during the course of the year, whether it be more usage or increasing bitrates, different global or regional things that you do, and by the end you’re renegotiating your contract, which happens fairly often.

“With us, by charging per viewer minute, we alleviate all those problems. The cost doesn’t change regardless of the region, so if you’re streaming in the US or Europe or Asia, it’s the same price. There’s no renegotiation at the end of the year because your bitrate changed, things of that nature.”

For those content owners still trying to crack the problem of poor latency, scaleability and quality, Phenix has a proven solution. The company’s conversion rate from those who demo the platform is “extremely high”, says Corenthal, with dozens of companies having trialled the technology.

“We have some unique technology and there are some unique things that we’ve built based on our experience over the course of many, many years working in video and trading,” he adds. “We’re sort of like a trading platform for video in a way. We’ve got the experience to do what this market is looking for and we’re doing it. This isn’t a concept; this is a proven technology that works.”

Contact Phenix Email: info@phenixrts.com Phone: +1 (312) 801-5535 Visit: www.phenixrts.com

SportsPro Magazine | 117

DEALS REVIEW

DEALS REVIEW Sports industry deal-making highlights from August and September 2018

Formula One relaxes betting stance with US$100 million ISG deal Formula One has reversed its stance on betting deals with owners Liberty Media signing a contract with Interregional Sports Group (ISG), a London-based marketing agency, for the motorsport series’ global rights to gambling sponsorships.

According to the Financial Times, the deal calls for ISG to pay Formula One US$100 million over five years, with the cash to be paid up front. In return, the company will be granted the right to strike a series of separate

deals with betting companies in different markets around the world.

The move will see gambling firms have a physical presence at Formula One racetracks for the first time in nearly 40 years, ending a blanket ban implemented by former owner Bernie Ecclestone, who refused to accept backing from betting companies on the basis that they would tarnish the sport’s image.

Now, gambling operators will be given the opportunity to have their brands promoted

on trackside electronic billboards, on-screen graphics during TV broadcasts and through integration across the series’ digital and social platforms.

In addition, the first-of-its-kind partnership for Formula One will see ISG and sports data firm Sportradar work to develop new in-play betting markets during Grands Prix. The series will also benefit from Sportradar’s integrity services to help protect it against betting-related matchfixing and corruption.

La Liga signs landmark deal to take league matches to United States La Liga, the top flight of Spanish club soccer, has announced that it will hold competitive league fixtures in the United States.

The plan, which is part of a joint venture between La Liga and Relevent Sports, a US sports and entertainment company backed by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, has been designed in order to secure greater worldwide revenue streams through sponsorship and media rights deals in North America.

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Under the terms of the 15-year agreement, it is anticipated that the partnership will grow in time, with an increasing number of Spanish teams playing matches in the US in the coming years. The scheme has been seen as a move

by La Liga to challenge the popularity of other leagues, most notably English soccer’s Premier League, which is widely watched in the US. Despite some strong opposition to the move, the first game is expected to see reigning champions FC Barcelona take on Girona in Miami in early 2019.

Eleven Sports snaps up UFC rights in UK and Ireland Global broadcaster Eleven Sports has confirmed that it has secured the rights to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in the UK and Ireland.

The multi-year deal, which starts in 2019, gives Eleven coverage of all 42 live UFC events next year, along with more than 150 hours of original and archive programming.

Eleven said that it also has the option to make some events from the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion available in partnership with other broadcast platforms. The company added that fight nights shown on its own service will be made available on-demand after the event.

The deal, which was first reported in July, sees Eleven replace pay-TV operator BT Sport as the home of the UFC in the UK and Ireland, ending a relationship which dates back to 2013.

NBA and MLB stars to appear in Budweiser ads after AB InBev deal

Facebook snaffles Champions League rights in Latin America Uefa has announced a rights deal with Facebook in Latin America that will see the social media giant stream a selection of Champions League matches in Spanishspeaking territories for the next three years.

Facebook’s package, which covers the cycle from 2018 until 2021, includes exclusive free-toair rights to 32 live matches each season from European club soccer’s top-tier competition, including the final and Uefa Super Cup. Live games will be shown on the official Uefa Champions League Facebook page, while the coverage will be supported by Wednesday highlights and magazine programmes which will be shared each match-week on the platform.

“As the largest online social media platform globally, Facebook will ensure wide-ranging freeto-air coverage of the world’s most prestigious club competition,” said Uefa marketing director Guy-Laurent Epstein. “We look forward to the launch of this new partnership that will ensure the large community of local football fans is reached in a highly innovative and accessible manner.”

Budweiser parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) has struck new deals with the players unions of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Major League Baseball (MLB) to use players from both leagues in its marketing campaigns.

The American brewer has overcome decades of resistance to the use of athletes in alcohol commercials to gain the right to use NBA and MLB player names and imagery in advertising for the first time in around 60 years.

The deal means that uniformed NBA and MLB players can be shown in Budweiser ads featuring game footage and athletes speaking directly to the camera, although they will not be shown holding or drinking beer.

While the National Football League (NFL) specifically prohibits putting active players in beer ads, the NBA and MLB do not have set rules banning their players from doing so, although both have previously been reluctant to permit the practice.

“One of our key initiatives is to make sure our brands are more relevant,” said Marcel Marcondes, chief marketing officer for AB InBev US, speaking to SportsBusiness Daily. “We needed to evolve the way we work together with leagues.

“Being able to show players in uniform allows us to do very specific local campaigns no one else can do - and local relevance is crucial.”

For more information on these deals and daily updates from across the sports industry, visit www.sportspromedia.com

SportsPro Magazine | 121

DEALS SECTION TEXT HERE DIRECTORY

DIRECTORY OF SPONSORSHIP DEALS Signed in August and September 2018 IOC confirms long-term Allianz deal The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has confirmed the addition of German insurance giant Allianz to its Worldwide Olympic Partner (TOP) sponsorship programme. The eight-year deal, which will be activated in 2021 and run through to 2028, will see Allianz work with the IOC to provide insurance solutions that will support the organising committees of the Olympic Games, as well as National Olympic Committees and their teams and athletes around the world. Financial terms of the tie-up were not confirmed, but the IOC was thought to be seeking US$200 million per quadrennial, or US$50 million per year, for inclusion in its premium sponsorship category. “This new partnership demonstrates the global appeal and strength of the Olympic Movement, and we are delighted to be working together in the long term with Allianz to support sport around the world,” said IOC president Thomas Bach.

“Allianz also has a strong sporting heritage and, in line with Olympic Agenda 2020, we share a digital ambition of connecting with young people around the world to promote the Olympic values and the power of sport.”

Length of contract: 8 years Annualised value: US$50 million Overall value: US$400 million Sport: Olympics

MLS and Audi announce partnership extension

Clemson Tigers seal US$58 million Nike extension

Major League Soccer (MLS) has announced a four-year extension of its partnership with German automobile manufacturer Audi. As part of the deal, which Forbes says is likely to worth in excess of US$10 million annually, the carmaker will remain as the league’s official automotive partner and title sponsor of the season-ending Audi MLS Cup Playoffs until 2022. Audi will also continue to produce real-time statistical analysis of all MLS fixtures using the Audi Player Index.

Length of contract: 4 years Annualised value: US$10 million Overall value: US$40 million Sport: Soccer

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) division one team Clemson Tigers have announced a ten-year extension of their partnership with US sportswear giant Nike.

The deal, which covers footwear, apparel and equipment, is valued at a total of US$58 million, more than doubling the annual value of the previous agreement between the two parties.

Length of contract: 10 years Annualised value: US$5.8 million Overall value: US$58 million Sport: College sports

Atlanta Hawks pen US$175m arena naming rights deal The National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Atlanta Hawks have announced a 20-year arena naming rights deal with insurance firm State Farm. According to local television station WSB-TV, the agreement is worth a whopping US$175 million, meaning the franchise will recoup the majority of the US$192.5 million it recently spent on renovating the 18,000-seater arena. The deal, which will see the venue renamed the State Farm Arena, ends the Hawks’ relationship with electronics giant Philips, which opted not to renew its agreement after paying US$185 million for the naming rights over the past 20 years.

Length of contract: 20 years Annualised value: US$8.75 million Overall value: US$175 million Sport: Basketball

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German insurer Allianz is now a worldwide partner of the Olympic and Paralympic movements

Nascar team Hendrick Motorsports and their Cup Series driver Chase Elliott will be sponsored by US restaurant chain Hooters until 2021

Australian Open adds Piper-Heidsieck as champagne partner

SAFA announces five-year OUTsurance tie-up

Tennis Australia has announced a three-year partnership making French brand Piper-Heidsieck the official champagne provider of the Australian Open tennis tournament in a deal worth a reported US$3.7 million. The contract starts with the 2019 edition of the Grand Slam and also marks PiperHeidsieck’s first major deal in professional sport.

Length of contract: 3 years Annualised value: US$1.2 million Overall value: US$3.7 million Sport: Tennis

The South African Football Association (SAFA) has announced a new five-year agreement with OUTsurance. The ZAR50 million (US$3.5 million) deal will see the financial services company become the first ever match official sponsor in all competitions organised by South African soccer’s governing body.

Length of contract: 5 years Annualised value: US$700,000 Overall Value: US$3.5 million Sport: Soccer

India’s BKT buys Coupe de la Ligue title sponsorship

Chase Elliott books in with Hooters until 2021

The French Football League (LFP), the organising body for club soccer in France, has announced BKT as the new title sponsor of the Coupe de la Ligue knockout competition. BKT, an Indian manufacturer of off-road tyres, will lend its name to the domestic cup property for the next six seasons, up until 2024. From now on, the competition will be known as ‘Coupe de la Ligue BKT’. According to French daily newspaper L’Equipe, the partnership will see the LFP net €3 million (US$3.5 million) each year.

Length of contract: 6 years Annualised value: US$3.5 million Overall value: US$21 million Sport: Soccer

Stock car racing team Hendrick Motorsports have extended and expanded their partnership with US restaurant chain Hooters. The threeyear deal, which runs until the end of the 2021 Nascar Cup Series season, will see Hooters up its primary sponsorship of Chase Elliott’s number nine Chevrolet Camaro team from two races to three events each year. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but based on similar deals in Nascar, Hooters is likely to be paying anything between US$1.2 million and US$2.4 million each year.

Length of contract: 3 years Annualised value: US$1.8 million Overall value: US$5.4 million Sport: Motorsport

Luis Suarez signs UK£1 million Puma deal Uruguayan soccer star Luis Suarez has announced that he has swapped Adidas for rival German sports apparel giant Puma as his sportswear sponsor. The Barcelona striker revealed the UK£1 million per year deal in an animated video posted on his official Twitter account. The 31-year-old had previously been partnered with Adidas for more than a decade, but talks over a new deal had stalled, with Suarez playing in blacked out boots featuring no sponsors during friendly matches over the summer.

Length of contract: 1 year Annualised value: US$1.3 million Overall value: US$1.3 million Sport: Soccer

UCLA pen ten-year Wescom deal Financial firm Wescom has entered into a tenyear partnership with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The multifaceted deal, which totals US$38 million, will see Wescom become the official banking partner of UCLA Athletics, as well as the presenting sponsor of Pauley Pavilion, the home of the UCLA Bruins men’s and women’s basketball teams.

Length of contract: 10 years Annualised value: US$3.8 million Overall value: US$38 million Sport: College sports

SportsPro Magazine | 123

DEALS SECTION TEXT HERE INSIDE THE DEAL

Inside the deal:

Riot Games and Mastercard

In September Riot Games, the owners and organisers of the ultra-popular League of Legends (LOL) esports series, struck its first global partnership with payments company Mastercard.

The multi-year deal marked a significant step for LOL and, more broadly, esports, a rapidly maturing sector whose appeal for non-endemic brands continues to grow.

Under the terms of the agreement, Mastercard will sponsor LOL’s three annual tournaments: the Mid-Season Invitational, the All-Star event and the World Championship, including this October’s edition in South Korea.

Following the deal, SportsPro caught up with Riot Games’ head of esports partnerships Naz Aletaha to find out why the deal is significant, what the future holds for esports as a commercial proposition, and how Riot Games’ new franchising model for LOL is helping to maximise revenue potential.

What does the Mastercard deal bring to LOL and its fans?

Mastercard has a long history of bringing sports fans closer to their passions, as you can see through their partnerships with major sports properties like Major League Baseball (MLB), the PGA Tour, and the Uefa Champions League, to name a few. This is just the beginning of this landmark partnership, and we’ll be working side-by-side with Mastercard to dream up the most exciting experiences for the LOL esports community.

What does a partnership with a brand such as Mastercard say about where Riot Games and esports are at in their commercial development? Will these types of nonendemic partnerships become the norm in the future?

Our community, through their dedication and passion, has helped transform LOL into the global sport it is today, and it is that fervour at scale that has made long-term partnerships with world-class brands like Mastercard possible.

We see a bright future for how LOL esports can connect our players to brands they know and love, and we welcome partners, like Mastercard, who share our fan-first focus to join us in providing meaningful value and experiences to our fans worldwide.

Do you sense increasing commercial competition between your rivals in esports such as Overwatch, for example?

We’re excited about the growth of esports overall and the meaningful commitment that globally respected and recognised brands, like Mastercard, are making in the space. As a globally integrated sport, with 14 regional leagues across five continents that feed into multiple major global tournaments, and viewership that continues to grow, the LOL

124 | www.sportspromedia.com

esports ecosystem is primed for partners who want to get involved in impactful ways.

Our focus has been and will continue to be growing our sport in ways that keep the fan experience as the top priority, and we look forward to combining our efforts with partners to innovate on and elevate those experiences.

How much has the decision to implement a franchising model in LOL influenced your commercial strategy?

Changes like moving to a franchised model in some of our regions makes us even more excited about growing the commercial future of our sport, because we now have partners in our pro teams, and the sum of our parts makes for stronger partnership opportunities for sponsors.

When identifying opportunities for partnership, our guiding principle is to align with brands who share our fan-first philosophy and commitment to driving long-term value for the overall ecosystem.

This new partnership with Mastercard is a prime example of that approach coming to life, and we’re thrilled to have a best-in-class partner alongside us for our major global events over the next few years.

How closely will Riot Games be working with its franchises on commercial deals?

In our franchised leagues, we want to work very closely with teams to grow the economics of the league. This means not only collaborating with them to support league-wide partnerships, but also finding opportunities for them to build their own sponsorships. A healthy franchised league is built on cooperation and the aligned interests of both teams and league. We think partnerships like this are a win for the ecosystem as a whole.

This is the first global LOL esports sponsorship and is a significant moment in the continued evolution of LOL esports and the esports industry as a whole.

BE PAR T OF SOCCER ’S GROW TH IN THE AMERIC A S...

HIGHLIGHTED SPEAKERS

VICTOR MONTAGLIANI PRESIDENT, CONCACAF VICE PRESIDENT, FIFA

DON GARBER

COMMISSIONER MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

AMANDA DUFFY MANAGING DIRECTOR NWSL

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INDEX ISSUE 102

INSIGHT THE BRAND CONFERENCE

FEATURE EQUESTRIANISM

DESTINATION PROFILE QUEENSLAND

From the Gold standard horseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mouth This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Commonwealth Games successfully showcased the Australian city of Gold Coastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s major event hosting capabilities. Now, municipal authorities are out to position the entire state of Queensland as a world-class destination for international sport.

With the International Equestrian Federation having overhauled its commercial strategy to focus on each of the sportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seven disciplines, commercial director Ralph Straus explains the importance of the changes in expanding equestrianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oďŹ&#x20AC;ering to potential partners.

By Michael Long

The sun sets on Supercarsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Townsville 400

INDEX OF COMPANIES AND PEOPLE

I

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tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not what you see in the stadiums and the structures only, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what you feel,â&#x20AC;? says Tom Tate, the mayor of the City of Gold Coast. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The community feels that the pride of the city itself has moved forward, the reputation of the city, the status of being an international city - thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s come to fruition due to the legacy of the Commonwealth Games. You talk to Gold Coasters now and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re walking around with a spring in their steps, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve JRW FRQĂ&#x20AC; GHQFH ZKLFK PHDQV PRUH investments and more jobs for the next generation.â&#x20AC;?

The city of Gold Coast has always prided itself on its sunny disposition. A polished, purposebuilt place that radiates positivity at every turn, this gleaming metropolis on Queenslandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eastern coast was the physical embodiment of the Australian dream long before it hosted this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Commonwealth Games. The Gold Coast is, in

both character and demeanour, a cheery, glass-half-full town that invites every visitor to feel part of something bigger, and nowhere is its ingrained pursuit of selfimprovement more evident than in the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marathon.

Each year, thousands of elite road racers, amateur enthusiasts and charity fun-runners gather before dawn to celebrate their collective get-up-and-go, buoyed by the shared belief that personal development comes through running anything up to 41.195km.

When SportsPro awakes at 5.30am on a mild winter Saturday in late June - bleary-eyed after a gruelling 23-hour slog from the UK via Dubai, yet somehow compelled to tackle the 10k - the streets outside are a hive of activity. The sun will not rise over the taut Coral Sea for another hour yet hundreds of animated locals are already out in force, eagerly piling on to buses and trams as they make their way

through the early morning half-light to take part in one of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best-loved annual occasions.

Now in its 40th year, the Gold Coast Marathon has gone from strength to strength, expanding in line with the trajectory of one of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fastest-growing cities.

Originally founded as a suburban race to promote a local health awareness campaign, the marathon has blossomed into one of the premier road races in Australia and one of only two in the country to hold IAAF Gold Label status. In 2018, the race reached maximum FDSDFLW\ IRU WKH Ă&#x20AC; UVW WLPH ZLWK more than 6,500 entrants taking to the start line for the signature marathon, including record numbers of international runners, and around 21,000 more stepping up for the shorter categories.

By Nick Friend

LESSONS FROM THE BRAND CONFERENCE 2018 The Brand Conference, SportsProâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual event for the sponsorship and marketing sector, returned to Lordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cricket Ground for its ďŹ fth edition on 26th and 27th September. With sport and media in a pronounced state of ďŹ&#x201A;ux as tech-led changes in consumer behaviour take hold, there was plenty to discuss at the famous old north-west London venue.

By Eoin Connolly

28 | www sportspromedia com

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21ST CENTURY FOX

68

BFGOODRICH TIRES

28

CRICKET AUSTRALIA

5-HOUR ENERGY

16

Bhatia, Amit

18

Bin Talal, King Hussein

110

D Davis, Gervonta

44

Bint Al Hussein, Princess Haya

110

DAZN

44, 48, 128

Blackmun, Scott

18

DAZN GROUP

Blair, Tony

16

De Bruyne, Kevin

BODY SCIENCE

86

BOND UNIVERSITY

86

BRISBANE LIONS

94

A A-LEAGUE

94

ABC

78

AC MILAN

18

ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES

18

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

18, 78

Adams, Joanna

28

AEG

98

AEG GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS

98

Al-Kudcy, Zarah Ali, Muhammad

28 128

BRITISH PARALYMPIC ASSOCIATION

18

Brooks, Charlie

18

BT

16, 38, 72

BT SPORT

72

BUNDESLIGA

38, 56, 64

ALIBABA CLOUD

16

ALLIANZ ARENA

28

Buntin, Craig

60

Alvarez, Saul 'Canelo'

44, 128

Burton, Steven

56

AMAZON

18, 48, 64, 72, 78, 128, 130

C CANAL PLUS SPORT

38

Carey, Tim

94

Annesley, Graham

94 98

CAROLINA PANTHERS

18

Anschutz, Philip ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE

110

CBS

44

CELTIC FC

130

APAX PARTNERS

56

CENTURYLINK

18

ArgĂźello, Alexis

128

128

Arnold, Chuck

18

Cesar Chavez, Julio

ARSENAL FC

18, 60

Chadli, Nacer

60

ASER

38

Chambers, Hugh

18

ASIAN FOOTBALL CONFEDERATION

56

CHARLES RUSSELL SPEECHLYS

28

ASICS

86

CHICAGO FIRE

48

ASSOCIATION OF TENNIS PROFESSIONALS

72, 130

CHINESE SUPER LEAGUE

48, 56 18

AT&T

68

CITY FOOTBALL GROUP

AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE

86, 94

CLUBE DE REGATAS DO FLAMENGO

68

CNN INTERNATIONAL

38

COCA-COLA

98

Coddington, Leanne

86

B BADMINTON WORLD FEDERATION

86

BAMTECH

48

Collard, Guillaume

38

BARCLAYS

78

44

BBC

38

COMBATE AMERICAS

BELLATOR

44

CONMEBOL

68

BET365

64

Cooney, Gerry

Bevacqua, Pete

18

COPA90

126 | www.sportspromedia.com

18

Hearn, Eddie

FIFA

64, 104

Hearns, Thomas

128

FIRST & GOAL INC

18

HEINEKEN

28

FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

28

Henry, Thierry

28

Hirshland, Sarah

18

FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF INDONESIA

56

Hollingsworth, Tim

18

44 60

Foreman, George

128

Holmes, Larry

128

128

FORMULA ONE

28

HOOKIT

28

De Sousa, Jorge PavĂŁo

18, 38

FOX SPORTS

28, 44, 48

Horn, JeďŹ&#x20AC;

86

DESTINATION GOLD COAST

20

FOX SPORTS LATIN AMERICA

68

DEUTSCHE BANK AMERICAS

18

Francis, Barney

16, 72

DISCOVERY

72

DISNEY

28, 44, 68, 78

De La Hoya, Oscar

20

DISNEY STREAMING SERVICES

48

DomĂ­nguez, Alejandro

68

Donoghue, Marie

18

Douglas, James 'Buster'

128

Durant, Kevin

28

E

Feehan, John

86 | www.sportspromedia.com

44, 128

Hoyzer, Robert

64

Hudson, Dawn

18

HYUNDAI A-LEAGUE

48

Franklin, Nick

18

Frazier, Joe

128

I

FURNITURE ROW RACING

16

IAAF

86

IBM

28

Iger, Robert

48

28

IMG

38, 68

Gazidis, Ivan

18

INSTAGRAM

104

GENIUS SPORTS

56

68, 86

Gerrard, Steven

72

INTERNATIONAL BASKETBALL FEDERATION (FIBA)

Glick, Tom

18 86

INTERNATIONAL CYCLING UNION (UCI)

86

GOLD COAST AIRPORT

INTERNATIONAL EQUESTRIAN FEDERATION (FEI)

104, 110

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

16, 20, 110

INTERNATIONAL TENNIS FEDERATION

130

INTERNATIONAL TRIATHLON UNION

86

INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS FEDERATION (FISU)

20

G GATORADE

Edwards, Tracy

110

GOLD COAST CITY COUNCIL

20, 86

ELEVEN SPORTS

18, 38, 48, 64, 72

GOLD COAST SPORTS SUPER CENTRE

86

Ellis, Tim

18 28, 72

GOLD COAST SUNS

86, 94

ENGLAND AND WALES CRICKET BOARD

GOLD COAST TITANS

86, 94

ENGLISH FOOTBALL LEAGUE

72

GOLD COAST UNITED FC

94

EREDIVISIE

48

GOLDOC

86

Goldschmidt, Sophie

28

Golovkin, Gennady

44

IRONMAN

86

Goodrich, Jimmy

28

ITV DIGITAL

72

GOOGLE

64

GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY

86

J

Gurley, Todd

28

ESPN

18, 44, 48, 72, 78

EUROSPORT

38, 48

Evans, Mark

94

EVENTS MANAGEMENT QUEENSLAND

86

EVERTON FC

28

F

Javan, Mehrsan

H

60

Jay Z

28

Jones, Kate

86

Joshua, Anthony

44, 72, 128 28

F1 TV

78

Haggerty, David

130

FACEBOOK

38, 56, 64, 68, 104

Hagler, 'Marvelous' Marvin

128

JUST FOR MEN

FC BARCELONA

20, 130

Hart, Cameron

86

K

18, 28

Haymon, Al

44, 128

Kaepernick, Colin

28

128

FC BAYERN MUNICH

28

28, 56

FC DIEZ MEDIA

68

94

Kane, Harry

38

44, 128

18

FC PORTO

KELLY SLATER WAVE COMPANY

Hayne, Jarryd HBO

Kirkham, James

28

Kline, Todd

18

Klingebiel, Thomas

56

Kotik, Robert

78

MOUNTAIN BIKE AUSTRALIA

86

PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS

44

MP & SILVA

38

PREMIER LEAGUE

16, 18, 56, 60, 72

N Nanzer, Nate

L

78

NASA

16

LA LIGA

38, 56

NASCAR

16

Lahm, Philipp

18

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

18, 28, 56

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

18, 28, 38, 44, 78, 94

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

48, 60

LAND ROVER

104

LAOLA1.TV

64

Price, Jennie

18

Probst, Larry

18

PROFESSIONAL DARTS CORPORATION

64

PUMA

28

Q

Larman, Stuart

56

Lasker, John

48

Lee, Mike

128

Leonard, 'Sugar' Ray

128

NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE

86, 94

R

Lewis, Georgina

28

NBC SPORTS GROUP

18

RACV

86

Lewis, Lennox

128

NETBALL ENGLAND

28

Radrizzani, Andrea

38

LIBERTY MEDIA LONDON SPITFIRE LONGINES Lukaku, Romelu Lyons, Susanne

28 78

18

M MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

20, 48, 56

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ADVANCED MEDIA

48

MAJOR LEAGUE GAMING

78

MAJOR LEAGUE RUGBY

78

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

20, 48

MANCHESTER CITY FC

60

MANCHESTER UNITED FC

18, 72

MATCHROOM BOXING

44

QUIKSILVER

RAKUTEN

86

28

STADIUMS QUEENSLAND Stewart, Miles

86

86

Venkatesham, Vinai

18

86

VERO COMMUNICATIONS

128

Stoll, Benjamin

28

VIACOM

44

Straus, Ralph

104

Vijayarajan, Hari

18

SUNSHINE COAST COUNCIL

86

VIRGIN MEDIA

38

SUNSHINE COAST LIGHTNING

86

SUPERCARS SWEDISH HOCKEY LEAGUE

86

T

110

Tate, Tom

86

NOWO

38

ROYAL JORDANIAN AIRLINES

Taylor, Meldrick

128

130

Tepper, David

O2

98

RUSSIAN ANTIDOPING AGENCY (RUSADA)

OLYMPIC BROADCASTING SERVICES

16

ONE CHAMPIONSHIP

O

S

Visser, Barney

16

VODAFONE

18, 38

86

Vujanic, David

28

60

W

18

THE CHAMPIONSHIPS, WIMBLEDON

28

Watson, Marc

38

Waugh, Seth

18

THE MAIDEN FACTOR

110

Webb, Michelle

28

Wenger, Arsene

60 110

98

THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY

18, 48

OPTA

60

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

94

Tilton, Scott

OVERWATCH LEAGUE

78

P

PAN-ARAB EQUESTRIAN GAMES

94 110

Patel, Sanjay

28

Patterson, Gavin

16

PERFORM GROUP

44, 68

PGA OF AMERICA

18

PGA TOUR

56, 72

PHILADELPHIA FUSION

78 56

Pique, Gerard Povetkin, Alexander

Schneider, Andy

48

Schweinsteiger, Bastian

28

SCOTTISH PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

130

Scudamore, Richard

16

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

72 28

Samuels, Paul

104

Wakeling, Vic

18

18

SAP SE

28

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

38

18

Waite, Jeremy

Walcott, Theo

S.L. BENFICA

Sanllehi, Raul

V VALD PERFORMANCE

ROXY

Pinto, Pedro

44

SPOTIFY

86

60

Morton, Paul

64

NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS

18

18

60, 64

SPORTSMAN MEDIA GROUP

38

MIAMI DOLPHINS

Morel, Benjamin

SPORTRADAR

68

Meunier, Thomas

28

60

Ronaldo, Cristiano

PHILIPPINES BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

MONSTER ENERGY

18

86

SPORTLOGIQ

Rocha, Bruno

44

METRICON

UNITED STATES OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

SPORTACCORD

18, 28

MAYWEATHER PROMOTIONS

38

38

NIKE

Palmer, Clive

98, 104

48

SPORT TV

28

48

MERCEDES-BENZ

86

UNITED SOCCER LEAGUE

16

Mayer, Kevin

Menken, Danny

UNESCO

18

NEWCASTLE UNITED FC

72, 128

68

28

SPORT ENGLAND

28

MATCHROOM SPORT

MEDIAPRO

SPORF

ROC NATION

86, 128

86

48

Robben, Arjen

86

Meares, Anna

ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP

28

Palaszczuk, Annastacia

56

28 28

38

Neuer, Manuel

18

Speakman, Nick

130

Pacquiao, Manny

MCKINSEY

20

28

UK MOTOR SPORTS ASSOCIATION

SPARKLING ICE

REAL MADRID CF

44

128

86

Southgate, Gareth

RANGERS FC

MATCHROOM BOXING USA

Mayweather, Floyd Jr

18

38

44, 48, 72, 128

NETFLIX

104 28, 60

QUEENS PARK RANGERS FC

SKYPE

28

WHITBREAD ROUND THE WORLD RACE

TIME WARNER

68

Wilder, Deontay

128

TOP RANK BOXING

44, 48

Wilkins, Jaclyn

28

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FC

72

TOURISM AND EVENTS QUEENSLAND

20, 86

TOURISM AUSTRALIA

WILLIAM HILL

64

WOMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TENNIS ASSOCIATION

68

Wonder, Stevie

98

Woods, Bridget

86

20

WORLD ANTIDOPING AGENCY

130

Townsend, Phil

18

18

86

WORLD BOXING SUPER SERIES

44

TOWNSVILLE COUNCIL

WORLD SAILING

130

SECOND SPECTRUM

60

TOWNSVILLE ENTERPRISE

86

WORLD SURF LEAGUE

18, 28

Seiler, Lukas

64

TRIATHLON AUSTRALIA

86

WWE

48

SERIE A

18, 38, 44, 48

Truex, Martin Jr

16

X

TWITCH

78, 130

TWITTER

56, 64

Tyson, Mike

128

SETANTA SPORTS

72

SHOWTIME

44 18

38

SIX NATIONS RUGBY

130

Skipper, John

44

44, 128

SKY

72, 128

SKY SPORTS

16, 38, 72

U UEFA

18, 20, 38, 44, 64, 68, 72, 78

XFL

78

Y YAHOO

64

Yormark, Michael

28

YOUTUBE

28

SportsPro Magazine | 127

SECTION TEXT HERE AT LARGE

THE FINAL BELL SportsPro editor-at-large Eoin Connolly reďŹ&#x201A;ects on HBOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision to end its live boxing coverage after 45 years in the ďŹ ght game, and what it says about the future of entertainment media.

S

omewhere deep down the kind of YouTube rabbit hole that steals viewers away from reality for hours at a time, there is a tranche of videos that recalls the pivotal role of one network across decades of US boxing.

Legendary Nights is a series of 20-oddminute programmes commissioned 15 years back by HBO. As the name suggests, it documents some of the most memorable broadcasts in what was then 30 years of coverage. It is a rich seam of nostalgia, a treasure trove of great performances and compelling narratives that shows the sport at its most thrilling, its most inspiring, its most dispiriting and its most bizarre.

The variety astounds. Marvelous Marvin Hagler appears in his epochal contests with â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sugarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns. So too do Oscar De La Hoya and Alexis ArgĂźello. There are recollections of the richly gifted Meldrick Taylorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cruel late defeat to Julio Cesar Chavez, an overmatched Gerry Cooneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s racially charged meeting with Larry Holmes, and the redemptive miracle of a 45-yearold George Foremanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recovery of the world heavyweight title, 20 years after he surrendered it to Muhammad Ali in Zaire.

Mike Tysonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surreal 1990 loss over breakfast in Tokyo to colossal underdog James â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Busterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Douglas is in there. So too is the night, 12 years later, when the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Baddest Man on the Planetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; was banished from the elite for good by a merciless Lennox Lewis in Memphis.

In January HBO celebrated 45 years in WKH Ă&#x20AC;JKW JDPH OHDGLQJ WKH SD\ SHU YLHZ charge through a period that bridged unrecognisably different ages in mass media. ,WV Ă&#x20AC;UVW VKRZ ZDV KHDGOLQHG E\ )RUHPDQ¡V infamous two-round pummelling of the great Joe Frazier in Jamaica. Since then its aesthetic and on-air team have become familiar to viewers around the world.

But now its reign is over: at the end of 6HSWHPEHU +%2 FRQĂ&#x20AC;UPHG WKDW LW ZLOO phase out live boxing by the end of 2018.

In terms of its appeal to audiences, boxing is not as important to HBO as it

128 | www.sportspromedia.com

was even a couple of years ago. Ironically, that is not because the sport is foundering EXW EHFDXVH LW LV Ă RXULVKLQJ :KHUH RQFH it set the agenda, HBOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relevance has waned in the past few years. Showtime decisively changed the balance of the US market back in 2013 when it signed the biggest draw of the decade, Floyd Mayweather Jr, to a long-term deal that KDV \LHOGHG D VHULHV RI QLQH Ă&#x20AC;JXUH SD\ SHU view promotions. HBO has had a piece of just one of those: Mayweatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recordbreaking 2015 win over Manny Pacquiao. :KHUH RQFH LW KDG OHYHUDJHG LWV Ă&#x20AC;QDQFLDO advantage to sign that litany of great names above, HBO has haemorrhaged top talent VLQFH 0D\ZHDWKHU¡V GHIHFWLRQ ,QĂ XHQWLDO promoter Al Haymon has taken his business elsewhere, and deals with the likes of Saul â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Caneloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Alvarez have drifted to a FORVH ZKLOH :%& KHDY\ZHLJKW FKDPSLRQ 'HRQWD\ :LOGHU Ă&#x20AC;JKWV RQ 6KRZWLPH %ULWLVK VWDGLXP Ă&#x20AC;OOHU $QWKRQ\ -RVKXD KDV also slipped HBOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advances and will now appear on OTT streaming service DAZN in the US as part of a comprehensive deal signed by his representatives at Matchroom. That partnership could be worth up to US$1 billion and was given blanket promotional coverage during Joshuaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent knockout win over Russiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s $OH[DQGHU 3RYHWNLQ DW :HPEOH\ Matchroomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boxing chief Eddie Hearn has raised concerns about the overproliferation of pay-per-view cards, and new models could emerge in the years to come. In that respect, HBO leaves a complicated legacy. Yet its departure probably says as much about developments in wider entertainment media as it does about how fans will watch major bouts.

After being buffeted by the effects of time-shifted viewing, original programming is on the rise once again as video-onGHPDQG PDWXUHV 6HUYLFHV OLNH 1HWĂ L[ and Amazon Prime Video have created a thriving international market for it and a company like HBO, as both an originator and distributor of premium scripted entertainment, is well minded to prioritise

efforts in that space â&#x20AC;&#x201C; particularly as its live sports activities beyond boxing have always been fairly limited.

Other pay-TV groups have made similar moves in an increasingly competitive sector. In the UK, for example, Sky has diverted resources freed up by losing bids for major sports rights back into projects that it can carry itself and sell on elsewhere. :LWK OLYH ER[LQJ JRQH +%2 6SRUWV will now be characterised by the type of marquee programming and documentary Ă&#x20AC;OPPDNLQJ WKDW LV QRW RQO\ RI D SLHFH ZLWK the rest of the networkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s output, but is DOVR DQ LQFUHDVLQJO\ VLJQLĂ&#x20AC;FDQW SDUW RI WKH sports content ecosystem.

7KHUH LV VRPH SRLJQDQF\ WR +%2¡V Ă&#x20AC;QDO EHOO D UHPLQGHU LQ D WLPH RI Ă X[ WKDW KHUH too, was a disruptive player that courted excitement and controversy in equal measure. But it has also set a powerful example â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one that those coming in to change the industry today would be thrilled to emulate.

Mike Lee Like many of those who work in and cover this business, we at SportsPro were deeply saddened by the death in early September of communications pioneer Mike Lee. Close friends, peers and even ULYDOV KDYH SDLG Ă&#x20AC;WWLQJ WULEXWH HOVHZKHUH WR him and to his landmark contribution, but it would not be right to let this edition go by without sharing our own condolences.

0LNH DSSHDUHG RQ RQH RI WKH YHU\ Ă&#x20AC;UVW panels I chaired in my career, at SportsPro Live back in 2014, and brought further on-stage insight, energy and gravitas to events we held after that. His passion for his craft and his commitment to his clients shone through in campaign after campaign.

It is carried through in the endeavour of his staff at Vero, not to mention his many mentees scattered across the industry.

Above all, away from the fervent peaks of bidding races, he was always happy to share his time in generous conversation.

He was a gentleman and a pro, and will be missed.

THE SCRIBBLER

by The Scribbler

Own goal The Scribbler can only imagine that police in Glasgow let out a collective sigh of relief when Old Firm rivals Celtic and Rangers avoided one another in the draw for the Scottish League Cup semi-finals. The Scottish Professional Football League’s (SPFL) response? To schedule the two games on the same day, at the same stadium, within eight hours of each other. Scottish soccer really doesn’t help itself sometimes.

Stating the obvious Comeuppance An all-powerful juggernaut it may be, but Amazon’s intolerance for criticism shows only dictator-like insecurity. After its subpar streams prompted a barrage of complaints during the recent US Open - the kinds of complaints just about every nasccent live streaming player has had to endure - disgruntled viewers suddenly found themselves unable to post any more bad reviews. Such Orwellian censorship is hardly befitting of a company with designs on becoming a credible home for live sport, so the Scribbler was tickled to learn that the Chinese government had later given Amazon a taste of its own medicine by blocking its Twitch gaming platform in their country.

International Tennis Federation (ITF) president David Haggerty recently revealed that the sport’s current calendar is “very cluttered”. But if that is indeed the case, perhaps it would have been best to ignore the advances of Gerard Pique, the Barcelona star behind the revamped Davis Cup who now plans on introducing a US$10 million competition immediately after the US Open. It may be tempting to believe that a well-groomed soccer player armed with a US$3 billion cheque knows what’s best for tennis, but add his plans to 64 global ATP tournaments, four Grand Slams and a host of new and resuscitated team events, and Mr Pique might find that he soon has to pick up a racket himself.

Tone deaf World Sailing was left red-faced in September after a dolphin display formed part of the opening ceremony for its World Cup Series event in Enoshima, Japan. Clearly, the local organisers didn’t share the governing body’s concerns for marine conservation, much less those of sailing’s seafaring community of noted ocean advocates.

Event organisers showing insensitivity towards environmental issues? Whatever next.

In from the cold The Scribbler must admit to being slightly dumbfounded by recent events at WADA. The agency commissioned to lead the fight against drugs made two simple requests of Russia’s national anti-doping authority for its suspension to be lifted: admit to running a state-sponsored doping scheme during the 2014

130 | www.sportspromedia.com

Sochi Olympics, and give officials access to the Moscow lab where said scheme took place. Here is what the Russian authority did: nothing. So, naturally, WADA reinstated Rusada at the end of September, hammering another nail in the coffin of clean sport, and proving that sometimes it pays to play hard to get.

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1012603504, Marc Atkins, 1021804440, Alan Crowhurst, 1027975154, Julian Finney, 1025875346, Alex Livesey, 1020814822, Philip Brown, 1015717980, Alexander Hassenstein, 1023761270, Mark Thompson

AT THE HEART OF SPORT