SportsPro Magazine - September 2015 Edition

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STADIUMS AND VENUES: TEN LESSONS IN INNOVATION www.sportspromedia.com

September 2015

SEPTEMBER 2015 | Issue 80 @SportsPro

BRETT GOSPER READY TO ENGAGE WITH THE RUGBY WORLD CUP

Soccer: European clubs seeking new markets Page 56

Swimming: Poolside with Fina in Kazan

Page 80

Wrestling: The sport with a hold on Senegal Page 92

CONTENTS | SEPTEMBER 2015 - ISSUE NUMBER 80

Brian Lawless/EMPICS Sport

Contents

38 Cover Story 38 Brett’s set Rugby World Cup 2015 will be Brett *RVSHU·V À UVW DV WKH FKLHI H[HFXWLYH RI :RUOG 5XJE\ 7KH $XVWUDOLDQ KDV RYHUVHHQ D SHULRG RI EORVVRPLQJ VLQFH KH MRLQHG WKH RUJDQLVDWLRQ LQ DQG DOO WKH LQGLFDWLRQV VXJJHVW WKDW WKH WRXUQDPHQW ZLOO UHSUHVHQW DQRWKHU ELJ VWHS IRUZDUG IRU WKH VSRUW

Insights 30 Mini Insights 36 The Barclays connection: the Premier League and the Brooklyn Nets

Cover photo: Sang Tan/AP/Press Association Images

Features 42 Heading for the line 6WDJHG LQ (QJODQG ZKHUH DV OHJHQG UHFDOOV WKH JDPH RI UXJE\ ZDV ERUQ 5XJE\ :RUOG &XS LV VHW WR EH WKH ELJJHVW LQVWDOPHQW \HW RI WKH TXDGUHQQLDO JDWKHULQJ )RU WKH WRXUQDPHQW·V SULPDU\ VWDNHKROGHUV FRPPHUFLDO LQWHUHVW DW UXJE\ XQLRQ·V SLQQDFOH KDV QHYHU EHHQ KLJKHU 50 Reputational push 6SRUWV PDUNHWLQJ VSHFLDOLVW 5HSXFRP ZLOO EH EXV\ WKURXJKRXW WKH 5XJE\ :RUOG &XS DV LW FRPSOHWHV SURMHFWV ZLWK FOLHQWV DFURVV WKH LQWHUQDWLRQDO JDPH %XW WKH WRXUQDPHQW ZLOO DOVR FRPH DV WKH FRPSDQ\ UROOV RXW QHZ EHKDYLRXUDO UHVHDUFK ZKLFK FRXOG FKDQJH WKH ZD\ WKH VHFWRU LV XQGHUVWRRG DQG FKDQJH LWV RZQ LGHQWLW\

56 Old clubs, new markets *OREDOLVDWLRQ LV KDUGO\ D QHZ IRUFH LQ FOXE VRFFHU DQG IRU (XURSH·V WRS VLGHV DQ LQWHUQDWLRQDO VWUDWHJ\ LV SDUDPRXQW 2YHUVHDV WRXUV QRZ GRPLQDWH WKH JDSV EHWZHHQ HDFK VHDVRQ EXW WKHUH LV PXFK WR EH GRQH WKURXJK WKH \HDU WR UHLQIRUFH WKHLU HIIHFW RQ QHZ IDQEDVHV DURXQG WKH ZRUOG 64 The final countdown 3UHSDUDWLRQV IRU QH[W \HDU·V 8HID (XURSHDQ &KDPSLRQVKLS LQ )UDQFH KDYH VR IDU PDQDJHG WR HVFDSH WKH VFUXWLQ\ WKDW KDV FRPH WR EH H[SHFWHG RI PDMRU HYHQWV $V WKH FRXQWGRZQ WR WKH WRXUQDPHQW FRQWLQXHV DKHDG RI WKH RSHQLQJ JDPH LQ 3DULV RQ WK -XQH SportsPro SURÀ OHV HDFK RI WKH WHQ YHQXHV WKDW ZLOO KRVW (XURSH·V ELJJHVW VRFFHU RFFDVLRQ LQ

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CONTENTS | SEPTEMBER 2015 - ISSUE NUMBER 80

Contents 98 WhÄ nau 1HZ =HDODQG¡V ZRUOG FKDPSLRQ $OO %ODFNV DUH WKH PRVW FHOHEUDWHG WHDP LQ UXJE\ XQLRQ DQG RQH RI WKH PRVW UHFRJQLVDEOH DQ\ZKHUH LQ VSRUW 7KHLU HWKRV DV PXFK DV WKHLU UHOHQWOHVV VW\OH RI SOD\ KDV PDGH WKHP D IRUPLGDEOH IRUFH ,Q WKH VL[WK FKDSWHU RI KLV ERRN /HJDF\ ² /HVVRQV LQ /HDGHUVKLS -DPHV .HUU H[SORUHV KRZ WKH WDOHQWV RI LQGLYLGXDOV DUH GHYRWHG ZLWKRXW TXHVWLRQ WR WKH FROOHFWLYH

Regulars 6 8 10 12 16 17 18 20 22 28 110 112 114

Editor’s Letter Notes and Observations The Martyn Ziegler Column Digest Thought Leader: $QG\ 0DOOLQVRQ Thought Leader: &KULV +HXEOHLQ Premature Facts Movers and Shakers Gallery SportsPro World Index Show me the money: 6DLQD 1HKZDO Jottings

Deals

72 72 Venues of invention 7 KH FXUUHQW JHQHUDWLRQ RI VSRUWLQJ DUHQDV DQG VWDGLXPV KDV WXUQHG RXW VRPH H[WUDRUGLQDU\ GHYHORSPHQWV LQ WHFKQRORJ\ RSHUDWLRQV DQG DHVWKHWLFV <HW LQQRYDWLRQ LQ YHQXH GHVLJQ WDNHV D ZKROH UDQJH RI IRUPV SportsPro ORRNV DW WHQ IDFLOLWLHV WKDW KDYH WDNHQ DQ LQWHOOLJHQW DSSURDFK WR VROYLQJ SUREOHPV RU FUHDWLQJ QHZ SRVVLELOLWLHV 80 Making a splash 7KH WK )LQD :RUOG &KDPSLRQVKLSV LQ .D]DQ ZDV DQ HYHQW IRU Ă€UVWV DQG DIWHU UHFHQW FULVHV DQG VFDQGDOV KDV RIIHUHG D FKDQFH IRU DTXDWLF VSRUWV¡ JRYHUQLQJ ERG\ WR JHW EDFN WR ZKDW LW GRHV EHVW

104 Deals Review 106 Sponsorship Deals

86 Canada’s calling ,W KDV EHHQ RQH RI WKH EXVLHVW \HDUV LQ WKH UHFHQW KLVWRU\ RI &DQDGLDQ VSRUW GRPLQDWHG E\ WKH )LID :RPHQ¡V :RUOG &XS DQG 3DQ $PHULFDQ *DPHV EXW VHDVRQHG ZLWK RYHU RWKHU VSRUWLQJ HYHQWV SportsPro JRHV GHHSHU LQWR 1RUWK $PHULFD¡V VHFRQG PDUNHW DQG 7RURQWR &DQDGD¡V ELJJHVW FLW\ 92 A nation gripped ,Q 6HQHJDO XQOLNH WKH UHVW RI $IULFD WUDGLWLRQDO ZUHVWOHUV WUXPS VRFFHU SOD\HUV DV WKH QDWLRQ¡V ELJJHVW VSRUWLQJ VWDUV %XW DV WKH VHDVRQ EXLOW WR LWV FOLPD[ LQ 'DNDU LQ -XO\ WKH VSRUW IDFHG FXOWXUDO DQG FRPPHUFLDO FKDOOHQJHV

SportsPro (ISSN 1756 5340), (September 2015 edition) is published monthly by SportsPro Media Ltd and distributed in the USA by Mail Right Int., 1637 Stelton Road B4, Piscataway, NJ 08854. Periodicals Postage Paid at Piscataway, NJ and additional mailing oIĂ€ces POSTMASTER: Send address changes to SportsPro, SportsPro Media, C/o 1637 Stelton Road B4, Piscataway NJ 08854

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EDITOR’S LETTER

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR James Emmett EDITOR Eoin Connolly SUB EDITOR Adam Nelson DIGITAL EDITOR Michael Long STAFF WRITER Mike Kennedy ART DIRECTOR Daniel Brown RESEARCH EXECUTIVE Nima Farajpour PHOTOGRAPHIC AGENCY Action Images MEDIA PARTNER Press Association MANAGING DIRECTOR Nick Meacham COMMERCIAL CONSULTANT Richard Partridge BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGERS Jon Abraham, Bobby Hare, Sam Renshaw SUBSCRIPTIONS Bhav Sahota BUSINESS OPERATIONS MANAGER Yéwandé Aruléba

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SportsPro magazine is published by: SportsPro Media Ltd 5 Prescot Street, London E1 8PA, 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: September 2015 Issue No 80 SportsPro Magazine (ISSN 1756 5340) is published monthly on the Àrst Thursday oI the prior month to the cover date. Printed in the EU. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Available at a cost oI U. 1 (Print subscription), and U. 14 ('igital Subscription). BacN issues are available Ior U. 25 and delivered anywhere in the world at no e[tra charge. Subscriptions are available by logging on to www.sportspromedia.com E'ITORIAL COP<RI*+T: The contents oI this magazine, both words and statistics, are strictly copyright and the intellectual property oI SportsPro Media. Copying or reproduction may only be carried out with written permission oI the publishers, which will normally not be withheld on payment oI a Iee. Article reprints: Most articles published in SportsPro Magazine are available as reprints by prior arrangement Irom the publishers. Normal minimum print run Ior reprints is 400 copies, although larger and smaller runs are possible. Please contact us at: inIo#sportspromedia.com

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hat makes for the ultimate sporting city? According to new rankings produced by ESPN, the University of Gloucester and the University of Bath, the greatest sporting city in the UK is not London, but Manchester. The British capital may boast the widest imaginable array of infrastructure and events but, as far as respondents to the survey were concerned, it could not match Manchester’s heritage, value or atmosphere. Releasing a list that gives a contentious answer to an open query: it’s a marketable wheeze, as publishers not so far from this desk might tell you. It provokes debate, and provides a useful hook on which a magazine editor can hang an introductory letter. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been thinking recently about what might make its ideal sporting city – other than its cosy hometown of Lausanne, of course – and thinks it might be Beijing. The Chinese capital was FRQÀ UPHG DW WKH UHFHQW ,2& 6HVVLRQ LQ .XDOD /XPSXU DV WKH À UVW FLW\ WR KRVW ERWK the Winter and Summer Olympics. In truth, it’s not an answer the IOC can have given with much conviction. So benighted has the campaign for the 2022 Winter Games been that it gave little indication of how last year’s Agenda 2020 reforms might shape future host cities. The IOC was left with a choice: the promise of the new or the guarantee of competence. By a slender margin, it chose the latter. The 2024 race, which will run until Olympic members meet in Lima, Peru in the summer of 2017, should be different. The state of Boston’s now-defunct bid was such that it not only bored IOC president Thomas Bach, who admitted to ignoring increasingly frantic communiques from the Eastern Seaboard, it also dispelled WKH QRWLRQ WKDW 1%&·V JLJDQWLF À QDQFLDO commitment to the Olympics would ensure a US Games at the earliest opportunity. The likely entrance of Los Angeles, however, would change matters. Angelenos, at least those in the cheering section of the

Living for the city city’s sports media, argue that where Bean Town’s bid wanted to create an Olympic city, Los Angeles already is one. That much is literally true, of course – LA staged the 1932 and 1984 Games – but the point is that if required, another edition could happen there tomorrow. But even if it could, would it provide the kind of experience that athletes and spectators want, or that the IOC now expects local organisers to deliver? It’s an interesting question in the context of this campaign. So far, though more candidates like Toronto, Doha and Baku may still emerge, four cities have declared for the right to host that year’s Summer Games – Budapest, Hamburg, Rome and Paris. Of these it is the French capital, another former host, that looks the strongest challenger to LA. Either one could probably lay on a stirring event but each provides a starkly different option. LA is a driver’s city, to the extent that in parts it barely seems a city at all so much as a collection of buildings that have tumbled from a lorry down a picturesque stretch of freeway. Paris, on the other hand, is compact, with a comprehensive, meticulously constructed public transport network. But the real test of the 2024 race isn’t which of these cities, or which other city, is selected. It’s whether the Agenda 2020 reforms can produce a race that embraces different kinds of hosting concepts; whether it can show that the future of major events isn’t restricted to bespoke, pre-fabricated hubs whose further use needs constant rationalisation. There is no ultimate sporting city. There are plenty of great ones.

Eoin Connolly Editor

29th & 30th September 2015 | Kia Oval, London

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NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS

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arlier this year, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang formally initiated his government’s ‘Internet Plus’ action plan, a campaign that aims to put the internet at the heart of China’s economic growth over the next decade. The plan dictates that traditional industries such as manufacturing, agriculture, energy DQG Ă€ QDQFH ZLOO EH JLYHQ GHYHORSPHQW WDUJHWV EDVHG DFFRUGLQJ WR WKH VWDWH RZQHG ;LQKXD QHZV DJHQF\ RQ ÂśPRELOH LQWHUQHW FORXG FRPSXWLQJ ELJ GDWD DQG the Internet of Things’. Sceptics view this plan to increase digitalisation as a way for the Chinese government to exert greater control over WKH FRXQWU\¡V EXVLQHVV FRPPXQLW\ ZKLOVW effectively shutting out western internet FRPSDQLHV OLNH *RRJOH )DFHERRN H%D\ DQG $PD]RQ 7KDW PD\ EH VR EXW &KLQD¡V TXHVW WR EH DW WKH IRUHIURQW of the world’s digital future has given powerful Chinese corporations licence to further expand their interests and LQĂ XHQFH DW KRPH DQG DEURDG &KLQD KDV DFFRUGLQJ WR RIĂ€ FLDO VWDWLVWLFV DERXW PLOOLRQ RQOLQH VKRSSHUV DQG WKH QXPEHU LV SURMHFWHG WR ULVH WR PLOOLRQ WKLV \HDU LQ OLJKW RI WKH JRYHUQPHQW¡V SXVK IRU LQWHUQHW GULYHQ EXVLQHVV JURZWK %DFNHG E\ WKDW SXVK &KLQHVH LQWHUQHW Ă€ UPV OLNH H FRPPHUFH JLDQW $OLEDED *URXS +ROGLQJ /WG DQG online media conglomerates Tencent +ROGLQJV DQG 6LQD &RUS DUH NH\ EHDUHUV for foreign organisations looking to IXUWKHU WKHLU UHDFK LQ WKH ZRUOG¡V IDVWHVW growing economy. 7DNH $OLEDED DV DQ H[DPSOH %LOOLRQDLUH -DFN 0D¡V LQWHUQHW EHKHPRWK KDV PDGH no secret of its desire to take advantage RI WKH &KLQHVH JRYHUQPHQW¡V IDYRXUDEOH policies. In recent months, the world’s ODUJHVW H FRPPHUFH FRPSDQ\ KDV VWUXFN XS EXVLQHVV UHODWLRQVKLSV ZLWK 8QLOHYHU 5HDO 0DGULG %D\HUQ 0XQLFK .REH %U\DQW¡V .REH ,QF DQG WKH 3DF Conference, all of which are evidently HDJHU WR WDS LQWR $OLEDED¡V VL]HDEOH

8 | www.sportspromedia.com

Alibaba’s sporting empire Michael Long PDUNHWLQJ GDWDEDVH LWV IDU UHDFKLQJ GLVWULEXWLRQ FKDQQHOV RU LWV 7PDOO EXVLQHVV WR FRQVXPHU H FRPPHUFH SODWIRUP ZKLFK ZDV VHW XS LQ )HEUXDU\ WR HQDEOH RYHUVHDV FRPSDQLHV WR HQWHU &KLQD¡V EXUJHRQLQJ RQOLQH UHWDLO PDUNHW DQG QRZ KDV RYHU PLOOLRQ DFWLYH EX\HUV This type of gravitation towards China is, of course, nothing new. Western rights holders have long seen the commercial value in investing resources in the country as well as the wider Asian region. It is ZK\ (XURSHDQ VRFFHU FOXEV VSHQG PXFK RI WKHLU VXPPHU RII VHDVRQ WRXULQJ there, why many of those teams have KXJH VRFLDO IROORZLQJV LQ $VLD DQG RIĂ€ FLDO ZHEVLWHV LQ WKH ORFDO ODQJXDJH DQG ZK\ SHRSOH ZLWK QR GLVFHUQLEOH FRQQHFWLRQ WR European sides other than that they own the shirt are now considered ‘super fans’. Sporting fandom, particularly in Asia, has EHHQ D WUDQVDFWLRQDO UHODWLRQVKLS IRU \HDUV <HW $OLEDED¡V LQĂ XHQFH H[WHQGV ZHOO EH\RQG H FRPPHUFH $V WKH FRPSDQ\ HPEDUNV RQ D SURFHVV RI DJJUHVVLYH GLYHUVLĂ€ FDWLRQ LQYHVWLQJ KXQGUHGV of millions in everything from smart 79V WR ORJLVWLFV VSRUWV EURDGFDVWLQJ has taken on a certain appeal, too. In $XJXVW UHSRUWV HPHUJHG OLQNLQJ $OLEDED ZKLFK HQWHUHG VSRUW LQ -XQH ZKHQ LW SXUFKDVHG D SHU FHQW VWDNH LQ Chinese soccer champions Guangzhou (YHUJUDQGH ZLWK D ORQJ UXPRXUHG EX\RXW RI 6LQD 6SRUWV WKH VSRUWV QHZV ZHEVLWH DQG EURDGFDVWHU RZQHG E\ ULYDO company Sina Corp. Should the deal JR WKURXJK 6LQD 6SRUWV ZRXOG EHFRPH the third Chinese online streamer of VSRUWV LQ ZKLFK $OLEDED KDV D VWDNH ² MRLQLQJ /H79 RQH RI &KLQD¡V IDVWHVW growing IPTV companies, and PPTV, LQ ZKLFK $OLEDED RZQV D VPDOO VKDUH after acquiring a portion of its parent company, the electronics retailer Suning. $OLEDED¡V SHQFKDQW IRU VSRUW ² DQG WKURXJK LWV QHZO\ DFTXLUHG EURDGFDVWLQJ VXEVLGLDULHV VSRUWV ULJKWV ² KDV FOHDUO\ JRW WKH VSRUWLQJ ZRUOG UXEELQJ LWV KDQGV

together in delight. When Europe’s PDMRU VRFFHU FRPSHWLWLRQV RU WKHLU UHSUHVHQWDWLYH DJHQFLHV EHJDQ WKHLU ODWHVW round of rights sales earlier this summer, it was no coincidence that Chinese deals ZHUH DPRQJ WKH Ă€ UVW WR EH VLJQHG 5LJKWV WR WKH 8HID &KDPSLRQV /HDJXH (QJODQG¡V Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, Germany’s Bundesliga, Italy’s Serie A, )UDQFH¡V /LJXH +ROODQG¡V (UHGLYLVLH DQG Belgium’s Pro League were all snapped E\ &KLQHVH RSHUDWRUV LQ WKH VSDFH RI D few days in July and August, while even 6FRWWLVK VRFFHU IRXQG D OLYH EURDGFDVW home in China. 7KDW WKH JODG UHFLSLHQWV RI WKH PDMRULW\ of these premium rights were Sina Sports, /H79 DQG 3379 RQO\ XQGHUOLQHV $OLEDED¡V SRVLWLRQ LQ &KLQD¡V Ă€ HUFHO\ FRPSHWLWLYH digital space, particularly since sport is an increasingly important driver of VXEVFULSWLRQ IHHV DQG FRQVXPHU DIĂ€ QLW\ We in the west have yet to see the internet giants attempt to control the supply and consumption of sport in WKLV ZD\ *RRJOH DQG $SSOH ZHUH ERWK UHSRUWHG WR EH LQWHUHVWHG LQ DFTXLULQJ 3UHPLHU /HDJXH ULJKWV EDFN LQ EXW ERWK KDYH \HW WR PDNH D VLJQLĂ€ FDQW SOD\ in sport on either side of the Atlantic. 7ZLWWHU DQG )DFHERRN GHVSLWH WKHLU YDVW XVHU QHWZRUNV UHPDLQ FRQWHQW VKDULQJ SODWIRUPV DV RSSRVHG WR FRQWHQW RZQHUV )RU QRZ LW KDV EHHQ OHIW WR WKH WUDGLWLRQDO PHGLD SRZHUKRXVHV ² WKH 1HZV &RUSV (631V DQG 'LVFRYHU\V RI WKLV ZRUOG ² to lead the charge in the exploitation of digital sports rights, with the occasional DVVLVWDQFH RI <RX7XEH ,Q WKH ERRPLQJ HFRQRP\ RI communist China, however, the situation is altogether different. In a nation where traditional media is under state control, whose continued social and industrial HYROXWLRQ ZLOO QRZ EH KHDYLO\ UHOLDQW upon increased digitalisation, internet FRPSDQLHV DUH VHW WR EH VSRUW¡V JR WR outlets for years to come. @_MichaelLong

THE MARTYN ZIEGLER COLUMN

On the beat with Martyn Ziegler As the Rugby World Cup approaches, Press Association’s chief sports reporter highlights a disturbing trend at the grassroots of the game.

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hen South Africa’s beautiful national anthem Nkosi sikelel’i Afrika bursts from the lungs of the Springboks squad at their opening match of the Rugby World Cup in Brighton on 19th September, it will be a reminder of one of the most poignant moments in sporting history: Nelson Mandela, resplendent in a replica green VKLUW VKDNLQJ KLV À VW LQ GHOLJKW DW WKHLU 1995 triumph. There is a romance about South African UXJE\ VWHPPLQJ IURP WKDW IDPRXV À QDO but scratch beneath the surface of the sport in that country and there are some uncomfortable developments, too, that should stand as a warning to rugby union authorities across the world. The picture that has emerged over the last four years in South Africa is that high-school rugby players are using steroids in shocking and unprecedented numbers in a bid to make it into the sport’s professional ranks. One promising English player who toured South Africa with his school and was invited back for a term by one high school has told me that nearly all of that school’s 1st XV were taking steroids – and were astonished that he wasn’t. But if such anecdotal evidence alone is D FDXVH IRU FRQFHUQ WKH VWDWLVWLFDO À JXUHV and the experience of medical experts on the ground is really alarming. The South African Institute for DrugFree Sport ran a pilot study in South African schools last year and discovered 12 positive cases for steroids out of 52 samples. It followed a different study by a private drug-testing company at 18 of South Africa’s top schools which found that 21 out of 130 pupils tested positive for steroids. The good news is that the authorities have woken up to the problem and are doing something about it. Dr Jon Patricios, the president of the South African Sports Medicine 10 | www.sportspromedia.com

Association, told me the developments were “depressingâ€?. Meanwhile, the sanctions for schoolboy steroid abusers are pretty feeble – a one-year ban from that school’s sport or, in some cases, expulsion from the school. Nothing, in effect, to stop that boy from pursuing a career in the sport. Patricios has spoken of parents coming to him having found steroids in their son’s possessions and being astonished at the sudden change in his size. It is not just the rugby players – many are taking the drugs simply to look ‘ripped’. He said: “In terms of anecdotes, RQH ER\ WROG PH WKDW KDOI RI WKH Ă€ UVW team rugby squad at his school were on steroids. What they don’t realise is that the risks are tremendous.â€? These include high blood pressure, kidney and liver problems, effects on cholesterol levels and decreased fertility – perhaps the biggest deterrent might be to inform the adolescent players that taking steroids leads to shrinking of the testicles. But if you think this is a South African problem only, then think again. Of 48 current doping bans in the UK, some 28 are being served by rugby players from either code. Earlier this year Sam Chalmers, the son of former 6FRWODQG DQG %ULWLVK ,ULVK /LRQV Ă \ half Craig, completed a two-year ban after testing positive for two anabolic steroids at a Scotland Under-20 training session in May 2013. UK Anti-Doping’s (UKAD) chief executive Nicole Sapstead is concerned that the Rugby World Cup may serve as further encouragement for young players desperate to make it in the sport. “The use of anabolic steroids has exploded,â€? she said. “Steroids are now so easily accessible via the internet. The SUREOHP ZH¡YH JRW LV WKDW LW PLJKW EH Ă€ QH during the Rugby World Cup and those who are actually playing. But then it’s the up-and-coming players who are aspiring to be in the next World Cup.

“It’s that level where they’re pushing and pushing and pushing to make the cut where the biggest problem lies. That’s the same for a number of sports.â€? The World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) director-general David Howman has admitted he was shocked by the “horrendousâ€? results coming out of South Africa. A positive outcome may be in sight, however, in South Africa: it is set to EHFRPH WKH Ă€ UVW FRXQWU\ LQ WKH ZRUOG where random steroids testing of minors in schools is permitted. A change in the law is due to go through which will allow random drug testing to take place at schools, with recommended sanctions for those caught using steroids and other banned drugs. It is vital for the sport, and not just in South Africa, that it shakes off any lingering suspicions about whether the sportsmen are clean. In England, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) has commissioned Leeds Metropolitan University to explore the use of “performance and imageenhancing substancesâ€? in male adolescent rugby union players. The research team has also been going out to rugby-playing schools and speaking to young players about the risks of taking banned drugs – and the risks of dietary supplements too. Last season, both the RFU and UKAD had staff at the Rosslyn Park national schools sevens tournament – which attracts 7,500 boys and girls aged 13 to 18 – offering anti-doping advice. The Hollywood movie Invictus, which depicted South Africa’s 1995 triumph, popularised a famous old saying comparing rugby to football. World Rugby need to be acutely careful that the saying does not mutate into “soccer is a game for gentlemen played by hooligans; rugby is a game for hooligans played by gentlemen – on steroidsâ€?. Press Association is an oIĂ€cial SportsPro media partner.

DIGEST | SEPTEMBER 2015

Next month in The October 2015 edition of SportsPro brings with it our annual broadcast special report. As television income continues to shape the destinies of sporting organisations around the world, and technology changes the

: The broadcast edition way sport is watched and played, we’ll UHÁHFW RQ VRPH RI WKH PRVW LPSRUWDQW recent trends and speak to major ÀJXUHV WR JHW WKH EHVW SRVVLEOH LPDJH of the sector. Elsewhere in the issue there’ll be a

look at the business of tennis as the VKRZSLHFH WRXU ÀQDOHV DSSURDFK $QG as it returns for another season, we report on new developments in the most powerful entity in US sport – the National Football League.

Glasgow Warriors Playing in a league that throws together teams from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and Italy, rugby union outfit Glasgow Warriors are used to life on the road.

Crowned Pro12 champions for 2014/15, the Warriors played just one away league game within Scotland last year – the trip to take on rivals Edinburgh Rugby – with the remaining 12 matches, including the final against Munster in Belfast, played in other countries. Participation in Europe’s premier club competition, the European Champions Cup, also meant additional away games in southern France and England for the Warriors last season.

12 | www.sportspromedia.com

Clyde Travel Management, Glasgow Warriors’ official travel partner, co-ordinates the team’s travel plans for away fixtures. Though occasionally a coach trip to Edinburgh is required to connect with an outbound flight, scheduled departures from Glasgow Airport are normally taken for journeys to Ireland and England. For games outside the UK – such as a Pro12 fixture in northern Italy against Benetton Treviso – the team will fly on charter services a day in advance of the match, stay overnight in a hotel and usually return immediately after the game. Clyde Travel Management will arrange local coach hire to get the squad to and from the airport, hotel and stadium. When trips can be made by road, including the occasional long-haul journey to Wales, the team will climb aboard a 50-seater Scania Irizar or Scania Irizar i6 36-seat coach, complete with TVs and card tables to ensure the players can keep themselves entertained on the journey. A Ford Transit van will travel in convoy, carrying team kit and supplies.

On the tarmac:

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Charter and scheduled flights

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Scania Irizar

10,064 miles

21,116 miles

13,520 miles

10,963 miles

10,590 miles

21,743 miles

Chelsea

Manchester City

Arsenal

Manchester United

Tottenham Hotspur

Liverpool

EARTH CIRCUMFERENCE - 24,901 miles

MILES TRAVELLED BY PREMIER LEAGUE TOP SIX IN 2015 PRE-SEASON

Life after sport - Jim Kovach Then: NFL linebacker for the New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers Now: Senior vice president of business development at CrowdOptics, a live-streaming technology start-up, and a former physician How did you begin to make the transition between your two careers? I’d been lucky in that at the University of Kentucky, where I played college football, I got into medical school and was able to play my last year of college football while a medical student, so I got my foot in the door with that. The New Orleans Saints really liked my style of play, so they drafted me, but they allowed PH WR À JXUH RXW KRZ WR SOD\ LQ WKH NFL [National Football League] while I worked on a second career in medicine. So what I did to earn my seven years is I’d play in the fall for the Saints, and after the football season, which ends in December – unless you’re in the play-offs, which the Saints never were – I attended medical school from January to July. And I did that for six years. So I was able to VWDUW P\ VHFRQG FDUHHU ZKLOH LQ P\ À UVW That’s not really possible any more: the training now is year-round, the money is so much more, the stakes are so much higher. Then when I retired, I decided: “I’m going to go to law school!” So I went to Stanford Law School, worked as an attorney for a couple of years and really started work with technology start-ups. How well does the sport world help that transition? I think individuals are preparing for WKHLU VHFRQG FDUHHUV PRUH LQ À HOGV like entertainment or management, disciplines that are closely connected to sports. The networks are better, and the sport itself is taking a lot of responsibility for looking after athletes. But’s what’s not as clear is the routes you take if you want to go into an entirely different environment like medicine or law. There needs to be a lot more opportunities for individuals, from the NFL or other sports, who want to start their own company. They don’t want to work for ESPN, that track is already there. The track for working at the franchise and being a coach, that’s pretty laid out. But what if someone wants to start a company, and they

wanted to learn about venture capital and intellectual property and that environment? What are the lessons that football taught you that you’ve taken into your second career? The main one is perseverance. In football you get knocked down a lot, À JXUDWLYHO\ DQG OLWHUDOO\ ,W·V WKH VDPH working at CrowdOptic. This is so cutting-edge in terms of the technology, but it reminds me of the path of getting into the NFL. I tell the guys I work with that getting into the NFL was nothing compared with the work I do in start-ups. Football came very naturally to me: I just played it, and I was good! But here I’m learning, even at the age of 59. It’s still a battle, and it’s exciting but it’s very hard. So that does cause one to rely on lessons that you learned very early in life. Something Bum Phillips [Kovach’s coach with the Saints] used to say is, “Everyone gets knocked down but the brave ones get up.” SportsPro Magazine | 13

The Longines Masters Series: A Show Jumping Trilogy Across Continents!

The Longines Masters is recognized by the FEI - Fédération Equestre Internationale as a 5-star competition, the highest level in international show jumping. In addition to the unique aspect of an animal partner, show jumping is only Olympic sports in which men and women compete against each other, and ages 17 to 70 share the same ring. Riders

and their equine partners race against the clock to complete a rigorous course over jumps as tall as 1.6 meters. The competitions are broadcast to more than 500 million household in 100 countries. Inspired by the Grand Slam tournaments in tennis, the series originated in 2009 in Paris and rapidly expanded abroad. In 2013, the Longines Masters of Hong Kong was established as the first 5-star show jumping competition in Asia. The inaugural American leg took place in Los Angeles last fall and was the first show jumping competition of its calibre on the West Coast since the 1984 Olympics.

© Getty Images

This summer, EEM announced that Longines has become the title partner of the Longines Masters on three continents. Established in three major cities—Los Angeles, Paris and Hong Kong—the Longines Masters series is one of the most prestigious equestrian competitions worldwide, where the 25 best international riders compete for 1 million dollars in prize money at each leg of the series. EEM, creators of the Longines Masters, strives to create emblematic events that showcase the magic of show jumping and raise the profile of the sport.

Bill and Melinda Gates attending the inaugural edition of the Longines Masters of Los Angeles Any rider who consecutively wins the Longines Grand Prix in Paris, Hong Kong and Los Angeles will be rewarded with one million euros Masters Grand Slam Bonus. For two successive victories, the rider will be awarded €500,000, and winners of two non-successive victories within a series of three Longines Grand Prix will receive a €250,000 bonus. British rider John Whitaker won the Longines Grand Prix in Hong Kong and will be competing in Los Angeles to become the first rider to claim the bonus.

The second edition of the Longines Masters of Los Angeles will kick off the 2015/2016 series October 1st to 4th. The world’s best riders and equine athletes will converge on Los Angeles for fast-paced, heart-pounding competition in pursuit of one million dollars in prize money.

© Getty Images

Other major classes at the Longines Masters include the Longines Speed Challenge, the Gucci Gold Cup, the Charity Pro-Am Style & Competition, and as well as Invitational and Prestige Trophies for the elite amateurs of the world.

The crowd at the Longines Masters of Paris

The excitement of the sport is far from being the only highlight of the Longines Masters. Every edition of the Masters is a monumental event that brings together up to 50,000 visitors including sports enthusiasts, amateurs, celebrities and corporate decision-makers from around the world, who come to enjoy a unique experience, boasting exceptional sport,

© Getty Images

US Olympic Medallist Kent Farrington in Los Angeles entertainment, glamour, gastronomy and contemporary art.

contemporary artists can be admired throughout the venue.

The VIP Hospitality experience features the delectable haute cuisine of twostarred Michelin Chef Yves Mattagne, and guests can shop their favourite brands such as Gucci and Hermes in the Prestige Village as well as the best equestrian fashion and equipment. Families enjoy the Kids Corner with rider’s autograph sessions and games, and one-of-a-kind artworks from

Throughout the years EEM has built a solid and trustworthy relationship with prestigious partners that have greatly contributed to the success of the Masters and continue to support the Longines Masters in their wonderful journey by associating their name and image to these unique events including Gucci, Airbus, Dassault Falcon, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Emirates, Massimo Dutti,

Longines Masters of Los Angeles – Oct 1-4, 2015 Longines Masters of Paris – Dec 3-6, 2015 Longines Masters of Hong Kong – Feb 19-21, 2016 Facebook : @Mastersgrandslam #LIVEMasters

Land Rover, Hyatt, Ceneca, Opera Gallery, Mercedes Benz, Laiterie de Montaigu, Barons de Rothschild, Shanghai Tang, Amade, Eurosport, TVB, Equidia, LA Times, The Hollywood Reporter, Le Figaro, L’Equipe, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Equestrio, Hong Kong Tatler. The Longines Masters of Los Angeles brings the prestige of the international series to the United States next month, offering long-time fans and newcomers to show jumping a four-day must-attend event.

www.mastersgrandslam.com

THOUGHT LEADER | SOCCER

Eleven start, thousands follow: social media and football Andy Mallinson

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he football industry has been a late adopter of social media. A few years ago, many of the major European clubs were not on Facebook or Twitter, tending to see the platforms as threats which would invite scandals, gaffes, and hacker attacks. Fast forward to 2015, however, and this has changed. Social media has become an integral part of a club’s fan engagement strategy and central to their broader marketing efforts. The numbers speak for themselves: Real Madrid have amassed 16.5 million followers on Twitter, whilst FC Barcelona have 85 million fans on Facebook. European football clubs are wise to the value of their social media footprint, and are increasingly adept at capitalising on WKHLU VRFLDO LQà XHQFH WR GULYH IXUWKHU IDQ engagement, as well as revenue. Clubs are carefully developing and managing their social media presence in a bid to attract and retain potential new supporters. Major teams are in a social media arms race, jostling to engage millions of fans, in the hope that they become consumers who in turn offer commercial return for the club. For an industry which KDV WUDGLWLRQDOO\ IRXQG LW GLIÀ FXOW WR PDNH VLJQLÀ FDQW PRQH\ RXW RI WKH PDMRULW\ RI LWV followers, this is an important turnaround. 6R ZKDW DUH WKH EHQHÀ WV RI VRFLDO PHGLD for European clubs, and how are they capitalising on it? Developing and sharing content Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube allow clubs to share exciting content quickly and globally, regardless of whether their fans are located in London or Lagos. A fan may not be able attend a match live but their connection to the club will be driven by other things, such as viewing a training video of their team, or watching video interviews with the manager. By delivering content via social channels, clubs can offer intimate insight which more traditional media would struggle to capture. 16 | www.sportspromedia.com

:KHWKHU WKLV LV D EHKLQG WKH VFHQHV ÂśVHOĂ€ H¡ of players as they enter the dressing room, or a tweet from the manager following the match, fans appreciate the frank and direct interaction with the club which social media allows, bolstering their allegiance. Fan engagement In modern football, engagement goes well beyond just the fans who turn up at the stadium. Social media allows clubs to deepen relationships with fans globally and bring them into the heart of the action regardless of where they’re based. Juventus are a good example of a club which deployed social very effectively around a VLQJOH HYHQW DOORZLQJ WKHLU IDQV WR LQĂ XHQFH the matchday experience from afar. In 2014, the club offered their fans the chance to ‘choreograph’ the stadium into a Juventus-inspired design, to be showcased at their upcoming match with Inter Milan. Juventus issued the brief via social media channels and on big screens at games, and fans globally responded to the challenge. More than 3000 designs were submitted via the team’s Facebook page, and the #LoveJu hashtag was tweeted more than 18,500 times. As the Juventus team entered the stadium to battle with Inter Milan, they were greeted with the winning design made out of 13,000 pieces of coloured card, each one held aloft by a single fan. The design covered 8,000 square metres, and the support of the crowd helped to drive the team to a 3-1 victory. The social-driven FDPSDLJQ KDUQHVVHG DQG DPSOLĂ€ HG WKH Juventus fans’ love for their team, and allowed them to feel more invested in their club’s performance. As a relationshipbuilding exercise, it was perfectly executed and a good example of the way in which social media seamlessly blends into the wider marketing strategy. Capturing the positive content Football clubs enjoy voracious support from their fans on social media, whether

it’s via a fan professing their love of a team on Twitter, or sharing a video of a fantastic goal which has just been scored. This user-generated content in itself spurs other fans into sharing their own thoughts and insights on social platforms, creating consistent interactions amongst fans who are bound together only by their love of the same team. Football clubs are increasingly looking to develop and maintain dedicated social hubs within their digital offering, in which user-generated content from fans (as well as content developed directly by the club) can be accessed easily in one place. In 2015, Sunderland AFC launched their dedicated social media hub, aptly titled: ‘Eleven start, thousands follow’. Driven by Stackla, WKH VRFLDO KXE EULQJV WRJHWKHU Ă€ UVW KDQG insight from the club via their Facebook and Twitter pages, allowing users to see at a glance the most recent pieces of news and discussion threads. Social hubs like this act as a source of club information in between matches and allow fans to access the latest news without having to search through individual social channels. Negative content can be easily screened out and clubs are able to focus on delivering the content which other fans really want to see. As football teams across Europe develop their digital offerings, social hubs like this one will become more common and further strengthen the relationship between a club and its fans. Social media is proving an invaluable asset to the football industry. Fan engagement and loyalty are top of the agenda for clubs, at a time when attention to customer relationship management is crucial. Like any other business, developing and maintaining strong relationships with customers is key for football clubs, and social media is a channel which can adeptly deliver. Andy Mallinson is the managing director and group chieI marNeting oIĂ€cer at StacNla, a social content marketing platform with a focus on user-generated content.

THOUGHT LEADER | STADIUMS AND VENUES

DAS v Wi�Fi and the world’s most connected stadium Chris Heublein

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y nature, sports teams are very competitive. We see that on the pitch, courts, tracks and even in schoolyards. In recent years, a title bout has been taking place with the venues themselves: ‘The most connected stadium in the world.’ Whenever I see this term, it makes PH FKXFNOH , KDYH D GLIĂ€ FXOW WLPH quantifying what constitutes this title. In sports generally it is the number of matches you won, and the opponents you have beaten, that constitute the championship title. With stadiums competing for ‘most connected’ title, is it the venue that has crowned itself ? Could it be the integrator that deployed the systems? Or is it the hardware manufacturer making these claims? , KDYH \HW WR Ă€ QG RXW ZKR WKH governing body is for this title. However, I do have some of my own opinions on the two major technologies that create a connected stadium.

Distributed Antenna System In case you are not familiar, Distributed Antenna System, or DAS, is a way to deal with spots of poor cellular coverage inside a large building by installing a network of relatively small antennas throughout the venue. A DAS user may not even know that it exists: you would simply understand that your device has cellular connectivity. Most DAS in sports venues have been neutral host systems, meaning that multiple carriers can lease access to the antennas for their customers’ connectivity. Integrators offering this solution would generally offer a large sum of money – both upfront and recurring monthly – to the venue or venue manager and, in return, would own the network and relationships with the carriers utilising their infrastructure. This has resulted in carriers feeling that they have overpaid for the service, leading to a change in approach with DAS.

We are now seeing venues or carriers themselves owning and operating DAS networks and, as such, they are proving to be a much improved business model for both venues and carriers alike. The venues see consistent or even improved revenues, and the carriers are not feeling like they are being taken advantage of by a thirdparty integrator. Wi-Fi In the spirit of consistency, here is a little background on Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is the name of a popular wireless networking technology that uses radio waves to provide wireless high-speed internet. If you have not experienced Wi-Fi then you must be living in the dark ages. Unlike DAS, you need to actively log in to the Wi-Fi network in order to reap WKH EHQHÀ WV XQOHVV \RXU GHYLFH LV VHW WR connect to open networks. 7KH À UVW GHSOR\PHQWV RI :L )L LQ stadiums and arenas were nothing like the state of the art, high-density networks that are deployed today. Carriers were the tip of the spear when it came to these original Wi-Fi deployments. They decided that it would be in their best interest to RIà RDG GDWD IURP WKH FHOOXODU QHWZRUN to Wi-Fi because the cost associated was much less and performance for their customers increased. The problem was, they made a large investment – sometimes upwards of US$8 million – for these networks, and the question remained of how to generate an ROI. A number of years ago we saw a change in that approach. The carriers had not found a good way to truly monetise these networks and could not effectively generate an ROI for such a large investment. Today’s Wi-Fi networks are being owned and operated by the teams and venues. It only makes sense when you think about the fan engagement activity that can be performed via such a robust asset. The capacity of these networks

is being designed for tomorrow’s highGHÀ QLWLRQ UHSOD\ FRQFHVVLRQV DQG sponsorship activations. Venues are now deploying a wireless access point for every 40 to 50 users. This means that the quality of service is improved, ultimately enhancing the fan experience at the venue and, hopefully, drawing that fan back to the venue as they were able to stay connected with friends on social and work, even though they told the boss that they were out sick for the day... Network data and analytics In case you have been living in a cave somewhere, data is king! This is especially true when we are talking about connected stadiums. Unfortunately, because DAS is really just a passive network that is connected directly back to the carriers, the team and venue will never own or have access to the data on that network. Wi-Fi, on the other hand, is a tremendous opportunity for teams and venues to understand who their customers are and what they are doing, further allowing owners to present a targeted, enhanced fan experience. In my experience, this is the most valuable piece of the connected stadium. There are ways that you can use the data captured over Wi-Fi to directly impact revenue. Of course, the details of how one goes about doing this would require another article or book, perhaps, and not really in the scope of this particular article. While I believe that both DAS and Wi-Fi are required in a stadium, I also believe that Wi-Fi is the clear choice for teams and venues to truly enhance fan experiences and ensure that those fans stay connected. Chris Heublein is vice president of sports and entertainment at Horizon Communications, a global consulting, systems and hardware integration team, providing innovative turnkey solutions for businesses in a diverse array of market verticals. SportsPro Magazine | 17

PREMATURE FACTS

Following the money

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Buck the trend? No.

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nother day, another multi-million dollar taxpayer-funded stadium project ushered cosily through a US state senate system. This time in Wisconsin, where the Milwaukee Bucks and their billionaire hedge-fund managing owners Wesley Edens and Marc Lasry threatened to skip town if the state didn’t cough up US$250 million for a new arena to replace the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Fresh from cutting funding to the University of Wisconsin by US$250 million, Wisconsin governor Scott Walker lauded the new bill as a “good deal all the way aroundâ€?. For the Bucks’ owners, who will put in US$150 million themselves , it sure is. But for Wisconsin residents and visitors – who will consequently pay higher taxes on hotel rooms, car rentals, and food and beverages – it’s less clear-cut. Walker sold the bill to local politicians with a slogan of ‘cheaper to keep them’, citing US$120 million in costs to maintain the Bradley Center in any case, as well as a loss of US$299 million in taxes should the team leave. So often in negotiations such as these, the possibility of game-goers spending their money on alternative entertainment options LV Ă DWO\ LJQRUHG 7KH V\VWHP LV VNHZHG and major league owners have their city authorities by the balls.

KH ZHE DURXQG WKH QLQH À JXUH IUDXG at Fifa extends far and wide, and a recent report in the New York Times illustrated just how much so. Property often represents a more tangible objective for US authorities looking to seize ill-gotten gains in international fraud cases, and it turns out that the reputed scoundrels in the Fifa scandal have got some. Federal prosecutors KDYH LGHQWLÀ HG SURSHUWLHV DFURVV WKH FRXQWU\ RZQHG E\ WKH )LID RIÀ FLDOV RU marketing executives caught up in the case – not all of them plush, million-dollar HGLÀ FHV 6HYHUDO RI WKH SURSHUWLHV DUH UHQWHG units within condominiums, and tenants have now been left fearing for their homes.

Droning on

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ireworks world championships? *OREDO =HSSHOLQ GHUE\" 3DVVp 7KH latest series to capture the imagination of a certain pocket of the sports industry is drone racing. Fuelled by D 86 PLOOLRQ À UVW URXQG IXQGLQJ injection from Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, the New York start-up Drone Racing League is set to launch its À UVW SXEOLF HYHQW ODWHU WKLV \HDU

Ticking-off

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here was bad press for Nike in August when USA Track & Field (USATF), one of its centrepiece athletics sponsorships, took a heavy-handed approach with 800m runner Nick Symmonds (pictured left) in an attempt to enforce the exclusivity of its deal. Symmonds, who has a personal endorsement deal with Brooks, was dropped from the US team for the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Beijing after he refused to cede to USATF demands not even to pack non-Nike apparel for the trip. As the IOC relaxes its ‘rule 40’ measures that prevent athletes actively HQGRUVLQJ QRQ 2O\PSLF VSRQVRUV GXULQJ D OHQJWK\ SHULRG LW GHĂ€ QHV DV Âś*DPHV WLPH¡ the governing body could well have triggered a draconian crackdown by sponsors across the sports industry.

18 | www.sportspromedia.com

Rolling the dice

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as Vegas: the great overlooked American sports market, or the graveyard of sports franchises? The NHL will be hoping it’s the former after receiving an expansion team application from the city, put together by billionaire businessman Bill Foley. Recent history, however, suggests it might be the latter, with the Arena Football League’s Outlaws forced to cease operations in mid-August. There is no NBA team there, no NFL franchise, and not yet an MLS side – and WKH 1+/ FRXOG ZHOO Ă€ QG WKHUH¡V D UHDVRQ for that. If it does, it could always go with the other expansion application on the table, from a group in Quebec.

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MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Movers and Shakers: July 2015 Manu Sawhney

Terdema Ussery

Former ESPN Star Sports managing director Manu Sawhney has been appointed as chief executive of the Singapore Sports Hub. Sawhney, a serving independent director of Premier League soccer side Manchester United, joined ESPN Star Sports in India in 1996. He held a variety of roles in the former sports, media and entertainment organisation, then a 50/50 joint venture between ESPN and News Corp in Asia.

Terdema Ussery has stepped down from his role as president and chief executive of the Dallas Mavericks National Basketball Association (NBA) team to take a new role with sportswear brand Under Armour. Ussery, who joined the Mavericks as chief executive in 1997 after a stint as president of Nike Sports Management, will become president of global sports categories at Baltimore-based Under Armour.

Martin Anayi

Robert Wood

Martin Anayi has been appointed as the new managing director of Pro12 Rugby, the top domestic rugby union tier for clubs from the Celtic nations and Italy. Anayi will leave his current role as vice president of IMG and managing director of the IMG-owned FIA World Rallycross Championship to take up his new post in October.

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) has appointed Robert Wood to its board of directors. Wood has served as the chairman of the National Gymnastics Foundation’s board of directors since 2009, while he also serves on the board of directors for Praxair Corporation and Jorden Corporation. Previously, Wood served as chairman, president and chief executive of Chemtura Corporation from 2006 to 2008.

Josep Maria Bartomeu Josep Maria Bartomeu has been elected as president of FC Barcelona for a six-year term. Bartomeu received 54.63 per cent of the vote, which took place at Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium on 18th July. Bartomeu was formerly Barcelona’s vice president and has stood in as president of the Spanish soccer club since January 2014, after Sandro Rosell resigned amid a row over the transfer of Brazilian star Neymar.

Anthony Radich Anthony Radich has returned to Australian A-League soccer RXWÀ W 3HUWK *ORU\ DV WKHLU QHZ FKLHI RSHUDWLQJ RIÀ FHU KDYLQJ previously acted as general manager from 2011 to 2014. Radich left the club last year for a role at independent government health initiative Healthway. He will oversee all aspects of the club’s media, marketing, corporate and commercial operations.

Shona Malcolm Great Britain and Ireland’s Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) has appointed Shona Malcolm as its new secretary in Scotland. Malcolm, who has served as chairman of the Scottish /DGLHV¡ *ROĂ€ QJ $VVRFLDWLRQ DQG FKLHI H[HFXWLYH RI WKH /DGLHV¡ *ROI 8QLRQ EHFRPHV WKH Ă€ UVW ZRPDQ WR KROG WKH SRVW RI secretary in any of the PGA’s seven regions.

Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye and Nenad Lalovic The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has elected two new members: the president of the Senegal Olympic Committee, Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye, and the Serbian president of United World Wrestling (UWW), Nenad Lalovic.

Russ Brandon National Hockey League (NHL) team the Buffalo Sabres have named Russ Brandon as their new president and alternate governor. Russ Brandon is now dual president of two Buffalo sides: the NHL’s Sabres, and the Bills of the National Football League (NFL). Brandon’s new role is effective immediately. He replaces Ted Black, who leaves the Sabres by mutual agreement.

Tod Leiweke Tod Leiweke has resigned from his position as chief executive of NHL franchise Tampa Bay Lightning to take the role of chief operating officer at the National Football League (NFL). The 55-year-old will take up his new role at the league immediately. 20 | www.sportspromedia.com

Richard Wayman The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has appointed Richard :D\PDQ WR WKH UROH RI FKLHI RSHUDWLQJ RIÀ FHU :D\PDQ ZLOO MRLQ WKH RUJDQLVDWLRQ WKH RIÀ FLDO JRYHUQLQJ ERG\ RI %ULWLVK UDFLQJ from the Racehorse Owners Association, where he has been chief executive since January 2012. Reporting to BHA chief executive Nick Rust, Wayman will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of the BHA’s development programme over the next 18 months.

Paola Palazzo Barclays Center has appointed Paola Palazzo as vice president of entertainment industry relations and event development. Based in LA, Palazzo will focus primarily on the music industry but will have an involvement in the Brooklyn-based arena’s sports properties.

Executive search partner:

Rob Sine &ROOHJH VSRUWV WLFNHWLQJ FRPSDQ\ ,0* /HDUÀ HOG 7LFNHW Solutions has named Rob Sine as its new president. Sine was previously vice president for ticketing at Pac-12 Conference & Pac-12 Sales, following stints in the ticket sales operations at the Portland Trailblazers, Seattle Supersonics and Milwaukee Bucks NBA teams. Based in Plano, Texas, KH ZLOO EH UHSRUWLQJ GLUHFWO\ WR WKH ,0* /HDUÀ HOG 7LFNHW Solutions board.

Shane Mattiske Global sports marketing research giant Repucom has appointed former National Rugby League (NRL) executive Shane Mattiske as a joint managing director in Australia. Mattiske spent 15 years at the NRL, including nine years as director of strategy and special projects, and a stint as interim chief executive before the appointment of David Smith.

Giuseppe Sampino German media rights management company Sportsman Media Group has named Giuseppe Sampino as its new media rights director. Sampino joins from his previous role ZLWK 6SDQLVK À UP 'RUQD ZKHUH KH ZRUNHG DV VHQLRU VDOHV executive. At Sportsman, Sampino will be responsible for a wide range of rights packages, including German Bundesliga soccer, the World Rally Championship, and the Table Tennis Champions League.

Dame Tessa Jowell Dame Tessa Jowell has been appointed as executive chairman of sports marketing group Chime Communications. Former Olympics minister Jowell, who is a frontrunner to become the next mayor of London when Boris Johnson departs the role next year, stepped down as a UK member of parliament earlier this year.

Dr Jan Lehmann Dr Jan Lehmann has been named as the comanaging director of Repucom Germany. Lehmann, who joined the sports marketing specialist as executive vice president of business and client solutions in April from a role at German soccer’s Bundesliga, will step up alongside Stephan Schröder in an expanded management team.

Mover of the month Rob Sine, president of IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions

What is the single biggest responsibility in your new role?

Taking care of people and instilling our customer-focused values across the organisation is the greatest responsibility in RYHUVHHLQJ ,0* /HDUÀ HOG 7LFNHW 6ROXWLRQV (IMGLTS). By people, I mean our amazing employees as well as partners at our 38 properties across the US. By values, I’m referring to building and nurturing relationships, always doing the right thing, and providing value and innovative solutions to ticketing. What do you expect to find the most challenging?

There are preconceived notions in the marketplace about IMGLTS and the ticketing industry. But changing hearts and minds is also the most exciting part of the job. Whether you’re on campus selling tickets, running a company like this, or working anywhere else in professional sports, you have to listen to learn. That lets you build a level of trust to allow your partners and prospects to believe in you and your vision. Do you have a specific Rob Sine brand of leadership?

Sounds like the latest management tome! It is one of empowerment, relationships and constant learning. I believe in empowering those I work with by building trust-based relationships allowing each of us to understand one another – who we are, what we stand for, what motivates us, and what’s important to us. From there, it’s about putting people in a position to learn by teaching, and letting them take risks and make mistakes, which allows them to have success. It’s so important to create an environment in which people trust themselves. I also challenge everyone I work with to think hard about their language – in internal conversations as well as with partners – and to stretch outside their comfort zones. It’s funny how big that comfort zone can get when doing that. How will you measure success?

First, do the employees of IMGLTS and our partners believe in our mission and vision? Second, are we being the best possible partners for our properties by over-delivering the sales results, revenue, and service they expect? Third, are we true innovators in the industry? What was your dream job growing up?

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 industry appointments to: info@sportspromedia.com

Flying jets in the navy was an early dream. Once I learned I was going to be too tall – I’m 6’6” – I switched my focus to working in the sports industry. Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

I envision being here at IMG running the most successful ticket sales and solutions company in the collegiate and sports/entertainment industry. SportsPro Magazine | 21

The NBA’s Adam Silver and ambassador Dikembe Mutombo with WNBA legend Teresa Edwards

Scott O’Neil, chief executive of the Prudential Center, with weightlifter Ben Jackson

Cari Champion hosts one of the panels

Dear Beyond Sport United Attendees: It is our belief that sports have an unrivaled ability to evoke passion from those who support them. As such, they hold a unique role in society. They are the cultural heartbeat of their communities, bringing people together behind a common cause. 7KLV SLYRWDO UROH LV RQH LQ ZKLFK ZH WDNH LPPHQVH SULGH EXW LW GRHV FRPH ZLWK VLJQL¿FDQW UHVSRQVLELOLWLHV It is in recognition of this that we have placed the support of our organizations behind Beyond Sport United. Our colleagues from across the world have united with a single aim: to better understand how we can have a tangible impact on the communities and individuals that we serve. Every city has its unique challenges, but there is much we can learn from each other in terms of our overarching approach to community work and the impact it can have across a range of social issues from youth violence and crime to health to education. We hope to emerge from the day’s proceedings with a fresh understanding of the impact our teams can have RQ WKRVH DURXQG WKHP ZKLOH IRVWHULQJ D VHQVH RI XQL¿FDWLRQ ¹ WKDW LQ XVLQJ RXU FRPELQHG VWUHQJWK ZH FDQ VLJQL¿FDQWO\ HQKDQFH WKH OLYHV RI WKRVH LQGLYLGXDOV ZKRVH XQTXHVWLRQDEOH OR\DOW\ DQG VXSSRUW VLW DW WKH YHU\ heart of our sports. We have united to go beyond sport. And, through our collective commitment to this focused aim, there is much we can achieve together.

Commissioner Gary Bettman National Hockey League

Commissioner Roger Goodell National Football League

Commissioner Don Garber Major League Soccer

Commissioner Robert D Manfred Commissioner Adam Silver Major League Baseball National Basketball Association and Women’s National Basketball Association

Silver pledges a renewed commitment (right) to Beyond Sport United

The newly signed Commissioners Letter

Ben Jackson delivers a speech

Billy Bean, the MLB’s Ambassador for Inclusion, receives his own New Jersey Devils jersey

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman with Pat LaFontaine, the NHL’s vice president of hockey development and community affairs

John Layfield, former WWE star, and Chris Waddell, 13-time Paralympic medallist

John Layfield; Dan Nicholl, host of Beyond Sport United; and Anna Aagenes and Wade Davis of You Can Play

ESPN SportsCenter presenter Cari Champion

Caryl Stern, president and chief executive of the US Fund for UNICEF

SportsPro Gallery

Beyond Sport United Newark’s Prudential Center was the venue for Beyond Sport United on 22nd July. This year’s theme, ‘The Power of the Athlete’, was explored by industry luminares including Adam Silver, commissioner of the National Basketball Association, and Rob Manfred, commissioner of Major League Baseball.

22 | www.sportspromedia.com

Delegates from the Lausanne bid react to winning the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games

Beijing 2022 vice president Liu Yandong

IOC president Thomas Bach announces Beijing as the host for the 2022 Winter Olmypic Games

Bach with IOC director general of administration Christophe De Kepper

China’s president Xi Jinping appears on film during Beijing’s presentation

Honorary president of the IOC Jacques Rogge sits with Thomas Bach

Former Chinese basketball superstar Yao Ming (right)

Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak

Young supporters in Lausanne celebrate while watching the live broadcast of the ceremony

Members of the Beijing delegation rejoice

The 128th IOC Session The 128th annual International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, saw Beijing elected as the host city for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, beating its only rival bid from Almaty in Kazakhstan. Meanwhile, Lausanne was chosen to host the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics.

SportsPro Magazine | 23

Presenter Natalia Vodianova holds a soccer ball

The draw is displayed on the big screen

An official puts the World Cup trophy on display

Uefa president Michel Platini watches on

Fifa secretary general Jérôme Valcke

Brothers in arms: Fifa president Sepp Blatter with the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin

Former Russian soccer star Aleksander Kerzhakov

Brazil legend Ronaldo took part in the draw

Former German international Oliver Bierhoff draws the world champions out of the hat

Blatter awaits the draw

Russian pop star Polina Gagarina performs

SportsPro Gallery

2018 Fifa World Cup qualifying draw The draw for the European qualifying stages of the 2018 Fifa World Cup took place in St Petersburg, Russia on 25th July. England and Scotland, the oldest rivals in international soccer, were drawn together to play in competitive fixtures for the first time in 17 years.

24 | www.sportspromedia.com

Thomas Bach, president of the IOC, at a news conference at the Open ahead of golf’s Olympic return at Rio 2016

Zach Johnson kisses the Claret Jug

Irish amateur Paul Dunne led into the final round

Former British Open runner-up Doug Sanders

The final scoreboard shows Johnson on top

Spectators enter the course on the last day

Tiger Woods walks to the media centre after missing the cut

South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen reacts to missing his par putt in the play-off round

Bad weather affected two days of play, leading to the first Monday finish for the Open since 1988

Golf fans watch play from the second fairway

America’s Tom Watson on the Swilcan Bridge

The Open 2015 The Open returned to the self-styled ‘home of golf’, the Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland, for its 2015 instalment. American Jordan Spieth came agonisingly close to winning a third consecutive major, but ultimately finished fourth, with countryman Zach Johnson taking the title.

SportsPro Magazine | 25

Australian batsman Nathan Lyon is bowled at Trent Bridge, confirming England’s win

England captain Alastair Cook and Australia captain Michael Clarke pose with the Ashes urn ahead of the first Test at Cardiff ’s Swalec Stadium

England’s Joe Root celebrates the winning run at Edgbaston

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (left) during day two of the Test at Lord’s

The Red Arrows fly overhead to salute England

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting rings the five-minute bell ahead of the Lord’s Test

Clarke watches his team collapse at Trent Bridge

An England fan dressed as the Queen during the third Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham

Stuart Broad’s surprise at Trent Bridge summed up how many fans were feeling

MCC members arrive at Lord’s

Wives and girlfriends of the England players celebrate on the pitch after the team’s victory

paimages.co.uk PAImages

The Ashes England regained the Ashes urn after winning three of the first four Tests in the five-match series in July and August. A spectacular Australian collapse in the fourth Test at Nottingham’s Trent Bridge, where Stuart Broad took eight wickets for 15 runs and Joe Root hit a century, confirmed the victory.

26 | www.sportspromedia.com

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SPORTSPRO WORLD | HOSTINGS AND HAPPENINGS

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Conferences 1

Montreal, Canada The Relevant Conference, an exclusive sponsorship and marketing event, will take place this year at L’Auberge SaintGabriel in Montreal between 16th and 18th September. Sponsorship mogul Tom Moser, best known for his pioneering work with the British American Racing Formula One team, is among the key speakers.

3

Monaco Sports media industry leaders from across the globe will descend on Monaco from 12th to 15th October for the 2015 edition of the Sportel Convention. The 2014 edition saw 2,613 delegates from 78 different countries in attendance to take advantage of the various conferences, forums and networking opportunities on offer.

4

Lausanne, Switzerland The World Union of Olympic Cities will welcome representatives from organising committees and governing bodies from across the world to Lausanne, Switzerland from 12th to 14th October for its Smart Cities & Sport Summit 2015. The event aims to promote more effective planning of sporting events in cities, and to help develop cities with more active lifestyles.

2

London, UK SportsPro’s own The Brand Conference will return for a second year on 29th and 30th September. London’s Kia Oval will host leading industry experts for two days of debate and discussion on the use of sport as a tool for brand communication. The England and Wales Cricket Board’s Sanjay Patel and the Brooklyn Nets’ Brett Yormark (right) lead the line-up of speakers. 28 | www.sportspromedia.com

5

Singapore The Asian edition of PanStadia & Arena Management magazine’s annual gathering of the world’s sports venue owners, operators and developers – the Stadia $UHQD $VLD 3DFLÀF FRQIHUHQFH ² LV returning to the Singapore Sports Hub between 28th and 30th September for three days of panels and exhibitions.

The British leg of the FIA World Rally Championship will continue to be held in north Wales for the next three years after a new deal was agreed

Hosting A

Wales International Motor Sports has agreed a three-year deal with the Welsh government over the hosting of the Wales Rally GB. The UK’s round of the World Rally Championship will remain in north Wales until at least 2018 as a result. The 2015 event, which will consist of 19 stages covering 191 miles, will take place between 12th and 15th November.

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China China has seen off competition from the Philippines to be chosen as the host nation of the Fiba Basketball World Cup in 2019, after winning 14 of the 21 available votes from the world governing body’s central board. It will EH WKH ÀUVW HYHU WLPH &KLQD KDV VWDJHG Fiba’s global showpiece. D

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Abu Dhabi, UAE Fina, the world governing body for aquatic sports, has voted for the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi as the host of the short-course World Championships and its World Aquatics Convention in 2020. The UAE previously hosted the 25-metre championships in 2010, when Dubai was the host city.

Da Nang, Vietnam The organisers of Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, the world’s longest ocean race challenge, have announced Da Nang, the largest city in central Vietnam, as the south-east Asia host city for the tenth edition of the race, which gets underway in London on 30th August. The Vietnam stop is expected sometime in early to mid-2016.

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Tianjin, China The Professional Golfers’ Association 3*$ &KDPSLRQV 7RXU ZLOO KROG LWV ÀUVW HYHU &KLQHVH HYHQW WKLV \HDU 7KH 3DFLÀF Links China Championship, the 20th RIÀFLDO &KDUOHV 6FKZDE &XS HYHQW RI WKH 2015 season, tees off on 14th September at the 27 Club in Tianjin, one of the country’s most exclusive golf resorts. F

Melbourne, Australia Melbourne will host International Champions Cup (ICC) matches until 2018, after the Victorian state government agreed a new deal with the organisers of the annual pre-season soccer tournament. The announcement was made by Football Federation Australia (FFA) at the conclusion of this year’s edition of the ICC. SportsPro Magazine | 29

MINI INSIGHTS | OLYMPICS

Beijing wins Winter Olympics race

Chinese youngsters celebrate at the Great Wall after Beijing was awarded the 2022 Olympic Games

Two became one on 31st July as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) selected the Chinese capital Beijing over Almaty, Kazakhstan as the host city for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. %HLMLQJ ZKLFK ZLOO EHFRPH WKH À UVW city to host both the summer and winter editions of the Games, was the heavy favourite in the days running up to the À QDO EDOORW DW WKH WK ,2& 6HVVLRQ LQ Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. However, it ultimately triumphed by just four votes, taking 44 to Almaty’s 40.

The bidding process was overshadowed by the enormous costs incurred in Sochi’s hosting of the 2014 Winter Games, and the competition was reduced to a duel between Beijing and Almaty after Krakow, Oslo and Stockholm withdrew bids due to a lack of public support, while Lviv was forced to pull out due to the ongoing security crisis in Ukraine. Beijing’s bid appeared the weaker of the two from a logistical viewpoint – the city is not a natural home for winter sports, and its proposed venues are spread out up to 200 kilometres from

the city itself – but its Olympic pedigree, having hosted a hugely successful Summer Games in 2008, helped to carry it to victory. Furthermore, much of the required infrastructure is already in place, with half of the competition venues mentioned in the bid already in existence, including the Beijing National Stadium – the iconic ‘Bird’s Nest’. ‘We are honoured and humbled by the IOC’s decision to award Beijing the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games,’ read a statement from Beijing’s bid committee. ‘It is with an incredible sense of excitement that we express our thanks to the IOC and the wider Olympic movement. ‘Just as with the Beijing 2008 Summer Games, the Olympic family has put its IDLWK LQ %HLMLQJ DJDLQ WR GHOLYHU WKH DWKOHWH centred, sustainable and economical Games we have promised. This will be a memorable event at the foot of the Great Wall for the whole Olympic Family, the athletes and the spectators that will further enhance the tremendous potential to grow winter sports in our country, in Asia and around the world.’ The announcement was notable for EHLQJ WKH Ă€ UVW DW ZKLFK WKH KRVW FLW\ contract, signed between the organising committee and the IOC, has been made public, as part of IOC president Thomas Bach’s Agenda 2020 campaign to reform the Olympic movement.

The United States’ bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games may now move to Los Angeles from Boston, after the latter withdrew from the race. The United States Olympic Committee 862& KDG RSWHG IRU À UVW WLPH ELGGHU Boston as its candidate for 2024 in January of this year, selecting it over LA, San Francisco, and Washington DC. But Boston’s bid struggled to gain the support of the city’s public, with one poll suggesting that just 47 per cent of the population were in favour of the campaign before it was dropped. 30 | www.sportspromedia.com

Michael Dwyer/AP/ Press Association Images

USOC courts LA as Boston withdraws

Boston has pulled out of the 2024 Olympic race

In contrast, public support for a third LA Olympics stands at 81 per cent, according to Scott Blackmun, chief executive of USOC. LA has previously hosted the Summer Olympics in 1932 and 1984. Marty Walsh, the mayor of Boston –

who previously had spoken in support of the bid – cited the economic uncertainties of a potential campaign as part of the reason for the city’s withdrawal, claiming that signing the host city contract would be “putting the taxpayers at risk�. Boston’s bid was always likely to be a speculative one, with the city lacking in the kind of infrastructure necessary to host an event on the scale of the Olympics. Representatives from LA, on the other hand, have gone so far as to say that their city is already capable of holding the event. “Los Angeles give us our best chance to win,� said Blackmun.

Inside the story: Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium rethink By James Emmett

Plans for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Stadium will be redrawn from scratch after the original concept was deemed too costly by the Japanese government

Koji Sasahara/AP/ Press Association Images

,Q PLG -XO\ -DSDQHVH SULPH PLQLVWHU 6KLQ]R $EH À QDOO\ VFRWFKHG SODQV IRU D =DKD +DGLG GHVLJQHG Olympic Stadium following clamorous concern about the design of the building itself and rising costs. Why was the decision taken?

The cost estimates for the stadium, envisioned as the centrepiece of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, had doubled to ÂĽ252 billion (US$2 billion) and, ostensibly, this was simply too much for the Japanese government to stomach. In a SRVW $JHQGD UHIRUPV HUD DQG ZLWK a new emphasis placed on sustainability within the Olympic movement, Abe felt MXVWLĂ€ HG LQ VKXWWLQJ GRZQ WKH SURMHFW But even without the spiralling costs, the decision felt like it had been brewing for some time. Spurred by a vocal and LQĂ XHQWLDO JURXS RI YHWHUDQ -DSDQHVH architects, the Japanese media and the public it serves had been concerned with ,UDTL %ULWLVK DUFKLWHFW +DGLG¡V GHVLJQ since day one. It was ugly and did not Ă€ W LWV VXUURXQGLQJV WKH FULWLFV DUJXHG There were also nationalistic overtones to the arguments; at one stage Hadid branded her Japanese detractors as

Toyo Ito is the favourite to create a new venue

“hypocrites� since they all worked on iconic buildings abroad, too. What has the fallout been?

Needless to say, the decision did not sit well with Hadid. Her practice released a statement, via project director Jim Heverin, expressing disappointment and justifying the cost increases. “It is not the case that the recently reported cost increases are due to

Briton Zaha Hadid’s design has been dropped

the design,â€? Heverin said. “The real challenge for the stadium has been agreeing an acceptable construction cost against the backdrop of steep annual increases in construction costs in Tokyo DQG D Ă€ [HG GHDGOLQH Âľ World Rugby, which was set to use WKH VWDGLXP Ă€ UVW DV WKH VKRZSLHFH YHQXH for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, also expressed disappointment. While it is working with Japanese authorities on an alternative venue, the link that would have been drawn between the scale of the Olympics and the stature of a Rugby World Cup in what is an emerging market for the sport has now been lost. What will happen next?

A process to select a new design will be run, overseen by new Japanese Olympic minister Toshiaki Endo, with the stadium set to be built in time for the Games but not the Rugby World Cup. One of the more vocal Japanese architects is likely to be selected, with the frontrunner believed to be Toyo Ito. The costs will be marginally lower, and hindsight will see the process put down as another feather in IOC president Thomas Bach’s Agenda 2020 cap. SportsPro Magazine | 31

MINI INSIGHTS | DIGITAL/SOCCER/BROADCAST

NHL in landmark MLBAM accord

Major League Baseball Advanced Media will now take a leading role in the NHL’s digital output

The National Hockey League 1+/ KDV EHJXQ D ZLGH UHDFKLQJ VL[ \HDU GLJLWDO ULJKWV SDUWQHUVKLS ZLWK Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM), the media arm of Major League Baseball (MLB). As part of the deal, announced in early August, MLBAM will exclusively GLVWULEXWH OLYH RXW RI PDUNHW 1+/ JDPHV in the US, and international markets other than Canada and Scandinavia, to cable, satellite and terrestrial broadcasters and via the NHL GameCenter LIVE and Center Ice subscription services.

MLBAM will also operate the NHL ZHEVLWH DQG RIĂ€ FLDO DSSV ZLWK WKH two parties set to collaborate on the development of new and improved digital products and platforms. The deal is intended to create a new global online hub for the NHL, integrating live streaming, social media, statistics and fantasy games. The new services will launch fully in January 2016, with MLBAM working on a transition with existing NHL partner NeuLion until then. According to reports in North America, XQFRQĂ€ UPHG E\ WKH 1+/ WKH GHDO LV

worth US$200 million a year to the league. This includes a US$100 million rights fee, US$80 million in equity in MLBAM’s technology business, and US$20 million in savings on investments it would otherwise need to make. “As the market leader, MLBAM is XQLTXHO\ TXDOLĂ€ HG WR DVVLVW XV LQ JLYLQJ hockey fans a richer, more immersive experience with the game,â€? said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. “MLBAM is also the right partner because they have the expertise to help us deliver new and exciting products to our fans, who crave compelling digital content.â€? Rob Manfred, the MLB commissioner, added: “It is an honour for Major League Baseball to stand alongside the National Hockey League on this joint initiative. All of us in sports share a desire to distribute our games and tell our stories as widely and broadly as possible.â€?

Gary Bettman is the commissioner of the NHL

3ODWLQL FRQÀ UPV )LID SUHVLGHQWLDO UXQ Uefa president Michel Platini has FRQÀ UPHG KLV FDQGLGDF\ IRU WKH presidency of Fifa. 7KH \HDU ROG )UHQFKPDQ ZKR KDV led European soccer’s governing body since 2007, is the frontrunner in the race to succeed the outgoing Sepp Blatter in 2016. Fifa has scheduled an extraordinary election for 26th February. Platini chose not to stand against Blatter in the 2015 presidential election but led calls for the Swiss to resign after D VHULHV RI DUUHVWV RI )LID RIÀ FLDOV LQ WKH days ahead of the vote. As SportsPro went to press, South Korean businessman 32 | www.sportspromedia.com

Uefa’s Michel Platini is to seek soccer’s top job

&KXQJ 0RQJ -RRQ ² DQ KRQRUDU\ )LID vice president and former head of his country’s national association – also RIĂ€ FLDOO\ DQQRXQFHG D SUHVLGHQWLDO UXQ Fifa has also appointed former International Olympic Committee (IOC) GLUHFWRU JHQHUDO )UDQFRLV &DUUDUG WR KHDG LWV latest reform committee. The Swiss lawyer, who led the IOC’s reform process after 2002’s Salt Lake City bidding controversy, ZLOO FKDLU D VWURQJ SDQHO LQFOXGLQJ WZR members from each confederation and two appointed by Fifa’s commercial partners. &DUUDUG ZLOO DOVR QDPH KLV RZQ Ă€ YH SHUVRQ ‘advisory board’.

Premier League begins global sales

NBC Sports Group has more than doubled its financial commitment to English soccer’s Premier League

English soccer’s Premier League has kicked off its round of international rights sales by renewing two of its major partnerships, tying up D VL[ \HDU H[WHQVLRQ ZLWK 1%& 6SRUWV *URXS LQ WKH 86 DQG D WKUHH \HDU GHDO ZLWK 6XSHU6SRUW LQ VXE 6DKDUDQ $IULFD NBC Sports Group will continue to show all 380 Premier League games each year across a range of platforms, LQFOXGLQJ WKH PDLQ IUHH WR DLU 1%& network, until the end of the 2021/22

season. Matches will also be available on the NBC Sports Network, USA Network, Telemundo and NBC Universo, as well as through the Premier League Extra Time TV package and the NBC Sports Live Extra digital service. With the league looking to build similar growth to its live domestic UKÂŁ5.14 billion TV deals with Sky Sports and BT Sport, NBC is reported to have considerably increased its investment. Its current US$85 PLOOLRQ D \HDU GHDO DJUHHG ZLWK WKH OHDJXH

in October 2012 and running until the end of this season, was one of the most VLJQLĂ€ FDQW HYHU VLJQHG E\ DQ $PHULFDQ broadcaster and an overseas league. According to the New York Times, the new contract is worth US$1 billion. “Outstanding production, expert analysis, and wide audience reach have all been beyond expectations,â€? said Premier League executive chairman Richard 6FXGDPRUH RI 1%&¡V FRYHUDJH ´)LUVW rate creative marketing and promotional campaigns have driven interest in our clubs, and the competition as a whole, to unprecedented levels.â€? 6RXWK $IULFD EDVHG SD\ 79 RSHUDWRU SuperSport’s renewal, covering the 2016/17 to 2018/19 cycle, comprises H[FOXVLYH SD\ 79 ULJKWV LQ WKH VXE Saharan region. SuperSport has televised the league since its inaugural season in 1992/93 and SUHYLRXVO\ VLJQHG D WKUHH \HDU GHDO EHOLHYHG to be worth around US$370 million. The Premier League will run a separate sales SURFHVV IRU D IUHH WR DLU SDFNDJH LQ WKH region, including one live game per week. International rights deals for the Premier League will be available on three DQG VL[ \HDU WHUPV

15/ DQG $)/ VHFXUH UHFRUG 79 GHDOV The Australian Football League (AFL) and the National Rugby League (NRL) both signed record media rights extensions with incumbent broadcasters in August. Australian public service broadcaster 1LQH UHQHZHG ZLWK WKH 15/ IRU À YH \HDUV The new TV deal kicks in for the 2018 season and is worth AUS$925 million (US$680.6 million). Nine will be paying US$136 million per year – double the network’s current fee for its joint agreement ZLWK SD\ 79 EURDGFDVWHU )R[ 6SRUWV 7KH $)/ PHDQZKLOH VLJQHG D VL[ \HDU renewal with its broadcasters Seven and Foxtel. The total rights fee of AUS$2.508 billion (US$1.844 billion) represents a 67 per cent uplift on the Australian rules football competition’s current deal, which expires at the end of the 2016 season, and

News Corp executive chairman Rupert Murdoch

is an Australian media rights record. The new NRL deal includes additional

rights, with Nine set to air four live games a week from the top professional Australasian rugby league division – one more than in its current arrangement. 7KH 15/ LV VWLOO QHJRWLDWLQJ LWV SD\ 79 simulcast and international rights sales. The new AFL deal will see all nine games of each of the 22 rounds every season broadcast live across the Seven Network, Foxtel, and Telstra’s streaming service. News Corp executive chairman Rupert Murdoch was on hand at the DQQRXQFHPHQW ´7KLV LV D YHU\ VLJQLĂ€ FDQW investment for us,â€? he said. “We’ve always believed that this is the premium code in Australia – it’s the national game.â€? Foxtel is also currently a broadcaster RI WKH 15/ EXW KDV \HW WR Ă€ QDOLVH LWV Ă€ QDQFLDO RIIHU IRU WKH OHDJXH¡V QH[W F\FOH RI SD\ 79 ULJKWV SportsPro Magazine | 33

MINI INSIGHTS | ATHLETICS/AGENCIES

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Leaked blood-test data raised doubts over doping in athletics but the IAAF has defended its protocols

World athletics’ governing body, the IAAF, faced renewed TXHVWLRQV DERXW LWV DQWL GRSLQJ SROLFLHV LQ WKH EXLOG XS WR LWV ZRUOG FKDPSLRQVKLSV and presidential election. In early August the UK’s Sunday Times newspaper and German broadcaster ARD/WDR published leaked data of 12,000 blood tests involving 5,000 athletes from 2001 to 2012. According to their DQDO\VLV DVVLVWHG E\ $XVWUDOLDQ DQWL GRSLQJ scientists Robin Parisotto and Michael Ashenden, 800 of these were suspicious, and 146 medals – including 55 golds – at

the Olympics and world championships in that period were won by athletes who had recorded suspicious tests. The IAAF described the reports from the Sunday Times and ARD as ‘sensationalist and confusing’ and noting that the evidence leaked to those organisations had already been subject to its own studies, released in 2011. ‘Any reporting by the ARD and Sunday Times that the IAAF was negligent in addressing or following up the suspicious SURĂ€ OHV LV VLPSO\ IDOVH GLVDSSRLQWLQJ and misinformed journalism,’ it said in a

detailed statement. That approach was backed up by presidential favourite Lord Sebastian Coe. The former Locog chairman – preparing to face fellow former Olympic champion Sergey Bubka in a ballot on 19th August – promised a “robust� response to doping but refuted accusations of negligence on the IAAF’s part. “Nobody should underestimate the anger at the way our sport has been portrayed,� he said, speaking to the BBC. “Every athlete at the world championships in 2011 and 2013 was subject to a blood test, that’s unprecedented. We spent $2m a year RXW RI RXU EXGJHW >RQ DQWL GRSLQJ@ DQG ZH DUH QRW D ULFK VSRUW ZH KDYH WHQ IXOO time professionals. What has angered me is the portrayal that we are doing absolutely nothing. In fact, we have led the way on this.� The IAAF began its biological passport scheme in 2011 and has since used it to sanction 39 athletes but Ashenden, in an open letter to Coe following the latter’s comments, called on the body to institute further measures such as the ‘no start’ rule. In a separate development, the IAAF suspended 28 athletes, many of them retired, after retesting archived samples from the 2005 and 2007 world championships. The World Athletics Championships were scheduled from 22nd to 30th August in Beijing, China.

WPP and Providence pick up Chime Advertising giant WPP and US SULYDWH HTXLW\ À UP 3URYLGHQFH teamed up to purchase international PR and marketing group Chime Communications for UK£374 million (US$584 million) at the end of July, as both companies continue to make a strategic push into sport. /RQGRQ EDVHG &KLPH ZKLFK RZQV agencies and employs over 2,000 people, was founded in 1989 by Lord Bell, the former media adviser to Margaret Thatcher. It is thought that continued growth in the company’s sports marketing agency, CSM Strategic, which is reported to 34 | www.sportspromedia.com

CSM Sport & Entertainment chairman Lord Coe

generate around 40 per cent of the group’s UK£300 million revenues, spurred the takeover, with both WPP and Providence having expanded in sport in recent months. WPP, the world’s largest advertising group by revenue, already owned a 20 per cent stake in Chime. Earlier this year its media investment company GroupM

acquired sports data agency Two Circles, rolling it into a new global entity called ESP that will serve sports and entertainment rights holders. Providence, which entered into an investment partnership with the National Football League (NFL) in 2013, has a range of sporting interests, including MLS Media, ProSiebenSat.1 and the World Triathlon Corporation. “Providence and WPP offer Chime both the capital and the industry expertise WR IDVW WUDFN RXU DPELWLRQV WR EXLOG D IXOO VFDOH JOREDO VSRUWV PDUNHWLQJ DQG communications business,� said Chime chairman Lord Davies of Abersoch.

INSIGHT | SPONSORSHIP

The Barclays connection: the Premier League and the Brooklyn Nets

The Premier League will take on a ‘clean’ brand when Barclays’ title sponsorship ends but head of partnerships Tom Greenwood expects revenues to grow

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Yormark intends to “Brooklynise” the New York Islanders on their move to the Barclays Center

Brooklyn Nets chief executive Brett Yormark

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COVER STORY | RUGBY

Rugby World Cup 2015 will be Brett Gosper’s first as the chief executive of World Rugby. The Australian has overseen a period of blossoming since he joined the organisation in 2012, and all the indications suggest that the tournament will represent another big step forward for the sport. By James Emmett

This year’s Rugby World Cup in England will be the first as World Rugby chief executive for Brett Gosper, who joined the organisation in July 2012

ports executives in the preparatory stages of a major event tend to be acutely aware of the number of days they have left to get ready. Nary an interview goes by without mention of ‘310 days out and we’re in good shape’ or ‘72 days to go and things are on track’ – even, in the case of indiscreet organisers, ‘36 hours before kick-off and we’re all FURVVLQJ RXU Ă€ QJHUV¡ )RU :RUOG 5XJE\ chief executive Brett Gosper, preparing to RYHUVHH KLV Ă€ UVW 5XJE\ :RUOG &XS LQ WKH UROH WKLV 6HSWHPEHU WKH VDPH FRQĂ€ GHQFH is palpable, but without the ticking timebomb focus on the countdown clock. Gosper, much to his credit, is relaxed. It’s a demeanour made all the more impressive by the fact that the Australian is

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38 | www.sportspromedia.com

talking to SportsPro during one of the most calamitous cricketing performances his countrymen have ever undertaken, in the fourth Test of this year’s Ashes series. “I’m taking a few days’ vacation LQ )UDQFH Âľ *RVSHU VD\V YLD SKRQH ´)RUWXQDWHO\ , FDQ¡W JHW PDQ\ FULFNHW updates here. It’s quite surprising, I have to say. As surprising for the English as it is for the Aussies. Every man should have his moment in the sun with the Ashes, DQG WKLV LV (QJODQG¡V WXUQ Âľ &ULFNHW DVLGH *RVSHU LV HQMR\LQJ KLV Ă€ QDO SHULRG RI UHVSLWH EHIRUH D ZKLUOZLQG WKUHH PRQWKV WKDW ZLOO WDNH LQ :RUOG 5XJE\¡V Ă€ QDO SUHSDUDWLRQV IRU 5XJE\ :RUOG &XS WKH VSRUW¡V Ă DJVKLS D VLGH TXDGUHQQLDO FRPSHWLWLRQ DQG

48 games across 44 days in England that constitutes the event itself. “There are no JDSV LQ P\ GLDU\ IURP VW 6HSWHPEHU Âľ KH UHYHDOV ´WKURXJK WR WKH HQG RI WKH :RUOG &XS >ZKLFK UXQV IURP WK 6HSWHPEHU WR 31st October]. It’s an incredibly busy time but it’s all good fun at least! “You’re across a broad array of things, from putting in place player welfare arrangements, from making appearances at welcome ceremonies for teams across the country, making appearances for some of the sponsors that want you to be involved in the events that they’re organising, and lots of media events around the tournament that you’ve got to get involved in aspects of; ensuring VXSSRUW IRU RXU PDWFK RIĂ€ FLDOV IRU

PHGLFDO SHRSOH IRU GLVFLSOLQDU\ RIĂ€FHUV Âľ Day-to-day responsibility for the successful operation of the tournament OLHV ZLWK (QJODQG 5XJE\ D ZKROO\ owned subsidiary of the host union, WKH 5XJE\ )RRWEDOO 8QLRQ 5)8 EXW it is the game’s global governing body, :RUOG 5XJE\ WKDW ZLOO WDNH XOWLPDWH responsibility should anything go wrong. )RU *RVSHU ZKR MRLQHG WKH organisation in July 2012, nine months DIWHU WKH ODVW :RUOG &XS LQ 1HZ =HDODQG in 2011, a few tournament debut nerves could be forgiven. As kick-off approaches, is there something keeping him awake at night? “Nothing other than the excitement of it being an amazing WRXUQDPHQW IRU IDQV DQG SOD\HUV Âľ KH says cannily, “and I think that’s probably what’s keeping players up and some fans as well! I just hope the tournament runs well, that the fans enjoy themselves, the players enjoy themselves and stay safe IURP D ZHOIDUH SRLQW RI YLHZ Âľ As far as Gosper is concerned, everything has been done – and done in good time – to ensure that this event is the biggest and the best in the history of WKH 5XJE\ :RUOG &XS

A statue of William Webb Ellis, the boy said to have inspired rugby, at Rugby School in Warwickshire

:RUOG 5XJE\ FRQWUROV WKH VSRQVRUVKLS inventory for the tournament, and all sponsors were signed up at least a year DJR :KDW¡V PRUH WKH OLNHV RI (PLUDWHV '+/ 0DVWHUFDUG +HLQHNHQ /DQG 5RYHU and SociĂŠtĂŠ GĂŠnĂŠrale have all been there and done that before. “These are the same partners that have come back from last time LQ 1HZ =HDODQG Âľ *RVSHU H[SODLQV ´, WKLQN this tournament will be highly activated; WKHUH¡OO EH D NQRFN RQ DPSOLĂ€FDWLRQ IURP the sponsors who are used to managing

WKHLU FRPPXQLFDWLRQ GXULQJ D :RUOG &XS EXW WKH\¡YH OHDUQHG IURP SUHYLRXV :RUOG &XSV 7KH\ NQRZ KRZ WR H[SORLW DQG manage a tournament in a good way. “The deals were all done not just LQ UHFRUG WLPH EXW DW UHFRUG YDOXHV Âľ he continues. “And that goes for the television broadcast deals as well. The contracts have all been done properly for WKH DYDLODELOLW\ RI WKH VWDGLD WRR Âľ :KDW LV QHDU HQRXJK D JXDUDQWHHG FHUWDLQW\ LV WKDW WKH WRXUQDPHQW ZLOO

RFU invests in the US Q ODWH -XO\ WKH 5)8 DQG 86$ 5XJE\ signed a deal that saw the former become a minority shareholder in the latter’s new commercial subsidiary, 5XJE\ ,QWHUQDWLRQDO 0DUNHWLQJ 5,0 $V ZHOO DV DQ LQLWLDO Ă€QDQFLDO LQYHVWPHQW in the new body, the English union will also offer strategic advice to the organisation, which aims to focus on the exploitation of commercial rights in WKH 86 ZLWK WKH JRDO RI DFFHOHUDWLQJ WKH development of rugby in a country that already represents the sport’s fastestgrowing market. 6RSKLH *ROGVFKPLGW WKH 5)8¡V FKLHI FRPPHUFLDO RIĂ€FHU ZLOO WDNH D VHDW RQ WKH ERDUG RI 5,0 ZKLFK UHVHPEOHV 0DMRU /HDJXH 6RFFHU¡V arms-length commercial entity Soccer 8QLWHG 0DUNHWLQJ 680 LQ ERWK LWV VWUXFWXUH DQG LWV DFURQ\P ´:H EHOLHYH LQ WKH YLVLRQ WKDW 86$ 5XJE\ has established and we think that the sport is at a bit of a tipping point to

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Rugby sees commercial opportunity in the US

WDNH LW WR WKH QH[W OHYHO Âľ *ROGVFKPLGW explains. “Our investment will be used WR EXLOG RXW 86$ 5XJE\¡V UHVRXUFHV VR they can further commercialise their assets. It will also be used to invest in a new digital platform because we feel that sharing more content is a really important strategic aspect that needs to EH GHYHORSHG Âľ %DVHG LQ 1HZ <RUN 5,0 ZLOO FRQVLVW RI VHFRQGHG 86$ 5XJE\ VWDII LQ WKH Ă€UVW LQVWDQFH WKRXJK D VWDQGDORQH FKLHI FRPPHUFLDO RIĂ€FHU LV EHLQJ VRXJKW Goldschmidt is expecting commercial

UHWXUQV IRU WKH 5)8 ZLWKLQ WKUHH WR Ă€YH years, all of which are earmarked for reinvestment into the English game. ´:H DUH LQ D IRUWXQDWH SRVLWLRQ Ă€QDQFLDOO\ Âľ VD\V *ROGVFKPLGW ´:H KDYH just had a record year and it’s prudent for us to invest our money in a broad way, to make sure that we have got some GLYHUVLĂ€HG RSSRUWXQLWLHV WR PDNH D UHWXUQ It is quite unusual that we have such an opportunity to make an investment in rugby and obviously it is great we can invest in something that is core to our business, while not directly linked. ´:H EHOLHYH LQ WKH JURZWK RSSRUWXQLW\ IRU UXJE\ LQ WKH 86 DQG think that it can generate good returns GRZQ WKH URDG IRU WKH 5)8 WR LQYHVW back into English rugby. Parallel to that, if rugby can grow in the world’s largest sports market then that is also good for the game and would help it grow further on the global stage, which in turn would DOVR KHOS (QJOLVK UXJE\ Âľ

SportsPro Magazine | 39

COVER STORY | RUGBY

EH WKH EHVW DWWHQGHG 5XJE\ :RUOG &XS in history. The previous high watermark ² PLOOLRQ IRU )UDQFH ² LV ZLWKLQ touching distance, even with a month of ticket sales time still to play out. “Demand for tickets has been higher WKDQ ZH HQYLVDJHG Âľ FRQĂ€UPV *RVSHU ´:H¡YH DFWXDOO\ VROG WKH OHYHO ZH WDUJHWHG – beyond 2.2 million tickets – which is JUHDW QHZV :H¡UH OLNHO\ WR SXVK WKURXJK our initial forecasts so we’ve upped the FDSDFLW\ DW VWDGLXPV WR PLOOLRQ Âľ ,W LV QRW DOO URVHV LQ WKH 5XJE\ :RUOG &XS WLFNHWLQJ JDUGHQ KRZHYHU $ EDWWOH ZLWK WKH 8. OHJLVODWLYH DXWKRULWLHV RYHU potential laws to straitjacket the secondary ticketing market ended in defeat, and the process for the organisers has been focused on education rather than regulatory HQIRUFHPHQW HYHU VLQFH ´:H KDYHQ¡W JRW WKH complete legislation which we would have liked, which would have prevented a second

PDUNHW Âľ LV *RVSHU¡V FRRO DVVHVVPHQW ´%XW we’ve got as much as we can to warn people and head things off as best we can. “I think we’ve done the best we can to educate people that they should be buying IURP RIĂ€FLDO ZHEVLWHV DQG RUJDQLVDWLRQV :H VSHQW D ORW RI HIIRUW HQHUJ\ DQG PRQH\ JHWWLQJ WKDW PHVVDJH WR SHRSOH Âľ $QRWKHU NH\ IRFXV IRU :RUOG 5XJE\ LQ WKH EXLOG XS WR WKH 5XJE\ :RUOG &XS KDV EHHQ RQ UHĂ€QLQJ LWV SOD\HU ZHOIDUH SURWRFROV :LWK WKH SURIHVVLRQDOLVDWLRQ RI WKH JDPH IROORZLQJ WKH 5XJE\ :RUOG &XS XQLRQ KDV JRW IDVWHU DQG its players bigger. Impacts are often VKXGGHULQJ 7KH :HOVK 5XJE\ 8QLRQ DQG 6L[ 1DWLRQV RUJDQLVHUV FDPH XQGHU Ă€HUFH VFUXWLQ\ WKLV \HDU ZKHQ :HOVK ZLQJHU George North suffered a concussion during a game against England and was allowed to continue. 8QGHU DQ LPSURYHG ´HYLGHQFH EDVHG

Coca-Cola is a key tournament partner and will run a rugby ball exchange in the UK before the kick-off

PHGLFDO DSSURDFKÂľ XVKHUHG LQ E\ :RUOG 5XJE\ IRU WKLV FRPSHWLWLRQ VXFK VLWXDWLRQV are unlikely to be seen again. “I’d put our player welfare protocols at the top of the DJHQGD Âľ VD\V *RVSHU LQ UHVSRQVH WR D question about what will be noticeably different about the upcoming tournament. “They’ve moved forward over the last four years considerably, particularly in WKH FRQFXVVLRQ DUHD :H¡YH JRW D WHQ point player-welfare programme which is exemplary and we’re actually proposing that that gets installed in all tournaments going forward. It really is our number one priority and I think we’re leading the sports ZRUOG LQ WKH ZRUN ZH¡UH GRLQJ Âľ Gosper’s tournament-time schedule has been mapped out for months, and it’s a timetable that should see him take in every team, and 12 of the 13 venues – with WKH H[FHSWLRQ EHLQJ 0DQFKHVWHU &LW\¡V (WLKDG 6WDGLXP UHQDPHG 0DQFKHVWHU &LW\ Stadium for the occasion – and a total of 28 matches. A club rugby player in his youth, Gosper knows a thing or two about the playing side of the sport and points WR )LML DV D SRWHQWLDO VXUSULVH SDFNDJH ´7KH\¡YH MXVW ZRQ WKH 3DFLĂ€F 1DWLRQV &XS EHDWLQJ 7RQJD 6DPRD 86$ DQG -DSDQ DQG WKDW¡V D ELJ LQGLFDWRU WKDW )LML FRXOG FUHDWH VRPH VXUSULVHV Âľ KH VD\V “I think the top ten sides are closer than they’ve been before but it’ll be interesting to see if the next ten have bridged any gaps in that period, too. The winning margins have decreased on DYHUDJH HYHU\ :RUOG &XS \HDU :LOO WKDW be the case this year? It could well be.

The Tokyo dilemma he Japanese government’s GHFLVLRQ WR VFUDS SODQV IRU D =DKD Hadid-designed Olympic Stadium, returning to the drawing board for Tokyo 2020’s centrepiece venue after budget estimates doubled, has PHDQW IDOORXW IRU :RUOG 5XJE\ DV ZHOO as the obvious headaches for the Tokyo 2020 organisers. 7KH 5XJE\ :RUOG &XS ZLOO WDNH SODFH LQ -DSDQ WKH ÀUVW WLPH WKH tournament has been hosted in an Asian market and by a nation outside the established rugby superpowers. The tournament would have served as a

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showpiece test event for the new Olympic Stadium, but the revised timelines mean whatever stadium is eventually built will not be ready in time for the rugby. ´:H¡UH GLVDSSRLQWHG DW WKH QHZV that the Olympic Stadium wouldn’t EH UHDG\ IRU XV Âľ VD\V *RVSHU ZLWK PHDVXUHG IUDQNQHVV ´:H OLNHG WKH alignment between the Olympic event and our own event, which created good understandings and good impact on the general population of Japan as to WKH VFDOH DQG VWDWXUH RI D 5XJE\ :RUOG &XS ,W¡V FRPSDUDEOH LQ VRPH ZD\V WR DQ Olympics, so that was a good alignment

which was working in our favour. And WR EH WKH Ă€UVW SHRSOH WR PRYH LQWR WKH stadium – or the design that we saw of it – would have been super. ´:H¡UH ZRUNLQJ RXU ZD\ WKURXJK LW now with the organising committee. 7KHUH DUH VRPH DOWHUQDWLYHV :H PHW WKHP LQ .XDOD /XPSXU >DW WKH ,2& session at the end of July]. There are D QXPEHU RI FRQĂ€JXUDWLYH RSWLRQV we’ve got and we’re working our way WKURXJK WKDW ZLWK WKHP QRZ :H FDQ constructively work our way through it so that we can see clearly where we’re KHDGHG EXW ZH¡UH QRW WKHUH \HW Âľ

Gosper believes Fiji will be a threat in what he expects could be the deepest and most competitive tournament of any Rugby World Cup to date

:H¡YH FHUWDLQO\ LQYHVWHG LQ WKH VHFRQG WLHU sides to ensure that they’re as competitive DV SRVVLEOH Âľ According to Gosper, the overriding REMHFWLYH RI DQ\ 5XJE\ :RUOG &XS ´LV WR create an enormous positive shop window across the globe for the game and to create interest where rugby hasn’t created LQWHUHVW LQ WKH SDVWÂľ +H DGGV ´)RU D ORW RI WKH SHRSOH JRLQJ LW ZLOO EH WKHLU Ă€ UVW UXJE\ JDPH DQG WKHLU discovery of the sport. And with the television audience it is that time when people will dip in to something that they would not ordinarily dip into, and you hope to make an impact on those people so that they’ll continue watching rugby into the future. That’s the developmental UROH RI D 5XJE\ :RUOG &XS DV DQ LQVSLUHU of the game, and everything we look at in rugby is all about regulation or LQVSLUDWLRQ :RUOG 5XJE\ EHJDQ DV D regulator and was very focused on being a regulator, but as we grow audiences and fans, the role of inspirer becomes LQFUHDVLQJO\ LPSRUWDQW WR XV WRR Âľ ,W LV WKH UROH RI LQVSLUHU WKDW :RUOG 5XJE\ LV KRSLQJ WR SOD\ DJDLQ DW LWV QH[W milestone event just nine months after the FRQFOXVLRQ RI WKH :RUOG &XS 5XJE\ ² LQ

the short-format seven-a-side version of the game – will be included on the Olympic SURJUDPPH IRU WKH Ă€ UVW WLPH QH[W \HDU DW WKH 5LR *DPHV DQG *RVSHU EHOLHYHV that as a platform to reach potential fans and participants, there is nothing greater. “It really is a unique stage for a sport like UXJE\ Âľ KH VD\V ´6HYHQV ZLOO SOD\ WKDW sampling role for people discovering rugby around the world. It’s a good form of the game to discover because it’s easy to XQGHUVWDQG LW¡V IDVW Ă RZLQJ DQG IRU WKH XQLQLWLDWHG LW¡V D JUHDW LQLWLDWRU Âľ Discussions with OBS, the Olympic broadcast producers, are progressing well, DQG *RVSHU LV FRQĂ€ GHQW WKDW WKH VSRUW will be shown in its best light. Discussions ZLWK WKH 5LR RUJDQLVHUV DUH DOVR PRYLQJ forward, even if progress there has been less tangible. ´:H¡UH WU\LQJ WR KHOS HDFK RWKHU DV EHVW ZH FDQ WR JHW HYHU\WKLQJ GRQH LQ WLPH Âľ *RVSHU VD\V ´,W LV WLJKW :H NQRZ WKDW DQG WKH\ NQRZ WKDW :H¡YH JRW WKH ODUJHVW QRQ SHUPDQHQW VWUXFWXUH LQ 5LR ZKLFK LV D VHDW VWDGLXP $SSDUHQWO\ WKDW will be constructed four months before WKH HYHQW LWVHOI :H WKLQN WKDW ZLOO EH D pretty straightforward build; they’ve got to get the turf right. The turf ’s got to be

strong because there’s a lot of games on that over a period of six days. ´:H¡UH JRLQJ WR SOD\ WKH ZRPHQ¡V RYHU WKUHH >GD\V@ IROORZHG E\ WKH PHQ RYHU WKUHH – two sessions a day. They’ve got lighting to put in. The main challenge from our perspective is that we’re one of the later WHVW HYHQWV LQ 0DUFK RI WKH 2O\PSLF \HDU itself, and that makes you a little bit nervous because they tend to run their timings around when those test events occur and as WKH ,2& WKHPVHOYHV ZRXOG VD\ UHDOO\ WKH\ haven’t got a second to lose on anything. It is very tight timing on that and you’ve got WR KROG \RXU EUHDWK D OLWWOH ELW Âľ )RU *RVSHU ² ZKRVH IDWKHU .HYDQ won a silver medal for the 4x400m relay DW WKH 0HOERXUQH 2O\PSLFV LQ before going on to serve in manifold senior administrative positions within WKH ,QWHUQDWLRQDO 2O\PSLF &RPPLWWHH ,2& DQG DV D YLFH SUHVLGHQW RI WKH ORFDO organising committee for the Sydney Games in 2000 – rugby’s Olympic debut will represent a special moment. “I’ve grown up a little bit in the Olympic movement through my father DQG , NQRZ KH¡OO EH YHU\ SOHDVHG Âľ KH says. “But it’s a very special moment for HYHU\RQH LQ UXJE\ Âľ SportsPro Magazine | 41

FEATURE | RUGBY

Heading for the line Staged in England where, as legend recalls, the game of rugby was born, Rugby World Cup 2015 is set to be the biggest instalment yet of the quadrennial gathering. For the tournament’s primary stakeholders, commercial interest at rugby union’s pinnacle has never been higher. By Mike Kennedy

A

s it arrives at its eighth instalment in 2015, much KDV FKDQJHG VLQFH WKH ÀUVW rendition of the Rugby World Cup during the game’s amateur era in New Zealand in 1987. The All Blacks won that maiden edition, an achievement they equalled when the tournament UHWXUQHG WR WKH FRXQWU\ LQ $V ÀQDO preparations are undertaken on English shores for Rugby World Cup 2015, how this year’s hosts of rugby union’s greatest spectacle would like to emulate that feat by lifting the Webb Ellis Cup at Twickenham Stadium on 31st October. There were two more instalments of the World Cup in union’s amateur era – in England in 1991 and South Africa in 1995 – before the 15-a-side code took the leap into professionalism after the latter edition. That move brought with it year-on-year increases in the amount of money pouring into the upper echelons of the game. 5XJE\ ZLOO VHH LWV ÀUVW 8.… PLOOLRQ D \HDU player in the coming months when New Zealand star Dan Carter joins French Top 14 side Racing 92 following the World Cup. In 2019, Japan will host rugby’s ultimate competition, after a landmark decision by World Rugby to take the event to Asia, and to a nation outside the traditional elite of WKH VSRUW IRU WKH ÀUVW WLPH %HIRUH WKDW proposition, though, the attentions of WKH UXJE\ FRPPXQLW\ DUH À[HG ÀUPO\ RQ

42 | www.sportspromedia.com

2015, with 48 matches set to take place across 13 venues – 12 in England, plus the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. England boasts a high-calibre domestic competition and the national side have reached two of the past three Rugby :RUOG &XS Ă€QDOV OLIWLQJ WKH WURSK\ DIWHU victory over Australia in Sydney in 2003 EHIRUH Ă€QLVKLQJ UXQQHUV XS DJDLQVW South Africa in Paris in 2007. With a wealth of impressive stadiums to choose from, the inclusion of grounds such as the 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium among the tournament venues for 2015 has meant close to two and a half million tickets have been made available – more than at any previous Rugby World Cup. With TV deals struck with broadcasters across the globe, millions more people will tune in to watch the tournament from afar. ,Q WKH 8. IUHH WR DLU FKDQQHO ,79 ² ZKLFK has broadcast every Rugby World Cup since ² KDV WKH H[FOXVLYH EURDGFDVW ULJKWV once again, courtesy of a two-tournament agreement with rugby’s governing body signed in 2010 to cover the 2011 and 2015 FRPSHWLWLRQV 0HDQZKLOH 8QLYHUVDO 6SRUWV 1HWZRUN 861 WKH 86 QHWZRUN ZKLFK specialises in Olympic coverage, recently announced that it will broadcast the tournament on its newly launched pay-perview streaming service WatchRWC2015, with all 48 games available live across PXOWLSOH SODWIRUPV LQ WKH 86

Other notable TV deals include those reached in New Zealand by subscription broadcaster Sky Television New Zealand – which will provide a live, mobile and digital offering while sub-licensing freeto-air rights to Prime – and a shared agreement between pay-TV network Canal Plus and free-to-air provider TF1 for the broadcast rights in France. Preparations are where they need to be ahead of this “once in a lifetime opportunity for the sport in Englandâ€?, according to Sophie Goldschmidt, the FKLHI FRPPHUFLDO RIĂ€FHU DW WKH KRVW QDWLRQ¡V 5XJE\ )RRWEDOO 8QLRQ 5)8 “There is still quite a lot to be done but I think across every area we are on track,â€? she says, speaking to SportsPro just under two months out from the tournament. ´%XW ZH¡UH GHĂ€QLWHO\ QRW FRPSODFHQW Âľ she adds. “We’re very pleased with the position we’re in.â€? For local organising committee England 5XJE\ DQ 5)8 VXEVLGLDU\ WKH YLVLRQ is to deliver ‘a celebration of rugby and LWV XQLTXH YDOXHV H[FLWLQJ DQG LQVSLULQJ our nation and the world to play and support the game’. The goal is also to ensure a successful event, and an economic impact study undertaken on behalf of the committee for Rugby World Cup 2015 predicted the tournament will generate D WRWDO RXWSXW RI DERXW 8.Â… ELOOLRQ FRQWULEXWLQJ 8.Â… PLOOLRQ WR WKH

New Zealand, current champions, and England, the host nation, are among the favourites to emerge with the trophy from Rugby World Cup 2015

national GDP. Ensuring venues are packed out will be a key contributor to this and Goldschmidt points to the “fantastic jobâ€? being done on ticketing by the organising committee. “Ticket sales are in great shape: ZH DUH RQ VFKHGXOH WR H[FHHG WKH WDUJHW ZH set, which is great news,â€? she says. $ VHFRQG IRFXV DUHD IRU WKH 5)8 LV on team preparation and performance, DQG (QJODQG KDYH ZHLJKW\ H[SHFWDWLRQV to live up to as hosts and one of the favourites. They will play three warmup games, welcoming France and Ireland to Twickenham in August and September, with a trip to play the French in Paris sandwiched in between, ahead of their tournament kick-off against the hard-hitting Fijians at Twickenham on 18th September. “These QBE Internationals will be taking place which is obviously a big opportunity for us here at Twickenham to engage with more fans before the tournament kicks RII Âľ *ROGVFKPLGW VD\V ´8OWLPDWHO\ DV the governing body for the sport in this country, it’s all about getting more people engaged and that was our rationale for bidding to host the World Cup, and that is very much what we are measuring ourselves against post-tournament.â€? An additional ‘pillar’ of primary focus IRU WKH 5)8 LV WKH OHJDF\ WKH WRXUQDPHQW OHDYHV EHKLQG 7KH 5)8 VHW WKH EDU KLJK having outlined their plans back in 2012 to

LQYHVW 8.… PLOOLRQ LQWR JUDVVURRWV FOXEV DQG D IXUWKHU 8.… PLOOLRQ LQWR qualifying 6,500 new referees and coaches and bringing 5,000 volunteers into the game. Additionally, the ‘All Schools’ programme is aimed at giving one million children an opportunity to play rugby, and the target is set at introducing the game to 750 secondary state schools by 2019. *ROGVFKPLGW VD\V WKH 5)8 FDQ EH happy with how things are panning out. “We made some pretty bold statements a couple of years ago about the changes and growth we wanted to see across various areas of the game and at the grassroots level involving clubs, coaches, number of people playing and number of schools engaged in rugby, etc,� she says. “That is tracking very well, and it’s a real focus for us. Our legacy planning began more than two years ago and will continue post-World Cup. It’s going well and you can really see that coming to life even further with the trophy tour and some of the other activations which we are beginning to roll out.� World Rugby controls the sponsorship inventory for the Rugby World Cup and with brands such as Heineken having paid substantial sums to occupy the ‘worldwide partner’ categories – the 'XWFK EUHZHU H[WHQGHG LWV QRZ \HDU old partnership with the tournament LQ DW WKH UHSRUWHG FRVW RI 8.…

million – there are a number of restrictions in place for other brands looking to capitalise on interest in the event. However, this by no means closes the door to those national team partners, particularly in the case of England. “Being the host union, there are tremendous opportunities for our partners to associate with the England team and to SURPRWH UXJE\ LQ WKLV FRXQWU\ Âľ H[SODLQV Goldschmidt. “We have worked very closely with World Rugby to make sure that we are aligned and that there is space around what each of our partners is doing and that there isn’t too much overlap. The guidelines are very clear, but there is a lot of opportunity for our partners to really activate in a very big way and that is what they will be doing. “We have been really pleased how our partners have made it a real priority for them this year and the campaigns that are EHJLQQLQJ WR EH XQYHLOHG DUH YHU\ H[FLWLQJ and really have taken the activation side to a whole new level for England rugby which LV YHU\ H[FLWLQJ Âľ VKH DGGV ´2 UHFHQWO\ launched their campaign in which they are promoting a team send-off event with Take That at The O2 on 9th September and have a whole TV and digital campaign around that, and that’s really just the beginning.â€? 7KH 8. WHOHFRPPXQLFDWLRQV SURYLGHU O2 has been in partnership with the England rugby team for nearly 20 SportsPro Magazine | 43

FEATURE | RUGBY

years and its ‘Wear the Rose’ campaign, launched earlier this year, draws on the famous red rose emblem worn by England’s rugby players and encourages fans to get behind the team at the Rugby World Cup by donning the jersey. As part of this campaign, O2 will hang up 50,000 England shirts on giant washing lines around the country and give supporters opportunities to win them. “There are various other activations rolling out weekly between now and the tournament, in addition to all the marketing SODQV WKDW WKH 5)8 KDV LWVHOI WR GULYH anticipation and create an awareness and buzz that we ultimately want to convert into participation,� Goldschmidt says. 'RPLQLF 0F.D\ WKH GLUHFWRU RI commercial operations, communications and public affairs at Scottish Rugby,

agrees that the competing national teams and their partners can leverage the global attention the Rugby World Cup brings. “We are always mindful of the commercial partners already associated with the tournament itself so there are VRPH VHQVLWLYLWLHV WKHUH Âľ 0F.D\ VD\V “Rugby World Cup 2015 will though, even through our group stage opponents, showcase Scotland, its fans and rugby YDOXHV WR DXGLHQFHV LQ -DSDQ 86$ 6RXWK Africa and Samoa, alongside the millions of ‘neutrals’ who will watch the matches elsewhere. It will generate a real feelJRRG IDFWRU IRU WKH VSRUW DQG H[SRVH LWV positive values of respect, sportsmanship and tradition that we know our sponsors DUH DWWUDFWHG WR DQG EHQHĂ€W IURP Âľ Scotland has a proud rugby history and the shared border with England has

HQVXUHG PDQ\ \HDUV RI Ă€HUFH ULYDOU\ 0F.D\ VD\V 6FRWODQG FDQ XVH WKH SUR[LPLW\ RI 5XJE\ :RUOG &XS WR LWV EHQHĂ€W ZLWK WKH WRXUQDPHQW SURYLGLQJ “a once in a generation opportunity to showcase the sport, with it happening right on our doorstep as a fellow home nationâ€?. To this effect Scottish Rugby has put several initiatives in place with a view to generating wider awareness, including the ‘Everyone’s Game’ project for domestic clubs to highlight how they will mark Scotland’s matches during the tournament and what they are doing to open their doors to new players and the local communities, with the best 70 clubs receiving support from the Scottish Rugby 8QLRQ 658 WR GHOLYHU WKHVH HYHQWV A Rugby World Cup workbook has also been produced that follows age-relevant

Venues Beginning on 18th September when hosts England take on Fiji at Twickenham Stadium, and culminating with the ďŹ nal on 31st October at the same place, Rugby World Cup 2015 will be played out over six weeks at an array of sports stadiums, from traditional rugby grounds like Gloucester’s Kingsholm Stadium, built in 1891, to modern multi-use destinations such as The Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – the agship venue for London 2012.

St James’ Park, Newcastle

Elland Road, Leeds

Three matches

Two matches

Manchester City Stadium, Manchester One match

Villa Park, Birmingham

Leicester City Stadium, Leicester

Two matches

Three matches

Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester

The Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London

Four matches

Five matches

Millennium Stadium, Cardi (Wales) Eight matches

Sandy Park, Exeter

Stadium MK, Milton Keynes

Three matches

Three matches

44 | www.sportspromedia.com

Twickenham Stadium, London Ten matches

Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton Two matches

Wembley Stadium, London Two matches

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FEATURE | RUGBY

curriculum areas and is designed to be given to teachers to complement coaching going on in schools from August to October. And the SRU will open a ‘Scotland House’ in Newcastle, where Scotland play group games against South Africa and Samoa, for fans to visit so they can mix with fellow Scottish supporters and meet squad players. It will also enable local sponsors to activate with Scotland fans during the tournament. “St James’ Park in Newcastle will be Ă€OOHG ZLWK 6FRWV IRU WZR RI RXU group games – that tells you everything DERXW WKH EHQHĂ€WV RI KDYLQJ PDWFKHV VR close to home,â€? McKay says. “Our team always enjoys great support and for fans to have the opportunity to see them compete LQ D :RUOG &XS MXVW PLOHV DZD\ LV fantastic. The time zones are favourable obviously and our historic rivalry with the other home nations mean it will be a very passionate and competitive event. “Any global competition helps to raise the SURĂ€OH RI WKH FRPSHWLQJ QDWLRQV DQG WKH work that has gone into delivering Rugby :RUOG &XS ZLOO QR GRXEW DFKLHYH that. For Scotland it is a chance for us to showcase our young, exciting team and give fans an opportunity to attend matches in close proximity to our borders. We also NQRZ LW ZLOO JLYH WKH VSRUW D VLJQLĂ€FDQW spotlight that has a positive knock-on effect WR RXU RZQ GRPHVWLF VSRQVRUV DQG FDQ Ă€OWHU through to Scotland’s clubs, schools and players, at every level.â€? Scotland have a new principal sponsor in BT, with the SRU having sealed a

Scotland players show off their new World Cup kit

46 | www.sportspromedia.com

Prince Harry (right) attends the ‘100 days to go’ event as Land Rover tours the trophy around the UK

86 PLOOLRQ WKUHH \HDU GHDO ZLWK WKH telecoms giant in April to complement an earlier agreement which includes naming ULJKWV WR 6FRWODQG¡V 0XUUD\Ă€HOG 6WDGLXP and sponsorship of Scotland’s two professional clubs, Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors. The investment from BT has been “transformative for Scottish Rugbyâ€?, according to McKay, helping to underpin the BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy programme and support the development RI D 8.Â… PLOOLRQ Âś&OXE 6XVWDLQDELOLW\ Fund’ to improve facilities and generate income at rugby clubs. While BT won’t be visible on the national team’s kit during the Rugby World Cup itself – with national sponsors’ branding being replaced by the tournament logo – Scotland’s recently launched new strip, complete with BT branding, will be worn for the four warmup matches and beyond the competition. Coca-Cola has been involved as a sponsor RI HYHU\ 5XJE\ :RUOG &XS VLQFH DQG this year’s tournament will see it serve as WKH RIĂ€FLDO VRIW GULQN ZKLOH LWV *ODFHDX Smartwater and Powerade brands will RFFXS\ WKH RIĂ€FLDO ZDWHU DQG RIĂ€FLDO VSRUWV drink categories respectively. Paul Dwan, the general manager of Coca-Cola’s Rugby :RUOG &XS WHDP VD\V WKLV WRXUQDPHQW will mark a change from the company’s previous sponsorship campaigns. ´)RU WKH Ă€UVW WLPH ZH¡OO EH XVLQJ RXU RIĂ€FLDO VSRQVRUVKLS WR KLJKOLJKW DOO IRXU

Coca-Cola variants under our new ‘one brand’ strategy,â€? he says. “This means that you’ll see Coca-Cola Classic, CocaCola Life, Coca-Cola Zero and Diet Coke featured in our advertising – with Coca-Cola Zero playing a leading role IRU WKH Ă€UVW WLPH Âľ Launched in July, Coca-Cola’s campaign has former Ireland great Brian O’Driscoll as its ambassador and will feature the company’s biggest ever rugby-based on-pack promotion. With host country activation central to its plans, Coca-Cola will give away up to one million Rugby :RUOG &XS &RFD &ROD *LOEHUW replica rugby balls at a variety of free rugby-inspired events across the UK and its ‘ParkLives’ programme, run in partnership with local authorities to offer free activity sessions in parks, will take on a rugby theme across the six host cities. “We aim to connect with consumers and we hope our partnership with Gilbert encourages families and friends to get down to the park, play and have some fun,â€? Dwan says. “We know that global sporting events have the power to inspire people so we want to use our sponsorship to introduce more people to the sport, maybe HYHQ SOD\ VRPH UXJE\ IRU WKH Ă€UVW WLPH Âľ 5XJE\ :RUOG &XS ZLOO PDUN the second consecutive appearance as a tournament sponsor for Jaguar Land Rover, the British automotive company having signed a two-tournament

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FEATURE | RUGBY EVENTS

Teams and sponsors: GROUP D France GMF, Adidas, SociĂŠtĂŠ GĂŠnĂŠrale, Orange, BMW

GROUP A

GROUP B

GROUP C

Australia Qantas, Asics, HSBC, Accenture, Dove Men+Care, Swisse, Hahn SuperDry, BMW, Taylors

South Africa ABSA, Asics, BMW, South African Airways, Vodacom, Castle Lager, Samsung, Energade, Shield, Tsogo Sun

New Zealand AIG, Adidas, Steinlager, Air New Zealand, ASB, Coca-Cola, Jockey, Ford, Sanitarium, Unilever

Scotland BT, Macron, RBS, Vitality, Dove Men+Care, Caledonia Best, Peter Vardy, Lucozade

Argentina Visa, Nike, Personal, Quilmes, Medicus, Renault

England O2, BMW, Canterbury, QBE, Guinness, NatWest, Vitality, Samsung, IBM, Marriott, Heathrow Express, Lucozade Wales Admiral, Under Armour, Dove Men+Care, Vitality, Heineken, Guinness, Gullivers Fiji Vodafone, BLK, TFL, Fiji Airways, HFC Bank, CJ Patel PaciďŹ c Ltd Uruguay Scotiabank, Kooga, Volkswagen

Samoa Cromwell Property Group, BLK, BlueSky Samoa USA Emirates, BLK, AIG, Gatorade, DHL Japan Taisho, Canterbury, Toyota, Toshiba, Coca-Cola, SMBC, Japan Airlines, Citizen

agreement with rugby’s international governing body in 2010 ahead of Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand. “It’s by far the biggest single sponsorship we’ve ever been involved in,� says Mark Cameron, the global brand experience director at Jaguar Land Rover. “We’re the only resident consumer UK brand so for our home market [Rugby World Cup 2015] gives us a bit of clear water if you like to really route our brand into what’s happening in this country. So for all of our dealers and retailers, through what we’re doing centrally, we want to make this a big moment for our brand. “We know through our own database management that some customers are on their tenth Range Rover, for example, and are big rugby fans and that us then bringing them into a guest experience at Twickenham or wherever we are hosting a game is massively important and hits the objectives that we have in this country.� While the brand has a healthy customer base in the UK to draw from for such marketing activities around the tournament, some of the other competing countries offer a less familiar market for Jaguar Land Rover to activate in. 48 | www.sportspromedia.com

Tonga Kukri

Italy Carpiparma, Adidas, Edison, Peroni, Reale Mutua, Peugeot Canada DHL, Under Armour, Canada’s Dairy Farmers, Goldcorp, Guinness

Georgia VTB, Under Armour, Radisson Blu Namibia Windhoek Draught, Brutal, FNB, Air Namibia

“It’s interesting because the World Cup itself gives us different opportunities from different countries, being a global event,â€? &DPHURQ FRQĂ€UPV ´6R LQ FRXQWULHV OLNH Argentina, where it’s a fairly small market for us and where Land Rover doesn’t have maybe the same awareness and brand SURĂ€OH DV LW GRHV LQ RXU KRPH PDUNHW IRU them their moment in the sun for Land Rover is about the broadcast coverage, the awareness, the love of rugby they have and therefore just the visibility of our brand that will happen during the tournament. So we play tunes with it depending on what our strategic objectives are in various markets.â€? Jaguar Land Rover’s activities in the tournament build-up have included working with DHL, a fellow worldwide partner, on logistics to take the Webb Ellis Cup on an international tour through 15 GLIIHUHQW FRXQWULHV )RU WKH Ă€QDO GD\ countdown to the kick-off, the company unveiled a specially built Land Rover Defender and sent a giant branded rugby EDOO Ă RDWLQJ GRZQ /RQGRQ¡V 5LYHU 7KDPHV The Defender will carry the cup around the UK to build excitement and create awareness, and Jaguar Land Rover will also SURYLGH RI LWV YHKLFOHV WR DVVLVW RIĂ€FLDOV

Ireland Three, Canterbury, Guinness, Ulster Bank, Volkswagen, Aviva, Lucozade, Dove Men+Care

Romania CEC Bank, BLK, Mitsubishi, DHL

throughout the competition. Alongside its sponsorship of the Rugby World Cup, Jaguar Land Rover’s involvement in the elite game is widespread and dates back more than two decades, with properties in the Aviva Premiership, the Australian-based Brumbies in the Southern Hemisphere’s Super Rugby competition, Western Province in South Africa, and the Top 14 in France. “What we deliberately wanted to do, because of our involvement in many levels of rugby around the world over so many years, is really take the opportunity to shine a light on the grassroots of the game through the lens of the World Cup where the big audiences are already watching,� says Cameron. “So a slightly different approach to just talking about the elite rugby side of things, which speaks for itself a little bit anyway in what happens on the pitch.� The desire to showcase the spirit of the game around the world by putting grassroots clubs and players on to the global stage saw Jaguar Land Rover launch its ‘We Deal in Real’ campaign in March. England’s Rugby World Cup-winning coach from 2003, Sir Clive Woodward, and world champions Jonny Wilkinson,

Will Greenwood, Brad Thorn, and Bryan Habana – all Land Rover ambassadors – were some of the star names on hand to help out at an amateur club game featuring Racal Decca RFC, recognised as the ‘smallest rugby club in the world’. “The whole way that we’re putting the campaign together really is to hero what goes on at club level and children’s rugby all around the world and how even the top players now or ex-players started VRPHZKHUH DQG UHĂ HFWLQJ RQ WKDW Âľ Cameron says. Jaguar Land Rover has run competitions in all 20 of the participating countries to select the child mascots that will walk out with team captains for each match during the Rugby World Cup, and shot footage in 11 of the these countries to capture human stories of rugby in the community, which it will use to accompany its campaign throughout the tournament. “Our intention is to provide a little bit more realness to the whole thing and a different way of looking at what the Rugby World Cup is all about,â€? reveals Cameron. “And because our ‘we deal in real’ idea is not dependant on what actually happens in the tournament itself, we still want to be telling the stories and bringing it back to club rugby around the world after the tournament as well.â€? As for measuring the success of its involvement in the Rugby World Cup, Cameron says Jaguar Land Rover can track “right down to how many cars do we then sell as a result of this and the value of those car sales to usâ€?, in order to

determine where to invest for the future. With the contract up for negotiation with World Rugby for the next twotournament cycle, Cameron says the company is “very keen to have another discussion with World Rugby about what that might be going forwardâ€?, as it’s important for the brand to maintain its presence at the higher end of the sport. Uruguay were the last of the 20 teams WR DFKLHYH TXDOLĂ€FDWLRQ IRU WKH tournament, having defeated Russia over WZR OHJV LQ WKH UHSrFKDJH Ă€QDO LQ 2FWREHU 2014. Of those travelling to England only Namibia, in 20th, are below 19th-placed Uruguay in the current World Rugby rankings. Qualifying for Rugby World Cup 2015 was an achievement in itself for a team made up largely of amateur players. Ahead of their return to the world stage after a 12-year absence, having failed to qualify for the 2007 and 2011 tournaments, the Uruguay Rugby Union (URU) secured a three-year deal with UK-based manufacturer Kooga, which EHFDPH WKH RIĂ€FLDO NLW VXSSOLHU WR WKH Uruguay national rugby team. As well as the agreement with Uruguay, Manchester-based Kooga has a strong presence within the club game in the UK, supplying all levels from professional RXWĂ€WV GRZQ WR JUDVVURRWV DPDWHXU VLGHV A recent six-year deal with English toptier stalwarts Leicester Tigers adds to those with newly promoted Premiership VLGH :RUFHVWHU :DUULRUV 3UR RXWĂ€W WKH Scarlets and English Championship club Yorkshire Carnegie.

Uruguay face off against Argentina in shirts manufactured by British rugby clothing brand Kooga

Though Kooga previously sponsored the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) and was also represented at the last Rugby World Cup by Canada, Samoa and Fiji, Uruguay will be alone in wearing its kit at the 2015 tournament. “We were very keen to ensure that we had some presence at the 2015 World Cup because we’re based in England and it’s important for Kooga as one of the very few authentic rugby brands out there to have a presence at the World Cup,â€? says Anthony Egan, Kooga UK’s sales director. ´,W ZDV GLIĂ€FXOW WR WU\ DQG JHW WR RQH RI WKH PDLQ Ă DJVKLS FRXQWULHV DV \RX would call them, because they are tied up in long-term contracts, but we had a conversation with the president of the URU, SebastiĂĄn PiĂąeyrĂşa, 12 months ago and they were looking for a supplier and we were looking for a country and it worked out well for us.â€? The draw for the tournament was made in December 2012 to allow organisers to work out where the travelling fans ZLOO EH DQG ZKHQ DQG IRU RIĂ€FLDO WUDYHO Ă€UPV WR EORFN ERRN KRWHOV LQ WKH UHJLRQ %XW DV D UHVXOW RI Ă XFWXDWLQJ IRUP LQ WKH intervening years, the groups have an unbalanced look to them heading into the tournament, with Group A containing four teams currently in the top ten in World Rugby’s rankings – a so-called ‘pool of death’ throwing together England, Australia, Wales and Fiji. 8UXJXD\ WRRN WKH Ă€QDO VSRW LQ *URXS A, handing them an unenviable task, but while the players could have hoped for a slightly less gruelling proposition, the guarantee of matches against so many of the game’s star attractions has its commercial appeal. “What attracted us to take on Uruguay was the fact that they are in England’s group, so the coverage they will get playing against England, playing against Wales, playing against Australia – three YHU\ KLJK SURĂ€OH WHDPV ² ZDV D UHDO ELJ attraction to us,â€? Egan admits. Asked what Rugby World Cup 2015 means to Kooga, Egan says it’s all about raising the brand awareness in “the most prestigious rugby tournament that has been stagedâ€? in the UK. “We are one of the very few authentic rugby brands,â€? he suggests, “and this is a fantastic opportunity for us to show people that Kooga are back into the world of rugby.â€? SportsPro Magazine | 49

Andrew Matthews/PA Archive/PA Images

FEATURE | AGENCIES

England’s Rugby Football Union and the Scottish Rugby Union are two of Repucom’s biggest clients ahead of the upcoming 2015 Rugby World Cup

Sports marketing specialist Repucom will be busy throughout the Rugby World Cup as it completes projects with clients across the international game. But the tournament will also come as the company rolls out new behavioural research which could change the way the sector is understood, and change its own identity. By Eoin Connolly

T

he Rugby World Cup will be a showcase for a whole host of reasons. Probably the biggest sporting occasion on European soil this year, and one of the biggest in the world, it is a chance for rugby union to set a new benchmark at a key point in LWV KLVWRU\ DQG D VLJQLĂ€ FDQW WHVW IRU WKH UK’s post-London 2012 event expertise. “We expect this Rugby World Cup

50 | www.sportspromedia.com

to be the biggest to date in terms of global viewership,� says Jon Stainer, the managing director of Repucom UK. “They’ve already smashed their commercial records around sponsorship income and signed up a whole crop of great broadcast deals way in advance of the event. I think if we look at it from a UK marketplace perspective, we’ve done a little bit of research to understand

the impact of the Rugby World Cup in terms of interest levels in the sport going forward. Some of that research suggests WKDW Ă€ YH PLOOLRQ PRUH SHRSOH LQ WKH 8. will be interested in rugby because of the impact of the Rugby World Cup. “Now, obviously, the opportunity there for the likes of the RFU [Rugby Football Union] and the WRU [Welsh Rugby Union] and the SRU [Scottish Rugby

Union] and people like that is in trying to capture the excitement and the interest that the Rugby World Cup has among the population and take that forward into 2016 and ’17 and beyond, whether that’s at grassroots level from a participation and inclusivity point of view, or whether that’s at an elite level with events like the Six Nations and the autumn Tests and the domestic competitions, and sustaining some of that interest in the game.â€? Sports marketing specialist Repucom – “pretty well entrenched within the rugby marketplaceâ€? – is taking the tournament on from several angles. Even before considering its work with sponsors around the competition, its clients include the host nation’s RFU, Wales’ WRU, Scottish 5XJE\ DQG :RUOG 5XJE\ 7KH RIĂ€ FH LQ Johannesburg works with the South Africa Rugby Union (SARU); its departments in New Zealand and Australia, where the Repucom name was made, work with the All Blacks and the Wallabies. Stainer is speaking to SportsPro in late July at Repucom’s UK base in the west of London, just where the British capital’s bustling centre bleeds into the greens, greys and browns of its sprawling suburbs. A few miles beyond it is Twickenham, where WKH 5XJE\ :RUOG &XS Ă€ QDO ZLOO EH SOD\HG in October, and while the tournament has not been the “primary focusâ€? here throughout 2015, its importance is rising as kick-off draws nearer. ´,W¡V EHHQ Ă€ UPO\ RQ RXU UDGDU WKLV year, how we better support all the major players around the Rugby World Cup – whether that’s the unions competing in it, whether it’s the commercial partners to the Rugby World Cup itself, whether it’s the partners of the individual unions, or whether it’s World Rugby who are hosting and running the event,â€? says Stainer. “We’re also thinking beyond just 2015 and how we support the world of rugby, and in particular the governing body or international federation, with its hosting of future events in 2019, 2023. World Rugby has just started the bid process for 2023.â€? Stainer explains that Repucom began “to get our programmes in front of our clientsâ€? for the tournament in September 2014, with work beginning in earnest at the start of this year. “With the brandsâ€?, he says, “we started tracking the impact of their association with the Rugby World Cup and will continue to do so in the

Jon Stainer, managing director of Repucom UK

build-up to and after the event and with the unions and World Rugby we’ve been supporting on growing the commercial and event opportunities associated with the World Cup.â€? At the centre of Repucom’s involvement with the event, of course, is its partnership with World Rugby. The competition is a pivotal one for rugby union’s governing body, sitting between the rebrand from its former identity as the International Rugby Board and the debut of rugby sevens as an Olympic sport. There is a palpable sense that rugby has the chance to move from a relatively niche status outside its core markets to become a properly global sport. It is an opportunity that Repucom hopes to help it capitalise upon. “We looked to position ourselves as a trusted advisor to World Rugby,â€? says Stainer. “The proposition with World Rugby was: ‘How do we help you unlock commercial and event growth through business intelligence?’ We examined areas around growing commercial revenues through sponsorship and partnerships; monetising the fragmented media marketplace and understanding the impact of RWC and future hosting of the RWC. We kicked off with supporting World Rugby with their Rugby World Cup 2023 host candidates workshop and delivering an understanding of the marketing and event impact of hosting the Rugby World &XS WKH EHQHĂ€ WV WKDW LW KDV WR D KRVW

country, its cities and its regions. “We’ll be continuing to support this with sessions with the 2023 host candidates during this year’s Rugby World Cup. It’s an exciting time for World Rugby with England 2015, quickly followed by WKH Ă€ UVW RXWLQJ RI UXJE\ VHYHQV LQ WKH 2016 Olympic Games.â€? It’s been an eventful time, too, for Repucom in recent years, and the breadth of its involvement with the Rugby World &XS UHĂ HFWV WKH FKDQJHV WKDW LW KDV undergone as a company. A series of buyouts and consolidations – beginning with the merger between Repucom and Sport + Markt in 2010, and continuing with the acquisitions of the likes of IFM Sports, now Repucom UK, in late 2012, and Italy’s Immagine & Sport in late 2013 – has created a genuinely international RXWĂ€ W 7KH ZRUNLQJ DUUDQJHPHQW LV VWLOO fairly new for all concerned but Stainer believes the advantages are now beginning to become apparent. ´, JXHVV RQH RI WKH EHQHĂ€ WV RI Repucom being a global business – we RSHUDWH LQ UHWDLO RIĂ€ FHV DURXQG WKH world – is we’re constantly capturing information on best practice around the world,â€? he suggests. “So that’s best practice around activation of sponsorship opportunities, of sponsorship rights. It’s best practice around event hosting, and delivering great events. We’re capturing that on a global and a local basis, and we can use that information to discuss with our clients, to offer them opportunities to build and drive their investments.â€? Beyond growing the scale of the operation, as Stainer explains, the rollup of those companies is being used to harness regional strengths across other territories. He cites the example of WKH /RQGRQ RIĂ€ FH EHLQJ XVHG DV ´WKH international hubâ€? for Repucom’s soccer DFWLYLWLHV ´6R RXW RI WKH /RQGRQ RIĂ€ FH ZH work with Fifa and Uefa and the Premier League, City Football Group and a number of the major brands around the world who are investing in football,â€? he explains. “We try to really create the home of international football here in London, which has been great for our business, but we’re very well entrenched in football worldwide as well, so there’s a kind of opportunity for the UK business to then talk to our local market experts around what the trends are that they’re seeing SportsPro Magazine | 51

FEATURE | AGENCIES

in their market within the football space and how we might deliver that back to our clients here in London.â€? Geographical expansion has also broadened the knowledge base in the company, with Stainer pointing to efforts to grow Repucom’s “consultancy and digital services propositionâ€?. “We’ve grown the team in that area from one person 18 months ago to six people here in London,â€? he notes. “There’s about 20 worldwide and we’ve really worked hand in hand with our other major markets in the US and Germany and in Australia in driving best practice within the individual businesses around our consultancy offering. “The focus there has really been around how we help our rights-owner clients drive commercial growth, and how we help our brand clients maximise the impact of their investments, make better decisions about what they’re investing in, and how they’re planning their resources and investments around some of those decisions. Being able to work with our team in New York around some of the best practice that’s going on with some of the rights owner and brand clients over there, and then relay that back to our UK clients, has been UHDOO\ EHQHĂ€FLDO Âľ More pertinent is the effect these changes have had on how Repucom is trying to position itself within the industry. “What Repucom worked very hard on at the back end of last year was our ‘go to market’ proposition, basically,â€?

Stainer reveals. “Traditionally, we’ve been seen as ‘logo counters’, measurers of eyeballs and impacts and things like that. We’ve probably been viewed as a business that you’d come to to post-rationalise an investment or a decision around sponsorship or sports marketing. “So what we’ve tried hard as a business is to bring ourselves into the front of the conversation around delivering great insights and intelligence around sponsorship strategy, around the commercial acquisition process with rights owners, around valuation of rights whether they’re sponsorship or broadcast. So we bake ourselves into our client’s life cycle right from the start, through the duration of the sponsorships and partnerships, and then at the end when they’re evaluating whether they should continue with the partnership or look for a new investment.â€? Feeding into this has been a growing tendency to release Repucom research publicly, either on a piecemeal basis around individual events or by sharing ZLGHU Ă€QGLQJV 5HSXFRP 6WDLQHU FRQĂ€UPV KDV EHHQ DFWLYHO\ VHHNLQJ D ‘thought leadership’ role as a means of underscoring its new identity. “Part of it is around changing perception: we’re not just a business that counts logos,â€? he explains. “That’s still a very important part of our business today, let’s not forget that, and the data element of our business is really important. But if we’re going to develop our relationships with our clients to

The FanDNA project has indicated that US sports have a higher concentration of ‘connection fans’

52 | www.sportspromedia.com

really support them with maximising their commercial opportunities going forward, then having a position of leadership in the marketplace around what the major trends are in the industry, what the impact of societal issues is on the world of sports market entertainment, it’s really important that we have a good understanding of that. “It also helps position our people as experts in the space. I think about the team we have here in London, we’ve got some really great leaders of our consultancy division, our consumer services division, our digital business and our media valuation business, and we really want to bring those people to the fore and in front of our clients in the industry.â€? $QRWKHU VLJQLĂ€FDQW GHYHORSPHQW IRU Repucom has come at the very heart of what it does, in the application of its market research. The ‘FanDNA’ project is the result of what Stainer describes as “some groundbreaking behavioural segmentation workâ€?, and it promises to subvert much of what the sector has assumed about fan tendencies and brand associations. “We look to take a lot of that information around consumer intelligence and fan intelligence,â€? he says, ´DQG PDUU\ WKDW XS ZLWK RXU VLJQLĂ€FDQW database of media data, of sponsorship investments and media ROIs, and then we also look to merge information that we have on the global sponsorship marketplace in terms of the investments that are being made, where it’s being spent, who it’s being spent with, who’s spending the money – bringing all of that information together to help people make better decisions in the marketplace.â€? Essentially, Repucom is reframing the terms of its investigations. It has switched its focus from ‘attitudinal research’ – generating opinion poll-style data regarding fans’ judgements of companies and brands – to ‘behavioural research’, which seeks to create an understanding of what types of communication or media activities will prompt certain actions – like buying products. Already, this has had some telling results. “So it really drives deeper into what the behavioural triggers are that people should be looking for within their fanbases,â€? Stainer says. “And if you look at it, people have always traded on the fact that the fans that are closest to their event – ie,

From its New Zealand and Australia offices, where the company made its name, Repucom works closely with both the All Blacks and the Wallabies

those people that turn up to the match every week and things – are the most avid and the most likely to spend money. Now, this research is starting to turn that on its head and, actually, it’s maybe more the slightly casual fans that represent the best opportunity for rights owners and brands in terms of monetisation.â€? Led by Repucom global head of research Mike Wragg, the FanDNA project is the result of “primary research conducted by Repucomâ€? along with “six to nine months of methodological conversations and interviews with some of our major clients around the world around fan behaviours, and what they would like to see from a behavioural segmentation modelâ€?. “So we conducted interviews with the likes of City Football Group, and the NBA [National Basketball Association], and Fifa, for example, and a number of media brands around the world,â€? adds Stainer. “And then it was baked with all of our local market and global intelligence.â€? 7KH UHVHDUFK KDV LGHQWLĂ€ HG VHYHQ different types of sports viewers. These range from those barely affected by the action or by the commercial activity around it – those dubbed ‘cynical’ or

“It’s the casual fans that represent the best opportunity for rights owners and brands in terms of monetisation.� ‘disengaged’ – through to the ‘busy fan’, the ‘armchair fan’, the ‘trend positive’ followers of digital and sporting fashion, and those more deeply connected. “So we talk about ‘game experts’ – people that are very close to the action, they love the detail and things,� Stainer says. “We talk about ‘connection fans’ – connection fans are really there because it’s a social occasion, it brings people together and they like spending money around that, whether that’s in the ground, whether that’s on merchandising, whether that’s getting people together for parties at home. So we’re starting to give people a lot more of a forensic view of the different fan typologies and how you start to communicate them to drive sponsorship return.� A report on the FanDNA research, led by Wragg, is still in production, but as well as “starting to break down those traditional perceptions� around fan

behaviour, the study is also unearthing D VHULHV RI ´VLJQLĂ€ FDQW YDULDWLRQV by marketâ€?. For example, Japan’s relatively ageing population appears to have produced a greater number of ‘armchair fans’, with going to events less of a priority, while American football’s community-focused culture has bred more ‘connection fans’ in the US. “Whereas you look to a lot of the European markets,â€? says Stainer, “and it’s deep-rooted in tradition; people have turned up on the terraces since they were Ă€ YH VL[ \HDUV RI DJH 6R ZH VHH D PXFK PRUH VLJQLĂ€ FDQW SURSRUWLRQ RI ÂśJDPH experts’ in markets like the UK and Germany around football, and less of those ‘fashion positives’.â€? There seem to be two major factors at play: “the cultural DNA of those marketplacesâ€? and the history and commercial development of individual SportsPro Magazine | 53

FEATURE | AGENCIES

Repucom’s London offices have become an international hub for soccer marketing with City Football Group, owners of Manchester City, among its clients

sports within them. “Obviously, some of the leagues and events and tournaments out in the Far East have had to grow up at a much quicker pace,â€? proffers Stainer, “and have had the opportunity to learn from their European and North American counterparts, so they’ve maybe taken a different avenue in terms of the way they’ve grown up. Whereas European sports and football in general has obviously been built around great governance and administration, and really only in the last 20 years or so has looked hard at the commercialisation of the sport.â€? Stainer, who is sitting in front of a whiteboard liberally adorned with potential new partners, believes that behavioural research will change Repucom’s new business offering ´TXLWH VLJQLĂ€FDQWO\Âľ LQ WKH PRQWKV DQG years ahead. “We’ve coined all of these services under a connected solutions approach to our clientsâ€? he says, “so we’re building all of these different data points – whether they come from our syndicated data, whether they come from our bespoke and tailored data – to deliver a better solution to our clients’ commercial imperatives or their current challenges around their business. 54 | www.sportspromedia.com

“And things like FanDNA are really helping us get in front of the client at a much earlier stage – before decisions are made around investments in sponsorship, before decisions are made around marketing and communications campaigns with the fans. So it’s a bit of a game-changer for us and when you combine that with the great information that we have around brands investing in sports and entertainment, and the audiences that are exposed to different events around the world, it becomes a very powerful proposition to our clients.� An event like the Rugby World Cup can comfortably be expected to draw a larger than usual casual audience and, armed with its new research techniques, Repucom will aim to advise its clients on how to inspire a longer-lasting bond. “How do we help them quantify the audience, understand the type of audience and how they communicate with them most effectively?� asks Stainer. “And what price points and triggers should they position with certain groups? A better understanding of what the barriers are, and the hooks and pulls with those different audiences. “Then it also merges in really nicely to our CRM databases as well, so

overlaying the segmentation across clubs and governing bodies and NGBs’ CRM system as well so they get a much better XQGHUVWDQGLQJ RI WKH FRPPHUFLDO SURĂ€OH of their fans beyond their interest in the sport, their likelihood to attend and their participation in the sport.â€? Yet for all that those recent activities are changing the way Repucom looks at the marketplace, Stainer hopes that they can also change the company’s place within it. “Repucom has traditionally played in that whole sponsorship communications space,â€? he says, “and certainly here in the UK, off the back of some of our white papers – the women in sport paper in particular – we’ve actually been looking at what are some of the societal issues at play in the UK at the moment. So this is starting to get us into more of a public sector space. “Where being in ministerial discussions, in the past, might have seemed somewhat daunting and not a place that we’d traditionally have played LQ ZH¡UH VWDUWLQJ WR Ă€QG RXUVHOYHV D place at those sort of tables. And that’s an interesting development for our business and something that we’ll look to continue into in 2016.â€?

FEATURE | SOCCER

Germany’s Borussia Dortmund are one of the clubs spearheading Europe’s manoeuvres into the Asian market, having recently established a Singapore office

Globalisation is hardly a new force in club soccer and for Europe’s top sides, an international strategy is paramount. Overseas tours now dominate the gaps between seasons but there is much to be done through the year to reinforce their effect. By Eoin Connolly

Soccer is the world’s game; it stands to reason that it has been the sport most profoundly affected by globalisation. For clubs in South America and, in particular, in Europe, the idea that they might have supporters many hundreds of miles beyond their home stadiums is not a new one. Once, the effects of that were accidental and incidental: a Manchester 56 | www.sportspromedia.com

United fan in some distant land watching TV coverage thrown out as an afterthought, or sporting a replica shirt, possibly a genuine one, with a compatriot’s name on the back. Years before that, a romantic attachment might have been formed from a newspaper cutting or a radio report. Today, nothing is left to chance. United themselves have

parlayed their fame into pioneering the regional partnership – remorselessly exploiting every sector of every sponsorship market in the interests of ÀQDQFLDO JDLQ DQG EUDQG XELTXLW\ (OVHZKHUH WKH LQà X[ RI LQWHUQDWLRQDO capital has created its own new dynamics. French champions Paris Saint-Germain’s owners grant admission to Qatar’s

burgeoning sports empire. When Angel Di Maria was signed in August, PSG made the announcement from the Middle East, where the Argentinian was completing his medical at the Aspetar sports medicine facility in Doha. Manchester City, meanwhile, are at the hub of an international network of teams – featuring Major League Soccer (MLS) newcomers New York City FC, A-League side Melbourne City FC and the J-League’s Yokohama F Marinos – as part of the Abu Dhabi-backed City Football Group. Not every top club has access to such infrastructure but the need to penetrate international markets has become more pressing for them all. This year German soccer club Borussia Dortmund were one of dozens of sides to travel thousands of miles for appearances in distant, but increasingly vital, overseas territories. Their pre-season tour took in Japan, Malaysia and Singapore. Dortmund are Uefa Champions League UHJXODUV ² Ă€QDOLVWV LQ DQG FKDPSLRQV LQ ² HYHQ LI WKLV \HDU WKH\ PXVW VOXP LW LQ the Europa League. Yet diligence is essential for clubs like them, respected and renowned EDFN KRPH EXW WKH HTXLYDOHQW RI ÂśFKDOOHQJHU brands’ in these new environments. “In Asia, especially here in southeast Asia, it’s a popularity contest,â€? concedes Suresh Letchmanan, the chief representative and head of Asia for Borussia Dortmund. “The likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Liverpool are extremely popular and very well supported. And of course, the Premier League had done their homework well in terms of marketing and promoting their clubs and the league well here. So that was one of the reasons why we were determined to see success on the pitch which then replicates success and popularity off the pitch. “We are a relatively new team coming to Asia in terms of marketing and promoting the club’s brand unlike some of the Premier League clubs that are already established here in Asia. However that did not stop us from reaching out to our fans, partners and the media. It’s about developing relationships.â€? To further their ambitions in the UHJLRQ 'RUWPXQG HVWDEOLVKHG DQ RIĂ€FH LQ Singapore last October, with Letchmanan at its head. The move followed Bundesliga rivals’ Bayern Munich’s inauguration of a

Suresh Letchmanan (right) with BVB CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke and marketing chief Carsten Cramer

“When I visited Vietnam, I had 15, 16 fans coming just to say hi to me. ‘Finally, we’ve got someone from the club.’â€? branch in New York. The “challengingâ€? early stages of the project have yielded to a “fruitful and excitingâ€? period over the last few months, Letchmanan attests. :KLOH WKH RIĂ€FH LV EDVHG LQ 6LQJDSRUH LWV LQĂ XHQFH H[WHQGV WKURXJKRXW WKH continent. “It’s just that Evonik’s Asian RIĂ€FH LV EDVHG LQ 6LQJDSRUH Âľ H[SODLQV Letchmanan, “so it makes sense for us to have close proximity to our existing partners. The Puma south-east Asian KHDG RIĂ€FH LV DOVR LQ 6LQJDSRUH DQG WKRVH are the two important partners that we KDYH 7KH %XQGHVOLJD $VLD RIĂ€FH LV DOVR in Singapore. Hence, it wasn’t necessarily that it’s just Singapore we were looking at, it’s just that the location in Singapore is important to us so that we can embark into other markets within the region and develop further relationships.â€? The presence of Letchmanan and his team on the ground has given Borussia Dortmund a deeper insight into just how popular they are across Asia. “There’s DERXW IDQV LQ 9LHWQDP WKDW , didn’t know of,â€? Letchmanan says. ´:KHQ , YLVLWHG 9LHWQDP , KDG IDQV FRPLQJ MXVW WR VD\ KL WR PH Âś)LQDOO\ we’ve got someone from the club.’ It’s a touch and feel for them. ´:H¡YH JRW IDQV LQ 7KDLODQG DQG WKHVH PD\ QRW QHFHVVDULO\ EH RIĂ€FLDO IDQ

clubs but fans that have been following the club for a number of years. And to hear their stories about the club, to hear their sentiments towards the club, to hear about their connections to the club, you’re OLNH Âś:RZ , QHYHU H[SHFWHG VRPH RI these guys to have been in a relationship with the club for many years.’â€? Letchmanan describes Asia as a “football-crazy regionâ€? but the sport’s burgeoning appeal here is only one factor inspiring European enthusiasm. The other is a matter of sheer scale. “Just look at Indonesia as a country,â€? says Letchmanan, “where you have PLOOLRQ SHRSOH VR WKHUH¡V D KXJH population for you to work on from just for one country. Then you have the other parts of south-east Asia; you also have India, you also have China. So you think and you feel that football is growing. I mean, India is another market where football is slowly reaching its heights apart from the likes of cricket and tennis and some of the other sports. Likewise for China: basketball is a huge sport but you can see there’s so much interest for football in the market. And we felt that this is the best time to go in.â€? Dortmund did not go in alone. The SUHVHQFH RI D %XQGHVOLJD RIĂ€FH LQ Singapore, Letchmanan admits, is SportsPro Magazine | 57

FEATURE | SOCCER

KLJKO\ LPSRUWDQW DQG ERWK SDUWLHV EHQHĂ€W from that proximity. “There are activities where the Bundesliga are working towards in terms of going out there to extend its presence, and of course with Dortmund being in Asia if there’s a need for support for a Bundesliga club, we will be there to support them for sure,â€? he says. Still, German clubs are competing not only for the attention of local supporters across the continent, but of local governments and businesses. In recent years the organising body of Spain’s top divisions, the LFP, has been marshalling an attempt to match the international TV rights income of England’s Premier League. The strategy began with a rearrangement of the top Ă LJKW¡V ZHHNHQG VFKHGXOH ZLWK Ă€[WXUHV staggered throughout each round of the season so that matches could be pitched in prime time to different territories around the world. After that came the LFP World Challenge Tour, which sends top-tier Spanish clubs – other than heavyweights Real Madrid and Barcelona – to countries in different continents, playing games that are backed up by trade missions. Then, to coincide with a change to a collectivised rights sales model, the league and marketing partner Mediapro launched the La Liga brand, using the term by which the competition has long been popularly known. 6HQLRU /D /LJD Ă€JXUHV KDYH EHHQ LQ &KLQD WKLV VXPPHU Ă€QDOLVLQJ GHDOV ZLWK broadcast partners CCTV and PPTV, and setting up a long-term partnership with the &KLQHVH JRYHUQPHQW ZKLFK ZLOO GHOLYHU

Spanish coaches to the country and ensure the league’s clubs return each year. Several of its clubs were in China, WRR ZLWK FKDPSLRQV $WOpWLFR Madrid foremost among them. The Spanish capital’s other team have been behind some of the more interesting branding initiatives across Asia. Their shirt sponsorship deal with the Azeri tourist board, also used to promote the %DNX (XURSHDQ *DPHV EHIRUH LWV expiry earlier this year, opened up the centre of the continent – though it also drew criticism from those frustrated at Azerbaijan’s use of sport to whitewash its international reputation. A longerterm and potentially more substantial SDUWQHUVKLS LV LQ SODFH ZLWK $WOpWLFR GH Kolkata, the winners of the inaugural Indian Super League last year in whom the Spanish club own a stake. Wherever any soccer organisation goes in the world, however, it is likely that England’s Premier League has already left its trace. India is no different: last season, Barclays Premier League Live brought IDQV RXW WR ZDWFK JDPHV RQ ELJ screens at the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority Grounds at Bandra Kurla Complex, where they could also meet former players and have pictures taken with a replica of the league trophy. The league’s only licensed competition outside England takes place in southeast Asia, albeit under the auspices of its longstanding title sponsor. The Premier League Asia Trophy, or Barclays Asia Trophy, has been held every two years

Tottenham Hotspur in action against the MLS All-Stars as part of their pre-season tour in 2015

58 | www.sportspromedia.com

VLQFH SDVVLQJ WKURXJK 0DOD\VLD Thailand, Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, and alighting upon the 6LQJDSRUH 6SRUWV +XE LQ 7KH competition typically features three Premier League sides and one local team, ZLWK WKLV VXPPHU¡V TXDUWHW EHLQJ (YHUWRQ Stoke City, eventual winners Arsenal and a Singapore Select XI. The Asia Trophy is a neat execution of Premier League soft power but with Barclays’ sponsorship set to expire at the end of the current season, it is not clear where the funding will come from for VXEVHTXHQW HGLWLRQV $V 3UHPLHU /HDJXH head of partnerships Tom Greenwood explains, the capacity of the organisation is not the same as that of the US sports leviathans to which it is increasingly compared. “You will know from various bits of what has been going on in recent years,â€? he says, “we’re very conscious of the global nature of the Premier League. %XW ZH DUH TXLWH D VPDOO RUJDQLVDWLRQ DQG we have certain priorities, and you can’t just go from doing nothing to doing what the NBA [National Basketball Association] are doing all around the world in every single market doing lots of different events.â€? That said, the league would expect to continue Asia Trophy-type activities in VRPH IRUP ZKHQ LW UHYHUWV WR D ÂśFOHDQ¡ brand next year – something which Greenwood also believes will deliver greater commercial revenue overall. “Ultimately we are working through that strategy at the moment,â€? he reveals. “What else can we do abroad? How do we fund it? That is one that the clubs will need to agree. If we have got a strategic view, they need to agree with it and sign RII WKH EXGJHW EHFDXVH WKH\ DUH TXLWH costly events to put on. I don’t see us doing any less, and in fact we would hope to do a lot more but it is something we are working through at the moment.â€? Everywhere, there is evidence that European soccer is globalising between VHDVRQV 3HUKDSV WKH KLJKHVW SURĂ€OH independently organised pre-season tournament – effectively a loosely tied series of friendlies – is the International Champions Cup, which is backed by the Stephen Ross and Matt Higgins-owned Relevant Sports and has operated in 1RUWK $PHULFD VLQFH The competition grew out of the World Football Challenge, which largely pitted

Joseph Nair/AP/Press Association Images

Arsenal were the victors in this season’s Asia Trophy, which also featured Everton and Stoke City

European guests against teams from MLS. It has since evolved to feature more international sides – partly as MLS has grown more competitive, but mostly to incorporate the wider cabal of clubs for whom intercontinental tours have become DQ DQQXDO Ă€[WXUH ,Q D 86 UHFRUG FURZG RI ZDWFKHG 0DQFKHVWHU United take on Real Madrid in Michigan. 7KLV \HDU IRU WKH Ă€UVW WLPH WKH International Champions Cup expanded to Australia and China. The appeal of such games to local organisers ZDV FRQĂ€UPHG ZKHQ WKH 9LFWRULDQ state government underwrote a three\HDU GHDO VDLG WR EH ZRUWK $86 PLOOLRQ 86 PLOOLRQ IRU IXUWKHU International Champions Cup matches WR EH SOD\HG DW WKH FDSDFLW\ Melbourne Cricket Ground. Sydney had reportedly been seeking to take Melbourne’s place. Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur were not among those invited to participate in this year’s tournament but the /RQGRQHUV GLG Ă€QG WKHPVHOYHV LQ WKH 86 and Australia, as well as Malaysia, in a twoSDUW RII VHDVRQ DGYHQWXUH LQ )LUVW came a post-season tour – a practice that has made a comeback in the past two years, rising alongside the mid-season tour, as clubs seek to maximise their international exposure – in the eastern markets in late May, before a pre-season trip to the US to play the MLS All-Stars in Denver. “We know where we are popular and where we would like to be more popular so we target those key markets,â€? says

Tottenham Hotspur executive director Donna-Maria Cullen, giving an overview of the club’s international activities. “Our sponsor AIA gives us a huge foot in the door to grow our brand in Asia, so that’s why we work in partnership with them at the moment. But what we always look to do when we go to any country is to make sure that we operate at as many different levels as possible.â€? Spurs are also set to try to generate 86 LQWHUHVW LQ D XQLTXH DQG SURIRXQG way. In early July, the club announced a ten-year deal with the National Football League (NFL) which will see their QHZ VHDWHU KRPH FXUUHQWO\ LQ development, play host to regular-season JULGLURQ JDPHV IURP 7KH VWDGLXP itself, part of the Northumberland Development Project rising in the area around Spurs’ current White Hart Lane home, is also an international beacon for the club: a multi-purpose facility that could transform their commercial fortunes and create a landmark in the mould of Wembley Stadium or, indeed, the Emirates Stadium home of bitter north London rivals Arsenal. The games will be a twice-annual showcase for Tottenham and the new venue – designed to spec for the NFL by Populous, with a retractable grass SLWFK \LHOGLQJ WR DUWLĂ€FLDO WXUI DQG suitable sightlines throughout – to a mass audience that may not tune in to watch Premier League games. “I smile because we are starting to get NFL over this side and the Americans are

starting to get the EPL [Premier League] over on their side,â€? says Cullen. “So it’s almost like we’re switching an interest in sport and being able to engage with both. So again that’s hugely exciting for the club and that’s received coverage across every US state given the spread of NFL teams across the country.â€? The exact effects of Tottenham playing host to the NFL can only really be speculated upon at this point, but Cullen LV LQ QR GRXEW DERXW WKH VLJQLĂ€FDQFH RI English soccer’s break for the mainstream in the US since NBC secured the rights WR WKH 3UHPLHU /HDJXH LQ ´1%& coverage has really opened up the US market for all Premier League clubs,â€? she reports. “We are doing extremely well there at the moment in terms of having fans engaged with us and the growth numbers that we’re seeing.â€? The performance of Premier League soccer on American television has been just as pleasing for NBC, which is reported WR KDYH FRPPLWWHG DURXQG 86 ELOOLRQ to a six-year renewal of its rights deal. But while global television exposure creates an enormous potential new audience, that is no guarantee that new supporters will be drawn to any individual team. For clubs LQ (XURSH WKHQ Ă€QGLQJ D KRRN LV DOZD\V useful and for the casual fan, the sight of a local player can be as good enough reason as any to root for one side over another. The days of European clubs resorting to tokenistic signings in the hope of expanding their merchandising base may be long gone but, when an interesting international asset is on their books, it pays to take advantage. Last summer, Tottenham signed American prospect DeAndre Yedlin, who turned in a series of promising performances for the US at the Fifa World Cup in Brazil. The \HDU ROG ULJKW EDFN ZKR MRLQHG IURP Seattle Sounders, was a major talking point during Spurs’ tour of the US and continues to generate column inches as he seeks a place in the team’s starting XI. Japanese playmaker Shinji Kagawa made a telling contribution to Dortmund’s %XQGHVOLJD WLWOH ZLQV LQ DQG becoming a crowd favourite at the Westfalenstadion in the process. He VXEVHTXHQWO\ VLJQHG IRU 0DQFKHVWHU 8QLWHG but was back in Germany last summer; Letchmanan compares his second transfer to BVB to the “return of the prodigal SportsPro Magazine | 59

FEATURE | SOCCER

sonâ€?. As popular as Kagawa is in North Rhine-Westphalia, his image carries even greater currency closer to home. “You can see when Shinji’s in Asia, the amount of fans – regardless of whether you’re a United, Liverpool, or Chelsea fan, he is the face of Asia,â€? Letchmanan says. “And he represents Asia for the club when he comes here. People would like to have a meet and greet session with him, people would like to take their picture with him. And apart from him being a representative of Asia, if I may say, he’s a quality player. We can see the success that he’s had on the pitch as well, and it’s important for the club to have players like him staying in the club.â€? Former players are also a common OLQN EHWZHHQ FOXEV DQG WKHLU IDU Ă XQJ fans during the season, and are pressed ever more frequently into service at RIĂ€FLDO IXQFWLRQV RU VSRQVRUV¡ HYHQWV For the biggest, most successful teams, there might be a few ranks of starred veterans to choose from, and the likes of Dortmund and Tottenham can also make some shrewd call-ups. Karl-Heinz Riedle was responsible for the greatest moment in Borussia Dortmund’s history, scoring twice as they beat Juventus 3-1 in the 1997 Uefa &KDPSLRQV /HDJXH Ă€QDO EXW KH EULQJV further name recognition as a former Liverpool striker and a Fifa World Cup winner with West Germany in 1990. Tottenham, meanwhile, can call upon longserving American goalkeeper Brad Friedel, who brings credibility and gravitas to their events in the US throughout the year.

Former stars help promote their clubs overseas

62 | www.sportspromedia.com

Tottenham’s new stadium will host NFL matches, an example of the cross-pollination of sporting brands

-XVW DV VLJQLĂ€FDQW KRZHYHU LV WKH work that clubs do with players at the RSSRVLWH HQG RI WKH VFDOH 2IĂ€FLDO coaching programmes are now a key means of reaching new supporters, as well as applying a coat of CSR gloss. “For example, what we’ve done in the States in 2014 and we also did in Australia is our global coaching guys go out at least a week EHIRUH WKH Ă€UVW WHDP WUDYHO VR WKH\ KDYH already done a lot of grassroots football,â€? explains Cullen, who adds that Tottenham’s programmes are tied into partnerships with the likes of the Special Olympics. “So what we’re looking to do is engage with the younger fanbase out there.â€? The BVB Evonik Soccer School has also been active this summer, running courses for children and young players in Poland, the US, Japan and elsewhere. The messaging around such clinics draws heavily on the club’s reputation for a highly entertaining, hyper-kinetic playing style. As Letchmanan suggests, that culture is at the core of Dortmund’s international brand. “A lot of the players that come from the club – a majority – are from the youth team,â€? he says. “It’s not seen as a club that goes out to buy top players – it’s not one of the Real Madrids of this world – but we have a very good system that develops talent and that’s something that we would like to share, this ethos, with the rest of Asia.â€? For all the importance of those activities, and for all the care that might go into building a base in each new market, the quickest, most effective and furthest reaching tools at any club’s disposal are

GLJLWDO &XOOHQ FRQĂ€UPV WKDW VRFLDO PHGLD represents “the easiestâ€? and “the most immediateâ€? barometer for the success of Spurs’ pre and post-season tours, and adds that that is the primary means for the club to maintain an international presence throughout the season itself. Letchmanan echoes those thoughts. “It’s all about engagement,â€? he says. “I think this is extremely crucial for a club like ours.â€? Dortmund’s social media channels – the club have 1.73 million followers on Twitter and have been ‘liked’ by over 13 million people on Facebook – are among the more likeable of those run by European clubs, brimming with the kind of personality that has come to GHĂ€QH WKH FOXE LQ WKH SXEOLF VSKHUH “We’re selling something that’s different from the rest of the clubs,â€? suggests Letchmanan. “I think what we’re selling are passion and emotion. The club is very passionate and emotional.â€? For those supporters for whom a trip to the rocking Signal Iduna Park is an unlikely dream, digital interaction at least offers a hint of that fan experience. Of course, there are more pragmatic ends to which digital media is applied. For one thing, a broader online presence can be used to sell products directly to fans, something which in Spurs’ case is allied to the retail network offered by their US-based apparel partner. “Broadly, the shirt sales and merchandise sales will be online,â€? says Cullen. “Through Under Armour we have sales through their outlets around the world, and that’s all over the world. So they would be the two points of

sale for our merchandise. And then as I mentioned if we are doing link ups with VSHFLĂ€F FOXEV WKDW¡V DQRWKHU URXWH WR market for us. The ‘Super Clubs’ at the moment are El Cerrito and Talahassee, both based in North America.â€? Moreover, digital and social media allow clubs to effectively gauge where their fanbases are growing. “We have to carefully plan exactly which markets we would like to go into,â€? says Letchmanan. “So the likes of China, the likes of Vietnam, the likes of Thailand, Indonesia, India, these are the markets that we’re looking into sharing the story of our success – the story of the club. And we have to do that with baby steps. We don’t want to start leaping and jumping and Ă \LQJ :H¡OO GR EDE\ VWHSV OLWWOH VWHSV ,W will take a while, but I’m sure it will reach its optimum in the near future. But we need to keep the momentum going.â€? For the Premier League, the activities of its clubs in overseas markets raise compelling questions about what it can and should be doing from the centre. “It’s interesting because if you are asking me personally what I would like to add I could give you a number of things,â€? says Greenwood. “Ultimately it is not going to change overnight. Things that you could ORRN DW GRLQJ DQG DJDLQ ZH QHHG WR Ă€QG a way of working with the clubs on this and there may not be a way of working with them, but arguably having more of a central Premier League retail presence abroad, whether that is bricks and mortar or digital or whatever, if we were able to bring some added value‌â€? As well as greater central control over their franchised teams and their marketing assets, the likes of the NBA and Major League Baseball (MLB) have been able to schedule regular-season games in international markets in recent years. Tottenham’s partnership with the NFL is DV Ă€UP D VXJJHVWLRQ DV DQ\ WKDW WKDW WUHQG is not going into reverse any time soon. Soccer clubs have been comparatively reticent about playing competitive games overseas. The closest any of the elite leagues have come is in Italy, whose Supercoppa – which pits the previous season’s league champions against the winners of the Coppa Italia – has been held in Beijing, Doha and, in 2015, at China’s Shanghai Stadium. The prospect of one league or another eventually

Donna-Maria Cullen, executive director at Spurs

making the jump looks ever likelier but there are sporting considerations to take into account. Whereas the business end of the US major leagues is in the play-offs, European soccer leagues are based entirely RQ WKHLU UHJXODU VHDVRQ Ă€[WXUHV 7KH ORVV of a potentially decisive home match would be too much for many clubs to risk. The Premier League hoped to FLUFXPYHQW WKDW GLIĂ€FXOW\ LQ ZKHQ it proposed ‘game 39’, an international URXQG RI Ă€[WXUHV WR EH SOD\HG DW QHXWUDO venues outside England. But the problem with that format was that fairness could still not be safeguarded: in theory, a team playing for the title or to avoid relegation could be given a tough extra game while their rivals faced weaker opposition or a side with nothing at stake.

BVB Evonik Soccer Schools engage young fans

“I think there would have to be a lot more agreement worked out on that and then it would have to have agreement from all the clubs, so I’m not sure where that one will pan out,â€? says Cullen, asked whether the 39th game concept could be revived. “At the moment US fans of EPL certainly get to see the teams a lot because all of the top teams are looking to play in the US, and we’ve now got the players moving between the two countries which is another angle. So I think we’ll get the dual interest and then hopefully the broadcast, and then it’s a case of fans travelling and fans enjoying the matches when they do come.â€? For his part, Letchmanan hopes that Dortmund will be able to establish a lasting stronghold for themselves in south-east Asia. He reveals that the club are “working very closely with the likes of the Football Association of Singaporeâ€? on the possibility of using the Singapore Sports Hub as a regular pre-season training base or as a venue IRU IULHQGO\ PDWFKHV :LWK WKH Ă€HUFH competition between clubs in the region, he also aims to communicate the idea that fans of a Premier League team could also follow one in another country – say, Borussia Dortmund. One thing that Letchmanan is clear on is that no club reaching out into a new market can depend on the quick hit of television coverage, or even an international tour. The Ă€UVW WHDP PLJKW RQO\ EH LQ WRZQ IRU -XO\ RU January but for the rest of the organisation, it is a year-round process. “It depends on what the objectives of the clubs are,â€? he says. “If clubs are looking at an international spectrum, an international overview of its reach of its fanbase and going global, promoting its brand tirelessly, then Asia could give them that platform to reach its audience. However, a lot of homework must be done and it takes many years to reach the success that clubs like United and Liverpool have achieved. So it all depends on what the objectives of these clubs are. “If they’re really looking to monetise their reach, then yes, there’s so much opportunity here in Asia. But if clubs are seen to be coming in to solely do a tour once and then going back to Europe thereafter with no further continuity or follow up engagements with its Asian fans then I think that would not work.â€? SportsPro Magazine | 63

FEATURE | STADIUMS AND VENUES

64 | www.sportspromedia.com

Preparations for next year’s Uefa European Championship in France have so far managed to escape the scrutiny that has come to be expected of major events. As the countdown to the tournament continues, SportsPro profiles each of the ten venues that will host Europe’s biggest soccer occasion in 2016. By Michael Long

Claude Paris/AP/Press Association Images

K

ick-off may be due in around nine months’ time, but it has been easy to overlook Uefa Euro 2016. That is, it has been easy to forget it is taking place at all. With the attention of the global soccer media having been ÀUPO\ WUDLQHG LQ UHFHQW PRQWKV RQ )LID and its heavily scrutinised World Cups in Brazil, Russia and Qatar, the organisers of next year’s European Championship LQ )UDQFH KDYH EHHQ OHIW WR JR DERXW WKHLU business more or less under the radar. That preparations for next summer’s tournament, the third to be held in )UDQFH KDYH UHFHLYHG UHODWLYHO\ OLWWOH attention will have been welcomed by Uefa, the European game’s governing body who themselves came under considerable pressure in the run-up WR WKH HGLWLRQ RI WKHLU à DJVKLS event in Poland and Ukraine. That competition, for all the highlights it ultimately produced on the pitch, was dogged by infrastructure delays and beset by logistical challenges. There can be no such fears over Euro 2016. $ UHWXUQ WR )UDQFH KRVW RI WKH (XURV in 1960 and 1984, marks a return to an established soccer heartland for Uefa, and with a little under 300 days to go until the 2016 tournament kicks off DW WKH 6WDGH GH )UDQFH LQ 6DLQW 'HQLV just outside Paris, next June, things are moving along rather nicely. Overseen by Euro 2016 SAS, a joint venture created by 8HID DQG WKH )UHQFK )RRWEDOO )HGHUDWLRQ ))) WKH FRPPHUFLDO SURJUDPPH IRU the tournament is advancing apace, with organisers well on course to reach their overall target of ₏1.4 billion in SportsPro Magazine | 65

FEATURE | STADIUMS AND VENUES

Euro 2016 stadiums: by the numbers

66 | www.sportspromedia.com

V for Vinci Of the ten stadium projects for Euro )UHQFK Ă€UP 9LQFL &RQFHVVLRQV – Europe’s largest stadium operator with integrated divisions spanning GHVLJQ Ă€QDQFH FRQVWUXFWLRQ DQG YHQXH management – is involved, either as FRQVWUXFWRU RSHUDWRU RU ERWK LQ Ă€YH One such venue, the New Bordeaux stadium, was conceived by Herzog and 'H 0HXURQ GHVLJQHUV RI )& %D\HUQ Munich’s Allianz Arena as well as Beijing’s ‘Bird’s Nest’ stadium, and built by the Stade Bordeaux Atlantique consortium, D YHQWXUH IRUPHG E\ 9LQFL DQG WKH )D\DW *URXS XQGHU D SULYDWH SXEOLF SDUWQHUVKLS 333 IRU ½ PLOOLRQ 2IĂ€FLDOO\ LQDXJXUDWHG LQ 0D\ WKH venue has been described by Euro 2016 SAS president Jacques Lambert as “one of the stand-out examples of the new generation of stadiums that organising 8HID (XUR KDV DOORZHG )UDQFH to buildâ€? and boasts a unique metallic

Jacques Brinon/AP/ Press Association Images

broadcast rights and sponsorship income. Licensing and merchandising partners are steadily being contracted according to plan and the initial phase of the event’s ticketing programme got up and running in July without any notable hiccups. It is, KRZHYHU WKH ORFDO RUJDQLVHUV¡ HIĂ€FLHQWO\ executed stadium programme that has perhaps proved most impressive. In total, ten venues will host matches DW (XUR WKH Ă€UVW (XURSHDQ Championship to include an expanded OLQH XS RI WHDPV DQG Ă€[WXUHV 7KH time taken to build a new stadium for the tournament has averaged just 30 months. New venues have been, or are being, constructed in the cities of Lille, Nice, Lyon and Bordeaux, while those in Marseille, Paris, Saint-Etienne, Lens and Toulouse have undergone major UHQRYDWLRQV 7KH 6WDGH GH )UDQFH WKH tournament’s centrepiece that will host WKH Ă€QDO DV ZHOO DV WKH RSHQLQJ JDPH KDV been the subject of some minor upgrades. The total investment in stadiums for Euro 2016 stands at around â‚Ź1.6 billion, with the tournament having been hailed by Uefa as ‘the catalyst for a massive modernisation programme that will allow )UDQFH WR GHYHORS D QHZ JHQHUDWLRQ RI sports facilities’. Since 1945, as Uefa literature points out, only three stadiums with a capacity greater than 30,000 have EHHQ EXLOW LQ )UDQFH WKH 3DUF GHV 3ULQFHV in Paris in 1972, La Beaujoire in Nantes in DQG WKH 6WDGH GH )UDQFH LQ

A June event marking the one-year countdown

structure that consists of 900 stanchions designed to resemble the trunks of local Landes pine trees. With 42,000 seats in LWV VSRUWV HYHQW FRQĂ€JXUDWLRQ DQG XS to 45,000 for concerts, the new home RI /LJXH VRFFHU VLGH )& *LURQGLQV de Bordeaux is a prime example of the speed with which many of the Euro 2016 YHQXHV KDYH EHHQ FRQVWUXFWHG WKH HQWLUH construction phase ran from November 2012 to April of this year. Lyon’s Stade des Lumières, meanwhile, LV DQRWKHU 9LQFL SURMHFW JRLQJ XS DW D remarkable pace. Though it will be the last Euro 2016 venue to open when it is inaugurated early next year, building work on the 58,000-seater stadium in 'pFLQHV RQO\ EHJDQ LQ WKH VXPPHU of 2013. Built at a reported cost of â‚Ź405 million, the stadium is the most expensive being constructed for Euro 2016 and forms the centrepiece of a 45-hectare multi-use development, OL Park, which will also include a new training ground for its Ligue 1 tenants Olympique Lyonnais as well as a sports museum, sports medicine centre, a health spa and leisure centre, and a 150-room hotel. Populous-designed, the Stade des Lumières certainly lives up to its name, with its most notable feature an enormous translucent roof over the stands – the largest of its kind in Europe – which is made from a special fabric WKDW DOORZV 89 UD\V WR SDVV WKURXJK IRU optimal pitch lighting.

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Bob Edme/AP/ Press Association Images

Jacques Brinon/AP/ Press Association Images

Laurent Cipriani/AP/ Press Association Images

Nigel French/EMPICS Sport

FEATURE | STADIUMS AND VENUES

Stade de France, Saint-Denis

Stade des LumiEres, Lyon

Stade Pierre Mauroy, New Bordeaux Lille Metropole stadium, Bordeaux

Status: Existing stadium Project leader: Stade de France Consortium Type of project: Minor renovation Capacity: 80,000 Architects: SCAU Constructor: Operator: Consortium Stade de France Financing: Cost of project: Matches: Four group matches, one round of 16 tie, one quarter-ďŹ nal, ďŹ nal

Status: Scheduled to open early 2016 Project leader: Olympique Lyonnais Type of project: New stadium Capacity: 58,000 Architects: Populous Constructor: Vinci Operator: Olympique Lyonnais Financing: Private Cost of project: â‚Ź405m Matches: Four group matches, one round of 16 tie, one semi-ďŹ nal

Status: Opened in August 2012 Project leader: Lille MĂŠtropole Urban Community Type of project: New stadium Capacity: 50,000 Constructor: Eiage Architects: Valode & Pistre - Atelier Ferret Architectures Operator: Elisa Financing: Public-private partnership Cost of project: â‚Ź324m Matches: Four group matches, one round of 16 tie, one quarter-ďŹ nal

then shelved, several years earlier. Like three other Euro 2016 venues, the Allianz Riviera was born of a PPP, in this case between city, regional and state authorities, 9LQFL &RQFHVVLRQV WKH ÀQDQFLDO FRPSDQ\ Caisse des DÊpôts et Consignations, and South Europe Infrastructure Equity Finance (SEIEF). To date, the stadium in Nice is the only

Michel Euler/AP/Press Association Images

Nice’s Allianz Riviera, home of Ligue 1 side OGC Nice, has been in operation since September 2013 following a construction process that took almost exactly two years to complete. The ₏204 million project, designed by Wilmotte & AssociÊs SA and constructed by Vinci, was revived for France’s bid for Euro 2016, having previously been planned, and

Status: Opened in May 2015 Project leader: Bordeaux City Council Type of project: New stadium Capacity: 42,000 Architects: Herzog & De Meuron - Groupe 6 Constructor: Vinci - Fayat Architects Operator: Financing: Public-private partnership Cost of project: â‚Ź184m Matches: Four group matches, one quarter-ďŹ nal

A giant replica of the European Championship trophy in the Champ de Mars, in front of the Eiffel Tower

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Allianz Riviera, Nice Status: Opened in September 2013 Project leader: Nice City Council Type of project: New stadium Capacity: 36,000 Constructor: Vinci Architects: Wilmotte & AssociĂŠs SA Operator: Nice Eco Stadium Financing: Public-private partnership Cost of project: â‚Ź204m Matches: Three group matches, one round of 16 tie

Euro 2016 venue to be the subject of a QDPLQJ ULJKWV GHDO ZLWK *HUPDQ ÀQDQFLDO VHUYLFHV ÀUP $OOLDQ] KDYLQJ VLJQHG D nine-year, ₏16.2 million (US$19.6 million) agreement to rename the 36,000-capacity venue in July 2012. The remaining two Euro 2016 stadium projects in which Vinci is involved have both been subject to renovations ahead of the tournament. Paris’ Parc des Princes, home to Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain since 1973, has undergone a two-year ₏75 million revamp, funded jointly by the City of Paris and PSG’s Qatari owners. Two new rows of seating have been installed to bring fans closer to the pitch and increase the total capacity to 48,000, while new VIP areas and food outlets, more pubic conveniences, Wi-Fi, and a PSG museum are just some of the new additions at the ground. The Stade de France, meanwhile, is the stadium that has needed the least work ahead of next summer’s tournament. The largest Euro 2016 venue, with a capacity of 80,000, was originally constructed by Vinci to host the 1998 Fifa World Cup.

Mike Egerton/EMPICS Sport

Stade Velodrome, Marseille

Parc des Princes, Paris

Status: Opened in October 2014 Project leader: Marseille City Council Type of project: Major renovation Capacity: 67,000 Constructor: Bouygues Architects: SCAU Operator: ArĂŠma Financing: Public-private partnership Cost of project: â‚Ź267m Matches: Four group matches, one quarterďŹ nal, one semi-ďŹ nal

Status: Scheduled for completion in August 2015 Project leader: Paris City Council and PSG Type of project: Major renovation Capacity: 48,000 Constructor: Vinci Architects: ATSP Operator: SESE Financing: Private Cost of project: â‚Ź75m Matches: Four group matches, one round of 16 tie

French socceR’s FACELIFT The Euro 2016 venues in Lille, Lens and Toulouse are all designed by Bordeauxbased Atelier Ferret Architectures. Lille’s cutting-edge Stade Pierre Mauroy, run by a subsidiary of the French construction Ă€UP (LIIDJH *URXS ZDV RIĂ€FLDOO\ RSHQHG in August 2012 and now plays host to Ligue 1 club LOSC Lille. Heralded by Euro 2016 SAS stadiums director Xavier Daniel as bringing “a new concept in the worldâ€?, its most distinctive design feature is a retractable pitch that can be entirely UHFRQĂ€JXUHG FUHDWLQJ VSDFH IRU D PXOWLWXGH of other sports and entertainment events. “The pitch is a unique set-up,â€? the venue’s head of marketing and sports, Julien Rongier, told SportsPro earlier this year. “To explain it very simply: you take the pitch, you cut it in half so you have the north section and the south section. The QRUWK VHFWLRQ GLVFRQQHFWV DQG LW ULVHV Ă€YH metres above the pitch ground level and slides over the south section. And beneath the north part you have a big concert arena that can welcome up to 30,000 people.â€?

Stade Geoffroy Guichard, SaintEtienne Status: Completed in January 2015 Project leader: SaintÉtienne MÊtropole Type of project: Major renovation Capacity: 42,000 Constructor: LÊon Grosse Architects: Chaix & Morel et AssociÊs Operator: Saint-Etienne MÊtropole Financing: Public Cost of project: ₏72m Matches: Three group matches, one round of 16 tie

Stade BollaertDelelis, Lens Agglo

Stadium Municipal, Toulouse

Status: Scheduled for completion in November 2015 Project leader: Nord Pasde-Calais Regional Council Type of project: Major renovation Capacity: 38,000 Architects: Cardete & Huet - Atelier Ferret Architectures Operator: FC Lens Financing: Public Cost of project: â‚Ź70m Matches: Three group matches, one round of 16 tie

Status: Scheduled for completion in 2015 Project leader: Toulouse City Council Type of project: Major renovation Capacity: 33,000 Constructor: SOCOTRAP Architects: Cardete & Huet - Atelier Ferret Architectures Operator: Toulouse City Council Financing: Public Cost of project: â‚Ź35m Matches: Three group matches, one round of 16 tie

In Lens, the ageing yet iconic Stade %ROODHUW 'HOHOLV LV LQ WKH ÀQDO VWDJHV of a major renovation being carried out at a cost of ₏70 million. Built by unemployed miners back in the 1930s, it has undergone numerous upgrades since its original opening over 80 years ago. Though not as large or as technologically advanced as other Euro 2016 venues, Stade Bollaert-Delelis holds the rare distinction of being able to accommodate virtually the entire population of the town in which it is located, with Lens home to just 36,000 inhabitants. Atelier Ferret Architectures’ third Euro 2016 venue is the 33,000-seater Stadium Municipal in the southern city of Toulouse. Like Lens’ Stade BollaertDelelis, Toulouse’s stadium is a publicly IXQGHG IDFLOLW\ XQGHUJRLQJ D VLJQLÀFDQW renovation. New seats have been added to three of its stands, while lighting at the facility has been upgraded and security enhanced through the installation of a new 150-camera video surveillance system. The remaining two venues have also EHQHÀWHG IURP PDMRU RYHUKDXOV LQ

anticipation of next summer’s event. 0DUVHLOOH¡V 6WDGH 9pORGURPH ZDV RIĂ€FLDOO\ inaugurated last October after three years of extensive renovation work courtesy of Bouygues Group subsidiary Arema, which QRZ RSHUDWHV WKH YHQXH $ VLJQLĂ€FDQW logistical challenge was overcome as Olympique de Marseille, Ligue 1 tenants of the stadium, played on throughout the rebuild that saw 40,000 cubic metres of concrete, a 6,000-tonne roof support structure and 3,800 tonnes of steel added to the building. With an increased capacity of 67,000, the venue is now covered by a distinctive 65,000-square metre undulating canopy that dominates the Marseille skyline. Last but not least, Saint-Étienne’s Stade Geoffroy Guichard reopened in the new year and is operated by local and regional authorities, who between them funded the entire renovation project that saw work carried out in three phases over a threeyear period. Some â‚Ź72 million was invested to complete the work, which saw stands remodelled and new hospitality areas created at Le Chaudron. SportsPro Magazine | 69

Smart Events and Venues Are Driven by Smart Solutions F&Box Delivery System is an innovative event food delivery method that makes the real improvement for fan experience. eFAN platform – how Bluetooth Smart can help maximizing fan experience Nowadays the generation of the most active consumers being at the same time participants of mass events and sports events is defined as between ages 15 to 34, called generation Y. The Millennial generation has completely different expectations towards offer and experience they expect participating in sports and entertaining events. The new generation of fans requires experience based on new mobile technologies. People need platforms and mobile technologies which support and enhance Fan Experience and make participation in an event more engaging – otherwise they might get discouraged. If a fan gets more experience during an event itself,

he will participate in it with greater pleasure than he would have sitting at home in front of a TV set. It is why Fan Experience is one of the ways to fulfil the stands and thus to increase the income from an event.

events. F&B is also important because it generates considerable amount of matchday revenue. So there is a positive correlation between good experiences related to F&B on-site consumption and the service turnover.

How eFAN solution helps? Very Good Conversions – using The functions of eFAN combine the iBeacons at PGE Arena Gdansk potential of Bluetooth Smart and Since December 2014 eFAN platform Smart Devices to make the in-venue helps generating positive experiences experience more for fans, using 8 out of 10 fans engaged relevant, easy iBeacons and seamless themselves in the reaction technology to for fans. It’s all with to the message scoring it communicate about relevant attendants during communication positively or sharing with Lechia Gdansk’s and creation of games at PGE their friends. innovative services Arena. There are which eliminate all difficulties 16 beacons deployed around and affecting fans, such as queues and on the arena itself. Every matchday crowds around points of interest, communication campaign involves especially F&B stands during mass different messages conveyed to fans in

1 Can your fans order F&B easily via mobile app? Now make your fans collect food orders in seconds! Boost your fans event experience and eliminate long lines to F&B stands with F&Box delivery concept. You can easily integrate it into your event and venue app as a new, alterative order delivery option.

2 When fan chooses F&Box Delivery option, order is assigned to the closest, empty F&Box. F&B worker receives delivery request. When food is ready, F&B worker knows which F&Box should be used to deliver the order.

the vicinity of particular beacons via dedicated mobile app. The contents generated in interactions include, among others: welcome messages, goodbye messages, advertisements encouraging to buy club souvenirs etc. Very interesting conversion rate is being identified: • CTR Index for the push notification generated in the proximity/vicinity of beacons: 83% 83% of fans with Bluetooth on who receive push notification read the message. • Engagement Index for the message: 82% 8 out of 10 fans engaged themselves in the reaction to the message scoring it positively or sharing with their friends.

Proximity communication is just a beginning – F&Box: innovative event food delivery method makes the real improvement for fan experience eFAN platform uses iBeacons to send effective rich content messages to fans encouraging them to perform desired actions during event. This year in April it was used during FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland at Warsaw National Stadium to distribute F&B coupons with special discounts. Fans passing by the

F&B stands were receiving chosen product categories discounts on their smartphones. They could use the coupons when purchasing the products. But it’s only a beginning.

eFAN components are ready to use and to be embedded into an existing mobile app environment. If event owner or venue doesn’t have F&B mobile purchasing app functionality yet, it can be developed in a separate implementation project.

eFAN introduces new F&B delivery method for mass events and venues, called F&Box Delivery. It’s an So how does the process look like alternative food delivery method for from fan perspective? venues and event owners who want to • Fans finalizing F&B order in or already sell F&B via mobile apps. event / venue mobile app are able to The goal is to eliminate long lines use additional order delivery channel and to decrease waiting time for F&B – F&Box. order fulfilment. • When fan decides Thanks to dedicated eFAN components are for this delivery smart devices – option, an event / ready to use and to food boxes which venue app receives be embedded into an can be placed by an update about the event and venue existing mobile app closest empty box owners just next to and average delivery environment. the F&B stands to time. deliver paid orders to fans. That way • When F&B worker delivers the orders can be easily delivered by F&B order to the box, fan is immediately workers and quickly collected by fans informed about it. in self-service mode. It’s a kind of a • Fan goes to the indicated food box, self-service pick up points, which can just next to the F&B stand, and opens dramatically reduce or eliminate long it up quickly and easily with the tap of lines and enable fans to have queuethe button in event / venue app. free order collection, done is seconds. • Fan collects an order in just a few seconds! Event Owners and Venues can simply add F&Box to their existing To learn more, shoot an e-mail to: purchasing mobile app and thus add rafal@efan24.com a new delivery method to mobile or sign up at: purchasing process. It’s extremely easy, http://www.fandbox.com

3 Just after the order is placed in appropriate F&Box, Fan receives a notification informing that the order is ready to pick up.

4 Fan goes to the proper F&Box and collects the food easily just by tapping the button. That’s right! Your fans just go and pick up their orders. It’s quick, easy and your fans are happy. Who likes to wait in long lines to eat something? Now they don’t have to!

FEATURE | STADIUMS AND VENUES

Venues of invention The current generation of sporting arenas and stadiums has turned out some extraordinary developments in technology, operations and aesthetics. Yet innovation in venue design takes a whole range of forms. SportsPro looks at ten facilities that have taken an intelligent approach to solving problems or creating new possibilities.

Baku National Stadium – Baku, Azerbaijan The venue built in record time using cutting-edge technologies and design practices.

In order to have Baku National Stadium built in time for the opening ceremony of the European Games in June 2015, the project team performed design and construction simultaneously and work was undertaken around the clock, with a team of up to 6,000 labourers working three split-shifts spanning 24 hours a day at times. As part of a global collaboration effort to design and build the venue, information modelling software company Tekla instigated its Building Information Modelling (BIM) approach as a strategic tool to support

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the accelerated schedule. New York-based international engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti provided structural design services utilising Tekla programmes, under the leadership of Tekfen Engineering in Istanbul, to create the detailed, information-rich models. Pre-cast reinforced concrete and main and secondary steel structures were modelled using Tekla Structures, and these models subsequently served as the information source for creating the fabrication drawings. The automated design routine to check beam and column reinforcement against

seismic code provisions greatly sped up the design process and a system of piled raft foundations, more commonly used for high-rise buildings, was applied to the stadium to give the greatest possible design flexibility. The stadium was opened in March 2015, a mere 24 months after the commencement of the project, boasting a capacity of 68,000 and complete with a running track and soccer pitch. It is the new home to the Azerbaijan national soccer team and will play host to several games during the pan-continental Uefa Euro 2020 tournament. MK

The Nassau Coliseum – Uniondale, USA 8LI LMWXSVMG WMXI [LSWI VIRSZEXMSR [MPP GSRǻVQ XLI XIEQ FILMRH XLI 'EVGPE]W (IRXIV EW ER IQIVKMRK TPE]IV MR XLI sports and entertainment venue operating space.

The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Long Island is perhaps the most unremarkable edifice in this list. The 16,000-capacity arena played host to the New York Islanders National Hockey League (NHL) team from its 1972 opening to this year, when the Islanders packed up their pucks and headed for the bright lights of Brooklyn and the Barclays Center. The 43-year-old venue is dilapidated and unfashionable, and the concerts, exhibitions and shows that were hosted alongside Islanders games have long since dried up. The winds of change are blowing, however. When Forest City Ratner, the developer that built the Barclays Center, won the right to refurbish and operate the historic venue in 2013, it signalled a new dawn not only for the Coliseum, but for the organisation that plans to transform it.

“Long Island is a vibrant market,” says Brett Yormark, chief executive of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Brooklyn Nets and the Barclays Center, and the man overseeing the Coliseum’s facelift. “It’s got great density and great demographics. It’s a market not unsimilar to Brooklyn before we got there in that it’s been underserved in the area of sports and entertainment.” Using Shopp, the same architects that designed the Barclays Center, the 18-month, US$130 million renovation, scheduled for completion in early 2017, will see the Coliseum right-sized to a capacity of 13,000, with the exterior taking on architectural echoes of its glamorous sister venue in Brooklyn. Yormark and his team plan to bring in the Disney Institute and Levy Restaurants,

responsible for the award-winning customer service and catering initiatives at the Barclays Center, to develop bespoke versions in and for Long Island. They also plan to leverage sales and programming teams to create and sell out a calendar of some 275 events a year. “The O2 [in London] has been an inspiration for us because it’s the most successful venue in the world and it doesn’t have a core tenant,” says Yormark. “We’re going to be big in college basketball, boxing, family shows, music, action sports both inside and outside. The other interesting dynamic is that we are going to be on 77 acres. We are going to be able to do a lot of exterior programmes from music festivals, car shows, action sports, maybe even boxing under the lights outside. We are going to be very creative and it will be very active.” JE

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FEATURE | STADIUMS AND VENUES

Stade Pierre-Mauroy – Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France ,VSYRH FVIEOMRK MR QSVI [E]W XLER SRI 1MPPIƜW 9IJE *YVS ZIRYI MW E WXEHMYQ WIX XS XVERWJSVQ

Describing the Eiage-designed Stade PierreMauroy, the home stadium of Ligue 1 soccer side Lille and host venue for seven matches at next summer’s Uefa Euro 2016, as ‘ground-breaking’ is probably something of an understatement. Hidden beneath the pitch sits a complex series of hydraulic lifts, ready to literally break the ground apart, as part of what is surely one of the world’s most versatile sporting arenas.

It takes three hours for the machinery involved to raise the north half of the pitch ďŹ ve metres into the air and manoeuvre it over the south half, revealing a lower stage complete with extra ringside seating. To further boost its ‘Transformer’ credentials, the stadium also boasts a retractable roof, which can be deployed in just 15 minutes. Thus, in slightly less than the time it took for Stan Wawrinka to beat

Novak Djokovic in this year’s French Open ďŹ nal, the Stade Pierre-Mauroy can be reconďŹ gured from a fully functioning 50,000-seater outdoor soccer stadium into a more compact, though no less well-equipped, 30,000-seat multifunction indoor arena. The stadium has played host to tennis, basketball, music concerts and even a Supercross motorbike event since opening in 2012. AN

Estadio de Futbol Monterrey – Guadalupe, Mexico 8LI KSPH WXERHEVH JSV IGSPSKMGEP GSRWGMSYWRIWW MR WTSVXW MRJVEWXVYGXYVI

The age of large-scale sports venues dominating their immediate environment is no more. Now, the emphasis is increasingly on integration, and few have achieved that as well as Mexico’s Estadio de Futbol Monterrey. Of all the green initiatives on display at the US$200 million venue – the new home of Mexican soccer club CF Monterrey – water and energy conversation were of particular importance for its designers, Populous and VFO Architects. Set within 25,000m2 of green space and amid 2,000 native trees, the entire complex

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is designed to capture and ďŹ lter rainwater to replenish nearby aquifers, with a heat-resistant Grasspave porous paving system used in parking ‘gardens’ to facilitate both the transit of vehicles and increased water absorption. Elsewhere in the building, a state of the art and highly energy-eďŹƒcient lighting system has been installed in all areas while a cantilevered roof and perforated outer façade, fashioned in such a way as to resemble a ďŹ sh’s gills, allow for air to ow naturally through the stadium’s inner bowl.

On reection, it seems strange that the construction of such an ecologically conscious stadium, which was originally planned in 2008 but did not break ground until 2011 before opening this August, faced constant opposition from environmental groups, though it may be that such objections have shaped its development. The harmonious way in which this building sits within its natural surroundings, while employing some of the most advanced technology available, puts other supposedly ‘green’ sports arenas to shame. ML

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FEATURE | STADIUMS AND VENUES

Borisov Arena – Barysaw, Belarus

Sergei Grits/AP/Press Association Images

The soccer stadium that shows high-spec need not mean high-cost.

Innovation and ground-breaking design in construction, at least in the sports industry, are often interchangeable with budgets that stretch well into nine and even ten figures. Yet that need not necessarily be the case. In 2014, Belarussian soccer champions BATE Borisov completed the construction of their new Borisov Arena home for the comparatively modest sum of €50 million. The stadium, which also plays host to Belarus national team games, is small at a capacity

of 13,000, but it boasts a striking design from Slovenian architects OFIS Arhitekti which neatly combines form and function. The bulbous shape of the building – achieved by cladding the exterior with aluminium panels and leaving space for oval windows – is intended to give the effect of skin stretched over bone but it also improves acoustics. The north-south orientation of the ground allows for an even spread of sunlight throughout each game but construction was also

planned to allow for the bare minimum of tree felling in the surrounding forest. And the Borisov Arena also boasts the requisite features for a truly modern sports facility. There are seats for 40 press and 250 VIPs on one side of the ground, and 3,000 square metres of publicly available restaurants, bars and shops, with a bowling alley and fitness centre. A naturally ventilated foyer sits above, ready to receive spectators at half-time. EC

Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Indianapolis, USA The biggest sporting venue in the world is about to get even bigger.

Next May, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will host the 100th edition of the Indianapolis 500, a milestone that is to be marked by a US$90 million renovation to bring the world’s biggest sporting venue into the 21st century. The Speedway, also known as the Brickyard due to its former brick-surfaced track, is set undergo a radical modernisation project over the next few months. The regeneration of this 106-year-old arena will combine its illustrious history with a luxury new look and feel, with which its owner,

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Hulman & Co, hopes to replicate the experience and comfort offered by NFL or NBA games. New hospitality suites are planned which allow fans to purchase just one or two tickets and use the facilities like an exclusive club, rather than having to hire an entire executive box, while the track-side benches are being converted into proper seating. Around its fourkilometre perimeter, the Speedway offers seats for over a quarter of a million spectators; total capacity, including the infield standing areas, is

estimated at some 400,000 – a number which could be exceeded by next year’s Indy 500, expected to be the most widely attended oneday sporting event in history. Hulman & Co is keen to exploit the huge commercial potential of this audience, starting with the installation of high-definition video boards for advertising space around the stadium and a new LED scoring pylon on the main straightaway – just another way it is marrying the traditional with the modern. AN

HOK.C OM

AVAYA STADIUM | MLS EARTHQUAKES

SPORTS + RECREATION + ENTERTAINMENT CONTACT Chris Lamberth | chris.lamberth@hok.com | +44 (0)20 7636 2006

FEATURE | STADIUMS AND VENUES

M Chinnaswamy Stadium – Bengaluru, India

Aijaz Rahi/AP/Press Association Images

The cricket stadium pioneering a renewable approach in a burgeoning economy.

April saw the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru become the first cricket venue in India – and, quite possibly, the world – to convert its roof into a solar power plant. Installed by RenXSol Ecotech Pvt Ltd on behalf of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), the new 400-kilowatt photovoltaic system has the capacity to generate enough energy to power 200 all-electric homes, saving

an estimated 600 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year in the process. The KSCA believes the system will enable the venue, which is home to the Royal Challengers Bangalore Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, to halve its annual energy bills whilst generating income by selling surplus power to the Karnataka state grid on days when matches are not played.

Yet the solar conversion could have far wider reaching implications in what it could mean for India in general. Though its newfound solar powers have yet to be fully realised, the stadium could be a major showcase for renewable technologies in a burgeoning economy where the mainstream use of cheaper, more sustainable forms of energy would have an immeasurable impact on the lives of future generations. ML

Ericsson Globe – Stockholm, Sweden The world’s largest hemispherical building creates unusual opportunities inside and out.

Sweden’s national indoor arena, the Ericsson Globe, is the world’s largest hemispherical construction. Formerly known as the Stockholm Arena, the 16,000-seater venue was designed by architects Lars Vretblad and Svante Berg and opened in 1989 following a two-year build project. With the outward appearance of a giant white ball, the building represents the sun in

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the Sweden Solar System, the world’s biggest permanent scale model of the planetary system. The globe has a diameter of 110 metres, a volume of 21,188,800 cubic feet and at its apex reaches 130 metres, or 425 feet, in height. The venue has played host to a diverse array of events, from a mass held by Pope John Paul II in 1989 – the first by a Pontiff in Sweden – to

concerts by Depeche Mode and Britney Spears, the Fiba European Basketball Championships, and the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships. In 2010 the SkyView attraction opened, offering visitors the chance to ride in a glass gondola up the 130 metres of the building’s exterior for a view across the Stockholm skyline. MK

Estadio Castelão – Fortaleza, Brazil

Mike Egerton/EMPICS Sport

The Brazilian World Cup venue where waste is not a dirty word.

Much has been made about the waste in building stadiums for the 2014 Fifa World Cup. In the case of the renovation of the Estadio Castelão, however, some of those complaints are misplaced, and not just because it was the only venue project to come in ahead of time and – US$50 million – under budget. Waste reduction was a feature of the construction phase, with 97 per cent of waste

diverted from landfills to be reused or recycled, while annual energy consumption has been cut by around 12.7 per cent at the remodelled Fortaleza ground, which also features strategically positioned central waste disposal units. But what is most notable about the 67,037-seater Castelão is its use of water. There has been a 67.6 per cent reduction in potable water use, and a 71.9 per cent reduction in the volume of potable water directed

to the local sewer system. Meanwhile, it also features the world’s largest vacuum sanitary installation. Put in place by Jets, the system apparently reduces the amount of water used in each flush by up to 90 per cent and saves over 500,000 litres – or 130,000 gallons – of water at every match. As Brazil faces up to drought, sewage and water quality crises, it could make a valuable contribution. EC

AT&T Park – San Francisco, USA The most connected stadium in the world puts its communications infrastructure where its mouth is.

The title of ‘most connected sporting venue’ is a coveted crown in an era of rapidly evolving digital communication capability. There are many pretenders to it. Mobile network EE has declared its intention to make Wembley, England’s national stadium, the most connected in the world. NFL giants the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers both believe they are

already there. But there is wriggle room in the term ‘most connected’, and, according to the experts, there is only one large-scale venue in the world where ‘most connected’ also means ‘fully connected’: AT&T Park. The San Francisco Giants’ 41,000-capacity ballpark is a world leader in both Wi-Fi connectivity and distributed antenna systems (DAS), equipment which boosts

regular network connection capacity. Working closely with telecoms infrastructure firm Horizon Communications, the Giants have installed 1,302 Wi-Fi hotspots around the stadium, all sharing a 1-gigabit connection. The stadium also has 185 DAS access points, enough to serve the venue at full capacity, and a system that currently allows for download speeds of 11 megabits per second. JE

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FEATURE | SWIMMING

Sergei Grits/AP/Press Association Images

The open-water swimming and high diving at the 16th Fina World Championships in Kazan took place in front of the city’s historic Kremlin

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The 16th Fina World Championships in Kazan has been an event for firsts and, after recent crises and scandals, has offered a chance for aquatic sports’ governing body to get back to what it does best. By Adam Nelson

SportsPro Magazine | 81

FEATURE | SWIMMING

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The temporary swimming pool venue at the Kazan Arena marks the first time that a soccer stadium has been converted for use at a Fina event

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FEATURE | SWIMMING

Adam Peaty became the first Briton to win three gold medals at a single world championships

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USA’s Bill May and Christina Jones won the first ever mixed gender synchronised duet in Kazan

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REGIONAL FOCUS | CANADA

It has been one of the busiest years in the recent history of Canadian sport, dominated by the Fifa Women’s World Cup and Pan American Games but seasoned with over 100 other sporting events. SportsPro takes a deeper look at North America’s second market and at Toronto, Canada’s biggest city. By Michael Long

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ast October, His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston declared 2015 the year of sport in Canada. It was a declaration the country’s governor general made in anticipation of a packed FDOHQGDU RI ZHOO RYHU KLJK SURĂ€OH national and international sporting events set to be held in his homeland this year – a year that would begin in the midst of the 2015 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, quickly gather momentum with the 25th edition of the Canada Winter Games in February, and peak with a summer of sport headlined by the Fifa Women’s World Cup and the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games. For Canada, hosting sport on the scale that has been seen in 2015 is nothing new. Indeed, few countries have such a rich history of putting on major sporting spectacles. A cursory look back through the archives reveals that only the US and France have hosted more Olympic Games than North America’s ‘other’ market, with the 1976 Summer Games staged in Montreal and the 1998 and 2010 Winter Games held in Calgary and Vancouver respectively. Canada has also played host to four editions of the Commonwealth Games, while this year’s Pan American Games in Toronto followed two previous Canadian outings for that event, in 1967 and 1999, both held in Winnipeg. Add

86 | www.sportspromedia.com

to that regular events such as the Canada Games – a multi-sport occasion for amateur athletes that alternates between winter and summer instalments – or tennis’ Rogers Cup, and it is clear that the Canadian people have a major event pedigree to rival any developed nation. In the case of this year’s Fifa Women’s World Cup, the awarding of the tournament to Canada was never really in doubt. Seven countries originally expressed interest in hosting the tournament but only Canada, which lost out to Germany to stage the 2011 event, remained by the time Fifa announced the winning bidder in March 2011. “Why have we chosen Canada?� outgoing Fifa president Sepp Blatter asked then. “Well, Canada has already done a great job for women’s football. They’ve proven that they’re great organisers and that women’s football, certainly, has a future in the country.� Staged across six host cities, from Vancouver in the west to Moncton on the east coast of New Brunswick, this

Toronto 2015 chief executive officer Saad Rafi

summer’s event spanned the entire EUHDGWK RI &DQDGD DQG WKXV IRU WKH Ă€UVW WLPH HYHU Ă€YH WLPH ]RQHV +HOG RYHU days in June and July, the tournament saw the hosts ultimately come up short on the pitch, bowing out at the quarterĂ€QDO VWDJH WR DQ LQVSLUHG (QJODQG \HW Canada 2015 proved something of a watershed moment for women’s soccer on the global stage. It was, in many respects, the biggest Fifa Women’s World Cup in history. Though stands were often far from full, )LID¡V RIĂ€FLDO Ă€JXUHV LQGLFDWH WKDW D UHFRUG RI PRUH WKDQ PLOOLRQ IDQV DWWHQGHG matches across the expanded 24-team tournament, with over 54,000 turning out to watch the hosts’ last-eight exit inside Vancouver’s BC Place. Seven of the 52 matches played saw over 50,000 spectators attend, helping to drive up the tournament average to in excess of 26,000 per match. Edmonton’s Commonwealth 6WDGLXP KRVW RI Ă€[WXUHV ² PRUH WKDQ any other tournament venue – welcomed over 206,000 fans over the course of its eight match nights. “To have so many games over a month, to keep interest in the city and have some of the big crowds, I think everybody thinks it’s been a great tournament,â€? UHĂ HFWHG (GPRQWRQ¡V FLW\ PDQDJHU 6LPRQ Farbrother as the event drew to a close. “It’s over 200,000 people that have seen games in the last month, which is kind

Attendances for some matches at the Women’s World Cup were underwhelming but over 54,000 fans turned out for Canada’s quarter-final against England

RI OLNH 0DGRQQD FRQFHUWV LQ D URZ DW Rexall Place. You sometimes forget how big a crowd that is.â€? Away from the stadiums, Canada 2015 broke new ground with media attention and public interest snowballing in several major markets as the tournament drew on. More international broadcasters had signed up to carry the tournament than ever before and TV viewership records were broken in Germany, Japan, the US and the UK, all of which were UHSUHVHQWHG LQ WKH VHPL Ă€QDOV ,Q &DQDGD itself, CTV and RDS’ television coverage of the hosts’ encounter with England DWWUDFWHG DQ DYHUDJH YLHZHUVKLS RI million – a record for any Fifa Women’s World Cup match. Online, the entire tournament drew some 19 million views RQ )LID¡V RIĂ€FLDO <RX7XEH FKDQQHO ZLWK two million in Canada alone. ´,¡P VR SURXG WR FRQĂ€UP WKDW &DQDGD 2015 has been a great success and that it had a real impact on our nation, which has truly got behind women’s football for the past month,â€? said Victor Montagliani, the president of Canada Soccer and chair of the Canada 2015 national organising committee, during a post-tournament press conference. “We hope that the impressive attendances at this World Cup demonstrate the potential of women’s football in Canada.â€? As soccer stakeholders within the host country look to capitalise on the success of the tournament, the focus is on all levels of the game. According to the Canadian government, soccer is already the most widely played sport among Canadian children, particularly girls, but many believe real progress at the top of the country’s women’s game will depend

on a Canadian franchise joining the National Women’s Super League (NWSL). Now considered the world’s leading domestic soccer competition for women, the NWSL has achieved marked growth in the US since its launch in 2012. At present, it comprises nine American WHDPV ZKR EHWZHHQ WKHP VHQW SOD\HUV to this summer’s World Cup, and the OHDJXH KDV VLQFH EHQHĂ€WHG IURP D VSLNH LQ attendances following the USA’s triumph north of the border. $V WKH SURĂ€OH RI WKH ZRPHQ¡V JDPH continues to surge in the US, NWSL commissioner Jeff Plush has said that ´RYHU D GR]HQ GLIIHUHQW FLWLHVÂľ KDYH expressed an interest in housing a new franchise. Speaking shortly after this year’s World Cup, Plush added that the league hopes to have “more news to report on expansion in the next couple of monthsâ€? but stopped short of identifying Canada as a possible destination. On the Canadian side, too, the word has so far been equally non-committal. While John Herdman, head coach of the Canada women’s national soccer team, has thrown his support behind the creation of a Canadian NWSL franchise, calling it a “key stepâ€? in the development of the women’s game in Canada, two of the country’s leading soccer organisations have ruled themselves out of pushing for NWSL inclusion anytime soon. One of those organisations, the Vancouver Whitecaps Major League Soccer (MLS) team, disbanded their ZRPHQ¡V RXWĂ€W VHYHUDO \HDUV DJR DQG WKHLU owner, Jeff Mallett, recently revealed that the club have no imminent plans to invest in a potential NWSL franchise. Meanwhile Maple Leaf Sports &

Entertainment (MLSE), operator of the Toronto FC MLS side, claims its attention has to be on developing its interests in the men’s game. “Given that TFC is relatively young, the focus has been on building that club up,â€? an unnamed MLSE spokesman told The Globe and Mail. “In due time, once the club has proven that it can win at all levels, there might be an opportunity to explore expanding into the women’s game.â€? ******** Just days after the Women’s World Cup concluded on 5th July, Canada’s sporting focus necessarily shifted to the country’s second major event of the summer. The Toronto 2015 Pan American Games, staged over a 16-day period, saw more than 6,000 athletes from 41 nations descend on Canada’s largest city to FRPSHWH DFURVV VSRUWV LQ ZKDW ZDV WKH biggest multi-sport event ever to be held in the country, eclipsing even Montreal’s Olympic Games of 1976. Toronto 2015 did not, however, get off to the best start. In the early stages of the build-up to the Games, organisers were forced to rethink their overall concept in a bid to curb an escalating budget, with plans for several venues shelved as a tighter, more RSHUDWLRQDOO\ HIĂ€FLHQW FOXVWHU FRQFHSW was initiated in early 2012. Clearly, Torontonians were less than impressed by the widely reported price tag of &$1 ELOOLRQ D Ă€JXUH WKDW GLG OLWWOH WR garner support for the event in a country where winter sports such as ice hockey – Canada’s national obsession – dominate and the Pan Am Games has traditionally struggled to gain traction. SportsPro Magazine | 87

REGIONAL FOCUS | CANADA

Olympic bronze medal-winning canoeist Mark Oldershaw leads the Canadian athletes during the opening ceremony of the 2015 Pan American Games

To make matters worse, pre-Games reports that the organisers had claimed parking expenses of as little as 91 cents whilst lavishing hundreds of dollars on drinks receptions did little to rebuild bridges with the dismayed public. The expense scandal ultimately led to the dismissal of organising committee chief executive Ian Troop in December DQG DV WKH *DPHV GUHZ FORVHU WKH overriding attitude towards the event remained worryingly cold. Local media described the feeling among Torontonians as indifferent and apathetic. Hotels reported fewer bookings than expected, with the organisers’ projected LQĂ X[ RI YLVLWRUV DSSHDULQJ ZLOGO\ DPELWLRXV DQG FRQFHUQV RYHU WUDIĂ€ F congestion continued to dominate public discussion. Ticket sales were lacklustre at best, with only two-thirds of the 1.2 million available tickets having been sold by the time the opening ceremony kicked off proceedings on 10th July. “I think the only sport that we’re not playing in the Pan-Am Games is sort of moaning and groaning,â€? Toronto mayor John Tory told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as the event began. “And Toronto, on a regular basis, would be qualifying for a gold medal in that.â€? What happened next, then, was PRVW XQH[SHFWHG 2Q WKH Ă€ UVW GD\ RI competition, the public astonished everyone by coming out in their droves, snapping up around 20,000 tickets to 88 | www.sportspromedia.com

kick-start a sales process that eventually saw more than one million tickets sold by the end of the event. It was a muchneeded boon for the embattled organisers. “The numbers speak for themselves,â€? GHFODUHG 6DDG 5DĂ€ WKH VHQLRU SURYLQFLDO RIĂ€ FLDO ZKR UHSODFHG 7URRS DV WKH *DPHV chief executive shortly after the latter’s dismissal. “With one million tickets sold and millions of Canadians tuning into the Games, there’s no doubt that Toronto and the region have embraced these once in a lifetime Games.â€? Yet the jury remains out on what the event will do for Toronto in the long run. The Games themselves were trumpeted as a catalyst for infrastructural development in Toronto and surrounding areas, and in that respect organisers have achieved what they set out to do. The CAN$500 million in public funds used to build new or revamp existing infrastructure has left the province of Ontario with a host of state of the art sports venues, and a Toronto 2015 Sport Legacy Fund of CAN$70 million has now been earmarked by the Canadian government to ensure that three new facilities built especially for the Games – the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, the Mattamy National Cycling Centre, and the Pan Am/Parapan Am Athletics Stadium – are properly maintained and accessible to the local community. Meanwhile the Toronto 2015 athlete’s village, constructed on derelict industrial land in Toronto’s waterfront district, is set to begin its post-

Games life as a modern residential quarter, and it is hoped an already operational rail link connecting downtown Toronto to nearby Pearson International Airport will help ease the city’s infamous transport woes for years to come. Perhaps the most telling legacy of the Games, however, will play out in Toronto’s continued Olympic aspirations. After a pair of failed bids for the 1996 and 2008 Summer Olympics, many Torontonians viewed this year’s Pan Am *DPHV DV D FRQVRODWLRQ SUL]H D NLQG RI test run for the bigger event, and talk of a future Olympic bid persists. For all the concern and controversy in the lead-up to Toronto 2015, the event appears to have LPEXHG D IUHVK VHQVH RI FRQÀ GHQFH LQ WKH city’s ability to make a credible play for the greatest show on earth. City authorities originally expressed an interest in staging the 2024 summer edition two years ago but as the clock ticks towards the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) 15th September deadline, the Canadian Olympic &RPPLWWHH &2& KDV \HW WR RIÀ FLDOO\ declare either way. Should it choose to do so, the COC may take heart from the fact that Rio de Janeiro launched its ultimately successful bid for the 2016 Olympics just a few months after staging the 2007 edition of the Pan Am Games. If the IRUPXOD ZRUNHG IRU WKH %UD]LOLDQV WKHUH is every possibility that 2024 could be Toronto’s time.

TORONTO: Canada’s sporting capital Toronto, the provincial capital of Ontario, is Canada’s most populous market and the fourth-largest in North America, with 7.6 million people residing in its greater metropolitan area. Situated on Lake Ontario’s north-western shore, the modern, multicultural city is home to three major league franchises in the Blue Jays baseball team, the Maple Leafs ice hockey team, and the Raptors basketball outfit, while the city also plays host to Toronto FC of Major League Soccer (MLS), the Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and the Rock of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). Though Canadian parliament sits 350 kilometres away in Ottawa, the country’s capital, Toronto is the key administrative hub for sport in Canada, serving as a base for the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), several national associations and the CFL, as well as the headquarters of major corporations with significant interests in sport such as Rogers Communications, Canada’s largest media company, and retail giant Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC). It is, however, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) that dominates the Toronto sports scene. Founded in 1931, MLSE is a diversified sports and entertainment business majority owned by rival media companies Rogers Communications and BCE Inc, who split equally a 75 per cent stake in the company, and private equity firm Kilmer Sports, which holds the remaining share. In addition to controlling the Maple Leafs, Raptors, Toronto FC, and the Marlies American Hockey League (AHL) team, MLSE also owns the Air Canada Centre in downtown Toronto and operates three television networks in NBA TV Canada, Leafs TV and Gol TV.

A B

DVP

Toronto is home to several major sports teams

C

D E

F

G I

H J

K L

N

M

A

Canadian Tire

H

Canadian Football League

B

S&E Sponsorship

I

FUSE Marketing Group

C

Rogers Communications

J

CIBC

D

SMCC- Sponsorship Marketing Council Canada

K

Air Canada Centre/ Maple Leaf Sports and Ent. Rogers Centre

E

Maple Leaf Gardens

L

F

Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation

M

BMO Field

G

Scotiabank

N

Exhibition Place /Pan Am Park

CANADA’S MEDIA LANDSCAPE – at a glance

Numeris, January 2015

Numeris, January 2015

Numeris, January 2015

Nielsen, January 2015

SportsPro Magazine | 89

REGIONAL FOCUS | CANADA

CORPORATE CANADA’S SPORTING INVESTMENTS In economic terms, Canada’s sports industry is, like the country itself, among the most developed in the world. Last year, market research company IBIS World reported that the spectator sport industry in Canada employs 8,571 people across 869 businesses. The total revenue of the market was reported

at CAN$3 billion, having grown at an annual rate of 1.5 per cent between 2009 and 2014. Ice hockey-related activity is estimated to generate over CAN$11 billion for the Canadian economy each year, with more than CAN$1 billion in tourism revenue alone. Considered in the context of Canada’s

otherwise natural resource-reliant economy – where weak oil prices and interest rate uncertainty conspired to devalue the Canadian dollar, known colloquially as the ‘loonie’, to an 11-year low in early August – there is no doubt that sport is a vital contributor to Canadian society.

Prominent Canadian companies: what they sponsor Company

Sector

Brands owned

Key Canadian properties sponsored

Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC)

Automotive, retail

Canadian Tire, Canadian Tire Petroleum, Mark’s, Sport Chek, Sports Experts, Part Source

Over 70 sport organisations across Canada including: Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee, Canadian Soccer Association, Hockey Canada, NHL, Ottawa Senators/Canadian Tire Centre, Montreal Canadiens, Alpine Canada, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

Bank of Nova Scotia

Finance

Scotiabank

NHL, CFL, Ottawa Senators/Scotiabank Place, Concacaf Champions League, Cricket Canada

Tim Hortons Inc

Food and beverage

Tim Hortons Cafe and Bake Shop

Canadian Curling Association, NHL, CFL, Hamilton Tiger Cats/Tim Hortons Field

Air Canada

Airline

Air Canada

Canadian Olympic Committee, Toronto Maple Leafs/Air Canada Centre, Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets, Ottawa Senators, Calgary Flames

Canada’s major broadcasters: who airs what Company

Type

Main networks owned

Key rights held

Rogers Communications

Pay

Sportsnet

MLB, NHL, NBA, NFL, IndyCar, ATP World Tour, Uefa Champions League, Premier League, Grand Slam of Curling, some Olympic Games

BCE Inc/Bell Media

Pay

The Sports Network (TSN), Réseau des sports (RDS)

CFL, some NBA, all four tennis and golf majors, Ryder Cup, some NHL, NCAA, Formula One, Nascar, MLS, Season of Champions (curling), World Curling Championships, some Olympic Games

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

Free-to-air

CBC

Olympic Games, some NHL, some Grand Slam of Curling

Shaw Media

Pay

Fox Sports World Canada, Global Television

The Masters, Premier League, FA Cup, Ligue 1, Serie A, Copa Libertadores

KEY DEAL: NHL and Rogers Communications

Includes rights to all NHL games, including the Stanley Cup play-offs and final, on all platforms and in all languages Rogers made an upfront payment of CAN$150 million plus annual payments of CAN$300 million. Those payments will incrementally increase to CAN$500 million in the final year of the deal (2025/26). 90 | www.sportspromedia.com

Stadium Construction Crucial to Full Realization of Canadian Cricket’s Immense Potential

Proposed Cricket Stadium designs commissioned by Canadian Premier League T20 Chairman, Roy Singh

What is the vision behind the Canadian Premier League? The vision of the Canadian Premier League T20 belongs to Roy Singh and his firm belief that the time has come to introduce T20 cricket to mainstream sport in Canada to compete directly with baseball, basketball and hockey. Canada currently has the cricket base of fans from the many cricket-loving nations to ensure television viewership and packed stadiums, once built.

What do you see as the market for cricket in Canada? Who will be watching? Expats from cricket-loving nations, and new and untapped Canadians. The T20 format fits well with Canadian sports fans seeking short and exciting sporting events.

Roy Singh | Chairman and CEO

How important is your stadium project? Very important. We need an international stage to showcase our talents and develop a made for TV product. Does the Canadian Premier League need a strong Canadian national team to prosper in the long term? Definitely not, both are separate, but the by-product of the Canadian Premier League will produce a strong and talented Canadian national team.

Why do you believe a Twenty20 cricket league can succeed in Canada? Simply because of the rise in the immigrant population from cricket-loving nations to Canada and the pure excitement that T20 brings to the viewing audience. Where do you draw the inspiration for the league from? Canada has a massive pool of cricket talent that is untapped and the Canadian Premier League intents to use that to make Canada one of the global cricket forces to be respected. The inspiration comes from the many disappointing years of national cricket in Canada. The time is now.

What would cricket bring to the Canadian sporting landscape? A breath of fresh and exciting new air.

When can we expect to see the Canadian Premier League happen? We expect August 2016, pending the sanction approval of the rather disappointing Cricket Canada organization, who has no vision for Cricket in Canada, no long or shortterm plan and no business savvy to make cricket a success in Canada. Founder and Chairman of Canadian Premier League T20, Roy Singh

roy@cplt20.ca

FEATURE | WRESTLING

A NATION In Senegal, unlike the rest of Africa, traditional wrestlers trump soccer players as the nation’s biggest sporting stars. But as the season built to its climax in Dakar in July, the sport faced cultural and commercial challenges. By Mark Hann

92 | www.sportspromedia.com

GRIPPED SportsPro Magazine | 93

FEATURE | WRESTLING

t is a scorching hot Saturday afternoon in the Senegalese capital of Dakar, and the crumbling Demba Diop stadium is packed to the rafters. The 2014/2015 ZUHVWOLQJ VHDVRQ LV LQ LWV Ă€ QDO ZHHN DQG KDV UHDFKHG LWV FOLPD[ ZLWK WKH Ă€ JKW IRU WKH XQRIĂ€ FLDO WLWOH RI ÂśRoi des Arènes’ – King of the Arenas. Although there is no formal ranking system, today’s winner will be unanimously recognised as the sport’s dominant force. Everything is at stake for reigning champion Bombardier as he prepares to defend his crown against the hugely popular young challenger Modou LĂ´ before the eyes of an entire nation. For in Senegal, wrestling is far more than a mere sport. It is at once a revered ancestral tradition, a physically demanding athletic discipline, and a lucrative commercial phenomenon; indeed, it is no exaggeration to accord it the status of a national obsession. The otherwise congested streets of Dakar fall silent GXULQJ D ELJ Ă€ JKW DV HQWLUH IDPLOLHV FURZG around their television sets – from small children to elderly grandparents, and everyone in between. Wrestling’s popularity is such that it transcends even that of soccer, which otherwise enjoys an almost unchallenged hegemony throughout the African continent. It is the musclebound superstars of the wrestling arena – not the region’s biggest soccer exports – who beam down from advertising billboards throughout the city, endorsing products

I

including toothpaste, washing powder and energy drinks. Simply put, they are the biggest celebrities in the country, and their appeal and recognisability extends across all segments of society. ******** How, then, did wrestling develop from a traditional village activity to attain its current status as a thoroughly modern commercial sport? Thierno Ka is perhaps best placed to answer that particular question. As the vice president and communications director of the ComitÊ National de Gestion de Lutte (CNGL), the wrestling steering committee and de facto governing body, he has overseen the sport’s development for the past 20 years. Meeting SportsPro LQ KLV RIÀ FH DW WKH business school where he teaches, Ka is keen to clarify some of the basic misconceptions about wrestling. Perhaps PRVW VLJQLÀ FDQWO\ 6HQHJDOHVH ZUHVWOLQJ in fact comprises at least three distinct sporting codes – Olympic wrestling, traditional wrestling without punches (lutte sans frappe), and wrestling with punches (lutte avec frappe). While traditional wrestling has been practised to celebrate the harvest and the end of the rainy season since the beginning of the historical record, it is the latter hybrid form, combining wrestling with bareknuckle punches, which has evolved into a media and commercial spectacle since its inception in Dakar during the late 1920s.

‘Faux lions’, traditional figures at major events in Senegal, provide pre-fight entertainment

94 | www.sportspromedia.com

The introduction of punching, according to Ka, was concurrent with WKH LQWURGXFWLRQ RI Ă€ QDQFLDO UHZDUGV Initially reluctant to punch each other, ZUHVWOHUV ZHUH FRQYLQFHG E\ WKH Ă€ QDQFLDO LQFHQWLYH WR DGG D KLQW RI SXJLOLVWLF Ă DLU WR an already engrossing combat sport. With the exponential increase of television coverage during the 1990s, wrestling’s visibility, and with it the importance of sponsorship, increased further. Although the highly secretive nature of the sponsorship deals surrounding ZUHVWOLQJ PDNH DFFXUDWH Ă€ JXUHV KDUG WR come by, the fees commanded by the star Ă€ JKWHUV JLYH DQ LQGLFDWLRQ RI KRZ WKLQJV have changed. The early 1980s saw the top wrestlers of the day break through the CFA1 million barrier, and YĂŠkini and Tyson were paid CFA100 million DSSUR[LPDWHO\ ½ HDFK WR Ă€ JKW one another in 2010. And there is no sign of the trend reversing any time soon: Modou LĂ´ and Bombardier are rumoured to have received CFA130 million (around â‚Ź200,000) each for their clash. Stepping out on to the pitch at Demba Diop stadium on the day of the designated royal combat is a thrilling and slightly intimidating experience. Surrounded by 30,000 roaring fans, SportsPro navigates through an army of riot police and security staff, soundtracked by the wailing of griot praise-singers and the pulsating rhythms of multiple drum ensembles. As wrestlers and their entourages train for the preliminary combats, and FRORXUIXOO\ SDLQWHG Âśfaux lions’ dance for the crowd’s entertainment, SportsPro heads straight for the unassuming, bespectacled man who is responsible for the entire event. Matar Diop is head of Soubatel 3URGXFWLRQV DQG D ZHOO UHVSHFWHG Ă€ JXUH LQ PXVLF DQG VKRZEL] )RU KLV Ă€ UVW IRUD\ into wrestling, he has jumped in at the deep end by promoting the biggest and PRVW DQWLFLSDWHG Ă€ JKW RI WKH VHDVRQ $V the latest copy of the magazine is pressed into his hands, there is barely time to wish him good luck before he is whisked away by his assistants to attend to some SUHVVLQJ SUH Ă€ JKW LVVXH The structure of wrestling makes it hard for newcomers to enter the business, as bidding wars between rival promoters drive up the cost of staging a Ă€ JKW EHWZHHQ WZR RI WKH VSRUW¡V PDMRU SURWDJRQLVWV $IWHU WRGD\¡V Ă€ JKW 'LRS

Bombardier (right), the reigning champion and ‘King of the Arenas’, prepares to defend his crown against the popular young challenger Modou Lô

will allude to unnamed forces which unsuccessfully tried to sabotage the event – a likely reference to the complex network of stakeholders who are largely responsible for the staging of lutte avec frappe. Thierno Ka refers to this as the

“wrestling family”; an unnamed wrestling coach is less charitable, describing it as a ´PDÀ Dµ ² SHUKDSV IUXVWUDWHG LQ KLV IDLOHG DWWHPSWV WR DUUDQJH D À JKW IRU RQH RI KLV young wrestlers. The network includes wrestlers past

and present, managers, coaches, spiritual DQG UHOLJLRXV DGYLVHUV FDOOHG ¶marabouts’, television personalities, promoters, businesses and the CNGL. Politicians are also known to associate themselves with prominent wrestlers to enhance their popularity: in one recent example, the Gambian president Yaya Jammeh presented the wrestler Eumeu Sene with two brand new SUVs following his spectacular victory over Balla Gaye 2. ********

Fans of Modou Lô, one of the most popular wrestlers in Senegal, cheer on their hero at the fight

Promoters occupy a key position within this web of relationships, as they are the interface between the sport, commercial partners, and broadcasting. Recently, broadcast media have increasingly taken on the mantle of staging combats themselves, as in the case of Eumeu Sene v Balla Gaye, which was promoted by GFM Entertainment – the sporting events subsidiary of the media conglomerate which also includes the television SportsPro Magazine | 95

FEATURE | WRESTLING

ArmÊe takes down Tapha Boy Bambara as the two fighters warm the crowd up in the final preliminary combat before the night’s main event

channel TFM. Similarly, the ongoing TNT wrestling tournament is organised by Excaf Telecom, which owns the television stations broadcasting the combats. Meanwhile, the wrestling industry owes its continuing growth to the seemingly endless supply of commercial sponsors willing to harness the huge visibility and brand recognition offered by blanket coverage on all major TV channels. Among the main sponsors visible in the arenas are beverage brands like Orangina and Black Power energy drink, household products such as Madar washing powder and Mera toothpaste, stock cubes, powdered milk, and telecommunications providers – notably Orange, Tigo and Expresso. What these products all have in common are that they are consumed on a daily basis by ordinary Senegalese people. By sponsoring wrestling, these companies can essentially skip the arduous process of making their brand known in the country, says Thierno Ka. By comparison to sponsorship and television, ticketing offers a fairly minor chunk of revenue. The pricing spectrum for the Bombardier DJDLQVW 0RGRX /{ ÀJKW UDQJHG IURP CFA2,000 (₏3.05) to CFA5,000 (₏7.62), 96 | www.sportspromedia.com

CFA30,000 (â‚Ź45.74) and CFA100,000 ½ ² UHĂ HFWLQJ WKH KXJH JXOI LQ earnings between rich and poor in a developing country such as Senegal. It is worth noting that even the lowest price category would be prohibitively expensive IRU D VLJQLĂ€FDQW QXPEHU RI IDQV ******** Wrestling sponsorship is not without its risks. A number of major sponsors have withdrawn from the sport in recent years following a series of highly publicised incidents of violence involving not only fans, but also the wrestlers themselves. As the popularity of wrestling has increased, supporters have become increasingly partisan, going to the stadium to cheer on their chosen champion rather than simply for appreciation of the aesthetic performance on display. As a result, brawls between rival groups of fans have become a common occurrence, and wrestling has become associated with violence in the eyes of many. While the CNGL has taken effective measures to eradicate violence from the arenas – notably by involving prominent wrestlers in anti-violence campaigns – the

problems have not been entirely solved. At the promotional face-to-face event between rising stars Ama Balde and Gouye Gui, the former was arrested and subsequently LPSULVRQHG DIWHU KLWWLQJ D SROLFH RIĂ€FHU These occurences risk tarnishing the sport’s reputation permanently, and the return of major sponsors such as Orange appears to be contingent upon the elimination of such incidents. The social risks and problems associated with wrestling are not limited WR WKH VSRUDGLF YLROHQFH ZKLFK Ă DUHV XS LQ DQG DURXQG PDMRU Ă€JKWV $ SHUKDSV more entrenched crisis surrounding the sport is the increasing number of young men who abandon their studies to pursue a career in the wrestling ring. Fuelled E\ WKH PHGLD JORULĂ€FDWLRQ RI LWV ELJJHVW stars, wrestling has long since replaced soccer as the ultimate rags-to-riches dream in urban Senegal. “Three-quarters of them don’t have an advanced level of schooling,â€? says Thierno Ka. “Three quarters of them don’t have any professional TXDOLĂ€FDWLRQV 7KH\ WKLQN WKDW ZUHVWOLQJ is the quickest way to achieve success. That’s ridiculous. I never stop telling them: wrestling is not a profession.â€?

These warnings seem to be falling on deaf ears. Out of 4,000 licensed wrestlers in Senegal, only the top 20 or so can actually earn enough money to make a sustainable living out of the sport. Nonetheless, it is increasingly common to hear of young wrestlers giving up school or apprenticeships to focus solely on training. It is not hard to imagine the consequences: an army of physically imposing, underemployed, disgruntled young men – for many, this is a direct route leading towards violent crime. ******** One man who has managed to carve out a living for himself from the sport is Malal Ndiaye, Senegal’s sole representative in wrestling at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. A jovial man whose gentle demeanour belies his immense strength, Ndiaye proudly shows SportsPro his memorabilia from the Games while recalling anecdotes about hanging out with Usain Bolt in the Olympic Village. Today, he is speaking in a very different type of village: Yeumbeul, a densely populated suburb on the outskirts of Dakar. This is where he lives, and where he acts as the lead wrestler in the Êcurie, or stable, Yeumbeul Mbollo – one of DSSUR[LPDWHO\ RIÀFLDOO\ UHJLVWHUHG wrestling associations in the Dakar area. Membership in an Êcurie is compulsory in order to have a licence, and these associations form the basic organisational unit of the sport.

Wrestling is the most widely broadcast sport in Senegal, where it is even more popular than soccer

As well as representing his country at the Olympics and at the African Wrestling Championships, Malal Ndiaye is also an accomplished performer in both wrestling with punches and wrestling without punches – thus making him one of the rare Senegalese athletes to compete in all three of the major disciplines. He is intent on passing on his wealth of experience to the younger generation, who he says need all the support they can get. One of his protegÊs, Modou Lô 2 – named as a homage to Modou Lô – is due WR KDYH D ÀJKW DW WKH HQG RI WKH VHDVRQ but only on condition that he manages to sell 200 tickets. Such manoeuvres are increasingly common as promoters SODFH WKH ÀQDQFLDO ULVN RI RUJDQLVLQJ WKH ÀJKW RQ WKH ZUHVWOHUV WKHPVHOYHV WDNLQJ

A Senegalese wrestler in traditional dress surrounded by his arsenal of magical liquids and objects

DGYDQWDJH RI WKHLU GHVSHUDWLRQ WR Ă€JKW Many wrestlers therefore go into debt and ORVH VLJQLĂ€FDQW VXPV RI PRQH\ VLPSO\ to have a solitary combat each season, In this case, Modou LĂ´ 2 is forced to ZLWKGUDZ IURP WKH Ă€JKW ² KH LV XQDEOH WR sell the required number of tickets. ******** %DFN LQ 'HPED 'LRS VWDGLXP WKH Ă€QDO SUHSDUDWLRQV IRU WKH ELJ Ă€JKW DUH XQGHUZD\ The wrestlers perform their bakk – a W\SH RI GDQFH ZKLFK DW Ă€UVW JODQFH LV QRW too dissimilar to the All Blacks’ Haka. Magic is in the air – quite literally, as each competitor attempts to get the better of his rival with an entire arsenal of occult objects. Amulets are strapped to arms, legs and chests. Endless bottles of magical liquids, specially prepared at great cost by the most powerful marabouts, are poured over the wrestlers; tunics adorned with Coranic verses are put on; magical canes and animal horns are brandished in the opponent’s direction. Nothing is left to chance – and Modou LĂ´ in particular is considered to be the most magically gifted wrestler of them DOO +LV Ă€QDO Ă RXULVK VHHV KLP UHOHDVLQJ 18 pigeons in the middle of the ring. It is all to no avail, however, as his more powerful and more experienced rival gets the better of him after an absorbing encounter. Bombardier retains his crown, and Modou Lô’s legions of fans go home broken hearted. In less than ten minutes, the hopes and dreams of a nation have been achieved – and shattered. SportsPro Magazine | 97

BACK STORY

WHĀNAU New Zealand’s world champion All Blacks are the most celebrated team in rugby union and one of the most recognisable anywhere in sport. Their ethos, as much as their relentless style of play, has made them a formidable force. In the sixth chapter of his book Legacy – 15 Lessons in Leadership, James Kerr explores how the talents of individuals are devoted without question to the collective.

98 | www.sportspromedia.com

SportsPro Magazine | 99

BACK STORY

²ąmuri kia mau ki te kawau mĆrŇ, whanake ake, wmhanake ake. Hold to the spearhead formation of the kawau.

NO DICKHEADS Follow the spearhead

Taranaki, New Zealand $ ÁRFN RI ELUGV ² NDZDX D NLQG RI FRUPRUDQW ² FDUYH D JUDFHIXO 9 DFURVV WKH EUHDNLQJ GD\ 2QH ELUG OHDGV DQRWKHU IROORZV DQRWKHU WDNHV WKH OHDG LQ DQ HQGOHVV V\QFKURQL]HG VXSSRUW V\VWHP PXFK OLNH WKH SHORWRQ RI SURIHVVLRQDO F\FOLVWV 2UQLWKRORJLVWV VD\ WKDW Á\LQJ WKLV ZD\ LV SHU FHQW PRUH HIÀFLHQW WKDQ Á\LQJ VROR ,I D ELUG IDOOV RXW RI IRUPDWLRQ LW IHHOV WKH ZLQG UHVLVWDQFH DQG UHMRLQV WKH ÁRFN 6KRXOG RQH IDOO EHKLQG RWKHUV VWD\ EDFN XQWLO LW FDQ Á\ DJDLQ 1R ELUG JHWV OHIW EHKLQG ,W LV DQ H[WUDRUGLQDU\ RUJDQL]DWLRQDO G\QDPLF ² DQG WKH SHUIHFW PHWDSKRU IRU WKH 0ĆRUL FRQFHSW RI whĆnau.

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Fly in formation. Be of one mind. Follow the spearhead. This is the ‘being of team’ and the essence of the successful organization.

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Themba Hadebe/AP/Press Association Images

New Zealand All Blacks captain Richie McCaw holds up the Webb Ellis Cup as his teammates celebrate their 2011 Rugby World Cup final win over France

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The strength of the wolf is the pack. WRXUQDPHQW RI WKHLU GUHDPV WKLV PXVW KDYH EHHQ ERWK PRUWLI\LQJ DQG KXPEOLQJ /DWHU WKH\ PDGH D SXEOLF DSRORJ\ WR WKH UHVW RI WKH WHDP DQG WKH FDVH ZDV FORVHG $V %RE +RZLWW ZULWHV This is a classic example of the dual management structure operating within the team: a lecture from a grumpy manager wouldn·t have had half the same impact of the two players as facing their peers had. Young men hate letting their peers and team mates down, on or off the Àeld. %RWK SOD\HUV ZRXOG JR RQ WR SOD\ SURPLQHQW UROHV LQ WKH VHPL ÀQDO ZLQ DJDLQVW $XVWUDOLD ~ ¶)RU HYHU\RQH WR JR LQ WKH VDPH GLUHFWLRQ · VD\V $QGUHZ 0HKUWHQV ¶\RX·YH JRW WR KDYH VWURQJ OLQNV LQ WKH WHDP ,I WKHUH DUH ZHDN OLQNV WKHQ \RX ZLOO KDYH JX\V JRLQJ RII LQ GLIIHUHQW GLUHFWLRQV DQG WKDW·V QR JRRG IRU DQ\RQH ·

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BACK STORY

WKDQ RQH %XW WKLV VHQVH RI XQLW\ FDQ EH WKUHDWHQHG E\ MXVW RQH SHUVRQ $Q ROG $UDE SURYHUE VD\V It·s better to have a thousand enemies outside the tent than one inside the tent. 7KHUH·V D VLPLODU 0ĆRUL VD\LQJ He iti wai kŇwhao waka e tahuri te waka. $ OLWWOH ZDWHU VHHSLQJ WKURXJK D VPDOO KROH PD\ VZDPS D FDQRH 7KH $OO %ODFNV PHDQZKLOH VWULFWO\ PDLQWDLQ WKH PD[LP WKH\ ERUURZHG IURP WKH 6\GQH\ 6ZDQV No Dickheads. ~

Cory Jane and Israel Dagg were chastised by senior All Blacks after a World Cup night out

+HQU\ ¶<RX WDON DERXW OHDGHUV OHDGLQJ SOD\HUV OHDGLQJ <RX WDON DERXW WKH OHJDF\ DQG ZKDW WKDW PHDQV« %XW , WKLQN WKH RWKHU WKLQJ WKDW ZDV UHDOO\ LPSRUWDQW ZDV WKH FRQQHFWLRQ EHWZHHQ SHRSOH ² DQG WKH JUHDWHU WKRVH FRQQHFWLRQV WKH PRUH UHVLOLHQW DQG WKH VWURQJHU ZH ZHUH WKH EHWWHU ZH ZHUH · The strength of the wolf is the pack. $V ZHOO DV WKH ERQGLQJ DVSHFW WKH 5XJE\ &OXE DOVR VHUYHV WR UHFRQQHFW WKH SOD\HUV ZLWK WKHLU VWRU\ WKHLU URRWV WKHLU ZKĆQDX 7KH ROG FOXE UXJE\ VKLUWV UHPLQG WKHP RI ZKHUH WKH\·YH FRPH IURP DQG WKH SRVLWLRQ WKH\·YH UHDFKHG EXW DOVR UHPLQG WKHP WR NHHS WKHLU IHHW RQ WKH JURXQG ,W LV D ZD\ RI VWD\LQJ DQFKRUHG DQG WR DWWDFK SHUVRQDO PHDQLQJ WR WHDP SXUSRVH $QG LW LV DQ H[FXVH WR KDYH IXQ ¶:KLOVW WKHUH LV D ORW RI SUHVVXUH RQ WKHP WR HQKDQFH WKH MHUVH\ DQG SDVV LW RQ LQ D EHWWHU VWDWH LI \RX HQMR\ WKH H[SHULHQFH LW DFWXDOO\ PDNHV LW HDVLHU WR DFKLHYH WKDW JRDO · 6PLWK VD\V )XQ ZLWK D VHULRXV SXUSRVH 7R ZLQ

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The being of team begins from inside. High standards must come from within. Leadership works best when your team takes the lead. /RPEDUGL -RKQ :RRGHQ 3KLO -DFNVRQ DQG &OLYH :RRGZDUG ² EHJDQ WKHLU WHQXUH E\ LPSOHPHQWLQJ D VHW RI KLJK QRQ QHJRWLDEOH VWDQGDUGV 7KHVH VWDQGDUGV DUH KRZ WKH\ LGHQWLÀHG WKH H[SHFWDWLRQV DQG VHW WKH HWKRV WKH FXOWXUH RI WKH WHDP 7KHUH LV WUHPHQGRXV RYHUODS LQ WKHLU SKLORVRSKLHV DQG WKDW RI WKH $OO %ODFNV 9LQFH /RPEDUGL VD\V ¶DV D OHDGHU \RX·UH EHLQJ ZDWFKHG KRXUV HDFK GD\· 7KH $OO %ODFNV VD\ ¶<RX·UH DQ $OO %ODFN · %LOO :DOVK LQVWDOOHG ¶DQ DJHQGD RI VSHFLÀF EHKDYLRXUDO QRUPV ² DFWLRQV DQG DWWLWXGHV ² WKDW DSSOLHG WR HYHU\ VLQJOH SHUVRQ RQ RXU SD\UROO· 7KH $OO %ODFNV VD\ ¶%HWWHU 3HRSOH 0DNH %HWWHU $OO %ODFNV· 3KLO -DFNVRQ·V JRDO ZDV ¶WR ÀQG D VWUXFWXUH WKDW ZRXOG HPSRZHU HYHU\RQH RQ WKH WHDP QRW MXVW WKH VWDUV DQG DOORZ WKH SOD\HUV WR JURZ DV LQGLYLGXDOV DV WKH\ VXUUHQGHUHG WKHPVHOYHV WR WKH WHDP HIIRUW· 7KH $OO %ODFNV KDG D GXDO OHDGHUVKLS model.

The strength of the wolf is the pack. ~ 7KLV NLQG RI ERQGLQJ SURFHVV SURYLGHV VRFLDO FDSLWDO ² WKDW LV WKH LQWDQJLEOH EHQHÀW RI FORVHQHVV DQG FRRSHUDWLRQ ZKLFK LV WUXVW ,W DOVR SURYLGHV D FROOHFWLYH LQWHOOLJHQFH PRUH KHDGV EHLQJ EHWWHU 102 | www.sportspromedia.com

Wayne Smith pioneered the ‘Rugby Club’ as a way of engendering team spirit within the All Blacks

For all his individual genius, NBA legend Michael Jordan only earned rewards and recognition once at the heart of Phil Jackson’s Chicago Bulls team

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No one is bigger than the team and individual brilliance does not automatically lead to outstanding results. One selfish mindset will infect a collective culture.

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Follow the spearhead

Kia urupĹ&#x; tĆtou kaua e taukumekume. /HW XV EH XQLWHG QRW SXOOLQJ DJDLQVW RQH another. Legacy ² 15 Lessons in Leadership by James Kerr is published by Constable and available for UKÂ…12. . SportsPro Magazine | 103

DEALS

DEALS REVIEW Sports industry deal-making highlights from July 2015 Beckham Miami United receive approval for Miami stadium David Beckham’s (right) investment group, Beckham Miami United, has reached an initial agreement over plans for a proposed privately funded 25,000-seater arena in Miami. The deal is for the new stadium, planned to accommodate Beckham’s (right) proposed and as yet unnamed new Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise for the start of the 2018 season, to be built next door to the Miami Marlins’ Marlin Park. The site was previously home to the Orange Bowl, where the Miami Dolphins National Football League (NFL) franchise played before it was demolished to make way for Marlins Park in 2008. The Marlins baseball team plays in the

IOC on deals spree with Dentsu agreement The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has awarded a batch of Asian media rights to the four Olympic Games from 2018 to 2024 to Japanese agency giant Dentsu. The exclusive broadcast rights cover 22 countries across Asia, meaning Dentsu will 104 | www.sportspromedia.com

Eastern Division of the Major League Baseball (MLB) National League. A spokesman for Beckham Miami United said: “Today’s meeting with Mayor Regalado was another positive step toward bringing a world class soccer club to Miami. We’re still in the early planning stages and several viable options still exist, but our preferred stadium location is the former Orange Bowl site. “David, Marcelo [Claure] and Simon [Oliveira] are thrilled by the initial outpouring of support we’ve received from our fans and we’re excited about sharing our plans with the city, county and community soon.” The news comes after more than 18 months of discussions with city lawmakers over a potential location for the stadium in Miami.

continue as the sales agent for Olympic broadcast rights in Afghanistan, Brunei, Cambodia, Chinese Taipei, Timor-Leste, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

Dentsu is currently in the process of À QDOLVLQJ GHDOV LQ WKH VDPH QDWLRQV IRU WKH Olympic Games in Rio next year. The new deal covers three Asian Olympic Games: PyeongChang 2018, Tokyo 2020, and Beijing 2022. The deal also includes rights to the yet-to-beawarded 2024 Summer Games. In a separate agreement with the Tokyo 2020 local organising committee, Dentsu is currently engaged in signing domestic sponsors for its home Games, with 16 signed up so far. The deal is the latest in a spate of four-Games media rights deals signed by the IOC, following a blockbuster agreement with Discovery and Eurosport in Europe, and a deal with BeIN Sports to cover the Middle East and North Africa. As with the past two contracts, the Dentsu agreement covers all broadcast platforms, and includes every edition of the Youth Olympic Games until 2024. Previous deals had already been struck with NHK and the rest of the Japan Consortium in Japan for the same four Games, and NBC for the US Olympic rights until 2032.

FDUERQ Ă€ EUH Âľ H[SODLQHG /RWXV ) 7HDP technical director Nick Chester of the E23 Hybrid car the team is running this season. “Fibersim has been a vital element in our design and realisation process for over a decade and, thanks to our relationship with Siemens, we have now full control over the quality and consistency of all FDUERQ Ă€ EUH SDUWV SURGXFHG DW (QVWRQH which in turn has positive repercussions on the streamlining of the entire design and build process.â€?

LeBron’s Warner Bros deal fuels rumours of Space Jam 2 National Basketball Association superstar LeBron James (below) has partnered with movie giants Warner Bros through his production company SpringHill Entertainment. The two companies will co-produce content that they will then co-own, with SURMHFWV VHW WR LQFOXGH WHOHYLVLRQ À OP and original digital content. James and his business partner Maverick Carter founded SpringHill

Entertainment in 2013. According to Carter, “This partnership with a major player in the entertainment industry like Warner Bros will help us continue to grow in the right direction.� James, a four-time NBA MVP, is no stranger to the big screen, with his recent appearance in Juss Apatow comedy Trainwreck having been well received. News of the Warner Bros partnership has led to speculation that the Cleveland Cavaliers forward could be in line to star in a Space Jam 2 movie – a sequel to Warner Bros’ 1996 release that starred Michael Jordan alongside a host of animated characters including Bugs Bunny. “I’ve always loved movies, which makes Warner Bros the ultimate partner to help us continue to push the envelope,� said James. “I can’t wait to see what we come up with.� Warner Bros chairman and chief executive Kevin Tsujihara added: “LeBron James has one of the most powerful, well-known brands in the world and we are excited to be in business with him and his partner, Maverick Carter, and SpringHill Entertainment. “The combination of LeBron’s global media presence and Warner Bros’ unmatched production and distribution expertise is a big win for fans everywhere.�

Brandon Wade/AP/Press Association Images

Lotus F1 Team extends Siemens agreement The Lotus Formula One team have renewed a technical partnership with German multinational engineering company Siemens. The team will continue to use Siemens’ Fiberism portfolio of software for composites engineering, along with training and engineering services, extending a relationship that has run since 2003. “In the chassis alone, there are more than 1000 plies and more than 30 types of

Marcus Mariota signs with Island Insurance National Football League (NFL) rookie Marcus Mariota (above) has signed a personal endorsement deal with Island Insurance Co. The Hawaiian-born quarterback, who joined the Tennessee Titans as the number two pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, will appear in the Hawaiian property and casualty insurance company’s advertising and on its website. Financial terms were not revealed. The endorsement deal with Island Insurance is Mariota’s second in his native Hawaii, joining his agreement with First Hawaiian Bank. John Schapperle, president and chief H[HFXWLYH RIĂ€ FHU RI ,VODQG ,QVXUDQFH said: “Marcus’ athletic talents are without question, but it is the quality of his character that makes him such a special individual. “His integrity, humility and pride in his island roots are values we hold deeply and have been cornerstones of our company culture for 75 years.â€?

For more information on these deals and daily updates from across the sports industry, visit

www.sportspromedia.com SportsPro Magazine | 105

DEALS

DIRECTORY OF SPONSORSHIP DEALS SIGNED IN JULY 2015 IRFU seal switch from Three to Vodafone Vodafone has struck a ten-year deal with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) to become the new main sponsor of the Irish national rugby union team. Worth â‚Ź50 million in total, the deal will see the Vodafone logo replace current sponsor and rival telecoms network Three on the front of all Ireland teams’ jerseys after the 2016 Six Nations competition. Three has been the IRFU’s main sponsor since the company acquired O2 in 2013. O2 had been WKH ,5)8¡V RIĂ€FLDO PRELOH WHOHFRPV SDUWQHU since 2002. According to the Herald, O2 was originally paying â‚Ź2.5 million per year, a fee which rose to â‚Ź2.65 million per year when it was renewed from 2011 until 2016. Three took on the partnership when it acquired O2. This new deal will see Vodafone almost doubling Three’s commitment to the IRFU over its ten-year term. Length of contract: 10 years Annualised value: US$5.53 million Overall value: US$55 million Sport: Rugby BCCI signs major new sponsorship deal The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has signed a four-year sponsorship deal with One97 Communications. The Rs203.28 crore (US$32 million) agreement will see the Paytm e-commerce platform become the title sponsor of all home matches played by the Indian national cricket team until 2019. It also covers the GRPHVWLF Ă€UVW FODVV FRPSHWLWLRQ ZKLFK will become the Paytm Ranji Trophy. The GHDO ZDV FRQĂ€UPHG DW D PHHWLQJ RI WKH BCCI marketing committee. A second bid, from electronics brand Micromax, was not considered after failing to meet guidelines. Paytm’s sponsorship of India’s home internationals begins with the visit of South Africa in October and November, ZLWK WKUHH 7 LQWHUQDWLRQDOV Ă€YH one-day internationals and four Test matches scheduled. Length of contract: 4 years Annualised value: US$8 million Overall value: US$32 million Sport: Cricket 106 | www.sportspromedia.com

Al-Ahly sign record sponsorship deal Egyptian Premier League soccer team Al-Ahly have signed a record new sponsorship deal with Sela Trading Company. According to a report from Ahram Online, the deal between the Egyptian champions and the Saudi Arabian electronic trading systems company is worth US$30 million over the next three years - a record in Egyptian soccer, worth over US$10 million more than the team’s previous three-year main sponsorship deal with Etisalat. Al-Ahly are the oldest team in Egypt and have won the Egyptian Premier League a record 37 times. In the 2014/15 Egyptian Premier League, which ended in July, they Ă€QLVKHG VHFRQG HLJKW SRLQWV EHKLQG DUFK rivals Zamalek. Length of contract: 3 years Annualised value: US$10 million Overall value: US$30 million Sport: Soccer Emirates to replace Corona as ATP sponsor Emirates Airline is set to replace Corona as the lead sponsor of the ATP World Tour. The Dubai-based carrier has agreed a three-year deal with the leading men’s tennis circuit worth US$10 million annually, according to SportsBusiness Daily’s Daniel Kaplan, who cites ‘numerous tennis sources’. The ATP is believed to be in advanced discussions with a new partner to replace beer brand Corona, whose deal to serve as the tour’s top-tier premier partner expires at the end of this year. A spokesperson for the ATP KDV FRQĂ€UPHG WR SportsPro that talks are ongoing but would not reveal the identity of Corona’s replacement. A new deal with Emirates, already the ATP’s airline partner, could see the carrier’s logo replace that of Corona on the nets of most, if not all of the ATP’s 62 sanctioned tournaments worldwide. Length of contract: 3 years Annualised value: US$10 million Overall value: US$30 million Sport: Tennis

Vikings confirm first founding partner deal The Minnesota Vikings National Football /HDJXH 1)/ WHDP KDYH FRQÀUPHG D ten-year partnership with MillerCoors. 7KH GHDO ÀUVW UHSRUWHG LQ 0D\ ZLOO VHH MillerCoors continue as the Vikings’ exclusive beer sponsor, a position it has held since 2002. The sponsorship is also WKH ÀUVW IRXQGLQJ SDUWQHU DJUHHPHQW the Vikings have announced for their new home, the US Bank Stadium, which is scheduled to open next year. The brewer intends to use the deal to promote its Miller Lite, Coors Light, and Redd’s Apple Ale brands, as well as selections from the MillerCoors-owned Blue Moon Brewing Company and Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company. The founding partner model is now de rigeur in the commercialisation of new sports venues in the US. Length of contract: 10 years Annualised value: US$3 million Overall value: US$30 million Sport: Football Bayern toast Paulaner beer deal German soccer giants Bayern Munich have signed a long-term extension to their sponsorship agreement with the Paulaner brewery. Under the new deal announced in July, the Munich-based brewer will continue as the exclusive beer partner of the Bundesliga champions until at least 2021. As well as holding exclusive pouring rights and receiving signage at Munich’s Allianz Arena, Paulaner will continue to produce a special Bayern-themed beer whilst sponsoring the Paulaner Cup, an annual event giving fans the chance to play against Bayern players. Paulaner, a sponsor of Bayern for the past 12 years, is one of seven second-level platinum partners supporting the club, alongside DHL, Lufthansa, HypoVereinsbank, SAP, Tipico and Yingli Solar. Length of contract: 5 years Annualised value: US$4 million Overall value: US$20 million Sport: Soccer

A.M. Ahad/AP/Press Association Images

Mainz 05 put KĂśmmerling in the window German Bundesliga club FSV Mainz 05 have agreed a three-year sponsorship GHDO ZRUWK ½ PLOOLRQ ZLWK 3URĂ€ QH D double-glazing window manufacturer. 3URĂ€ QH IRUPHUO\ D WKLUG WLHU EXVLQHVV sponsor of the club, has stepped forward to replace Entega, Mainz’s previous PDLQ VSRQVRU 3URĂ€ QH¡V .|PPHUOLQJ brand will feature on the front of Mainz’s playing shirts from the start of the 2015/16 season until the end of the 2016/17 campaign. Entega themselves have re-joined the club on a one-year deal, as a second-tier premium sponsor. Length of contract: 3 years Annualised value: US$4.4 million Overall value: US$13.2 million Sport: Soccer

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has signed a major four-year deal with One97 Communications

PGE puts name to Polish National Stadium Polish Energy Group (PGE) has taken the naming rights to the National Stadium in Warsaw, the home of the Polish national soccer side. The deal between PGE and stadium operator PL.2012+ is YDOLG IRU À YH \HDUV XQWLO 2FWREHU and will see the stadium renamed the PGE National. The 58,000-capacity stadium was built as a key venue for the Uefa Euro 2012 soccer championship, which Poland co-hosted with Ukraine, and staged the opening match. Length of contract: 5 years Annualised value: US$1.97 million Overall value: US$9.85 million Sport: Soccer Leicester Tigers sign kit deal with Kooga English rugby union club Leicester Tigers KDYH QDPHG .RRJD DV WKHLU RIÀ FLDO NLW supplier in a six-year deal worth up to UK£4.5million. The rugby clothing manufacturer will supply the Tigers with match kit and training wear from the beginning of the 2015/16 season, replacing previous supplier Canterbury. Leicester join fellow Premiership side Worcester Warriors in partnering with Kooga, while the Manchester-based brand was recently announced as the kit supplier to the Uruguay national team for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, which takes place in England between 18th September and 31st October. Length of contract: 6 years Annualised value: US$1.16 million Overall value: US$7 million Sport: Rugby

Colonial Life renews USC arena naming rights The University of South Carolina (USC) has extended its arena naming rights agreement with insurance company Colonial Life, who will hold the naming rights to the university’s Colonial Life Arena until September 2025, after signing a ten-year deal worth US$6.5 million. Colonial Life Arena, home to USC’s men’s and women’s basketball teams, seats 18,000 people. The deal includes exterior and interior signage at the US$65 million venue as well as promotional packages relating to USC’s athletics programme. Length of contract: 10 years Annualised value: US$650,000 Overall value: US$6.5 million Sport: College sports

Crystal Palace name Mansion as main sponsor London-based Premier League soccer club Crystal Palace have named online bookmaker Mansion as their main sponsor for the 2015/16 season. Gibraltar-based Mansion will be Palace’s front-of-shirt sponsor for the duration of the league campaign, and will also have VLJQLÀ FDQW EUDQGLQJ YLVLELOLW\ DURXQG WKH club’s Selhurst Park stadium and on postmatch interview backdrops. In line with similar deals in the league, the agreement is likely to be worth in the region of UK£2 million (US$3.13 million). Length of contract: 1 year Annualised value: US$3.13 million Overall value: US$3.13 million Sport: Soccer

New York Islanders seal deal with Draft Ops Fantasy gaming operator Draft Ops has signed a three-year partnership with the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, including sponsorship of the New York Islanders, the National Hockey League (NHL) team based there. Forbes estimates that the deal, À UVW UHSRUWHG RQ LQ -XQH EXW FRQÀ UPHG on 16th July, is worth US$5 million to the Islanders. The Islanders will begin playing at the Barclays Centre for the 2015/16 season, moving from their previous home at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island. Length of contract: 3 years Annualised value: US$1.667 million Overall value: US$5 million Sport: Ice hockey

Eurovita Insurance sponsors Italian referees The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has announced that Eurovita Insurance will sponsor all top-level referees across Italian soccer for the next two years, until the end of the 2016/17 season. $V SDUW RI WKH GHDO RIÀ FLDOV UHIHUHHLQJ games in Italy’s Serie A, B and Lega Pro – the top three tiers in the country’s soccer pyramid – will wear the company’s branding on their shirt sleeves. Reports in Italy suggest that the FIGC will receive ₏1.2 million (US$1.3 million) per year under the terms of the deal. Length of contract: 2 years Annualised value: US$1.3 million Overall value: US$2.6 million Sport: Soccer SportsPro Magazine | 107

DEALS

Stroke of luck for VfB Stuttgart German soccer side VfB Stuttgart have announced Toto-Lotto BadenWßrttemberg, a state-run lottery company, as a sponsor ahead of the 2015/16 season. Toto-Lotto will support the Bundesliga club for an initial two years. The company replaces Interwetten as VfB Stuttgart’s gambling partner, and joins the club as a fourthlevel Team Partner. Toto-Lotto is likely to be paying an annual fee of between ₏250,000 and ₏300,000 for the sponsorship – around half the amount Interwetten was thought to be paying. Length of contract: 2 years Annualised value: US$330,000 Overall value: US$660,000 Sport: Soccer The Connecticut Sun will wear the Frontier logo on their playing shirts for the next three years

Pari-Match puts name to Ukrainian league Betting company Pari-Match has become the title sponsor of the Ukrainian Premier League, the top soccer division in the country. The two-year deal, worth ₏1.8 million, has seen the competition renamed the 3DUL 0DWFK /HDJXH ,W LV WKH À UVW WLPH the Ukrainian Premier League has had a main sponsor. Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kiev, two of the most successful Ukrainian teams of recent years, have led the way at the top of the league early in the new season. Length of contract: 2 years Annualised value: US$1 million Overall value: US$2 million Sport: Soccer Fortuna Dßsseldorf extend with Henkel German soccer club Fortuna Dßsseldorf have extended their sponsorship deal with Henkel for a further two years. The renewal will see the Dßsseldorf-based home, beauty and adhesive company remain a premium partner of the 2. Bundesliga club until June 2017. The agreement includes in-stadium advertising at Dßsseldorf ’s Esprit Arena, a presence in the club’s various media assets and a hospitality package. Financial terms have QRW EHHQ RIÀ FLDOO\ UHOHDVHG EXW VRXUFHV value it at ₏500,000 per year. Length of contract: 2 years Annualised value: US$548,000 Overall value: US$1.096 million Sport: Soccer 108 | www.sportspromedia.com

Sun to carry sponsorship logos Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) team the Connecticut Sun have signed a front-of-jersey sponsorship deal with Frontier Communications. Frontier will act as the Sun’s ‘marquee’ sponsor for the next three years in a deal believed to be worth just over US$1 million. The Sun are the ninth WNBA franchise to sign a front-of-jersey deal with a corporate partner. The team have two Eastern Conference titles to their name, but have never won the WNBA championship. Length of contract: 3 years Annualised value: US$350,000 Overall value: US$1.05 million Sport: Basketball Brentford seal record deal with Matchbook.com English soccer side Brentford FC have named Matchbook.com as their RIĂ€ FLDO VKLUW SDUWQHU IRU WKH season. The deal will see the online sports betting company’s logo feature on the front of Brentford’s home and away match shirts. Matchbook.com was previously a back-of-shirt sponsor for the 2014/15 campaign. This deal is estimated to be worth UKÂŁ650,000 and complements the existing deal which sees Matchbook.com branding on the roof of the New Road Stand at %UHQWIRUG¡V *ULIĂ€ Q 3DUN VWDGLXP Length of contract: 1 year Annualised value: US$1 million Overall value: US$1 million Sport: Soccer

Hull City receive Flamingo Land backing English soccer club Hull City FC have named Flamingo Land as their new main sponsor for the 2015/16 season. The deal will see Flamingo Land, a North Yorkshire theme park and resort, become the English Championship club’s front-of-shirt sponsor, replacing the Tigers’ previous sponsor 12Bet. The Ă€ QDQFLDO WHUPV RI WKH DJUHHPHQW ZHUH not revealed, but the sponsorship is HVWLPDWHG WR EH ZRUWK D PLG VL[ Ă€ JXUH sum to the English club. Length of contract: 1 year Annualised value: US$500,000 Overall value: US$500,000 Sport: Soccer Falken Tyre partners with FC Ingolstadt German soccer club FC Ingolstadt have agreed a two-year deal with Japanese tire manufacturer Falken Tyre. Falken Tyre has become a premium partner, the second level within the club’s sponsorship programme, joining CocaCola, the Donat Group, Herrnbräu, RGS and SAP. The deal includes the option to extend for a further two years and is estimated to be worth â‚Ź200,000 per year. Ingolstadt were crowned champions of the 2. Bundesliga, the second tier of professional soccer in Germany, in 2014/15 and will compete in the top-tier Bundesliga next season. Length of contract: 2 years Annualised value: US$225,000 Overall value: US$450,000 Sport: Soccer

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INDEX

Index of companies and people Abe, Shinzo

30

ABSA

38

ACCENTURE

38

ADIDAS

38

ADMIRAL

38

AFL

30

AIA

56

AIG

38

AIR CANADA

86

AIR NAMIBIA

38

AIR NEW ZEALAND

38

A-LEAGUE

20, 56

ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LTD

8

ALLIANZ

64

ALPINE CANADA

86

AMAZON

8

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE

86

Anayi, Martin

20

APPLE

8

ARD/WDR

30

AREMA

64

ARSENAL FC

56

AS ROMA

28

ASB

38

Ashenden, Michael

30

ASICS

38

ASPETAR

56

AT&T

72

ATELIER FERRET ARCHITECTURES

64

ATLÉTICO DE KOLKATA

56

ATP

36

ATP WORLD TOUR

86

ATSP

64

AUSTRALIAN RUGBY UNION (ARU)

38

AVIVA

38

Bach, Thomas

6, 30, 80

BADMINTON WORLD FEDERATION

112

Balde, Ama

92

BRITISH AMERICAN RACING

28

CONCACAF

86

FIA

20

IBM

38

64

FIBA

28, 72

IFM SPORTS

50

BRITISH HORSERACING AUTHORITY

20

CONSORTIUM STADE DE FRANCE

FIFA 86

30, 50, 56, 64, 72, 80, 86

INTERNATIONAL ICE HOCKEY FEDERATION

72

CRICKET CANADA

38

IMG LEARFIELD TICKET SOLUTIONS

20

FIJI AIRWAYS

50

BROOKLYN NETS

28, 36, 72 38

CROMWELL PROPERTY GROUP

38

BRUMBIES BRUTAL

38

CROWDOPTICS

12

FINA

28, 80

IMMAGINE & SPORT

Bryant, Kobe

8

CSM STRATEGIC

30

28

INDIAN OVERSEAS BANK

112

BT

38

CTV

86

FOOTBALL FEDERATION AUSTRALIA

INDIAN SUPER LEAGUE

56

Bubka, Sergey

30

Cullen, Donna-Maria

56

FORD

12, 38

INDYCAR

86

BUFFALO BILLS

20

Dagg, Israel

98

FOREST CITY RATNER

72

ING

20

BUFFALO SABRES

20

DALLAS COWBOYS

72

FOX SPORTS

30

INSIGHTRIX

86

BV BORUSSIA DORTMUND

56

DALLAS MAVERICKS

20

INSTAGRAM

16

64

FOX SPORTS WORLD CANADA

86

Daniel, Xavier

28

CAA KWAN

112

Davies, Lord Mervyn

30

FOXTEL

30

INTERNATIONAL MOTORSPORTS

CAISSE DES DEPOTS ET CONSIGNATIONS

64

DECCAN CHARGERS SPORTING VENTURES

112

FRENCH FOOTBALL FEDERATION

64

80

CALEDONIA BEST

38

DHL

38

Friedel, Brad

CALGARY FLAMES

86

Cameron, Mark

38

Dia, Serigne Ousmane ‘Bombardier’

CANADA SOCCER

86

DIAGEO

CANADA’S DAIRY FARMERS

38

CANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

86

CANADIAN CURLING ASSOCIATION

86

CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE

86

CANADIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

86

CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE

86

CANADIAN TIRE CORPORATION

86

CANTERBURY

38

CARDETE & HUET

64

CARLSBERG

36

CARPIPARMA

38

Carrard, Francois

30

CASTLE LAGER

38

CCTV

56

CEC BANK

38

56

INTERNATIONAL WEIGHTLIFTING FEDERATION

GALCEAU SMARTWATER

38

IOC

GATORADE

38

6, 20, 30, 38, 80

IODEX GEL

112

IRIZAR

12

92 36

Gaye, Balla

92

Diop, Demba

92

GFM ENTERTAINMENT

92

Diop, Matar

92

GILBERT

38

Diop, Yakhya ‘Yékini’

92

GLASGOW WARRIORS

12, 38

DISCOVERY

8

GLOBAL TELEVISION

86

72

GLOBOSPORT

112

Djokovic, Novak

72

GMF

38

DORNA

20

GOL TV

86

DOVE MEN+CARE

38

GOLDCORP

38

Dwan, Paul

38

GOOGLE

8

Eastwood, Owen

98

Gosper, Brett

38

EBAY

8

Gosper, Kevan

38

EBU

80

Greenwood, Tom

36, 56

EDINBURGH RUGBY

12, 38

Greenwood, Will

38

EDISON

38

GROUPM

30

EE

72

GUANGZHOU EVERGRANDE FC

8

Gui, Gouye

92

DISNEY INSTITUTE

Egan, Anthony

38

EIFFAGE GROUP

64, 72

ELISA

64

EMIRATES

38, 56

Endo, Toshiaki

30

ENERGADE

38

GUINNESS

38

GULLIVERS

38

Gyngell, David

30

Habana, Bryan

38

Hadid, Zaha

30, 38

Jackson, Phil

98

JAGUAR LAND ROVER

38

Jammeh, Yaya

92

Jane, Cory

98

JAPAN AIRLINES

38

J-LEAGUE

56

JOCKEY

38

Johnson, Boris

20

Johnston, David

86

Jordan, Michael

98

JORDEN CORPORATION

20

Jowell, Dame Tessa

20

JUVENTUS FC

16

Ka, Thierno

92

Kadyrov, Azat

80

KARNATAKE STATE CRICKET ASSOCIATION

72

KELLOGG’S

112

Keqiang, Li

8

Kesey, Ken

98

KIA

28

KILMER SPORTS

86

38

Kipling, Rudyard

98

86

Kom, Mary

112

20

KOOGA

38

HEATHROW EXPRESS

38

Kovach, Jim

12

HEINEKEN

38

KUKRI

38

ENGLAND AND WALES CRICKET BOARD

28, 36

HAHN SUPERDRY

Enoka, Gilbert

98

HAMILTON TIGER CATS

ERICSSON

72

HEALTHYWAY

ESP

30

ESPN

6, 8, 12, 20

Balla Gaye 2

92

CF MONTERREY

72

BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA

86

64

BARCLAYS

36

CHAIX & MOREL ET ASSOCIES

BARCLAYS CENTER

20, 72

Chalmers, Craig

10

Bartomeu, Josep Maria

20

Chalmers, Sam

10

BATE BORISOV

72

ESPN STAR SPORTS

20

Henry, Graham

98

LA LIGA

56

30

CHEMTURA CORPORATION

20

BBC

CHICAGO BULLS

98

EURO 2016 SAS

64

HERBALIFE

112

LADIES’ GOLF UNION

20

CHIME COMMUNICATIONS

20, 30

EVERTON FC

56

Herdman, John

86

Lalovic, Nenad

20

EVONIK

56

64

Lazarus, Mark

30

Chung, Mong-Joon

30

EXCAF TELECOM

92

HERZOG AND DE MEURON

LEAFS TV

86

CITIZEN

38

80

Heublein, Chris

17

50

Heverin, Jim

30

LEEDS METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY

10

CITY FOOTBALL GROUP

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORATE FOR SPORTS PROJECTS

HFC BANK

38

Lehmann, Dr Jan

20

EXPRESSO

92

Higgins, Matt

56

LEICESTER TIGERS

38

FACEBOOK

8, 16, 56

HOCKEY CANADA

86

Leiweke, Tod

20

Farbrother, Simon

86

Holzman, Red

98

LEON GROSSE

64

FAYAT GROUP

64

Letchmanan, Suresh

56

16, 20, 56

HORIZON COMMUNICATIONS

72

FC BARCELONA

LETV

8

BCE INC

86

BELL MEDIA

86

Bell, Lord Timothy

30

BENETTON TREVISO

12

Berg, Svante

72

Bettman, Gary

30

BLACK POWER

92

CJ PATEL PACIFIC LTD

38

CLIPPER

28

CLUB ATLÉTICO DE MADRID

56

Black, Ted

20

Blackmun, Scott

30

Blatter, Sepp

30, 86 38

CLYDE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT

12

BLK BLUESKY SAMOA

38

COCA-COLA

38

FC BAYERN MUNICH

8, 64

Howman, David

10

LEVY RESTAURANTS

72

BMW

38

Coe, Lord Sebastian

30

64

HSBC

38

LFP

56

Bolt, Usain

92

92

HULMAN & CO

72

64

FC INTERNAZIONALE

16

IAAF

30, 80

LILLE METROPOLE URBAN COMMUNITY

64

BOUYGUES GROUP

COMITÉ NATIONAL DE GESTION DE LUTTE

FC GIRONDINS DE BORDEAUX

Brandon, Russ

20

COMMUNE PROPERTIES

112

FC LENS

64

IBIS WORLD

86

LILLE OSC

72

110 | www.sportspromedia.com

LIVERPOOL FC

56 92

Ndiaye, Mamadou Diagna

20

Lô, Modou

RADISSON BLU

38

SOCOTRAP

64

TWO CIRCLES

30

Rafi, Saad

86

92

UEFA

112

RBS

38

SOUBATEL PRODUCTIONS

LOCOG

30

Nehwal, Saina

30, 50, 56, 64, 72, 86

Lombardi, Vince

98

LUCOZADE

38

NEULION

30

RDS

86

UK ANTI-DOPING

10

12

REAL MADRID CF

8

NEW YORK CITY FC

56

8, 16, 28, 56

SOUTH AFRICA RUGBY UNION

50

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Ma, Jack

38

Machdar, Darshan

112

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

72

REALE MUTUA

38

SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS

38

NEWS CORP

8, 20

RELEVANT SPORTS

56

MADAR

92

NEXTEL

36

RENAULT

38

SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE FOR DRUGFREE SPORT

10

MACRON

Madonna

86

Neymar

20

80

NICE ECO STADIUM

64

RENXSOL ECOTECH PVT LTD

72

Maglione, Julio

SOUTH AFRICAN SPORTS MEDICINE ASSOCIATION

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

38, 56, 86

NIELSEN

86

REPUCOM

20, 50

Malcolm, Shona

20

NIKE

36, 38

REPUCOM GERMANY

20

Mallet, Jeff

86

20

RFU

MANCHESTER CITY FC

28, 56

NIKE SPORTS MANAGEMENT NINE

30

NUMERIS

MANCHESTER UNITED FC

20, 56

ULSTER BANK

38

UNDER ARMOUR

20, 38

UNILEVER

8, 38

UNITED STATES OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

20, 30

10

UNITED WORLD WRESTLING

20

64

UNIVERSITY OF BATH

6

UNIVERSITY OF GLOUCESTER

6

10, 38, 50

SOUTH EUROPE INFRASTRUCTURE EQUITY FINANCE

RHITI SPORTS

112

SPOMENT VENTURES

112

56

SPORT + MARKT

50

UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY

12

Riedle, Karl-Heinz

86

Roberts, Kevin

98

SPORTACCORD

80

86

28

38

ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS

SPORTEL

URUGUAY RUGBY UNION 38 (URU)

38

Ussery, Terdema

20

OFIS ARHITEKI

72

64

SPORTS GOVERNANCE OBSERVER

80

Rongier, Julien

VALODE & PISTRE

64

OGC NICE

64

Rosell, Sandro

20

SPORTSMAN MEDIA GROUP

20

VANCOUVER CANUCKS

86

56

SPORTSNET

Mandela, Nelson

10

OBS

Manfred, Rob

30

O’Driscoll, Brian

MAPLE LEAF SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

86

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS

86

86

VFO ARCHITECTS

72

VINCI CONCESSIONS

64

VISA

38

80

Oliver, Anton

98

Ross, Stephen

MARRIOTT

38

OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS

64

72

STACKLA

16

MASTERCARD

38

ORANGE

38, 92

ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE RUBIN KAZAN

80

Stainer, Jon

50

RUGBY INTERNATIONAL MARKETING

38

STANFORD LAW SCHOOL

12

Marculescu, Cornel

Mattiske, Shane

20

ORANGINA

92

MEDIAPRO

56

OTTAWA SENATORS

86

MEDICUS

38

PAC-12 CONFERENCE

8

Mehrtens, Andrew

98

Palazzo, Paola

20

MELBOURNE CITY FC

56

MERA

92

PANSTADIA & ARENA MANAGEMENT

METLIFE

112

PARIS SAINT GERMAIN FC 56, 64

MILWAUKEE BUCKS

20

Parisotto, Robin

30

Mirza, Sania

112

Patricios, Dr Jon

10

MITSUBISHI

38

Pellegrini, Marco

80

PENGUIN INDIA

112

PERONI

38

PERSONAL

38

PERTH GLORY

20

PETER VARDY

38

PEUGEOT

38

PGA

20, 28

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

30, 56, 86

MLB ADVANCED MEDIA

30

MLS MEDIA

30

Modou Lô 2

92

Montagliani, Victor

86

MONTREAL CANADIENS

86

Moser, Tom

28

MYRTHA POOLS

80

NASCAR

36, 86

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

8, 20, 36, 72

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

12, 20, 30, 56, 72, 86

NATIONAL GYMNASTICS FOUNDATION

20

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

20, 30, 32, 72, 86

28

Phillips, Bum

12

Piñeyrúa, Sebastián

38

Platini, Michel

30

Plush, Jeff

86

Pope John Paul II

72

POPULOUS

56, 64, 72

PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS

20

POWERADE

38

VITALITY

38

VODACOM

38

VODAFONE

38

VOLKSWAGEN

38

Vretblad, Lars

72

VTB

38

Rust, Nick

20

STAR TV

112

SAATCHI & SAATCHI

98

STEINLAGER

38

SAHARA INDIA

112

STOKE CITY FC

56

Sampino, Guiseppe

20

SUNDERLAND AFC

16

SAMSUNG

38

SUPERSPORT

30 38

WADA

10

12, 72

SWISSE

98

38

38

Walsh, Bill

SANITARIUM

TAISHO

Sapstead, Nicole

10

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

20

Walsh, Marty

30

TAYLORS

38

Wawrinka, Stanislaw

72

TEKFEN ENGINEERING

72

Wayman, Richard

20

TEKLA

72

WELSH RUGBY UNION

50

TELSTRA

30

WESTERN PROVINCE

38

TENCENT HOLDINGS

8

Wilkinson, Jonny

38

Tepavcevic, Ranko

80 38

WILMOTTE & ASSOCIES SA

64

TFL

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Sawhney, Manu

20

SCANIA

12

SCARLETS

38

SCAU

64

Schroder, Stephan

20

SCOTIABANK

38

SCOTTISH LADIES’ GOLFING ASSOCIATION

20

Thatcher, Margaret

30

WINDHOEK DRAUGHT

38

SCOTTISH RUGBY

50

THE GLOBE AND MAIL

86

WINNIPEG JETS

86

Scudamore, Richard

30

THE SUNDAY TIMES

30

Wood, Robert

20

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

56

Thorn, Brad

38

Wooden, John

98

SEATTLE SUPERSONICS

20

THORNTON TOMASETTI

72

Woodward, Sir Clive

38, 98

SENEGAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

20

THREE

38

20

TIGO

92

WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

Sene, Eumeu

92

TIM HORTONS INC

86

WORLD RUGBY

SESE

64

TOPPS

36

10, 30, 38, 50

SEVEN

30

TORONTO ARGONAUTS

86

WORLD TRIATHLON CORPORATION

30

SHAW MEDIA

86

TORONTO BLUE JAYS

86

38

TORONTO FC

86

WORLD UNION OF OLYMPIC CITIES

28

SHIELD

30

PPTV

56

PRAXAIR CORPORATION

20

PREMIER LEAGUE

8, 20, 30, 36, 50, 56, 86

SHOPP

72

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

86

WPP

PRO12 RUGBY

20

SIGNAL IDUNA

56

TORONTO MARLIES

86

Wragg, Mike

50

SINA CORP

8

TORONTO RAPTORS

86

WRU

38

Sine, Rob

20

XINHUA

8

NATIONAL LACROSSE LEAGUE

86

NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE

20, 30

NATIONAL WOMEN’S SUPER LEAGUE

86

PROVIDENCE EQUITY PARTNERS

30

TORONTO ROCK

86

NATWEST

38

PUMA

56

SINGAPORE SPORTS HUB 20

Tory, John

86

NBA TV CANADA

86

QANTAS

38

SMBC

38

56 38

NBC

56

QBE

38

Smith, Dave

30

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FC

NBC SPORTS GROUP

30

QUILMES

38

Smith, David

20

TOYOTA

RACAL DECCA RFC

38

Smith, Wayne

98

Troop, Ian

86

TSN

86

NBCUNIVERSAL

30

NCAA

86

SOCCER UNITED MARKETING

38

92

RACEHORSE OWNERS ASSOCIATION

20

Ndao, Mohamed ‘Tyson’ Ndiaye, Malal

92

Radich, Anthony

20

SOCIETE GENERALE

38

TSOGO SUN

38

TWITTER

8, 16, 56

Yedlin, DeAndre

56

YES NETWORK

30

YOKOHAMA F MARINOS

56

YONEX

112

YORKSHIRE CARNEGIE

38

Yormark, Brett

28, 36, 72

YOUTUBE

8, 16, 86

SportsPro Magazine | 111

SHOW ME THE MONEY | MARKETING

Saina Nehwal adminton star Saina Nehwal has emerged as one of the hottest properties in Indian sport in recent years. Already a Commonwealth champion, Olympic bronze medallist and multiple Badminton World Federation (BWF) Superseries winner, she added ‘world number one’ to her growing list of achievements when she rose to the top of the global rankings in March. Now 25, and currently ranked second in the world, Nehwal is represented by Spoment Ventures, a management company with operations in the UK, Singapore and India. Spoment has overseen Nehwal’s commercial interests since the turn of the year, following in the footsteps of a long line of agencies to represent her. During her short career, Globosport, Deccan Chargers Sporting Ventures, Rhiti Sports and CAA Kwan have all held – or at least claimed to hold – contracts with Nehwal. “The challenge faced by any sports marketing executive in India is the lack of professionalism; India is a country À OOHG ZLWK EURNHUV ZKHUH HYHU\RQH VHOOV everything and everybody,” says Darshan Machdar, a director at Spoment. “It’s hilarious at times but good fun if you know how to navigate the chaos. And I guess there are teething issues in all developing markets.” Though she is currently eyeing a rare Indian gold in Rio, Nehwal competes primarily in the MetLife BWF World Superseries, a global circuit of 12 tournaments featuring the top 32 world ranked players in men’s and women’s singles. Figures regarding prize money on the circuit are not published but she was undoubtedly one of its top earners last year, having won three events. In 2013 Nehwal was able to bolster her sporting income when she captained the Hyderabad Hotshots in the Indian Badminton League (IBL), leading her hometown team to the lucrative

B

112 | www.sportspromedia.com

competition’s inaugural title before its second season was nixed due to a legal dispute. Nehwal earns the majority of her off-court income, thought to be close to US$2 million annually, through endorsements. In June she signed a two-year deal, reportedly worth Rs.1.5 crore (US$235,000), to promote cereal brand Kellogg’s in India, and she is now appearing in a new television advertisement released as a part of the brand’s #FeedingDreams marketing campaign that also spans print, digital, radio and outdoor media. “The commercial just hit the Indian television screen to great reviews,” says Machdar. “We are looking to sign more global consumer brands in the near future. We should shortly announce a prominent key sponsorship deal. We would love to get her a global watch and airline deal soon.” The Kellogg’s agreement has reportedly made Nehwal her country’s highest-paid female athlete ahead of tennis player Sania Mirza and boxer Mary Kom, adding to her other current deals with the likes of racquet sports brand Yonex, Sahara – whose logo she wears on the front of her playing shirt – Commune Properties, Iodex Gel, Indian Overseas Bank, Herbalife, and Star TV. $OO RI WKRVH GHDOV FRQWDLQ D À [HG sponsorship fee as opposed to any bonus component – an arrangement which, as Machdar explains, is something of an Indian sports marketing idiosyncrasy. “Indian sponsors are yet to get into the bonus format of deals,” he says. “This is mainly because Indian brands do not bet on hope; to elaborate, the sponsors here will not try to bet on any star before they become a star. Most of the time the brands are willing to pay a premium to a big star rather than take early bets and offer bonuses for performance.”

Commune Properties Real estate: deal expires this year

Sahara Conglomerate: signed December 2012 to multi-year deal

Saina Nehwal Nationality: Indian Born: 17th March 1990 (25) Turned pro: 2006 Career highlights: London 2012 Olympic bronze medallist, Commonwealth champion, reached world number one (March 2015)

Endorsements: Yonex, Sahara, Iodex Gel, Indian Overseas Bank, Herbalife, Star TV, Kellogg’s, Commune Properties

Agent: Darshan Machdar, Spoment Ventures

Estimated endorsement earnings US$2 million per year

Yonex Apparel/ equipment: signed as a youngster to long-term deal

Nehwal is limited to the number of logos she can sport on her clothing during BWF-sanctioned competitions, yet Machdar insists that does not hinder her ability to attract sponsors. “Unlike motorsports, brands in sports like tennis and badminton are not stuck about just the logo on the player’s gear,” he says. “Especially for an icon like Saina, the value proposition is the connect, and an association is far more valuable than just a logo on the playing gear.” Similarly, Machdar believes badminton’s relative lack of visibility outside the Olympics need not limit the earning potential of its top performers. “I think visibility is a matter of performance,” he says. “Anywhere in the world it’s not the sport you play, it’s how well you play it that matters. If you are a world beater and can be world number one, then it does not matter whether it’s running, swimming, racing, golf, tennis or badminton. Your true value shall follow you. And, to be honest, in India badminton players are better off than tennis or golf players.” Though Nehwal is now a household name in India thanks to her success and the promotional weight of her sponsors, Machdar insists India still lags behind many more developed nations when it comes to the commercial opportunities available to the country’s top female athletes. “It’s not something related to Saina alone; it’s uniform to all women athletes in India,” he explains. “It takes a while before sponsors and brands take notice of women athletes. Once the individual stars break into the global top ten then there is no looking back. Unfortunately, the women’s team sports like cricket and football don’t have this luxury.” As well as endorsements, Nehwal also earns a sizeable income from various media deals. Her autobiographical book, Playing to Win, was released by Penguin India in 2012 and Machdar says Spoment is currently “in the process of striking a major content-based deal” in a bid to further capitalise on her popularity. “The book is already out so we are looking at something in different media,” he says, “mainly digital media, television and motion pictures.” SportsPro Magazine | 113

DIARY

by The Scribbler

Tink-o? The Scribbler warms to a rabbler-rouser as much as the next man and he couldn’t help but recognise that quality in recent SportsPro cover star Oleg Tinkov (above left). The Russian, who made his money in the brewing game, was by all accounts a little worse for wear on his team’s closing party on a boat in the Seine following this year’s Tour de France. Perhaps he’d caught wind of the whispers that Bjarne Riis (above right), from whom he bought the team before dispensing of his services, is gathering backing for a return to the top-level peloton in 2017.

The backlash has begun. It was surely only a matter of time before stadium operators woke up to the threat inherent in total connectivity. Bundesliga soccer side Borussia Dortmund, famed for the atmosphere their fans generate inside the Signal Iduna Park, have refused to be drawn into the digital arms race and have instead moved to decrease internet capacity at their stadium during play. Naturally, the digital cogs will whir eagerly anew when the full-time whistle blows, ready for supporters to catch up with the boisterous BVB social media accounts.

Ken Aragaki/AP/Press Association Images

Sang Tan/AP/Press Association Images

Wi-Foul

Seeing 2020 twice Designers of the London 2012 Olympic logo may have had to deal with the accusation that their effort resembled Lisa Simpson in a crude sexual clinch, but their successors at Tokyo 2020 have more serious allegations pending against them. Oliver Debie, creator of the logo for %HOJLXP¡V 7KHDWUH GH /LHJH KDV Ă€ OHG D VXLW for plagiarism against the IOC. His design, he claims, was ripped off by Kenjiro Sano (above), who sketched the Tokyo 2020 logo. Sano says there’s absolutely no truth in the allegations, but has conceded his team may have borrowed a little from a line of Tote bags designed by Japanese whisky giant Suntory. It’s enough to turn the Scribbler to drink.

Going o list *URRPV WR EH D ZRUG RI DGYLFH ZKHQ VHOHFWLQJ WKH Ă€ JXUH WR SOD\ WKH FUXFLDO UROH RI best man, forget about the capacity to remember rings or to avert the dreaded cold feet, and give Cristiano Ronaldo (right) a call instead. The Real Madrid star recently GRQQHG WKH FKLHI JURRPVPDQ¡V RXWĂ€ W DV KLV DJHQW -RUJH 0HQGHV OHIW WLHG WKH NQRW back in Porto. Mendes has brokered almost US$2 billion-worth of transfer deals over his career, so when it came to the traditional gift the best man buys the groom, what GLG 5RQDOGR EX\ IRU WKH QHZ KXVEDQG ZKR KDV HYHU\WKLQJ" $ ZDWFK" 6RPH FXIĂ LQNV" 3HUKDSV D PRQRJUDPPHG KLSĂ DVN" 1R +H JRW KLP D *UHHN LVODQG

Cleanly pressed Sticking with Ronaldo and Mendes, and credit must be due to the agent for assembling a crack squad of image manipulators and media handlers around his star client. After Ronaldo walked out of a CNN video interview in a huff, stating that he didn’t “give a fuck� about Fifa or Qatar, it must only have been a matter of hours before his team had put out a fresh batch of that modern day media gold – original content. Websites around the world were awash not with news of Ronaldo’s on-camera faux pas, but of a video of the striker dressed up as a tramp, playing soccer with ‘unsuspecting passers-by’ in a square in Madrid. 114 | www.sportspromedia.com

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