SportsPro Magazine Issue #91

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Issue 91

www.sportspromedia.com

Issue 91

Brett Yormark “HAPPY BUT NEVER SATISFIED.” From Brooklyn to Long Island and the Nassau Coliseum

New venues and smart cities

25

The stories that shaped 2016 @SportsPro

Nasser Al-Khelaifi on the future of PSG

Fans see a stadium. We see your campus.

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CONTENTS | ISSUE 91

46 COVER STORY 46 Marking new territory The Barclays Center set a new standard for US sports arenas when it opened in 2012. Now, as chief executive Brett Yormark explains, owner and operator Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment hopes to take those lessons to another part of New York when it relaunches Long Island’s Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

FEATURES 32 25 stories that shaped the sporting year In the sports industry as in the world beyond, 2016 has been a year of major events, significant challenges and unexpected, profound changes .

52 Home sweet home At US$2.6 billion, the Los Angeles Rams’ under-construction City of Champions Stadium is North America’s most expensive sports facility. But, as Mark Williams of lead designer HKS Architects explains, it is not only the price tag that sets this mammoth project apart.

62 Centre ground The construction of a new international cricket stadium in the unlikely location of Kigala, Rwanda is not only helping its ambitious national teams to pursue a place in the game’s higher reaches – it is also giving local people a small way of moving beyond their harrowing past.

66 Let the Games be green The Rio 2016 Olympics were trumpeted as the ‘Green Games for a Blue Planet’. But it is in retrospect that the success of their environmental sustainability initiatives can be properly assessed.

56 Europe’s new venues

62

A new generation has dawned in European soccer, with clubs across the continent building or reimagining their home grounds in a range of innovative ways.

70 The next generation Sport Industry NextGen in partnership with Barclays is preparing to take on another group of 30 young industry pioneers to turn them into the leaders of tomorrow.

SportsPro Magazine | 3

CONTENTS | ISSUE 91

AT THE FRONT 6 8 10 12 14

Editor’s Letter The Long Read Notes and Observations The Matt Slater Column Digest Continuing to close the net on match-fixers in 2016

16

Alex Inglot

18 20 22 24 29

80 74 Company profile: Leveraging talent In April 2017 the UK government will begin to enforce the Apprenticeships Levy upon all companies with a wage bill in excess of UK£3 million per year. Specialist education company UCFB believes it could oer a unique opportunity to the sporting world.

88 Year in the round 2016 has been a tumultuous and unpredictable year and for senior ďŹ gures at The Sports Consultancy, that has conďŹ rmed the importance of planning carefully and thinking strategically.

94 SmartSeries: Cities 76 Here today, Octagon tomorrow Octagon worldwide president Rick Dudley and president of international marketing Je Ehrenkranz discuss the changing face of the agency game, global growth, and the company’s new image.

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

The matchday of tomorrow is emerging. Between driverless transport, developments in long-range travel, new building materials, automation, big data and green priorities, the way sports venues are created and our interactions with them are soon to change dramatically.

AT THE BACK 104 106 110 112 114

Deals Review Sponsorship Deals Index Unofficial Partner Jottings

80 The Profile: Qatar’s man in Paris Nasser Al-KhelaiďŹ , chairman and chief executive of French soccer champions Paris Saint-Germain, is focused on turning home domination into international success.

84 Europe after the Euro Despite a diďŹƒcult run-in, this summer’s Euro 2016 soccer tournament was seen as a bona ďŹ de triumph both on the pitch and o it for organiser Uefa. Marketing director Guy-Laurent Epstein reects on that competition and considers what’s next.

100 Company profile: Soccer on sure sands As the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup heads to the Caribbean in 2017, the Bahamas Football Association president Anton Sealey is hoping to use the tournament to build a strong soccer legacy in the region.

102 Company profile: Getting physical In an age where digital strategy has become increasingly central to so many campaigns, experiential marketing agency Infrared is taking a more tactile approach.

SportsPro (ISSN 1756 5340), (Issue 91) is published monthly by SportsPro Media Ltd and distributed in the USA by Mail Right Int., 1637 Stelton Road B4, Piscataway, NJ 08854. 3HULRGLFDOV 3RVWDJH 3DLG DW 3LVFDWDZD\ 1- DQG DGGLWLRQDO PDLOLQJ RIĂ€ FHV POSTMASTER: Send address changes to SportsPro, SportsPro Media, C/o 1637 Stelton Road B4, Piscataway NJ 08854

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Bigger than us

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t is one of the most widely misused lines in modern popular discourse. “Some people believe football is a matter of life and death,â€? said Bill Shankly, the manager who took Liverpool FC from unremarkable to inimitable in the 1960s and 70s. “I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.â€? Over many years, I have seen that wry comment used time and again as shorthand for the irrationality that comes with following sport – the undue ecstasy or fury or despair that follows results that are, in essence, inconsequential. But that is a limited interpretation. The obsession of a man like Shankly with soccer was about a commitment to something bigger than the self – to community, and to shared experiences that can outlast individuals. It is a powerful idea. Of course, such high-minded sentiment will be of little comfort to those personally affected by events in Colombia on 28th November, when a plane carrying players, staff and journalists travelling with Associação Chapecoense de Futebol crashed outside 0HGHOOtQ DQG WRRN OLYHV :KDW ZDV WR EH DQ XQKHUDOGHG FOXE¡V ELJJHVW QLJKW ² D &RSD 6XGDPHULFDQD Ă€QDO DJDLQVW $WOpWLFR 1DFLRQDO ² was erased in numbing tragedy and unspeakable loss. 7KH QRELOLW\ RI WKH JHVWXUHV WKDW KDYH IROORZHG ZLWK $WOpWLFR FRQFHGLQJ WKH Ă€QDO DQG RWKHU %UD]LOLDQ WHDPV RIIHULQJ WR ORDQ SOD\HUV VR WKDW &KDSHFRHQVH FDQ IXOĂ€O Ă€[WXUHV ZLOO QRW KDYH GRQH PXFK HLWKHU WR HDVH WKH VKRFN WKDW WKH IDPLOLHV DQG WHDPPDWHV OHIW EHKLQG will feel, or the anger at the apparent failures in communication that caused the accident. Yet there is something to be said for the game, and the Chapecoense community, coming together in a way that reminds us what can be there when we are gone. Sport is smaller than most things – smaller than matters of life and death – but like art and culture it can create bonds between generations of people who will never meet. KDV EHHQ D EDG QHZV \HDU Ă€OOHG ZLWK GLVDVWHU DQG RXWUDJH DQG GLYLVLRQ 7KH KLJK SRLQWV KDYH EHHQ VZDOORZHG LQ WKH TXLFNVDQG RI XQVHWWOLQJ HYHQWV 6SRUW KDV EHHQ OLWWOH GLIIHUHQW FKDQFHV WR HQMR\ JORU\ KDYH EHHQ Ă HHWLQJ LV D EOHDN KRUL]RQ These are uncertain and challenging times, bringing problems that demand more of our energies than sport ever could or should. %XW WKDW GRHVQ¡W PHDQ WKDW VSRUW LV LQVLJQLĂ€FDQW RU WKDW D FRPPLWPHQW WR LW LV PLVVSHQW 6SRUW IDFHV LWV RZQ HQGXULQJ GLIĂ€FXOWLHV ² LQ LWV JRYHUQDQFH LWV HQGHPLF FRUUXSWLRQ LWV UHODWLRQVKLS ZLWK D YXOQHUDEOH SK\VLFDO and political world beyond – and these may never be resolved. Yet it is still possible – whether you see it as a business or, as the unabashedly socialist Shankly did, as anything but – to look at sport and see something worthy of perseverance. Perhaps not a matter of life and death. But important, all the same.

The obsession of a man like Shankly with soccer was about a commitment to something bigger than the self – to community, and to shared experiences that can outlast individuals.

Eoin Connolly Editor

EDITOR Eoin Connolly

MANAGING DIRECTOR Nick Meacham

DEPUTY EDITOR Adam Nelson

COMMERCIAL CONSULTANT Richard Partridge

AMERICAS EDITOR Michael Long

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGERS Jon Abraham, Bobby Hare, Charlie Barker, Tom Purdy

STAFF WRITERS George Dudley, Tom Lloyd EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Nick Brookes ART DIRECTOR Daniel Brown PHOTOGRAPHIC AGENCY Action Images MEDIA PARTNER Press Association

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BUSINESS OPERATIONS MANAGER YĂŠwandĂŠ ArulĂŠba EVENTS MANAGER Yin Khoo

SportsPro magazine is published by: SportsPro Media Ltd 3rd Floor, Two America Square, London EC3N 2LU, UK Tel: +44 (0) 207 549 3250 Fax: +44 (0) 207 549 3255 Email: info@sportspromedia.com Web: www.sportspromedia.com (SportsPro Media Ltd is part of the Henley Media Group Ltd www.henleymediagroup.com) NOTICES: Issue No 91 SportsPro Magazine (ISSN 1756-5340) is published bi-monthly throughout the year. Printed in the EU.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Available at a cost of UKÂŁ199 (Print subscription), and UKÂŁ149 (Digital Subscription). Back issues are available for UKÂŁ25 and delivered anywhere in the world at no extra charge. Subscriptions are available by logging on to www.sportspromedia.com EDITORIAL COPYRIGHT: The contents of this magazine, both words and statistics, are strictly copyright and the intellectual property of SportsPro Media. Copying or reproduction may only be carried out with written permission of the publishers, which will normally not be withheld on payment of a fee. Article reprints: Most articles published in SportsPro Magazine are available as reprints by prior arrangement from the publishers. Normal minimum print run for reprints is 400 copies, although larger and smaller runs are possible. Please contact us at: info@sportspromedia.com

THE LONG READ

THE NBA’S PICTURE OF UNITY SportsPro America’s editor Michael Long on how the NBA’s commercial success has paved the way for smooth negotiations in its ongoing collective bargaining agreement with the players’ union.

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n terms of the game, it’s never been better.â€? That was how commissioner Adam Silver described the National Basketball Association (NBA) in his state of the league address shortly before June’s UHFRUG EUHDNLQJ Ă€QDOV DQG LW LV IDLU WR VD\ few argued with his assertion. Even in a league synonymous with IRUWXQH DQG IDPH H[XGLQJ FRQĂ€GHQFH and oozing swagger at every turn, rarely has life looked quite this good. Whichever way you look at it – and there are, of course, many ways to look at it – the NBA business is booming. A month into the new season and overall revenues are up well above US$5 billion, underpinned by a colossal new national TV rights deal worth some US$24 billion over the next nine years. Last season - which culminated LQ WKH &OHYHODQG &DYDOLHUV¡ Ă€UVW HYHU championship and the highest-rated Ă€QDOV VHULHV LQ KLVWRU\ ² WKH OHDJXH EURNH its all-time attendance record. Nearly 22 million fans piled into arenas throughout the regular season, with a record 723 sellouts and a never-before-seen per-game attendance of 17,864. But those stats tell only part of the VWRU\ $FFRUGLQJ WR OHDJXH Ă€JXUHV 79 viewership has risen 19 per cent in the past year and subscriptions to the overthe-top (OTT) streaming service NBA League Pass are on a similarly upward WUDMHFWRU\ DV DUH YLVLWV WR LWV RIĂ€FLDO website and social platforms. Franchise valuations, perhaps the best indicator of a OHDJXH¡V SUHVHQW DQG SHUFHLYHG SURĂ€WDELOLW\ are at record highs, too. Forbes estimates the average NBA franchise to be worth US$1.25 billion, up 13 per cent on 2015, while player salaries have not only shot through the roof this year, but sailed off into the stratosphere. This season’s salary cap stands at a record US$94.15 million, a US$24.15 million yearon-year jump that represents the league’s biggest-ever single-season increase. Buoyed by their newfound spending power, NBA

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teams collectively agreed to shell out more than US$2 billion on player contracts in less than 48 hours after free agency opened at the start of July. The result: role players and WKH OHDJXH¡V UDQN DQG Ă€OH IRXQG WKHPVHOYHV the recipients of eye-watering offers while at the upper end of the spectrum, there was the usual round of mega deals. LeBron James’ three-year, US$100 million contract would make the four-time MVP the highestpaid player in the NBA’s 70-year history. Such an unprecedented bounty is clear HYLGHQFH RI WKH 1%$¡V FXUUHQW SURĂ€OH DQG popularity, and much of the credit must go to its top executive. Since taking the helm in February 2014, Silver has guided the league through a period of sustained commercial growth, cementing its reputation as a forward-thinking entity whilst proving himself to be a progressive and personable commissioner. At a time when troubling divisions are plainly apparent across US society, he oversaw the relocation of next year’s All-Star Game from Charlotte to New Orleans, tactfully negotiating the move in June after attempting to lobby ORFDO EXVLQHVVHV DQG JRYHUQPHQW RIĂ€FLDOV into initiating a rethink of North Carolina’s controversial HB2 bill. Yet the strongest validation of Silver’s steady leadership could lie in what is about to come. Adding to the prevailing sense of harmony, the league and its players’ union, the NBPA, are said to be on the verge of concluding a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Those involved in the ongoing discussions – talks led by Silver and NBPA executive director Michele Roberts, both of whom are SUHVLGLQJ RYHU WKHLU Ă€UVW &%$ QHJRWLDWLRQV in their current roles - were optimistic a QHZ GHDO ZRXOG EH Ă€QDOLVHG EHIRUH DQ RSW out clause kicked in on 15th December. Should that happen – and it is likely it will have happened by the time you read this – any fears that the new TV deal with Disney and Turner could spell doom for the league’s labour peace would appear misplaced. Indeed, while more than a few SUHGLFWHG WKH LQĂ X[ RI ULFKHV ZRXOG OHDG WR

an all-out cash-grab and, potentially, a repeat of the damaging work stoppage of 2011, it is to both sides’ credit that the opposite is true. Both the league and the union are fully aware that the NBA business is in a healthier position than it ever has been, and they agree that to disrupt things now would be counterproductive, if not entirely foolish. “I think there is a sense across the table that we have a system that we both fought hard for in the last round of collective bargaining that for the most part is working pretty well,â€? Silver said recently. Yahoo! Sports reports that the new CBA will start next season and run for seven years, with no opt-out clause until 2022. Details of any changes in the revised agreement will not be made SXEOLF XQWLO D GHDO LV XOWLPDWHO\ UDWLĂ€HG but both sides are said to have agreed some time ago to maintain the existing split of Basketball Related Income (BRI), WUDGLWLRQDOO\ WKH Ă€HUFHVW EDWWOHJURXQG LQ CBA negotiations. Players will reportedly continue to receive between 49 and 51 per cent of revenues, though it is understood WKH GHĂ€QLWLRQ RI %5, KDV EHHQ EURDGHQHG out to include previously omitted revenue streams such as sales of luxury suite packages that cover NBA game nights. There remains, however, the odd rumbling of discontent. Chief among them concerns the impact the injection RI QHZ 79 PRQH\ LV KDYLQJ VSHFLĂ€FDOO\ on competitive balance in the league and the creation of so-called ‘super teams’ like the title-contending Golden State Warriors, who were able to add a top player in Kevin Durant to their roster on a maximum contract this summer. Silver himself has acknowledged that a skewed talent base would not be ideal but there is no denying such a headache is a welcome one for any major league commissioner. With more money pouring into the system and unprecedented popularity at home and overseas, the NBA’s current zenith only looks set to continue. @_MichaelLong

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NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS

FITTING A PURPOSE Adam Nelson

I

t is in the nature of the modern-day news cycle that stories develop quickly. But scarcely can a major news story have unravelled with quite the pace or intensity of the historic sex abuse scandal currently overwhelming British soccer. What started with a single case – former player Andy Woodward courageously forgoing his anonymity to talk openly about the sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of ex-coach Barry Bennell while both were at English side Crewe Alexandra – soon became a IXOO\ Ă HGJHG VFDQGDO ZKHQ PDQ\ PRUH IRUPHU SOD\HUV FDPH IRUZDUG WR WHOO WKHLU VWRULHV WKH Ă RRGJDWHV RSHQHG E\ :RRGZDUG¡V FRQIHVVLRQ 7KH EUDYHU\ RI :RRGZDUG¡V FRPLQJ IRUZDUG VKRXOG QRW EH XQGHUVWDWHG 7KLV ZDV D VHFUHW WKDW KH DQG PDQ\ RWKHUV KDG FDUULHG DURXQG IRU GHFDGHV :RRGZDUG KDG HQGHG KLV VRFFHU FDUHHU HDUO\ DW WKH DJH RI MXVW LQ ODUJH SDUW EHFDXVH RI VSHOOV RI GHSUHVVLRQ KH has attributed to his abuse. Others have similar stories to tell. 7KHUH LV D PDFDEUH VHQVH RI KRUURU KDQJLQJ RYHU WKH HQWLUH DIIDLU DV WKH ZRUOG RI (QJOLVK VRFFHU KROGV LWV EUHDWK EDUHO\ GDULQJ WR LPDJLQH KRZ PXFK GHHSHU WKH VFDQGDO FDQ JR :LWKLQ MXVW WKUHH ZHHNV RI :RRGZDUG¡V LQWHUYLHZ ZLWK WKH Guardian DOPRVW FOXEV DQG SRWHQWLDO VXVSHFWV ZHUH XQGHU LQYHVWLJDWLRQ LQGLYLGXDOV KDG FRPH IRUZDUG ZLWK DOOHJDWLRQV ZKLOH WKH 1DWLRQDO 6RFLHW\ IRU WKH 3UHYHQWLRQ RI &UXHOW\ WR &KLOGUHQ 163&& VDLG LW KDG UHFHLYHG DOPRVW UHSRUWV WR D KRWOLQH 7KH VLPLODULWLHV ZLWK WKH VH[ DEXVH VFDQGDO ZKLFK VKRW WR WKH KHDUW RI %ULWLVK HQWHUWDLQPHQW LQ DUH SURPLQHQW %RWK FDVHV LQYROYHG PHQ XVLQJ WKHLU SRVLWLRQV WR JDLQ DFFHVV WR YXOQHUDEOH \RXQJ SHRSOH ZKLOH WKH SRZHU VWUXFWXUHV DURXQG WKHP HLWKHU WXUQHG D blind eye or actively engaged in cover-ups. &UHZH $OH[DQGUD¡V IRUPHU PDQDJHU DQG GLUHFWRU 'DULR *UDGL IRU LQVWDQFH ZDV VXVSHQGHG RQ WK 'HFHPEHU E\ WKH )RRWEDOO $VVRFLDWLRQ )$ IROORZLQJ DOOHJDWLRQV WKDW KH KDG YLVLWHG WKH IDPLO\ RI D YLFWLP WR ÂśVPRRWK RYHU¡ VH[XDO DEXVH DOOHJDWLRQV ZKLOH WKH DVVLVWDQW PDQDJHU DW &KHOVHD )& ,W LV GLIĂ€FXOW WR EHOLHYH KH KDG QR NQRZOHGJH DW DOO RI ZKDW ZDV JRLQJ RQ DW &UHZH D FOXE KH PDQDJHG IRU \HDUV DQG EHFRPH V\QRQ\PRXV ZLWK RYHU WKDW WLPH

There is a macabre sense of horror hanging over the entire affair as the world of English soccer holds its breath, barely daring to imagine how much deeper the scandal can go. ,W LV DOVR LQ WKH QDWXUH RI FXUUHQW DIIDLUV LQ WKH HUD RI KRXU FRYHUDJH DQG WKH FRQVWDQW FKDWWHU RI 7ZLWWHU WKDW QHZV SDVVHV DV TXLFNO\ DQG IUHTXHQWO\ DV UDLQ VKRZHUV ,Q WKH ODVW HGLWLRQ RI SportsPro , ZURWH RQ WKH EULHI DQG FDODPLWRXV UHLJQ RI 6DP $OODUG\FH DV PDQDJHU RI WKH (QJOLVK QDWLRQDO VRFFHU VLGH D VWRU\ ZKLFK GRPLQDWHG KHDGOLQHV RQ WKH IURQW SDJH DV ZHOO DV WKH EDFN EXW ZKLFK E\ FRPSDULVRQ VHHPV WUDJLFDOO\ LQFRQVHTXHQWLDO )RU DOO WKDW VWRU\¡V GUDPD ² FRYHUW PHHWLQJV LQ KLJK HQG UHVWDXUDQWV XQGHUFRYHU MRXUQDOLVWV YDVW VXPV RI PRQH\ ² LW ZDV XOWLPDWHO\ D WDOH RI OLJKW UHOLHI DQG VFKDGHQIUHXGH RI D ZLGHO\ GLVOLNHG PDQ JOXJJLQJ SLQWV RI wine and costing himself his dream job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² *UHJ '\NH 'DYLG %HUQVWHLQ DQG 'DYLG 7ULHVPDQ ² DORQJVLGH IRUPHU )$ GLUHFWRU 'DYLG 'DYLHV DQG $OH[ +RUQH LWV H[ FKLHI H[HFXWLYH SURSRVH VLPLODU PHDVXUHV 7UDFH\ &URXFK WKH 8.¡V PLQLVWHU IRU VSRUW GLG QRW UXOH RXW WKH SRVVLELOLW\ RI LQWURGXFLQJ D UHJXODWRU WR KHOS UHIRUP WKH )$ ,W LV QRW WKDW WKH )$ LV QRW Ă€W IRU SXUSRVH EXW WKDW WKH JDPH KDV JURZQ TXLFNHU WKDQ LW KDV ,Q WKH ZRUGV RI '\NH HW DO WKH )$ is largely run by “elderly white menâ€? who “block even the most minor of changesâ€?. A chronic lack of diversity in senior roles has VW\PLHG LWV DELOLW\ WR UHDFW WR DQ HYHU FKDQJLQJ ZRUOG ZKLOH LWV VORZQHVV LQ UHVSRQGLQJ DGHTXDWHO\ WR WKH UHFHQW VFDQGDO KDV RQFH DJDLQ KLJKOLJKWHG DQ LQDELOLW\ WR PRELOLVH ZLWK DQ\WKLQJ OLNH WKH QHFHVVDU\ DODFULW\ ,WV DFWLRQV RYHU WKH FRPLQJ PRQWKV ZLOO EH GHFLVLYH LQ LQGLFDWLQJ ZKHUH WKH )$¡V IXWXUH OD\V @adamsonnel

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THE SLATER COLUMN

ON THE BEAT WITH MATT SLATER Press Association’s chief sports reporter wonders how sporting federations and governing bodies can meet their core responsibilities in the big money era.

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DIGEST SECTION TEXT HERE ISSUE 91

Next time in

The innovation edition

The Agenda

The first SportsPro of 2017 will have a major focus on digital and data. As live broadcasting becomes an increasingly important part of the social media experience, we will consider how companies are managing the transition, and how they are measuring sentiment

and reaction to better understand their users. Elsewhere in issue 92, Michael Long travels to the Philippines to meet Chatri Sityodtong (above), the founder of the rapidly growing MMA promotion ONE Championship. There’s a look

behind the scenes at the PDC World Darts Championship, a report on winter sport as the countdown to the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics begins, and a rundown of the ten figures set to have a major influence on the year ahead.

Dates for your diary in the weeks ahead

14TH JANUARY TO 5TH FEBRUARY Africa Cup of Nations Gabon

16TH TO 29TH JANUARY Australian Open Melbourne, Australia 5TH FEBRUARY NFL Super Bowl LI NRG Stadium, Houston, USA

6TH TO 19TH FEBRUARY FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2017 Saint Moritz, Switzerland 8TH TO 9TH FEBRUARY Uefa Executive Committee Meeting Nyon, Switzerland European soccer’s leaders meet under president Aleksander Čeferin

Icons designed by Freepik

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ISSUE 91 By the numbers

What they’re saying this issue

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“It’s about giving a sport which has demonstrated its ability to unite divided people a platform by which it can flourish.” Alby Shale, Rwanda Cricket Stadium Foundation

p76

“We want to make acquisitions based on buying services and talent, nothing else. We are never going to buy revenue because there is no point. Why buy something that you can create yourself?” Rick Dudley, Octagon

p80

“Money can get you certain players and certain coaches, but football is an extremely unpredictable business. You can’t buy success, which is something we should be grateful for!” Nasser Al-Khelaifi, Paris Saint-Germain

From the SportsPro Podcast

“I think they both work side by side, and I think they’ll continue to work side by side and, in effect, promote each other – or certainly promote the linear broadcast of live sporting events.” Campbell Jamieson, the International Cricket Council general manager – commercial, on the twin role of digital platforms and traditional broadcast media. Find every SportsPro Podcast at www.sportspromedia.com/podcast or subscribe via iTunes

SportsPro Magazine | 15

THOUGHT LEADER INTEGRITY

CONTINUING TO CLOSE THE NET ON MATCH-FIXERS IN 2016 Alex Inglot

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ecause of the popularity of soccer worldwide, the betting markets on matches from Austria to Australia will always be among the most vibrant in sport. What that inevitably means is that global soccer will remain at risk from those looking to game betting markets and PDWFK Ă€[ 7KDW¡V WKH EDG QHZV 7KDQNIXOO\ 2016 has also been a year sprinkled with JRRG QHZV WKDW KDV VKUXQN WKH Ă H[LELOLW\ and opportunity for those who would undermine the integrity of football. 7KH IURQW OLQH RI DQWL Ă€[LQJ HIIRUWV KDV always been with federations and leagues, DQG WKDW UHPDLQHG WKH FDVH WKLV \HDU 7KHVH critical stakeholders continue to show resolve and proactivity. Notably the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which had previously employed Sportradar to monitor hundreds of matches, decided to upgrade its relationship. From 2016 onwards, the Fraud Detection System (FDS) will analyse 4,500 matches a year, including all AFC competitions, all the national top leagues in Asia as well as a IHZ IXUWKHU UHJLRQDO FRPSHWLWLRQV 7KDW is a powerful commitment. 7DNLQJ D PRPHQW WR ORRN RXWVLGH VRFFHU the Independent Review of Integrity LQ 7HQQLV DV ZHOO DV WKH QHZ LQWHJULW\ partnerships signed by the National Hockey League (NHL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) in the US, DUH DOO IXUWKHU LQGLFDWRUV WKDW PDWFK Ă€[LQJ is climbing up the agenda of more sport ULJKWV KROGHUV DOO WKH WLPH 7KDW NLQG RI concerted investment in the issue can only help strengthen defences. But the stakeholder group is also H[SDQGLQJ /DZ HQIRUFHPHQW QRZ regularly gets involved in parallel or independent investigations into PDWFK Ă€[LQJ ZKLFK LV DQ HQFRXUDJLQJ recognition by state authorities of the QHHG WR KLW PDWFK Ă€[LQJ RSHUDWLRQV ZLWK D criminal sanction where possible. Indeed, the roll-out of the Kick Crime Out of Sport Regional Seminars across Europe this year, supported by the likes of

16 | www.sportspromedia.com

Soccer federations such as the AFC have stepped up their efforts to crack down on match fixing

ESSA, Interpol, Europol and Sportradar, has been critical in providing a whole range of national stakeholders with the awareness DQG LQVLJKW LQWR KRZ PDWFK Ă€[LQJ FDQ DQG must be tackled, driven primarily by the &RXQFLO RI (XURSH¡V &RQYHQWLRQ RQ WKH Manipulation of Sports Competitions and the national platforms it mandates. 7KHVH UHJLRQDO VHPLQDUV ZKLFK have been attended by well over 100 individuals drawn from over 30 (XURSHDQ FRXQWULHV KDYH H[SORUHG a range of angles that are critical to succeeding against match manipulators and in all these angles there has been progress, whether prevention, education, legislation, regulation or evidence. It is worth focusing on the last two DV WZR VLJQLĂ€FDQW &RXUW RI $UELWUDWLRQ for Sport (CAS) cases have somewhat changed the conversation around how Ă€[HUV FDQ EH EURXJKW WR MXVWLFH ,Q WKH FDVH DJDLQVW /LWKXDQLDQ FOXE ). .UXRMD 3DNUXRMLV WKH &$6 UHFRJQLVHG WKH /LWKXDQLDQ )RRWEDOO )HGHUDWLRQ¡V /)) ÂśSUHVXPHG PDWFK Ă€[LQJ¡ RIIHQFH 7KLV HVWDEOLVKHG WKDW D FDUHIXOO\ FUDIWHG UXOH LQ WKH VSRUW¡V FRGH FRXOG DOORZ D SOD\HU to be banned for a handful of games or UHFHLYH D VPDOO Ă€QH RQ WKH EDVLV RI OHVV evidence – in this case, two FDS reports

and a player performance evaluation. Now effectively rubber-stamped by CAS, LW ZLOO EH LQWHUHVWLQJ WR VHH LI WKH /))¡V wording will become a template for other countries and even other sports. In the second case – the Skenderbeu case – the debate as to whether monitoring V\VWHP UHSRUWV FDQ EH GHHPHG ÂśHYLGHQFH¡ was put to rest, when CAS accepted a QXPEHU RI )'6 UHSRUWV DV VXIĂ€FLHQW HYLGHQFH WR XSKROG 8HID¡V GHFLVLRQ WR EDQ the club from the Champions League. ,W ZDV WKH Ă€UVW WLPH WKDW WKHVH UHSRUWV without any other supporting or FRUURERUDWLQJ HYLGHQFH FORVHG D FDVH 7KH precedent this case will set could be farreaching across football and sport. Ultimately, continued success and ZLQV DJDLQVW PDWFK Ă€[HUV ZLOO UHTXLUH WKH continued development and interplay EHWZHHQ D QXPEHU RI IDFWRUV VSRUW¡V proactivity, wider stakeholder interest and investment, prevention work, strengthened legislation and regulations, as well as the information and intelligence to secure convictions. If 2016 is anything to go by, we are heading in the right direction‌ Alex Inglot is the director of communications and public affairs at Sportradar

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PREMATURE FACTS

Beer and sandwiches The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) success is often partly ascribed to the control it has over the destiny of its practitioners. Former UFC welterweight champion Georges St Pierre (left) hopes to redress the balance somewhat with a new union, the Mixed Martial Arts Athletes Association (MMAAA), whose targets include a higher revenue

share for athletes, pension plans and health care. That might have already set him on course of a collision with UFC president Dana White. The appointment as an advisor of Bjorn Rebney, the former head of rival promoter Bellator whom White has described as a “scumbag”, is unlikely to ease future tensions around the negotiating table.

A trick up their sleeves

Picture by: Dan Steinberg/AP/ Press Association Images

The Premier League’s single shirt sponsorship placement, front and centre of each club’s playing kits, has come to form a significant part of the league’s commercial identity. Intrinsic relationships have formed between clubs and brands in the 40 years since sponsorship became commonplace in the UK, precisely because the one-per-shirt rule has worked to magnify many partnerships. The news that the Premier League is set to fall in line with not only English soccer’s lower tiers but also Spain’s La Liga in allowing clubs to sell sleeve sponsorships was perhaps inevitable, but it may necessitate a rethink of several agreements, where the value of an exclusive shirt deal may just have been diluted.

Red bullspit

Chinese wobble

All in the name

November’s rumours that Red Bull was interested in buying an unnamed English soccer club created an intense debate between those who acknowledge the energy drinks giant’s prowess in delivering sporting success – with Bundesliga surprise package RB Leipzig the latest example – and those who could not bear to surrender their identity to its marketing machine. The fact that those rumours were so quickly scotched did not invalidate another insight: that the thought of Dietrich Mateschitz lurking in a sterling-assisted sellers’ market might be a useful bargaining tool for teams seeking foreign investment.

Having jumped to prominence in the western sports world in 2015 following a series of high-profile media rights acquisitions, Chinese conglomerate LeEco has suffered a series of setbacks throughout 2016. In November, a leaked internal letter to employees from founder Jia Yueting tacitly admitted to the cashflow problems it is suffering, outlining ‘a problem with LeEco’s growth pace and organizational capacities’. The disruptive company’s woes are perhaps the first significant sign that the seemingly bottomless well of Chinese money currently pouring into sports does, in fact, have a bottom.

Michael Jordan is probably history’s best example of the athlete as brand, and it will have come as a great relief to him when the People’s Supreme Court ruled partially in his favour in a case against Qiaodan Sports, invalidating more than 60 trademarks the company had created out of the Chinese composition of the former Chicago Bull’s name. Of greater interest to sports teams and leagues will be how far the case represents an indication of the Chinese authorities taking infringement of international copyright more seriously, bringing the grey and black markets under control and allowing official merchandise sales to flourish further.

18 | www.sportspromedia.com

4 & 5 April 2017 · Swissotel Sydney www.sportsleaders.com.au early bird discount ends 9 dec Register today t0 save $500

The largest & Most Significant meeting for the sports industry in the region

Kate Johnson Vice-President, Head of Global Sponsorship Marketing

Tatjana Haenni Deputy Director, Head of Women’s Football

Victor Cui Chief Executive Officer and Owner

FIFA (SUI)

The Hon. Stuart Ayres MP Minister for trade, Tourism and Major Events Minister for Sport NSW

Visa (USA)

Amy McNicol Director, Global Sponsorships

Tony Shepherd AO Chairman

Craig Tiley Chief Executive Officer

The Hon. Peter Beattie AC Chairman

AIG (NZ)

GWS Giants

Tennis Australia

Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games

Andrew Westacott Chief Executive Officer

Australian Grand Prix Corporation

Vinai Venkatesham Chief Commercial Officer

Arsenal F.C (UK)

For the full list of speakers, registration, or for more information, visit: sportsleaders.com.au or call: 02 8004 8590

ONE Championship (SGP)

EVENT PAR TNER

SILVER SPONSORS

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Movers and shakers October and November 2016 This is an edited selection of appointments made in the weeks before publication. For daily updates on the movers and shakers in the sports industry, visit www.sportspromedia.com Please email appointments to: info@sportspromedia.com

Tim Ellerton Former Heineken global sponsorship manager Tim Ellerton has been appointed commercial director at the British Olympic Association (BOA). Ellerton, who spent eight years at Heineken overseeing the beer brand’s work with the Uefa Champions League, the Rugby World Cup and Formula One, will join the BOA in the new year and will be responsible for all of the organisation’s commercial activities.

Jay Monahan Jay Monahan has been appointed as the next commissioner of golf’s PGA Tour. Monahan, currently the tour’s deputy commissioner and chief operating officer, will take on his new role from 1st January 2017, when Tim Finchem retires after serving more than 22 years in the position. Monahan became chief operating officer in April as the tour continued succession planning for Finchem’s departure.

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Haile Gebrselassie The Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF) has appointed Haile Gebrselassie as its new president. Gebrselassie beat two rival candidates after polling nine out of the 15 available votes. The outgoing president, Alebachew Nigusse, did not seek re-election. A 27-time world record holder in an athletics career where he also won two Olympic and four world titles in the 10,000m, Gebreselassie now runs several businesses in Ethiopia.

Yoshiaki Ito

Alejandro Lesende

ONE Championship, Asia’s leading mixed martial arts promotion, has appointed Japanese executive Yoshiaki Ito as its first ever president. Ito, the founder of X-Tank Consulting and former chief executive of Haier Asia Group, joins the series as it plans to expand its footprint in Japan in the near future. Described by ONE as ‘a business maverick’, Ito has also held executive positions at Sony Pictures Entertainment and Adidas. .

Concacaf, the scandal-hit confederation for soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean, has appointed Alejandro Lesende as its new chief financial and administration officer. Lesende joins the body from The Clorox Company, where he served as a strategic advisor for new business development in Latin America. He will now lead Concacaf’s finance and administration division.

Liu Jun

Kim Andersen

Sir Hugh Robertson

Denmark’s Kim Andersen has been elected as the new president of World Sailing. Andersen unseated 70-year-old Italian Carlo Croce, who had served a single term at the head of sailing’s global governing body. A run-off was required after neither candidate achieved the required 50 per cent of the vote in the initial poll. Ultimately, Andersen prevailed with 52 votes to Croce’s 46. Andersen will work closely with World Sailing chief executive Andy Hunt.

Sir Hugh Robertson has been elected as the new chairman of the BOA, replacing Lord Sebastian Coe. Robertson was a standing Conservative member of parliament for 15 years, during which time he was named as the minister with dayto-day responsibility for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, working closely with the BOA and with his predecessor as chairman, Lord Coe, then chairman of Logoc.

Hengming Yang

José Manuel Astigarraga

Hengming Yang has been appointed chief executive of Wanda Sports Holding. The 50-year-old Chinese executive, who joins from his role as president of BP for Greater China, has taken the position with immediate effect. His arrival comes as Wanda works to address the expansion of administrative workload and the need to communicate more closely with government and municipal authorities in China.

Conmebol, the South American soccer confederation, has appointed José Manuel Astigarraga as its new secretary general. Astigarraga, who has 25 years of experience in financial audit, telecoms and media businesses, will lead a new administrative arm of Conmebol under the terms of its new constitution, which was introduced at its most recent congress in the Peruvian capital of Lima on 14th September.

Chinese businessman Liu Jun, vice president of Suning Group, has been appointed chief executive of Italian soccer side Inter Milan, following the resignation of Michael Bolingbroke. The Serie A club, who were bought by Suning earlier this year, said that their board of directors accepted Bolingbroke’s resignation with immediate effect, bringing an end to his three-year reign at the club.

Zak Brown The McLaren Group has confirmed the appointment of Zak Brown as executive director, following the departure of Ron Dennis. Brown is renowned as a commercial expert within motorsport, having founded Just Marketing International (JMI), a marketing agency which had previously secured a number of high-profile sponsorships for McLaren, among other Formula One teams. His most recent role was as group chief business development officer at CSM Sport & Entertainment, which acquired JMI in 2013.

Andrew Schleimer

Sir Ian Botham Former England captain Sir Ian Botham is to be appointed chairman of English county cricket club Durham. The 60-year-old, who ended his career with a two-season stint at the north-east side as they debuted in first-class cricket in the early 1990s, has confirmed his intention to take the role in January.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has appointed Andrew Schleimer as its new chief financial officer. Schleimer, who most recently served as executive vice president and chief financial officer at Digital Turbine Inc, will replace the outgoing Nakisa Bidarian, who is leaving the USbased MMA promotion to lead a new investment vehicle set up by former UFC majority shareholders Frank Fertitta III and Lorenzo Fertitta.

Sir Craig Reedie Nathalie Boy de la Tour France’s Professional Football League (LFP), the organising body for elite club soccer in the country, has elected Nathalie Boy de la Tour as president. The director general of non-profit Fondaction du Football and a member of the LFP’s administrative council since 2013, Boy de la Tour won the support of twothirds of the organisation’s general assembly to succeed Frederic Thiriez. She is the first woman to take the role and will serve a four-year term.

Mark Shapiro and Ioris Francini WME | IMG has appointed both Mark Shapiro and Ioris Francini to the position of co-president. Shapiro moves from the role of chief content officer of the global sports and entertainment giant, while Francini had previously been president of IMG Media. Shapiro will remain in New York, with Francini continuing in the London offices. The duo will oversee activities in areas including media, events, fashion, licensing, global partnerships and original content, as well as properties including IMG College, IMG Academy, and the group’s new China subsidiary.

Sir Craig Reedie has been reelected as president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The 75-year-old Briton stood unopposed to win a second three-year term at the head of the organisation. In November he received the continued support of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) – which provides half of WADA’s annual UK£24 million (US$29.6 million) budget – despite sustained attacks from IOC members over WADA’s recommendation that Russia be banned outright from competing at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games..

Alisher Usmanov Alisher Usmanov has been re-elected as president of the International Fencing Federation (FIE). The Uzbek-born Russian billionaire was the only candidate at the congress in Moscow and starts a new four-year term as head of the federation, a role he has held since 2008. Usmanov, 63, has invested some of his considerable wealth into the federation – reportedly US$36.6 million between 2008 and 2015 – but he has also set up a charitable fund to safeguard the future of the sport.

MOVER OF THE MONTH Zak Brown, executive director of McLaren Group How long had you been speaking with McLaren, and did it take much convincing for you to decide this was the right role for you? It dates back years, really, the start of the conversation with Ron Dennis. I’ve done a lot of work with them in the last decade and formed a close relationship with the whole team and specifically with Ron, so he’s always left the door open and made the offer of me to come and join for the last couple of years. But then it got really serious in about April of this year. When I was first approached I was married to my existing company, so it was a bit early for me. Ultimately I was under contract and later in the year came upon a window for me to decide whether I wanted to keep doing what I’ve been doing for a long time for another five years, or did I want a career change. I resigned in September and then Ron really pursued it hard up until closure just recently. What are your immediate priorities? I’ll be looking at everything, because I need to understand everything. I’ve got a pretty good sense of the company from having been around it for as long as I have but I’ve always been on the outside looking in and now I’ll be in the inside. So the first priority is to review and understand everything. The goal is pretty simple: get back to winning world championships. It will take a little bit of time but we need to be in a rush. The team is making good progress. We need to have more commercial partners than we have, we all know we’ve been without a title sponsor for too long so that’s going to change, and then of course our racing team is a brand unlike any other. We need to continue to innovate, as McLaren has always done, and continue to focus on the fans because that’s what’s most important to us and our partners. Those three stools are what makes up McLaren. Tackling all of those is pretty important. With the Liberty takeover of Formula One and other changes afoot in the industry, what do you see as the long-term challenges in the sport for McLaren? I think it’s less about McLaren than where Formula One’s going. It’s about, what will Formula One look like in ten or 15 years, and how does that engage with the fans? That’s the first issue. Behind that is then how does McLaren operate in that environment and what I’d like to do, which is what McLaren has always done, is take a leadership position in driving the sport forward in what it looks like and how it acts. I’d like to think Formula One will be a sport of massive fan engagement in a technical and user-friendly manner. I don’t know where we’re going to be with gaming, gamification, virtual reality and that type of fan engagement and how they consume the sport. However that looks, I’d like McLaren to be the leader in helping develop that.

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SPORTSPRO WORLD HOSTINGS AND HAPPENINGS

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Conferences 1

Baltimore, USA

Sports Management Worldwide’s Soccer Career Conference will take place from 13th to 14th January in Los Angeles, California, alongside the Major League Soccer SuperDraft. Club owners, league officials, agents, coaches, and other representatives from across US soccer will be present at the Los Angeles Convention Center to discuss their careers in the game. 2

London, UK

SportsPro’s very own annual flagship conference, SportsPro Live, is returning to Wembley Stadium (right) on 29th and 30th March 2017. The fourth edition of the event will be about pushing the boundaries of sport, aiming to answer the key questions about the forces that are reforming the frontiers of the industry, from new technologies to emerging markets and investors.

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3

Düsseldorf, Germany

The 20th Sponsors Business Summit, or SpoBiS, takes over Düsseldorf’s CCD Congress Center on 30th and 31st January, when sports industry luminaries will gather to discuss the issues facing the sector over the coming year. Among the headline speakers is John Gleasure, chief commercial officer of DAZN, who will outline the platform’s plans to become the ‘Netflix of sport’. 4

Munich, Germany

The second annual Sustainable Innovation in Sport conference will take place on 22nd and 23rd February 2017 in Munich, Germany. The two-day event brings together industry stakeholders who are engendering positive environmental impact through sport, with the headline speakers including David Stubbs, former head of sustainability for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

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Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen’s Radisson Blue Scandinavia Hotel will host SportsKongres 2017 between 2nd and 4th February. The conference is hosted by the Danish Society of Sports Physical Therapy and the Danish Association of Sports Medicine, with the overarching theme of the 2017 edition being the treatment and prevention of sports injuries.

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Ohio, USA

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) has announced that the Inverness Club, Ohio will host the 2021 Solheim Cup, the biennial match-play contest pitting the best European golfers against a team comprising the USA’s top players. The tournament is played on alternate years in either the USA or Europe, with the 2021 match being played stateside. The 2021 event will be the 17th iteration of the match. Team USA leads Team Europe 9-5 in all-time victories. B

Yorkshire, UK

The English county of Yorkshire will host cycling’s UCI Road World Championships in 2019. The International Cycling Union’s (UCI) blue-riband event will return to the UK for the first time in 37 years. Though official plans have not been finalised, the spa town of Harrogate is currently in pole position to host the final of all the races on the second weekend. Yorkshire successfully staged the Tour de France’s Grand Depart in 2014.

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England, UK

The Rugby Football League (RFL) has successfully won the right for England to host the Rugby League World Cup in 2021, beating competition from the USA and Canada. The tournament will see 31 fixtures played across 12 stadiums in England, and the agreement also means the country host the 2021 Women’s World Cup and Wheelchair World Cup. The USA and Canada, which had been challenging England to host the event, have been awarded the 2025 World Cup. D

Santander, Spain

The Sailing World Cup Final, the climax of the international series of Olympic and Paralympic-class racing, will take place in Santander, Spain in 2017. The decision sees top-level sailing return to the Spanish city for the first time since 2014, when Santander hosted the World Sailing Championships. The 2017 Sailing World Cup Final is set to take place from 4th to 11th June.

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Toulon, France

The French Grand Prix will return to the Formula One calendar in 2018, following a ten-year absence from the championship. The race will now return to its original Circuit Paul Ricard home for a number of years, although no definitive timescale was given. The circuit is owned by the family trust of Formula One commercial chief Bernie Ecclestone, and he recently told Reuters that promoters were renting it from the trust. F

Yeoju, South Korea

Golf’s PGA Tour has announced a new official event to be played in South Korea, the CJ Cup. The tournament will be played at Nine Bridges Golf Club and is scheduled to make its tour debut in the 2017/18 season. The first iteration of the stroke-play contest will have a purse of US$9.25 million and the winner will receive 500 FedExCup points. The CJ Corporation, a Seoul-based conglomerate with interests ranging from food to pharmaceuticals to home shopping, will be the title sponsor of the event.

Having hosted the Grand Départ of the Tour de France and its own Tour de Yorkshire, the English county will now stage the UCI’s Road World Championships

SportsPro Magazine | 23

GALLERY

New Zealand rugby star Dan Carter won the Sportel autobiography prize

Adriani Vastine and Estelle Mossely with Laurent Puons

Laurent Puons, chief executive of Sportel

Stihl’s Timbersports demonstration was among the more intriguing displays

The Bundesliga had a strong presence

The Sportel Law Conference underway

‘Meet the elite’ at Sportel

Attendees mingle in the glamorous surroundings

The Sportel floor offers enormous opportunities for networking

Sportel Monaco Sportel Monaco, the world sports marketing and media convention, was held from 24th to 27th October, attracting 3,008 delegates from 1,034 companies and representing 80 countries. Its annual awards ceremony, the Sportel Awards, gathered Olympic champions and international sports stars. The next event will be Sportel America, held in Miami, Florida from 14th to16th March 2017.

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Former sprinter Donovan Bailey with Mossely

Bailey with Richard Whitehead, Louis Ducruet, Mossely and Camiel Eurlings

Industry ďŹ gures meet in the convention centre

A delegate tries out virtual reality

Monaco’s Grimaldi Forum was the venue again

The stage is set for the 2016 Sportel Awards

Carter and Bailey after the awards ceremony

SportsPro Magazine | 25

GALLERY

Rob Lummis, head of employee experiences, Jaguar Land Rover

Former England rugby star Will Greenwood

The entire Beyond Sport Awards 2016 Shortlist on stage at the start of the evening’s ceremony

The BT Power Lounge hosting the Land Rover BAR challenge during the Innovation Hub

Delegates take part in a boxing exercise

Delegates take to the pitch to for a blind rugby taster session

Marc Joly of Terre des Hommes International Federation runs a session at the Innovation Hub

Jolinda Hackett (centre) from GOALS Haiti celebrates winning the Sport for Education Award

The Unicef Safeguarding Children in Sport session in progress

Peter Moore, chief competition officer of EA Sports, on stage at 10 Roundtables

The ‘From Access to Opportunity’ panel

Beyond Sport Summit & Awards The Beyond Sport Summit & Awards were held on 18th, 19th and 20th October 2016 at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. Beyond Sport promotes, supports and celebrates the use of sport to address social issues in communities around the world

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108 years’ worth of celebrations are released as the Cubs win the series

The players show off the Commissioner’s Trophy during their open-top victory parade through the streets of Chicago

Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein addresses the crowd

A canine Cub celebrates

Kris Bryant hugs a fan

Actor and Cubs fan Bill Murray was overcome with emotion

The famous Wrigley Field sign lights up in victory

An estimated five million people attended the team’s victory parade

Cubs fans watching in the city celebrate

Kyle Schwarber sprays his team mates

MLB World Series The Chicago Cubs beat the Cleveland Indians in seven games in the 2016 Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series to take the championship for the first time in 108 years, bringing the longest drought in American sports to a dramatic end.

SportsPro Magazine | 27

SECTION TEXT HERE GALLERY

Zak Brown, new executive director at McLaren

Nico Rosberg leaps from his car in celebration after winning the world championship. The German announced his retirement from Formula One shortly afterward, explaining that he had achieved what he wanted to achieve in the sport

Jenson Button, who will not race in 2017, talks to the media

Sebastian Vettel watches a practice session

Bernie Ecclestone talks with Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner

2016’s breakout star Max Verstappen made sparks y throughout the season

The McLaren team celebrate with Rosberg

A local fan gets a photo with Lewis Hamilton

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

A aerobatics display before the race

paimages.co.uk PAImages

Another Formula One season came to a close in Abu Dhabi on 27th November. Although Lewis Hamilton recorded a tenth win of the season, it was not enough to prevent his Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg from winning the world championship.

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THE SHOT DAVIS CUP

THE SH T Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro hugs the trophy after winning the Davis Cup final in Zagreb, Croatia on 27th November. Argentina defeated the host nation 3-2 to claim the trophy for the first time in their history. Darko Vojinovic/AP/Press Association Images

paimages.co.uk PAImages

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FEATURE 25 STORIES

25 stories that shaped the sporting year Rio 2016 gets over the line In the end, it was alright on the night – just. The race to get Rio de Janeiro ready for South America’s first Olympic and Paralympic Games has defined an era of international sport, with the prelude of a Fifa World Cup creating a truly Brazilian decade. That era ended with a more than creditable event, though plenty will ask if it was all worthwhile. Where Brazil had won the right to host Rio 2016 as a thrusting new entrant to the global stage, its moment in the limelight came in a period of political crisis and full economic retreat. At the head of a long list of 2016 problems was the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff – deputised in her Games-time suspension by her eventual full-time replacement, the not exactly popular Michel Temer. Spiralling revelations of corruption claimed the

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reputation of the oncebeloved ex-president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who had fronted Rio’s bid, while its financial consequences caused pain across the country – prompting a fire sale in the state of Rio itself. Fears of crime, pollution and general disorganisation loomed over the event and while some scares – most notably Zika – did not flare as feared, low ticket sales and awkward transport were a constant reminder that the organisers were working against the grain. Nonetheless, the Olympics found their identity as they wore on, helped along by a late domestic gold rush. The Paralympics, meanwhile, overcame the existential threat of a crippling budget shortfall to truly connect with the local population, delivering higher attendances that any edition outside London. EC

LA back in play as NFL’s Rams return For over two decades, Los Angeles had been left without a National Football League (NFL) team, after the departure of the LA Rams for St Louis in 1994 and the LA Raiders to Oakland just a year later. Both sides have enjoyed some success away from Los Angeles, with the Rams claiming the 1999 Super Bowl, but have struggled to make a consistent impact. Speculation has mounted in

the interim about the league’s plans in London but in the second-biggest marketplace in the US, meanwhile, fans have waited impatiently. On 30th January 2015, however, change edged closer. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced that multiple teams had expressed an interest in relocation to LA, and the Raiders, the Rams and the San Diego Chargers all set out

their stall for a move to the city of angels. In 2016, the plans went to a vote, and on 13th January 30 of the 32 NFL owners approved the Rams’ request to return to the city. Stan Kroenke, majority shareholder of the franchise, completed the US$550 million relocation and the 18th September 2016 saw the Rams take to a Los Angeles field for the first time in 22 years, as they

claimed a 9-3 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in front of a 91,046 people at the Memorial Coliseum. As part of the agreement, both the Raiders and the Chargers have the option to join the Rams in Los Angeles, but for now work begins on their new City of Champions Stadium in Inglewood – a stadium that Angelinos hope will house the Rams for many years to come. TL

Political earthquakes shake sport 2016 began with some wondering aloud what effect Donald Trump’s (right) erratic, thoughtlessly provocative run for the Republican presidential nomination might have on his golf business. It has been a long year. Now that the developer has made it through the electoral college to the White House, the world probably has more important matters to consider than his impact on the 2024 Olympic race. Nevertheless, the leaders of Los Angeles’ bid will have to campaign in conditions they cannot have even contemplated at the outset. Not that this is solely LA’s problem, of course: the spectre of the far right and authoritarianism looms across the contest for the next available Games, with Front National leader Marine Le Pen given more than a puncher’s chance in the French

presidential election and Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban’s increasingly censorial tendencies causing their own deep concerns. In Italy, the success of the populist Five Star Movement in mayoral elections had already brought a premature end to Rome’s Olympic candidacy even before a December referendum defeat drew the resignation of prime minister Matteo Renzi. In the UK, meanwhile, the shock of June’s Brexit vote still threatens to undermine the country’s status as an outward-looking cultural and sporting centre, while its implications could yet complicate the process of doing business in a land which has lost its long-held reputation for stability. There are stress-tests to come, with Fifa World Cups in Russia and Qatar just ahead. These are interesting times – and uncertain times, too. EC

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FEATURE 25 STORIES

Sports broadcasting goes over the top hit premium TV packages – particularly in the US, where the phenomenon of ‘cordcutting’ is seeing viewers abandon cable television in large numbers, and ESPN is losing hundreds of thousands of subscribers a month and is 11 million from its 2011 peak. The response has now begun. In August, ESPN parent The Walt Disney Company spent US$1 billion deal on 33 per cent stake in BAMTech, the live streaming specialist spun off from Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM), in a bid to turbo-charge the development of an over-thetop (OTT) sports offering. BAMTech also launched a joint venture across the Atlantic with

Picture by: Mike Egerton/PA Wire/PA Images

It has been a year of old certainties being dismantled and of newer ones being challenged. Nestled amongst the latter was the concept of premium live sport as a TV ratings firewall for traditional broadcasters. In the autumn, both English soccer’s Premier League and the National Football League (NFL) recorded marked year-on-year declines, pushing 20 per cent, in audience returns. For pay-TV broadcasters, headline viewing figures are less important than subscription numbers. Except that the pressure created by changing viewer habits and standalone on-demand services like Netflix has also

Eurosport, which has grand ambitions for its own Eurosport Player digital subscription service. Eleven Sports Network has put OTT at the heart of its future, while the Perform Group launched DAZN in a number of markets – its ¥210 billion (US$2 billion) deal for Japanese soccer’s J League a sign it can spend big on rights. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) launched its own effort, the Olympic Channel, in August. With Twitter making its biggest moves into simulcasting, and Amazon and Facebook lurking, 2016 might be remembered as the year sports broadcasting truly went digital. EC

London Stadium’s legacy stumble As much as any practical use, London’s Olympic Stadium – to use its former name – was supposed to stand as a monument to the city’s shining summer of 2012, to be the physical embodiment of the Games’ legacy. Rechristened as the London Stadium and now occupied by Premier League soccer side West Ham United, the venue’s story since has not quite lived up to the dreams of the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), the body that was founded to ensure that the benefits of the Olympics continued well beyond their initial impact and which coowns the stadium in a 65/35 split with Newham Council. Early signs were not promising. The protracted bidding process which resulted in West Ham’s occupancy drew legal challenges from Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and thenthird-tier outfit Leyton Orient in 2013. In 2016, after the full details of West Ham’s arrangement

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were made public, it was not hard to see why, with the deal hugely favourable toward the club and costing taxpayers – via the LLDC and Newham Council – hundreds of millions of pounds. The most eye-catching figure showed a 26-fold increase in the cost of installing retractable

seating in the stadium, from UK£300,000 a year to UK£8 million, a feature on which the LLDC insisted in order to keep a running track and preserve an athletics legacy from the Olympics. Perhaps worse were the lengths to which the LLDC went to hide

the stadium’s costs combined with the behind-the-scenes political machinations that have dictated its fate. London’s former Conservative mayor Boris Johnson was accused by his successor, Labour’s Sadiq Khan, of leaving a ‘total and utter mess’ as the total cost of the stadium ballooned even further in late 2016, with the headline number now standing at UK£752 million. West Ham’s dismal home form and regular flare-ups of crowd violence in the first few months of their residency were perhaps incidental, but did little to assuage the collective doubt over the long-term benefits of the arrangement – and led some to speculate whether prospective naming rights partners had been scared off. The 2017 World Athletics Championships, and the return of some of the heroes of 2012, may bring a surge of goodwill, but the drama surrounding its more permanent occupancy will rumble on. AN

Tennis fights match-fixing scandal The tennis season began under a pall of suspicion in 2016 when the BBC and BuzzFeed News published claims they had uncovered ‘secret files exposing evidence of widespread suspected match-fixing’ at the top of the men’s game. Released on the eve of January’s Australian Open for maximum impact, their report was based on the findings of a confidential investigation set up in 2007 into suspicious betting activity, an investigation that would subsequently unearth illicit betting syndicates in Russia, northern Italy and Sicily. The devil, though, was in the detail. Over the last decade, the report claimed,

16 unnamed players ranked inside the world’s top 50 had been repeatedly flagged to the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU), the sport’s dedicated anticorruption body, for allegedly throwing matches, yet all of the players, including past Grand Slam champions, were allowed to continue competing after authorities took no action.

Though based on old evidence, the report sent shockwaves across the tennis world, forcing the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) to quickly reject claims the TIU had suppressed or not fully investigated evidence. Within days, the sport’s key stakeholders came out fighting, banding together to launch an

independent review of their anti-corruption protocols and promising to refocus efforts in their collective fight against match-fixing. The TIU, imbued with fresh impetus, set about signing new memorandums of understanding with regulators and betting organisations, and the unit’s operational team was expanded to ten people, doubling total staff numbers since the start of 2016. The threat to tennis’ integrity remains grave, however, with the European Sport Security Association (ESSA) revealing in October that the sport accounted for some 84 per cent of all reports of suspicious betting activity in the third quarter of this year. ML

American confederations clean up around Copa América Centenario It was the event that nearly never happened. Thrust into the heart of the bribery scandal that rocked world soccer in 2015, imperilled by the very game – and people – it was intended to celebrate, June’s intercontinental Copa América Centenario was driven to the brink of collapse before a USled salvage effort, initiated barely six months ahead of kick-off, saw it rescued at the 11th hour. Held to commemorate 100 years since the creation of South

America’s preeminent event and the continent’s chief authority, Conmebol, the historic occasion saw Chile retain their title on US soil. As expected, the tournament itself would prove a commercial success, attracting a full gathering of sponsors and setting new records for attendance and television viewership, but any talk of a possible repeat in future would be overshadowed by more pressing matters elsewhere.

Behind the scenes, the tournament’s two sanctioning bodies, Conmebol and its North and Central American counterpart Concacaf, were in disarray. Suspended officials from both confederations were facing charges as part of the US Justice Department’s ongoing probe into a sprawling web of corruption. Amid the court cases and guilty pleas, it was left to two new presidents with reformist agendas to pick up the pieces.

Paraguayan Alejandro Dominguez, installed as the new head of Conmebol in January, and Canadian Victor Montagliani, elected to lead Concacaf in May, would have their work cut out. But armed with a set of sweeping governance reforms, both quickly made senior hires, intent on restoring trust and credibility to two of the most tarnished organisations in world sport. ML

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FEATURE 25 STORIES

World Cup of Hockey returns as NHL looks to regain international ground The National Hockey League (NHL) relaunched its World Cup of Hockey in September, following a 12-year hiatus. The revived two-week tournament – which was co-organised by the NHL and its NHLPA players’ union – was played at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre to general approval. The slightly modified format included two all-star teams alongside ice hockey’s traditional ‘big six’. Hosts Canada won the championship for the second time when they defeated a representative Team Europe side in the final. While the NHL and NHLPA jointly marketed the event, Lagardère Sports led sponsorship sales in Europe, while long-term partner IMG aided the international broadcast effort. The tournament as a whole accrued US$25 million in sponsorship revenue. SAP became the first shirt sponsor for an NHLsanctioned event, with all competing teams wearing a branded patch on the shoulder of their jerseys, but NHL

commissioner Gary Bettman said he was in “no rush to put advertising on our sweaters” in regular league play. The remodelled World Cup is part of the NHL’s ongoing campaign to reach out to more overseas fans and the player rosters had a combined 180 representatives from

ice hockey’s preeminent league, which is a record for an international ice hockey competition. The NHL – which also confirmed the entry of a new Las Vegas franchise, the Golden Knights, in 2017/18 – is keen to emulate the National Football League’s (NFL) success in its

international regular-season programme, while exhibition games between NHL franchises and European-based teams and a Ryder Cup-style tournament have been mooted. A World Cup played across the globe is set to be a permanent fixture on NHL’s expanded calendar from 2020. GD

Nascar launches charter as search for Sprint replacement lasts season A pivotal season in stock-car racing’s preeminent series began with the news every team owner had been waiting for. In February, on the eve of the annual season-opener at Daytona, Nascar chief Brian France announced a major and long-anticipated overhaul of the organisation’s ownership model, bringing to an end more than 60 years of operating under an independent contractor system that put financial strain on teams across the board and led several to cease operations altogether. Under the new ‘charter’ system, 36 operating licences

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were granted to 19 team organisations, guaranteeing entry into the field of every top-tier Sprint Cup Series

points race for the next nine years. At the time, the historic move was hailed as the dawn of a new era of security and

stability in a sport otherwise struggling for attendances, relevance and, as it would transpire, a new Cup Series title sponsor. With Sprint due to exit at the end of the year, industry speculation regarding the company’s potential replacement permeated throughout the entirety of 2016. As the season drew to a close in November, Coca-Cola’s Monster Energy brand finally completed a deal that has reportedly come in far cheaper than its predecessor. The new name for the championship had not been confirmed at the time of writing. ML

Uefa runs Euro 2016 and elects new president

Uefa’s quadrennial European Championship was an acclaimed success, in spite of a difficult build-up. France reached the final as an apprehensive host nation embraced the Europe’s biggest ever soccer tournament following the tragedy of terrorist attacks and flash floods. An increased security presence marshalled passionate travelling fans from 24 countries – though there were early flashpoints, such as the clashes that followed an advance on England supporters

by their Russian counterparts after a first-round game. On the pitch it was the smaller nations, whose presence the expanded format had allowed, who captured the imagination. At the end, unfancied Portugal rewarded talisman and captain Cristiano Ronaldo with his first international winner’s medal. The tournament was at the heart of a significant year for Uefa. At September’s extraordinary congress in Athens, members voted in Aleksander Čeferin (above) as

the confederation’s seventh permanent president. Čeferin replaces Michel Platini – who is currently serving a four-year ban from all soccer-related activities – and he will serve the remainder of the Frenchman’s term through 2019. Prior to his election win Čeferin was not a Uefa executive committee member and at 48, he is the youngest president in the organisation’s history. Upon his election, which he followed with a trip to each of the 13 hosts of the pan-continental

Euro 2020, he stated that his first priority would be to look at the controversial agreement that gives higher Champions League revenue to the continent’s biggest clubs based on historic success. Čeferin also pledged to revive an open bidding process for the Champions League final, and sparked headlines when he said he was open to moving kick-off times from traditional slots and taking club soccer’s blue-riband match beyond Europe’s borders. GD

UFC fight sees WME|IMG land killer blow

In the early years of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) 23year history it existed on the periphery of the sporting zeitgeist, destined to remain

in the shadow of both boxing and, to a lesser extent, wrestling. In the past decade, however, the pioneering mixed martial arts promotion has become one of the most shrewdly run brands in the industry, and electric talents like Ireland’s Conor McGregor (left) have since taken one of world sport’s hottest properties ever closer to the mainstream. In 2016, an arms race ensued for the right to take the series to the next level. Stoking the flames, parent company Zuffa revealed in May that it was in talks to sell UFC, with Wanda Group and China Media Capital among potential

suitors. Later that month, global agency WME|IMG emerged as the frontrunner, the deal reportedly whetting its recent mergers and acquisitions appetite. In July the deal was confirmed, and WME|IMG fronted a group including Silver Lake Partners, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and MSD Capital that eventually stumped up a whopping US$4.2 billion. The largest acquisition in the sports industry saw Zuffa exit completely, with UFC president Dana White and Flash Entertainment both retaining minority stakes. A disparate group of WME

celebrity clients – including Ben Affleck, Sylvester Stallone, Calvin Harris and Serena Williams – also bought in. The new-look UFC senior management began to take shape later in the year. Major high-profile culling took place, with veterans Garry Cook, Marshall Zelaznik, Ken Berger and Jamie Pollack, to name a few, all shown the door. The championship was in New York for UFC 205, returning to the city for the first time since 1997 after the State Assembly overturned its ban, and while its new direction remains unclear, further growth looks a certainty. TL

SportsPro Magazine | 37

FEATURE 25 STORIES

Golf’s power struggle continues as Finchem calls time If the prospect of a global, unified golf circuit has been on the agenda for some time, 2016 was the year in which talk of consolidation finally turned to meaningful – if not necessarily decisive – action. In March – just weeks after The R&A and the Ladies' Golf Union (LGU) had announced a historic merger, bringing the two St Andrews-based bodies under a single umbrella for the first time – the PGA Tour and the women’s LPGA enshrined their longstanding cooperation by signing a long-term, written strategic alliance that would see the two entities collaborate in areas such as schedule coordination, media rights,

marketing and, most intriguingly, the development of joint events. Elsewhere, meanwhile, protracted merger talks between the European Tour, led by its new chief executive Keith Pelley, and the Asian Tour broke down in July amid concerns the latter would suffer under a combined entity. The pair did, however, resolve to form a strategic alliance of their own in a bid to strengthen their business interests, bolster their international appeal and, under threat from the all-powerful PGA Tour, plug their respective talent drains. It was amid this ongoing power struggle that the US set their persistent troubles

aside to reclaim the Ryder Cup in November, defeating Europe 17-11 at Hazeltine in Minnesota. And when, soon after, long-serving PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem (above) confirmed the

expected news that he would relinquish his post to his right-hand man, Jay Monahan, at the end of the year, there was a sense that a sport long resistant to change was entering its next chapter. ML

Commercial seeds sown in women’s sport Association (FA) landed a key broadcast deal with BT Sport for its Women’s Super League (WSL), and top sides such as Manchester City and Arsenal began to attract major sponsors of their own. Back across the pond, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) broke new ground in the US by streaming matches live on Facebook, after revamping its league structure and introducing new teams, hoping to build on the profile of the likes of national team megastar Alex Morgan. In cricket, the English

women’s game debuted its revamped, franchise-based Twenty20 tournament, following considerable investment from the English Cricket Board (ECB). The Kia Super League’s sponsors included Thomas Cook, Marstons and Bang & Olufsen, and the tournament attracted some of the game’s top international talent. In Australia, meanwhile, banking group Commonwealth pledged to invest US$3.8 million every year over the next three years to Cricket Australia to boost participation and development

of the sport amongst women and minority groups. The country’s Twenty20 Big Bash League streamed all fixtures on Facebook Live and is set to rival the men’s league in years to come. The Australian Football League (AFL) will launch its own women’s competition in Australian rules football. Two major events in 2017 will further test the commercial progress of women’s international team sport, with the Women’s Rugby World Cup in Ireland and the Women’s Cricket World Cup in England. TL

Picture by: Steve Paston/PA Wire/PA Images

If 2016 has been the year of the underdog in sport, 2017 might become the year of equality. Much has been made of the gender gap throughout mainstream sports, and few sports can boast women’s events with equal investment, attendance and attention as their men’s equivalent. In 2016, however, things began to change. Women’s soccer received major boosts worldwide on the back of a hugely successful Fifa Women’s World Cup in 2015 in Canada. England’s Football

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FEATURE 25 STORIES

China splurges on soccer When president Xi Jinping (right) outlined his goal of making China soccer’s global superpower by 2050, few would have assumed his plan involved the annexation of the UK’s West Midlands. Yet, with Chinese owners now in place at the region’s four biggest clubs – Aston Villa, Birmingham City, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers – the process is well underway. The investment in those teams was just the tip of the iceberg in 2016, when a veritable Yangtze River of Chinese money flowed out of the country and into the European game. It was not just Birmingham and its surrounding areas but the

Italian city of Milan, too, with Inter now in Chinese hands and AC Milan likely to follow. Rumours continue to swirl about further buy-outs in the Premier League, from struggling Hull City to title-challenging Liverpool. Across Europe, the likes of Espanyol, Slavia Prague, Nice and Lyon are among the other clubs either wholly or partially owned by Chinese investors. The acquisition by new Fifa sponsor Dalian Wanda of a 20 per cent stake in Spanish giants Atlético Madrid, at the same time as it bought out the World Triathlon Corporation and Infront Sports & Media, was headline-dominating news in 2015. Looking back, it was merely a prelude.

This is not to forget the traffic moving in the opposite direction, with Chinese clubs hoovering up talent from their European counterparts. 2016 began with Chinese Super League

(CSL) clubs twice breaking the country’s transfer record: first, Guangzhou Evergrande acquired Colombian striker Jackson Martínez from Atlético for US$43 million; next, just days later, Jiangsu Suning went one better when signing the Brazilian forward Alex Teixeira from Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk for US$56 million. With Xi’s 2050 ambition in mind, and considering that the number of Chinese billionaires is estimated to be growing at a rate of five per week, the investments of the past 12 months are likely to represent just the vanguard of Asian excursions into European soccer. AN

new era, more aligned to the US market, with American owners and a US team, Haas, perhaps the tip of the iceberg. Veteran Williams driver Felipe Massa retired to be replaced by prodigious teenager Lance Stroll. At McLaren, Ron Dennis will depart in January after 35 years; Zak Brown comes in as executive director. It is expected that the new owners will want to increase

Formula One’s exposure in North America, and they could plug the gaps expected in the 2019 calendar with the departure of Malaysia and possible loss of Singapore. A more forward-looking media project is also expected to be put in place; Heineken’s ninefigure global sponsorship hints at the continued appeal of a series that can now look to its future. GD

Liberty buys Formula One Mercedes hegemony of the constructors’ and drivers’ championships has created a certain air of predictably to Formula One’s podium. However, off the track, 2016 has seen more twists and turns than a Max Verstappen defensive block. In September, American media conglomerate Liberty Media Corporation confirmed its US$4.4 billion acquisition of the global motorsport series. Liberty initially purchased an 18.7 per cent stake in Formula One from a consortium of sellers led by CVC Capital Partners, the controlling owner of the series, for US$746 million in cash. The company will then obtain a full stake from Delta Topco, the ultimate owner of Formula One, through a complex process that involves the creation of a new entity, Formula One Group. As significantly, the takeover may eventually signal time on Bernie Ecclestone’s somewhat autocratic ruling of the open-

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wheel series. At the time of writing, however, the 86-yearold remains chief executive of Formula One Group, and has been working closely with Chase Carey, Formula One’s new executive chairman. Ecclestone has a three-year deal in place with Formula One but the general perception is that it will not last that long. The Formula One landscape is ostensibly entering into a

Many will remember 2016 for the seemingly unprecedented string of beloved public figures passing away and sport, sadly, has not been exempt from the gloom. Perhaps ‘The Greatest’ sportsman to grace the modern era was Muhammad Ali, who lost his final fight – with Parkinson’s disease – in June. Although no angel, the eloquent boxer was a pioneer both in the ring and out, speaking eloquently on racial matters and refusing the Vietnam draft in opposition to the war. He could not only “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee” but, as he showed in brutal contests with George Foreman in Zaire and Joe Frazier in the Philippines, he was a true warrior to boot. The outpouring of tributes underlined how much the world had connected with a man whose ability to communicate, despite the ravages of his illness, was never truly lost. Golfer Arnold Palmer – or ‘The King’, as he was known

Picture by: David Goldman/AP/Press Association Images

Ali and Cruyff head list of sport’s departed

during his glittering playing career – died days before this year’s Ryder Cup. However, the American’s legacy goes far beyond the course, and there have been few more transformative figures in the sports industry. Though Palmer accrued US$1.8 million over a stellar 52-year PGA career – becoming the first golfer to pass the million-dollar mark – it was off the course where he earned the bulk of his net worth of

about US$675 million. He was a founding client of IMG, had an eponymous drink, and cofounded The Golf Channel. Two stars of 1970s soccer, both of whom could justifiably be called ‘iconic’, also died in 2016. Carlos Alberto captained Brazil’s Fifa World Cup winners in 1970, putting a cap on one of the finest team performances in any era by scoring one of the most celebrated goals of them all – the fourth goal in a 4-1 win

over Italy in the final. The rest of that decade, though, belonged to Johan Cruyff, also lost to the world this year after a battle with cancer. The divinely gifted Dutchman was the embodiment of his nation’s swaggering ‘Total Football’ style, and took his unique cool to the touchline, becoming one of the most influential coaches of the modern age with the likes of Barcelona. GD

It is hard to talk about 2016 without reflecting on two of the most unlikely major sports victories in recent history. Leicester City, a team that just two years ago were playing in English soccer’s second tier, will forever be known across the globe as the team who defied odds of 5,000-1 and beat out some of soccer’s biggest spenders to take the 2015/16 Premier League title. Across the Atlantic, meanwhile, Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Chicago Cubs broke a 112-year-old curse to take home the 2016 World Series, becoming the first team to come back from a three games to one deficit since 1985.

But behind the headlines of fairytale stories and magical winning runs was a more complex, calculated reality. Both teams, and their respective historic victories, were based on unique

sports performance analytics programmes, and while both came as surprises to the wider sporting world, they were the products of endless work by backroom staff. Harnessing the power of big data, both teams created physiological, psychological and mental profiles of their stars. In doing so, they were able to tailor training regimes to individual players, and ensure each’s talents were exploited to their maximum potential. Both the Cubs and Leicester City’s 2016 triumphs will be remembered for many years to come. Their successes against all odds stole the hearts of

Picture by: David J. Phillip/AP/Press Association Images

Cubs take pennant as Foxes stun Premier League

a global sporting audience, but it was the efforts of many behind the scenes that made them possible. Some deride it, but technology is helping to create some of sport’s most memorable moments. TL

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FEATURE 25 STORIES

PyeongChang and Tokyo wobble After the many travails, foreseeable and otherwise, of Rio 2016, officials at the IOC and participating international federations could have been forgiven for expecting an easier time from their next two Olympic hosts. Yet the relatively safe hands of PyeongChang and Tokyo have made a few fumbles in the build-up to the Games of 2018 and 2022. By their own admission, the South Korean organisers of the next Winter Games have been more effective in some areas than others. Speaking to SportsPro in Brazil in August, PyeongChang 2018 spokesperson for foreign press Anna Jihyun You said that while the infrastructural “hardware” for the event was 85 per cent complete with 18 months to go, the “software” – marketing, communications and the completion of the commercial programme – still required attention. Leadership has been another recurring issue since hosting rights were won in 2011. Lee Hee-beom became the latest president of the local

organising committee in May after Yang-ho Cho resigned to attend to his group’s ailing Hanjin Shipping company; national president Park Geunhye has been impeached over a series of corruption allegations involving her relationship with pseudo-Christian spiritual leader Choi Tae-min. The Tokyo 2020 team generated a frisson of excitement about their event with a suitably inventive handover presentation at the

Maracanã. Few have serious doubts about the ability of Japan – which will also host the 2019 Rugby World Cup – to make a more than competent fist of world sport’s set-piece event, while the commercial programme remains rampant. Yet this has been a consistently trying year for the hosts of the next Summer Games. Bribery allegations, since dismissed, overshadowed the summer months; a new, cheaper

design was approved for the centrepiece stadium in February, but incoming state governor Yuriko Koike created a dispute with the IOC in October when she forced a review of other venue plans. Late in the year IOC vice president John Coates also urged Tokyo 2020 to revise its US$20 billion budget downwards, deeming it unnecessarily high and warning it could scare off future bidders. EC

own eLeague based on the EA Sports series. Drone racing, meanwhile, hovers on the horizon. The inaugural World Drone Prix in Dubai received a number of

blue-chip commercial partners and worldwide broadcast deals, culminating in a US$1 million prize fund, while the Federation Aeronautique Internationale – or World Air Sports Federation – will provide sporting codes and sanctions. The Drone Racing League continues to gather momentum, with a UK£1 million (US$1.2 million) investment from UK broadcaster Sky and major sponsorship from US firm Bud Light set to take it into a wider consumer consciousness. With an amateur-use drone market that currently exceeds US$1.5 billion worldwide, the sport certainly has the potential to take off. TL

eSports lands and drone racing takes off Technology has already disrupted the way much of the world is run and 2016 has seen the rise of two new sports that, only a few years ago, may have sounded like pipedreams. Both drone racing and eSports have become increasingly professionalised in the past year, and in doing so, have fed from the strong markets emerging around them. Deloitte now values the global eSports market at around US$463 million, and predicts it to grow to well over US$2 billion by 2018. In 2016, China and Korea together contributed US$106 million into that market, and

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sport is exploring ways of getting involved. In Europe a number of leading soccer teams signed up professional Fifa videogame players, with France’s Ligue 1 creating its

LeBron and Curry head NBA’s golden year 75-minute-long TV special. And there is Curry, the quiet late bloomer, whose phenomenal ability from the three-point line has made him the most influential player of the decade. The narratives at times seem endless, but the NBA’s canny media strategy has ensured that it is the one telling the stories. The league may yet be short of its early 90s heights, when Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls were probably the world’s most recognisable sports team. But it is hitting a peak of a different kind. One YouTube clip of ‘The Block’ has clocked up over 1.5 million views, while the NBA’s own in-house subscription service recorded 26.7 million game views across the 2015/16 season, driven by GSW’s incredible 73-9 campaign. The move to allow jersey sponsorship, through a small badge on the chest, may seem like a minor concession, but it reflects a desire within the sport, led by commissioner Adam Silver, to leverage these figures for commercial gain. Basketball’s popularity in China puts it a step ahead in the market everyone is hoping to crack and while a repeat of 2016’s climax is unlikely, the NBA is poised to take the next step toward global popularity. AN

Picture by: Eric Risberg/AP/Press Association Images

Game seven of the 2016 National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals: a rematch between last year’s beaten finalists, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the all-conquering Golden State Warriors. The score is tied at 89 each; the series at 3-3. Two minutes remain. Andre Iguodala receives the ball from Steph Curry with a clear run to the basket. He can’t miss. He steps forward, he jumps. He shoots. Somehow, he doesn’t score. Out of nowhere, LeBron James – Cavs legend, the prodigal son – makes a block. ‘The Block’, as it has already come to be known. The Cavs win 93-89, and James has his first hometown title. The only thing keeping this moment from perfection was that James didn’t block from Stephen Curry, the league’s unanimous MVP after a recordsetting regular season for the Warriors. In 2016, Curry was the first NBA player to top SportsPro’s most marketable athletes list since James in 2010. In the intervening years, the two have dominated basketball in radically different yet enormously complementary ways. There is James, a superstar since high school, who announced his decision to leave the Cavs in 2010 via a

McLaren sparks Russian doping war

Doping rears its head with a sad inevitability in every Olympic year, but the saga that dominated 2016 could have been engineered in a lab to undermine the movement. When the McLaren Report

confirmed in July that Russian state officials had run a doping campaign in the run-up to the Sochi 2014 Games, it set charges along weak points across sport’s political infrastructure. With Russia’s athletics team already barred from Rio 2016, the IOC fudged a decision on the country’s participation at the event, insisting that it would protect the ‘clean athlete’ and effectively passing the decision on any censures to overstretched federations. The International

Paralympic Committee (IPC), meanwhile, showed up its counterpart by banning all Russian para-athletes. Internally, a coterie of IOC members reacted to the revelations by blaming the messenger, lining up at the preGames session in Rio – and again at the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) meeting in Doha in December – to attack World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president Sir Craig Reedie for the timing

and tenor of his organisation’s recommendations. The targeted leaking by the Russian-backed ‘Fancy Bears’ hackers’ group of dubiously timed therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) by elite athletes muddied the waters. Then December’s second part of the McLaren Report revealed the involvement of over 1,000 Russian athletes in a five-year government scheme. All the while, testing of historical samples is rewriting the results of Olympics past. EC

SportsPro Magazine | 43

FEATURE 25 STORIES

Fifa elects Infantino It seems a long time ago now after a year of shock votes around the world but in the early stages of 2016, it was soccer politics that dominated many headlines. Financial corruption scandals that plagued Fifa for a number of years culminated in the suspension of longstanding president Sepp Blatter at the back end of 2015, and thoughts immediately turned to his successor, and the monumental task they would have to take on. In February, former Uefa secretary general Gianni Infantino (right) became that person, tasked with ushering in a new era of transparency and proper governance for soccer’s world governing body. His first day in office saw a friendly football fixture played at Fifa headquarters, and a new dawn beckoned as a significant package of reforms were passed, introducing term

limits and replacing the decrepit executive committee with a new council. A respectable outsider – Senegalese UN official Fatma Samoura – also came in as secretary general. But Infantino’s term has still not escaped controversy. The Swiss’ name appeared multiple times in the release of the so-called ‘Panama Papers’, which exposed a number of global tax avoidance schemes, while he was heavily criticised after Fifa closed its antidiscrimination taskforce – giving the confusing impression its job had been done. He is still committed to expanding the Fifa World Cup to more than 40 teams, and is aiming at a much more transparent organisation, but just a single year in to his threeyear term, he has a long way to go to justify hopes of a clean break – not to mention his US$1.5 million salary. TL

Picture by: Bikas Das/AP/Press Association Images

Cricket’s boundaries waver but still hold

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The most memorable cricketing image of 2016 was one that drove home a well-rehearsed point. When the unheralded Carlos Brathwaite smashed England’s Ben Stokes for a fourth consecutive six to win the ICC World T20 final, it served to reemphasise yet again that cricket’s shortest format had completely changed the idea of what was possible. The same applies financially and culturally, but the politics of the sport have still proven stubbornly resistant to dramatic change. It is not for want of trying. With a new, independent president at the helm – former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Shashank Manohar – the ICC had felt emboldened enough to move past recent stasis and try to liberalise the

world order, allowing merit to outweigh commercial and historical status in the international game and easing fiscal dependence on India. The most eye-catching of a series of mooted reforms was the introduction of two tiers to the five-day Test format, itself in need of a commercial jolt. But with Manohar’s successor at the BCCI, Anurag Thakur, flexing his muscles, and the less wealthy of the ten Test nations peering nervously over their shoulders, the proposal foundered. The ICC is still intent on eking out a fairer, more fluid and contextual international system in the years ahead. Yet with a big-money franchise T20 league in England to follow those flourishing in India, Australia and elsewhere, other factors may yet force lasting change. EC

Fantasy sports: from regulatory strife to merger The year began in inauspicious circumstances for the burgeoning fantasy sports industry. The trouble kicked off in late 2015 when a content manager at DraftKings, one of the leading services in the sector, was found to have leaked a batch of secret player data to the internet just hours before going on to claim a bumper US$350,000 prize at rival site FanDuel. The controversy dragged on into 2016, blighting DraftKings’ launch in the UK and pushing both services on to the defensive in their home territory, where,

facing bans in several states, they were forced to argue that fantasy sports is not a form of gambling but is, in fact, a game of skill. Amid this regulatory chaos, which rumbled on throughout the year despite both brands ramping up their marketing presence and sponsorship portfolios, rumours began to emerge in October of a merger between the two. Many industry observers noted that such a move may be the only way for either company to survive the ongoing litigation processes and legal challenges against them.

Any potential merger would, however, create a de facto monopoly, such is the dominance of DraftKings and FanDuel in the United States’ fantasy gaming space. A joint company would control over 90 per cent, possibly falling foul of antitrust regulations. Yahoo, the sector’s thirdlargest provider, would almost certainly wish to challenge this. A further stumbling block may be the notorious animosity that exists between DraftKings chief executive Jason Robins and his FanDuel counterpart Nigel Eccles. Nevertheless, the two

announced an agreement in November that will see Robins serve as chief executive of the united company and Eccles as chairman. With a reported US$3 billion in entry fees paid to the services annually and similar amounts paid back out in sponsorship and marketing fees, the outcome will have implications across the sporting world. AN

Picture by: Dominic Lipinski/PA Archive/PA Images

Twitter dabbles in rights as tech firms hover

The biggest media rights stories of 2015 concerned the Chinese over-the-top (OTT) operators who had flashed the cash on the kinds of high-profile sports properties previously the preserve of traditional broadcasters. After this, it was inevitable that speculation would centre on Silicon Valley’s tech giants moving into the same space. The likes of Apple, Google and Amazon looked best-placed, with readymade platforms and, most importantly, the cash reserves to make a significant play. Yet in

the end it was microblogging social media platform Twitter which struck first, confirming in April a US$10 million deal with the National Football League (NFL) for a package to show ten Thursday Night Football (TNF) matches throughout the 2016/17 season. The move was presaged by Yahoo’s experiment with showing live NFL in the previous year, when it covered one of the league’s London games. Yahoo claimed that a total of 15 million people tuned into that broadcast and, despite claims that the actual viewership was

nearer two million, it was in fact inspired to outbid Twitter in its attempt to bring TNF to the platform, reportedly offering US$17 million. That the NFL rejected the higher figure in order to go with what it saw as the more appropriate partner is indicative of the dominant thinking when it comes to digital distribution. Reaching a wide audience and exciting viewers, sponsors and other platforms is the first challenge. After that, the money can follow. While Twitter’s competitors continued to play their cards

close to their chests this year, do not bet on that continuing into 2017. The social media giant’s first foray, a game between the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills in September, was largely judged to be successful, with a total of 2.3 million combined worldwide viewers tuning in at some point during the match and, crucially, major brands like AnheuserBusch, Ford, Nestlé, Sony Pictures, and Verizon signed up as sponsors. With more powerful companies hovering, Twitter’s small step is likely to signal a coming giant leap. AN

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COVER STORY STADIUMS AND VENUES

Brett Yormark, chief executive of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, pictured in London on 4th October 2016

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Marking new territory The Barclays Center set a new standard for US sports arenas when it opened in 2012. Now, as chief executive Brett Yormark explains, owner and operator Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment hopes to take those lessons to another part of New York when it relaunches Long Island’s Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. By Eoin Connolly. Photographs by Graham Fudger.

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n 2012, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (BSE) redrew the sporting map of New York City. The Barclays Center not only set a new bar for sports venue management in North America, it also brought major league sport back to Brooklyn – a rapidly evolving Brooklyn – for the Ă€ UVW WLPH VLQFH EDVHEDOO¡V 'RGJHUV moved to Los Angeles in 1957. It made a statement. The National Basketball $VVRFLDWLRQ¡V 1%$ %URRNO\Q 1HWV who followed schools of hipsters and well-heeled young professionals into the borough from New Jersey, may not always have matched that statement on the court. Three play-off appearances from 2013 to 2015 yielded only one trip past the Ă€ UVW URXQG ZKLOH WKH WHDP IDLOHG WR

make the post-season in 2016 and look likely to come up short again this season. But in other respects the move has been a success, with the Brooklyn branding becoming familiar to fans around the world and local cultural grandees like rapper Jay-Z embracing the new arrivals. 7KH IDFLOLW\ WRR LV Ă RXULVKLQJ with events in everything from boxing to music to World Wrestling Entertainment, all delivered in a manner intended to combine a high-end visitor experience with powerful commercial opportunities. Now, BSE aims to put its stamp on another corner of New York with LWV UHODXQFK RI /RQJ ,VODQG¡V 1DVVDX Veterans Memorial Coliseum. ´,W¡V D JUHDW PDUNHW EHWZHHQ Nassau and Suffolk County,â€? says

BSE chief executive Brett Yormark, speaking to SportsPro at a London KRWHO LQ 2FWREHU ´<RX¡UH WDONLQJ DERXW WKUHH PLOOLRQ SHRSOH VR LW¡V D SUHWW\ GHQVH PDUNHWSODFH ,W¡V very complementary to Brooklyn ² ZH GRQ¡W JHW D ORW RI IDQV IURP Long Island, so we look at this as a separate market, distinctly different from the borough of Brooklyn. And much of the programming WKDW ZH¡YH EHFRPH NQRZQ IRU LQ %URRNO\Q ZLOO Ă€ QG LWV ZD\ WR Nassau, also.â€? The Nassau Coliseum was originally built in 1972 and was for WKH Ă€ UVW Ă€ YH \HDUV RI LWV H[LVWHQFH the home of the Nets before their Ă€ UVW PRYH %XW LW ZDV WKH 1DWLRQDO +RFNH\ /HDJXH¡V 1+/ 1HZ <RUN Islanders, tenants for a good deal longer, whose actions would

“I like to say we’re an open room. We’re open to do business with anyone.� SportsPro Magazine | 47

COVER STORY SECTION TEXT HERE AND VENUES STADIUMS

SURPSW WKH YHQXH¡V UHELUWK In 2012, the Islanders served notice on their time in Long Island by signing a 25-year lease at the Barclays Center. They moved in October 2015, taking on the black DQG ZKLWH FRORXUZD\ RI %URRNO\Q¡V basketball team as they were reunited with the Nets after 38 years apart. The question that arose then was what to do with the arena they left behind. “What happened initially was that when the Islanders decided to move to Brooklyn, the county executive asked us to do a feasibility study on what they should do with the Coliseum,â€? Yormark recalls. “And GXULQJ WKDW H[HUFLVH ZH UHDOLVHG LW¡V D YLEUDQW PDUNHW LW¡V D PDUNHW WKDW could certainly support a venue like the Coliseum – no different than it had for many, many years – but that the building was very antiquated. It needed to go through a renovation. “But artists and the entertainment community really enjoyed going to Long Island, and

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Above: A rendering of the redeveloped Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York Below: The Coliseum as it stood before closing in 2015

we also felt that it would be very complementary to Barclays Center. We could create some very effective synergies between the two venues. So obviously, when we did the study and realised that there was a lot of potential, we acted on it. There was a public bidding for the opportunity to manage and run and resurrect the Coliseum and, thankfully, the county chose us.â€? The new arena will have a local Ă DYRXU ² TXLWH OLWHUDOO\ LQ WKH FDVH of the Long Island Taste campaign WR VRXUFH WKH ERURXJK¡V EHVW foods. But BSE has reassembled much of the team behind the Barclays Center project – including developer Bruce Rattner, New York-based architect SHoP, and operational partners like caterer Levy Restaurants and AEG – and embarked on a renovation project worth a reported US$260 million. Around US$130 million is believed to have been earmarked for the building itself, with the rest going to the surrounding complex. Construction is now nearing its end, with an April 2017 opening date in sight. “In a renovation of this type, the initial work starts on the inside and then you go to the outside,â€? <RUPDUN H[SODLQV ´6R ZH¡UH Ă€QDOLVLQJ VRPH RI WKH LQWHULRU ZRUN QRZ DQG ZH¡UH JHWWLQJ WR WKH SKDVH ZKHUH ZH¡UH VWDUWLQJ WR ORRN DW DOO WKH Ă€QLVKHV DQG JHWWLQJ

those all ready for the building. But WKHQ ZH¡UH PRYLQJ WR WKH RXWVLGH and this month – October – is D ELJ PRQWK EHFDXVH ZH¡OO VWDUW reskinning the exterior with a new façade. One of the things, obviously, that the developer Bruce Rattner wants to accomplish is to change the kerb appeal of the EXLOGLQJ ,W¡V DQ ROGHU EXLOGLQJ DQG although the bones of the building were very much intact, we wanted to reimagine it – at least from an architectural standpoint. So I think ZH¡YH DFFRPSOLVKHG WKDW DQG RYHU the course of the next couple of months, people will see that come to life.â€? Billy Joel will open the arena on WK $SULO ZKLOH HDUO\ FRQĂ€UPDWLRQV for gigs include New Kids on the Block, Pink Floyd veteran Roger Waters and Bruno Mars. The Harlem Globetrotters will also pass through in April while later in the year the Long Island Nets, the ' /HDJXH DIĂ€OLDWH RI WKH %URRNO\Q Nets, will move in. Yet where the Barclays Center arrived as the new home of the Brooklyn Nets, with all of the attendant fanfare in making a piece of New York history, the Coliseum will actually be losing its anchor tenant. Yormark, however, ZHOFRPHV WKH QHZ Ă H[LELOLW\ “We look at that as a plus,â€? he says. “If you think of The O2 here >LQ /RQGRQ@ WKH\ GRQ¡W KDYH D

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COVER STORY STADIUMS AND VENUES

core tenant, but they’re the busiest building in the world. They’ve got D ORW RI Ă H[LELOLW\ ZKHQ LW FRPHV to artists and the things they do to SURJUDPPH WKH EXLOGLQJ :H NLQG RI ORRN DW LW LQ D VLPLODU ZD\ “The schedule at Barclays is YHU\ WLJKW :KHQ \RX WKLQN RI WKH ,VODQGHUV DQG \RX WKLQN RI WKH Nets, between the two you’ve got FORVH WR GDWHV DOUHDG\ WDNHQ 6R WKH Ă H[LELOLW\ WKDW WKH &ROLVHXP ZLOO DIIRUG XV WR ZRUN ZLWK DUWLVWV DQG PDQDJHUV DQG DJHQWV DQG UHDOO\ SURJUDPPH LW LQ D ZD\ ZKHUH ZH FDQ EH RSSRUWXQLVWLF , WKLQN LV VRPHWKLQJ WKDW ZH KDYHQ¡W EHHQ DIIRUGHG LQ %URRNO\Q DQG ZH¡UH H[FLWHG DERXW LW Âľ :LWK D VFKHGXOH WR Ă€OO %6( KDV ´VSHQW D ORW RI WLPH WKLQNLQJÂľ DERXW KRZ WR PDNH VXUH ´WKH DUWLVW H[SHULHQFH LV SUREDEO\ JRLQJ WR EH WKH EHVW WKHUH LVÂľ “Obviously, there’s choices in 1HZ <RUN RI ZKHUH WR SOD\ DQG ZH¡YH JRW WR JLYH WKHP D UHDVRQ WR FRPH WR /RQJ ,VODQG DQG ZH ZLOO Âľ <RUPDUN DGGV ´,W¡V JRW D JUHDW KHULWDJH DQG KLVWRU\ EXW PRUH LPSRUWDQWO\ WKDQ WKDW ZH¡YH JRW WR PDNH LW DFFHVVLEOH ZH¡YH JRW WR PDNH LW IXQ QRW RQO\ IRU WKHP EXW IRU WKHLU IDPLOLHV $QG ZH¡YH GRQH D lot of focus groups on that within the industry, with different artists DQG PDQDJHUV DQG NH\ VWDNHKROGHUV VR ZH WKLQN ZH¡UH RQ WR VRPHWKLQJ SUHWW\ VSHFLDO WKHUH Âľ It can also lean heavily on one of the strongest pillars of support SURJUDPPLQJ GHYHORSHG DW WKH %DUFOD\V &HQWHU %URRNO\Q %R[LQJ

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´&DQGLGO\ ZH KDYH EHFRPH WKH QXPEHU RQH ER[LQJ YHQXH LQ WKH FRXQWU\ ² EDU QRQH Âľ <RUPDUN VD\V ´:H¡UH GRLQJ URXJKO\ VL[ WR HLJKW ELJ FKDPSLRQVKLS Ă€JKWV D \HDU ZH have the Golden Gloves, which is RXU JUDVVURRWV IHHGHU V\VWHP ZKLFK VSHDNV WR WKH ORFDO FRPPXQLW\ DQG WKH XS DQG FRPLQJ Ă€JKWHUV ZH¡YH got strategic partnerships within WKH ER[LQJ FRPPXQLW\ ZKLFK UHDOO\ afford us to be at the forefront and HQWHUWDLQ VRPH RI WKH ELJJHVW DQG EHVW Ă€JKWV RI WKH \HDU ,Q IDFW WZR RI WKH WRS Ă€YH Ă€JKWV RI WKH \HDU KDYH EHHQ KRVWHG DW %DUFOD\V &HQWHU ZKHQ \RX WKLQN RI >&DUO@ )UDPSWRQ DQG >/HR@ 6DQWD &UX] ZKLFK WRRN SODFH LQ -XO\ DQG ZH DOVR KDG >.HLWK@ 7KXUPDQ DQG >6KDZQ@ 3RUWHU LQ WKH VSULQJ Âľ <RUPDUN FRQĂ€UPV WKDW WKH %URRNO\Q %R[LQJ H[SHULHQFH ZLOO ´FHUWDLQO\ PDNH LWV ZD\ WR /RQJ ,VODQGÂľ DQG WKDW ZRUN KDV already begun in generating local DQWLFLSDWLRQ RI WKH &ROLVHXP¡V UH HPHUJHQFH DV D PDMRU ER[LQJ FHQWUH ´:H¡YH KRVWHG TXLWH D IHZ ER[HUV IURP /RQJ ,VODQG &KULV $OJLHUL KDV IRXJKW LQ RXU EXLOGLQJ QXPHURXV WLPHV -RH 6PLWK DQRWKHU XS DQG FRPLQJ Ă€JKWHU DV ZHOO Âľ KH VD\V ´,W¡V D KRWEHG ,Q IDFW ODVW ZHHN , KDG D FDOO ZLWK RQH RI WKH IRUPHU JUHDWV ² *HUU\ &RRQH\ ZKR¡V IURP /RQJ ,VODQG +H¡V YHU\ YHU\ H[FLWHG DERXW WKH RSSRUWXQLW\ WR ZRUN ZLWK XV DQG EULQJ ER[LQJ EDFN WR WKH LVODQG 2XU Ă€UVW ER[LQJ HYHQW ZLOO EH $SULO WK DQG ZH H[SHFW LW WR EH D KXJH HYHQW LQ /RQJ ,VODQG DQG , WKLQN ER[LQJ ZLOO SOD\ D VLJQLĂ€FDQW UROH ² QR

Artist's renderings of the Nassau Colisseum in concert mode on the left, with the venue's concourse on the right

GLIIHUHQW WKDQ LW GRHV LQ %URRNO\Q Âľ %R[LQJ <RUPDUN QRWHV LV ´SDUW RI WKH ELJ HYHQW EXVLQHVVÂľ DQG KH EHOLHYHV %6( LV ´LQ WKH ELJ HYHQW EXVLQHVVÂľ 5HPRYLQJ WKH LPSHGLPHQWV WR WKRVH ELJ HYHQWV LV another core part of the approach. ´:H¡UH QRW H[FOXVLYH ZLWK DQ\RQH Âľ <RUPDUN VD\V ´,W¡V QR GLIIHUHQW WKDQ RQ WKH PXVLF VLGH ² \RX ZDQW WR ZRUN ZLWK DV PDQ\ SURPRWHUV DV SRVVLEOH ZRUN ZLWK DV PDQ\ PDQDJHUV DV possible, so you can give yourself the best chance of having the biggest DQG EHVW HYHQWV $QG WKDW¡V EHHQ RXU VWUDWHJ\ UHDOO\ ZKHQ \RX WKLQN DERXW RXU SURJUDPPLQJ LQ JHQHUDO LQ %URRNO\Q DQG VRRQ WR EH LQ /RQJ ,VODQG , OLNH WR VD\ ZH¡UH DQ RSHQ URRP :H¡UH RSHQ WR GR EXVLQHVV ZLWK DQ\RQH Âľ %6( KDV DOVR QRZ GRQH EXVLQHVV ZLWK 1HZ <RUN &RPPXQLW\ %DQN 1<&% ZKLFK ZLOO EHFRPH WKH SUHVHQWLQJ SDUWQHU RI WKH &ROLVHXP itself and the title partner of the DGMDFHQW DFUH UHWDLO DQG OHLVXUH SOD]D ZKLFK ZLOO EH NQRZQ DV 1<&% /LYH 1<&%¡V LQYROYHPHQW ZDV FRQĂ€UPHG LQ D 1RYHPEHU DQQRXQFHPHQW ZKLFK DOVR UHYHDOHG FRPPHUFLDO SDUWQHUVKLSV ZLWK WKH OLNHV RI 7UL 6WDWH )RUG WKH +RVSLWDO for Special Surgery, airline JetBlue and a host of suppliers. 7KH FRPPHUFLDO SHUIRUPDQFH RI VSRUWV YHQXHV LV VRPHWKLQJ RI D VSHFLDOLW\ IRU <RUPDUN +H LV QRZ LQYROYHG LQ (QWLWOH D QHZ YHQWXUH KH KDV VHW XS ZLWK &RRSHU +ROGLQJV IRXQGHU /RQQLH &RRSHU WKDW ZLOO IRFXV VROHO\ RQ EURNHULQJ QDPLQJ ULJKWV DJUHHPHQWV IRU ERWK GRPHVWLF

Nothing but Nets “There was a bit of uncertainty when we moved to Brooklyn,â€? admits Brett Yormark, the chief executive of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, of the New Jersey Nets’ 2012 relocation to New York’s fastest-changing borough. “Would we develop the franchise the way we thought we would? Would it become a lifestyle brand and a movement? Would people gravitate to the black and white colour palette? And I think over the ďŹ rst four years, the answers to all of those questions were yes, yes and yes. “We’ve become a global brand. Our merchandise is one of the top ďŹ ve sellers in China, it’s one of the top ďŹ ve sellers here in the UK, you can ďŹ nd it anywhere in the world. It’s become a lifestyle brand: celebrities wear it, fans wear it – casual and hardcore – and they like it for lots of dierent reasons. They love the black and white; they love brand Brooklyn, which has become so hot over the last couple of years. I think now’s a good time for us to be in the marketplace.â€? The nature of the Nets’ activities in that marketplace could be markedly changed by the trial of the ďŹ rst game jersey sponsorship patches in NBA history, set to appear from the start of the 2017/18 season. Yormark says the team is taking

and international venue clients. 6WLOO DW %6(¡V RZQ YHQXHV WKH FHQWUDO FRPPLWPHQW UHPDLQV WR LPSURYLQJ VWDQGDUGV DQG VHWWLQJ DQ H[DPSOH WKURXJK WKH VSHFWDWRU H[SHULHQFH &XVWRPHU VHUYLFH <RUPDUN VD\V LV ´FULWLFDOÂľ ´:H ZHUH RQH RI WKH Ă€UVW buildings to engage with Disney Institute and really have that Disney Ă DYRXU LQ RXU EXLOGLQJ Âľ KH DGGV ´/DVW ZHHN ZH ZHQW WKURXJK WUDLQLQJ WKH\ FDPH LQ DQG WUDLQHG RI RXU HPSOR\HHV MXVW WR DPSOLI\ WKDW UHFRPPLWPHQW WR FXVWRPHU VHUYLFH $QG DORQJ WKRVH OLQHV ZH QDPHG D Ă€UVW HYHU FKLHI H[SHULHQFH RIĂ€FHU IRU D YHQXH 7KLV SDUWLFXODU JHQWOHPDQ LV JRLQJ WR RYHUVHH D VWHHULQJ FRPPLWWHH VR IURP WKH HYHQW WUDQVDFWLRQ WR WKH HYHQW H[SHULHQFH KRZ GR ZH FRQWURO LW" +RZ GR ZH DPSOLI\ LW"

the opportunity “very seriouslyâ€?, noting that it is “the name and brand that you’ll be most synonymous withâ€?. The Nets will seek a global partner, and will choose carefully, but Yormark is not currently thinking too far beyond the initial three-year pilot. These are diďŹƒcult times on the court for the team, but also times of opportunity. Jeremy Lin (above) was one of a number of new arrivals in the summer, joining as a free agent, with Yormark admitting that the leadership “deliberately waited till after free agency to get on the street, if you will, pitching the patch opportunityâ€?. The Taiwanese-American Lin’s presence also generates additional interest in Asia, aording the Nets “an opportunity to have a voice in areas of the world where we didn’t have oneâ€?. But the team’s

+RZ GR ZH PDNH LW OHVV ODERXU LQWHQVLYH PRUH Ă XLG DQG XOWLPDWHO\ PRUH HQMR\DEOH" 6R WKDW¡V FHUWDLQO\ VRPHWKLQJ WKDW ZH¡UH YHU\ PXFK focused on. “The other thing that we have to be focused on, given the world WKDW ZH OLYH LQ WRGD\ LV VHFXULW\ Âľ KH FRQWLQXHV ´1R TXHVWLRQ DERXW LW $QG ZH¡YH EHHQ DW WKH IRUHIURQW RI VHFXULW\ DOVR :H¡YH JRW WR PDNH VXUH WKDW ZKHQ IDQV FRPH WR WKH EXLOGLQJ WKH\ IHHO VDIH DQG LQ VRPH UHVSHFWV WKH\ IHHO DW KRPH $QG , WKLQN ZH¡YH done that but, obviously, we need to see how we can even do it better. “So I guess you could say those DUH WKH WZR WKLQJV WKDW ,¡P WUXO\ focused on right now as we’re KHDGHG WR \HDU Ă€YH EXW LW¡V DOVR ORRNLQJ DW HYHU\WKLQJ DQG QRW UHLQYHQWLQJ LW EXW KRZ GR \RX UHĂ€QH LW" +RZ GR \RX PDNH \RXU IRRG DQG

activities in China, in particular, are more systematic than that, with two exhibition games now played and Yormark leading a visit there in August which brought commercial deals in its wake. Closer to home, owner Mikhail Prokhorov conďŹ rmed in November that he was “beginning the search for a strategic minority ownership partnerâ€? in a bid “to further strengthen the team’s New York presence in order to expand upon our business and community relationshipsâ€?. On the court, Yormark hopes Lin can lead a refreshed line-up to greater success this season, even if a play-o run looks set to elude them again. “It’s a new chapter: new coach, new general manager, ten new players,â€? Yormark says. “And it’s exciting. Anything that’s new and dierent is exciting. So I sit here today not knowing really what to expect from the season, but I do know that the energy, the commitment, the passion, the hard work that I’ve seen over the last month or two from everyone involved in our basketball programme is a breath of fresh air and it’s something that I’m looking forward to seeing come to life on the court during the regular season, and I think fans are going to be excited about it.â€?

your culinary offering better than it’s HYHU EHHQ" :H¡UH VWULYLQJ WR GR WKDW $JDLQ ZLWK WKH FXVWRPHU VHUYLFH how do we engage in ways that we haven’t before? The speed of service, security – all of those thngs DUH EHLQJ ORRNHG DW WR VD\ Âś+RZ FDQ we be better?’ “But it’s not reinvention, it’s a UHĂ€QHPHQW ,W¡V ORRNLQJ DW WKH ODVW IRXU \HDUV DQG ORRNLQJ DW RXU GDWD DQG ORRNLQJ DW KRZ IDQV EHKDYH LI you will, and their buying habits. +RZ GR ZH DFFRPPRGDWH WKHP LQ D PRUH HIIHFWLYH ZD\ WKDQ HYHU EHIRUH" %XW ZH¡UH H[FLWHG )URP P\ SHUVSHFWLYH ZH¡YH MXVW JRWWHQ VWDUWHG )RXU \HDUV KDV JRQH UHDOO\ fast, and we all sign up for the PDQWUD RI ÂśZH¡UH KDSS\ EXW QHYHU VDWLVĂ€HG ¡ ULJKW" 7KHUH DUH WKLQJV we can do better and we’re going WR JHW WKHUH Âľ

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FEATURE STADIUMS AND VENUES

Credit: HKS

HOME SWEET HOME At US$2.6 billion, the Los Angeles Rams’ under-construction City of Champions Stadium is North America's most expensive sports facility. But, as Mark Williams of lead designer HKS Architects explains, it is not only the price tag that sets this mammoth project apart. By Michael Long

J

anuary’s announcement that the St Louis Rams were to relocate to Los Angeles was a historic moment for the National Football League (NFL). After an absence of more than two decades and a succession of failed attempts, pro football would be Ă€ QDOO\ KHDGLQJ EDFN WR $PHULFD¡V VHFRQG ODUJHVW PDUNHW LQ ZKDW ZDV WR EH WKH Ă€ UVW 1)/ IUDQFKLVH relocation since 1997. The Rams, who previously played in the LA area for nearly half a century before moving to St Louis in 1995, were to relocate to the vast but ageing Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum ahead of the 2016 season. Yet they wouldn’t be there for long. In November, 11 months after 6WDQ .URHQNH WKH 5DPV¡ ELOOLRQDLUH owner who made his fortune in real estate, achieved his long-held dream of relocation, the team RIĂ€ FLDOO\ EURNH JURXQG RQ WKH City of Champions Stadium, the new 70,000-seat facility they’ll call home from 2019. Constructed on the site of the old Hollywood 3DUN UDFHWUDFN LQ ,QJOHZRRG WR the east of LAX airport, the

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low-slung, open-air stadium is the centrepiece of a sprawling, 298-acre development that will include a 6,000-seat concert venue, a hotel, UHWDLO DQG RIĂ€ FH VSDFH DSDUWPHQWV and townhouses, and even an DUWLĂ€ FLDO ODNH ZLWK ZDWHUIDOOV “This thing is going to be XQEHOLHYDEOH Âľ GHFODUHG .URHQNH VSHDNLQJ DW D JURXQGEUHDNLQJ ceremony in mid-November. “I GRQ¡W WKLQN SHRSOH UHDOO\ XQGHUVWDQG the scale of this.â€? All told, the entire development will span an area more than three times the size of Disneyland and, in PDQ\ ZD\V LW LV XQPLVWDNDEO\ /$ It’s extravagance with a distinctly &DOLIRUQLDQ Ă DYRXU DQ DXGDFLRXV larger-than-life demonstration of wealth and opportunity that could only have been conceived between the hills of big-budget Hollywood and the palm-lined shores of Manhattan Beach. From top to bottom, the lavish development is designed to be embedded within and yet stand out from its local surroundings, and its guiding SULQFLSOH LV FODVVLF 1)/ PDNH D VWDWHPHQW Ă€ UVW KRVW IRRWEDOO ODWHU

The LA Rams’ City of Champions Stadium, as shown in an artist’s rendering

THE ‘OCULUS’ SCOREBOARD WILL BE 50 FEET HIGH AND 120 YARDS LONG

But it is the price tag that grabs the attention more than anything else. Even in the NFL, a go-big-orgo-home world where the numbers attached to new stadiums have escalated – fuelled by ever more ambitious projects, rising construction costs and billionaire owners, as is the NFL way, intent on outdoing one another – US$2.6 billion is staggering. Not only does the cost of the project dwarf every other stadium ever built for pro football, but it is by some GLVWDQFH 1RUWK $PHULFD¡V ² DQG OLNHO\ the world’s – most expensive sports facility. “There are some obvious IDFWRUV Âľ H[SODLQV 0DUN :LOOLDPV principal and director of sports and entertainment business development at HKS Architects, WKH SURMHFW¡V OHDG GHVLJQHUV ´:H DUH DW WKUHH PLOOLRQ VTXDUH IHHW WKH RQO\ comparable venue of that size in the NFL would be AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Houston’s Reliance Stadium is about 2.1 [million square feet], and everything else is about 1.7, 1.8-ish, in that UDQJH :H¡UH QHDUO\ GRXEOH WKH VL]H so that’s a big thing.

“The second thing,â€? he continues, “is we’re in Southern California and Los Angeles, so the cost of construction, if you compare that to other cities, it’s usually on the upper end. It’s just how much it costs to construct in that region of the United States. And then probably the third piece that plays into it is the seismic criteria that we needed to meet. There is a premium to design a building and design three million square feet and all those pretty complicated structural things while still having it meet and address the criteria. Those are three really big things that explain a good FKXQN RI WKH GHOWD EHWZHHQ RWKHU stadiums and this one.â€? :KLOH WKH RYHUDOO SULFH WDJ PD\ be somewhat misleading, given the myriad elements of this mixed-use GHYHORSPHQW LW¡V QRW KDUG WR Ă€ QG someone who believes US$2.6 billion LV PRQH\ ZHOO VSHQW &LW\ RIĂ€ FLDOV DQG FLYLF OHDGHUV DUH FRQĂ€ GHQW WKH Rams stadium project has the power to rejuvenate a local community that was left feeling abandoned when WKH /RV $QJHOHV /DNHUV DQG .LQJV moved across town from The Forum in 1999, and which suffered a further NQRFN ZKHQ WKH +ROO\ZRRG 3DUN UDFHWUDFN FORVHG LQ Moody’s Analytics estimates that the entire development, which is the focal point of a much wider urban regeneration programme called the City of Champions Revitalisation Initiative, will generate nearly US$1 billion in tourism revenue each year and a WRWDO RI 86 ELOOLRQ DQQXDOO\ for the local economy. Meanwhile James Butts, the mayor of ,QJOHZRRG D ODUJHO\ EODFN DQG Latino neighbourhood of around 118,000, has said he expects the development to contribute up to US$28 million for the city’s annual budget as well as providing 40,000 construction jobs over the next GHFDGH DQG XSZDUGV RI permanent positions.

In sporting terms, the facility is already slated to stage the Super %RZO LQ LQ NHHSLQJ ZLWK WKH NFL’s recent policy of awarding new stadiums the right to host football’s marquee showdown soon after opening. Beyond that event, there is the prospect of staging FROOHJH EDVNHWEDOO¡V )LQDO )RXU D future College Football Playoff championship game, and perhaps the possibility of playing some part in the ongoing LA 2024 Olympic ELG ,I .URHQNH KDV KLV ZD\ however, the stadium will serve as a top sports and entertainment hub well beyond the next decade. “His vision from day one was to create the ultimate fan experience and patrons’ environment, not only for the Rams but for the NFL,â€? says :LOOLDPV ZKRVH FRPSDQ\ FDPH XS with the development’s masterplan as part of the Rams’ relocation proposal to the NFL. “He really saw WKLV VLWH DV D JOREDO VWDJH NQRZLQJ that 40 million people land at LAX every year from across the globe, and the last thing that they see before they land is this site. Also, the exposure for the team on television, DQG WKHQ WKH IDFW WKDW ZH¡YH JRW DFUHV WKDW ZH FRXOG PDNH D WUXO\ destination environment. “All of those things were very important from day one, minute one, for his vision for what not only this stadium, but this site from a sports and entertainment perspective could be and should be.â€? From a design standpoint, the stadium – which will contain 70,000 Ă€ [HG VHDWV DQG KDYH WKH DELOLW\ WR DFFRPPRGDWH DGGLWLRQDO spectators in standing-room areas ² SRVVHVVHV DOO WKH KDOOPDUNV RI a new generation of high-tech, low-emission NFL venues. Its sculptural, sail-shaped roof, for example, will be partially made of ETFE, a durable, translucent SODVWLF PDWHULDO DOVR XVHG DW 86 %DQN Stadium, another HKS development

MOODY’S ANALYTICS ESTIMATES THE COMPLEX WILL GENERATE AN ANNUAL US$3.8 BILLION

“IF YOU’RE GOING TO SPEND US$2.5 BILLION, IT’S IMPORTANT THAT YOU SPEND IT THE RIGHT WAY.�

which opened in Minnesota in July. Split across nine levels, the venue will also boast a state of the art, centre-hung ‘oculus’ scoreboard that will be some 50 feet high and 120 yards long, twice the length of the Dallas Cowboys’ scoreboard at AT&T Stadium, currently the largest IDFLOLW\ LQ WKH 1)/ &HUWLĂ€ FDWLRQ under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) programme is also pending. Yet there are certain aspects that PDNH WKLV SURMHFW XQLTXH DV :LOOLDPV H[SODLQV ´:H WDNH YHU\ IHZ JLYHQV when we start a project,â€? he says. ´:H WRRN WKDW VDPH DSSURDFK RQ this project and the end result is a customised, unique design that really grows out of the DNA of Southern California, the DNA of the Los Angeles Rams, and the entertainment industry. There is a lot of researchbased design and understanding that follows, and responding to that really goes into how it is created. “One of the big things is the whole indoor-outdoor perspective,â€? he continues. “It’s very ingrained in Southern California because of the FOLPDWH VR LI \RX ORRN DW WKH UHVLGHQWV there and the way their living rooms DQG FRPPRQ DUHDV Ă RZ LQVLGH DQG outside, there is a very soft grey line between the two. It’s very common in residences, in restaurants and hotels, gathering places and entertainment areas, to have that classic indooroutdoor relationship. ´:H¡YH DFWXDOO\ WDNHQ WKDW through our research, and understood that that’s the way people live and that’s what they expect. And we’ve done that on a three million square foot building. That’s unprecedented. “You can start out with the typical idea that it needs to be an enclosed building, all air-conditioned, or we can do that but maybe we have some things that open up. It made the most sense, if you’re going to spend US$2.5 billion, that you spent it the right way, and the right way was we should have an indoor-outdoor building where people can enjoy the incredible climate and weather and ocean breezes in Southern California.â€?

SportsPro Magazine | 53

As well as striving to achieve a Ă€ UVW UDWH IDQ H[SHULHQFH WKDW GUDZV upon the local lifestyle and culture, :LOOLDPV VD\V +.6¡V GHVLJQ SD\V FORVH DWWHQWLRQ WR WKH NLQGV RI FRPPHUFLDO considerations that are central to the design of any modern-day sports facility. He explains that concessions, luxury suites, VIP areas and sponsor spaces have all been carefully integrated into the overall concept to maximise partnership opportunities and, for the tenants, earning potential. As well as 275 luxury suites and more than 16,000 premium seats, the venue will boast the Lux Cabanas, a beachWKHPHG FOXE DW Ă€ HOG OHYHO EHKLQG one end zone, and two Stage Clubs set into the stadium’s corners and VSDQQLQJ PXOWLSOH Ă RRUV &LW\ PDUNHW style concession stands, meanwhile, will conform to a food hall concept, ZLWK FKHIV FRRNLQJ LQ JODVV HQFDVHG NLWFKHQV \HDU URXQG DQG WKHQ WKHUH LV the main seating bowl itself. ´:H GLG D ZKROH GHPRJUDSKLF based design, and we really have a lot RI Ă H[LELOLW\ DQG GLYHUVLW\ EXLOW LQWR the seating bowl and the design,â€? VD\V :LOOLDPV ´:KDW , PHDQ E\ that is whether you’re a typical suite holder, whether you’re a club patron or a general admission patron, we have a diversity of product oftentimes in the same range of SULFLQJ WKDW \RX FDQ Ă€ W LQWR GLIIHUHQW locations in the seating bowl. “If I’m fortunate enough to have the ability to be a club patron, I don’t have just a club on the sidelines at a certain location to go WR , KDYH ORZHU XSSHU HQG ]RQH I’ve got different locations within the bowl because we’ve found that with club patrons, there are different expectations as to where they want to be. So we’ve done that throughout the whole seating bowl. ´:H¡YH OHG WKH ZD\ , EHOLHYH RQ many other venues by creating these environments that can be sponsorable elements within the building. Those may be platforms in the seating bowl, those may be zones ZLWKLQ FRQFRXUVHV :H WDNH WKDW YHU\ seriously in trying to have the design WR UHĂ HFW D YHU\ GHĂ€ QDEOH DUHD that’s probably the best way to say it. A sponsor can come in there and it’s

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Credit: HKS

FEATURE STADIUMS AND VENUES

not just, ‘OK, I have a wall here,’ or ZKDWHYHU 7KH\¡YH JRW D YHU\ GHĂ€ QHG area that they can occupy.â€? Due to the proximity of the site location to LAX and its busy air space, the development is subject to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) height restrictions which limit nearby buildings to 175 feet tall. That, in itself, has presented something of a headache for the architects at HKS. Nevertheless, :LOOLDPV VD\V WKH FRPSDQ\ ZDV DEOH to turn what was a sizeable challenge into “one of the top two or three features of the whole thingâ€?, simply E\ VLQNLQJ WKH HQWLUH GHYHORSPHQW below ground level, as it has done in the past on other projects. ´:H¡UH MXVW D KDLU RYHU WZR PLOHV IURP /$; Âľ KH QRWHV ´VR OLNH DQ\ building in that region around the airport, we have certain height restrictions according to FAA requirements and for the planes that are coming in. The result of that is we had to push the building into the ground about 90 feet. Now that’s about double the most we’ve ever done, so immediately you sit there DQG WKLQN WKDW¡V D FRQFHUQ RU DQ LVVXH “Honestly, at the beginning, that was something that I had to scratch P\ KHDG DQG WU\ WR Ă€ JXUH RXW KRZ we were going to do that. But the reality is what rose out of that will be the greatest entry experience for sure in the NFL, and probably any other VSRUWV YHQXH WKDW , FDQ WKLQN RI Âľ :LOOLDPV H[SODLQV WKDW WKH HQWU\ points to the stadium will be terraced and “fully landscapedâ€?, creating an “incredible, meandering pathâ€? along which spectators will

The venue has been built with an ‘indoor-outdoor’ perspective, reecting the traditions of southern California

descend to the main concourses and seating bowl. “It’s a great peopleZDWFKLQJ SODFH LW¡V D JUHDW ZDON DQG you have this very cool image of meandering down to the ocean with WKLV ZLQGLQJ SDWK Âľ KH DGGV ´:H call it the ‘extended object’ - that’s another DNA characteristic all over Southern California.â€? At the time of publishing, there was still the possibility that the venue could end up playing host to not one, but two NFL franchises. As part of the Rams’ move, which came with a US$550 million relocation fee and after protracted deliberations between NFL owners, the league gave the San Diego Chargers, whose own stadium plans were resoundingly rejected by local voters in November, a year to negotiate a venue-sharing arrangement. Discussions continue ahead of a January deadline but if the Chargers do not exercise their RSWLRQ WR UHORFDWH WKH 2DNODQG Raiders, who had submitted a joint proposal to share a new stadium with the Chargers in the LA suburb of Carson, will be given a oneyear option to join the Rams in Inglewood. There remains, then, some uncertainty as to which team, if any, will serve as the Rams’ co-tenants but come what may, the new stadium will be more than capable of housing two teams. “It’s already tuned and set up and designed so that we have the ability, if it ever happened, to add a second team,â€? VD\V :LOOLDPV ´&RDFKLQJ DUHDV DFFHVV WR WKH Ă€ HOG RZQHU¡V DUHDV DOO WKDW VWXII LV DOUHDG\ EDNHG LQWR the equation.â€?

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FEATURE STADIUMS AND VENUES

EUROPE’S NEW VENUES A new generation has dawned in European soccer, with clubs across the continent building or reimagining their home grounds in a range of innovative ways. By Adam Nelson

A

t a cursory glance, there is not much variation possible when it comes to designing soccer stadiums. A pitch, some seats, a concessions stand are the necessary elements; everything else is simply a matter of scale. Across Europe, however, top-level soccer teams are creating impressive new homes or redeveloping iconic old ones in ways that, if not reinventing the concept of a stadium, are pushing it to its limits. With clubs increasingly realising the revenue potential of these vast areas of real estate, which often sit unused for weeks at a time, these new venues are often focused on multi-purpose use, including several facilities in one and doubling up as handsome hosts for corporate events, often including hotels, cinemas and full-scale shopping centres. In other cases, solutions are being sought to reduce the environmental impact of stadiums, while in all cases, more care is being taken over integrating them into their environments, whether that is as part of the fabric of a large city or blending into more rural locations. SportsPro takes a look at four projects from across the continent and assesses how they are pointing the way to the future of the European soccer stadium.

NORTHUMBERLAND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT, LONDON ARCHITECT: POPULOUS CAPACITY: 61,000 COST: US$500 MILLION It has been ten years now that Premier League soccer side Tottenham Hotspur have looked longingly down London’s Seven Sisters Road toward the Emirates Stadium, the state of the art facility constructed by their long-time rivals Arsenal in the middle of the last decade. During that period, Spurs have intermittently been able to compete with their neighbours on the pitch, but rarely have they been able to GR VR RII LW Ă€QDQFLDOO\ +HOG EDFN by the ageing and comparatively small White Hart Lane, the club’s matchday revenue and commercial opportunities from hospitality and corporate functions have been dwarfed by those of Arsenal. Tottenham’s proposed new stadium – presently known as the Northumberland Development Project until a naming rights SDUWQHU LV LGHQWLĂ€HG ² LV WKH FOXE

56 | www.sportspromedia.com

hope, the long-term remedy to these problems. Designed by global architectural company Populous, the Northumberland Development Project will have reasonable claim to being the UK’s most technologically advanced stadium ZKHQ LW Ă€QDOO\ RSHQV LQ WLPH IRU WKH 2018/19 Premier League season. Most notably, the stadium will hold two separate pitches: one regular surface for the stadium’s full-time job as a soccer venue, and another retractable pitch for when it is moonlighting as a National Football League (NFL) venue. Two games per season will be hosted in Tottenham as part of the NFL’s International Series. The retractable SLWFK ZKLFK VLWV Ă€YH PHWUHV DERYH the permanent one and withdraws underneath one of the main stands, will also be used for hosting concerts. The 17,000-seater southern stand will be largest single-tier stand in English soccer, eclipsing Liverpool’s historic Kop by over 4,000 seats, though falling short of the European record set by Borussia Dortmund’s SĂźdtribĂźne, popularly known as the ‘Yellow Wall’, which

holds 25,000 spectators. A lightweight cable-net roof will form a complete cover over the stands, while a glass façade will curve around the entire outside of the stadium, allowing views RXWZDUG IURP WKH Ă€YH VWRUH\ DWULXP in the home stand where fans will be encouraged gather before games. Also enclosed within the structure will be a cinema, a 180-room hotel and, most intriguingly, the world’s tallest climbing wall. All of this is intended to turn the stadium into a seven-days-a-week revenue-driver, rather than sitting unoccupied for most of the year. In total, the venue will seat 61,000 fans – pointedly, 1,000 more than the 60,000 who regularly pack out Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium. Of some concern to supporters is the recent memory of Arsenal’s lean period, during which the club’s spending on playing staff ZDV VLJQLĂ€FDQWO\ FXUEHG DQG WKH team went nine years without a WURSK\ ZKLOH SURĂ€WV ZHUH HDWHQ XS on paying off loans. Much of the success of the stadium will depend on Spurs qualifying more frequently for the Uefa Champions League.

CAMP NOU, BARCELONA ARCHITECT: NIKKEN SEKKEI / PASCUAL I AUSIO ARQUITECTE CAPACITY: 105,000 UPGRADE COST: US$395 MILLION With a maximum capacity bigger than any other stadium in Europe and an average attendance behind only Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion and Manchester United’s Old Trafford in all of world soccer, there may not appear to be any pressing need for upgrades to FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium. But the Spanish giants have taken a ‘strike while the iron is hot’ approach to their home ground, announcing plans to renovate the venue in April this year while the team were chasing down their second consecutive La Liga title and still the holders of the Uefa Champions League. The plans for the ‘Nou Camp Nou’, as the club have dubbed the project, include the addition of nearly 6,000 new seats to take the total capacity to 105,000. While the roof will not encompass the entire stadium, every seat in the

venue will be covered, keeping fans dry even in the most adverse weather conditions. According to the stadium’s architects – Japanese ÀUP 1LNNHQ 6HNNHL LQ FROODERUDWLRQ ZLWK ORFDO &DWDODQ ÀUP 3DVFXDO L Ausio Arquitecte – the open-roof solution helps to save costs on air conditioning and climatic regulation in instances when the roof would be closed, and ensures that the Mediterranean elements continue to DIIHFW WKH ÀHOG RI SOD\ The construction has been VSUHDG RYHU ÀYH \HDUV ² EHJLQQLQJ during the 2017/18 season and concluding in time for the 2021/22 campaign – in order that the renovations can be carried out in separate stages, allowing the club to continue to play home games at the Camp Nou throughout the process. The expansion is part of the ongoing Espai Barça project, a long-term redevelopment plan of all the club’s sporting facilities, including the Palau Blaugrana basketball arena, the Mini Estadi, where Barcelona’s youth teams play, and the famous La Masia training academy. In total, Barcelona are expected to

Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium will be the largest club soccer venue in London, just

Barcelona’s Camp Nou, already Europe’s biggest soccer stadium, will grow even further after the current redevelopment

invest around US$645 million into the upgrades, of which they are intending to recoup US$200 million through the sale of the naming rights for the Camp Nou. The new wider campus will contain a museum honouring the club’s history and displaying their myriad trophies from across the decades, while a new green space will be opened to connect the facility to the rest of the city, UHÁHFWLQJ WKH FRQWHPSRUDU\ GHVLUH to better integrate stadiums into their environments.

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FEATURE STADIUMS AND VENUES

ESTADIO SANTIAGO BERNABÉU, MADRID ARCHITECT: GERKAN, MARG AND PARTNERS CAPACITY: 85,454 UPGRADE COST: US$430 MILLION As a club known for their excess and lavish spending, perhaps the only surprise about Real Madrid’s plans for the upgrades to the legendary Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is that they don’t include an increase in capacity. Though there will be no advance on the current 85,454 seats, just about everything else at the 11-time European champions’ base will be reinvigorated under the new redevelopment project. Having been delayed by a high court ruling which initially rejected Madrid’s even more extravagant SODQV ² LQFOXGLQJ EXLOGLQJ D ÀYH star hotel and shopping centre into the complex – the city’s council has now approved the slightly more restrained plans, which will nevertheless see the stadium transformed. Given that the US$430 million being spent on the redevelopment is more than the cost of most brand new stadiums, the Real Madrid board has high hopes that the project will revitalise the ageing Bernabéu and open up new commercial avenues for the club.

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An entirely new façade will cover the entire venue, including the four distinctive access towers on each corner, completely transforming the stadium’s outside appearance. Internally, a huge LED band will run the full perimeter of the stands, offering a 360-degree scoreboard, video display and advertising hoarding. Part of the agreement the club have reached with the city means that the external footprint of the Bernabéu cannot be expanded, and also that it will open up more spaces to the public. To this end, one of the car parks will be demolished to make way for an accessible green space. 0DQ\ RI WKH RIÀFHV FXUUHQWO\ based inside the stadium will be moved to the Ciudad Real Madrid campus in order to open up more state of the art corporate function and hospitality spaces in the venue, increasing non-matchday revenues. The pièce de résistance, meanwhile, will be the stadium’s new retractable roof. A rarity for a soccer stadium – where the elements rarely affect the ability to continue the game, particularly in Spain – one of the major reasons for the cover is actually to reduce the noise emanating from the stands during late-night games. While the

Real Madrid’s Estadio Santiago Bernabéu will soon be wrapped in an all-new modern façade and covered by a retractable roof

Bernabéu’s city-centre location has long been one of its key features, grounding the club in the centre of their Madridista fanbase, it has also long caused consternation for thousands of local residents, particularly with the Spanish authorities’ proclivity for regularly scheduling league games at 10pm. The project will in part be paid for by a potential naming rights partner, with the club’s president Florentino Pérez stating that this would take the form of a ‘surname’ addendum to the ground’s current name, whose traditional status the club are unwilling to compromise. Meanwhile, Real’s cross-city rivals Atlético Madrid have recently resolved their own long-running stadium move. Work began on the VLJQLÀFDQW XSJUDGH RI 0DGULG·V Estadio La Peineta in 2011, from 20,000 seats to 73,729, in 2011, and the status of the club’s move WR WKH YHQXH KDV EHHQ LQ ÁX[ HYHU since. Los Rojiblancos have now FRQÀUPHG WKDW WKH\ ZLOO OHDYH their long-term home, the Vicente Calderón Stadium, for the start of the 2017/18 La Liga season. Dalian Wanda, the Chinese conglomerate which owns 20 per cent of Atlético, has taken the naming rights for the new stadium, which will be known as the Wanda Metropolitano.

THE NEW LAWN, GLOUCESTERSHIRE ARCHITECT: ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS CAPACITY: 5,000 COST: US$125 MILLION Though the name of Forest Green 5RYHUV PD\ QRW VHHP D QDWXUDO Ă€W alongside the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur, the English minnows’ proposed stadium may be the most radical and future-facing on this list. The soccer side, who play in the National League Premier – four tiers below England’s WRS Ă LJKW ² KDYH EHHQ DW WKH vanguard of climate-conscious and environmentally friendly thinking in soccer for some time, EHFRPLQJ WKH Ă€UVW FOXE LQ WKH world to serve exclusively vegan produce at home games from the start of the 2015/16 season. The new stadium takes that approach to a whole new level, however, and will be built from the ground up with the environment in mind. The club’s owner, Dale Vince, is also the founder of Ecotricity, Britain’s leading supplier of clean energy. It was Ecotricity which hosted the seven-month international competition for the pitch which ultimately saw Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) – designer of 4DWDU¡V )LID :RUOG &XS Ă€QDO venue and London’s Aquatics Centre – emerge victorious with its plans for a stadium constructed almost entirely out of wood. “We had the ambition to do something that really sits coherently and not like a foreign object in the landscape,â€? said Sara Klomps, associate director at ZHA, speaking to SportsPro shortly after the competition winner was announced.

English National League side Forest Green Rovers have taken a novel approach to their new stadium, focusing on sustainability and its place in the environment

The timber louvres used in the construction will be coated with a weatherproof and ďŹ reproof cladding

Every external-facing surface used in the construction of the stadium, explains Klomps, will be covered with an architectural membrane to protect it from the elements, but all the structural components will be crafted from timber louvres, allowing WKH EXLOGLQJ WR Ă€W PRUH QDWXUDOO\ into its “beautiful meadow surroundingsâ€?. With the facility to be based in the Gloucestershire countryside, both ZHA the club are determined not to disrupt the natural environment and to respect “the sensitivity of the landscape,â€? says Klomps. To that end, the stadium is also as open as possible, to allow for QDWXUDO YHQWLODWLRQ DQG OLJKW WR Ă RZ through. “By creating the shape by the structural components only, we dissolve the usual heaviness of a stadium,â€? explains Klomps. The pitch, against the grain of many modern soccer surfaces which use a combination of real DQG DUWLĂ€FLDO WXUI ZLOO EH HQWLUHO\ natural, and watered as much as possible using recycled rain water, ZKLOH WKH WRLOHWV ZLOO Ă XVK ZLWK so-called ‘grey water’ – recycled water which has been used for other purposes. A series of ponds will be installed around the ground to collect rain run-off and ensure that the construction has a minimal effect on the surrounding environment. While the wooden materials pose some problems, Klomps insists that during the construction phase the louvres are “just like using concrete or steelâ€?, although she admits that safety is of some concern.

“We designed the stadium to allow evacuation within six minutes, which is a medium risk,â€? says Klomps. “But as long as you protect the timber structure in critical areas, you can treat the timber like any other material with Ă€UH FRDWLQJ RU Ă€UH FODGGLQJ 7KHQ there is no difference to using a concrete slab.â€? One of the key concerns is ensuring that the building of the stadium is as environmentally IULHQGO\ DV WKH Ă€QLVKHG VWUXFWXUH will be, with much care taken to reduce the energy used in construction. This includes the development of an extralightweight roof covering the stands in order to minimise the foundations. Additionally, materials will be sourced from as locally as possible and, as ZHA did when building the Aquatics Centre ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games, transported where possible via rail or boat rather than trucks when they have to be imported from afar. “Looking at the execution, it’s important to start trying to source materials locally and that the contractors bring the materials as much as possible via sustainable paths,â€? says Klomps. Finally, the site will include a small energy centre to cater for some of the stadium’s energy needs including the use of, among other things, cut grass to create an organic compost and draw energy from that. The car park for the site, meanwhile, will integrate several large PV solar panels and accommodate recharging spaces for electric vehicles.

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What can we expect from Football Talks 2017?

TIAGO CRAVEIRO CEO OF FPF

www.footballtalks.org

Football Talks 2017 is an event that brings together the most important worldwide directors and specialists in football. As well as the speakers, we know there will be huge interest from the public and the media. This forum looks to the future: we know and hope that the topics debated in Estoril can have practical repercussions on players, clubs and federations. In the last edition, Pierluigi Collina gave a talk about the trends in refereeing. The debate influenced the International Board’s decision to implement the video referee. These are the kinds of results we are seeking to achieve again in this year’s event, which will take place at Estoril Congress Centre, a beautiful building next to the sea, from 22 to 24 March 2017. What are the FPF’s goals in organising this event? Our goals are to diagnose the state of the game in order to anticipate the future of football on a global scale. Furthermore, we believe that an activity that has such a strong social, cultural and economic impact like football does has to look at the road we have travelled, where we are and chose the next pathways we want to go down. Football Talks also serves to find creative, competent and out-of-the-box solutions. Our speakers have this capacity and influence. What can you reveal about the confirmed speakers? We have again made efforts to bring a panel of excellence to the event, inviting people with knowledge from a broad range of areas related to the world of football. As well as the FIFA and UEFA presidents, Portugal will host names

22-24 MARCH 2017 ESTORIL CONGRESS CENTRE Estoril · Portugal

such as David Elleray (Technical Director of the International Board), Gary Stevenson (President of Major League Soccer, in the USA), KarlHeinz Rummenigge (President of the European Association of Clubs), Nuno Moura (Marketing Director of the FPF), Nuno Santos (Content and Programming Director of Story Lab) and Nuno Teles (Marketing Director of Heineken USA), among many others who we shall announce in the meantime. Did the success of Football Talks 2015 serve as a benchmark for the new organisation of excellence? The previous edition, especially as it coincided with the centenary of the FPF, was a success from all points of view. Many football thinkers and decision makers travelled to Estoril for two days, and in the year it was launched we managed to make a name for ourselves and our idea. In this second edition, we aim to go further and internationalise Football Talks. The FPF and Portuguese football are brands that are universally recognised. It is normal that the events we organise have this dimension and we believe the confirmed presence of the FIFA and UEFA Presidents will further boost our ambition.

How did you manage to get together a panel of speakers that includes the FIFA and UEFA Presidents? It’s a question of credibility and a good reputation. The FPF is a highly-respected organisation and one that respects others. Our partners know they can count on us and we can count on them. We are very proud to belong to the football family and we will do everything to enable this family to grow in a harmonious and healthy way. This is also what we are aiming for through this platform of debate and we urge all interested parties to register as soon as possible because we expect huge interest.

Do you believe that this cycle of talks will serve as a moment of deep reflection about the state of world football today?

How can SportsPro expand the Football Talks brand even more?

I truly believe so. Today’s football is facing several essential issues regarding its future. Issues linked to the transparency of the way it is managed, the struggle for fair play, equal opportunities between men and women, access and the generalisation of the playing of sport, social responsibility, communication, among many other topics. We want to build knowledge about these matters so that we can then make informed decisions.

SportsPro is an organisation that needs no introduction. The work it has carried out, both in this edition, in the business world and in event organisation in general makes SportsPro a partner that we have wanted on our side for a long time. We will learn a lot from them and we will also try to make our contribution to build a solid relationship. Moreover, SportsPro is clearly a partner that we believe will help us internationalise Football Talks.

FEATURE STADIUMS AND VENUES

Centre ground The construction of a new international cricket stadium in the unlikely location of Kigala, Rwanda is not only helping its ambitious national teams to pursue a place in the game’s higher reaches – it is also giving local people a small way of moving beyond their harrowing past. By Eoin Connolly

S

ome venue projects are about building more than just stadiums. Rwanda is a small presence on the international cricket scene, but cricket is the fastestgrowing sport in the central and east African country. The Rwandan Cricket Association has been a WKLUG WLHU $IÀOLDWH PHPEHU RI WKH International Cricket Council (ICC) since 2003. The number of active players in the country is rising towards 10,000, despite the expense of importing kit over landlocked borders and a chronic lack of facilities which ICC central funding cannot do enough to resolve. There are currently no grass pitches in Rwanda, let alone a stadium ÀW WR VWDJH LQWHUQDWLRQDO FULFNHW 7KDW is something that the Rwanda Cricket Stadium Foundation (RCSF) aims WR UHFWLI\ %XW WKH VLJQLÀFDQFH RI LWV project, inevitably, runs deeper. It is now over 22 years since the atrocities which will live with Rwandans for generations to come: the genocide of an estimated 800,000 members of the Tutsi community by the Hutu-led government and assorted militias in its command. Somehow, from somewhere, people DUH ÀQGLQJ WKH UHVHUYHV RI RSWLPLVP and courage to pursue reconciliation. It was in that spirit that the late Christopher Shale, a former army RIÀFHU DQG &RQVHUYDWLYH PHPEHU RI parliament in the UK, was seeking ways to contribute on visits to the country almost a decade ago. He created a social action group, putting

62 | www.sportspromedia.com

volunteer doctors, teachers, sports coaches and businesspeople to work on community projects. It was on those trips, accompanied by his son Alby, that he saw this “idiosyncratic, archaic gameâ€? of cricket being used to bring Rwandan people together. When his father died in 2011, Alby Shale decided to continue his work in the country by creating a place where cricket and FRPPXQLWLHV FRXOG Ă RXULVK $IWHU years of fundraising efforts, which have yielded over UKÂŁ1 million, 5ZDQGD¡V Ă€UVW LQWHUQDWLRQDO FULFNHW venue is almost a reality. The venue was designed by architects Light Earth Designs LLP and Killian Doherty and has been under construction on a 4.3-hectare site in Gahanga, a few miles outside the capital, Kigala, since June 2016. It might better be described as a national cricket centre: there is of course an international-standard SOD\LQJ Ă€HOG ² HVVHQWLDO WR JHWWLQJ Rwanda games against high-class WRXULQJ RSSRVLWLRQ ² DV ZHOO DV practice nets, but there will also be dormitory accommodation, a gymnasium and a tennis court. “The stadium, at its core, is based on social enterprise,â€? Shale explains. “So we have a bar, we have a restaurant where we will employ local Rwandans as well as Burundian refugees. But also, it’s about giving a sport which has demonstrated its ability to unite divided people a SODWIRUP E\ ZKLFK LW FDQ Ă RXULVK and by that I mean act as an icon for cricket in Rwanda and therefore

inspire a younger generation to not only take up the game but follow in the footsteps of people who are helping to rebuild communities in Rwanda through the sport.â€? The RCSF project has secured KLJK SURĂ€OH SDWURQDJH )RUPHU British prime minister David Cameron is a supporter of the foundation, as are the BBC’s lead cricket commentator Jonathan Agnew, England women’s cricketer Heather Knight, and the great West ,QGLHV EDWVPDQ %ULDQ /DUD ZKR Ă€UVW travelled to Rwanda for a coaching session in 2009. Former South Africa fast bowler Makhaya Ntini was among those involved in the groundbreaking in December 2015. Much of the early impetus, Shale insists, was inspired by his father. “He would not like the fact that I’m saying that, but it is true,â€? he says. “A lot of the initial support FDPH IURP IDPLO\ DQG IULHQGV ² people who bought into his vision and wanted to support it because he was a very generous and caring and popular man. But as we developed and we looked into growing the game, and we demonstrated what the game was doing on a grassroots level and also on a larger community level, I think the wider cricket base has become galvanised and is now supporting our project. “We’re now partners with Surrey CCC, with an amazing luxury travel company called Volcano Safaris, and a luxury property GHYHORSPHQW FRPSDQ\ ² QDPHO\ Banda Development. So there’s a

broad donor base but also a broad support base that has helped grow WKLV LQLWLDWLYH DQG WKH Ă€QLVKLQJ OLQH is in sight.â€? ,Q RUGHU WR VRXUFH D Ă€QDO FKXQN RI funding, the foundation has changed tack. The project has drawn the attention of a range of media outlets ² IURP VSHFLDOLVWV OLNH (631&ULFLQIR to mainstream titles like the Telegraph in the UK, and a documentary in the works with the Viceland TV channel ² DQG 6KDOH GHFLGHG WKDW ´WKHUH ZDV enough appetite out thereâ€? to cast the net wider. ´7KHUH¡V D SULYDWH HTXLW\ Ă€UP called TLG that supported us in facilitating the operational costs of the crowdfunding campaign, and Homestrings is the largest emerging market crowdfunding platform,â€? he explains. “Their focus is primarily on Ă€QDQFLDO LQYHVWPHQW VR ZH Ă€W RXWVLGH of their usual projects, but I think they fell in love with the narrative and the story of Rwanda cricket, and felt that through their extensive network with the African diaspora and western donors, they would EH DEOH WR KHOS XV UDLVH WKH Ă€QDO UKÂŁ250,000.â€? On this last push, Shale is hopeful of more local input, giving people not just in Rwanda but across Africa a reason to commit to “taking pride in their continent and helping us by contributing to the Ă€QDO IXQGUDLVLQJ URXQG Âľ He is also able to call upon the support of Eric Dusingizimana, the captain of the men’s national team and now the general manager of the

RCSF. In a May fundraising event Dusingizimana shattered Shale’s own world record for the longest individual session in a cricket practice net, “batting for 51 hours which was a Herculean feat and something quite remarkable to witnessâ€?. Not only that, but his involvement connects the foundation to “the heart of everything that is Rwandan cricketâ€?. As far as Shale is concerned, if the completed facility can help Dusingizimana and his teammates UDLVH WKHLU JOREDO SURĂ€OH DQG HYHQ realise their long-term dream of reaching the Cricket World Cup, then all the better. Rwanda’s government is working hard to create an international image that can move the country beyond its harrowing past. Recently, it has tried to establish a sustainable nature tourism industry around the mountain gorillas that live in its national parks, with the revenues supporting the populations of those endangered animals and creating opportunities for locals. But the emotional power and reach of sport have their own part to play in the regeneration of Rwanda, bringing people together, imparting skills at home and giving people stories to tell overseas. Shale notes that the nation’s cycling teams “have demonstrated what [sport] can do in Rwanda in terms of getting them global recognition but also inspiring a younger generation to take up sport rather than taking up arms against each otherâ€?, and he believes cricket can do the same.

An artist's rendering of the facility in Kigala, Rwanda, including pavillion and intenationalstandard pitch

Completion of the stadium itself is expected in late 2017, with Shale XQVKDNHDEOH LQ KLV FRQĂ€GHQFH WKDW WKH Ă€QDO WUDQFKH RI IXQGLQJ ZLOO come in and help the project to a successful conclusion. That, however, will be only the beginning of what can and must be achieved. “What I see as the next challenge,â€? Shale notes, “is this transition of going from a charity that was based on fundraising and infrastructure and, essentially, capital build, and moving and transitioning into a charity that’s going to be delivering projects. So we’ve just signed a deal with UNHCR to take cricket to refugee camps, which hasn’t been done before. We’re also looking to partner with local NGOs in Rwanda to try and grow the sport but also focus on, for example, empower women through cricket with Women Win, and with an organisation called Surf we’re looking to promote reconciliation through VSRUW ² 6XUI UHSUHVHQW DOO JHQRFLGH survivors in Rwanda. “Don’t be under any illusions: there are still a lot of divisions in society and there’s a lot of survivors who struggle to reconcile with their neighbours. So if we can help these organisations by them using our facility but also using our sport that we understand how to coach with, that can help solve these social issues and hopefully provide some enjoyment for refugees and other people alike. Then I think we’ll have done our job. The next phase is completely different but also incredibly exciting.â€?

SportsPro Magazine | 63

THE 5-STEP WIN

for sustainable sporting events Sustainability champions choose Quantis Quantis is the trusted sustainability partner of global sports and events organizations worldwide. Contact Quantis’ sustainable sports expert Denis Bochatay at denis.bochatay@quantis-intl.com or at +41 21 353 59 10 to define your play-by-play strategy for sustainable sporting events. www.quantis-intl.com

1 > Play-by-play sustainability strategy Start the play by mapping out priority goals to implement. A materiality assessment can guide the identification of areas for environmental and social impact reduction. Build upon the strategic goals each year so sustainability becomes standard practice. The FEI Sustainability Handbook for Event Organizers offers a guide for sustainable events. QUANTIS CASE STUDY

UEFA EURO 2016 defined 8 social and environmental priorities to reduce environmental impacts, create social awareness and promote positive change by implementing access for all, no parking and a no-smoking policy at stadiums.

3 > Embed process into practice Integrating sustainability into processes is key to success. ISO 20121 offers a complete framework for full implementation to embed sustainability into the heart of organizations. Jump into the game by establishing sustainable procurement policies, which provide a good starting position that can then be shared with other departments. QUANTIS CASE STUDY

Formula E broke down silos by inviting other divisions into sustainability decision-making so other managers can include sustainability criteria in their own processes. This approach also promoted team-wide engagement, see #4.

2 > Score with robust metrics Credible metrics empower efficient decision making about setting realistic and meaningful reduction targets, prioritizing actions and measuring success. Environmental assessments can be a carbon-footprint or a multiindicator approach including water and biodiversity, which was adopted by UEFA EURO 2016 - the first of its kind in the world of sports. QUANTIS CASE STUDY

Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games work on the carbon footprint process from 2013-2106, which enabled the event to measure milestones to mitigate climate change. A Rio 2016 Legacy Tool was developed to offer other event organizers the opportunity to measure and manage impacts.

4 > Engage for the common good

5 > Communicate small victories!

Get players off the bench and on board with sustainability. Engaging and fun tools coupled with athlete ambassadors is a winning combination to boost awareness for sustainability. Stakeholders sustainability workshops or public campaigns spur active and collective engagement and increase loyalty to team franchises.

Sport inspires and shares values. Sports organizations are expected to do their part for a more sustainable world. Engaging in diverse communications ads, infographics, social media campaigns, videos and reports - tell the story about your efforts and promote a positive image for teams.

QUANTIS CASE STUDY

FIM, the International Motorcycling Federation, saw engagement on the rise for sustainability - both internally and with fanswhen they launched the FIM Ride Green campaign featuring professional racing stars Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi.

QUANTIS CASE STUDY

The “UEFA EURO 2016 Social Responsibility & Sustainability One-year-to-go report, 2015� was developed, with Quantis, to communicate their objectives prior to having finalized results because setting targets and implementing processes were already victories!

FEATURE ENVIRONMENT

LET THE GAMES BE GREEN The Rio 2016 Olympics were trumpeted as the ‘Green Games for a Blue Planet’. But it is in retrospect that the success of their environmental sustainability initiatives can be properly assessed. By Michael Long

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Picture by: Jae C. Hong/AP/Press Association Images

FEATURE ENVIRONMENT

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Climate change and the environment took centre stage in Fernando Meirelles’ opening ceremony in Rio, promoting a ‘Green Games for a Blue Planet’

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The international part-time programme Master of Arts (M.A.) Olympic Studies is a fully validated Master degree course that implements a highlevel, interdisciplinary curriculum in Olympic Studies. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is officially supporting the programme. The topics of the M.A. Olympic Studies include, but are not restricted to Olympic history, commercialization, professionalization, politicization, internationalization and administration. All these contents are substantially linked with sport ethical and educational considerations that are central pillars of the Olympic Movement´s mission and vision.

Zentrum für Olympische Studien Olympic Studies Centre

Target Groups • • • • • • • •

The part-time design of the M.A. Olympic Studies with five individual intensive study weeks spread over a two-year period enables participants to stay in their professional jobs during the time of their participation on the programme. The Olympic Studies Centre of the German Sport University Cologne is the main operational institution and is responsible for the programme´s organizational and overall academic elements. In the delivery of the teaching modules, the Olympic Studies Centre Cologne cooperates with several Olympic Studies Centres worldwide, such as the Technische Universität Kaiserslautern (Germany), Loughborough University (United Kingdom) and the Autonomous University of Barcelona (Spain). Moreover, other highly qualified professors from international academic institutions with long and proven experience in the field of Olympic Studies such as the International Olympic Academy (IOA) (Greece) and the New Zealand Centre for Olympic Studies at the University of Canterbury (New Zealand) teach on the programme.

IOC administration National Olympic Committees International and National Federations TOP- and domestic sponsors Organising Committees Universities Sport academies Media/ broadcasting companies

Duration Two years, part-time

Study Fees 5,000 €

Dates Next start date: March 2018 Application deadline: 30 June 2017

Further Information www.dshs-koeln.de/olympicstudies

The Educational Leadership of the Programme Prof. Dr. Stephan Wassong is Full Professor at the German Sport University Cologne, where he is Head of the Institute of Sport History and Director of the Olympic Studies Centre. He is the Executive Director of the M.A. Olympic Studies and a member of the IOC´s Olympic Education Commission.

What are the central intentions of the M.A. Olympic Studies? The M.A Olympic Studies aims to provide its participants with an in-depth interdisciplinary understanding of the Olympic Movement. With the anticipated learning outcomes, we target to expand the participants’ critical knowledge base that relates to the modern Olympic Movement and aims for a more detailed reflection of the Olympic world. This has two clear benefits. First, the M.A. Olympic Studies contributes to the positive career paths of its participants within the Olympic system. Second, the newly acquired knowledge on the Olympic Movement is transferred to the professional daily working practice of the participants. This further develops the Olympic-related profile of the participants’ employers. How are these intentions reflected in current developments within the Olympic Movement? It is the nature of the M.A. Olympic Studies that all taught topics are substantially linked with sport ethical and educational considerations through addressing the significance of the Olympic values. Such a modern application and legitimization of the Olympic Movement meets the recommendations of the IOC´s Olympic Agenda 2020 that calls for the fostering of an intensified dialogue between all stakeholders of the Olympic Movement. If you have further questions on the M.A. Olympic Studies, please contact: wassong@dshs-koeln.de.

FEATURE EDUCATION

The next generation Sport Industry NextGen in partnership with Barclays has reached the end of its first year and is preparing to take on another group of 30 young industry pioneers to turn them into the leaders of tomorrow. By Adam Nelson

s anyone with a passing familiarity with the business will know, the sports industry is almost as adept as sport itself at rewarding achievement and honouring success. Many prestigious annual conferences now conclude with equally prestigious award ceremonies, and barely a week seems to go by without one niche sector or other celebrating its accomplishments over the year.

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As the organisation behind the BT Sport Industry Awards, one of 8. VSRUW·V PRVW KLJK SURÀOH DZDUG evenings, Sport Industry Group is well aware of this proliferation of prizes. Founder Nick Keller is also well aware, however, that one area in which the industry has lacked has been in setting up young professionals early in their careers to eventually attain that level of success.

Above: Sport Industry NextGen: A Celebration 2016, taking place in London’s Village Underground

Keller’s plan to address this took the form of Sport Industry NextGen, a programme that aims to discover the rising stars of the industry and better equip them for future leadership roles. The young professionals are known as Sport Industry NextGen Leaders, and embark upon a year-long programme that offers them training, networking opportunities, personal development sessions and access to Sport Industry

Group’s hand-picked coaches: highSURĂ€ OH Ă€ JXUHV IURP DFURVV WKH ZRUOG of sport and beyond. In 2016, NextGen’s inaugural year, these included the likes of David Grevemberg, chief executive RIĂ€ FHU RI WKH &RPPRQZHDOWK *DPHV )HGHUDWLRQ &*) DQG 6LU Keith Mills, director of British $PHULFD¡V &XS HIIRUW /DQG 5RYHU %$5 DQG IRUPHU GHSXW\ FKDLUPDQ RI /RQGRQ 2UJDQLVLQJ &RPPLWWHH of the Olympic and Paralympic *DPHV /RFRJ “The basic idea came really from the fact that there was a lot of things to celebrate people that had achieved quite a lot in the industry already, but there wasn’t much around to uplift and celebrate younger people in the industry,â€? explains Keller. “There’s a bit of a lack of professional development available to people once they get in. The majority of people have to wait until they’re at the stage where they can get to conferences, get to events, and have a reasonable budget to attend various things that are going on in the industry.â€? The NextGen programme, which is run in partnership with British EDQNLQJ Ă€ UP %DUFOD\V IXQFWLRQV to some extent as a fast-track programme for promising young professionals in the sports world, giving them access to the kinds of events, connections and resources normally reserved for senior industry Ă€ JXUHV ZLWK WKH LGHD EHLQJ WR ´FUHDWH a sense of professional development, unearthing the leaders as they’re hitting the right age and developing into people who will be running organisations,â€? says Keller. 28 leaders under the age of 30 years old were selected for 2016, and that number has increased to 30 for 2017. The vision for NextGen was clear, says Keller, but the organisation was not straightforward. It did not fully come together until the shortlist for WKH ÂśFODVV RI ¡ ZDV FRQĂ€ UPHG “When you put together event ideas and you have a vision in your head of how something is going to develop, it sometimes doesn’t

come to life as well as you hope,â€? says Keller. “But as soon as we got a shortlist in front of us for the Ă€ UVW \HDU LW ZDV D VXSHU LPSUHVVLYH group – and then the vision comes to life. The Sport Industry NextGen celebration evening really did spring to life exactly in the vision we had.â€? The year-long programme really kicks off with that celebratory evening, which takes place at Shoreditch’s Village Underground in London in February, a venue more accustomed to hosting live music and club nights than sports industry hobnobbing. This, says Keller, was a deliberate choice, as Sport Industry Group “didn’t want to replicate the other work we were doingâ€? and was looking to “create something that was pretty much on-brand and represented something a little differentâ€?. 2IĂ€ FLDOO\ WLWOHG Âś6SRUW ,QGXVWU\ 1H[W*HQ $ &HOHEUDWLRQ¡ WKH evening sees prominent speakers from across the world of sport invited to share their wisdom with the group. Last year’s guests included soccer manager Garry Monk and former Labour Party VWUDWHJLVW $ODVWDLU &DPSEHOO UHĂ HFWLQJ 6SRUW ,QGXVWU\ Group’s commitment to offering perspectives from both in and outside the world of sport. &DPSEHOO ZDV DOVR D FRDFK IRU WKH 2016 NextGen leaders. :DWIRUG )& VWULNHU 7UR\ 'HHQH\

James Murray, senior business strategy manager at English soccer side Arsenal, one of 2016’s NextGen leaders

“At the front of my mind I am clear: diversity of thought leads to diversity of success.�

KDV EHHQ FRQĂ€ UPHG IRU ¡V event on 2nd February. Deeney will share his experiences of both adversity and triumph: having spent three months in prison in 2012 for affray, he turned his life around through hard work and commitment and now captains the Premier League team. James Murray, senior business strategy manager at English soccer side Arsenal, was one of the leaders for 2016, and at last year’s celebration he said: “This is going to last so much longer than just this event, or even WKLV \HDU Âľ 1RZ ZLWK WKDW Ă€ UVW \HDU RI 1H[W*HQ EHKLQG KLP 0XUUD\ UHĂ HFWV that “the experience across the year has been an amazingly positive one,â€? highlighting the networking opportunities and connections he’s made over the year as an invaluable experience that would not have been possible without Sport Industry Group’s intervention. “The connections that we’ve made among the group, both on a personal and professional level, you can already see that it’s all bearing fruit,â€? he says. “The interactions between some of the larger organisations – the big brands like ourselves – and some of the smaller, more innovative startups have already majorly shifted my perspective on how we can leverage the ideas of smaller companies to innovate more effectively. Seeing some of the young entrepreneurial types who are working around the sports industry and how they can make an enormous impact on rights holders such as Arsenal has been a bit of an eye-opener.â€? Emma Lax, head of women’s VSRUW DQG OLIHVW\OH DW &60 6SRUW and Entertainment and another of the class of 2016, also highlights WKH EHQHĂ€ WV RI H[SHULHQFLQJ D UDQJH of perspectives, noting that there was “a really good mix in terms of rights holders, agencies, brands, public sector bodies in sports, so a really good group of people coming together to share their points of view on sportsâ€?. “For me,â€? she says, “one of the big challenges of sport is diversity of thought, so to be able to bring that into agency life has been

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UHDOO\ EHQHĂ€FLDO Âľ NextGen’s organisers are also hopeful that the range of perspectives across the industry is mirrored by the social diversity of the group, with Lax using NextGen to help with her day-job aim of increasing the numbers and the improving the standing of women in sport. ´1H[W*HQ LV PDVVLYHO\ EHQHĂ€FLDO in showcasing talent,â€? says Lax. “What Sport Industry Group have been good at is making sure that there is a diverse representation of the different organisations, different backgrounds, and different forms that sport takes in the people that are present. “That’s important and plays a role in helping to diversify the sector in terms of ‘heroing’ diverse role models and also giving them a talent pathway into leadership positions.â€? Women have made up roughly a third of the leaders in both years so far, something Sport Industry Group is keen to improve but which is “limited by what that make-up of our industry has been over the last generation,â€? says Keller. “But that’s shifting and changing, and represents a huge opportunity for growth for the industry as we start absorbing some of the amazing, diverse creative views from outside the typical groups that tend to be recruited into our industry,â€? he goes on. “We’re always very keen to get a diverse group together. The BT Sport Industry Awards this year was a great example of what our industry can look like, with some

72 | www.sportspromedia.com

very relevant winners, but also who we had presenting the awards and how we presented things. “So at the front of my mind is a very clear thing: diversity of thought leads to diversity of success. Diversity of thought comes from having a genuine mix of people from across the industry. I think we’re in for an exciting time ahead as people accept that this is the way to run your business: you hire people from a diverse range of backgrounds for success, not out of obligation.â€? Lax began 2016 as an account PDQDJHU DW )DVW7UDFN D &60 agency, and was promoted in September, something she partially credits to the success of the NextGen programme. “It was massively helpful,â€? she says. “The big things were that it enabled me to build my network, helped me broaden my understanding of the industry and it’s helped build my SURIHVVLRQDO FRQĂ€GHQFH Âľ One of the biggest events of the year for the leaders is a 24-hour OHDGHUVKLS H[SHULHQFH DW WKH 5R\DO Military Academy Sandhurst, run in partnership with the Inspirational 'HYHORSPHQW *URXS ,'* 7KH overnight stay combines outdoor physical challenges, classroombased team-building exercises, and instructional leadership presentations and discussions while offering the leaders a chance to get to know one DQRWKHU 2WKHU EHQHĂ€WV WKURXJKRXW the year include the chance to work FORVHO\ ZLWK VHQLRU Ă€JXUHV IURP NextGen headline partner Barclays, a half-day leadership workshop at Loughborough University London’s

2016’s leaders with the Inspirational Development Group at Sandhurst during this year’s Leadership Package

campus at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, an invitation to the Inspired Leaders Network and access to the four regular Sport Industry %UHDNIDVW &OXE HYHQWV RSHUDWHG E\ Sport Industry throughout the year. 2017’s group of leaders contains “a few more entrepreneursâ€?, says Keller, and he is excited to move into a second year “and hopefully we’ll unearth a few absolute standout leadersâ€?. “Your feel for them really comes out in that workshop session and you think to yourself that you can see where this group is going and you can spot individuals as they learn and grow,â€? he adds. “And it’s not normally the ones that talk the loudest in that opening hour! It’s the ones that are there at the end of the year, contributing, taking part, becoming leaders within the group. My gut feel is that those are the ones that get the most out of it.â€? .HOOHU EHOLHYHV WKH Ă€UVW \HDU KDV proven there is a long-term future for NextGen, and hopes that within D GHFDGH ´WKDW Ă€UVW JURXS ZLOO EH hitting very senior elements of our industryâ€?. The connections made over that period – by which time 300 young professionals will have taken part in NextGen – will have resulted in “a very fascinating, interesting network across the industry,â€? says Keller. “And hopefully, off the back of that, a sense of collaboration in the industry, showing that our leaders can work for different companies, for different teams and leagues but can all be on the same team and the industry can work in collaboration to achieve great things,â€? he adds. “The sports industry sets a tone that reaches farther and wider than so many industries and has so many opportunities within society for growing a new breed of leaders. Developing a new, more ethically minded group of leaders, who have a combined sense of purpose, will QRW MXVW EHQHĂ€W WKH LQGXVWU\ EXW society as well.â€? To attend Sport Industry NextGen: A Celebration on 2nd February, go to www.sportindustry.biz/NextGen

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COMPANY PROFILE UCFB

Leveraging talent In April 2017 the UK government will begin to enforce the Apprenticeships Levy upon all companies with a wage bill in excess of UK£3 million per year. The levy, 0.5 per cent of each organisation’s entire wage output, will be available to claim back for the sole use of employee training, and UCFB, a company that provides unparalleled sports business education from the heart of the industry, believes it could offer a unique opportunity to the sporting world.

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Phillip Wilson, chief executive of UCFB

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UCFB offers young people in the industry a unique opportunity to further their education

UCFB is headquartered at England’s national venue, Wembley Stadium

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Contact UCFB Visit: ucfb.com Call: +44 333 241 7333 Email: staff.development@ucfb.com

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FEATURE AGENCIES

HERE TODAY, OCTAGON TOMORROW Between rapidly evolving consumer habits, new distribution methods and extensive acquisition strategies, the sports marketing world has changed considerably in recent years. Amid all the noise, however, Connecticut-based agency Octagon has grown steadily and serviced a global network of clients and athletes. Worldwide president Rick Dudley and president of international marketing Je Ehrenkranz discuss the changing face of the industry, sustaining growth, and the company’s new image. By Tom Lloyd

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he agency landscape has changed. Previously, companies battled it out for business, hoping to attract brands and rights holders with their expertise and networks. While that world still remains, it is mergers and acquisitions that are WKH à DYRXU RI WKH GD\ DQG VHHQ DV a key means of growth. Beginning the glut was IMG, which in 2013 was bought by entertainment talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME). The newly formed WME|IMG then in turn purchased the entire Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 2016, landing one of the world’s hottest sporting properties. In 2015 Chinese behemoth Dalian Wanda purchased Infront Sports & Media for US$1.07 billion, with the newly formed Wanda Sports then going on to pick up the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) and a number of communications agencies. Creative Artists Agency (CAA), another global force, actively pursued FROOHJH VSRUWV VSHFLDOLVW /HDUÀHOG before ultimately losing out to investment group Atarius.

76 | www.sportspromedia.com

The appetite is obvious. One company, however, that has so far resisted the calls of M&A executives and forged its own path within the agency world is Octagon, which is about to enter its 35th year of existence. The company combines brand marketing services with a boutique talent representation division and has grown steadily amongst the noise of its competitors. Owned by global advertising agency Interpublic since 1981, Octagon has a rich network around it, and ZLWK RIÀFHV LQ GLIIHUHQW countries has developed into one of the industry’s major players. At the helm of it all is Rick Dudley, a calm, strong-speaking leader with a quiet control that sets many in management positions apart. At the company since the early 2000s, Dudley initially joined as the president of Octagon North America following an extensive executive career with the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Hockey League (NHL). After just four months, he was elevated to worldwide president

Rick Dudley, worldwide president of Octagon since 2003

and chief executive, a position he has held ever since. And after steering the Octagon ship for over 10 years, his unique understanding of the agency landscape is helping the company differentiate itself in the market. “It’s fascinating, currently,â€? he says. “The global trend, which really started off with IMG, has become acquisition. This has developed so much, and now agencies buying sports content or entire entities, monetising them and then selling them back to market. “IMG have done this with the UFC, the Professional Bull Riders and its entire college sports division. It has bought sports properties so that it can better monetise the content they produce. I’d fully expect to see WME|IMG go public soon, perhaps even in the next 12 months. “Look at CAA’s pursuit of /HDUĂ€HOG ,W¡V D ULJKWV KROGHU that has a huge stake in North American college sports, and CAA was after it because it sees that importance within the market of owning property.â€?

SportsPro Magazine | 77

FEATURE AGENCIES

Dudley admits that this growing trend is paying dividends for some of Octagon’s rivals, but he maintains that it is not necessarily the direction he wants to take his RZQ Ă€UP “It’s one strategy, but we want to be an agency that can offer Ă H[LELOLW\ WR RXU FOLHQWV QRW MXVW an off-the-shelf product,â€? he says. “Of course, we are looking at the merger market but much more strategically. “We want to make acquisitions based on buying services and talent, nothing else. We are never going to buy revenue because there is no point. Why buy something that you can create yourself ? Any acquisitions we make will always be based on service, and nothing more.â€? Dudley gives the example of MilkMoney, an Australian company recently acquired by Octagon who create, edit and distribute engaging bespoke social media video content. Coming under Octagon’s control, it has become a useful asset when running social campaigns for some

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RI 2FWDJRQ¡V KLJK SURĂ€OH 2FHDQLF clients. And while the skill acquisition is important, it is the geographical growth which interests Octagon the most. Unsurprisingly, given the experience of executives like Dudley, much of the company’s core business comes from North America. It is unquestionably the largest sports market in the world, and having been established in Connecticut, the US is critical to Octagon for new business development. But the world is a different SODFH WR ZKHQ WKH Ă€UP ZDV Ă€UVW set up, and globalisation has meant that it can no longer afford to focus on one market. Jeff Ehrenkranz, Octagon’s president of international marketing, is WDVNHG ZLWK H[SDQGLQJ WKH Ă€UP across the world, and it is a task he is excelling at. “Ultimately, we are always driven by two things – where sport is a strong commercial option, and where global events are a big part of culture,â€? he says.

Je Ehrenkranz, Octagon’s president of international marketing

“What this means is that, although we do and always will skew more to the US, we’re almost at 50/50 with what we do with the rest of the world. The US is obviously a huge market, and aside from the Uefa Champions League is potentially the only place where \RX VWLOO Ă€QG JOREDO EXVLQHVV EXW the local sponsorship market of the rest of the world is immense and we cannot ignore it. “We really consider ourselves a global business now. Tennis is a huge aspect of our company, so Australia, Japan, France and the UK have become huge markets for us there. From that, we’ve then stayed in those countries and done some incredible regional-based work. We’ve just RSHQHG RXU 7RN\R RIĂ€FH ZLWK WKH 2020 Olympics and the 2019 Rugby World Cup on the horizon.â€? An American who now both lives in and works out of London, Ehrenkranz is an Octagon veteran, ZLWK RYHU \HDUV DW WKH Ă€UP He knows the importance of embracing new markets and, for him, agility is the key to growth. “Look at Russia right now,â€? he says. “There isn’t much going on but we’re getting ourselves ready because ahead of the 2018 Fifa World Cup we think it is going to get very hot very fast. It’s a good example of us staying agile to somewhere where we think the appetite will emerge quickly.â€? $V (KUHQNUDQ] VD\V Ă H[LELOLW\ has become important to Octagon. But constantly changing can often leave a company bereft of identity. As Octagon had grown, its branding hadn’t, and for both Dudley and Ehrenkranz, it was time for a change. “When I was growing up,â€? says 'XGOH\ ´WKHUH ZHUH Ă€YH ZD\V WR consume sports – you could listen, watch, read, go to or play the game – and that was it. Now, there are hundreds of different ways to consume and engage with fans, and we’ve worked hard to stay on top of these. “But we suddenly realised that we needed to position our company EUDQGLQJ LQ D ZD\ WKDW UHĂ HFWHG

this quick-changing world we now worked in. “We’ve rebranded our image, and while some may say it’s just an image, it’s really much more than that. It’s an introspective look at ourselves and how we do things. We’re all over the world now, in so many different cultures, and we need to have a concrete idea of who we are and what we represent.â€? ´,W¡V D UHDIĂ€UPDWLRQ Âľ (KUHQNUDQ] interjects. “Sometimes when you have so many people looking at something from the inside, then you don’t see it at all. Everyone is FRPLQJ DW LW ZLWK Ă€YH GHJUHHV RI difference, and it ends up becoming warped from person to person. “We wanted to ensure consistency about how we talk about ourselves, so by rebranding we built a new internal and external mantra that’s completely shareable. Our new tagline is ‘What’s next?’ and it’s very much a philosophy we work from.â€? Dudley and Ehrenkranz talk about the frantically evolving landscape of sports content consumption with relative calm. They know better than to search for an off-the-shelf answer, and instead are experienced enough to know the importance of focusing on adaptability. “All we can do is concentrate on helping our brands reach the people they need to, and helping them grow their voice in the marketplace,â€? says Ehrenkranz. “The market is always going to be changing, and there is always going to be a new Facebook, or a new Snapchat, so we just need to ensure that we are ready to tackle whatever we face next.â€? The marketplace moves fast, and as both mention, consumer habits are developing at a rapid rate. Neither Dudley nor Ehrenkranz confess to knowing a catch-all answer to the industry’s problems, but perhaps that is because there isn’t one. But rather than sit still, Octagon has set itself up to be agile, and with such speed around, perhaps that is the best solution of them all.

REPRESENTING TALENT It’s safe to say that 2016 has been a successful year for Octagon’s talent representation division. Gymnast Simone Biles, though small in stature, emerged as one of the biggest stars of the Rio Olympics, while Steph Curry, again not the tallest in his ďŹ eld, rose above his peers to be named the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) ďŹ rst ever unanimous MVP. Both are represented by the Connecticut-based agency. Behind the great success of both athletes, Octagon has a team of tireless marketers and creatives, planning their next big advertising campaign, social media promotion, or guest event. Their athletic performance takes them so far, but it is their o-court image that can really ďŹ re them to new levels. Talent representation is just half of Octagon’s core business model, but it’s paying considerable dividends. For Rick Dudley, Octagon’s global chief executive, it’s an indispensable cog in the Octagon machine. “The talent representation business is such a great aspect of our business,â€? he says. “What a run we’ve had of late. Steph was central to it with his second NBA MVP, and the ďŹ rst ever unanimous one, while Simone Biles was incredible in the Olympics. People called her breakout, but she’s been on the world stage for so long, and what she did was superb.â€? Both Biles and Curry were perhaps Octagon’s most obvious stars, but as with a lot of business, it is surprise successes that really oer value. “We had Michael Phelps at Rio as well, and his success sort of came out of nowhere for us,â€? says Dudley. “Who would’ve thought that he’d have the Rio Games that he did? “We were there thinking, a bronze would be incredible, if he achieves a bronze it’ll be special. And he wins ďŹ ve gold medals and a silver. It was staggering.â€? But despite the success of both Biles and Phelps, Dudley concedes that marketing an Olympic athlete is often a huge challenge. “It can be tricky, for sure,â€? he admits. “These guys, like Simone and Michael, they have world championships all the time, but in terms of exposure there is nothing like the Olympics. “What we have to do is to make sure that we ďŹ nd them partners who are committed to the athlete, and not just the Olympics. It’s a time when we really prove our value to them by ensuring the partner is right.â€? One athlete Dudley is sure to not have that issue with is Steph Curry. The NBA’s ďŹ rst ever unanimous MVP, and named the most marketable athlete in the world for 2016 by SportsPro, Curry continued to light up a sport so central to the North American sportswear markets. Despite this, however, Dudley believes that 2017 could throw up some new challenges for the – relatively – diminutive star. “It’s been special,â€? he says. “The guy is a two-time MVP, a unanimous MVP, he was making all of these threes. It was a great combination with him. “But Curry over the past two seasons is likely to be a very dierent Curry to this season. After the signing of Kevin Durant, the Golden State Warriors are a completely dierent beast now. “They are almost like a super team, and they may divide opinion. They’ve made the step now from the plucky underdogs they were to a global superstar team, and we’re going to have to think about how Steph’s image and story will follow that narrative.â€? For the past few seasons, the NBA has been dominated by two names – Curry and LeBron James – and Octagon is fortunate to have ridden that wave. But with a number of up and coming stars on its stable, it is now looking for new avenues against the stars’ duopoly of attention. “The way technology has developed, and the way social media is now, it has changed that basketball talent representation world completely,â€? says Dudley. “With all of the noise around the likes of Steph and LeBron it can be hard, but social media is giving a window to the other guys to tell their story. We have [Milwaukee Bucks player] Giannis Antetokounmpo, and he has a story so dierent from anyone else. Previously it would’ve been hard to push him amid Steph and LeBron, but social media is letting us do it.â€? While no year may quite resemble Octagon’s 2016, the company is sure to not take it for granted. Talent representation is becoming a core part of its business, and while its stable remains small, it appears that quality is championing quantity.

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THE PROFILE NASSER ALďšşKHELAIFI

Qatar’s man in Paris As the chairman of Qatar Sports Investment, Nasser Al-KhelaiďŹ is the public face of the spending that has granted a tiny nation outsized global inuence. He is perhaps best recognised by most sports fans, however, as the chairman and chief executive of French soccer champions Paris Saint-Germain. Wealth has brought dominion over Ligue 1, but Al-KhelaiďŹ remains focused on taking the elusive next step. By Eoin Connolly

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atar’s massive investment in sport has been one of the stories of the last decade, one that has permeated through the industry and Ă€OWHUHG LQWR WKH SRSXODU FRQVFLRXVQHVV At home, a relentless focus on major event hosting and high-end infrastructural development has brought SURĂ€OH DQG QRWRULHW\ LQ DOPRVW HTXDO PHDVXUH 7KH LPSDFW RI H\H FDWFKLQJ innovation has often been undercut by the exposure of some less savoury local business practices, such as poor working standards in the booming construction industry and abuses of the fundamentally imbalanced kafala YLVD V\VWHP 7KH advent of the 2022 Fifa World Cup, in particular, means that reforms addressing those issues are now matters of LQWHUQDWLRQDO FRQFHUQ 7KH RWKHU HOHPHQW RI 4DWDU¡V VSRUWLQJ strategy – and the other way in which a tiny, if wealthy, country has come to KDYH DQ RXWVL]HG JOREDO LQĂ XHQFH ² LV RYHUVHDV LQYHVWPHQW ,Q FRPPRQ ZLWK an international soft power agenda that has created cultural and commercial links through gas-fuelled purchasing heft, a VHTXHQFH RI KLJK SURĂ€OH DFTXLVLWLRQV DQG sponsorship deals with the likes of FC %DUFHORQD KDV WDNHQ 4DWDU WR WKH KHDUW RI D UDQJH RI VSRUWV PDUNHWV 7KH PRVW SURPLQHQW Ă€JXUHKHDG IRU WKH RYHUVHDV SXVK LV 1DVVHU $O .KHODLĂ€ WKH FKDLUPDQ RI 4DWDU 6SRUWV ,QYHVWPHQW 46, 2QFH D MRXUQH\PDQ SURIHVVLRQDO tennis player, he has been catapulted into the very elite of international sports EXVLQHVVSHRSOH

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PSG have made signiďŹ cant strides on the pitch under Al-KhelaiďŹ , with the Champions League in his sights

Nasser Al-KhelaiďŹ , chairman of Paris Saint-Germain’s ownership group Qatar Sports Investment, has high ambitions for the French soccer side

the team have consistently failed to make the closing stages of the Uefa Champions League, creating the impression that they DUH VWLOO D VWHS EHKLQG WKH YHU\ EHVW 7KH UHDVRQV JLYHQ IRU WKLV YDU\ IURP WKH lack of preparatory challenges at home WR D VLPSOH PDWWHU RI WLPLQJ EXW 36* were not in a mood to keep waiting this VXPPHU 'HVSLWH WKUHH GRPHVWLF WLWOHV head coach Laurent Blanc was not retained, with Unai Emery given his chance after three Uefa Europa League trophies with 6SDQLVK FOXE 6HYLOOD (PHU\ KDV IDFHG KLV own challenges this season, with the allFRQTXHULQJ ,EUDKLPRYLF PRYLQJ RQ DQG WKH FRPSHWLWLRQ LQ /LJXH WLJKWHQLQJ %XW 36* KDYH UHDFKHG WKH NQRFN RXW VWDJHV RI WKH &KDPSLRQV /HDJXH DJDLQ 7KHLU UHDGLQHVV WR UHDOLVH $O .KHODLĂ€¡V DPELWLRQ ZLOO EHFRPH DSSDUHQW LQ WKH QHZ \HDU How do you feel the Paris Saint-Germain project has progressed since QSI purchased the club?

As club president, I feel very happy when I look at all the titles we’ve already won: 13 in football, eight in handball, the French championship titles our youth teams have won this year, not to mention a Uefa Women’s Champions League ďŹ nal in 2015 and another in the youth league this year! Over the last ďŹ ve years we have written the most glorious chapter in the club’s sporting history, while also building one of the biggest brands in international sport, one supported by more and more fans in France and around the world. We haven’t fulďŹ lled our ambitions yet, though. We want to be even more successful in all departments, and I know that we can be.

The club’s international proďŹ le has always been at the heart of our project. Obviously, it’s important we do well in France, where we’ve just won back-to-back domestic quadruples, something no other European club has done before! It goes without saying, though, that our biggest objectives lie in the international arena. Paris Saint-Germain is a great club, and our aim is to make it an institution respected around the world. If we are going to make that happen, we have to win the [Uefa] Champions League. Each and every one of us – the players, the sta, the directors and the club’s employees – is working towards a goal that our supporters are dreaming of.

Following two years of work and an investment of â‚Ź75 million by the club, the Parc des Princes is now one of the most welcoming, most modern and safest stadiums in Europe. Its 48,000 seats have been changed, we’ve designed and ďŹ tted out superb hospitality areas, and all the stands are now more comfortable and oer excellent Wi-Fi connectivity, which only enhances the quality of the matchday experience for our spectators. It was also important for us to give the players a superb stadium with the best pitch in Europe, which has really helped us improve the quality of our football. All we need to do now is improve the atmosphere in the stands. That’s what we’ve been doing in the last two months, welcoming back very passionate fans who had got out of the habit of coming. In ďŹ ve seasons, the matchday incomes have been multiplied by four and today represent nearly â‚Ź100 million each season.

After last year’s easy title win, the table is tighter this year. Would a more competitive Ligue 1 improve Paris SaintGermain’s own commercial prospects?

What is the effect, commercially and in terms of identity, of the fact that each major town and city in France typically only has one team?

We’ve been saying for a long time that Ligue 1 needs to be as strong as possible. The more attractive the league is around the world, the more clubs can expect to attract the very best players and the more this virtuous circle will push sponsors and new investors to look at French clubs, who can then increase their revenue and grow bigger. Having a weak Ligue 1 would not be good for a club like ours.

It’s hard to quantify that because, in the cities that do have more than one club, supporters tend to identify even more strongly with their team because of the local rivalries. Paris is a city that has rarely ever had two clubs in the top ight, and people have got very used to just having Paris Saint-Germain up there. Paris and its suburbs have really got behind Paris Saint-Germain in the last few years. People of all backgrounds and walks of life rally around our colours, and, at international level, we are the capital city’s greatest sporting ambassador.

How much do the individual profiles of those involved with the club – the players, the manager, and your own – feed into the international profile of the club?

What has the impact been of the renovation of the Parc des Princes?

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We’ll continue to operate the way we have been doing since day one: to be there helping the club achieve the very best results at all levels. How much do you look around at clubs like Manchester City or Chelsea, where there has been similarly sudden shortterm investment, and draw comparisons between their approach and your own? Is there anything you can learn?

The club’s hardcore fans and their long-time home at the Parc des Princes are crucial to their identity

How important has the identity of the city of Paris been in the brand you’ve built around Paris Saint-Germain in recent years?

It’s very important. Paris is the most beautiful city in the world, and the very mention of its name has people dreaming. Having the Eiffel Tower in the badge is a sign of just how strong the connection is between the club and the city. We want the club to become more and more synonymous with the legend of Paris. When tourists come to visit the city, Paris Saint-Germain should be right up there as one of the essential experiences for them to enjoy. Paris Saint-Germain is the only club of the most watched sport in the world located in one of the most iconic capitals in the world! Have you found it difficult to convince long-term fans that they are a part of what the club will become in the future?

Fans are the life and soul of any club, which is something we’ve always been aware of. That’s why there’s never been any question of us leaving the Parc des Princes, which is the home of Paris Saint-Germain. The idea has always been to refurbish it and to maybe expand it in the near future. It was also very important in our eyes to bring together all the different types of fans, from supporters who come with their families to the recently returned ultras, and to keep prices affordable for our fanbase. Do you believe Paris Saint-Germain have moved on from their reputation as a club with problems around violence?

Yes. The club, and especially my predecessor Robin Leproux, took some very brave decisions in 2010, when a supporter was killed outside

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the stadium. It was the second time it had happened in three years, and it was time for the club and the authorities to take some drastic measures and bring a stop to this violence, which was threatening the very existence of Paris Saint-Germain. We’re delighted that things gave calmed down, though we’re going to carry on being very vigilant. It’s not a fight that you can ever say you’ve won. Do Paris Saint-Germain need to win a European title in order to take the next step off the field? What is the true potential of the club?

Like I said, winning the Champions League will take the club to a new dimension. Any team that wins it is seen differently by everyone else. But, believe me, the big clubs see us as serious challengers now, and most of them want to avoid us in the last 16 of the Champions League. That’s a mark of respect in itself and it shows us that we’re on the right track. Have you reassessed your goals for Paris Saint-Germain since taking over?

I look at what we’ve achieved: we’re firmly established in the top eight in Europe and we’ve become, with 31 trophies, the most successful club in France, ahead of Marseille. That makes me, and all of us, very, very proud. I’m a very ambitious president too, though, and I’m very demanding. I know that we can achieve even more, and that’s something I keep reminding all my teams of, at every level of the club. What is the long-term goal for Paris Saint-Germain in terms of how the club will be run? Do you anticipate the ownership taking more of a hands-off approach?

We have a lot of respect for what other investors have done at the clubs you mention, but we have respect for other clubs, too, like Leicester, for example. We have our own identity, though, and our own strategy. Every club looks around to see what everyone else is doing. That’s only natural. Last April, for example, we paid a visit to Manchester City’s training centre. It’s top-class, but we’re looking to build our own centre in line with what we need and what our reference points are. By 2019/20, we will have built one of the biggest performance centres in the world in Poissy. I have no doubt people will talk about our club being a benchmark… Do you have to address the perception that you have bought on-field success?

I think that view is a little misplaced. Money can get you certain players and certain coaches, but football is an extremely unpredictable business. You can’t buy success, which is something we should be grateful for! Nothing would make us more proud than achieving our biggest dreams through sheer hard work and perseverance. We will get there thanks to the great players we recruit but also thanks to the youngsters who come through the ranks at our academy. Adrien Rabiot, who today plays for his country, is a great example of this. Today we employ some 25 scouts charged with unearthing the stars of tomorrow and attracting them to our youth academy, which is recognised as among the finest in Europe. Earlier this season, you were added to the Uefa Professional Football Strategy Council. What do you hope to achieve through that?

Being part of a body like that is very important for Paris Saint-Germain and for French football too. It allows us to keep abreast of the big issues in European football and also to put forward our ideas to ensure it remains the most attractive football on the planet.

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FEATURE SOCCER

EUROPE AFTER THE EURO Despite a diďŹƒcult run-in, this summer’s Euro 2016 soccer tournament was seen as a bona ďŹ de triumph both on the pitch and o it for organiser Uefa. The European soccer confederation’s marketing director, Guy-Laurent Epstein, reects on that competition, its next pan-continental edition in 2020, the impact of centralised rights sales for national team qualiďŹ ers and, of course, the future of its elite club tournament, the Champions League. By George Dudley

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Guy-Laurent Epstein, marketing director at Uefa

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Cristiano Ronaldo holds the Henri Delaunay trophy aloft after he watched his Portuguese teammates overcome France in the 2016 Uefa European Championship final

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The Champions League has continued to grow in profile over recent years, with Uefa’s recent alterations to the competition designed to ensure the presence of the continent’s biggest teams

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THE FRENCH PERSPECTIVE With France hosting Uefa Euro 2016, the French Football Federation (FFF) went into the competition with high expectations. On the pitch Les Bleus reached the ďŹ nal but fell just short against an inspired Portugal side; o it, the biggest European Championship in history was well received, despite some early crowd trouble. Prior to the tournament the FFF recognised the need to hone its marketing strategy by focusing on social media, which it implemented to full eect throughout Uefa’s quadrennial tournament. In fact, its Instagram account is now ranked top of all soccer federations in Europe and behind only US Soccer globally. “We were so close to winning the tournament and, to be honest, we are still having nightmares about the Éder goal!â€? says FFF marketing director François Vasseur, speaking to SportsPro at the Sportel Convention in Monaco in October. “Although we didn’t win the ďŹ nal we did win another important match: fan engagement. Our video content reached ten million viewers during the Euros and we recruited 1.2 million fans globally, on all platforms.â€? Vasseur considers that being proliďŹ c on all social media platforms by creating lots of dierent content for each social network is a modern marketing imperative. The Frenchman has been particularly successful at creating behind the scenes features involving the French players, which he believes “is what the fans love to watchâ€?. However, he is careful to point out that he is not a slave to the new mode of reaching audiences. “Social media is really key for our marketing strategy but it hasn’t changed it as a whole; we view it as just another tool,â€? he adds. “We want to tell the story of French football. We are seen as a media with a strong community and large audience. When the FFF says something, it has a great inuence, which was not the case before.â€? As in all sport, a large proportion of soccer fans are now eschewing television for digital media such as Twitter or Facebook. However, Vasseur is convinced that when you talk about sport, especially soccer, live is still king for the consumer. “It is not like movies or television series: all soccer fans want to see the major events and matches live,â€? he says. “The question for a rights holder like us is focused on who will pay us more and produce the content to a high level. Maybe Amazon will broadcast the national team matches in ten years’ time? “For us it has created a lot of new perspectives and this will certainly increase our media inuence because these platforms will be spread to broader audience. I don’t know for sure what will happen but, for me, it is fascinating.â€?

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FEATURE GOVERNANCE

YEAR IN THE ROUND 2016 has been a tumultuous and unpredictable year, in sport and the wider world. For senior figures at The Sports Consultancy, that has been confirmation of the importance of planning carefully and thinking strategically. Photographs by Graham Fudger

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IN CONVERSATION Angus Buchanan, co-founder, managing director (AB) Robert Datnow, co-founder, managing director (RD) Alison Moor, director of brand sponsorship (AM) Siân Jenkins, senior consultant (SJ) Ashley Blake, general counsel (AsB) Eoin Connolly, editor, SportsPro

We can probably agree that, in a sporting sense, the big story of the year was the build-up to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the execution of that. What were the key lessons that we think were learned from the whole process?

RD: In terms of the build-up to Rio and what went right – I think you’re right, it was 2016’s major sporting event, and there was a lot going on. There was a lot going on in Brazil at government level, and there was a lot going on in terms of the economy, and that put a pressure on some of the weakest links. In terms of our recollections from hindsight about planning, and giving time for the building of venues and facilities, and for organising and putting structures in place, I think what is much harder to plan for, and if there’s one major lesson – we saw it before, in Athens, for example, how much pressure there was to build on time and to deliver – I think it’s to plan for the unexpected. The IOC [International Olympic Committee] and the organising committee couldn’t really have planned for that perfect storm of currency, political pressure, and then the pressure that came around teams that weren’t able to participate because of the timing of the McLaren report. Part of the work that we and others do is thinking not just about programme legacies and physical legacies and venue legacies and event legacies, but also thinking about contingency planning and readiness testing. IOC Agenda 2020 came after the decision to award the Games to Rio but before the delivery of the Rio Games – people were thinking about the applications of Agenda 2020 around the time of

the Rio Games, and are still thinking about the applications of Agenda 2020 in the broader context. What we have learned about the 2018 and 2022 Olympic bidding processes, I think, also applied with Rio: the importance of creating a scale of event that is sustainable and that delivers returns on investment IRU WKH KRVW 7KH À QDO VHQWHQFH , would say is that I would be very interested to know from the major stakeholders in Rio what their answer to that question would be. Are we going to see people re-evaluating their idea from that of what the benefits of hosting a mega-event can be? Or is it a question of the Olympics getting out of scale of what a host city could deliver, or could reasonably be expected to deliver under the circumstances that Brazil found itself?

RD: I think you’re absolutely into a very important area, which is about the scale of events and about HYHQWV EHLQJ À W IRU SXUSRVH ,I , think of a few examples outside the Olympic context, we’ve seen the growth of the European Games, ZKLFK KDG WKHLU À UVW LWHUDWLRQ ODVW year in Baku in Azerbaijan, and we’ve seen the award of the next Games for 2019 just in the last few weeks to Minsk in Belarus. And what we’ve seen Minsk say about the European Games is that they’re going to use existing facilities and they’re going to scale back the budget. We’ve seen something VLPLODU ZLWK WKH À UVW :RUOG %HDFK Games, which were originally awarded to San Diego to be held in 2017 for which there was a reported budget of about US$150 million

Left: The Sports Consultancy team, from left to right: Angus Buchanan, Siân Jenkins, Ashley Blake, Robert Datnow, Marc Hope and Alison Moor

being set aside. ANOC [Association of National Olympic Committees] had inherited that event from SportAccord. And again, what we’re seeing is a budget that was brought down from US$150 million to around a reported US$50 million with the use of existing facilities – which is slightly easier for a Beach Games because there wasn’t so much facility build and the event delayed until 2019 and the number of sports reduced. Cities in our experience don’t have an appetite for overspend. They don’t have an appetite for events that have grown too large and accreted over time. What they do have an appetite for is maximising return on investment and thinking sensibly and VWUDWHJLFDOO\ DERXW ZKHUH HYHQWV À W within their own development. AB: Our experience recently is that some of the major events have shown no sign of feeling that they need to rationalise in a globalising market. So, for example, we now have the prospect of a 48-team Fifa World Cup, which will potentially move that tournament beyond the ability of one host to host it. And many of the rights holders that we’re dealing with recognise that if they want to allow more countries to participate in these events, the level of investment required in both capital and operational expenditure will increase to the extent that they will need multiple hostings. We’re working with Fiba, who, I think through forces of circumstance for the 2015 EuroBasket, were forced because of the situation with Russia and Ukraine to move the tournament from Ukraine, who was contracted as the host. And then subsequently, it ended up in a four-way hosting with France, Germany, Croatia and the Czech Republic, and discovered WKDW WKHUH ZHUH VLJQLÀ FDQW EHQHÀ WV in co-hosting between countries in the same way that Uefa anticipates WKHUH ZLOO EH VLJQLÀ FDQW EHQHÀ WV LQ 2020 of spreading the European Championship in the celebration year of its 60th anniversary to 13 different host countries. You

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share the cost of delivery without necessarily diluting the economic impact for those countries, who then get proportionately the same returns that they would have done through single hosting, but the tournament’s got to the size where the burden now needs to be spread between multiple countries. And I think to a certain extent you’re now seeing it at the IOC, not in terms of multiple hosting between countries but FHUWDLQO\ FRQWHPSODWLQJ IRU WKH ÀUVW time what an Olympic Games might look like if there’s not one central city focus – that Olympic Games could be much more diffuse within one single market. What are the implications of that on the host city strategies you’ve been talking about? What are rights holders going to have to appreciate about what prospective hosts might want out of that arrangement? SJ: I think big cities are asking for something very different now. When I think about the host SURFXUHPHQW WKDW ZH UDQ ÀYH \HDUV ago, they were essentially looking at economic impact. And that’s all they wanted – cities just wanted WR NQRZ WKH ÀJXUHV &LWLHV DUH becoming increasingly sophisticated now and we’re seeing the rise of social impact, which is much, much harder to quantify but is something that we’re starting to do. So is the event making you proud? Is it increasing community enhancement? Is everyone working together? Are people aiming higher because of that event being hosted in that city? So when they’re looking at that multi-host model, they want to host with people on the same level as them. RD: There was a time when cities were thinking about how they could use events as a catalyst for major road and venue infrastructure and, actually, our experience of working across the Middle East and Europe and the rest of the world has been much less about the causal link between an event and infrastructure development, but much more DERXW KRZ DQ HYHQW ÀWV ZLWKLQ D

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programme of staged development of a city or country. And what we’ve seen as a result is a much narrower focus because particular cities have particular brand identities for doing particular things. They’re well known – whether it’s well known for particular sports or well known for particular facilities or particular performances – and as a brand, the cities are trying to build on those strengths to attract tourists to come and stay and spend, trying to attract other events, to build skills, and to build strength upon strength. Looking at that suggestion of having brand and emotional links between cities for sharing events, how can rights holders learn from those with annual global calendars like Formula One or Formula E?

SJ: I think rights holders have two choices. They can either go out to the market and ask for any city, and work out who’s going to host, or they ask cities to bid together. That obviously has pros and cons for each model. So looking at the ÀUVW RQH ZKHUH WKH\ FDQ PDWFK everyone, they’ve really got an exciting opportunity to show what their event is about. Obviously with Formula E there’s a lot of FRQÀGHQWLDO ZRUN EXW WKH PDUNHWV they’re considering could really set their brand alight, whereas perhaps if they waited for cities to approach them they don’t have that same level of control. So it’s a really exciting way, especially with modern and new sports, to show you’re different and show why you’re different. RD: I’d amplify what Sian is talking about in the bidding processes that we have run. We’ve now secured 60 host cities in 20 procurement exercises over the last ten years, and those exercises have been characterised by us creating a commercial model through consultation with stakeholders on both the rights holder side and the host side, creating a set of marketing collateral, and then managing a bidding process which

involves those cities in target regions putting together a response to the questions being asked of them, and those being assessed with professional third party due diligence, in a transparent, open and fair way. Whilst in all the processes that we run there is a clear and reasonably articulated discretion that’s maintained at the ultimate decision-making level, the factual basis for that decision and the recommendations that are made and the reports that are written based on the quality of the bids, PHDQV WKDW WKH ELG WKDW EHVW IXOÀOV the published evaluation criteria ought to win in each case. AB: Rights holders are coming under increasing scrutiny about how hosts are appointed, and sometimes if you’re just going to a particular host and doing a deal with them without running a process, or you are opening up a process yet WDUJHWLQJ D VSHFLÀF KRVW ZLWKRXW being clear about how you have appointed them, then I think we’ve seen with the scandals that have come to light over the last few years what that can do to the reputation of a rights holder – and not just the immediate reputation but also for future hosting. Well, the next two Fifa World Cups are going to what were empirically the weakest bids. How much is that process at the core of what makes a rights holder appear trustworthy?

AsB: We’ve seen that how decisions are made and who makes them have become central issues in sport and the focus of a number of IFs and sports organisations. One of the PRVW KLJK SURÀOH GHFLVLRQV WKDW DQ IF makes is the decision regarding where to host its major centerpiece event. Fifa is not alone in having its decision-making questioned but, clearly, it is important for a number of reasons that those decisions are made in a fair and transparent way, applying clear criteria. From our work with cities we see that bidders

are increasingly sophisticated in their allocation of money and resources and, if they have no trust in the process, you will soon end up with a decreasing pool of potential hosts. Let’s talk further about governance. We’re in a postgovernance reform era at the likes of the IOC and Fifa. How much do people respond to structures and how much do people respond to actions when it comes to reputation and perception?

AsB: Governance reform was also a central part of the IOC’s Agenda 2020. Really, I think we’re yet to see the real implementation of more widespread governance reform in sport. We have, though, had some pretty good news stories – if you look at what World Rugby have done over the last 18 months or so with their governance and decision-

making reforms, for example. We’re starting to see the UK government taking a lead, too. April 2017 will see the British Government’s Code for Sports Governance come into force, requiring any sports body which receives funding from UK Sport or Sport England to meet minimum standards of governance, focusing on their structures, people, communication, standards and conduct, and policies and processes. It is hoped that the threat of losing vital funding will push UK sports bodies into action. Questions DURXQG JRYHUQDQFH FRQà LFWV RI interest, lack of diversity, lack of transparency have always been present in sport. Unless there is a real need to reform I fear that there is little will within many sports federations to do so. The money source is GHÀQLWHO\ WKH NH\ WR PDNLQJ WKHP VLW up and listen.

Angus Buchanan, co-founder and managing director of The Sports Consultancy, believes increased scrutiny on rights holders will help to increase transparency around the selection of host nations for major sporting events

The other sources of money for federations are going to come from broadcasters and commercial partners. What kind of a role can they play?

AB: They can play as much of a role as they want to and maybe, again, should play more of a role. The big sports organisations make most of their money from broadcasting, in a lot of cases, and sponsorship, and we’ve seen some sponsors come out recently – particularly around doping scandals – making noise around withdrawing funding. We haven’t seen much from broadcasters, and I think they certainly could speak out more and have a lot more say if they wanted to in terms of governance reform. RD: Just something to add there, on the brand side. We act for the 2017 World Athletics

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Championships and ParaAthletics Championships, as well as the other portfolio of British Athletics events, and we asked ourselves some similar questions when we were appointed a couple of months ago about whether or not there would be an impact – particularly in athletics – on brands and broadcasters. We were told to expect potential questions from them about the governance structures within the IAAF and around the participation of the Russian team around the Olympic Games, and more broadly in the Paralympic Games. Actually, although that was the environment in which we’re operating, the sponsors and brands with whom we are in daily interaction – Mßller is a good example of this – were not so concerned with the politics of the sport, but much more excited by being in the Olympic Stadium, and the action and the talent on WKH WUDFN DQG ÀHOG We have been greatly encouraged by the amount and quality of brand interest in the event fundamentals rather than what others thought might happen, which was an examination of the structures behind the sport. 7KLV LV D VSRUW WKDW LV GHÀQLWHO\ and decisively moving in the right direction. AB: I think the threats are, to some extent, a little bit existential. It doesn’t really impact on people’s enjoyment of what will happen in the stadia. The same will apply for the Fifa World Cup. Where they do have to be careful is in the management of things which do affect your enjoyment and what happens RQ WKH ÀHOG RI SOD\ LH WKH LQà XHQFH RI JDPEOLQJ PRQH\ and underperformance on the pitch or, more importantly and probably more saliently, doping. So if you cease to believe what you’re watching, and that fundamentally erodes the product, then you have a very fundamental problem in terms of your product.

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AM: The brands want to connect with the fans rather than the governance, but clearly they need to do their due diligence, too. But I WKLQN LW UHà HFWV RQ WKH SRLQW HDUOLHU about social impact. Brands have a need to support social impact and that’s one of the big attractions of the likes of London 2017 – and fans talk about that as London 2017 and World Athletics Championship, they don’t talk about IAAF. And I think it’s really interesting, the commercial impact – we were talking about Rio earlier but bringing it back to home soil – of the work that the British Olympic Association has done by establishing the role of the BOA in terms of preparing the athletes and the development of the Team GB concept. Their commercial programme was outstanding this year, and we were involved in bringing Mßller in around the healthy lifestyle agenda but you look at a lot of other new brands coming in to support the team in what effectively was a venue that’s hard for consumers here to reach with Rio. The commercial programme was the best they have had for a long time. Aldi and DFS joined the Team GB sponsor family. They were all great marketing partners. So as consultants, what role can you play in connecting brands to those elements that they want to be connected with as opposed to getting them involved in the soup of other issues?

AM: It’s working carefully with the rights holders. Our rights marketing consultancy team focus on the values of the organisation and the event, which will attract a brand and feel comfortable the partnership will help it tell its story. And it’s ensuring that we’re working with the rights holders. It’s less about how many branding boards you get; it’s more about what the values are that your organisation and event has, on the back of which a brand can join. What’s the attraction? The proposition is the key selling point.

And exclusivity: brands don’t want to be one of a group, where they’re all about a badging exercise. It’s actually what they can get in there. How can they tell their brand story? AB: And how you carve out, in a way which works for the rights holder, their initiatives which allow the brands to feel that they can tangibly sponsor a campaign or an asset. So, for example, around the World Athletics Championships, to what extent we can create an asset around volunteering or around mass participation or the more social elements of the impact of London 2017 on London – the inspiration programme, in other words. To what extent can you carve out those assets and turn them into a package which is then sponsorable by the brands? There’s been an appreciable decline in how much people watch regular TV transmissions of sport instead of catching up with it digitally or by other means. Does that also have a major effect on how brands are using those assets and telling their stories around major events?

AM: It’s actually the rights around which they can tell their brand story. We probably all have a very high recall of Samsung and what they did around Rio. But that was a great brand story. They created that content. It had a very good thematic space. They were not requiring broadcast footage for that, which was very interesting, and you’re seeing that more and more. Content is key, it absolutely is, for sponsorship. AB: I don’t see any diminution in the value of live rights for major events. The platforms will change but the value of live content will remain the same. What is interesting is looking at the value of non-live rights to the brands – working with UGC or working with archive content, telling stories around the event throughout the year, using non-live content – and we’ve seen a real uptick in the

investment that brands are prepared to make, or that rights holders are prepared to make in creating assets for the brands to sponsor. You create 365 days a year content without relying solidly on the live, which I think is just an increasing recognition of the value of non-live through OTT. So the creation and curation of content is going to be one of the key themes of 2017. What else should we be looking out for?

SJ: I think a lot of eyes next year are going to be on the IOC decision. It’s what 2017 will be gearing up for and it’s more apparent now with the recent election news in the US. I think as we watch that unfold it’s going to be really interesting to see how the IOC and other rights holders react to cities and their own brand. Who knows what’s going to happen and how it’s going to affect

LA’s application, but I think it’s really important. In North Carolina there’s been some really interesting developments where events have been withdrawn and people won’t perform there because of the governor’s stance on LGBT issues, DQG , GHÀQLWHO\ WKLQN WKDW·V UHDOO\ worthwhile. You’ve got to think about where your events are going and what that says about you as a rights holder, so I think a lot of eyes are going to be on the IOC next year to see what the impact of the recent news will be. What implications could political developments not just in the US, but with the British vote to leave the European Union and with farright or anti-internationalist groups challenging across Europe, have for the sports industry?

RD: One of the constants of sport is that there is an enduring

Brand interest in the 2017 World Athletics Championships and ParaAthletics Championships has been high, says Robert Datnow, The Sports Consultancy co-founder and managing director

desire to be entertained, and for athletes to perform, One of the things that we can almost be certain about for next year is that there’s going to be continued uncertainty – about the impact of American politics on Europe, the impact of the UK triggering its exit from the EU, and the fall-out from the French election in May which would also have an impact, potentially, on the Paris bid. And I think the constant in 2017 will be the reliance that brands, rights holders, events and venues place on thoughtful decision-making, on proper and full due diligence, fully informed, commercially based activity supported by the numbers – probably more so than ever before as we’re uncertain about currency, we’re uncertain about immigration and migration and job creation. I think the strategic approach to investing in sport is going to be more important than ever.

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Smart cities

Smart cities The matchday of tomorrow is emerging. Between driverless transport and developments in long-range travel, new building materials, automation, big data and environmental priorities, the way sports venues are created and our interactions with them are soon to change dramatically.

Introducing SportsPro SmartSeries SmartSeries is the new venture from SportsPro looking at where the industry is going next. It will explore topics like near-future technology, investment, innovation and emerging best practice in a UDQJH RI ƮHOGV EULQJLQJ LQ RSLQLRQ IURP WKRVH RQ WKH FXWWLQJ HGJH DQG ƮQGLQJ RXW KRZ WKH VSRUWV EXVLQHVV FDQ SUHSDUH IRU WKH FKDQJH WKDW LV FRPLQJ WRPRUURZ 7KLV LV WKH ƮUVW HQWU\ LQ D VHULHV WKDW ZLOO RƬHU D QHZ SHUVSHFWLYH DFURVV SULQW GLJLWDO DQG HYHQWV

94 | www.sportspromedia.com

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Smart cities

The world’s cities are on the cusp of the biggest change in their transport strategies in over a century. The main impetus for it is the arrival of the driverless car. Investment in driverless vehicles is coming from a range of sources, with motoring manufacturers being outpaced by big technology companies like Google and – reportedly – Apple, and specialists like electric vehicle pioneer Tesla. Uber, whose sharing economy insight and aggressive business practices have upended the taxi sector, is now spending heavily on the technology and has already launched a trial driverless service in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The implications for city transport networks of driverless vehicles have not yet been settled. The majority may end up in private use, or as part of an automated cab service run by companies like Uber. Alternatively, they could come to be integrated into or even replace public transport networks. In April, Beverley Hills City Council approved plans for a driverless car programme that could replace its public transport system. As the cost of driverless vehicles falls, less well-appointed local authorities may one day follow suit – particularly in those urban areas where existing mass transit infrastructure is limited. Sports teams have already begun partnerships with Uber in its existing driver-led form, with several US major league RXWƎWV DQG )UHQFK VRFFHU FOXE

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Olympique Lyonnais creating arrangements that include discounts and dedicated pickXS DQG GURS RƏ ]RQHV 7KH extension of these partnerships into the driverless era would be logical, while venue operators would also have to consider KRZ WR DGDSW WUDƹF ưRZ %XW what may interest teams more is that fans would now be using personalised modes of transport that they are not operating manually. Whether travelling in privately owned or hailed cars, incoming spectators would be more easily targeted by personalised messaging, bringing tailored content such as team news or previews and PDUNHWLQJ IURP RƹFLDO SDUWQHUV and beginning their matchday with purchases and food orders – in an extension of the connected experience already available on mobile apps today. Local authorities in Dubai, which is hosting the Expo 2020 future cities exhibition, have already stated their target of making 25 per cent of all journeys in the emirate smart and autonomous by 2030. They also hope to pioneer a dramatic development in longrange transport, expecting to complete construction of the ZRUOGoV ƎUVW ZRUNLQJ +\SHUORRS system in time for the Expo. The Hyperloop is essentially a long tube down which pods can be sent at the kind of speeds usually reserved for air travel. Hyperloop One is slated to be built between Abu Dhabi and

XB1, scheduled to make an appearance in late 2017, is theoretically capable of WUDQVSRUWLQJ D WHDP IURP 1HZ York to London in three and a half hours at speeds reaching Mach 2.2. Mass transit options for fans are more likely to depend on upgrades to physical infrastructure. In the UK, the government has given the go-ahead for the long-planned third runway at Heathrow Airport. Yet greener initiatives like the expansion of high-speed rail networks across China and south-east Asia, and in Europe, could open up more access to events for visitors from further DQG IXUWKHU DĆŽHOG

Uber’s self-driving cars could supplement

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Getting there

Dubai, delivering journey times of just 12 minutes. A live test of a unit has already taken place in Las Vegas. With the world’s major leagues adopting increasingly global strategies – staging games overseas and potentially, in the medium term, creating regular international competitions – ORQJ UDQJH WUDQVSRUW RƏHULQJV may come to play a more VLJQLƎFDQW UROH 7KH 1DWLRQDO )RRWEDOO /HDJXH 1)/ ZLOO EH following the fortunes of Boom Technology with interest as it continues its deliberations over the introduction of a London franchise. Boom aims to reintroduce supersonic consumer air travel; its 45-seater

or even replace public transport systems

A TRIP FROM ABU DHABI TO DUBAI ON HYPERLOOP ONE IS SET TO TAKE 12 MINUTES

natural world into the cityscape

Building Automation is set to revolutionise major building works in the decades ahead. Inspired by the activities of termite communities, the Termes robotic construction system has been developed by a team at Harvard University. So far, its self-organising groups of automatons have already been capable of building three-dimensional structures. It is hoped that their use in commercial developments could greatly limit the need for human builders to work in challenging environments or conditions. The use of robotics in construction is in its relative infancy but it is part of a tranche of technological DGYDQFHV WKDW ZLOO VLJQLĆŽFDQWO\ change the trade. 3D printing is already allowing for the manufacture of more delicate and ambitious interior pieces, often from reused materials with minimal waste. More connected project

management systems are also speeding up the construction process by allowing for better ZRUNưRZ EHWZHHQ GHVLJQ DQG HQJLQHHULQJ WHDPV RQ GLƏHUHQW continents, while consistent advances in computer-aided design and drafting software, or CAD, also permit more sophisticated modelling and digital stress-testing. 1HZ PDWHULDOV ZLOO DOVR FKDQJH the way tomorrow’s stadium is built. Some of those materials are already in use, such as the Tenara fabric engineered in part to make a retractable roof possible over Wimbledon’s Centre Court – and which has helped bring the concept of retractable roofs closer to industry standard. Others remain in the development stage but their applications are readily apparent. Advances in the creation of polymeric nanotrusses and microtrusses, developed

using 3D laser lithography, are giving rise to materials that are stronger, lighter, and can be made increasingly resistant to seismic activity. In 2015, Delft University microbiologist Hendrik Jonkers unveiled a new process of introducing a strain of limestoneproducing bacteria to concrete to make it ‘self-healing’, theoretically reducing maintenance costs and increasing the lifespan of a building. Researchers at University College London, meanwhile, have developed a paint that creates ‘self-cleaning’ surfaces, which are extremely resistant to water and oil. The production of more resilient coatings is making architects more optimistic about the possibility of using wood in large-scale construction. In sport, lower-league English soccer team )RUHVW *UHHQ 5RYHUV KDYH DOUHDG\ planned a Zaha Hadid Architectsdesigned wood stadium. Sustainability is the other

upshot of these advances in production and, in addition to more strongly mandated environmental regulation regarding water use and on-site renewable energy sources, the construction of sports venues FRXOG DOVR EH LQĆ°XHQFHG E\ WKH planning trend of ‘greening’. In 6LQJDSRUH HĆŹRUWV WR SURPRWH biodiversity have led to the rise of ‘vertical gardens’, integrating plant life into skyscraper construction and turning urban areas into natural habitats. Allied to the wider trend towards ‘invisible architecture’ – construction and design elements that allow a building WR UHĆ°HFW RU GLVDSSHDU LQWR LWV surroundings, like the planned 7RZHU ,QĆŽQLW\ QHDU 6HRXOoV Incheon Airport – and the taste within sport for more open complexes, future stadium projects could become more intimately linked to their environment.

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Picture by: Wong Maye-E/AP/Press Association Images

Singapore has plans to integrate the

Smart cities

Buying and selling

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Customisable mobile apps like WKRVH SRZHUHG E\ 9HQXH1H[W which supplies its technology WR WKH 6DQ )UDQFLVFR HUV and their Levi’s Stadium, have already begun the process of personalising the matchday YLVLW s RƏHULQJ VHUYLFHV VXFK as airline-style digital ticketing, ZD\ƎQGLQJ WR DQG ZLWKLQ WKH ground, news and statistics, VSHFLDO RƏHUV DQG RWKHU LQWHJUDWHG VROXWLRQV )RU HDFK WHDP WKHVH DSSV DOVR RƏHU the chance to discover more about the individual habits of fans than ever before, creating data sets that can improve the performance of everything IURP FURZG ưRZ WR FRPPHUFLDO performance. The purpose and direction of in-venue marketing could also change as that data becomes more widely available, and as broadcast advertising becomes more customisable. With viewers at home treated to digitally altered pitchside branding on traditional broadcasts, and targeted messaging on live

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social media platforms, static and LED hoardings may begin to give way to other forms of campaigning. With new venues built for more than a decade WR VXVWDLQ GLĆŹHUHQW W\SHV RI matchday visitor, from exclusive club sections that give highpaying fans access to players to safe-standing areas that promise an earthier experience, further segmentation is inevitable. The common problem that such software faces at the moment, however, is one of connectivity within venues. This is an issue that is notorious among fans and venue operators alike, and planners are devising new ways to combat it. At the Golden 1 Center, the new KRPH RI WKH 1DWLRQDO %DVNHWEDOO $VVRFLDWLRQoV 1%$ 6DFUDPHQWR Kings, the developers have run PLOHV RI ĆŽEUH RSWLF FDEOH and over 300 miles of copper wiring throughout the arena, not RQO\ FUHDWLQJ KXQGUHGV RI :L )L points but also connecting a range of intelligent devices in the venue.

ARG PREDICTS AMAZON GO COULD CUT RETAIL WORKFORCES BY 75 PER CENT Better connectivity will also allow venues to incorporate changing trends in retail. In 6HSWHPEHU WKH HUV EHJDQ D SDUWQHUVKLS ZLWK $PD]RQ allowing fans attending tailgate parties outside the Levi’s Stadium to order items within an KRXU WKURXJK LWV $PD]RQ 3ULPH 1RZ VHUYLFH ,Q 'HFHPEHU WKH online retail pioneer opened the ƎUVW EUDQFK RI $PD]RQ *R D physical grocery store, near its Seattle headquarters. Restricted IRU XVH E\ $PD]RQ VWDƏ XQWLO the new year, the shop does away with checkouts altogether, allowing customers to take items directly from the shelf and FKDUJH WKHP WR WKHLU $PD]RQ accounts. The automation of physical shopping could come at the cost of a huge chunk of the jobs available in the service industries, with consumer behaviour monitor America’s Research *URXS $5* HVWLPDWLQJ WKDW as many as 75 per cent of RUGLQDU\ VXSHUPDUNHW VWDƏ FRXOG EH ZLSHG RXW LQ $PD]RQoV

The Golden 1 Center will utilise over 300 miles in copper wiring to create hundreds of WiFi spots throughout as the latest in a series of increasingly connected sporting venues

initiative. Were that to happen in sports venues, in concert with a reduction in the workforces needed in the construction process, it would dramatically change the relationship between venue owners and planners and local authorities. This would SDUWLFXODUO\ EH WKH FDVH LQ 1RUWK America, where city funding is often predicated on economic stimulus and job generation. 2QH ZD\ RI RĆŹVHWWLQJ WKH shortfall that might occur in this regard would be to extend policies aimed at getting local businesses – particularly food vendors – involved in stadium sales. Increasingly, teams in the US have ramped up the ‘farm-to-table’ local sourcing of food products – an approach which has the further advantage of being more environmentally sustainable – while street food markets of the kind seen in city centres and business complexes could become more common, operating outside of event days in venues with a ODUJH SHUPDQHQW VWDĆŹ RQ VLWH or a concentration of local companies nearby. If extended to major international events, where sponsorship deals allow, these LQLWLDWLYHV FRXOG DOVR RĆŹHU a more authentic domestic Ć°DYRXU DQG s LQ WKH FRQWH[W RI the Phansmer Research Group’s claims that the food provided at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games did not meet World Health Organisation standards – a more nutritious option.

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VR and AR technoogy such as Microsoft's HoloLens could revolutionise the in-venue experience

What we’ll be watching The notion of eSports as an arena experience is hardly a new one, with events around the world already attracting fans in their tens of thousands. At this stage, however, the specialisation of venues to accommodate the demands of eSports is less mature. The Esports Arena, which opened in downtown Orange County LQ &DOLIRUQLD LQ LV WKH ƎUVW facility dedicated to competitive YLGHR JDPLQJ LQ 1RUWK $PHULFD and is fully customisable to allow it to host events on various scales – from daily community-focused leagues to higher-spec contests. As traditional teams and leagues further their formal connections with the world of eSports, they may begin to consider adaptations to their home venues in order to host more of their own events. Other

tech sports may also leave their mark, with the Drone Racing League already showing that it can change the way a venue is used and presented. Already, though, technology has made an impact on how mainstream sport is being played. Refereeing aids and video referrals have been core to a growing number of sports at the elite level for over a decade, their proliferation typically helped along by broadcasters creating access to specialised equipment. Whether falling costs and increased demand ever bring those systems further down the sporting pyramid remains to be seen, but there are more imminent changes to KRZ JDPHV DUH RĆąFLDWHG DW WKH top level that governing bodies and venue operators will have to legislate for. Soccer was a long-term holdout in introducing

technological aids for referees before the introduction of goal-line technology in 2013, EXW )LID KDV QRZ EHJXQ WULDOV of its Video Assistant Referees 9$5V V\VWHP $W WKH )LID &OXE World Cup in Japan in December, the world governing body is running further tests of VARs in partnership with Dentsu, local EURDGFDVWHU 179 DQG +DZN Eye. The technical set-up will be another element for stadium operators to factor into their broadcast operations, but as pertinent will be the way video-led decisions are incorporated into the in-venue experience – if at all. In sports like tennis and the rugby codes, video referrals are relayed to the crowd inside the stadium as well as at home. The VARs system, though, is not a straightforward referral procedure and in any case, contentious incidents are not replayed to soccer crowds in many countries. Venue operators have been interested for several years in being able to replicate other elements of the broadcast experience in the venue. In theory, it should already be SRVVLEOH WR GHOLYHU D ưH[LEOH and detail-rich service to match-going fans through the use of mobile apps, though WKHLU HƹFDF\ LV OLPLWHG LQ PDQ\ grounds by the recurring issue of poor connectivity. Those issues aside, the logical next step could be augmented reality, or AR. At this stage, the most KLJK SURƎOH H[DPSOH RI $5 making its way into the mass market is the mobile gaming phenomenon PokÊmon Go, and the possibility of introducing graphical overlays for in-stadium use via smartphones and connected devices is already being explored. In June, The Donohue Report obtained a SDWHQW DSSOLFDWLRQ E\ 9HUL]RQ that would combine AR and LTE EURDGFDVW H0%06 WHFKQRORJ\ with specialised sensors in the KHOPHWV RI 1DWLRQDO )RRWEDOO /HDJXH 1)/ SOD\HUV 7KLV ZRXOG

allow fans to point smartphones or other connected devices at individual players to allow for HDVLHU LGHQWLĆŽFDWLRQ EULQJLQJ up biographical information and relevant in-game statistics. That technology could then be adapted for other sports. $QRWKHU 1)/ SDUWQHU Microsoft, has also been touting the possibilities of AR for sports fans. At present, its presentations of its HoloLens headset have focused on the possibilities for viewers at home – bringing broadcast and video game graphics and overlays from the screen into the living room. In the longer term, however, it is foreseeable that the use of such a product could extend into the stadium. 0LFURVRIW LV FXUUHQWO\ RĆŹHULQJ its HoloLens to developers at 8.~ D XQLW ZKLFK VXJJHVWV that mainstream adoption may be some years away. However, the coming advance of specialised AR headsets into the workplace could result in an acceleration of the process. ,QQRYDWLRQV OLNH )RUPXOD E’s ‘fan boost’, which gives individual drivers in the allelectric motorsport series a brief surge in available power based on a social media vote, have led some to speculate how deeply the spectators of the IXWXUH PD\ FRPH WR LQĆ°XHQFH WKH action they are watching. Yet the biggest change in the spectator experience, one partly created by trends in broadcasting, could be more prosaic: scheduling. In international cricket, the rise of day-night Test matches is one example of how long-form events are being adapted to the needs of modern, urban audiences. Meanwhile, the increasing prominence of over-the-top 277 EURDGFDVWLQJ SODWIRUPV DQG WKH GURS RĆŹ LQ YLHZLQJ ĆŽJXUHV IRU HYHQ SUHPLXP VSRUWLQJ events outside of primetime hours, may cause rights holders to think again about when games are played.

SportsPro Magazine | 99

COMPANY PROFILE BEACH SOCCER

Soccer on sure sands As the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup heads to the Caribbean in 2017, the Bahamas Football Association president Anton Sealey is hoping to use the tournament to build a strong soccer legacy in the region.

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he Caribbean island of Nassau is populated by around 274,000 people, and is the capital city and largest inhabitancy of the Bahamas. The island is a tourist hotspot, and its satellite Paradise Island is often regarded as one of the most sought-after vacation locations on the planet. As idyllic as it is beautiful, the area is the epitome of serene. Between 27th April and 7th May 2017, however, the island will be transformed as one of sport’s most magnetic circuses comes to town. The Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup, entering its eighth tournament since it rebranded under the umbrella of world soccer’s governing body, will descend upon the golden beaches of Nassau, bringing with it a host of talent, excitement and atmosphere. Some of the world’s smallest nations will appear against soccer superpowers Italy, Brazil and Portugal, with the JOREH¡V WRS SOD\HUV Ă€ OWHULQJ WKURXJK Nassau’s bustling streets. Anton Sealey, a former professional soccer player and now the president of the Bahamas Football Association (BFA), is charged with overseeing the delivery, legacy and execution of the global tournament. Born and raised in Nassau, Sealey is FRPPLWWHG WR WKH EHQHĂ€ WV WKH Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup can bring to the Bahamas. A surprise host choice in December 2014, Sealey is determined to ensure that the tournament showcases his nation’s unique blend of lifestyle and entertainment. “Bahamians are passionate people and we get passionate about the things we love,â€? he says.

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“For those coming to the %DKDPDV IRU WKH Ă€ UVW WLPH , WKLQN WKH Ă€ UVW WKLQJ WKH\¡OO EH LPSUHVVHG by is the warmth and friendliness of our people. You’ll see that once this World Cup is introduced to this nation, the people will get behind it and support it very enthusiastically.â€? The Caribbean and beach VRFFHU VHHP D QDWXUDO Ă€ W EXW WKLV HGLWLRQ ZLOO PDUN WKH Ă€ UVW WLPH D Caribbean nation has appeared at the tournament. Aside from FULFNHW WKH &DULEEHDQ LV RIWHQ left devoid of international sporting events, and much of its live sport is reserved for regional competitions. Sealey believes, however, that this tournament could provide a window into the professionalism of the Caribbean’s sporting infrastructure. “All of the people in the Bahamas, both in the local organising committee and the ORFDO DXWKRULWLHV DUH ZRUNLQJ effortlessly, devotedly, to deliver a phenomenal Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup,â€? he says. “We have the spirit, the talent and the professionalism, and we plan to amaze the sports world with an unforgettable showpiece: a festival that projects the prestige of RXU FRXQWU\ ZRUOGZLGH NQRZQ DV paradise on earth, even further.â€? Sealey believes that the event will be vital to attracting further global sports events to the Caribbean, but this is not its sole purpose. Soccer as a whole is often underrepresented in the &DULEEHDQ :LWK D FULFNHW PDG society and poor infrastructure, few players or teams emerge from the area on to a global scale. On only four previous occasions has a team from the region reached the

Anton Sealey, former soccer player and now head of the Bahamian Football Association, is overseeing the staging of the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup

Fifa World Cup, with Cuba’s 1938 campaign the only one to continue beyond the group stages. ,W LV VRPHWKLQJ 6HDOH\ NQRZV DOO too well, having previously played for the Bahamas in unsuccessful )LID :RUOG &XS TXDOLĂ€ FDWLRQ campaigns. According to him, a strong soccer appetite will be critical to a successful tournament. ´2QFH WKH NLGV DQG WKH FOXEV there see the level of play and WKH VNLOO LQYROYHG LQ EHDFK VRFFHU it will naturally give us a boost,â€? he suggests. “The challenge for us as organisers at the Bahamas Football Association is to maintain the obvious passion that will come for this game and the interest that will accrue from this competition. This will be a future to our beach soccer players, and soccer players as a whole. “People will automatically be turned on to the game and the challenge is to mainta in that enthusiasm and excitement for the JDPH :H NQRZ FRPSHWLWLRQV OLNH this raise the level of interest and \RX¡OO Ă€ QG SHRSOH FRPLQJ RXW ZKR have never been to a beach soccer match in the past. “When they witness the matches they will obviously become interested and we have to maintain that interest – that is our ultimate challenge.â€? A strong tournament legacy is much more than athletic accomplishment, however, and 6HDOH\ LV NHHQ WR FDSLWDOLVH XSRQ WKH nation’s global attention. The tournament will bring 15 teams of 12 players to the island, as well as their support staff, broadcasting units, fans, journalists and tourists. The city’s population will swell considerably,

and Sealey is hoping that the whole area will be stimulated by the event. ´, WKLQN WKDW \RX¡OO Ă€ QG WKDW DIWHU this World Cup, those who visit us ZLOO GHĂ€ QLWHO\ ZDQW WR FRPH EDFN and, for us as a country, welcoming 15 nations to our shores, the infrastructure left behind will be a great legacy,â€? he says. ´3HRSOH KHUH ZLOO WDNH D personal interest in it and own the competition. The economic impact of this competition, of 13 days in the country with visitors using hotels, transportation, and restaurants – people will fall in love with it. “We are going to give thousands of people in our islands the opportunity to be an active part of the organisation, because this is the best way to have them feel the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup is a part RI WKHLU OLYHV DV WKH\ DUH D NH\ SDUW of the tournament. “Without the people, the World Cup would just not happen, and that is the message we really want to push.â€? While the eyes of the world will WXUQ WR WKH VDPED VNLOOV HPSKDWLF Ă€ QLVKHV DQG HODERUDWH H[FLWHPHQW of the 2017 Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup, Sealey will be concentrating on building a sustainable and successful legacy. )RU KLP D Ă RXULVKLQJ %DKDPDV off the pitch will be just as much of a success as a strong Bahamian team on it. The 2013 edition of the tournament was held in Tahiti for WKH Ă€ UVW WLPH HYHU ZLWK WKH KRVWV PDNLQJ D UXQ WR WKH VHPL Ă€ QDOV EHIRUH UHWXUQLQJ LQ WR Ă€ QLVK runners-up – a staggering feat for a nation of their size. Sealey will be hoping the Bahamas can replicate that success, and in doing so bring a vibrant legacy to his island nation.

Contact Beach Soccer Visit: www.beachsoccer.com Call: +34 93 819 18 90

SportsPro Magazine | 101

COMPANY PROFILE INFRARED

Getting physical In an age where digital strategy has become increasingly central to so many campaigns, experiential marketing agency Infrared is taking a more tactile approach.

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t can be hard to move within the sports marketing world without being confronted by the broad concept of ‘digital’. Globally, agencies are searching for the silver-bullet answer to how best to harness the ‘power of digital’, as consumer habits centre ever more on smartphones, tablets, computers and wearables. One company, however, is looking to break the mould. Born from entertainment, sports and travel promotions company RPMC, experience marketing agency Infrared launched earlier this year, and the company’s /RQGRQ RIĂ€ FH LV OHG E\ FKLHI executive, Stephen Hall. With a wealth of experience in sport and entertainment sponsorship, he says the company emerged from a new identity within RPMC. “I felt that we were being pigeonholed as an agency that solely worked in hospitality,â€? he explains. “Sport and entertainment has always been our primary focus, however I felt the market was seeing us as only a supplier of hospitality services, when the reality is we were doing a lot more. So we made the decision to set up a new division that better demonstrated the services we offered. And so Infrared was born.â€? :LWK RIĂ€ FHV LQ /RV $QJHOHV London, New York, Rio, Taipei and Tokyo, Infrared already had an established network – one that made its go-to-market strategy a lot easier. With this in place, Infrared set out on its new direction. For Hall, it was less a case of reimagining the wheel, and more a case of UHDIĂ€ UPDWLRQ “We’re now operating in a

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much wider space, in music, entertainment and sports, helping brands across all sectors where live experiences matter and we’re VHHLQJ WKH EHQHĂ€ WV RI WKLV PRUH diverse approach,â€? he says. “More than just a hospitality agency, we’re now about the complete experience conversation where we help brands extend the conversation before, during and after an event. So far it’s been incredibly well received.â€? With the company’s new scope taking shape, Hall knew Infrared then needed to work out its place in the market. With hyper-connected consumers doing pretty much everything online and on mobile devices, many agencies are looking to utilise digital channels as a means to connect with a brand’s target audience. It would have been easy for Infrared to join in, or at least try a variant thereof. However, rather than joining the mainstream, Infrared is,

Stephen Hall, chief executive of Infrared

refreshingly, thinking differently. “We call it a ‘digital overload’,â€? says Hall, discussing the reasons behind his company’s ethos. “What we’re seeing in an increasingly digital world is that while brands have direct access to consumers, some of these ‘digital UHODWLRQVKLSV¡ FDQ EH VXSHUĂ€ FLDO and distant. Consumers are now expecting brands to do more than ‘say’ things: they want them to ‘do’ things. Our research indicates consumers lives are made fuller by accumulating experiences, not things. “So our mission is to address this, bringing people together to create real human connections that build brands and drive growth. “This is not in any way to suggest that digital communications have no value. We absolutely believe in the power of digital to enhance an experience but we’re trying to make the point that digital needs physical in order to be maximised, and vice versa. “So instead of an overkill on

digital, Infrared is based around a ÂśKXPDQ Ă€ UVW¡ DSSURDFK Âľ 7KLV KXPDQ Ă€ UVW HWKRV WKDW Hall mentions is ingrained throughout Infrared, and is the starting point for every project it has undertaken. The company KDV Ă€ YH NH\ EXVLQHVV FRPSRQHQWV sponsorship activation, live experiences, travel incentives, corporate events and hospitality management, and across all uses digital as a means to enhance the physical experience. “We believe this sets us apart in the market. Millennials and digital natives love digital, but they are so used to it, and are so understanding of it, that it’s no longer a new, interesting concept for them. “It’s really pulled full circle, human experiences are becoming what everyone wants, and that’s what we’re delivering.â€? Hall’s comments are all well and good, but would be worth little

without a strong plan in practice. “Take, for example, the Uefa &KDPSLRQV /HDJXH Ă€ QDO Âľ KH says. “Previously, we would have created a hospitality programme for a brand, and managed all aspects of the operation. We’re now taking a more holistic approach, building experiential campaigns around the match, fan zones, and everything that happens pre and post event. We use digital to amplify and bring people closer to the action, but create surprise and delight human touchpoints at every opportunity to enrich the experience.â€? The company is certainly breaking new ground, going against the tide, and so far it’s working. Infrared’s most recent client win, Old Mutual Wealth, is the title sponsor of this year’s England rugby union men’s and women’s autumn internationals, and, according to Hall, it has been

Hall with other members of Infrared London’s senior management team: Natasha Davidson, events and hospitality director (left), and Vivienne Brown, operations director (right)

a highly successful relationship to date. “It’s been really refreshing,� he says. “We’ve had a great reception to our new positioning, we’ve delivered some great work on the Old Mutual Wealth Series and we’ve got some exciting prospects in the pipeline. The new year is likely to have some great new business wins. Things are going well.� With business set to grow, and a unique market approach, Infrared looks set for good times ahead. Moving the focus away from digital is a bold move but, in the business of experience marketing, may just be a game-changer.

Contact Infrared Visit: weareinfrared.com email: ldn@weareinfrared.com Call: +44 20 9025 6180

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DEALS REVIEW

DEALS REVIEW Sports industry deal-making highlights from October and November 2016 Ronaldo signs lifetime Nike deal Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo (left) has signed a major renewal to his deal with sportswear brand Nike, according to multiple reports. Ronaldo, who earlier this season signed a new five-year contract with Real Madrid worth a reported US$453,000 per week, has signed a long-term endorsement with Nike that the he claims is “for life”. According to the UK’s Daily Mail, the deal will be an increase on the US$17.5 million per year Ronaldo previously banked from the Oregonbased firm, and is more likely to be closer to the annual US$1 billion lifetime agreement in place with National Basketball Association (NBA) champion LeBron James. Discussing the deal, Ronaldo said: “I look at this new contract for life. I have a great relationship

with this brand, and I have great friends here in the company. “This is my brand, and Nike are smart. They know how to pick the best one, so I’m happy because I am one of them. This is the best contract I have in my whole career.” A Nike spokesperson, talking to British daily The Sun, added: “The successful partnership between Nike and Cristiano Ronaldo will continue well into the future with a new, longterm contract. “He transcends football, and is the most popular athlete on social media, and the most famous athlete in the world.” Ronaldo won a fourth Fifa Ballon d’Or in 2016, rounding off a year in which he also won both the Uefa Champions League with Real Madrid and the 2016 Uefa European Championship with Portugal.

The PPTV deal comes at the end of a year in which China has dramatically stepped up its investment in soccer, with Europe and the UK in particular being the major beneficiaries. Chinese Super League (CSL) clubs repeatedly broke the bank to sign Europebased players in the early months of the year, while

the summer saw a host of European clubs come under Chinese ownership, including three former continental champions in Aston Villa, AC Milan and Inter Milan. Villa’s local rivals Birmingham City, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers were also acquired by Chinese investors in 2016.

Premier League in major Chinese rights agreement The Premier League has signed the biggest overseas broadcast rights deal in its history with Chinese over-the-top (OTT) streaming service PPTV, reports are claiming. According to the BBC, which quotes a PPTV source, the three-year deal could be worth up to a total of UK£560 million (US$700 million), or around US$235 million per season, to English soccer’s top flight. The Premier League has yet to comment but, if confirmed, that figure would represent an enormous increase over the current Chinese TV deal, signed with Super Sports Media Group in 2013/14, estimated at the time to be worth in the region of US$150 million over six years. The new Chinese agreement will kick in on the expiration of the Super Sports deal, beginning with the 2019/20 season. It eclipses the league’s previous record for an overseas TV deal with NBC in the US, which sees the American broadcaster shelling out US$167 million per season over a six-year period. The Premier League’s domestic rights sales unsurprisingly remain its main source of income, with the current UK£5.14 billion deal shared between Sky Sports and BT Sport running until the end of the 2018/19 season.

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Qatar 2022 appoints Chinese construction firm Chinese state-owned construction company China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) have won the right to build the Qatar 2022 Fifa World Cup final stadium, in a joint venture with HBK Contracting. The two companies won a formal bidding process to build the stadium, which has been designed by award-winning British architect Norman Foster. The venue will be built in Lusail City, north of Doha, and will host the climactic fixture at the soccer tournament. The stadium will seat 80,000 people, and work is expected to begin in early 2017.

Under Armour and MLB tie up kit deal

“We are delighted to award the main contract for Lusail Stadium to HBK and CRCC as a joint venture,” said Hassan Al Thawadi, secretary general of the Qatar Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy. “Lusail Stadium will be the centrepiece of our tournament in 2022, and post tournament will become an integral part of the community in Lusail City in the legacy phase.”

Global sportswear brand Under Armour has inked a landmark agreement alongside online retailer Fanatics to take all licensing rights to Major League Baseball’s (MLB) on-field jerseys, it has been confirmed. The agreement, which begins in 2020, will see all MLB jerseys feature Under Armour branding, putting an end to the long-term licensing relationship between the MLB and both Nike and Majestic Athletic Fanatics will gain exclusive manufacturing and retail rights to all MLB apparel, with the only

exception being headwear, which will continue to be retailed by New Era. Majestic Athletics had held the exclusive MLB jersey rights since 2005, and its current deal is scheduled to end in 2019. Nike, meanwhile, has held the rights to the under-layer and neckline of MLB kit since 2009, and is also scheduled to end its agreement in 2019. No financial details of the deal have been released, but the all-encompassing agreement marks a new model of licensing rights deals in American sport. According to SportsBusiness Daily, MLB president of business and media Bob Bowman secured the deal during a conference call in early October. Fanatics has been an MLB business partner since 2003, and has provided e-commerce to the likes of the National Football League (NFL), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Hockey League (NHL), and the PGA Tour. The past 18 months has seen a flurry of onfield apparel rights deals in American sports, with the NBA transferring on-court jersey rights from Adidas to Nike, and the NHL switching to Adidas from Reebok during that time. Under Armour, meanwhile, already has a strong footprint within MLB, and boasts Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper as a brand ambassador.

Cricket Australia seals Microsoft tech deal Technology giant Microsoft has agreed a deal with Cricket Australia that will see the company provide a data-driven player performance platform for the country’s senior teams. The deal comes after cricket-loving Microsoft chief executive Staya Nadella made his maiden visit to Australia, with Cricket Australia set to benefit from the company’s new focus on wearable technology. Each player will be given a tracking device to wear during play, with coaches subsequently receiving data on a specifically designed platform that will contribute to training, fitness, physiological and psychological insights. “Our sports science guys have been doing some very interesting things trying to understand the probability of injury, but what we’re finding is that there is almost too much data and to understand it is a daunting task,” said Cricket Australia’s technology head Michael Osbourne.

“The new platform takes this vast amount of data, provides an environment for our sports science folks to explore that data and find insights in it, and then provides a very elegant dashboard that will surface trends and the information that will be impactful to the coaches.” The deal comes amid turmoil for Australian cricket, with controversial revelations in the autobiographies of former stars Mitchell Johnson and Michael Clarke coming at the same time as disastrous on-field performances during the Test match series against South Africa, which Australia lost 2-1.

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

SportsPro Magazine | 105

DEALS SECTION TEXT HERE DIRECTORY

DIRECTORY OF SPONSORSHIP DEALS Signed in October and November 2016 Barcelona confirm record kit deal with Nike

Report: FA extends with Nike

Monster Energy inks Nascar title sponsorship

La Liga soccer champions Barcelona have agreed a record-breaking deal with kit suppliers Nike. The ten-year contract, which commences at the start of the 2018/19 season, will see the Catalan club make at least €155milllion (US$170million) per year. The extended apparel agreement eclipses the previous world record for an annual fee set by Premier League outfit Manchester United and German manufacturers Adidas, which was set at €835million (US$915million) over a ten-year period. The Oregon-based manufacturer has been the fivetime European champions’ kit supplier since 1998, when it replaced Italian brand Kappa. The longterm renewal with Nike was revealed at the club’s annual general assembly, where their members also ratified a one-year extension with Qatar Airways to continue as their front-of-shirt sponsor through to the end of the 2016/17 season. Length of contract: 10 years Annualised value: US$170 million Overall value: US$1.7 billion Sport: Soccer

The Football Association (FA) has reportedly agreed a 12-year renewal with Nike. Nike will continue to supply match day and training kits to England’s national men’s and women’s soccer sides at all age groups. The revised deal will carry with it stipulations and financial penalties that will be directly linked to the men’s soccer team’s performances at the Uefa European Championships and Fifa World Cup. According to various outlets, the American sportswear giant will be paying English soccer’s governing body UK£400 million (US$503million) over the entirety of the deal. The deal comes at a time when the FA has been hit by scandal off the pitch and poor performances on it. The men’s team were knocked out of the Uefa European Championship in 2016 by minnows Iceland in the last 16, which resulted in the resignation of head coach Roy Hodgson. Furthermore, English soccer has been rocked by a catalogue of historical sexual abuse cases. Length of contract: 12 years Annualised value: US$33.3 million Overall value: US$400 million Sport: Soccer

After many months of speculation and nearly two years after Sprint confirmed its departure, Nascar has formally announced that Monster Energy will be the new title sponsor of its premier racing series. The new deal, first reported by motorsport.com, will kick in on 1st January 2017 and run for an undisclosed multi-year period. As yet, no new name, logo or trophy has been revealed for the series. Monster Energy, the energy drinks brand part-owned by Coca-Cola, will also title sponsor the annual Nascar All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway and become the official energy drink of Nascar. The financial terms of the agreement have not been released but it has been widely reported that Nascar was seeking a ten-year deal worth up to US$1 billion. However, Darren Rovell at ESPN has claimed that the deal is worth around 40 per cent of the annual US$50 million Sprint was thought to be paying. Therefore, Monster would be expected to be paying around US$20 million a year. Length of contract: 10 years Annualised value: US$20 million Overall value: US$200 million Sport: Motorsport

Chelsea seal Adidas replacement Premier League outfit Chelsea have unveiled a major technical partnership with Nike, six months after announcing the termination of their agreement with Adidas. The deal, which the English soccer club claim is the largest commercial contract in their history, will see Nike become their official kit supplier. Nike will produce all matchday, training and exercise kit for the first team, academy and ladies’ teams, as well as a range of Chelsea fan merchandise. The deal will begin at the start of the 2017/18 Premier League season, and although no financial details have been released, the Daily Telegraph reported in May that it would be worth UK£60 million (US$87 million) per year for the next ten years. The agreement comes after the London club paid US$56 million in May for an early termination of their association with Adidas, six years ahead of schedule. Their partnership with the German brand had begun in 2005, and was renewed in 2013 for ten years, worth a reported UK£300 million (US$433 million) in total. Length of contract: 10 years Annualised value: US$87 million Overall value: US$870 million Sport: Soccer

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Barcelona sign massive deal with Rakuten Spanish champions FC Barcelona have confirmed one of the biggest sponsorship deals in world soccer, with Japanese e-commerce company Rakuten set to pay the club at least €220 million (US$235 million) over the next four years. From the start of the 2017/18 European soccer season, its logo and branding will be placed on Barcelona’s playing shirts, replacing the current sponsor Qatar Airways. The deal includes an option to extend into a fifth year, and is worth significantly more to the La Liga club than the Qatar Airways agreement. According to reports, the airline was paying in the region of €30 million (US$32 million) a year. Rakuten’s investment almost doubles that figure, coming in at €55 million (US$58 million) per year. Barcelona’s search for a replacement for Qatar Airways has been protracted. The club began looking almost two years ago, but ultimately ended up signing a one-year extension to that deal in the summer. Length of contract: 4 years Annualised value: US$58 million Overall value: US$232 million Sport: Soccer

AIG extends with New Zealand Rugby Union American International Group (AIG) has extended its sponsorship of the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU). The six-year renewal will see the US-based insurance firm continue as the front-of-shirt sponsor of New Zealand’s world champion senior men’s team, the All Blacks. AIG will also support New Zealand’s other representative sides, including the All Blacks Sevens, the Maori All Blacks, the Black Ferns women’s team, the Black Ferns Sevens and New Zealand’s under-20 teams. The group will continue to have a strong advertising presence at New Zealand home games and All Blacks players will lend their images to AIG advertising campaigns. The financial terms of the renewal were not released but it is rumoured to be a significant increase on the previous deal, signed in 2012, which was reported to be worth NZ$80 million (US$58.6million). Length of contract: 6 years Annualised value: US$15 million Overall value: US$90 million Sport: Rugby

Lyon agree stadium naming rights deal French rugby union side Lyon Olympique Universitaire (LOU) have confirmed that insurance company Matmut has taken the naming rights to their new home stadium. The erstwhile Stade de Gerland will be known as the Matmut Stadium for the next ten years, beginning January 2017, when Top 14 club LOU move into the venue, recently vacated by soccer side Olympique Lyonnais. The agreement is an expansion and extension of a previous deal between the two, which also saw LOU’s current stadium, in the district of Venissieux, titled the Matmut Stadium. Length of contract: 10 years Annualised value: US$2.2 million Overall value: US$22 million Sport: Rugby FC Barcelona have signed two huge deals with kit supplier Nike and Japanese shirt sponsor Rakuten

Busch toasts to Kevin Harvick extension American beer brand Busch has extended its major sponsorship of Kevin Harvick’s number four car for a further Nascar premier series season – the currently untitled competition now sponsored by Monster Energy. Harvick’s car will feature paint schemes promoting the ABInBev-owned brand at 16 races throughout the 2017 season, four more than in 2016. Busch will also serve as a primary sponsor of Harvick’s team, Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), at select races throughout the calendar. The season-long extension deal is estimated to be worth around US$20 million to SHR. Length of contract: 1 year Annualised value: US$20 million Overall value: US$20 million Sport: Motorsport

Discount Tire renews Penske partnership

AFL Women’s League inks major deal

Team Penske have announced the extension of their partnership with Discount Tire for a further season. The world’s largest tyre and wheel retailer will return as the primary sponsor of Team Penske’s number 22 Mustang in the 2017 Nascar Xfinity Series, and as an associate sponsor on both the number two and number 22 Ford Fusions in the top-tier series, currently known as the Sprint Cup but with Monster Energy incoming as the new title sponsor for 2017. Length of contract: 1 year Annualised value: US$10 million Overall value: US$10 million Sport: Motorsport

National Australia Bank (NAB) has been announced as the naming rights sponsor of the upcoming Australian Football League (AFL) Women’s League. The initial three-year deal is, according to Australian newspaper the Herald Sun, worth between AUS$2 million (US$1.5million) and AUS$3 million (US$2.2 million) a year. Moreover, the domestic bank has a first option to extend for a further three years with the Australian rules football competition. The inaugural AFL Women’s League will be contested by eight ‘foundation clubs’ – Western Bulldogs, Melbourne, Collingwood, Carlton, Adelaide, Fremantle, Brisbane and GWS Giants – and played over a period of two months. Length of contract: 3 years Annualised value: US$2.2 million Overall value: US$6.6 million Sport: Australian rules football

Werder Bremen score sponsor extension Segafredo extends with Trek-Segafredo Coffee brand Segafredo has extended its sponsorship of International Cycling Union (UCI) World Tour outfit Trek-Segafredo for a further two years. The Italian company became a cotitle sponsor of the US team in 2015, initially signing a three-year agreement. The extended deal will see it remain in the role until the end of the 2020 season. Although no financial terms have been released, such sponsorships in cycling are estimated to be worth an annual fee in the region of US$11.1million. From next season Trek-Segafredo will be able to call on the services of two-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador. Length of contract: 2 years Annualised value: US$10 million Overall value: US$20 million Sport: Cycling

Bundesliga soccer side Werder Bremen have extended their deal with their main shirt sponsor, cooked meats manufacturer Wiesenhof. The agreement, which will see Wiesenhof’s branding appear on the front of the top-tier German club’s matchday shirts, will run for a single year and is reportedly worth US$7.45 million. The extension comes as a surprise, after Wiesenhof ran a controversial advertising campaign earlier this year which apparently made light of a public sexual assault case. Werder openly condemned the campaign, describing it as ‘unspeakable’, but the partnership will now run into its sixth season. Length of contract: 1 year Annualised value: US$7.45 million Overall value: US$7.45 million Sport: Soccer

Littlewoods Ireland sponsors GAA Littlewoods Ireland has entered into a three-year sponsorship of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), the Irish and international amateur sporting organisation that focuses primarily on promoting and governing Gaelic sports. Under the terms of the multi-tiered sponsorship, Littlewoods will be an associate sponsor of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship and the new title sponsor of the Camogie National League. In addition, it will have a strong brand presence at Croke Park, Ireland’s home of GAA, in Dublin. Length of contract: 3 years Annualised value: US$1.06 million Overall value: US$3.2 million Sport: Gaelic sports

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DEALS SECTION TEXT HERE DIRECTORY

Rainguard agrees Indycar deal Rainguard Water Sealers has signed on as title sponsor of the Verizon Indycar series race at the Texas Motor Speedway. The three-year deal begins with the 2017 event, which is scheduled to be the ninth on the American open-wheel series’ calendar. The water sealant company replaces Firestone – which was title sponsor from 2014 – and the race will henceforth be known as the Rainguard Water Sealers 600. The first Rainguard Water Sealers 600 will be contested on 10th June 2017. The Texas Motor Speedway has been a constant on the Verizon Indycar series since its first race in 1997. Length of contract: 1 year Annualised value: US$1.5 million Overall value: US$1.5 million Sport: Motorsport

UniBank nets Black Stars renewal Global financial firm UniBank has renewed its key sponsorship agreement with the Ghanaian Football Association (GFA) for a further three years. The deal, which will run until the end of 2019, is worth US$1.2 million, and will see the company receive branding at all of the national men’s soccer team’s home fixtures, on their training kit, and on official digital and TV-based broadcasts. The initial threeyear deal, which was signed in 2013, expired in November of this year, but a renewed agreement was announced by UniBank executive director Owusu Ansah-Anwere ahead of the men’s team’s recent 2-0 Fifa World Cup qualifying defeat to Egypt. Length of contract: 3 years Annualised value: US$400,000 Overall value: US$1.2 million Sport: Soccer

Nib announced as title partner of Knights Australian health insurer Nib has signed a threeyear sponsorship agreement with National Rugby League (NRL) outfit Newcastle Knights. The New South Wales company will be the principal naming rights partner of the rugby league team, who will henceforth be known as the Nib Newcastle Knights. In addition, Nib will assume the role of front-of-shirt sponsor on both the home and away jerseys of the 2001 NRL champions. Length of contract: 3 years Annualised value: US$250,000 Overall value: US$750,000 Sport: Rugby

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Danica Patrick, pictured here in the number ten Chevrolet, will work as the face of Daytona Beach Tourism

Hajduk check out Tommy partnership

Vipers cement Hima deal

Top-tier Croatian soccer club Hadjuk Split have agreed a five-year front-of-shirt sponsorship deal with national supermarket chain Tommy. The agreement is worth an annual HRK4.73 million (US$700,000) to the Prva Liga side, who finished third last season, and will see Tommy’s logo emblazoned on the club’s playing shirts until the end of the 2020/21 Croatian soccer season. Hajduk, who contest the ‘Eternal Derby’ with Dinamo Zagreb, have fallen behind their rivals in recent years, not winning a league championship since 2005, during which time Zagreb have won 11 consecutive titles. Length of contract: 5 years Annualised value: US$140,000 Overall value: US$700,000 Sport: Soccer

Ugandan soccer team Vipers SC have firmed up a sponsorship deal with Hima Cement. The two-year partnership is worth a total of Shs632 million (US$185,000) to the Wakiso Town-based club, who play in the top level of Ugandan professional soccer, the Ugandan Super League. The local company, which is owned by French industrial materials company Lafarge, will continue to support the club until the end of 2018. Vipers finished as runners-up in the 2015/16 edition of the Ugandan Super League and are presently performing strongly in the 2016/17 campaign. Length of contract: 2 years Annualised value: US$92,500 Overall value: US$185,000 Sport: Soccer

Borussia Dortmund partner with Atlas German soccer giants Borussia Dortmund have entered into a two-year agreement with Atlas, a manufacturer of safety shoes. Atlas becomes a third-level partner of the Bundesliga club, giving it TV-visible branding around their Westfalenstadion home ground on matchdays. The deal covers the remainder of the current campaign and the entirety of the 2017/18 season and, according to Sponsors.de, will see Atlas paying €600,000 (US$638,000) per year to Dortmund. The deal includes branding placement for Atlas at Bundesliga, DFB Pokal and Uefa Champions League fixtures. Length of contract: 1 year Annualised value: US$638,000 Overall value: US$638,000 Sport: Soccer

Danica Patrick to promote Daytona Beach Nascar superstar Danica Patrick has agreed a deal to become the new face of Daytona Beach Tourism, and will appear in a series of digital advertising slots for the Florida city. The Halifax Area Advertising Authority will commit US$130,000 of its annual US$3.1 million marketing budget to a December shoot, with the 34-year-old Stewart Haas Racing (SHR) driver receiving a US$100,000 fee. Patrick, racing in SHR’s number ten Chevrolet, finished 24th in the drivers’ championship in the 2017 edition of Nascar’s primary race series, its last with Sprint as the title sponsor. Length of contract: 1 year Annualised value: US$100,000 Overall value: US$100,000 Sport: Motorsport

theacademy.tseconsulting.com

INDEX ISSUE 92

Issue 91

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FEATURE STADIUMS AND VENUES

Brett EUROPE’S NEW VENUES Yormark 25 stories that A “HAPPY NEVER shapedBUT the SATISFIED.� sporting year FEATURE 25 STORIES

A new generation has dawned in European soccer, with clubs across the continent building or reimagining their home grounds in a range of innovative ways. By Adam Nelson

t a cursory glance, there is not much variation possible when it comes to designing soccer stadiums. A pitch, some seats, a concessions stand are the necessary elements; everything else is simply a matter of scale. Across Europe, however, top-level soccer teams are creating impressive new homes or redeveloping iconic old ones in ways that, if not reinventing the concept of a stadium, are pushing it to its limits. With clubs increasingly realising the revenue potential of these vast areas of real estate, which often sit unused for weeks at a time, these new venues are often focused on multi-purpose use, including several facilities in one and doubling up as handsome hosts for corporate events, often including hotels, cinemas and full-scale shopping centres. In other cases, solutions are being sought to reduce the environmental impact of stadiums, while in all cases, more care is being taken over integrating them into their environments, whether that is as part of the fabric of a large city or blending into more rural locations. SportsPro takes a look at four projects from across the continent and assesses how they are pointing the way to the future of the European soccer stadium.

INDEX OF COMPANIES AND PEOPLE

From Brooklyn to Long Island and the Nassau Coliseum

Rio 2016 gets over the line In the end, it was alright on the night – just. The race to get Rio de Janeiro ready for South America’s ďŹ rst Olympic and Paralympic Games has deďŹ ned an era of international sport, with the prelude of a Fifa World Cup creating a truly Brazilian decade. That era ended with a more than creditable event, though plenty will ask if it was all worthwhile. Where Brazil had won the right to host Rio 2016 as a thrusting new entrant to the global stage, its moment in the limelight came in a period of political crisis and full economic retreat. At the head of a long list of 2016 problems was the impeachment of President Dilma Rousse – deputised in her Games-time suspension by her eventual full-time replacement, the not exactly popular Michel Temer. Spiralling revelations of corruption claimed the

reputation of the oncebeloved ex-president Luiz InĂĄcio Lula da Silva, who had fronted Rio’s bid, while its ďŹ nancial consequences caused pain across the country – prompting a ďŹ re sale in the state of Rio itself. Fears of crime, pollution and general disorganisation loomed over the event and while some scares – most notably Zika – did not are as feared, low ticket sales and awkward transport were a constant reminder that the organisers were working against the grain. Nonetheless, the Olympics found their identity as they wore on, helped along by a late domestic gold rush. The Paralympics, meanwhile, overcame the existential threat of a crippling budget shortfall to truly connect with the local population, delivering higher attendances that any edition outside London. EC

New venues and smart cities

25

The stories that shaped 2016 Nasser Al-KhelaiďŹ on the future of PSG

NORTHUMBERLAND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT, LONDON ARCHITECT: POPULOUS CAPACITY: 61,000 COST: US$500 MILLION

It has been ten years now that Premier League soccer side Tottenham Hotspur have looked longingly down London’s Seven Sisters Road toward the Emirates Stadium, the state of the art facility constructed by their long-time rivals Arsenal in the middle of the last decade. During that period, Spurs have intermittently been able to compete with their neighbours on the pitch, but rarely have they been able to GR VR RII LW Ă€QDQFLDOO\ +HOG EDFN by the ageing and comparatively small White Hart Lane, the club’s matchday revenue and commercial opportunities from hospitality and corporate functions have been dwarfed by those of Arsenal. Tottenham’s proposed new stadium – presently known as the Northumberland Development Project until a naming rights SDUWQHU LV LGHQWLĂ€HG ² LV WKH FOXE

hope, the long-term remedy to these problems. Designed by global architectural company Populous, the Northumberland Development Project will have reasonable claim to being the UK’s most technologically advanced stadium ZKHQ LW Ă€QDOO\ RSHQV LQ WLPH IRU WKH 2018/19 Premier League season. Most notably, the stadium will hold two separate pitches: one regular surface for the stadium’s full-time job as a soccer venue, and another retractable pitch for when it is moonlighting as a National Football League (NFL) venue. Two games per season will be hosted in Tottenham as part of the NFL’s International Series. The retractable SLWFK ZKLFK VLWV Ă€YH PHWUHV DERYH the permanent one and withdraws underneath one of the main stands, will also be used for hosting concerts. The 17,000-seater southern stand will be largest single-tier stand in English soccer, eclipsing Liverpool’s historic Kop by over 4,000 seats, though falling short of the European record set by Borussia Dortmund’s SĂźdtribĂźne, popularly known as the ‘Yellow Wall’, which

holds 25,000 spectators. A lightweight cable-net roof will form a complete cover over the stands, while a glass façade will curve around the entire outside of the stadium, allowing views RXWZDUG IURP WKH Ă€YH VWRUH\ DWULXP in the home stand where fans will be encouraged gather before games. Also enclosed within the structure will be a cinema, a 180-room hotel and, most intriguingly, the world’s tallest climbing wall. All of this is intended to turn the stadium into a seven-days-a-week revenue-driver, rather than sitting unoccupied for most of the year. In total, the venue will seat 61,000 fans – pointedly, 1,000 more than the 60,000 who regularly pack out Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium. Of some concern to supporters is the recent memory of Arsenal’s lean period, during which the club’s spending on playing staff ZDV VLJQLĂ€FDQWO\ FXUEHG DQG WKH team went nine years without a WURSK\ ZKLOH SURĂ€WV ZHUH HDWHQ XS on paying off loans. Much of the success of the stadium will depend on Spurs qualifying more frequently for the Uefa Champions League.

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A AC MILAN

32

BIRMINGHAM CITY FC

32

Blatter, Sepp

32

46

ENTITLE

Cooper, Lonnie

46

Epstein, Guy-Laurent

84

CREWE ALEXANDRA FC

10

ESPN

32

66

32

ESPNCRICINFO

62

ADIDAS

112

Blaustein, Lewis

ADVOCAAT

112

BOOM TECHNOLOGY

94

CRICKET AUSTRALIA

BORUSSIA DORTMUND

56

CROSSFIT

Bowie, David

112

AEG

46

AFC

16

Aeck, Ben AFL Agnew, Jonathan

46

AL-JAZEERA

80

Al-KhelaiďŹ , Nasser

80

Allardyce, Sam

10

ANOC Antetokounmpo, Giannis APPLE ARSENAL FC ASIAN TOUR ASSOCIAĂ‡ĂƒO CHAPECOENSE DE FUTEBOL

32

BROOKLYN BOXING

46

BROOKLYN NETS

46

BROOKLYN SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

46

Brown, Zak

32

62

Algieri, Chris

ANHEUSER-BUSCH

Brathwaite, Carlos 32

32

AMAZON

Crouch, Tracey

32

AIR CANADA

32, 84, 94 32 32 76 32, 94 32, 56, 70 32 6

BT BT SPORT

70 32, 84

CSM Curry, Stephen CVC CAPITAL PARTNERS

112 10 70 32, 76 32

D da Silva, Luiz InĂĄcio ‘Lula’ DALIAN WANDA DAZN

10

HISENSE

84

HKS ARCHITECTS

52

8, 12, 32

HOMESTRINGS

62

32, 84

84

94

FASTTRACK

70

HYUNDAI-KIA

Butts, James

52

32

FC INTERNAZIONALE

32

BUZZFEED NEWS

32

DELTA TOPCO

32

52

I

Dennis, Ron

32

FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION

DENTSU

94

C CAA CADBURY’S

76 112

32, 84

CHELSEA FC

10, 80

CHICAGO BULLS

18, 32

CHICAGO CUBS

32

CHINA MEDIA CAPITAL

32

Cho, Yang-ho

32

Choi, Tae-min

32

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS CLUB ATLÉTICO NACIONAL

Beckham, David

80

BEIN MEDIA GROUP

80

BEIN SPORTS

80

CLUBE ATLÉTICO DE MADRID

BELLATOR

18

Coates, John COCA-COLA

8, 32 6 32, 56 32 32, 84

COMMONWEALTH

32

CONCACAF

32

CONMEBOL

32

Bettman, Gary

32

Cook, Garry

32

Biles, Simone

76

Cooney, Gerry

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46

FIFA

IAAF 12, 32, 80, 84, 94,

Ibrahimovic, Zlatan ICC

Di Maria, Angel

80

Finchem, Tim

32

DIGITURK

80

FIVE STAR MOVEMENT

32

FK KRUOJA PAKRUOJIS

16

Infantino, Gianni

32

INFRONT SPORTS & MEDIA

Dominguez, Alejandro

32

DRAFTKINGS

32

DRONE RACING LEAGUE Dudley, Rick Durant, Kevin

32, 94 76 8, 76

Dusingizimana, Eric

62

Dyke, Greg

10

E EA SPORTS

32

Earl, Karen

112

ECB

10

Bernstein, David

Higgins, Barry

DELOITTE

ÄŒeferin, Aleksander

32

66

70

32

Berger, Ken

EVENT MANAGER

DELFT UNIVERSITY

ATP

112

66

32

Deeney, Troy

16

Bennett, Alan

Hershkowitz, Dr Allen EUROSPORT

56

CAS

10

94

32

76

Bennell, Barry

HAWK-EYE INNOVATIONS

16

BUNDESLIGA

32

32

32

EUROPOL

BUD LIGHT

ATARIUS

BCCI

EUROPEAN TOUR

66

ASTON VILLA FC

46, 70

94

32

46

32, 62

32

HARVARD UNIERSITY

HULL CITY FC

DISNEY INSTITUTE

BBC

Harris, Calvin

Howe, Anthony

32

BARCLAYS

32

32

Carey, Chase

32

46

FANDUEL

66

BANG & OLUFSEN

32

FACEBOOK

32

62

HANJIN SHIPPING

32

DISCOVERY

32

32

EUROPEAN SPORT SECURITY ASSOCIATION

32, 56, 76

70

BANDA DEVELOPMENT

HAAS F1

16

FA

Campbell, Alastair

BAMTECH

H

ESSA

F

62

B

46

HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS

32

Cameron, David

ASSOCIATED PRESS

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COOPER HOLDINGS

32

Iguodala, Andre

FLASH ENTERTAINMENT

IMG

INTERPOL FORBES FORD

Frampton, Carl

46

France, Brian

32

FRENCH FOOTBALL FEDERATION (FFF)

84

FRONT NATIONAL

32

G

56

Éder

84

EFL

10

GOOGLE

Ehrenkranz, Je

76

Gradi, Dario

ELEVEN SPORTS NETWORK

32

GREENSPORTSBLOG

66

Grevemberg, David

70

112

IPC

32

J 8, 32 ,76 46

JIANGSU SUNING FC

32

Joel, Billy

46

Johnson, Boris

32

Jonkers, Hendrik

94

Jordan, Michael

18

10

ECOTRICITY

ENGLAND ATHLETICS

16 12, 32, 66

JETBLUE

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

8, 32, 76

Goodell, Roger

32

GUANGZHOU EVERGRANDE FC

32 32, 76

IOC

James, LeBron

32

80

32 32, 76

32 56, 94

Eccles, Nigel

Emery, Unai

80 32, 62

8

FOREST GREEN ROVERS FC

GUARDIAN

12

K Keller, Nick

70

Khan, Sadiq

32

KIA

32

KILLIAN DOHERTY

62

Klomps, Sara

56

Knight, Heather

62

32, 94 10

32

KOHLBERG KRAVIS ROBERTS Kroenke, Stan

32

LADIES’ GOLF UNION

76

Pérez, Florentino

56

Shale, Christopher

MIRAMAX

80

PERFORM GROUP

32

Shankly, Bill

6

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS ATHLETES ASSOCIATION

18

PGA TOUR

32

Shirky, Clay

112

PHANSMER RESEARCH GROUP

94

SHOP

18, 56 32

Phelps, Michael

76

MLB MLBAM

32, 76 32

LAGARDÈRE SPORTS

32

Monahan, Jay

32

LAND ROVER BAR

70

Monk, Garry

70

Lara, Brian

62

MONSTER ENERGY

32

32, 114

Montagliani, Victor MOODY’S ANALYTICS

Le Pen, Marine

32

Morgan, Alex

32

LEARFIELD

76

MSD CAPITAL

32

Lee, Hee-beom

32

LEECO

18

LEICESTER CITY FC

32, 80

Murray, James

N

94

NATIONAL WOMEN’S SOCCER LEAGUE

32

LEVY RESTAURANTS

46

NBA

LEYTON ORIENT

32

LEVI'S

32

LIGHT EARTH DESIGNS LLP

62

Lin, Jeremy

46

LOCOG

6, 32, 56 70

LONDON LEGACY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

32

LONG ISLAND NETS

46

LOS ANGELES RAMS

32, 52

LPGA

32

M MANCHESTER CITY FC

UNITED STATES SOCCER FEDERATION

84

32, 80

8, 16, 32, 46, 94

NESTLÉ

32

NETFLIX

32

NEW YORK COMMUNITY BANK

46

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

46

NEW YORK TIMES

66

NFL

32, 52, 56, 76, 94

NHL

16, 32, 46, 76

NIKE

112

NIKKEN SEKKEI

56

NSPCC

10

Ntini, Makhaya

62

NTV

94

O

56

Manohar, Shashank

32

O2

46

Mars, Bruno

46

OAKLAND RAIDERS

32

MARSTONS

32

OCTAGON

76

Martinez, Jackson

32

OGC NICE

32

Massa, Felipe

32

OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS

Mateschitz, Dietrich

18

MCDONALDS

84

McGregor, Conor

32

McKinley, Shawna

66

MCLAREN

32

Meirelles, Fernando

66

32, 94 32

P PARIS SAINTGERMAIN FC PARK RUN Park, Geun-hye

V Vasseur, François

8, 32

Platini, Michel

32, 84

Pollack, Jamie

32

Silver, Adam

VENUENEXT VERIZON 46

PREMIER LEAGUE

18, 32, 56

PRET A MANGER

SKY

32, 84

Smith, Joe

46

112

SONY PICTURES

32

PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDERS

76

SPORT ENGLAND

112

46

SPORT INDUSTRY GROUP

70

Prokhorov, Mikhail

SPORTRADAR

16

SPRINT

32

St Pierre, Georges

18

Stallone, Sylvester

32

Stokes, Ben

32

Stroll, Lance

32

SURF

62

SURREY CCC

62

PROMOTE PR

112

Putin, Vladimir

32

Q QATAR SPORTS INVESTMENT

80

QIAODAN SPORTS

18

R Rabbatts, Heather

80

12

Rabiot, Adrian

80

T

RB Leipzig

18

Teixeira, Alex TELEGRAPH

62

REAL MADRID CF

56

Temer, Michel

32

76

PASCUAL I AUSIO ARQUITECTE

56

MILKMONEY Mills, Sir Keith

70

Pelley, Keith

32

84 94 32, 94 32

VICE

62

VOLCANO SAFARIS

62

W 32

WANDA SPORTS

76

Waters, Roger

46

WATFORD FC

70

WEST BROMWICH ALBION FC

32

WEST HAM UNITED FC

32

White, Dana

18, 32

WILLIAMS F1

32

Williams, Mark

52

Williams, Serena

32

WME

76

WME | IMG

32, 76

94

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS FC

32

18

TESLA

RED BULL

18

Thakur, Anurag

32

Woodward, Andy

10

Reedie, Sir Craig

32

THE DONOHUE REPORT

94

32

WORLD AIR SPORTS FEDERATION

32

Renzi, Matteo

32

THE HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY

46

RK SLAVIA PRAGUE

WORLD RUGBY

12

32

WORLD TRIATHLON CORPORATION

32

WWE

46

Rebney, Bjorn

Roberts, Michele Robins, Jason Ronaldo, Cristiano

8 32

THE R&A THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY

8, 32

32, 84 THOMAS COOK

32

X

Thurman, Keith

46

Xi Jinping

TLG

62

Y

32

RWANDA CRICKET STADIUM FOUNDATION

62

RWANDAN CRICKET ASSOCIATION

62

S

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FC

32, 56

YAHOO!

32

8, 32

TOUGH MUDDER

112

Yormark, Brett

46

Triesman, David

10

You, Anna Jihyun

32

46

Z

Samoura, Fatma

32

TRI-STATE FORD

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

32

Trump, Donald

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

94

Santa Cruz, Leo

46

TWITTER

SAP

32

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

32

U

SETANTA SPORTS

80

SEVILLA FC

80

Shale, Alby

62

TURNER

32

94

32

32

112

MICROSOFT

Verstappen, Max

WADA

RCD ESPANYOL

Rousseff, Dilma

MANCHESTER UNITED FC

Orban, Viktor

80

70

32

80

LIVERPOOL FC

62

32

52

NASCAR

Leproux, Robin

LIBERTY MEDIA CORPORATION

112

UNHCR

46

32

70

Lax, Emma

UNDER ARMOUR

Silva, Thiago SILVER LAKE PARTNERS

Porter, Shawn LAS VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS

62

32, 53

L LA LIGA

MILWAUKEE BUCKS

TVGLOBO

32, 112 8 84 32, 84

UBER

94

UEFA

16, 32, 56, 80, 84

UFC

18, 32, 76

ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS

56, 94

Zelaznik, Marshall

32

ZUFFA

32

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UNOFFICIAL PARTNER

WINTER IS COMING The plan was to write quite a jolly Christmas listicle to see off 2016, a sports biz compilation of stuff you wouldn’t dream of consuming at any other time of the year, like Cadbury’s Roses, Advocaat and Pret’s seasonal sandwich range. But I just couldn’t summon the goodwill, because 2016 has been so rubbish and 2017 is going to be even worse. At least 2016 had the upside of delivering shock value. On a weekly basis seismic moments horrified yet electrified us, from Bowie to Brexit to Trump. It got so bad that we ended the year jumping for joy that only 46 per cent of Austrians voted for neo-Nazis. But if 2017 can’t match its predecessor for drama, what we’re left with is the aftermath: the slow, grinding implications. Change is coming. All those conference speakers who talk so lazily of disruption are about to get it. And it’s not a hashtag campaign or a new platform for snackable content.

TRUMP SPORT Trump Sport is a state of mind and stretches far beyond the soon-to-be walled borders of America. Like Brexit in the UK, The Donald’s election has emboldened a coalition of nutters, not all of whom have swastika tattoos. Some wear suits and work in government. They hate paying tax and see publicly funded sport as the worst excesses of the nanny state. The Trump and Brexit campaigns targeted angry white men, a group

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accustomed to privilege for whom equality feels like oppression. That well of anger is deep enough to wreak havoc that will shape a generation.

A BONFIRE OF THE ACRONYMS The propagandists will dress up radical cost-cutting as ‘draining the swamp’. Sports governing bodies will be positioned as bureaucratic quangos leeching from the public purse, and many NGBs look vulnerable to the existential question: what would happen if they disappeared? Those pesky kids aren’t getting any thinner, so why are we blowing gazillions on Olympics and grassroots sport?

FACTS, SCHMACTS Participation data is going to be of little use in the post-fact world. As internet guru Clay Shirky tweeted during the US election campaign, the brazen approach to political lying has changed the game, leaving traditional methods irrelevant. ‘We’ve brought fact checkers to a culture war,’ said Shirky, a lament with a broader application. The research industry is in crisis. Political polls don’t work. Experts are despised. Do you really think data suggesting marginal increases in sport participation will win the argument?

ATTRIBUTION ERROR The culture war in sport will be one of attribution - the grey, fuzzy space between cause and effect. In

the UK, the Sport England Active People survey is a case study in attribution error. Sport England spends UK£325 million of public money a year on grassroots, with a mandate to drive participation. But too often the survey strains to make simple links between physical activity and the decisions and actions of national governing bodies, which have shared UK£493 million over four years. Trumpists will argue that participation is driven despite the NGBs not because of them. Park Run, Crossfit, Tough Mudder and the assortment of bull markets in triathlon, yoga, cycling, trampolining and six-a-side soccer: these aren’t government supply-side policies at work, they are the market creating and meeting a need. For every kid ‘inspired’ by ‘iconic major events’, there are others whose imagination has been fired by the marketing departments of Nike, Under Armour and Adidas. NGBs have spent too long seeing them as a threat, rather than partners.

#SACREDCOW Like Alan Bennett or Karen Earl, #ThisGirlCan has attained the status of UK national treasure, for whom criticism of any kind is forbidden by decent society. For this reason it will be first in line for the Trump Sport attack dogs. #ThisGirlCan contains all the elements hated by the angry white men constituency: it’s open-heartedly generous, publicly

funded, successful and not focused on white men.

THE WRONG RESPONSE Faced with this existential threat, some governing bodies will seek to build their case for survival. This will lead to mistakes that just make the problem worse. Did you hear the one about the governing body for running which hired a PR firm to promote participation in the middle of a running boom? England Athletics took on Promote PR to raise awareness of the million or so more people who run today compared to ten years ago. But to those seeking to cut the purse strings, it might look like the brief was to promote England Athletics rather than running, which appears to be doing very well thank you. This was supposed to be the golden decade, when democracies put sport at the centre of public health policy, using global events to promote a vision of multicultural utopia. At least that was the idea I bought into, albeit in a solipsistic way. London 2012 already feels like another lifetime ago. The potential of sport is back in the hands of the dictators and demagogues. Happy Christmas. Richard Gillis is author of The Captain Myth: The Ryder Cup and Sport’s Great Leadership Delusion, published by Bloomsbury in the UK and US.

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THE SCRIBBLER

by The Scribbler

A real contest races and catching competitions, throw balls at moving targets and even take part in a game of dodgeball. If there’s a better way to properly ascertain the abilities of elite pro football players, the Scribbler would like to hear it…

Picture by: John Locher/AP/ Press Association Images

In a bid to revive interest in the National Football League’s (NFL) all-star game, the Pro Bowl, organisers are going to introduce a series of skills challenges for players in the build-up. Participants will be tested in relay

Gold dust The newest team in the National Hockey League (NHL), the Las Vegas Golden Knights, have made something of a false start to life. The US Patent and Trademark Office has denied the franchise’s trademark application due to a conflict with the College of Saint Rose Golden Knights, while

the US Army is also looking into whether the rights of its similarly named parachute team are infringed. The NHL outfit will have six months to appeal. But at least if they fail, there should be plenty in the City of Sin who can help them out with handling any ‘unsellable’ merchandise.

Can’t give it away While there are, of course, endless amounts of fun to be had at Sportel, a distracting sideline can always be had in minor celebrity spotting. The Scribbler was delighted to spy the chairman of English soccer side Leeds United in attendance at the TV Sports Awards – organised by none other than Andrea Radrizzani, the multimillionaire MP & Silva co-founder widely linked with a move to purchase that Championship club. What was less widely reported, however, was the outcome of the charity raffle at the gala, which saw one of the Scribbler’s colleagues walk away with some expensive perfume and Radrizzani, apparently, with the deeds to a certain Yorkshire-based sporting outfit.

All in the game The English Football League (EFL) has not always had the strongest year since its rebrand, struggling to convince soccer clubs and fans of the value of the new format for the EFL Trophy and, indeed, struggling to convince anyone to actually call it the ‘EFL’. In a further setback, the body’s climbdown from its ‘Whole Game Solution’ plan was welcomed up and down the country by its 72 member clubs. Neither solving the whole game nor, it would seem, asking the whole game about its plans, the project would have seen the three leagues below the Premier split into four divisions of 20 teams. An ‘if it ain’t broke, fix it anyway’ approach to a beloved competition which forces more teams into more groups? Mr Infantino must be all ears.

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The sharing economy Brian Habana (above), the legendary South African rugby union player who, alongside the late Jonah Lomu, is the leading World Cup try-scorer of all time, has outlined plans to make his genetic information available to the world via British life sciences company DNAFit, contributing to the world’s largest rugby genetic database. Some would make a joke here about another young sportsman sharing his DNA. The Scribbler, naturally, is better than that.

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