SportsPro Magazine Issue #99

Issue 99

www.sportspromedia.com

Issue 99

SportAccord Host cities and federations

Commonwealth Games Time to shine on the Gold Coast PyeongChang 2018 in review

THE

@SportsPro

2026 FIFA WORLD

CUP RACE

© Sam Greenfield/Volvo Ocean Race

Wales is recognised as a consistently outstanding destination for Major Events.

Amongst many others, Wales has previously hosted the Rugby World Cup 1999, RBS Six Nations matches, 2 Ashes Tests, FA Cup Finals, British Speedway Grand Prix, London 2012 Olympic Football matches, Ryder Cup 2010, Wales Rally GB, Extreme Sailing Series, ICC Champions Trophy, ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup, Rugby League World Cup 2013, IPC Athletics European Championships, 2 Senior Opens, 8 Rugby World Cup 2015 matches, World Half Marathon Championships 2016, UCI Velothon Wales and a UEFA Champions League Final.

This year, Wales looks forward to hosting a stop over of the Volvo Ocean Race in Cardiff between 27 May – 10 June and in 2019, the ICC Cricket World Cup.

#FindYourEpic visitwales.com

CONTENTS | ISSUE 99

44 COVER STORY 44 Common purpose The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games from 4th to 15th April will be the first under the tenure of Louise Martin, the first female president of the Commonwealth Games Federation. As the weeks tick down to the opening ceremony, she discusses plans to build a relevant, inspiring future for the movement, a more sustainable strategy for major events, and the role of women in sports leadership.

FEATURES 34 PyeongChang Pass/Fail: Grading the Winter Olympics Michael Payne, the influential former IOC marketing director and creator of its landmark TOP sponsorship programme, gives his verdict on the Winter Olympics in South Korea.

38 The social Olympics The PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games were lived more digitally than any before them. With the help of official data partner Hookit, SportsPro looks at the athletes, partners and moments that drove interest around the year’s biggest event so far.

50 Destination profile: Golden opportunity

34

Gold Coast City, located at the southernmost part of the Australian State of Queensland, is renowned as a coastal surfing mecca. Now, as the city and the state welcome the 2018 Commonwealth Games, it hopes to assert itself as a worthy host of future sporting events.

54 A new accord After a series of events in Europe, SportAccord returns to Asia this year, bringing its usual phalanx of sports industry, federation and host city leaders with it to the Thai capital of Bangkok. The timing is very interesting indeed.

58 A wider scope Familiar for years as a provider of betting and integrity services, sports data and content specialist Sportradar has diversified into a range of more publicfacing endeavours from visual analytics to OTT. As managing director of group operations David Lampitt explains, it is a natural progression.

62 Grappling for success Along with the likes of soccer, rugby and tennis, judo is among the most popular sports in France, making the Paris Grand Slam one of the most popular stops on the International Judo Federation’s World Tour.

SportsPro made the short trip to this year’s edition to learn more.

SportsPro Magazine | 3

CONTENTS | ISSUE 99

110 From icon to owner When David Beckham moved to MLS in 2007, it began a process that has made him the newest team owner in US sport.

AT THE FRONT 6 8 10 12

92

Editor’s Letter The Long Read The Matt Slater Column Digest The changing climate at sports events

14 66 Leaps and bounds With the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final set to take place in Paris in April, International Equestrian Federation president Ingmar De Vos explains why jumping has established itself as one of equestrian’s most entertaining disciplines.

Dani Ettridge

84 Data points The Sports Consultancy gathered a handful of its key clients in London in March to discuss how to collect and use data to deliver ever better relationships with fans and partners.

16

Innovation and integrity via official betting content in the US Andrew Ashenden

18

Health matters

92 United front 72 Pulling the strings At the start of 2018, the Badminton World Federation launched the HSBC BWF World Tour, marking the beginning of a new era for the sport both competitively and commercially. BWF secretary general Thomas Lund lifts the lid on the revamp.

76 Taking the floor The 11th edition of the Women’s World Floorball Championships was held in Bratislava in December. SportsPro went to Slovakia to discover how the sport has built its loyal fanbase and its plans to expand.

A joint bid from the US, Canada and Mexico is the heavy favourite to land the 2026 Fifa World Cup. John Kristick, executive director of the United Bid Committee, outlines the vision and the merits of the North American trio’s unprecedented alliance.

20 22 24 26 32

98 In it to win it A serial bidder for the Fifa World Cup, Morocco has failed in four previous attempts to land soccer’s illustrious showpiece. With its sights now ďŹ rmly set on the 2026 edition, the North African nation is out to upset the odds this time.

80 Running the court Genius Sports’ partnership with global basketball governing body Fiba began with a near-chance encounter a decade ago. The collaboration has since tracked rapid changes for both parties and expanded to deliver on a proliferating array of data and organisational ambitions.

Dr Margo Mountjoy

Premature Facts Movers and Shakers SportsPro World Gallery The Shot: Tokyo 2020 Mascots

AT THE BACK 112 114 118 120 122

Deals Review Sponsorship Deals Index Unofficial Partner Jottings

104 Open for business IMG has ďŹ nally shored up the longterm future of its crown jewel tennis tournament, the Miami Open. A move to the Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium in 2019 brings with it a chance to reimagine the event in a revamped setting.

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110

LAST CHANCE - LIMITED DAYS REMAINING

11-12 APRIL 2018, EXCEL, LONDON

WHERE TECHNOLOGY MEETS SPORTS BUSINESS CONFIRMED SPEAKERS

Managing Director

Chief Commercial Officer

President & CEO

CEO

Chief Strategy & Commercial Officer

Chief Commercial Officer

Senior Vice President, Sports & Entertainment

Chief Information & Communication Technology Officer

Chief Technology Architect

Founder & CEO

www.sportsprolive.com OFFICIAL EVENT PARTNERS

events@sportspromedia.com

@SportsProEvents | #SPLIVE18

EDITOR’S LETTER

Refresher course

I

t is hard to overstate the role tiredness can play in political systems.

From voter fatigue, where a barrage of elections on apparently marginal issues depresses turnout, to the phenomenon of ‘low-information voters’, who grow weary of peering through a blizzard of information to the truth, there are factors inherent in democratic and media structures that engender atrophy and apathy. One of the few things that stops free societies falling into a state of disrepair is engagement and renewal, which itself demands near-constant reserves of intellectual energy.

Around the world, the marked retrenchment of democracy in the past decade – with dictators rising from once freer systems or stiffening their grip on others – has been widely attributed to this phenomenon. Individuals become exhausted by the effort of monitoring their own liberty, particularly during periods of insecurity and economic uncertainty, and either become inured to whitewashed explanations of exploitation or willingly yield to whatever strongman promises straightforward solutions. In the worst cases, to borrow from Martin NiemÜller’s refrain, resistance only stirs after sinister forces have come for everybody else.

Technology has provided an array of powerful tools for disseminating information but it, too, has played a role in deepening the problem. Systems become bigger, apparently unmanageably so, at high speed, and the best course of action for each of us can seem to be to live within a personal construct and bed down for dystopia.

Sport has been buffeted by these forces itself in the past decade or more, whether through contact with the high winds of geopolitics or as a cause of its own inner turmoil. Many a federation has fallen under the grip of tyrants adept at manipulating dense EXUHDXFUDF\ WKHLU SRZHU HQVXUHG DV ORQJ DV FRIIHUV DUH ÀOOHG (YHQ ZKHQ WKH\ DUH RXVWHG WKHLU VLQV FDQ HFKR RQ XQOHVV WKH ZLOO LV summoned for lasting change. Doping, dishonesty and dispossession have all been overlooked in the service of a comfortable life.

Again, the possibilities created by technology can unleash new potential or screen a revival of nefarious control. The key is to listen, pay attention, and understand. Vigilance and scepticism bring their own rewards, but so do openness and discussion.

This issue of SportsPro, to yank down such lofty thinking, is being distributed at SportAccord and our own SportsPro Live. One is the great meeting place of federation leaders and cities that celebrates sport’s place in the world around it; the other, this year, will consider the profound implications, many of them really quite exciting, of technology’s advance on sport and of assimilating societal shifts.

No one will pretend that by attending those conferences they will change the world – some business cards, free coffee and a few OHDIV RI QRWHV ZLOO VXIÀFH IRU PRVW %XW WKH\ PD\ EH D UHPLQGHU WKDW SDUWLFLSDWLRQ LV D SDUW RI LQà XHQFH WKDW GHFLVLRQV DUH PDGH E\ those who show up.

Hopefully, they can even supply a revitalising jolt of inspiration.

Eoin Connolly Editor

EDITOR Eoin Connolly AMERICAS EDITOR Michael Long DIGITAL EDITOR Tom Bassam STAFF WRITER Sam Carp JUNIOR WRITER Elena Holmes ART DIRECTOR Daniel Brown PHOTOGRAPHIC AGENCY Getty Images MEDIA PARTNER Press Association

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

SportsPro magazine is published by: SportsPro Media Ltd 3rd Floor, Two America Square, London EC3N 2LU, UK Tel: +44 (0) 207 549 3250 Fax: +44 (0) 207 549 3255 Email: info@sportspromedia.com Web: www.sportspromedia.com (SportsPro Media Ltd is part of the Henley Media Group Ltd www.henleymediagroup.com) NOTICES: Issue No 99 SportsPro Magazine (ISSN 1756-5340) is published bi-monthly throughout the year. Printed in the EU.

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

HOSTING WINNERS

Sport Event Denmark is celebrating 10 Years! With numerous World Championships and European Championships in Denmark, we are proud to welcome the World of Sport. In the coming years Denmark will host many more world-class events.

Starting in 2018 including: Sailing World Championships for all Olympic classes, ITU Multisport World Championships Festival and IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.

See you in Denmark!

THE LONG READ

TURNING THE TIDE SportsPro America’s editor Michael Long reects on sport’s problem with plastic, and discovers the eorts of those within the industry to do something meaningful about a profound environmental threat.

I

t was during a visit to Seattle’s Safeco Field last September that, for the umpteenth time, the scale of the problem hit home. Strolling through the ballpark’s concourses shortly before RSHQLQJ SLWFK WKH VWLà LQJ ZDIW RI EURLOLQJ IUDQNV DQG VPRNH IURP D GLVWDQW ZLOGÀUH hanging heavy in the air, it was impossible to avoid.

Plastic. The stuff was everywhere: bottles, cups, bags, packaging, all fashioned from plastic, all being bought and discarded by the assembling crowd with barely a moment’s thought. It was as if this particular ecosystem could not function without the ubiquitous presence of plastic – and this was Seattle, of all places.

This was the self-styled leader in environmental sustainability, a city whose mayor had just days earlier committed to banning disposable plastic straws and utensils from this coming July. Safeco Field itself had only recently pledged to go straw-less for the month of September, part of a campaign to encourage local residents, sports fans and businesses to #StopSucking by switching to more oceanfriendly, 100 per cent paper straws.

Yet this was just the tip of the iceberg. ,I 6HDWWOHLWHV FRXOG VWHS XS WKHLU ÀJKW against plastic consumption and still be so overtly awash with this virtually indestructible environmental menace, what hope was there that other major cities and sports organisations were implementing meaningful measures to combat the issue?

It was that question that led me to investigate sport’s relationship with plastic and, by extension, the oceans, and then to Julie Andersen, the global executive director of the Plastic Oceans Foundation, D /RV $QJHOHV EDVHG QRQ SURĂ€W 3DUW RI WKH foundation’s mission, Andersen explained, was to ensure sports organisations are aware of the impact their activities are having on the oceans, and to encourage them to reduce their plastic consumption by limiting their use of packaging such as drinks bottles and giveaway bags. “The line that we travel is how do you

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get bigger events like football games and soccer games to lower their plastic consumption?� she told me. “That really becomes the hurdle because, ultimately, where are their alternatives? They make so much of their money at these events by selling cups of beer and sodas or whatever.

It’s not that they’re not for it, they just have no alternative.�

It was a valid point, no doubt, but one ZKLFK OHIW PH GHHSO\ XQVDWLVÀHG In the days before our phone call I had spent many hours researching the global emergency that is plastic pollution in the oceans. What I found was both shameful and overwhelming. There were surveys that suggested a truckload of plastic enters the ocean every minute, amounting to an estimated eight million tons each year. In the last decade, one report noted, humans manufactured more plastic than over the course of the preceding century. The situation had grown so dire that plastic already makes up roughly 80 per cent of the total marine debris in the world’s oceans and, based on current trends, will outweigh ÀVK VWRFNV E\ DFFRUGLQJ WR WKH 81 Inundated by this deluge of depressing evidence, I read on about how half of the oxygen every human being breathes comes from the oceans, and how human activity is the sole contributor to the worldwide production and consumption of plastics that are suffocating them from the inside out. Worse still, much of that plastic makes its way into the food chain, with micro-plastic contamination having been found across the globe in drinking ZDWHU ERWWOHG PLQHUDO ZDWHU ÀVK DQG even beer.

Surely Andersen was wrong, I reasoned.

Surely a scaleable alternative to single-use plastics at sports events was out there. It had to be.

And sport, as I came to learn, was playing its part; sports organisations really were getting serious about tackling marine health issues.

7KRVH LQ VSRUWV OLNH VDLOLQJ VXUĂ€QJ DQG cliff-diving were leading the way, alarmed

by the impact that plastic pollution is having on the environment in which they work and train. Series such as the Volvo Ocean Race and the World Surf League (WSL), not to mention countless elite watersports athletes, had become vocal advocates for ocean conservancy, inspiring their fanbases and counterparts in landbased sports to follow suit.

Adidas, much to my surprise, was one shining example. Having teamed up with Parley for the Oceans, a marine health organisation that rallies the creative industries behind its cause, the sportswear giant was selling shoes and swimwear from ‘up-cycled’ ocean plastic DQG ROG Ă€VKLQJ QHWV FROOHFWHG IURP WKH shores of Africa. It had also created ecofriendly soccer kits made from similarly repurposed marine debris.

With a little digging, I found dozens of these examples, but I doubted how much the everyday sports fan knew of them.

Why had these organisations been so reticent to promote their initiatives? Clearly, it wasn’t that sport was doing nothing; it was that those in the industry weren’t shouting loud enough, or that the public wasn’t hearing them.

I asked Andersen whether there were concerns about provoking a backlash through such activism, or if organisations were perhaps gagged by hidden FRPPHUFLDO LQWHUHVWV 6KH Ă€UHG EDFN WKDW Ă€QJHU SRLQWLQJ ZDV IXWLOH ,QVWHDG VKH VDLG sport and pro athletes were simply trying to raise awareness, to affect behavioural change among consumers who “have the power with their dollarâ€?. “But,â€? she continued, “you have to also inform the consumer of where they should spend their dollar and why it’s important to refrain from buying certain things to IRUFH DQ LQGXVWU\ LQWR Ă€QGLQJ DOWHUQDWLYHV It’s really about how you get that collective consciousness, so you get the scalability, you get the purchase power, and you get an overall social and ethical approach.â€? @_MichaelLong

THE SLATER COLUMN

ON THE BEAT WITH MATT SLATER Amid dark moments for sport in the UK and around the world, Press Association’s chief sports reporter ďŹ nds a way to reconnect with the point of it all.

I

t has been a tough run for those of us who toil in the toy department.

We got into this game for the free tickets, cosy chats with stars and sandwiches at half-time, or so the fanswith-laptops clichĂŠs go. The reality has been different of late.

The sports news lobby has been reporting on child sexual abuse, parliamentary reports rubbishing the UHSXWDWLRQV RI %ULWLVK JUHDWV DQG WKH ÀUVW frosts of a new Cold War. The work has been complex, distressing and important, and it has stretched journalistic muscles some of us did not know we possessed.

But then, just when I was starting to feel like a real reporter, the sun poked out for half an hour and I again saw signs that sport is fun, inspires people and can warm the soul of even the most jaded journo.

It started when I received a small plastic card in the post from the Football Association (FA). It was my coaching licence for the season.

I had written about the push to accredit the army of volunteers who keep grassroots football going but had forgotten to apply for the free licence until one of the victims of the abuse scandal reminded me about it.

He, too, is coaching youngsters now and believes the card is a tiny example of how the situation has improved since he was left so vulnerable 30 years ago.

Nobody is suggesting a piece of plastic is going to prevent anyone being abused again but the much-derided governing body of our national game is trying: it trained me, and thousands of others this season, in safeguarding, at its expense, and KDV QRZ FHUWLĂ€HG XV DV ZHOO With a few clever nudges about joining England’s ‘winning team’ and the promise of greater footballing insight, I have been persuaded to let the FA monitor me more closely. That is governing and every now again they do it well.

I was then the next cab on the rank LQ WKH RIĂ€FH IRU D FKDQFH WR WDON WR WKH

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British team before it set out for the Winter Paralympics.

The main talking point after the Winter Olympics had been how expensive %ULWDLQ¡V ÀYH PHGDOV KDG EHHQ DQG ZKHWKHU we were better off spending it on sports you can‌ well, play here. .HOO\ *DOODJKHU WKH ÀUVW %ULW WR ZLQ D gold on snow at either an Olympics or Paralympics when she won super-G gold in 2014, was having none of that. The SHUVRQLÀFDWLRQ RI SRVLWLYLW\ VKH VRRQ set me straight on Britain’s winter sports pedigree and why she was willing to risk more broken bones.

Listening to her and the rest of the team talk about the unique “madness� of throwing yourself down icy chutes or steep mountains, particularly if you cannot see, I started to feel a bit, you know, inspired. The very thing we had been questioning when dividing medals by money.

That does not mean, however, there are not fundamental questions to be asked about our sporting priorities.

Thankfully, some of those questions were asked in one of the best parliamentary debates on sport I have witnessed, a week after that meeting with Gallagher. And, yes, I realise that is like saying ‘the best trip to Ikea’ or ‘episode of Mrs Brown’s Boys’.

The topic was why are we not funding a sport as accessible as basketball and the answer was: ‘I don’t know. Let’s fund it.’ Sofas at Britain’s funding agencies are currently being upended and penny jars raided, but I am certain the result will be a lifeline for a talented bunch of athletes, particularly the women’s team, and a more holistic view of the games we play and why we play them.

There have been several moments in the last year or so, usually while listening to Fifa president Gianni Infantino or International Olympic Committee (IOC) boss Thomas Bach, when I have forgotten why anybody should care about elite sport at all. They have made me

wonder if they do, which is not a good look for the bank-breaking circuses they are trying to sell to increasingly wary democracies – the dictatorships still love them, mind.

Which is why I will be paying way more attention to April’s Commonwealth Games than usual for me.

Previous ‘Friendly Games’ have seemed just that: too friendly to take seriously.

I have been converted, though, by a wrestler from New Orleans.

It happened when I interviewed Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) CEO David Grevemberg not long before Bach beckoned the Russian Olympic Committee back into the fold after its three-month ban for sabotaging global sport.

Grevemberg spoke for nearly an hour on the phone as made his way home to Glasgow, where he still lives after leading the city’s successful staging of the 2014 Games, and he told me about a multisport event with a heart and a brain.

Cities and the CGF are regeneration partners and they do not wait for the closing ceremony to start wondering what happens next; para athletes compete on the same stage; there is gender equality, human rights and environmental protection are paramount; and there is a point to it all – Glasgow raised £6.5million for Unicef; the Gold Coast will highlight indigenous reconciliation.

Do not worry: I have not embarked on a career-ending mission to tell only good news. Normal service will be resumed shortly.

But I think it is worth pointing out that when several British politicians suddenly worked out that Vladimir Putin is a tricky customer and suggested England should boycott the World Cup, the response from fans was a variation on: ‘So what is new?’ 3UHVV $VVRFLDWLRQ LV DQ RIĂ€FLDO SportsPro media partner.

© Paul Severn

ARTICULATING THE BENEFITS OF EVENTS Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland Director of Events

Scotland is widely recognised across

the world as a global leader in the events and festivals industry. Each year our diverse portfolio of sporting, cultural and business events delivers positive impacts both economically and socially for Scotland and its communities.

EventScotland plays an important role in sustaining and growing the events and festivals sector in Scotland.

Through investment, collaboration and leadership, we ensure Scotland continues to have both the capacity and capability to maintain a strong industry and maximise the opportunities when they arise.

Driven by a strong national events strategy, over the last 15 years we have built a solid platform for events in Scotland, securing and delivering some of the world’s biggest events including the XX Commonwealth Games, The 2014 Ryder Cup, the 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, and the 2017 TOTAL BWF World Badminton Championships.

As an industry we can be proud of what we have achieved, however, we cannot be complacent. With a number of challenges facing world sporting events, including governance, security, doping and athlete welfare to name a few, we must do our part in ensuring major events continue to be drivers for change and a beacon for the development of best practice.

In order to do this, I believe we need to celebrate success much more and ensure we articulate and communicate to the public, politicians, media and more importantly athletes and fans, the importance of the events and festivals industry.

In Scotland, the industry is worth an estimated £3.5 billion* a year to our economy. Last year, we invested £5.4 million in 135 events, generating a net economic impact of £113 million and supporting the equivalent of 1,792 full-time jobs.

© just.kams photography

© Charne Hawkes

But it’s more than just articulating the economic impact of the sector on the local, national and world’s economy.

We must also articulate the special DNA of major events and what can be learned and taken forward, even when you don’t win the bid. Take for example, Scotland’s Year of Young People 2018. Following our unsuccessful bid for the Youth Olympics, as an industry we pledged to take the philosophy of co-design and collaboration with young people and turn it into a year where we celebrate their talents, contributions and created new opportunities for them to express themselves through a wide range of activities. To my knowledge, we’re the only country to have done this following an unsuccessful bid.

As a sector, events and festivals can create an impact across global governments like no other industry. We can provide a 360 degree perspective across sport, culture, health, education, tourism and many more. However, we must evolve and innovate in order to stay relevant and continue to have impact.

At EventScotland we’re up for the challenge and will continue to work with the industry across Scotland, the UK and the globe to provide the perfect stage for events.

EventScotland is part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate and is working to make Scotland the perfect stage for events. *Scottish Events and Festivals Association statistic 2015

DIGEST SECTION TEXT HERE ISSUE 99

Next time in

The next issue of SportsPro will follow the fifth instalment of our flagship conference, SportsPro Live, which moves this year to London’s ExCel on 11th and 12th April. We’ll be looking this time at where technology meets the sports business, with the likes of Intel, IBM, Instagram and Facebook joining a whole host of sporting bodies, leaders and

The 100th edition

The Agenda

to its most hotly discussed host nation in a generation.

And, of course, we’ll celebrate a century of SportsPro magazines with a look back over some of the stories and themes that have shaped the last decade, a look ahead to how the industry will change in the years to come, and some contributions from some very special guests.

Dates for your diary in the weeks ahead

5TH TO 8TH APRIL The Masters Augusta National Golf Club, Georgia, USA 4TH TO 15TH APRIL The Commonwealth Games Gold Coast, Australia 7TH APRIL TO 27TH MAY Indian Premier League India Ten years after its debut, the world-conquering Twenty20 cricket competition returns for its biggest season yet

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innovators, and our special report will allow delegates to relive the proceedings and others to catch up on what they missed.

The other biggest sporting event of the year is also just around the corner, as Russia prepares to welcome the 2018 Fifa World Cup. SportsPro 100 will feature a full commercial preview of the tournament as it heads

4TH TO 27TH MAY Giro d’Italia Jerusalem, Israel and Italy The year’s opening cycling Grand Tour starts outside Europe for the first time 26TH MAY Uefa Champions League Final NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine

Icons designed by Freepik

ISSUE 99 By the numbers

What they’re saying this issue

p50

p80

“Today, 3x3 basketball is a bonsai as we are still two years away from our first Olympics; however, we have the potential to become a sequoia by 2028.”

Alex Sanchez, FIBA

p84

“Esports, for us, is allowing fans to drive against real drivers, and ultimately our vision is to have realtime gaming – so you’d be able to drive against real drivers, in real time, from the comfort of your home, from the bus that you’re in, even from the plane that you’re on using Wi-Fi.” Ali Russell, Formula E

p92

“None of us are perfect nor should we even pretend to be. But together we’re very strong and I think the unity of our offering puts a very positive message to all of the voters in the world.”

John Kristick, United 2026

p98

“We are not here for a communications stunt.

We are here to win.”

Hicham El Amrani, Morocco 2026

SportsPro Magazine | 13

THOUGHT LEADER INSURANCE

THE CHANGING CLIMATE AT SPORTS EVENTS Dani Ettridge

T

here has been unprecedented weather across the globe in the past 12 months and the last decade’s data has shown weather occurrences are becoming wilder and more dangerous. For example, in the UK, spring brought heavy snowfall and with that unheard-of red weather warnings.

Despite advances in satellite technology DLGLQJ WKH 0HW 2IÀFH H[WUHPH ZHDWKHU is often unpredictable in its severity and potential consequences. Even with advance weather warnings, these are normally too little, too late as far as scheduled sports events are concerned and the risk remains outside the organisers’ control.

Whilst safety at sports events is paramount for both attendees and participants, the impact of hazardous weather can extend to road, rail and air WUDIĂ€F GLVUXSWLRQV UHVXOWLQJ LQ UHQGHULQJ a venue inaccessible. It can also cause extensive power outages, as was the case across large areas of England and Wales when the combined forces of the ‘Beast from the East’ and ‘Storm Emma’ hit in early March.

Most often insurance policies cater to the more extreme weather that poses a common danger, but insurers can tailor bespoke terms for different sports. For example, VSHFLÀF FULWHULD ZLWK UHJDUGV WR ZHDWKHU for cricket matches is often used, where cover exists only for the period before the Duckworth-Lewis method can be utilised to obtain a match result. In cricket, it’s the XPSLUHV¡ GHFLVLRQ WKDW¡V FRQVLGHUHG ÀQDO LQ determining an insurers’ liability. This is also the case with regards to suspensions in play at tennis or golf tournaments.

At mass-participation events such as marathons, triathlons, cycling or lake swimming, it’s not only the wind, rain and snow that interferes with participants’ safety – abnormally high temperatures and KXPLGLW\ OHYHOV FDQ DOVR SRVH VLJQLÀFDQW health risks. It’s here that Integro’s deep understanding of weather risks comes into play, resulting in the creation of bespoke policies addressing these exposures.

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One of the larger cancellation insurance losses arising at a sports event was in 2012 when the New York Marathon was called off due to superstorm Sandy. A further example occurred last year, when the inaugural Virgin Sport ‘Festival of Fitness’ was cancelled in San Francisco because RI SRRU DLU TXDOLW\ IURP EXVK Ă€UHV ZKLFK were as a direct result of very high temperatures and prevailing winds. And, because of the UK’s heavy spring snowfall this year, approximately 15,000 runners and 30,000 spectators were disappointed when the Bath Half Marathon had to be cancelled.

There are a few sports events – for example, golf tournaments – that can accommodate a rain delay or contingency day, but for the majority, there is no second chance.

There can be multiple losers when an event is cancelled. Depending on varying contractual arrangements with and between stakeholders, commercial loss can affect sponsors, broadcasters, vendors, merchandise suppliers and hospitality providers, amongst others. Managing the fallout from lost exposure, advertising spend and alternate revenue streams should EH FODULĂ€HG EHWZHHQ SDUWLHV DQG LQFOXGHG RU excluded in the policy for contract clarity and certainty.

Careful consideration must be given QRW RQO\ WR WKH ÀQDQFLDO ORVV EXW DOVR WR the challenge of effectively managing a cancellation. It is not simply the facevalue cost of tickets or registration fees that are incurred but the associated expense of processing refunds. Credit card commissions are deducted for the initial sale and similarly charged by vendors for the return of funds to the customer.

Extra administration staff may need to be recruited for a period to manage the smooth running of the process. Updates to websites and external advertising can become necessary to clearly communicate on how to make a claim.

Generally, the public and participants are sympathetic to an organiser which cancels or is forced by a local authority not to proceed with an event for good reason but they expect the same level of customer service in reverse as they did when purchasing their ticket. $ FDQFHOODWLRQ SROLF\ DQG WKH ÀQDQFLDO support it provides to remedy a potential storm of adverse publicity is an imperative for the continuity of any sports property which values its reputation and good standing for future events.

Dani Ettridge is Business Development Executive at Integro Entertainment & Sport

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THOUGHT LEADER BETTING

INNOVATION AND INTEGRITY VIA OFFICIAL BETTING CONTENT IN THE US Andrew Ashenden

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t Perform, we are often asked for our view on the potential of the US as a UHJXODWHG EHWWLQJ PDUNHW ,W LV ÀUPO\ that the market has huge upside for rights holders and betting operators alike and the prism through which we view the US market is within the context of a wider PDWXUDWLRQ DQG HYROXWLRQ RI EHWWLQJ JOREDOO\ That encapsulates a shift towards UHJXODWLRQ SRZHUHG E\ KLJK TXDOLW\ RIÀFLDO FRQWHQW DQG GHOLYHUHG LQ D ZD\ ZKLFK OHWV operators best serve customers and provide a fair return to rights holders – underpinned E\ D ZRUNDEOH UHJXODWRU\ HQYLURQPHQW DQG FKDUDFWHULVHG E\ D VWURQJ LQWHJULW\ framework and genuine product innovation EXLOW FROODERUDWLYHO\ E\ DOO VWDNHKROGHUV 2XU YLHZV DUH GHULYHG IURP RXU XQLTXH SRVLWLRQ LQ WKH VSRUWV LQGXVWU\ 2XU extensive and global digital operations as broadcaster, B2B content distributor and D2C publisher give us insight into the range of rights holders’ needs and priorities, those of betting operators, and the habits and trends of sports content consumers.

Our experience has taught us that an environment within which rights holders, betting operators and regulators work toward the common goal of maximising licensed and regulated betting turnover creates both the most rewarding returns for all parties and also the safest betting environment for consumers.

8QGHUVWDQGDEO\ ULJKWV KROGHUV ZLOO ORRN WR generate maximum value from the betting RSSRUWXQLW\ 2Q WKH RWKHU KDQG EHWWLQJ RSHUDWRUV DUH ORRNLQJ WR UHFHLYH RIÀFLDO content that will enhance their product, but within commercial and product permission parameters that do not put them at a disadvantage over unlicensed operators.

Regulators must ensure their regime is well structured so as not to disadvantage operators to the extent that it drives betting offshore, removing the potential for vital LQWHJULW\ DQG SOD\HU SURWHFWLRQV 3HUIRUP KDV EHHQ XQLTXH LQ GHPRQVWUDEO\ helping to deliver that balance and we KDYH FRQVLVWHQWO\ SURYHQ KRZ VXFK DQ HQYLURQPHQW FUHDWHV D V\PELRVLV IURP

16 | www.sportspromedia.com

ZKLFK DOO SDUWLHV EHQHÀW :KLOH NHHSLQJ EXVLQHVV RQ VKRUH DQG ZLWKLQ WKH RIÀFLDO DQG UHJXODWHG PDUNHW LV FOHDUO\ WKH ELJJHVW ZLQ RI DOO WZR FUXFLDO DGGLWLRQDO EHQHÀWV RI WKLV V\PELRVLV DUH WKRVH RI D ZHOO VWUXFWXUHG WUDQVSDUHQW DQG PHDQLQJIXO LQWHJULW\ framework and the cultivation of a market ZKLFK JHQXLQHO\ GULYHV LQQRYDWLRQ ,Q WKH FDVH RI LQWHJULW\ EHWWLQJ RSHUDWRUV KDYH XQLTXH GLUHFW LQVLJKW LQWR EHWWLQJ PDUNHW DFWLYLW\ DQG WKH UHVXOWLQJ LQWHOOLJHQFH LV YLWDO LQ WKH EDWWOH WR SURWHFW WKH LQWHJULW\ RI VSRUW $W 3HUIRUP ZH KDYH YHU\ GHOLEHUDWHO\ FUHDWHG D FRQÀGHQWLDO IUDPHZRUN ZLWKLQ which operators are comfortable sharing information with rights holders, regulators and each other and it is this unmatched LQWHOOLJHQFH VKDULQJ WKDW IRUPV WKH FRUH RI RXU RZQ LQWHJULW\ VHUYLFHV SURYLVLRQ :H EHOLHYH LW LV RXU UHVSRQVLELOLW\ WR DVVLVW LQ WKH FUHDWLRQ RI WKH RSWLPXP LQWHJULW\ HFRV\VWHP EHWZHHQ RSHUDWRUV DQG ULJKWV KROGHUV $V VXFK DOO LQWHJULW\ VHUYLFHV WKDW Perform contribute at this vital interface DUH XQGHU QRW IRU SURÀW FRQGLWLRQV DQG this positioning has helped generate the broadest range of intelligence input as well as the opening of direct channels between operators and rights holders. ,W LV DQ XQGHUO\LQJ QHFHVVLW\ RI WKLV collaborative environment that operators FDQ DFFHVV RIÀFLDO FRQWHQW RQ FRPPHUFLDOO\ viable terms taking into consideration WKH EURDGHU UHJXODWRU\ HQYLURQPHQW However, our experience is that operators ZLOO SD\ WKH PD[LPXP WKH\ DUH DEOH WR IRU RIÀFLDO FRQWHQW WR WKH H[WHQW WKDW LW RIIHUV DGYDQWDJHV RYHU XQRIÀFLDO DOWHUQDWLYHV Traditional advantages manifest themselves LQ VSHHG TXDOLW\ DQG EUHDGWK RI RIÀFLDO content or alignment with media sources. +RZHYHU GHOLYHU\ RI XQLTXH FRQWHQW VXFK DV HDUO\ RIÀFLDO WHDP QHZV DV ZHOO DV DYDLODELOLW\ RI LQQRYDWLYH RIÀFLDO SURGXFWV DUH DQ LQFUHDVLQJO\ FUXFLDO GLIIHUHQWLDWRU Creating an environment within which JHQXLQH LQQRYDWLRQ FDQ RFFXU UHTXLUHV both a breadth of intellectual input and a competitive market that is able to DFFHVV RIÀFLDO FRQWHQW :KLOVW ZH FDQQRW

control the broader market conditions, we GHOLEHUDWHO\ FUHDWH D IDYRXUDEOH HQYLURQPHQW within which we encourage third parties to KHOS FUHDWH DQG LQ PDQ\ FDVHV GLVWULEXWH LQQRYDWLYH RIÀFLDO SURGXFWV For operators, this means that we foster D FUHDWLYH HQYLURQPHQW ZKHUH WKH\ FDQ UHFHLYH ZKDWHYHU WKH\ FKRRVH KRZHYHU WKH\ would like to receive it. This will be vital in WKH 86 ZKHQ \RX FRQVLGHU WKDW SURVSHFWLYH PDUNHW SOD\HUV ZLOO UDQJH IURP WUDGLWLRQDO sophisticated sportsbooks to new entrants from the media space and elsewhere.

2XU SRVLWLRQ DV SODWIRUP DJQRVWLF ZLWK LQWHJUDWLRQV DFURVV P\ULDG GHOLYHU\ SDUWQHUV as well as working with the most innovative SURGXFW FUHDWRUV ZLOO EH EHQHÀFLDO For rights holders, an environment that SURPRWHV EURDG UDQJLQJ FUHDWLYLW\ QRW RQO\ KHOSV MXVWLI\ D KLJKHU SULFH SRLQW IRU RIÀFLDO content, but can also help drive engagement of a new subset of fans and unearth new SURGXFWV IRU D EURDGHU DXGLHQFH 7KH\ DOVR EHQHÀW IURP PD[LPXP GLVWULEXWLRQ RI WKHLU FRQWHQW DQG SURGXFWV SRZHUHG E\ LW In the US, the current debate as to the ULJKW IUDPHZRUN IRU D SRWHQWLDOO\ QDWLRQZLGH EHWWLQJ PDUNHW GHOLYHUHG VWDWH E\ VWDWH RU IHGHUDOO\ LV PDUNHG E\ D GLYLGH EHWZHHQ ULJKW holders and betting operators, stemming ODUJHO\ IURP RSHUDWRU IHDUV WKDW H[FHVVLYH RIÀFLDO FKDUJHV LQWHJULW\ IHHV DQG RWKHU UHVWULFWLRQV LVVXHG E\ ULJKW KROGHUV RU UHJXODWRUV ZLOO XQGHUPLQH WKHLU DELOLW\ WR provide a competitive product versus those operating outside of the regulated market. :LWKLQ WKLV DUJXPHQW WKHUH DUH XQGHUVWDQGDEO\ FRPPHUFLDO REMHFWLYHV RQ both sides. But against a backdrop that all SDUWLHV DUH GRLQJ ZKDW WKH\ FDQ WR VDIHJXDUG WKH LQWHJULW\ RI VSRUW DQG WKH VDIHW\ RI SOD\HUV DV ZHOO DV PD[LPLVLQJ WKH VL]H DQG potential of the regulated market, we believe that the needs of all parties can be met over WKH ORQJ WHUP E\ ZD\ RI D FROODERUDWLYH approach during the period of discussion, negotiation and legislative change.

Andrew Ashenden is Managing Director of Betting at Perform Group

www.isfsports.org

Building athletes for life Sport is crucial for the physical, social and intellectual development of youngsters. It’s also one of the prevailŝŶŐ ƚŽŽůƐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŽŵŽƟŽŶ ŽĨ ŵƵƚƵĂů understanding, peace and tolerance. dŚĞ ůĂƩĞƌ ĂƌĞ ƚŚĞ ǀĂůƵĞƐ /ŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂů ^ĐŚŽŽů ^ƉŽƌƚ &ĞĚĞƌĂƟŽŶ ;/^&Ϳ ŚĂƐ ďĞĞŶ ĂĚǀŽĐĂƟŶŐ͕ ĂŶĚ ĞŶĨŽƌĐŝŶŐ͕ ƐŝŶĐĞ ŝƚƐ ďĞginnings in 1970s.

Key player in youth sport /^& ŝƐ ƌĞĐŽŐŶŝƐĞĚ ďLJ ƚŚĞ /ŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂů KůLJŵƉŝĐ ŽŵŵŝƩĞĞ͕ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽŵŽƚĞƐ ƚŚĞ ǀĂůƵĞƐ ŽĨ ĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ ^ƉŽƌƚ ŝŶ ůŝĂŝƐĞ ǁŝƚŚ hŶŝƚĞĚ EĂƟŽŶ͛Ɛ ^ƵƐƚĂŝŶĂďůĞ ĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ ŐŽĂůƐ ĂŶĚ Ă ƐƉĞĐŝĂů ĨŽĐƵƐ ŽŶ ŐŽŽĚ ŚĞĂůƚŚ ĂŶĚ ǁĞůůͲďĞŝŶŐ͕ ƋƵĂůŝƚLJ ĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ͕ ŐĞŶĚĞƌ ĞƋƵĂůŝƚLJ ĂŶĚ ƌĞĚƵĐĞĚ ŝŶĞƋƵĂůŝƟĞƐ͘ dŚĞ ĨŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶƐ ŽĨ /^& ĂƌĞ ƚŚĞ ƐĐŚŽŽůƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ŝƚƐ ƉƵƉŝůƐ ĂŶĚ ƚĞĂĐŚĞƌƐ͕ ĐŽŵŝŶŐ ĨƌŽŵ Ăůů ŽǀĞƌ ƚŚĞ 'ůŽďĞ͖ ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚůLJ ϵϬ ĐŽƵŶƚƌŝĞƐ ĨƌŽŵ ĮǀĞ ĐŽŶƟŶĞŶƚƐ ĂƌĞ ƚŚĞ ŽĸĐŝĂů ŵĞŵďĞƌƐ ŽĨ /^&͘ /Ŷ ϮϬϭϴ ĞǀĞŶƚƐ ǁŝůů ďĞ ŚĞůĚ ŝŶ ƵƌŽƉĞ ;ϳͿ͕ ƐŝĂ ;ϯͿ ĂŶĚ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ĮƌƐƚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŚŝƐƚŽƌLJ ŽĨ /^&͕ ĨƌŝĐĂ͘ tŝƚŚ ƚǁŽ ŵĞŐĂ ƐƉŽƌƚ ĞǀĞŶƚƐ͕ ^ƵŵŵĞƌ ĂŶĚ tŝŶƚĞƌ ^ĐŚŽŽů 'ĂŵĞƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ϵ tŽƌůĚ ^ĐŚŽŽů ŚĂŵƉŝŽŶƐŚŝƉƐ͕ /^& ŝƐ ŶŽƚ ŽŶůLJ ĐŽŶƚƌŝďƵƟŶŐ ƚŽ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ ŽĨ ƐĐŚŽŽůͲŐŽŝŶŐ LJŽƵŶŐƐƚĞƌƐ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞŝƌ ŵƵůƟĐƵůƚƵƌĂů ĞdžĐŚĂŶŐĞƐ͕ ďƵƚ ŝƐ ĂůƐŽ ĐƌĞĂƟŶŐ Ă ƵŶŝƋƵĞ ĂƉƉƌŽĂĐŚ͕ ĂŶĚ ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚ͕ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ LJŽƵƚŚ ƐƉŽƌƚ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ͘

Conquering the digital world of youth

Joining school sport through supporting ISF events creates an opportunity ĨŽƌ Ă ĐŽƵŶƚƌLJ ƚŽ ĂĚĚ ǀĂůƵĞ ŽŶ Ă ŶĂƟŽŶĂů ĂŶĚ ŝŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂů ůĞǀĞů ŝŶ ĐŽŶƚƌŝďƵƟŶŐ ƚŽ ƐŽĐŝĂů͕ ĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ ĂŶĚ ŐůŽďĂů ƐƉŽƌƚ ŽĨ LJŽƵƚŚ͕ ǁŝƚŚ ƐŽĐŝĂů ŵĞĚŝĂ ďĞŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ development. ƐƚƌŽŶŐĞƐƚ ƉůĂƞŽƌŵ ƚŽ ƌĞĂĐŚ͕ ĞŶŐĂŐĞ ĂŶĚ ĚĞůŝǀĞƌ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ƚŽ LJŽƵŶŐ ĂƚŚ- School sport is a unique opportunity ĨŽƌ ƐƚĂŬĞŚŽůĚĞƌƐ ĨƌŽŵ ƉƵďůŝĐ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŝůĞƚĞƐ͘ ǀĂƚĞ ƐĞĐƚŽƌƐ ƚŽ ĂĐĐĞƐƐ ŐůŽďĂů LJŽƵƚŚ ůů ĞǀĞŶƚƐ ĂƌĞ ƌĞŐƵůĂƌůLJ ƐƚƌĞĂŵĞĚ ƚŽ ƐŽ- sport market and reach U18 youth. ĐŝĂů ŵĞĚŝĂ ŝŶ ĐŽŽƉĞƌĂƟŽŶ ǁŝƚŚ /^& ƐƉŽƌƚƐ ŵĞĚŝĂ ƉĂƌƚŶĞƌ ƐƵĐŚ ŚĂƐ KůLJŵƉŝĐ ŚĂŶŶĞů ĂŶĚ ŽƚŚĞƌ ŝŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂů ŵĞĚŝĂ ŽƵƚůĞƚƐ͘ dŚŝƐ ĂƉƉƌŽĂĐŚ ĂůůŽǁƐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ LJŽƵƚŚ ƚŽ ďĞ ĂŶ ĂĐƟǀĞ ƉůĂLJĞƌ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĚŝŐŝƚĂů ǁŽƌůĚ ŽĨ ƐĐŚŽŽů ƐƉŽƌƚ͖ ŶŽƚ ŽŶůLJ ƚŽ ǁĂƚĐŚ͕ ďƵƚ ĂĐƟǀĞůLJ ƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂƚĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĚŝƐĐƵƐƐŝŽŶ ǁŚŝůĞ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƟŶŐ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƐĐŚŽŽů ŵĂƚĞƐ ĂŶĚ ĨƌŝĞŶĚƐ ǁŚŽ ĂƌĞ ĐŽŵƉĞƟŶŐ ĂŶĚ ŝŶǀŽůǀĞĚ ŝŶ ĞĚƵĐĂƟǀĞ͕ ĐƵůƚƵƌĂů ĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐ ^ĐŚŽŽů ƐƉŽƌƚ ŝƐ Ă ĨŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶ͕ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ƚĂůĞŶƚ ƉŽŽů͕ ŽĨ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů ƐƉŽƌƚƐ͘ tŚĞƚŚĞƌ ĂŶ ĂƚŚůĞƚĞ͕ ŵĞĚŝĂ Žƌ ĂĚŵŝŶŝƐƚƌĂƟǀĞ ƉĞƌƐŽŶŶĞů͕ ƉƌŽ ƐƉŽƌƚ ĐĂƌĞĞƌƐ ĂƌĞ ďƵŝůƚ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞĚ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ ĂŶĚ ŝŶǀĞƐƚ/Ŷ ϮϬϭϴ /^& ŝƐ ŵĂŬŝŶŐ Ă ďŝŐ ůĞĂƉ ĨŽƌǁĂƌĚ ŵĞŶƚ ŝŶ LJŽƵƚŚ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚŽƵƚ ƚŚĞ ƐĐŚŽŽůŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ƐĞƫŶŐ ŶĞǁ ŵŝůĞƐƚŽŶĞƐ ǁŝƚŚ ŝƚƐ /^& ƉĞƌŝŽĚ͘ ŌĞƌ Ăůů ^ĐŚŽŽů ƐƉŽƌƚ ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚƐ Ă ^ĐŚŽŽů ^ƵŵŵĞƌ 'ĂŵĞƐ͕ ĂůƐŽ ŬŶŽǁŶ ĂƐ ƐƚƌŽŶŐ ůŝŶŬ ďĞƚǁĞĞŶ ŐƌĂƐƐƌŽŽƚƐ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽ'LJŵŶĂƐŝĂĚĞ͕ ĐŽŵŝŶŐ ƚŽ ĨƌŝĐĂ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů ƐƉŽƌƚƐ͘ ĮƌƐƚ ƟŵĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŚŝƐƚŽƌLJ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĨĞĚĞƌĂƟŽŶ͘ dŚŝƐ ǁŝůů ďĞ ƚŚĞ ĮƌƐƚ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ďŝŐ- /^& tŽƌůĚ ^ĐŚŽŽůƐ ŚĂŵƉŝŽŶƐŚŝƉ ,ĂŶĚŐĞƐƚ͕ ŵƵůƟͲƐƉŽƌƚ ĞǀĞŶƚ ĨŽƌ ƐĐŚŽŽů LJŽƵƚŚ͕ ďĂůů ϮϬϭϴ͕ ŚŽƐƚĞĚ ďLJ YĂƚĂƌ͕ ǁĂƐ ƉĂƌƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ůĞŐĂĐLJ ƚŚĞ ϮϬϭϱ tŽƌůĚ DĞŶ͛Ɛ ,ĂŶĚŚŽƐƚĞĚ ŽŶ ĨƌŝĐĂŶ ƐŽŝů͘ ďĂůů ŚĂŵƉŝŽŶƐŚŝƉ ůĞŌ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ LJŽƵƚŚ͘ /ƚ DĂƌƌĂŬĞĐŚ͕ DŽƌŽĐĐŽ͕ ǁŝůů ƐĞĞ ϭϳ ĚŝīĞƌ- ƐĞĞŵƐ ƚŚĂƚ ŝŶ ƐŝŵŝůĂƌ ĨĂƐŚŝŽŶ͕ /^& ^ƵŵĞŶƚ ƐƉŽƌƚƐ ĂŶĚ Ϯϯ ĚŝƐĐŝƉůŝŶĞƐ ǁŝƚŚ ŽǀĞƌ ŵĞƌ ^ĐŚŽŽů 'ĂŵĞƐ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϴ ĂŶĚ ϮϬϮϬ ǁŝůů ϯϬϬϬ LJŽƵŶŐ ĂƚŚůĞƚĞƐ ĐŽŵƉĞƟŶŐ ŽǀĞƌ Ă ďĞ ƉůĂŶŶĞĚ ĂŶĚ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ŽƚŚĞƌ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ ŽĨ ƐĞǀĞŶ ĚĂLJƐ͘ /Ŷ ƚƌƵĞ ĨĂƐŚŝŽŶ ŽĨ ŵĂũŽƌ ĞǀĞŶƚƐ͕ ƐƵĐŚ ĂƐ KůLJŵƉŝĐƐ͕ tŽƌůĚ /^&͕ ĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ ^ƉŽƌƚ͕ /^& ^ĐŚŽŽů ƵƉƐ͕ ĞƚĐ͘ ^ƵŵŵĞƌ 'ĂŵĞƐ ǁŝůů ĂůƐŽ ŚĞůĚ ĞĚƵĐĂƟǀĞ ĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵŵĞƐ &ƵŶΘ^ŬŝůůƐ͕ /Ĩ ƚŚĞ ǁŽƌůĚ ŽĨ ƐƉŽƌƚ ǁĂŶƚƐ ƚŽ ƌĞŵĂŝŶ ƐƚĂďůĞ ĂŶĚ ƐƚƌŽŶŐ͕ ŝƚ ŶĞĞĚƐ ƐŽůŝĚ ĨŽƵŶůĞĚ ďLJ LJŽƵƚŚ ĂŶĚ ǀŽůƵŶƚĞĞƌƐ͘ ĚĂƟŽŶƐ ʹ ŵŽƌĞ LJŽƵƚŚ ƚĂŬŝŶŐ ƉĂƌƚ ŝŶ ŝƚ͘ /Ŷ ƚǁŽ LJĞĂƌƐ͕ /^& ^ƵŵŵĞƌ ^ĐŚŽŽů 'ĂŵĞƐ zŽƵƚŚ ƚŚĂƚ ǁŝůů ǁŝƚŚŚŽůĚ ƚŚĞ ƉƌĞƐƐƵƌĞ ŽĨ ǁŝůů ƚƌĂŶƐŝƚ ƚŽ :ŝŶũŝĂŶŐ͕ ŚŝŶĂ͘ ϮϬϮϬ ǁŝůů ŵŽĚĞƌŶ ůŝĨĞ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŶƐĞƌǀĞ ƚŚĞ ƐƉŽƌƚ ůĞŐƐĞĞ Ă ŶĞǁ ĚŝŵĞŶƐŝŽŶ ŽĨ /^& ǁŝƚŚ ĂůƌĞĂĚLJ ĂĐLJ ĨŽƌ ŐĞŶĞƌĂƟŽŶƐ ƚŽ ĐŽŵĞ͘ ĐŽŶĮƌŵĞĚ ϭϳ ƐƉŽƌƚƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ŵŽƌĞ ĐŽŵŝŶŐ͕ ƋƵĂůŝƚLJ ŝŶĨƌĂƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞ ĂŶĚ ĨĂĐŝůŝƟĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƚŚŽƵƐĂŶĚƐ ŽĨ ǁŽƌůĚǁŝĚĞ LJŽƵƚŚ ŐĂƚŚĞƌŝŶŐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ďŝŐŐĞƐƚ ƐĐŚŽŽů ƐƉŽƌƚ ĨĞƐƟǀĂů͕ ĐŽŵďŝŶŐ ƐƉŽƌƚ ǁŝƚŚ ŽƚŚĞƌ ĞĚƵĐĂƟǀĞ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵƐ͘

Developing pro sport through investment in its true power; the youth or grassroot sport, and sport at school?

EĞǁ ƚŽ ŝŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂů sport market

dŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ĂĐƟǀĞ ĂŶĚ ĞŶŐĂŐĞĚ ƉĂƌƚ ŽĨ /^& ŝƐ ƚŚĞ LJŽƵƚŚ ĂŐĞĚ ϭϯͲϭϴ͕ ĂůŽŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƉĂƌĞŶƚƐ͕ ƚĞĂĐŚĞƌƐ ĂŶĚ ĐŽĂĐŚĞƐ͘ tŝƚŚ ƚĞĞŶĂŐĞƌƐ ďĞŝŶŐ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ŚĞĂƌƚ ŽĨ /^&͕ ƚŚĞ ĨĞĚĞƌĂƟŽŶ ŚĂƐ ƚĂŬĞŶ Ă ŶĞǁ ĚŝƌĞĐƟŽŶ ŝŶ ƚĞƌŵƐ ŽĨ ĞǀĞŶƚ ƉůĂŶŶŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉ- ůŽŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ /^& ǀŝƐŝŽŶ ϮϬϯϬ͕ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŝŶŐ ƐĐŚŽŽů ƐƉŽƌƚ ŽŶ Ă ǁŽƌůĚǁŝĚĞ ƐĐĂůĞ ŵĞŶƚ͕ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƟŶŐ͘ ĂŶĚ ƌĂŝƐŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ƐƉŽƌƚ ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ŽĨ LJŽƵƚŚ͕ KŶĞ ŽĨ /^&͛Ɛ ŵĂŝŶ ĨŽĐƵƐĞƐ ŚĂƐ ďĞĞŶ ĐĂůůƐ ĨŽƌ ϮϬϮϮ ĂŶĚ ĨƵƚƵƌĞ ŚŽƐƚƐ ŽĨ ^ĐŚŽŽů ĐŽŶƋƵĞƌŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ŽŶůŝŶĞ͕ ĚŝŐŝƚĂů ǁŽƌůĚ ^ƵŵŵĞƌ 'ĂŵĞƐ ĂƌĞ ŽƉĞŶ͘

www.isfsports.org

THOUGHT LEADER HEALTH

HEALTH MATTERS Dr Margo Mountjoy

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ealth really matters for global citizens, as well as for stakeholders involved in the business of sport, when it comes to our future. Part of the SportAccord World Sport and Business Summit in Bangkok from 15th to 20th April, the inaugural HealthAccord conference, The Power of Sport – The Power to Change, will discuss the long-term hard and soft gains, and address the challenges being faced across the entire sport ecosystem.

HealthAccord speakers and panellists will examine how better health is a key enabler, and helps to promote a healthy sports image. Healthy athletes produce ‘stronger, faster, and higher’ performances. This in turn attracts commercial sponsorship, improves fanbases, and empowers athletes to give better sport performances, often extending their careers. Needless to say, this mitigates liability for sport, and athletes retire healthier and happier – with an increasing number of athletes being able to give back to sport.

Yannis Pitsiladis, a professor of sport and exercise science at the UK’s University of Brighton and a member of the International Olympic &RPPLWWHH ,2& 0HGLFDO DQG 6FLHQWLĂ€F Commission, will deliver an enlightening session on ‘The Power to Change’.

Based on the premise we are ‘Born to move and why our future depends on it!’, this session will compare and contrast our ancestral origin with today. Delegates will hear how inactive lifestyles, coupled with the way the world has evolved, will be detrimental to the future unless we take charge. “The biggest threat to humanity is not DUWLĂ€FLDO LQWHOOLJHQFH EXW WKH VWDUYDWLRQ of physical activity,â€? Prof Pitsiladis says. “Our future is in danger and it is all our fault.â€?

From an evolutionary biology point of view, it is clear there is a mismatch between our body design and the world we have created. To correct this mismatch,

18 | www.sportspromedia.com

ZH QHHG WR XQGHUVWDQG RXU SDVW DQG ÀQG ways to match our body’s design to the new world we are creating in view of establishing a successful future – a future where physical activity is, like in our ancestral past, a main component of our daily lives.

Matteo Vitello, business relations manager at Technogym, will also provide a case study for the HealthAccord session, ‘The Power to Change’. Delegates will hear how this can be done for both sport and the corporate world. Vitello will share how the Technogym programme promoting wellness in the community has been shown to improve health of the general population in their region. This LV WKH Ă€UVW :HOOQHVV 9DOOH\ LQ WKH ZRUOG and this ecosystem can be replicated everywhere. “Technogym is known all over the world as ‘The Wellness Company’ – a company that has helped to develop the concept of œÀWQHVV¡ LQWR D FRPSOHWH :HOOQHVV OLIHVW\OH Âľ Vitello says. “Living the ‘Wellness’ lifestyle means getting regular physical activity, the correct nutrition and having a positive mental attitude with everybody achieving their own balance in life.

“Our mission is to help people live better and longer by adopting a healthier lifestyle with very simple steps.�

HealthAccord is scheduled for the afternoon of Thursday 19th April 2018 during SportAccord and is set to take place at the Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre. This builds on the success of the International Federation (IF) Forum 2016, where international sports federations gathered to discuss the power of sport to drive world health.

Co-chairs for the new HealthAccord conference programme are: Dr Margo Mountjoy, Chair, $62,) 0HGLFDO 6FLHQWLÀF &RQVXOWDWLYH *URXS ,2& 0HGLFDO 6FLHQWLÀF &RPPLVVLRQ Games Group FINA Bureau; and Prof. Fabio Pigozzi, President, International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS) & Member of WKH ,2& 0HGLFDO DQG 6FLHQWLÀF &RPPLVVLRQ ² 0HGLFDO DQG 6FLHQWLÀF *URXS Organisations involved in the business of sport who wish to attend HealthAccord should register for SportAccord 2018, which gives them access to the entire conference programme. $V SDUW RI WKH RIÀFLDO VFKHGXOH 6SRUW$FFRUG will host well over 20 networking events and a popular three-day exhibition, as part of the delegate experience.

OC Sport celebrates 20 years On the 20th anniversary of its foundation this month OC Sport, the pioneering event creator, manager and rights-holder, can look back on a remarkable two decades that have seen the company branch out from professional sailing into amateur cycling, marathon running, trail running and triathlon.

In that time OC Sport has grown from managing and developing the stellar sailing career of Dame Ellen MacArthur to having the largest portfolio of sailing events in the world.

Now in its fifth year with the French media conglomerate Groupe Télégramme as it’s majority shareholder, OC Sport is marking the anniversary with a full re-brand including new website, a new company logo and strapline “Beyond your Horizon”.

Chief Executive Guillaume Semblat is looking ahead to what he says is a bright future for an organisation that now employs 150 sports management professionals in Britain, France, Switzerland, the United States and China.

“We are operating in a very competitive environment but OC Sport has a strong place in that market, offering professional and amateur sportsmen and women the chance to compete in unique events and to experience unforgettable moments in their lives,” said Semblat.

Semblat says the expansion of the Haute Route cycling series

is a major focus. Having started with seven-day Haute Routes in 2011, the new emphasis is on shorter three-day events which appeal to riders with less time to train and perhaps busier working schedules.

“They may be shorter and benefit from simpler logistics than the seven-day events but they still have all the attributes that make the Haute Route so successful,” he said.

In sailing OC Sport’s big focus this year is on the Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe, which starts from St Malo in France in October and will attract the world’s best sailors.

Preceding it will be the annual Solitaire URGO Le Figaro, the unofficial world championship of solo offshore racing.

and campaign manager and we continue to identify new opportunities, with other rights holders for example, where we can bring our unique experience and skills to bear.”

We offer people the chance to compete in unique events and to experience unforgettable moments in their lives.”

A new area of expansion is in trail running where OC Sport has created UTMB International alongside sports marketing company Autour du MontBlanc as part of its ambition to develop the UTMB brand. This year will see trail running events in China alongside a test event in Oman.

OC Sport also continues to manage Dongfeng Race Team’s successful entry in the current Volvo Ocean Race, and for the 12th consecutive year, the company will organise the Extreme Sailing Series™ which in 2018 will visit eight venues around the world.

“This is one of the most exciting parts of our portfolio,” said Semblat, “where the pioneering tradition in our company is once again informing our ambitions.

We strongly believe that we have a role to play to bring people together through sport and to challenge them to achieve their dreams.”

“Sailing has always been close to OC Sport’s heart,” commented Semblat. “The company is now a major player as both an events manager

BEYOND YOUR HORIZON www.ocsport.com

PREMATURE FACTS

Signing up The decision of German soccer’s Bundesliga to approve ‘virtual advertising’, following a trial in a February match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Augsburg, marks the long-awaited maturation of a product that has excited rights holders for nearly a decade. Supponor’s system, now backed by Lagardère Sports, allows broadcasters around the world to slot the images of locally relevant sponsors on to pitchside LED hoardings. Now, another startup is promising an altogether different kind of virtual advertising. Bidstack is pitching its new platform to video game publishers, allowing them to sell flexible billboard space in online video game contests. Soccer sim and student favourite Football Manager 18 is the first title to try it out.

Rolling.maul Back in 2014 the leaders of the International Rugby Board (IRB) sought to position their organisation as a movement by rebranding as World Rugby. Now, the union and sevens body is aiming to repeat the trick in the digital space, securing a Top Level Domain (TLD) that will allow it to relocate its website to world.rugby and grant the same suffix to trusted partners in the sport, beginning with its six regional associations and 121 national member unions.

Playing games The powder has barely settled after PyeongChang 2018 but thoughts are now turning to the future of the Olympic movement. There are signs already of a different kind of Olympic environment emerging.

Speaking to Bloomberg in mid-March, Zhang Dazhong, chief executive of Alibaba sporting arm Alisports, said the company would support an esports competition at the Games but only through titles built around sport, rather than “violence and slaughter”. The prospect of a digital Olympics is one thing; the concept of leading sponsors working so closely on the sporting programme is almost as revolutionary.

20 | www.sportspromedia.com

Ready player one The interest of sporting bodies in esports, with college athletics’ Big East Conference the latest to enter the fray, is one indication of the sector consolidating. A still stronger one is the activities of the publishing community. Activision Blizzard, the force behind the sports owner-backed, franchise-based Overwatch League, has created a new division called Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues. The NBA’s Brandon Snow, former New Jersey Devils man Daniel Cherry and NBC Universal’s Marc Kolin are its opening hires, reporting to Major League Gaming chief Pete Vlastelica.

House of Mouse remodelled Disney has talked lots and spent even more on its plans in the OTT space, and the practical ramifications of its digital shift. Its direct-toconsumer and international unit went live with immediate effect in the days before SportsPro went to press, as part of a wider corporate restructure through which the group will report financially from 2019. The new division will be responsible for Disney’s stake in Hulu, as well as ESPN+ and its new entertainment streaming service, with chief strategy officer Kevin Mayer (right) brought across to lead the way.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

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

John Grant The board of directors of the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) have elected John Grant as the body’s new chairman. Grant, who recently retired from his role as chair of the Australian Rugby League Commission, will succeed Nigel Wood, the former chief executive of England’s Rugby Football League who is himself replacing David Collier as RLIF chief executive.

Phil Townsend European soccer’s governing body Uefa has appointed Phil Townsend as its new managing director of communications. The 48-year-old will join the organisation in June having spent the past 14 years at English Premier League giants Manchester United, where he was director of communications.

He succeeds Pedro Pinto, who is leaving Uefa to return to his native Portugal.

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James Pitaro

Gaetano Micciché

Cynthia Marshall

The Walt Disney Company has named James Pitaro as the new president of sports broadcasting giant ESPN and co-chair of Disney Media Networks. Reporting directly to Disney chairman and chief executive Robert Iger, the 48-year-old will assume his new role immediately, taking over from the long-serving John Skipper, who resigned in December after six years in charge, citing a battle with substance addiction. George Bodheimer, who took over as acting chairman after Skipper’s departure, will stay on until the end of 2018 as a consultant.

Gaetano Micciché is set to become the new president of Lega Serie A, the organising body for the top flight of Italian club soccer. The appointment of Micciché, who is currently the chairman of financial services group Banca IMI, was announced

by Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) president and Lega extraordinary commissioner Giovanni Malago, after the decision was approved by the 20 Serie A clubs at a meeting in March. Micciché will serve in his new position on a temporary basis as CONI continues its efforts to overhaul the administration of Italian soccer.

The National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Dallas Mavericks have appointed Cynthia Marshall as their interim chief executive. The former AT&T executive, who is also the founder of leadership and diversity consultancy Marshalling Resources, was welcomed at an event in Dallas in February.

She retired from her role at the telecoms giant last May, and joins the Mavericks at a time when the team have launched an investigation into recent issues with their workplace culture.

Hye-Young Cuddy

Arkady Dvorkovich Arkady Dvorkovich has been appointed as the new chairman of Russia’s local organising committee for the 2018 Fifa World Cup, replacing fellow deputy prime minister Vitaly Mutko. Dvorkovich, 45, is considered a close ally of Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev and a key player in Russian politics. Mutko confirmed he would be leaving the role to fight sanctions imposed on him by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for his alleged involvement in a state-backed doping system implemented for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games an appeal which he plans to take to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Fraser Houlder London-based agency The Sports Consultancy has appointed Fraser Houlder to the role of head of cycling sales. The industry veteran joins from Female Sports Group, a company he co-founded in 2014 that is dedicated to promoting female and mixed gender sport.

During his spell there, Houlder helped secure a number of major sponsors for the Parkrun mass participation series, while he also played a key role in bringing in commercial partners for Table Tennis England, England Netball and Badminton England.

Engine Shop, the Bruin Sports Capital-owned marketing agency, has appointed Hye-Young Cuddy as its vice president of global sports.

Based in Atlanta, USA, Cuddy will begin her new role immediately, reporting to Terrence Burns, the veteran commercial consultant and event bidding strategist whose T Burns Sports Group agency was acquired by Engine Shop in February.

Cuddy’s previous experience includes marketing roles with GMR Marketing, Visa and most recently the International Olympic Committee (IOC), where she oversaw relationships with IOC TOP partners.

Alexander Wölffing

Jim O’Toole Jim O’Toole has been appointed as chief executive of equestrian series Event Rider Masters (ERM).

The experienced O’Toole, formerly the chief executive of English rugby union club Worcester Warriors and of sailing’s World Match Racing Tour, will take up his new role with immediate effect.

ERM organises six international eventing competitions each year, with the dressage, show jumping and cross-country disciplines held across two days instead of the traditional three.

Alexander Wölffing is the new motorsport director of 7Sports, the sports business unit of German mass media company ProSiebenSat1. The role has been specially created by 7Sports to manage all 20 live broadcasts of the German Touring Car Masters (DTM) series on ProSiebenSat1.

Wölffing, 47, joined 7Sports from rival German television channel Sport1 on 1st March, and will report to Alexander Rösner, the company’s head of sport.

Bundesliga International has named Peter Leible as its new head of global audiovisual rights.

The body, which manages the overseas commercial interests of Germany’s elite club soccer league, has also confirmed the appointment of Kevin Sim to replace Leible as head of Asia Pacific. Leible will begin on 1st August and will be based in Frankfurt, with Sim, previously the director of global media rights at mixed martial arts promoter ONE Championship, setting up in the league’s Singapore office on 15th April.

David Fowler has been appointed marketing director at Dutch soccer streaming platform Mycujoo. Fowler joins from soccer’s global governing body Fifa, where he was head of strategy and intelligence. Having joined Fifa in 2005, Fowler went on to become group leader of strategic marketing in 2012, before being named head of brand towards the end of 2014 and then head of strategy and intelligence two years later.

Nicolas Buompane The International Federation of Gymnastics (FIG) has appointed Nicolas Buompane as its new secretary general and announced plans for a new ethics foundation. Buompane was elected unanimously at the governing body’s executive committee meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, following a proposal from FIG president Morinari Watanabe. The Swiss will take over from André Gueisbuhler, who was reappointed last year until 31st December 2018.

Hye-Young Cuddy, vice president of global sports, Engine Shop What attracted you to your new role?

David Fowler Peter Leible and Kevin Sim

FEATURED MOVER

Lisa Fahey Lisa Fahey has been appointed as the new president of digital fan engagement company FanCompass, Inc. Fahey, who joined the firm in 2015 as chief marketing officer and executive vice president of operations, is credited with FanCompass’ growth in the sports industry. Prior to her arrival there, Fahey gained 20 years of experience in consumer marketing at the likes of Annie’s, Inc, Pepsico and Kraft Foods.

I’ve been watching Terrence Burns and his abilities within the Olympic and the global sports space are inspiring, and so the opportunity to work with Terrence and the Engine Shop team was highly attractive.

Engine Shop has come to be seen as the agency of the moment right now – they’re modern and fresh, and the way that they are executing engagement marketing for their clients and pushing the boundaries is something different. I felt that Bruin Sports Capital are connectors and so when they then began joining together with Engine Shop, it just felt like the right thing to do at this point in my career.

What is the biggest challenge you expect to face?

Most of my career has been focused on Olympic marketing and I feel that the movement itself needs a fresh rethink, and that is going to be the biggest challenge. Olympic partners and global sports in general have been doing the same thing over and over for a while. What we want to do is try to bring a fresh perspective to the challenges, and I think that with the competencies of Engine Shop and with what their capabilities are right now, we will be seeing some very interesting things.

How will you draw on past experience?

I don’t think I would lean on just one particular role or past experience but it would really have to be a combination of everything I’ve learned so far. I started my career on the client side at Visa, and that really helped provide a core experience of what it means to work in-house on the brand side.

And then at GMR Marketing I had the usual grind of agency work and was working for brands. Then at the International Olympic Committee, I was learning how to work on projects with diplomacy and strategy.

How will you measure success?

By great storytelling. We want to work with interesting brands and we’re marketers. Terrence has built his entire career on being a great storyteller, so success for us will be providing new, fresh ideas and stories.

What was your dream job growing up?

I always wanted – and I still do – to one day be the athletic director of UNC Chapel Hill. It was my undergraduate university and a traditional southern school and I think that it would be interesting further down the road if that opportunity ever presented itself.

Where do you see yourself in three years’ time?

I hope to still be with Engine Shop – I’d like to be involved with growing the business and doing more interesting work with them.

SportsPro Magazine | 23

SPORTSPRO WORLD HOSTINGS AND HAPPENINGS

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Conferences 1

Miami, USA

The W South Beach Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida will be the venue for the first ever SportelSummit on 15th and 16th May. The two-day event will feature leading executives from broadcast networks, agencies, digital platforms and federations sharing their personal insights on the future of the global sports marketing and media industry.

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London, UK

The Sports Performance Data and Fan Engagement Summit will bring together around 800 delegates in London on 22nd and 23rd May to discuss the latest innovations in data analytics, digital content, machine learning and virtual reality, and the impact they are having on sports insight and the fan experience.

24 | www.sportspromedia.com

3

Amsterdam, Netherlands

The Amsterdam ArenA in the Dutch capital of Amsterdam will play host to the third edition of Climate Action’s Sustainable Innovation in Sport forum on 2nd and 3rd May. The annual meeting brings together a range of leaders from the world of sport to discuss how the industry can inspire and encourage the fight against climate change.

4

Lausanne, Switzerland

The inaugural edition of ThinkSport’s The Spot will be held from 15th to 16th May at the SwissTech Convention Center in the Olympic capital of Lausanne, Switzerland. The new event will assemble sports organisations, local businesses and academic institutions in an attempt to inspire progress by unifying original ideas and the latest innovations from both inside and outside the business of sport.

5

Beijing, China

Hot on the heels of the first of three Olympic Games to take place in south-east Asia in the next six years, the Chinese capital of Beijing will welcome Host City Asia on 31st May. Speakers at this year’s event will include International Ski Federation secretary general Sarah Lewis (below), International Biathlon Union president Anders Besseberg and Victor Cui of mixed martial arts promotion ONE Championship.

Hosting A

Washington DC, USA

Wales and South Africa will play a one-off rugby union Test match in Washington DC, USA on 2nd June. The game, which will be the 34th encounter between the two nations, will take place at the US capital’s 45,000-seater RFK Stadium, the former home of the National Football League’s Washington Redskins and DC United of Major League Soccer.

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Scotland, UK

The inaugural European Golf Team Championships will take place at Gleneagles in Scotland from 8th to 12th August 2018 as part of the multi-sport Glasgow 2018 European Championships and sanctioned by the European Tour and the Ladies European Tour.

The new format will feature a 50/50 gender split in the field with male and female professionals competing for equal prize money in both a national men’s and women’s team match play championship as well as an 18-hole foursomes stroke play mixed national team championship.

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UK

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed the cities that will host teams in its new eight-franchise Twenty20 league from 2020. Southampton, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Cardiff and Nottingham have all been selected, with two sides to be based in the UK capital, London. The announcement was made as the ECB awarded its next cycle of hosting rights for home international matches, with Edgbaston, Headingley, The Oval, Lord’s and Old Trafford all set to stage Test matches in the historic Ashes series against Australia in both 2019 and 2023 D

Nice, France

Tour de France organiser Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) has chosen the French city of Nice to stage the 2020 edition of the prestigious cycling race’s Grand Départ. It will mark only the second time that Nice will have hosted the opening stages of the French Grand Tour, having also done so in 1981.

E

Johannesburg, South Africa

The National Basketball Association (NBA) will stage its NBA Africa Game in Johannesburg, South Africa for a third consecutive year. The third edition of the exhibition match, which is played between representative teams from Africa and the rest of the world, will take place on 4th August, following the 16th instalment of Basketball without Borders Africa, the NBA and world governing body FIBA’s global elite basketball development programme.

F

Saudi Arabia

Golf’s European Tour has agreed a longterm deal to stage a tournament in Saudi Arabia. The first of three annual competitions will take place from 31st January to 3rd February next year at the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City. It will be the first time that a professional golf event has been played in the country.

Wales and South Africa will meet for the first time in the US and the 34th time in all when they play at Washington DC’s 45,000-seater RFK Stadium on 2nd June

SportsPro Magazine | 25

SECTION TEXT HERE GALLERY

Russian ski jumper Alexandra Kustova soars through a practice session at the Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre

A performer lets fly in the opening ceremony

Team GB’s Laura Deas and Lizzy Yarnold celebrate skeleton success

South Korea’s Sungbin Yun on his way to skeleton gold

Fans pose with PyeongChang 2018 mascot Soohorang

The PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games

paimages.co.uk PAImages

The South Korean resort of PyeongChang hosted the greatest show on snow and ice from 9th to 25th February as the XXIII Olympic Winter Games delivered drama, delight, intrigue and a political dimension.

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

The North Korean cheering squad in full voice

Fireworks open proceedings at the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium

The Olympic Athletes from Russia arrive

China’s Hao Zhang and Yu Xiaoyu

Britain’s Elise Christie crashes out

South Korean president Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook with Ivanka Trump and North Korea’s Kim Yong Chol

The unified Korean women’s ice hockey team

Mascots dance at the closing ceremony

US snowboarder Chloe Kim sails towards women’s halfpipe gold

SportsPro Magazine | 27

GALLERY

Stephen Curry tries to wriggle free from Kevin Durant and LeBron James

Actor, singer and comic Jamie Foxx

Fergie attempts the US national anthem

Pharell Williams performs with NBA mascots

Black Panther star Michael B Jordan with comic actor Anthony Anderson

Comedian Dave Chappelle

LeBron takes the applause of movie icon Arnold Schwarzenegger

Megastar performer Beyoncé

Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan with the LA Clippers’ Gillian Zucker and Steve Ballmer

Lou Adler and Jack Nicholson

Rapper Snoop Dogg with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft

The NBA All-Star Game Basketball’s biggest talents were all on display at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, USA for the NBA All-Star Game on 18th February and, as ever, they were joined by some of the brightest stars in entertainment. On the court, LeBron James’ Eastern Conference outfit edged out Steph Curry and the west 148-145.

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Tingting Zhang of Yutang Sports, Céline Shi of Alisports and Sina Sports’ Arthur Wei in conversation

ONE Championship founder Chatri Sityodtong

Delegates gather in the Arqiva Lounge

Attendees enjoy a drink at the opening cocktail event

Hard at work at the ONE Championship stand

Activity in the ONE Championship Power Lounge

La Liga president Javier Tebas with Ivan Codina, La Liga MD for south-east Asia

SPORTEL CEO Laurent Puons delivers a speech at the opening cocktail

Puons, Sityodtong and SPORTEL general manager Amparo Di Fede join martial arts stars

SVG’s Ken Kershbaumer with Neulion’s Chris Wagner, Eleven’s Danny Menken and Twitter’s Maurizio Barbieri

SPORTEL Asia 2018 The Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore welcomed 646 participants representing 310 companies from 43 countries to SPORTEL Asia, the spring edition of the international sports marketing and media industry event, from 13th to 15th March.

SportsPro Magazine | 29

GALLERY

Olympic gymnastics champion Nadia Comaneci and Dutch soccer hero Ruud Gullit present an award

Sprint legend Michael Johnson takes the stage

Boris Becker greets Roger Federer

Swimmer Missy Franklin and Sir Steve Redgrave

Hosts Benedict Cumberbatch and Kate Abdo

Toto Wolff accepts an award for Mercedes

Paralympic trailblazer Tanni Grey-Thompson

Former All Black Sean Fitzpatrick and swimming great Mark Spitz

Singer Emeli Sandé gives her all

NFL superstar JJ Watt is recognised for his Hurricane Harvey fundraising

The Laureus World Sport Awards Some of the highest achievers in sport and some honoured guests descended on the Salle des Etoiles at Monaco’s Sporting Monte-Carlo on 27th February for the 2018 edition of the Laureus World Sport Awards.

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THE SHOT TOKYO 2020 MASCOTS

THE SH T Pupils at the Hoyonomori Gakuen School hold aloft cards bearing images of the characters chosen as mascots for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games at an event on 28th February.

Koki Nagahama/Getty Images

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SportsPro Magazine | 33

INSIGHT OLYMPICS

PyeongChang Pass/Fail: Grading the Winter Olympics After seven years of build-up, PyeongChang finally welcomed the Winter Olympics from 9th to 25th February. Michael Payne, the hugely influential former International Olympic Committee marketing director and creator of its landmark TOP sponsorship programme, has been present at every Games since 1984. This is his verdict on proceedings in South Korea.

By Michael Payne

M

ichael Payne, the former International Olympic Committee (IOC) marketing and broadcast rights director, has attended every single Olympic Games since Sarajewo 1984. He has driven the marketing programmes for many of the local organising committees – or OCOGs – and more recently orchestrated some of the Olympics’ biggest deals.

PyeongChang was Payne’s 19th Olympic Games – few people have such an insightful view and perspective of the event. Leading up to PyeongChang, he was a sometime critic of the

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preparations, recalling that the South Korean resort had run one of the most aggressive lobby campaigns ever to win the right to host but noting that, once awarded, they at times seem to believe it was mission accomplished.

With less than 12 months to go to the Games, the IOC was known to be very concerned about the state of preparations, with concern only compounded as political tensions began to rise dramatically on the peninsula towards the end of 2017. But as so often happens in the end, it somehow all came

together on the night, with an Olympic Games far better than anyone dared hope for.

Payne provides a further perspective on how Korea has evolved over the past 30 years since the country staged the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games, having lived in the country in the mid-80s to develop the local marketing programme and launch The Olympic Partner (TOP) programme, the IOC’s global sponsorship platform that helped propel sports marketing into a new era.

Here is his PyeongChang 2018 report card, with a selection of special awards:

Sport performance: 10 3\HRQJ&KDQJ GHOLYHUHG DQ H[FHOOHQW ÀHOG of play for the athletes, with near-perfect snow conditions – and, as a result, the athletes delivered with some of the most stunning and dramatic sports performances the Winter Olympics has ever seen.

Games operations: 9 The key operations worked – transport was generally surprisingly smooth; technology, in spite of hacking attempts, did not crash; venue operations were HIÀFLHQW Volunteers: 10 One of the big hits of the Games – and where perhaps, more than anywhere else, you noticed how Korea had evolved since Seoul 1988, with volunteers now used to dealing and engaging with foreigners, always friendly, many with good language skills.

The volunteers really made an effort to reach out and welcome international guests and spectators and, importantly, seemed to be having fun themselves.

Look and venue branding: 9 In-venue branding was excellent, providing a strong, dynamic visual backdrop for the broadcast images. All too often, OCOGs cut the look budget in WKH ÀQDO UXQ XS ² IRUWXQDWHO\ KHUH WKH\ understood the branding value.

Not everything was perfect, though.

7KH RIĂ€FLDO HPEOHP ZDV SHUKDSV WKH worst ever developed for an Olympics, which may be why it was then so rarely used throughout the venues. For future organisers: consider exploring integrating ‘architectural’ elements into the graphic presentation, such as start houses and media stages. That would help serve to reinforce and showcase the cultural dynamic of the host country.

Broadcasting: 10 The broadcast images and sound from the venues, courtesy of the IOC’s Olympic Broadcast Services (OBS), once again established a whole new gold standard for TV sports presentation.

Weather helped by ensuring clear skies, although the sub-zero conditions before the opening ceremony did not necessarily facilitate installing all the broadcast equipment and cabling. I was amazed

The North Korean cheerleading squad were a constant reminder of the geopolitical edge to PyeongChang 2018

there were any technicians left who did not have frostbite by the time the Games started.

Marketing and promotion: 3 The cause of so much of the IOC’s heartache in the lead-up to the Games.

The Korean business community never really engaged with the event; sponsor activation in the lead-up by national sponsors was weak to non-existent – reinforcing the perception that sponsors only signed up having been politically lent on rather than part of some real strategic marketing play.

A pity, as it was a great missed opportunity – especially as Korean companies are now major players on the international stage, unlike in 1988.

The Games’ production and presentation were bold

City atmosphere and ‘heart’: 3 The venues were great but the moment you stepped outside of them, you rarely felt you were at the Olympics. Even though the venue footprint was relatively compact, interaction and engagement with fans in the host city was limited, and you clearly missed the ‘soul and magic’ of an Olympic host city.

Venue legacy: 4 The IOC risks being seriously exposed here – despite its best efforts to try and get the local organisers and government to develop a proper legacy plan. The IOC knew that it would eventually be criticised by the media for white elephants and unused venues. More than three years out it began demanding that the Koreans develop a proper legacy plan, but it sadly fell on deaf ears.

Let’s hope that with Korea now having seen the success of the Games, they do try to develop some long-term solutions – beyond just turning the ice venue into a large frozen food warehouse!

Political legacy: ?

One month before the Games, not even the brightest optimist could have imagined North Korea agreeing to participate, never mind forming a historic joint team for ice hockey.

North Korea had a history of disrupting Seoul’s attempts to step into the spotlight.

In 1988 they boycotted, and two years beforehand were accused of exploding a terrorist bomb at Kimpo airport that killed ÀYH SHRSOH MXVW DV WHDPV ZHUH DUULYLQJ IRU the 1986 Asian Games.

SportsPro Magazine | 35

INSIGHT OLYMPICS

The Olympic Athletes from Russia were a controversial presence at the Games, but their numerous vocal fans delighted in a gold medal in the men’s ice hockey

It is still too early to judge whether the Olympic stage will have created the platform for a dialogue where until now politicians have failed, but if there is a real momentum to create peace on the Korean peninsula then the Olympic movement will have once again shown the special role that sport can play in bringing the world together.

Although some of the media accused the IOC of being opportunistic, jumping on the peace in Korea bandwagon, it should be recalled that IOC president Thomas Bach began his outreach programme with North Korea four years ago – straight after the Sochi 2014 Games.

Security: 9 Amazingly, it was day 14 before I saw my Ă€UVW JXQ DW WKH *DPHV 1HYHU EHIRUH KDYH I felt genuinely so secure. The ‘mag and EDJ¡ ZDV DV HIĂ€FLHQW DV DQ\ *DPHV RU PRUH so, and yet the heavy security, the guns, the military totally invisible. You knew they were all there – but you could not see them.

It was so refreshing to not have the sport and Olympic atmosphere overshadowed by a heavy security presence – and, again, such a far cry from Seoul 88.

36 | www.sportspromedia.com

Weather: 9 In the lead-up to the opening ceremony, the temperature was dropping below -20°C, and with a vicious wind-chill to below -30°C – making it too cold to even step out of the hotel, never mind head to the slopes. This is the Winter Games, and not since Lillehammer 1994 had we seen such wintry conditions.

But once the Games started, the temperature warmed up and became decidedly pleasant, providing a clear blue sky to frame the sporting images. After the rain of the previous Winter Olympic Games – and nothing kills atmosphere like rain falling on snow – the weather gods co-operated with PyeongChang.

In-venue presentation: 7 Korea surprised everyone with a fresh new look to in-venue presentation, with diverse music and rock bands, interactive engagement with the mascots, excellent and informative commentary – everything that everyone was expecting in Rio, that with the exception of a couple of sports like beach volleyball, the organisers totally missed.

Future organisers take note: there is a great opportunity to build on here. It is

important to understand the importance of this to create a magical Olympic atmosphere.

Ticketing: 4 Despite the local organisers’ unfathomable claims that they had sold over 100 per cent of available tickets (delivered by the local press spokesperson with a straight face; communications was never POCOG’s strong point), ticket sales remained very average.

International sales always risked being weak, as a result of a combination of factors from travel logistics, to the negative political build-up, through to just a general promotional malaise. Indoor venues, with the exception of ice hockey, ZHUH SDFNHG RXWGRRU DURXQG WKH ÀQLVK corral were also full, but you will need to return to the home of winter sports in Europe to achieve real packed crowds along the course for outdoor events.

National TV presentation and promotion: N/A Not that I could follow the Korean commentary, but you never truly felt that the Korean broadcasters really stretched themselves, understanding what makes

the Olympics special beyond just another sports event, telling magical stories.

The Korean broadcast looked decidedly average, devoid of great Olympic promotion and presentation.

Sponsor activation: 5 Once again, it was the new partners that raised the bar, teaching longstanding traditional sponsors a few new lessons on Olympic activation. Alibaba with their ‘Greatness of Small’ campaign, Toyota with ‘Start the Impossible’, and Intel and their magical drones – all of them introduced new thinking and activation, with a clear understanding of the potential of the Olympic brand.

P&G continued their brilliant ‘Thank You, Mum’ campaign, but the rest of the TOP sponsors did not deliver any great creativity.

The score, though, is brought down by the generally weak activation of the local partners – and even Samsung, in their home market, struggled this time to raise their game and build on some of their past great Olympic campaigns.

Olympic torch relay: 4 Operationally, the torch relay all worked, but atmosphere and crowds on the street WR ZHOFRPH WKH à DPH ZDV ZHDN ² SHUKDSV indicative of the overall poor promotional build-up, and a real missed opportunity to extend the Olympic magic throughout the country.

The British media, as usual, went after totally unrelated and twisted headlines, focusing on the purported phallic imagery of the lighting of the cauldron.

Iconic rings: 7 This could have been a 10, if Intel had not been stopped at the last minute IURP Ă \LQJ WKHLU PDJLFDO GURQHV WR IRUP the Olympic rings and other iconic symbols in the sky. When they were

The Olympic spirit struggled to catch beyond venues

Ester Ledecka’s historic double gold in skiing and snowboarding provided an incredible Olympic story

DOORZHG WR Ă \ WKH UHVXOW ZDV VSHFWDFXODU Expect much more in the future.

Politics: 9 Rarely has the Olympics had to walk such a tightrope in the lead-up to the Games, with real security threats from the host’s neighbour and provocations from the US prompting North Korea to consider withdrawing four hours before the opening ceremony.

And then, throughout the Games, the Russia saga kept politics to the fore: ‘Will they or won’t they be allowed to march in the closing ceremony with the Russian Ă DJ"¡ ,Q WKH HQG WKH\ ZHUH QRW DOORZHG to, but most Russians did not care – all that mattered for them was the Olympic Athletes from Russia bringing home the ice hockey Olympic gold.

Magical Story of the Games No question: Ester Ledecka’s unheard-of double Olympic gold, across two totally different – arguably contradictory – sports, snowboard and alpine skiing.

Ledecka probably also wins Best Quote of the Games, claiming that the reason she kept her goggles on for the indoor post-event press conference was that as she never expected to win, she did not have any makeup on.

Best New Sport Addition Mixed Team Parallel Slalom: it shows off the true skills of an alpine skier like no other event. Fast, tense, colourful – a great addition. I don’t understand why it took the IOC and International Ski

Federation (FIS) so long to add it to the Olympic programme.

Big Air Snowboard was a close runnerup – wait for Big Air Ski in Beijing.

And with sport climbing making its debut in Tokyo 2020, how long before ice climbing makes it on to the Winter 2O\PSLF SURJUDPPH" Most Arrogant Guest at the Games US Vice President Pence refusing to stand ZKHQ WKH XQLÀ HG .RUHDQ WHDP PDUFKHG LQWR the opening ceremony. At least President Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, had the good grace to stand at the closing ceremony.

Best Olympic Uniform Pita Taufaofua from Tonga – and his repeated bare chest march in the opening ceremony – leaving the audience in total disbelief as they stuggled to stay warm under eight layers of clothing, blankets and hand warmers.

PR Story of the Games No question: the cheerleaders from North Korea. Much of the media wondered whether this was the ultimate PR coup of the games, as Kim Jong-Un tried to rebrand the image of his country.

Loudest Spectators of the Games The ‘Olympic Spectators from Russia’ – by far the most co-ordinated, colorful bunch at the Games, prompting cynics to wonder whether they were even sponsored, by unknown Russian benefactors, to attend and ensure an RIĂ€ FLDO XQRIĂ€ FLDO SUHVHQFH

SportsPro Magazine | 37

INSIGHT OLYMPICS

The social Olympics The PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games were lived more digitally than any before them. With the help of Hookit, our oďŹƒcial data partner, SportsPro looks at some of the athletes, partners and moments that drove interest around the biggest sporting event of the year so far.

38 | www.sportspromedia.com

About this survey Hookit tracked activity across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube from 7th February – two days before the opening ceremony – until 26th February, the day after the Olympic flame went out in PyeongChang.

A total of 2,919 athletes, 217 organisations and 95 partners were tracked. The performance of individual social posts was measured from the original links.

Which athletes drove the most interest during the Games?

Top performing athletes Name

Sport

Country

Total Followers Follower Posts Growth

Total Interactions

Interactions per Post

Shaun White

Snowboard

USA

5,785,791

17%

33

11,805,097

357,730

Maia Shibutani

Figure Skating

USA

476,426

108%

216

7,030,674

32,549

Lindsey Vonn

Alpine Skiing

USA

3,922,707

9%

109

6,947,569

63,739

Chloe Kim

Snowboard

USA

1,140,689

454%

43

4,363,009

101,465

Gus Kenworthy

Freestyle Skiing

USA

1,369,684

38%

94

4,303,268

45,779

Mark McMorris

Snowboard

CAN

1,231,761

19%

52

3,801,103

73,098

Yoongy Kwak

Speed Skating

KOR

192,328

494%

14

3,279,552

234,254

Martin Fourcade

Biathlon

FRA

1,060,767

63%

100

3,164,198

31,642

Adam Rippon

Figure Skating

USA

1,039,207

283%

102

3,113,483

30,524

Alex Shibutani

Figure Skating

USA

395,698

127%

199

2,750,843

13,823

Shaun White and Lindsey Vonn, two of the winter athletes with the biggest social media followings in the world, attracted considerable digital interest throughout PyeongChang, with Vonn producing the single best Olympic-related social media post of the Games – an Instagram video that prompted 3,173,555 interactions. White, meanwhile, had three Instagram videos in the top ten best-performing pieces of social content.

Some of the emerging stars of the Games delivered truly impressive numbers online, too. American snowboarder Chloe Kim (pictured overleaf) and Korean speed-skater Yoongy Kwak were among those to see massive growth in their follower base, with halfpipe gold medallist Kim’s 934,658 total bump in followers bigger than that of any other Olympic star.

In total, the Olympic athletes tracked by Hookit picked up 14.7 million new followers across all platforms during PyeongChang 2018, with 42.9 per cent growth on Instagram, 19 per cent on Twitter and 5 per cent on Facebook.

65 per cent of athletes – 1,886 of them – posted at least once at the Games, with a total of 30,502 posts drawing 138.5 million interactions across all platforms. Instagram and Twitter were the most popular platforms among athletes, drawing 38 per cent and 37 per cent of all posts respectively, while uploads to Instagram drew 82 per cent of all interactions. YouTube, however, earned the highest average interactions per post with 17,533.

How popular were the Olympic Athletes from Russia?

Team

Total Interactions

Posts

USA

53,297,720

7,428

CAN

16,211,933

4,473

NOR

7,793,236

528

KOR

6,886,185

560

GER

6,097,302

1,697

FRA

5,387,165

1,251

POL

5,185,855

426

SUI

4,282,385

1,164

CZE

3,293,158

671

OAR

3,284,672

439

The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) was officially banned from PyeongChang 2018 – a belated response to revelations of state-backed doping at Sochi 2014 – but the country was allowed to send 169 competitors to PyeongChang as the Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR). Those athletes posted 439 times on social media, recording a total of 3,284,672 interactions.

Figure skater Evgenia Medvedeva slumped to a surprise defeat in the women’s singles to 15-year-old compatriot Alina Zagitova but, in a Games where she took a second silver medal in the team event, she was still the most engaging Russian athlete. The 18-year-old, whose love for K-Pop and anime series Sailor Moon made her a likely favourite among fans in south-east Asia, recorded 1,102,092 interactions from her six social media posts, an average of 183,682 per post that was bettered by only a handful of other athletes at the Games.

The USA sent the biggest ever team to a winter Olympics, and its 246 athletes were the most prolific on the social platforms measured. They sent a total of 7,428 posts, which were interacted with 53,297,720 times over the two weeks.

SportsPro Magazine | 39

INSIGHT OLYMPICS

How did the IOC’s new TOP sponsors perform?

Top performing sponsors Partner

Total Followers

Follower Growth

Posts

Total Interactions

Interactions per Post

Coca-Cola

27,110,345

0.2%

982

11,149,611

11,354

Intel

1,971,947

0.0%

321

9,706,413

30,238

Toyota

6,692,805

1.0%

292

6,007,904

20,575

Hyundai Worldwide

537,780

0.9%

166

2,037,380

12,273

KIA

2,850,224

0.7%

115

1,741,651

15,145

Bridgestone

1,102,771

0.1%

68

1,484,435

21,830

Alibaba

354,917

6.0%

345

1,236,399

3,584

Airbnb

607,169

3.9%

195

1,150,314

5,899

Omega

1,173,576

1.1%

87

958,536

11,018

McDonald’s

134,778

0.4%

4,436

701,335

158

Ecommerce and cloud computing giant Alibaba, which joined the TOP group of sponsors in January 2017, posted 354 times on the recorded channels during the Games, generating a total of 1,236,399 interactions. This included 458,505 likes, 19,971 comments and 4,716 shares.

As a Chinese company with a largely domestic consumer base, Alibaba’s primary points of contact with its audience are on national platforms like Weibo and WeChat and the Games represented a major opportunity to make a global push. Its 6 per cent rise in followers across the four platforms measured by Hookit was bigger than that of any partner, taking it to 59,863 Twitter followers, 581,863 Instagram followers and 6,016,035 Facebook likes.

Intel is the newest member of the TOP group, having signed its deal with the IOC last June. It made 321 posts across the course of the Games, recording 9,343,759 views and 9,706,413 interactions in total – more in that period than any PyeongChang sponsor other than Coca-Cola. On average, its content was engaged with more than another other partner, too, with 30,238 interactions per post.

A video on Facebook trailing the involvement of the Intel Falcon 8+ drone (above) in South Korea was the top-performing Olympicrelated post by a brand during the Games, with 1,635,375 total interactions.

PyeongChang 2018 was Toyota’s first Olympics since its global TOP sponsorship rights went live in 2017, but it found itself expecting the related Korean carmakers Hyundai and Kia – domestic vehicle partners of the event – to take a considerable amount of attention. The Japanese company did little to activate its partnership on the ground but its social media content generally outperformed its rivals at Games-time, with 5,694,495 total views of its content and 6,007,904 total interactions, more than Hyundai’s and Kia’s channels combined. It also managed 20,575 interactions per post, compared with Hyundai’s 12,273 and Kia’s 15,145.

40 | www.sportspromedia.com

How did fans interact with the official accounts?

Organisation

Total Followers

Follower Growth

Posts

Total Interactions

Interactions per Post

International Olympic Committee

27,110,345

1.9%

1,213

50,914,887

41,974

Team Canada

1,971,947

9.1%

4,379

21,352,280

4,876

Team USA

6,692,805

3.6%

2,458

14,804,850

6,023

Czech Republic National Olympic Committee

537,780

26.8%

802

10,424,261

12,998

Team GB

2,850,224

1.0%

1,163

7,968,391

6,852

PyeongChang 2018

1,102,771

25.7%

1,401

7,495,576

5,350

Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund

354,917

13.3%

131

3,504,504

26,752

France National Olympic Committee

607,169

5.0%

560

2,738,454

4,890

Japan National Olympic Committee

1,173,576

8.9%

430

2,217,915

5,158

Austria National Olympic Committee

134,778

10.2%

301

1,186,413

3,942

With the Olympic Channel digital content service operating for its first Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was looking to generate more social interaction than ever before. Its accounts were easily the most followed and engaged with of any official body involved in PyeongChang 2018. Three of the videos it posted to Facebook were among the ten best-performing social links during the Games.

As might be expected, the local organisers’ official PyeongChang 2018 accounts drew a big increase in audience as fans switched on to the action, with followers rising by a quarter. The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee saw similar growth.

Among the federations involved, most of which have far smaller followings than their star performers, it was the International Skating Union’s (ISU) figure skating accounts that got the most overall traction, with 897,116 interactions from 392 posts and a 10.2 per cent jump in followers. The International Ski Federation’s (FIS) Alpine accounts and the International Biathlon Union (IBU) averaged over 4,000 interactions per post, while curling’s quadrennial moment in the global spotlight sparked a 12.3 per cent rise in followers and the International Luge Federation’s social audience grew 22.3 per cent.

Twitter was the go-to medium among federation and national committees, accounting for 52 per cent of 33,875 posts, while 32 per cent of output went to Facebook and 15 per cent to Instagram. Of the 133.1 million total interactions with those posts, however, 51 per cent were on Facebook, 34 per cent on Instagram, and just 8 per cent on Twitter.

SportsPro Magazine | 41

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The FEI promotes equestrianism in all its forms and encourages the development of the FEI equestrian disciplines throughout the world, keeping the welfare of the horse at the heart of all activities.

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REINING

COVER STORY LOUISE MARTIN

Common purpose The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games from 4th to 15th April will be the ďŹ rst under the tenure of Louise Martin, the ďŹ rst female president of the Commonwealth Games Federation. As the weeks tick down to the opening ceremony, she discusses plans to build a relevant, inspiring future for the movement, a more sustainable strategy for major events, and the role of women in sports leadership.

By Eoin Connolly. Photographs by Graham Fudger.

W

hen Louise Martin’s daughter was six years old, she came home from a gymnastics class with a quandary. “Mum,� she said, “you know they say that if they can’t get anybody to be the secretary, they’re going to stop.�

Martin had represented Scotland as a swimmer in the Commonwealth Games but, faced with a challenge and a job that needed doing, took it on herself. So began a career in sports administration that led from that local gymnastics club to the north district organisation, and then the national body.

A seat followed on the board of Commonwealth Games Scotland, which she then chaired from 1999, before VKH EHFDPH WKH ÀUVW ZRPDQ WR KROG the post of honorary secretary of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).

Her career has encompassed roles as chair of Sportscotland, a board member of elite funding body UK Sport, and as the vice chair of the successful Glasgow 2014 bid for the Commonwealth Games.

It was in the eventual afterglow of that event – whose success helped the Commonwealth movement recover from WKH GLIĂ€FXOWLHV RI 1HZ 'HOKL LQ recapturing the spirit of the London 2012 Olympics while also showing that multi-sport festivals could be served a different way – that Martin ran for the presidency of the CGF. She won, ousting the incumbent Prince Tunku Imran of Malaysia in a vote at the general assembly in Auckland in September 2015. “It all started off by somebody saying there was nobody in that gym club willing to do anything,â€? she says.

Martin is speaking to SportsPro with MXVW D IHZ ZHHNV WR JR EHIRUH KHU ÀUVW Games as CGF president, when 6,600

44 | www.sportspromedia.com

DWKOHWHV DQG WHDP RIÀFLDOV IURP Commonwealth nations and territories will descend on Gold Coast, Australia to compete across 18 sports and seven para-sports. They will be the 22nd and biggest edition of the event in its 88year history – with the biggest reported budget, at AUS$2 billion – but they come at the end of a period which has raised new questions about the direction of the movement and its purpose. ,Q 0DUFK WKH 6RXWK $IULFDQ FLW\ RI 'XUEDQ ZDV VWULSSHG RI WKH ULJKWV WR host the 2022 Commonwealth Games amid concerns over budgetary constraints and the role of government. The CGF moved quickly to replace it and a muchshortened bid phase yielded a new venue: the British city of Birmingham, which had seen off a domestic rival in Liverpool.

Coming in the same few weeks as Budapest’s withdrawal from the race for the 2024 Olympics, the removal RI 'XUEDQ ZDV IUDPHG E\ PDQ\ LQ WKH FRQWH[W RI ZLGHU GLIÀFXOWLHV LQ VWDJLQJ PDMRU HYHQWV +RZHYHU ZLWK WKH ÀUVW African host replaced by another in the UK – which, together with Australia and Canada, has put on all but a handful of *DPHV WR GDWH ² WKHUH ZHUH PRUH VSHFLÀF issues to address.

For Martin, the challenge is not only to ÀQG KRVWV EXW WR VKDSH WKH PRYHPHQW LQ a way that makes the Commonwealth – a body whose member nations comprise an estimated population of 2.4 billion people but whose British imperial roots give it an unbalanced past – relevant in the 21st century. The CGF must also grow into a sporting organisation with a life between its set-piece quadrennial gatherings.

In that endeavour, Martin is joined by &*) FKLHI H[HFXWLYH 'DYLG *UHYHPEHUJ

the American former wrestler who led Glasgow 2014 in the same role.

Grevemberg has also brought in Lagardère Sports and Entertainment to create Commonwealth Games Federation Partnerships, a unit that will be responsible for instilling commercial and operational expertise into the staging process, helping to create a lasting knowledge bank for prospective hosts and the wider organisation, and supporting a more rigorous, consultative approach to choosing hosts.

All of that is in service of what the CGF really hopes to achieve: connecting communities in otherwise disparate nations not through their shared history, but through personal stories of striving and achievement they can all recognise. **** What’s the mood like around the CGF going into Gold Coast 2018?

The mood? Excitement. Just this build-up of what’s to come: waiting, waiting, waiting for the opening ceremony. And we still have a lot of work to do between now and then because teams have got to arrive, so our team have got to be out there to ensure the last-minute checks are done. But the excitement’s building.

You’ve obviously seen this from the other side at Glasgow’s Games four years ago. How has that altered your perspective, do you think, of what’s to come and the work Gold Coast has to do?

It’s funny, sitting on the other side of the fence, even though I wasn’t in the actual organising committee part of it but leading in that role.

You can still see both sides but one of the

“To me, sport is a way of just seeing how hard you can push yourself.”

Commonwealth Games Federation president Louise Martin, pictured at London’s Commonwealth House on 13th March

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COVER STORY SECTION TEXT HERE LOUISE MARTIN

things I keep telling everybody: one thing never changes, and that’s the day and the time of the opening ceremony. No matter what happens, you go, so you have to make sure you’re finished. And sometimes people think, don’t worry, don’t worry, we’ve got lots of time to go, but when you actually start to build it down into days, you suddenly realise: ‘We have not got that time.’

So it’s focusing everything on delivery and ensuring that the Games are ready for the athletes to arrive. Because although for us, we keep saying the opening ceremony is the 4th, for the Games delivery in Gold Coast it starts the day the village opens – ten days before the competition starts. So there are going to be all these athletes arriving and that village has to be ready, the catering has to be ready – everything has to be spot on for them so it’s just like coming to a home from home.

From our side now, we are not delivering – we are aiding them to deliver. So we’re just guiding them and making sure these last checks and balances are done. We can do all of that for them but the Gold Coast team are now working very hard on that.

Commonwealth and the world will see a different place when Gold Coast has shone on the television.

What’s your take on the relationship between yourselves and the organisers there?

What are the specifics of how the new partnership with Lagardère works?

It’s a learning curve in the very beginning.

When they won the bid, then the organising committee was put in place and they’ve had three chairs: Mark Stockwell in the bidding, then it went to Nigel Chamier, and now it’s Peter Beattie. So it takes a long time to get that rapport going again within your own team but now, over these last two, three, four years, I would say our working relationship is very, very good.

Yes, you have your arguments, but that’s all behind the scenes. You have to talk things through and there’s no holds barred because you all want one thing: deliver a fantastic Games. And all it needs is one person to go rogue or something like that, and not listen or not do the job properly, and you could have a massive problem on your hands. Touch wood, I would say that we are very confident.

I am confident that the Games in Gold Coast will be very, very good. They will be different from what’s ever been done before, and the

How would you say the profile of the city differs from previous hosts, particularly in Australia?

In Australia, before, you’ve had Melbourne hosting the Games and you’ve had Sydney hosting the Games. And you go, ‘Why have we suddenly moved?’ We’ve gone to a regional city in Queensland that’s always been known for Surfer’s Paradise.

They wanted to get away from that side of things and let everybody see that they are a modern city, that they’re doing all the bits and pieces to bring Gold Coast into the modern world. And they saw using these Games as the catalyst to help them do that: to build new facilities for their communities and also to re-educate people about what the Gold Coast can do for business – and also pleasure, but it’s not just pleasure and fun, it’s the other side of things and the serious side of things that they wanted everybody to see. And it’s happening.

What we have formed now is our Commonwealth Games Partnership arm.

This is the arm that is our delivery part of it, where all the expertise in all the different fields – whether it be broadcasting, whether it be commercial, whether it be venue operation, whether it be transport, whether it be security – they have them there. So we know we have the best people, who have been running Games for a long time, and we can use their expertise to go in and help. We’ve already proved that at this moment with Birmingham.

Lagardere have employed people who have been in these different roles on various different projects and events, so they’re part of their workforce and we have the access to them during any of the Games that we’ll be doing, as we’re doing with Birmingham here. There are people who have got the event knowledge you’ve got people in broadcasting, you’ve got people in security, you’ve got a person for each of the areas that we know we need, who we have worked with before.

“The world will see a different place when Gold Coast has shone on the television.”

46 | www.sportspromedia.com

How important a lesson was Durban in this respect?

Durban’s a completely different thing. One of the hardest decisions we’ve ever had to make was taking those Games away from Durban.

That hurt. That really did. Because the Games in Durban could have been terrific. They’re ready for it. They are ready for the feeling and the love of the Games in what they want to do and what they’ve got. And the they’ve got a reasonable number of venues in the city and they could then actually build a few more or renovate or do them up.

But the biggest problem was that we needed to make sure that the delivery would be on our terms, but there were several issues that we couldn’t reconcile. We could not lose sight of what our product is and we did not want to go down the road of deviating in any shape or form. And also, we had to make sure that the people who were delivering the Games were going to deliver them properly.

We have to keep ourselves separate from government. We are completely independent and we’re not government-run. So therefore, when Durban and the Durban government wanted to run the Games, it was almost like they were going to do two jobs at once. And that to us is a no-no because we certainly could not have a political arm running the Games. We are apolitical and we must always stay that way.

So it was difficult and, also, they were going through turmoil as well because their finances didn’t stack up. So unless you can guarantee that the financials are going to be there, that’s not a risk we could afford to take. That’s why we pulled from there.

The Games, I am convinced, will go back to Africa. Africa’s ready for this. So it’s now encouraging other countries in Africa – and even South Africa itself – to have another look at it in the future. And I think when they see this new way of working that we’ve got, this new partnership, where it’s not going to cost an arm and a leg, I think that will give them the confidence to start working with us.

And if we can guide some of them not just to go for the big Games the first time, because they can host executive committee meetings, they can host regional meetings, they can host general assemblies and they’ve also got the Youth Games. There’s a size for everybody throughout the Commonwealth, whether they’re a tiny country or whether they’re a large country, and what we’re trying to do is ensure that the smaller countries are able to host something for the Commonwealth, so

Martin says that the opportunity to host events like the Commonwealth Youth Games and other meetings can help draw smaller nations into the fold

they’ve got that backing and can say: ‘We’ve hosted the Commonwealth.’ Because it means so much to so many of them.

Given what happened with Durban, what you’ve been doing with Lagardere, and the things that you and David Grevemberg have said in the past few months or so, how will that 2026 race take shape? Will there be a full, open bid process or will there be broader consultation, and more of a selection than an election?

There will probably still be an election in the end, but what we will do is we will work with every country and city that expresses an interest, and the expression of interest is viable.

We will then work with them to make sure of what they can deliver for their city and their country to put in a bid process. And it will be evaluated across the board but, this time, the evaluation process will be factual. It will give a decision on each city as it stands rather than leaving it open to interpretation.

This has to be factual. It has to be what can be delivered for the Games, for the community, for the city – all of that taken into consideration.

And it may well come down to the fact that only one city can do it at that time, but two other ones could be ready for the next Games.

And it may well be – is the time right now, I don’t know, whether to say whether it will be two Games; whether we’ll nominate ’26 and we’ll nominate ’30. That’s up for decision with the general assembly and just up for discussion with the people that we’re working with.

This is your first Commonwealth Games as president of the CGF. How do you feel that the organisation has changed in the relatively short time that you’ve been at the helm?

It’ll be three years in September since I was elected. It’s funny sitting in this position because having been the honorary secretary for four Games – hands-on and doing everything – it’s very difficult for me to sit on my hands, which I don’t do well and I’m not doing it well. There’s still things that I do and I like doing and it’s easy for me having done it for that length of time: protocol, and the medals ceremonies, and things like that. But we’re building up a team to work.

And I think in many ways there are things we’re doing, because we’ve also got a new CEO – David’s been in slightly longer than me, he joined when Mike Hooper left in ’14 – and the two of us are working together to move the federation for us. We hadn’t changed anything since 2000 so it’s using what we

have and what we can do better to make sure that we can be viable in this world.

One of the things that we have done and that I think has been really good – and, again, we’ll see what happens when we get to Gold Coast – is gender equity. When I was first elected to the board in ’99 in the secretary’s position, I was the only female on that board.

And you go, ‘Oh heck, what’s this?’ And, of course, it took the men a long time to get used to this: ‘Gentlemen, please, are you ready to start?’ ‘Gentlemen? Excuse me, what about me?’

So it was six to eight months before they realised I was there to do a role. It’s not the person, it’s the skillset that you’ve got. But, again, I was the only female so we needed to try and bring more women on board. Gradually, over time, we’ve had a rule where you needed to have 20 per cent on all committees. It’s not a lot, I know, but in sporting terms and for us, that’s a lot. So that’s a bonus. And also, for our vice presidents roles, there’s three positions and two genders must be in place.

So gradually, we’re getting there. And the other example is that we’ve got equal medals for men and women in these Games. That’s a first – that’s a first across any multi-sport event – and that to me is a big bonus. That coming out is great.

And we’ve increased the number of events and medals for the para-sport part of our

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COVER STORY SECTION TEXT HERE LOUISE MARTIN

way forward on sustainability. We’re looking at effectiveness. We’re looking at using our vision and mission, our humanity, quality and destiny. Using all of that to put this together that everybody can use.

To do that, and it’s not been easy, we’ve had to convince our CGAs to back it, because we’re asking them to change as well. We’re asking them to change their governance as well as us within the federation, to make sure that our governance is squeaky clean. We know we can do it but then everybody who’s working with us, they have to have the same mindset and want to move forward.

The history of the Commonwealth has its darker moments and its imbalances, obviously, given its genesis as the British Empire. How does that affect the conversations that you have? How do you try and frame the Commonwealth in a positive way for every member?

Queen Elizabeth II, Martin says, has been a major influence in making the Commonwealth a positive force

Games, and again the para athletes are fully integrated into the Games and the medal ceremonies.

This will be the first time we have got a women’s internship programme running.

We have 20 athletes from all over the Commonwealth who have been selected from all the different countries to come to the Gold Coast with their team and be mentored by coaches on their own team with a group of experts who will work with them to guide them and push them on their way up the ladder for coaching. This is one that everybody is really excited about because, fingers crossed, eventually these young coaches will then mentor other coaches. So I am fully convinced that at the next Games, we can try and expand that for more.

We’re 50 per cent men and women for technical officials in basketball, hockey and swimming. That is tremendous. And we’ve also got more men officiating in netball than we’ve ever had before. So it’s showing people that it doesn’t matter, you can do things, or making sure they’ve got the talent, they’ve been trained, they’ve been coached, and they’ve got the skillsets to do what we’re looking for. I just think that the way things are moving, it’s good.

Then the other first part, which is happening in Australia and is now into contracts for all our other Games, is working with indigenous people and having a Reconciliation Action Plan. This is happening with the Yugambeh in

48 | www.sportspromedia.com

Gold Coast. Now this will be a groundbreaking part for the Gold Coast when the opening ceremony happens. Everybody’s been working with the Yugambeh people, and they have got problems – there’s still some who say it’s not working, and ‘this is you just paying lip service’.

But when you actually see what’s happening and what they’ve done, and what will happen in the ceremonies, it’s hairs on the back of your neck stuff.

To me, we are moving forward. We’re not just a Games, per se, anymore.

I just think that we in the federation are now leading the way in a lot of things. As we go forward, especially where the Commonwealth is at the moment, there is a future for us. And we’ve got to harness that. Because we’ve got a past history – everybody’s got the same history, we’ve got that history we’re all sharing – but the other thing that we have here is that a lot of people in sport look at the value of something. We don’t: we look at the values.

What have we got? What are our values that we can share with you? And that’s where I want to keep going, rather than looking at the pounds, shillings and pence sort of stuff. I just feel that we have got something for everybody in the Commonwealth.

How has the federation had to change in a practical way to deliver on some of that?

This is where Transformation 2022 comes in as a new strategy plan. It is looking at the

I think in many ways we have to thank Her Majesty [Queen Elizabeth II] for that, because she has moved this forward. This has been her baby, her project since ’52 and she’s moved this forward and she is fully committed to the Commonwealth. And I must say that when she comes to the Games, she’s great with the athletes. She’s really good, she’s really knowledgeable and she’s interested.

And, also, what she has now set up as well is a Commonwealth Sports Foundation, which will help all of the Commonwealth to utilise some of it in some shape or form for whatever work that they wish to do. So yes, there’s history, but we’re moving forward.

As we’ve gone from the British Empire, and the British Empire and Commonwealth, and then dropped the Empire to become the Commonwealth Games, we speak the language and we are one family – we’re friendly, and we do see ourselves as a family.

And when we’re together at Games-time, and when we come together for meetings, we see ourselves as one. To me, this is beneficial and it only encourages other people to do that.

We’ve got the Gambia back in again. The Commonwealth Secretariat granted that on the 28th of February. We will have six athletes competing from the Gambia and the flag will be there. This is terrific, because they were taken out in ’13 because their president fell out with the Commonwealth. And that destroyed those athletes who were going to be coming to Glasgow.

We’ve also got Zimbabwe wanting to come back in again. We’ve got other countries

talking about, ‘Do you think we can come in?’ So it’s changing the ethos and changing the mindset of what the Commonwealth is.

We are in the right place, to me, for moving forward into a modern Commonwealth. Yes, we have history. We must recognise that. But as we move forward, it’s: where do we go in the future?

You talked a bit about the role that the CGF has played in bringing more women into sport. You’re in an unusual position as the female head of an international sporting federation.

Absolutely, I’m the only one. Yes, I know. It’s completely different, and I’m not saying people don’t respect me or anything – I don’t mean that at all – but the mindset is that if you’re a president, you’re a man. I have got to show them that you can be presidential and still be a female. So that’s part of my journey, as well, to try and ensure that it happens and try and encourage other people to come on board, believe in themselves and go for it. If a challenge comes up, my mantra is never: why?

It’s why not? And why not me?

Ask the questions. Never leave something, and never, ever say, ‘Oh, I wish I had.’ Or: ‘If only I had, I would be…’ Then I’ve missed the boat totally.

But it is difficult. What I’m trying to get through to people is when you’re saying or doing things, use the title. It’s the president who’s doing this, or it’s the vice president, or whatever role it is, and then you can put the name after it. But don’t say, ‘Oh, it’s Louise.’

Because it’s the status of the position. What we must not do and never do is allow the positions to be pulled down just because you’re a female. That is not what this is about.

I see people have roles for the skillsets that they have and the work that they can do and deliver. And I just hope that by the time my tenure finishes, I will have proved that women can be very successful in presidential roles.

But it’s also not to say to the young men: ‘Hey, aspire! But don’t say that you’re going to get there because you’re a man. Prove that you can do it.’

The tenor of the conversations around not just women in leadership roles but the structure and culture of a range of organisations has changed a lot in the last year. We’ve had revelations, some of them of an incredibly unsavoury nature, in sport, entertainment, media, and politics. Do women need to be more

forthright now, and do men need to be more forthright on their behalf, about the influence they should have and the positions they should be occupying?

Personally, I don’t believe in quotas. I believe in the best person for the job and whoever fits it, you get it. But if it is a situation where it’s blocked, blocked, blocked continually, then you may have to look at quotas or percentages, just as we have done in our committees. An intervention, to help speed it up.

We will never, ever be 50:50 on my board… because we’ve got 15 on the board!

But having gone from one to six women on the board now, that’s pretty good going in four Games’ time. It’s still not right but, again, it’s encouraging the people on the floor to stand. And we’ve also gone from in 2000 where you had 250 delegates, and probably 200 of them were men and 50 delegates were women – and maybe not even as many as that. So the balance is changing and we are getting more and more people coming on board.

And, also, they’re now willing to speak.

I remember it was pretty hard to go into a committee room and a board that was all men and have to speak and be listened to, you know? I worked through that through all the various roles that I played, whether it was the UK Sport board, chairman of Sportscotland, chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland – as well as lecturing – and that gave me the confidence to be able to do it, but it’s still not easy.

I would like to think what a male would do going into a room of 14 women. All joking apart, as long as people recognise that, whatever gender you are, that you can deliver, there’s a place for you. And let’s be open about this. It’s not a closed shop anymore and we don’t want it to be a closed shop.

How much is all of it – getting women into leadership roles, getting girls and young women into organised sport, better commercialisation and visibility for elite women’s sport – of a piece?

I think the journey has started and I think we’ve now got women in various different strata as we move forward on a trajectory that people will follow and want to follow.

The young female coaches that we’ve got – these 20 that have come on board, and we’ve got quite a few in various countries who are female coaches that are willing to do that and can coach boys as well as girls.

But it is important that everybody has a role model. Even as they get older – once they get into their teens and start to do coaching or officiating, whatever it is – that they have a mentor. Somebody they can chat to, somebody they can actually bounce things off, and somebody who can give you a hug when you need a hug, and all of this sort of thing, you know? But they can also see in you what you might not be able to see in yourself: how far they can push you.

Has the way you think about sport changed in the years since you were a swimmer, and since you took your daughter along to gymnastics?

It’s become more professional, which I’m not totally convinced is the right way for the athletes because you have to be able to enjoy it. By being professional, there’s a lot of money involved in all of this, and a lot goes into making sure you’ve got all the right sponsors and what you’re put through for it.

Sometimes I wonder if that’s the right way to go but we’ve not got the funds in any country – it’d be brilliant if we just had all the money to be able to say, ‘This is your team and this is what you’re going to do.’ It doesn’t work like that.

What I firmly believe is that if people are working with young people in sport and doing sport then you’re doing it for the right reasons. You have to believe that. Yes, we’ve heard all of these other things that were happening – and you think, please tell me that wasn’t happening when A, B and C, but you don’t know.

To me, sport is a way of keeping fit, allowing people to express themselves, and just seeing how hard you can push yourself. And the harder you push yourself, the better you become. You’ll soon plateau, you’ll soon know where you are, and if that takes you to being the best in the world, terrific. If that takes you to doing a personal best up until such a time, that’s even better. You know what I mean? It’s just getting this balance right.

I like sport, I watch all sport, and I enjoy what I’m doing.

What would you like to achieve in the role that you’re in now, through the next couple of Games?

Get me through this one first. Get me through this first Games that I will have been leading, so to speak, and we’ll see where we go from there.

Because I’ll take each day as it comes.

SportsPro Magazine | 49

DESTINATION PROFILE GOLD COAST & QUEENSLAND

Golden opportunity Gold Coast City, located at the southernmost part of the Australian State of Queensland, is renowned as a coastal surďŹ ng mecca, with its subtropical climate and sweeping white beaches making it one of the country’s tourist hotbeds. Now, as the city and the state welcome the 2018 Commonwealth Games, it hopes to assert itself as a worthy host of future sporting events.

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hen the 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018) takes place on the Gold Coast in April, it will be WKH Ă€UVW ODUJH VFDOH PXOWL VSRUW VSHFWDFOH WR EH KRVWHG LQ $XVWUDOLD IRU RYHU D GHFDGH ² DQG WKH Ă€UVW GHOLYHUHG DFURVV PXOWLSOH UHJLRQDO FLWLHV LQFOXGLQJ %ULVEDQH &DLUQV and Townsville. With expansive LQIUDVWUXFWXUDO GHYHORSPHQW XQGHUZD\ ULJRURXV SODQQLQJ and a bold vision for the Games’ OHJDF\ WKH *ROG &RDVW DQG EURDGHU 4XHHQVODQG LQWHQG WR NLFN VWDUW WKHLU VSRUWLQJ IXWXUH $ FRUQXFRSLD RI H[SDQVLYH JROGHQ EHDFKHV WKH ZRUOG¡V ODUJHVW FRUDO UHHI \HDU URXQG VXQVKLQH DQG DQ DEXQGDQFH RI VXEWURSLFDO UDLQIRUHVWV ² LW LV HDV\ WR VHH ZK\ 4XHHQVODQG LV UHFRJQLVHG LQWHUQDWLRQDOO\ DV D OHDGLQJ YLVLWRU GHVWLQDWLRQ LQ $XVWUDOLD $FFRUGLQJ WR %ULDQ 1RXUVH GHSXW\ FKLHI H[HFXWLYH RI WKH *ROG Coast Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC), GC2018 SURYLGHV WKH LGHDO VHWWLQJ WR FHOHEUDWH WKH VWDWH¡V QDWXUDO DVVHWV 7KH $XVWUDOLDQ *RYHUQPHQW 4XHHQVODQG *RYHUQPHQW &LW\ RI Gold Coast and GOLDOC are ZRUNLQJ WRJHWKHU WR HQVXUH WKDW WKH UHJLRQ WDNHV DGYDQWDJH RI WKH HFRQRPLF DQG VRFLDO XSOLIW WKDW WKH Games can afford, and it is these VWURQJ SDUWQHUVKLSV WKDW 1RXUVH believes will make the Games VWDQG RXW ´(YHU\RQH KDV ZRUNHG FORVHO\ to plan and deliver what will be D JUHDW *DPHV Âľ KH VD\V LQ PLG 0DUFK MXVW D IHZ ZHHNV DZD\ from the start of GC2018. “This

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KDV KHOSHG WR HQVXUH YHQXHV ZHUH completed on time – well ahead of WKH RSHQLQJ FHUHPRQ\ ² DQG GHOLYHU RWKHU LQIUDVWUXFWXUH XSJUDGHV IRU the Gold Coast and event cities to HQVXUH ZH DUH LQ WKH EHVW SRVLWLRQ SRVVLEOH WR GHOLYHU WKH HYHQW Âľ 3ODQQLQJ DQG LPSOHPHQWLQJ D PDMRU VSRUWLQJ HYHQW WKRXJK LV XQVXUSULVLQJO\ QRW DOZD\V SODLQ VDLOLQJ ´'HOLYHULQJ D Commonwealth Games is a massive SODQQLQJ DQG ORJLVWLFDO WDVN ² IURP WKH ELG WKURXJK WKH SODQQLQJ SKDVHV ULJKW WKURXJK WR GHOLYHU\ Âľ VD\V 1RXUVH :KLOH WKH VXFFHVV RI WKH *DPHV is vital for the Gold Coast, the FLW\ KDV IDU PRUH LQ LWV VLJKWV IRU WKH IXWXUH 0HOERXUQH VWDJHG WKH Commonwealth Games in 2006 and VLQFH WKHQ KDV JRQH RQ WR FRQĂ€UP LWV UHSXWDWLRQ DV RQH RI WKH IRUHPRVW PDMRU HYHQW KRVWLQJ FLWLHV DURXQG the world. The Gold Coast, and 4XHHQVODQG DUH DLPLQJ IRU VLPLODU VXFFHVV RQ WKH JOREDO VSRUWLQJ VWDJH “The Games will broadcast the Gold Coast and event cities to a FXPXODWLYH EURDGFDVW DXGLHQFH RI DURXQG ELOOLRQ DFURVV WKH ZRUOG Âľ H[SODLQV 1RXUVH ´7KLV UHDOO\ RSHQV WKH *ROG &RDVW XS as an international destination for sports events, conferences,

The Ironman Asia PaciďŹ c Championship in Noosa is one of many events to have made a backdrop of Queensland’s stunning scenery

Adam Scott lining up a putt at the Australian PGA Championship

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As well as dedicated Games VSHQGLQJ KRZHYHU WKH JRYHUQPHQW ZLWK FRQWULEXWLRQV from the private sector, is LQYHVWLQJ DSSUR[LPDWHO\ $86 billion in critical transport LQIUDVWUXFWXUH WR VXSSRUW WKH VXFFHVVIXO GHOLYHU\ RI WKH *DPHV DQG PHHW IXWXUH JURZWK GHPDQGV The jewel in the Gold &RDVW·V VSRUWLQJ YHQXH FURZQ is its Gold Coast Health and .QRZOHGJH 3UHFLQFW KRPH WR WKH Commonwealth Games Athletes 9LOODJH $IWHU *& WKH YLOODJH ZLOO EHFRPH D PDVWHU SODQQHG PL[HG XVH FRPPXQLW\ $QRWKHU DVSHFW RI WKH FLW\·V OHJDF\ EXLOGLQJ SODQ LV VRFLDO cohesion, and has involved the HVWDEOLVKPHQW RI D YROXQWHHU SURJUDPPH WKDW FDQ EH H[WHQGHG WR VXSSRUW PDMRU HYHQWV LQ WKH IXWXUH DQG LV EHLQJ GHOLYHUHG WR WRXULVP SURIHVVLRQDOV 7KH VWURQJ *& VWDII ZLOO EH MRLQHG E\ ¶*DPHV 6KDSHUV· YROXQWHHUV ZKR 1RXUVH GHVFULEHV DV ´WKH KHDUW DQG VRXOµ RI WKH HYHQW ´,Q WHUPV RI VWDII µ KH DGGV ´D *DPHV HQYLURQPHQW GXH WR WKH SDFH DQG DJLOLW\ UHTXLUHG E\ VWDII LV D VXSHUFKDUJHG OHDUQLQJ

HQYLURQPHQW :H KDYH IXQFWLRQDO DUHDV DFURVV D UDQJH RI VNLOOV DQG RXU SHRSOH GHYHORS D UDQJH RI VNLOOV WKURXJK WKH MRXUQH\ WKDW FDQ VHW WKHP XS IRU IXWXUH FDUHHU SURVSHFWV µ %H\RQG WKH FLW\ DQG VWDWH·V UHQHZHG FDSDFLW\ WR KRVW ELJJHU LQWHUQDWLRQDO RFFDVLRQV VSRUWLQJ HYHQW ULJKWV KROGHUV DQG SURPRWHUV KDYH LGHQWLÀHG WKH LQWULQVLF YDOXH RI WKH GHVWLQDWLRQ DV D NH\ LQJUHGLHQW EROVWHULQJ WKH UHJLRQ·V DSSHDO 'DYH %HHFKH PDQDJLQJ GLUHFWRU of Ironman Oceania, which owns and delivers several events in 4XHHQVODQG LQFOXGLQJ WKH ,78 :RUOG 7ULDWKORQ 6HULHV *ROG &RDVW &DLUQV ,URQPDQ $VLD 3DFLÀF &KDPSLRQVKLS DQG WKH 1RRVD 7ULDWKORQ DQG 0XOWLVSRUW )HVWLYDO VD\V WKH PRGHUQ VSRUWV VSHFWDFOH LV MXVW DV PXFK DERXW ZKHUH LW LV KHOG DV LW LV DERXW WKH HYHQW LWVHOI “People will choose events EDVHG RQ WUDYHOOLQJ WR JUHDW destinations, and one of the VWUHQJWKV RI 4XHHQVODQG LV WKDW LW·V D JUHDW \HDU URXQG GHVWLQDWLRQ WKDW LV KLJKO\ DVSLUDWLRQDO IRU RXU FXVWRPHUV µ KH H[SODLQV ´6R PDQ\ FRXQWULHV DURXQG WKH ZRUOG KDYH DPD]LQJ HYHQW FLWLHV EXW ZKDW VHWV 4XHHQVODQG DSDUW LV LWV QDWXUDO environment. ´6WXQQLQJ ODQGVFDSHV DQG H[SHULHQFHV DQ RXWGRRU OLIHVW\OH and perfect weather make 4XHHQVODQG DQG FLWLHV VXFK DV the Gold Coast enviable event destinations. For the events that ZH GHOLYHU WKLV KDV D WDQJLEOH DQG

The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games is a major showcase built on the success of events like the city’s IAAF Gold Label marathon

positive impact on the athlete experience and the bottom line. “Great locations draw more SDUWLFLSDQWV DQG ZLWK JURZLQJ SDUWLFLSDQW QXPEHUV ZH·UH able to deliver more attractive commercial partnerships and JURZ RXU HYHQWV \HDU RQ \HDU )ROORZLQJ WKH VXFFHVV RI WKH 2016 Ironman 70.3 World &KDPSLRQVKLSV RQ 4XHHQVODQG·V 6XQVKLQH &RDVW ZH·UH ZRUNLQJ KDUG WR PDNH VXUH WKH ,78 World Triathlon Grand Final on WKH *ROG &RDVW FRQWLQXHV WR OLIW WKH EDU DQG LV D NQRFNRXW VXFFHVV DQG , WKLQN 4XHHQVODQG ZLOO VHW XV XS ZHOO IRU WKDW µ On the eve of the 2018 Commonwealth Games, there is no GRXEW WKDW WKH *ROG &RDVW LV SRLVHG WR EHFRPH $XVWUDOLD·V QH[W ELJ VSRUWLQJ FLW\

Major event hosting opportunities: Peter Hunt, Tourism and Events Queensland peter.hunt@queensland.com +61 458 761 967 teq.queensland.com / queensland.com Training camp opportunities: Craig Rowsell, City of Gold Coast crowsell@goldcoast.qld.gov.au +61 439 226 107 sportgoldcoast.com.au

SportsPro Magazine | 51

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

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

1948 LONDON (GBR): UIPM IS BORN

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

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

2011 MIXED RELAY IN ALL UIPM MAJOR COMPETITIONS

1989 MEN’S RELAY IS INTRODUCED

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

1991 HANDICAP START FOR RUNNING EVENT

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

1992 WOMEN’S RELAY IS INTRODUCED

2014 SECOND YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES IN NANJING (CHN).

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

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

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

1994 AIR PISTOLS ARE INTRODUCED

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

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

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

2000 SYDNEY (AUS): FIRST TIME WOMEN’S COMPETITION AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES

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

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

FEATURE SPORTACCORD

A new accord After a series of events in Europe, SportAccord returns to Asia this year, bringing its usual phalanx of sports industry, federation and host city leaders with it to the Thai capital of Bangkok. With both the national and continental markets growing in scale and inuence, the timing is very interesting indeed.

O

ver a number of years, SportAccord has become the global meeting place for sports federations, rights holders and city hosts. Bringing together an unparalleled range of industry leaders, it has become an unmissable date in the calendar, a key staging post for bidding campaigns, and the spark for a plethora of new conversations and relationships.

Having dropped the ‘Convention’ title that distinguished it from what is now GAISF, the umbrella organisation that used to go by SportAccord until 2017, the event will make its long-awaited and timely return to Asia from 15th to 20th April after a series of editions in Europe. It has tagged itself as the ‘World Sport and Business Summit’, UHĂ HFWLQJ LWV SUH HPLQHQFH LQ WKH sports industry and the opportunities for scale its location presents.

The venue will be the Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre in the Thai capital.

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For Weerasak Kowsurat, Thailand’s minister for tourism and sport, there is no overstating the opportunity for the industry in Thailand to have an event where “all the big bosses and the big boys in sports are gathering all together under one roof â€?. “Every single sportsman, sports player, sports practice can get access to them at some point,â€? says .RZVXUDW ´7KDW LV WKH Ă€UVW WKLQJ , think because speaking logistically it’s pretty hard to get all of them to be in any one particular town or city DW WKH VDPH WLPH 7KDW LV WKH Ă€UVW thing I see. The second thing I see is the content they are going to discuss about during the convention.â€?

As ever, SportAccord will break up into a series of focused tracks of sessions in 2018: CityAccord, &LW\ WR &LW\ DQG IRU WKH Ă€UVW WLPH HealthAccord. However, the tagline for the SportAccord Summit itself will be ‘Uniting A Global Audience: Marketing and Sponsorship for the Future’. Assessing the current state of that marketing and sponsorship landscape will be one of the

PyeongChang 2018 was the ďŹ rst of what will be three consecutive Olympic Games in south-east Asia

keynote speakers of the conference – Guy Port, the managing director for Asia at market data and analytics giant Nielsen Sports. “Asia is an incredibly diverse market,â€? says Port. “In terms of sports commerce, sponsorship and broadcast, it is no surprise that some markets are much more advanced than others. And while sports like football and basketball enjoy relatively high levels of participation and engagement across the region, there are a lot of sports that are synonymous with VSHFLĂ€F DXGLHQFHV .LFNER[LQJ LQ Thailand and Kabaddi in India are MXVW D IHZ H[DPSOHV “Whilst this may have presented GLIĂ€FXOWLHV IRU EXVLQHVVHV HVSHFLDOO\ international investment in pan-Asia activations, today, this is much less of an issue. The reason being the strength and growing maturity of sports across the region. In general, where we have compared Asia to markets like the US or Europe in the past, sport has tended to rank lower down the list for the amount of

time and money people will spend on it, compared to other leisure and entertainment activities. “However, this is changing. The growth of sport in Asia is fuelled by the overall interest and commitment to playing, watching and consuming sports across all channels. This is true in professional competitions for both international and domestic sports. There are a number of GULYHUV LQĂ XHQFLQJ WKLV VKLIW LQ attitude towards sports. Most notable is the changing socio dynamics of the younger demographic and fan EDVH WR JURZLQJ H[SHQGDEOH LQFRPHV with an interest beyond their own PDUNHWV $V DQ H[DPSOH ZH FDQ look at cycling in China where participation in cycling is up and is mirrored by the general sport interest and passion in the Tour de France ZKLFK LV XS WR Ă€YH WLPHV KLJKHU IRU the younger age group. “One other key element to the growth of sports is investment.

A host of major events in Asia RYHU WKH QH[W ÀYH \HDUV LV WXUQLQJ the world’s eyes east. Around the WXUQ RI WKH QH[W GHFDGH $VLD ZLOO become the epicentre of major events, hosting three Olympic Games in succession and the 2019 Rugby World Cup. The ability of these pinnacle events to drive engagement from fans and also corporate investment in sport will EH D GHÀQLQJ FKDUDFWHULVWLF RI WKH Asian markets.�

In an era where the world’s political centre of gravity is shifting, the rising international forces of China and India have naturally garnered much of the conversation around investment in sport. So too have wealthy states in the Gulf region – such as Qatar, the UAE and, increasingly, an emerging Saudi Arabia – whose infrastructural development at home and soft power spending abroad have ERXJKW LQĂ XHQFH DQG SURĂ€OH Across the continent, however, other major centres are in play. “One of those shining lights is Japan,â€? Port says. “Growth here is largely being driven by Tokyo 2020 – an event which is driving almost US$3 billion of local sponsorships with TOKOG, making it the most successful local sponsorship programme of any Olympics to date. Whilst this is impressive and VKRZV WKH H[WHQW WR ZKLFK -DSDQ DV D sports market has developed, what is perhaps just as powerful is that this Olympic programme is kick-starting domestic investment in other areas – IURP ERWK RIĂ€FLDO DQG QRQ VSRQVRUV – in categories such as Japanese athletes and sporting federations.â€?

As in much of the rest of the world, soccer dominates the popular conversation across the whole spectrum of territories in Asia.

Much of the local appetite for WKH VSRUW LV VDWLVĂ€HG E\ FRYHUDJH of competitions from abroad.

The Thai capital of Bangkok will host SportAccord from 15th to 20th April

Germany’s Bundesliga opened a new RIÀFH ODVW \HDU LQ 6KDQJKDL &KLQD while its leading clubs have their own bases throughout the region.

Spain’s La Liga, which opened its RZQ RIÀFH LQ 6LQJDSRUH LQ KDV made a concerted push for Asian growth in recent years, staggering its kick-off times over each weekend to better cater for markets further east.

Then, of course, there is the Premier League, whose following in Asia is as strong as in any other overseas territories. English clubs have attracted considerable sponsorship and investment from countries across the continent, with 2016 champions Leicester City owned by the family of King Power chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabh. south-east Asia, including Thailand, features on the itinerary of many a side, while the league is also looking to growth in regional markets to ERRVW LWV LQFRPH LQ LWV QH[W 79 rights cycle after domestic sales plateaued in February.

For all that, however, there are a huge range of local pursuits that attract fervent local interest.

According to Port, these are now gaining commercial credibility and a media foothold, too. “We are seeing higher interest levels for key domestic properties; football leagues, the Badminton World Federation and ONE Championship are perfect H[DPSOHV RI WKLV Âľ KH H[SODLQV “The challenge for global properties is not the potential of Asia, but rather how to engage with Asian fans in a way that tailors content with local relevance, not simply a translation of content from a US or European market. As with any successful activation, sponsorship or partnership, it is vital for content, branded or otherwise, to connect to the sport, to be accessible and relevant. Brands must be sincere and especially in the case of the majority of Asian markets, understand and adapt their messaging to the socioFXOWXUDO GLIIHUHQFHV WKDW H[LVW region to region.â€?

SportsPro Magazine | 55

FEATURE SECTION TEXT HERE SPORTACCORD

Then, of course, there are the Asian behemoths that are beginning to drive support outside of their home markets. Port notes that “most of the ‘crossborder’ fan developmentâ€? in Asia is still generated by the likes of the Premier League and the National Basketball Association 1%$ %XW WKHUH DUH H[DPSOHV RI internationally popular sporting competitions closer to home. “The J League is one property ZKLFK KDV H[FHOOHG RXWVLGH WKH Japanese market, particularly in Thailand,â€? Port says. “Whilst professionally the league has done a tremendous job at appealing to an international audience, its success here is based on signing a number RI KLJK SURĂ€OH 7KDL SOD\HUV DQG creating a platform for Thai fans to connect with the sport via highreach television rights agreements.

This has been aided by dedicated local language and local content social media platforms. “The IPL [Indian Premier League] is another property doing well cross-border, really owning the weeks in April and May for all cricket fans. The IPL’s development has come from both WKH H[LVWLQJ FULFNHW IDQV IROORZLQJ their home players as well as the ODUJH ,QGLDQ H[SDW FRPPXQLW\ around the world. Having access to a potential international fanbase is one thing, but engaging with them and ensuring they follow the sport abroad is quite another.�

The eyes of the world, of course, have been on south-east Asia in recent months for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. The Games marked the Ă€UVW RI D WKUHH HYHQW VZLQJ WKURXJK the region, with Tokyo due to host the summer version in 2020 and Beijing hosting the winter edition in 2022. Port believes it is too soon to tell what commercial impact South Korea’s Olympics will have but he GRHV H[SHFW WKHUH WR EH D ´SRVLWLYH effectâ€?, not least with other major events on the horizon such as this year’s Asian Games in Indonesia and the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. “What we have seen with our clients on the ground, particularly in Japan and China, is the spark created in Korea to really drive integration of the Olympics within market programmes leading into 2020 and 2022,â€? he says. “People DUH H[FLWHG $QG LPSRUWDQWO\ VR WRR are the rights owners, sponsoring brands and broadcasters. The spotlight is on Asia and will be here for a considerable time yet. It’s a great time to be in the region and long may it continue.â€?

For Kowsurat, there are clear EHQHĂ€WV WR EULQJLQJ PDMRU HYHQWV into Thailand which go beyond the appeal of sports tourism. “That is one thing,â€? he says, “looking at it from the economic point of view.

But from the social point of view, I VHH WKH PL[ RI FXOWXUHV DQG SHRSOH from different backgrounds who come to do the same thing in the same event under the same rules.

Premier League clubs, including Thai-owned Leicester City, are popular throughout Asia

Japan will host the 2019 Rugby World Cup, one of several major events to pass through the country and the continent in the years ahead

56 | www.sportspromedia.com

It creates a new atmosphere for the socialisation of people who adapt themselves to live in the new modern world where they’re so competitive.�

Kowsurat believes that Thailand, like other countries LQ WKH UHJLRQ LV H[SHULHQFLQJ a developmental moment that could change its place within that competitive world. However, it is DOVR H[SHULHQFLQJ FKDOOHQJHV WR LWV economic model that sport can do much to address. “Thailand and the ASEAN territories are not only having a great economic transformation,� he says, “we also have lots of population. We’re also connecting.

ASEAN connectivity, with the growth of economic and population in this area, has been known as one of the best places where money won’t be wasted.

And at the same time, we have KDG D JUHDW H[SHULHQFH LQ WHUPV RI we were the region of production.

We are now moving into the region of service provider.�

The population in Thailand LV DJHLQJ KH H[SODLQV FUHDWLQJ changing demands in the marketplace and altering the role of production in the economy. At the same time, sport provides a rapidly emerging middle class with the means for recreation and public health. “I hope it’ll be one of the major social movements and new culture of this generation,� Kowsurat says. “Therefore, we have the market for them. We even have the money to do it. It’s whether the foreign investors would like to join the bandwagon. Even if they are not here, we still can go.�

873261860, Dan Istitene

AT THE HEART OF SPORT

917292552, David Rogers

We cover 28,000 sports events every year bringing unrivalled, specialist coverage shot by the world’s best photographers. Our partner relationships with over 60 of the most prestigious brands in sport guarantees unique access.

Whether for editorial or commercial use, get the best and partner with Getty Images. gettyimages.com/sport @gettysport

916619198, Clive Brunskill 913443518, Julian Finney 916849546, Dean Mouhtaropoulos

FEATURE DIGITAL

A WIDER SCOPE Familiar for years as a provider of betting and integrity services, sports data and content specialist Sportradar has recently diversiďŹ ed into a range of more public-facing endeavours from visual analytics to OTT. As managing director of group operations David Lampitt explains, it is a natural progression that will help the company get rights holders closer to fans in more places than ever.

By Eoin Connolly

T

echnology has driven changes in personal and market behaviour right across the sports industry in the past decade, and almost every organisation has had WR ÀQG WKH PHDQV WR DGDSW )HZ companies have responded in such an interesting fashion as Sportradar, RQFH EHVW NQRZQ IRU SURYLGLQJ media and data infrastructure WR EHWWLQJ FRPSDQLHV DQG QRZ delivering OTT solutions and insights to some of the biggest IDQEDVHV LQ WKH ZRUOG )URP WKH RXWVLGH WKLV PD\ DSSHDU WR EH D JURXS H[SHULPHQWLQJ ZLWK QHZ HQGHDYRXUV EXW WKHUH LV D ORJLF WR LW ² ZLWKLQ 6SRUWUDGDU LW LV DOO VHHQ DV GHYHORSPHQW UDWKHU WKDQ GHSDUWXUH ´,Q VRPH ZD\V LW¡V D QDWXUDO progression,� says David Lampitt, the managing director of group RSHUDWLRQV DW 6SRUWUDGDU ´2XU business is founded on a couple RI NH\ UDZ PDWHULDOV ZKLFK DUH VSRUWV GDWD DQG DXGLRYLVXDO FRQWHQW 6R ZH¡YH EXLOW RXU EXVLQHVV RXW RI WKH SUHPLVH RI WU\LQJ WR ÀQG DV PDQ\ ZD\V DV SRVVLEOH RI innovating in the exploitation and commercialisation of that sports FRQWHQW LQ WKH GRZQVWUHDP PDUNHW ¾ -XVW DV 6SRUWUDGDU¡V HQWU\ LQWR HDFK QHZ DUHD KDV JURZQ IURP LWV H[LVWLQJ abilities, so its approach is informed by the experience of supplying its ZDUHV WR FRPSDQLHV LQ WKH EHWWLQJ VHFWRU 7KHUH /DPSLWW QRWHV ZLWK thousands changing hands in any given currency on precise sporting RXWFRPHV WKH VSHHG DW ZKLFK

58 | www.sportspromedia.com

information must be processed is very high; the tolerance among FOLHQWV IRU HUURUV LV YHU\ ORZ “Every single part of our infrastructure is built around that requirement for quality and accuracy and reliability,â€? he argues, ´DQG LI \RX GRQ¡W KDYH WKDW MXVW ingrained into every step of your process – from collecting the data to monitoring to tracking and TXDOLW\ FRQWURO HWF ² LW¡V PXFK KDUGHU WR UHYHUVH HQJLQHHU LW Âľ Another change in the marketplace that has inspired 6SRUWUDGDU¡V HYROXWLRQ LV WKH ZD\ LQ ZKLFK ULJKWV KROGHUV YLHZ WKH GDWD DW WKHLU GLVSRVDO :KHUH MXVW D IHZ \HDUV DJR WKHUH ZHUH PDQ\ ZKR VDZ provision of data as an end in itself, QRZ WKHUH DUH PRUH ² SDUWLFXODUO\

Last year, Sportradar acquired Golden State Warriors partner Mocap Analytics to augment its data visualisation capabilities

DPRQJ WKRVH ULJKWV KROGHUV ZLWKRXW ODUJH LQ KRXVH WHDPV ² ZKR KDYH DQ DEXQGDQFH RI UDZ LQIRUPDWLRQ WKDW QHHGV WR EH EHWWHU XQGHUVWRRG ´:H¡YH HYROYHG IURP EHLQJ a data distribution service to a data developer,â€? Lampitt says, “a data visualisation developer and a product developer that provides ZKDW LV DOPRVW D Ă€QLVKHG DUWLFOH WR FOLHQWV ZKR FDQ WKHQ EUDQG LW RU PRGLI\ LW VOLJKWO\ Âľ %XW ZKDWHYHU 6SRUWUDGDU LV currently doing in sport, Lampitt ultimately sees its role as providing SRLQWV RI FRQWDFW EHWZHHQ ULJKWV KROGHUV DQG WKH IROORZHUV RI WKHLU sport – facilitating “fan engagement DFURVV WKH VSHFWUXPÂľ ´:KHWKHU WKDW IDQ HQJDJHPHQW LV being driven by the ability to bet on

WKHLU IDYRXULWH VSRUW RU ZKHWKHU LW LV being driven by the ability to see a JUHDW YLVXDOLVDWLRQ RI KRZ D SDUWLFXODU SOD\ LQ WKH 1)/ >1DWLRQDO )RRWEDOO /HDJXH@ XQIROGHG DQG ZKDW ZDV happening to the individual player at each point in time,â€? he says, “or ZKHWKHU LW LV VLPSO\ GHOLYHULQJ GDWD so that people can get an immediate DSS QRWLĂ€FDWLRQ RQ WKHLU SKRQH DOO RI WKRVH WKLQJV DUH VRPHKRZ IDFHWV RI WKH VDPH HQG JRDO ZKLFK LV XOWLPDWHO\ WR WUDQVIRUP WKH ZD\ LQ ZKLFK IDQV experience and consume sports FRQWHQW Âľ

Delving into data (IIHFWLYHO\ 6SRUWUDGDU¡V DFWLYLWLHV LQ data-processing run a similar gamut – from highly specialised supportive infrastructure to systems that reach WKH IDQ GLUHFWO\ ,I \RX VHDUFK IRU 1)/ VWDWV RQ *RRJOH /DPSLWW notes, “the information in that box ZLOO EH SRZHUHG E\ XVÂľ 7KH PRYH WRZDUGV D PRUH public-facing data operation began LQ HDUQHVW MXVW XQGHU Ă€YH \HDUV DJR ´7KH VWUDWHJLF VKLIW LQ IRFXV ZDV SUREDEO\ EHVW LOOXVWUDWHG ZLWK our acquisition of SportsData //& ZKLFK LV D 86 FRPSDQ\ WKDW ZH DFTXLUHG DW WKH HQG RI Âľ /DPSLWW UHFDOOV ´7KH\ ZHUH D SXUH sports data media business in the 86 DQG WKDW DFTXLVLWLRQ ZDV WKH Ă€UVW step in our strategic development RI WKDW VLGH RI RXU EXVLQHVV Âľ 7KDW 6SRUWUDGDU PDGH LWV Ă€UVW steps into that sector through 1RUWK $PHULFD ZDV QR FRLQFLGHQFH ´:H PDGH D YHU\ FOHDU GHFLVLRQ to develop that side of our business WKURXJK WKH 86 Âľ /DPSLWW H[SODLQV ´EHFDXVH WKH 86 PDUNHW IRU VSRUWV data and content is the most GHYHORSHG ZRUOGZLGH WKH\ KDYH the biggest demand for data and content around their sports and the sports themselves are very data and FRQWHQW ULFK Âľ 7KH FRPSDQ\ QRZ KDV partnerships of some form or DQRWKHU ZLWK WKH 1)/ WKH 1DWLRQDO Basketball Association (NBA), 0DMRU /HDJXH %DVHEDOO 0/% WKH National Hockey League (NHL) and 0DMRU /HDJXH 6RFFHU 0/6 7KH parameters of these vary from deal

WR GHDO 6SRUWUDGDU¡V IXQFWLRQ IRU WKH 1)/ LV DV WKH OHDJXH¡V ´RIÀFLDO GDWD SURYLGHU IRU PHGLD DV ZHOO DV IRU WKHLU WUDFNLQJ GDWD¾ ZKHUHDV its responsibilities for the NBA are dense, running to providing RIÀFLDO GDWD DQG VWUHDPLQJ IRU EHWWLQJ SDUWQHUV RXWVLGH WKH 86 :KHUH UHTXLUHG WKH FRPSDQ\ WDNHV a suitably malleable approach in its ZRUN ZLWK WKLUG SDUWLHV ´:H GRQ¡W GR WKH WUDFNLQJ WHFKQRORJ\ LWVHOI VR ZH SDUWQHU ZLWK WKH WHFKQRORJ\ SURYLGHUV ² =HEUD 6\VWHPV IRU WKH 1)/ DQG D company called Second Spectrum IRU WKH 1%$ :H¡YH GHOLEHUDWHO\ set ourselves up as being agnostic LQ WKDW UHJDUG DV WR ZKLFK WUDFNLQJ FRPSDQ\ LV XVHG E\ ZKLFK ULJKWV KROGHU RU OHDJXH EXW ZH SURYLGH WKH LQIUDVWUXFWXUH ² ZKDW ZH FDOO WKH œVHPDQWLF OD\HU¡ ² WR LQJHVW WKLV huge amount of data that comes IURP WKH WUDFNLQJ WHFKQRORJ\ ´:H LQJHVW WKDW PDNH IULHQGV ZLWK LW DQG WXUQ LW LQWR VRPHWKLQJ that is consumable and is something that fans themselves ZDQW WR FRQVXPH 7KHQ REYLRXVO\ ZH KDYH WKH GLVWULEXWLRQ QHWZRUN both on the media and the betting side to maximise the commercial RSSRUWXQLWLHV IRU ULJKWV KROGHUV ¾ The result is a range of products that interpret and illustrate data LQ D ZD\ WKDW VDWLVÀHV DQ DUUD\ RI HQG XVHUV *DPH 6WUHDP IRU example, is an advanced research WRRO RIIHULQJ ' YLVXDOLVDWLRQV RI

Sportradar’s partnership with the NFL allows fans to consume visualised data and analytics in a range of ways

NH\ SOD\V LQ PDWFKHV YLHZDEOH IURP GLIIHUHQW DQJOHV ,W SURYLGHV GHWDLOV of players speeds, distances covered DQG DFFHOHUDWLRQ WUDFNLQJ ZKDW KDV KDSSHQHG DQG ZK\ WR D GHSWK UHTXLUHG E\ FRDFKHV RU WKRVH ZLWK VLPLODU LQWHUSUHWDWLYH QHHGV *DPH 6WRULHV PHDQZKLOH FDQ use the same data to generate social media-ready clips for public consumption, snackable and shareable nuggets of insight that DQVZHU EURDG TXHVWLRQV DERXW D JDPH LQ D SOD\IXO \HW PHDQLQJIXO ZD\ ´:H¡YH JRW VRPH JUHDW WHDPV LQ WKH 86 QRZ GHYHORSLQJ SURGXFWV ¾ /DPSLWW DGGV ´:H DFTXLUHG D company called Mocap Analytics, ZKR DUH VSHFLDOLVWV LQ WUDQVIRUPLQJ that big tracking data and providing LQFUHGLEOH LQVLJKW ZLWK WKDW IRU VSRUWV RUJDQLVDWLRQV 7KH\ ZHUH DOUHDG\ SDUWQHULQJ ZLWK IRU H[DPSOH WKH *ROGHQ 6WDWH :DUULRUV LQ WKH 1%$ 6R ZH DFTXLUHG WKHP at the back end of last year because, DJDLQ LW ÀWV LQ ZLWK WKDW OD\HU RI us providing this transformative LQIRUPDWLRQ WKDW FDQ GULYH IRUZDUG WKH VSRUWV IDQ H[SHULHQFH ¾ A key operating principle of any technology company is scalability – creating products that can be DSSOLHG WR SURMHFWV RI GLIIHUHQW sizes – and Lampitt believes that 6SRUWUDGDU¡V ZRUN ZLWK WKH PDMRU OHDJXHV ZLOO VSLQ RII à H[LEOH VROXWLRQV ZLWK XVHV ´WKDW PLJKW EH suitable for a host of other rights KROGHUV¾

SportsPro Magazine | 59

FEATURE DIGITAL

´:LWK :RUOG 6QRRNHU Âľ KH VD\V ´ZH SURYLGH D ORW RI WKH EDFN HQG infrastructure for their competitions – the scoring that takes place at the competitions, the in-venue scoreboard, the player rankings, and all of the data-related content that JRHV RQ WKH ZHEVLWH )RU WKH ,7) >,QWHUQDWLRQDO 7HQQLV )HGHUDWLRQ@ VLPLODUO\ ZH¡YH FUHDWHG D PHGLD SODWIRUP WKDW KDV JLYHQ D ZKROH GLIIHUHQW OHYHO RI YLVLELOLW\ RI ,7) WHQQLV WR IDQV ZRUOGZLGH ZKLFK SUHYLRXVO\ VLPSO\ ZDVQ¡W WKHUH 7KDW¡V WKURXJK OLYH GDWD IHHGV DQG scoring information; through greater DYDLODELOLW\ RI VWUHDPHG FRQWHQW “And it really depends upon KRZ HDFK IHGHUDWLRQ VHHV WKH opportunity to develop their sport and to access fans and provide information to the fans of their VSRUW 6R RXU SDUWQHUVKLSV ZLWK the federations are shaped based upon a shared set of ideas as to KRZ ZH¡UH JRLQJ WR KHOS IDFLOLWDWH WKDW SURFHVV 2I FRXUVH ZH EULQJ LGHDV WR WKH WDEOH DQG ZH¡YH HQGHG XS GRLQJ D KXJH DPRXQW RI ZRUN LQ WKH EDFNJURXQG ZLWK WKH ,7) RQ D SDUWQHUVKLS ZKLFK ZDV LQLWLDOO\ focused on the betting side but actually has developed into a much more multi-faceted partnership – ZKLFK DV \RX PD\ KDYH VHHQ KDV QRZ LQFRUSRUDWHG 277 VHUYLFHV Âľ

60 | www.sportspromedia.com

Down with OTT Sportradar OTT arrived last June, ZLWK WKH FRPSDQ\ DQQRXQFLQJ D partnership to deliver a direct-toYLHZHU SODWIRUP IRU WKH (XURSHDQ +DQGEDOO )HGHUDWLRQ (+) 7KDW product has since been used by the OLNHV RI WKH ,7) DQG WKH RUJDQLVHUV RI YROOH\EDOO¡V 0RQWUHX[ 9ROOH\ 0DVWHUV $V ZLWK LWV GDWD H[SDQVLRQ 6SRUWUDGDU¡V VKLIW LQWR 277 ZDV predicated on the provision of specialist services to the betting sector – in this case, secure live streams – and kick-started by a PDMRU DFTXLVLWLRQ ,Q $SULO 6SRUWUDGDU SXUFKDVHG *HUPDQ agency The Sportsman Media *URXS ZKRVH DVVHWV LQFOXGHG pioneering Austrian streaming SODWIRUP /DROD WY DQG LWV SRUWIROLR RI ULJKWV ´,W ZLOO KRSHIXOO\ EH QR VXUSULVH WR KHDU WKDW LW ZDV VRPHWKLQJ WKDW factored into our decision-making in the acquisition process,� says /DPSLWW DVNHG ZKHWKHU 6SRUWUDGDU had seen The Sportsman from the outset as offering a route into the burgeoning direct-toFRQVXPHU VHFWRU )XQGDPHQWDOO\ WKH RSSRUWXQLW\ ZDV WKHUH WR LPSURYH WKH FRPSDQ\¡V RIIHU WR rights holders and, from there, to WKH IDQ

David Lampitt, managing director of group operations at Sportradar

A exible approach has helped Sportradar work on a wealth of solutions for federation partners and rights holders such as World Snooker

´:H FRPSOHWHG D TXLWH VLJQLĂ€ FDQW LQWHJUDWLRQ SURMHFW Âľ /DPSLWW DGGV “effectively taking all of the best pieces of our and their stacks to provide the best platform for GHOLYHULQJ VWUHDPV ZRUOGZLGH ² ZKHWKHU IRU EHWWLQJ RU PHGLD %XW ZH ZHUH YHU\ DZDUH RI WKH IDFW that they had a media and OTT EXVLQHVV WKDW ZDV D UHDOO\ LQWHUHVWLQJ SURSRVLWLRQ IRU XV EHFDXVH LW ZDV VRPHWKLQJ WKDW ZH GLGQ¡W KDYH Âľ Many had spotted the appetite among fans for digital access to live VSRUW EXW ZKDW 6SRUWUDGDU EHOLHYHG LW FRXOG GR ZDV RSHQ VXSSO\ OLQHV of that content beyond a tranche of rights holders at the very elite HQG ´7KH UHDOO\ LQWHUHVWLQJ SDUW of that for us,â€? Lampitt explains, ´ZDV FRPLQJ XS ZLWK D EXVLQHVV PRGHO WKDW VRPHKRZ FKDOOHQJHG WKH VWDWXV TXR EDVLFDOO\ $QG WKDW EXVLQHVV PRGHO ZDV DQG LV WKDW ZH provide the OTT platform and infrastructure to a rights holder and ZH GRQ¡W FKDUJH WKHP IRU LW Âľ )RU WKH ULJKWV KROGHU WKH FKRLFH is there to offer a subscription or advertising-based model, or some EOHQG RI WKH WZR ´7KH\ GRQ¡W have an upfront cost,â€? continues /DPSLWW ´DQG ZH DUH ERWK DQG MRLQWO\ PRWLYDWHG WR PDNH LW ZRUN from a commercial perspective EHFDXVH WKDW¡V KRZ ZH HQG XS VHHLQJ WKH EHQHĂ€ W Âľ +H DGGV ´:H¡YH EHHQ DOPRVW RYHUZKHOPHG ZLWK GHPDQG IRU LW EHFDXVH LW¡V FOHDU WKDW ZH¡YH IRXQG a challenge and an issue for many ULJKWV KROGHUV DQG WKH\ ZHUH QRW seeing a solution in the market ZKLFK ZDV EHLQJ RIIHUHG LQ WKH ZD\ WKDW ZH ZHUH RIIHULQJ LW :H GLG RXU

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Staying integral 2QH RI WKH ÀUVW VHUYLFHV WR JURZ RXW RI 6SRUWUDGDU¡V HIIRUWV LQ WKH JDPEOLQJ LQGXVWU\ ZDV LQ WKH FORVHO\ UHODWHG ÀHOG RI LQWHJULW\ PRQLWRULQJ It is perhaps still the practice ZLWK ZKLFK WKH FRPSDQ\ LV PRVW synonymous, and one that provides a compelling base for a trusting UHODWLRQVKLS ZLWK ULJKWV KROGHUV Sportradar Integrity Services FRQWLQXHV WR HPSOR\ LWV )UDXG 'HWHFWLRQ 6\VWHP )'6 WR VWXG\ betting patterns on behalf of some of the biggest competitions and federations in sport, including )LID DQG VRFFHU¡V FRQWLQHQWDO FRQIHGHUDWLRQV à DJJLQJ XS unusual activity to alert the authorities to possible matchÀ[LQJ ,WV ÀQGLQJV KDYH QRZ EHHQ XVHG DV OHJDO HYLGHQFH ZLWK WKH Court of Arbitration for Sport in OHDQLQJ RQ )'6 UHSRUWV LQ XSKROGLQJ D 8HID PDWFK À[LQJ EDQ DJDLQVW $OEDQLD¡V .) 6NsQGHUEHX .RUos

On the radar Between its in-house development and its acquisition of companies with the intellectual assets to provide an additive eect, Sportradar has found a range of ways to drive its work forward in recent years. Now, the company is also seeking to stimulate fresh ideas from newcomers and outliers in software and hardware development.

As well as promoting its own proďŹ le as an innovator through activities such as guest lectures on university courses, Sportradar is supporting promising talent and concepts. It is a partner of the Hype Foundation, a UK and Israel-based incubator and investment accelerator for sports startups.

It has also sponsored initiatives such as the Leaders Tech Startup Competition at last year’s Leaders Sport Business Summit in London. This year, in the Austrian capital of Vienna, it will again be running its own Sportradar Innovation Challenge for young software developers, user experience designers and business students, after a successful event in Ljubljana, Slovenia last September.

Sportradar has supplied application programming interfaces (APIs) to support hackathons, and made its own APIs available to developers for longer-term challenges.

All of this, according to Lampitt, comes with the aim of lowering the barrier of entry to talent and potential partner companies in the sector in the interests of building a “diversity of insightâ€? that will eventually help fans to better enjoy and appreciate the sport they’re watching and following. “We’re really happy and really proud,â€? says Lampitt, “that we’re in a position to support those businesses or those applications or those oerings that are starting o and trying to ďŹ nd a dierent way of tackling those questions or identifying trends, whatever it may be. Because the more businesses there are out there doing credible stu, interesting stu, insightful stu, the richer the fan experience will be. For us, it’s another part of providing fans with the widest spectrum of incredible information and interpretation.â€?

“Integrity is core to our RIIHULQJ DV ZHOO DV EHLQJ FRUH WR our values as a business,â€? says /DPSLWW ´:H¡YH LQYHVWHG LQ WKDW part of our business for over WHQ \HDUV QRZ :H GHYHORSHG RXU LQWHJULW\ VHUYLFHV ² VSHFLĂ€FDOO\ our monitoring system – pretty PXFK EHIRUH DQ\RQH HOVH ZDV HYHQ WKLQNLQJ DERXW LW ´:H UHFRJQLVHG WKLV RSSRUWXQLW\ to leverage some of the information and data modelling DQG SURFHVVLQJ SRZHU WKDW ZH KDG WR EHQHĂ€W SULQFLSDOO\ WKH VSRUWV federations and ensure that sport is being conducted in a fair and FOHDQ ZD\ ² EXW DOVR RI FRXUVH to protect the betting markets, because identifying manipulation RI WKH EHWWLQJ PDUNHWV LV ZKDW ZH VSHFLDOLVH LQ Âľ $ORQJVLGH WKH )'6 6SRUWUDGDU¡V corruption education services have proved invaluable to federations DQG OHDJXHV RI DOO VL]HV 8QWLO IDLUO\ UHFHQWO\ LW RSHUDWHG ZLWK YHU\ limited competition in the space and, Lampitt adds, its services are

´UXQ ZLWKRXW D SURĂ€W PRWLYHÂľ “Our aim, year on year, is to try and break even in that part of the EXVLQHVV Âľ KH VD\V Lampitt reveals that there have been talks in the past about VSLQQLQJ RII D QRW IRU SURĂ€W entity but that factors such as “the interdependencies on access to dataâ€? have precluded that from KDSSHQLQJ 6WLOO KH LQVLVWV WKH ZRUN of monitoring betting markets is better undertaken for its impact, UDWKHU WKDQ LWV SHUFHSWLYH EHQHĂ€WV ´, WKLQN ZH VDZ WKDW UHVSRQVLELOLW\ WKDW ZH IHOW WR XVH some of that data and processing SRZHU DQG ZKDWHYHU HOVH WR WKH right end, and fundamentally that XQGHUSLQV RXU EXVLQHVV DV ZHOO Âľ KH VD\V ´$V ZH¡YH WDONHG DERXW WKH VHJPHQWV WKDW ZH DUH VHUYLFLQJ ZKHWKHU LW¡V EHWWLQJ RU PHGLD XOWLPDWHO\ ZH¡UH VHUYLFLQJ D VSRUWV IDQ DW WKH HQG RI WKH GD\ $QG WKH success of those various parts of the business depend upon having a secure betting market and having a VHFXUH VSRUW Âľ

SportsPro Magazine | 61

FEATURE JUDO

GRAPPLING FOR SUCCESS Along with the likes of soccer, rugby and tennis, judo is widely regarded as one of the most popular sports in France, making the Paris Grand Slam one of the most popular stops on the International Judo Federation’s World Tour. SportsPro made the short trip to this year’s edition to ďŹ nd out why the event sells out every time, and to learn about how it has gained a reputation as one of the most captivating competitions on the judo calendar.

By Sam Carp

T

here are no shortage of French sports stars who require little international introduction. Many outside the country’s borders will be well read on Fifa World Cupwinning soccer player Zinedine Zidane or two-time Grand Slam tennis champion AmÊlie Mauresmo.

But you would be harder-pressed WR À QG D SRRO RI LQGLYLGXDOV ZKR

62 | www.sportspromedia.com

know as much about Teddy Riner, WKH MXGR JUHDW ZKR VHUYHG DV RQH of the faces of Paris’ successful bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games.

And yet in his home nation, Riner is as much of a national treasure as any of the country’s other most successful sportsmen and women. Indeed, judo athletes – or judoka – take on a different kind of celebrity status in France,

Sebastian Seidl of Germany on his way to an extratime victory over Kilian Le Blouch of France in the under-66kg bronze medal match at February’s Paris Grand Slam

ZKHUH MXGR ZDV À UVW DGRSWHG LQ 1905, and now boasts upwards of 7,000 judo clubs and more than 600,000 people who proudly practise the sport.

Unfortunately for French judo DÀ FLRQDGRV WKH DIRUHPHQWLRQHG Riner is missing from the line-up for February’s Paris Grand Slam, but his absence does little to GDPSHQ DQWLFLSDWLRQ IRU DQ HYHQW

that has quickly established itself as one of the most popular, wellattended stops on the International Judo Federation’s (IJF) World Tour.

SportsPro¡V DUULYDO DW WKLV \HDU¡V edition of the tournament just so happens to coincide with the )UHQFK FDSLWDO¡V KHDYLHVW KHOSLQJ of snowfall since 1987, with a dusting of nearly six inches bringing large parts of the city to a standstill. If much of the surrounding scene has come to a halt, though, the tournament’s organisers and competitors seem keen to ensure that the Grand 6ODP UHPDLQV LQ IXOO à RZ 2Q WKH HYH RI WKH À UVW GD\ RI competition, a mixture of athletes, coaches and heads of delegation KDYH SDFNHG LQWR WKH PHGLD URRP DW WKH LPSUHVVLYH $FFRU +RWHOV Arena for the draw – a curtainraising hour or so which determines who out of the attending judoka will face whom. Once the initial niceties and introductions are done with, the IJF’s computerised drawing software gets to work, and smartphones are swiftly raised DERYH KHDGV DV DWWHQGHHV WU\ WR FDWFK D JOLPSVH RI UHOHYDQW QDPHV RQ ZLGHVFUHHQ WHOHYLVLRQV SODFHG throughout the room.

Tournament draws, for most sports at least, can be fairly mundane affairs, but here there are more than 400 athletes from 71 countries to sort across 14 different weight categories for men and women. The time it takes for each weight class to be drawn highlights the enormity of the task at hand but, while welcoming the world might seem daunting to some, it’s YHU\ PXFK SDU IRU WKH FRXUVH IRU the IJF. “It is challenging, but it’s something that we’re used to because it happens almost twice a month,� explains Lisa Allan, the IJF’s competition manager. “We REYLRXVO\ UHO\ RQ WKH ORFDO RUJDQLVHU being well prepared from when WKH DWKOHWH DUULYHV LQ WKH FRXQWU\ WR ZKHQ WKH DWKOHWH OHDYHV DQG D ORW RI WKRVH ORFDO RUJDQLVHUV KDYH SHRSOH with different language skills, so WKH\ UHDOO\ KDYH WKH ZKROH WKLQJ VHW

up to cater for judo. “Judo really allows you to learn about other cultures, which is also a pretty interesting part of our OLIHVW\OH DQG MRE , ORYH FRPLQJ WR WKH HYHQWV \RX FRXOG QHYHU JR DQ\ZKHUH HOVH DQG KDYH GLIIHUHQW countries and cultures all mixed together.�

And there is perhaps no other place that embodies judo’s multiculturalism quite like Paris, where the last census recorded that more than 20 per cent of the city’s population is made up of people born outside of France. If the IJF’s UROH IRU WKLV HYHQW VRXQGV D OLWWOH more hands-off, that of the French Judo Federation (FFJDA) is quite the opposite.

Without the help of a professional agency, plans for the Paris Grand Slam were VHW LQ PRWLRQ À YH PRQWKV LQ DGYDQFH E\ D WHDP RQO\ ZLWKLQ WKH JRYHUQLQJ ERG\ ² EXONHG XS E\ DQ DGGLWLRQDO YROXQWHHUV ² ZRUNLQJ RQ HYHU\WKLQJ IURP athlete accommodation to the OD\RXW RI WKH KRVW YHQXH $ ORW of work has clearly gone into this \HDU¡V HYHQW EXW OLNH $OODQ ))-'$ director Eric Villant doesn’t seem RYHUO\ ID]HG E\ WKH VFDOH RI WKH operation. ´,W¡V QRW GLIÀ FXOW UHDOO\ ¾ KH EHJLQV ´EHFDXVH ZH¡YH KRVWHG WKLV HYHQW WLPHV (YHU\ERG\ NQRZV HYHU\ERG\ DQG LV XVHG WR EHLQJ in Paris, so there is always a really good atmosphere between athletes,

The Paris Grand Slam is one of the most popular stops on the international judo calendar, attracting a sizeable, knowledgeable crowd

coaches and organisers. “One problem is that although MXGR LV YHU\ SRSXODU LQ )UDQFH LW LV GLIĂ€ FXOW IRU IDQV WR FRPH IRU RQO\ WZR GD\V ZKHQ WKH\ OLYH IDU IURP 3DULV 6R ZH KDYH EXVHV ZKLFK FRPH IURP GLIIHUHQW SDUWV RI WKH FRXQWU\ WKH\ WUDYHO E\ QLJKW DQG SHRSOH sleep on the bus to get here.â€? ,QGHHG ZKHQ WKH VXQ HYHQWXDOO\ HPHUJHV IRU WKH Ă€ UVW PRUQLQJ of competition, herds of blearyeyed fans are queued outside the $FFRU +RWHOV $UHQD ZHOO EHIRUH WKH RSHQLQJ Ă€ JKW DQG DQ\ VLJQ RI exhaustion is soon cleansed by the energy inside the 15,000-seater YHQXH ,W PLJKW FRPH DV D VXUSULVH that such a large arena is necessary for what in some markets is a niche sport, but such is the Paris Grand Slam’s reputation that it has long outgrown the Pierre de Coubertin Stadium, its former 5,000-capacity home which it was IRUFHG WR YDFDWH LQ VHDUFK RI D ELJJHU YHQXH DW WKH VWDUW RI WKH new millennium. ´:H KDYH PDQ\ SRVVLELOLWLHV LQ WKLV ELJ YHQXH EXW PD\EH ZH ZRXOG OLNH WR KDYH D ELJJHU RQH Âľ MRNHV 9LOODQW ´(YHU\RQH ZDQWV to support the French team and there is passion, so they go around the world supporting our athletes. :H KDYH D ELJ IDQ FOXE EXW ZH always try to add something for them whether it is through a more LQWHUDFWLYH H[SHULHQFH RU SD\LQJ IRU things that they might not be able to afford.

SportsPro Magazine | 63

FEATURE JUDO

“We always like to add some VHUYLFHV UHODWLQJ WR VRFLDO QHWZRUNV DQG ZH KDYH D VSHFLDO VRFLDO room which allows us to produce additional content. For next year’s Grand Slam we are looking to use YLUWXDO UHDOLW\ DORQJ ZLWK D QXPEHU RI RWKHU VHUYLFHV IRU WKH SXEOLF and the athletes, so we are looking WR WU\ VRPHWKLQJ QHZ HYHU\ \HDU ² largely because the Olympic Games in 2024 will take place at this stadium.â€?

And after only a few minutes LQVLGH WKH $FFRU +RWHOV $UHQD which is also equipped to host tennis, boxing and concerts, it’s not GLIÀFXOW WR VHH ZK\ WKH ))-'$ LV H[FLWHG DERXW ZKDW WKH YHQXH FDQ

Beyond the curtain is a bustling warm-up area where waiting judoka JR WKURXJK WKHLU SUH ÀJKW URXWLQHV mingle and take in some of the ongoing action on a giant screen.

The mood is remarkably amicable, and Allan is quick to stress that is this air of community and respect that sets judo apart from other combat sports. “Judo is unique from other sports because we’re like a family,� she says. “No matter where you go in the world you can go to a judo club and you’re immediately welcomed like a family. So HYHU\ERG\ XQGHUVWDQGV WKH UXOHV DQG WKH YDOXHV HYHU\RQH UHVSHFWV WKRVH VR ZH WHQG WR JHW RQ YHU\ ZHOO

add to the Olympic experience. +HUH WKHUH LV HQRXJK VSDFH IRU IRXU match-ups to take place alongside each other at once, while a fourVLGHG FHQWUH KXQJ YLGHR ERDUG SURYLGHV WKRVH VDW KLJKHU XS LQ WKH stands with a closer look at the action below.

The steeply banked stands WKHPVHOYHV HQVXUH WKDW WKH QRLVH from the fans pours down on to the athletes, who are accompanied E\ D JOLW]\ VKRZ RI S\URWHFKQLFV DV they emerge from behind a curtain adorned with the unmistakable Eiffel Tower and towards the mat.

DQG KDYH YHU\ IHZ LVVXHV ´:H¡UH PRUH WKDQ MXVW VSRUW ZH¡UH DQ HGXFDWLRQ V\VWHP .DQŇ -LJRUŇ WKH IRXQGHU RI MXGR ZDQWHG WR HGXFDWH DQG GHYHORS VRFLHW\ DQG his mission was to send people out into the world to spread that message, and I think he did a fairly good job because we still follow WKDW PRUDO FRGH DQG OLYH E\ WKRVH YDOXHV WRGD\ 7KDW¡V ZKDW PDNHV judo unique and what is maybe lacking from other sports. When the athletes go off the mat – win or lose – they’re all still friends.�

In terms of that mission to

64 | www.sportspromedia.com

Clarisse Agbegnenou of France beats Japan’s Tashiro Miku in the ďŹ nal of the women’s under-63kg to the delight of the home fans

educate, the IJF has long been leading the way with its Judo for Peace Commission, which regularly WUDYHOV WR DUHDV RI FRQĂ LFW LQ DQ attempt to build peace through the VSRUW 2Q D PRUH JUDQXODU OHYHO DW this year’s Paris Grand Slam, the IJF has worked with the FFJDA to run D VHULHV RI GHYHORSPHQW DFWLYLWLHV to enhance the spectator experience GXULQJ WKH HYHQW ZKLOH LWV HGXFDWLRQ and coaching commission has also EHHQ PDNLQJ FOXE YLVLWV DQG SXWWLQJ on training camps across France in an attempt to grow the sport. ´&RPSHWLWLYH MXGR LV UHDOO\ LPSRUWDQW EHFDXVH LW¡V WKH WRS OHYHO of the sport,â€? says Allan, “but we also want to make sure people can do judo for other reasons – Ă€WQHVV IXQ VHOI FRQĂ€GHQFH ² DQG it is that huge number of people that we are trying to target to get into the sport, and hope from that huge pool of people that the next Olympic champions will rise.â€?

A quick glance at the crowd LQVLGH WKH $FFRU +RWHOV $UHQD suggests that the effort is bearing fruit, as it is predominantly families WKDW KDYH Ă RFNHG KHUH DQG WKHUH LV an almost inherent understanding RI ZKDW FDQ EH D GLIĂ&#x20AC;FXOW VSRUW IRU Ă&#x20AC;UVW WLPHUV WR JUDVS The fans hold their breath with HYHU\ JUDSSOH DSSODXG HYHU\ ZD]D DUL DQG URDU WKHLU DSSURYDO RI HYHU\ LSSRQ ZKLFK LV MXGR¡V HTXLYDOHQW RI a knockout. But despite that, the Paris Grand Slam coincides with a slate of IJF refereeing rule changes geared towards making judo easier to understand for non-judoka and the media â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and to make the sport more dynamic. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like anything in WKH ZD\ LW HYROYHV DQG , WKLQN LW¡V HYROYLQJ LQ D YHU\ SRVLWLYH ZD\ Âľ says Neil Adams, a retired twoWLPH 2O\PSLF VLOYHU PHGDOOLVW DQG now a frontline commentator for the IJF. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the rules dictate GHYHORSPHQW DQG ZH¡UH GHYHORSLQJ WKH UXOHV WR PDNH LW PRUH SRVLWLYH DQG HDVLHU IRU HYHU\ERG\ WR XQGHUVWDQG <RX FDQ VHH ZH¡YH JRW about 15,000 people here watching judo and appreciating it, but France is different, and there arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t many

people here who are not judoka. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are one of the highestparticipation sports in the world, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d just like to see it as a sport that keeps growing internationally. $OO Ă&#x20AC;YH FRQWLQHQWV KDYH SDUWLFLSDWLRQ DQG DOO Ă&#x20AC;YH FRQWLQHQWV are represented at Olympic Games and World Championships, and our goal is to make it more presentable and easier for people to understand.â&#x20AC;?

The aim, then, is to foster a global fanbase that boasts the same knowledge as those in Paris, ZKHUH WKH SDUWLVDQ FURZG UHVHUYHV its loudest cheers for the home athletes. With Riner not competing, 25-year-old Clarisse Agbegnenou carries her nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hopes, and WKH DWPRVSKHUH HOHFWULĂ&#x20AC;HV DV VKH PDUFKHV RQ WR WKH PDW IRU KHU Ă&#x20AC;QDO in the under-63kg category against Japanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tashiro Miku.

With support raining down and her name echoing around the arena, Agbegnenou draws fans out of their seats when she takes the lead WKURXJK DQ HDUO\ ZD]D DUL EHIRUH EUXWDOO\ Ă LSSLQJ RYHU KHU RSSRQHQW for a show-stopping, gold medalwinning ippon. The reigning world champion is no stranger to success, but as she rises from the mat to the VLJKW RI Ă XWWHULQJ )UHQFK Ă DJV DQG D VWDQGLQJ RYDWLRQ VKH SXWV KHU KDQGV RYHU KHU IDFH LQ D VKRZ RI joyous disbelief.

Winning in front of her home

The 15,000-seater Accor Hotels Arena has room for four concurrent match-ups

crowd clearly means that much more and â&#x20AC;&#x201C; after embracing her opponent â&#x20AC;&#x201C; she quickly skips off the mat and jumps into the arms of her coaches, before signing autographs and posing for photos with the fans that â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in Agbegnenouâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eyes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; contributed to and share in her triumph. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There were times when I was thinking, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m so tired, I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do it!â&#x20AC;? Agbegnenou begins, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but I was hearing people cheering for me and it made me happy, and I think here LW JLYHV PH PRUH SRZHU EHFDXVH RI the public so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really nice. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For me it is just normal and I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand why [the fans] DUH VR DPD]HG E\ PH EHFDXVH IRU me it is such a normal thing, but it also makes me happy because I can bring some happiness and make people dream so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really nice for me.â&#x20AC;?

In Paris, the feeling of adoration between judoka and their fans is clearly mutual, and the IJF and its ORFDO RUJDQLVHUV DUH DFWLYHO\ WU\LQJ to tap into that relationship by trialling new ways to reach out to their followers. As spectators make their way out of the Accor +RWHOV $UHQD LW¡V LPSRVVLEOH QRW WR notice the number of cameras both GRWWHG DURXQG DQG UDLVHG DERYH WKH PDW ZKLFK KDYH EHHQ ZRUNLQJ RYHUWLPH WR FDSWXUH HYHU\ DQJOH IRU WKH ,-)¡V OLYH IHHG 7KLV ZLOO ODWHU be condensed into a 30-minute

highlights package for the JRYHUQLQJ ERG\¡V JOREDO EURDGFDVW partners.

If judo has garnered a reputation IRU WUDYHOOLQJ WKH ZRUOG WR VSUHDG LWV message, the IJF is now exploring ways to reach new fans through less traditional means, with an increased focus on social media and digital OHDGLQJ WKH FKDUJH $W HDFK HYHQW judoka are encouraged to spend time in a dedicated social media room to produce additional pieces of content, while IJF president 0DULXV 9L]HU UHJXODUO\ KRVWV question and answer sessions on Twitter. :LWK RYHU IROORZHUV the IJF also boasts one of the top ten most popular Facebook pages among Olympic sports federations, and a partnership signed last year with international news network CNN is ensuring the sport continues to be seen by a wider DXGLHQFH WKDQ HYHU EHIRUH ´)RU HDFK RI RXU HYHQWV ZH DOZD\V KDYH D KDVKWDJ Âľ VD\V $OODQ ´:H¡UH DFWLYH RQ DOO RI RXU VRFLDO media platforms because in this day and age, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the way you FDQ FRPPXQLFDWH YHU\ TXLFNO\ with a lot of people, so to get our messages out there thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what our media team are currently trying to do. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re keen to reach people that DUH QRW WKH MXGR SHRSOH ZH ZDQW WR draw the people who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know about judo yet.â&#x20AC;?

SportsPro Magazine | 65

FEATURE EQUESTRIANISM

Leaps and bounds With the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final set to take place in Paris in April, International Equestrian Federation president Ingmar De Vos explains why jumping has established itself as one of equestrian’s most entertaining disciplines, and lays out how the governing body and Longines are working in tandem to ensure the sport continues to push boundaries on a global scale.

By Sam Carp

O

ut of equestrian’s three Olympic disciplines, jumping lays claim to being perhaps the most recognisable and most readily understood. To conclude that this renders it the simplest, however, would be to land wide of the mark.

“In the tense atmosphere of the ring, the trust between horse and rider is put to the test,” explains

Ingmar De Vos, president of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI). “With competitions against the clock and daunting obstacles, jumping is an extreme test of horsemanship, trust, nerve and skill and has really earned its place in the hearts of sports fans all over the world.”

Jumping requires rider and horse to be in perfect unison, demonstrating a courageous blend

FEI / Christophe Tanière

Laura Kraut of the US celebrates a successful ride

66 | www.sportspromedia.com

with a living animal, men and women are competing equally and, in my opinion, jumping is the most exciting.â&#x20AC;?

In April last year, Ward also became the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s number one ranked individual jumper for WKH Ă&#x20AC; UVW WLPH DIWHU ZLQQLQJ WKH Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final at the 25th attempt on home turf in Omaha, Nebraska. This year, the event is set to return to Paris for only the second time to mark the seriesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 40th anniversary, DQG WKHUH LV SHUKDSV QR PRUH Ă&#x20AC; WWLQJ host than the fashionable French capital for a sport that oozes such class, elegance and style.

7KH Ă&#x20AC; UVW )(, :RUOG &XS Jumping Final took place in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1979, and this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edition will be the culmination of the very best international athletes and horses competing for the most coveted title and a jackpot of more than â&#x201A;Ź1.3 million. Paris will host riders from not only the Longinessponsored Western European, North American and China leagues, but from the 16 different FEI World Cup Jumping leagues in 43 countries across the globe that make up the circuit, including the Arab, Central European and South American leagues, all of which form part of the federationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commercial portfolio.

Despite its relative infancy, the series has emerged as one of the most anticipated stretches on the FEIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s densely packed calendar, with its indoor venues famous for creating an intense atmosphere that draws the very best from some of the sportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most celebrated riders. But while the series stands alone as a gripping showcase for the sport, De Vos is keen to point out that the opportunity extends to the championshipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commercial partners, too. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The worldwide exposure for our partners is phenomenal,â&#x20AC;? he explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The exclusive brand exposure on a global scale and being associated with a dynamic, world class sport that reaches tens of millions of people across the world

Credit: FEI / Liz Gregg

of timing, control and technical ability as they meander and leap their way around a course consisting of WHQ WR ORRVHO\ Ă&#x20AC; WWHG REVWDFOHV including verticals, spreads, double and triple combinations. For wellseasoned professionals, the task of clearing a collection of hurdles might sound like it should be a straightforward one, but throw in the added burden of a strict time limit coupled with the high risk of penalties for knockdowns, and it can prove to be anything but.

For fans, then, jumping boasts the perfect recipe for drama and excitement. Dressage and eventing might require a more intricate knowledge of the sport, but even the most casual spectator is capable of acknowledging that one wrong step, one ill-advised jump and one dislodged rail can be the difference between a medal and obscurity.

And given that the eventual champions are often those who incur the fewest â&#x20AC;&#x201C; if any â&#x20AC;&#x201C; penalties, the margin for error is minimal. There are not many who handle that pressure better than American rider McLain Ward, who won team jumping gold with the USA at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004 and then again in Beijing four years later, before adding a silver medal to his haul in Rio in 2016. With both of his parents heavily involved in equestrian, Ward was very much born into the sport.

Now 42 and widely regarded as one of the equestrian communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most thoughtful advocates, he recognises that jumping has evolved hugely since then, and predominantly puts that growth down to the very facets of speed and action that have come to GHĂ&#x20AC; QH LW â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s changed a tremendous amount, and mostly for the good,â&#x20AC;? he begins. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think that the sport is being done better than ever at the highest levels; I think the top riders are better than ever and I think the top horses are better than ever. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the speed and the action of show jumping has always been whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s made it the most popular equestrian discipline. Certainly I think as a whole, our sport is appealing because it is working

FEI president Ingmar De Vos describes jumping as â&#x20AC;&#x153;an extreme test of horsemanship, trust, nerve and skillâ&#x20AC;?

There were 1,659 CSI jumping events in 2017, up from 720 in 2007

can only help drive a global audience to the awareness of the brand and the sport. Sponsors are very important to jumping, especially in terms of promotion of the sport DQG WKH Ă&#x20AC; QDQFLDO FRQWULEXWLRQV which are reinvested into it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a really dynamic sport that is fuelled by adrenaline, is visually stimulating and action-packed, and some would say it is an extreme sport, and we are always looking at new ways to make our sportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presentation even more dynamic. We HQVXUH RXU HYHQWV DUH UXQ HIĂ&#x20AC; FLHQWO\ and engage new audiences, as well as maintaining the traditional fanbase.

The media exposure and television coverage is key for our sponsors, and our sport is presented on a global platform for sponsors to associate with worldwide.â&#x20AC;?

A key catalyst behind equestrian sportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s evolution has been the sustained backing of Swiss luxury watchmaker Longines. The brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s familiar bold font and world-renowned logo has become synonymous with the FEI and the jumping discipline, and a longterm renewal announced back in September ensures that will continue to be the case for years to come.

Longinesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; sponsorship of equestrian sport dates all the way back to 1912 but this new deal brings with it additional relevance for jumping. The agreement means that Longines has become the title sponsor of the FEI Jumping Nations Cup, the governing bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ă DJVKLS QDWLRQDO WHDP MXPSLQJ series, while also retaining its roles as the title sponsor of the FEI Jumping World Cup Western European, North American and China

SportsPro Magazine | 67

FEATURE EQUESTRIANISM

/HDJXHV WKH RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDO WLPHNHHSHU DQG RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDO ZDWFK RI WKH )(, DQG WKH RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDO WLPHNHHSHU RI WKH )(, :RUOG Equestrian Games.

At the time, De Vos said that the enhanced collaboration â&#x20AC;&#x153;provides the whole industry with a previously unseen level of supportâ&#x20AC;?, and half a year after the announcement, he still struggles to contain his excitement at what has been described as the FEIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest ever commercial deal. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have established a very successful partnership, demonstrating the synergies between the brand and our sport,â&#x20AC;? he begins, â&#x20AC;&#x153;and with Longinesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; longstanding collaboration with equestrian, we are continuously attracting new international audiences to the sport. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The collaboration also allows us to have top class events. This new and extended agreement with /RQJLQHV LV WKH PRVW VLJQLĂ&#x20AC;FDQW LQ the history of the FEI and possibly even in the history of equestrian sport. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a global partnership, which has made Longines a major player in the growth and support of equestrian sport, reinforcing its association on an international scale ZKLFK LV EHQHĂ&#x20AC;FLDO IRU WKH FRQWLQXDO growth of equestrian sport. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Through this partnership, Longines has made a very strong commitment to develop equestrian VSRUW ZKLFK JRHV EH\RQG Ă&#x20AC;QDQFLDO considerations. They have made a VLJQLĂ&#x20AC;FDQW LQYHVWPHQW LQ WLPH NHHSLQJ technology and marketing the sport.

These contributions are hugely LQĂ XHQWLDO IRU WKH SURPRWLRQ DQG marketing activation of the events.â&#x20AC;?

At the FEI, praise for Longines is understandably high, and the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contribution also doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go unnoticed by the athletes. For the riders, Longinesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; support has allowed them to compete at more professionally presented events around the world, creating a higher level of entertainment for budding fans while building a platform from which jumping can continue to grow in the future. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I mean, without the sponsors and without the public interest we

68 | www.sportspromedia.com

have no sport,â&#x20AC;? says Ward. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The sponsors come because thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public interest and people want to watch it, so one hand feeds the other. We have a great sponsor in Longines who really love equestrian sports and being associated with equestrian sports, and they really have made incredible efforts to grow our sport to where it is today.â&#x20AC;?

Clearly, then, Longines and the FEI have a shared passion to contribute to the sustained development of equestrian sport, and it is seemingly that mutual desire to keep moving forward that fuels the thinking behind the governing bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commercial partnerships.

The FEIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s events have long been GHĂ&#x20AC;QHG DV D SODFH ZKHUH KLJK HQG glamorous brands collide with elite sporting action, and while that may continue to be the case, the organisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s search digs far deeper than the calibre of a brand name when it comes to identifying potential sponsors. Beyond that is a need to evaluate a brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s suitability in terms of the demographics and characteristics of each individual discipline, the fundamentals of which include the presentation of the sport, the rules, participants and fanbase. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The FEI is the governing body for many disciplines,â&#x20AC;? De Vos explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t govern one sport, we govern seven sports and within that you have to work out what is the uniqueness of each VSRUW 6R ORRNLQJ DW WKH VSRUW Ă&#x20AC;UVW LV YHU\ VLJQLĂ&#x20AC;FDQW IRU KRZ ZH approach our commercial partners. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our sports are all so different, therefore the commercial partners will not be the same for each discipline â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it has to be the right Ă&#x20AC;W 'UHVVDJH GRHV QRW FRPSDUH to jumping or eventing or reining because they are all unique. We have different athletes, different fans and audiences for each of the sports, and these factors are all taken into consideration in order to activate the right key messages we need to convey for each of our commercial partners.â&#x20AC;?

And with jumping seemingly going from strength to strength,

Last year there were 22,136 riders and 49,159 horses registered to compete in jumping events

there will be no shortage of baying brands noticing the opportunity to align themselves with the FEIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success. Last year, there were 22,136 riders and 49,159 horses registered with the FEI to compete in international jumping competitions, while the number of CSI events â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the ranking system for jumping â&#x20AC;&#x201C; on the governing bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s calendar has more than doubled in the last decade from 720 in 2007 to 1,659 in 2018. The numbers require little explanation but demonstrate that when it comes to year-round, global exposure, there are few sports that can rival the platform provided by the FEIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s jumping calendar. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our sport has grown extensively and globally, the professionalism of it has improved, and it is now seen on a global platform,â&#x20AC;? says De Vos. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jumping is a very popular sport worldwide and our collaboration with Longines as the title partner for top events in jumping has increased the awareness of the discipline globally. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We now have more events taking place around the world, and there are more countries involved in the sport. This year alone, for our Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup series, we have a record number of 50 nations competing.

The interest in the sport has certainly made an overall impact in increasing the awareness of horse sport globally.â&#x20AC;?

The evolution of jumping events and equestrian sport in general is in no small part owing to the overall health of the horse industry. The FEIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research has shown that there are 37 million active riders around the world and 750 million fans of equestrian sport, all of which contributes to a global industry worth an annual â&#x201A;Ź300 billion per year creating two million jobs around the world. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The sport is strong and I think the industry is strong,â&#x20AC;? begins Ward, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but there is always room for growth. We want to be as mainstream as sports like golf and tennis. The sport has grown from being somewhat patron-driven to being more sport interest-driven,

FEI / Christophe Tanière

DQG ZH KDYH WR Ă&#x20AC;QG WKH EDODQFH between people who invest in the sport â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not only corporate but also private individuals â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and what is truly pure sport. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the world has gotten smaller; people have access to so much more information and have the ability to watch and participate, and I think all of that is good. Where it goes and how itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s managed is obviously vitally important, but there cannot be a bad thing in growth.â&#x20AC;?

The challenge now, then, is to tap into jumpingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growing global interest and push it into the sporting spotlight. Part of that mission, De Vos says, will be aided by the FEIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recently relaunched brand identity, which will allow the governing body to truly focus on the presentation of jumping and ultimately reach the generation that will be consuming the sport going forward. â&#x20AC;&#x153;From a basic standpoint, in terms of modernising the competition formats, making them more exciting and more readily understandable for new and young audiences and keeping the interest for media coverage, we continue WR Ă&#x20AC;QG QHZ ZD\V WR SURPRWH WKH sport to our fans and get new fans engaged,â&#x20AC;? says De Vos. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We continue to drive forward with new initiatives, working with global

Henrick von Eckermann clears a fence at the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping leg in Lyon, France

The global equestrian industry is worth an annual â&#x201A;Ź300 billion and creates two million jobs

media and reaching out to fans on social and digital media, producing engaging video content to ensure sustained growth of our sport.â&#x20AC;?

That growth will also involve galloping into markets which have previously been left largely untouched. Traditionally, the FEIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s focus has been on Europe and the US, where De Vos is quick to praise the â&#x20AC;&#x153;loyalâ&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;well-educatedâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;passionateâ&#x20AC;? crowds, but the 2008 Olympics in Beijing revealed a Chinese fanbase that has the potential to be equally as receptive of the jumping discipline, while it also represents a grossly important market for Longines.

And since 2008, the FEI has secured deals with major Chinese television networks including state broadcaster CCTV, while in October last year, the governing ERG\ Ă&#x20AC;QDOLVHG D Ă&#x20AC;YH \HDU GHDO ZLWK sports and entertainment company China National Sports International that will see the two parties collaborate to develop a widespanning esports offering, along with an e-commerce and social media presence for equestrian sport in China.

With seeds being planted all over the world and jumping seemingly EHQHĂ&#x20AC;WWLQJ IURP PRUH H[SRVXUH WKDQ ever before, De Vos is keen to assert

that â&#x20AC;&#x153;the sky is the limit.â&#x20AC;? With the sportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trajectory continuing to mount, it is an assertion that is made IURP D SRVLWLRQ RI FRQĂ&#x20AC;GHQFH EXW one that is equally tempered with an acceptance that there is still work to be done. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Overall, equestrian sport is thriving but we are always working hard to ensure this continues on into the future,â&#x20AC;? says De Vos. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Continued growth and development of the sport on a global scale and modernising and simplifying the sport will continue to encourage, entice and maintain our audience and continued best practice in governance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When you look at how the sport of jumping alone has grown so rapidly around the world, I am sure you would agree there is not a problem with the general health of equestrianism. The sport has evolved enormously in the marketplace and at the FEI we KDYH VHHQ VLJQLĂ&#x20AC;FDQW JURZWK LQ WKH popularity of our sport, but we will continue to drive forward with new initiatives, working closely with our national federations, stakeholders and organisers, as well as working with global media and reaching out to fans on social and digital media, to ensure sustained growth of our sport.â&#x20AC;?

SportsPro Magazine | 69

FEATURE BADMINTON

PULLING THE STRINGS

At the start of 2018, the Badminton World Federation launched the HSBC BWF World Tour, marking the beginning of a new era for the sport both competitively and commercially. BWF secretary general Thomas Lund lifts the lid on the recent revamp, and outlines how the governing body plans to strengthen badmintonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reputation as a cutting-edge sport.

By Sam Carp

72 | www.sportspromedia.com

I

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BWF secretary general Thomas Lund has overseen a rebranding and overhaul of its calendar

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SportsPro Magazine | 73

Credit: BadmintonPhoto

FEATURE BADMINTON

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74 | www.sportspromedia.com

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Women’s world number one Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei on her way to an upset defeat to Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon in a three-game final at the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur

Manu Attri and Reddy B Sumeeth of Indiain action at January’s Daihatsu Indonesia Masters in Jakarta

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The BWF and HSBC launch their new partnership in the Chinese city of Guangzhou in January

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SportsPro Magazine | 75

FEATURE FLOORBALL

TAKING THE FLOOR The 11th edition of the Women’s World Floorball Championships was held in Bratislava in December.

SportsPro travelled to Slovakia to learn more about how the sport has built up a loyal fanbase, and its plans to expand globally.

By Elena Holmes

Hosts Slovakia bear down on goal during the 2017 Women’s World Floorball Championships at the Ondrej Nepala Arena in Bratislava

I

t’s early December, but Christmas is already very much in the air in Bratislava. The market, spreading between the 18th-century spires and Sovietera buildings of the historic town centre, lures tourists with its variety of traditional food, drink, and

76 | www.sportspromedia.com

hand-carved wooden gifts, the frosty air heady with the scents of mulled wine, spiced gingerbread, and fried potato Rosti.

The sense of celebration is palpable, too, at the Ondrej Nepala Arena further out of the city, where crowds have

JDWKHUHG WR ZDWFK WKH ÀQDO RI WKH 2017 Women’s World Floorball Championships. Fans bang drums, jangle cowbell-like instruments and add vuvuzelas to the mix, creating a cacophony of sound that is suggestive of sleigh-bells and ÀWWLQJ ZLWK WKH IHVWLYH WKHPH

Meanwhile, the drama of the sport continues to unfold below. Floorball, for those unfamiliar with the game, is comparable to an indoor, highoctane version of hockey or ice hockey. The players are a disciplined wave of movement, performing with astounding pace and agility, their bodies crouched low to the ground, bending and swerving amongst one another in a dance of athleticism that is breathtaking to watch.

A dummy, a turn and the spinning arc of the shot from a player, and the goalkeeper dives, twisting, to see the ball hit the back of her own net. The crowd roars to its feet and a wall of triumphant noise rises with it, lifted to the roof by the soaring Europop anthems blaring from speakers around the arena that the goalscorer UDLVHV D YLFWRULRXV Ă&#x20AC; VW WR First developed in the 1960s DQG V Ă RRUEDOO LV PRVW SRSXODU in the Nordic countries where it has its roots, but is growing rapidly across other continents. Thailand DUH FRPSHWLQJ IRU WKH Ă&#x20AC; UVW WLPH at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 11th Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World Championships, while other forces are emerging to take on the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;big fourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of Sweden, Finland, Switzerland and the Czech Republic, who KDYH GRPLQDWHG Ă RRUEDOO VLQFH LWV beginnings.

Bratislava is a new host for the event, which is only the fourth Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World Championships to be staged in a country outside RI WKH ODUJHVW Ă RRUEDOO SOD\LQJ nations. Having previously been a venue for the Under-19 Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World Championships in 2012, DQG VHYHUDO TXDOLĂ&#x20AC; FDWLRQ HYHQWV IRU both the menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s game, Slovakia has proved itself a country determined to grow the sport, and a worthy host. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We know that the top four QDWLRQV LQ Ă RRUEDOO ZLOO DOZD\V GR DQ excellent job, but we need to go to other countries if we want to grow the sport outside of those areas,â&#x20AC;? explains Jorg Beer, head of marketing at the International Floorball Federation (IFF), the sportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s global governing body. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very good to have Bratislava hosting this year.â&#x20AC;?

The 9,000-seater Ondrej Nepalu

Arena provides an ideal location for à RRUEDOO¡V JURZLQJ IDQEDVH 1RUPDOO\ an ice hockey venue, the venue has EHHQ WUDQVIRUPHG LQWR D à RRUEDOO KXE LWV ZRRGHQ à RRULQJ OD\HUHG on top of the ice. Its sister venue, the Hant Arena, is located just 300 metres down the road, allowing teams and fans to travel easily between them without the need for public transport.

The morningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entertainment EHJLQV ZLWK WKH Ă&#x20AC; UVW JDPH DW DQG WKH WRXUQDPHQW Ă&#x20AC; WV WKUHH WR IRXU PDWFKHV LQ SHU GD\ 7KH Ă RRUEDOO PDWFKHV WKHPVHOYHV IHDWXUH Ă&#x20AC; YH players and a goalkeeper per team, and are split into 20-minute thirds.

Ten-minute breaks in between that let the spectators refuel and stretch their legs while entertainment comes WR WKH Ă RRU YDU\LQJ IURP GDQFH routines to a showcasing of matches from youth teams, as well as teams from the Special Olympics, with which the IFF has a partnership. The two VIP areas at the main arena lure visitors with the prospect of an allyou-can-eat buffet and as much wine as you can drink. All in all, fans can KDYH D IXOO GD\ RI Ă RRUEDOO LI WKH\ VR desire â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and many of them do. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The main thing that stands out for this championships is the Slovakian audience,â&#x20AC;? says IFF secretary general John Liljelund. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yesterday, when Slovakia lost the TXDUWHU Ă&#x20AC; QDO WR )LQODQG WKH 6ORYDNLDQ audience gave a standing ovation for the last two minutes, and that was really special. And of course, there have been really good games, and also the fact that we got to see many more teams play well and challenge for the title than we usually do.â&#x20AC;?

Slovakia themselves manage a Ă&#x20AC; IWK SODFH Ă&#x20AC; QLVK WKHLU EHVW VR IDU LQ a World Championships. Meanwhile, WKH Ă&#x20AC; QDO VHHV HLJKW WLPH ZRUOG

Slovakia made it to the quarter-ďŹ nals in a creditable display that saw them given a standing ovation by their home supporters

champions Sweden taken to extratime and then a penalty shoot-out by Finland, clawing back their title only after the Finns missed two penalties to lose 6-5 in a match that delivers the perfect dramatic spectacle.

The tournament is by all accounts a success, with an overall attendance of 31,668 making it the third-highest attended in the eventâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history, and that being with the championships held outside of its comfort zone. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The most important thing is increasing visibility of the event,â&#x20AC;? says Liljelund. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This eventâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visibility is a new record for us; we had 43 matches broadcast and 12 takers. Of the 16 countries participating, we had TV deals in 11 of them, which was pretty good. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We also had Singapore and the USA showing their games in their FRXQWULHV IRU WKH Ă&#x20AC; UVW WLPH DV ZHOO as having all the matches streamed on our YouTube channel on SportDeutschland.tv. Overall weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had 4.8 million TV viewings from all broadcasted matches, as well as 900,000 on YouTube.â&#x20AC;?

The Olympic Channel also covered a total of 19 matches, all with English commentary. The highest ratings, according to Liljelund, are still coming from the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;big fourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, followed closely by Latvia, Germany, Singapore, the US and Poland.

Participation has also grown internationally: from 2014 to 2015, the number of licensed players jumped by three per cent to three million. The sport has been played in 80 countries, 68 of which now KDYH QDWLRQDO Ă RRUEDOO DVVRFLDWLRQV recognised by the IFF. Sierra Leone EHFDPH $IULFD¡V Ă&#x20AC; UVW Ă RRUEDOO QDWLRQ in 2008, which meant the sport was being played on every continent â&#x20AC;&#x201C; barring Antarctica.

SportsPro Magazine | 77

FEATURE FLOORBALL

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have doubled our participants [in Slovakia] in just three or four years,â&#x20AC;? says Teo Turay, vice president of the Slovakian Floorball Association (SZFB). â&#x20AC;&#x153;And I think we will do the same after these World Championships. This event is big for us â&#x20AC;&#x201C; smaller events have targeted the region and cities around and KDYH KHOSHG WR UDLVH WKH SURĂ&#x20AC;OH RI the game, but we needed something bigger for the whole country. We ZDQWHG WR VKRZ Ă RRUEDOO WR WKH people, show them we are here and we can do it, and we can progress.â&#x20AC;?

As a sport outside the mainstream in many countries, and without the big broadcasting deals that WRS WLHU VSRUWV UHHO LQ Ă RRUEDOO has focused on utilising digital platforms to facilitate its growth.

This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World Championships has a presence across Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter, with the eventâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main sponsor, the Ă RRUEDOO VWLFN PDQXIDFWXUHU 8QLKRF working with players to create small shareable skits and humorous videos that allow athletes to showcase their talents in ways that mean audiences otherwise unfamiliar with the sport can appreciate their skills.

Sweden forward Anna Wijk, for example, hits a hole-in-one with a Ă RRUEDOO JROI VW\OH IURP WKH URRI of a nearby building, in a video that gains a lot of traction on Twitter.

Unihoc also runs in-venue activations throughout the tournament on Instagram, where it gives away kit and other VIP prizes. /LOMHOXQG QRWHV WKDW Ă RRUEDOO ZDV â&#x20AC;&#x153;the top sport on social mediaâ&#x20AC;? at WKH :RUOG *DPHV LQ :URFâDZ Poland, and believes that the range of

additional content around the event, from highlights to interviews and background stories, provides a vital link to supporters. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For us itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really important for our fans outside the main participating countries to be able to access information and feel connected,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For the menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World Championship in 2016, for example, we had 1.3 million views on our YouTube channel for the total event. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our biggest platform at the moment for growing social media is Instagram. We do a lot of short video clips and if something funny happens, we cut it and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made an arrangement with the member associations so that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re giving them the right to use 35 to 45 seconds of footage to use in their social PHGLD 7KH\¡UH DOVR DOORZHG WR Ă&#x20AC;OP 15 seconds for Instagram Live and Snapchat stories. Consequently, we KDYH D FRQVWDQW Ă RZ RI LQIRUPDWLRQ and entertainment for our fans around the world.â&#x20AC;?

IFF president Tomas Eriksson adds: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We streamed all our matches to broaden our reach. We also have a magazine wrap-up which we send out to people, and the reach of that was more than 190 million.â&#x20AC;?

To increase participation and HQJDJHPHQW LQ Ă RRUEDOO IXUWKHU WKH IFF is not afraid to make changes to appeal to a more global audience. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We know that we need to develop the game as a spectacle to attract more people,â&#x20AC;? says Liljelund. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We face a challenge with the upcoming World Games in 2021 in Birmingham [USA] because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a very niche sport there, so we want to make it more of a spectacle so it attracts more interest

Floorball has a high-tempo, action-packed appeal but the IFF is considering how to make it more accessible to a bigger audience

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from the American public.â&#x20AC;?

Liljelund believes introducing more and better in-game commentary â&#x20AC;&#x153;on TV and also in-venueâ&#x20AC;? will help new IDQV ´XQGHUVWDQG ZKDW Ă RRUEDOO LV and how it worksâ&#x20AC;?. Bringing in more off-pitch entertainment, meanwhile, is another way the IFF is seeking to create a more engaging product, utilising the two breaks the game affords. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Last year, for example, we had a live band,â&#x20AC;? says Liljelund. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We KDG D VWDJH LQ WKH FRUQHU RI WKH Ă&#x20AC;HOG of play. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a question of trying to Ă&#x20AC;QG RXU QLFKH QRW MXVW FRS\LQJ WKH NBA or NHL.â&#x20AC;?

Keeping the crowd engaged through the sound system LV D Ă RRUEDOO VWDSOH EXW WKH introduction of cheerleading, so familiar to audiences in the US, would be more controversial among some of the IFFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leaders in Sweden, where there are FRQFHUQV WKDW LW REMHFWLĂ&#x20AC;HV ZRPHQ â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to showcase cheerleading as a sport itself in the correct way where the athletes play an important role in fan engagement,â&#x20AC;? says Liljelund. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is a question of WU\LQJ WR Ă&#x20AC;QG D FOHDU UROH IRU HYHU\RQH there. We will not let it be a part of the award ceremonies, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about keeping those parts separate.â&#x20AC;?

Another strategy for leveraging the FRPPHUFLDO RSSRUWXQLWLHV Ă RRUEDOO events afford lies in using the arena to showcase products creatively.

Liljelund cites the example of a car sponsor whose vehicles were used for courtside premium seating at the 2008 Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World Floorball Championship. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sponsors are always looking for visibility in the arena and something special,â&#x20AC;? he says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;and we are looking for ways to give them the opportunity to do that.â&#x20AC;?

The Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World Championshipsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; roster of partners includes sports drink Gatorade, apparel brand Asics, construction company Strabag, and Austrian snack food Toobs, among a host of local media companies and Ă RRUEDOO HTXLSPHQW PDQXIDFWXUHUV Beer, however, is keen to expand that portfolio. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most of our sponsors at the moment come from our supplier

industries, but we need to come closer to the decision-makers in the PDUNHWLQJ Ă&#x20AC;HOG Âľ KH VD\V ´:H QHHG WR VWDUW OREE\LQJ ZRUN WR EULQJ Ă RRUEDOO to the fore for those who make decisions. We are getting better at connecting with the media, and now we need to reach those who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know so we can grow the sport. We are looking to partner with a major commercial TV channel so as to reach a broader audience.â&#x20AC;?

Bringing in new technology is also a consideration for the organisers seeking to raise the standard of the sport and ensure it remains up-to-date with recent refereeing developments. A video refereeing system has been trialled, though Eriksson suggests the process needs to be shortened before it can be fully implemented.

Next in the IFFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sights is increasing the number of multiVSRUWV HYHQWV WKDW Ă RRUEDOO ZLOO be involved in â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it has twice been contested at international multi-sport event, the World Games, in 1997 and ´:H KRSH DQG DUH FRQĂ&#x20AC;GHQW that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll make it to the USA World Games 2021,â&#x20AC;? says Eriksson. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re working hard to be a part of the Youth Olympic Games and the Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Asia. We want to broaden our events portfolio as much as possible.â&#x20AC;?

Floorball received its full recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2011, and entry into the Olympics remains a future ambition for the sport.

Swedish fans enjoy their teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s run to the world title

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Getting into a number of multisport events will help prove weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re worthy of being in the Olympic Games,â&#x20AC;? explains Liljelund. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We think in reality we have a chance of being in the 2028 or 2032 Olympic Games.â&#x20AC;?

In order to make the cut, though, Ă RRUEDOO PD\ KDYH WR XQGHUJR further changes to make it attractive to spectators of the Games and to grow the sportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fanbase through a more accessible format. Finding a compromise between meeting the IOCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs and preserving the fundamental sense of the game is a GLIĂ&#x20AC;FXOW EDODQFH ´:H QHHG WR SOD\ a competition format but we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to have to be reduced hugely in numbers, such as rugby sevens or something like that,â&#x20AC;? says Liljelund. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We need to make the numbers of our team sizes smaller, but we had a good experience cutting down the squad at the World Games, when we played with 14 players instead of 20.â&#x20AC;?

As Beer explains, the World Games tournament also saw an experiment with three 15-minute periods, rather than three of 20 minutes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had a very good experience doing that and very good feedback at the World Games because the game is faster â&#x20AC;&#x201C; every second of the game is an important second, and there is no time to rest,â&#x20AC;? he adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Also, to watch the game, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need any more than two hours â&#x20AC;&#x201C; just one hour and thirty minutes. Nowadays the young viewer doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to take such a long time to watch.â&#x20AC;?

For Liljelund, the success of the tournament in Bratislava has â&#x20AC;&#x153;proven that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible to organise the event outside the top fourâ&#x20AC;?.

China has made a bid for the Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Under-19 World Floorball Championship in 2020, â&#x20AC;&#x153;which would be a giant leap forward for the sportâ&#x20AC;?, while â&#x20AC;&#x153;countries like Singapore and Thailand could be organisers in the futureâ&#x20AC;?.

The IFF has clear ambitions for new markets it wants to take Ă RRUEDOO LQWR 7KH DLP LV WR H[SDQG World Championship events from 16 to 20 teams, and to reach out to South America, Africa, and heavily populated Asian nations like India and Indonesia. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we do a very good MRE LQ WKLV ZD\ WKHQ ZH ZLOO Ă&#x20AC;QG VRPH bigger sponsors who want to share our values,â&#x20AC;? says Beer.

Introducing newcomers to the elite tournaments, Eriksson adds, will mean addressing any potential gap in quality. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We now have seven members in Africa,â&#x20AC;? he says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;and I think theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ready to enter the championships. We hope that our strategies to aid development will help these members to grow.â&#x20AC;?

One aspect of the IFFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strategy WR OHYHO WKH SOD\LQJ Ă&#x20AC;HOG LV LWV Âś(DFK One Teach Oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; project. Launched in 2014, it encourages cooperation between member associations, enabling neighbouring countries to learn from one another. Malaysian referees, for example, have been invited to work in Singapore, and a clinic has been held twice a year to develop refereeing best practice and initiate projects to ensure long-term development and education of referees and players.

Floorballâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s organisers believe that the sport will ultimately succeed in JURZLQJ LWV SURĂ&#x20AC;OH EHFDXVH RI LWV accessibility, its speed and its drama. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need as many materials as, say, ice hockey,â&#x20AC;? says Beer. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just a stick and ball and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ready to go. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That means itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s open to all, it can be played anywhere, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fast and dynamic. You can have pressure at one end for one minute and then you score a goal three seconds later â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exist in a lot of other sports.â&#x20AC;?

SportsPro Magazine | 79

FEATURE BASKETBALL

RUNNING THE COURT Genius Sportsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; partnership with global basketball governing body Fiba began with a near-chance encounter a decade ago. Since then, the collaboration has tracked rapid changes for both parties and expanded to deliver on a proliferating array of data and organisational ambitions.

By Tom Bassam

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

T

he partnership with FIBA has been there a long time, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been the foundation of what we do.â&#x20AC;?

In the context of a business relationship â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;foundationalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; usually sounds like an overly generous platitude but in this instance Ben Turner, the head of partnerships at Genius Sports, should be believed.

Sparked by a chance introduction 14 years ago, the passion of a small Melbourne-based company and the open-minded approach of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) have produced impressive results from their long-running partnership. Genius is now a

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multinational sports industry group with more than 1,000 staff in 20 locations worldwide and, under FIBAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s forward-facing approach, basketball has grown into a well-run global sport that recently doubled its Olympic presence with the addition of 3x3 for Tokyo 2020.

It is a relationship that began almost coincidentally in 2004 when FIBA Oceania, the confederation that oversees Australia, New Zealand DQG WKH 3DFLĂ&#x20AC; F ,VODQGV Ă&#x20AC; UVW HQOLVWHG the services of Genius Sportsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; predecessor, SportingPulse. At a tournament in Fiji, an early version of what is now FIBA Organizer caught the attention of Zoran

Genius Sportsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; products are helping to manage the growth and delivery of Fiba events in basketballâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emerging shortformat variant, 3x3

Radovic, the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development director. Radovic decided this tool was something FIBA needed to offer to all of its member federations in order to help them manage players, FRDFKHV RIĂ&#x20AC; FLDOV DQG FRPSHWLWLRQV Thus, the collaboration was born.

After four years of successful cooperation, in 2008 FIBA decided it needed to centralise its data and again turned to SportingPulse for a solution. Over 18 months together they developed what would become FIBA LiveStats, an ever-growing tool that collects and presents the kind of in-game statistics that make up so much of the modern discourse around basketball. The

SportingPulse model meant that platform was made accessible for even the smallest nations in the body’s membership, with different federations able to choose what products best suited its needs.

“From the Anguillan federation, a small federation in South America, up to the Spanish basketball league, the tools have applicability for any level federation or size of competition,” explains Turner. “After the initial rollout with a smaller number of federations over seven years the software is now used by 235 leagues in more than 100 countries.”

When FIBA made the bold move

to bring the 3x3 format under its umbrella with various trials from 2007 to 2009, SportingPulse jumped on board with that idea, too. Alex Sanchez, the FIBA 3x3 managing director, hails the company for its work with the small-sided game since its inception and describing the partnership DQ LGHDO À W ZLWK WKH 2O\PSLF newcomer’s ‘millennial’ approach.

In 2016, following a twoyear commercial relationship, a merger with Betgenius – a UKbased technology provider to the regulated betting industry – saw the creation of Genius Sports in its current form.

For Turner, it is clear that Genius Sports would never have reached this stage without what he describes as the best international sporting federation providing a template for its working relationships. “The SportingPulse team, the original Australia-based team, were big basketball fans, they had a real passion for the sport and that made working with FIBA very exciting and a great project to work on,” he says.

“They’re a small organisation compared to lots of other and they GHÀ QLWHO\ EDW DERYH WKHLU DYHUDJH “The way we’ve gone about managing that partnership and working together with FIBA has been central to the success of Genius Sports’ client-central approach. [We are about] making the client or the partner the centre of what we do, working out what’s best for them and how we achieve what they need to achieve in its own context. It’s been a foundational partnership.

“Nick Maywald – the founder of SportingPulse – and the philosophies that he drove home about looking after the partner, working together side-by-side and going above and beyond, is something that we’ve built into the organisation, it’s become part of the culture. We go over and above for our partners and deliver outstanding results that make them look great. When fans are engaged, when fans are happy, [then] AFC,

Genius Sports head of partnerships Ben Turner with FIBA 3x3 managing director Alex Sanchez

Lega B and FIBA – they’re happy as clients. Our whole aim is to get them excited and love what we do.

“The thing about the FIBA partnership is that it gave us a lot of experience about working across borders. Being an Australia or UKbased company, it’s very easy – well, comfortable – to operate working in your own markets.

“What FIBA did is it drew us out of our comfort zone and then we had to work across markets, where (QJOLVK ZDV QRW WKH À UVW ODQJXDJH or not spoken at all. It meant we had to adapt our working practices and our technology to cater for different languages and users, as well as different fans. What fans want in the UK is very different to what fans want in Asia.

“So that knowledge and approach we learned from FIBA has really helped us to pitch and to win contracts with the Asian Football Confederation, Lega B and other leagues and other federations around the world.” :KLOVW WKH EHQHÀ WV RI WKH partnership for Genius are immediately obvious, the impact for FIBA lies in the small details.

Basketball’s informality is what makes it one of the world’s most popular sports in terms of participation but LV DOVR ZKDW FDQ PDNH LW VR GLIÀ FXOW to manage. For FIBA, having a partner who is willing to provide free organisational software to national federations, many of which would have had no way of affording such a robust tool under their own auspices, gives the body incredible insight into how to manage its game and ultimately how to monetise it through tie-ins with the gambling industry, amongst others.

SportsPro Magazine | 81

FEATURE BASKETBALL

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The agreement between Genius Sports and the federations and leagues is such that the tool is free of charge,â&#x20AC;? explains Florian Wanninger, director of the International Basketball Foundation (IBF), FIBAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s social, educational and legacy arm. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The servicing of that was very important to us because in many cases federations and leagues are not in a position to spend a lot of money on development of those tools. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In return, the federations and leagues sign an agreement to monetise the data globally.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actually turning a headache â&#x20AC;&#x201C; tapping into development of software â&#x20AC;&#x201C; into a controlled situation and a commercial opportunity situation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Genius Sports offer various services to our members, the leagues and federations, including building simple websites. The tool itself already offers an interface to a website or social media so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very much up to the federation and league on how they want to use it.â&#x20AC;?

A prime example is Argentina, a proud basketball nation which won a menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Olympic gold medal in 2004. The Argentine Basketball Confederation (ADC) saw an incredible rise in fan engagement in its domestic La Liga as a result of the tailored partnership they signed with Genius in 2015. The

82 | www.sportspromedia.com

The LiveStats GameCentre is a platform which allows fans to track in-game statistics

At a time where the international basketball calendar is being restructured, Genius Sports is helping Fiba to organise its event schedules and draws

ADC was provided with FIBA Organizer, FIBA LiveStats and a real-time distribution capability platform, as well as educational workshops for La Ligaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s administrators and statisticians.

7KH QXPEHU RI Ă&#x20AC; UVW WLPH visitors to La Ligaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s LiveStats GameCentres, the platformâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s live match stats tracker, rose more than 25 per cent from its debut year to its second and it has received nearly ten per cent of all visits globally. For Juan Diego GarcĂ­a Squetino, ADCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marketing and sponsorship director, the tools have enabled him to position the league differently in the international market.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;[FIBA LiveStats] is friendly system for all fans,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;An easy system to use and generate good reading data. A great leap in the quality of La Liga and the professionalisation of the statistical system,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our job is strengthen the product of the Argentina National Basketball League to become a larger and more international brand. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the entertainment business industry we must make decisions for the constant search for better economic results and interactions with our fans, and technology is essential to making good decisions.

The data provided by technology helps us make good decisions in the business thinking about the longterm strategic planning of La Liga. ´>),%$ /LYH6WDWV@ EHQHĂ&#x20AC; WV WKH organisation and all the components of the game, generating greater interactions with the fans. This partnership has had a direct impact on positioning the league as a benchmark in Latin America.â&#x20AC;?

Whilst the management of the game within its membership LV LQWHJUDO WR ),%$ LWV Ă DJVKLS SURGXFW LQ WKH Ă&#x20AC; YH PDQ JDPH LV international competition. The Euroleague is challenging but the Olympics, the FIBA World Cup, Eurobasket and the other regional tournaments are the closest that basketball played outside of the National Basketball Association (NBA) gets to a pinnacle.

FIBAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent decision to revamp LWV TXDOLĂ&#x20AC;FDWLRQ IRU WKH :RUOG &XS and make it an event in its own right was designed to give greater exposure to national team competition.

Organised regionally and played over six windows across a two-year SHULRG WKH QHZO\ ODXQFKHG TXDOLĂ&#x20AC;HUV feature home and away ties, with the idea being to engage more fans in their national team. It has not come without its controversies, with FIBA and the continental club powerhouse Euroleague at loggerheads over the release of players to their national teams.

Wanninger and his colleagues are hoping the quality of FIBAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s product, assisted by Genius tools and support systems, will see it capture the public imagination. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We launched FIBA Live Stats in 2008 and since then we were using those tools in RXU RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDO FRPSHWLWLRQV Âľ KH says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;World Championships, European champions and the youth categories. The biggest challenge was with the World Cup TXDOLĂ&#x20AC;FDWLRQ V\VWHP â&#x20AC;&#x153;The national teams, one of the strongest products and team sport has, was exposed only for a limited time. Most of the time in the summer, when people are at the beach. We had WR Ă&#x20AC;QG D ZD\ ZKHUH QDWLRQDO WHDPV were exposed more often. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now, we are currently running the biggest centrally managed sports competition in the world.

We do everything, including the television and the live stats. As you can imagine, that is an incredibly complex project. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It has to be extremely reliable when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re playing in 80 countries DFURVV Ă&#x20AC;YH WLPH ]RQHV \RX KDYH to have 24-hour-a-day support for that. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where Genius Sports comes into play. They gave us the tools, the roll-out, the training of the statisticians and the servicing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Then itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a branding issue.

So someone watching on TV, or online, all over the world sees the same thing and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really important for us.â&#x20AC;?

Running one format of a sport is a challenge in itself but the rise

The influence of Genius Sports has driven interest in Argentinian league basketball to new levels

of 3x3 and FIBAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading role LQ WKDW UHTXLUHV IXUWKHU Ă H[LELOLW\ in its central partnership. As the sport continues to grow in popularity the models for data and commercialisation that DSSO\ WR WKH Ă&#x20AC;YH PDQ JDPH QHHG retooling for the half-court, rapid-paced version. Sanchez, the man in charge of overseeing that process, knows the value of what he has with Genius. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Genius Sports have a deep knowledge of the sports industry, mainly with sports management software and data commercialisation. We are very grateful for their advice over the years; a recent example being their feedback during the process to GHYHORS D [ VSHFLĂ&#x20AC;F VXLWH RI VWDWV for 3x3 that will be launched this year,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are several studies proving that the packaging of data for fans and the broader public, as well as commercialisation of such data, increases the awareness of a sport. The latter is of particular relevance for 3x3 being a newcomer to the Olympics. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Today, 3x3 is a bonsai as we are VWLOO WZR \HDUV DZD\ IURP RXU Ă&#x20AC;UVW Olympics; however, we have the potential to become a sequoia by 2028. Partners like Genius Sports

will help us in this quest.â&#x20AC;?

Turner provides further insight into why the game is rife for commercialisation via the gambling industry: â&#x20AC;&#x153;From its early days, Genius saw 3x3 as a great opportunity from a betting perspective to be an attractive product. Because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fast, because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s engaging people are taking great advantage of the technology, providing live pictures or live streams at events so thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great deal of visibility around it. Which EUHHG FRQĂ&#x20AC;GHQFH RQ WKH SDUW RI sport betting operators to make those markets available. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We seem the game growing towards 2020 and beyond where we can continue to build scale and more content around 3x3 from a betting perspective so we can commercialise that aspect for FIBA.â&#x20AC;?

As FIBA juggles growing domestic basketball alongside its IHGHUDWLRQV UDLVLQJ WKH SURĂ&#x20AC;OH RI national team competition and nurturing the nascent 3x3 format it appears to be a vital time for its partnership with Genius. With the amount of goodwill on both sides and the knowledge learned from 14 years of collaboration, they look capable of taking global basketball to another level over the next few years. Solid foundations, indeed.

SportsPro Magazine | 83

FEATURE DATA

DATA POINTS Technology is giving rise to an unprecedented range of experiences for the sports fan but it is also creating new points of contact to give rights holders, and their partners, a better image of their supporters than ever before. The Sports Consultancy gathered a handful of its key clients in London in March to discuss how to gather and use data to deliver ever better relationships.

By Eoin Connolly. Photographs by Graham Fudger.

What’s your data relationship with your fans? What are your key points of contact for gathering data?

GO: We use data to drive client solutions.

We come at it from a content intelligence perspective. I think there are other datagathering sources that we are now getting more and more involved in – looking at tickets, building CRM, how rights holders use content and marketing for their partners and themselves. If you’ve got international expansion plans, and if you’re looking at new events in new markets, how do you work with your partners? You obviously want to have access to the fanbase so we’re starting to look at how purposed content can serve to help gather that data, create interventions and calls to action such as driving trial, subscriptions or transactions.

We’ve built a data analytics tool within our business which is a content intelligence tool, which allows us to look at fan segmentation and, again, look at other inputs from rights holders to form a wider strategy. So I think we’re only one part of the equation but an important part – video and content continues to be a really important part of how rights holders engage with fanbases not just domestically but internationally. So that’s really where it sits in our business.

AB: From our perspective, it’s about data and analytics allowing our clients to optimise revenues by using data to make more intelligent, strategic business decisions. And we use that across every aspect of our business from our venueplanning business – which cumulatively has about 1,000 years’ worth of trading

84 | www.sportspromedia.com

B

C

E

D

F

A

The panel A Gregg Oldfield (GO), Chief Executive, Engage Sports Media B Robert Datnow (RD), Managing Director and Co-Founder, The Sports Consultancy C Ali Russell (AR), Director of Media and New Business, Formula E Holdings D Angus Buchanan (AB), Managing Director and Co-Founder, The Sports Consultancy E Juliet Slot (JS), Chief Commercial Officer, Ascot Racecourse F Tracey Greaves (TG), Chief Commercial Officer, The Goodwood Group

data for UK sports venues, which we then use to allow new clients to understand what sort of facilities to put in the mix to make sure that sports facilities are going to be successful in the long run – through to our economic impact and host city selections for major events, where we’re using primary research and data to inform the host city and government clients on the sorts of events that they should be attracting to market.

Within the rights marketing business, it’s about helping our clients on the

rights holder side understand who their audience is and what their consumer preferences are to allow us to then more effectively target sponsors, and make really good sponsorship propositions based on audiences and fan and consumer behaviour. So for us it’s about taking the data and creating value-added insight from that data to inform our consultancy and our rights marketing services.

TG: From a Goodwood perspective, as I’m sure for every business, data is the

most valuable asset weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got. I think in terms of how we gather that data, we go through all the traditional routes: guests to the Estate, subscriptions, My Goodwood, Wi-Fi, etc. We have worked hard on building a digital audience of 150 million and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re now looking at how we drive those people back to our platforms so that we can own that data and obviously tailor the communications going to them.

JS: Ascot is pretty similar to Goodwood in that respect. We only have a racecourse â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a whole estate â&#x20AC;&#x201C; so our customer focus is primarily around the racegoers. Our core data source is ticket information and we use it voraciously to examine and understand all the customers XVLQJ FDPSDLJQ SURĂ&#x20AC; OLQJ DQG WKDW WKHQ informs our marketing. We use content marketing in terms of how we engage customers and encourage them to buy tickets and to come to our various events.

As Tracey says, content is absolutely vital. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve just hired a head of content to UHDOO\ Ă&#x20AC; QG WKDW ULJKW EDODQFH EHWZHHQ WU\LQJ to engage and get people involved in your brand, and to feel a part of your journey and your narrative, but also to get them to buy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; because ultimately thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what we want: itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just about getting some really nice stories out there, we are a venue which needs customers.

In terms of how it works for our sponsors, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s absolutely vital. We share a lot of information per race day, per enclosure, who comes, what the dynamics are, what the demographics are, enabled by data from our customers. One of our main challenges, however, is that we only know the data from the ticket purchases.

We have a large percentage of our audience as groups. About 30 per cent is the group market and we only have information from the ticket purchaser, so weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re using a lot of social media and different channels to try and engage around the group to get them to share their data with us so that we can engage with them. We try and have an exchange with our consumers.

AR: I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great because weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all in racing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they may be different formats but theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all racing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and I think whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so interesting is that data is king. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a true believer in that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to know your customer, and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got your primary data sources which are ticketing, website

subscribers, and I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fairly standard across all of the rights holders.

But as we develop, content is so important to all of our businesses, and content gives us an opportunity to cross the barrier between someone who comes to an event, feels an event, buys at an event, and somebody who is at home watching an event. Content allows us to have a 365, always-on strategy, and I think what PDNHV LW LQWHUHVWLQJ LV SURĂ&#x20AC; OLQJ WKH FRQWHQW AB: Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about your ability to personalise the fan experience through the use of data and insight. We still often look to the States for really advanced data-driven marketing through insight â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and the NHL franchise Tampa Bay Lightning were using some more advanced forms of AI and facial recognition. They have been doing some extraordinary things in the stadium. They were conducting some in-game polling on sponsor promotions to work out which was most popular, then they were looking at facial recognition to see which sponsor promotions in-game were working out to be most popular, fans were personalising the content that went on the replay screens, and then the really smart thing was the extent to which they were using that insight to inform and grow incremental revenue.

They were allowing fans to express their music choices by accessing the captured music choices on their mobile phones. The fans were able to play music in the stadium, and they were then able to use that insight to programme their entertainment for the forthcoming season and also make ticket promotions to the fans for season ticket renewals. So you just think, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s such a virtuous circle: youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re using your marketing to enhance

Both Tracey Greaves and Juliet Slot are encouraged by the possibilities data holds for creating better tailored fan experiences on behalf of partners

your incremental revenues, but also your sponsors are then attached to that data and that marketing to enhance their overall connection to the fans.

How do you set the ground rules in terms of your relationship with fans and how you use their data?

GO: From our point of view, as an agency, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re advising clients that we work with to have an audit, where you look at how you are capturing data. With the changes coming in around opting in, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about making sure that you are compliant in terms of how you manage that data, how you store that data and then ultimately how you use it. From our point of view, even from a content point of view, we have email lists and databases and UGCs, so thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a huge amount of content that sits outside of just the content thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s communicated from the rights holder and from the brand out to the fans because the fans are effectively also creators. So in a way, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an interesting exchange to look at â&#x20AC;&#x201C; if theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re starting to share data or content themselves, they have to have an engagement point for exchanging data.

AR: I think the point for all of our organisations is the ability to bespoke content and communication based on the needs of the customer. I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s absolutely key and I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where sport is probably winning, because it does have that emotional attachment.

The number of channels that you support now and the type of content that you bespoke for those channels is YHU\ VSHFLĂ&#x20AC; F ,W¡V IUDJPHQWHG EXW ZKDW LW allows you to do is build a much longerlasting relationship, because what you do is you change content. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not about

SportsPro Magazine | 85

FEATURE DATA

UHFXWWLQJ VRPH RI LW LV VKRW VSHFLĂ&#x20AC;FDOO\ for mobile platforms, in a tonality which LV VSHFLĂ&#x20AC;F IRU WKDW FOLHQWHOH DQG WKDW customer demographic.

TG: Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re putting the power in the customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; hands. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to think weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always done that and allowed people to tell us what they want to tell us, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve posed the question. So an example would be: tell us the make and model of your car â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and 85 per cent of all customers coming to a motorsport event have been doing that.

Now, that is optional, but then in doing it, from a reward and recognition point of view, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re able to work with our partners to use that data in a way that allows the customer to receive an exclusive experience â&#x20AC;&#x153;just for meâ&#x20AC;?. And then for the partner, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m delivering them an audience because I can actually tell you that this is the make and model of their car.

So I think we can use it in a really intelligent way. One of the biggest risks as rights holders is around social platforms and, actually, how you draw those people from those social platforms back to your own website or platform to enable you to really start to build a picture of the person that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re talking to. And with the changing dynamics, particularly around Facebook at the moment, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all being held slightly to

UDQVRP VR ZH¡YH JRW WR Ă&#x20AC;QG RXU RZQ way of incentivising those audiences to want to talk to Goodwood directly.

Otherwise, potentially, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re shutting off a conversation that you just canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get through another way.

Another thing that could come from this is that fans and consumers more widely are going to become conscious of their data as a commodity that they can trade. How ready do you need to be to give them something tangible in exchange?

JS: I welcome GDPR, because I only want to communicate with people who want to be communicated with.

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing worse for your brand than people getting a lot of emails and just deleting them. So, ironically, even though itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be a lot of work â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going through a voracious, detailed process at the moment to ensure that we will be compliant â&#x20AC;&#x201C; where we will actually end up will be really positive.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a value exchange. Those sorts of things where youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really understanding the consumer journey and how they want to relate to your brand, and how you can affect and improve that, I think are as important as offering deals on tickets.

Datnow argues that by listening to what fans are sharing about their interests online, rights holders and sponsors can make surprising connections

RD: I think GDPR will stimulate rights holders to make sure that the data they hold is is relevant; kept up to date; and used for a legitimate purpose that is aligned to what the fan wants. ,QIRUPHG FRQVHQW KDV D VSHFLĂ&#x20AC;F PHDQLQJ and if the data that is held is irrelevant or out of date, and fan preferences are changing, the rights holder ought to know about that and the fan can now LQĂ XHQFH WKDW , WKLQN LW ZLOO SURPRWH D much more cohesive relationship between fan and rights holder. I think the EHQHĂ&#x20AC;WV ZLOO EH WKDW ULJKWV KROGHUV ZLOO be required to understand their fans and their changing preferences over time much better. You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t guarantee that somebody who is 25 who drives a particular car or likes a particular event or wants their data used for a particular purpose will continue to like or want those things in Ă&#x20AC;YH RU WHQ \HDUV¡ WLPH LW ZLOO VKRUWO\ EH incumbent on the data processor, to keep that particular type of information up to date.

It will mean that for the brands, the hosts, the F&B sellers, the merchandisers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that whole ecosystem of stakeholders that interact with the fan â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it will hopefully be a virtuous circle, because the content will become more bespoke, the merchandising will be more directed at particular segments of the fans. Maybe thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an intended or an unintended consequence of GDPR, but I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good news.

AB: With fairly stringent penalties if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not getting it right weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve found clients with a wide range of responses.

One clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been emailing us â&#x20AC;&#x201C; probably rightly, but with a strict interpretation of the legislation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to ask us whether we should remain on their mailing database.

This is a client that we deal with on a daily basis. But weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also doing a secret shopper service for some of our clients where weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going through the ticketbuying journey, clicking all of the consents or opt-ins or opt-outs, and then seeing what comes by the way of marketing information afterwards. :H DUH Ă&#x20AC;QGLQJ WKDW VRPH RI RXU FOLHQWV have quite a long way to go before theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ready, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just this juncture between the communication between them as the ticket seller and the marketing teams.

And clearly, there is work to be done, which could and should be a little bit alarming unless thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resolved by May.

86 | www.sportspromedia.com

This obviously has implications for the work youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing with partners, but how would you generally construct a relationship when it comes to data to serve that sponsorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s need as well as your own?

TG: As a rights holder, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re never in a situation where we are sharing customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; GDWD :KDW WKH\¡UH EX\LQJ LV WKH SURĂ&#x20AC;OH RI the customer that you have, both physical and digital, and our job as the rights holder is to give them creative solutions as to how they could activate their presence at an event in the best possible way that will draw that audience to them, and actually for the FXVWRPHU WR VHH WKDW WKHUH¡V DQ DEVROXWH Ă&#x20AC;W about why that particular brand is there and why thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s useful to them.

I think that we, as luxury brands, have all built loyalty with our customer base, and I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really important.

That trust is absolutely everything, and if you break that once then in this day and age that relationship is gone. So certainly, their data is secure â&#x20AC;&#x201C; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just how we use the essence of it to drive partnerships.

JS: Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got one partner where we actually emailed a group of customers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not very many, about 2,000 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; inviting them to experiences where we were only having 20 of those customers join their event. Customers had chosen to come because it was something that they were eager to learn and know about, wrapped up within the raceday itself. And itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worked brilliantly: the brands are really excited because theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re saying, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Well, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had a high proportion of people out of that who are potentially going to be real customers for XV LQ WKH ORQJ WHUP ¡ 1RUPDOO\ Ă&#x20AC;QGLQJ QHZ customers is much, much harder to do.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to create case studies to show other potential brands that this is actually much more sophisticated and a better way for them to try and activate, rather than saying, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Can we send an email out to your database?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; We just say no, we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do that.

GO: Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about data and then creativity. ,W¡V UHDOO\ DERXW Ă&#x20AC;QGLQJ WKH FUHDWLYH solutions. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think people call them sponsors anymore, it is partners, and people want long-term relationships. So KRZ GRHV D ULJKWV KROGHU¡V EUDQG Ă&#x20AC;W ZLWK D partnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brand?

Proper management and analysis of data can help better understand the movements of fans on matchdays, leading to improved experiences and partnerships

Ultimately, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about understanding both the data and the KPIs: what are you trying to achieve and what assets can the rights holders use to package it as a digital content and integrated solution. And having it on-event and off-event, because most of the time if you have 30 to 40 days of on-event activity, the rest of the year you have still have to communicate with those fans. In fact, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what brands want. They want to be able to communicate frequently and have that relationship all year round.

Remember, having data and creativity also allows you to constantly adapt and evolve the relationship as it changes throughout the lifetime of the partnership.

TG: Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right. I think the landscape of sponsorship has changed and it is partnership, but youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re helping brands understand that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re no longer partnering with an event. Actually, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re having an opportunity to engage with that audience all year round; our job is to help them understand how they go about telling their story 12 months of the year, not for the event. So Goodwood now becomes a media house; it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t an event that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sponsoring.

AR: Which is a huge change, isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it? I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the digital age. But when it comes to partner acquisition and making sure youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got the right partner, from a sponsorship point of view, traditionally â&#x20AC;&#x201C; my background is rugby and football and multi-sport, and even sponsoring from the other side in terms of FMCG, and

I think weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve all had to be a lot more disciplined moving forward to make sure that we have the right brands involved, and that you are turning down certain brands WKDW DUHQ¡W DSSURSULDWH WKDW GRQ¡W Ă&#x20AC;W JS: I think the other thing that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve found more and more is that our family of partners have begun to work together, because theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not competing as theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in different categories. But theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve just been able to do things together to create opportunities that are actually even better, with the combination of the two of them working together for our customers versus them all doing separate things on their own. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve really tried to encourage that: we have a sponsorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; club meeting and lots of events with the sponsors together so that they can then start talking to each other and come up with ideas.

We had an event yesterday where we launched our style guide; Cunard are sponsoring that and two of the other brands were there and they started talking about how they could do an activation together. I sit there just listening and thinking, this would be fantastic, because I know it would be a real value-add to our customers. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ultimately what we really care about.

AB: Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exactly what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re selling now. Logo impressions is probably a relatively crude tool for sponsorship and, especially in the digital age, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much more a ticket to access engaging content and an audience and then using it in a really

SportsPro Magazine | 87

FEATURE DATA

experience. They need to have more relevance. They need to have more data.

And thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where OTT gives us a far richer viewing experience.

agile way. Clearly, while to an extent this is changing, it actually goes back to the old best practice principles of sponsorship, which is that the brand should always be looking to enhance the spectatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experience of the sport and adding something, rather than simply riding the exposure.

And I think what we have now is a unique, game-changing opportunity to do that. Certainly, the way in which when weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going about structuring a sponsorship proposition for a rights holder, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re increasingly trying to work off the data and the content â&#x20AC;&#x201C; hence the relationship with Engage â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and then trying to bring brandsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; content and engagement as part of the sponsorship rather than simply logo impressions.

JS: One of the things thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really interesting is that back in the day, when we were selling sponsorship, it was really hard for sponsors to judge it so they used the media value of their brand and their logo to judge. I always used to say: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not just badging. If thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the relationship that you want then weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re never going to compete with football, but what we can do is give you a different opportunity.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; But now, with the onset of digital, we can genuinely give some really strong metrics, which is so useful and helpful for brands when they evaluate. We make commitments: if you do this, we will guarantee a minimum impression or engagement. That then is much more helpful to those brands in making that decision as to whether to invest or not.

88 | www.sportspromedia.com

Another thing to consider is that if you have a partnership that goes two years now â&#x20AC;&#x201C; never mind three or five or six years â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the points of contact in the digital space will change so dramatically. How do you build the right level of flexibility into a partnership to not just get through that change but exploit it to mutual benefit?

AR: The DNA of Formula E is about being transparent, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about behind the scenes coverage at all points. We try to give the consumer as much information as the teams have, so the teamsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; data in terms of speed, in terms of energy levels, the fan gets that at the same time as the teams get that. So what you have is teams making decisions based on the same information that the fans get themselves. So I think what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve created is something which is a far more immersive experience than you would get certainly at a motorsport event. Quite a lot of the events that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been involved in, we try to take away DQ\ Ă&#x20AC;OWHU DW DOO DQG KDYH DQ DXWKHQWLF real experience thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aimed at a family audience. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really where I think our digital experience is going at the event.

At home, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re using a variety of OTT solutions that complement our broadcast rights. For us in broadcast, because weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a new sport, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very, very important that we get free-to-air and we give people an opportunity to see and view our product, but we also think that for those heavy users and those users that become fans, they need a more immersive

OldďŹ eld and Buchanan suggest that data can be used to help derive creative solutions for partners and ďŹ nd further value

RD: I was thinking about the Olympic Channel in this context and about the JDS WKDW WKH FKDQQHO ZDV WU\LQJ WR Ă&#x20AC;OO WKDW EURDGFDVWHUV ZHUHQ¡W DOUHDG\ Ă&#x20AC;OOLQJ DQG content that fans couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t already access.

I think what is becoming clear from the one billion hits that the Olympic Channel has already had, I understand, and the data that can be harvested â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for example that 70 per cent of individuals using the Olympic Channel are under 35 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is that there is a particular demographic that wants to access archive content, non-live content, and other particular types of content like the magazine content â&#x20AC;&#x201C; behind the scenes, in the dressing room, the lifestyle; the segmented content that VSHDNV WR VSHFLĂ&#x20AC;F JURXSV RI KDUG WR UHDFK individuals. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s this data-driven segmented approach that resonates with the brands who want to reach those individuals.

So I think the app technology, and the digital and OTT technology which is now coming, would again provoke positive behaviour. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s understood about budget constraints but I think, again, with the technology and the ability to interact, that the potential to enhance the sponsor value, the fan experience and then the hosting experience should be a virtuous circle.

I think that there are two other behaviours which are emerging from our observations. I think the quality and depth of data that we are now able to access through scraping data from Facebook and social media channels, to throw a net over an event and be able to hear virtually what people are talking about â&#x20AC;&#x201C; are they talking about fashion, or diet or health, or travel â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and then being able to extract that data and analyse it and just be smart about its application and ask the pertinent questions? Are there categories of sponsorship that we havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really thought about? Is there particular content that we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite realise the majority of our fans are actually interested in? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one area I think is changing quite rapidly. People are pretty vocal and social and we can access that information and sort of eavesdrop into peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s semi-public conversations.

The second thing which is changing is user-generated content. My sense is

participative. Esports, for us, is allowing fans to drive against real drivers, and ultimately our vision is to have real-time gaming â&#x20AC;&#x201C; so youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be able to drive against real drivers, in real time, from the comfort of your home, from the bus that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in, even from the plane that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on using Wi-Fi. I think that digital age allows us to have far more of an immersive experience than sport has traditionally been able to provide outside of the live experience.

that there used to be quite an aversion from the rights holderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perspective to breaching exclusivities with broadcasters, treading on toes, and the lack of control over the event messaging. All of that stuff used to be limited by ticketing terms and conditions, but now there seems to be a realisation that, actually, WKHUH¡V D VLJQLĂ&#x20AC;FDQW QHW EHQHĂ&#x20AC;W DOO URXQG in fans generating and posting their own complementary content, capturing authentic moments that the broadcaster canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t capture, behind-the-scenes moments, DQG UHDO OLIH DW WKH HYHQW XQ Ă&#x20AC;OWHUHG

JS: In a slightly different context and not so much aimed at a young audience, but at a new audience, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re working with our Chinese broadcaster, Sina, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve created a live screening event of Royal Ascot in Beijing. So for those people who canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come over, they go to an event and they wear Royal Enclosure dress code, they have a fashion show and dinner; bettingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not allowed in China but they all get tokens for horses in a race and whoever wins gets prizes.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trying to use the OTT platform to create a live event in a different market, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something that we really want to build upon now because helping us to take our brand into new audiences â&#x20AC;&#x201C; whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s younger or new audiences â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come to you so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bringing yourself to them. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really excited by this concept of creating a Royal Ascot moment in other markets.

AB: Well thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what a younger generation wants from its consumption of sports content, and that is the demographic timebomb for most sports. The average age of a Premier League fan is 41. Then you get into most of the major ball sports and you get into the late 40s and early 50s for the average age.

TG: But I think for brands, equally, if you can come up with a user-generated content experience that connects a brand to that, people love sharing. Going on Instagram and being able to set up an Instagram Story, being able to set up a gallery, people feeling like theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re part of the event, and that is connected to someone like MasterCard in some way, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fantastic for them. Connecting an audience to a brand that will traditionally Ă&#x20AC;QG LW TXLWH GLIĂ&#x20AC;FXOW WR JHW FXW WKURXJK ZH call that â&#x20AC;&#x153;borrowing our coolâ&#x20AC;?. UGC is perfect for them to activate.

AR: Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about participation now.

Gone are the days when it was a passive experience watching sport, sitting in front of a screen and just watching it. Now everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got a screen on â&#x20AC;&#x201C; weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got screens on in here â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that relationship.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve created Fan Boost, where you vote for your favourite three drivers. It may not sound like a sporting context but the most popular drivers get a Fan Boost to allow them to overtake or defend on a motorsport manoeuvre. Now, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very, very new to sport but it will change, that sort of involvement will change, and that is probably going to be more prevalent in sport than itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ever been.

We see the opportunity, particularly as a new sport, as to create a different type of sport experience, which is far more entertainment-based and far more

All of these ambitions will lead to bringing together a lot of big data sets. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the work thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to have to go into the next few years to get all of those things to talk to each other?

Russell argues that sport should encourage a more â&#x20AC;&#x153;participativeâ&#x20AC;? approach to content and data

JS: I would say, from our point of view, we need to have the different capabilities within the business working incredibly closely together. IT, digital, marketing, broadcast

and operational teams need to work very, closely together to see what best practice we can apply â&#x20AC;&#x201C; within our budget constraints but within the opportunity for building and taking forward the customer experience and not falling behind. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really, really hard to keep up now but youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to pick a few things and do them well because that is more powerful for consumers.

Our customers come back one and a half times a year as an average attendance. So I have to remember that.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m living it every day but they come back one and a half times a year, so they may come for two days of a royal meeting and then come back the next year. Incremental improvement in that experience year on year is absolutely noticed and we see that in our research, so we pick a few things to really do well and make an impact.

AR: I think the big point is that thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a huge amount of technology and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about not being driven by technology. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about being driven by customer need and customer opportunity, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s keeping that customer at the core, and then working out from the customer. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re always focused on what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to do as a business and to develop the business. When you get to utopia, utopiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s changed.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been at Formula E since the start DQG ZH VWDUWHG Ă&#x20AC;YH DQG D KDOI \HDUV DJR Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in the middle of season four at the moment. And even if I look at platforms, Facebook wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even housing and streaming video, or certainly not streaming video live at that moment in time. The whole market has changed and it will continue to change. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got Snapchat, what are they going to do next? Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got Instagram growing unbelievably. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got the Chinese and Indian markets, both far more important than theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever been because of the growing middle class, and they have their own platforms.

All I would say is that if you keep focused on the customer, and that customer journey and the customer relationship that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to build, technology actually Ă&#x20AC;WV LQ DQG LV DQ HQDEOHU DQG LW¡V G\QDPLF Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s constantly changing. So I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say that any of us round the table would have the perfect solution because things are changing at such a rate of knots that you just have to be open to ensuring that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing it in such a way that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re focused not on the vanity of technology but actually on it being that enabler.

SportsPro Magazine | 89

MAKING WAVES IN GLOBAL SPORTS SPONSORSHIP The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race has developed a strong pedigree, over more than twenty years and eleven biennial editions, as a powerful and effective platform for the international promotion of tourism and trade with a unique formula for government which is also attracting business.

The bold concept of creating a global mass participation sports challenge, which would also provide a platform for national, regional and city governments to promote their interests around the world, was conceived by sailing legend Sir Robin Knox-Johnston in the early 1990s.

Sir Robin became the first person to sail solo, nonstop, around the planet in 1968-9; his determination and resilience are also legendary and with the assistance of business partner William Ward they established the company in 1995 and held the inaugural global race in 1996. Just under 200 amateur sailors participated in eight identical 60 foot yachts in a challenging circumnavigation.

As a business model income came not only from paying (or sponsored) crew, from all walks of life,

but also from destinations securing the branding and global activation rights to the Clipper Race yachts in addition to hosting the global event. Its financial viability and sustainability is rare in sailing and has enabled continued reinvestment to secure consistent growth and the evolution of innovative partnership opportunities on six continents.

The relationship with China features the longest consecutive partnership with a city: In 2004 Qingdao in Shandong province, on China’s north east coast, signed an agreement which started a remarkable journey leveraging its hosting of sailing competitions in the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games to create a lasting legacy.

The 14-year relationship has positioned Qingdao as China’s Sailing City, helping it to build an annual programme of international sailing regattas, training a new generation of competitive sailors, developing the wider ‘blue’ marine economy and more broadly developing tourism, international trade and cultural exchange.

The Clipper Race was the first fleet to visit the Qingdao Olympic Marina in 2006. In 2018 the third

generation fleet of eleven identical 70 foot ocean racing yachts, owned and operated by the Clipper Race and built in Qingdao in 2012, marked the completion of the Wanda Marina and Yacht Club alongside its big new resort, business and film studio development to the west of the city.

Qingdao is currently in its fourth 2-race partnership with the biennial Clipper Race which extends to 2020. The city of nine-million people is now ranked in the top 15 ‘new first-tier cities’ in China. The marine industry in Qingdao is growing rapidly: In 2017 it exceeded $45 billion USD, an increase of 15.7% over the previous year. It now accounts for more than a quarter of the city’s whole GDP (Source – Qingdao Municipal Bureau of Statistics) Madam Luan Xin, Vice Mayor of the Qingdao Municipal Government and Vice President of the Qingdao Major International Sailing Events (Festivals) Organising Committee stated: “Through our Team partnership with a Qingdao yacht entry, the city brand and profile has been promoted worldwide and the fast growth of China's Sailing City has been witnessed.

“The Clipper Race has become an eagerly anticipated biennial festival and it has also contributed much in providing opportunities to build Qingdao as the leading city of sailing sports in Asia.”

Other cities would like to emulate Qingdao’s success and Sanya on Hainan Island south of Hong Kong has just become the second Chinese partner for the Clipper Race. The race is also developing a broader involvement in the development of sailing in China.

Sanya is taking full advantage of the opportunity to visit major markets on the Clipper Race route including debut host port Punta del Este in Uruguay; both are world class tourist destinations but were little known to each-other. A high-ranking delegation utilised the Clipper Race partner network to arrange high level political and business meetings.

Hosting the Clipper Race has greatly benefited Uruguay. As well as international guests, the city hosted Clipper Race events that drew national representatives, including Liliam Kechichi, Uruguayan Minister for Tourism, and Larissa Perdomo, Country Brand Manager, Uruguay XXI, to engage with Clipper Race business partners and events.

Hosting the Clipper Race also enabled Uruguay to showcase itself as a world class tourism destination capable of holding major sporting events, which impressed a delegation from the World Tourism Organisation [UNWTO] that included Zurab Pololikashvili, who has just been appointed as Secretary General for 2018-2021.

With a population of 3.3 million and a GDP of just under $55bn – roughly 10% of its larger neighbour, Argentina – Uruguay is a relatively small market for trade. But as a stable country with strong institutions, the country performs well on all major transparency and ease of doing business indexes.

Hosting the Clipper Race can also generate millions of dollars of economic impact from crew, supporters, partners, fans, sponsors, organisers and general visitors on accommodation, food, beverage, tourism experiences, souvenirs and travel. Early research commissioned by Culture Liverpool, and conducted by North West Research and Strategy, suggests that the event has already left behind a substantial economic boost to Liverpool and has been responsible for a £7,510,000 boost and a further million pounds of visitor spending retention in the city. The Clipper Race drew some 220,000 visitors to Liverpool during the week-long schedule of festivities at Albert Dock.

The event evaluation report, which monitors the impact of the major events in the cultural programme, looks at recorded activity over and above what would have been expected without the Clipper Race presence. It concludes that in 2017 alone, the Clipper Race drew a higher proportion of visitors coming from elsewhere in the country than any other recent event and attracted nearly double the number of visitors from overseas (10.4 per cent over 5.5 per cent).

The report also gained insights into motivations and key drivers for attendance, visitor expenditure, quality of experience and length of stay. It suggests that 69 per cent of respondents were visiting Liverpool specifically to attend the Clipper Race event and over a third (35.7 per cent) of visitors were on staying trips, with the average stay of three nights, an increase of 15 per cent in staying visitors in comparison to similar events.

Australia is an important source of tourism and trade for many partners and was targeted by Team Partner and Host Port Visit Seattle, from Washington State in the US, which activated with a series of events for leading Australian travel industry representatives.

This included sailing experiences on board the Visit Seattle branded Clipper 70 ocean racing yacht with media, travel trade customers and consumers to create a greater awareness of Seattle as the ‘new’ hot destination for tourism and trade for Australasians supported by media coverage and competitions.

Sponsoring UK cities have continued to benefit from the international spotlight despite the growing global spread of partners. In 2012 the Clipper Race was featured in the UK Government’s GREAT Britain campaign, launched to leverage hosting the Olympic Games in London and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

William Ward OBE, CEO and Co-Founder of the Clipper Race.

This has evolved into a very high profile partnership over the last six years using a GREAT Britain branded race team to showcase the important work the UK is doing around the world in business, tourism, education, sport and prosperity, projecting Britain’s values and opportunities as its GREAT Britain crew races around the world.

Co-Founder and Chief Executive, William Ward, was made an Ambassador for the GREAT Campaign by former UK Prime Minister David Cameron. At the beginning of this year he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen’s 2018 New Year’s Honours List for his services to the economy and to the GREAT Britain campaign. Ward said: “I take enormous pride in the growth the Clipper Race has made since 1995 when my business partner Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and I first set out together.

“The GREAT Britain campaign has always been a fantastic example of how our partners can best utilise the Clipper Race global business platform. Over the past three race editions we’ve partnered with the campaign in fifteen different major international destinations around the world, including London, Rio, Cape Town, Sydney, Beijing, Singapore, Da Nang, Seattle, San Francisco, Panama, New York and many more.

“The GREAT Britain partnership is just one example of hundreds of different business partners and international destinations we’ve worked with over our past twenty-two years. It has been a fantastic journey so far and one which I’ve taken enormous satisfaction in seeing it go from strength to strength, and I remain equally excited to see where it takes us over future decades.”

Contact details Jonathan Levy, Director of Sponsorship Clipper Ventures Plc Granary and Bakery Building Royal Clarence Marina Gosport, PO12 1FX, UK Telephone: +44 (0)2392 526 000 Email: jlevy@clipper-ventures.com www.clipperroundtheworld.com/partnerships

FEATURE SOCCER

UNITED

A joint bid from the United States, Canada and Mexico is the heavy favourite to land hosting rights for the 2026 Fifa World Cup ahead of a rival proposal from Morocco. John Kristick, executive director of the United Bid Committee, outlines the vision and the merits of the North American trio’s unprecedented alliance.

By Michael Long

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John Kristick is the executive director of the United Bid Committee

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Vancouver’s BC Place staged the Fifa Women’s World Cup final in 2015 but the city has withdrawn from the running to be one of Canada’s hosts in 2026

USA 94 set records for World Cup attendances that stand to this day

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The United 2026 bid is making considerable play of the availability of high-end existing venues like Atlanta’s MercedesBenz Stadium

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SportsPro Magazine | 97

FEATURE SOCCER

IN IT TO WIN IT A serial bidder for the Fifa World Cup, Morocco has failed in four previous attempts to land soccer’s illustrious showpiece. With its sights now firmly set on the 2026 edition, the North African nation is out to upset the odds this time.

By Michael Long

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“IF WE ENTERED THE RACE, IT’S BECAUSE WE CAN DELIVER A FANTASTIC WORLD CUP.”

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T

here are underdogs, and then there are rank outsiders. In the race to host the 2026 Fifa World Cup, a bloated tournament that will feature an expanded slate of 48 WHDPV DQG PDWFKHV IRU WKH Ă&#x20AC;UVW time, Morocco is almost certainly the latter.

Having made failed attempts for the 1994, 1998, 2006 and 2010 editions, the North African nation has a track record of failure when it comes to bidding for international soccerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s showpiece occasion.

7KDW WKH FRXQWU\ QRZ Ă&#x20AC;QGV LWVHOI going up against arguably the most formidable of foes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an unprecedented joint proposal from the United States, Canada and Mexico, who together wield considerable commercial might, world class infrastructure and undoubted sporting prowess â&#x20AC;&#x201C; has GRQH OLWWOH WR LQVSLUH FRQĂ&#x20AC;GHQFH that this time will be any different.

On the face of it â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and on paper â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Morocco barely seems to stand a chance. Yet, as the annals of sporting history attest, underdog status often counts for little. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;TOGETHER FOR ONE GOALâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Morocco formally announced its bid last August, when the Royal Moroccan Football Federation )50) FRQĂ&#x20AC;UPHG LWV LQWHQWLRQ to enter the race just hours before a Fifa deadline for expressions of interest. The bid would see the country vie to become only the second in Africa to host a World Cup after South Africa staged the tournament eight years ago.

Moreover, it would ensure a clash of two starkly different bids and cultures, giving rise to an intriguing two-horse race that is being billed as the archetypal David versus Goliath tussle.

Whereas North Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s threepronged United Bid is touting LWV RSHUDWLRQDO FHUWDLQW\ Ă&#x20AC;QDQFLDO allure and a compelling plan to stage matches in vast venues spread across an entire continent, Moroccoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proposal â&#x20AC;&#x201C; promoted under the strapline â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Together For One Goalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is altogether more

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compact, even if it is no less ambitious. A country of 35 million people, whose previous major soccer event hosting experience includes the Fifa Club World Cups of 2013 and 2014, the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations and this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s African Nations Championship, plans to stage matches across 12 cities and 14 stadiums, including nine newly constructed facilities.

Existing venues in Marrakesh, Agadir, Fez, Rabat and Tangier will undergo extensive renovations to ensure they meet Fifa requirements, while three already planned stadiums â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including the National Stadium in Casablanca, a 93,000-seater facility that will host the tournamentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opening match DQG Ă&#x20AC;QDO EHIRUH EHFRPLQJ WKH QHZ home of the Moroccan national team â&#x20AC;&#x201C; will also be used.

Meanwhile six â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Legacy Modular Stadiumsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (LMS) located in Casablanca, Marrakesh, El Jadida, Meknes, Nador and Ouarzazate â&#x20AC;&#x201C; each of which will seat around 46,000 fans â&#x20AC;&#x201C; will be downscaled after the tournament in order to suit the needs of their local communities and boost the eventâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sustainability and legacy credentials. The LMS in Marrakesh, for example, will become a multi-purpose indoor arena, while Ouarzazateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s venue will be remodelled into the headquarters

All matches will be played within a 550km radius of Casablanca

Moulay HaďŹ d Elalamy, Moroccoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s minister for industry, investment, trade and digital economy, and chair of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2026 Fifa World Cup bid

of a soccer development centre.

In stark contrast to the noisy North American effort, which ZDV FRQĂ&#x20AC;UPHG ODVW $SULO GXULQJ a launch event in New York City, Moroccoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s campaign has been decidedly muted and somewhat cloaked in secrecy. Last August the FMRF announced the submission RI LWV FDQGLGDF\ Ă&#x20AC;OH ZLWK OLWWOH fanfare, issuing nothing more than a two-sentence statement that led some, particularly those in the western media, to question the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approach.

Still, preparations gathered noticeable momentum this January after King Mohammed VI, Moroccoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ruler, named Moulay +DĂ&#x20AC;G (ODODP\ WKH FRXQWU\¡V minister for industry, investment, trade and digital economy, as chairman of the bid. Later that month Morocco formally unveiled its bid campaign, logo and senior leadership team at a media event in Casablanca, with Hicham El Amrani, the former secretary general of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), installed as chief executive. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are not concerned with our position, whether we are underdogs or not,â&#x20AC;? El Amrani, who was described by the bid team as bringing â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;commercial, marketing and planning expertise, along with extensive experience of working

within in elite football governance’, told The Independent in March. “We are doing our work because, if we entered the race, it’s because we can deliver a fantastic World Cup.” January also saw the arrival of Vero Communications, the renowned London-based bid strategists who came on board to advise the FMRF and the Morocco 2026 Bid Committee on all aspects of international media and social media communications, helping to craft the overall campaign message and ‘shape the vision of a welcoming, passionate and authentic tournament in one of Africa’s most dynamic nations’.

With Vero’s help, the Moroccan bid has since taken to social media to talk up the merits of its proposal, primarily touting the country’s appealing geographical location – including its relative proximity to most European capital cities and ‘stunning Mediterranean climate’ – as well as its favourable timezone for many major international broadcasters.

Clockwise from top right: Major infrastructure like the 93,000-seater Grand Stade de Casablanca will be complemented by modular venues in cities including Casablanca itself, Nador and Ouarzazate

A US$3 billion budget has been allocated for new or renovated competition and training venues

“Morocco is a truly welcoming country with an authentic passion for football, providing excellent conditions for players, easy for fans to access and get around and all in a single timezone,” said Mike Lee, Vero’s chairman, in a statement issued at the time of the company’s appointment. “Its location at the crossroads of Europe and Africa, and East and West, means it also offers Fifa a superb commercial proposition.”

He added: “This promises to be a very interesting campaign as a country from Africa seeks the honour to host the most important footballing event on the planet.”

As well as developing match venues, Morocco plans to build 130 training grounds for what will be the largest World Cup ever staged. Its infrastructural investments also include upgraded hospital services in 20 cities, improved transportation networks, and new hotels offering around 30,000 additional rooms. All told, the country has set out a US$3

billion budget to cover the cost of new or renovated competition and training venues required to stage the tournament, part of an overall budget that will see some US$12.6 billion in public funds and a further US$3.2 billion of private investment spent on infrastructure.

“Morocco is committed to offering players and fans an authentic experience,” said Elalamy, “and our 12 proposed host cities capture not simply the magic, mountains, pristine beaches and centuries old culture of Morocco, but also our modernity, rapidly expanding infrastructure and unique vision to host a tournament of celebratory passion that presents the best of football. The Fifa World Cup 2026 is a national priority for our government and that is why it has guaranteed the required investment in our exciting and innovative stadium plans.”

0RURFFDQ RIÀFLDOV DFNQRZOHGJH that their bid is unable to compete with a North American World Cup in terms of commercial, ticketing

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and hospitality revenue projections.

Nevertheless, there is a sense among Moroccans that their home is better equipped than ever to host the tournament. Above all else, their efforts to convince Fifa of the merits of their bid have focused RQ WKH SRWHQWLDO Ă&#x20AC;QDQFLDO XSVLGH tied to the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s geographical location, which they say will offer more primetime matches in Europe and help to maximise the value of broadcast rights in major markets â&#x20AC;&#x201C; something that could prove hugely attractive for Fifa given the importance of European World Cup TV deals to the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coffers.

The bid team has also highlighted the allure of its single timezone (GMT) and currency, the extent to which soccer is a national pastime in the would-be host country, the limited travel and comparatively simple logistics of staging all matches within a 550km radius from Casablanca, and Moroccoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future infrastructure development plans, including a soon-to-open high-speed rail line. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our hotel capacity has more than doubled since 2003 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we now have 110,000 hotel rooms and we will increase our bed capacity by 70 per cent by 2026,â&#x20AC;? Elalamy has said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All host cities are also all located within an hourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drive of an airport, so players and fans need only focus on the one thing that matters most â&#x20AC;&#x201C; football.â&#x20AC;?

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El Amrani, meanwhile, has pointed out that the Morocco of today â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a politically stable, rapidly modernising and increasingly outward-looking tourist haven â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is far different from the Morocco of 2003, when it last entered a bid for the World Cup. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In terms of SURĂ&#x20AC;WDELOLW\ Âľ KH VDLG VSHDNLQJ WR The Independent, â&#x20AC;&#x153;the World Cup is going to have 16 nations from Europe and nine from Africa that are within the same timezone.

Europe is more than half the world in terms of revenue generation.

And the Middle East is increasingly important.â&#x20AC;?

GAUGING FIFAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MOOD Moroccoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unenviable track record when it comes to World Cup bidding has already seen the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chances written off by many once again, but as the race for 2026 has drawn on there has been D JURZLQJ VHQVH WKDW WKH Ă&#x20AC;QDO YRWH will turn out to be much closer than anticipated.

Though generally deemed to be the long shot, owing to its inferior infrastructure and less appealing FRPPHUFLDO SURĂ&#x20AC;OH 0RURFFR FRXOG \HW EHQHĂ&#x20AC;W IURP FHUWDLQ SROLWLFDO and non-sporting undercurrents WKDW PD\ RU PD\ QRW LQĂ XHQFH WKH outcome. For instance, the United bid hopes are believed to have been dented in recent months by incendiary comments made

Hicham El Amrani, the former secretary general of CAF, was installed as bid chief executive in late January

Morocco plans to build 130 training grounds

A press event for the Morocco 2026 bid in mid-March

by US president Donald Trump and his administrationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s repeated attempts to impose tougher immigration policies, while the general consensus is that the US Department of Justiceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2015 investigation into soccer-related corruption has stoked antiAmerican sentiment within Fifa.

Whether those factors serve to sway the 2026 World Cup vote in Moroccoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favour remains to be seen. There are certainly signs, however, that support for the Moroccan proposal has mounted in recent months, particularly since )LID FRQĂ&#x20AC;UPHG VLJQLĂ&#x20AC;FDQW FKDQJHV to its World Cup host selection process.

In a notable departure from past processes, the decisive vote for 2026 will come down to Fifaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entire membership, part of a move towards greater transparency and democracy following a succession of World Cup votes made by the executive committee that were marred by accusations of bribery, vote-trading and corruption. For WKH Ă&#x20AC;UVW WLPH WRR HYHU\ YRWH cast will be made public â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an amendment implemented in the interests of accountability but which could give rise to intimidation and, by extension, politically motivated voting.

In any case, reports suggest Morocco stands to receive broad support among African nations, who collectively represent some 53 of the 207 votes up for grabs â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the four bidding nations are excluded from the ballot, according to Fifa rules. Ahmad Ahmad, the president of CAF, one of six regional

confederations that comprise Fifa, has personally endorsed the Moroccan bid despite new neutrality guidelines preventing RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDOV IURP VSHDNLQJ DERXW DQ\ of the proposals in public. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is our hope and our dream because it is unfair that a great continent like Africa has only been allowed to organise one World Cup in a century,â&#x20AC;? Ahmad said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think it is legitimate for us to want one of our countries to make this commitment, and I myself as a president am committed to join in this bid.â&#x20AC;?

There have also been suggestions WKDW 0RURFFR FRXOG EHQHĂ&#x20AC;W IURP widespread support in Asia, while a recent endorsement from the currently banned Sepp Blatter, who has described the country as â&#x20AC;&#x153;the logical hostâ&#x20AC;?, might resonate within those countries where the Swiss cultivated lasting relationships during his 18-year reign as Fifa president.

Aside from the voting reforms, a further change for 2026 will see a

Guangzhou Evergrande FC and Bayern Munich walk out for the Fifa Club World Cup semi-ďŹ nal at Agadir Stadium in December 2013

US$12.6 billion in public funds and a US$3.2 billion in private investment has been committed to infrastructure

Fifa task force assess the technical merits of the proposals, which were both formally submitted to the body on 16th March. In DQRWKHU Ă&#x20AC;UVW WKH Ă&#x20AC;YH PDQ PRVWO\ European task force will score each bid based on aspects such as stadiums, infrastructure and environmental impact, while Fifa inspectors will also travel to each of the bidding nations for evaluation visits in April. Infrastructure, of which half relates to stadiums, accounts for 70 per cent of the overall mark, with the remaining 30 per cent attributed to projected costs and revenues.

If both bids meet Fifaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SUHVFULEHG VWDQGDUGV WKH Ă&#x20AC;QGLQJV of the task forceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technical reports will be presented on 6th June to the ruling Fifa Council, who ZLOO WKHQ GHFLGH ZKHWKHU D Ă&#x20AC;QDO host city selection vote should go ahead during the Fifa Congress in Moscow, Russia a week later, on the eve of this summerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tournament.

0RURFFDQ RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDOV KDYH RSHQO\ expressed their support for Fifaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

reforms â&#x20AC;&#x201C; although it should be noted that those measures were introduced, at least in part, to eliminate the kind of impropriety that Morocco itself has previously been accused of engaging in.

American investigators have alleged that, during the tarnished bidding process for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, individuals tied to the Moroccan effort paid a bribe to Jack Warner, the indicted former Concacaf president also accused of taking an illicit payment of US$10 million from the winning bid team.

Those driving the Moroccan push for 2026 have expressed frustration at any talk of impropriety, repeatedly insisting that there will be no such integrity concerns on this occasion. This time, they say, Morocco simply means business, and now nothing will get in the way of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ultimate objective. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are not here for a communications stunt,â&#x20AC;? El Amrani said in a recent interview with BBC Sport. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are here to win.â&#x20AC;?

SportsPro Magazine | 103

FEATURE TENNIS

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Hamstrung for years by local opposition to its proposed expansion of Crandon Park, the historic home of the Miami Open, IMG has finally shored up the long-term future of its crown jewel tennis tournament. A move to the Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium in 2019 brings with it a chance to reimagine the event in a revamped setting.

By Michael Long

S

ometimes moving forward means moving altogether.

Relocation, as contentious as it so often is in sport, almost always offers a chance for renewal, an opportunity to refresh and rethink and reimagine and reinvent.

For the tennis division at IMG, one of the largest and most powerful talent management and promotional companies in all of sport, 2018

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heralds both the end of an era and the dawn of a new chapter.

This year’s edition of the division’s blue-riband event, the Miami Open, will be the last held at the Crandon Park Tennis Center on Miami’s Key Biscayne before the tournament relocates to Hard Rock Stadium, the newly renovated home of the Miami Dolphins National Football League (NFL) franchise, in 2019.

After years of uncertainty about its future location, IMG’s Miami Open will move to Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL’s Dolphins, in 2019

It is a move that has been a long time coming, one that will bring to an end the tournament’s at-times tumultuous 32-year run on Key Biscayne and a lengthy period of legal wrangling over IMG’s proposed expansion of Crandon Park. It is also a move that, as IMG Tennis head Fernando Soler explains, might never have happened.

THE BACKGROUND Relocation has been part of the Miami Open story pretty much since day one. Originally held in 1985 in Delray Beach, the event moved to Boca Raton only a year later. But when construction work on a new stadium there was hit by delays, tournament founders Butch and Cliff Buchholz were forced to look elsewhere.

At that time, Crandon Park was little more than an 800-acre ZDVWHODQG D ODQGĂ&#x20AC; OO OLWWHUHG ZLWK dead animals and old furniture.

Keen to see a prime yet unloved portion of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s waterfront transformed, local authorities deemed the glitz and glamour of professional tennis an attractive proposition. Within weeks a deal was struck between the Buchholzes and Miami-Dade County that would see the event relocate to a new 15-court complex in time for the 1987 edition.

In the ensuing years, the Open gained in prestige and popularity.

Each March throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, the great and good of the tennis world would descend on Key Biscayne, crowning champions such as &KULV (YHUW 6WHIĂ&#x20AC; *UDII 3HWH Sampras and Andre Agassi. Back then, the 12-day tournament was known as the Lipton International Players Championship thanks to D VHYHQ Ă&#x20AC; JXUH VSRQVRUVKLS GHDO with the Lipton Tea Company, and prize purses and attendances mushroomed in line with the eventâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growing stature.

After IMG purchased the tournament from the Buchholz brothers in 1999, the event continued on the same trajectory.

Over the course of the next decade, modern greats including Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Kim Clijsters and the Williams sisters all claimed at least one singles title, helping to cement the Miami Openâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s position as a highlight of the tennis calendar, not to mention a top-category tournament on both the menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elite circuits.

7KH HYHQW¡V ULVLQJ SURĂ&#x20AC; OH garnered further big-money sponsorships from the likes of Sony Ericsson, while some within tennis took to declaring South Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual showpiece the VSRUW¡V XQRIĂ&#x20AC; FLDO Ă&#x20AC; IWK *UDQG 6ODP Yet developments happening elsewhere had heaped pressure on IMG to expand and modernise the tournament, which remained one of the few top tennis events to depend largely upon temporary infrastructure.

By 2012, representatives for the company had begun lobbying Miami-Dade county commissioners to give the green light to a suite of improvements. Their pitch ZDV VLPSOH ,0* ZRXOG Ă&#x20AC; QDQFH US$50 million worth of muchneeded upgrades to Crandon Park, including the installation of expanded stadiums with permanent seating and new public spaces, while the local region ZRXOG FRQWLQXH WR EHQHĂ&#x20AC; W IURP the US$380 million in economic activity the tournament was estimated to generate each year.

That proposal was voted through in a late 2012 referendum that saw 73 per cent of local residents vote in favour of the upgrades. But it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t long before the plan met a familiar foe. Bruce Matheson, a wealthy local landowner who had previously fought to prevent infrastructural developments at the tournament on several occasions, contested that IMGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest proposal contravened the terms of a prior settlement agreement that prohibited organisers from developing new structures on stadium grounds. In 2015 Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Third District Court of Appeal ruled in his favour, leading one local newspaper to proclaim Matheson as the man who had â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;single-handedly killedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; the Miami Open.

Facing the prospect of ceaseless litigation and roadblocks at every turn, IMG was forced to return to the drawing board. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Over the last years, we have looked at every option to upgrade the facility in Crandon Park in Key Biscayne,â&#x20AC;? recalls Soler, speaking during a

Fernando Soler, the head of IMG Tennis

February interview. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unfortunately, this was not possible.â&#x20AC;?

Over the course of the past three years â&#x20AC;&#x201C; years punctuated by persistent questions and lingering uncertainty regarding the future of the tournament â&#x20AC;&#x201C; IMG has scoped out alternative solutions.

There was, as Soler reveals, no shortage of offers on the table, including several from overseas: the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires and Shanghai, China were both mentioned as possible destinations, while the USTA National Campus in Orlando â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a new US$60 million, 100-court facility which opened in January 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; was also mooted as a potential option closer to home. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is true that we got enquiries from places outside of Florida and outside of the United States,â&#x20AC;?

FRQĂ&#x20AC; UPV 6ROHU ´EXW LQ WKH FDOHQGDU of the ATP and WTA you need to IROORZ D Ă RZ <RX DUH QRW IUHH WR go anywhere you want; you have to UHVSHFW WKH Ă RZ RI WKH WRXUQDPHQWV not only geographically but also in terms of indoor and outdoor, hard courts, clay courts.â&#x20AC;?

That reality saw IMG resolve to seek a solution on US soil but it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t until Stephen Ross, the billionaire owner of the Dolphins and self-confessed lover of tennis, came calling that a viable option materialised. Eager to keep the tournament in South Florida, Ross had publicly stated that he would be willing to fund the construction of a new US$53 million tennis

SportsPro Magazine | 105

FEATURE TENNIS

complex at the site of his soon to be revamped, 65,000-seat football stadium, situated just 18 miles north of Key Biscayne. It was the get-out IMG had been searching for. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once we analysed all the possibilities and understanding that our goal was to stay in Miami, and quickly understanding that we had this possibility with Stephen, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what we wanted to do,â&#x20AC;? says Soler. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It took us more than a year to put HYHU\WKLQJ LQ SODFH DQG Ă&#x20AC;QDOLVH DOO RI the agreements, but that was our goal. â&#x20AC;&#x153;From the moment we took the decision to stay in Miami, we stopped talking to other people.

We were very transparent that that was our decision and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what we wanted to do.â&#x20AC;?

THE DEAL The contract IMG would go on to DJUHH ZLWK 5RVV DQG WKH RIĂ&#x20AC;FH RI Carlos A GimĂŠnez, the Miami-Dade County mayor, is a complex one.

As revealed in documents made public when the move was formally announced late last year, the original deal would see IMG terminate its lease at Crandon Park by paying the county a fee of US$1.3 million, while the company would also commit to keeping the event in Miami-Dade for at least 20 years.

106 | www.sportspromedia.com

For his part, Ross would be in line to receive US$1 million each year from the county commission, which had previously agreed to pay up to US$5 million a year in bonuses for major sporting events held at Hard Rock Stadium as part of the agreement that saw Ross privately fund his US$500 million renovation of the venue in 2014.

Those payments would begin in 2024, a year after the tournamentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lease at Key Biscayne was due to expire, and were expected to total US$13 million. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The biggest role for the mayor was to keep the event in Miami,â&#x20AC;?

UHĂ HFWV 6ROHU ´DQG , KDYH WR VD\ that we had very deep conversations and negotiations with them, which is never easy. But I have to say that the spirit from those parts was also positive and always with the idea of reaching an agreement.â&#x20AC;?

Looking back, Soler adds that 5RVV DQG 7RP *DUĂ&#x20AC;QNHO WKH Dolphins president and chief executive, were both â&#x20AC;&#x153;extremely collaborativeâ&#x20AC;? throughout negotiations. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[They] were extremely SDVVLRQDWH IURP WKH Ă&#x20AC;UVW PRPHQW about the idea,â&#x20AC;? he recalls. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been the greatest partners for us.â&#x20AC;?

But even with their support, there were concerns the move might be derailed at the 11th hour.

Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Johanna Konta won the womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tournament in 2017

In December, with the relocation already provisionally approved by county commissioners, reservations were raised over the terms of the original agreement when authorities realised the tournament had not been audited for several years and that IMG could, in fact, owe far more than the agreed US$1.3 million.

Those reservations led to a brief impasse before a revision of the severance payment eventually put IMG on the hook for the increased sum of just over US$1.8 million. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have no regrets,â&#x20AC;? Soler says now. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nothing is easy; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a very complex agreement. But weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re very happy that we overcame all the problems and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ready to go on.â&#x20AC;?

Though its desire to improve the tournament has been a pressing concern â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and public knowledge â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for several years, Soler explains that IMG actually had plenty of time to ensure it secured the right deal given it had eight years left on its Crandon Park contract when Mathesonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appeal was upheld. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Keep in mind that we had an agreement until 2023, so there was no sense of urgency,â&#x20AC;? he notes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The thing that was most important for us was to grow the event. To grow the event, unfortunately, we had to move, but LI ZH FRXOG Ă&#x20AC;QG WKH ULJKW SODFH WKH sooner, the better.â&#x20AC;?

Tuesday 21st August 2018 Grange Tower Bridge Hotel, London KEYNOTE INTERVIEW

Sean Bratches, Managing Director Commercial for Formula One

2018 KEY THEMES: Brand Strategy

Immersive technology

Role of eSports

ElectriďŹ cation and automation

OTT and short form content

Cross-sport partnerships

Sponsorship measurement and analysis

Two wheels, four wheels, in the air & on the water

info@blackbookmotorsport.com

www.blackbookmotorsportforum.com

FEATURE TENNIS

2017 menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s champion Roger Federer savours his victory in front of the Miami skyline

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108 | www.sportspromedia.com

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A 14,000-seater show court will be built within the Hard Rock stadium itself to stage the Miami Open’s biggest matches

29 match and practice courts will be installed around Hard Rock Stadium, along with improved player amenities, a sponsor and entertainment village and a range of other facilities

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SportsPro Magazine | 109

FEATURE SOCCER

FROM ICON TO OWNER When the wildly famous England midfielder David Beckham made the unlikely move to Major League Soccer in 2007, it began a lengthy process that has now made him the newest team owner in American sport.

By Tom Bassam and Michael Long

O

ne of the more intriguing elements in David Beckhamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s landmark move to LA Galaxy in 2007 was the US$25 million option in his contract to purchase a Major League Soccer (MLS) expansion franchise. 11 years on, what seemed an ambitious clause in a remarkable deal â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an unlikely sweetener ostensibly inserted by MLS to secure the signature of its PRVW KLJK SURĂ&#x20AC; OH VLJQLQJ HYHU ² KDV Ă&#x20AC; QDOO\ FRPH WR IUXLWLRQ The story of a Beckham-owned franchise in Florida dates back more than a decade but it was not until November 2012, when MLS commissioner Don Garber FRQĂ&#x20AC; UPHG WKH OHDJXH¡V UHQHZHG interest in returning to Miami, that it truly began in earnest.

The leagueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original team in the city, Miami Fusion, had folded following the 2001 season due to poor attendances, and while a 2009 expansion bid led by locally based Bolivian businessman Marcelo Claure and Spanish club FC Barcelona also failed, Miami UHPDLQHG Ă&#x20AC; UPO\ RQ *DUEHU¡V UDGDU In April 2013, a few months after the commissionerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s statement of intent, Beckham retired as a player, bringing the curtain down on a glittering career that had spanned trophy-winning seasons in Manchester, Madrid, Paris and, of course, Los Angeles. Before long, the former England captainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advisers had opened preliminary discussions with MLS executives about several expansion targets, including Miami.

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Later that year, in his December 2013 state of the league address, *DUEHU LGHQWLĂ&#x20AC; HG %HFNKDP KLV long-time business partner and British media mogul Simon Fuller, and Claure, the chief executive of telecoms giant Sprint, as potential team owners in the city. Within days, Miami-Dade County commissioners had voted unanimously to permit Mayor Carlos A GimĂŠnez to negotiate with Beckhamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s investment group, now known as Miami Beckham United (MBU), on a new stadium to be constructed in downtown Miami.

In February 2014, amid mounting speculation and rumours circulating that Beckham had already made up his mind on Miami, MLS formally announced that the then 38-year-old had exercised his option to buy an

David Beckham (second right) with Jorge Mas, chairman and cofounder of MasTec, Marcelo Claure, chief executive of Sprint, and MLS commissioner Don Garber

H[SDQVLRQ WHDP SURYLGHG Ă&#x20AC; QDQFLQJ for a stadium could be agreed upon.

A month later MBU declared the new stadium, to be built in the PortMiami district, would not be ready until 2018 at the earliest, and WKDW WKH WHDP ZRXOG QHHG WR Ă&#x20AC; QG D temporary home for their inaugural season, whenever that might be.

By the spring of 2014, however, Beckhamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s group and MiamiDade County commissioners had abandoned the plan altogether, turning their attentions instead to a ODUJHO\ SULYDWHO\ Ă&#x20AC; QDQFHG seat stadium at Museum Park, on the waterfront in downtown Miami. Yet that plan fell through GXH WR Ă&#x20AC; HUFH RSSRVLWLRQ IURP local residents, and after another proposal to build in Little Havana, on a plot situated next to Marlins

Park, also ran into similar trouble, Beckhamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s group was forced to return to the drawing board.

What followed, in late 2015, was a tentative deal to acquire a nine-acre site in the Overtown neighbourhood west of downtown 0LDPL 0%8 ZRXOG Ă&#x20AC; QDQFH D 25,000-seat open-air stadium on the site, and MLS ownership, keen to get things moving amid growing IUXVWUDWLRQV DW WKH OHDJXH RIĂ&#x20AC; FH announced their approval of the US$200 million plan the very next day. Yet while the privately owned portion of the proposed site was formally purchased in March 2016, delays in negotiations for the acquisition of the publicly owned parcel of land dragged on for many months, and were not formally completed until June of last year.

Still, that was not the end of the affair â&#x20AC;&#x201C; far from it. MiamiDade Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision to sell the remaining plot for US$9 million prompted legal action from Bruce Matheson, a wealthy local landowner and activist who accused county leaders of operating a closed bidding process. Mathesonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lawsuit was rejected by a judge in October but KH KDV VLQFH Ă&#x20AC; OHG DQ DSSHDO FODLPLQJ that the county gave MBU â&#x20AC;&#x153;a secret discount from the taxpayersâ&#x20AC;? by not soliciting other offers for the

land, whose value he says has risen dramatically since the deal was agreed in 2015. In his 50-page appeal, Matheson also argues that there was â&#x20AC;&#x153;no reason to allow collusive, corrupt, or uncompetitive sales in the name of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;economic developmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;?.

With the litigation rumbling on in the local market, Beckhamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aspirations of becoming an MLS team owner were being simultaneously dogged by doubts surrounding his investment group.

The arrival of Todd Boehly as majority partner last April sparked concerns within the league that the billionaire co-owner of the LA Dodgers baseball team was merely piggybacking the Englishmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s discounted pass into the increasingly coveted MLS ownership club, while there were also lingering questions about a lack of local representation in the group.

Before 2017 was out, however, Beckham was able to allay those fears by securing the necessary backing. In Jorge and Jose Mas, his group was able to call upon the deep pockets of two Miamibased billionaires with strong ties to the local community, and whose interest in sports team ownership was widely publicised given they had previously tried to acquire the Miami Marlins baseball franchise.

Beckhamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original 2007 playing contract with LA Galaxy granted him the right to buy an expansion franchise for a discounted US$25 million

With the Mas brothers stepping in to replace Boehly, the addition of SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son, Japanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s richest man and one RI WKH PRVW LQĂ XHQWLDO LQYHVWRUV in technology worldwide, was the icing on the cake. Sonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s involvement would ensure the Miami investment JURXS ZRXOG ERDVW WKH Ă&#x20AC; QDQFLDO certainty, international renown and far-reaching business connections so coveted by MLS. Indeed, as Garber noted at the time RI -DQXDU\¡V FRQĂ&#x20AC; UPDWLRQ WKDW %HFNKDP¡V WHDP KDG Ă&#x20AC; QDOO\ EHHQ given the green light, Son was ´WKH Ă&#x20AC; QDO SLHFH RI WKH SX]]OHÂľ and while there is still much to be determined regarding Beckhamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including their identity, executive unit, playing roster and home stadium â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one of world soccerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most iconic names could RIĂ&#x20AC; FLDOO\ FDOO KLPVHOI DQ RZQHU â&#x20AC;&#x153;It has been a process, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been painful at times,â&#x20AC;? Beckham told Miamiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Local 10 News station. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the fact that it has taken this long, the fact that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s taken four years actually has worked as a positive. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always believed in the project. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why, for me, I never gave up. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I knew Miami was the city.

I knew this was going to be special.â&#x20AC;?

SportsPro Magazine | 111

DEALS REVIEW

DEALS REVIEW Sports industry deal-making highlights from February and March 2018

Jonathan Brady/PA Wire/PA Images

Conor McGregor becomes the Burger King

Sky and BT pay £4.46bn for UK Premier League rights UK broadcasters Sky Sports and BT Sport will both continue to hold live domestic rights to the Premier League until 2022 - although English soccer’s top flight has yet to conclude its latest round of sales.

The two rival networks will pay a combined UK£4.464 billion (US$6.194 billion) to acquire five of the seven live rights packages on offer for the three-season period starting from 2019.

Announcing the deals in a progress update in February, the Premier League said BT had been awarded rights package A, while Sky had taken packages B, C, D and E. The league added that its two remaining live packages are still to be sold amid interest from ‘multiple bidders’.

BT’s package - for which it is paying UK£295 million (US$409.3 million) per season - includes the rights to 32 matches played on Saturdays at 12.30pm GMT - 20 second-pick matches and 12 fifth-pick matches.

Sky’s four packages - valued at UK£1.193 billion (US$1.655 billion) per season, or UK£3.579 billion (US$4.97 billion) overall - comprise a total of 128 matches per season, including all Saturday tea-time and evening fixtures (5.30pm GMT and 7.45pm GMT), every match played in Sunday afternoon slots (2pm GMT and 4.30pm GMT), and all Monday and Friday night matches.

The figure of UK£4.464 billion means that, as widely expected, the Premier League will not see

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a significant uplift in the value of its domestic rights this time round, with industry observers expecting the league to achieve notable increases from overseas broadcasters.

Sky and BT are both understood to be paying nearly UK£2 million less per match than they pay under their current deal, worth UK£5.136 billion in total. While Sky has retained the lion’s share of matches and the rights to most top-pick fixtures, it will pay UK£199 million (US$276.1 million) less per season over the course of the next cycle despite acquiring two more matches - 128 versus its current 126.

A record 200 of the Premier League’s annual 380 matches are on offer in its current domestic rights auction. It is not yet clear which entities are bidding for the remaining two live packages, F and G, which contain 20 matches each, including bank holiday and midweek fixtures.

BT has, however, said it ‘will continue to engage’ with the Premier League regarding those packages, while Amazon has been heavily linked.

The league is understood to have explored the possibility of reframing the packages after the expiry of the tender.

The publicly funded, free-to-air BBC has already snapped up the Premier League’s domestic highlights rights for the next cycle, paying UK£211.5 million to show coverage on its Match of the Day programme, as well as digitally and across a range of other magazine shows.

MMA star Conor McGregor has become a brand ambassador for fast food chain Burger King.

The Irishman, who has made his name competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), announced the deal on his personal Twitter account alongside a photo of him posing with Burger King’s new spicy crispy chicken sandwich.

To promote the partnership, Burger King has released a television advert featuring McGregor, 29, sat on a private jet with the company’s mascot.

The deal adds to McGregor’s already impressive list of endorsements, which includes partnerships with audio brand Beats by Dre, the Monster Energy drink and sportswear giant Reebok.

McGregor has not fought since his boxing match against US great Floyd Mayweather Jr, much to the frustration of a number of UFC fighters wanting to challenge for his lightweight title.

However, McGregor’s new Burger King advert may alleviate any fears that he could be retiring from MMA, with the commercial featuring jibes at potential opponents Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson. McGregor also posted on his Instagram account in February, saying: ‘I am fighting again. Period. I am the best at this.’

JSW Sports buys 50 per cent Delhi Daredevils stake in historic deal Indian business conglomerate Jindal South West (JSW) Sports has bought a 50 per cent ownership stake in Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise the Delhi Daredevils.

According to a report from ESPNcricinfo, the deal values the Daredevils at INR 1100 crore (US$169 million), double the US$84 million the team were originally purchased for in 2008, meaning GMR Sports is recouping its initial investment while retaining half of its stake, receiving INR 550 crore (US$84.5 million) in the first of its kind sale.

While the terms have been agreed, the deal can only be confirmed once the IPL Governing Council gives it its stamp of approval, which is expected imminently.

“It is good for the IPL,” a BCCI official told ESPNcricinfo. “Transactions like these to have to happen. This will have a cascading effect. You needed a reference point and now you have one.”

Parth Jindal, head of JSW Sports, said: “This is something that we as a group are excited about and the DD team will add to our existing portfolio of sports investments. We look forward to bring our experience and expertise to take the team to new heights.”

Microsoft tees off with US Ryder Cup team The PGA of America has announced a partnership with Microsoft ahead of the 2018 edition of golf’s Ryder Cup. The technology giant will serve as the official cloud computing supplier for the American team at September’s event, the latest instalment of the biennial golf match between the best golfers from Europe and the US. Microsoft will assist Scouts Consulting Group, the US Ryder Cup team’s official research and analytics partner, with various data, visualisation and machine-learning methods.

The firm will aid the team’s decision-making process, with an emphasis on player statistics to help US captain Jim Furyk (right) with

MLB strikes exclusive streaming deal with Facebook Major League Baseball (MLB) has finalised a partnership with Facebook that will see 25 games streamed exclusively on the social media giant’s Watch platform in the US. Starting with the fixture between the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets on 4th April, the featured games will take place on weekday afternoons US time, primarily Wednesdays. MLB and Facebook will update the schedule on a monthly basis, and the agreement limits Facebook to one match per week.

Facebook will also have rights to show the selected games on a non-exclusive basis globally. The broadcasts will be produced by MLB Network, the league’s dedicated TV channel, while Facebook will have the right to experiment with social integration and graphics during the transmission.

In addition to each live broadcast, MLB will produce and distribute specially curated content, including on-demand highlight packages for every regular season game, which will be made available on Facebook Watch.

The financial terms of the agreement have not been officially announced, but the Bloomberg news agency reports that sources close to the deal say that Facebook has paid between US$30 million and US$35 million for the rights package.

“This partnership with Facebook reflects the ongoing commitment of MLB and our clubs to connect with people around the world,” said Tony Petitti, deputy commissioner of business and media for MLB. “It is a major creative step forward in serving our diverse, passionate community of fans, who will enjoy a uniquely interactive experience watching our games each week.”

player selection, golf course visualisation, and situational awareness through the delivery of real-time statistics.

The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

“In the current ‘Moneyball’ era of sports, analytics are increasingly important, and the marriage between golf and data is no exception,” said Jeff Price, chief commercial officer of the PGA of America. “This relationship with Microsoft ensures that the US Ryder Cup Team has everything it needs in real time, whether it be in America or Paris in late September.”

“Microsoft is excited to share our technology with Ryder Cup USA to digitise its strategy,” said Chris Weber, corporate vice president at

Microsoft. “We understand that the margin at the Ryder Cup is remarkably narrow and a single intelligent decision can be decisive.”

The 2018 Ryder Cup will be contested from 28th to 30th September at Le Golf National in Paris, France. The US Ryder Cup team will be looking to capture their first victory on foreign soil since 1993.

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

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DEALS SECTION TEXT HERE DIRECTORY

DIRECTORY OF SPONSORSHIP DEALS Signed in February and March 2018 Arsenal sign record Emirates renewal

Barcelona confirm Beko extension

Report: Tedi in shirt deal with Hertha BSC

Top-flight English soccer side Arsenal have extended their long-running shirt sponsorship deal with Emirates for another five years. The renewal will see the Dubai-based airline’s logo remain on the front of the Premier League outfit’s playing shirts and training kit until the end of the 2023/24 season, retaining a role it has held since 2006. The financial terms of the agreement have not been officially released, although Arsenal say it is the largest sponsorship deal they have ever signed. According to The Telegraph, the deal is worth around UK£40 million (US$56 million) a year. Reports in the UK suggested that the club would now also be looking to supplement the agreement by bringing in a sleeve sponsor for the first time. The new agreement, which applies to all of Arsenal’s teams, will also see the squad fly on Emirates’ planes for pre-season tours.

The airline also holds the naming rights to the club’s 60,000-seater Emirates Stadium until 2028.

Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis said: “This mutual commitment is testimony to the strength and depth of our unique relationship.”

Length of contract: 5 years Annualised value: US$56 million Overall value: US$280 million Sport: Soccer

La Liga leaders Barcelona have confirmed that they have extended and expanded their partnership with Beko for a further three years.

The Turkish electronics giant first became the top-flight Spanish soccer side’s sleeve sponsor in 2014, and has now upgraded its association to become the club’s official training partner. The company will also remain Barcelona’s first choice for home appliances, while its logo will continue to adorn the left sleeve of the team’s playing shirts. Initial reports of the renewal, which will also see Beko’s logo printed on the front of Barcelona’s training tops, first surfaced at the end of January, when daily sports newspaper Mundo Deportivo claimed that the new deal is worth €57 million (US$71 million).

Length of contract: 3 years Annualised value: US$23.67 million Overall value: US$71 million Sport: Soccer

Tedi is reportedly set to become the main shirt sponsor of Bundesliga soccer club Hertha BSC from the start of the 2018/19 German season.

The retailer, currently the sleeve sponsor of the Berlin side, is said to have agreed a three-year deal to replace Bet-At-Home on the front of the first team’s playing jerseys. According to German newspaper Bild, the deal will be worth an annual €7.5 million (US$9.27 million), with Bet-At-Home believed to currently be paying around €6 million (US$7.42 million) a year.

Hertha BSC, who play at the 74,000-seater Olympiastadion in the capital, have endured an inconsistent season in the German top flight in 2017/18 and look set to finish well short of last season’s sixth place. Tedi became the club’s first sleeve sponsor at the start of the season, after the Bundesliga decentralised the sale of the inventory to allow teams to seek their own partners.

Length of contract: 3 years Annualised value: US$9.27 million Overall value: US$27.81 million Sport: Soccer

Bayern take flight with Qatar Airways German soccer champions Bayern Munich have announced a new five-year partnership with Qatar Airways. Starting from 1st July, Qatar’s state-owned flag carrier will replace German company Lufthansa as the Bundesliga giants’ airline partner until the end of the 2022/23 season. The new deal is thought to be an extension of the partnership Bayern signed last year with Hamad International Airport, and will see Qatar Airways take over from its base airport as the team’s sleeve sponsor. According to Frankfurt-based newspaper FAZ, the contract between Bayern and Qatar Airways is worth more than the annual €10 million (US$12.3 million) that Hamad International Airport was paying. Qatar Airways will be listed as a secondlevel platinum partner of Bayern Length of contract: 5 years Annualised value: US$15 million Overall value: US$75 million Sport: Soccer

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AC Milan announce Puma switch Puma has announced a long-term partnership with AC Milan to become the Italian soccer giants’ global technical supplier and official licensing partner. The deal kicks in on 1st July and the official announcement confirms initial reports of an agreement from November last year. The switch in technical supplier ends Milan’s relationship with Adidas, which has run since 1998 and was, at 20 years, one of the longest-standing partnerships of its kind. No financial details were announced in the club’s official press release but according to those November reports, Milan signed a five-year kit supply partnership with Puma. The contract is apparently worth €12 million (US$14.1 million) a year to the Serie A club, €8 million (US$9.4 million) less than Adidas provided. However, it is thought that with bonuses and add-ons the deal with Puma will ultimately be more valuable than the Adidas contract. According to Italian soccer outlet Calciomercato, 18-time Italian champions Milan were also in negotiations with American suppliers New Balance and Under Armour before signing with the German sportswear brand.

Length of contract: 5 years Annualised value: US$14.1 million Overall value: US$70.5 million Sport: Soccer

Barcelona extend and expand Damm deal Spanish soccer giants FC Barcelona have extended and expanded their partnership with Damm, according to Spanish media reports. The Catalan brewery, which has been a premium partner of the La Liga leaders for 15 years, will continue to serve as a global sponsor of the club for another four seasons until 2022. The beer brand will also expand its exclusive territories, and is believed to be committing €7 million (US$8.6 million) per season for the new deal, representing an increase on the annual €5 million (US$6.2 million) it currently pays. Barcelona also have a range of regional partnerships in place with breweries Chang Beer, Tecate and Stan Beer.

As SportsPro was going to press, Barcelona were closing on their 25th La Liga title, having pulled well clear of Atlético Madrid, their closest competitors, at the top of the league table.

Length of contract: 4 years Annualised value: US$6.2 million Overall value: US$24.8 million Sport: Soccer

LA Clippers find a match in Bumble The Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) have announced a major multi-year partnership with Bumble, the locationbased dating app. The deal will see Bumble, which is known for allowing women to initiate the conversation in dating dialogue, become the Clippers’ first jersey patch sponsor. The partnership will also extend to the Clippers’ community initiatives, and the franchise is referring to Bumble’s logo as an ‘empowerment badge’, pledging to invest in promoting gender equality. Bumble cited the Clippers’ progressiveness as a reason for partnering with the team, who in Gillian Zucker boast the NBA’s only female president of business operations. Bloomberg reports the value of the agreement at US$20 million.

Length of contract: 3 years Annualised value: US$6.67 million Overall value: US$20 million Sport: Basketball

Mavericks sign jersey deal with 5miles The National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Dallas Mavericks have announced a major sponsorship deal with online and app marketplace company 5miles. The deal will see 5miles, which uses and accepts payments in cryptocurrency, become the Texas-based franchise’s jersey patch sponsor, with the company’s orange logo set to appear on the team’s uniforms for the remainder of the current season and for at least the two subsequent campaigns. Analysts estimate that most NBA jersey patch sponsorships are worth between US$5 million and US$10 million a year.

Length of contract: 3 years Annualised value: US$6 million Overall value: US$18 million Sport: Basketball

Arsenal and Emirates have renewed one of the Premier League’s longest-running shirt sponsorships

Villarreal net Jawwy sleeve sponsor deal

Hendrick Motorsports seal LLumar backing

Top-tier Spanish soccer side Villarreal CF have announced a partnership with Jawwy. Under the terms of the deal, the Saudi Arabian mobile operator will serve as an official sponsor of the La Liga outfit until the end of the 2017/18 season.

Jawwy will see its branding feature on the left sleeve of the Villarreal’s playing shirts, as well as on their training kits. Spanish news outlet El Periódico Mediterráneo reports that the deal could be worth between €3 million and €5 million.

Several Saudi players have joined La Liga clubs as part of a strategic partnership between the league and the General Sports Authority of Saudi Arabia (GSA), which was agreed in October and includes branding opportunities, an academy partnership and a talent ID scouting initiative for young players.

Length of contract: 1 year Annualised value: US$5 million Overall value: US$5 million Sport: Soccer

Nascar team Hendrick Motorsports have signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with Eastman Performance Films for their number 88 entry driven by Alex Bowman in Nascar’s top-tier Cup Series. Under the terms of the three-year deal, the company’s LLumar brand of window and paint protection film will feature as the primary sponsor of Bowman’s Chevrolet Camaro in one race this year, and in two races in each of the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Additionally, the brand will back Bowman as an associate sponsor in all other races, while Hendrick Motorsports will use LLumar products across each of their four Nascar teams. Financial terms of the agreement have not been released but it is estimated to be worth in excess of US$2.5 million, based on comparable deals in Nascar.

Length of contract: 3 years Annualised value: US$850,000 Overall value: US$2.55 million Sport: Motorsport

Superclásico rivals freshen up with Axe Bitter Argentinian soccer rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate have both signed two-year sponsorship deals with deodorant brand Axe. Both top-tier Superliga Argentina sides will wear the Unilever-owned company’s logo on their playing shorts. According to the Marca De Gol website, both contracts are worth an annual US$1.2 million to each club, but could rise to US$1.5 million based on prizes and incentives.

Axe joins banking group BBVA and Chinese technology firm Huawei in backing both teams.

Length of contract: 2 years Annualised value: US$3 million Overall value: US$6 million Sport: Soccer

WeatherTech puts name to Laguna Seca WeatherTech has agreed a five-year, US$5 million deal for the naming rights to the Laguna Seca Raceway in central California. The circuit, which was previously known as the Mazda Raceway, hosts events in the FIM World Superbike Championship, the Pirelli World Challenge, and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

The news comes as the track operator Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula begins a package of upgrades to the venue.

Length of contract: 5 years Annualised value: US$1 million Overall value: US$5 million Sport: Motorsport

Kings XI name Kent RO as new title sponsor Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kings XI Punjab have announced Kent RO as their new title sponsor for the upcoming edition of the world-leading Twenty20 cricket tournament. The water purifier brand has replaced Hero groupowned Hero Cycles as the team’s title sponsor.

Insidesport.co reports that the new contract is worth around US$2.5 million, a 40 per cent increase on Hero’s commitment.

Length of contract: 1 year Annualised value: US$2.5 million Overall value: US$2.5 million Sport: Cricket

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DEALS SECTION TEXT HERE DIRECTORY

CSK pad up with Muthoot Group Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket franchise the Chennai Super Kings have announced the Muthoot Group as a principal partner ahead of this year’s edition of the world’s leading T20 tournament. According to sports business website Insidesport.co, the deal is worth between Rs15 crore (US$2.3 million) and Rs16 crore (US$2.5 million). The length of the contract, however, has not been revealed. The Muthoot Group is the latest in a long line of sponsors which have partnered with the Super Kings, joining manufacturing firm India Cements, lubricants company Gulf, financial services group Equitas Bank, building material brand HIL, paint producer Nippon Paint and broadband service provider ACT Fibernet. The Super Kings, captained again by Indian legend MS Dhoni, are returning to the IPL this season after serving a two-year suspension for charges relating to corruption and spot-fixing.

Length of contract: 1 year Annualised value: US$2.45 million Overall value: US$2.45 million Sport: Cricket

Firestone renews at St Petersburg Bridgestone Americas has announced a two-year extension of its Firestone brand’s title sponsorship of the season-opening Verizon IndyCar Series Grand Prix of St Petersburg. The deal is likely to be worth around US$1 million overall. The 2018 edition of the Floridian street race on 11th March was won for the second year in succession by Dale Coyne Racing driver Sebastien Bourdais, who missed half the 2017 season after a crash during qualifying for the Indianapolis 500.

Length of contract: 2 years Annualised value: US$500,000 Overall value: US$1 million Sport: Motorsport

Wallace Jr Click n’Closes Arizona deal Mortgage provider Click n’ Close agreed a deal with Nascar team Richard Petty Motorsports to be the primary sponsor of the number 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driven by Darrell Wallace Jr for the TicketGuardian 500, a Monster Energy Cup Series race at the ISM Raceway in Phoenix, Arizona on 11th March. Based on trends in the stock car series, the deal is likely to have been worth around US$600,000.

Length of contract: 1 year Annualised value: US$600,000 Overall value: US$600,000 Sport: Motorsport

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The Chennai Super Kings, captained by MS Dhoni, will be sponsored by Muthoot Group on their IPL return

LPGA extends with Leaders Cosmetics

Fleet Cost and Care expands with RLL

Women’s golf’s LPGA has renewed its deal with Leaders Cosmetics until 2020, with the company upping its commitment by becoming the organisation’s official cosmetics partner. As part of the expanded agreement, a Leaders Top 10 competition has been launched, which will see the LPGA player who records the most top-ten finishes during the season receive a US$100,000 bonus. “The LPGA is proud to continue and expand our relationship with Leaders Cosmetics,” said Sean Pyun, vice president and managing director of LPGA Asia.

Length of contract: 3 years Annualised value: US$200,000 Overall value: US$600,000 Sport: Golf

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing expanded their partnership with sponsor Fleet Cost and Care ahead of the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series.

The company will become a full-time associate sponsor of the team, while also making its first appearance as a full primary sponsor of Graham Rahal‘s number 15 Honda at Texas Motor Speedway. Based on similar deals in IndyCar, Fleet Cost and Care is likely to have committed around US$450,000 to the partnership.

Length of contract: 1 year Annualised value: US$450,000 Overall value: US$450,000 Sport: Motorsport

Pac-12 basketball gets Vegas boost The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has authorised a US$500,000 extension its the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament sponsorship for the 2020 event. The board of directors agreed to approve backing another edition of the fourday, single-elimination event at T-Mobile Arena, which annually determines the conference’s representative in the NCAA Tournament. The 65,000-seater Las Vegas stadium, which will house the National Football League’s Raiders when it opens in 2020, has been linked with hosting the NCAA Final Four.

Length of contract: 1 year Annualised value: US$500,000 Overall value: US$500,000 Sport: College sports

Alsco to title sponsor Nascar Xfinity race Alsco has agreed a deal to become the title sponsor of stock car racing’s second-tier Nascar Xfinity Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The race will become known as the Alsco 300 with the linen and uniform laundry and rental services company replacing Chinese electronics manufacturer Hisense, which had sponsored the event since 2015. Alsco also sponsors a second Nascar Xfinity Series race at Kentucky Speedway.

“Charlotte Motor Speedway is all about striving for excellence, which is a quality we share with Alsco,” said Greg Walter, executive vice president of Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Alsco 300 is due to take place on 26th May and will mark the 40th anniversary of the Nascar Xfinity Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Length of contract: 1 year Annualised value: US$250,000 Overall value: US$250,000 Sport: Motorsport

G L O B A L PA R T N E R S

T + 4 4 2 0 8 9 87552 2

E PR O M OT I O N S @ S O CC ER E X .CO M

W W W W. S O CC ER E X .CO M

INDEX ISSUE 92

INDEX OF COMPANIES AND PEOPLE 7SPORTS

22

A

BIG EAST CONFERENCE

20

Blake, James

104

ACCOR HOTELS

62

Blatter, Sepp

92, 98

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

20

Bodheimer, George

22

Adams, Neil

62

Boehly, Todd

110

Borg, Bjorn

ADIDAS AFC Agassi, Andre Agbegnenou, Clarisse ALIBABA

8 80 104 62 20, 34, 38

84

Fowler, David

22

FOX

92

De Maria, Decio

92

62

De Vos, Ingmar

66

FRENCH JUDO FEDERATION (FFJDA)

DISNEY MEDIA NETWORKS

22

122

Fuller, Simon

BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP

92

Djokovic, Novak

104

Dreyer, Mark

122

BRUIN SPORTS CAPITAL

22

Dvorkovich, Arkady

22

Buchanan, Angus

84 104

Buchholz, Cliff

104

Allan, Lisa

62

22

AMAURY SPORT ORGANISATION

24

BUNDESLIGA INTERNATIONAL Buompane, Nicolas

22

Burns, Terrence

8

ANHEUSERBUSCH INBEV

92

BV BORUSSIA DORTMUND

ANNIE’S, INC

22

C

ARGENTINE BASKETBALL CONFEDERATION (ADC)

80

ASCOT RACECOURSE

84

ASICS

CANADIAN SOCCER ASSOCIATION

104

104

GATORADE

76

Infantino, Gianni INFRONT SPORTS & MEDIA

92, 98 92

INSTAGRAM

38, 76, 84

INTEL

34, 38

INTERNATIONAL BASKETBALL FOUNDATION

80

INTERNATIONAL BIATHLON UNION

24, 38

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF GYMNASTICS (FIG)

22

INTERNATIONAL FLOORBALL FEDERATION

76

INTERNATIONAL JUDO FEDERATION

62

38

22

22

ENGINE SHOP

22

20

ENGLAND AND WALES CRICKET BOARD

24

Giménez, Carlos A

104, 110

ENGLAND NETBALL

22

GMR MARKETING

22 58

Eriksson, Tomas

76

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

INTERNATIONAL LUGE FEDERATION (FIL)

92

GOOGLE

58

INTERNATIONAL SKATING UNION

38

ESP PROPERTIES ESPN

22

Graff, Steffi

104

24, 38

EUROLEAGUE

80

Grant, John

22

INTERNATIONAL SKI FEDERATION (FIS)

EUROPEAN HANDBALL FEDERATION

58

Greaves, Tracey

84

IOC

Grevemberg, David

10

10, 18, 22, 34, 38, 76

EUROPEAN TOUR

24

22

IPL

54

EVENT RIDER MASTERS

22

Gueisbuhler, André

IPSOS

92

Gulati, Sunil

92

ITALIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE (CONI)

22

ITF

58

92

20

AT&T

22

66

AUSTRALIAN RUGBY LEAGUE COMMISSION

22

CHINA NATIONAL SPORTS INTERNATIONAL Claure, Marcelo

110

Clijsters, Kim

104

54, 72

Garfinkel, Tom

80

104

80

Cherry, Daniel

BADMINTON WORLD FEDERATION

García Squetino, Juan Diego

IMG TENNIS

GERMAN TOURING CAR MASTERS (DTM)

76

34

98

10 110

104

GENIUS SPORTS

66

22

Gallagher, Kelly

54

22

IMG

84

44

BADMINTON ENGLAND

GAISF

Iger, Robert

ENGAGE SPORTS MEDIA

Chamier, Nigel

Bach, Thomas

El Amrani, Hicham

110

G Garber, Don

E Ellison, Larry

CCTV

B

84

24

Buchholz, Butch

Andersen, Julie

FORMULA E HOLDINGS

DC UNITED

20

122

22

Datnow, Robert

ALISPORTS

AMAZON

DALLAS MAVERICKS

CLIMATE ACTION

24

Evert, Chris

CNN

62

F

COCA-COLA

38, 92

Coller, David

22

104

H Hafid Elalamy, Moulay

98

FACEBOOK

38, 62, 76, 84 22

HM Queen Elizabeth II

44

Fahey, Lisa FANCOMPASS

22

HOOKIT

38

J

BANCA IMI

22

COMMONWEALTH GAMES FEDERATION

BBC SPORT

98

CONCACAF

92

FC AUGSBURG

20

Hooper, Mike

44

44

CONFEDERATION OF AFRICAN FOOTBALL

98

FC BARCELONA

110

Houlder, Fraser

22

Federer, Roger

104

HRH Prince Tunku Imran

44

K

HSBC

72 20

KF SKENDERBEU KORCE

58

HULU HYPE FOUNDATION

58

KIA

38

HYUNDAI

38

Beattie, Peter Beckham, David

110

10, 44

Beer, Jorg

76

Cordeiro, Carlos

92

FEI

BELL MEDIA

92

CTV

92

FEMALE SPORTS GROUP

Besseberg, Anders

24

Cuddy, HyeYoung

22

BETGENIUS

80

Cui, Victor

24

Bezos, Jeff

122

BIDSTACK

20

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CUNARD

D

66 22

FIBA

24, 80

FIFA

10, 22, 58, 92, 98

84 FILA

122

I IBM

120

J LEAGUE

54

JOHNSON & JOHNSON

92

JUDO FOR PEACE COMMISSION

62

Kim, Chloe

38

King Mohammed VI

98

KING POWER

54

Kolin, Marc

20

KOREAN SPORT & OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

38

Kowsurat, Weerasak

54

KRAFT FOODS

22

Kristick, John

92

Kwak, Yoongy

38

L LA LIGA LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR LAGARDÈRE SPORTS Lampitt, David

Medvedev, Dmitry

22

Medvedeva, Evgenia

38

MEXICAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION (FMF)

92

MIAMI BECKHAM UNITED

110

MIAMI DOLPHINS 54 24 20, 44 58

LAOLA1.TV

58

LEADERS

58

Ledecka, Ester

34

Lee, Mike

98

LEGA B

80

LEGA SERIE A

104

MIAMI FC

122

MIAMI FUSION

110

MIAMI MARLINS

110

Micciché, Gaetano MLB MLS

58, 122 24, 58, 110, 122

LOCAL 10 NEWS LONGINES

110 66 110

Lund, Thomas

72

M 20

Malago, Giovanni

22

MANCHESTER UNITED FC

22

Marshall, Cynthia

22

MARSHALLING RESOURCES

22

Martin, Louise

44 110

Mas, Jose

110 84 104, 110

Mayer, Kevin

20

Maywald, Nick

80

MCDONALD’S

NBA

NBC UNIVERSAL

120

20 20 24, 58, 104

NHL

58, 76, 84 54

O O’Toole, Jim

22

OBS

34

Oldfield, Gregg

84

OLYMPIC CHANNEL

76, 84

ONE CHAMPIONSHIP

22, 24, 54

P P&G Palmer, Arnold

92

20, 22, 24, 58, 76

NFL

NIELSEN SPORTS

Mas, Jorge

McCormack, Mark

80

SPORTRADAR

58

PLASTIC OCEANS FOUNDATION

8

SPORTSCOTLAND

44

VERO COMMUNICATIONS

98 62

PARKRUN

120 22

8 92

V

34

SPORTSDATA LLC

58

Villant, Eric

Port, Guy

54

Srivaddhanaprabh, Vichai

54

VIRGIN SPORT

14

VISA

92

Stockwell, Mark

44

Vitello, Matteo

18

PREMIER LEAGUE

22, 54, 84, 122

PROSIEBENSAT1

22

STRABAG

76

Vizer, Marius

62

Putin, Vladimir

10

SUPPONOR

20

Vlastelica, Pete

20

VOLVO OCEAN RACE

8 38

R

T TABLE TENNIS ENGLAND

22

Vonn, Lindsey

62

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

84

W

22

Taufaofua, Pita

34

WALL STREET JOURNAL

120

Rösner, Alexander

104

Wanninger, Florian

80

Ross, Stephen

104

TECHNOGYM

18

TELEMUNDO

92

THE FA

10

THE GOODWOOD GROUP

ROYAL MOROCCAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION (FRMF)

98

RUGBY FOOTBALL LEAGUE

22

THE INDEPENDENT

22

THE SPORTS CONSULTANCY

RUGBY LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION Russell, Ali RUSSIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

THE SPORTSMAN MEDIA GROUP 84 38

S

THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY

Ward, McLain

66 24

84

WASHINGTON REDSKINS Watanabe, Morinari

22

98

WECHAT

38

WEIBO

38

White, Shaun

38

Wijk, Anna

76

Wölffing, Alexander

22

Wood, Nigel

22

WORCESTER WARRIORS

22

WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR

22

WORLD RUGBY

20

22, 84 58 20, 22

THINKSPORT

24

TOKOG

54

Sampras, Pete

104

TOOBS

76

Shelley, Mary

120

Townsend, Phil

22

Silva, Riccardo

122

TOYOTA

34, 38 92, 98

Sim, Kevin

22

Trump, Donald

SINA SPORTS

84

TSN

92

WORLD SURF LEAGUE

Skipper, John

22

Turay, Teo

76

WPP

92

Slot, Juliet

84

Turner, Ben

80

WTA

120

SLOVAKIAN FLOORBALL ASSOCIATION (SZFB)

76

TWITTER

SNAPCHAT 34

US SOCCER

POCOG

ROSSETTI

122

NEW JERSEY DEVILS

MAJOR LEAGUE GAMING

Matheson, Bruce

SPORTINGPULSE

22

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

MASTERCARD

22

MYCUJOO

NATIONAL PREMIER SOCCER LEAGUE

UNITED NATIONS

18

24

122

76

Pitsiladis, Yannis

22

NASL

UNIHOC

Pitaro, James

22

N

54 76

Mutko, Vitaly

76

10

SPORTACCORD SPORTDEUTSCHLAND.TV

Riner, Teddy

104

UNICEF

22

92

Lewis, Sarah

34

22

Pinto, Pedro

80

Leible, Peter

104

22

92

22

Un, Kim-Jong

SPORT1

PEPSICO

Reed, Steven

Montagliani, Victor

SONY ERICSSON

34

Radovic, Zoran

58

LIPTON TEA COMPANY

8

Payne, Michael

22

MOCAP ANALYTICS

Liljelund, John

PARLEY FOR THE OCEANS

76, 84

38, 62, 76, 122

U UEFA

Snow, Brandon

20

Soler, Fernando

104

UK SPORT

Son, Masayoshi

110

Ukman, Lesa

22, 58 44 120

8

Y YOUTUBE

38, 76

Z Zagitova, Alina

38

ZEBRA SYSTEMS

58

Zhang, Dazhong

20

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UNOFFICIAL PARTNER

MACHINE IT ‘Alexa, what’s the Six Nations worth?’ ***** I heard the word ‘machine’ used as a verb the other day.

The scene was yet another panel discussion about the value of sport at yet another marketing conference.

This is not an exact reproduction of the conversation, but it captures the gist: “They can’t sell the Six Nations title. What’s it worth, do you think?”

“Dunno, but I’m sure we could machine it.”

I love ‘machine it’.

It’s such a revealing phrase, one that says much more about the speaker than it does the subject matter.

THE DASH FOR SIMPLE ANSWERS Since sport started pulling in the serious brand cash, sponsors and rights holders have danced around the age-old question of value.

Finding the definitive answer has been the holy grail since Mark McCormack and Arnold Palmer shook hands.

As in every business sphere, some of this work has been automated: sponsors and rights holders are using machines of varying quality and complexity, from simple Excel dashboards to data-devouring supercomputers.

But the real power of ‘machine it’ lies in the promise of something more. It is about our fundamental

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quest for simple answers to complex questions.

‘Machine it’ allows us to glide across questions of cause and effect by devolving the donkey work of marketing attribution to an elegant equation, providing a beguilingly simple number that even a chief exec can understand.

“Alexa, what’s the Six Nations worth?”

“The answer is 79” “Thanks, Alexa” “No problem. Is there anything else I can help you with today?”

Think of all that intellectual energy devoted to doggedly pursuing a single measurement framework for sports sponsorship, only for the robots to get there first, with a contraption that sounds like the bastard love child of IBM Watson and Lesa Ukman.

THE SHADOW OF FRANKENSTEIN In 2011, IBM’s supercomputer beat human contestants on the quiz show Jeopardy, live on American TV. Since then, Watson has been used as shorthand for the debate about

AI, automation and the future of work, a centuries-long meme that has at its centre the concept of an all-knowing machine, a man-made system that attains sentience.

This was the plot of Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley almost exactly 200 years ago, and versions of the story have driven science fiction since the word ‘robot’ first appeared in Czech literature in the 1920s, meaning ‘labourer’ or ‘serf’.

This backdrop colours how we view the progress of AI and machine learning.

In short, we veer between the two extremes of rabid fear and unlimited expectation.

On the one hand, the imagined potential of AI is that it will solve our problems, both big (world hunger) and small (the value of a WTA title deal).

This utopian view is balanced with the corresponding disappointment that robots still wrestle with the shortcomings of Frankenstein’s mate: the absence of nuanced judgement, creativity, intuition and instinct – AKA the human bit.

This false dichotomy betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of what computers are.

This was best explained on the day after the famous IBM stunt, when the philosopher John Searle wrote a piece in the Wall Street Journal entitled, ‘Watson Doesn’t Know It Won on Jeopardy’: ‘Watson did not understand the questions,’ he wrote, ‘nor its answers, nor that some of its answers were right and some wrong, nor that it was playing a game, nor that it won – because it doesn’t understand anything.’

IBM’s computer was not and could not have been designed to understand, said Searle. ‘Rather, it was designed to simulate understanding, to act as if it understood. It is an evasion to say, as some commentators have put it, that computer understanding is different from human understanding. Literally speaking, there is no such thing as computer understanding. There is only simulation. Computers recognise symbols and are very fast. But symbols are not meanings.’

So the box in the corner is a fast idiot and humans are not about to go out of fashion. It’s probably a sign of the times, but I find this point oddly reassuring.

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

Whose world is this?

The sports business is sometimes accused of insularity and an overinflated sense of its own importance. But if that were truly the case, it would surely not attract the interest of titans of other industries like Amazon founder Jeff Bezos (above). Of whom, incidentally, the Scribbler reads of plans to spend billions making space travel more accessible to the average earthling. All very noble but where, pray tell, would that leave his bid for Premier League broadcast rights?

EXO-thermic reaction The Olympic social media numbers got a turbo-boost in February when boy band EXO played the closing ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games. Indeed, Chinese-based English journalist Mark Dreyer, who writes on occasion for a friendly rival publication and has a modest but respectable 2,800-odd followers on Twitter, received 16,392 retweets and 10,437 likes on a single post just for mentioning the fact that mentioning the K-Pop sensations would send their fans flocking to engage.

All of which leaves the Scribbler to wonder how might one achieve that effect in print…

Tasty proposition There is much to be said for exploring the frontiers between sport and other cultural realms and so the Scribbler must raise and kiss his fingers in the manner of a stereotypical Italian chef at the latest initiative from Major League Baseball (MLB). The inaugural MLB FoodFest will be held at Manhattan’s Center 415 on 21st and 22nd April, featuring unique local dishes from each of the 30 MLB teams.

New Yorkers are salivating, too: tickets, at a cost of US$25 or US$40 with beer, sold out in 50 hours.

Reunited, and it feels…

Tennis legend Bjorn Borg is among that handful of sporting heroes who might truly be dubbed ‘iconic’ and – even with a cool, elegant, effortless champion still very much in operation today – there are those who pine for his appearances on the court. Famously, his wooden racket-touting 90s comeback did not so much stir memories of his pomp as sour them. So this time, Italian sportswear brand Fila are counting on his classic look, rather than his classical game, re-signing him to a nostalgic new endorsement deal.

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Ups and downs Italian agency titan Riccardo Silva (below) has been more determined than most to introduce promotion and relegation to American club soccer, reportedly making a whopping US$4 billion bid for MLS rights last summer that was predicated upon the introduction of that globally familiar practice. So he will doubtless have been the first to register the irony in the cancellation of the 2018 season of the secondtier North American Soccer League – whose organisers had themselves pushed for pro/rel – which leaves his Miami FC franchise with only second team games in the fourth-level National Premier Soccer League to enjoy.

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