G13 Sports Bulletin - 06/04/2023

Welcome to the latest edition of the Global13 Sports Bulletin, where our team of sports experts have collected the biggest news stories effecting the sports industry. The bulletin will review emerging trends, major announcements, and sporting achievements, as well as providing you with insights into what our team at Global13 is getting up to in the world of sport.

SPORTS INDUSTRY NEWS ROUND-UP

It’s been another chaotic week in sport with more action, drama and records set across the industry. The Women’s Champions League knockout stages attracted massive crowds, with Chelsea’s penalty shout out win against Lyon heading the results, Anthony Joshua made a victorious return to the Boxing ring and the build-up to the first golf major of the year, The Masters, ahead of this weekend.

Events

NWSL sets new opening-week attendance record

• The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has broken its opening-week attendance record after more than 90,000 people watched a game across the first round of the 2023 season.
• NWSL averaged 15,002 fans across six games, surpassing the previous record of 10,150 set last season.
• San Diego Wave’s 3-2 win over the Chicago Red Stars at Snapdragon Stadium was played in front of 30,854, a record for the largest attendance at an NWSL home opener.?
• Interest in the league continues to grow this season, with NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman revealing earlier this month there was a 20 per cent increase in season ticket holders from last year.

Women’s Tour axed for 2023 due to funding shortfall

• ‘The Women’s Tour’ will not take place this summer after organisers admitted defeat in their attempts to find the funding required to stage the five-day Women’s World Tour cycling race in June.
• Last month Sweetspot, the owner and promoter of the tour, announced a five-day route for the popular race, down from the usual six, but warned they needed to find UK￡500,000 (US$619,000) in new sponsorship in order to go ahead – even launching a crowdfunding campaign to try to spur interest.
• They set a soft deadline of Easter to make progress before they would need to start paying deposits on some of the primary expenses, mainly accommodation at this point, but have now announced that the target is for the race to return for its tenth anniversary edition in 2024.

WrestleMania 39 fire on all cylinders

• The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has announced that WrestleMania 39 became the most-successful and highest-grossing event in the company history.
• The two-night, sold-out event held at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles (US) on April 1st-2nd, 2023 set new records for viewership, gate, sponsorship, merchandise, and social media.
• ‘WWE’?stated that?Night 2 of WrestleMania 39?surpassed the existing global viewership record by 33 percent, just one day after?Night 1 of WrestleMania 39?surpassed the existing global viewership record by 28 percent.
• The event took place at the 70,240 capacity spots and entertainment indoor SoFi Stadium.
• WrestleMania 39 became the most social WrestleMania of all-time, with over 500 million views and 11 million hours of video consumed over the two days, a 42 percent increase over last year.

Commercial

Miami Marlins strike ‘US $5m a year’ ADT jersey patch deal

• Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Miami Marlins have secured?their first jersey patch partnership with home and business security firm ADT.
• The three-year deal is worth US$5 million annually and will see the Florida based companies logo feature on the team’s sleeve from the start of the 2023 season.
• The Marlins are the latest MLB franchise to secure a jersey patch partner, joining the likes of the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels, and the Cincinnati Reds having deals in place for the 2023 campaign.

Erling Haaland scores ‘ten-year+’ Nike deal

• Manchester City and Norway star Erling Haaland has signed an endorsement deal with US sportswear giant, Nike.?
• The deal is set to last at least 10 years, most likely covering the rest of the strikers career. This partnership will involve product lines, and signature footwear for the City star.
• Reports suggest Haaland could become the new face of the 'No 9' boot, launched in 1998, inspired by Brazilian Ronaldo.

Sky Closer to Landing New Rights Deal With EFL

• The English Football League has named Sky Sports the preferred bidder and is entering exclusive negotiations for a new media rights deal.
• As the frontrunner to secure EFL media rights for the 2024 season and beyond, Sky may dash the hopes of streamers DAZN, TNT Sports, and Viaplay, which hoped to pick off the rights.
• Comcast-owned Sky’s current deal with the EFL pays $147 million annually and ends after the 2023-24 season. The EFL is reportedly seeking a new rights deal worth more than $247 million.

Women’s Sport

Women’s Sports Network signs up Michelob Ultra as first major sponsor

• The Women’s Sports Network (WSN) free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel has signed up beer brand, Michelob Ultra as the first sponsor of its dedicated 24-hour streaming coverage.
• The year-long partnership is structured with the aim of increasing the visibility of women in sport.
• The Brand will get plugins across live coverage of Athletes Unlimited's women's basketball league, as well as programming from the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), LPGA Tour, the World Surf League (WSL), and the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF)

BAR founder looking to create F1 team with 50/50 gender split

• British American Racing (BAR) founder Craig Pollock is looking to set up a new Formula One team with a 50/50 gender split across the organisation.
• 'Formula Equal' project aiming for 2026 debut with gender equity across entire organisation.
• Positions at the team would be split equally throughout, from the boardroom to the drivers of the cars which would represent the first team with 50 per cent men and 50 per cent women in the series’ history.
• Investors from the Middle East and Saudi Arabia have been rumoured, a big step in Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 framework, which is to afford more opportunities to women in a country where women’s rights have historically been severely restricted.

Elite Netball Academy partners with UCLan

• The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has officially partnered with Elite Netball Academy to develop its performance team and scholarship recruitment.
• Netball is a focal sport for UCLan and, led by Head Coach Anna Carter, Elite Netball Academy will seek to elevate the standard of netball at the University through weekly performance training sessions and support at games and tournaments throughout the year.
• The Academy already works with international netballers, franchise coaches and players to improve the standard of netball in the UK.

Stadiums & Venues

49ers secure funding for Levi’s Stadium upgrades

• NFL franchise the San Francisco 49ers has secured a $120m (￡97.2m/€110.5m) loan from the League’s stadium fund to conduct upgrades at Levi’s Stadium.
• The funds will initially be directed towards renovating Levi’s Stadium’s suites, with the venue set to enter its 10th?year of operations in 2024. The 49ers are also looking into other uses for the funding, including video boards, that would enhance the fan experience.
• All renovated suites will be available in either 2024 or 2025, with Levi’s Stadium gearing up for a potentially significant year of major events in 2026.?In June, Levi’s Stadium was selected as one of 11 US venues for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which the United States is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico.
• The 49ers are also bidding to host Super Bowl LX, 10 years on from Levi’s Stadium’s last staging of the showpiece game in 2016.

Newcastle United digs safe standing pilot

• The Premier League club Newcastle United F.C. will trial safe standing at their home ground, St James’ Park– from the start of the 2023-2024 season.
• It is being reported that an 1,800- capacity section for home fans will be introduced in the stadium’s South-East corner, with a similar area for away supporters in the Leazes End.
• Newcastle said more than 4,000 fans had responded to an online survey, with 75 percent in favour of a standing section.

ECDC denies talks over Earl’s Court move for Chelsea

• The company overseeing the regeneration of Earl’s Court has “categorically” denied reports it is in talks with Chelsea over potentially housing a new stadium for the English Premier League football club
• The West London club is currently weighing up its options as long-held ambitions to either upgrade Stamford Bridge or develop a new stadium have returned to the agenda following its takeover last year by a consortium fronted by US businessman Todd Boehly
• A 60,000-seat stadium at Earl’s Court has previously been touted as an option for Chelsea

Technology

Fiba’s new LED court will see sponsor opportunities ‘explode’, says general secretary

• The International Basketball Federation (Fiba) has approved a new LED glass court which will allow the organisation to do things that it could not imagine beforehand.?
• The glass court will result in the removal of advertising stickers on the court, which will help prevent the risk of injury as well as fan engagement opportunities for Fiba and event organisers.?
• The innovation is making its debut at the U19 Women's World Cup held later this summer.

Marvel Stadium becomes first Australian venue to add Amazon’s Just Walk Out kiosks

• The Australian Football League (AFL) and Amazon have agreed a partnership that will see Marvel Stadium introduce the ecommerce giant’s ‘Just Walk Out’ technology.
• AFL-owned venue becomes the first in the Southern Hemisphere to install Amazon’s checkout-free technology.
• Two in-stadium outlets known as ‘The Runner’ will introduce the technology during the early rounds of the 2023 season.
• Fans will be able to scan their payment card on entry to the shop and leave without having to queue at a checkout.
• Just Walk Out stores have been adopted at a number of US sports venues, including the Seattle Seahawks and Sounders’ Lumen Field, but this is the most significant adoption of the technology in Australian sport to date.

Kansas City Royals launch AR experience at Kauffman Stadium

• Next-generation fan engagement platform ARound has partnered with Major League Baseball team the Kansas City Royals to launch augmented reality experiences at Kauffman Stadium
• For the 2023 MLB season, ARound will launch Crown Vision AR, a shared experience that includes interactive follow-along features after base hits and plays, contests, fan loyalty features and custom brand sponsorships
• Fans are able to sample the experience by opening the ARound Stadium app and pointing their smartphone camera towards the pitch

Global13 Sporting Moment of the Week

Chelsea beat UWCL holders Lyon on penalties to reach semi-finals

Our sporting moment of the week is Chelsea’s victory against Lyon in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. The English side beat the defending Champions on penalties to reach the semi-finals of the competition.

1-0 up from the first leg in Lyon, Chelsea needed a 128th-minute goal to force a shootout after Lyon had scored twice at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea will play Barcelona in the Semi-Finals of the competition at the end of April.

Global 13 update

Wigan Warriors Rugby League Club Women's season launch event

Two weekends ago, Global 13 sponsored the Wigan Warriors Rugby League Club Women's season launch event. The event was a great success with players handed their heritage numbers and shirts by our CEO Jason Harborow, including Global 13's Project Manager Olivia Harborow who has heritage number 59.

Global 13 are committed to developing women's Rugby League and with the first match fast approaching, we are delighted to be sponsoring Wigan Warriors Women for the upcoming season. Good luck girls!

Global 13's Sports Round-up!

Olivia and the Wigan Warriors Women make it 3/3 in pre-season with the win over Barrow Riders Ladies on Sunday. The ladies season officially starts on the 16th April where they take on Warrington.

Good luck for the season ladies!