G13 Sports Bulletin - 29/09/2023

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.

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SPORTS INDUSTRY NEWS ROUND-UP

It has indeed been an exhilarating week in the world of sports, marked by the announcement of exciting commercial deals and major event updates. The Ryder Cup provided a thrilling culmination, while the cricket and rugby worlds are abuzz with action as we near the critical stages of both prestigious tournaments.

Events

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Euro 2028: UK & Ireland confirmed as joint hosts.

·?UEFA has officially approved the UK and Ireland's bid to host the 2028 European Football Championship.

·?The tournament will take place across ten stadiums in these nations, and economic projections suggest a substantial 3 billion boost to their economies.

·?Wembley Stadium in England is slated to host the Euro 2028 final, with other English venues like Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Etihad Stadium, Villa Park, St James' Park, and Everton's new Bramley-Moore Dock ground included. Additionally, matches will be hosted at Cardiff's Principality Stadium, Glasgow's Hampden Park, Dublin's Aviva Stadium, and a redeveloped Casement Park in Belfast.

Saudi Arabia launches bid to host 2034 FIFA World Cup

·?The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) has formally expressed their interest in hosting the 2034 World Cup by submitting a letter of intent to FIFA.

·?FIFA recently restricted bidding for the 2034 edition to countries from Asia and Oceania, following the decision to have six host countries across three nations for the 2030 World Cup.

·?FIFA has expedited the bidding process, allowing countries just four weeks to confirm their intention to bid for the event. Saudi Arabia quickly declared their interest and is now an official candidate for hosting the 2034 World Cup.

LA 2028: Cricket, squash and flag football among sports listed for Olympic inclusion.

· Only one cricket match has been played at the Olympics, which took place in 1900, where Great Britain defeated hosts France in a low-scoring Test to claim the gold medal.

·?The organisers of the Los Angeles Games have recently endorsed both men's and women's Twenty20 cricket competitions, along with baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse, and squash, as additional sports for the event in five years.

· LA28 has stated that its proposal will be "reviewed" by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board for "ratification" during the 141st IOC session in Mumbai on October 16th. The International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman, Greg Barclay, expressed cautious optimism about this development, which comes two years after the ICC announced its bid to include cricket in the Olympics.

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Commercial

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Real Madrid deepen UAE ties with Dubai tourism sponsorship

·?The partnership encompasses Real's men's and women's teams, and the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM) will provide "unique and special experiences" for fans.

·?As part of the agreement, Visit Dubai will also receive branding rights at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

·?This partnership with Visit Dubai follows Real Madrid's previous collaboration with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as they extended their front-of-shirt sponsorship with the country's flag carrier, Emirates, for at least €70 million annually until 2026.

Roma score ‘8 million euro’ per year Riyadh season front-of-shirt sponsorship

· Riyadh Season is the new front-of-shirt sponsor for Italian soccer giants AS Roma.

·?The sponsorship agreement includes featuring Riyadh Season's logo on the jerseys of Roma's men's, women's, and youth teams.

·?AS Roma will play one friendly match per season in Riyadh as part of the sponsorship deal.

· The two-season sponsorship deal is reportedly valued at around €8 million per year.

Aston Martin F1 extend cognizant co-naming rights deal

· The Aston Martin Formula One team has extended and expanded its partnership with US-based multinational business technology firm Cognizant through a multi-year agreement.

·?Cognizant has become Aston Martin's global technology services partner through this agreement.

·?The partnership will involve collaborative efforts to optimize operational efficiency across the new AMR Technology Campus located in Silverstone, England.

·?This extended partnership continues to emphasize a focus on sustainability, community, and inclusion initiatives. It includes a commitment to driving towards zero-emission goals through the implementation of energy-efficient technologies.

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Women’s Sport

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WSL nets first ticker collection with Panini tie-up

·?The Football Association (FA) has partnered with Panini to create the Women's Super League's (WSL) first official sticker collection.

·?The WSL sticker collection, featuring nearly 350 stickers of WSL players and icons, is set to launch in December 2023.

·?This collaboration follows a successful 2022/23 WSL season with a 170% increase in matchday attendance and the WSL's strong representation at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

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National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) agrees new domestic TV deals with CBS, ESPN, Amazon and Scripps

·?The NWSL has reportedly signed new broadcast rights agreements with CBS, ESPN, Amazon, and Scripps, with deals expected to run until 2027.

·?While the exact value of these new arrangements remains undisclosed, they are described as "significantly higher" than the US$1.5 billion previously paid by CBS for the rights. Notably, the previous deal required the league to cover production costs.

·?If confirmed, the new NWSL agreements would surpass the record value of the Women's Super-League’s (WSL) deals in the UK, which are worth more than ￡8 million (US$9.9 million) and involve partnerships with the BBC and Sky Sports.

Arsenal; break Women’s Super League attendance record in opening day defeat:

·?Prior to the match, it was announced that Arsenal had already sold more than 50,000 tickets for the game, indicating high anticipation.

· The official attendance figure for the game exceeded the previous WSL record by nearly 10,000 spectators. Arsenal had previously held the record, which they established in the previous season.

· Notably, Arsenal's success extends beyond this record-setting match, as they have now sold over 40,000 tickets for women's games on five separate occasions in less than two seasons. This trend underscores the growing popularity and support for women's football.

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Stadiums & Venues

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LA Rams using snapchat’s AR tech for SoFi stadium adverts.

·?The Los Angeles Rams, an NFL team, have joined forces with Snap to utilise augmented reality (AR) technology for innovative advertising at SoFi Stadium.

·?This partnership involves the Rams, Princess Cruises, and Snap collaborating to create an AR experience that transforms SoFi Stadium into the Pacific Ocean as part of an advertisement for the cruise company.

·?Notably, this collaboration represents Snapchat's first-ever activation powered by Disguise, a visual experience platform. Disguise created the AR visuals in Snap's Lens Studio and integrated them with SoFi Stadium's Infinity Screen and in-stadium cameras.

Allegiant stadium claims NFL first by going 100% renewable

· The Las Vegas Raiders and Allegiant Stadium have achieved an NFL first by converting the venue to 100% renewable energy in partnership with NV Energy, which locally produces renewable power in Nevada for the stadium and other customers.

· This milestone in adopting renewable energy is aimed at reducing the stadium's environmental impact and lowering energy costs significantly.

· The announcement follows the achievement of LEED Gold Certification for Allegiant Stadium in July, underscoring the venue's commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.

FIFA boosts Saudi’s 2034 World Cup hopes with stadium requirement changes

· FIFA has initiated the bidding process for the 2027 Asian Cup, and they've reduced the requirement for existing stadiums from seven to four.

· Saudi Arabia, the host country, is already in the process of constructing or upgrading four large stadiums in preparation for the tournament.

· FIFA's bidding guidelines stipulate that hopeful host nations must propose a total of 14 venues, with at least four of them considered "existing," which includes those currently under construction, undergoing renovation, or reconstruction. The stadiums must meet minimum capacity requirements of 40,000, with larger capacities for key matches.

?Technology

ESPN signs multi-year agreement to broadcast TFL tech-focused golf league in US

·?ESPN has inked a multi-year deal to broadcast TGL, the tech-focused golf series founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's TMRW Sports venture in the United States, with broadcasts scheduled for Tuesday nights.

·?All TGL events will be showcased on either the flagship ESPN channel or ESPN 2 and simultaneously streamed on the ESPN+ direct-to-consumer (DTC) platform. Additionally, a preview show will be aired on Disney-owned ABC, a free-to-air (FTA) network, one week before the first event on January 9th.

UFC finalise deal to use 4D sight AI tech for dynamic Octagon ads

·?The UFC has entered into a multi-year agreement with 4D Sight, a broadcast technology specialist, to use their 4D AI technology for digitally placing sponsors' logos on the Octagon canvas during live broadcasts.

·?This technology allows viewers to see various logo placements during live events without restrictions on specific camera angles or placement locations.

·?The UFC is 4D Sight's first multi-year client, following a successful trial program that aimed to experiment with virtual advertising technology for localized broadcasts, benefiting both viewers and sponsors.

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Premier League ‘Data Zone’ promises stat-focused simulcast of live matches

· Premier League Productions (PLP) and sports data specialist Genius Sports are collaborating to offer international broadcasters a weekly simulcast of a featured Premier League match with a strong focus on statistics.

·?Genius Sports, the official data partner of the Premier League through its wider deal with FootballDataCo, will provide PLP with a low-latency feed used to generate on-screen graphics overlaid on the live action.

·?The 'Premier League Data Zone' will use these graphics to showcase player names, pitch maps, shot speeds, total distance traveled, passing accuracy, and integrate official Fantasy Premier League data and rankings, leveraging the global popularity of the fantasy game as a fan engagement tool for the English league.

Global13 Sporting Moment of the Week

In a thrilling Ryder Cup showdown in Rome, Team Europe secured a triumphant victory with a final score of 16?-11? against Team USA. The pivotal moment came when Tommy Fleetwood clinched the decisive point by defeating Rickie Fowler with a score of 3&1. Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, and Jon Rahm stood out as key performers for Europe, although Team USA displayed resilience with victories during their attempted comeback.

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Global13 Sports Round up

?It was a successful weekend for Project Associate Eddie who’s side came out 4-3 winners in a thrilling FA Sunday Cup fixture.

The G13 netball team have had a fantastic start to the season, we are very proud to continue to support women’s sport and look forward to seeing how the exciting side develops and progresses over the season.