The AST wrap-up: Dortmund x BetMGM, The UFC x Crypto-betting and more!

The first week of March comes to a close, but not without the AST wrap-up! Bundesliga titans Borussia Dortmund aim to boost their connection with the US. The UK and Ireland set their sights on joint-hosting a World Cup, The UFC continue riding the new sports crypto wave, and TikTok disturbs the sports streaming landscape. Lastly, but by no means least, Euroleague look to make some noise with a new marketing partnership.

Borussia Dortmund look to boost their reach across the US with BetMGM

https://igamingbusiness.com/betmgm-in-us-first-with-borussia-dortmund-partnership/

Bundesliga titan, Borussia Dortmund, sign a regional marketing partnership with gaming operator, BetMGM. The agreement entails collaborative marketing opportunities, fan-focused social media promotions alongside special Dortmund-themed sweepstake prizes.

BetMGM has achieved rights to player imagery, team logos and assets for marketing applications as an exclusive partner in the US. Their customers will receive exclusive offers, watch games through the medium and access co-branded content on Dortmund’s England Twitter account, @BlackYellow.

BetMGM is the first US betting firm to partner with a German football club. Since Walt Disney Co. gained long-term rights to the Bundesliga, this partnership is the most significant following from TopGolf, Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals and National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Philadelphia 76ers.

The UK and Ireland enter the race for the 2030 FIFA World Cup

UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, plans to ‘bring football home’ through a joint-hosting initiative with the Republic of Ireland for the 2030 FIFA World Cup. A government fund of £2.8m is committed for the tournament, and a feasibility process will be carried out before the bidding process commences in 2022.

2022’s World Cup will be presented in Qatar, while the 2026 edition will be shared amongst the US, Mexico and Canada. The UK and Ireland’s high ambitions will likely be challenged against Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Spain, Morocco, and Portugal for the 2030 occasion.

Premier League club, Aston Villa, have offered their full support to upgrade Villa Park if necessary to meet FIFA’s tournament guidelines if the bid were successful.

The UFC deepens its ties with sports crypto-betting

UFC Fighter, Israel Adesanya: https://www.ufc.com/athlete/israel-adesanya

Leading MMA promotion, The UFC, forms a Latin American and Asian focused partnership with crypto casino platform stake.com. The two will improve the UFC betting experience by initiating exclusive promotions and VIP experiences to produced athlete-inspired content.

This January saw UFC top dog, Israel Adesanya, as the first-ever brand ambassador for stake.com. This move innovates the way the UFC will engage with their fans and experience the tournament’s excitement.

Stake.com was founded in 2017 and has become one of the world’s fastest-growing betting and crypto gaming sites. That growth will rapidly expand with the UFC on board, taking their brand to become a powerful competitor across the industry.

TikTok get serious about sports streaming

YouTube video of TikTok x X Games Mode compilation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TWR3begB1A

The short-form video content platform aspires to extend its live sports content. It’s enjoyed a partnership with the National Football League (NFL), which involved build-up content for the Super Bowl. Plus, the end of January saw TikTok agree on a deal with ESPN-owned X Games for a winter sports event.

Five live sessions were aired for the X Games through TikTok, garnering roughly 1.7 million viewers in one day. X Games’ follower count expanded from 83,000 to 405,000. 2021 content for X Games experienced double-digit viewership increases across ESPN and ESPN2 across 192 countries. 105 million video views were achieved throughout Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok.

TikTok’s involvement in sports content demonstrates the power creators have to support rights holders.

Euroleague ‘Elevate’ their marketing strategy through a new partnership

https://www.euroleague.net/news/i/aunub9ih8syniqr3/2021-final-four-headed-to-cologne-germany

The European basketball tournament has joined forces with American sports consultancy, Elevate Sports Ventures, to innovate the leagues marketing strategy for the Final Tour.

The arrangement will involve cross-collaboration with the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers and Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment (HBSE). An international marketing, premium hospitality service and event management strategy will be devised for the competition.

Together, all parties will amplify fan activations, premium offerings and partnership opportunities to uplift Euroleague’s Final Tour as one of sports most extraordinary events.

That’s a wrap! BetMGM’s collaboration with Dortmund prove to be their most significant partnership to date? Could we see the 2030 World Cup on UK and Irish soil? How will the UFC’s fan engagement experience alter under the wing of Stake.com? Is TikTok the new force to be reckoned with in the sports streaming space? Plus, will the Euroleague rise their competitive nature against the National Basketball Association?

What can the NBA teach us about effectively promoting sports culture?

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has earnt its spot as one of sports most progressive leagues due to it’s unique but powerful sporting culture. The NBA lead the way in showing us how to combat social injustice. They’re creating opportunities for youngsters to discover their potential through charitable causes. Plus, they’ve established innovative partnerships that effectively connect them to their broad audience. This blog will explore how The NBA does the above well.

Collaborating with culturally-relevant brands

Last week saw the NBA announce Cognac brand Hennessy as their Official Spirits Partner. The two parties will work together, producing limited edition bottles, consumer events and local activations. Plus, African, Asia-Pacific, European and South American territories will witness the NBA x Hennessy Lines campaign, celebrating those pushing basketball forward.

This partnership is more purposeful than the NBA merely following the trend of sport and beverage collaborations. Hennessy is a famous cognac distiller, specifically in urban rap and pop culture. Global music artists like Drake, Dej Loaf, Lil Wayne, and Snoop Dogg have endorsed the drink many times on some of their biggest hits. Before COVID19, these pop cultural icons would regularly attend NBA games at courtside. This partnership keeps The NBA culturally sensitive in the rap-pop subculture, which makes up a large part of its audience demographic.  

Relentless athlete activism

Mike Ehrmann/AP
Los Angeles Lakers players, including LeBron James, third from left, and Anthony Davis, second from right, wear Black Lives Matter shirts as they kneel during the national anthem prior to an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, July 30, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

The NBA and their athletes have stood up against social injustice like no other sports leagues. 2020 was the year The NBA authentically showcased its global community’s strength following the murder of George Floyd during the COVID19 pandemic.

Many players and personalities encouraged the league to feature prominent and unavoidable statements surrounding BLM. Black lives matter was displayed across the court while player jersey’s where replaced with human rights policies instead of player names. Why did this work so well? Well, every camera angle, video shot, and highlight-reel presented would have a BLM-associated message. The topic would naturally spring into a viewers mind which successfully creates brand awareness through The NBA about a significant societal issue.

NBA legend, LeBron James, spoke with US TV Network ESPN about BLM being more than a movement; instead, it’s a lifestyle and modern-day life as a black male. Lakers teammate, Anthony Davis, endorsed LeBron’s to be a pivotal figure to make many listen. But why? Well, LeBron comes from humble beginnings and consistently uses his platform to openly and authentically discuss societal issues.

Although AC Milan player Zlatan Ibrahimovic has criticised the basketball player for ‘politicising’ sports. LeBron promptly responded by vowing never to stop talking about problems in society. James’ persistent athletic activism towards uplifting equality embeds an optimistic sports culture for The NBA to champion worldwide.

Unlocking opportunities for communities

https://www.nba.com/news/nba-board-governors-launch-nba-foundation-official-release

August 2020 saw the NBA commit $300m in funds to support black empowerment over the next decade through the newly formed ‘The NBA Foundation’. The charity focuses on growing the black community through youth employment and education support. The next 10-years will see all 30 NBA teams contribute $1m to the foundation to impact lives positively. Multi sports-property owners Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSC) have invested $10m to the charity.

The NBA foundation setup strengthens the league’s connection with wider communities outside of the sport. It’s augmenting basketball’s power to show sports’ ability to transform and unlock potential in disadvantaged livelihoods.  

So, what has the NBA taught us about promoting sports culture? The league is one of the most progressive properties at promoting the theme. Secondly, culture should be community-led. Otherwise, fan engagement will gradually fade away over time. Thirdly, sports culture should be about standing up for what’s right and not shying away from critics!

Exclusive interview with Anett Fodor: UEFA EURO 2020 Volunteer Manager, Budapest

Anett is a powerful advocate for gender equality and using sport to combat social issues. Her career has found her represent Uefa Euros 2020, the FINA Swimming World Championships and many sporting committees in Hungary. This interview sees Anett discuss how her journey started, the challenges and the benefits that volunteering brings to the industry and an individual.

Question 1: Anett, it’s great to have you on Ash’s Sports Talk. Let’s kick this off by understanding how your sports career began?

Thanks for the opportunity. When I was a child, I participated in athletics at Primary school and eventually, I started fencing. At High school, I had a chance to volunteer at Budapest’s European swimming championship in 2010, which fascinated me with the event side of sport.

As I grew up, I developed a passion for acting and film production. Eventually, I had to choose whether I wanted my career to be led by sport or performing arts. It’s now evident what route I chose, and it was the volunteering that really sparked my initial interest, and it landed me my first full-time job in sport as the tournaments competitions coordinator.

Question 2: Throughout your journey to becoming the Volunteer Manager at UEFA Euro 2020, what have you enjoyed the most?

I’d say volunteering; it’s the reason why I’ve met so many people around Europe. In Hungary, UEFA Euro 2020 were looking for a volunteer manager as there typically aren’t many volunteers in the country. I appreciate it can be hard to encourage others to volunteer as it’s seen as ‘working for free’, it made me think twice about taking on the role. However, I remembered what got me into volunteering, and I wanted to share the benefits I’ve gained from volunteering to encourage others to do the same.

Question 3: Your career has been highly orientated at promoting volunteering in sport. What can you share about the impact volunteering provides to an individual in the industry and the value volunteering offers to the industry?

The connections you build are essential; they open multiple doors in the industry in ways you couldn’t imagine. I started my first event as a volunteer at a LEN event (the European Aquatics Federation), then I moved to the European Swimming Championship. After this, I got my first paid job at the World Championships. I still volunteer now; my positions used to be orientated around event operations, whereas now I’m sitting in board meetings and holding more strategic roles. Therefore, if you remain committed for long enough, you’ll have the chance to make some substantial impacts in sport on both an operational and strategic level.

Question 4: At UEFA Euro 2020, it would be amazing to hear what your role looks like and what you’re responsible for?

My role involves managing various processes around marketing, legal affairs, financial issues, administration and more. I thoroughly enjoy the variety as it keeps things exciting. I manage multiple groups, including my small core team, a bunch of long-term volunteers and over 1,000 volunteers during event operations.

I used to live in Spain during the 2012 Euros’, and I remember the electric atmosphere when people danced on the streets. This truly sparked a passion for being a part of this competition; I also had a miraculous opportunity to go to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, which was terrific to witness the event’s ambience over there.

We’re looking to establish workshops for volunteers at the Euros which can become essential for sports education. Its an opportunity to teach people about cultural diversity, equality and the power volunteering brings.

Question 5: It’s clear you’re a strong advocate for gender equality and using sport to combat social issues. I’m aware you sit on the Hungarian Olympic Committee, Budapest Association for International Sports, International University Sport Federation, Hungarian Football Federation and ENGSO Youth boards. How do these involvements champion your passions in sport?

I have different statuses in these organisations. The Hungarian Football Federation (HFF) is the central area of focus, as we are one of the host venues of EURO 2020. Although, due to the pandemic, it’s allowed more time to focus on other causes. I am really proud of the Hungarian Olympic Committee (HOC) Women and Sport Commission position because I’m their youngest elected member. This lets me represent the youths’ voice to get the best out of their careers. In the Budapest Association of International Sports (BAIS), I was actually one of the founders which I started with a couple of friends. It was inspired by knowing how it’s tougher to break into the local community when you’re an international expact. We organise local opportunities to share cultural diversity through sport and promote a healthy lifestyle for like-minded individuals.

I’m also a committee member at the European Non-Governmental Sports Organisation’s youth body (ENGSO Youth). The organisation has a huge potential, providing many opportunities across Europe.

The International University of Sports Federation (FISU) came to fruition by myself becoming a young ambassador. I won the spot in a competition the FISU ran, called FISU Volunteer Leaders Academy, and the next time they asked me to become a mentor of the newcomers. This allowed me to speak and get involved in their fantastic programmes publicly. Essentially, each of these organisations allows me to make strides to show the power sport for development has for individuals wanting to get involved in the industry.

Question 6: With any successful sporting career, there comes an array of challenges. Would you mind sharing some of the adversities you’ve experienced in your sports industry come up?

It’s fair to stay I started from ground zero. I came from a family who wasn’t naturally passionate about sports. Therefore, I had to find my own way to succeed in the industry. As a youthful leader, it wasn’t always easy to find opportunities that could take me further in my career path and create my own connection net.

Plus, I began taking up boxing when I was younger and unfortunately was on the back end of stereotypical and old-fashioned comments about female sports participation. This was wrong, but it ignited my passion for driving this issue forward to find a solution. 

It’s challenging to find the right team members However, once the right employees are found, it’s an excellent feeling. The impact of COVID19 is an obvious one, events have suffered tremendously, and it’s been so unprecedented as I thought the pandemic would’ve ended by now. Nevertheless, I’ve been keeping myself motivated throughout these strange times.

Question 7: Anett, reflecting on this discussion and your sports career, what is your killer piece of advice for someone wanting to pursue a career in sport?

Help whenever you can. Once you find a passion, go for it. By all means, don’t let it exhaust you as you must enjoy it. Value connections, turn up to conferences and be loyal to your values.

What a sensational interview by Anett. Her story has truly inspired me that many things are possible if you put your mind to it. Despite her adversities growing up in a non-sporting family, it didn’t stop her from making a tremendous impact across many levels of sport. Therefore, if you’re an individual who’s got a thriving passion for making your career in sport happen, don’t let anything hold you back, especially not the pandemic!

The AST wrap-up: NBA x Hennessy, Triller outbid Matchroom Boxing and more!

Another week comes to a close, but not without the AST wrap-up! This week, Saudi Arabia set off a new sporting venture with global giants Real Madrid. ONE Championship enters their next phase of international expansion. The power of golf is real. The National Basketball Association (NBA) toast to a new partnership with alcohol brands and video platform Triller, makes boxing history.

Real Madrid and Saudi Arabia discuss ‘€150m’ sponsorship proposal

https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/real-madrid-defeat-city-rivals-atletico-on-penalties-to-win-spanish-super-cup-in-saudi-arabia-1.963482

The global football giants have been offered €150m to promote Saudi’s state-owned Qiddiya project for a decade. Qiddiya is an enormous tourism venture contributing to Saudi’s Vision 2030 framework worth billions to become leaders in entertainment, arts and sport.

Details of the agreement include Madrid committing four players to endorse the project through Reals’ website and social media channels. Qiddiya will also become a primary sponsor for the Spanish titan’s women’s team. Female Madrid stars could attend Saudi to enhance young female sports participation.  

Thus far, Saudi has capitalised on accommodating significant sports events to promote its international sporting reputation. Now, the land of the two holy mosque’s intends to practice a more societal approach to promote its global identity.

Could ONE Championship become publicly listed in the US?

Zebaztian Kadestam celebrates after winning the ONE welterweight title Saturday in Jakarta, Indonesia
 ONE Championship

The Asian Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Promotion are allegedly exploring options to unify with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), including becoming openly listed in the US. Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs are two investment banks ONE has recruited to help prepare for a potential listing.

Currently, ONE Championship is supported by institutional investors, including US venture firm Sequoia Capital and Singapore-based holding company Temasek Holdings. The sports promotion firm is valued at around $1 billion, but 2019 saw them lose $130 million, a 60%+ from the year before.

The Singapore-based MMA firm plans to deliver a Stateside debut after the coronavirus pandemic. If ONE Championship makes itself public through SPAC, they’d debatably become the most prominent sports property to do it against neighbouring firms like Genius Sports Group and DraftKings.

Sportfive create a golf unit to expand its international reach

Phil Mickelson: https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/sportfive-golf-global-unit-phil-mickelson-steve-loy

The International marketing agency has produced a worldwide golf unit to upgrade its position in the sport. Steve Loy, Sportfive’s president of global golf, will expand Sportfive’s outreach across the US and Asia. Plus, the unit will introduce new opportunities for golf rights holders and brands.

Sportfive represents an array of golfers, including Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm, Keegan Bradley and Brandt Snedeker. Plus, the firm manages several tournaments involving The American Express and Safeway Open PGA Tour stops and Asian events such as the SMBC Singapore Open, the Australian Open and the BNI Indonesian Masters.

Sportfive’s initiative will utilise its transparent network, leadership and specialist knowledge in international sports to boost their profile as a serious global golf identity.

The NBA tap into the world of beer and spirits

Hennessy x NBA partnership: https://robbreport.com/food-drink/spirits/lvmh-hennessy-cognac-official-spirits-partner-nba-2898282/

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has formed a partnership with Budweiser to utilise their social channels in Brazil to stream NBA games. The language will be dubbed in Portuguese alongside the beer companies local Brazillian content, including fashion and gaming orientated shows linking with basketball.

This agreement strengthens the NBA’s identity across South America, considering the league has obtained similar provisions across Mexico, Argentina and Chile. Budweiser has also been the league’s marketing partner since 2015, solidifying its connection with Brazil.

Cognac brand, Hennessy, becomes the tournaments Official Spirits Partner, where the two parties will exclusively release limited edition bottles, work together on consumer events, localised content and yearly activations.

Specifically, the organisations activate a campaign called ‘Hennessy x NBA: Lines’ across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe and South America to endorse those ‘pushing the game forward. This collaboration is the NBA’s first-ever global partnership with a spirits maker that aims to inspire and unite people worldwide.

Hennessy is a trendy drink amongst urban pop culture, with many rappers referring to it in their songs. The NBA joining forces with Hennessy is also a culturally sensitive move for the league to remain relevant in the contemporary sports pop culture space.

Triller outbid Matchroom Boxing & Top Rank for Teofimo Lopez vs George Kambosos

Teofimo Lopez, unified lightweight champion: https://theathletic.com/news/triller-wins-rights-to-teofimo-lopez-vs-george-kambosos-jr-fight/J4AG1JKQm5Vn

Video streaming service, Triller, outweighed promotional giants Matchroom Boxing & Top Rank with an enormous offer of $6,180,000 for this lightweight title fight. Both Lopez & Kambosos are young, unbeaten fighters who could create super-fights later in their division.

Triller made a substantial impact in boxing when they hosted the nostalgic bout between Mike Tyson & Roy Jones Jr last November, which secured over $1.6m PPV buys. US creator Jake Paul featured on the undercard and contributed to 40-50% of the total sales by brutally defeating retired NBA star Nate Robinson. Jake’s boxing journey continues under Triller’s wing as he’ll be promoted under the platform for his fight against MMA veteran Ben Askren this April.

Ryan Kavanaugh, CEO of Triller owned company, Proxima Media, mentioned Lopez vs Kambosos would likely be the co-main event on an ‘influencer-celebrity type card’ this May. The initiative behind this will be to introduced two different audiences to one boxing card, which Triller have been successful at thus far.

That’s a wrap! Is a new chapter arising for sport in Saudi Arabia? How will ONE Championship’s public listing impact their profile in combat sport? What’s next for Sportfive’s golf unit expansion? Is there any other sports league as culturally sensitive as The NBA? Is Triller on its way to becoming new broadcasting leaders in the boxing landscape?

What makes Naomi Osaka so marketable?

With close to 3 million joint social media followers, the new Australian Open Champion proves to become this era’s most marketable athlete. 2020 saw Naomi become the worlds highest-paid athlete where she received $3.4 million in prize money but a whopping $34 million from endorsements. She’s had a smashing start to 2021 by becoming an official brand ambassador for French Fashion House, Louis Vuitton (LV) and luxury watch company, Tag Heuer. Her athletic record backs up her high-volumes of media interest; however, her introverted and reserved personality makes her unique to other athletes. She’s also a vibrant advocate of using sport to drive awareness to the female game.  

Those are many of her admirable qualities and values, but how do they contribute to her illustrious marketability?  

Introverted personality

https://bit.ly/3pOeWkM

Tennis has seen multiple stars with strong personalities. Examples include the glorious Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Nick Krygios and many more. By all means, having self-esteem is essential when you’re an athlete. Although Naomi exceptionally channels that ego through her introverted nature, which has complimented her humble attitude as a sportswoman.

Her marketability has been endorsed because the US & Japanese star became 2020’s Associated Press Female athlete. Her attitude displayed on and off the court demonstrates her to be a positive role model to inspire audiences that brands want to target. Plus, it allows her athletic ability to speak for itself rather than insistently promoting it herself. This value alone can have a tremendous impact on upcoming female tennis players to stay true to themselves, as Naomi has.  

Female empowerment

French fashion designer, Nicolas Ghesquière, described Naomi to be “an exceptional woman who represents her generation and is also a role model for everyone” when announcing her as Louis Vuitton’s brand ambassador. Naomi’s accolade of achievements has transformed her into a pivotal figure for female sport in multiple generations.

This year, Osaka became the co-owner of a women’s soccer team, the North Carolina Courage. Her investment sees the tennis star strategically advise the club on inspiring upcoming female athletes. Soccer has been a colossal moment for voicing female empowerment in sport. The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup experienced ground-breaking viewership results, demonstrating it’s growing influence on the global sporting community. Naomi jumping into the soccer world, amplifies her brand power to connect soccer and tennis audiences collaboratively.

Athletic activism

Naomi Osaka wearing different face masks during the US Open Final: https://bit.ly/3bIg4RZ

The sports star became one of the most influential campaigners for Black Lives Matter last year. The US Open Final saw Naomi wear alternative face masks with names of BAME individuals who’ve passed from police brutality. She also didn’t participate in the Southern and Western Open to encourage the tournament to pay condolences to Jacob Blake‘s shooting.   

Naomi’s BLM tribute saw her social media following pounce by 57%. Many sportspeople campaigned with Naomi for BLM, including Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford, US soccer player, Megan Rapinoe and Formula One racer Lewis Hamilton. Each experienced audience boosts, which appeared to be driven by younger audiences endorsing socially responsible brands.

The BLM movement has become a game-changer for sponsorship culture to champion social responsibility. Not only is it significant to escalate brand awareness, but it also has the potential to create a worldwide impact through tailored content creation. Naomi being an instrumental puzzle piece for athletic activism reinforces her media appeal for brands wanting to collaborate.   

Passion for luxury fashion

Naomi has admitted fashion to be one of her most ‘treasured passions’, and she’s been buying Louis Vuitton handbags for her mum since she was 16 years old. Before becoming LV and Tag Heuer’s brand ambassadors, early 2020 saw Osaka work in-partnership with high-end fashion brand, Adeam on a capsule collection that embraced her Japanese culture.

Naomi’s ‘fashion passion’ isn’t materialistic; her values synergise with the morals luxury fashion labels have. Tag Heuer inspired her as they champion innovation, high precision and performance. Naomi classes herself as a curious individual who enjoys being outside her comfort zone. When announcing the LV partnership, Ghesquière described Naomi’s personal values as uncompromised, contributing to becoming a role model for everyone. This echoed Naomi’s principle of sharing the love her and Ghesquière share for Japanese culture.

Luxury fashion and Tennis tournaments have always had a prosperous relationship, particularly with brands like Polo Ralph Lauren and Rolex sponsoring Grand Slam competitions. It’s led luxury fashion to become a significant stakeholder in the game; with Naomi’s considerable following, it strengthens the bond both industries have with one another. Once again, this trend is influenced by Naomi’s passions, personal values and interests.

Japanese and American heritage

FILE PHOTO : Tennis – Pan Pacific Open – Women’s Singles – Final match – Utsubo Tennis Center, Osaka, Japan – September 22, 2019 – Japan’s Naomi Osaka greets fans after winning. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo

Naomi is engaged by two nations, Japan and America, through her heritage. 2019 saw an astonishing 20 million Japanese viewers tuned into watching their tennis star triumph at the Australian Open. 22.5 million watched Naomi give her speech at the award ceremony, eventually contributing the occasion to becoming Japan’s most-watched program during the Open. 

The US audience experienced significant expansions from Naomi’s win that year too. US sports channel, ESPN, gained an 18% increase in viewers from the final than the previous year, totalling 529,000 viewers. Plus, when Osaka beat Serena Williams in the 2017 Australian Open Final, ESPN saw 50% more viewers watch the Women’s final than the Men’s.

The results accumulated from the Japanese audience illustrates how passionate and connected the nation feels towards Naomi’s successful tennis career. On the other hand, the US audience shows their curiosity with a new rising star in the women’s game.

Osaka’s now built two influential audiences in diverse territories, which have acquired to leverage her profile to new heights, including becoming the poster girl for Tokyo 2020, supporting an American soccer team and gaining enormous US media interest.

Athletic career

Naomi Osaka of Japan holds the trophy after defeating Serena Williams in the women’s final of the US Open. (Source: AP)

Ultimately, her athletic career has kept her a prominent and marketable figure. Yielding approximately $19,670,000 in prize earnings throughout her career, owning seven singles titles, winning 4 Grand-Slams and claiming a 2nd place singles ranking through the WTA is enough leverage to make noise worldwide. 

As long as Osaka continues to let her athletic prowess do the work on the court, the marketing assets away from the court will grow.

What makes Naomi Osaka so marketable is her illustrious sporting career enticing a new and growing audience towards her brand, which can be creatively captivated through activations that are culturally relevant to her values, interests, and passions.

Exclusive interview with Arnaud Sivignon: Commercial Coordinator at the International Tennis Federation

As well as being an integral asset to the International Tennis Federations’ (ITF) commercial sponsorship team, Arnaud is also a guest lecturer in sports broadcasting at the AMOS Sport Business School. This interview sees Arnaud discuss where his career started, the essential skills behind creating effective sponsorships in sport and the beauty of dealing with challenges in a cut-throat industry.

Question 1: Arnaud, it’s brilliant to have you on Ash’s Sports Talk. I’ll let you serve first by sharing how your sports career began.

Thanks for having me Ash, it’s great to be here. I’ve always been a big sports fan, and I’ve played football all my life. After high school, I pursued a degree in business management which was excellent. However, I was passionate about studying for a Masters in International Sports Business at the AMOS Sports Business School. I did the 1st year of my Masters degree in Bordeaux and then decided to move to London in my 2nd year because of the opportunities surrounding sports events. I became lucky enough to land an internship at the ITF. After a short while, I proved myself to be a worthy asset which now finds me as the ITF’s Commercial Coordinator.

Question 2: I appreciate you’ve had a diverse sports career journey thus far. How did these experiences enhance your sports career development?

Working at ITF was my first authentic sporting experience, and it’s given me the chance to work on multiple but diverse events. It’s opened doors to other opportunities, such as myself becoming a Guest Lecturer at the AMOS Sports Business School, where I educated the next generation of sports industry professionals through my experience in broadcasting at ITF. I’ve done this since 2019, and it’s been a humbling experience to interact with students through my story.

Question 3: At what point did you recognise the commercial side of Tennis was your sports industry niche?

Interestingly, Tennis was never a sport I had an initial passion for. However, once I stepped into that world, I gained a real passion for the work. I joined as a sponsorship intern who sat within the Commercial team. This experience built up my knowledge around sports partnerships, eventually finding me working with ITF’s partnership team to travel worldwide and coordinate multiple events through sponsorship and broadcasting. It’s been such a fantastic opportunity.

Question 4: What does your position as a Commercial Coordinator look like?

The significant part is on the commercial side; I have various roles within that section. Some include attracting and building sustainable relationships with partners for multiple competitions ITF hold.

Another element of my role is TV broadcasting as I’m sometimes serving as a TV representative of the ITF. For example, I went to Seattle last February for the FED Cup (now called Billie Jean King Cup) as I was the main point of contact around TV rights holders, taking care of production and connecting people together. I take care of the event management processes, including coordinating timings for player walk-ons and the first ball played. It’s been a wonderful experience as I’ve met many professionals who’ve taught me about the bigger picture of sports broadcasting.

Question 5: what insights can you share about Tennis being a 24/7 industry, and how do you cope with this?

It depends on what position you have as they’ll impact you in different ways. For example, the experience will differ if you’re a journalist compared to a salesperson, an event manager to a TV broadcaster, a marketer to a writer etc. However, the closer you get to an event, the tighter tasks and deadlines get. This increases pressure and presents a great challenge, but it’s the most exciting part to unlock your sports career potential.

Question 6: I understand commercial sponsorship fits in firmly with your role. How have you experienced this sector pivot within the sport, and what do you think lies ahead for the future of commercial sponsorship in Tennis?

It’s changing. The attitude of sponsorship used to lie with putting a company logo on a banner. Now, we treat sponsorships more like a gateway to becoming a partner. By all means, the initial process involves advertising rights and brand visibility, but the bigger picture stretches way beyond that. Our focus is on developing a ‘360 partnership’ that involves digital activations, hospitality and unique experiences, and matching values with various businesses.

I’m currently working on the Billie Jean King Cup, where gender equality and female empowerment are two critical values for the tournament. Therefore, my team and I need to investigate the synergies between ITF and our partners to promote those principles. Plus, tournament formats are changing with sponsorship as well. We’ve created a world cup format where it was played on a home and away basis before, whereas now, 12 countries will come to 1 city for the Finals stage. Therefore, what the ITF aims to get out of sponsorships and partnerships differs from that in competition.

Question 7: Do you feel the relationship between luxury fashion and Tennis could grow further, or could its transition create a new culture?

Luxury brands and Tennis have always been a good match, particularly timekeeping brands. For example, Rolex and other luxury watch brands are very much involved and connected to Tennis. Louis Vuitton has recently been associated with the Davis Cup as well.

Plus, tennis players are becoming more and more powerful. Let’s take the example of Naomi Osaka. She’s built a big audience, created multiple impacts on diverse communities, recently signed to two luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton and Tag Heuer. She is now the most remunerated female athlete of all times.  

Due to the leverage luxury fashion has created, the relationship between tennis and luxury fashion will only keep growing more and more.

Question 8: What makes an effective commercial sponsorship in your line of work?

It’s imperative to know we’re not selling a product; we’re selling an event. Many sponsors could pivot towards other sports, which makes it essential to offer something unique. Our network has been crucial to our sponsorship success; sport is a small industry which makes it likely to bump into people you’ve met or interacted with before. Therefore, necessary skills like first impressions are vital in building strong relationships with potential clients.

Cultural sensitivity also plays a significant role, as we’re commercialising sports events they must appeal to the game’s culture. Our approach can differ, which leaves ITF lucky to work in a cosmopolitan atmosphere where people take part internationally, which supports our growth.

Question 9: With any successful sports industry journey, some challenges occur on the way. Could you share some of the difficulties you’ve experienced?

I like challenges, they keep me excited, and sports is an industry full of competitors. An organisational challenge for me has been working on an international level by learning to adapt and organise myself efficiently. For example, I was working on the 2019 Fed Cup Final, which took place in Australia and as we know, the time difference is huge between Europe and there. Therefore, I had to adapt my working hours to contact my colleagues and sponsors who were on-site.

Going through format changes with the new world cup format was a new experience to take on board. It impacted how I approached sponsorship and partnership sales.

The obvious one, COVID19, has presented multiple challenges for the sporting world. It’s affected lots of events, travels for players, cancellations etc. This slowed down commercial sides of ITF’s business as other firms had other priorities to ensure their affairs remained sustainable. However, it’s allowed us to acknowledge digital more and adapt the platform to better support our partners.

Question 10: Arnaud, reflecting on this discussion, what is your killer piece of advice for someone wanting to work in sport?

Be competitive because sport is a competition. As mentioned, the industry is relatively small, and opportunities are rare, so be courageous to go the extra mile and stand out! Prioritise building a network and make a good impression as these two values open lots of doors. Lastly, be creative, curious, open-minded and innovative.

Wow, what a terrific interview with Arnaud. It’s a breath of fresh air to interact with someone who’s early into their sports industry career but has already created so much impact. The most fantastic thing about Arnaud’s journey was that there wasn’t a road map, a strategy nor a plan. Instead, he made the most of an opportunity presented to him and grasped it with both hands!

The AST wrap-up: UFC x TikTok, Adidas & Reebok part ways and more!

Another week comes to a close, but not without your weekly dose of sports business news! The UFC revolutionises the combat sports world through partnering with TikTok. Media value results from this year’s Super Bowl are out! What’s going on in the world of Red Bull Racing? Football clubs have new codes of conduct to follow under the British Gambling Council (BGC). Plus, what’s next for Adidas and Reebok?

The UFC join forces with TikTok to get MMA trending

https://sportskhabri.com/ufc-and-tiktok-enter-into-a-sports-content-partnership/

Global Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) property, The UFC, announced a ground-breaking partnership with video-sharing app TikTok. The two parties will collaborate to showcase live content, including weigh-ins, press conferences, interviews, training footage and arena tours.

The UFC also plan to dedicate a permanent resource committed to creating real-time and Video-On-Demand (VOD) content for their TikTok channel for the first time. @UFC, @UFCRussia, @UFCBrasil, and @UFCEurope are the four main accounts for the sports property, holding seven million followers.

Last week, TikTok became an official partner for UEFA Euros 2020, which will see the app produce exclusive content throughout the lucrative competition. TikTok’s services match-up perfectly to fill in the void of sports fans missing the up-close and personal moments they would’ve received during stadium attendances. Plus, the app has a predominantly young audience that allows the UFC to keep its brand appealing for the next-generation of sports consumers.  

Which sponsors bagged the highest media value during the Super Bowl last weekend?

TAMPA, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 07: The Weeknd performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show at Raymond James Stadium on February 07, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Over $95 million was produced in media value last weekend at the LV Super Bowl 2021. Verizon, Pepsi, Anheuser brand Bud Light, Gatorade and DraftKings received the most visibility during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers victory against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Interestingly, the LED seat tarp was the most lucrative inventory during the occasion as it created $36 million (40% of total media value) in sponsorship output. This initiative came from the National Football League (NFL) wanting to offer sponsors branded seat covering during the 2020 season. Although, these were swapped with LED message boards which have proven to pay-off significantly.

$9.4 million was acquired by Pepsi from the halftime broadcast graphic; in association with the Weeknd’s halftime show. The soft drink titans produced $31.6 million in media value throughout the event, the highest out of the five brands mentioned. Verizon followed $26.5 million generated, then Gatorade with $20.6 million, DraftKings created $11.1 million and Bud Light making $6 million.

Red Bull Racing remain fueled by Honda until 2025

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/hondas-engine-beauty-red-bull/4339963/

The Formula One Racing Team has reached an agreement with automobile manufacturer, Honda, to use their power unit technology until 2025. This follows from last weeks announcement as the International Automobile Federation (FIA) announced they’ll freeze their power on power unit developments until 2024.

The deal has influenced Red Bull Racing to establish a new division to manage the project, entitled Red Bull Powertrains Limited. The agreement is an enormous commitment to ensure Red Bull Racing sustains it’s competitive edge in the motorsport space and supports Honda becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

The British Gambling Council lays a new code of conduct for football clubs

https://www.latestbettingoffers.co.uk/articles/50-of-premier-league-clubs-will-be-sponsored-by-gambling-companies/

Last week, multiple Premier League, English Football League and Scottish Premiership clubs received letters from a group of former gambling addicts about the risks of promoting betting through Social Media (SM). This raised awareness of how addicts could feel tempted to place a bet on a sports game.

The British Gambling Council (BGC) has now established a new set of directives to protect young people from getting sucked into gambling addictions. These include organic tweets from football clubs can’t include calls-to-action or links to gambling sites. Plus, clubs won’t be allowed to target betting ads to U18’s either. A letter has been distributed to Facebook, encouraging the site to introduce ‘age-gating’ for SM accounts to prevent organic gambling-related posts from reaching U18’s.

Betting companies are a huge stakeholder for football sponsorships. However, this initiative by the BGC is an important step forward to enhance corporate social responsibility towards a highly-impressionable audience of young football fans.

Adidas decides to separate away from Reebok

https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/reebok-adidas-instapump-fury-boost-black-white-pack-release-date-price/

Adidas, the global sportswear brand, intends to dissociate their involvement with Reebok’s to optimise their efforts to grow their personal brand. Adidas has begun developing its new five-year strategy to tighten their position at the global sporting goods market’s pinnacle.

Last November saw the New York Times report that Adidas employed financial services company, JPMorgan Chase, to pen a possible sale of Reebok. The deal could be worth approximately $1bn which is lower than the $3.8bn Adidas paid for Reebok in 2006.

Bloomberg suggests Reebok could attract interest from rival sporting goods companies across Asia alongside private equity suitors. 1980 saw the brand rise to an industry titan, particularly for sneaker sales. Despite their dominance sputtering of recent, they’ve become a global sports culture icon through their classic footwear and apparel styles. Could this be a motivating factor to sustain interest from potential buyers?  

How influential is the sports crypto movement for fan engagement?

Socios.com is an app collaborating with blockchain firm, Chiliz that has created a new sports cryptocurrency movement. The joint venture allows it’s consumers to engage with partnered sports properties through exclusive activities. Some include earning special rewards through fan tokens and gaining acknowledgement as a ‘superfan’. Fan tokens are the most significant asset through the platform. The more tokens a customer collects, the more lucrative opportunities they’re presented with.

Multiple properties across football, gaming and combat sports have signed up to the sports cryptocurrency wave. Some include FC Barcelona, PSG, A.C. Milan, Team Alliance and the UFC. The value each sports brand gets from this innovative partnership differs. For example, FC Barcelona enables their supporters to participate in surveys and polls contributing to club decisions moving forward. The club has their own fan tokens, Barca fan tokens which consumers can purchase to win exclusive merchandise.

UFC x Socios.com partnership poster: https://www.socios.com/ufc-fans-take-over-socios-com-to-compete-in-fight-island-event-polls/

Leading MMA property, The UFC, have given their fans a chance to win ‘UFC passports’; 5x VIP tickets for a future event. To enter, fans needed to predict the results for the UFC’s #FightIsland events through the socios.com voting poll. This initiative opens a new avenue for fan engagement with combat sports fans to grow the UFC brand.

AC Milan x Socios.com partnership: https://www.socios.com/ac-milan-to-join-sports-crypto-movement-with-launch-of-acm-fan-token/

Italian football giants, AC Milan, use the voting feature for their supporters to decide what motto should appear in their team’s dressing room. Plus, fans can also elect on what teams they’d like Milan to compete against in friendlies, what goal celebration song should be played, asking questions in pre-live press conferences and picking the kit for the following season.

Socios.com x Chiliz has influenced a new way of thinking for sports properties. But what benefits can the mentioned sports brand takeaway from their partnerships?  

New revenue streams

It’s a chance to recover from financial deficits caused by COVID19 and bans on betting sponsorships across Spain and Italy. 2020 saw Socios.com generate $30 million through fan tokens and they’re hopeful they’ll surpass this figure by the end of 2021 with an increase in sports partnerships.

Personalisation

Personalised content has become ever so fundamental during the pandemic as it’s uncertain when fans can return to stadiums. Digitalisation has harnessed new ways for fans to remain connected with their clubs, including socios.com x Chiliz. The two parties haven’t only embraced stronger relationships between fans and sports brands; they’ve influenced sports properties to be led by their consumers. This increases the bargaining power sports fans have towards corporate decisions within sports properties.  

Increase in sponsorship rights

Fan tokens get listed on the apps open marketplace, and the assets are exchangeable across any fan exchange platform. Depending on the number of club supporters that sign up to socios.com, fan token value will alter. This can also influence a sports property’s net worth, also leading to impact sponsorship value. If net worth rises, a new category of trading and fintech-related sponsors could become widely-introduced as commercial sports stakeholders.

To summarise, Socios.com & Chiliz have created a huge commercial opportunity for sports properties think uniquely about optimising fan interactions, leading the digitalisation process through a personalised approach and potentially welcoming a new category of trading-related sponsors.

The AST wrap-up: Uefa x TikTok, BBC x Bellator MMA and more!

The weeks are passing, and they get busier and busier in the sports business world. Twenty20 made History thanks to the Big Bash League (BBL), Uefa ride the millennial wave of TikTok, and AC Milan turn their Serie A journey into a movie. Formula 1 is storming ahead with social media engagement, and could the BBC have just unlocked a new UK audience for Bellator MMA to entice?

The Big Bash League becomes the MOST WATCHED instalment in Twenty20 History

Sydney Sixers’ claiming victory in the Big Bash League final: https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/bbl-sydney-sixers-beat-perth-scorchers-in-final-to-clinch-title-2364664

Viewership increased by 15% from last year where 1.4 million fans tuned in to watch the Sydney Sixers’ unequivocal 27-run win across broadcast and streaming services, Seven, Foxtel and Kayo. This becomes the Big Bash League’s (BBL) 4th most-watched game EVER.

The entire tournament generated a total audience reach of 44.82 million, 5.9%+ over all platforms compared to last year and sits as the most extensive reach achieved in the BBL. Average viewership per-game was 735,000 which placed the BBL as the most-viewed sports tournament in Australia on a per-match basis.

Despite the pandemic, the BBL saw 552,140 fans attend games throughout the season. Even though it was the final of the BBL, you could argue it had a marvellous start to 2021!

Uefa team up with TikTok for Euro2020

The summer’s rescheduled football tournament rides the culture wave by announcing the global video-sharing app, TikTok, as an official partner for the competition. The collaboration will include tailored augmented reality (AR) effects, hashtag challenges and live streams through the app.  

TikTok has also managed to secure broadcast sponsorship rights which will see the app receive invaluable brand awareness on European television channels through live programming. Plus, Uefa is launching an exclusive tournament account on the platform where content will consist of present and archived footage alongside behind-the-scenes coverage.

Football’s impact on TikTok has been colossal with the hashtag, #football, acquiring 70bn+ views. TikTok is the 2nd video sharing platform to integrate its brand across the sports industry. Arch-rival, Triller, has launched a celebrity boxing league entitled ‘the fight club’, which will host US influencer, Jake Paul take on MMA veteran, Ben Askren.

Sport is entering an age where the next-gen connection is integral for its sustainability as a global entertainment entity.  

F1 finds digital engagement skyrocketing throughout 2020

Lewis Hamilton celebrates after his victory in Tuscany. Photograph: Luca Bruno/EPA. https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/peerless-lewis-hamilton-takes-inaugural-tuscan-grand-prix-1.4353869

The worldwide motorsports series produced a 99% increase in social media (sm) engagements last year to 810 million. F1 now claims it’s the quickest growing sports property across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Tiktok, Snapchat, Twitch and Chinese social platforms; all channel followers have totalled 35 million.

The leading motorsport competition experienced 133% uprise to 1.9 million followers across Chinese sm channels such as Weibo, WeChat, Toutiao and Douyin.

Video views also acquired a significant boost for F1. They increased by 46% compared to 2019 to 4.9 billion while unique users on F1.com and the F1 app rose by 26% to 70.5 million alongside page views expanding to 1.3 billion, a 13%+. The properties Esports series accumulated 11.4 million live stream views, 1.7 million sm engagements (an all-time high for any of F1’s Esports events) with 23.8 million video views.

It’s been a groundbreaking year for F1’s digital performance. It’s opened up a new audience for the property and more importantly, an enormous appetite for motorsport.

AC Milan stay digitally savvy off the pitch

AC Milan studios: https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/ac-milan-media-house-the-studios-content-production-hub

Milan isn’t only leading in Serie A right now; they’re ahead of the game with their digitalisation process. The club has established, The Studios: Milan Media House, an in-house media operation that will produce, create and distribute the teams cinematic content.

The Studios: Milan Media House proves an opportunity to increase the club’s creation of multimedia content to enhance their relationships with commercial partners and third parties.

The content house will include the likes of 4K cameras and LCD-LED displays. The operations will involve a voice-over room for match commentary and podcast recording. Forty employees are involved in this project from creative and technical backgrounds.

BBC to generate a new audience for Bellator MMA

The BBC has secured rights for combat sports promotion, Bellator MMA in 2021. Bellator events will be presented across the BBC’s streaming and catch-up service, BBC iPlayer.

October 2020 saw the BBC host their first-ever Bellator MMA card from Paris, the successes achieved has inspired them to pursue a long-term partnership with the sports property. Each event will be streamed live but will also be available on-demand after the initial broadcast.

Leading MMA property, the UFC, hasn’t capitalised on its reach across the UK considering most of its event start-times are in the early hours of the morning. The BBC can’t control this issue. However, they’re presenting MMA to an audience where no Pay-Per-View cost is required unlike BT Sports link with the UFC. Therefore, Bellator MMA has a significant chance of raising its prominence across the UK to gain commercial success.

That’s a wrap! What’s next in store for the BBL? Could we see live match broadcasts of the Euros on TikTok? Are AC Milan becoming the most ‘digitalised’ club in Serie A? Could F1 top their SM rankings in 2021? And, how beneficial do you think Bellator MMA will be at enticing BBC viewers into combat sports?