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Team Canada - Official Olympic Team Website

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Make a difference with Team Canada.

The Canadian Olympic Committee:

Is a not-for profit, non-governmental organization with a mandate for fielding teams at Olympic, Pan American and Youth Olympic Games;

Promotes Olympic ideals in Canada;

Selects and manages Canadian bids and organizing committees for Olympic and Pan American Games.

The Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Olympic Foundation have been recognized as one of the Best Workplaces™ in Canada for both 2020 and 2021. In addition, the COC and COF earned the distinction of being named both one of the Best Workplaces™ for Women and Best Workplaces™for Mental Wellness in 2021.

These lists are compiled by the Great Place to Work® Institute and are based on direct feedback from employees, provided as part of an extensive and anonymous survey about the workplace experience and an in-depth review of the organization's culture and people practices by the Great Place to Work® Institute. These accolades speak to the environment the COC strives to provide for staff and reflect what it means to work for Team Canada.

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Employment - Team Canada - Official Olympic Team Website

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Make a difference with Team Canada. Is a not-for profit, non-governmental organization with a mandate for fielding teams at Olympic, Pan American and Youth Olympic Games; Promotes Olympic ideals in Canada; Selects and manages Canadian bids and organizing committees for Olympic and Pan American Games.

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Fossil fuel advertising in sport ‘the new cigarette sponsorship’, ex-Wallabies captain David Pocock says. Oil and gas companies are extending their presence in sport, from elite levels down to grassroots

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Fossil fuel advertising in sport ‘the new cigarette sponsorship’, ex-Wallabies captain David Pocock says. Oil and gas companies are extending their presence in sport, from elite levels down to grassroots

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Days after flying into Glasgow to catch the opening of the Cop26 climate summit, Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher headed over to Edinburgh to watch the Wallabies play Scotland from a corporate box.

The oil and gas company’s logo may have stood pride of place at the Australian pavilion at the summit, but it was the company’s sponsorship of the Wallabies that would prove a public relations coup. The deal with Rugby Australia will see the team sport the Santos logo on the top-back of their jersey at every game.
Santos is by no means the only fossil fuel company getting in on the action. Among the more high-profile examples is coal mining giant Adani’s sponsorship of the North Queensland Cowboys and the NSW Minerals Council’s partnership with the Newcastle Knights.

Meanwhile, in Western Australia, gas giant Woodside Petroleum funds a learning-to-swim program with Surf Life Saving Western Australia, the “Woodside Nippers”.

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Days after flying into Glasgow to catch the opening of the Cop26 climate summit, Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher headed over to Edinburgh to watch the Wallabies play Scotland from a corporate box.

The oil and gas company's logo may have stood pride of place at the Australian pavilion at the summit, but it was the company's sponsorship of the Wallabies that would prove a public relations coup.

The deal with Rugby Australia will see the team sport the Santos logo on the top-back of their jersey at every game.

Former Wallabies captain David Pocock, a strong voice within sport calling for meaningful action on climate says "it's hard to stomach".

"I was always proud to represent my country. As a rugby player, that's what you dream of. It's been difficult to watch a partnership emerge with Santos."

"I really think fossil fuel sponsorship is the new cigarette sponsorship, where they are advertising a product that we now know is destroying our home planet and our futures."

As oil and gas companies have spent billions to control the conversation on climate change and present themselves as " part of the solution ". The $50bn world of professional sport has proven catnip to an industry under pressure over its role in driving climate change.

Campaigns director for climate activist group 350 Australia, Kelly Albion, has been tracking fossil fuel companies as they work up sponsorship deals, advertising arrangements and official partnerships with the arts, community groups and sports clubs.

"There's some that are really hyperlocal in places while others are national," Albion said. "It's very opaque so it's hard to know how many of these are out there or what the relationship means."

A count of these arrangements for which there is publicly available information reveals at least 12 fossil fuel companies, industry associations and energy retailers have 24 deals with sports clubs, stadiums or events at all levels.

As the list includes only those arrangements for which there is publicly available information, Albion says there may be others that are unknown.

'You don't know how much is at stake'

Among the most prolific is South Australian oil and gas company Santos whose patronage extends to several sports organisations.

Even before it expanded its "long-term partnership" with Rugby Australia to include the Wallabies, Santos already sponsored the Wallaroos, Queensland Reds, New South Wales Waratahs, Western Force and the Australian Women's Sevens.

Outside Rugby, Santos is the naming rights sponsor of the Tour Down Under while it was announced in February that the company would sponsor the 2021 Australian Open as "official gas partner" - although the company's logo is not currently listed on Tennis Australia's website.

The move was controversial as the 2014 Australian Open - where play was stopped and 1,000 spectators were treated for heat exhaustion when temperatures rose above 40c - is considered an example of how climate change impacts sport.

But Santos sponsorship isn't limited to the elite level. Earlier this year the company sponsored both the Festival of Rugby in Narrabri - headlined by rock band Thirsty Merc - where teams competed for $25k in prize money, and the Aboriginal Power Cup, a football competition run in partnership with Port Adelaide football club for Indigenous high school students in South Australia.

Guardian Australia asked Tennis Australia and Santos for comment.

Santos is by no means the only fossil fuel company getting in on the action. Among the more high profile examples are coal mining giant Adani's sponsorship of the North Queensland Cowboys and the NSW Minerals Council's partnership with the Newcastle Knights.

Meanwhile in Western Australia, gas giant Woodside Petroleum funds a learning-to-swim program with Surf Life Saving Western Australia, the "Woodside Nippers".

A spokesperson for Surf Life Saving WA did not answer questions about how much the relationship with Woodside was worth in dollar terms, but said it funded a range of beach-safety programs and "provides every child with a new uniform".

"In 2019, the partnership extended to include the Nippers program in WA, helping us resource the program and our clubs, increasing opportunities to train children and their parents in beach and surf safety," they said.

Director of climate and environment at the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility, Dan Gocher, says the reluctance of clubs and companies to talk about the issue makes it difficult to assess the scale of the funding.

"The problem is you can never put a value on these relationships. You don't know how much is at stake," Gocher says.

Fossil fuel companies value these partnerships as a way to "buy social licence".

"In Australia, the way you wash your brand is through sport. Tobacco did it for a generation, through Formula One and AFL. Fossil fuel companies are essentially doing the same," he says.

'Sport is special'

At the height of its dominance the tobacco industry turned the use of sport sponsorships for influence into a fine art.

In one case, a copy of a speaking notes found in the archive of tobacco company RJ Reynolds reveals how by May 1980 it was sponsoring over 2,400 sports events a year.

"That translates into 2,400 opportunities to put a politician in front of anywhere from 3000 to 200,000 potential voters," it reads. "An opportunity provided by Reynolds that's too good to be true for the politician."

The notes show the ambition of these relationships by crediting the company's sponsorship of Nascar racing for "killing tax increases in both Florida and Alabama".

Attempts to leverage the "soft power" of sport have not just been limited to tobacco companies.

Human rights organisations like Amnesty International have repeatedly warned about how Saudi Arabia has bought up football clubs across the world as a way to water-down criticism over human rights abuses.

Elsewhere Russian state-owned oil giant Gazprom has spent billions sponsoring football clubs across Europe as it has expanded its gas infrastructure, even going so far as to sponsor the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Marketing lecturer at the University of Melbourne Robin Canniford says in Australia sport is an obvious target for fossil fuel companies looking to protect their reputation as awareness of their role in the climate crisis grows.

"In Australia sport is culture," says Canniford. "Sport is special because of its emotional energy that you don't get from many other areas of society any more. Brands as symbols store, like a battery, emotional energy that sports fans love."

Canniford says associating with sport in this way creates a "halo effect" for the company that allows it to "channel all that passion and energy" generated by sport.

'Get to the future'

While sport can be leveraged to further business interests, the UN attempted in 2018 to use sport to marshal support for meaningful action on the climate change when it launched the Sports for Climate Action framework at Cop24 in Katowice, Poland.

Though it has since attracted 273 signatories, only a handful of Australian sports institutions have signed on, including Tennis Australia and Richmond football club. Both have yet to divest themselves of fossil fuel sponsorship, with petrol retailer United Petroleum still counted as a Richmond sponsor.

Former Socceroos captain Craig Foster says he welcomes Richmond's work on climate change in other areas, but says "it has been very disappointing" to see the wider world of sport mute on the issue of climate change.

Sign up to receive the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

"Most of the advocacy is coming from athletes or former athletes in small groups but the governing bodies that represent literally hundreds of millions of people, playing the most visible sports on the planet, have done next to nothing during the most important week when the planet is facing an existential crisis," Foster says.

"I've said to these [sport] executives many times, get out of the past, get to the future," he says. "Sports should recognise that dying industries like fossil fuels do not represent the future of income."

"Clean energy. Renewables. This is the new generation of sports sponsorships."

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Fossil fuel advertising in sport 'the new cigarette sponsorship', ex-Wallabies captain David Pocock says

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Days after flying into Glasgow to catch the opening of the Cop26 climate summit, Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher headed over to Edinburgh to watch the Wallabies play Scotland from a corporate box. The oil and gas company's logo may have stood pride of place at the Australian pavilion at the summit, but it was the company's sponsorship of the Wallabies that would prove a public relations coup.

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FanDuel Group to Launch Sportsbook and Casino in Ontario

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FanDuel Group to Launch Sportsbook and Casino in Ontario

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Come April 4th in Ontario, there are major changes to the rules and regulations of gambling in the province. Lots of sportsbooks from the States are going to be coming to Canada for the first time starting Monday. Is promoting and expanding gambling hurtful for society or should people have free reigns of how they want to use money?

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FanDuel Group to Launch Sportsbook and Casino in Ontario

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/CNW/ -- FanDuel Group, North America’s premier online gaming company, is expanding its fan-focused gaming offering to Canada, beginning with Ontario....

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Tech, gambling and alcohol helped the NFL earn almost $2 billion in sponsorships this season

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Tech, gambling and alcohol helped the NFL earn almost $2 billion in sponsorships this season

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NFL made a record of $1.8 billion in sponsorship revenue because of their agreements from betting firms and technology companies that helped the sports partnerships. The NFL’s figure is a 12% increase year-over-year from the $1.62 billion it made in the 2020 season. It pulled $1.47 billion from sponsorships in the 2019 season.

The most significant spike in NFL sponsorship agreements was seen by sports gambling companies, casinos, and lotteries while NFL is still waiting on crypto deals.

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Tech, gambling and alcohol helped the NFL earn almost $2 billion in sponsorships this season

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Sports gambling companies, casinos and lotteries saw the most significant spike in NFL sponsorship agreements, while tech was number-one by total value.

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Paris 2024 announces Salesforce as new sponsor

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Paris 2024 announces Salesforce as new sponsor

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Paris 2024 announces Salesforce as new sponsor

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Customer relationship management specialists Salesforce are the latest
to become a sponsor for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

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‘You’ve got two brands looking for new meaning’: Breaking down Barcelona’s Spotify sponsorship deal

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‘You’ve got two brands looking for new meaning’: Breaking down Barcelona’s Spotify sponsorship deal

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It was predictably billed by both sides as a 'first-of-its-kind' agreement. Yet Barcelona's sponsorship deal with Spotify could be more a sign of the times than the beginning of a truly unique partnership.
Indeed, the Spanish soccer club has found its famous motto 'Més que un club' - or 'More than a club' - increasingly hard to abide by. Lasting principles and deep-rooted traditions tend to be tested when faced with a debt of €1.35 billion (US$1.49 billion).

On the surface, the LaLiga outfit's pact with the Swedish audio streaming platform is an expansive - not to mention lucrative - arrangement covering the club's most sought-after sponsorship inventory, including shirt branding and stadium title rights. Beyond that, and more existentially, the tie-up signals the chance for Barca and Spotify to forge new narratives as they continue on their respective commercial paths.

With much to unpack, SportsPro takes a closer look at the deal to highlight what it really means for both parties.
Spotify co-founder and chief executive Daniel Ek tried to buy Arsenal last year
The key details

Reports that the partnership was close initially emerged in early February, before it was officially confirmed on 15th March.

The four-year contract, which kicks in from the 2022/23 campaign, sees Spotify designated as Barca's main partner, handing it front-of-shirt branding for the men's and women's teams. The company will also sponsor the club's training shirts for the next three seasons.

For the first time in Barca's history, the deal will also see their iconic stadium rebranded, taking on the name of 'Spotify Camp Nou'.

Additionally, Spotify has been named the club's official audio streaming partner, which the pair say will 'bring the worlds of music and football together'. The wider vision for the partnership, both sides claim, is to create a new platform to help artists interact with Barca's global community of fans.

The value
The Camp Nou looks set to stage more concerts over the course of the deal
As is often the case, the financial terms of the contract were not disclosed. Various Spanish outlets, including Catalan radio station RAC1, have pegged the value of the deal at about €280 million (US$308 million), equating to €70 million (US$76.9 million) per year. 2Playbook has reported it to be worth €62.5 million (US$68.7 million) annually.

"I take figures that emerge in the media with a truckload of salt," Tim Crow, a renowned sports sponsorship advisor, tells SportsPro.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they were much lower. Or, as is often the case, they're based on if Barcelona win everything that it's possible for them to win."

By way of comparison, Barca's original arrangement with Japanese ecommerce firm Rakuten, whose deal expires at the end of the season, was worth approximately €55 million (US$60.5 million) annually when it was signed in 2016. The two then inked an extension for 2021/22.

The club's current training kit sponsor is Beko. Barca agreed a cut-price deal for the current campaign which saw the domestic appliance brand opt not to continue as the team's sleeve sponsor after 2020/21. According to 2Playbook, the one-year extension saw Beko agree to pay around €10 million (US$10.9 million), nearly 50 per cent of the annual €19 million (US$20.9 million) it previously parted with.

As for the Camp Nou's new moniker, naming rights deals and the like for European soccer stadiums are rare compared to competitions such as Major League Soccer (MLS), not to mention other North American sports leagues. According to US-based consultancy firm Duff & Phelps, English soccer champions Manchester City rake in UK£21.9 million (US$28.8 million) a year from their stadium sponsor agreement with airline Etihad.

"Barca has become a price taker, rather than a price setter," notes Crow, alluding to the club's financial situation. "I suspect that Spotify have actually got a pretty good deal."

Cash grab or considered collaboration?

"It's probably somewhere in the middle," says Crow. "I was quite surprised because I'd heard rumours about other brands being quite close to doing the deal. Equally, I was aware that Spotify were on the hunt for something in football."
Joan Laporta is attempting to replicate the success he had during his first spell as Barcelona president
Prior to its deal with Barca, Spotify previously made headlines in soccer last April when its owner Daniel Ek was linked with a proposed takeover bid for Premier League outfit Arsenal. The Gunners' current owner Kroenke Sports and Entertainment (KSE) quickly dismissed the approach.

Still, the scale of Spotify's eventual entry into soccer, and the fact it is with one of the game's most storied clubs, suggests a 'go big or go home' approach. And the company will no doubt look to leverage the Barcelona name as it seeks to change certain perceptions of its brand.

It could be argued that bundling together so much inventory has resulted in Barca possibly underselling themselves. But despite being able to offer a vast following for Spotify to engage with, the club's economic and institutional issues mean its negotiating position is far weaker compared to the previous decade.

Reports suggest the eventual terms Barca settled on could have been worth even more if a greater share of their alleged 350 million-strong fanbase had actually handed over their data to the club. However, a mere one per cent are reportedly registered. It's worth noting, though, that the Blaugrana are hardly the only ones with that issue.

"Anybody who's been around the business for a while knows that the number of fans who are genuinely opted in to communications, particularly in the post-GDPR world that we're in, is pretty small," Crow points out.

What's in a name?

The purists would have scoffed upon hearing that Barca's stadium, their home since 1957, would be renamed 'Spotify Camp Nou'. Not that anyone outside of Spotify circles will religiously call it that.

The naming rights, reportedly worth an additional €5 million (US$5.5 million) a year, will not be the end of Spotify's influence at the stadium, which the pair said will provide a 'global stage' for music artists.
Barcelona are still coming to terms with the departure of Lionel Messi last summer
"It's all about the execution of it at the end of the day," says Crow. "The way they are positioning it is that Camp Nou will be used for gigs and for artists. It's about the activation rather than about putting a name on it."

So should we be reading much into the fact that Barca and Spotify are referring to Camp Nou's new moniker as a rebrand, rather than describing it as an outright naming rights deal?

"You can slip a cigarette paper between the two definitions, it doesn't really matter," Crow continues. "Clearly there is an added element to it that Spotify wanted and it seems to be using Camp Nou as a platform in some way."

It should be noted that Barca have been seeking a partner for the Camp Nou as the ageing stadium prepares for an extensive renovation projected to cost around €1.5 billion (US$1.6 billion). Having Spotify in their corner will help Barca to present the venue as a multipurpose arena that can stage concerts and other non-soccer gatherings. The club will need to welcome lots of those considering the rebuild is only heaping on more debt.

The ubiquity of Spotify is also largely unparalleled compared to Barca's previous commercial deals. However, it means the brand has its work cut out to convince sceptical fans still adjusting to how their club operates in the modern game - for context, Barca only started earning money from shirt sponsorship as recently as 2011.

"Spotify will have to work very hard to earn the respect of Barca fans, which is not easily won. Just because they write a big cheque, ride into town and their brand is everywhere doesn't mean Barca fans will welcome them," says Crow.

"They'll be more positively exposed to them, but they have to work hard to get supporters to change their behaviour, which is to become a Spotify user."
The Camp Nou will undergo a €1.5 billion revamp
Changing tune

"I think the thing that surprised me was the idea that it's music and sport coming together," says Crow.

"Spotify is not a music company in the same way as Apple is not a music company. Spotify is a tech company which uses music as a means to an end.

"It was interesting the way they positioned it. Spotify is not very popular with the music scene, to put it mildly. So I think the undercurrents that we're seeing already will carry on and get bigger in terms of the way the music community reacts to this deal and actually uses it to put pressure on Spotify."

Indeed, Spotify is currently in the midst of one of the more controversial periods in its history. Accusations levied at the company include underpaying artists, privacy policy ambiguity and allegedly creating tracks to place on its popular playlists. It has also been criticised for allowing podcasters such as Joe Rogan to spread misinformation on its platform.

For Crow, the various musical activations will be crucial for Spotify as it bids to improve its reputation and avoid dragging Barca into a dispute with disgruntled musicians.

"By stating that they want to give a platform to artists, they are saying: 'We want to promote musicians'. They're very clearly saying that they want to do something about their Achilles heel, which is that musicians regard Spotify as incredibly exploitative," Crow notes.

"That is the hurdle over which it needs to climb to make this deal work. So how do you make that real? The music community are going to say very simply: 'Pay us more, you're ripping us off'. That's their position.

"Spotify will have to work very, very hard to combat that because it is a deeply unpopular company. I think they're in for a rocky ride."

An identity crisis

Barca are a far cry from the tiki-taka style of play that brought them unprecedented success over the last decade. Returning president Joan Laporta continues to rebuild on and off the pitch, though there are hopes the team's recent 4-0 thrashing of arch rivals Real Madrid heralds a new dawn.

But amid continued spending caps and reports of boardroom tensions, a tangible vision of this contemporary Barca is yet to take shape. In that sense, the shared search for identity is perhaps what makes this relationship work. And the hope is that the Spotify partnership proves to be a precursor for another period of success.

"They needed some good news post-Messi, post-Super League," explains Crow. "Spotify is a brand that just about every football club would have liked to have had as a partner, so I think it's a good deal for Barca.

"One of the interesting things is what the post-Messi Barca brand looks like - 'more than a club', the Catalonian identity, what it stands for. What does Spotify do to the Barca brand?
Spotify has been accused of underpaying musicians
"You've got two brands who are both looking for new meaning in a changed world. If this is about Spotify acquiring new users then, given that there is a fair degree of scrutiny about how Spotify reports its numbers, this is going to be a test of whether this deal works.

"There are two KPIs. One, Spotify's image. Does it become less unpopular with the music community? Second, does it grow numbers? It'll be really interesting how they actually report it and how they post-rationalise it.

"For Barca, that's not a problem at all."

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Breaking down Barcelona's Spotify sponsorship deal - SportsPro

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It was predictably billed by both sides as a 'first-of-its-kind' agreement. Yet Barcelona's sponsorship deal with Spotify could be more a sign of the times than the beginning of a truly unique partnership. Indeed, the Spanish soccer club has found its famous motto 'Més que un club' - or 'More than a club' - increasingly hard to abide by.

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Women have received 0.4 percent of the global $66 billion sports sponsorship revenue share in recent years, or less than half a cent for every $100 spent to a male athlete, despite evidence demonstrating that women's sports fans are a vitally underserved target consumer base.

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Women have received 0.4 percent of the global $66 billion sports sponsorship revenue share in recent years, or less than half a cent for every $100 spent to a male athlete, despite evidence demonstrating that women's sports fans are a vitally underserved target consumer base.

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Group 1001 will become a majority stakeholder in Parity, a business designed for both elite female players and their fans to tackle gender pay discrepancies in professional sports, in a bold move to promote permanent and significant change in women's sports.
Parity will receive significantly more funding as a result of the acquisition, allowing it to pursue brand partners and assist great female athletes on a larger scale. Linda Wang, CFO of Group 1001 Life and Annuity, will join the Parity board of directors.
The minority-owned business now has two main lines of business: an influencer marketing platform with proprietary analytics and a freshly launched NFT marketplace. In its first full year of operation, Parity has built a roster of over 700 elite female athletes and 20 corporate partners.

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Group 1001 Becomes Majority Stakeholder in Women’s Sports-Focused Enterprise Parity

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/PRNewswire/ -- In a bold step to create lasting and meaningful change in women’s sports, Group 1001 will become a majority stakeholder in Parity, a startup...

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Research - European sponsorship market observes 17.8% growth in 2021

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Research - European sponsorship market observes 17.8% growth in 2021

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According to the latest ESA Sponsorship Market Overview, the total value of the European sponsorship market climbed 17.8% to €27.85 billion (US$30.77 billion) in 2021, however it has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.

While the market showed indications of revival last year, it was still 9.3 percent below the 2019 level of €30.69 billion (US$33.9 billion), according to the annual report by the European Sponsorship Association (ESA) and Nielsen Sports. The amount for 2021 was also just modestly higher than the €27.69 billion (US$30.59 billion) figure for 2017.
In 2020, the value of the European sponsorship market plummeted by 23%, the first time it has dropped in almost a decade.

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2021 value only marginally above 2017's €27.69bn

All markets in Europe recorded positive growth last year

Russia sees 32% YoY increase in sponsorship volume, though recovery expected to be very short-lived

The total value of the European sponsorship market increased 17.8 per cent to €27.85 billion (US$30.77 billion) in 2021, though is yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, according to the latest ESA Sponsorship Market Overview.
The annual study from the European Sponsorship Association (ESA) and Nielsen Sports found that while the market showed signs of recovery last year, it was still 9.3 per cent below the 2019 level of €30.69 billion (US$33.9 billion). The level for 2021 was also only marginally above the 2017 figure of €27.69 billion (US$30.59 billion).

The European sponsorship market's value fell 23 per cent in 2020, marking the first time it had dropped in almost a decade.

The various markets recovered differently, the study adds. The UK, for example, saw the non-sports sector plummet in 2020, while sports sponsorship barely shrunk. As a result, the value of sports sponsorship in 2021 rose only four per cent year-over-year (YoY), while non-sport leapt 85 per cent.

All markets in Europe recorded positive growth last year, though the spread varied significantly, ranging from one per cent to 32 per cent.

Sponsorship volume YoY change from 2020 to 2021 saw Russia come out on top with a 32 per cent increase, putting it ahead of the UK (20 per cent) and Italy (19 per cent). Russia benefitted from a massive upswing both in terms of its music industry, as well as from the economy as a whole, the study notes.

However, given the current political situation and worldwide sanctions handed to Russia in the wake of the country's invasion of Ukraine, this recovery is expected to be very short-lived.

"As businesses stepped up their recovery plans coming out of the pandemic in 2021, sport sponsorship is on course to its recovery with the return of fans at live events," said Marco Nazzari, managing director international, Nielsen Sports.

"Looking ahead to 2022, fandom has shifted from large audiences physically together to more remote yet more engaged behaviour through digital devices, impacting both sponsorship models and content distribution. Brands, sports rights holders and media owners must embrace this shift through marketing strategies to unlock revenue growth."

Andy Westlake, chairman of the ESA, added: "It is a huge relief to all of us involved within the sponsorship industry that there are signs of recovery in the market that can be attributed to life returning to some sort of normality post Covid-19. We know the sponsorship sector is resilient and we have seen how creative we are in times of change to prove to our sponsors that investment is still worthwhile.

"Rights holders need to keep pace with the current economic trends, and the ever-growing thirst of digital consumption from fans needs to be understood by all for the green shoots of 2021 to flower in 2022 and beyond."

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European sponsorship market sees 17.8% uptick in 2021, says study - SportsPro

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2021 value only marginally above 2017's €27.69bn All markets in Europe recorded positive growth last year Russia sees 32% YoY increase in sponsorship volume, though recovery expected to be very short-lived The total value of the European sponsorship market increased 17.8 per cent to €27.85 billion (US$30.77 billion) in 2021, though is yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, according to the latest ESA Sponsorship Market Overview.

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Everton suspend all commercial and sponsorship activities with Russian companies USM, Megafon and Yota; Toffees will remove signage of all three companies in £5

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Everton: Toffees suspend sponsorship deals with three Russian companies after invasion of Ukraine

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Everton: Toffees suspend sponsorship deals with three Russian companies after invasion of Ukraine

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The Premier League soccer club Everton FC, have announced that they will remove any and all signage and messaging with Russian companies sponsors and to have immediate effect on the issues around Russia's invasion attempts on Ukraine. Similar to the many sanctions set on Russia, the goal is to give Russia hard times from here on out to attempt a reduced amount of opportunity for the currently "evil-lead" country.

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Everton have suspended all commercial and sponsorship activities with Russian companies USM, Megafon and Yota with immediate effect in the wake of the country's invasion of Ukraine.

The Premier League club will remove all signage and messaging relating to USM, owned by billionaire Alisher Usmanov, around the club and the training ground. Megafon sponsor the club's women's shirts, which will now be rebranded.

The Toffees matchday programme will also be reprinted without any reference to Russian-backed sponsorship. Sky Sports News understands the entire rebranding move will cost the club around £500,000.

A statement from Everton read: "Everyone at Everton remains shocked and saddened by the appalling events unfolding in Ukraine.

"This tragic situation must end as soon as possible, and any further loss of life must be avoided.

"The players, coaching staff and everyone working at Everton is providing full support to our player Vitalii Mykolenko and his family and will continue to do so."

Everton manager Frank Lampard addressed Usmanov's involvement in the club by revealing the Russian billionaire was not part of the process to hire him as head coach at the end of January.

Lampard defended the club's actions ever since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began last week - and highlighted Everton's tribute to Ukraine before Saturday's Premier League tie with Manchester City as a good example of the club's work.

"Those reports are inaccurate," said Lampard when asked if Usmanov played a role in his hiring. "My interview was with the board, with Mr (Farhad) Moshiri, the chairman (Bill Kenwright), Denise (Barrett-Baxendale) the CEO and others - but not Mr Usmanov. So that's not accurate in that sense.

"In terms of what it changes in the short-term, I think we can see from the outside how we reacted as a club on Saturday against Manchester City and the steps that we make.

"Those are not my decisions, that's the club from above me (showing) that we are doing the right thing as a club. And in the short-term I have had no doubt that we will react in the right way.

"Did it affect my training session this morning? No. Did it affect how we prepare for (Thursday's FA Cup tie with) Boreham Wood? No. And that's just where it's at."

The news comes after Labour MP Chris Bryant told the Toffees to end their involvement with Usmanov, who is not officially involved with Everton, but whose USM firm sponsored the club's training ground.

The 68-year-old on Monday had his assets frozen by the European Union in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Bryant said last week: "Alisher Usmanov has already been sanctioned by the EU but not yet by the UK. But I suspect he will be pretty soon on a UK list and Everton should certainly be cutting ties with him already."

Usmanov released a statement on Tuesday via the International Fencing Federation where he was president since 2008. The statement read: "On 28 February 2022, I became the target of restrictive measures imposed by the European Union.

"I believe that such decision is unfair, and the reasons employed to justify the sanctions are a set of false and defamatory allegations damaging my honour, dignity, and business reputation.

"I will use all legal means to protect my honour and reputation. I hereby suspend the exercise of my duties as the President of the International Fencing Federation effective immediately until justice is restored."

'Everton chose not to wait'
Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol:

"The background to all this is Alisher Usmanov, who is the owner of all those companies, who has been sanctioned by the European Union and also by the United States.

"Usmanov is a long-time business partner of Farhad Moshiri, who owns Everton Football Club, and is also - according to the EU - a pro-Kremlin oligarch with particularly close ties with Vladimir Putin.

"Everton didn't wait until Usmanov was sanctioned by the UK Government to make this step of ending their sponsorship arrangement with these countries. They have done that themselves, today."

Mykolenko hits out at Russia players

Everton's Ukrainian defender Mykolenko, who the Toffees have pledged to continue supporting in their latest statement, hit out at Russia's players for their silence over the invasion of Ukraine in an expletive statement.

The defender, who joined Everton from Dynamo Kyiv in January, embraced his international colleague Oleksandr Zinchenko before Manchester City's clash with Everton on Saturday.

But while support from the football world for Ukraine has been widespread, Cherkasy-born Mykolenko is furious that has not extended to players from the Russia football team.

In a post full of expletives on Instagram in his native language, the 22-year-old called out Russia captain Artem Dzyuba and said the players would "never be forgiven" for their actions.

The post on his Instagram story said: "Whilst you b***h and your c**p footballers are silent, @artem.dzyuba, civilians are being killed in Ukraine. You and most importantly your children will be locked in your s***hole for your whole life. And I am sincerely happy for it. You will never be forgiven."

Mykolenko's post came the day after FIFA and UEFA suspended Russia from all competitions, just weeks before they were due to face Poland in a World Cup play-off semi-final.

Follow every Everton game in the Premier League this season with our live blogs on the Sky Sports website and app, and watch match highlights for free shortly after full-time.

Want the Everton latest? Bookmark our Everton news page, check out Everton's fixtures and Everton's latest results, watch Everton goals and video, keep track of the Premier League table and see which Everton games are coming up live on Sky Sports.

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Everton: Toffees suspend sponsorship deals with three Russian companies after invasion of Ukraine

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Everton have suspended all commercial and sponsorship activities with Russian companies USM, Megafon and Yota with immediate effect in the wake of the country's invasion of Ukraine. The Premier League club will remove all signage and messaging relating to USM, owned by billionaire Alisher Usmanov, around the club and the training ground.

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Netflix orders Tour de France Docuseries

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Netflix orders Tour de France Docuseries

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Netflix has tapped into the the popularity of the Tour de France which reached 150 millions viewers across Europe in 2021. I can see this series becoming popular in North America, similar to the Formula 1 series. It seems like there are a lot more F1 fans in North America and I could see the same thing happen with cycling.

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Docuseries to air in early 2023

France Télévisions, Quad Productions and Box to Box Films working on production

Streaming giant Netflix has announced an agreement with the Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO) to produce a new documentary series on the 2022 Tour de France cycling grand tour.
The eight-episode series will follow the AG2R Citroën, Alpecin-Fenix, Bora-Hansgrohe, EF Education-EasyPost, Groupama-FDJ Cycling, Ineos Grenadiers, Jumbo-Visma and Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl teams during the Tour.

The France Télévisions (FTV) public service broadcaster will be involved in the production, with Quadbox, a joint venture between Quad Productions and Box to Box Films, driving the project. Box to Box are in-demand, having produced the immensely popular Formula One docuseries Drive to Survive.

The Tour project is Netflix's latest confirmed episodic sports documentary, with series in the works covering both elite tennis and golf's PGA Tour. The cycling docuseries is slated to launch in early 2023.

Netflix will be hoping to tap into the global popularity of the Tour de France, which reached 150 million viewers across Europe alone last year.

"We are proud of this partnership with Netflix, France Télévisions and the Tour de France teams, which will offer fans a unique immersion behind the scenes," said Yann Le Moënner, general director of ASO.

"Through a narrative approach, which is additive to the competition itself, the public will be able to discover how the Tour de France represents the ultimate challenge for the competitors, in particular in terms of suffering, pushing their limits and team spirit.

"This project is part of our overall ambition to make our sport more accessible and meet an even wider audience."

Prior to the start of the 2023 Tour de France, FTV will air its own 52-minute documentary on the race, but believes the Netflix series will help grow its audience for the race.

Laurent-Eric Le Lay, FTV sports director, added: "As the historic partner and broadcaster of the Tour de France, we are delighted to participate in this project which will allow everyone to experience part of the daily life of champions and teams.

"It is additive to what we do every year during the race and we believe that it will attract an even larger audience to this beautiful event."

The 2022 edition of the Tour de France starts on 1st July in Copenhagen.

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Netflix orders Tour de France docuseries - SportsPro

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Docuseries to air in early 2023 France Télévisions, Quad Productions and Box to Box Films working on production Streaming giant Netflix has announced an agreement with the Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO) to produce a new documentary series on the 2022 Tour de France cycling grand tour.

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GT driver Laura-Marie Geissler's career will depend on a decentralized sponsorship model with the aim of leveling the playing field for motorsport athletes.

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NFT-funded racing aims to disrupt sports sponsorships

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NFT-funded racing aims to disrupt sports sponsorships

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German GT racer Laura-Marie Geissler and her racing team LMG, have become the first NFT funded motorsport team. This decision was made while LMG decided to further forgo all other sponsors and stay funded solely through NFT sales.

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German GT racer Laura-Marie Geissler, creative agency Amsterdam Berlin and NFT startup Unblocked partnered up to launch the first nonfungible token, or NFT, funded motorsport team. Named after the driver, herself, the LMG racing team has decided to forgo external sponsors to fund Geissler's race season by way of NFT sales. Whether she earns the necessary amount to race in the upcoming season will depend solely on her fans.

Geissler and her partners originally announced their campaign during the first weekend of South by Southwest, or SXSW, in Austin, Texas to in-person visitors of the Porsche Unseen installation space. One week later and LMG's first NFT collection is set to drop. Cointelegraph spoke to Geissler about the motivations behind this experiment and the risks she is undertaking by putting her career on the line.

Traditionally in motorsports, almost all drivers are dependent on external companies to sponsor their racing, and success is based on performance and good marketing. According to Geissler, her performance wasn't her main selling point.

"It's hard for women to ask people to give them money, because it becomes a very transactional relationship. It was difficult for me to find a balance and to get others to like me because of how I drive, and not just because I'm a woman or I look a certain way."

Laura-Marie Geissler. Source: Amsterdam Berlin.

Moritz Grub, founder and creative director of Amsterdam Berlin, added that motorsports is a very male-dominated and "macho" world, and part of the reason may simply be because there are mostly male sponsors. "Maybe if we had more female-led brands and companies funding racing, then there would be more female fans and viewership," he said.

When asked why they turned to NFTs as a possible solution, Grub said that "it's an interesting technology that isn't being used well at the moment." Believing that most NFT PFP-based projects may be "schemes," he considers the NFT-based crowdfunding model to be an alternative to "having to behave the way my sponsors want me to behave so that my sponsorship contract gets renewed every year."

To develop the NFT collection on the Flow blockchain, Geissler and Amsterdam Berlin collaborated with the Los Angeles-based NFT firm Unblocked, also known as The Non Fungible Token Company. The set includes a 1:1 360° render of the LMG GT No.1 race car auctioned on OpenSea. The winner will get his or her name on the car and receive a physical signed Arai GP-6 helmet.

LMG GT No. 1 top shot. Source: Amsterdam Berlin.

According to the company, the LMG GT No.1 design, reminiscent of a Porsche "Pink Pig" model, bares the "X" marks that plastic surgeons use during operations. It's meant to symbolize the pressures put on female drivers for their physical appearances and to advocate for gender equality in the racing world.

Additionally, there is a series of 1,001 digital helmets and 100 digital race suits that come in different variations and rarities, available for fixed prices on the Unblocked exchange. NFT collectors will gain access to meet-and-greets, signed merchandise and exclusive content for their investment.
Related: Red Bull Racing scores $150M sponsorship with Bybit
Geissler clarified that Porsche will provide her with a car, but otherwise the German automobile manufacturer is not involved in the project. All proceeds of the sale will go to the LMG racing team's needs, while both Amsterdam Berlin and Unblocked have agreed to waive compensation. While the goal is to raise at least 150,000 euros for the 2022 season, Geissler "hopes for the best."

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NFT-funded racing aims to disrupt sports sponsorships

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German GT racer Laura-Marie Geissler, creative agency Amsterdam Berlin and NFT startup Unblocked partnered up to launch the first nonfungible token, or NFT, funded motorsport team. Named after the driver, herself, the LMG racing team has decided to forgo external sponsors to fund Geissler's race season by way of NFT sales.

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Alphonso Davies tops study of Canada's most marketable athletes - First study of it's kind conducted by IMI International 

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Alphonso Davies tops study of Canada's most marketable athletes - First study of it's kind conducted by IMI International 

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Really interesting perspective to see how Canadian athletes resonate with people around the world. Not surprising Davies is at the top, but seeing Tristan Thompson and Eugenie Bouchard on the list was a bit of a shock.

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Bayern Munich left back Alphonso Davies is Canada's most marketable active athlete, according to a TSN/IMI International study.

The 21-year-old Davies, who has a backstory that would inspire Hollywood and skills that make him among the best soccer players on the planet, placed ahead of Canadian NBA stars, Formula One driver Lance Stroll, and the NHL's Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid.

"Alphonso's story is so great," said Nick Huoseh, Davies' Edmonton-based agent. "Born in a refugee camp and his family comes and settles in Canada. But also, Alphonso is a really interesting guy. People resonate to him. He's funny to be around and he's a good entertainer."

Reactions don't get much better than this!

(🎥:@AlphonsoDavies , @thatboydavies19 / twitch)

pic.twitter.com/S3rl3A5qGP
- TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 30, 2022

Tennis player Eugenie Bouchard was the ninth most marketable Canadian athlete and top female in the global survey. Bouchard was among 13 women in the top 50.

Based in Toronto, IMI International works with companies to evaluate the effectiveness of corporate sponsorships in the sports, music and other industries.

IMI International's survey, believed to be the first of its kind, examined how aware respondents around the world were of active Canadian athletes, their likeability, and whether respondents would want to meet the athletes and support the brands they endorse. The survey also explored professional athletes' level of engagement on social media platforms, as well as how many Internet searches were done for each athlete.

IMI International purchased consumer information from Dynata, a global data and survey firm, and then canvassed more than 112,000 respondents in 150 countries across North America, Europe and Asia. The survey was conducted between September through November 2021.

"It's one of the largest surveys we have ever done," said Don Mayo, IMI International's managing partner. "One aspect that surprised me was how much diversity there is, how many athletes from different sports were represented."

Each survey respondent answered 14 questions about one particular athlete.

The survey showed a stark divide between the marketability of Canadian athletes at home and abroad.

While Davies is Canada's most globally marketable athlete, he ranked 16th within Canada.

Chicago Bulls basketball player Tristan Thompson, a Brampton, Ont., native who has a child with reality TV star Khloe Kardashian and is regularly featured on U.S. celebrity news shows such as Entertainment Tonight, was second behind Davies globally but 10th within Canada. Stroll, third overall globally, ranked 54th among Canadian respondents.

Within Canada, active NHL players made up 15 of the top 25 most marketable athletes. But on a global scale, NHL players comprised seven of the top 25.

Of the top 50 most marketable active Canadian athletes globally, 17 were NHL players, six were soccer players, five were in the NBA and five play professional tennis in either the ATP or WTA.

Golf and the Olympics accounted for four marketable athletes apiece.

The study discounted the number of followers athletes had on social media platforms such as Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.

"Social media followers are not great indicators of 'marketability' as a very low percentage [of followers] are active and some platforms are not optimal to be used for products and services by athletes," the study reported.

Davies had about 300,000 followers on his Twitter account, the survey reported, and his average post was liked 3,000 times and retweeted 500 times.

Davies currently has endorsement contracts with Nike, EA Sports, Crocs and Topps, for whom he has signed 3,000 player cards. Huoseh said he's talking with several Canadian banks and credit card companies about potential deals.

Several player agents who do not have first-hand knowledge of Davies' Nike contract, which was signed when he played with Vancouver in Major League Soccer, said they expect he probably is paid $100,000 to $200,000 a year.

If Bayern Munich qualifies for European soccer's Champions League again this year and Canada qualifies for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Davies' worldwide profile, already high, will climb even higher, Huoseh said.

That's created issues with several endorsement deals.

Davies signed a three-year endorsement deal with Red Bull in 2017 after becoming enamored with the brand because Brazilian soccer star Neymar was pitching the energy drink. Trouble was, Davies didn't drink Red Bull. His morning routine when he's in Canada includes stopping at Tim Hortons on the way to training and ordering a hot chocolate and a bagel.

"The Red Bull guys saw him posting this on social media and were like, 'Why isn't he drinking Red Bull?'" Huoseh said.

Huoseh said he expects to begin talking with international brands about Davies in the coming months, but adds global endorsement deals are also tricky.

Audi is a part owner of Bayern Munich, which limits its players' ability to strike a deal with a competitor like Mercedes-Benz. Coca-Cola's sponsorship of the juggernaut German soccer club makes it tough to do endorsements with rivals such as Pepsi.

"It's also important not to have too many deals," Huoseh said. "Each deal means more of a commitment with filming and other obligations. Over the past five years playing for Bayern, with his commitment to Canada Soccer, Phonsie has never had more than two weeks off at a time. It can be exhausting."

Jim Kozak, a sports marketing executive with MediaCom Sport & Entertainment in Toronto, said the business of athlete sponsorships is evolving.

For decades, athletes who signed endorsement contracts were featured in 30-second television spots and in print and outdoor ads. But digital marketing is now the bedrock of most deals. Ads can be as short as five to 10 seconds.

The public also has a misperception over how much money is paid to athletes for endorsement deals, Kozak said.

Many Canadian athletes who sign deals are getting between $50,000 and $100,000 per year, he said. It's rare that they receive more than that.

Davies' five-year endorsement contract with Nike Canada expires at the end of 2022 and the two sides have discussed a new contract, Huoseh said. He declined to say how much Davies is paid by the company or what he would be looking for in a new contract.

One complicating factor may be Davies' health.

Bayern Munich on Jan. 14 announced Davies had been diagnosed with myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle. Davies, who is fully vaccinated, tested positive for COVID-19 on Jan. 4.

It's unclear how much playing time Davies might miss and how that might affect his current endorsement contracts.

"I don't expect Alphonso being sidelined for a few months will have any impact on endorsements," Huoseh said. "This is not a life-threatening or career-ending. We know he's coming back."

With Canada Soccer guaranteed a spot in the 2026 World Cup, and on the cusp of qualifying for this year's World Cup in Qatar, Davies' profile is likely about to skyrocket even higher, the agents said.

"The top soccer players in the world are being paid as much as $20 million a year from companies like Nike," said Courtney James, a Toronto-based player agent whose clients have included Canadian men's national team players Julian de Guzman and Samuel Piette.

James said Nike competitors Puma, Under Armour, and Adidas would all love to have a partnership with Davies and sell him the idea of creating his own line of apparel and cleats.

Davies should garner as much as $5 million a year from his next shoe deal, whether it's with Nike or another athletic footwear and apparel company, James said.

Huoseh said Nike remains an ideal partner for Davies.

Davies loves the brand and routinely buys collector-edition Nike sneakers on stockx.com, an online marketplace for hard-to-find sneakers, Huoseh said.

"Even though Alphonso gets their product for free, he's still paying for Nike shoes," he said. "If you're a global brand like Nike, what better endorsement could you ask for?

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Davies tops study of Canada's most marketable athletes - TSN.ca

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Bayern Munich left back Alphonso Davies is Canada's most marketable active athlete, according to a TSN/IMI International study. The 21-year-old Davies, who has a backstory that would inspire Hollywood and skills that make him among the best soccer players on the planet, placed ahead of Canadian NBA stars, Formula One driver Lance Stroll, and the NHL's Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid.

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Nielsen Sports has released ‘Fans are changing the game’

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Nielsen Sports has released ‘Fans are changing the game’

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The report outlines how Nielsen predicts ‘Fandom’ in 2022 will impact sports sponsorship models, content distribution, the rise of crypto, esports and women’s sports.
“As traditional and digital worlds merge, the sponsorship lifecycle is now broadening, creating additional and more well-rounded monetization opportunities,” said Nazzari , Managing Director, International of Nielsen Sports.

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Nielsen Sports has released 'Fans are changing the game', its 2022 global sports marketing report.

The report reveals new behaviours fans have adopted during the pandemic to connect with the sports and teams they follow, whether through increased social media activity, betting, co-watching, or more.

Nielsen Sports, a global leader in sponsorship analytics and fan intelligence, has released 'Fans are changing the game', its 2022 global sports marketing report.
The report reveals new behaviours fans have adopted during the pandemic to connect with the sports and teams they follow, whether through increased social media activity, betting, co-watching, or more. The report outlines how Nielsen predicts 'Fandom' in 2022 will impact sports sponsorship models, content distribution, the rise of crypto, esports and women's sports.

The new report will help contextualise the value of sports partnerships, helping brands and sports properties predict the future value of media assets and marketing investment ROI.

Some of the key findings within the Nielsen Sports Report detail how a fan's viewing experience has changed. With the growth of connected devices, 40.7% of global sports fans now stream live sports through digital platforms. In turn, this has led to the increase in over-the-top (OTT) media rights which includes a 19% jump for the top European football leagues over the last two years at the local level, and a 31% increase forecasted for the men's tennis ATP Tour through 2023.

The demand for content overall remains high with non-event broadcasts, such as highlights, recap videos, and more, nearly as high as the event itself. Nielsen estimates that 39.4% of global fans will watch non-live content related to a live sports event. And, sports viewership has become a multi-screen experience, with 47% of people who watch sports simultaneously interact with other live content, increasing by 5% over the last year.

Nielsen estimates there was a 146% year over year rise in unbundled sponsorship investment in women's sports (UEFA, FIFA, World Rugby) compared to a 27% rise in 2020. With more women's sports being televised, there are now increased sponsorship opportunities specific to women's sport, which means that many brands are effectively reaching consumers that weren't previously reached through sponsorships in men's sport.

Says Marco Nazzari, Managing Director, International of Nielsen Sports : "From our work as a data-driven company and by surveying thousands of fans, it is clear to see that sports fans demand new types of content driven by innovative delivery platforms. In turn this impacts how rights holders and brands should approach audience engagement and sponsorship outcomes. With sponsorship sophistication rising, measuring effectiveness at every step is now expected by brands. Predicting ROI and sales lift will be key for sports rights holders to remain relevant and secure marketing budgets from brands going forward."

Other key trends identified in the 2022 Nielsen Sports Report:

● Sports sponsorship were up 107% in 2021, and through an analysis of 100 sponsorships in seven markets across 20 industries, Nielsen found that sports sponsorships drove an average 10% lift in purchase intent among the fanbase. Overall, Nielsen's 2021 Trust in Advertising Study showed that 81% of global respondents either completely or somewhat trust brand sponsorships at sporting events.

● Blockchain companies investing in sports sponsorship is projected to reach $5 billion by 2026. This represents a projected 778% increase in sports sponsorship from the crypto, blockchain and NFT brand category.

● Athletes have shown a higher potential to establish connections with fans, with 26% of avid sports fans who use social media for sports news saying that athletes are a great way to connect with brands and sponsors.

● There were 2,254 publicly announced esport sponsorship deals globally in 2021 compared to 1,785 in 2020 making it one of the fastest growing segments of the global entertainment industry. In the last year, the female esports fan base grew by 19%, while the male fan base grew by 12%.

"As traditional and digital worlds merge, the sponsorship lifecycle is now broadening, creating additional and more well-rounded monetization opportunities," said Nazzari. "It will become vital for brands to leverage new technology and utilise digital platforms to develop fan-engagement strategies that didn't exist before in linear broadcasting. The fan is now the catalyst for huge change."

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Sports sponsorship up 107% in 2021, drove an average 10% lift in purchase intent among fanbase: Nielsen Global Sports Marketing Report

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Nielsen Sports has released 'Fans are changing the game', its 2022 global sports marketing report. The report reveals new behaviours fans have adopted during the pandemic to connect with the sports and teams they follow, whether through increased social media activity, betting, co-watching, or more.

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Why Byju's wants to be seen at FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar

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Why Byju's wants to be seen at FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar

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It's thrilling to know that BYJU world’s biggest ed-tech company is teaming up with its biggest single-sport event.
The company said in a press release. “It will also create engaging and creative content with educational messages.”

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The world's biggest ed-tech company is teaming up with its biggest single-sport event.

On March 24, Bengaluru-based Byju's was declared the official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2022 to be held in Qatar.

"Through this partnership, BYJU'S will leverage its rights to the FIFA World Cup 2022 marks, emblem, and assets and run unique promotions to connect with passionate football fans around the world," the company said in a press release. "It will also create engaging and creative content with educational messages."

Byju's, which offers prep courses for K-12, entrance exams and professional upskilling, is the youngest among the sponsors, which include McDonald's, Vivo, Hisense and Budweiser.

Byju's sports sponsorship

This is not Byju's first brush with sports sponsorship.

The company backed India's men's and women's cricket world cup tournaments and its logo was on the national cricket team's jerseys. Clearly, these have been winning deals for Byju's since it renewed the contracts, at times at a premium.

In India, cricket saves Byju's "from the hard work, analytics, research" required to invest in upcoming sports, according to Charu Sharma, Indian sports commentator and director of Pro Kabaddi League. Outside, soccer's popularity could work the same magic.

FIFA, besides helping Byju's gain popularity in mature markets like the UK, the US and Australia, will give it a cost-effective foothold in developing markets like Mexico and Brazil. Visual TV advertising and social media campaigns associated with the World Cup will reduce the need for localised campaigns.

It is an expensive deal at $30 million-$40 million, but Byju's can afford it. It has splurged on a slew of acquisitions in India and abroad. The company would "easily do Rs 10,000 crore revenue this year", founder Byju Raveendran claimed in August 2021. (The financial year 2021 is not over so official figures are not out yet.) The company recently raised $800 million at a $22 billion valuation in a rumoured pre-IPO round.

Byju's, which has 15 crore learners on its roster, will reach billions during the multiple 90-minute matches between November 21 and December 18. During the 2018 world cup, more than half the world tuned in.

Beyond customers, Byju's - already backed by the likes of the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative, BlackRock, and Tiger Global - could draw more global investors' eyeballs, too.

FIFA's tainted past

There is a contentious issue though: FIFA's corruption.

However, not going for a FIFA deal would be "mad", according to former Visa global sponsorship head Andrew Woodward.

"The FIFA World Cup is the most popular sporting event in the world. People love it. They do not care about the corruption," he wrote in a 2015 blog post when FIFA's corruption scandal first broke. "The general rule of thumb is that a well-executed sponsorship returns a 20% better result than conventional marketing. Why would you want to give this up?"

Last December, Visa became the first-ever women's football partner. Coca-Cola, once " extremely concerned " about corruption, remains a FIFA partner.

If FIFA's alleged corruption did not repel these behemoths, why should Byju's retreat? In any case, the Indian company is no stranger to scandals.
This article first appeared on Quartz.

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Spending $40 million on sponsoring FIFA World Cup saves Byju's a lot of 'hard work and research'

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The world's biggest ed-tech company is teaming up with its biggest single-sport event. On March 24, Bengaluru-based Byju's was declared the official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2022 to be held in Qatar.

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Corona partners with Major League Baseball to become the "Official Cerveza of the MLB"

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Corona partners with Major League Baseball to become the "Official Cerveza of the MLB"

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This partnership is significant for a couple reasons. To start it is the first time the MLB has split their beer sponsorship, as Budweiser remains the official beer of the league. Second it is the first major sports partnership Corona has made. It is also an acceptance of the Hispanic culture that is prominent in the MLB, both in its fans and players. It is a testament to the league listening to its fans, as Corona as often heralded as "the perfect summer beer", so MLB makes this partnership to appeal to multiple demographics of their fans.

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Corona Reaches Sponsorship Deal To Become 'Official Cerveza Of Major League Baseball'

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With the 2022 Major League Baseball season about to get underway, the league and Corona have reached a new multi-year sponsorship agreement. The deal will make Corona the "Official Cerveza of Major League Baseball" and include a unique activation content platform on MLB.com and MLB Network.

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Sponsors Leaving Alex Ovechkin & other Russian NHLers amid Russian invasion

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Sponsors Leaving Alex Ovechkin & other Russian NHLers amid Russian invasion

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This article discusses the repercussions that the Russian invasion of the Ukraine has on the North American sporting industry, particularly involving Russian players. Some of the NHL's greatest stars are Russian, and some players, including Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, have voiced their support for Putin in the past. This article points out how some companies who previously had sponsorship agreements with Russian players are pulling out of these deals due to the potential negative publicity. When it comes to sponsorship, companies will engage in athlete endorsements because they are perceived to have positive value. However, Russian athletes currently do not provide that positive value for companies based on the actions of the Russian government.

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Sponsors are fleeing Capitals star Alex Ovechkin as Russia's invasion of Ukraine nears the end of its first week.

CCM Hockey - one of the preeminent ice hockey equipment brands in the world - told Canadian news outlet TSN it will stop using Ovechkin and other Russian players in its global marketing campaigns.

"Although Mr. Ovechkin is not responsible for the Russian government's actions," said CCM chief executive Marrouane Nabih, "we took the decision to not use him (or any Russian player) on any global CCM communication at this point."

CCM Hockey chief executive Marrouane Nabih: "Although Mr. Ovechkin is not responsible for the Russian government's actions, we took the decision to not use him (or any Russian player) on any global CCM communication at this point." https://t.co/ZF4rctB8Fu
- Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) March 1, 2022

My question is what if a Russian player speaks out against Putin? I understand pulling Ovechkin's stuff right now because of his long-standing ties but is a universal ban on Russians just for being Russian with no exceptions really the way to go? https://t.co/dhqiOKoqjc
- Sara Civ (@SaraCivian) March 2, 2022

U.S. life insurance provider MassMutual has pulled all of its advertisements featuring Ovechkin from television.

MassMutual pulls ad featuring Russian star Alex Ovechkin due to Ukraine war https://t.co/9nOtpGAEjY pic.twitter.com/X0fb9ux8BE
- New York Post (@nypost) March 2, 2022

One MassMutual ad that's been pulled features Ovechkin and his wife, Nastya, and Caps teammate Nicklas Backstrom.

Like @ovi8 and @backstrom19, we believe in planning and protecting, on and off the ice. Here's to our official partnership with the NHL. #LiveMutual @NHLPA 🏒 pic.twitter.com/mOTxpGebLY
- MassMutual (@massmutual) October 12, 2021

Ovechkin, a Moscow native, has faced heavy criticism over the past week for his previous support of Russian president Vladimir Putin, the driving force behind Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

Ovechkin campaigned for peace last week, calling the invasion a "sad situation right now for both sides" while admitting it's beyond his control. "Please, no more war," he said.

He's also quite literally campaigned for Putin, leading the charge in Nov. 2017 to help re-elect the Russian president.

"I'm certain that there are many of us that support Vladimir Putin. Let's unite and show everyone a strong and united Russia," Ovechkin wrote in an Instagram post at the time, captioning a photo of himself with Putin. "Today, I want to announce a social movement in the name of PutinTeam. Be a part of this team - to me it's a privilege, it's like the feeling of when you put on the jersey of the Russian team, knowing that the whole country is rooting for you."

Putin went on to win the election, securing another six-year term.

Agents representing NHL players are advising their Russian clients to tread lightly when discussing the issue, noting that the Russian parliament is considering a new law that could make spreading "fake news" about the war punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The all-important caveat is that it would be the Russian government deciding what constitutes fake news, dangerous recourse from a governing body known for weaponizing its own propaganda.

Have connected about Russia's war in Ukraine with a number of NHL player agents who have Russian clients.
Advice they all are giving players is to be careful.
Russian parliament considering new law that could mean up to 15 yrs in prison for spreading "fake news" about the war.
- Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) March 2, 2022

One of those agents, Dan Milstein, called upon the NHL Players' Association and all NHL clubs with Russian players to provide additional security for those players in North America, citing "real threats" that have been made in-person and online.

The NHL responded by saying it "remains concerned about the well-being" of its Russian players, noting they play in the league "on behalf of their NHL Clubs, and not on behalf of Russia."

"We understand they and their families are being placed in an extremely difficult position," the league added.

One such instance of online abuse came from Hall of Fame goaltender Dominik Hasek, who took to Twitter to call Ovechkin an "alibist... chicken sh*t... liar."The Czech also called for the immediate suspension of all Russian NHL players, warning the league, "If the NHL does not do so, it has indirect co-responsibility for the dead in Ukraine."

The NHL suspended all ties with Russian business partners earlier this week in condemning the invasion of Ukraine. Additionally, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) - the global governing body for international competition - has banned Russia and Belarus from participation in "every age category and in all IIHF competitions until further notice." The IIHF also revoked Russia's right to host the 2023 world juniors championship.

The NHL says it is also discontinuing any consideration of Russia as a location for any future competitions involving the league.

As of publication time, Ovechkin still has a photo of himself standing alongside Putin as the profile photo to his official Instagram account.

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Sponsors flee Alex Ovechkin, other Russian NHL players over invasion of Ukraine

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Sponsors are fleeing Capitals star Alex Ovechkin as Russia's invasion of Ukraine nears the end of its first week. CCM Hockey - one of the preeminent ice hockey equipment brands in the world - told Canadian news outlet TSN it will stop using Ovechkin and other Russian players in its global marketing campaigns.

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This is a beautiful deal for Formula 1, which, I should add, just keeps making the right moves. First they added the Miami Grand Prix, and now just a few hours ago, they added a Las Vegas night race to start next year. They've been making brilliant moves lately, and this is yet another.It's safe to say that the Wall Street people who were never on the crypto currency wave have all of a sudden become the pioneers of it with Formula 1, with this decision backed by a billionaire who never believed in it. very amusing. However, it does underline a major point about the direction Formula 1 is taking with the number of young and upcoming drivers they have in their line-ups: that they are keeping up with the youth in the partners they are securing. It allows the sport to tap into a whole new world with NFTs (Non Fungible Tokens) and sell things that only they can profit from, where knock-offs cannot be made or profited from, and the sport doesn't just have to rely on just the broadcast and sponsorship money. With Crypto.com, they have in them a company that is truly trying to make a global presence with them also having bought the rights to the staples centre, so it goes hand in hand with F1 also trying to be all the way global with them now going from having one race to America to three now. So I think it's a match made in heaven.

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Formula 1 landed a new sponsor Tuesday in a deal with Crypto.com, a platform that allows users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies. The terms of the agreement were not provided, but people familiar with the pact told CNBC it's a five-year deal that totals more than $100 million.

As part of the agreement, Crypto.com will get brand presence around F1 events, including the new Sprint qualifying format that will be used in some races to determine the starting positions of the cars. Crypto.com will also receive trackside slots at F1 races for the remainder of the season.

The company will also introduce a new award at F1's Belgian Grand Prix in August and become its NFT partner. The Crypto.com agreement takes effect on July 17, a day before the 2021 British Grand Prix at the Silverstone Circuit in England.

F1 director of commercial partnerships Ben Pincus said in a statement the racing organization would use expertise from Crypto.com "as we explore the world of cryptocurrency, an area we are very interested in."

Crypto.com says it has more than 10 million users on its platform and has an app available for Apple and Android devices. The company makes revenue from transaction fees and has other sports partnerships, including F1 team Aston Martin and National Hockey League franchise, the Montreal Canadiens.

F1 is owned by Liberty Media Corporation, which purchased the global racing entity in 2016 for $4.4 billion. F1 used sports agency Creative Artists Agency to negotiate the deal.

"We look forward to many years of innovating together," Crypto.com co-founder and CEO Kris Marszalek, said of the F1 agreement. "We're also excited to partner with F1 in the development of exclusive NFTs, connecting fans to the sport in new and innovative ways."

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Formula 1 strikes $100 million cryptocurrency sponsorship

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Formula 1 landed a new sponsor Tuesday in a deal with Crypto.com, a platform that allows users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies. The terms of the agreement were not provided, but people familiar with the pact told CNBC it's a five-year deal that totals more than $100 million.

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Well it was only a matter of time, wasn't it? Last week it was revealed that Premier League giants Manchester United are to soon unveil a new sponsorship partner for their training kit in the shape of blockchain platform Tezos. Don't be concerned if you've never heard of them, you're not the only one.

This marks the most high-profile sponsorship deal of it's kind yet involving a Premier League club, and brings the league further into the murky and unpredictable world of blockchain, cryptocurrency and the new kid on the block, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs).

Premier League Sponsorship Steeps to a New Low

Other Sponsorships

Southampton are already in a similar-type deal, with the aptly-named learncrypto.com being announced as their training kit sponsor in September much to the dismay of their fans.

Dogecoin, the meme based cryptocurrency, is the official sleeve sponsor of Watford. Training kit sponsors, sleeve sponsors, the players are basically advertisement boards on legs.

You'd think that would be enough but no. A number of clubs, namely Arsenal, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Everton are signed up with Socios.com, a blockchain-based "fan engagement" platform that sells "fan tokens" that entitle fans to supposed benefits at a relatively low price.

These tokens are accused by the Football Supporters Association of either trying to monetise trivial matters that could be solved with online polls or inserting financial barriers to genuine supporter engagement.

It's inevitable that every club in the league will soon be caught up in this whirlwind, looking to capitalise on the supposed gold rush.

No Surprises in Premier League Sponsorship, Just a Shift From the Clubs

It's hardly surprising. Morals in football were thrown out the window long ago, with the true intentions of most owners there for all to see. The thus-far unregulated metaverse of cryptocurrency is the obvious next venture, particularly given the impending clampdown on gambling advertising in the UK.

As it stands, nine of the 20 clubs in the league are sponsored by betting companies. Illustrious names such as Hollywood Bets, Fun88, Stake.com and ManBetX are emblazoned across the shirts of Brentford, Newcastle, Watford and Wolves. Anyone ever placed a bet with these? Didn't think so.

It's not just jerseys. Advertising hoardings at every single ground in the league are dominated by betting companies, sometimes more than one company at the same time.

With the ban set to be implemented in 2023, expect this to be replaced with the latest vice gripping the globe. The present day Premier League business plan - out of the frying pan and into the fire of shady sponsorship.

No Betting, No Problem? Not Quite

The other 11 clubs not currently sponsored by betting companies aren't exactly clean either. Manchester City have the biggest deal in the league with Etihad Airways, the official airline of Abu Dhabi. What a coincidence.

It paints a rather bleak picture when some of the good guys these days are the banks and financial services - see Liverpool and Standard Chartered, Brighton and American Express.

Suppose Chelsea and Three Mobile isn't too bad either, although it looks dreadful on a jersey.

Halcyon Days - Manchester United & Arsenal Lead the Way

It's a far cry from the halcyon days of Premier League sponsorship when jerseys were remembered for the sponsor on them, and a sense of attachment somewhat grew towards whatever product or brand it was.

United's dominance of the first decade of the Premier League is remembered for many things, one of which was their sponsorship by Sharp/Sharp Viewcam who sponsored the Red Devils for 18 years from 1982 to 2000.

Arsenal took a similar electronic goods route during the same period. In 1981 JVC became club's first shirt sponsor, a relationship that lasted up until 1999 when Arsenal moved with the times and upgraded to a games console sponsor, and a dual one at that. Thierry Henry 's arrival was joined by that of Sega, and their Dreamcast console. Dreamcast took the home shirt while Sega adorned the away strip of the Gunners, making for an iconic set.

The two club's fierce rivalry in this era would take on another element in the sponsorship game - United being sponsored by Vodafone from 2000-2006 and Arsenal O2 from 2002-2006. Both phone deals made for some great shots, namely Roy Keane and Cristiano Ronaldo modelling flip phones. Television Company NTL: was also prominent in this time, making for an iconic sponsor of Newcastle United and both Glasgow clubs, Celtic and Rangers.

Few Beers, Be Grand

Away from electronics, the most popular sponsor of these days was alcohol - the perceived scourge of football's moral compass before gambling took over. Again, the Toon Army had a jersey to cherish with local brew, Newcastle Brown Ale, plastered across their kits. Plastered being the key word. You think of Liverpool in the late '90's and early '00's and Carlsberg immediately springs to mind, possibly alongside the Spice Boys.

Blackburn's league title came with Alan Shearer, Chris Sutton and Kenny Dalglish but also McEwan's Lager. Unsure if it's still in production, however. Leeds took the cider option with Strongbow their main sponsor in the early '00s while Chelsea had a brief stint on the Coors in the mid '90s.

Yeah, I'll Have a Pizza Hut and a Bag of Walkers Ready Salted

Other brilliant sponsors were Dr. Martens at West Ham and Ty (toys) at Portsmouth. The remainder of the much-loved and remembered sponsors came in the form of food brands - Aston Villa and Müller Yoghurts, Leicester and Walkers Crisps (local crisp, stadium name, Gary Lineker), Wolves and Doritos, fitting for the tangy cheese look to their kit, and the all-time classic of Fulham, newly promoted in '01, championing Pizza Hut on the front of their kits.

The memories of these sponsors, and most things, are likely tinged with a hint of nostalgia but it's hard not to long for them considering the modern day replacements. It's no surprise that vintage kits have never been more popular.

A Dangerous Path to Take for Premier League Sponsorship

Looking ahead it's entirely plausible that every Premier League side is embedded in crypto-currency in the not too distant future where, whether it be on the front of their jerseys, their sleeves, their shorts, their socks or their training kit equivalent. NFTs will come first, with John Terry already setting up the rather tragic "Ape Kids Club" alongside several ex-team mates. The actual clubs won't be far behind - it will likely be the Glazers, Kroenke and Co's latest barometer for success and latest cash heist.

The league and governing bodies are unlikely to step in and regulate it, allowing clubs to lead themselves and their fans down a dangerous path of highly-volatile finance. It's another sign that football is more machine than man these days, more business than sport. Just a tad depressing.

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Premier League Sponsorship Steeps to a New Low

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Well it was only a matter of time, wasn't it? Last week it was revealed that Premier League giants Manchester United are to soon unveil a new sponsorship partner for their training kit in the shape of blockchain platform Tezos. Don't be concerned if you've never heard of them, you're not the only one.

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MLB reaches a $125 million sponsorship deal with Capital One

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MLB reaches a $125 million sponsorship deal with Capital One

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According to this article Capital One has become the official bank and credit card partner of the MLB. It is apparently over a 5 year $125 million deal and Capital One can now use MLB in advertising campaigns, as well as the presenting sponsor for the World Series. Overall, a very interesting but not surprising sponsorship because I believe both target markets would blend well togeother. A statement from the article sums it up pretty well, “'We want partners that lean in, that reach our fan base, and that offer unique and exciting programs that activate in a big way'”.

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Major League Baseball has a new banking partner: Capital One.

Under the deal, the company becomes the "official bank and credit card partner" of MLB, according to an announcement Monday. Terms of the deal weren't made public, but people familiar with the matter told CNBC that it is about $125 million for MLB over five years. The people declined to be named because the numbers weren't publicly disclosed.

The bank can use MLB and its 30 teams in advertising campaigns, and Capital One will also be a presenting sponsor for the World Series.

MLB's agreement with Capital One arrives weeks after the league settled a nearly 100-day labor dispute with the MLB Players Association. The work stoppage delayed spring training and the regular season, which will start on April 7.

With labor peace secure, MLB is also set to roll out additional assets around its sport. Sponsorships on helmets could pop up during this season, according to MLB Chief Revenue Officer Noah Garden, and jersey ad patches are slated to premiere in 2023. Uniform sponsorships are estimated to be worth $11 million per MLB team, according to Nielsen. Asked about the accuracy of that figure, Garden said Nielsen's estimation is "probably right, but they can be even higher in cases because your packaging in more rights than just the patch within some sponsorships."

The Capital One deal, which doesn't come as a surprise, will add to MLB's sponsorship haul. In 2021, MLB's sponsorship revenue rose to roughly $1.7 billion from about $1 billion during the Covid-shortened 2020 season, people familiar with the matter told CNBC. The league reaped more than $900 million in 2019, according to sponsorship valuation firm IEG. MLB has more than 1,600 sponsorships on the national and local levels, the firm said.

Garden lauded Capital One's sports promotions and its commercials featuring star actor Samuel L. Jackson, saying that they're "always fun" and that "fans seem to like them."

"Gone are the days when you take an MLB logo and slap it on a commercial," he added. "We want partners that lean in, that reach our fan base, and that offer unique and exciting programs that activate in a big way."

Inside MLB's Capital One agreement

Capital One takes over from Bank of America, which had MLB's bank promotion rights since 2015 after becoming a league partner in 2004, according to IEG. The firm estimated the agreement paid MLB more than $10 million in the 2021 season.

This agreement is much different than the BofA pact. For instance, Capital One will get premium signage around the World Series. Its brand logo will be featured on the field, the third and first base bags, in virtual signage behind home plate and on the pitcher's mound. The last time MLB had a presenting sponsor for the World Series came in 2019 when Alphabet unit YouTube TV owned the rights.

"The World Series is our jewel event," said Garden. "That's going to be the tentpole of our relationship."

The agreement also comes as MLB tries to bolster its viewership numbers after the pandemic took a toll on the sport.

The 2021 World Series featuring the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros averaged 11.75 million viewers. That's up from the 2020 World Series, when the Los Angeles Dodgers won their first championship since 1988. That series averaged 9.7 million viewers.

Both six-game series were down from pre-pandemic levels.

The 2019 World Series featuring the Astros and Washington Nationals averaged roughly 13 million viewers throughout seven games, with the final contest attracting 23 million viewers. The five-game 2018 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and Dodgers averaged 14 million viewers. The Astros' 2017 World Series win against the Dodgers attracted an average of 18.9 million viewers over seven games.

Capital One will use its MLB relationship to offer benefits for cardholders around top MLB events, including the All-Star Game, Home Run Derby and 2022 Field of Dreams game. The company will also sponsor events at the Little League level, college, MLB minor league games and support the Jackie Robinson Foundation.

This MLB partnership comes weeks before the 75th anniversary of Robinson breaking the color barrier in the league. MLB will celebrate the historic moment on April 15, and Capital One said it would commit a minimum of $250,000 to the foundation for the 2022 season.

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MLB reaches a $125 million sponsorship deal with Capital One

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Major League Baseball has a new banking partner: Capital One. Under the deal, the company becomes the "official bank and credit card partner" of MLB, according to an announcement Monday. Terms of the deal weren't made public, but people familiar with the matter told CNBC that it is about $125 million for MLB over five years.

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Sports Sponsorships in Cannabis: The Long Legal Road Ahead

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Sports Sponsorships in Cannabis: The Long Legal Road Ahead

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This article gives a great insight on a topic regarding sport sponsorships and the cannabis industry. The article explains that a potiential next big move for the multi-billion dollar industry would be marketing in pro sports. Some leagues such as NASCAR and USA soccer have already done deals however, they are looking to expand to the MLB, NHL, NFL and NBA. However, their is some challeges the article talks about that although cannabis rules in sports have somewhat "eased up" the article states, "...they haven’t embraced CBD sponsorships the same way other leagues have and currently won’t allow their athletes to seek CBD or cannabis sponsorship deals as individuals". Therefore, it could still be a while for cannabis sponsoships to expand to sport leagues yet a very intresting topic regarding sponsorships to keep an eye on

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The next big marketing frontier for cannabis brands is professional sports sponsorships. Obstacles remain that are unique to the highly regulated cannabis market that, paired with the already legality-heavy proposition of sponsorship deals, mean a long road ahead.

If legal cannabis isn't already a key facet of American culture, it is well on its way. The multibillion-dollar industry is already ubiquitous in politics, and consumers are increasingly seeing various types of marketing from cannabis brands, from billboards to magazine ads to organic content on social media. It may not be long before sports fans see more of their favorite athletes talking up CBD products for pain management or even see a dispensary chain claim naming rights for a stadium.

The next big marketing frontier for cannabis brands is professional sports sponsorships. And in some respects, it makes sense that athletes might be natural brand ambassadors for an industry focused on pain management and mental health relief. But there are obstacles unique to the highly regulated cannabis market that, paired with the already legality-heavy proposition of sponsorship deals, mean a long road ahead. Here are some key considerations for cannabis and CBD brands looking to a future of sports sponsorships.

The Current Climate

Many leagues have already embraced sponsorship deals with CBD brands, from NASCAR to the United Soccer League. The four pillar sports in the U.S.-the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League and Major League Baseball-have already relaxed their rules and testing protocols related to athletes and cannabis. In 2019, the NFL reached an agreement with the players' union to study the pain management benefits of cannabis and in 2020, the NFL announced players will no longer be suspended for positive tests and increased the threshold of allowable THC for positive tests. And stars like powerhouse tight-end Rob Gronkowski and former Denver Nuggets Al Harrington in retirement have attached their names to cannabis and CBD brands.

After dismal profits through the COVID-19 pandemic, the "Big Four" sports leagues may want to consider opening an entirely new sponsorship category via cannabis and CBD. Additional pressure might come from athletes themselves, who want alternative treatments for pain and anxiety. As the public looked in from the outside as the MLB negotiated a new collective bargaining agreement and as leagues renegotiate CBAs generally, player pressure could continue to move the needle on league acceptance of cannabis products.

As much as this means less stigma for cannabis, it also illustrates the constant fragmentation that makes it difficult for cannabis businesses to operate like other companies. While the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB have all eased up on players' use of the substance, they haven't embraced CBD sponsorships the same way other leagues have and currently won't allow their athletes to seek CBD or cannabis sponsorship deals as individuals. Piecemeal state legalization, strict advertising rules, enduring federal prohibitions and a lack of FDA approval are the biggest barriers specific to the cannabis industry. And, while the "Big Four" leagues are not signatories to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code, applying their own anti-doping policies, don't look for cannabis sponsorships or endorsements of Olympic sports or athletes any time soon-WADA prohibits in-competition use of cannabis, although it is conducting a scientific review of the status of cannabis in 2022, indicating a softening may be forthcoming.

Paired with the issues typical to sport sponsorships generally, cannabis companies have much more to consider when seeking sponsorship deals.

Threshold Sports Sponsorships Considerations Relating to Cannabis and CBD

As a threshold matter, if sports leagues are expecting to allow cannabis sponsorships in the future, they are likely waiting for federal approval for cannabis and specifically, FDA approval for CBD products. The agency decided not to allow companies to market full-spectrum CBD as a dietary supplement in August, and formal guidelines may be years away as medical and scientific data materialize either supporting or negating the health claims. In the meantime, companies and their spokespeople cannot claim certain health benefits in advertising without FDA approval.

Cannabis itself is also still a schedule 1 drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act and has historically been listed among most leagues' anti-doping bans, although as discussed above, it appears attitudes might be beginning to shift. Even in states where adult use and medical cannabis are legal, taxes are high and advertising rules are incredibly strict. They also vary from market to market. When Connecticut legalized cannabis in 2021, state Attorney General William Tong moved to have all billboards advertising Massachusetts dispensaries removed for violating the state's cannabis marketing restrictions. With a web of intersecting, and at times conflicting, state regulations at play, national marketing campaigns are highly challenging. The crisscrossing markets on game days and the national exposure of most athletes in the Big Four leagues will likely implicate multiple jurisdictions, and multiple sets of advertising regulations that don't always mesh. And, even if a policy decision were made to allow some territory-restricted sponsorship deals in the cannabis space, it's unclear if and how cannabis sponsors could exercise even local broadcasting rights-a key value driver for any sponsorship deal.

Specific Sponsorship Considerations Relating to Cannabis and CBD

In addition to the above, the host of legal and business issues generally applicable to sports sponsorships deals will likely take on a different flavor with respect to cannabis and CBD.

From a commercial perspective, one of the key issues in any sponsorship deal is whether a sponsor will receive exclusive rights in a category. It's important that sponsors take a critical eye to how a league may have "sliced and diced" that category. For example, a would-be cannabis sponsor may not be expecting a competitor to take up rights in the CBD space. But without close attention to how the sponsorship category is defined, any oversight here could lead to sharing branding space with unwelcome neighbors.

In highly regulated industry categories such as gambling/casino and sports betting, league policies mandate strict compliance obligations on the part of the sponsor. We should expect to see a similar approach if leagues approve cannabis sponsorships. For example, in gaming and sports betting, league requirements often demand that sponsors notify the team or league of any compliance issues-no matter how nonmaterial, and no matter if they affect any rights or activities in the sponsorship territory. If there are compliance violations, leagues and teams typically demand immediate termination rights. The compliance and disclosure obligations for a highly regulated sponsor can be onerous, and sponsors risk losing their sponsorship investment even for trivial issues that do not bear on the sponsorship. For example, should a minor casino compliance violation in Las Vegas result in termination of a sponsorship deal in New York? Similarly, if a dispensary in Seattle operating under an interstate brand receives a de minimus fine for an inadvertent sale to a minor, should that result in termination of that brand's sponsorship deal in Colorado? While these types of compliance and termination provisions are typically negotiable to something approximating fairness, look for leagues to take a hard-line stance on compliance issues, and expect that some teams may mandate deal terms that are take it or leave it.

Similarly, leagues and teams often demand strict morals provisions allowing them to terminate if they determine, in their sole discretion, that the sponsor or its activities might cause reputational harm to the team. Although cannabis is rapidly destigmatizing, one might argue that the industry is at least historically aligned with illegality and perhaps inherently aligned with other "sin" industries like gambling, alcohol and tobacco. Teams and leagues know what they are getting into when they accept sponsorship money from these industries, and cannabis sponsors should demand that any such "morals" provisions be exercised by teams only reasonably, in good faith, and with an opportunity for the sponsor to cure any alleged issues.

Further, just like gaming and sports betting operators, cannabis businesses are restricted from marketing to minors. While state laws are a hodge-podge, sales to individuals under the age of 21 are generally prohibited, and cannabis businesses are also generally restricted from marketing to individuals under the age of 21, or even from publishing marketing materials that appeal to children-a subjective standard. These rules, of course, are likely to restrict the type of signage and activation that can occur in stadia. It also poses issues from a digital marketing and data-sharing perspective. Sponsors and teams often negotiate specific activations via social media, websites and email marketing lists. But the parties must keep in mind compliance issues regarding these activations, including taking care to scrub relevant marketing databases of users under the age of 21 and, possibly, "self-excluded" individuals. The gaming industry is familiar with self-exclusion sign-ups, which permit individuals to opt out of relevant marketing and be disallowed from entering gaming establishments. The cannabis industry may not be far behind. In 2020, the Illinois General Assembly introduced HB4134, which if passed would have permitted self-exclusion from targeting mailings, advertising and promotions and from entry into dispensaries. While this bill died, it's conceivable that we will see efforts to pass similar bills.

Finally, in 2020-21, sponsors, teams and leagues collectively, and regardless of industry, combed through the thorny issues of the COVID-19 pandemic. We can expect to observe a continuing trend of extra scrutiny paid to force majeure and so-called "make good" provisions for missed games or unavailable benefits.

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Sports Sponsorships in Cannabis: The Long Legal Road Ahead - Cannabis Industry Journal

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The next big marketing frontier for cannabis brands is professional sports sponsorships. Obstacles remain that are unique to the highly regulated cannabis market that, paired with the already legality-heavy proposition of sponsorship deals, mean a long road ahead. If legal cannabis isn't already a key facet of American culture, it is well on its way.

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https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/laliga-telefonica-dazn-sublicensing-tv-broadcast-rights-movistar/

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Telefónica secures access to games it missed out on during original rights tender

Agreement follows similar Spanish market collaboration on motorsport content

Sports streaming service DAZN has confirmed a sublicensing agreement with telecommunications giant Telefónica for domestic rights to Spanish soccer's top-flight LaLiga.
The non-exclusive distribution deal will enable Telefónica's Movistar Plus+ pay-TV service to broadcast DAZN's five weekly LaLiga games in Spain. DAZN had acquired rights for 175 LaLiga matches from 2022/23 until the end of the 2026/27 season during the league's domestic tender in December.

DAZN and Telefónica split LaLiga's domestic rights in a deal that ended Movistar's stint as the league's main pay-TV broadcaster. Paying a combined €4.95 billion (US$5.47 billion) in total, both media companies secured five LaLiga matches per fixture round, with the exception of three full matchdays per season, which Telefónica will air exclusively via Movistar.

The games Telefónica missed out in the original tender will now be made available to Movistar pay-TV customers through the network's digital platforms and linear channels. DAZN will be in charge of production for the five matches per game week.

DAZN added that the tie-up with Telefónica will help support the growth of sports streaming consumption in Spain. It was reported last month that a deal between the pair was close, with El Confidencial stating that the contract was worth €280 million (US$309 million) per year, or €1.4 billion (US$1.5 billion) in total.

In January 2021, Telefónica signed a multi-year deal with DAZN which saw the latter launch linear channels on the pay-TV platform, showing the likes of Formula One and MotoGP.

This latest distribution deal follows a series of collaborations in other DAZN core markets, including Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom and Swisscom in Germany, as well as Telcom Italia (TIM) in Italy and KDDI in Japan.

"Our mission is to make premium sport more accessible to an ever-increasing number of fans in an easy, flexible and innovative way, and this deal allows us to do so by driving further growth in Spain." Said Jacopo Tonoli, DAZN's chief commercial officer.

Sergio Oslé, president of Movistar Plus+, added: "At Movistar we will focus all our efforts on providing our customers with access to the widest range of content on the market. With this new agreement we guarantee access to all Movistar Plus+ customers to the main competition of our soccer for the next seasons."

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DAZN and Telefónica confirm '€1.4bn' LaLiga sublicensing deal - SportsPro

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Telefónica secures access to games it missed out on during original rights tender Agreement follows similar Spanish market collaboration on motorsport content Sports streaming service DAZN has confirmed a sublicensing agreement with telecommunications giant Telefónica for domestic rights to Spanish soccer's top-flight LaLiga.

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https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/article/independent-committee-finds-racism-discrimination-in-greater-toronto-hockey-league/

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Canadian Press

Canadian Press

TORONTO - An independent committee, formed by the Greater Toronto Hockey League, has found that racism and discrimination do exist in the GTHL and that there is a need to put greater efforts into promoting a culture of acceptance and inclusivity.

The committee identified 44 recommendations that the GTHL may look to make in order to bring change in relation to racism and discrimination.

Included in these recommendations were the reviewing of incident reports where racial slurs were alleged to have been used but not heard, the elimination of ethnic or stereotypical mascots or imagery and the implementation of a BIPOC coaching mentorship program as well as to improve opportunities for women to work and participate in the league.

These recommendations are intended to be turned into action by the GTHL.

The league has now created a formal investigative process by a third-party to probe all accusations of discrimination, including ones that occur in-game and go undetected by an on-ice official and, as of June 1, the use of any Indigenous names and logos will be banned - meaning a team like the Mississauga Reps, whose logo is similar to that of the Chicago Blackhawks, will need to find new imagery.

According to the league, despite the work it acknowledges needs to be done, the committee said that the GTHL "was perceived to create a welcoming culture that takes issues of racism and discrimination seriously with education and training programs in place."

The GTHL is the largest minor hockey league in the world with more than 40,000 registered participants across Markham, Mississauga, Toronto, and Vaughan in Ontario.

This committee came about after the GTHL held what it called its "Transition Game" summit in November 2019, where the league came to the conclusion that an independent and systemic review of itself was needed.

In December 2020, the GTHL Board of Directors formed an equity, diversity and inclusion committee that included Karl Subban, father of former GTHL stars and current NHLers P.K. and Malcolm.

The committee was tasked with examining policies, protocols, and practices of the GTHL as they relate to racism and discrimination within the organization, how the league's complaint policy and procedure operated, its educational materials and training, its leadership structure and how the organization might create a safer environment when concerns regarding equity and diversity are raised.

Processes such as surveys, town halls and one-on-one interviews were used to gather data.

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Independent committee finds racism, discrimination in Greater Toronto Hockey League - Sportsnet.ca

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Canadian Press Canadian Press TORONTO - An independent committee, formed by the Greater Toronto Hockey League, has found that racism and discrimination do exist in the GTHL and that there is a need to put greater efforts into promoting a culture of acceptance and inclusivity.

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MLB SPONSORSHIPS HIT $1.1 BILLION WITH JERSEY, HELMET PATCHES ON DECK

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MLB SPONSORSHIPS HIT $1.1 BILLION WITH JERSEY, HELMET PATCHES ON DECK

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This article was very interesting to read. It broke down the 'Top MLB Sponsorship Spending Brand Categories' which I found quite interesting. While looking at the top categories, the first one was, banks. This had thrown me off considering banks have nothing to do with baseball but it was interesting to see how much revenue comes in from them. The second top one was beer, which is probably not surprising to anyone.

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Major League Baseball and its 30 teams generated $1.13 billion in sponsorship revenue last year, according to consultancy IEG and its Sponsorship Intelligence Database. It is poised to jump further with labor peace and new inventory coming to the sport.

"MLB and its clubs tend to do more traditional, apple pie-type sponsorships with the usual suspect brands and categories," Peter Laatz, IEG's global managing director, said in an email. "2021 saw refreshing change with some mid-season crypto wins, a banking partner replacement and a splitting of the beer category. The league can gain a lot of momentum as well, as it heads toward offering the jersey patch and helmet branding in 2023."

Overall, IEG says sponsorship revenue was up 5% in 2021 and 25% from 2017. The caveat on the most recent year-over-year gain is that the 2020 total of $1.08 billion was based on the commitment of sponsorship rights for that season. The shortened 60-game season forced teams and leagues to adjust deals through extended term lengths, added assets or refunds.

Baseball's $1.13 billion sponsorship revenue was derived from 990 unique brands and 1,640 total deals. The dollar total ranks third behind the NFL's $1.8 billion and $1.46 billion for the NBA.

Teams drive the bulk of the sponsorship revenue on the local level, including 69% of the total in 2021. Next year, the 30 clubs will have a new lever to pull, after helmet decals and jersey advertising patches were approved in this month's collective bargaining agreement. Teams are already shopping for partners, and the average deal is expected to approach $10 million, while big market teams, like the Yankees and Dodgers, could command more than $20 million.

The jersey patch deals are expected to top many stadium naming rights pacts, which traditionally have been the biggest sponsorship deals on the local level. A pair of stadiums got new monikers last year, as mortgage firm LoanDepot became the Marlins' first naming rights partner since its stadium opened in 2012. American Family Insurance took over the naming rights in Milwaukee at the former Miller Park. IEG says teams generated $110 million in 2021 from their naming rights, but there are still eight MLB stadiums without a corporate name, including many of the league's top brands, compared to only three for the NFL and one (Madison Square Garden) in the NBA and NHL.

Traditional categories-banks, beer, insurance, apparel, auto-were the five biggest in baseball last year, and each one had sponsorship spending of at least $75 million, according to IEG. The top spending brands were Bud Light/Budweiser ($65 million), T-Mobile ($55 million) and Nike ($50 million). The Swoosh spent twice as much as fourth-ranked Bank of America ($25 million).

MLB added a handful of new partners, such as Citrix, Extreme Networks and LoanDepot, before the season started. In June, it became the first major North American sports league to sign a deal with a cryptocurrency exchange under a long-term deal with FTX. It includes FTX patches on umpire uniforms. New additions in 2022 include Capital One as MLB's banking partner, replacing Bank of America, and Corona Extra as its official import beer.

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MLB Sponsorships Hit $1.1 Billion With Jersey, Helmet Patches on Deck

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Major League Baseball and its 30 teams generated $1.13 billion in sponsorship revenue last year, according to consultancy IEG and its Sponsorship Intelligence Database. It is poised to jump further with labor peace and new inventory coming to the sport.

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Justin Bieber makes Maple Leafs Alternate Jersey 

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Justin Bieber makes Maple Leafs Alternate Jersey 

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Justin Bieber and the Toronto Maple Leafs are a marketing dream. Though, this isn't really much of a sponsorship, this is helping the Leafs gain more fans from Justin Bieber. Releasing this jersey on 'Next Gen' night was also perfect because the younger audience is more fans of Justin Bieber, which if you've been to a Leafs game you have noticed the Leafs demographic is mostly businessman. I think this partnership was a great idea for both Justin Bieber and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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The next time the Toronto Maple Leafs hit the ice for their annual "Next Gen " game, the team will be sporting new jerseys designed by Canadian pop star Justin Bieber.

DFree / Shutterstock.com

The new jerseys are designed to be reversible, the inner layer being a yellow maple leaf designed by the singer's streetwear brand 'drew house' and the outer fabric is a black and blue leaf. However, the team only plans to wear the black and blue design on the ice.

According to a statement made by the Maple Leafs, the jerseys are, "the first reversible sweater ever in North American professional sports, rendered in a fashion-forward black and blue colour combination, showcases the classic primary crest with a shibori-inspired print and the Toronto skyline subtly woven into the bands on the arms of the sweater and the uniform's socks."

In addition, the jerseys were made "in partnership with Adidas and the National Hockey League (NHL)."

Maple Leafs Jersey / NHL

RELATED: Carli Lloyd, 39, Shares Shocking Information: She 'Hated' Working with the USWNT

"Off the ice, fans may choose to flip the sweater to feature a drew house inspired version with gold trim underneath, and elements of the drew house motif inside the classic Maple Leaf logo, to create a uniform that has never been seen in sport," the team continued.

Although the Bieber-designed jerseys were made specifically for the "Next Gen" event, the hockey team admitted they are considering continuing using them throughout the season. Considering the singer's status as a national icon, the Maple Leafs are surely excited to represent Canada with their new stylish jerseys.

Justin Bieber discusses working with the Maple Leafs: 'I'm grateful'

DFree / Shutterstock.com

"My love for the Maple Leafs has always been a big part of who I am, and my passion for the team, and the passion of millions of fans, is stitched into this Next Gen sweater," Bieber said of the team, according to ESPN. "I'm grateful to the Leafs for the chance to team up again to create something so authentic for the team and its fans."

Brendan Shanahan, Toronto Maple Leafs president and alternate governor, also relayed his excitement over the collaboration. By working with Bieber's streetwear brand, he hopes that the team and fans will appreciate the alternate jersey's uniqueness.

"The opportunity to collaborate with Justin and drew house to create such a unique alternate sweater will make it even more special for our fans and the team," Shanahan explained in a statement.

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Justin Bieber Designs Toronto Maple Leafs 2022 New 'Next Gen' Alternate Jersey - At The Buzzer

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The next time the Toronto Maple Leafs hit the ice for their annual "Next Gen " game, the team will be sporting new jerseys designed by Canadian pop star Justin Bieber. The new jerseys are designed to be reversible, the inner layer being a yellow maple leaf designed by the singer's streetwear brand 'drew house' and the outer fabric is a black and blue leaf.

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MSC to bring cruise ships portside for visibility during select F1 races

Global partnership revealed amid reports of US$30m a year Salesforce deal

Formula One has announced a new multi-year deal with MSC Cruises that sees the brand join the global motorsport series' top 'global partner' tier.
The agreement for the 2022 season will see MSC ships brought portside during select races throughout the year, with trackside branding - as seen at the Bahrain Grand Prix on 20 th March - providing the Swiss company with additional visibility.

Formula One has agreed a number of new global partnerships in the past two years, with both the Aramco oil firm and the Crypto.com exchange platform joining the series' top sponsorship tier since the start of 2020.

Deals in that category tend to be worth between US$20 million and US$30 million per year. The agreement with Crypto.com is purportedly worth the lower of those figures, while an impending agreement with Salesforce reported by Front Office Sports (FOS) was pegged at US$150 million over five years. Not long after the ten-year Aramco agreement was unveiled in March 2020, Motorsport Week reported that agreement was worth more than US$450 million over its duration, although that includes title sponsorship of multiple races annually.

No financial details or length of contract have been confirmed for the MSC Cruises partnership at this stage. However, the 'official cruise partner' deal also has a sustainability element, as both parties confirmed they will be collaborating on new technologies as part of respective plans to achieve net-zero carbon emissions.

Stefano Domenicali, president and chief executive of Formula One, said: "We are both committed to sustainable solutions, and MSC's insight and expertise perfectly complement our global offering and will continue to enhance our brand."

Formula One has also announced a new partnership with AlphaTauri, signing a two-year agreement which designates Red Bull's clothing brand as an official premium fashion supplier. Formula One personnel, including senior staff and presenters, will be kitted out in AlphaTauri supplied apparel for the duration of the contract.

As Formula One returned for the 2022 season, a number of teams also announced new partnerships. Mercedes have agreed a new deal with digital and engineering solutions firm Akkodis, as well as expanding their Formula E team's official engineering partnership agreement with Modis to cover the Formula One operation too.

Elsewhere in the Formula One paddock, McLaren have revealed a licensing agreement with The Memento Group (TMG), which runs until the end of the 2024 season and will see the specialist firm sell team memorabilia via F1 Authentics - the series' official platform.

In addition, Alfa Romeo have named Ceramica Cielo as an official partner for 2022, securing branding for the ceramic manufacturer on the team's cars.

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F1 names MSC Cruises as global partner - SportsPro

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MSC to bring cruise ships portside for visibility during select F1 races Global partnership revealed amid reports of US$30m a year Salesforce deal Formula One has announced a new multi-year deal with MSC Cruises that sees the brand join the global motorsport series' top 'global partner' tier.

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New York Yankees become first MLB team to hit US$6bn valuation

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New York Yankees become first MLB team to hit US$6bn valuation

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Second ranked LA Dodgers earned US$189m in local TV rights fees, the most of any team

Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants complete Forbes' top five

The New York Yankees have retained their position as Major League Baseball's (MLB) most valuable team in Forbes' latest rankings.
The 2022 list sees the Yankees become the first MLB team to hit a US$6 billion valuation. According to Forbes, the Yankee Stadium outfit are the second most valuable franchise in US sport, only eclipsed by the National Football League's (NFL) Dallas Cowboys (US$6.5 billion).

The Yankees might lead MLB in overall value, but Forbes says that the second-ranked Los Angeles Dodgers (US$4.08 billion) received the highest TV local rights revenue with US$189 million. For their part, the Yankees reportedly bring in US$135 million in local broadcast rights fees.

The Boston Red Sox, which are valued by Forbes at US$3.9 billion, came in as MLB's third most valuable team but do not feature in the top five for local broadcast fees. The top five in Forbes' overall ranking is completed by the Chicago Cubs (US$3.8 billion) and the San Francisco Giants (US$3.5 billion).

Further down the list, the Texas Rangers saw the biggest year-over-year (YoY) increase in value of any MLB team, rising 15 per cent to hit US$2.05 billion and seeing them ranked 11 th by Forbes.

The latest Forbes list also says that the average MLB team is now valued at US$2.07 billion - a nine per cent increase on 2021 and the biggest YoY jump in four years.

This comes despite MLB teams reportedly missing out on a combined US$1.14 billion in revenue over the last two seasons due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

With MLB having recently secured a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) running until 2026, the league appears well-placed to capitalise on a period of labour peace.

The 2022 season, which will start on 7th April, will be the first year with full capacity crowds across the board since the start of the pandemic. In addition, MLB's new media rights contracts with Apple, Fox and ESPN, as well as potentially NBC, will see its broadcast revenue surpass US$2 billion and be at least 30 per cent higher than the previous cycle.

On the sponsorship side, according to new research from sponsorship consultancy IEG, MLB and its 30 teams generated US$1.13 billion in commercial revenue last year. That figure marks a five per cent increase on the previous season and is 25 per cent more than what the league managed in 2017.

In real terms, the YoY increase was actually greater last year as sponsorship revenue figures for 2020 were based on a projection commitment of US$1.08 billion, before the pandemic-enforced amendments were made for the shortened 60-game season.

The IEG study has MLB ranked third of the US major sports leagues in terms of sponsorship revenue, behind the NFL's US$1.8 billion and the National Basketball Association's (NBA) US$1.46 billion.

In comparison to those other major properties, MLB's teams are the main driver here, with IEG's study revealing local partnerships account for 69 per cent of a 2021 total that came from 990 unique brands and 1,640 total deals.

This is set to increase further with MLB planning to introduce helmet and jersey patch sponsorship partnerships for the 2023 season. IEG estimates that jersey deals alone could generate as much as US$400 million in combined annual revenue across the league, surpassing the reported US$225 million brought in by the NBA's 30 franchises.

"MLB and its clubs tend to do more traditional, apple pie-type sponsorships with the usual suspect brands and categories," Peter Laatz, IEG's global managing director, told Sportico.

"2021 saw refreshing change with some mid-season crypto wins, a banking partner replacement and a splitting of the beer category. The league can gain a lot of momentum as well, as it heads toward offering the jersey patch and helmet branding in 2023."

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New York Yankees become first MLB team to hit US$6bn valuation, says study - SportsPro

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Second ranked LA Dodgers earned US$189m in local TV rights fees, the most of any team Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants complete Forbes' top five The New York Yankees have retained their position as Major League Baseball's (MLB) most valuable team in Forbes' latest rankings.

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Indian sports sponsorship crosses Rs 9,500 crore mark in 2021: GroupM ESP

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Indian sports sponsorship crosses Rs 9,500 crore mark in 2021: GroupM ESP

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Indian sports sponsorship crosses Rs 9,500 crore mark in 2021: GroupM ESP

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The growth was once again primarily driven by media spending and on-ground sponsorship around cricket, with the Indian Premier League and ICC World Cup both contributing, as per the ninth edition of ’Sporting Nation in the Making.

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FIFA fills final partner position for World Cup with QatarEnergy

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FIFA fills final partner position for World Cup with QatarEnergy

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FIFA has revealed QatarEnergy as an official partner which joins the line-up of companies supporting the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

The liquified natural gas provider becomes the second Qatar-based company to become a FIFA partner, as all global partnership positions for the tournament have now been allocated.

President of the governing body, Gianni Infantino, commented: "QatarEnergy is joining FIFA in this important FIFA World Cup year, and we are delighted to welcome them, as they share our excitement and enthusiasm for this first FIFA World Cup organised in the Arab world.

"This year's tournament will expand football's reach and shine a light on the region, bringing different cultures from across the globe together in Qatar to enjoy the best football in the world in stunning state-of-the-art venues."

However, one regional supporter package remains available in the Middle East and Africa market, leaving a last opportunity for a company based in Qatar or the wider Gulf region to be associated with the World Cup.

"QatarEnergy is pleased to partner with FIFA again, this time in support of the iconic FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Qatar and the Middle East for the first time ever," added His Excellency Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the President and CEO of QatarEnergy.

"This partnership is a reflection of our continued support of various sports activities, and of football in particular as the central attraction of the sporting world. We look forward to a very successful competition and to being part of the effort to welcome the world to Qatar."

Last week, FIFA also announced Crypto.com as an official sponsor of the upcoming competition, as well as the exclusive cryptocurrency trading platform, which will see the enterprise gain 'significant' branding exposure both within and outside of stadiums.

The FIFA World Cup 2022 is set to be held from 21 November until 18 December 2022 across eight stadiums.

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FIFA fills final partner position for World Cup with QatarEnergy - Insider Sport

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FIFA has revealed QatarEnergy as an official partner which joins the line-up of companies supporting the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The liquified natural gas provider becomes the second Qatar-based company to become a FIFA partner, as all global partnership positions for the tournament have now been allocated.

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Breanna Stewart to release Signature Shoe with Puma after signing with the brand in 2021

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Breanna Stewart to release Signature Shoe with Puma after signing with the brand in 2021

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Breanna Stewart is no stranger to making history, but she wishes her upcoming landmark didn't have to be such a rare feat.

This summer, the former WNBA MVP and two-time champion will become the first woman basketball player in 12 years to release a signature shoe. The last player to hold one of her own was two-time MVP and reigning champion Candace Parker, with her TS Ace Commander released by Adidas in 2010 and Ace Versatility in '11.

When Stewart signed with Puma in 2021, she was promised that the decades-long gap since the last women's basketball signature shoe would come to an end.

"The first thing I thought was, 'Wow, this is amazing,'" Stewart tells Sports Illustrated. "To be able to continue to uplift women's basketball players, women in the sneaker industry, just a tremendous amount of pride.

"My second reaction is, 'Wow.' Ten years have gone by since the last signature shoe, and that is ridiculous, I think. I hope that for the signature shoes to come after me, they come a lot more often and a lot more frequent because young girls and boys want to represent the WNBA, too."

Courtesy of Puma

The list of signature shoe athletes is short in the WNBA's 25-year history. Stewart will join the likes of Parker, Diana Taurasi and Sheryl Swoopes among the 10 woman basketball players to have signature kicks to their name, a group the Storm forward calls "amazing."

The opportunity for Stewart may not have come if not for her move from Nike to Puma prior to the 2021 season.

"Signing with Puma was something that was honestly a really big change for me ... but something that I was really excited about, and I'm still really excited about because I feel that Puma is doing whatever they can to continue to raise the bar and set the standard for women in sports and women in general," Stewart said. "I think something like that is extremely powerful because they know that change is necessary and change needs to happen, and we are making that change."

Puma is giving Stewart the platform to be a trailblazer in the sneaker space, and the three-time All-Star was recently recognized by eBay in that regard by joining its Trailblazers Collection. A fitting honor in Women's History Month, Stewart is being highlighted alongside other female designers, such as fellow Puma creator Rihanna, to fully show how much women have impacted the sneaker space.

"It's something that's really exciting because it shows people a different perspective," Stewart said. "I think it shows people a lot of shoes they didn't know were created by women and hopefully there'll be a lot more people representing and rocking these shoes once they learn more about them."

The design process for Stewart's signature shoe has been "crazy" with the challenges and shortages brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, she has remained involved throughout every detail, from color choices to the design.

As the release of her signature shoe inches closer, Stewart is simultaneously excited to make history while also hoping that the next signature won't take another 12 years. For now, she reflects on the trailblazing group she is joining while hoping to build on the legacy those players have set for her and WNBA players to come.

"They are all legends of the game, people that are currently playing, people that have retired," Stewart said. "It just makes me want to continue to be the best I can be because those players on that list are amazing people on and off the court, and I want to continue to represent the WNBA in the right way."
More WNBA Stories:

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Breanna Stewart Is Ready to Make History With Signature Shoe

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Breanna Stewart is no stranger to making history, but she wishes her upcoming landmark didn't have to be such a rare feat. This summer, the former WNBA MVP and two-time champion will become the first woman basketball player in 12 years to release a signature shoe.

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Cryptocurrency companies take multimillion-dollar step into sports

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Cryptocurrency companies take multimillion-dollar step into sports

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Good follow up to our conservation today about crypto x sport sponsorship!

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Cryptocurrency companies take multimillion-dollar step into sports

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The NBA, MLB and the NWSL are just some of the sports leagues that are now signing deals with cryptocurrency platforms as the popularity of crypto explodes.

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Navigating Olympic Advertising: Rule 40 – A Global Perspective

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Navigating Olympic Advertising: Rule 40 – A Global Perspective

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Want to learn more about Rule 40? Check out this article.

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Navigating Olympic advertising: Rule 40 – a global perspective - LawInSport

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“Rule 40” is the somewhat controversial rule of the Olympic Charter which prevents athletes who are competing in the Games from allowing their name, image or sporting performance to be used in advertising during a ‘blackout period’ (just before and during the Games) without the permission of the IOC…

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Olympics bans most brands from saying ‘Olympics’ or ‘Rio,’ even on Twitter. Snark ensues

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Olympics bans most brands from saying ‘Olympics’ or ‘Rio,’ even on Twitter. Snark ensues

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Ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics, the IOC announced a “black-out period” beginning nine days before the Opening Ceremony and ending three days after the Closing Ceremony that essentially cut all ties between athletes and their personal sponsors. Non-Olympic partners would be banned from using certain hashtags and ordinary words including “endurance” and “Summer” in the context of the Olympics. This decision extended to Twitter, where companies without official Olympic partnerships were banned from retweeting content related to the Olympics.
Another example of the IOC enforcing regulations to protect their sponsors, but at what cost to the athletes?

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Olympics bans most brands from saying ‘Olympics’ or ‘Rio,’ even on Twitter. Snark ensues

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At the Olympics in Rio de Janiero, athletes from around the world are posting tweets, photos and observations between training and competing.

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‘The impact will be huge’: sponsors review Chelsea FC deals after Abramovich sanctions

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‘The impact will be huge’: sponsors review Chelsea FC deals after Abramovich sanctions

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Share any follow up thoughts to the Three x Chelsea FC example here. Do you agree with Three's move? What are some of the pro's or con's to exiting a contract early?

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‘The impact will be huge’: sponsors review Chelsea FC deals after Abramovich sanctions

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Telecom brand Three has suspended its £40m-a-year sponsorship deal with Chelsea FC after the club was hit by sanctions against owner Roman Abramovich. Hyundai is also reviewing its contract with the team. Sports sponsorship experts have said the financial fall-out from the sanctions will be acutely…

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This was an example of unintentional, illegal ambushing. What are your thoughts on Prada x Marino case at the Winter Olympics?

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Team USA snowboarder Julia Marino after winning silver in the 2022 Olympic Women's Slopestyle Finals; (photo/Sen. Chris Murphy)

Most Olympic snowboarders ride a relatively common brand, like Burton or GNU. U.S. slopestyle and big air Olympian Julia Marino rides a Prada. Why did that almost get her kicked out of the competition?

On Feb. 6, Julia Marino of the United States took silver in the 2022 Olympic women's slopestyle finals. Anyone who watched her do it could easily catch a glimpse of the red stripe on the bottom of her whiteboard, emblazoned with distinct PRADA lettering.

Seeing high-visibility branding on the bottom of snowboards at the Olympics is far more common than seeing it almost anywhere else. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is notoriously tight-fisted about marketing rights. Snowboards are a notable exception - Olympians' boards are almost always factory-branded in the typical bold style.

A quick look around shows Olympic snowboarders overwhelmingly ride core brands.

Turns out there's a reason why. Two days after her second-place finish, Marino posted a photo to her Instagram story that showed the Prada lettering covered up with red marker. Marino wrote in the overlaid text that the IOC now refused to approve the board - even though officials had approved it before the slopestyle event.

Evidently, the committee called the shot because of a clearly stated rule about what kind of companies can and can't advertise on snowboards.

The Devil Is in the Details; It Also Wears Prada

The International Ski Federation (FIS) handles the IOC's snowboarding rules. Branding on the bottom of snowboards falls under what it calls "Manufacturer's Identification." Section 1.2 of its "Specification for Competition Equipment" regulations state:

The Manufacturer's Identification must be a sports equipment brand, which means that the Manufacturer's Identification is principally used for Competition Equipment and is not principally used for non-sports equipment.

The issue? Prada, clearly, does principally use its branding for non-sports equipment. The IOC said it wasn't aware of the Prada board until after Marino competed in slopestyle. Then, it flagged the board because Prada isn't primarily a sporting goods business.

"A solution with minimal impact was sought, including the possibility of keeping the same equipment and removing the branding," the IOC said in a statement to the New York Times.

Marino's agent Claudia Cusano unsuccessfully contested the IOC's ruling. She argued that Prada Linea Rossa, the offshoot of the fashion brand that makes the snowboard, is a sportswear brand. The IOC, however, didn't change its tune.

Julia Marino Withdraws From Big Air and Calls for Consistency From IOC; Community Speaks Up

The distinction burned Marino, who withdrew from women's big air before qualifying.

Cusano told the New York Times that the IOC's interference "distracted" the snowboarder prior to a big air practice session and caused a bad fall. Not only that, Marino found that the marker on the bottom of the board kept her from getting enough speed for jumps. "Having marker and other things on the bottom basically defeats the purpose [of waxing]," she wrote on Instagram.

Marino wrote that the hassles and fall left her "physically and mentally drained," so she bowed out of the competition. For now, she retains her slopestyle silver medal, which was coincidentally Team USA's first 2022 Olympic hardware.

In a televised interview, she called on the IOC for consistency.

"In my opinion, when a board is approved, it's meant that all the rules were looked at and were met for the board to have been cleared in the first place," she said, appearing to refer to the IOC's equipment evaluation.

Community opinions have varied. One former Olympian appeared to split decisively from Marino's statement, placing the onus to know the rules squarely on athletes. That individual, whitewater kayaker Corran Addison, levied his opinion in no uncertain terms on Facebook.

"It is up to the athlete, their coaches, their managers and their national body to know [their sport's] rules," Addison wrote. "It is the athletes [sic] job to know this, and if they don't then they're an idiot. This is not the fault of IOC or FIS."

Prada Board Sells Out; IOC Claims It Compromises 'Olympic Movement'

Throughout the debacle, Prada appears to have done little except passively attract publicity. As of this writing, the $3,600 boards like the one Marino rode were sold out on its website. Neither the fashion brand nor its sportswear offshoot has yet commented on the controversy.

A statement from the IOC read that Marino's board went against "Olympic advertising rules that protect the funding of the Olympic Movement."

The Olympic Movement's stated goal is "to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practiced in accordance with Olympism and its values."

A big chunk of its funding comes from The Olympic Partners (TOP) Programme, the highest level of Olympic sponsorship. TOP sponsors include Coca-Cola, Samsung, and VISA.

Sam has roamed the American continent to follow adventures, explore natural wonders, and find good stories. After going to college to be a writer, he got distracted (or saved) by rock climbing and spent most of the next decade on the road, supporting himself with trade work. He's had addresses in the Adirondack Mountains, Las Vegas, and somehow Kansas, but his heart belongs in the Texas hill country.

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US Olympic Snowboard Debacle: Why Did IOC Penalize Julia Marino for 'Prada' Logo? | GearJunkie

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Most Olympic snowboarders ride a relatively common brand, like Burton or GNU. U.S. slopestyle and big air Olympian Julia Marino rides a Prada. Why did that almost get her kicked out of the competition? On Feb. 6, Julia Marino of the United States took silver in the 2022 Olympic women's slopestyle finals.

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MKTG SPONSORSHIP CONSULTING INTERN (4 MONTHS)
MKTG is looking for a new Human to join our Toronto team for a 4-month internship position! We're looking for a highly motivated, energetic self-starter who is able to work in a fast-paced work environment and is eager to learn. You will be responsible for supporting our account teams to deliver sponsorship insight and expertise to our roster of Tier-1 Canadian brands as well as working on internal projects to assist MKTG Canada from an operations & branding perspective. This internship will run May 2nd, 2022 - August 26th, 2022.
ABOUT THE JOB:
You will be given the opportunity to work on a variety of projects developing your overall business acumen and preparing you for a career in sponsorship and brand consultation. Your responsibilities will include and are not limited to:

Support in the development and assessment of partnership opportunities, sponsorship strategies, and integrated marketing campaigns

Research related to athlete ambassadors, influencer marketing, and global industry trends

Participate in client brainstorms, creative briefs and ideation of activation concepts

Assist with MKTG's social and digital platforms and blog

Manage MKTG's scouting reports of competitors' sponsorship activities

Your work will be seen by all levels of management who will help to coach you on your entry into a competitive and rewarding industry

You will benefit from consistent mentorship, weekly knowledge-share meetings, and deep integration into MKTG Canada's workplace, working as part of a cross-functional team

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS Skills

Previous experience in Brand Consulting and/or Marketing industries is an asset.

Knowledge of the Sports and Entertainment landscape and Sponsorship Marketing industry

Strong understanding of social media platforms (Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, etc.)

Must possess excellent organizational and time management skills.

Ability to work individually and as a member of a team.

Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Proficient in Microsoft Office suite (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint).

Extra-curricular and leadership experiences are viewed favourably.

Requirements

Currently enrolled in the 4th year of an undergraduate program, in a post-grad program, or graduate from a business, communications, marketing, or sports management degree program.

Legally entitled to work in Canada

HOW TO APPLY:

Please email your Cover Letter and Resume to Genevieve.Kwan@mktg.com by Monday April 11th, 2022 and be sure to include 'Sponsorship Consulting Intern' in the subject line.
Please note that team members will be compensated competitively.
We thank all applicants for their interest, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
SKILLS
Sponsorship, Brand Partnerships, Sports & Entertainment, Leadership, Consulting, Marketing, Sports Management, Social Media, Advertising, Communications

Show more Show less

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MKTG Sports & Entertainment Canada hiring MKTG Sponsorship Consulting Intern in Toronto, Ontario, Canada | LinkedIn

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MKTG SPONSORSHIP CONSULTING INTERN (4 MONTHS) MKTG is looking for a new Human to join our Toronto team for a 4-month internship position! We're looking for a highly motivated, energetic self-starter who is able to work in a fast-paced work environment and is eager to learn.

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Crypto.com unveiled as FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Official Sponsor

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Crypto.com unveiled as FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Official Sponsor

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What are your thoughts!?

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World's fastest-growing cryptocurrency platform has more than 10 million customers and over 4,000 employees worldwide

FIFA and Crypto.com sponsorship will drive significant awareness around the cryptocurrency trading platform through brand exposure at the world's most popular sporting event

FIFA has announced that Crypto.com will be an Official Sponsor of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.

The company will be the exclusive cryptocurrency trading platform sponsor of Qatar 2022™ and will benefit from significant branding exposure both within and outside the tournament's stadiums.

Founded in 2016, Crypto.com today serves more than 10 million customers and has over 4,000 employees across its offices in the Americas, Europe and Asia. The company, which is built on a foundation of security, privacy and compliance, is designed to accelerate the global adoption of cryptocurrencies through its service offerings.

" Crypto.com has already demonstrated a commitment to supporting top-tier teams and leagues, major events and iconic venues across the world, and there is no platform bigger, or with a greater reach and cultural impact, than FIFA's global platform of football," said Kay Madati, FIFA's Chief Commercial Officer.

"We are delighted to have a global brand like Crypto.co m join us as a sponsor of the exciting and groundbreaking FIFA World Cup in Qatar, ultimately helping to grow our beautiful game on a global scale."

Crypto.com enjoys high-profile partnerships with numerous top-tier sports and entertainment properties worldwide, including motor sport, MMA, basketball and ice hockey, as well as football. Most recently, Crypto.com secured a historic naming rights deal in Los Angeles for what is now the Crypto.com Arena and also became the official cryptocurrency exchange and trading platform for the men's and women's professional football leagues in Australia.

Crypto.com will activate its official sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in many ways, including by providing opportunities for new and existing users to attend matches during the tournament or win exclusive merchandise.

"We could not be more excited to sponsor the FIFA World Cup, one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world, and to drive further awareness of Crypto.com globally," said Kris Marszalek, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Crypto.com. "Through our partnership with FIFA, we will continue to use our platform in innovative ways so that Crypto.com can power the future of world-class sports and fan experiences around the world."

The world's fastest-growing cryptocurrency platform, Crypto.com is built on a foundation of security, privacy and compliance. It is the first cryptocurrency company in the world to have ISO/IEC 27701:2019, ISO 22301:2019, ISO 27001:2013 and Level 1 PCI DSS 3.2.1 compliance and to be independently assessed at Tier 4 - the highest level - for the NIST Cybersecurity and Privacy Frameworks, as well as for Service Organization Control (SOC) 2 compliance. Find out more at crypto.com. The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will be held from 21 November to 18 December 2022.

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Crypto.com unveiled as FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Official Sponsor

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World's fastest-growing cryptocurrency platform has more than 10 million customers and over 4,000 employees worldwide FIFA and Crypto.com sponsorship will drive significant awareness around the cryptocurrency trading platform through brand exposure at the world's most popular sporting event FIFA has announced that Crypto.com will be an Official Sponsor of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.

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Canlan Sports is the largest private sector operator and developer of recreational sports complexes in North America. The company's success in the recreation-entertainment & hospitality industry is attributed to a combination of innovative programming, service delivery leadership and world-class sports complexes. We understand our customers' need for service excellence and are committed to it.

Canlan Sports™ Is looking for an intern who can play an important role driving our sponsorship projects forward and helping with some of our day-to-day processes. As the largest rec hockey league - in the world - we're looking for an intern that can play an important role with our exciting sponsorship activities and learning the day-to-day business. If you're reading this, maybe that's you!

Canlan Sports Sponsorship

Big changes are happening and right now, we are on an exciting path. Our mission is to make sure every customer feels connected to a thriving sports community and drive topline revenue...but how are we going to know we are successful? That's where you come in. We need help with the implementation of our sponsorship strategy in bringing our initiatives to life and in ensuring we deliver value to both our customers and our clients. To be more specific, we need help in the co-ordination, development and execution of sponsorship materials including client pitch decks, production, managing workloads, quality, and standards of advertising materials in support of sponsorship initiatives.

Are you still with me?

Marketing + Execution of Sponsorship Initiatives

Assist in the development and implementation of all sponsorship initiatives across our portfolio of sports complexes, both digital and in-arena assets, from start to the finish line.

Research - understand the competitive landscape and client needs

Assist in research and proposal development for clients

Assist in strategic consulting with sponsorship partners to ensure effective and timely direct-to-customer execution of sponsorship strategy

As required, you'll work on our competitive analysis, market share, and other research projects that pertain to this key area of our business

Project Manage - it all comes down to execution

Assist in the development of sponsorship reports of campaign performance and consolidate in presentations to clients

Cooperate with Sponsorship partners to ensure the effectiveness of all customer- related sponsorship for marketing and promotional contests.

Assist in collaboration with all internal stakeholders from sales, product teams, marketing and sports complex colleagues to launch and execute sponsorship activities including on-site event executions

Coordinate meetings and project manage sponsorship programs as required

Sponsorship clients may include Molson, Rogers, theScore, Sobeys and others

Analysis + Reporting

Support financial management of sponsorship and events portfolio including opening and tracking jobs, completing estimates and coordinating client approvals

Key Traits

Super Organized - Strong organizational skills and attention to detail and keeps projects on track

You've got Grit - Resourceful, resilient and excellent perseverance to solve problems and adapt solutions across a wide range of communications and creative challenges

Great Communicator - Strong written and verbal communication skills to clearly communicate components of any project to internal or external suppliers, partners, clients and teams

Speed - Ability to manage and provide strategic consulting across a broad sponsorship portfolio with time-sensitive deadlines, attention to detail and a great sense of urgency - we need action!

You are a self-starter who acts independently and within approved project guidelines but can course correct when its required.

Team Player - Thrives in a team environment and is committed to give 100% to achieve goals for all stakeholders.

QUALIFICATIONS

We're looking for someone with five (5) + years of mid-senior management experience, preferably in the sports and recreation industry.

...just kidding, we're aware that this is an internship.

Hybrid Work -

Agile - The environment is fast-paced and this position presents demanding deadlines for a wide variety of tasks, requiring a balance of creativity, planning, and organizational skills

Let's not forget Deadlines - you got them at school and it's the same here - meet deadlines without sacrificing quality despite the ups and downs of the business world

Flexibility - go with the flow in order to handle new challenges promptly to maintain our service standards and brand reputation

Confidential: You'll see that we work with personal information here, so it's absolutely critical that you're able to leave that with you in the hybrid office.

INTERNSHIP GOALS

This is a fast-paced environment, and we want to help you see it first-hand. Canlan Sports has a lot going on, and in addition to what you'll do with us, there's a lot of opportunity to learn about how the sports business works.

Ever wondered how sports and recreation operates behind the scenes? Why not learn from the biggest, and if we dare say, the best.

Marketing, Sales, Accounting, Customer Experience; we want to make sure you leave here with more knowledge than you came in with. And, ideally, that knowledge will translate into some employable qualities for you after graduation.

Send us over a copy of your resume and an e-mail with some personal highlights about what makes you: a) Awesome; b) a good fit for us and c) customer-obsessed. No need to put together one of those formal cover letters for this one. Oh, and you can send that

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Hiring Intern, Sponsorship Coordinator, Sales & Marketing - Canlan Sports Corporate East - Toronto, ON

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Canlan Sports is the largest private sector operator and developer of recreational sports complexes in North America. The company's success in the recreation-entertainment & hospitality industry is attributed to a combination of innovative programming, service delivery leadership and world-class sports complexes. We understand our customers' need for service excellence and are committed to it.

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Canadian Paralympians are asking why they don't receive money for medals while Olympians do

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Canadian Paralympians are asking why they don't receive money for medals while Olympians do

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Canadian Paralympian's do not receive money for winning medals, while Canadian Olympian's do. Receiving money for medals is similar to the equal pay debate we recently witnessed with the US women's soccer team winning in court about being paid equal to the men's team. Unequal pay affects brands perspectives of the value of investing in Paralympic sport or sponsoring athletes. Equal pay is important for legitamizing Paralympic sport as the elite, sporting competition it is and help the Paralympic movement progress forward. What are your thoughts on this issue?

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Another Summer and Winter Games cycle is coming to a close, with some extraordinary sporting moments provided by Canadian Olympians and Paralympians.

There is one glaring difference between the two, however.

Canadian Olympic athletes who won medals in either Tokyo or Beijing are being financially rewarded for their efforts - $20,000 for a gold, $15,000 for a silver and $10,000 for a bronze.

Canadian Paralympians who reached the podium in those same Games won't receive a single dollar. And it's been that way since the country's medal bonus program began 25 years ago.

"Why? What is the hold-up?" Josh Dueck, a two-time Paralympian and Canada's chef de mission in Beijing, said. "I'm very disappointed this is not resolved. I'm at a bit of a loss.

"The time has come and the time has passed. It needs to be resolved. It's not about the money, it's about equality and being recognized at the same level."

Marketing partnerships

The bonus program, called the Athlete Excellence Fund, is entirely funded through the Canadian Olympic Committee, which is separate from the Canadian Paralympic Committee. Each organization governs everything to do with their respective Games.

"The COC is almost entirely privately funded, most of which comes through our marketing partnerships. Those funds are reinvested in the system in various ways including the COC AEF," the COC said in a statement to CBC Sports.

For its part, the CPC says if everything goes as planned this will be the last Games cycle Canadian Paralympians leave empty-handed.

"It's such an obvious gap and it's time to get this done," Karen O'Neill, the CPC's CEO, said. "As much as we can say change is slow and steady, there's got to be some action. It's a priority."

Not getting money for my gold in Tokyo sucked. I believe that I worked equally as hard as any Olympian did to get mine. - Canadian Paralympian Nate Riech

Some other countries, such as the U.S. and Australia, already pay their Olympians and Paralympians equally. Tokyo marked the first time this happened.

Canadian Paralympic track star Nate Riech won gold in his first Games in the 1,500 metres T38 at the Tokyo Paralympics in August.

"Not getting money for my gold in Tokyo sucked. I believe that I worked equally as hard as any Olympian did to get mine," Riech told CBC Sports.

"It sends a message that Paralympic medals are not worth the same as Olympic medals. When people debate this, I've found they always leave out the recovery process from our injury or impairment; I believe my injury is when my journey to gold began."

Chantal Petitclerc raised issue in Senate

Dueck, a three-time Paralympic medallist, is considered a pioneer in the sit skiing world, having completed the first-ever backflip in sit ski. Aside from his theatrical antics on the hill, Dueck has been an ardent supporter and advocate for the Paralympic movement.

After he won gold and silver at the Sochi Paralympics in 2014, he started thinking about why Canadians competing in the Paralympics weren't being paid for their medals when the Olympians were. Canadian athletes won 25 medals in Sochi (15 gold, 10 silver and five bronze) while Paralympians won 16 (7-2-7).

Dueck says those 16 medals would have paid out $240,000, less than what the men's hockey team - comprised of a roster of professional hockey players making millions of dollars in the NHL - would have been eligible for.

Paralympic athlete voices are getting louder each passing day that there isn't equity in financial rewards.

Chantal Peticlerc, one of Canada's most greatest Paralympians with 14 gold and 21 medals won in her career, would have made $375,000 for all of her podium performances at the five Paralympics in which she competed.

Now a Canadian senator, Petitclerc recently gave a speech in the House, asking why in 2022 Canadian Paralympians aren't financially rewarded for their athletic achievements.

CPC receives $5M annual from federal government

"Bottom line is why is this not done yet? There is no reason in a country like Canada that this still remains unresolved," Petitclerc said. "As you know competing athletes may not be loud about it because they have sponsors, they don't want to sound negative. I am just frustrated because I don't really think a lot has been done to fix this."

O'Neill says the 2010 Paralympics in Vancouver had a huge impact on awareness in Canada, and in 2013, the federal government committed $5 million per year to the CPC.

She said the CPC prioritized using those funds to improve the infrastructure needed for para athletes to train and compete.

"What we had to do at the time, if we did this and paid our athletes for medals it would be tough for us to invest in the system," she said. "That's why we said we looked at investing in the system so that quality coaching, participation in competition and fielding the team would be the priority."

"It was such a limited infrastructure, we were trying to make the best decisions for our athletes," O'Neill said.

What we had to do at the time, if we did this and paid our athletes for medals it would be tough for us to invest in the system. - Karen O'Neill, CEO of Canadian Paralympic Committee

O'Neill said the CPC is in a better position now and hopes to have something in place in time for the next Paralympics, in Paris in 2024.

"We hear the message loud and clear," she said. "As recently as the last two months both the CPC board of directors and the CPC Foundation BoD said it's time.

"We'd like to make a commitment to make this happen. And we want it to be sustainable."

O'Neill said next steps include engaging their stakeholders, sponsors and all Canadians to step up and start funding Paralympians on the same level the country supports Olympians.

"Our appeal is going to be to our corporate sponsors and to our donors because it should be a cross-section of all of the Canadian support," O'Neill said.

"Beyond the money, it really is that recognition of world-class performances. It's a chance for all Canadians to help build up this next part of our campaign. Put people on notice."

After years of frustration, Dueck is taking a wait-and-see approach.

"I've heard with confidence that this will be resolved by Paris," he said. "But until I see it in writing, what else can I tell you right now?"

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Canadian Paralympians are asking why they don't receive money for medals while Olympians do | CBC Sports

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Another Summer and Winter Games cycle is coming to a close, with some extraordinary sporting moments provided by Canadian Olympians and Paralympians. There is one glaring difference between the two, however. Canadian Olympic athletes who won medals in either Tokyo or Beijing are being financially rewarded for their efforts - $20,000 for a gold, $15,000 for a silver and $10,000 for a bronze.

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Intern, Sponsorship Strategy Momentum Worldwide

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Intern, Sponsorship Strategy Momentum Worldwide

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750 million+ members | Manage your professional identity. Build and engage with your professional network. Access knowledge, insights and opportunities.

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‘The impact will be huge’: sponsors review Chelsea FC deals after Abramovich sanctions

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‘The impact will be huge’: sponsors review Chelsea FC deals after Abramovich sanctions

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‘The impact will be huge’: sponsors review Chelsea FC deals after Abramovich sanctions

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Telecom brand Three has suspended its £40m-a-year sponsorship deal with Chelsea FC after the club was hit by sanctions against owner Roman Abramovich. Hyundai is also reviewing its contract with the team. Sports sponsorship experts have said the financial fall-out from the sanctions will be acutely…

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Delta Air Lines named NWSL's first ever airline & travel partner

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Delta Air Lines named NWSL's first ever airline & travel partner

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Delta describes deal as a "significant investment"

Airline joins growing sponsorship portfolio that also includes Nike, Mastercard and Budweiser

The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) has named Delta Air Lines as its first ever airline and travel partner.
The financial terms of the multi-year deal were not disclosed but Molly Battin, Delta's senior vice president of global brand marketing, described the company's investment as "significant".

The partnership includes fan engagement events and cobranding opportunities, while the Delta will also collaborate with the US soccer league on women's empowerment programmes and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

"We are excited about the opportunity to work alongside the league to build meaningful and empowering programs that support the athletes and reach into the communities where they play," Battin said in a statement.

The agreement is Delta's first major sponsorship of a women's professional league and its first national league-wide deal.

Delta joins a growing list of NWSL sponsors that also includes Budweiser, Mastercard, Nike and Verizon, as well as Ally Financial, Deloitte, Nationwide and Voyager.

The airline has other significant investments in sport, including as the official airline of Team USA for the Paris 2024, Milan Cortina 2026 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The company also has deals with several teams across North America's men's major leagues.

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NWSL deal marks Delta's first women's league sponsorship - SportsPro

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Delta describes deal as a "significant investment" Airline joins growing sponsorship portfolio that also includes Nike, Mastercard and Budweiser The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) has named Delta Air Lines as its first ever airline and travel partner.

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Nashville SC to accept sponsorship fee from new sponsor Valkyrie Investments in bitcoin

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Nashville SC to accept sponsorship fee from new sponsor Valkyrie Investments in bitcoin

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10:00 AM ET

Jeff CarlisleU.S. soccer correspondent

Close
Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC.

Nashville SC announced on Tuesday its latest sponsor with the addition of Valkyrie Investments, a Nashville-based investment manager focused on digital assets. The partnership makes Nashville the first MLS team to accept its full sponsor fee in bitcoin.

As part of the partnership, the Premier Club, an 850-seat premium club located in Nashville's new stadium, will be renamed the Valkyrie Premier Club. In addition to the naming rights to this space, Valkyrie's logo will be featured on the sleeve of the team's training top.
- MLS on ESPN+: Stream LIVE games, replays (U.S. only)
"I think generally, crypto and blockchain businesses fit so well against the demographic of MLS, which I think skews younger than most audiences in sports, more affluent, more digital savvy," Nashville CEO Ian Ayre said. "So we felt it was a space that was important to be in and feel very lucky to have found something in our home market that has such a presence in the industry."

Dutch club PSV Eindhoven and the NBA's Houston Rockets are among the other sports teams that have also taken a sponsorship fee in the digital currency.

"Our industry is all about community, and soccer is very much a community-driven sport," Valkyrie Investments CEO Leah Wald said in a statement. "This partnership with Nashville SC is such a natural fit for both of us, and is only part of our broader efforts to help establish Music City as a global hub for blockchain and digital assets."

The price of bitcoin has been volatile of late. As of the close of trading on Monday, bitcoin has lost 26.5% of its value in the last year, and is down 42.8% from its all-time high of $67,582.60 set last November. But that didn't prove to be a deterrent for Nashville in terms of its sponsorship fee.

"We're not concerned," Ayre said about bitcoin's volatility. "I think if you look at most major organizations today, there are so many that are now looking at what you do with your cash, whether you're keeping it all in this currency or other currencies. It's something for our finance team to look at what the best hedge is on that.

"We will make a decision as we go forward, how much of it is kept in crypto, how much of it is converted to dollars. I don't see it any differently to organizations, utilizing their cash in different ways and investing, making sure that the business is in a good place. And that you're hedging across volatility, whether it's currencies or whether it's in this case, crypto, so I don't feel concerned about it."

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Nashville sponsor to pay MLS club in bitcoin

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10:00 AM ET Jeff CarlisleU.S. soccer correspondent Close Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC. Nashville SC announced on Tuesday its latest sponsor with the addition of Valkyrie Investments, a Nashville-based investment manager focused on digital assets. The partnership makes Nashville the first MLS team to accept its full sponsor fee in bitcoin.

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Brands are canceling sponsorship deals with Russia because of war

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Brands are canceling sponsorship deals with Russia because of war

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Haas drop Russian sponsor for final day of testing in Barcelona; will run all-white car

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Haas will run an all-white car on the final day of testing after confirming they are dropping the branding of their Russian sponsor Uralkali from their car in Barcelona.

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Unbundling sponsorship of women's sports grew about 146% in 2021: Nielsen 2022 Global Sports Marketing Report

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Sponsors are showing a keen interest in women tournaments with a sharp rise of 146% in unbundled sponsorship investment in women's sports (UEFA, FIFA, World Rugby) over the year, compared to a 27% rise in 2020, as per Nielsen Sports' 'Fans are changing the game' report.

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Looking to gain valuable experience in the sports industry? The Mississauga Steelheads is a community driven organization, committed to producing a competitive, fun, entertaining, and family oriented on-ice product in a positive environment where staff, players, partners and fans are treated with profound respect.

We are consistently seeking individuals who are passionate about sports, and are actively looking to gain experience in the industry. As a part of the Steelheads team, you will be involved in the day-to-day business operations of the organization, assisting with Community Relations, Sponsorship and sales, Media Relations, Game Day Operations and other duties as required.

The Mississauga Steelheads offer year-round internship opportunities in Ticket Sales, Sponsorship, Corporate Partnerships, Communications, Events, and Game Day Operations. Internship positions are unpaid, and are available in 4 or 8 month terms. All internship positions must be filled by post-secondary students looking to complete a placement required for the completion of their degree or diploma.

Full-Time Opportunities:

None at this time

Part-Time Opportunities:

2022 Summer Internships:
Communications and Events Internship - Summer 2022 Corporate Partnerships Internship - Summer 2022 Graphic Design Specialist Internship - Summer 2022 Social and Digital Media Internship - Summer 2022 Ticket Sales and Partnerships Internship - Summer 2022
Volunteer Opportunities:
Game Day Volunteer On-Ice Volunteer

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Looking to gain valuable experience in the sports industry? The Mississauga Steelheads is a community driven organization, committed to producing a competitive, fun, entertaining, and family oriented on-ice product in a positive environment where staff, players, partners and fans are treated with profound respect.

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NHLPA, NHL AND TIKTOK ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP

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NHLPA, NHL AND TIKTOK ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP

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New partnership! What do you think?

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NEW YORK/TORONTO (Feb. 23, 2022) Today, the National Hockey League (NHL), the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) and TikTok announced a new partnership to deliver original content and unique experiences to TikTok's global community. The partnership will come to life in several ways, including in-ice branding and the introduction of the TikTok Tailgate Stage at two upcoming marquee outdoor NHL events the 2022 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series™ on Feb. 26 in Nashville, Tenn. and the 2022 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic™ on March 13 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada - featuring performances by some of the TikTok community's favorite artists.

The NHL and TikTok will work together to deliver exclusive content, including player fashion interviews, "Who Wore It Best" and "Get Dressed with the Best" segments, and other programming designed to showcase player personalities and personal styles.

"TikTok is an extremely influential entertainment platform with a growing audience of Gen Z users," said Heidi Browning, NHL Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer. "While highlights are among our most engaging content, through this partnership, we hope to reach the broader TikTok community with exclusive content that captures the amazing fan experience at NHL games and tentpole events, player lifestyle videos, and concerts and global livestreams."

With 12.2 billion global views, it's undeniable that TikTok loves #Hockey. The @NHL on TikTok has steadily grown its account to 1.7 million followers, and team accounts on the platform have amassed more than 546 million views around the world. Content like trick shots, behind the scenes and off-the-rink activities, and anything to do with sports and pets are favorites of the community.

"As the digital media landscape has continued to grow and evolve, it's clear that TikTok has established itself as a premiere platform to connect with fans around the world," said Mathieu Schneider, NHLPA Special Assistant to the Executive Director. "We are excited to help showcase the style, interests and engaging personalities of our Players to a large and diverse audience through this exciting partnership."

Music and entertainment are key components to the partnership, with the NHL and TikTok collaborating on musical artists for tentpole NHL events, including the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, NHL Stadium Series™ and the 2022 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic™.

Some of the TikTok community's favorite artists will perform at the TikTok Tailgate Stage, which will become a signature feature of the partnership. Country music star Walker Hayes, who made noise on TikTok last year with his smash hit "Fancy Like," will kick off the music collaboration with a pre-game show at the 2022 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series on Feb. 26. Propelled by the TikTok community, Hayes' "Fancy Like" became the biggest country song of 2021 after making a TikTok with his daughter. The original video has now racked up over 32 million views, with "Fancy Like" topping multiple sales and streaming charts, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and garnering Walker Hayes his first-ever GRAMMY Award nomination as an artist for Best Country Song. His performance will be exclusively livestreamed on the @NHL's TikTok account on Feb. 26 at 5:30pm ET/2:30pm PT for music and hockey fans globally.

"Sports content is evolving; fans on TikTok want to see an authentic and multi-dimensional side of the athletes, leagues, teams, and games they love," said Daniel Habashi, GM, TikTok Canada "We're lucky to work with partners like the NHL and NHLPA who recognize this and want to bring music and fashion into the fold - two verticals that are both integral to TikTok and extremely popular with our global community."

The Nashville Predators will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning outdoors in the 2022 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series™ at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Feb. 26, at 7:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast live on TNT, SN360, and TVA Sports.

The 2022 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic™ outdoor game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ont., on Sunday, March 13, at 4 p.m. ET will be broadcast live on TNT, Sportsnet and TVA Sports.

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NHLPA, NHL and TikTok announce partnership

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NEW YORK/TORONTO (Feb. 23, 2022) Today, the National Hockey League (NHL), the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) and TikTok announced a new partnership to deliver original content and unique experiences to TikTok's global community.

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Softball Canada is a non-profit member-based National Sport Organization that provides a range of opportunities for softball athletes, coaches, officials, clubs and Provincial/Territorial Softball Associations through the development, delivery and promotion of softball programs and services at the National and International level.

Internship Opportunity: April 25 - August 26, 2022 (Five days per week or 37.5 hours)
Location: Ottawa, Ontario

JOB SUMMARY

Softball Canada requires an energetic and ambitious individual for an exciting internship within our office in Ottawa. In this position, you will offer administrative and project-related support in all areas of Softball Canada's operations including but not limited to: program development/delivery for athletes, coaches and officials, marketing and communications, sponsorship, event management (Canadian Championships and Softball Canada events), as well as assisting in the Canpitch and Timbits Softball Programs.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Assist in the development and delivery of Softball Canada programs and services

Assist in organizing Softball Canada events including up to twelve (12) Canadian Championships

Assist in marketing and promoting Softball Canada programs and services including writing articles, social media, updating Softball Canada's website, and assisting with media releases

Assist with various administrative tasks including filing, processing resource orders, etc.

Other duties as required

QUALIFICATIONS

Degree or a student in sport management, physical education, graphic design, journalism or related programs

Experience in any of the following areas:

Graphic design, photo/video editing

Journalism/communications

Program development, delivery and promotion

Event management

Marketing and Sponsorship

Experience working with volunteers

Demonstrated leadership skills

Excellent computer skills with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams) and Adobe products (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, Spark) or other photo/video editing software.

Strong written and verbal communication skills

A creative self-starter with the ability to work independently or as a part of a team

Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills with the ability to work on a large number of projects simultaneously, while meeting deadlines

Not attending school full-time while employed in this position

Bilingualism is an asset

Flexible to work occasional evenings/weekends as required

Softball Canada is committed to creating an inclusive and diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, creed, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family status or disability.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: MARCH 2, 2022

Compensation: $15.50/hour (Please note that housing or transportation is not provided)

Send cover letter and resume to:

Softball Canada Attn: Mike Branchaud
Suite 212 - 223 Colonnade Road Ottawa, Ontario K2E 7K3
Email: mbranchaud@softball.ca | www.softball.ca

We would like to thank all candidates for their applications, but we will only be contacting those selected for an interview.

Apply Online OR Apply via Email

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Intern - The Sport Information Resource Centre

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Softball Canada is a non-profit member-based National Sport Organization that provides a range of opportunities for softball athletes, coaches, officials, clubs and Provincial/Territorial Softball Associations through the development, delivery and promotion of softball programs and services at the National and International level.

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Lots of internship opportunities with Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Forge FC!

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Lots of internship opportunities with Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Forge FC!

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2022 IDEA Global Internship Program: Global Sports Marketing Intern - Canada or USA Remote

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2022 IDEA Global Internship Program: Global Sports Marketing Intern - Canada or USA Remote

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lululemon hiring 2022 IDEA Global Internship Program: Global Sports Marketing Intern - Canada or USA Remote in Hole or Hollow Water 10, Manitoba, Canada | LinkedIn

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Description & Requirements lululemon is an innovative performance apparel company for yoga, running, training, and other athletic pursuits. Setting the bar in technical fabrics and functional design, we create transformational products and experiences that support people in moving, growing, connecting, and being well.

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ESPN sells out women's NCAA Tournament ads

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ESPN sells out women's NCAA Tournament ads

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Great to see so many big names on this list!

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ESPN sells out women's NCAA Tournament ads

Morning Buzz

ESPN has sold out the ad inventory for this year's NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. There will be 22 advertisers for this year's event -- 14 of which are NCAA corporate sponsors. ESPN Senior VP/Sports Brand Solutions Sean Hanrahan said he was impressed with the depth of the ad buys, with many including integrations. "The spotlight is on women's sports as hidden gems," he said. "Brands are starting to realize that it's a highly engaged audience with good ratings, so why shouldn't they be there?"

This year's tourney tips off on ABC and various ESPN networks on March 16 and 17 with four play-in games, before concluding with the distaff Final Four on April 1 and 3 at Target Center in Minneapolis. Capital One is returning as presenting sponsor of the tourney on ESPN, with branded integrations, including starting lineup features, "Rewarding Performance" and the "Women's Tournament Challenge." As has been the case since '08, Werner Ladders gets branding during the post-victory net cutdowns. Unilever has a halftime entitlement for its Degree brand of deodorants and anti-perspirants. Minneapolis-based Target will get its name on alternate camera-angle shots.

Other advertisers include Adidas, Apple, AT&T, Buick, CarMax, Champion, Cooper Tires, Credit Karma, GM, Golden Corral, Indeed, Invesco, Jersey Mike's, Merck, NAPA, Nissan, Orgain, Principal Financial Group, Quicken Loans, Sirius XM, Subway, Taco Bell, Wendy's, Whirlpool and Workday. This year will be the first that the women's championship will have a 68-team field. ESPN has held media rights to the women's tourney since '96. Last season's Stanford-Arizona championship game averaged 4.07 million viewers, which was the best title game since '14. Last year also was the first time that all first- and second-round games were given full national coverage.

Also check out tonight's issue of the SBJ Marketing newsletter for more.

An Olympic floor for viewership and a historic day for US Soccer and women players.

Butler is one of the 35 DI college basketball programs utilizing KINEXON, the most-used player tracking system in the sport. In this episode, Matt Johnson, Butler's Director of Strength & Conditioning, and Jim Garofalo, KINEXON's Executive VP discuss how coaches are being provided with a new level of insight into player performance with this game-changing technology.

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ESPN sells out women's NCAA Tournament ads

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ESPN sells out women's NCAA Tournament ads Morning Buzz ESPN has sold out the ad inventory for this year's NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. There will be 22 advertisers for this year's event -- 14 of which are NCAA corporate sponsors.

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Article: Two perspectives on Olympics boycott as Games intersect with human rights concerns

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Article: Two perspectives on Olympics boycott as Games intersect with human rights concerns

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If anyone is interested in learning more about the debate between politics and hosting the Olympic Games - check out this article and I encourage you to post any thoughts/reflections/questions here:

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As the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing approach the starting gate - and as global criticism escalates over China's treatment of its citizens and minority ethnic groups - Western News sought insights from two scholars who have spent decades researching the culture and values of elite sports.

Bob Barney is a professor emeritus in kinesiology and the founder and former director of the Western-based International Centre of Olympic Studies. MacIntosh Ross is a kinesiology professor who studies the sociopolitical context of athletics.

As colleagues, and friends, they've come to different conclusions about the intersection of human rights and the biggest winter sports spectacle in the world.

One multi-sport event. Two diametrically opposed perspectives about the ethics of Canadians' participation. Western News brings these two views to the forefront as the 2022 Winter Olympics gets underway.

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Are sports boycotts ever effective? (Barney 👎, Ross: 👍)
Bob Barney: Absolutely not. The Olympics have grown to command so much global attention that they have "become an unparalleled target as a forum to register one's point of view on social and political issues of concern." But boycotts, ether threatened or having taken place by different nations, occurred in 1936, 1956, 1968, 1976, 1980 and 1984 with one unequivocal result: "They don't work! Olympic Games have never been useful in bringing about change in circumstances for which the boycott attempt was aimed, including the IOC's enunciation that their exclusionary efforts helped to eradicate apartheid in South Africa. The lessons of history in this regard tell us that socially-, politically-, or emotionally- charged Olympic boycotts do not succeed in bringing about hoped-for results, no matter how altruistic the cause might seem to be."

MacIntosh Ross: Sometimes. "Boycotts on their own aren't a solution but as a broader package of measures, they can exert a lot of pressure." They draw global attention to injustices and deprive host nations of the praise they seek. Boycotts of many international competitions in South Africa and South African teams because of that county's institutionalized racism and segregation "did have an impact on pressuring them to dismantle apartheid."

And while Canada has decided its politicians will boycott the Games, that alone doesn't make host countries pay attention: "All it does is deplete the guest list for a few parties."

Should sports get involved in global politics? (Ross:👍, Barney: 👎)

Ross: "I just don't think you can separate the politics from the sports. There might have been a point in time when that argument carried weight, but once the IOC became an observer in the United Nations, they entered that political realm." And while the UN celebrates the Olympic truce and values, "it doesn't pressure the IOC to adhere to those values, not even when they hold Olympic Games in authoritarian countries that are antithetical to the values of the Games.
Should athletics supersede a host country's human-rights record? (Barney:👍, Ross:👎 )
"I think at some point, there has to be value placed on doing the right thing."

Barney: Olympic values and virtues of fair play, peace and tolerance transcend the political sphere. "Some people get all over the IOC as a business and a political entity and paint them as crooks or imbeciles. That's not a fair characterization. Their primary existence is to decide who is going to host the Games and then to see that the events take the high road; that they protect the value codes of the Olympic movement: excellence, friendship and respect. From the start of its history the Olympic Movement has avoided at some cost entering into the fray surrounding specific politicized issues, of which human rights, as noble as it might seem, is an example. By staying aloof from politically-charged issues the IOC attempts to insure that its fundamental value codes remain secure, thus retaining its wholesome image, which, in itself, is one of its two most important and saleable assets, the other being exposure."

Barney: "If diplomats and politicians don't want to go, fair enough. But I don't see the virtue in the Games and the athletes being sacrificial lambs. In the end, the only ones who are penalized by a boycott are the athletes."
So what should come next?
Ross: Athletes are unfortunately caught in the middle of a dispute they had no hand in creating. But the Games are already at least as much an entertainment, advertising, political and nationalistic symbol as they are an athletic showcase. At the same time, China's treatment of Uyghurs and other minorities and its suppression of dissent "should be considered an industrial-scale, massive human rights catastrophe.

"And yet, all of this is not important enough to enter into the realm of sport? Somehow, by raising these abuses publicly and suggesting maybe an athletic competition is less important than taking a stand, we're seen as killjoys. Does participation in the Olympics really trump a response to the absolute eradication of cultures in the host countries where Olympics take place?"

Ross: "I hope this is a step towards a complete overhaul of the Olympics, or maybe it starts getting people to talk about different ways to hold the Olympics - a situation where the IOC has to look itself in the mirror and ask, 'Should we really be awarding these Games to authoritarian regimes?'"

Athletes competing in China, meanwhile, have, wisely, been told they absolutely must not protest or criticize the host country: "It's just not safe to do so."

Barney: The Olympic movement has to stand firmly embedded in its noble roots. "I might be an Olympic romanticist but I look at it through the values that are embedded in the movement. The father of the Olympic movement, Pierre de Coubertin, sold his idea on the basis of the Olympics being a value-laden instrument towards bringing the world's youth together for the understanding and respect of differences, tolerance, advancement of peace, fair play in sport and other altruistic qualities. A noble mission, one that persisted for decades and, in fact, still persists to this day."

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Western News - Sports and protest: Western experts weigh in

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As the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing approach the starting gate - and as global criticism escalates over China's treatment of its citizens and minority ethnic groups - Western News sought insights from two scholars who have spent decades researching the culture and values of elite sports.

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Article: Do Olympic sponsorship deals work?

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Article: Do Olympic sponsorship deals work?

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Do Olympic sponsorship deals work? Experts weigh in - BNN Bloomberg

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As the Beijing Winter Olympics come to a close, corporate sponsors will be reaping the benefits from the marketing dollars spent, according to marketing experts.

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Are you an energetic, hardworking, team player? Are you looking to gain experience in the fast-paced hockey industry? We're looking for you!

Internships

Note: Unpaid internships with the Niagara IceDogs are available for current post-secondary students who require Intern or Co-op placement hours for the completion of their accredited post-secondary degree or diploma program. IceDogs Internships are designed to meet the differing needs of students at all post-secondary institutions, so regardless of the number of hours you need to complete, or the time of year you would like to complete your internship, these positions are open to you.

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Note: Unpaid internships with the Niagara IceDogs are available for current post-secondary students who require Intern or Co-op placement hours for the completion of their accredited post-secondary degree or diploma program.

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Rory McIlroy has announced a new sponsorship deal that sees him become a brand ambassador for financial management company Workday. The US company, founded in 2005, is already a familiar name in the sport. The company sponsored the first of last year's World Golf Championship events, the WGC-Workday Championship held at the Concession Golf Club in Florida. Meanwhile, it also counts several other professional golfers as brand ambassadors, including Phil Mickelson, Brandt Snedeker, Davis Love III and Lauren Kim.

McIlroy, who will carry the Workday logo on his bag throughout the year, beginning at this week's Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles, cited the company's commitment to the sport and his admiration for its leadership as the biggest motivations for partnering with them.

"Workday has been a great supporter of golf, and we both share a passion for the game and are guided by some of the same core values including innovation, integrity, and fun. Over the years I've gotten to know more about Workday and its leadership team, and I admire how the company approaches its business by putting its employees and communities first, while also having a strong commitment to innovation. It's because of this, and our shared passion for using our platforms for good, that I'm incredibly excited to partner together."

The partnership is the latest in an impressive roster of sponsorship deals enjoyed by the Northern Irishman, who, in 2020, had an estimated net worth of around £170m. Other sponsors include TaylorMade, Nike, NBC Sports/Golf Pass, Omega and Optum. The precise details of McIlroy's latest deal have not been revealed. However, his existing sponsorship deals are estimated to be worth around £25m ($35m) a year. With Workday now on board, too, big things are expected of the four-time Major winner this year. The 32-year-old has already stated he is targeting six wins in 2022, and, having missed out getting the first of those by a shot at last month's Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, he'll hope to get his new partnership off to the best possible start by going one better at this week's tournament.

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Rory McIlroy has announced a new sponsorship deal that sees him become a brand ambassador for financial management company Workday. The US company, founded in 2005, is already a familiar name in the sport. The company sponsored the first of last year's World Golf Championship events, the WGC-Workday Championship held at the Concession Golf Club in Florida.

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NHL fanbase has pushed back very hard on the idea on over monetizing jersey to the point where their is more ad than plain jersey and I tend to agree.

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Report: NHL to allow jersey ads starting in 2022

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The NHL reportedly will allow teams to put ads on the front of their jerseys starting in the 2022-23 season.

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Barcelona, Spotify agree sponsorship deal worth 280Million Euros

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Barcelona, Spotify agree sponsorship deal worth 280Million Euros

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From a music and podcast streaming mobile application, the Swedish music giants have secured an association with one of the biggest football clubs in the world - FC Barcelona, including the naming rights for the home ground of Camp Nou. The deal has opened up new avenues of associating two entirely different business ventures, collaborating for mutual benefits.

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BARCELONA, Feb 7 (Reuters) - FC Barcelona are set to announce a shirt and stadium sponsorship agreement with Spotify, Catalan radio station Rac1 reported on Monday.

According to the Rac1 report, the LaLiga side have agreed a three-year deal with the streaming music platform worth 280 million euros ($320 million).

The deal will see Barca's men's and women's team bearing the Spotify logo on their shirts while the company will be the first brand to sponsor the club's Camp Nou stadium, with an official announcement expected on Tuesday, added the report.

Japanese retailer Rakuten has sponsored the men's team since 2017 while toolmaker Stanley Black & Decker became the women's team official shirt sponsor in 2018.

Barcelona and Spotify could not immediately be reached for comment.

($1 = 0.8741 euros)

Reporting by Richard Martin, editing by Pritha Sarkar

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Barcelona, Spotify agree sponsorship deal worth 280 mln euros - report

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BARCELONA, Feb 7 (Reuters) - FC Barcelona are set to announce a shirt and stadium sponsorship agreement with Spotify, Catalan radio station Rac1 reported on Monday. According to the Rac1 report, the LaLiga side have agreed a three-year deal with the streaming music platform worth 280 million euros ($320 million).

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NHL Officially Allows Sports Gambling Sponsors: How it Changed the Fan Experience

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The National Hockey League has changed its position on sports gambling, allowing the sport to be promoted by betting companies. The policy change will mean that fans watching games can expect advertising for online casinos like Bet365 and Unibet during NHL commercial breaks in play. It is still not…

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Take a look at Louis Vuitton's new collection of video game clothes, a collaboration with 'League of Legends' that includes a $5,000 leather jacket

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Take a look at Louis Vuitton's new collection of video game clothes, a collaboration with 'League of Legends' that includes a $5,000 leather jacket

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The involvement of a luxury brand with an e-sport segment of the sports industry has set up a benchmark for e-sport sponsors, who aim at engaging more customers towards in-game appearances and tangible products of the digitally created apparel.

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For the person who has everything, maybe a $5,000 League of Legends Louis Vuitton leather jacket is the perfect gift this holiday season.

The fashion house Louis Vuitton released a capsule collection on Monday in collaboration with Riot Games' "League of Legends." The collection, branded as LVxLOL, was designed by Nicolas Ghesquière, the fashion label's artistic director of women's collections. The pieces range in price from a $170 bandeau to a $5,600 leather jacket.

The companies have collaborated in the past. The partnership was first announced in September, and in October, "League of Legends" released Louis Vuitton skins also designed by Ghesquière. Players could purchase the outfits for their characters for around $10.

The collaboration is no doubt niche. Riot Games refers to it as the "first-ever collaboration between a global eSport and a luxury fashion house."

Louis Vuitton says products will ship in February or March of 2020. Even if you can't purchase any pieces from the collection, you can take a look here.

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Take a look at Louis Vuitton's new collection of video game clothes, a collaboration with 'League of Legends' that includes a $5,000 leather jacket

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For the person who has everything, maybe a $5,000 League of Legends Louis Vuitton leather jacket is the perfect gift this holiday season. The fashion house Louis Vuitton released a capsule collection on Monday in collaboration with Riot Games' "League of Legends."

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With a mass exodus of sponsors in the past, and another big one set to leave after 2022, is sponsorship now a problem in NASCAR?

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With a mass exodus of sponsors in the past, and another big one set to leave after 2022, is sponsorship now a problem in NASCAR?

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Throughout the last few NASCAR seasons, several big-name sponsors have left the sport completely, leaving questions about the future of sponsorship.

NASCAR has always been associated with sponsorship. The aesthetics of a race car and the companies with which drivers are associated have become one of the most iconic aspects of any driver's career.

The 1990s saw DuPont unveil the "Rainbow Warriors" paint scheme for Hendrick Motorsports legend Jeff Gordon. His rival on track, who ran the exact opposite paint scheme, was seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt. Earnhardt ran a black GM Goodwrench car.

It is post-race tradition - and largely contract-induced - for drivers to thank the sponsors, especially after winning a race. They also give thanks to the teams for which they drive, including all of the employees that make up said team.

NASCAR also holds a throwback race each year at Darlington Raceway to commemorate legends of the past with honorary paint schemes. These schemes sometime featuring a new sponsor, but they are generally salutes to some of the most iconic old ones.

But with a mass exodus of sponsors in the past, and another big one set to leave after 2022, is sponsorship now a problem in NASCAR?

Companies such as Home Depot, Lowes, Office Depot have left the sport in recent years, and M&M's is set to join them after the upcoming season.

With the company leaving behind an established partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch, Busch will find himself having to look elsewhere for sponsorship for his #18 Toyota Camry in 2023.

Of course, newer brands have entered the sport in recent seasons as well, and some have seen their cars in victory lane to land additional television time and brand exposure.

For one, Ally saw Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman drive the iconic #48 Chevrolet to victory lane last April at Richmond Raceway, giving them their first points race victory after two winless seasons with Jimmie Johnson following the post-2018 departure of Lowe's. Bowman added three more wins in 2021.

Additionally, 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace gave McDonald's their first win as a primary sponsor since 1994 last October in a rain-shortened race at Talladega Superspeedway.

With newer sponsors entering the sport and seeing results in a timely fashion and a resurgence in an established partnership, it's hard to say that there really is a problem, despite the recent departure of some of the bigger ones. Rather, it is a turn of the tides in motorsport/business relations.

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Does NASCAR have a growing sponsorship problem?

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NASCAR has always been associated with sponsorship. The aesthetics of a race car and the companies with which drivers are associated have become one of the most iconic aspects of any driver's career. The 1990s saw DuPont unveil the "Rainbow Warriors" paint scheme for Hendrick Motorsports legend Jeff Gordon.

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Coke is “walking a tightrope,” said GSU marketing professor Naveen Donthu. The company is trying to make bigger inroads in China’s huge consumer market through its Games sponsorship, but when it comes to marketing, “they don’t want to go beyond China because that might hurt them.”

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As media consumption becomes more splintered, the Olympics are a rare opportunity for companies "to engage the whole world at the same time," said Ken Bernhardt, a professor emeritus of marketing at Georgia State University. It's also normally "a feel-good event."

That became more complicated after the White House in December announced a U.S. diplomatic boycott of the Winter Games, although Team USA athletes are still competing. The White House cited China's "egregious human rights abuses and atrocities in Xinjiang." Some other countries followed with diplomatic boycotts.

China has denied the allegations, including forced labor, and says its crackdowns in the Xinjiang region of northwest China target religious extremism and terrorism.

Coke is "walking a tightrope," said GSU marketing professor Naveen Donthu. The company is trying to make bigger inroads in China's huge consumer market through its Games sponsorship, but when it comes to marketing, "they don't want to go beyond China because that might hurt them."

Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi

Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi

Coke has been sponsoring the Games since 1928. It agreed in 2019 to partner with China's Mengniu Dairy Company as beverage co-sponsors of the International Olympic Committee. The marketing agreement lasts until 2032 and is worth as much as $3 billion, the Financial Times reported. Mengniu's largest shareholder is Cofco, a Chinese state-owned company.

Coke said it will not send its executives to the Olympics in Beijing. It blamed "the recent surge of COVID cases as well as various business conflicts, including our earnings date." It said it took a similar approach to Tokyo's Summer Olympics last year, which had strict COVID protocols.

It's not the first time the beverage behemoth has struggled to navigate politically explosive issues. Last year, some U.S. consumers threatened to boycott Coke products after the company didn't condemn a new Georgia elections law that critics said made it harder to vote. When James Quincey, Coke's chief executive, finally weighed in and called the legislation "unacceptable," he drew the ire of Republicans, including state House Speaker David Ralston, who purposely opened a Pepsi in front of TV cameras.

If companies speak out against the Chinese government, they risk a boycott of their goods in China, which Nike and H&M faced last year after standing against forced labor in Xinjiang.

During a Congressional hearing last year, executives for Coke, Airbnb, Procter & Gamble, Visa and Intel were grilled over their International Olympic Committee sponsorships for the Beijing Games. Coke testified that it works "to embed respect for human rights across our system" and has limited influence as a sponsor of global sporting events. It scrupulously avoided criticizing China.

Other IOC sponsors including Procter & Gamble and Airbnb have also taken a lower profile advertising around the Beijing Games. Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has a narrower sponsorship with Team USA and says its focus is on athletes.

A Morning Consult poll of more than 2,000 U.S. adults found interest in the Beijing Winter Games is lower than last year's Tokyo Summer Games, which had the smallest average primetime television audience for an Olympics since at least 1988. Only 45% said they planned to watch "a lot" or "some" of this month's Games, and 40% of those who didn't plan to watch said they opposed holding the event in China, according to the poll, which was conducted in late January.

Coke "won't get the bang for the buck" they normally do from their international IOC sponsorship, but "it's a long-term deal, there are ups and downs," said GSU's Donthu.

Still, navigating politics and human rights has become more challenging as companies are increasingly scrutinized on social media by consumers, some of whom demand companies take stands in return for their loyalty.

"One of the biggest debates right now in corporate America is when should corporate America stand up for something and when should they take a backseat," said Wesley Longhofer, associate professor of organization and management at Emory University. "This isn't going to go away."

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Olympics sponsor Coke adopts low profile amid criticism of China

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Longtime Olympics sponsor Coca-Cola is adopting a low profile as the Games get underway in Beijing. The beverage giant, based in Atlanta, has avoided criticizing China amid allegations of human rights abuses in the Asian country. Coke also has dialed back its Olympics-themed marketing in the U.S., including its home town of Atlanta.

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Cryptocurrency has been largely unregulated, allowing huge profits and sponsorship opportunities.

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Cryptocurrency has been largely unregulated, allowing huge profits and sponsorship opportunities.

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This year, three cryptocurrency businesses (Coinbase, Crypto.com, and FTX) had advertising slots, causing it to be coined the ‘Crypto Bowl’.

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Cryptocurrency has been largely unregulated, allowing huge profits and sponsorship opportunities. Credit: Jirus Malawong via Shutterstock.

Cryptocurrency sponsorship deals exploded in 2021, with a 488% increase in the volume of cryptocurrency deals between 2020 and 2021, according to GlobalData Sport's sponsorship database. Sunday's Super Bowl also saw crypto dominating America's most famous advertising slots, with Crypto.com, FTX, and Coinbase all securing 30-second slots worth $7 million each.

Crypto.com and FTX are high-spending sponsorship brands, thanks to their venue naming rights deals in Los Angeles (Crypto.com Arena) and Miami (FTX Arena). With big multi-year deals and an estimated sponsorship landscape of $742.38 million in 2022 according to GlobalData, crypto-sport spending will only increase in the next two years. However, regulation and scepticism could hamper its long-term success.

Super Bowl ads put crypto on the main stage

Sunday's Super Bowl drew over 100 million live viewers, building significantly on 2021's 91.6 million. Ads during the Super Bowl are so sought after, and so expensive, because of the sheer number of eyes on the screen. This year, three cryptocurrency businesses (Coinbase, Crypto.com, and FTX) had advertising slots, causing it to be coined the 'Crypto Bowl'.

Coinbase's ad received huge engagement. The 60-second ad involved a floating QR code, which 20 million people scanned, causing Coinbase's site to crash. The presence of cryptocurrency ads, next to the established conglomerates, suggests the scale at which crypto has grown and bodes well for future investment and sponsorship in sport.

Crypto sponsorship spans multiple sports

Cryptocurrency sponsorship in sport has grown exponentially throughout 2021. The annual value of deals increased from $16.9 million in 2020 to $607.3 million in 2021, reflecting the success of cryptocurrency firms during the pandemic. GlobalData estimates that this will rise to $742.38 million in 2022, with a total contract value worth $3 billion.

Sponsorship spans a variety of sports. Soccer, basketball, and esports receive the most deals from cryptocurrency companies, and the NBA generates the most revenue, with deals for NBA-associated properties currently worth close to $136 million.

Over the next two years, sponsorship will increase and diversify to new sports and teams. In mid-February, Binance announced its sponsorship of the BWT Alpine F1 team, launching an Alpine virtual fan token. Other teams will also use crypto companies for new and innovative forms of fan engagement.

Cryptocurrency has been largely unregulated, allowing huge profits and sponsorship opportunities. However, this is unlikely to continue over the next five to ten years. Restrictions and regulations are emerging, with China banning crypto mining and trading outright.

Other countries are also investigating cryptocurrency regulation. In November 2021, the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) in the US published a Joint Statement on Crypto-Asset Policy Sprint Initiative and Next Steps. This included compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

We are unlikely to see any substantial restrictions on cryptocurrencies over the next few years, but this will not be the case in the long term.

The short-term future of crypto-sport sponsorship is positive

Sports associations and teams have been keen to capitalize on crypto and NFTs. With Covid-19 hitting traditional company sponsorship budgets, cryptocurrency companies have provided respite in the form of multi-million sponsorship deals. This is set to continue over the next one to two years, however, future regulations on crypto will affect the large revenues this largely unregulated industry has enjoyed so far, which will in term affect sponsorship deals

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Crypto's appearance at the Super Bowl cements its spending in sports sponsorship

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Cryptocurrency sponsorship deals exploded in 2021, with a 488% increase in the volume of cryptocurrency deals between 2020 and 2021, according to GlobalData Sport's sponsorship database. Sunday's Super Bowl also saw crypto dominating America's most famous advertising slots, with Crypto.com, FTX, and Coinbase all securing 30-second slots worth $7 million each.

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Heineken’s Formula One and Uefa Champions League ambassadors have shared the limelight while the Dutch beer manufacturer worked to keep consumers engaged online during lockdown. SportsPro speaks to Hans Erik Tuijt, Heineken’s director of global sponsorship, to dissect the brand’s strategy for sport’s comeback.

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When Formula One's delayed 2020 season gets underway at Austria's Red Bull Ring on 5th July, the blast of engines on the starting grid will provide cause for celebration for fans worldwide - though their absence from the circuit may feel like an adjustment.
For the championship itself, which suspended its operations in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, the return of racing behind closed doors appears to be the beginning of a long road back to normal practice. Likewise, the series' broadcast partners and sponsors can also take some solace from its resumption.

Having been forced to adapt their own strategies during lockdown, it's inevitable that brands will continue to activate more campaigns online during Formula One's return.

Ahead of the first Grand Prix of 2020, SportsPro caught up with Hans Erik Tuijt (right), the director of global sponsorship at Formula One's official beer partner Heineken, to find out how the brand is preparing for the return to racing, and in what ways a recent surge in digital consumption can keep the company at the centre of the conversation.

As a tier-one brand partner to some of the world's most-watched sporting events, what has your priority been during sport's recent hiatus?

During this period, millions of our customers had to close down, which is very problematic, so it has been a very difficult period. It's getting better in some parts of the world and the return of live sport is welcomed.

We have a long history with major sporting events such as the Uefa Champions League and Formula One and we're really glad they are coming back, for fans to enjoy. I've missed it and we're not the only ones, so it's really exciting that Formula One is restarting this week.

We've tried, of course, to stay connected with our fans around the world throughout this period in all kinds of different ways. We first started getting the message across for fans to socialise responsibly.

We then ran the Heineken Legends Challenges virtual races, which saw [our Formula One] ambassadors David Coulthard and Nico Rosberg race against [former Brazilian soccer player and Champions League ambassador] Roberto Carlos. We had some fun with that.

We are also doing this around the Champions League with [former winner] Thierry Henry, who is showing the epic moments during the history of the Champions League, with whom we have been a partner for more than 25 years.

What consumer behaviours have you seen throughout this period and how might they change the way brands and rights holders collaborate going forward?

We are a brand that wants to socialise. We have a team here in Amsterdam that looks, especially during live Formula One races and live Champions League matches, at what's happening and creating fresh content and pushing it out to consumers.

That will accelerate more but my impression is that the real thing is much better than looking back on content where you already know the result.

We don't have all the answers - let's be very clear. I will be very interested to see whether the anticipation of Formula One coming back will increase the audience but I do think that you will see the excitement return.

While people have found new ways to communicate and stay in touch with each other, sport is a passion point like beer, and I do think that we are going to see more social engagements during the races and Heineken has been prepared to take this digital approach for some time now.

How can Heineken leverage a surge in digital consumption and interactivity? And in what way could this change the fan relationship with online versus in-venue branding?

We play a supporting role - we're about fan engagement. What we feel is that, in our role to create a connection with the fans, we are able to make the sport more enjoyable. So, we have discussed with Formula One and the Champions League what we can do [to support their resumptions] and we've tried to create content that keeps the conversation going.

In regards to the Champions League, the reality is that 72 per cent of the fans watch it home alone. This was already happening [before the pandemic] and, while you were watching it at home, you were on social and you were discussing with friends what they thought of the game.

We know that the digital conversation has been going on and that it has only been amplified over the past few months. It's the brand's role to make sure that we are part of that conversation.
Heineken is one of Formula One's six global partners
What challenges do you foresee for sponsors now that sports are returning to action in some territories and not others, and the economic impact of the pandemic is felt worldwide?

I do think that, if you look at the way consumers are buying around the world, the digital ecommerce platform has room to improve. You will see in your street that more packages are being delivered to homes compared to the past and is an area that you can focus on.

The challenge for brands now is the tone of voice and to get that right. There are still many bars that are closed in some areas around the world and we are supporting them. We have tried to tell consumers around the world to enjoy responsibility and that they can connect with each other in different ways.

It's important that premises that have millions of customers around the world get that business back.I do believe that, when it's possible, people will want to socialise again and we want to do that in a way that is responsible and sustainable. We see in Europe that [quarantine] measures are being lifted bit by bit, but that isn't the case all around the world.

Like you, we have the aim that the world can get back together because people like to watch big events like Formula One and the Champions together. As Formula One continues to update its race calendar, we will have to decide how we should engage with fans and to do it responsibly when fans are allowed to go back to the stands.

On the back of the pandemic, is there now cause to revisit or revise the existing brand rights model to support advertising and sponsorship spend in sport? And in what ways can digital media open up new revenues streams for the brand?

My personal view is that you have to ensure that you are the best in class in engaging with viewers around the world. It is blurring between traditional broadcast and digital media in terms of [brand] activations, so I do think this is going to continue and is already happening around OTT platforms that don't have rights and are still able to engage with fans.

You need to reach the fans that are talking about the matches and the races, so I always say you need to fish where the fish are. In reality, if you look back, we used to focus on the people in the stadium, and then we focused on people in front of the television, and now we're focusing on people with a mobile phone in their hand.

While 80,000 people might watch a match [at the Nou Camp] in Barcelona, ten million might be watching on the television, and 100 million talking about us. To be successful, therefore that's where you need to be.

I have been advocating for years that, while I am not a broadcaster and nor do I want to be a broadcaster, I can help if I can get content from Formula One and the Champions League to push that out and get more fans engage. My expectation is that the lines will blur faster as digital becomes more prevalent.

....

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'The brand must be part of the digital conversation': Studying Heineken's strategy for F1's return - SportsPro

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Heineken's Formula One and Uefa Champions League ambassadors have shared the limelight while the Dutch beer manufacturer worked to keep consumers engaged online during lockdown. SportsPro speaks to Hans Erik Tuijt, Heineken's director of global sponsorship, to dissect the brand's strategy for sport's comeback. [...]Read More...

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Is Crypto Taking Over Sports Sponsorship?

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Is Crypto Taking Over Sports Sponsorship?

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Financial and Business News | Finance Magnates

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Sports Sponsorship, one of the most important tools for the brand awareness of global companies, has changed the fortune of several organizations in the past few decades. In the world of globalization and crazy fans, sporting clubs and teams have the power to influence people worldwide.

The international sports sponsorship industry is currently going through a major shift. The sector, which was once dominated by FMCG companies, is now the primary target of emerging crypto and blockchain firms. Companies within the global crypto and blockchain ecosystem have poured billions of dollars into sports sponsorship deals to expand their brand awareness.

Some of the most prominent companies which participated actively in sports sponsorship deals throughout 2021 were, Coinbase, Crypto.com, eToro, FTX and Tezos. The firms signed agreements with Soccer, Basketball, American Football, UFC, F1 and Baseball teams around the world. According to an estimate, FTX and Crypto.com poured more than $1 billion into sports sponsorships during 2021 alone.

The dominance of crypto in sports sponsorship is such that the recent Super Bowl, the annual playoff championship game of the National Football League, was called the 'Crypto Bowl' by the industry. Reason? Because the halftime ads during the match were dominated by leading crypto companies like Coinbase, Crypto.com, eToro, and FTX. Coinbase alone spent nearly $14 million on its ad and saw the biggest traffic in its operational history.

Finance Magnates asked some of the well-known names in the crypto industry about their views on the surging dominance of crypto and blockchain brands in sports sponsorship.

Increased Spending

According to Matt House, the CEO of SportQuake, a sports sponsorship agency specializing in football sponsorship, the overall volume of money spent by the crypto companies on global sports sponsorships, especially football sponsorship deals has increased significantly since the start of 2021.

"Crypto and blockchain brands are taking over sports sponsorship. They have seen how successful sports sponsorship has been for building online sports betting and online trading brands and have run with it aggressively, taking the speed of adoption and initial spending behind adoption to another level. There are 4 key battlegrounds to drive brand visibility and salience for crypto and blockchain brands: The NFL and NBA to drive the key US market. Football (soccer) and F1 to drive non-US markets," House said.

"If you take football (soccer), crypto and blockchain brands are already the 10th biggest spender on football sponsorship globally. For context, sports betting, which is the 2nd biggest spending brand sector ($492m in 2021/22), has taken 15 years to build, whereas crypto and blockchain brands only started spending 2 years ago," he added.

Commenting on the future position of crypto companies in the global sports sponsorship ecosystem, the CEO of SportQuake, said: "Based on these current run rates, crypto and blockchain brands are on track to move from 10th to 5th biggest spender by 2022/23 and if you believe in the mainstream potential of crypto and blockchain and the size of the businesses/ associated marketing budgets that would unlock, crypto and blockchain brands have the potential to outspend mainstream financial services and become the number 1 spender in sports sponsorship very quickly."

Miami Heat, PSG, Manchester United

In 2021, digital exchange FTX signed a sponsorship deal with Miami Heat and became an exclusive crypto partner of the NBA club. Crypto.com signed a deal with PSG and Tezos partnered with Manchester United. Ilman Shazhaev, the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Farcana Metaverse, said that the recent trend is unlikely to die soon.

"Last weekend, over 100 million people tuned into the Super Bowl, and American Football wasn't the only focus. Crypto took center stage as the likes of FTX, Coinbase and Crypto.com ran multi-million dollar campaigns at the major event. The biggest crypto brands are turning to the sports industry to broaden their reach, which makes sense given the mainstream appeal for sports around the world. This trend is unlikely to die anytime soon: in fact, Tezos, one of the biggest smart contract platforms, is now sponsoring Manchester United (the network also has a focus on Formula 1 and UFC, among others)," Shazhaev highlighted.

"As crypto companies have an abundance of capital for marketing budgets and sports maintain their popularity, we expect to see the two fields become increasingly intertwined over the coming years. We don't even have a choice: both FTX and Crypto.com's recent naming rights deals for Miami Heat and LA Lakers will run for the next two decades. If it wasn't already confirmed, crypto has entered the mainstream for good," he added.

Super Bowl Ad of Coinbase

Coinbase saw more than 20 million hits on its landing page in one minute after the company's Super Bowl ad. Commenting on the inspiration behind the ad, Kate Rouch, the Chief Marketing Officer at Coinbase, said: "We saw over 20M+ hits on our landing page in one minute - a volume that was historic and unprecedented. Our core inspiration for the ad was the curiosity and intimidation we know many people have about crypto. We wanted to pique their interest by doing something different, something that's never been done in the history of Super Bowl advertising - a playful, low production nod to a popular Internet meme that invites action and discussion both in the living room and on social media. We are a remote-first company."

"Our CEO and his Co-Founder met on Reddit. Traditional highly produced Super Bowl advertising just didn't feel inspiring to us. We wanted to show up in a more authentic way to our brand. We hope people found it in turn surprising, confounding, and delightful. Most of all, we hope it inspired them to take their first step into crypto," Rouch added.

Sports Sponsorship, one of the most important tools for the brand awareness of global companies, has changed the fortune of several organizations in the past few decades. In the world of globalization and crazy fans, sporting clubs and teams have the power to influence people worldwide.

The international sports sponsorship industry is currently going through a major shift. The sector, which was once dominated by FMCG companies, is now the primary target of emerging crypto and blockchain firms. Companies within the global crypto and blockchain ecosystem have poured billions of dollars into sports sponsorship deals to expand their brand awareness.

Some of the most prominent companies which participated actively in sports sponsorship deals throughout 2021 were, Coinbase, Crypto.com, eToro, FTX and Tezos. The firms signed agreements with Soccer, Basketball, American Football, UFC, F1 and Baseball teams around the world. According to an estimate, FTX and Crypto.com poured more than $1 billion into sports sponsorships during 2021 alone.

The dominance of crypto in sports sponsorship is such that the recent Super Bowl, the annual playoff championship game of the National Football League, was called the 'Crypto Bowl' by the industry. Reason? Because the halftime ads during the match were dominated by leading crypto companies like Coinbase, Crypto.com, eToro, and FTX. Coinbase alone spent nearly $14 million on its ad and saw the biggest traffic in its operational history.

Finance Magnates asked some of the well-known names in the crypto industry about their views on the surging dominance of crypto and blockchain brands in sports sponsorship.

Increased Spending

According to Matt House, the CEO of SportQuake, a sports sponsorship agency specializing in football sponsorship, the overall volume of money spent by the crypto companies on global sports sponsorships, especially football sponsorship deals has increased significantly since the start of 2021.

"Crypto and blockchain brands are taking over sports sponsorship. They have seen how successful sports sponsorship has been for building online sports betting and online trading brands and have run with it aggressively, taking the speed of adoption and initial spending behind adoption to another level. There are 4 key battlegrounds to drive brand visibility and salience for crypto and blockchain brands: The NFL and NBA to drive the key US market. Football (soccer) and F1 to drive non-US markets," House said.

"If you take football (soccer), crypto and blockchain brands are already the 10th biggest spender on football sponsorship globally. For context, sports betting, which is the 2nd biggest spending brand sector ($492m in 2021/22), has taken 15 years to build, whereas crypto and blockchain brands only started spending 2 years ago," he added.

Commenting on the future position of crypto companies in the global sports sponsorship ecosystem, the CEO of SportQuake, said: "Based on these current run rates, crypto and blockchain brands are on track to move from 10th to 5th biggest spender by 2022/23 and if you believe in the mainstream potential of crypto and blockchain and the size of the businesses/ associated marketing budgets that would unlock, crypto and blockchain brands have the potential to outspend mainstream financial services and become the number 1 spender in sports sponsorship very quickly."

Miami Heat, PSG, Manchester United

In 2021, digital exchange FTX signed a sponsorship deal with Miami Heat and became an exclusive crypto partner of the NBA club. Crypto.com signed a deal with PSG and Tezos partnered with Manchester United. Ilman Shazhaev, the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Farcana Metaverse, said that the recent trend is unlikely to die soon.

"Last weekend, over 100 million people tuned into the Super Bowl, and American Football wasn't the only focus. Crypto took center stage as the likes of FTX, Coinbase and Crypto.com ran multi-million dollar campaigns at the major event. The biggest crypto brands are turning to the sports industry to broaden their reach, which makes sense given the mainstream appeal for sports around the world. This trend is unlikely to die anytime soon: in fact, Tezos, one of the biggest smart contract platforms, is now sponsoring Manchester United (the network also has a focus on Formula 1 and UFC, among others)," Shazhaev highlighted.

"As crypto companies have an abundance of capital for marketing budgets and sports maintain their popularity, we expect to see the two fields become increasingly intertwined over the coming years. We don't even have a choice: both FTX and Crypto.com's recent naming rights deals for Miami Heat and LA Lakers will run for the next two decades. If it wasn't already confirmed, crypto has entered the mainstream for good," he added.

Super Bowl Ad of Coinbase

Coinbase saw more than 20 million hits on its landing page in one minute after the company's Super Bowl ad. Commenting on the inspiration behind the ad, Kate Rouch, the Chief Marketing Officer at Coinbase, said: "We saw over 20M+ hits on our landing page in one minute - a volume that was historic and unprecedented. Our core inspiration for the ad was the curiosity and intimidation we know many people have about crypto. We wanted to pique their interest by doing something different, something that's never been done in the history of Super Bowl advertising - a playful, low production nod to a popular Internet meme that invites action and discussion both in the living room and on social media. We are a remote-first company."

"Our CEO and his Co-Founder met on Reddit. Traditional highly produced Super Bowl advertising just didn't feel inspiring to us. We wanted to show up in a more authentic way to our brand. We hope people found it in turn surprising, confounding, and delightful. Most of all, we hope it inspired them to take their first step into crypto," Rouch added.

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Is Crypto Taking Over Sports Sponsorship?

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Sports Sponsorship, one of the most important tools for the brand awareness of global companies, has changed the fortune of several organizations in the past few decades. In the world of globalization and crazy fans, sporting clubs and teams have the power to influence people worldwide.

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Sports sponsorship deals hit new peaks during Winter Olympics

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Sports sponsorship deals hit new peaks during Winter Olympics

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Sports marketing and sponsorship is steadily picking up in recent years but has reached a new peak during the Winter Olympics.

Athletes have found that the headlines about their exceptional results on the ice rink have been matched by those that report their commercial endorsement deals.

The early movers are already taking advantage of athletes competing in areas that were once regarded as relatively niche.

Chinese snowboarder Su Yiming last December became the brand ambassador of Unilever's hair-care brand Clear before he became a nationwide name at the Winter Olympics.

P&G's Winter Olympics marketing campaign recruited short-track speed skater and four-time Olympic champion Wang Meng as an embodiment of sportsmanship to spread winter sports-related knowledge.

There's a significant jump not only in the value of athletes' endorsement contracts, but also the number of brands that leverage sports stars for sponsorship and promotion deals.

The number of domestic athletes' endorsement deals reached 161 last year, almost doubling the 85 registered in 2020, according to local data consultancy iMiner.

Anta, which debuted its Winter Olympic lines in July 2020, is authorized to have the Chinese national flag printed on them.

Sport is uplifting and appeals to the general audience, so it not only involves sports-related brands, but also consumer goods, offline events and a wide range of marketing activities.

Brands that are most favored and preferred by consumers and have the most amount of engagement and spreading power include not only clothing and equipment makers, telecommunication service providers and food and beverage companies, but also digital service sites like Alibaba and JD.

Instead of promoting specific products, brands tie up with Olympic athletes to enhance their image and make an impression through the athletes' dedication, perseverance and courage, according to Lanxiong Sports, a local sports news portal.

Skiing, ice skating and roller skating are also sought-after activities when brands introduce interactive offline activities or setting up pop-up stores.

Ferrero's Kinder offered interactive sports games with ice and snow elements in a recent pop-up event to encourage parents to spend leisure hours with children.

Amber Liu, head of GroupM's newly established unit Circle that handles influencer and celebrity marketing, pointed out that athlete endorsement requires longer periods of assessment and the metrics vary for different kinds of sports.

The company currently assesses over 300 domestic athletes in terms of their commercial influence, professional reputation and growth potential.

Various metrics have been deployed to assess celebrity-brand affinity since 2020 as online interaction and relevant campaigns became the go-to option for brands to woo consumers.

The State Council has drawn up a blueprint for sports-related industries to reach an overall size of 5 trillion yuan (US$789.6 billion) by 2025.

There will also be a booming number of third party service providers to connect with various stakeholders and maximize the commercial potential of athletes.

Zhou Xing, PwC China's sport industry leader, said widespread public interest would boost investment in not only the research and manufacturing of skiing facilities, but also related efforts to enhance the brand awareness of winter sports mascots, signature winter sports events and relevant performance art.

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Sports sponsorship deals hit new peaks during Winter Olympics

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Sports marketing and sponsorship is steadily picking up in recent years but has reached a new peak during the Winter Olympics. Athletes have found that the headlines about their exceptional results on the ice rink have been matched by those that report their commercial endorsement deals.

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How data can help drive sports sponsorship and fan engagement

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How data can help drive sports sponsorship and fan engagement

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How Data Can Help Drive Sports Sponsorship and Fan Engagement

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Learn how analytics in sports, specifically fan engagement analytics, can help animate the live game experience and maintain fan and sponsor participation.

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Olympians Try to Cash In Hawking Cereal, Detergent to Millions of New Instagram Followers

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Olympians Try to Cash In Hawking Cereal, Detergent to Millions of New Instagram Followers

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MLB reportedly wants advertising on helmets, jerseys. Here’s what it could look like

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MLB reportedly wants advertising on helmets, jerseys. Here’s what it could look like

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FILE - Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, left, and Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Tony Clark speak before Game 1 in baseball's World Series between the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves, Oct. 26, 2021, in Houston. A five-year contract between MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association expires at 11:59 p.m. EST on Dec. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Ron Blum, File) AP

During the 2019 season, the Houston Astros faced the Los Angeles Angels in a pair of regular-season games in Monterrey, Mexico.

Fans noticed something different when the teams were batting: advertising.

Chris Creamer of SportsLogos.net explained why the helmets had an addition: the game was held outside the United States or Canada.

But fans in those two countries soon could see the ads on helmets as well as jerseys. According to the New York Times and SportsNet in Canada, Major League Baseball has brought up the idea of monetizing uniforms and helmets during labor discussions with the players union.

Creamer tweeted a photo of helmets from the 2019 series in Mexico, offering a glimpse of what possibly could be coming when players are batting.

There's a MLB game outside Canada or the U.S. tonight which means they're sticking ads on the uniforms again - the Astros and Angels are both wearing Ford logos on their batting helmets.
Caps have a 2019 MLB Mexico Series logo patch. pic.twitter.com/PoltAgbRU0
- Chris Creamer (@sportslogosnet) May 4, 2019

As for advertising on uniforms, fans know the Nike swoosh is already on jerseys. But a sleeve patch, similar to the one players wore during Major League Baseball's 150th season, could be the way the league places other ads.

Opinion: the MLB 150 patch looks like something from the TBS score bug circa 2015 and those old school patches guys wore in 1939 and 1969 -- and the "health" patch they wore in 1942 -- were way, way cooler. pic.twitter.com/zI7u81Y2Rp
- Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) February 12, 2019

In 2020, the Sports Business Journal reported Major League Baseball "sent requests for proposals to 10 or more sponsorship and marketing agencies, asking for input not only on pricing, value and suitability of a sleeve ad patch, but also for a batting helmet decal."

Thus, it's likely MLB has some idea of how much money could be gained by adding these revenue streams.

Whether or not the players union agrees to such a change should be known when a deal on a collective bargaining agreement is reached.

But the SPJ story said the players union also reached out to agencies to see what its percentage of revenue it could get from the ads.

"Insiders we spoke with," the SPJ's Terry Lefton wrote, "didn't think uniform ads would be, er, uniform, until the 2022 season."

From covering the World Series to the World Cup, Pete has done a little bit of everything since joining The Star in 1997.

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MLB reportedly wants advertising on helmets, jerseys. Here's what it could look like

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During the 2019 season, the Houston Astros faced the Los Angeles Angels in a pair of regular-season games in Monterrey, Mexico. Fans noticed something different when the teams were batting: advertising. Chris Creamer of SportsLogos.net explained why the helmets had an addition: the game was held outside the United States or Canada.

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Study: NFL sponsorship revenue rises 12% to US$1.8bn for 2021/22

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Study: NFL sponsorship revenue rises 12% to US$1.8bn for 2021/22

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NFL sponsorship revenue rises 12% to US$1.8bn for 2021/22, says study - SportsPro

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Sports betting and casino brands are now among the National Football League’s biggest sponsors, according to IEG.

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Study: Super Bowl delivers US$170m worth of brand exposure for sponsors

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Study: Super Bowl delivers US$170m worth of brand exposure for sponsors

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Nike received a game-high 46 minutes of in-game exposure

NFL partners Pepsi and Bose also scored well

SoFi's minute of exposure valued by Hive at US$3.5m

The Los Angeles Rams' 2022 Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals generated US$170 million of brand exposure for the National Football League's (NFL) partners, according to a study led by Hive and Elevate Sports Ventures.
The media valuation figure marks a slight increase on the US$169 million from last year's game, where brands got more inventory due to Covid-19 crowd limitations, and is well up from the US$143 million generated in 2020.

Brands obtained more than 75 minutes of on-screen exposure, fewer than the 104 minutes provided during last year's pandemic-affected Super Bowl.

The NFL's technical apparel supplier Nike received 46 minutes of exposure, the most of any brand. Pepsi, which doubles up on NFL deals with the Gatorade brand, earned nine minutes of combined exposure. The soft drinks giant's sponsorship of the half-time show, a significant part of its US$2 billion NFL deal, also saw it gain a game-high 11 mentions during the broadcast.

Bose, which provides the headsets used by coaches on the side lines, had its logo appear for eight minutes. NFL partners Toyota, Verizon, and New Era followed with one minute of in-game exposure each. SoFi, which is not an NFL partner but has a US$625 million naming rights deal with the Rams home stadium and 2022 Super Bowl venue, had roughly one minute of in-game exposure valued at US$3.5 million.

Hive's software utilises an artificial intelligence (AI) platform to track live televised content and logo exposure during the game. Hive president Dan Calpin told CNBC that every 150 seconds of average in-game broadcast exposure is equivalent to the value of a 30-second commercial. This is based on duration of exposure as well as the quality and size of a brand's logo on the screen.

NBC, the host broadcaster for this year's Super Bowl, charged an average of US$6.5 million per 30 seconds of ad time, with some brands paying as much as US$7 million for the half-minute slots.

Elsewhere, Twitter has revealed that Pepsi drove the largest overall conversation of all brands on the social media platform. Meanwhile, betting firm FanDuel drove the largest overall conversation on Twitter of any brand that did not have an advertising slot during the NBC broadcast.

Of all brands who featured in US television coverage of the Super Bowl, crypto firm FTX received the most retweets for a single post during the game.

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Study: Super Bowl delivers US$170m worth of brand exposure for sponsors - SportsPro

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Nike received a game-high 46 minutes of in-game exposure NFL partners Pepsi and Bose also scored well SoFi's minute of exposure valued by Hive at US$3.5m The Los Angeles Rams' 2022 Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals generated US$170 million of brand exposure for the National Football League's (NFL) partners, according to a study led by Hive and Elevate Sports Ventures.

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An American snowboarder was told she could not compete because her board had a Prada logo which is not a company sponsor of the Games.

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IOC is more strict on "illegal" sponsorship than doping

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IOC is more strict on "illegal" sponsorship than doping

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Should the Olympics really be that concerned about a non-sponsor brand of the Olympics being promoted by an athlete at the games? Why do they seem less concerned about letting the 15-year-old who was taking illegal substances participate? Which one of these issues could actually put the integrity of the Olympic Games in jeopardy?

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BEIJING - Kamila Valieva and Julia Marino share very little in common except the fact that they happened to both be Olympians at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games. That, and together, they're a perfect demonstration of the International Olympic Committee's priorities.

Valieva's story, you probably know by this point: a 15-year-old skater from Russia, she won gold in the team skating event, and then the world learned she'd tested positive for a banned substance. After bureaucratic gymnastics so impressive they should be an Olympic event in 2024, Valieva won an appeal that allowed her to continue to compete. She failed to win another medal, but at least she was in the mix.

Marino, on the other hand, won an unexpected silver earlier in these Games on the snowboard halfpipe, a daring, exciting, thrilling relatively new event - exactly the kind of sport the Olympics ought to lean into in order to bring in that coveted youth demographic.

But when Marino went to compete in her second event of the Games - Big Air Shougang, another very good idea - she was told, in no uncertain terms, that her board was unacceptable. The reason: the giant PRADA on its base. Prada does not sponsor the Games, and the IOC ruled it wasn't a legitimate sporting organization and thus could not enjoy the honor of being shown on the bottom of a snowboard.

The IOC, Marino says, ordered her to paint over her board, which she did by hand, with a Sharpie. Now, I'm not an Olympic snowboarder, and I'm assuming you're not either, so when Marino tells us that the Sharpie absolutely wrecked the feel of the board ... well, she's the Olympic medalist. On the altered board, Marino had a rotten practice and, not wanting to risk further injury, dropped out of the Big Air competition entirely.

Dropped out. Because she had a sponsor that upset the IOC.

If there's one thing the IOC takes seriously, it's sponsor commitments. Every athlete, official and journalist is living in a closed loop in Beijing, but for sponsors, the Olympics have been a closed-loop zone for decades. Visa and Coca-Cola yes, American Express and Pepsi no.

The Olympics takes its fealty to sponsors so seriously that in Beijing, someone has taken the time to put tape over the logos on the toilets. Just in case you catch a glimpse of an unauthorized sponsor when you're, uh, in a contemplative moment.

The message is clear: don't get between the IOC and its money.

Here's where Valieva re-enters the picture. The cases aren't entirely compatible; without going too far into the thicket of doping regulatory doublespeak, the IOC wasn't the primary enforcement agency in Valieva's case, the way it is in Marino's.

However, the IOC was the primary enforcement agency when deciding whether, and how, to punish Russia as a whole after the 2014 Sochi debacle, when Russia orchestrated a massive state-sanctioned doping ring. The IOC tried to paint over that one, too, denying Russia the right to compete under the name "Russia" and instead calling them the "Russian Olympic Committee." Man! Who on earth could that be? It's a mystery!

Anyway, it turns out that altering the letters on your uniform has a whole lot less impact on your performance than altering the very equipment you use to compete, and the Russians are still racking up medals - and still racking up doping violations. But at least they're doing it in appropriately sponsored gear.

Again, money is the key here: booting the Russians means losing access to the lucrative Russian broadcast and sponsor market. So the IOC talks tough, makes stern pronouncements about the integrity of sport ... and makes Russia wear the equivalent of somebody else's shirt while the financial pipeline to Moscow remains open and flowing.

It'd be fascinating to see which of the IOC's interests would win in a rock-paper-scissors match: Russia or the sponsors. (Both of them defeat competitive integrity every time.) What if the Russians showed up in off-brand merch? Would the IOC put them back on a plane, or would they devise some sort of heretofore-unknown, tortured exception to the sponsorship rules? Any guesses?

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IOC is more strict on 'illegal' sponsorship than doping

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BEIJING - Kamila Valieva and Julia Marino share very little in common except the fact that they happened to both be Olympians at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games. That, and together, they're a perfect demonstration of the International Olympic Committee's priorities.

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Busch Light invests $10 million in female NASCAR driver program

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Busch Light invests $10 million in female NASCAR driver program

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Busch Light invests $10 million in female NASCAR driver program

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Long-time sponsor Busch Light is investing in a new program to help promote and develop women drivers in NASCAR.

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The National Football League (NFL) has seen a record of $1.8 billion in sponsorship revenue this season, according to new data from IEG.

In particular, the league's partnerships secured during the 102nd season with prominent American gaming firms DraftKings, FanDuel and Caesars Entertainment contributed combined sponsorship revenue of $1 billion, whilst additional deals with BetMGM, FoxBet WynnBET and PointsBet also yielded success.

The rollout of the North American betting and gaming industry over the past few years has prompted a huge surge in gambling sponsorships across US sports, with many leagues and teams looking to secure deals in 2020 and 2021 following the financial disarray of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NFL's $1.8 billion figure is a 12% increase from 2020, where it made $1.62 billion, following on from $1.47 billion in 2019, and the spike has been attributed to the large number of partnerships with aforementioned sports gambling companies, casinos and lotteries.

Speaking to CNBC, Peter Laatz, IEG's Global Managing Director, stated: "It's not coming from traditional places. It's coming from emerging categories. Not only are we seeing emerging talent on the field; we're seeing emerging categories."

One of the 'emerging categories' referred to by Laatz is 5G, with Verizon having secured one of the most lucrative agreements. Under its arrangement, the company is paying the league over $300 million annually in a 10-year partnership that utilises 5G to support innovation and technology adoption.

Figures of this size are apparently not uncommon, as although payments of $10 million a year are the usual minimum for sponsorship of the NFL, it has been reported that bigger brands have often paid over $200 million.

Furthermore, although gambling firms saw the biggest increase in revenue last season, tech firm Microsoft revealed that it placed first in absolute dollar figures. The company continues to provide NFL teams with Surface tablets, in an agreement worth around $100 million a year, according to IEG data.

Additionally, in June 2021, Diageo and the NFL completed a spirits marketing pact, which became the league's first sponsorship in that field. Sources stated the talks of the partnership had been ongoing for around a year and had been estimated at $30M per year, with around half of that being rights fees.

However, league-wide sponsorships grew 23%, with NFL clubs taking in only 4% additional revenue in rights fees year-over-year. In looking to improve this, the NFL is looking to allow teams to leverage international markets, similarly to the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The league permitted 18 teams to market their intellectual property in 26 territories last month, including Canada, Germany, Mexico and the United Kingdom, to name a few.

The NFL may be benefiting extensively from betting arrangements, but in terms of the growing cryptocurrency space, although individual NFL players like Tom Brady have formed crypto deals, the NBA has taken a lead and is seeing a huge increase in income from such companies.

For example, in October 2021, Coinbase became the exclusive cryptocurrency platform partner of the NBA, Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), NBA G League, NBA 2K League and USA Basketball in a $192 million deal. Meanwhile, LA Lakers landed a $700 million naming rights deal with Crypto.com.

Although one of the most significant US sports, the NFL still faces competition with other organisations as cryptocurrency partnerships continue to grow globally.

The data follows what has been described as one of the League's most memorable playoff weekends, with Kansas City Chiefs game against the Buffalo Bills gaining a peak of 51.6 million viewers.

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Betting firms drive record sponsorship revenue for NFL in 2021 season - Insider Sport

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The National Football League (NFL) has seen a record of $1.8 billion in sponsorship revenue this season, according to new data from IEG. In particular, the league's partnerships secured during the 102nd season with prominent American gaming firms DraftKings, FanDuel and Caesars Entertainment contributed combined sponsorship revenue of $1 billion, whilst additional deals with BetMGM, FoxBet WynnBET and PointsBet also yielded success.

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Pepsi has sponsored the Super Bowl halftime show for the last ten years

Existing partner Verizon linked with deal

Ford reportedly not returning as NFL looks to offer comprehensive motor vehicle sponsorship

The National Football League (NFL) is seeking a new partner for the Super Bowl halftime show and is hoping to attract a technology or media-focused company, according to Sports Business Journal (SBJ).
The halftime bonanza at the league's showpiece has had drinks giant Pepsi in place as entitled sponsor for the last ten years, having replaced Bridgestone.

SBJ reports that the NFL is taking the Super Bowl halftime show to market as a 'tech/content play', with its pitch appearing to be tailored to attract conglomerates such as Amazon, or potentially a more pure technology firm.

"We're having really interesting conversations, because every brand wants unique content more than ever," Nana-Yaw Asamoah, the NFL's vice president of sponsorship and business development, told SBJ.

"It's a platform with so many extensions, great appeal to youth, and you know everyone will consume it in great numbers."

The Super Bowl halftime show is the most-watched part of the event's broadcast. As a result, the NFL is reportedly seeking a deal worth between US$40 million and US$50 million, depending on whether the brand is an incumbent sponsor or not.

Given the involvement of Verizon at this year's halftime show, SBJ adds that the telecommunications firm could be a buyer. The company inked a ten-year partnership extension with the NFL in September, reportedly worth more than US$1 billion. The tie-up includes a focus on the use of 5G in areas such as management, scouting, training, health and safety, and gameday operations.

Though the dust is still settling on the 2022 Super Bowl, the period until next year's game is a busy one for the NFL as it faces multiple sponsorship renewals. Of its existing corporate partners, SBJ reports that hotel chain Marriott will return. Pepsi, along with its Frito-Lay and Gatorade brands, will also renew, though without its ten-year-old halftime show sponsorship commitment.

Ford, which has held NFL truck rights since 2016, will reportedly not be back. Instead, the NFL is looking to repackage autos and trucks into a comprehensive motor vehicle sponsorship, which SBJ says was initially priced at US$50 million.

Audio equipment brand Bose, which has had its logo on NFL coaches' headsets since 2014 when it replaced Motorola, is reportedly doubtful about renewing its deal, though discussions are ongoing.

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NFL eyes new 'US$40m to US$50m' Super Bowl halftime show sponsorship, says report - SportsPro

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Pepsi has sponsored the Super Bowl halftime show for the last ten years Existing partner Verizon linked with deal Ford reportedly not returning as NFL looks to offer comprehensive motor vehicle sponsorship The National Football League (NFL) is seeking a new partner for the Super Bowl halftime show and is hoping to attract a technology or media-focused company, according to Sports Business Journal (SBJ).

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Manchester United have signed a multi-year training kit sponsorship deal with blockchain company Tezos worth around £24million a year.

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Manchester United have signed a multi-year training kit sponsorship deal with blockchain company Tezos worth around £24million a year.

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Victoria Timpson, Manchester United’s CEO of Alliances and Partnerships, said: “This is a hugely exciting partnership for Manchester United because it aligns us with one of the most advanced, reliable and sustainable blockchains in an area of technology which promises to truly revolutionise the way that everyone, including the club and our fans, can interact.

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Manchester United have signed a multi-year training kit sponsorship deal with blockchain company Tezos worth around £24million a year.

Tezos-branded training kit will be worn by United 's first-team squad for the first time prior to this weekend's match against Southampton and the logo will also feature on training kit worn by the women's team.

The deal replaces AON as the training kit sponsor, but doesn't include naming rights for the Carrington training ground, which was part of the AON deal.

United are continuing to search for a deal for a sponsor to take over the namings rights at Carrington.

Blockchains are known for their role in allowing secure digital transactions without the need for a third party, but are also known for their roles in controversial cryptocurrency systems.

United stressed that Tezos were a more environmentally-friendly blockchain than some of their competitors.

Victoria Timpson, Manchester United's CEO of Alliances and Partnerships, said: "This is a hugely exciting partnership for Manchester United because it aligns us with one of the most advanced, reliable and sustainable blockchains in an area of technology which promises to truly revolutionise the way that everyone, including the club and our fans, can interact.

"We are especially pleased to be partnering with one of the most eco-friendly blockchains, using technology that is energy-efficient, limits carbon emissions and lowers costs, consistent with the club's wider efforts to promote environmental sustainability.

"Partnerships are at the core of our strength as a club, supporting the drive for success on the pitch, and we are delighted to welcome Tezos as the latest industry leader to join our family of partners."

Edward Adlard, Head of Adoption and Business Development, Tezos Ecosystem said: "Throughout its history, Manchester United has constantly evolved, with the support of its huge and diverse global community of fans and partners. Tezos will enable Manchester United to use blockchain and Web3 to transform fan, player, team, and partner engagement.

"The decision by the world's greatest football club to select Tezos as its blockchain of choice is further validation that thoughtful design paired with strong security, low gas fees, and community-led innovation are the essential factors driving the next wave of adoption in the new digital revolution."

In addition to the Tezos branding on the club's training kit, the partnership will also include several new fan experiences built on the Tezos blockchain and a pledge to support Manchester United Foundation with ongoing donations in tez, the native currency of the Tezos blockchain, to train, educate and inspire young people within the local community."

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Manchester United announce new training kit sponsorship deal

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Manchester United have signed a multi-year training kit sponsorship deal with blockchain company Tezos worth around £24million a year. Tezos-branded training kit will be worn by United 's first-team squad for the first time prior to this weekend's match against Southampton and the logo will also feature on training kit worn by the women's team.

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Cricket and Cricket Canada are a natural fit for our cooperation. Cricket Canada hopes that this collaboration would pave the way for further esports and live sports collaboration in the future. (Gourav)

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Cricket and Cricket Canada are a natural fit for our cooperation. Cricket Canada hopes that this collaboration would pave the way for further esports and live sports collaboration in the future. (Gourav)

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Galaxy Racer also recently bolstered its presence within the Southeast Asian market through a projected investment of around $10m (£7.38m) into the Malaysian esports ecosystem. Now it will great see, how collaboration of Galaxy Racer and Canadian National Cricket Team will work.

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Dubai-based esports organisation Galaxy Racer has announced it will sponsor the Canadian National Cricket Team at the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier.

The sponsorship will see Galaxy Racer's logo appear on the team's official competition jersey as well as warm-up kits throughout the qualifier.

RELATED: Galaxy Racer to invest $10m into Malaysia's esports ecosystem

The competition, which is set to take place on February 18th, is one of two global qualifiers that form the final stages of the qualification process for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022.

Paul Roy, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Racer, commented: "We are excited to partner with Cricket Canada, as we continue our convergence with esports, gaming and traditional sports, which is part of our bigger initiative where we are partnering with major sports properties globally and we are excited to introduce a new set of young audience to the world of cricket.

"We believe that the convergence of traditional sports with the esports and gaming audience is imperative and we will be assisting Cricket Canada to accelerate the cross-pollination with the younger generation. All the best to Cricket Canada in the upcoming ICC World Cup. As the esports community would say, GLHF (Good Luck, Have Fun)!"

Galaxy Racer also recently bolstered its presence within the Southeast Asian market through a projected investment of around $10m (£7.38m) into the Malaysian esports ecosystem .

This isn't the first time that esports has crossed over into traditional sports. Last year, Envy Gaming became a sponsor of World Chase Tag team GNF. Moreover, EVOS Esports recently announced a basketball team called EVOS Thunder Bogor.

RELATED: Galaxy Racer named sponsor of Rogue Jam

Rashpal Bajwa, President of Cricket Canada, stated: "Our organisation welcomes the partnership with Galaxy Racer. Esports and gaming is a fast-growing industry in the North American market and particularly in Canada. Our players are avid gamers and compete almost daily in their free time on gaming consoles and platforms.

"This partnership is a natural fit for cricket and Cricket Canada. Cricket Canada hopes this engagement will be the seed for additional collaboration between esports and live sports in cricket."
Esports Insider says: The expansion of Galaxy Racer shows no signs of slowing down as the organisation ventures into new markets. This rather unusual sponsorship indicates the organisation's ambition to also potentially expand into the North American region. Since the deal is a part of the Galaxy Racer's bigger initiative with major sports properties, it will be interesting to see if the organisation reveals other traditional sports-focused deals. Sign up to our ESI Dispatch Newsletter

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Galaxy Racer to sponsor Canadian National Cricket Team - Esports Insider

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Dubai-based esports organisation Galaxy Racer has announced it will sponsor the Canadian National Cricket Team at the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier. The sponsorship will see Galaxy Racer's logo appear on the team's official competition jersey as well as warm-up kits throughout the qualifier.

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NHL Unveils Sponsorship Activations for 2022 Stadium Series

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NHL Unveils Sponsorship Activations for 2022 Stadium Series

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Truly Hard Seltzer will sponsor the Pre-Game Fan Fest at the 2022 Stadium Series in Nashville. Fans have the chance to win the “best seats in the house” at the game. Opportunities to take photos with NHL alumni alongside the Truly Margarita Zamboni. Should the NHL and other professional sports leagues be partnering with alcoholic beverage companies?

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The National Hockey League detailed the partner activations that will take place at the Truly Hard Seltzer NHL PreGame fan festival, to be held Saturday, Feb. 26, prior to the NHL Stadium Series at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., when the Nashville Predators will host the Tampa Bay Lightning.

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NHL: Partner Activations Up 36% for Truly Hard Seltzer NHL PreGame Fan Festival

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The National Hockey League detailed the partner activations that will take place at the Truly Hard Seltzer NHL PreGame fan festival, to be held Saturday, Feb. 26, prior to the NHL Stadium Series at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., when the Nashville Predators will host the Tampa Bay Lightning.

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Oracle Becomes Red Bull F1 Title Sponsor in deal worth $300million

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Oracle Becomes Red Bull F1 Title Sponsor in deal worth $300million

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The deal is over 5 years. Is it worth $300 million for Oracle to gain title sponsorship for one of the most well-known F1 teams? Is Oracle taking into consideration the success of the Netflix show "Formula 1: Drive to Survive"?

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STOCKHOLM, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Software giant Oracle's (ORCL.N) title sponsorship agreement with the Red Bull Formula One team is worth about $300 million over five years, according to sources familiar with the deal.

The new deal was signed on Wednesday between Oracle and Formula One champion Max Verstappen's team and will see it renamed Oracle Red Bull Racing. They did not disclose financial terms. read more

Formula One engineers run thousands of computer simulations to help decide race strategy. The Red Bull team would use Oracle's cloud infrastructure for running those simulations.

A spokesperson for Oracle declined to comment on the sponsorship deal.

Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee, European Technology & Telecoms Correspondent, based in Stockholm; Editing by Nick Macfie

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Oracle's Red Bull F1 title sponsorship deal worth $300 million

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STOCKHOLM, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Software giant Oracle's (ORCL.N) title sponsorship agreement with the Red Bull Formula One team is worth about $300 million over five years, according to sources familiar with the deal. The new deal was signed on Wednesday between Oracle and Formula One champion Max Verstappen's team and will see it renamed Oracle Red Bull Racing.

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Lululemon becomes official outfitter of Team Canada at the Olympics

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Lululemon becomes official outfitter of Team Canada at the Olympics

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What do we think of Team Canada becoming the official outfitter of Canadian athletes at the Olympics? We all love Lululemon gear, but is too expensive? A pair of gloves were over $60, and the old Hudson Bay ones were around $15 - $20. Is it worth it if fans aren't willing to spend the money on the clothing?

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Lululemon becomes official outfitter of Team Canada at the Olympics - Canadian Running Magazine

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The Team Canada x lululemon collection will feature a story of transformation: of courage, strength, and collaboration

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NFL sponsors, Nike, Pepsi dominate non traditional media exposure during Super Bowl 

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NFL sponsors, Nike, Pepsi dominate non traditional media exposure during Super Bowl 

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We all know how big the Super Bowl is but we also know how big the Super Bowl commercials are. Nike and Pepsi came out on top and they scored millions of dollars of media exposure. Do you agree that this is a good partnership for both Nike & Pepsi?

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NFL sponsors Nike, Pepsi dominate nontraditional media exposure during Super Bowl

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Companies that had their logo appear during the 2022 Super Bowl generated $170 million of media value, software company Hive told CNBC.

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Highest Super Bowl ad spenders over the last two decades

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Highest Super Bowl ad spenders over the last two decades

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Coinbase Floating QR Code Commercial for SuperBowl 2022

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Coinbase Floating QR Code Commercial for SuperBowl 2022

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Brilliant or Wasteful? 7M dollars for this commercial - what are your thoughts?

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Latest NFL Leads

The Super Bowl is a grand American event and the commercials are the biggest draw for non-football fans. The advertising companies work all year to come up with a good Super Bowl commercial, one that will be remembered by the hundreds of millions of viewers for a long time.

This year, Coinbase, a cryptocurrency company, tried their hand at a memorable ad spot in the first quarter of Super Bowl LVI between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals. They succeeded, but for the wrong reasons. Coinbase's commercial consisted of a QR code bouncing around the television screen for 30 seconds before abruptly going all blue screen of death with the Coinbase name. It was awful.

Brilliant or wasteful? Coinbase spent somewhere around $7M for a #SuperBowl ad with just a QR code. pic.twitter.com/eAb9TViGVu
- The Recount (@therecount) February 14, 2022

Now, the advertisement did its job in the sense that it gave the company notoriety. We're here reading about it now and that probably means it was money well-spent to some degree. But the website and the app crashed after the commercial went live!

It certainly piqued the curiosity of the greater American public. It was just not a very good ad.

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Coinbase Floating QR Code Commercial One of the Worst in Super Bowl History

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Latest NFL Leads The Super Bowl is a grand American event and the commercials are the biggest draw for non-football fans. The advertising companies work all year to come up with a good Super Bowl commercial, one that will be remembered by the hundreds of millions of viewers for a long time.

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Great Summer Internship Opportunities with Canada Basketball!

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Great Summer Internship Opportunities with Canada Basketball!

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CB Internship Postings - Summer 2022.pdf

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Anyone else dying over the fact Puppy Bowl had sponsorship and onsite signage?

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'puppy bowl' teams are ready to paw-ty. here are all the details - cnn

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'Puppy Bowl' teams are ready to paw-ty. Here are all the details

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Whether you hate football, love dogs or some combination of both, Puppy Bowl XVIII is here to help you on Super Bowl Sunday.

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Golf Ontario Summer Internships Available

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Golf Ontario Summer Internships Available

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Internship Program

Golf Ontario is a Provincial Sports Organization and the governing body for golf in Ontario. Golf Ontario's mission is to 'shape lives by leading, creating and promoting positive golf experiences. Working together as a team is the culture of Golf Ontario, striving for brilliance in everything that we do. If contributing and making an impact Towards a Nation Golfing sounds exciting, we'd like to hear from you!

Golf Ontario thanks all applicants but will contact only those who will be invited for an interview. Qualified/Interested applicants should forward a detailed resume and cover letter in PDF format.

Please note* Application deadlines vary based on the position availability. Our positions fill quickly so please submit your interest as soon as possible!

2022 Internship Opportunities

*Deadline to submit is shown after title

2022 Summer Internship Application Process

Step 1: Application - Applications may be submitted in the link found here

Step 2: Interviews - Candidates will be contacted via email to schedule an interview via ZOOM where HR and the Hiring Manager will ask relevant knowledge and skills related questions.

Step 3: Selection - Candidates selected to work with Golf Ontario will be contacted and will be required to provide references and to undergo screening, including a background check.

Step 4: Training and Orientation - Interns will be trained on all policies and procedures with HR and the Hiring Manager to ensure a thorough understanding prior to their start date.

Step 5: Work Terms - Most work terms will run from the end of April to the end of August.

What we look for in applicants:

You must share our values of
Passion, Respect, United, Accountable, Brilliant

Hard-working individuals

Positive attitudes

Energetic personalities

Dedication to the job

Driven problem solvers

Creative thinkers

Passion for golf

Diverse and Inclusive Workplace

Golf Ontario is dedicated to building a diverse, anti-racist, inclusive, merit-based, and equitable work force. Golf Ontario ensures a barrier-free experience for all intern applicants who are interested in working for our organization. We offer accommodations in all aspects of employment, which include the recruitment process.

Please visit our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy to learn more about Golf Ontario's commitment to advancing racial equity, diversity, and inclusion.

About Golf Ontario

With over 92,000 individual members, 450 member clubs and more than 200 dedicated volunteers, and 20 outstanding staff, Golf Ontario is one of the largest golf associations in the world. From rating courses and keeping the integral rules of the game intact, to developing the sport at the grassroots and high-performance level, to hosting the best amateur championships in Canada and leading and supporting the Ontario golf community, Golf Ontario is committed to driving more people to play golf, more often, starting at a younger age.

Also, make sure and Follow Golf Ontario >> Job Opportunities

*Golf Ontario will continue to comply with all provincial and municipal orders and guidance in the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 and thus the incumbent will be required to work from home and attend to the office periodically as needed until we are able to return safely to the office.

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Internship Program Golf Ontario is a Provincial Sports Organization and the governing body for golf in Ontario. Golf Ontario's mission is to 'shape lives by leading, creating and promoting positive golf experiences. Working together as a team is the culture of Golf Ontario, striving for brilliance in everything that we do.

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Company Description

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) one of the world's premier sports and entertainment companies, owns the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), Toronto Raptors (NBA), Toronto FC (MLS), Toronto Argonauts (CFL), Toronto Marlies (AHL), Raptors 905 (NBA D-League), TFC II (USL) and Raptors Uprising Gaming Club, the Toronto Raptors Esports franchise in the NBA 2K League. Its charitable arm, MLSE Foundation, focuses on funding initiatives to support youth through sport and recreational programs. In 2017 MLSE Foundation, with support of community and corporate partners, built MLSE LaunchPad, a 42,000-sq. ft. space dedicated to programming that support its four Pillars: Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Ready For School and Ready For Work.

MLSE also owns and operates Scotiabank Arena, Canada's premier sports & entertainment venue hosting more than 200 events each year, as well as two digital channels (Leafs Nation Network and NBA TV Canada), and has a partnership with Live Nation (the biggest concert promoter in the world). MLSE has also invested in and operates five of Toronto's sports facilities - Coca-Cola Coliseum, BMO Field, BMO Training Grounds at Downsview Park, home of Toronto FC's Academy and the First Team's practice facility, the Toronto Raptors' training facility and the MasterCard Centre for Hockey Excellence, the practice facility for the Maple Leafs and Marlies.

MLSE's common purpose is to unite and empower employees to deliver extraordinary moments to our fans and each other.

Who We Are:

We celebrate the diversity, individuality, and personality of our peers, striving to be the best in class, in every class. We believe in Respect, Resilience, Commitment, and Ambition. We work for, with, and around the people that inspire us to try, persist, and achieve more.

Our work goes beyond games, seasons, trophies, and tours. Our success is measured by more than a scoreboard. Our team is stronger when we stand united. We create, we celebrate, we build, and we become better!

What we choose to do next, means everything! It defines greatness, builds character, makes history, and brings the world to its feet.

As part of the MLSE Global Partnership (GP) team, your primary responsibility will be to provide support on partner contract fulfillment and assist the department through the management of several internal processes & initiatives.

Your passion for sport and brand partnerships will allow you to be a key contributor within the Global Partnership team, positioning MLSE as a leader within sport & entertainment at a global level. This role will support on partnerships with varying objectives and will crossover with all MLSE properties including, but not limited to, Maple Leafs, Raptors, Argonauts, Toronto FC, and MLSE owned venues.

MLSE's Internship term dates are from May 9th, 2022 - September 2nd, 202 2.

Responsibilities:

Assist the Global Partnerships team on a variety of projects

Help coordinate Global Partnership events

Manage and organize the partner photo catalog

Assist in the execution of partner promotions and contests

Manage inventory of autographed merchandise

Adhere to all MLSE service standards and policies while working in compliance with the provisions of the Occupational Health & Safety Act

Perform other administrative or service functions as required

Qualifications

Currently enrolled in a post-secondary institution with a focus on a sports, public relations or communications related field

Excellent communication, organizational and interpersonal skills

Able to work independently with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail

Able to multitask and meet multiple deadlines

Be a self-starter

Able to always exercise diplomacy and tact

Proficient with Microsoft Office products including Excel, PowerPoint, and Word

Must be available Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm with some flexibility based on needs

Additional Information

Apply by: February 28th, 2022

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Partnership will provide reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities in the job application process. If you have difficulty using our online application system and you need an accommodation due to a disability, please email accommodations@mlse.com. Please note this email is only for accommodation requests. Resumes sent to this email address will not be considered.
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MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Partnership) hiring Global Partnership Marketing Intern in Toronto, Ontario, Canada | LinkedIn

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Company Description Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) one of the world's premier sports and entertainment companies, owns the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), Toronto Raptors (NBA), Toronto FC (MLS), Toronto Argonauts (CFL), Toronto Marlies (AHL), Raptors 905 (NBA D-League), TFC II (USL) and Raptors Uprising Gaming Club, the Toronto Raptors Esports franchise in the NBA 2K League.

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Activating in the great outdoors is serving as a pandemic-proof strategy for brands looking to connect with consumers face-to-face, and sponsorship activations at the X Games Aspen, Jan. 21-23 at Buttermilk Ski Resort in Colorado, were no exception. In addition to world-class action sports competitions broadcast by production partner ESPN, the free annual event included the X Fest fan experience, encompassing partner activations from brands like Wendy's and Monster, live dj sets and athlete meet-and-greets. To boot, fans could attend several events produced in partnership with Aspen Gay Ski Week, as well as nightly performances from the likes of Illenium and Louis the Child (attendees 12 and older were required to provide proof of vaccination in all spectator viewing and festival locations).

For those watching the event at home, the X Games app, powered by Verizon, provided a completely new way to be immersed in the event through AR- and VR-powered experiences. But we're taking it right to the slopes, where sponsors engaged a sports-loving crowd in the flesh with sampling, swag and photo moments.

From the X Games Archives:

MONSTER

Monster Energy's athlete partners snagged 23 medals at X Games Aspen, and fans could catch all the action at the brand's outdoor deck and lounge. The branded space included a dj spinning tunes, free Monster product sampling and large TVs with live feeds of the competitions and exclusive brand content. There was also on-mountain branding and plenty of product distributed across the entire X Games footprint for athletes, staff and fans at multiple touchpoints. Agency: In-house.

JEEP

Jeep, a 19-year X Games Aspen sponsor, returned as the event's official automotive partner with a fleet of vehicles, fan engagements and extensions across broadcast, linear, social and digital. On-site, the brand shined a spotlight on three particular models: the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392, the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe Hybrid and the Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve. Fans who opted for a test drive in one of the vehicles snagged a branded giveaway and were automatically entered into a drawing for a $400 Rossingol gift card. Two gift cards were distributed each day of the Games. Attendees could also register to win $100,000 towards a new Jeep, and spin a prize wheel for the chance to earn some swag.
Photo credit: Rich Storry/ESPN Images
PACIFICO

Pacifico beer had footprints in two beer garden locations within X Fest that provided fans with shareable experiences as they sipped ice-cold brews, mountainside. A branded Airstream trailer was on-site serving samples, and attendees could participate in a ski simulator experience, snap a shot in a branded gondola photo booth and earn prizes and giveaways all weekend long.
Photo credit: Eric Lars Bakke/ESPN Images
WENDY'S

Wendy's, which recently debuted its Hot & Crispy fries, served as the official fries of X Games Aspen, and its presence at the event wasn't exactly subtle. At X Fest, for instance, attendees were drawn in by a giant, illuminated Wendy's Fry Box. Anyone could walk up to the installation to receive free French Fry gloves and Frosty key tags, which they can use to get a free Wendy's Jr. Frosty with purchase through the end of the year.

The Hot & Crispy product was also on display at the Wendy's Snowboard Knuckle Huck nighttime event, where the brand showed up with a Fry Box-themed ski rack filled with one-of-a-kind Wendy's French Fry skis, and incorporated content integrations with X Games hosts Jack Mitrani and Victoria Arlen. Agency: The Marketing Arm.
Photo credit: Wendy's
SKREWBALL WHISKEY

First-time X Games Aspen sponsor Skrewball Whiskey hosted a fan activation outside of X Fest's Beer & Wine Garden. Touchpoints included photo ops, a live dj, giveaways, peanut butter whiskey sampling and warm Skrewball beverages like boozy hot cocoa and coffee. Olympic Gold Medalist Shaun White joined the activation as a friend of the brand to serve up shots and present Skrewball's $25,000 donation to nonprofit organization STOKED. Funding will be used to help STOKED fulfill its mission to bridge the opportunity gap for low-income, BIPOC youth. The donation was tied to Skrewball's larger commitment to supporting those in need, which in the early days of the pandemic included traveling across the country in a "Sheep Wagon" to deliver random acts of kindness to communities severely impacted by the pandemic. Agency: In-house.
Featured photo credit: Monster

Kait joined EM in 2015 and today enjoys her role as senior editor. When she's not in reporter mode, rocking mermaid pants at Comic-Con or running laps at MWC Barcelona, you can find her at home listening to music and doting on her fur baby. →
View all articles by Kait Shea →

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Get a Quick Overview of Sponsorship Activations from X Games Aspen

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Activating in the great outdoors is serving as a pandemic-proof strategy for brands looking to connect with consumers face-to-face, and sponsorship activations at the X Games Aspen, Jan. 21-23 at Buttermilk Ski Resort in Colorado, were no exception.

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NBC Sells Out Super Bowl LVI, Hitting $7M for 30-Second Ads

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NBC Sells Out Super Bowl LVI, Hitting $7M for 30-Second Ads

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NBC Sells Out Super Bowl LVI, Hitting $7M for 30-Second Ads

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Automotive, technology and entertainment companies are among the biggest spenders this year.

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What to expect from the 2022 Super Bowl commercials

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What to expect from the 2022 Super Bowl commercials

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Brands like Crypto.com, Budweiser, and Doritos are planning ads for the upcoming Super Bowl on February 13.

The game is the biggest stage for advertisers and is expected to be watched by nearly 100 million people.

Insider is talking to the brands and ad agencies behind the ads to learn how they put them together.

Brands are gearing up for the biggest advertising event of the year.

First-time advertisers like Crypto.com will join longtime advertisers Pepsi, Budweiser, and Doritos on February 13 at Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles.

While it's not clear which teams will face off at the game, brands have spent months preparing to run TV commercials that entertain people and convince them to buy their products.

NBCUniversal is charging advertisers $6.5 million to run a 30-second ad with millions more spent on production and digital ads.

Insider is talking to the big names and lesser known ad executives behind the scenes to learn what makes an iconic advertisement.

Advertisers will play up humor this year

Ad agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners has worked on dozens of Super Bowl campaigns for Frito-Lay and Sam Adams. Humor is always a big part of making a hit Super Bowl ad, but chief creative officer Margaret Johnson expects to see ads with more sophisticated humor this year.

"People are tired of this we're-all-in-this-together-pat-on-the-back spirit," she told Michael Kamier. "But sophomoric humor won't play well this year. I'm encouraging more sophisticated humor, especially considering the pandemic."

How agencies find the right idea

Advertisers' biggest challenge with the Super Bowl is creating the right message that will resonate with people. HighDive, a Chicago-based agency with founders who have worked on more than 50 Super Bowl campaigns, gave this advice to Nasha Smith.

"You start with identifying the strategy, the brand belief, and the product truth. Where it begins to really differ is recognizing the broad Super Bowl audience and the expectations they have to be entertained," said cofounders Mark Gross and Chad Broude. "If you meet those expectations, you could really insert a brand into the culture.

If you don't, you could fail. This is the one time a year consumers are not avoiding commercials. They're actually seeking them out, and it's important you don't make them regret that."

For Intuit's first Super Bowl spot for its brand QuickBooks, the company is promoting its recent acquisition of Mailchimp in an ad that will feature a celebrity.

Celebrities are a tried-and-tested way to make a statement.

"Strategically aligning a celebrity that taps into your brands' DNA and truly embodies their messaging is the real key," said Susannah Keller, executive vice president and global business leader of Mars at BBDO Worldwide.

Covid has dramatically changed production

Startup ClickUp is running its first regional Super Bowl ad this year and is testing two different ads. With more protocols in place with how to shoot commercials, Melissa Rosenthal, chief creative officer at ClickUp, said that it's crucial to shoot as much as possible to have choices for the final ad.

"It's important to have those options in a time when something as simple as being physically inside an office is so socially and politically fluid," she said. "Production planning happens over the course of months, but the news is a moving target."

Super Bowl ads need to extend past the game

For the past few years, Avocados from Mexico has been a staple advertiser in the game. This year, the brand is using the Super Bowl to build a bigger campaign that includes two other parts, Avocados from Mexico's VP of marketing and innovation Ivonne Kinser told Fortesa Latifi.

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What to expect from the 2022 Super Bowl commercials

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Brands like Crypto.com, Budweiser, and Doritos are planning ads for the upcoming Super Bowl on February 13. The game is the biggest stage for advertisers and is expected to be watched by nearly 100 million people. Insider is talking to the brands and ad agencies behind the ads to learn how they put them together.

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Coke Goes Big on Olympics Sponsorship in China. At Home, Not So Much.

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Coke Goes Big on Olympics Sponsorship in China. At Home, Not So Much.

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Coca-Cola Co. has been an Olympics supporter for nearly a century. It counts China as its third-largest market after the U.S. and Mexico. Coke's challenges heading into the Winter Games are in some ways representative of those of other Western sponsors, and in some ways distinct. Here is a look at the company's business dealings in China and its Olympic plans as the 2022 Winter Olympics are set to begin in Beijing this week.

Coke Deepens China Ties

Coca-Cola in 2019 struck a deal with China Mengniu Dairy Co. to share the designation of official nonalcoholic beverage sponsors of the Olympic Games through 2032. Chief Executive James Quincey hailed the marriage as a "profound partnership" as he stood beside the Chinese company's CEO at a news conference in Switzerland. The Beijing Games kicking off Friday mark the first Olympiad in which the joint sponsorship takes effect. The 12-year pact links Coca-Cola to a Chinese business whose largest shareholder is a state-owned food giant. The deal cost the two companies more than $2 billion combined, including rights fees, marketing and other commitments, according to people familiar with the matter.

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Coke Goes Big on Olympics Sponsorship in China. At Home, Not So Much.

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Coca-Cola Co. has been an Olympics supporter for nearly a century. It counts China as its third-largest market after the U.S. and Mexico. Coke's challenges heading into the Winter Games are in some ways representative of those of other Western sponsors, and in some ways distinct.

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Olympic Sponsors Are Banking on Public Indifference to China's Human Rights Abuses

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Olympic Sponsors Are Banking on Public Indifference to China's Human Rights Abuses

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The 2022 Winter Olympic Games start today - what does this mean for this year's sponsors?

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Olympic Sponsors Are Banking on Public Indifference to China's Human Rights Abuses

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At Airbnb, hopes were sky-high three years ago when the company reached deep into its pockets for $500 million to sign on as a major...

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Brand Media Marketing Intern (2022): adidas

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Brand Media Marketing Intern (2022): adidas

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Interesting internship opportunity working from the brand perspective!

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This internship is an excellent opportunity for a top talent with strong communication, creative problem-solving skills and a passion for sports and the sporting goods industry. We would love to gain some new and fresh perspectives from you and in return provide you with great learning opportunities on a variety of projects and teams as well as the possibility to stay with us long-term and start building your career at adidas!

Details of the program

Duration: May 2nd -August 26th (16 weeks)

Remuneration: 16 CAD/ hour

Location: tbd. Our head office is in Woodbridge, ON. Currently, we are still working from home but once we return, we will work 3 days/ week from the office. Therefore, please make sure you are able to reach the office location.

Please note: We will have a vaccine mandate in place.

MEET THE HIRING MANAGER! (video)

https://youtu.be/lZWQEJGh6lo

How to apply

Please upload your resume and impress us with either an application video or your "1 Pager". The most important things here for you are to be creative, stand out from the crowd and show us who you are: How are you going to help adidas OWN THE GAME? What makes YOU a Creator? What are you going to contribute to the team? How do you live the 3Cs (Confidence, Creativity and Collaboration)?

Option 1: Application Video

Maximum length: 3 minutes.

Upload your video to YouTube, Dropbox, OneDrive or a similar application. Ensure you give us permission to view it.

Include the link to your video in your online application form.

Do not just record yourself talking to the camera. Be creative. This is your chance to shine!

Option 2: 1 Pager

Feel free to include text, images, links, videos, etc.

Creativity has no limits. This is your chance to shine!

The Creator 1 Pager is to be submitted in a PDF format. Please upload your 1 Pager to Dropbox or a similar application and include the link in your online application form.

Process and timelines
Application deadline: February 6th, 2022, end of day.

After this deadline, we will move quickly. Please be available and check your e-mail (incl. spam folder!) for when we reach out e.g., for a pre-recorded video interview in February.

The final stage of the process, interviews and assessment day, is planned for the week of March 14th (subject to change) and offers will be communicated by March 28th.

The Brand Media Marketing Intern: Purpose & overall relevance for the organization

Support the Communication Team in all areas of the business, including:

Creation of marketing tools to support Outdoor and Women's

Support and assist with all upcoming Events & activations

Manage product seeding & shipping

Coordinating communication internally & externally

Assist with overall planning and execution of programs across Outdoor and Women's

Key Responsibilities (Functional)

Develop creative briefs (including digital) for our creative services department

Facilitate media requests by sending product images and details

Research new vendors

Competitive landscape research and store visits

Assist in planning and coordinating events and activations

On-site facilitating and presence during all events and activations

Read through daily media clippings, social posts and provide highlights to team

Create purchase orders and manage

Have a working knowledge of all related product launches and retail programs

Manage backroom, new shipment & labelling, etc

Key Responsibilities (KPIs)

Meet project completion deadlines for above projects as outlined by Manager

Key Relationships (Internal)

Brand Activation Team

Digital Activation Team

Category Team

Knowledge Skills And Abilities

Familiarity with the digital landscape

Excellent command of the English language

Strong attention to detail

The ability to meet deadlines

Proficiency in MS Excel, MS Word, MS Outlook, MS PowerPoint.

Sports enthusiast

Travel may be required

Requisite Education And Experience / Minimum Qualifications

Currently enrolled in a college/university program or just graduated.

All applications will be accepted and considered. It is our long-term goal to convert interns into full time positions. Students who are planning to graduate within the next 12 months after the internship will be preferred for this program.

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adidas hiring Brand Media Marketing Intern (Internship Program 2022) in Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada | LinkedIn

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This internship is an excellent opportunity for a top talent with strong communication, creative problem-solving skills and a passion for sports and the sporting goods industry. We would love to gain some new and fresh perspectives from you and in return provide you with great learning opportunities on a variety of projects and teams as well as the possibility to stay with us long-term and start building your career at adidas!

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WNBA announces $75 million capital raise to aid growth strategy

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WNBA announces $75 million capital raise to aid growth strategy

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Exciting annoucement!

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6:59 AM ET

Close
Mechelle Voepel covers the WNBA, women's college basketball, and other college sports for espnW. Voepel began covering women's basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.

The WNBA announced Thursday a new capital raise featuring both new investors and existing WNBA and NBA owners. The league said the proceeds are expected to be used for things like marketing and brand elevation, the globalization of the league and addressing obstacles to growth.

The league did not release any financial specifics on the capital raise, which was funded via selling equity in the WNBA. But commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the needs for better marketing and innovation, in particular, were things she has been working on since taking the job in 2019. Engelbert spent 33 years at Deloitte, where she reached the level of CEO before retiring from the financial industry and becoming WNBA commissioner.

"In order to grow a business, you have to have capital," Engelbert said in an interview with ESPN. "Thanks to this capital raise, we're going to take a huge step forward in our growth strategy, particularly in areas like player marketing and elevating everything we do with our fans. Figuring out how to elevate our players and make sure we're building them into household names. And that we show up more in the places our fans want us to show up and where we can bring in new fans."

NIKE, Inc., which was already a WNBA partner and one of the companies previously branded as a WNBA Changemaker, has made a significant equity investment in the league, Engelbert said.

Among a long list of other initial investors in this capital raise are former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Miami Heat owner Micky Arison, Boston Globe CEO Linda Henry, Michael and Susan Dell of Dell Technologies, and Dee Haslam and Whitney Johnson of Haslam Sports Group (owners of the Cleveland Browns and Columbus Crew).

Also on the investor group are former WNBA player Swin Cash, former NBA players Baron Davis and Pau Gasol and former hockey star Angela Ruggiero. Several current WNBA owners are also involved, including the Dallas Wings' Bill Cameron, the Indiana Fever's Herb and Steve Simon, the Los Angeles' Sparks' Mark Walter, the New York Liberty's Joe and Clara Tsai, and the Seattle Storm's Ginny Gilder.

"We felt if we had this capital, we could have increased marketing and advertising," Engelbert said. "Which in this cluttered social media world you have to very strategic and innovative about. I think there is interest in everything the league stands for and everything the players are doing, both on court and socially and community minded. We looked for investors who shared the values of the WNBA. And who believe women's sports are on the way up and want to get in.

"It's really important that the players know this is investment in them, even though it's in the league and not a specific team or just specific players. It's to help grow our revenue streams and produce sustainable long-term growth."

The WNBA will begin its 26th season in May.

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WNBA reveals capital raise to aid growth strategy

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6:59 AM ET Close Mechelle Voepel covers the WNBA, women's college basketball, and other college sports for espnW. Voepel began covering women's basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996. The WNBA announced Thursday a new capital raise featuring both new investors and existing WNBA and NBA owners.

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LPGA developmental tour takes on new title sponsor, Epson, and three big financial changes

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LPGA developmental tour takes on new title sponsor, Epson, and three big financial changes

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the lpga qualifying tour announces new title sponsor epson and three big financial changes

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LPGA developmental tour takes on new title sponsor, Epson, and three big financial changes

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The LPGA announced Epson will replace Symetra as the title sponsor of its developmental tour. With the new partnership, there are significant financial changes that will benefit players immediately.

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Lululemon Signs Leylah Fernandez, Plans Tennis-Specific Apparel

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Lululemon Signs Leylah Fernandez, Plans Tennis-Specific Apparel

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Awesome partnership between Lululemon and Fernandez. Do you think Lululemon is making the right moves to gain access to new markets with this partnership, alongside their partnership with the Canadian Olympic & Paralympic committees?

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Lululemon Signs Leylah Fernandez, Plans Tennis-Specific Apparel

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Growing up in Canada, the Montreal-born Leylah Fernandez says Lululemon was the brand all the girls wanted to wear. It was the brand she wanted to wear. Now she is.

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Tim Hortons and Special Olympics Canada team up to launch limited-edition Choose To Include donut

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Tim Hortons and Special Olympics Canada team up to launch limited-edition Choose To Include donut

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Starting on Friday and through Sunday, Canadians can support Special Olympics Canada by buying a limited-edition Choose To Include Donut at participating Tim Hortons restaurants, with 100 per cent of the proceeds being donated directly to Special Olympics Canada.

The partnership is designed to raise both funds and awareness to help empower Special Olympics Canada's 41,000+ athletes reach their full potential - in sport and in life.

Individuals with an intellectual disability have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. For Special Olympics athletes, being away from their in-person programs has meant being away from their friends, their healthy activity and their network of support. Every Choose To Include donut sold will help Special Olympics athletes return to the playing field.

Tim Hortons is proud to be partnering with Special Olympics Canada in launching the Choose To Include fundraising donut, starting this Friday, with a goal of raising funds to help expand the quality, opportunity and accessibility of Special Olympics' daily community sport programs to Canadians with an intellectual disability.

The limited-edition fundraising donut will be sold at participating Tim Hortons restaurants across Canada for $1.69* starting this Friday and through Sunday, with 100 per cent of proceeds supporting Special Olympics Canada.

The Choose To Include donut is a chocolate cake ring donut with white fondant, coloured sprinkles and whipped topping. The multi-coloured design was inspired by the themes of diversity and inclusion that are central to the Special Olympics mission.

Special Olympics Canada is part of an international movement dedicated to enriching the lives of Canadians with an intellectual disability through sport. Their vision is that sport can open hearts and minds towards people with intellectual disabilities to create inclusive communities all across Canada. There are more than 41,000 Special Olympics athletes across the country.

"The need for funding to help our community prepare for the safe return to sport for Special Olympics athletes and volunteers is urgent," said Sharon Bollenbach, CEO, Special Olympics Canada. "People with intellectual disabilities have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic and limited access to social and physical activities have played a major role in the challenges our community is facing. Every Choose To Include donut purchased for our cause makes a difference and we look forward to seeing Canadians take part in our movement."

To support the launch of this fundraising donut, local Champions of Inclusion have been nominated by Special Olympics Canada. These athletes have experienced the power of inclusion and are sharing their stories to help create more inclusive communities across Canada.

One of those Champions of Inclusion, Monique Shah of Bradford, Ont., will appear in the national campaign to promote the Choose To Include Donut. Shah was Special Olympics Canada's athlete of the year for 2020, where she was recognized for her athletic achievements and championing inclusion in sport amongst her teammates. She believes we can all play our part when it comes to creating a more inclusive society.

"Special Olympics makes me healthy and strong. I love to run! It's a place where I am included and I always feel like I belong. The fight for inclusion needs all members of society to participate, all year long. Everyone should Choose To Include," said Shah, athlete ambassador, Special Olympics Canada.

Tim Hortons has been a proud sponsor of Special Olympics Canada since 2016. In addition to creating the Choose To Include fundraising donut, they are also the lead corporate sponsor of Special Olympics Canada's youth programs: Active Start, for two- to six-year-olds, and FUNdamentals, for seven- to 12-year-olds.

*Plus applicable taxes. Prices may vary by region.

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Tim Hortons and Special Olympics Canada team up to launch limited-edition Choose To Include donut

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Starting on Friday and through Sunday, Canadians can support Special Olympics Canada by buying a limited-edition Choose To Include Donut at participating Tim Hortons restaurants, with 100 per cent of the proceeds being donated directly to Special Olympics Canada. The partnership is designed to raise both funds and awareness to

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Athleta Partners with Alicia Keys to Further Cement its Commitment to Women’s Well-Being

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Athleta Partners with Alicia Keys to Further Cement its Commitment to Women’s Well-Being

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Athleta Partners with Alicia Keys to Further Cement its Commitment to Women’s Well-Being | Gap Inc.

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A Purpose-Driven Partnership Centered on Empowering Women which includes Creating Product Offerings, Building Community and Expanding Access to Well-Being Resources

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Parley and adidas Float Recycled Tennis Court On Australia's Great Barrier Reef

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Parley and adidas Float Recycled Tennis Court On Australia's Great Barrier Reef

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Environmental non-profit Parley for the Oceans and have teamed up once again to deliver a full-size sustainable tennis court in the middle of Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

Over the past years, Australia as a whole has been severely impacted by climate change with the alarming rise in bushfires as well as coral bleaching of its reefs. The project aims to raise awareness and ignite discussion for how the world can end Plastic Waste.

adidas worked with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) to transform the surface of one of its floating barges into a tennis court surface in which four of the brand's star athletes played a match in the new Parley x adidas tennis gear inspired by the colors of the reef.

The platform is seen in navy-on-white hues with "Plastic waste is a problem. Innovation is our solution," printed on the sides. Following the campaign, adidas will donate the tennis court to a local school, repurposing the material into a sports court.

The adidas and Parley collaboration stretches back to 2015, and adidas pledges to eliminate virgin polyester from all of its products by the end of 2025.

The apparel made with Parley Ocean Plastic will make another appearance throughout the Australian Open in Melbourne this month, and is now available on the adidas AU website.

Elsewhere from the duo, Parley delivers a sustainable take on the adidas 4DFWD.

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Parley and adidas Float Recycled Tennis Court On Australia's Great Barrier Reef

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Environmental non-profit Parley for the Oceans and have teamed up once again to deliver a full-size sustainable tennis court in the middle of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Over the past years, Australia as a whole has been severely impacted by climate change with the alarming rise in bushfires as well as coral bleaching of its reefs.

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CANADA SOCCER KICKS-OFF MULTI-YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH GE APPLIANCES CANADA

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CANADA SOCCER KICKS-OFF MULTI-YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH GE APPLIANCES CANADA

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Canada Soccer today announced a multi-year partnership with GE Appliances Canada. As part of its ongoing commitment to soccer in Canada, the brand is now an official partner of Canada Soccer's National Teams as their first-ever appliance brand partner.

The partnership, negotiated by Canadian Soccer Business (CSB), will kick off ahead of Canada's first FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Qualifiers match of 2022 on January 27 and will see GE Appliances become one of the most recognized supporters of soccer in Canada at all levels. Since 2019, GE has been committed to growing the sport in Canada and has partnered with professional teams across the country, developed academy-level programming to uplift youth players and run charitable programs within the communities.

"We're thrilled to be welcoming GE Appliances Canada as a partner and an official supporter of the Canadian Soccer community," said Dr. Nick Bontis, Canada Soccer President. "GE Appliances strives to instill quality and excellence in everything they do, values that we bring on and off the pitch each and every day. With a shared passion for the advancement of the sport in Canada, we can't wait to work together to bring this partnership to life."

Soccer is one of the fastest growing participatory sports in Canada, and this year will mark an exciting chapter for Canada Soccer as the Men's National Team is set to continue on the road toward the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ in the coming months, while the Women's National Team has its sights set on the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia / New Zealand 2023™.

"When we started out, we were clear we wanted to take our sponsorship of soccer to the next level. GE Appliances wanted to go beyond being a typical corporate sponsor," said Bob Park, Chief of Brands for GE Appliances Canada. "We want to be a true supporter, committed to developing and elevating the beautiful game in Canada and on the world stage. Whether it's the National Teams or our fiercely dedicated soccer fans, Canadians have an unrivaled passion for this sport. GE Appliances has always had a relentless dedication to quality and innovation, our partnership with Canada Soccer was a natural fit."

The multi-year partnership between GE Appliances and Canada Soccer will launch with in-stadium branding and signage during home matches as well as broadcast integration and will be followed by PR, digital and social media executions in the months to come.

"We welcome GE Appliances Canada as an official partner of Canada Soccer's National Teams," said Shaun Guest, Vice President, Canadian Soccer Business. "GE's commitment and investment in soccer in Canada is something we appreciate and look forward to working with them."
About GE Appliances
GE Appliances Canada, a Mabe company, makes moments that matter for our owners through our passion for making great appliances and providing unparalleled services. Owners have more choices than ever before under the GE®, Haier, Café® and Monogram® brands. Our products include refrigerators, freezers, cooking products, dishwashers, washers, dryers and air conditioners. For more information, visit geappliances.ca.
About Canada Soccer
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Canada Soccer Kicks-Off Multi-Year Partnership with GE Appliances Canada - Canada Soccer

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Canada Soccer today announced a multi-year partnership with GE Appliances Canada. As part of its ongoing commitment to soccer in Canada, the brand is now an official partner of Canada Soccer's National Teams as their first-ever appliance brand partner.

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‘I like to feel we can do it differently’: What if women’s sport went its own way?

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‘I like to feel we can do it differently’: What if women’s sport went its own way?

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It's a question many working in women's sport will have pondered at length over the years, one which is loaded with possibility and yet simultaneously tinged with an aching sense of missed opportunity.

Born of a lack of media coverage, chronic underfunding and archaic attitudes towards female participation, the question itself speaks to what might have been. Within it lies the inescapable feeling that women's sport would be far further down the road to commercial maturity had decades of institutionalised sexism and gender stereotyping not served to inhibit the potential of female athletes across the board.

From patriarchal ideologies to systemic inequality, myriad historic factors have served to stifle the growth of women's sports and women within sports, giving rise to stark disparities between male and female athletes. In early 2021, Deloitte predicted that total revenues across women's sports would amount to well under a billion dollars this year, a fraction of the global value of all sports, which in 2018 stood at US$481 billion. In Forbes' most recent list of the world's highest-paid sportspeople, just two women - tennis players Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams - made the top 50. According to Sportico estimates, no other women would have even cracked the top 1,000 overall.

But, of course, such inequity is nothing new. Research indicates that just seven per cent of the US$30 billion spent globally on sponsorships is directed towards sportswomen. It is also well documented that less than five per cent of sports coverage in the media includes women, despite females making up around 44 per cent of all sports participation.

Naomi Osaka is the highest-paid female athlete ever, absolutely demolishing the mark she set just last year https://t.co/TzYJ1pkLIQ pic.twitter.com/xa83sd6kXd
- Forbes SportsMoney (@ForbesSports) June 4, 2021

And yet, these are changing times.

Recent events have highlighted a clear appetite among fans and mounting commercial interest in women's sports. Attendances, viewership and merchandise sales are on the rise in many competitions, while rights holders and brands have begun to prioritise gender equality and increase their investments in female athletes. Expanded and improved media coverage, new professional competitions boasting equal pay or prize money and the unbundling of commercial rights to create standalone packages for women's properties are all sure signs of progress.

But what if, commercially speaking, there was no established blueprint for women's sports to follow? What if there was no preordained rulebook for how sport in general is governed, played, broadcast, packaged, marketed and monetised? What if centuries of societal convention could be set aside and a new path paved, one built on the cultural norms and attitudes of today rather than those dreamt up and imposed by men generations ago?

What if there was an opportunity to take a fresh approach altogether?

Content is queen

Unbalanced media coverage and biased representations in sport have not manifested overnight. Sport is viewed through a male lens because its tropes have been internalised over decades, if not centuries. Suffice to say, messaging is aimed either at men or audiences mostly comprised of men, and stories surrounding the female sporting experience have too often been under-appreciated. Together, those realities have fostered a lack of investment in consistent, high-quality coverage of women's sports beyond large-scale mixed events like the Olympics.

Yet the picture today is beginning to crystalise, having progressed in line with an ever-evolving media landscape and changing societal attitudes spurred by movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp. Coupled with the advent of social media, the arrival of digital-native platforms like Amazon Prime Video, DAZN, Eleven Sports and Twitch has led to a wave of fresh interest in sports content, opening up new opportunities to build audiences, to tell stories that might not have gained mainstream exposure in the past, and to connect with fans in more targeted, personalised ways.

As Sue Anstiss MBE writes in her recently released book 'Game On: The Unstoppable Rise of Women's Sport': 'Digital presents a fantastic opportunity for women's sport as we witness a shift away from linear TV and print media as the main route to consumption. While the survival of men's sport often depends on broadcast revenue, that's not been the case for the women, which might now be an advantage. Women's sport has the opportunity to pivot its offering, to be more creative in the ways it serves its growing audience, as, unlike traditional media, digital time and space are unlimited and in effect 'free'.'

Of course, eschewing traditional media outright is perhaps not the best course of action if the goal is to bridge the yawning visibility gap. Major broadcast networks maintain a level of reach and influence no upstart platform or independent media entity can possibly hope to rival, at least not initially. For that reason, content distribution strategies must embrace both established and emerging models, with broadcast television, social media platforms, owned and operated channels, and other nascent outlets all factored into structured rights packages that include a mix of free-to-air, pay-TV and short-form digital clips.

Athletes like WNBA star Arike Ogunbowale are capitalising on new media opportunities to tell their own stories
Such hybrid strategies are already evident at the top level of women's sports. In the US, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) notably struck a multi-year deal with Amazon in May to become the first women's professional league to be streamed on Prime Video. That deal complemented its existing national broadcast arrangements with CBS Sports and Disney and was subsequently bolstered by another first for women's sports: a landmark agreement with Buzzer, the new mobile platform that enables users to set up customised content alerts during live events.

This approach is clearly paying dividends for the WNBA. At a time when nearly every major men's property in the US struggled to retain viewers throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the league recorded significant increases in its domestic TV audience this year, with viewership up 51 per cent over the 2020 season and 24 per cent on 2019. Not coincidentally, similarly notable increases have been registered by the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), thanks in part to more exposure on cable and broadcast TV, as well as a global streaming deal with Amazon-owned Twitch, which now shows every match outside North America for free.

Each of these deals is structured to maximise both reach and revenue, but they are also evidence of the extent to which the leading properties are embracing more novel, digital-first approaches to content distribution. Indeed, creativity in the media space can be found right across the industry. Earlier this summer, for example, Burnley FC Women became the first UK soccer side to live stream games on TikTok as part of a multi-year deal that would see the video-sharing platform also become the third-tier club's sleeve sponsor.

In tandem with these emerging media opportunities has come the launch of all-new outlets dedicated to covering female athletes. Legacy publishers like the Los Angeles Times and the UK's Telegraph newspaper, which was widely lauded when it created Telegraph Women's Sport (TWS) back in 2019, are notably investing more resources into women's sports. Multinational broadcaster Eleven Sports has also created a new Eleven Women division with a remit to acquire rights to women's sports globally.

In the US, espnW has been the foremost platform dedicated to female voices in sports since its creation in July 2010. Now, however, several upstart ventures are emerging with the stated aim of boosting the visibility and accessibility of women's sports.

Two of those platforms, Togethxr and Just Women's Sports (JWS), share many similarities, not least the fact that their business models differ greatly from those of the established media players. Cut from the same social-first, community-driven cloth as other youth-focused outlets like Overtime and House of Highlights, both companies are aiming to build multi-channel media brands that combine sports, lifestyle and culture with other core revenue streams such as original programming and merchandise.

"Increasingly, the gatekeepers are irrelevant," says Jessica Robertson, Togethxr's chief content officer. "Because the power is in your own hands, you can connect directly with your own community and your own audience.

"Media organisations and brands are recognising that women's sports isn't a cause, it's actually really good business. There's really rich communities to be built and really incredible brand value alignment to be had. I genuinely believe this is the one space where a rising tide does lift all boats."

The power is in your own hands, you can connect directly with your own community and your own audience.
Jessica Robertson, Chief Content Officer, Togethxr

Launched in early 2020 by Haley Rosen, a former professional soccer player, JWS started life purely as an Instagram account but now operates its own branded platforms providing news and analysis through exclusive interviews, podcasts, videos and other content. Hailed as the first female-led media company that is fully VC funded, the company raised US$3.5 million in May through a seed financing round led by Will Ventures, Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman's Thirty Five Ventures, OVO Fund, Supernode Global, and Drive by DraftKings.

On its website, JWS sets out its stall in no uncertain terms: 'This isn't a token sub-brand or at the bottom of some dropdown menu. We aren't doing this for charity. And don't expect pink and glitter.'

Like Togethxr, which was co-founded in March by Olympic champions Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim, Simone Manuel and Sue Bird, JWS has the backing of several top sportswomen, including WNBA stars Arike Ogunbowale and Elena Delle Donne, ice hockey great Hilary Knight, and soccer players Kelley O'Hara and Sam Mewis. Each of those star names act as content creators for the platform as well as equity investors, thereby helping to lend JWS immediate profile and credibility.

"We're working closely with them on content and ideas and getting feedback there because they're on the ground," says Rachel Quon, the head of operations at JWS. "Our institutional investors are also super supportive in giving us feedback on our goals and also introducing us to people in the industry. We have Will Ventures, we have Drive by DraftKings, who are in the betting space. They're able to help us get in conversations so we can continuously learn and then adapt based on that."

According to Quon, a former soccer player who represented Canada, JWS has set out to build the infrastructure necessary to make it easier to be a fan of women's sports. In July, the company launched the JWS Scoreboard, a live scoring widget that has been a staple of men's sports for years but has never existed on the women's side. During the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, too, it created a dedicated women's-only medal count and also rolled out an original video series, Best Seat in the House, which gives audiences an exclusive look inside the homes of athletes' families as they watch their loved ones compete.

In time, Quon says JWS intends to become a "a full 360 media company" and a destination for streaming live sports and highlights, but for now the brand is focusing on laying the groundwork for regular year-round coverage.

"For women's sports to take that leap, games need to be accessible," she says. "Right now they're on at 10pm, they're at times that are not consistent, they're on networks that are not consistent, or you have to search and find where it's going to be. So games need to be accessible but also the content around the games, so the analysis, the player stats, the highlights, everything that should be around women's sports 24/7. That's the bigger vision for Just Women's Sports and we're in the beginning stages of that."

The whole package

Signs of the commercial momentum in women's sports are everywhere, not just in the media space. Studies projecting future growth are certainly not hard to find. In the UK, for instance, the Women's Sport Trust (WST) estimates that revenue generated by women's sports will grow to UK£1 billion by 2030, up from UK£350 million currently.

In June, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury announced a deal, reported to be worth some US$66 million over its 15-year term, with Bally's Corporation that was described at the time as the 'largest official team sponsorship' in the history of women's sports. But if one measure of the current trajectory is increasing rights fees, the growing trend of unbundling women's rights from the equivalent men's properties clearly illustrates rising demand and sponsor interest, with more and more rights owners now seeing the value in separating out their commercial assets.

Uefa, European soccer's governing body, first unbundled sponsorship rights around its women's competitions back in 2017, and has since secured agreements with the likes of Visa, Heineken, PepsiCo and Grifols. Elsewhere, World Rugby recently launched a dedicated Women in Rugb y commercial programme that sets out to build 'further profile, engagement and sustainable growth' as part of its Women in Rugby Plan up until 2025.

Visa backed the Uefa Women's Champions League in a landmark standalone sponsorship deal signed in 2018
Interestingly, this trend of unbundling rights has coincided with a push to bring women's properties more in line with their male counterparts. The result is that, in many sports, women's propositions are straightforward replications of those long built up around men: the same identities and kits, the same competitive structures, the same sponsors. Yet not everybody agrees with this approach. Some believe women's leagues and clubs - particularly those in popular team sports like soccer and basketball - should be spun out into their own independent entities and left to stand alone on merit, largely because they have typically been perceived as an afterthought or subordinate to their corresponding men's competitions.

Notably in 2019, reports that English soccer's Premier League could look to take over the running of the Women's Super League (WSL) were met with resistance among players and clubs who baulked at the prospect of coming under male control.

"I like to feel we can do it differently," says Anstiss, the chief executive of Fearless Women and the Women's Sport Collective who also sits on the board of trustees at the WST. "We don't have to follow the path that men's sport has done and some of the negative elements also within men's sport. But it isn't just black and white.

"If we look at football as the biggest growth opportunity, aligning ourselves to the men and wanting the backing and support of the men's clubs is really important to the growth of the sport, too. So I think there's almost a little bit of a dilemma for women's sport. We can go and plow a new field and we can do it differently and that's exciting, and we should be. But at the same time it will benefit from being associated with men's sport."

So I do feel there is a huge opportunity for investors to come in. Whether it's venture capital or it's sponsors, they can make a significant difference without the level of money they would need to make a similar splash in men's sport.
Sue Anstiss, MBE

Across all sports, there are clear differences between how men's and women's properties are positioned commercially. With women's sports generally viewed as more family-oriented and inclusive, marketing around them is often more cause-focused and purpose-driven. With that in mind, one of the ways in which marketers in women's sports are differentiating their sponsorship propositions is by gearing brand partnerships towards community impact rather than media exposure.

NWSL expansion franchise Angel City FC are a case in point. Backed by a consortium of investors including actress Natalie Portman and retired soccer stars Abby Wambach and Mia Hamm, they have been able to fill all three of their main sponsorship slots - including the most lucrative front-of-shirt deal in the league, worth eight figures overall - a full year out from their debut season in 2022. Tellingly, their sponsorship philosophy dictates that a portion of the money they receive from their partners is reallocated to local causes - team sponsor DoorDash, for example, has committed to donating US$5 for every order placed on its platform to restaurants in Los Angeles owned or led by women.

"How many gambling sponsors can you have in men's football?" posits Anstiss. "You know, there's only so much you can do there before you want to do something differently and position yourself differently. So I do feel there is a huge opportunity for investors to come in. Whether it's venture capital or it's sponsors, they can make a significant difference without the level of money they would need to make a similar splash in men's sport."

Indeed, it is not only rights holders that are actively seeking out untapped commercial opportunities; brands are also changing the way they evaluate women's sports.

In August, to mark Women's Equality Day, beer brand Michelob Ultra committed to spending some US$100 million on improving gender equality in sports over the next five years. As well as pledging that half its ad creative, lifestyle media inventory, talent endorsements and sponsorships will feature female athletes by 2025, the brand also launched its 'Save It, See It' campaign, which encourages fans to save women's sports highlights they watch on social media. Other brands such as AT&T, Google and Barclays have been notably active in the space, ramping up their investments across many major competitions.

It is clear, then, that investors in women's sports see nothing but upside, not least since the cost of entry remains relatively low. Brian Reilly, a managing partner at Will Ventures, which led the JWS investment round earlier this year, has described the space as a "venture-scale opportunity". That phrase certainly seems apt, for if the overly saturated, often conservative and highly politicised world of men's sport is awash with immovable juggernauts, multinational corporations and long-established relationships, women's sport is a comparatively dynamic, fast-growing ecosystem of high-growth startups and entrepreneurial founders willing to think differently.

"We built a team like it's an enterprise software company," Kara Nortman, a co-founder of Angel City FC and a managing partner at Upfront Ventures, told the Wall Street Journal earlier this year. "We have investors who are amplifying our brand, sponsors coming to us to reach an audience that isn't the NFL. Sports is a prized asset, and men's teams are very expensive. For us, there is this energy around building something and buying in at a price that could literally [rise in value ten-, 20- or 30-fold]."

Strong female leads

For many, the term women's sports is a frustrating generalisation. The mere fact that the term is gendered implies that women's sports are for women and sports - or, to paraphrase, men's sports - are for everyone.

"I think women's sports has to be right-sized," says Robertson. "I don't think comparing and modelling off of men's sports sets women's sports up for success. The investment, for so many years, has been behind men's sports, so the investment structures haven't been there to replicate those male models.

"It's incredibly hard to have a model, a copy and paste model, when the level of investment isn't the same. So you know, it's sort of overdue for brands and federations and broadcasters to invest and undo the inequity that's existed."

Most comparisons between men's and women's sports are indeed unfair. One criticism often levelled at the loss-making WNBA, for instance, is that because the league is largely bankrolled by the men's NBA, it could not stand on its own two feet. Yet if that is the case, it is undoubtedly a consequence of economic reality and historic under-investment. As has been noted elsewhere, while ESPN is reported to pay US$25 million for domestic rights to the WNBA, its deal for the NBA totalled US$2.6 billion as of 2019.

"For a long time," says Robertson, "there was this question of: is the ROI there? And that's why there wasn't an investment in the women's sports space. Well, that's not the only reason there wasn't investment. Women's sports is ground zero for every ism. We can get into social conversations and constructs that have also held women back but, you know, for a long time it was considered not worth the ROI.

"What I would say now is the risk is that you don't invest and you miss out on the massive opportunity that's right before you."

I think women's sports has to be right-sized. I don't think comparing and modelling off of men's sports sets women's sports up for success.
Jessica Robertson, Chief Content Officer, Togethxr

Though the W still appears in the acronyms of most of the very biggest properties, a growing movement to remove gender references from the names of teams, leagues and competitions is gathering pace. World Rugby, for example, dropped gender designations from its flagship World Cups back in 2019, while the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) rebranded to the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) this September. In US college sports, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has finally moved to permit the use of its powerful trademark 'March Madness' for its Division One Women's Basketball Tournament having for years reserved that highly marketable moniker for its men's competition.

Yet, as Robertson notes, progress for women's sports is more than just a rebadging exercise.

"I think you can tell when it's performative and when it's genuine," she says. "And it does start with decision-makers, which largely are white men in very powerful positions. It's not just incumbent on putting more women in decision-making positions - you know, women who will support women in the growth of the space. It's also the male allies and the male decision-makers who have to recognise the business opportunity that's at hand."

Alongside the ongoing, industry-wide rebranding effort has come a push to put women's competitions on a par with their male equivalents. During Tokyo 2020, where 18 mixed-gender events were staged across a range of sports, Olympic organisers made gender balance and fair scheduling a chief priority. To afford female athletes greater prominence and visibility, the number of women's competitions held in prime time across key territories was increased, as were the number of medal events staged on the big-ticket middle and final weekends of the Games.

Other organising bodies have taken steps to create entirely new competitions and formats from scratch. In motorsport, for instance, the all-female W Series launched in late 2018 with the expressed aim of boosting opportunities for women to build careers in racing. In triathlon, too, men and women compete for equal prize money at events organised by the newly formed Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO). Elsewhere, from 2023, World Rugby is set to introduce a new three-tiered, 16-team annual 15s competition called WXV as part of its broader plans to overhaul the international women's game globally.
Athletes Unlimited gives its female proponents a share in league profits and a say in decision-making
Another organisation leading the way for sportswomen is Athletes Unlimited. Described as 'a network of next-generation professional sports leagues' spanning softball, indoor volleyball and lacrosse, the American entity has put diversity, inclusivity and gender equality at its core. It also enables its athletes to share in league profits and gives them a say in day-to-day decision-making. As Robertson notes: "They're building a community, they're telling great stories, they're pulling off leagues for women that haven't existed in the past. They're literally putting dollars into these women's pockets."

Such innovative concepts are the antithesis of the tokenism that has long dogged women's sports. And yet, even today, there remain many brands and properties who appear to view investments in women as little more than a PR play.

When 12 of Europe's elite men's soccer clubs announced their intention to form a breakaway European Super League (ESL) earlier this year, for example, a half-baked plan to create an equivalent women's competition at some point in the future was slung as an afterthought at the bottom of their joint press release, prompting widespread accusations of so-called 'genderwashing'. That the NCAA only moved to rebrand its women's basketball tournament after a social media backlash over posts that highlighted startling gender disparities in college sports hardly gave the impression that the organisation was being proactive when it comes to equality.

For Thayer Lavielle, who heads up agency giant Wasserman's female-focused division The Collective, both of those cases highlight how genuine progress will only come about if society continues to call out organisations who fail to show women the respect they deserve.

"Shame is a powerful change agent," she says. "We saw that last year at the NCAA tournament, where the men had this incredible gym, and the women had like four free weights and a yoga mat. Like, really? So maybe next year it won't be like that."
This feature series was originally published as part of 'W is for progress', a special report on women's sport in Issue 115 of SportsPro magazine. Access a digital version of the edition here.

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What if women's sport went its own way? - SportsPro

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It's a question many working in women's sport will have pondered at length over the years, one which is loaded with possibility and yet simultaneously tinged with an aching sense of missed opportunity. Born of a lack of media coverage, chronic underfunding and archaic attitudes towards female participation, the question itself speaks to what might have been.

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MANSCAPED & UFC ANNOUNCE MULTI-YEAR EXTENSION OF THEIR ICONIC PARTNERSHIP

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MANSCAPED & UFC ANNOUNCE MULTI-YEAR EXTENSION OF THEIR ICONIC PARTNERSHIP

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MANSCAPED & UFC Announce Multi-Year Extension of Their Iconic Partnership

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Partnership Renewal of the Leading Grooming Brand and Global Sports Organization Includes Enhanced Branding Presence in the World-Famous Octagon