G13 Sports Bulletin - 12/01/24
Welcome to the latest edition of the Global13 Sports Bulletin, where our team of sports experts have collected the biggest news stories effecting the sports industry. The bulletin will review emerging trends, major announcements, and sporting achievements, as well as providing you with insights into what our team at Global13 is getting up to in the world of sport.
SPORTS INDUSTRY NEWS ROUND-UP
The PDC darts world championships took place throughout late December and early January, the tournament saw Luke Humphries win his maiden title against 16-year-old Luke Littler. Elsewhere, there were two upsets in the Carabao Cup semi final ties, Middlesborough beat Chelsea 1-0 at the Riverside stadium, whilst Fulham beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield. The second legs ties will take place in two weeks’ time with everything still to play for in both!
Events
· MetLife Stadium, vying with AT&T Stadium for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final hosting rights, is considering downsizing to meet FIFA regulations.
· FIFA requires a field size of 75 by 115 yards, while MetLife's current NFL field dimensions are 53.3 by 120 yards.
· To comply, MetLife plans to remove 1,740 seats to widen the field, and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy emphasized the state's willingness to be aggressive in securing the best package of World Cup games.
· The International Cricket Council (ICC) has unveiled the schedule for the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup, co-hosted by the West Indies and the USA.
· The tournament, set to run from June 1 to 29, will feature 20 teams divided into four groups, with the final scheduled to take place at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.
· The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 marks the expansion of the tournament, with the USA hosting an ICC event for the first time and matches set to be played across three venues in the country.
· The Colombian city of Barranquilla has been stripped of hosting the 2027 Pan American Games due to "several breaches" of the host city contract, according to Panam Sports.
· The decision comes after Barranquilla failed to meet deadlines for compliance, with the December deadline passing without a response.
· The Paraguayan capital of Asunción has reportedly expressed interest in stepping in as a replacement host for the multi-sport event.
Commercial
· After over 27 years, Tiger Woods has officially ended his apparel partnership with Nike, a collaboration that began in 1996.
· The 15-time major golf champion signed a ten-year extension in 2013, estimated at around US$200 million, contributing to a total earnings of approximately US$500 million during the partnership.
· Woods, who continued to wear Nike apparel while using equipment from other brands, has now confirmed the end of this long-standing association, leaving questions about Nike's future involvement in golf.
· Major League Baseball (MLB) has reportedly rejected Amazon's proposed $150 million rescue package for Diamond Sports Group (DSG), operator of Bally Sports regional sports networks.
· MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred vetoed the deal due to Amazon's desire for a multi-year agreement, with Manfred preferring any arrangement longer than 12 months to be directly negotiated with the tech giant.
· DSG, in chapter 11 bankruptcy protection since March 2023, aims to restructure debts of up to $8 billion and needs key sports league deals for a viable business plan to exit bankruptcy.
· Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has extended its exclusive broadcasting rights deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in India and the Indian subcontinent through 2028.
· The agreement includes the broadcast of 42 live UFC events, comprising 12 numbered pay-per-views (PPVs) and 30 UFC Fight Nights.
· SPNI will continue to air additional UFC content, including UFC Countdown, UFC Connected, Dana White’s Contender Series, and the broadcast of Road to UFC, showcasing Asia’s top MMA prospects, with programming available on Sony Ten 2 in English, Sony Ten 3 in Hindi, Sony Ten 4 in Tamil and Telugu, as well as on SPNI’s video-on-demand service, SonyLIV.
Women’s Sport
· On January 2nd, a record-breaking crowd of 8,318 fans attended a game at The Arena at TD Place in Ottawa, marking a significant achievement for women's professional ice hockey.
· This surpasses the previous record set at the 2021/22 Swedish Women’s Hockey League (SDHL) championship game and sets a new North American record for a regular-season professional women’s ice hockey game.
· The milestone reflects the growing passion and support for the Premier Hockey Women's League (PWHL) and underscores the league's commitment to strengthening its bond with the community over time, according to Amy Scheer, PWHL Senior Vice President of Business Operations.
· W-Sport, the sports channel launched in September 2021, will now be available in France, offering live football coverage from Women’s Super League (WSL), Frauen Bundesliga, Serie A Femminile, and Sweden’s Damallsvenskan.
· The channel also includes a diverse sports lineup, featuring Women’s Volleyball Bundesliga, Super League Triathlon, and Pac-12 action.
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· W-Sport, founded by former Setanta executives Michael O’Rourke and Kelly Butler, has been expanding its presence globally, and its entry into one of Europe's largest territories, particularly in the native language, marks a significant milestone in its evolution according to Kelly Butler, the CEO of W-Sport.
· Tennis star Ons Jabeur has been named the global athletic ambassador for Saudi female fitness brand Kayanee.
· As part of the collaboration, Jabeur will exclusively wear a tennis line designed for her by Kayanee, a brand established by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to promote movement and wellbeing for women in the country.
· Princess Reema Bandar Al Saud, leading Kayanee, emphasised Jabeur's resilience and determination, expressing honor in having her as an ambassador and highlighting the collaboration as an inspiration for young women to pursue their dreams on the international stage.
Stadiums & Venues
· AFC Bournemouth has announced plans to introduce safe standing at its Vitality Stadium, starting from the Premier League fixture against Manchester City on February 24.
· The decision follows consultation with the Sports Ground Safety Authority (SGSA), and safe standing locations will be designated in away end seating and in all north stand blocks (10-15) in Rows J – R.
· The move aims to maintain the stadium's full seating capacity of 11,307 while adhering to safety rules, with season ticket holders in affected areas asked to submit relocation requests by January 10.
· Sphere Entertainment has withdrawn its plans to build a new arena in London after Mayor Sadiq Khan rejected the project due to its "unacceptable negative impact" on local residents.
· The company had sought to construct a venue with 17,500 seats in Stratford, East London, after recently opening a Sphere venue in Las Vegas.
· The decision to pull out followed efforts by the UK Government to intervene and prevent the collapse of the project.
· Sporting Kansas City has moved its Major League Soccer match against Inter Miami to the larger Arrowhead Stadium, home of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, due to heightened interest driven by Lionel Messi's presence.
· Originally scheduled at Children’s Mercy Park with an 18,500 capacity, the relocation to Arrowhead Stadium with a 76,000 capacity aims to maximize attendance, with tickets starting at $65.
· Messi's impact on MLS attendance is evident, and Sporting KC aims to capitalize on the global appeal by hosting the match at Arrowhead Stadium, marking Messi's first MLS game in the Midwest.
Technology
· Peloton has entered a partnership with TikTok to bring its fitness content to the social media platform.
· This marks Peloton's first venture into creating dedicated social content for a third-party channel, featuring live classes, clips, and collaborations on a co-branded '#TikTokFitness' hub.
· The collaboration aims to leverage TikTok's vast user base of one billion globally to enhance Peloton's platform awareness, emphasising Peloton's shift towards software-focused offerings over proprietary hardware.
· New York-based regional sports networks YES Network and MSG Networks have formed a streaming joint venture called Gotham Advanced Media and Entertainment (GAME).
· The venture aims to commercialize technological innovations developed for their respective direct-to-consumer (DTC) services, offering digital content distribution, platform technologies, operational support, and data analytics.
· Both YES and MSG Networks view streaming as a means to counter declining cable revenues and attract cord-cutters, positioning GAME as a scalable tech solution for third-party content owners seeking state-of-the-art streaming experiences.
· Fan engagement platform ARound has partnered with spatial computing and augmented reality (AR) localisation technology firm Immersal to develop a turnkey WebAR solution for augmented reality within stadiums.
· The collaboration aims to facilitate easier integration of shared AR experiences for teams, venues, and events.
· The partnership's first major collaboration with a sports league is set to be announced next month, with the goal of enhancing fan engagement and providing dynamic digital experiences during live sports and entertainment events.
Global13 Sporting Moment of the Week
There is only one winner! It has to be 16-year-old Luke Littler progressing to the final of the PDC darts world championship final. Luke Humphries went onto win the final 7-4 in a thrilling tie, however it was Luke who grabbed the headlines for the tournament after his impressive achievements throughout.
Global13 Sports Round up
Project Associate Eddie was victorious 3-0 in his football match at the weekend, celebrating his birthday in style!
Elsewhere, Olivia is still preparing for the upcoming women’s rugby league season.
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