By Buddhika Rajapakse and Jacques Bassili The NFL is as synonymous with America as apple pie, democracy, freedom of speech, and free enterprise. But as the comedian Bill Maher famously pointed out, a lot about the league appears inherently socialist and at times dictatorial… at least at first glance. In a series of articles, Jacques Bassili and Buddhika Rajapakse decided to take a closer look at the apparent contradictions in how this most American of sports is run and what other sports can learn from it. Before we get started, let's define what we mean by socialism. Stanford University’s “Encyclopedia of Philosophy” defines socialism using the five principles below. (Please note: the aim of our articles is to discuss the business of sports, so forgive us if these principles do not align perfectly with other reputable political and economic references.) Equality: Everyone has “broadly equal access to the necessary material and social means” to flourish. Democracy: Everyone has “broadly equal access to the … means to participate meaningfully in decisions” that affect them. (We must acknowledge of course that there have been many socialist and communist dictatorships throughout history that have hardly paid attention to this principle, to the point where many people associate socialism and communism with dictatorships.) Individual freedom: “Real freedom” of being able to develop one’s own projects and bring them to fruition. (But not to the extent that it violates the other principles, such as “equality” or “community,” presumably…) Self-realisation: Ability to engage in “autonomously chosen activities featuring people’s development and exercise of their creative and productive capacities in cooperation with others.” Community or solidarity: “People … organise their economic life so that they treat the freedom and well-being of others as intrinsically significant. People should recognise positive duties to support other people.” Please read on and like, reshare, and / or comment on this post if you enjoy it or have constructive feedback. Topic 1: The NFL's approach to rights distribution Unless you have been living under a rock, it should be self-evident that the NFL’s media distribution agreements are highly sought after. The Super Bowl is routinely America’s most watched television broadcast, with 30-second advertising slots fetching as much as US$7m. However, if you live outside the United States, it may surprise you to learn that the vast majority of NFL games are broadcast live on free-to-air broadcast television. There are some exceptions: “Monday Night Football” airs on cable sports channel ESPN and “Thursday Night Football” is now on Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service. (However, each week MNF and TNF games are carried live on broadcast TV in the cities of the participating teams so that their local fan bases don’t miss out.) There are also technically TV “blackout” rules applicable to markets where the home team’s stadium doesn’t sell out, but it appears that these rules haven’t been rigorously enforced for some years. What may surprise you further is that the broadcasting rights are far from exclusive. The NFL partners with the four big free-to-air TV networks to distribute its content in the USA: ABC, Fox, CBS, and NBC (although, ABC’s rights overlap with its sister cable network ESPN). NFL TV broadcast rights deals Not only is the NFL staunchly proud of its free-to-air accessibility, it “shares the love” across all four major US networks. “The NFL continues to be the only [US] sports league that delivers all of its games – regular-season and playoffs – on free, over-the-air television [in the USA.]” The league goes on to say, “Along with our recently completed labor agreement with the NFLPA, these distribution agreements bring an unprecedented era of stability to the League and will permit us to continue to grow and improve our game.” Going back to our socialist principles above, we see an apparently strong commitment here to equality. In other words, open access for all fans to enjoy the sport and broadly equivalent broadcast rights amongst major networks. So why does the NFL pursue this diversified, largely free-to-air media distribution strategy when most major sporting codes globally have partnered heavily with pay TV or streaming services? Here are some ideas that suggest this strategy not only promotes “equality” amongst viewers and broadcasters, but also makes good long-term financial sense for the league. Free-to-air vs. pay TV There is no right or wrong answer regarding to whom a sports rights holder should sell its inventory. Context matters. The two main options are pay TV and free-to-air TV, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Pay TV sports broadcasts generally have significantly lower viewing audiences than free-to-air. Some examples include: European Cup rugby in Ireland moved from public RTE to pay TV Sky Sports in 2007. Irish club Leinster’s quarter final match was watched by 255,000 people in 2006 and 47,000 in 2007. In the early 2000s, the English Cricket Board sold its test cricket broadcast rights as a joint package to free-to-air Channel 4 and pay TV Sky Sports. Channel 4 had the right to screen all but one home test match each year. In the 2004 England vs. New Zealand test series, Channel 4 had a viewing audience of nearly 4.5 million for the first match. The second match - exclusive to Sky Sports - had a viewership of just under 900,000. Golf’s the Open Championship saw viewing numbers drop by circa 75% in 2016 when Sky Sports won the live broadcast rights away from the BBC. Furthermore, in our current era of (pay) TV “cord cutting,” we see that US basketball, ice hockey, and baseball teams are leaving cable TV regional sports networks (and their dwindling audiences) and returning to regional free-to-air TV channels. Smaller viewership brings additional financial downsides. Pay TV rights deals are generally more lucrative for sporting bodies than free-to-air TV rights deals. However, they make the league less attractive to sponsors because of the league’s reduced audience reach. The same logic applies for TV advertisers: most brands prefer a broader reach than not. In the USA, the large free-to-air networks have enviable economies of scale that simply do not exist in smaller countries and economies (e.g., in Europe, free-to-air broadcasters are fragmented along linguistic and / or national lines), along with a broad viewership base that appeals to advertisers. This translates to an ability to bid strongly for NFL broadcast rights, with a further advantage being the NFL’s clear strategic commitment to growing and maintaining the game’s all-encompassing presence in its home market through free-to-air broadcasting (see “Distributing via multiple broadcasters” below). Free-to-air broadcasters can manage only limited sporting inventory. Free-to-air broadcasters typically balance a variety of content (e.g., news, entertainment, sports) and adjustments to their programming schedules to accommodate sports events or seasons risk alienating a large part of their regular viewerships. Sports events that take place during primetime (8-11 pm weekdays) present scheduling challenges for free-to-air networks that don’t want to disturb their regular programming. Most NFL games avoid primetime; taking place on Sunday afternoons. Primetime games are broadcast on either pay TV (Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime, Monday Night Football on ESPN) or are so popular as to be worthwhile for free-to-air TV (Sunday Night Football on NBC). Distributing via multiple broadcasters By distributing its inventory relatively evenly across many networks, the NFL is somewhat unusual in the sports world. On the surface, this may seem counterproductive, as a single exclusive distribution contract is typically more valuable than many non-exclusive distribution contracts. We have identified four factors that might be driving the NFL’s distribution approach. The NFL may want to maintain a strong broadcasting ecosystem for its content. In this way, the NFL avoids picking a single broadcast “winner” every few years when rights are renegotiated, while leaving unsuccessful bidders to “wither on the vine.” Unlucky networks might not be able to justify maintaining investment in production crews and equipment, presenters, analysts, commentators, etc. between contracting cycles. This would leave the NFL with fewer bidders at renegotiation time and facing the risk of more concentrated buying power from the remaining network(s). Having multiple broadcast partners allows diversity in presentation styles, commentary and analysis. Many fans of the NFL enjoy the differences in commentary and production values between networks; for example, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman on “MNF” bring a different flavour to game coverage compared to Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and the CBS NFL team. At the other end of the spectrum, cricket fans from the 1980s and 1990s had a decidedly “love or hate” relationship with Australia’s Channel 9 broadcast team, which covered practically every single international cricket match that was played during that era. The NFL can reach a broader cross-section of viewers by working with multiple broadcasters and streaming platforms, each of which would cater to different demographics. (Whilst we haven’t done extensive research into this, it would be reasonable to assume that each free-to-air network has a somewhat different demographic. When it comes to streaming vs. network TV, the demographic differences are likely to be even more stark.) Multiple broadcasters sharing the load is only possible with largely free-to-air distribution. Viewers are unlikely to be thrilled about needing multiple subscriptions to watch one league. Likewise, pay TV providers or paid streaming platforms are less likely to want to bid for a share of the rights when exclusivity (or near exclusivity) over the entire league would be a major driver of subscriptions. For example, Fox League in Australia brings every match from the NRL live to its subscribers and uses this as a major selling point; whereas free-to-air rival Channel 9 only covers a couple of games each week. What can other leagues learn from the NFL? Other leagues can learn two key lessons from the NFL. The first is that dividing rights across multiple broadcasters is an effective way to drive competition and secure the best price for those rights, assuming the market has multiple broadcasters. The second is that free-to-air brings greater audience reach than pay TV. Maintaining multiple broadcast partners allows rights holders to ensure credible competition among broadcasters, which generates bidding competition. However, many sports leagues operate in much smaller broadcast markets that often lack multiple broadcasters operating at scale. They cannot adopt the NFL’s approach in its totality. When putting its 2025/26 to 2028/29 rights up for auction, the EPL divided them into five buckets and mandated that one broadcaster could not win all five. The result was that Sky won four of the five and TNT Sports won the other. Although not as well-balanced as the NFL’s rights distribution, this should at least ensure that TNT Sports is a credible threat to Sky’s dominance of EPL rights when the next negotiation happens. Meanwhile, in the very small New Zealand market, New Zealand Rugby really has only Sky TV NZ as a commercially viable broadcast partner. Free-to-air brings greater audience reach than pay TV. This leads to better fan acquisition and engagement, thus increasing sponsorship value and long-term sustainability. The obvious trade-off is that free-to-air contracts may not be as lucrative as pay-TV contracts in the short-term. Conclusion “Equality” for the NFL’s viewers and broadcasters may be a happy coincidence stemming from a strategy that prioritises the long-term viability of the league. Beaming the league into practically every household in the country largely for free helps maintain the NFL’s broad appeal and status as “America’s Game,” as well as a wide reach for TV advertisers and sponsors. A strong stable of broadcasting partners supports the desire to broaden the viewership base and reduces the risk to the NFL of being overly reliant on one or two broadcast partners. But, the NFL is fortunate that its home market has multiple broadcasters with sufficient scale to make shared, free-to-air rights distribution financially viable. Few other leagues enjoy this luxury.

By Stephen Smith What is the founder(s) background? My background is in sports medicine, and I hold an undergraduate sports medicine degree. I also have qualifications in strength and conditioning, and I played elite level rugby. When I finished university I started working for a professional rugby team. Because of my skill set and understanding of the game, combined with my strength and conditioning background, I ended up playing a very interesting role - being the glue in that environment to help translate what was happening on the field and what was happening in the gym or the training field or in the treatment room. I was able to help bring all of that information together to promote better, more productive discussions internally about how we were managing our athletes. What drove you to start Kitman Labs? From working in professional sports, I started to see the amount of information that was being collected and how fractured it was and how it limited us from making good decisions. For instance, when the rugby department had all of their information and their training data and performance data in one system and the medical team had all of their information in another system, the fitness team in another system, it was impossible for us to make informed decisions around what kind of impact an athlete’s training session was actually having on their health and performance. Ultimately, that spurred me to want to do my job better and to showcase that there was a better way to bring all of this information together, which led to the creation of Kitman Labs. What key milestones have you achieved so far? We see it in the market and in the field through the adoption of our technology by thousands of teams globally and the fact that some of the biggest leagues in the world are starting to realise that this is an incredibly important and critical topic. We are seeing leagues and governing bodies buy into this type of technology and approach and understand the quality of our products and how an athlete’s wellbeing impacts their bottom line as a business. That’s what we are most proud of as a business, validation from the biggest leagues in the world. What has been the biggest challenge? The biggest challenge is helping organisations to understand that there is a different way and helping them to make that change -  helping big leagues see the opportunity and to take that first step. On a personal level the biggest challenge for me is learning and growing. I’m a first time CEO and all of these experiences that I’m going through are new. Going from an idea to a company with over 200 staff members, there’s a whole different set of challenges. Everything from managing the growth and evolution of the business itself and learning every day. I had the industry experience and knowledge beforehand but learning an entirely new vocabulary and knowledge base, from financing and fundraising, managing shareholders or managing staff or growing the business, that’s been a completely different experience from days on the pitch. What lessons have you learnt so far? You have to be resilient and learn the importance of having a very clear purpose and direction and I’ve also learnt to believe. When I first started this journey, I never thought the company would get to where it is today. I was fuelled by passion at that moment in time, but I think that by showcasing a certain level of belief and being able to bring these ideas to life, you can see the impact that they have had.  That’s further underlined the need to believe and continue to innovate and think about where we see the future. Once that’s in place you then must take action and build. Lowest moment? A journey like this, a business like this, is full of highs and lows and there have been numerous different lows. We have raised almost 100 million dollars for the growth of the company - that requires lots of conversations with investors and prospective investors. I think you need to get used to a level of rejection. When you have so many people telling you that this concept won’t work and questioning why major leagues would work with a small company in Ireland, it's challenging. When you get told “no” that many times by professionals in their field, it can be pretty difficult. Biggest highlight? Having the fortitude to deal with that rejection and be able to come out the other side. To be able to raise the capital we have to support the growth of the company, prove-out our technology and methodology in the field, signing these big leagues to agreements in addition to all of these expansion deals with teams and clubs - it all makes it incredibly rewarding.  Every one of those deals is incredibly meaningful to us. Every deal is another step in our journey to success. It’s another step for us in fulfilling our vision and our mission. I'm continuously having those proud moments and the partnerships we are signing are proof that the strategy and vision we have is working. What is your ambition and what do you want to achieve in the future? I want our technology to be synonymous with performance intelligence across the sports technology sector. I think we are heading in that direction, but more than anything we want the most important decisions in the world of high-performance sport to be fuelled by our technology and our capabilities that we are providing to teams and leagues all over the world. Stephen Smith is the founder of Kitman Labs. For further information visit https://www.kitmanlabs.com

What are the founder's backgrounds? We Are Sweet started out as two tech-enthusiastic founders in a classic story of designer meets developer. I (Lou Fargeot) spent a large part of my childhood messing around with cameras, video and cracked copies of Photoshop before studying multimedia and interaction design at university. This expertise has evolved and is now considered user experience (UX) in today's digital world. James, my co-founder, is an exceptional self-taught full-stack-developer who followed his natural talent and opted out of university early to pursue a fast-tracked career at We Are Sweet, leading the development of bespoke digital platforms for names like IMG Media at just 19 years old. What drove you to start? We love playing with tech. We Are Sweet sees technology as a domain for experimentation and innovation that constantly begs for boundaries to be pushed. The sport sector has a shiny and exciting veneer, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find outdated systems and a world of opportunity for those looking to create and innovate. We have held exceptionally high standards for our work from a young age and knew we could raise the bar for the industry. What key milestones have you achieved so far? Successfully delivering the first iteration of IMG Replay with just the 2 of us got us off the mark. It carved a niche for We Are Sweet in sport, created introductions to names like ATP and enabled us to begin hiring. The pandemic was a double-edged sword of new contracts and rapid growth offset by the operational challenges of leading a fully remote team. Not just surviving COVID but growing a team culture throughout is a significant marker for us. A defining moment came when the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) announced We Are Sweet as their preferred agency, signalling our commitment to prioritising quality and innovation. We then launched Belong, the first real step to providing our own scalable software products. What has been the biggest challenge? Establishing a strong culture is a significant challenge for any business. We Are Sweet was faced with bringing together a newly formed team where nobody had ever met face-to-face, at a time when the world was in lockdown making this an even tougher task. We didn’t have road-tested processes in place so we had to build them from scratch, often learning the hard way. We had to balance accountability with empathy and create a supportive environment for the team to flourish. We didn’t always get operations right and we are still fine-tuning as we continue to learn. What lessons have you learnt so far? It’s important that the company consistently communicates its ambitions and vision clearly to the team so everyone knows what they are working towards. It’s not just about what we are doing, it’s why and how we are working towards the vision together. The importance of true clarity cannot be overstated. Setting clear expectations and ensuring a shared understanding are the foundations of a cohesive and collaborative team. By nurturing the right conditions and providing the right tools, your culture will emerge organically. Lowest moment? There’s no single standout moment, but we certainly endured a period during our growth phase where we weren't consistently delivering the quality we set out to achieve. As founders, we knew how to build great tech, but we didn't know how to lead a team or create an environment where people could collaborate and thrive. Losing team members is never fun, underdelivering on projects or disappointing clients hurts, and it's also expensive and exhausting to rectify these things. We missed some opportunities with iconic names like FIFA during this period too, although, in hindsight, this may have been a blessing in disguise. Biggest highlight? IMG Replay winning an innovation award 6 years after it launched, was a personal testament of enduring quality. Finally being able to gather our entire team face-to-face for an Xmas party following a year of lockdown was a more intimate cultural highlight and an unforgettable weekend. Externally, our award-nominated live leaderboards supporting broadcasts as a second-screen experience for PTO have gained We Are Sweet recognition and affirmed our industry-leading team. Ambition Our company vision is to be a leading provider of essential technology for the sport industry. The launch of our first product, Belong signifies a pivot toward a SaaS-centric business model and moves us closer to reaching that objective. We Are Sweet also aims to be a thought leader in cultivating company culture and community for fully remote work environments. We want to continue learning, playing, and making cool shit with technology for the biggest names in sport. Lou Fargeot is Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Sweet.

By Sam Graham Intro In Kieran Maguire’s book Unfit & Proper Persons, the finances required to grow a football club are spelt out in detail. As one would assume, the costs of running a football club jump dramatically as you climb the leagues. Sports teams typically utilise their stadiums with live games for a small percentage of the calendar year, approximately 5% if you base on 2 home games a month over a 9-month season. That puts into context how long a stadium facility will be unoccupied. Tottenham Hotspur are a great example in resolving this dilemma, with the hosting of NFL matches and numerous entertainment events. Each club has different operational challenges that may prevent the stadium from being fully utilised, which makes the commercialisation of digital assets such a vital area of focus. Knowing your audiences To build a strong and genuine connection with any fanbase, sports organisations need to understand what makes them tick. You can look at traditional, transactional behaviour such as ticketing. For example, have they been a season ticket holder for over 30 years in the same seat? Can they only attend midweek games? How price sensitive are they? In an ideal world, datapoints from retail, partnerships, memberships from different systems will be connected to allow personalisation strategies to flourish and communicate appropriately. Using a data warehouse or a flexible CRM system is a good starting point, budget depending. A nice report from Deloitte from a few years back highlights the need to focus on differentiators, which can only be effective if you understand your audiences. Collecting data and interacting with the fanbase As well as transactional data, behavioural data from both digital and physical assets (e.g. time spent on the club website), will further enhance a club’s ability to interact appropriately with the fanbase. Mckinsey state that organisations who leverage behavioural insights outperform peers by 85% in sales growth, and more than 25% in gross margin. There is a good explanation of first vs zero party data from Infront, who identify gamification as an effective way to collect information on fans, without the repetition of a traditional survey. That’s not to say surveys don’t have their place. A first-time visitor to a club whether that be through a stadium tour, match, or business event, can provide invaluable feedback on the facilities, the level of service and what they would be looking for in terms of experience. Converting new fans into long- term supporters and ensuring that they are retained is vital for any sports organisation to become sustainable. New channels are appearing all the time, with WhatsApp and the use of polls having the potential to garner extra information on what supporters are looking for. There is also the traditional method of outbound telephone calls to the fanbase, for example when clubs are dealing with ticketing and hospitality sales, to gather feedback and place in CRM. ​ Deloitte highlight the importance of controlling your own data, with the potential incoming of an independent regulator, as well as the withdrawal of gambling sponsorships for Premier League clubs. Rewarding Loyalty From experience, membership scheme strategies within sports organisations tend to focus on discounting products such as ticketing and retail, or to use as a waiting list when tickets for games are in high demand. The question here would be whether it is commercially viable for discounting products to a group who already pay regular pricing for such products. Loyalty instead could be rewarded with memorable, money can’t buy incentives, or using commercial partners to facilitate prizes that focus away from the club e.g. holidays, days out, or even something as simple as a free coffee from the local barista. Looking outside of sports, companies such as O2 with their longstanding Priority app should serve as an example of how to reward loyalty. Who doesn’t enjoy a free weekly bacon roll! Real-Life Examples Charlton Athletic have recently announced a strategic partnership with FootballCo, who specialise in affiliate content. Identifying relevant audiences from within the club would in theory help Charlton in acquiring relevant sponsors and partnerships, through FootballCo’s relationships with brands. LOSC Lille and WSC announced a partnership that will push the club’s audiences to increased content through the use of WSC’s AI video content solution. Increasing the club’s digital inventory should help to satisfy their commercial partners, as well as receiving increased supporter feedback through the production of relevant content, potentially bringing in new audiences. Back in 2020, Everton and Salesforce shared that a personalised approach helped to boost season ticket renewals. Using Salesforce’s marketing cloud, becoming more personalised led to higher renewal rates and a reduced campaign cost. Conclusions The more zero party data any sports organisation can own, the better they can understand what their audiences are looking for, which in turn will help better facilitate conversations with potential commercial partners. On the pitch performance will naturally dictate traditional revenues such as ticketing and broadcasting, so efficiency in process and connectivity to bring in key insights and new ideas will serve as a complimentary revenue stream in leaner periods on the field.

By Paul Bullock Sports documentaries are big business these days. Whether they follow Hollywood stars making their first foray into football or basketball icons enjoying their last dance, the fly-on-the-wall approach has been a buzz-generating success for rights owners and streaming services alike. But what about the value these shows generate for sponsors? How much of a difference do they make to the visibility and value partners can expect to get from their deals? Last year, datapowa ran sponsorship valuation analysis on season 5 of Netflix's Formula One series Drive to Survive, and found that Oracle Red Bull Racing generated the highest level of value for their sponsors: an expected media value (xMV) of more than £15m. This year, though, the story’s changed. Below are our valuations for every team and every sponsor involved in the 2023 F1 season. Click here to see an interactive version that'll allow you to dig into each segment. Mercedes and Ferrari lead the pack 2023 was a season of almost total Red Bull dominance, with the Austrian outfit winning 21 of the 22 races. This was great news for fans of drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, but not so good for less partisan supporters (and documentary directors) looking for edge-of-your-seat entertainment. Luckily for Netflix, there was plenty of intrigue between Mercedes and Ferrari, who spent the season battling it out for second place - and, as the off-season has shown, the future of Lewis Hamilton. These storylines gave both teams plenty of Drive to Survive exposure, with the season’s final episode (‘Red or Black’) focusing on the on-track rivalry and episode six (‘Leap of Faith’) showing the beginnings of Hamilton’s move to the Prancing Horse. As a result, Mercedes and Ferrari both outrank Red Bull when it comes to the expected media value generated for their sponsors: Mercedes drove £5,607,932, Ferrari £5,558,330 and Red Bull £4,954,437. BWT are A-OK for Alpine So what about the brands themselves? Which generated the most value and why? Well, the story here is equally unexpected. BWT Alpine finished the season in sixth position, with drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon in 11th and 12th respectively. They were never contenders for a place among the top three in the Constructors’ Championship and only twice secured podium positions. However, there was plenty of juicy paddock gossip about the French team, with key figures leaving mid-season and Hollywood stars investing. As a result, they took centre stage in two episodes: episodes five (‘Civil War’) and seven (‘C'est La Vie’). Across the season as a whole, the BWT logo appeared on screen 5,024 times for a total of around 40 minutes; significantly more than big-hitting brands like Shell (2,678 times for around 28 minutes), Red Bull (3,373 times for 29 minutes) and Petronas (3,081 times, again for around 29 minutes). But exposure alone isn’t enough to generate media value. Clarity counts too, and with its bold blue font on candy candy-pink background, the BWT logo undoubtedly catches the eye. It’s a story repeated across the top ten best-performing brands. Pure exposure matters, but clean, clear creative can help a brand punch well above its weight when it comes to media value. Sports docs are the great leveller There are plenty of other insights to be mined from the data, but the most important takeaway is that when it comes to generating value for partners, sports documentaries are a great leveller. Even in a season as one-sided as the 2023 F1 campaign, the traditional big players had to share exposure with teams that had interesting characters who could light up the screen or intriguing stories with plenty of twists and turns. As more sports allow fly-on-the-wall access, Drive to Survive proves that rights holders and brands need to be more comprehensive with their approach to sponsorship analytics and assess streaming, social media and other channels that orbit around the events themselves to get the full picture. - ​ Methodology: To arrive at our xMV we use our object detection computer vision AI to identify when, where, and how sponsor logos are exposed within media content. We first identify the unadjusted 100% Media Value, using the estimated audience size, impressions, time on screen, and a benchmark equivalent cost to acquire that screen time. A ‘Prominence Score’ is then applied to this figure, allowing us to take the sponsor logo’s size, clarity and centrality into account and give a clear understanding of the impact the appearance would have made on the viewer. These metrics are combined to give guidance on the estimated value derived through exposure of the logos across the entire series six of Drive to Survive. About datapowa: datapowa is a UK-headquartered, wholly-owned business within IXUP Limited. It offers specialist data and analytics technologies to the global sports market, helping rights owners, brands, and agencies understand the true value of sponsorship assets and maximise return on investment. Paul Bullock is Marketing Manager for DataPOWA. Find out more by emailing us at hello@datapowa.com or visiting our website www.datapowa.co.uk

By Alick Mighall As fans, we all spend a lot of time on X, Insta and so on. We refer to these as our ‘socials’. We don’t call it web 2.0 any more. Facebook didn’t sell us web 2.0. It sold, and we embraced the engagement it enabled. And, in 2024, that's what we need for web3 in sports: sell the value and the feeling, not the wiring. But how? Two challenges remain. First, many ecosystems already gamify loyalty and engagement without blockchain, so why switch? Second, we can't offer value on the blockchain without fans seeing their wallet; the window into the digital assets they own. The wallet, and getting wallets, on behalf of clubs, teams, stars, leagues and associations, into the hands of fans, such that they can move them from device to device, or recover them when they lose them, is an onboarding journey that is hard to sell without diving into technical jargon, especially if the value exchange isn’t apparent. Imagine a business taking an anonymised view of my real world wallet. They’d be able to build a picture of me beyond the money it holds. Tickets, loyalty and membership cards, drivers licence, medical cards. Photo booth pictures of me and the kids. Different levels of actual value alongside priceless memories. Memories that might trigger, or be an indicator to future behaviour. Obviously we’ve got to be mindful of privacy and security, but the analogy points to the emotional value we need to extract from blockchain wallets for web3 to work in sports. If April’s Bitcoin halving sparks a sustained bull run, then we must be careful this time not to overhype, or let our business customers become obsessed with the sellable value of tokens. We need to capitalise on what the upside does for consumer adoption of crypto, but ensure that when the bubble bursts, value is quantified by the quality of the collection of tokens fans hold. If we tie success to an unsustainable token price, then engagement will suffer when the bull run ends. Sports teams or stars, who drive emotional value through engaged tribal communities, can leverage this perfectly. They’re increasingly able to pin-point a fan to the time and place of something iconic. They can sustain that memory digitally with the right data, pictures - video even from the nearest camera - commentary from broadcast, from socials. They just need to capture and bundle it and give fans a vehicle to cherish it. If clubs are to successfully abstract this storage vehicle in fans’ minds away from the blockchain wallet, then the key to a smooth onboarding experience may lay in integrating token addresses with what they use for digital identity today. Make all accounts blockchain-ready, pre-load some memories, and save fans the hassle. Some fans, like heavy social media users, will likely end up with multiple wallets, so clubs should allow them to associate these with their profiles too. This move may prove critical, especially as major tech entities like Apple and Google are likely to aim to dominate the blockchain wallet experience. The fan value prop is the ownership of that evolving digital memory box - and not just for sports, as other lifestyle providers will capitalise on this too. Given these won’t all be on the same chain, clubs shouldn’t worry too much just now about which chain to use. The value to the clubs will be the ability to target promotions and cross-sell to any wallet owner, based on the memories within it, or to target addresses that have minted specific memories. It doesn’t even matter if they don’t know the wallet owner, as an engaged fan is more likely to bite at the right offer. This is the web3 conversation we need. Token generation cost is key to determining viability for clubs, but the token's value lies in representing a moment and what it links to, not its monetary worth. Despite potential concerns—environmental impacts, privacy, scalability, regulation, fraud, adoption and interoperability challenges—the focus should remain on this broader vision and opportunity. We must not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. If a bull run is coming, let’s ride that wave, rather than be swept away by it, waiting for the next one. Alick Mighall has spent the last 3 years in leading product roles for blockchain and sports tech start ups and is currently pursuing some fan engagement initiatives with web3 front of mind. Twitter and Instagram: @miggle Miggle on Medium

By John Grabowski Fan data in 2024 The unwavering support of fans has always been crucial for sports clubs and football teams, often influencing outcomes during critical matches. While the sports industry's overall financial outlook remains positive for 2024, its commercial model continues to undergo significant transformations across both traditional and emerging revenue streams. While traditional areas like sponsorships, ticketing, licensing, and merchandise are expected to evolve through better data collection, analysis, and utilization, today's digital landscape demands more. True differentiation lies in leveraging fan data to not only boost loyalty but also elevate average customer value and ultimately, the club's valuation. The industry's strength is evident in the continuous rise of team valuations across both men's and women's sports, often driven by lucrative media rights deals. However, 2024 will witness a maturing market with negotiations expected for major leagues on both sides of the Atlantic. As media rights fees potentially plateau, fan data becomes even more critical for teams and leagues to unlock further commercial growth in sponsorships, ticketing, merchandise, and licensing. Evolving commercial approaches The days of assuming "good on the field equals good off the field" are over. While fan loyalty fueled by team performance remains crucial, clubs now understand the need for a multifaceted approach. Modern fan loyalty goes beyond filling seats. It's about fostering a lasting connection through personalized experiences, both online and offline. This is where fan data plays a pivotal role. By analyzing fan behavior and preferences, clubs can gain valuable insights. Imagine sending updates and offers tailored to a fan's favorite player or team? This level of personalization creates deeper connections, boosting loyalty and keeping fans engaged throughout the season. The importance of personalization extends beyond emotional connection. Research shows a clear link between effective personalization and improved business outcomes. Companies excelling in personalization report higher revenue growth, with 71% of consumers expecting this level of engagement. Failing to meet these expectations can lead to frustration and hinder your bottom line. Ultimately, personalization driven by fan data not only strengthens loyalty but also fuels performance, improves customer experiences, and contributes to increased revenue. It's a key strategy for any sports club aiming to thrive in the modern sports landscape. How Fan Data Fuels Revenue Growth Fan data is like a treasure map for modern sports organizations, revealing golden opportunities for revenue growth across various streams: ●  Ticket sales: Data analytics can identify "lapsed fans" who rarely attend games. Targeted campaigns with personalized offers (discounted tickets, exclusive pre-sales) can incentivize their return, converting them into valuable, recurring customers. ●  Merchandise purchases: Understanding fan preferences allows for tailored merchandise offerings. Imagine offering special edition jerseys for a player the fan loves, or creating merchandise packages based on their historical purchases. This increases the appeal and likelihood of buying. ●  Subscription services: Personalized subscription packages catering to different fan levels can entice engagement. Think exclusive content, early access to tickets, or discounts on merchandise - all delivered directly to the fan's doorstep. But the value of fan data goes beyond direct revenue. A passionate and engaged fanbase acts as a magnet, attracting: ●  Sponsorships: Data-driven insights into fan demographics and preferences make your club an attractive partner for brands seeking targeted engagement. ●  Media deals: High social media engagement, website traffic, and ticket sales demonstrate your reach and influence, securing lucrative media deals. ●  Investment & valuations: A proven ability to engage and monetize your fanbase boosts your overall valuation, attracting potential investors. However, unlocking this potential requires strategic steps: Create a single source of truth: Gather and integrate fan data from various sources (e.g., website, ticketing, social media) to create a single, comprehensive profile for each fan. Leveraging data for action: Use insights to personalize marketing messages, promotions, and fan experiences. This fosters deeper engagement, loyalty, and ultimately, spending. Monetizing your fanbase: Utilize your proprietary fan database to attract sponsors, secure naming rights, and negotiate better media deals. By harnessing the power of fan data, sports organizations can transform their fanbases from passionate supporters into valuable assets, driving sustainable revenue growth and securing a strong position in the ever-evolving sports landscape. What to do about it Here at Happy Fan, we understand the crucial role data plays in modern sports success. But actioning the vast world of fan data can be daunting. That's where we come in. While teams have millions of fans, they often lack detailed information on most of them. We help bridge that gap by converting external data (3rd-party) into valuable insights directly linked to individual fans (1st-party). This empowers teams to not only understand their audience better but also create personalized experiences and drive revenue. Happy Fan recognizes this and provides a simple, modular platform for storing, enriching, and analyzing fan data. We eliminate the complexity and high costs of traditional CRMs. Our proposal to the industry is to only charge for actions that bring measurable commercial benefits to our clients. New investors are increasingly assessing the value of sports teams, with a keen eye on the often-intangible asset: the fanbase. Happy Fan's audience insights are crucial for avoiding undervaluation or overvaluation of your team. Cloud technology and machine learning have made data management cost-effective, allowing for powerful predictive analysis of fan behavior at scale, not just in sports but across various industries. As sports continue to evolve, data-driven strategies will become even more critical. The truth that the consultants don’t want you to know, data-driven insights have also become even more affordable. Hit us up at www.happy.fan or contact@happy.fan to learn more. John Grabowski is the Co-Founder, Happy Fan

By Matthew Barrett Asking someone about attending a sports conference or event often generates a knowing laugh and this type of comment... “A bunfight.” “The content was really bad.” “Only worth going to see some old friends.” “I didn’t actually go to any of the sessions.” Too often the default of a panel Q&A or “fireside chat” sees half of the audience scrolling on their phones, the rest eyeing the coffee and croissants, or waiting for the networking break to start. The panel itself will see everyone agreeing without any real debate, disagreement, or challenge to the status quo perspective. Unless it’s an Unofficial Partner brainstorm! The networking sees far too many conversations started with none allowed to end. We fight to grab two sentences of conversation before being interrupted. We leave it to chance to see who meets who. Or rely on having the confidence to introduce ourselves to a stranger wearing a tiny name badge we cannot read. This might sound very familiar. We have all been there! But here’s the thing. I love going to (good) events and love (good) networking. Reimagining Event-based Content So how can we reimagine the content at these events? Is there room for adding some fresh thinking? As storytelling experts, Goal Click uses multiple formats, including written word, film photography, and video. But we are always looking for new and creative ways to bring first-person perspectives to a new audience. Outside of sport, there has been a growth in popularity of spoken storytelling events (and podcasts). No, we are not talking about talks or lectures like TED or heavily prepared professional spoken word readings. We are talking about real and raw first-person storytelling. Enter Goal Click Heard. In late 2023, Goal Click teamed up with Heard Storytelling to create our first ever Goal Click Heard live spoken storytelling event. It took place in Miami with Art Basel FC, a four-day football event timed to coincide with the world-renowned annual art festival. ​ Five inspiring individuals from the football community. Seven minutes each. One microphone. No props. Telling their personal stories to a live audience. Real, raw, true, and powerful. No one was scrolling on their phone. But this does not just ‘happen’. We spent a month identifying the storytellers from the Miami football community. They all went through a series of workshops and rehearsals to prepare for their seven-minute story. The magic continues after the stories are performed. The audience is invited to write and share messages with the storytellers. And the audience themselves then connect with those around them. Everyone feels involved. Powerful content. Real conversations. Meaningful connections. The Power of the Spoken Word So why is this relevant to brands and organisations in the sports industry? Creating a live spoken storytelling event solves many challenges in a world of distraction, short attention spans, and content overload. 1) At the most basic level, people simply have a better time at events, conferences, exhibitions, or in hospitality suites if there is some powerful, engaging, and truly memorable content. 2) First person storytelling creates a more emotional connection with audiences, either in-person or when published on digital channels. 3) This type of truthful storytelling attracts a younger and more diverse audience, who can be turned off by the content and energy of more traditional, corporate events. 4) Handing over control of the narrative can tell the story of your organisation or brand in a more impactful way. The traditional method of storytelling is to talk ABOUT people and the opportunities or experiences created for them. But it is far more powerful to hear FROM those who can advocate for you based on their lived experience. Ask yourself, do you want to only hear from a Brand Manager or Head of Marketing talking about a campaign? Or would you also like to hear from the player, fan, coach, or activist who experienced the impact first-hand? ​ We all want to come away from events with a spring in our step. For too long the content at sport industry events has been on autopilot and following a similar formula. So next time you are creating an event, conference, or experience for your fans and stakeholders, can you step away from the default setting? Is there room for some first-person spoken storytelling alongside your regular itinerary? We hope there is. The coffee and croissants can wait. Matthew Barrett is Founder and CEO of Goal Click - experts in original sports storytelling content, curated through a global storyteller community that provides unique first-person perspectives. Over 500 stories have been shared from the Goal Click network for the likes of adidas, The Premier League, Concacaf, EE, and UEFA. To find out more visit goal-click.com .

Now in its 4th year, Gary Linke’s, AKA The Missing Linke’s list of his favourite deals across the year is becoming more established than some partnerships! Some of the deals that he has covered previously have not been renewed especially within those newer big spending categories that have emerged in this period e.g. Food Delivery, Crypto, Web 3 and buying cars online. That said, no slowing down with B2B partnerships. Whilst Man United will be leaving Team Viewer in their rear-view mirror they have upgraded their current partner, Qualcomm. This new deal will see their Snapdragon brand displayed on their Adidas shirts for next season and hopefully for a more extensive stay as Adidas have renewed until at least 2033 for a reported £900m. Gary’s Top 10 does not cover 'influencers' e,g. Ronaldo and Binance (currently under a law suit) and renewals and extensions e.g. SKY Bet and Carabao have once again, extended their respective naming rights deals with the EFL Championships/Play-Offs and the EFL Cup. The post aims to bring attention to the new partnerships that create interest based on the fit and thinking behind the joining of organisations together. Deals are listed in alphabetical order. 1) Adobe and the Women’s FA Cup - From US Soccer into English Football as the women’s game continues to grow at pace Adobe looked an obvious candidate for the FA in hindsight. They became the “Official Creativity Partner” for the United States National Women’s Soccer League in a multi-year partnership that was announced in Jan 2023 so a leap across the pond was obvious. That said, clearly a lot of thought went into developing the sponsorship toolkit for a brand that most people take for granted when they open their PDFs. When you read deal press releases sometimes you break out with a wry smile as a brand and rights owner come together to communicate how their partnership will positively impact the sport or your favourite team. In this case, I genuinely think their joint mission to help women’s football clubs (the FA Cup involves clubs throughout the pyramid) and to assist players, coaches and commercial staff to use Adobe's vast range of desktop and mobile products is well intended. Certainly, the people working in women’s football will welcome new partners that provide creative tools that can help them do their jobs better and help players develop their future careers should they go into commerce. 2) Aviva, Manchester City Council and Factory International - The new Aviva Studios has shades of one of the best venue naming rights deals ever struck. Aviva, Manchester City Council and Factory International - The new Aviva Studios has shades of one of the best venue naming rights deals ever struck. Since their rebranding in 2009, Aviva had utilised sponsorship for big national sports properties e.g. UK Athletics, Tour of Britain and Premiership Rugby and had also been in football with Norwich City (A nod to Norwich Union). Aviva has a comprehensive financial product portfolio and also offering car & home insurance for the masses. It has been evaluating the sponsorship marketplace to find the ideal opportunity to return to the sponsorship marketplace, that would provide engagement opportunities for customers, clients and staff. Something new was required and this brave and costly development in Manchester, without involving City or United, with competition from the new Co-op Live and the AO Arena showed that a different type of opportunity within naming rights venues can appeal to the right company at the right time in their journey. This venue led approach clearly aligns strategically with Aviva’s long term and high recognisable sponsorship Aviva Stadium in Dublin. So, Manchester’s landmark new arts and culture venue “Factory International” becomes “ Aviva Studios”. This does have similar traits to the “Dome” becoming “The O2”. The venue was not open after several delays and major budget issues and had critics questioning the costs to the tax payer. The clear opportunity is for Aviva is to be “the” brand that will be associated with the delivery of event shows, festivals and exhibitions throughout the year in a vibrant northern city. Furthermore, Aviva will work closely with Factory International and Manchester City Council on a number of initiatives linked to long-term sustainability and community impact. This includes being the Principal Partner of the Factory Academy, Factory International’s award-winning skills training programme which provides opportunities for careers in Manchester’s ever-growing creative industries. 3) Dacia and The Scouts - It’s certainly not about “badging”. This one did catch my eye as bucking a trend for motor vehicle companies in sports. Dacia is part of Renault Group, and their best value proposition has appealed to the UK market for ten years. They make great cars, including the Dacia Duster which is classed as a sports utility vehicle (SUV), perfect for those drivers and families that are full of adventure but also have to do the school run! Dacia’s first taste of a partnership was more than five years ago with the Rugby League across both the Engand Team and the Super League delivering awareness that enabled them to activate via some of their Retailers and embrace a family friendly sport. As people know, sport can be cluttered with car brands looking for exposure for their new models. although other manufacturers have recently pulled out of some high-profile partnerships e.g Ford and Nissan both left the Champions League to more local strategic deals, although Kia have continued to invest with the FIFA programmes and have their Kia Oval which is near their headquarters. I am guessing that Dacia also looked at several propositions? Perhaps their PR and Marketing departments came to the conclusion that as a challenger, disruptive brand, that they preferred a partner that was untypical, yet provided large scale engagement with families throughout the UK on a weekly basis through the Scouts. What is lacking in media exposure from a partnership with a national audience can easily be found elsewhere through traditional and digital media buying. This deal is with the UK’s largest youth movement with a membership of over 400,000 young people and 100,000 adult volunteers has “purpose” written all over it. Dacia genuinely wishes to make a difference. They will be launching badges based on adventure, which is what Dacia is all about, as they are known as vehicles for going off the beaten track just as they have done with this partnership. 4) Kelloggs and the EFL and the EFL Trust - 72 variety packs at the heart of their community The EFL (formerly known as The Football League) provides scale as well as the unscripted drama and big audiences and is a national institution. However, the roles of the 72 clubs and the EFL in delivering community engagement can sometimes be taken for granted. To many people their local EFL club is more than '90 minutes', a place that offers activities for young and old, outside the matchday experience. Certainly, this five year community-focused partnership across clubs within England and Wales is a significant deal. It is a great fit and ideal for a company with brands that are relevant to everyone and has the marketing clout and credentials to deliver fan engagement (think back to Coca-Cola and Club Colours and Win a Player). Kellogg’s will also have a local field sales team to work within the community (think Cadbury and their local community activations with the independent retailer across multi-football clubs as well as on-pack). ​ From a personal note after having some hand in the Weetabix partnerships with the national teams and girls football coaching (The Weetabix Wildcats) I am delighted and enthused about more food brands investing in the national pastime of football. 5) Jaffa and Leicester Tigers - official fruit partner- the future’s bright. Jaffa have added to their portfolio of fruit partnerships that include their ongoing partnership with British Gymnastics that commenced in 2021. Consumer choice these days for pre-activity, half-time, training and post recovery is off the charts. Being a brand within the fruit market is also a challenge. A good juicy Jaffa orange clearly hits the spot with many participants. Parents and grand-parents will remember numerous campaigns to eat more fruit and having sliced orange at half-time in the changing room was the norm before Lucozade became a sports drink and a new category was born and has since exploded. I like the brands that don’t just accept defeat and that things have moved on and will continue to look at opportunities to tap into sport and influencers to remind people that they are still relevant today. The Leicester Tigers also have a great history, especially having produced England Men’s captains as well as the trophies. This partnership also embraces their growing women’s and wheelchair Rugby programme. I also detect a bit of humour whereby it was mooted that a prop-forward would take to the parallel bars and a great piece of half-time entertainment with the Jaffa Zorb race for fans. 6) King of Shaves and Coventry City FC - Brotherly love or Sibling Rivalry? Meet Will King, brother of the owner of Coventry City called Doug King. Yes, just as people tell me some deals are still done from CEO to CEO, we have two brothers coming together on opposite sides of the table with Will just happening to be the founder of King Of Shaves. Betting companies and shirt sponsorship in the SKY Bet Championship are still very prevalent and Coventry City had a deal with Boyle Sports which was renewed until the end of last season. Coventry so nearly made it to the Premier League but were defeated in the Play-Off Final but this deal was written in the stars. Certainly, King Of Shaves is a great brand to have on your shirt for any football club. They have had a history of partnerships including John Terry as well as racing driver Jordan King, son of Justin King (former CEO of Sainsbury’s). With headquarters in Wycombe, 81 miles from the Coventry Building Society Stadium King of Shaves certainly was not a local company deal but both brothers supported the Sky Blues. I applaud both brothers for keeping it in the family and with Coventry City so close to winning promotion to the Premier League, creating a “win/win” - and that’s what good brothers who have had success should do for each other (take a hint Noel and Liam, supporters of the other sky blues). 7) MSC Cruises and the Miami Dolphins and the Hard Rock Stadium - Miami in cruise control. Cruises are becoming ever more popular and MSC are number 3 in the market and the fastest growing. Their portfolio of partnerships has included F1, Napoli FC, PSG, Chelsea FC, New York Knicks and they were a previous partner of the Miami Dolphins. The coverage behind the new deal makes impressive reading as this will clearly drive business and every port seems to be covered. The combination of the much-loved NFL team and the college football team in a 65,000 capacity stadium is more than the sum of the parts. Not only is South Florida home to MSC, they are opening a new terminal in what is termed 'the cruise capital of the world'. The Hard Rock Stadium also hosts American Football but also major sports and music events, therefore there is a captive audience for MSC Cruises and their new ships that leave Miami for both short-haul and long-haul trips. I compare this type of deal to the partnerships acquired by the likes of Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad but in this instance it is all about Miami as a hub with clear waters to become the dominant player in another buoyant and competitive market within travel. 8) Paddy Power and PDC Darts World Championships – The Head of Mischief finds a new home with a willing partner. When Paddy Power enters the partnership world and signs cheques they certainly ensure that their disruptive content-led marketing elsewhere is not diluted. Some potential rights owners look at them with dread in their eyes and fear Paddy’s DNA of being openly controversial and mischievous and do not appreciate the joke. Their “Save our Shirt” sponsorship of Huddersfield Town won awards but people were left feeling that perhaps Paddy Power thought it was all about them, rather than the club and their fans? PDC produce over a fortnight of entertainment from Ally Pally that has become synonymous with entertainment whereby the fun is a unique atmosphere created by the audience during the festive season. It is a unique event in the sporting calendar and major celebrities and even former members of the Royal Family have attended. Under Barry Hearn, the sport of darts was re-invented and is still seen as a great lesson in sporting makeovers. Previous title sponsors, Ladbrokes and William Hill certainly helped create the legacy by encouraging fans to participate and be very much part of the show. However, they were seen as traditional bookmakers and part of the fabric of horse racing and football in betting terms that were looking to freshen up their image. The anticipation alone on how Paddy Power will rise to the challenge of delivering non-stop fun and humour to the occasion is the news in itself. All the traditional media outlets and social media platforms are primed to see the humorous content that will no doubt come out this partnership. Get ready for more antics as Paddy Power bring their own game into a venue with darts players and fans being an integral part of the entertainment. 9) Peloton and Liverpool FC - Let’s get physical and digital Liverpool FC are deservedly gaining a reputation for their partnership delivery that have seen a whole host of consumer brands from different sectors e.g. Nivea, Sonos and Quorn use their players to create content to promote their product. They also have just extended their Carlsberg partnership for another ten years which will be 42 years in total and the longest in partnership in the Premier League and the club’s history ​ This partnership with Peloton is certainly multi-faceted and embraces both the men’s and the improving women’s teams. They will target Liverpool fans, primarily in the UK and the US and provide rewards to the 7 million Peleton members. It will be all about filmed content and Peloton will have a presence at the AXA Training Centre. This product placement will be extremely powerful and cover physical training and wellbeing. With the growth in 'behind the scenes' sports documentaries and football clubs becoming publishers, I feel this partnership makes perfect sense for Peloton going forward as it involves a team brand rather than individuals. 10) ZC Rubber Tyres and Arsenal FC - East meets West as signs of a comeback from the Chinese market that is not just dependent on Rice. It has been widely reported that the Chinese economy has certainly felt the impact of Covid. Chinese based brands had been almost discounted as potential partners by many rights owners and sales agencies that broker Premier League club deals, as eyes have turned to the Middle-East and other parts of Asia in terms of the marketplace. However, an agency called EMW (where East meets West) who continued to run offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai persuaded the parent company of the number one tyre manufacturer to sign a new three-year partnership with table-topping Arsenal. This will enable ZC Rubber to promote their tyre brands e.g. Westlake and Goodride to 200 global markets as well as their own domestic market, such is the popularity of the Premier League. I like deals that buck trends and catch people out as both tyre brands and China were not top of people’s lists to find new partners that are willing to pay the seven-figure entry point for partnerships with leading Premier League clubs. With EMW being the activation agency, I am sure one of the world’s biggest exporters of Rice (India is number one) will all be delighted if Declan can deliver the Premier League title. Gary Linke has delivered and/or renewed over 40 properties in his 20 years at the sharp end of the sports business, from naming rights, event and team partnerships and licensing programmes. You can contact him via TheMissingLinke.com

By Lou Fargeot As we navigate into a new year, the sports sector is steadily upping its tech game. Not traditionally the trailblazer in technological advancements, the industry nonetheless presents exciting developments in the next 12 months. With the world spinning into another lap of the sun, we're spotlighting key trends that are gaining traction, set to influence the sports experience in the year ahead: 1. AI Evolution: Power Play in Sports Tech 2024 will see AI's ascent in sports. Beyond ChatGPT's buzz, AI is set to bolster sports professionals, not bench them. Embrace this tech evolution; it's not just about keeping pace, it's about wielding new power. AI will speed up content production, sharpen officiating, and drive smarter business decisions. Expect AI to craft customised fan experiences and streamline the nuts and bolts of sports ops, from training regimes to travel plans. 2. Live Data: The Uncharted Game-Changer Live data in sports is still in its infancy. The surge in wearable and sensor technology, coupled with emerging AI video analysis marks just the beginning. The true game-changer lies in transforming raw data into insights, story-telling narratives and decision-making in real-time. This enriched data will boost fan experiences with immersive second-screen features, add depth to broadcasts, assist officials, and enrich betting markets. 3. Performance Analysis Revolution: Insights at Play Performance analysis in sports will take a step up in 2024. Driven by advances in analytics and aforementioned AI, coaches, team managers and sports medical professionals will have the data to devise strategies that can be adapted on the fly, even mid-match. This level of insight will redefine preparation and in-game tactics, making every second of play an opportunity to optimise and react. 4. Niche Communities: Crafting Connected Cultures Expect sports organisations to actively embody their ethos of inclusivity and diversity through technology. There's a trend towards creating bespoke micro-communities, moving away from sprawling, unregulated social media to more intimate and exclusive platforms that consciously cultivate culture and community. Fans are also increasingly gravitating towards these niche spaces where they can shape the conversation. 5. Visual Evolution: Dynamic and Data-Driven The visual language of sports is undergoing a dynamic modernisation. Influenced by the immediacy of gaming and the vibrancy of esports, this new visual language is fast-paced and concise, designed to captivate and hold attention. It’s not only for the younger generations; these crisp, engaging visuals are universally appealing. Augmented reality and live data are already making an appearance at live events, enhancing second-screen experiences, and revitalising traditional broadcasts. Expect more engaging and dynamic visuals to get you closer to the action in 2024. Conclusion The digital transformation in sports has been a slow burn, but will now be set ablaze by AI's maturation. The technologies we've discussed are not stand-alone marvels but parts of a greater whole, each magnifying the others' impact. As 2024 unfolds, these innovations promise to elevate every facet of sports, delivering unmatched performance insights and a next-level fan experience that's as thrilling as it is transformative. Together, they're not just changing the game— in 2024, they're redefining it. Lou Fargeot is a director and co-founder of We Are Sweet

By Alex Nunez, SVP of Bidstack Sports Professional sports remains a core pillar of global entertainment and culture, with billions of fans attending match days or tuning in from the comfort of their homes every week. As a result, the industry continues to achieve unrivalled commercial success, generating billions of dollars in revenues annually - approximately 33% of this coming from lucrative sponsorship deals. Franchises and teams continue to effectively maximise sponsorship inventory in access points that are perceived to offer high levels of exposure to audiences - weaving the presence of the brand’s identities and messaging into the matchday experience. From stadium naming rights to venue signage and assets such as kits or vehicle liveries, brands invest significant marketing spend for exposure to dedicated fan audiences, establishing awareness and association amongst these communities. Recent insights from PWC suggest this trend will only further accelerate, with global sponsorship revenues forecasted to surge by 71% to over $109 billion by 2030. The NFL, in particular, saw record sponsorship revenues in the 2022/23 season, reporting $2.7 billion across the 32 clubs, an increase of almost 50% from the prior year. The business model has proven resilient to turbulent economic conditions, evolving from passive placements to more complex activations that deliver clear and measurable business outcomes for brands. In an effort to support long-term industry growth, sports franchises and rights-holders have begun to explore new ways to engage their audiences - particularly with engaging diverse international audiences, with leagues such as the NFL now opting to play league games in Europe and Mexico to maximise reach and generate international interest in the sport. Collaborations with celebrities, influencers, and alternative entertainment franchises have also unlocked new opportunities for leagues - with recent examples such as Toy Story’s ‘Funday Football’ animated shows providing an innovative approach to engaging next-generation audiences and providing an educational introduction to NFL football in a familiar and fun animated environment. With over 3 billion players globally and growing, gaming has also proven a highly effective medium for intensifying relationships between rightsholders and diverse audiences, transforming passive attention into active fandom. In particular, sports simulation titles, through years of development and refinement, now offer 1:1 recreations of real-world sporting environments that enable audiences to access and recreate experiences they could historically only follow. Bridging The Gap Unlike traditional sports, where fixtures are predefined and limited to a schedule, digital stadium environments are permanently accessible, enabling unprecedented 24/7 consumption and subsequent exposure to branded content. Through mirroring traditional inventory, such as pitchside hoardings, billboards, and stadium screens, advertisers can deliver messaging in contextually relevant virtual spaces where fans have come to expect the presence of advertising - further bridging the authenticity gap between real-world and virtual experiences. Gaming as a medium can be seen to complement existing sports business sponsorship models rather than disrupt them, empowering teams and their corporate partners to deliver unique activations that truly transform fan experiences. This was reinforced in 2021 when, during my time at Electronic Arts, we pioneered the world’s first virtual stadium sponsorship deal with Pizza Hut in the fan-favourite Madden series. The milestone deal demonstrated the transferable value of existing real-world partnerships in premium gaming environments, unlocking a new channel for direct and targeted communication with fans. Bidstack Sports builds on this vision to revolutionize traditional models for sports fan engagement, sponsorship revenues and media valuations by enabling rights-holders to monetize their virtual sponsorship inventory in parallel with real-world agreements. Bidstack’s technology enables the instantaneous deployment of targeted messaging within a continuously evolving portfolio of premium sports simulation titles. Most recently, Bidstack Sports announced a first-of-its-kind partnership with the Washington Commanders. The iconic NFL franchise broke new ground as the first club to utilise NFL PRO ERA, an award-winning and best-selling VR title by StatusPRO, as a dynamic messaging vehicle for cross-promotion. The collaboration extends the team’s commercial presence for existing and future club partners into immersive virtual stadiums - unlocking a whole new audience for brand partners. As more leagues and franchises adopt this technology, it will continue to underpin a new commercial frontier for the entire sports industry - transforming the volume and value of traditional sponsorship assets by extending their reach into currently untapped new mediums. Alex Nunez is SVP of Bidstack Sports

By Lou Fargeot The Sports industry is digitally evolving. But despite advances in the technology available to us, many of the challenges remain the same. I’ve operated a sports-focused tech agency for over a decade and still see many common mistakes. This guide outlines how to get more from your tech partners and build stronger relationships between sports organisations and service providers. 6 Barriers to your digital transformation Dictating requirements Mistrust of the process Impatience in laying foundations Lack of planning for flexibility Exclusively aiming for scale Underestimating support 1. Don’t dictate requirements, collaborate. Trust is everything. If you don’t trust your tech partner, you need to find one you do. Have an open mind and prioritise getting to know each other upfront. Invest strategically in building a solid foundational relationship with your partner and prioritise consultancy. Identify and share your desired outcomes. It’s then your partner’s job to help define how you’ll get there. Leave that detail to the expert. Ditch the defined tender process and focus on finding the right provider through their core values. You don’t tell your chef how to cook your meal, what ingredients to use or how hot the pan should be. You don’t show your electrician how to wire your house or tell them what connectors to use. They know best and you trust their expertise. 2. Trust the process Agree on the objectives of your project brief collaboratively with your tech partner. There’s no need for you to write the technical specification, that’s their job. Let your tech partner define the process and implement the checks needed to achieve the quality you are looking for. If you see red flags, be honest and open about it. Ask questions of your tech provider but trust the responses and expertise they give you back. Create KPIs based on real-world performance and remember you’re measuring the outcome, not how you get there. Your mechanic knows the steps of changing your tyres. They have done it a thousand times on a thousand vehicles. They have the process down and they’re good at it. Your technology partner is the mechanic of your digital platform, let them do their thing. 3. Start with foundations Be prepared to honestly assess the state of your current technology, digital platforms, data and approach with help from your technology partner. Building in the digital world isn’t unlike the physical world: your website is ultimately electricity moving around physical web servers across the globe. Make sure you take the time and attention to lay robust foundations that make it easier and more effective to build on top of in the future. Doing the groundwork in the early days pays dividends over time. Often we’ll undertake entire projects of getting the foundations right. We all want quick wins, but be realistic with your expectations and understand there are steps you possibly hadn’t ever considered. Tall trees need wide-spreading roots and skyscrapers have deep dependable foundations. 4. Scale sideways as well as up Once you’ve got a solid starting point, work with your tech provider to make your technology reliable and sustainable. Well-built technology doesn’t just grow bigger, it’s able to connect to other services, it’s well-documented, it’s accessible and it’s streamlined. Your digital platforms must be stable and your audience should be able to use your systems wherever they are in the world without issues. This sounds simple but often takes careful consideration, planning and execution. Your users expect simplicity, but digital platforms are complicated. Making complicated things intuitive, simple and a pleasure to use takes mastery. Michelin star meals don’t usually have hundreds of ingredients, they’re simple, but they are done to perfection, and crafted with skill. 5. Plan for flexibility Budgeting for scope creep in a project will mean fewer surprises and give you the wiggle room you want as the client. Instead of asking your technology provider what your project will cost, consider committing to a budget and amount of time while asking ‘How do we use this most effectively to move towards our agreed objectives?’. Engaging in a recurring subscription to your technology partner’s services is a great way to ensure access to their ongoing expertise and resources as your mission and objectives evolve. This approach also lets you plan and prioritise your wishlist for future functionality and features. You are managing demanding stakeholders and it’s OK to change your mind. You will learn along the journey and you’ll have some great new ideas on the way. Make sure you create space and a commitment to encourage creativity and allow changes to your requirements. 6. Invest in support services Digital platforms are living, breathing entities made up of different layers all running on physical infrastructure, and they need looking after. Just like servicing your car, your tech partner should run regular maintenance on your platforms to make sure they are up-to-date, secure and running smoothly. Similar to breakdown cover, they should also provide assured Service Level Agreements for when things don’t go exactly as they should. And like all good mechanics, your tech provider is best placed to make recommendations on how to run your vehicle smoothly for years to come. If your website is the car, the internet is the road, and every day of every month, that road keeps changing. AI is about to electrify and supercharge that motorway too. Make room to embrace and engage the changing landscape. Conclusion The digital world is complex, and it's not getting any simpler. While you're mastering your field, you need a tech partner who's doing the same in theirs. The strongest partnerships are built on mutual trust, expertise, and a willingness to learn from one another. Remember, your tech partner isn't just a service provider; they're your co-pilot on this digital journey. By fostering a collaborative relationship and being clear on your objectives, you'll save both time and money. And most importantly, you'll set yourself up for better outcomes, now and in the future. Lou Fargeot is the co-founder and director of We Are Sweet.