It’s Sunday which means one thing; it’s time for the Sports Business Round Up! This week sees a UFC legend embark on a new business venture, Wrexham AFC finds themselves with new owners, Footvolley is set to make noise with its recent association amongst Genius Sports. PlayStation pursues cheeky marketing tactics before the PS5 launch, and Novak Djokovic teams up with Jay Z to rustle a few feathers in the world of fitness.
UFC Legend Khabib Nurmagomedov soars into the telecoms industry with Eagle Mobile
The 29-0 fighter has already embarked on a new business venture since retiring by establishing a new network operator, called Eagle mobile. The initiative will reward customers with exclusive UFC merchandise, archived fight clips of Khabib or photo opportunities with the lightweight champion.
(Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
The operator will allow its consumers to access wireless communication services on any device through a SIM card across the Moscow region. Khabib will behave as the co-owner and face of the brand; however, he will have other skilled operatives running the groundwork of the business.
The former Russian athlete stepping into telecoms is a smart move considering the sector is sitting on €1,130bn. Plus, despite Khabib retiring from the UFC, he’s got a strong fanbase in the Moscow region that can likely convert to high volumes of subscribers to his new network.
This is an exciting move for the former MMA legend, and it will be interesting to identify the impact this makes for telecoms in the Moscow region and worldwide.
Wrexham AFC looks to claim Hollywood status
Last Tuesday saw a groundbreaking event occur for fifth-tier English football. The Wrexham AFC supporters Trust approved Hollywood Stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney as the club’s new owners.
A message from our owners-elect…
Welcome to Wrexham AFC, @RMcElhenney and @VancityReynolds ????
????⚪️ #WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/ho1vV8cvry
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) November 16, 2020
The acting duo have strong ambitions for the Welsh club to become a global force with a possible £2m being invested to them alongside a Netflix-themed documentary being in the works. Wrexham AFC is the third oldest club in the world which saw 98%+ of their supporters backing Ryan and Rob’s ownership of the club.
Wrexham AFC fans have a lot to look forward to with this investment which could lead the club into domestic success on and off the pitch.
Sports tech firm Genius Sports to launch exclusive Pro Footvolley Over-The-Top Platform
Genius Sports has penned a deal for the next decade with Pro Footvolley Tour to establish a live streaming service for the competition. The tech company has also been given global rights to support betting companies with official data and video content from the tournament.
The partnership proves innovative as it expands the tours international sponsor network, commercial opportunity and audience. Over 500 TV hours have been broadcasted of the Footvolley tour since 2012 to domestic and international broadcast networks. The 2021 edition aims to feature 26 stops on the global tour while a yearly ‘World series of Footvolley’ will be created each summer.
We’re entering a new era for football and volleyball to prove their collaboration can leverage new audiences and interests to deliver immeasurable value to their global stakeholder base.
PlayStation deliver iconic marketing activation directly outside London’s Microsoft store
Leading up to the release of the Playstation 5 (PS5), Sony took over Oxford Circus to advertise the highly anticipated console. The marketing activation took place over 48 hours at Oxford Circus, with the iconic PlayStation shapes promoted inside and outside the tube station. Cheekily, the PlayStation shapes were seen outside the Microsoft Store which we’re sure was only a coincidence.
From one iconic shape to four. We’ve given the Oxford Circus Tube signs a #PS5 upgrade. ???? pic.twitter.com/iw9qlEXR7B
— PlayStation UK (@PlayStationUK) November 18, 2020
PlayStation executed this marketing activation to a T and utilised its strong brand presence to create viral content. In addition to Oxford Circus, four other stations have also been rebranded to fit the PlayStation theme.
Mile End is now Miles End, which is a nod to Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Lancaster Gate is Ratchet and Clankaster Gate, Seven Sisters has been rebranded as Gran Turismo 7 Sisters, and West Ham has transformed into Horizon Forbidden West Ham. Although the four-tube names are temporary, rebranding will last until December 16th.
Jay Z and Novak Djokovic join forces to revolutionise the fitness industry
Music Mogul and Businessman Jay Z and tennis star Novak Djokovic have recently invested in fitness start-up Clmbr. Clmbr is preparing for the 2021 launch of CLMBR Connected and CLMBR Pure vertical climbing machines.
CLMBR’s touchscreen shows on-demand classes, and its app tracks user data such as vertical feet climbed, and workout targets reached. Having two highly recognised public figures investing in the company will help to position CLMBR as an innovator in the fitness and lifestyle industries.
Jay-Z’s investment in CLMBR through his Marcy Venture Partners firm comes one week after his wife, Beyonce, announced a partnership with indoor cycling platform Peloton.
Jay-Z and Novak Djokovic join venture capital and private equity firm KBW-Ventures; exercise physiologist and founder of 22 Days Nutrition, Marco Borges and co-founder and former CEO of YouTube, Chad Hurley, as key members of CLMBR’s investment team.
That’s a wrap! How will Eagle mobile fare in the telecoms world? Is the potential for commercial growth unlimited now for Wrexham AFC? What will the footvolley global audience look like in a year? Did you find PlayStations PR stunt a sweet or salty move and will Jay-Z’s and Djokovic’s investment in fitness prove worthwhile?
If there are any sports business stories we may have missed and should be included in the next Sports Business Round Up then let us know on our social media platforms!
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