When you’re reading this week’s Sports Business Weekly Wrap-up, the England team will be just hours away from potential immortality. I’m an optimist at heart but one thing I thought I would never see is England in the final of a major tournament. I had resigned myself to the idea that we would always be the team that had good players but never did anything, always fell short. By tonight, that may all change. Bring it home, boys.
Before we get into the the sports business news stories that have caught my eye this week in between being too excited about England, I wanted to plug a podcast I listened to last weekend. If you want to learn more about Gareth Southgate, what drives him, where his mentality, mindset and leadership style comes from then I implore you to go and listen to his interview on the High Performance Podcast with Jake Humphrey and Professor Damian Hughes. It’s brilliant, I’ll link it here.
Anyway, here’s this weeks Sports Business Weekly Wrap-up to try and take your mind off England’s date with destiny…
Monday
Formula E x Heineken
Later this month, Formula E comes to the streets of London and they have a new title sponsor for the event. For the July 24 event, Heineken will sponsor the event and use it as an opportunity to launch a brand-new green innovation to underline its commitment to sustainability in motorsport.
Returning to the English capital for the first time in five years, Formula E Chief Executive Jamie Reigle said “It is also a key opportunity for us to bring climate change to the forefront of people’s minds”.
Climate change is a major issue and the work that the likes of Formula E are doing is important as it brings the conversation into a new space. It’s reassuring to see big brands see using sport as a good vehicle to be able to carry their messages and join the fight against climate change.
Tuesday
Covid-19 strikes again
Tuesday saw news that F1’s planned visit to Albert Park in Melbourne later this year cancelled due to covid-19. Scheduled for November, round 21 of 23 was due to be held in Australia after last years race was cancelled but due to the tight border controls currently in place the decision has been made to cancel once again.
A spokesperson for Formula 1 said they “are confident we can deliver a 23-race season in 2021 and we have a number of options to take forward to replace the place left vacant by the Australian Grand Prix.”
Covid-19 will continue to wreak havoc on sporting events for quite a while so news like this is more than likely going to remain a regular occurrence as governments continue to battle the virus.
Wednesday
British Olympic Association x Salesforce
Ahead of Tokyo 2020 which is due to kick off later this month, The British Olympic Association has linked up with Salesforce for a long-term marketing partnership.
The 7-year deal will see Salesforce run promotional campaigns across Sky’s European networks and these activations will include the creation of data-driven hubs and visualisations for fans, while the company, through its Trailhead educational platform, will also work with Team GB athletes to develop skills during and after their athletic careers.
Chief Exec of the BOA Andy Anson said “Engaging with Team GB fans through an effective data strategy is at the heart of our plans for the next Olympic cycle,”
Thursday
Mailman Group x Endeavour China
There were a few interesting things that happened on Thursday but the one that caught my eye most was news that the Mailman Group and Seven League have been acquired by Endeavour China. As part of the deal, Mailman will become part of Endeavor’s full-service cultural marketing agency, 160over90, to enhance its expertise in advertising, experiential, communications and sponsorships for brand clients including AB InBev, Marriott International, HSBC, and Visa. Seven League will integrate into IMG’s Media & Events division, enhancing its offerings across rights and distribution, sponsorship sales, client consultancy and broadcast production for federations and governing bodies.
Andrew Collins, CEO of Mailman Group said “We have built a reputation of connecting fans with sports, and now that we are arms locked with 160over90 and IMG, we have an enormous platform to drive both the audiences, the brand equity and monetization for our clients.”
Friday
BBC x Wimbledon
Wimbledon will remain on free to air television until at least 2027 after a new three-year deal was announced on Friday. Next year is the 85th anniversary of Wimbledon being shown on the BBC.
Barbara Slater, the director of BBC Sport said “Wimbledon on the BBC will continue to bring the nation must-see sporting moments free-to-air captivating audiences of all ages.”
The BBC and Wimbledon have always gone hand in hand so it always made sense for this partnership to be extended. Wimbledon is one of the jewels in the crown of BBC Sport with fantastic coverage throughout the whole tournament so it’ll be nice to see this continue.
That’s the Sports Business Weekly Wrap-up done for this week. Hopefully it will have provided a little distraction from the nerves ahead of tonight’s game. By the time we post next weeks edition, we may be writing it with England as European champions.
Enjoy the game. Come on England!
If you would like to read previous editions of the Sports Business Weekly Wrap-up, you can do so by clicking here.
