Sport rights set for devaluation as the industry reaches its Napster moment November 2, 2020 Alongside all the other ways Covid has disrupted our economy and lives, it might be set to have a dramatic impact on the value of sport rights. Some 83 per cent of executives, representing 4bn sports fans globally, believe that media rights have reached a high-water mark, a recent Seven League study found. These executives [...]
Mesut Ozil joins US venture capital firm Class 5 Global November 2, 2020 Mesut Ozil is moving into the world of investment joining San Francisco-based VC firm Class 5 Global, as he looks to a career beyond football. The Arsenal midfielder joins the firm as a strategic adviser having already been an investor in Class 5 Global, according to Bloomberg. “I am excited to shape and work on [...]
Manchester United and Arsenal leave Premier League looking like a one-horse race November 2, 2020 For a moment back then, there was an intoxicating sense of possibility about this Premier League season. Liverpool’s aura of invincibility looked to have been shredded by a seven-goal humiliation at Aston Villa. Villa, like Everton, were riding high and reviving memories of past glories with swashbuckling displays. After three years of duopoly, the league [...]
Premier League testing firm snaps up Oxford University Covid-19 test business October 30, 2020 The company behind the Premier League and Heathrow testing programmes has acquired a rapid Covid-19 testing business spun out of Oxford University. Biotech firm Prenetics today said it has acquired exclusive global rights to Oxsed, which has developed a low-cost coronavirus test that delivers results in 15 to 30 minutes. The companies are now targeting [...]
The Week in Sportbiz: QBE’s bold Six Nations call, and Euro shutdowns spell doom for ‘let fans back in’ push October 29, 2020 England may be hot favourites to win the Six Nations this weekend, but not everyone agrees. Insurer QBE is tipping Ireland to triumph — an outcome currently attracting odds of 3/1 with most bookmakers and even bigger prices on exchanges. It is a bold call, especially as QBE itself predicted England would take the title [...]
‘Netflix of sports’ DAZN to launch in UK in December at cut-price £1.99 per month October 28, 2020 Sports streaming service DAZN has rescheduled its UK launch for December and slashed the price to £1.99 a month. DAZN has spent big on boxing rights and its first major live event for UK viewers will be British lightweight Luke Campbell’s fight with American Ryan Garcia on 5 December. The self-styled ‘Netflix of sports’ is [...]
‘Cultural relevance’ is the key to brands connecting with Generation Z sport fans October 28, 2020 ‘Cultural relevance’ is a phrase increasingly being discussed in boardrooms of brands and advertising agencies across the world. As reaching Gen Z becomes more important every year, the need to go beyond traditional marketing and connect with the values and beliefs of this audience is now vital. At Ear to the Ground, we know that [...]
UK betting firm Genius Sports to go public with $1.5bn US deal October 27, 2020 UK sports data firm Genius Sports Group is planning to go public with a listing on the New York Stock Exchange by merging with special purpose acquisition company Dmy Technology. The deal values the combined group at around $1.5bn. Genius Sports boss Mark Locke will stay on as chief executive following the transaction. Dmy chairman [...]
It may not feel like it but the greatest year of sport is almost upon us October 26, 2020 As we fast approach the end of the year we should all allow ourselves to look forward to crawling out of the dark cloud of Covid-19 and into 2021, the greatest year of sport ever. Euro 2020, the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, Twenty20 cricket World Cups, the Women’s Euros, a Ryder Cup, a Rugby League World [...]
Drop in drama comes at bad time for Premier League’s pay-per-view push October 26, 2020 Who remembers the good old days of a few weeks ago, when the Premier League was all goals and madcap scorelines? Leicester smashing five at Manchester City was soon eclipsed by Tottenham’s six-goal romp at Manchester United and then, giddily, Aston Villa putting seven past champions Liverpool. Gameweek Two had set the tone, ushering in [...]