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Tag: UEFA

  • Sportel 2025: Laliga’s Tebas declares war on football pirates

    Sportel 2025: Laliga’s Tebas declares war on football pirates

    MONACO: Piracy is theft, plain and simple. That’s the message Javier Tebas delivered with fire at Sportel Monaco, opening his remarks with a moral flourish: “When I was a young man I was taught not to steal because it’s a sin. This is stealing.” The LaLiga president wasn’t mincing words. He warned that illegal streaming remains one of the gravest threats to football’s future and demanded that rights holders stop being passive victims.

    “Rights holders need more awareness,” Tebas urged. “Broadcasters have to work on the protection of the service.” The enemy, he explained, is growing more sophisticated by the day. Pirates are deploying increasingly advanced technology to siphon content, forcing LaLiga to respond with its own arsenal. The league is pouring investment into anti-piracy systems designed to trace and block illegal streams in real time. “Pirates are extremely advanced,” Tebas said. “We’re blocking. It is like the NASA headquarters…but we need to be able to trace them.”

    The war on piracy wasn’t Tebas’s only battle. He also vented his frustration over UEFA’s reluctant approval of LaLiga’s plan to stage a match in the United States—the December 2025 fixture between Barcelona and Villarreal in Miami, Florida. “It is very frustrating,” he said of UEFA’s stance. “This is a very old-fashioned vision of professional football.”

    Tebas argued that taking one league match abroad is a natural step for a global sport, not some radical betrayal of tradition. “This is just one game, not twenty,” he pointed out, before deploying a cultural counterpunch: “We accepted Halloween from the US, why don’t they accept something from us?”

    But the LaLiga chief suggested there’s more lurking beneath the surface—secrets he’s saving for his memoirs. “I am going to write about it when I retire and talk about a lot of secrets,” he teased. Until then, he’ll keep fighting pirates, battling UEFA, and dragging Spanish football into the future—willing or not.

  • Relevent scores big: agency nets lucrative UEFA club competitions deal worth billions

    Relevent scores big: agency nets lucrative UEFA club competitions deal worth billions

    MUMBAI: In a stunning transfer move, UC3 has announced that American agency Relevent has won the prized global marketing and sales rights for UEFA men’s club competitions from 2027 to 2033.

    The six-year partnership, which followed what sources describe as a fierce bidding war, will see Relevent take the reins from long-standing partner Team Marketing, ending a three-decade relationship that has transformed European club football into a commercial juggernaut.

    Relevent, a part of billionaire Stephen Ross’s commercial empire, sweet-talked its way to victory after entering an exclusive negotiation period with UC3 in February. The agency, which already handles UEFA’s media rights in the US, will now build a dedicated company focused solely on squeezing every last euro from the Champions League and its less glamorous siblings.

    UC3, the joint venture between UEFA and the European Club Association (ECA), went weak at the knees over what it described as Relevent’s “innovative, dynamic and forward-looking vision” for the competitions.

    “We believe that this deal will help us remain at the vanguard of an ever evolving and changing landscape,” gushed UC3 co-managing director Guy-Laurent Epstein, carefully avoiding any mention of the eye-watering sums surely involved in the arrangement.

    The deal encompasses the marketing and sale of commercial rights for the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, UEFA Super Cup, UEFA Youth League, and UEFA Futsal Champions League.

    Relevent will handle media rights, sponsorship, licensing, account management, and “associated services”—corporate speak for the myriad ways in which modern football extracts cash from fans and brands alike.

    UC3 co-managing director Charlie Marshall spoke of “driving a step change” and “taking us to the next level,” suggesting the new partnership aims to squeeze even more revenue from competitions that already generate billions each season.

    The switch marks a brutal end to Team Marketing’s 30-year relationship with UEFA’s club competitions. The Swiss-based agency, which helped transform the European Cup into the commercial behemoth now known as the Champions League, will continue managing the current 2024-27 cycle before being unceremoniously substituted.

    In the corporate equivalent of a perfunctory pat on the back after a crushing defeat, UC3 offered its “thanks to Team Marketing for the strong partnership over the past three decades,” before swiftly moving on to praise its new American suitor.

    The agency switch comes on the heels of UEFA’s controversial new competition format, which replaced the traditional group stage with a “league phase” featuring more matches—a change that critics suggest was driven primarily by commercial rather than sporting considerations.

    Relevent chief executive & co-founder Danny Sillman described the UEFA competitions as “some of the most iconic and historic properties in global sports,” promising to “deliver on the potential for growth with fans and commercial partners around the world”—a statement that will likely send shivers down the spines of match-going supporters already priced out of the modern game.

    Industry insiders suggest the bidding process was fiercely competitive, with several global agencies vying for what remains football’s most lucrative commercial property. The sales process for the 2027 to 2033 cycles is expected to kick off by summer 2025, giving Relevent ample time to prepare its pitch to broadcasters and sponsors.

    While financial details of the arrangement remain under wraps, the deal undoubtedly represents one of the most valuable commercial partnerships in global sport, with billions potentially at stake over the six-year term.

  • UEFA chooses Decathlon’s Kipsta for the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa conference league

    UEFA chooses Decathlon’s Kipsta for the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa conference league

    Mumbai: KIPSTA continues its rise in professional football. From the 2024-2025 season onwards and for a period of three years until the end of the 2026-2027 season), Decathlon will supply official match balls for the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Europa Conference League. From Portugal to Azerbaijan, from the Faroe Islands to Türkiye, all matches in these competitions will be played using Official Match balls designed and produced by Decathlon’s sub-label Kipsta.

    Kipsta, whose global headquarters are situated at the Kipstadium in Tourcoing, France, has been producing, for several years, official match balls that meet the highest technical requirements of the Ligue one Uber Eats and Ligue 2 BKT in France, as well as the Jupiler Pro League in Belgium.  

    Thanks to the thermo-bonding of its match ball panels (seamless ball), Kipsta official match balls offer superior sphericity and durability. It also provides a heightened playing sensation thanks to the textured microfiber foam component and debossing. Kipsta official match balls are characterised by their highly stable flight trajectory. Designed, tested and created in France, Kipsta official match balls are FIFA Quality Pro certified.

    Decathlon chief products and sports officer Fabien Brosse said: “UEFA’s decision recognises KIPSTA’s expertise and ability to offer a high-level technical product that meets the highest standards. It also reinforces the commitment of the KIPSTA teams to the practice of football, whether amateur or professional, throughout the world.”

    UEFA marketing director Guy-Laurent Epstein said: “We are thrilled to announce KIPSTA as the official match ball supplier for the first time as we join forces with a brand that shares our passion for innovation, quality and the love of the game. KIPSTA’s experience in providing top-quality balls and commitment to the sport will be tremendous assets as the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League enter into new eras”

  • Blockchain companies investing in sports sponsorship projected to reach $5 bn by 2026: Report

    Blockchain companies investing in sports sponsorship projected to reach $5 bn by 2026: Report

    Mumbai: There were 2,254 publicly announced e-sports sponsorship deals globally in 2021 compared to 1,785 in 2020 making it one of the fastest growing segments of the global entertainment industry. The data was provided by Nielsen Sports’ 2022 global sports marketing report titled ‘Fans are changing the game.’ The female e-sports fan base grew by 19 per cent, while the male fan base grew by 12 per cent, it said.

    Interestingly, Blockchain companies investing in sports sponsorship is projected to reach $ five billion by 2026. This represents a projected 778 per cent increase in sports sponsorship from the crypto, blockchain and NFT brand category. 

    Nearly 40.7 per cent of global sports fans now stream live sports through digital platforms. This has led to the increase in over-the-top (OTT) media rights which includes a 19 per cent jump for the top European football leagues over the last two years at the local level, and a 31 per cent increase forecasted for the men’s tennis ATP Tour through 2023.

    Sports viewership has become a multi-screen experience with 47 per cent of people who watch sports simultaneously interacting with other live content (increase by five per cent over the last year). The demand for content overall remains high with non-event broadcasts, such as highlights, recap videos, and more, nearly as high as the event itself. Nielsen estimates that 39.4 per cent of global fans will watch non-live content related to a live sports event.

    Nielsen estimates there was a 146 per cent year-over-year rise in unbundled sponsorship investment in women’s sports (UEFA, FIFA, World Rugby) compared to a 27 per cent rise in 2020. With more women’s sports being televised, there are now increased sponsorship opportunities specific to women’s sport, which means that many brands are effectively reaching consumers that weren’t previously reached through sponsorships in men’s sport.

    Among other key findings of the 2022 Nielsen Sports Report, sports sponsorships were up 107 per cent in 2021, and through an analysis of 100 sponsorships in seven markets across 20 industries, Nielsen found that they drove an average 10 per cent lift in purchase intent among the fanbase.

    Overall, Nielsen’s 2021 Trust in Advertising Study showed that 81 per cent of global respondents either completely or somewhat trust brand sponsorships at sporting events. Athletes have shown a higher potential to establish connections with fans, with 26 per cent of avid sports fans who use social media for sports news saying that athletes are a great way to connect with brands and sponsors.

    The Nielsen report reveals the new behaviours that fans have adopted during the pandemic to connect with the sports and teams they follow, whether through increased social media activity, betting, co-watching, or more. By outlining how Nielsen predicts ‘Fandom’ in 2022 will impact sports sponsorship models, content distribution, the rise of crypto, esports and women’s sports, it will help contextualise the value of sports partnerships, helping brands and sports properties predict the future value of media assets and marketing investment ROI.

    “From our work as a data-driven company and by surveying thousands of fans, it is clear to see that sports fans demand new types of content driven by innovative delivery platforms.  In turn this impacts how rights holders and brands should approach audience engagement and sponsorship outcomes,” said Nielsen Sports MD international Marco Nazzari. “With sponsorship sophistication rising, measuring effectiveness at every step is now expected by brands. Predicting ROI and sales lift will be key for sports rights holders to remain relevant and secure marketing budgets from brands going forward.”

    “As traditional and digital worlds merge, the sponsorship life cycle is now broadening, creating additional and more well-rounded monetisation opportunities. It will become vital for brands to leverage new technology and utilise digital platforms to develop fan-engagement strategies that didn’t exist before in linear broadcasting. The fan is now the catalyst for huge change,” Nazzari further said.

    The full report can be accessed here

  • UEFA partners with AVIWEST for Euro 2020 coverage across Europe

    UEFA partners with AVIWEST for Euro 2020 coverage across Europe

    Mumbai: Live video contribution solutions provider AVIWEST was appointed by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to support selected off-venue events, including official team training and press conferences from Europe’s biggest football show — UEFA Euro 2020 — using a bonded cellular ecosystem.

    UEFA leveraged AVIWEST’s PRO380 bonded cellular field units, StreamHub transceiver, and manager unified management platform to address its mobility, flexibility, and reliability challenges. AVIWEST also provided UEFA with SIM cards and data, and accompanied their broadcast team throughout all stages of the project, including expeditions across Europe, team training, installations, and follow-ups with a 24/7 support service.

    The AVIWEST PRO3 Series enabled UEFA’s host broadcast team to securely provide live high-quality feeds over aggregated cellular networks. They were also able to use IP networks to send first-class images from the field.

    “The AVIWEST Manager offers greater flexibility, efficiency, and simplicity than other systems on the market, so it was the perfect match for UEFA’s remote live video production requirements,” said AVIWEST’s area sales manager Alexandre Augereau. “We are proud of the support that our team of experts provided to UEFA. During the event, they worked together closely to streamline UEFA’s workflows and help them to reach their goals.”

  • adidas film celebrates differences at UEFA Euro 2020

    Mumbai: Apparel brand adidas unveiled the first in a series of short films, as part of its new UEFA EURO 2020 campaign to inspire fans, players, and communities to build a more positive and inclusive world by celebrating the differences that make people unique.  

    The rallying cry began on Friday with the pre-tournament short film calling all athletes and fans together to celebrate, and push for, inclusivity through football. The film focuses on the unique power football has in bringing people together and creating opportunities to drive positive change, beyond the pitch and within society.   

    Through the film, players from the world over are seen playing in an exhibition of the Niforia, the official match ball of UEFA EURO 2020TM. Launched to complement the original tournament timings, the ball offers homage to the coming together of teams of footballers from different countries and varied origins, bearing the coordinates of several stadiums that will host the momentous and incredible European sporting history.   

    adidas football head of global brand marketing Matt Davidson said: “Since we started on the journey towards UEFA Euro 2020TM, a lot has changed, but one thing that hasn’t has been the excitement for a major tournament. Perhaps the excitement for this tournament is even greater than normal, due to what the world has been through. UEFA Euro 2020TM will show us once again what is possible when we come together & celebrate the power of sport – the thrills, the emotion, the respect. The Uniforia ball remains a symbol for how we can unite through sport & culture, and also celebrate what makes us different.”  

    The campaign is part of adidas’ wider refreshed brand attitude to inspire optimism with action against the key focuses of sustainability, inclusivity, and credibility. It encourages us all to see the world, not as it is today, but how it could be.

  • UEFA postpones Euro Cup 2020 by 12 months amid coronavirus scare

    UEFA postpones Euro Cup 2020 by 12 months amid coronavirus scare

    MUMBAI: As speculated, the once-in-four-year soccer event, Euro Cup 2020, has been postponed by a year amid the novel coronavirus scare, confirms Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in a press statement. The flagship national team competition was scheduled to start on 12 June.

    The UEFA’s official statement reads: “The health of all those involved in the game is the priority and to avoid placing any unnecessary pressure on national public services involved in staging matches. This move will help all domestic competitions (Champions League and Europa League), currently on hold due to the COVID-19 emergency, to be completed.”

    “All UEFA competitions and matches (including friendlies) for clubs and national teams for both men and women have been put on hold until further notice. The UEFA EURO 2020 play-off matches and international friendlies, scheduled for the end of March, will now be played in the international window at the start of June, subject to a review of the situation,” the statement further reads.

    UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin says: “Moving EURO 2020 comes at a huge cost for UEFA but we will do our best to ensure that the vital funding for grassroots, women's football and the development of the game in our 55 countries, is not affected. Purpose over profit has been our guiding principle in taking this decision for the good of European football as a whole.”

    Meanwhile, the associations have also set up a working group with the participation of leagues and club representatives to examine calendar solutions that would allow for the completion of the current season and any other consequence of the decisions made today, says the statement.

    The decision was taken by UEFA's Executive Committee followed video-conference meetings held with the presidents and general secretaries of the 55 national associations, and representatives of the European Club Association, European Leagues and FIFPro Europe, convened by UEFA President.

    “The health of fans, staff and players has to be our number one priority and, in that spirit, UEFA tabled a range of options so that competitions can finish this season safely and I am proud of the response of my colleagues across European football," said UEFA president during the announcement.

    UEFA Euro Cup 2020 was scheduled to take place in 12 cities across Europe from 12 June to 12 July 2020. The proposed new dates are from 11 June to 11 July 2021.

    UEFA also assured its existing ticket buyers and hospitality clients that if they cannot attend the tournament in 2021, the face value of their tickets and packages will be refunded in full. And, within a month refund process, will be communicated via email and on euro2020.com/tickets.

    Over a dozen of football players and a coach are infected by the novel coronavirus alone in Europe. The virus that first appeared in Wuhan, China has been spread over 100 countries. At least 7000 people infected have succumbed to the virus and over 1.8 lakh people have been affected so far.

    The postponement is a big toll on the pockets of sponsors, advertisers and football enthusiasts who were all set to experience the mesmerizing soccer event that was supposed to be held across Europe. Italy is the third most-affected country in the world with over 10,000 confirmed cases. 

  • SonyLIV to live stream 16 simultaneous feeds of Australian Open 2020

    SonyLIV to live stream 16 simultaneous feeds of Australian Open 2020

    MUMBAI: Foraying into the New Year, SonyLIV, India’s first premium video-on-demand platform, brings a visual treat for all its tennis aficionados with the decade’s first major sporting event – Australian Open 2020. Upping its ante in sports streaming, the platform, this year, will exclusively showcase live matches from across all 16 courts starting January 20 for its subscribers. With the big three Djokovic, Nadal and Federer headlining the tournament along with youngsters like Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev, all the action will go live across 16 courts from Melbourne only on SonyLIV for the first time ever.

    From the largest gamut of legendary players to some high- octane nail biting matches to a record prize money of USD 49.1 MN, there are enough and more reasons to binge onto Australian Open 2020. Not only is Novak Djokovic looking to defend his title in men’s singles, stakes are high for Serena Williams as well who bids for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title, this time. But all eyes would be on the epic clash of titles between the greats – Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. While the former will look to continue his record beyond 20 grand slams, Nadal will go all out to come at par with the legend with 19 titles. Who will make the cut? 

    By building up further on live sports streaming, SonyLIV pushes the envelope in consumer delight by offering them the best from the tournament at one go. With 16 simultaneous feeds on the platform, subscribers will stand witness to all the action, beyond the central courts and stay updated on their favourite players on the go. 

    Home to the biggest sporting tournaments, SonyLIV has a packed calendar for fans ahead with the 16th edition of Euro 2020. Starting June 12, 20 teams will battle it out for a month across 12 cities in UEFA nations for the ultimate title. Next up is the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League with 79 teams from 54 UEFA member associations participating in the big clash. Also, in line is Olympics 2020 kicking off in Tokyo on 24 July with over 60 participants from India across 6 sports.

  • Snapdeal launches new brand campaign

    Snapdeal launches new brand campaign

    Gurugram: Snapdeal has launched a festive season brand campaign that showcases the rich diversity and depth of products available on its platform.

    The campaign comprises multiple short films each highlighting the “undiscovered stars” of online shopping – products for everyday living at great prices – all of which enable the user to upgrade her life in a snap!

    The campaign uses the theme of discovering products at “the snap of a finger” to underscore the ease of discovery on the platform. Set to foot-tapping music by Milan-based sound agency, Smider, each film shows users having fun with the products bought on Snapdeal.

    The range of products showcased in the films include fun, eclectic products like magnifying mirrors, makeup brushes, selfie lights and camera tripods for those putting up perfect pics on social media and blogs.

    For those using Diwali to upgrade their homes, sensibly priced products like multi-function fruit & vegetable peelers, wooden spoons, frying pan sets, USB-powered smoothie blenders, sponge hand gloves for cleaning, water pH meters etc have been showcased. A range of beautiful LED lights and diyas offer a short introduction to the vast range available on the platform.

    According to a Snapdeal spokesperson, “E-commerce in India is now beyond just brands and discounts. It is about accessing products that add value and help upgrade the daily lives of the users in multiple, small yet meaningful ways. The purpose of the “Snap-Diwali” campaign is to showcase the vast selection of unique and functional products that are available online. ”

    The campaign is already live on digital platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Voot, Hotstar etc. Later this week, it will also be seen across various top national and regional TV channels. The rise of regional consumption is reflected in the fact that the campaign will run in seven languages – Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Marathi, Bangla, Telugu and English. The campaign is expected to run across four weeks.

    According to Mohit Dhar Jayal, co-founder of Motherland Joint Ventures, which is Snapdeal’s strategic advisor on various aspects of customer experience, “Snapdeal is in a category of its own. It offers customers a kaleidoscopic, non-stop mix of shopping and entertainment – all wrapped up in fun, accessible user experience, and super-affordable pricing. And there’s a pipeline full of exciting innovations on the way from the Snapdeal lab!”

    The films have been made by Italy-based illo.tv, a design studio which has worked on iconic projects for brands like Airbnb, UEFA, Snapchat, Bloomberg and various other innovative international startups. Led by the creative duo of llenia Notarangelo and Luca Gonnelli, Illo’s  style is characterized by a minimal and colourful aesthetic with particular attention to clear storytelling. According to Ilenia Notarangelo, Creative Director, illo, “Snapdeal was one of the most fun & challenging projects in terms of production for our studio, this year. We tried to come up with some quirky, not stereotypical 15 second plots that could match the different and unusual products that Snapdeal offers. From a stylistic point of view, we tried to match our visually synthetic set design approach with the Indian Diwali mood. I think that the result is a pretty refreshing mix, with a little reference to the Memphis style.”

    The music for the Snap-Diwali films has been created by Milan-based sound agency Smider, which has created iconic compositions for brands like Reebok, Nike, MTV, Yamaha, Ducati, Audi, BMW and others. Smider offers an unconventional flavour driven by a taste for experimental compositions mixed with the use of traditional instruments. According to Smider, “We are excited about this music since we wanted to merge a contemporary way of music production with some Indian elements. The sound design process, in this case, was all about the transitions from one scene to another, layering different sounds and of course using the “snap” as an element of both music and sound.”

    Snapdeal is India’s largest value-focused e-commerce marketplace. More than 70 million users visit Snapdeal every month to browse and buy from amongst the 200 million SKUs listed by more than 500,000 independent registered sellers on Snapdeal.

  • Alipay signs 8-year deal with UEFA

    Alipay signs 8-year deal with UEFA

    MUMBAI: Chinese payment platform giant Alipay has become the official global payment partner of UEFA for the next eight years.

    The deal will see Alipay become a sponsor of the men’s national team from 2018 till 2026. It also includes UEFA Euro 2020 and 2024 and the UEFA Nations League finals.

    UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin said, “Alipay is at the forefront of digital payments and in association with its global partners, Alipay has unique connections with over 900 million users. We believe the partnership will further innovate the way in which UEFA engages with football fans around the world.”

    According to UEFA's statement, the partnership aims to bring digital innovation to football fans, enhance their onsite experience and provide seamless payment and other services to fans in Europe and across the world.

    Ant Financial executive chairman and CEO Eric Jing said, “We will empower UEFA to engage with football fans around the world through digital platforms and help UEFA reach and interact with billions of potential audience in Asia. By partnering with UEFA, we hope to share the passion and happiness of football with more people across the world and bring them the benefits of digital life.”

    Alipay's first four-year cycle as a UEFA national team competitions sponsor will involve a total of eight competitions, spanning 420 matches and having an estimated total live audience of 7.4 billion people.