Fiba Partners With Two Circles
FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, has announced a long-term strategic partnership with London-based sports marketing and data technology company Two Circles.
The venture will see FIBA and Two Circles develop, market and commercialise a new direct-to-consumer basketball content offering under the Courtside 1891 brand.
The new Courtside 1891 product aggregates scores, streams and schedules from a wide variety of basketball events and leagues across the globe. Courtside 1891 was initially made available on limited release for the recent FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 second window of qualifiers, played in February across the FIBA regions. The platform offers live streaming capabilities in all key markets through free and paid subscriptions via all major browsers and operating systems.
FIBA’s Courtside 1891 project aims to develop direct, long-term fan relationships worldwide and build a greater understanding of global basketball fan behaviours and attitudes to help create new products and strategies.
The partnership with Two Circles, which will initially run until 2029, has seen the agency invest substantial capital to develop new digital platforms and create a dedicated team covering product strategy, sales, marketing, data management and analytics.
FIBA Secretary General, Andreas Zagklis, said, “We are delighted to embark on this venture with Two Circles. Growing the global profile of basketball and unifying the basketball community is a fundamental piece of our vision. With Two Circles’ expertise in digital strategies that engage audiences and grow direct relationships with fans, this partnership has already provided a new digital platform that all members of the FIBA Family will benefit from and will create unprecedented levels of engagement with our basketball fanbase.”
CEO of Two Circles, Gareth Balch, added, “Direct relationships with fans has become a valuable currency as sports properties transition from the analogue age of broadcast TV to the era of digital consumption and distribution. As an international federation, FIBA has a track record of innovation, and we are excited with the impact our data-driven approach can have in pushing the boundaries and initiating FIBA’s next phase of media distribution and digital fan engagement.”
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