Industry Shorts: Guild Esports, Hublot, The FA
Guild Esports, a new team set up with the backing of David Beckham is to float on the London Stock Exchange.
The London-based team will seek to raise funds to create a competitive global franchise as well as creating a talent-nurturing academy system.
Guild was founded in September 2019 before being officially launched at the end of June 2020 and has recently appointed MediaCom to handle its partnerships strategy.
Hublot has become the Official Timekeeper of the Premier League for the 2020/21 season.
As part of the deal, the Swiss luxury watch company will time every match at pitch-side and on TV screens across the world. The Hublot logo will also sit alongside the on-screen graphic showing the match score and time.
The brand will also be placed on a new Hublot Big Bang Unico-shaped Referee Board held up by the fourth official to signal extra time and substitutions. Premier League referees will also time matches using a Hublot Big Bang luxury smartwatch, which includes goal-line technology.
The FA has appointed Edleen John as its new International, Corporate Affairs and Co-Partner for Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Director.
Joining from her role as an Inclusion and Diversity Consultant across a range of industries, John will sit on The FA’s senior management team and will report to CEO Mark Bullingham. READ MORE
A Swiss federal tribunal has upheld the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s ruling that female athletes with high testosterone levels will have to take medication to lower their levels in order to compete in events between 400 metres and a mile.
The ruling makes it unlikely that double 800 meter Olympic Champion Caster Semenya will defend her title at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Semenya said on social media that World Athletics was on the ‘wrong side of history’.
“I am very disappointed by this ruling, but refuse to let World Athletics drug me or stop me from being who I am,” she said.
Simon Gresswell, former Senior Licensing Executive at IMG, has officially launched SGLP Ltd, a new independent sports licensing consultancy.
Delivering strategic development of new and existing licensing, merchandise, retail, promotions and partnership programmes and new business opportunities, SGLP will serve national and international sports events, federations, leagues, associations, brands and retailers. READ MORE
