Industry Shorts: Soccer Aid, Mediacom, Wasserman
This year’s Soccer Aid tournament – postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic – will take place virtually through a new partnership with EA SPORTS FIFA 20.
Robbie Williams is set to play with the Soccer Aid World XI FC in eSoccer Aid, which will raise money for UNICEF to help stop the spread of coronavirus and limit the impact on children’s lives.
The team sees Diego Maradona, Pele and Ronaldinho line up together in the game, while it will be the first time ever that the three will be playable from the start, in the same side, without the need for transfers. FIFA 20 players will also have access to the team in-game.
Brazil and Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr has signed a long-term commercial management agreement with MediaCom Sport & Entertainment.
The agency will represent the player in his commercial and marketing activities, working with his management team to grow his personal brand.
In the ten years since its establishment, MediaCom Sport & Entertainment has worked with footballing names such as Pele, Mesut Ozil, and Eni Aluko, as well as cricket star Brian Lara.
Meanwhile, Wasserman has announced the acquisition of Spanish football representation agency Top Value as it looks to bolster its Global Football Division.
Top Value, owned by Federico Marco Escamilla, Hector Macia Mateo and Ramon Montana Munoz is an established agency in the Spanish market, and the acquisition adds to Wasserman’s existing Spanish business, co-headed by Ryan Harper and Simone Rondanini.
Northampton Saints will look to become the first Premiership Rugby club to star in fly-on-the-wall documentary series, according to a report in The Times.
The club is said to have tasked CSM Sport & Entertainment with finding broadcast and production partners for a series which would go behind the scenes at Franklin’s Gardens.
The club’s Commercial Director, former Sunderland Managing Director, Tony Davison, who joined the Saints in February, appeared in the Sunderland Til I Die series on Netflix.
The WTA has teamed up with SAP to launch a new educational platform for WTA players called WTA University.
The new initiative expands the WTA’s Player Development Program, which aims to further the careers of players by offering resources for physical and mental health, as well personal and professional growth.
Since its introduction during the coronavirus lockdown period, the WTA says more than 150 WTA players have enrolled in the courses around the world, logging over 400 hours of learning.
British Athletics has opened its search for a new Performance Director and Olympic Head Coach.
The NGB says the Performance Director will lead a single performance and talent system within the UK, while the Head Coach will front the Olympic World Class Programme.
These will be the first two significant appointments set to be made by new CEO Joanna Coates. The new Performance Director will replace Neil Black, who resigned from the role in October 2019 and passed away in April 2020.
West Ham United has announced a new partnership with hydration company iPRO, who will become the club’s Official Sports Hydration Beverage.
iPRO will supply low sugar hydration drinks to the Premier League club’s men’s first team, women’s first team and academy teams until 2022.
Racing driver Jamie Chadwick, who won the inaugural series of the female-only motorsport competition W Series, will race in the Regional European Formula 3 series with Italian team Prema with the goal of rising up the F3 and F2 ranks on the way to winning an Formula 1 seat.
The British driver has received financial support from Australian David Dicker, the multi-millionaire owner of Rodin Cars, allowing her to aim to become the first female F1 driver since Lella Lombardi last raced in 1976.
