Shorts: Ashes, EA Sports, Boldspace
The BBC has renewed its audio deal with Cricket Australia for live coverage of the Ashes in Australia until 2026-27.
Test Match Special, that had 27.3m listening requests during the 2023 Ashes, will provide exclusive ball-by-ball commentary for all England men’s and women’s matches in Australia.
The next women’s Ashes takes place in late 2024 and the men’s in 2025-26, while there is a men’s white-ball tour of Australia scheduled for late 2026.
The deal also includes commentary of Australia men’s and women’s home internationals and the Big Bash League, Australia’s T20 franchise competition.
Whisper has partnered with EA SPORTS to provide event and broadcast services for EA SPORTS FC Pro tournaments played exclusively on EA SPORTS FC 24.
As part of the new agreement, UK broadcast production agency Whisper will deliver events and coverage that includes show creation, event production and post production.
The first event that will be delivered is the FC Pro Open Qualifiers, taking place from 10th to 12th November in London.
Whisper will also produce the eChampions League, a multi-stage tournament series featuring the best players in Europe, that will take place throughout May, 2024.
Geoff Riding, Chief Commercial Officer for Whisper, said, “This partnership marks an exciting step into esports for all at Whisper and we will lean into our approach that Entertainment Is Everything. Our aim is to feed the core EA SPORTS FC fanbase with our EA SPORTS FC Pro Open shows, with clarity in production and a focus on gameplay and also to hook the casual fan, with a next level Pro Cup final, including a live audience, live music, and creative staging that fuses incredible gameplay with pure spectacle. We’re loving working with EA and can’t wait for the first event.”
London-based marketing agency Boldspace has announced the launch of a sport practice.
The new division will be led by former MailOnline sports news editor Charlie Skillen.
As part of the new practice, Boldspace has signed an exclusive partnership with sports sponsorship agency, Future Sports Marketing (FSM).
FSM will support all Boldspace clients seeking to broker sponsorship deals with major rights holders, with Boldspace managing all sponsorship activation and ongoing marketing, communications and campaigns.
Charlie Skillen, Head of Sport at Boldspace, said, “Sport is such an ever-changing, rewarding sector to work in, with limitless opportunities for storytelling, and I know that the skillset at Boldspace’s disposal makes it the perfect destination for brands looking to tell their story. That’s what has got me truly excited about coming here: it is the solution every brand I have ever worked with needs when thinking about how to maximise their impact in sport.”
The PHA Group has been appointed by Human Race to help raise awareness of the adidas Manchester Marathon.
The appointment will see The PHA Group ‘showcase the stories behind the participants; highlight the impact the event has on the Greater Manchester community; and drive national and regional engagement with the event on the ground, online and across social media.’
The Manchester Marathon will see more than 30,000 participants take part on Sunday 14th April 2024.
Andrew Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Human Race, said, “We are excited to continue our journey creating a best-in-class experience for our participants and supporters, whilst leaving a positive sporting legacy for everyone in the local community. We’re looking forward to working closely with The PHA Group to help drive more engagement with the event than ever before.”
Tom Inskip, Director of Sport and Fitness at The PHA Group, added, “It is fantastic to be working with Human Race to help raise nationwide awareness of the adidas Manchester Marathon and to showcase just how friendly, inclusive and diverse the event is.”
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