Shorts: Icc, Manchester Utd, Pca
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced its men’s and women’s competitions will have equal prize money from now on ahead of its 2030 target.
The decision was taken at the ICC Annual Conference in Durban, South Africa and ensures the ICC Board fulfilled its commitment to reaching prize money equity by 2030 well ahead of schedule.
Teams will now receive equal prize money for the equivalent finishing position at comparable events as well as the same amount for winning a match at ICC events.
The next ICC tournament is the men’s 50-over World Cup, which starts in October, while there are both men’s and women’s T20 World Cups in 2024.
Greg Barclay, Chair of ICC, said, “The success of our media rights and commercial programme for our next four-year cycle means we are able to invest more money than ever before into our sport.
“All Members will receive a base distribution and then additional revenue will be in relation to contribution to the global game both on and off the field. This is by far the largest level of investment ever to go into cricket and it’s a once in a generation opportunity for our Members to accelerate growth and engage more players and fans and drive competitiveness.
“I’m delighted that the board have also committed to a strategic investment fund which will help to accelerate the delivery of our Global Growth Strategy.”
Premier League club Manchester United has launched a Snapchat channel ahead of the new season.
The @manutd channel is now live ahead of the men’s side’s tour across Europe and the US and will offer match highlights from the men’s and women’s teams, as well as behind the scenes content including match preparation, clips from the training ground, fan-generated content and post-match activities.
Additionally, Snapchat’s live garment technology can be used to virtually try on the official Manchester United team kit. Another immersive feature available on the social media platform is Lenses, which shows fans the view from different seats in Old Trafford.
Ian Nolan, Chief Content Officer at Manchester United, said, “Snapchat is a hugely popular global platform that will further add to the numerous ways the club engages on social media with our millions of fans around the world.”
“We are excited to launch today as the team prepares for our pre-season tour of the United States and look forward to sharing exclusive behind-the-scenes content with fans, as well as introducing them to the innovative features of the Snapchat platform.
“We want to reward our most loyal fans for their passionate support and through the Snapchat lenses feature we will be looking out for the most creative fan-generated content.”
Alejandro Arenas, International Sports Partnerships at Snap, added, “We are thrilled to welcome Manchester United, one of the world’s biggest football clubs to Snapchat as we continue to bring more incredible football and sports content to millions of Snapchatters around the globe.”
The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) has today named Argentex, a global payment and currency risk management company, as the title partner for its Most Valuable Player (MVP) Rankings.
The agreement will see Argentex power the PCA MVP Rankings for a three-year term, in a landmark deal for the player association.
The trademark Argentex lion will appear on all MVP assets, including the Team of the Month and player competition awards. The London-based firm will also utilise the PCA’s access to past and present players to create digital content, whilst unlocking new opportunities amongst PCA members and the cricket business network.
The title partnership will come into effect immediately and in time for Vitality Blast Finals Day with the MVP the chosen mechanism to decide the winner of the Blast Player of the Year.
Rob Smyth, Commercial Director of the PCA, said, “I am really excited to be working in partnership with one of the world’s leading foreign exchange companies as the new title partner of the PCA’s Most Valuable Player Rankings. The partnership will cement Argentex’s relationship with our members in being their first choice for foreign transactions.”
Harry Adams, Chief Executive Officer of Argentex, added, “We’re thrilled to extend our long-standing partnership with the PCA and support of the cricket business network. Championing the Most Valuable Player Rankings illustrates our dedication to the professional sports industry, which constitutes an important component of our broader client base.”
Premier League club Fulham FC has announced Graphenstone as the official paint supplier of Fulham Pier.
The partnership will see Graphenstone’s carbon-saving paints used in multiple locations across Fulham’s new development at Fulham Pier which is located close the West London club’s newly developed stadium Craven Cottage.
Fulham Pier aims to become a key leisure destination in London.
Patrick Folkes, Founder of Graphenstone UK, said, “This is a fantastic partnership announcement for Graphenstone UK and a collaboration that we are really excited about. It demonstrates the increasing appetite for our superior sustainable coatings formulations available at scale as part of the broader net-zero specification landscape. Our clean-tech ranges create safe and healthy environments, and clients feel safe using products which have been rigorously and independently tested.”
Jon Don-Carolis, Commercial Director for Fulham FC, added, “We are pleased to welcome Graphenstone UK on board as Official Paint Supplier of Fulham Pier. As one of the world’s most certified green paint companies, their vision for healthier, greener communities is wholly aligned to our sustainability commitments. Additionally, their extensive product range will help create the backdrop for each of the distinctive and world-class spaces across Fulham Pier.”
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