Shorts: Liga Portugal, British Triathlon, Ascot
US streaming service FITE has acquired the exclusive broadcasting rights to Portugal’s top football division, Liga Portugal.
The rights agreement will begin on the 2nd December 2024 and see the league become available in the UK & Ireland as well as Australia, New Zealand and Scandinavia.
The deal will see FITE+ provide coverage of the remainder of this season through to the 2025/26 campaign.
Adam Bigwood, Vice President of Subscriptions at FITE, said, “We are thrilled to offer a front row seat to Liga Portugal matches to our FITE+ subscribers.”
“This exclusive deal, with one of Europe’s finest leagues, highlights our dedication to providing diverse and premium sports content to our global audience. As we continue to expand our football offerings, FITE remains at the forefront of delivering superior sports and entertainment through our advanced technology platform.”
Ruth Daniels has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of British Triathlon.
Former Chief Executive Officer Andy Salmon will move to Swim England with Daniels taking charge of the organisation in February.
Daniels holds experience in the consumer market at Superdry, as well as in the sport industry having been Chairman of Rounders England and recently worked with Women in Sport.
Daniels, commented, “Building sustainable organisations in sport are key for their future success and longevity and I am grateful to the British Triathlon Board, UK Sport and Sport England for giving me the opportunity to lead British Triathlon in its next stage of growth and evolution. With the Paris Olympics and Paralympics on the horizon we have an exciting and challenging year ahead and I look forward to leading British Triathlon through this period and beyond.”
Ascot Racecourse and HBA Media (HBA) have extended their international media and distribution rights agreement with a new four-year term.
The new deal, which will start in 2024 and continue until the end of 2027, is set to include the entirety of the Royal Ascot Race Meeting.
Additional races include the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes and the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup, as well as all flat and jumps fixtures held at the iconic venue.
The extension strengthens the relationship between HBA and Ascot Racecourse, that have been in a partnership since 2020.
Henry Birtles, Chief Executive Officer of HBA Media, said, “We are absolutely thrilled to have renewed our partnership with Ascot Racecourse. Over the course of the last four years, we have grown the global distribution of Ascot’s prestigious events, culminating in a record number of international broadcasters for the 2023 Royal Meeting.”
Felicity Barnard, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Commercial Director at Ascot Racecourse, added, “We are delighted to extend our agreement with HBA Media for another four years and look forward to working closely with hem throughout that time to showcase Ascot to the world. The reach for Royal Ascot in particular continues to grow and we are excited to build on the success of the Golden Hour to offer international broadcasters more bespoke content.”
Paddy Power, the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and Prostate Cancer UK have unveiled The BIG 180 campaign.
The partnership will see Paddy Power donate £1,000 every time a 180 is struck throughout Paddy Power World Darts Championship, which begins on 15th December at Alexandra Palace.
In addition, the bookmaker and the PDC will join forces and use all their channels to challenge 180,000 fans, followers and customers in the UK to use Prostate Cancer UK’s online risk checker via prostatecanceruk.org/180-risk
A PaddyPower spokesperson commented, “We would like to officially apologise if we caused Peter Wright, Michael van Gerwen or any of the other professional players undue stress this week. But if it grabbed the attention of them and just a fraction of the audience darts has, then it will all have been worthwhile.
“1 in 8 men are at risk of prostate cancer, so our aim is to hit them right between the bullseyes with The BIG 180 campaign which will be unmissable this Christmas,” Power added.
Prostate Cancer UK Chief Executive Laura Kerby, added, “We are thrilled to become the official charity partner of the Paddy Power World Darts Championship and thank Paddy Power and the PDC for uniting the darts community as we target this disease head on.
“This iconic tournament is a sporting staple across the festive period, and The BIG 180 will put us at the heart of the action. It will be a complete gamechanger for men and their loved ones affected by prostate cancer – one maximum at a time.”
Premier League football club Wolverhampton Wanderers has extended its long-term partnership with Tipton & Coseley for a 13th consecutive season.
The local building society will sponsor Wolves’ adult and junior membership schemes for the current 2023/24 Premier League campaign.
As per the deal, the company’s branding will remain on all membership marketing literature.
Kerri Davies, Head of Membership at Wolves, said, “Tipton & Coseley are great to work with, they really care about their customers, our customers and the local community.”
EFL League Two football club Notts County has partnered with Robinhood.
The deal sees the financial services platform will become the club’s Emirates FA Cup sleeve sponsor.
The company’s logo will be adorned on the sleeve of the Magpies for the remainder of the side’s FA Cup campaign, starting with their fixture against Shrewsbury Town.
Jordan Worthington, Head of Commercial at Notts County, said, “We’re delighted to welcome Robinhood at such an exciting time for both them and us.
“The links between their name and our city make them the perfect partners as we aim to continue our progression in a competition we hold close to our hearts as past winners.
“Attracting the support of a company of Robinhood’s stature also demonstrates how well-known and attractive our brand is on a global scale and we’re really excited that they’ve teamed up with us as they embark on this new chapter in their story.”
Professional rugby union club Glasgow Warriors has renewed its partnership with Hilton Glasgow.
The extension, which runs until 2025, will see Hiton Glasgow once again host the opening Glasgow Warriors Members Event of the 2023/24 season, as well as the club’s annual Awards Dinner.
Al Kellock, Managing Director of Glasgow Warriors, said, “The hospitality that Calum and his team lay on for our annual Awards Dinner and exclusive supporters events is always exceptional, helping us to create memorable occasions for our players, staff, and their families, as well as our dedicated fan base.
“We’re pleased also to be working with Calum’s team to provide more access to the gym and leisure facilities for our players this season.
Callum Ross, General Manager of Hilton Glasgow, added, “We are delighted that we at Hilton Glasgow are able to continue to partner with our friends at Scotstoun.
“In addition, we are particularly looking forward to learning what we can from the elite performance environment that’s been created by Glasgow Warriors, and are excited by the potential in this partnership as we move forward.”
Manchester Marathon has announced City of Trees as its ‘Green Runner’ charity for the 2024 event.
As per the partnership, the adidas Manchester Marathon will aim to donate £5,000 to City of Trees to support the planting of trees across Greater Manchester in areas surrounding the marathon route, as part of the challenge’s eco-friendly Green Runners initiative.
Participants can also choose to opt out of receiving a finishers medal and t-shirt, and the amount saved from the production will be donated to ‘City of Trees.’
Andrew Smith, Chief Executive of the adidas Manchester Marathon, said, “We’re constantly looking at ways to improve the sustainability of our event and have a long-lasting impact within the local community, so it’s an exciting opportunity to work with a charity whose commitment to protecting the environment is equal to our own.”
Alex Bedford, Fundraising Manager of City of Trees, added, “We’re very excited to be working with the adidas Manchester Marathon on their mission to give back to the people of the region by helping to plant trees for future generations.’’
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