Shorts: Speedo, Paralympics, Btcc
Global swimwear brand Speedo has announced its official partnerships with Team England, Wales and Scotland as the home nations prepare for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games which kicks off in July.
The partnerships will see Speedo provide technical and training products exclusively for the home nations at the Commonwealth Games this summer, including bespoke racing suits in the colours of each nation. Speedo will also be supplying training suits for all swimmers to help them prepare for races.
Tom Dean MBE, double Olympic gold medallist and Team England swimmer, said, “Speedo played such an important part in me winning my first gold medals in Tokyo last summer, so I’m really excited to see them partnering with Team England. We’re all really looking forward to a Games on home soil and hopefully seeing us get ready to race whilst wearing a specially-created Team England suit will give the fans something to cheer about.”
Grant Robins, Team England Swimming Team Leader for Birmingham 2022 added, “Working with Speedo on our Commonwealth Games journey makes so much sense. They are the ‘performance swimming brand’ that champions love to be wearing. From my first encounter with Speedo their enthusiasm and desire to help and support has been overwhelmingly professional and enjoyable. It will be a great partnership.”
ParalympicsGB has announced a new partnership with UK-based international health insurance and healthcare group Bupa.
The three-year partnership sees Bupa become ParalympicsGB’s official healthcare provider and, as such, the group will provide British Paralympians with healthcare in the lead up the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and beyond.
Throughout the partnership Bupa and ParalympicsGB will also collaborate to challenge perceptions around disability in society, celebrating difference and diversity in order to help everyone achieve their goals, while also promoting inclusivity in business, healthcare and other areas of life.
Aaron Phipps MBE, Wheelchair Rugby Tokyo 2020 gold medallist, commented, “Throughout my life and sporting career I’ve worked to challenge perceptions around disability so it’s great to see Bupa and ParalympicsGB partnering to bring this to the forefront of our society. There shouldn’t be any barriers to anyone reaching their full potential in life and the more we can spread that message, the more we can achieve together.
“To compete at an elite level, it’s vital that we have access to the highest quality medical advice and support. Being able to utilise the UK’s top clinicians and services through Bupa has the potential to give us all a real competitive edge.”
The Open Championship, Britain’s most high-profile golf tournament, has announced multi-year extension of its partnership with Japanese multinational information technology service and consulting company NTT DATA.
The new agreement expands on the decade-long partnership between NTT DATA and The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (The R&A), the organisers of The Open. Under terms of the new agreement, NTT DATA will sponsor the AIG Women’s Open, the most international major in Women’s golf and one of the premier Championships in the game.
Felix Bonmati, Head of Brand, Communication and ESG NTT DATA Europe & LATAM, commented, “This year marks a decade that NTT DATA has been a Patron of The Open, and throughout that time, we have proved to be an essential partner to The R&A. As golf’s oldest championship celebrates the momentous occasion of 150 years in 2022, we’re pleased to once again be delivering innovative and transformative technologies to not only improve the fan experience but to also support wider important initiatives. “
“As we renew our esteemed partnership and build on the work we have achieved together, we’re thrilled to also support the AIG Women’s Open. NTT DATA is proud of the DE&I initiatives it executes across the world, and we believe this sponsorship further demonstrates our investment in equality”
Iconic British racetrack Silverstone has agreed a five-year partnership with ticketing engagement platform SECUTIX to manage ticket sales for all its events including the Formula 1 British Grand Prix, along with the Silverstone Interactive Museum and its driving and track experiences.
As Silverstone’s Ticketing Technology Partner, SECUTIX’s S-360 solution will help bring together the different Silverstone revenue streams, sales channels, and products under one platform. This is part of a wider digital transformation happening across the business.
Silverstone will also use SECUTIX’s secure mobile ticketing solution TIXNGO to further digitalise the customer experience. A new dedicated Silverstone branded wallet will deliver secure digital tickets.
The sport specialist label of London-based digital content agency and media network Little Dot Studios has been awarded a multi-platform, full service, social media and digital content account for Ascot Racecourse, starting with immediate effect.
Following a competitive pitch, the win will see Little Dot Sport manage and deliver Ascot Racecourse’s full social content strategy as the organisation looks to grow its digital presence. The partnership includes social media management across all social platforms, including a TikTok launch, paid social media amplification, live event coverage, original content series and podcast production, monetisation and data and insights analysis.
Ros Robinson, Head of Marketing, Ascot Racecourse, commented, “As we solidify Ascot to be a global lifestyle brand wrapped around world-class horse-racing, our work with Little Dot Sport will engage our global racing and lifestyle audiences with exciting relevant content. Digital growth is a key part of our commercial strategy and our partnership with Little Dot Sport will support our business and brand objectives in this area.”
British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) series organiser TOCA and ITV Sport have today announced an expanded broadcast arrangement in which two further events on the 2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship calendar will receive live free-to-air coverage on both ITV and ITV4.
Having announced during Thruxton’s Season Launch event in April that the Brands Hatch Indy and Oulton Park events would feature live on ITV’s main channel for three hours over each race day, the success of the endeavour will now see both Knockhill (31st July) and Snetterton’s (14th August) race day broadcasts follow suit.
In addition to the ITV4 live coverage, there will be live streaming of each event on the ITV Hub, as well as the highlights programmes shown on both ITV and ITV4 in the days following each event.
