Shorts: Wolves, Wrexham Afc, Sport Buff
Premier League football club Wolverhampton Wanderers has partnered with video game publisher Gameloft to promote its multi-platform arcade racing game Asphalt 9: Legends.
Gameloft becomes the club’s official racing video game partner and will see Asphalt 9: Legends branding on display at Wolves’ 32,00-capacity home stadium, Molineux.
Wolves’ General Manager for Marketing and Commercial Growth, Russell Jones said, “This is a really exciting partnership for Wolves, and we’re thrilled to see Asphalt 9: Legends become our official racing video game partner.
“Gameloft describe Asphalt 9 as ‘a game for all the dreamers, the outsiders and the rebels who cannot follow the guidelines and who cannot accept the status quo’, this mindset is one that resonates with our values of daring to be different, and from our very first conversation the synergies between the two brands was clear.
“This partnership further demonstrates Wolves’ ability to deliver commercial partnerships that go well beyond football, leveraging our experience and capabilities in the gaming and music spaces to create a truly multi-faceted entertainment platform for our partners.”
National League football club Wrexham AFC will be heading to the US for The Soccer Tournament (TST), a pre-season football competition.
Wrexham becomes the ninth publicly announced team in TST’s 32-team field, joining former US footballer Clint Dempsey’s Team Dempsey, British football and esports club Hashtag United, historic Liga MX side Club Necaxa, and US Women.
The decision to take part follows huge growth in US popularity in the Welsh side following the success of its ‘Welcome To Wrexham’ documentary. The club is part owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Shaun Harvey, Advisor to the Board at Wrexham AFC, said, “We look forward to debuting in the US with a legends team and the ambition of winning the tournament.
“Should we be successful, $500,000 of the prize money will be used to enhance the club’s work in the local community. Wrexham AFC is more than just a first team. It represents the people of North Wales and this tournament will allow us to incorporate former players of the club like we have never been able to do before.”
Global sport for social change foundation Beyond Sport and multimedia sports entertainment brand ESPN have debuted a new PSA narrated by American journalist Jay Harris in support of the Return To Play Find (RTPF).
The two organisation co-founded the RTPF in 2021 to use sport to promote youth mental and physical wellbeing, address racial inequities and increase access to safe facilities for recreation.
The PSA directs the audience to the RTPF campaign site, where digital resources for parents and guardians, young people, coaches and youth sports providers are available – in English and Spanish – to help navigate a healthy and equitable return to play.
Beyond Sport compiled the resources from the Fund’s Expert Advisory Council members and other trusted sources to support active youth, diversity and inclusion, health and well-being and knowledge-building.
London-based gamification and fan engagement business Sport Buff has partnered with eMLS to provide on-screen fan engagement for all three live broadcast days of the 2023 eMLS Schedule.
eMLS is the esports and gaming property of Major League Soccer in North America, built around the EA Sports FIFA franchise.
Following a successful collaboration last season, Sport Buff has expanded its relationship with eMLS by providing live leaderboards and a series of ‘buffs’ – graphics displayed around the action on-screen.
Sport Buff President,Jonty Whitehead, commented, “We’re excited to be supporting eMLS across all three rounds of the 2023 season. As eMLS continues to see an increase in viewership and digital entertainment, we look forward to contributing to their winning culture by boosting fan engagement. We’ll be able to give valuable insights and data showing how fans are engaging with eMLS, whilst giving extra entertainment and even more fun for those viewing with Buff.”
