The Top 10 Articles Of 2020
Throughout one of the most difficult years imaginable, the sport industry faced cancellations, postponements, and lots of uncertainty.
In March sport went into lockdown, and when it returned fans were locked out.
But 2020 was also a year when sport stepped up to meet those challenges. From stepping up to address burning issues of equality and climate change, to threading logistical needles to bring sport – and entertainment – back to a nation confined to its homes.
And while life around us changed, the sport industry worked harder than ever to pivot, innovate and execute. Campaigns were launched from home and deals brokered over Zoom, and our industry showed why it’s world-renowned for talent and ability.
Here’s our list of the 10 most-read articles to have featured in the Sport Industry Daily throughout a year like no other.
We’ll be taking a break from 23rd December, but will be back again on 4th January as we look forward to a more hopeful 2021. From all of us at Sport Industry Group, we hope you have a merry Christmas and a wonderful new year.
10. Team GB athletes star in TikTok Isolation Games
In April, as the novelty of the first coronavirus lockdown began to wear off, and the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 had already been postponed and moved to 2021, Team GB athletes took to TikTok for the Isolation Games. Organised in aid of partner the British Red Cross, Team GB enlisted the likes of Max Whitlock and Aimee Fuller in a bid to create entertainment for the public as well as raise funds for the charity’s work delivering food and medicine, as well as looking after those recovering at home after hospital visits.
9. Three unveils first Chelsea campaign as Principal Partner
Chelsea’s new Principal Partner, Three UK, took over as the club’s shirt sponsor during the Premier League restart, and its first campaign saw it launch Connect the Game, attempting to bring fans closer to their club despite being unable to attend matches in person.
8. Tottenham announce Cadbury as Official Partner
One of the first of a host of sponsorship deals with the Premier League’s biggest clubs, Cadbury became the Official Snack Partner of Tottenham Hotspur. The brand also announced deals with Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea during the pandemic, adding to a partnership with Manchester United beforehand. Each of the deals will see the chocolate maker support local businesses or, in the case of the Red Devils, the Age UK charity.
7. Sport shows support for Black Lives Matter protests
Across the world, there was a groundswell of support for racial equality and social justice in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in the USA. Sport used its considerable platform to support protests and calls for action, with the first steps taken by athletes acting on their own during their return to action after lockdown. Those events would inspire wider efforts to raise awareness of inequality, such as Premier League players wearing the Black Lives Matter name on their shirts, and taking a knee before each game.
6. Wasserman acquires football agency Key Sports
Just before lockdown, in early March, Wasserman acquired football agency Key Sports, bring the likes of Jamie Vardy, Tyrone Mings, Joe Gomez, and Nathan Ake into its portfolio.
5. Rosberg father and son duo front new Heineken campaign
In February, Heineken managed to land not just one, but two world champions to front their When You Drive, Never Drink campaign. Formula 1 father and son duo Nico and Keke Rosberg were on hand to star in a short clip which saw the father finally honour the son.
4. England wear pink New Balance kits for breast cancer charity
It wasn’t England’s only cricket tour of South Africa in 2020, but in the team’s first trip to South Africa in February, both teams came together to support #PinkDay – a campaign in support of breast cancer charities. England’s kit for the day, made by supplier New Balance, saw the team wear pink to lend their weight to the cause.
3. BT unveils 4-3-3 grassroots strategy
BT teamed up with the national football associations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to support not just the men’s teams. In February, it unveiled its strategy, supporting four home nations across three areas – women’s, grassroots and disability programmes – and in three key ways – developing new technology, bringing communities closer, and inspiring the next generation.
2. Rising stars of the sport industry revealed
The Sport Industry NextGen Leaders for 2021 were announced in December, sparking a flurry of interest across the industry to see who made it into the cohort. A group of 30 were announced as the programme returned for its sixth year, including talented individuals from the likes of the ECB, EXCEL ESPORTS, NFL, PlayStation, and Real Madrid.
1. Barbie launches new Olympic range of dolls
Perhaps a surprising number one this year, a partnership between toymaker Mattel and the IOC saw a range of Barbie dolls released in the lead-up to the – ultimately postponed – Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The collaboration saw Barbie dolls in a range of sporting styles, highlighting the inclusivity of the Games and aiming to inspire a new generation of girls.
