The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) today announced a partnership with the Beach Major Company to assist with running and promoting FIVB World Tour events including the Season Final and the Major Series. 

Swatch also today renewed its sponsorship of these events.

The Beach Major Company is a joint venture between Red Bull and Hannes Jagerhofer, founder of ACTS Group, who have been cooperating closely for 20 years. 

Soft drinks manufacturer Red Bull, with its slogan “Red Bull gives you wings” has emerged in recent years as a major player in event management and marketing. Jagerhofer has promoted and staged many volleyball events. 

“This new partnership is the next step in the FIVB’s mission to ensure that volleyball is the world’s leading family sport entertainment through engagement, innovation and universality,” said Dr Ary S. Graça, president of the FIVB. 

“Like the FIVB and volleyball, Red Bull is a dynamic, global brand and I look forward to working together to ensure that the FIVB’s beach volleyball events are a memorable spectacle for fans around the world.

“Red Bull is unrivalled in its marketing expertise. In combination with the Red Bull Media House with its outstanding network and knowledge of content production and distribution – this makes them an ideal partner for the FIVB. We are also delighted to be working closely with Hannes Jagerhofer – a renowned promoter who has set the benchmark for staging world-class volleyball events for many years. 

“Finally, today we are announcing the renewal of the relationship between beach volleyball and one of the most respected sponsors in sport – Swatch. These are all incredibly prestigious partners for the FIVB and I look forward to working closely together to ensure that volleyball continues to lead through innovation as the number one family sport entertainment in the world.” 

The joint venture has committed to “long term backing” of the FIVB and is expected to significantly expand the Major Series, which has three events in 2015: Porec, Croatia; Stavanger, Norway and Gstaad, Switzerland.

"The Swatch Beach Volleyball Major Series, together with the FIVB as the world governing body, was created to push beach volleyball to an entirely new level and position it on the world's stage of top global sports,” said Hannes Jagerhofer, CEO of the Beach Major Company.

“Only with the strong support of the International Federation, which is entirely responsible for the sport’s progress, is it possible to realise the vision of the Major Series. 

“Bringing Swatch on board as title sponsor, which is not only a strong global iconic brand but also a year-long trusted partner, facilitator and driving force, is the best possible scenario for a new era in beach volleyball history.

“To top it off, the Red Bull Media House, known for its award winning live productions, innovative content creation, action sports series and top ranked social media community will be committed to delivering new standards in beach volleyball production, distribution and entertainment.” 

2015 promises to be a high profile year for the sport, with the 2015 FIVB World Tour marking the start of the second qualification process – alongside the Continental Cup – for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. 

Hosted on the iconic Copacabana Beach, beach volleyball is set to be the signature event of Rio 2016.

The challenge of bidding for and hosting major international sport events is one that no city or country should take lightly. Significant time, effort and most importantly, resources, are required to host any major sport event successfully and the need to invest heavily in these precious commodities, even when planning to bid for an event, should not be underestimated.

The IOC’s proposals put forward as part of the ‘Olympic Agenda 2020’ process, as well as the ongoing questions surrounding 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup bidding process, have thrust the issue of how international federations and major events rights holders manage their bid process firmly into the public consciousness.

And as the demand from sponsors and commercial investors to reach out to new markets increases and more events are being created and hosted in more countries, it is clear that the demands of hosting a safe, secure and successful major sport event are growing in scale and complexity.

But what does this mean though for one of the most fundamental areas of hosting a major event – safety and security? As sport enters what is arguably a golden era for innovation and creativity, is the approach to safety and security moving at the same pace? What exactly do cities and countries need to consider when preparing themselves to bid for or host an event?

These are important questions that sport, as well as many cities and countries, have to ask themselves over the next few years and at the ICSS, we have committed ourselves to answer the questions currently being asked about how to effectively safeguard events, as well as identifying new innovative ways to protect them.

When bidding for an event like a FIFA World Cup or Olympic Games, one of the main challenges to safety and security is that the bidding phase usually covers a two year period, with these events normally awarded seven years before the event even takes place.

As a result, this presents a number of challenges when it comes to security. Throughout an event lifecycle, the length of time between bidding and delivery could see one – or even two – changes in government, not to mention significant changes in the threats facing the event or region. And with the lifespan of new technology usually lasting around three years, what may seem ‘innovative’ or new when planning security in the bid phase could be severely outdated by the time the event comes round.

As a result, the changing environment, particularly when it comes to security issues, can have a severe impact on the way major events are planned and budgeted for. Despite many in the industry recognising these challenges, whilst security is considered a fundamental area to host a successful event, all too often safety and security is introduced at the later stages of an event life cycle.

Over any event life cycle, new risks and threats emerge which must be planned and mitigated for at the earliest possible stage into planning competition and non-competition venues, as well as transport and infrastructure around these venues. This is an approach that we apply at the ICSS and strongly advise our partners and clients to incorporate security at the earliest possible stage into their bidding and hosting plan.

For any city or country looking to host an event, it is also essential to ensure a thorough due diligence process when it comes to securing their event and to allow some flexibility in your concept to adapt to any new threats that may emerge. At the same time, it is essential to ensure that proper contingencies are put in place to address the more immediate threats to your event.

One of the other emerging areas that cities and countries should consider is the way social media and digital technology is now used to safeguard major events. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter have not only changed the way people consume sport and communicate with each other at major events but have also revolutionised the way intelligence is gathered and investigations are conducted around an event.

I also expect that over the next few years, the influence of technology on how major events are secured will only become stronger and predict that consumer and retail technology like google glasses, retina scanning and mobile apps will revolutionise the way we interact with security professionals at events.

The challenge of securing major international events has never been greater and the demands of hosting a safe, secure and successful major sport event are growing in scale and complexity.

At the ICSS, we believe first and foremost that safety and security at a major event should be a spectator service, whilst at the same time ensuring maximum security with minimum restrictions to the end user.

We also believe strongly that there is now clear need to develop a more global approach to safeguarding sport and major events and, whilst it is impossible to guarantee 100% security, a well-thought through security concept introduced right from the start of planning can save time, effort, finance and most importantly help to safeguard spectators.

SportAccord Convention has announced that Repucom will once again be the Official Marketing Research Partner for this year’s World Sport & Business Summit taking place from 19-24 April 2015 at the Sochi Expocentre, Sochi, Russia.

“We’re delighted to be partnering with SportAccord Convention for another year; an event that clearly shapes the sports landscape annually.” said Paul Smith, Repucom Founder and CEO. “Equally, Repucom strives to help clients navigate the sports and entertainment sector – through research, analytics and insights – ultimately delivering solutions connected to these three pillars. Being a partner of SportAccord Convention brings us closer to the equation.”

Repucom’s connected solutions allow businesses to better understand and connect with their audiences and customers through media, sponsorship and communication.

Nis Hatt, Managing Director, SportAccord Convention commented, “As the research and consultancy provider for top brands and organisations in the sports world, Repucom is ideally positioned to take the pulse of the industry.”

Over the last year, a key development for Repucom was the work in Government, Tourism and Events, helping their partners to achieve a range of objectives including revenue increases for rights holders.

This year, Repucom are going a step further, and taking a more holistic approach in delivering solutions, supported by more than 30 years of experience and using the tools they have access to globally.

The SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit is a unique opportunity for key decision-makers in sport to engage with business leaders across 25+ industry sectors. The 6-day event features a 3-day Conference, dynamic exhibition, LawAccord, City Forum, the SportAccord Convention Village and Sports Demo Zone, as well as hosting the annual general meetings of governing bodies of world sport.

For more conference information, including the Official Schedule and Conference Programme, or to register as a delegate, visit www.sportaccordconvention.com.

The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games has topped a UK ranking of the impact of the “buzz” of sports events in 2014, the SportIndex 2015 Annnual Report. 

"It's such a fantastic thank you to everyone who put such energy and effort into the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games to know that people across the UK ranked us as their number one positive world sporting experience of 2014,” said David Grevemberg, chief executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation and former chief executive of Glasgow 2014.

While the ranking does not discriminate between British and international events, those that were hosted in Britain or featured strong performances by British sportspeople inevitably created the biggest buzz. 

According to the findings of the report, the FIFA World Cup in Brazil was only the thirteenth most positive sporting event of 2014 for British consumers.

The UK, like several other countries around the world, broke record viewing figures for the opening matches of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. However, audiences in the UK quickly lost interest after England’s exit at the group stage. 

The authors of the report also cite the Luis Suarez biting incident as negatively impacting British interest in the World Cup.

The report found that Wimbledon created biggest buzz for an annual event, despite a below par performance by British star Andy Murray. 

The FA Cup was the most widely enjoyed football event, with its highest buzz score ever.

The Formula One British Grand Prix had the biggest growth in buzz, on the back of British star Lewis Hamilton’s winning performance. 

The SportsIndex 2015 Annual Report, powered by YouGov, analyses the levels of overall recent UK public awareness and news sentiment for 50 leading domestic and international sports events. It measures “peak buzz score”, the net difference between the amount of respondents hearing positive news and those hearing negative news.

“What a great way to mark exactly six months on from an Opening Ceremony which launched a festival of sport and culture which people across the Scotland, the UK, Commonwealth and beyond could feel part of,” said Grevemberg.

“Six months on, the athletes of the Commonwealth who competed, the thousands of volunteers and staff who delivered the Games and the people of Glasgow and Scotland who were the warmest of hosts can feel hugely proud of their achievements, the pleasure they shared and the special place they've won in the nation's hearts."

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) Corporation and Asahi Breweries have both signed as gold partners of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, within the space of two days. 

On Monday, the Tokyo-based NTT Corporation signed as Official Telecommunications Services Partner.

NTT Corporation will provide telecommunications services for hosting the Games. 

On Tuesday, Asahi Breweries was announced as the second Gold Partner in the “Beer & Wine” category. 

The world’s highest earning telecommunications company, NTT also worked on Japan’s three previous Olympic Games: Tokyo 1964, Sapporo 1972 and Nagano 1998.

"NTT has a long and distinguished history of connecting people across the length and breadth of Japan, and it is my earnest wish that we will be able to work together to further strengthen bonds between people and ensure that we deliver a successful Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020," said Tokyo 2020 President Yoshirō Mori.

In today’s world, security is a major function of the telecommunications partner. 

“With the rapid evolution of ICT (information and communications technology), the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics require telecommunications convenience to be accompanied by safety more than ever before," NTT said in a statement.

"In addition to helping make the Games' telecommunications safe, secure, and welcoming, NTT is taking advantage of the Group's telecommunications related security technologies and its telecommunications service infrastructure inside and outside Japan, endeavouring to act as a 'value partner' in providing an unprecedented level of hospitality to the Tokyo 2020 and other relevant organisations, as well as competitors and guests from Japan and overseas."

The second Gold Partner to sign, Asahi Breweries, is already a Gold Partner of the Japanese Olympic Committee. 

“As becoming the Tokyo 2020 Gold Partner (Beer & Wine), we are greatly looking forward to support not just the Japanese national team, but also every single athlete competing in the Games, allowing them to perform beyond their limits, and convey the message of the magnificence of having hopes and dreams to the children who bear the future,” said Akiyoshi Koji, president of Asahi Breweries.

“Asahi Breweries has an excellent slogan, which translates roughly as ‘Let’s share the emotion,’” said Mori. 

“This slogan very much echoes the efforts of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee to support athletes in their endeavours and to provide a stage where that emotion can be shared.

“During the Games, the whole of Japan will be raising their glasses and cheering on the athletes, and we are looking forward to working closely with Asahi Breweries to share the emotion of the Tokyo 2020 Games.”

The Tokyo 2020 organising committee is reported to be targeting $1.1bn of sponsorship revenue to fund staging the Games, with the top tier gold category said to be valued at $128m. At these prices, Tokyo 2020 could already be 30 per cent of the way towards its sponsorship revenue target. 

The domestic sponsors of the organising committee are distinct from the International Olympic Committee’s global TOP sponsorship programme, which also makes a major contribution to hosting the Games while supporting the Olympic movement worldwide and includes Japanese companies Bridgestone and Panasonic.

Toronto’s sports venues are set to be packed out in July, with many of the highest profile events of the Pan American Games selling out fast. 

Tickets for the Opening Ceremony have already sold out while the men’s football (soccer) gold medal game is experiencing some of the highest demand.

Other events for which tickets are keenly sought after include the medal rounds for aquatics, track cycling, BMX, canoe/kayak slalom, beach volleyball and equestrian jumping, where few tickets remain available.

Organisers also expect the men’s baseball and basketball gold medal matches to be packed out, with just a few tickets left on sale. 

“Tickets to see those memorable medal moments are selling quickly,” said Saäd Rafi, chief executive officer of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee (TO2015). 

275,000 tickets to the Pan Am Games have already been sold to sports fans paying upwards of US$16 per ticket. 

“The numbers are beyond our expectations — especially since we haven’t yet announced when Team Canada will be playing, not to mention the countless athletes from across the Americas who are still in the process of qualifying for the Games.

“That said, it was no surprise that the available tickets to our Opening Ceremony, produced by Cirque de Soleil, went fast. It’s sure to be an unforgettable night.”

Other popular events include the athletics track and field 100m finals and 4x100m finals, the rugby sevens finals, the beach and indoor volleyball finals and the closing ceremony, with entertainment provided by Live Nation.

“The Games are a once-in-a-generation chance to see our most elite summer Games athletes compete on home soil and to be part of the high-energy crowd who will be cheering them on and singing our anthem together,” said Rafi.

The sales campaign for the Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games starts in spring 2015. From 7-15, August, some of the world’s best para-athletes will be competing for their chance to go to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

Presidential candidate HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan produced his most vocal attack on the leadership of FIFA on Tuesday, setting out his stall to fix the tarnished reputation of football’s global governing body.

He spoke of a “culture of intimidation” within FIFA, where people can be punished for standing up for principles. 

Challenging Sepp Blatter and the other two candidates, Michael van Praag and Luis Figo, to a public debate in the run up to the election, he said he hopes the presidential election will be conducted fairly. 

Prince Ali plans to meet soon with van Praag, who he says he admires, and his friend Figo, to discuss strategy and said he would welcome the opportunity to work with them as a team.

He also said he will forsake his seat on FIFA’s Executive Committee if he does not win the election, as he is not prepared to work any longer under the current leadership.

Continental support

Speaking in London to a select group of media including HOST CITY, he revealed the names of the five national football associations from three continents that have nominated him to stand.

“The countries are Belarus, Malta, England, Jordan, USA – and so I’ve very happy with that – and of course Georgia,” he said. 

“These nominations are from three different confederations, which I am very happy with.” 

It has been widely reported that FIFA’s continental confederations tend to vote as blocs, and that incumbent FIFA president Sepp Blatter has the support of five out of the six confederations. 

However, Prince Ali downplayed the power of confederations in the election process. “This is not a question of confederations – this is a national association vote for the presidency of FIFA and I don’t think that any confederation is necessarily united in that respect.

“I don’t think anyone has a ‘stranglehold’ on any confederation; I think it’s up to member associations to decide.”

He also said the calls for reform are widespread. “I don’t think that it’s just in Europe that there are concerns about FIFA. I see that, having been in South America, in Asia and in Africa and I think it’s time now to make that change.”

A “culture of intimidation”

Addressing speculation that the leadership of the Asian Football Confederation, of which Jordan is a member, has not backed his bid, Prince Ali said “There is a culture of intimidation within FIFA but, having said that, this is a candidacy for the whole world.

“This is a world issue and not just about confederations.”

Pressed on what he meant by “intimidation”, he said “In the past if people take a principled stand, they end up being possibly punished for it.”

Observers have suggested that a strategy is underway to challenge Blatter via an early multi-pronged attack that could switch to supporting a single challenger.

However, Prince Ali welcomed the other candidates. 

“It’s very good that there is more than one candidate and it’s also emblematic of people’s desire to have a positive future. I look forward to meeting with them as soon as possible. 

“Luis Figo is a friend of mine, I know him very well. Michael can Praag is also somebody who I admire and respect a lot, so I would like to sit them down and have a good and honest discussion about how they see things.”

Asked about whether a joint candidacy might even be a possibility, he said: “That does not fall within our statutes, but I would be very welcome to have support and work as a team and with everybody for the future of football. 

“We need to be centralised a bit and we need to give everybody a role and we need to come up with a new way of conducting the sport, from the bottom up.”

Building on a his core message of transparency, he said “I would like to see before the election a public debate, including the incumbent, so that everybody knows across the world what our positions are. I’m ready to do it.”

Rebuilding trust

Widespread concern over allegations of corruption in the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups has had a negative impact on FIFA, with a number of sponsors having dropped their support in recent months. 

“There are many complaints obviously, in particular the reputation of FIFA and where it’s at right now,” he said.

“I am there to rebuild trust in our organisation and that doesn’t include only in our national associations but all stakeholders." 

Asked about how this could be achieved, he said “FIFA needs to include everyone – including yourselves, members of the press. 

“You need to have a long-term plan that does not change based on the whims of a president, and based on real decisions that are conducted with all stakeholders in the game – and fix our reputation. That’s the way I’ve always worked.”

Central to the challenges facing FIFA is the controversial way in which Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup. Asked if he would consider stripping a country of its hosting rights, he said “First of all I believe that every single association has the right to host the World Cup, regardless of their size and so on. 

“Having said that, I was one of the first to ask for the Garcia report to be made public. Because this is a world game and everyone needs to understand what is going on – that is transparency in its essence. 

“The problem really lies in how things took place: for example the double bid. We need to know why that happened. If Qatar had another four years to prepare their bid in a proper way, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

Prince Ali was also drawn into pointing the finger directly at Sepp Blatter for the crisis of trust in FIFA.

“Blatter has been president and definitely the president needs to be held personally responsible for what happens; and if I am president I certainly will take responsibility for all actions at FIFA.

“I have a lot of respect for what he’s done in the past, but if we talk about proper reform I am not confident that I’ve seen it. 

“He’s had the chance to do so; we’ve had Mark Peith’s report, which was never in my opinion shown. We’ve also had promises from him that he would not run again – but obviously that was not the case. 

“In full honesty and integrity, he should give the chance to others such as myself.”

Presidency or out

Prince Ali also announced his plans to leave the FIFA Executive Committee if he does not become president of FIFA.

“I have been on the Executive Committee for the last four years and I understand what has been going on,” he said.

“I have always tried to reform FIFA as best I can from the inside, but having said that I do believe the way to go ahead is to run for the presidency itself.”

“My total commitment is running for the presidency of FIFA. I’m not going to sit through another four years of what’s been going on and the only way to change it is from the top."

Despite his core message of a lack of transparency within FIFA’s administration, he remains hopeful that the election process can be conducted fairly and that he can win the election.

“I think I have my reputation, I am where I am and I just hope that things work out in that way, that it’s fair and it’s honest."

The presidents of FIFA's member associations will elect their president on May 29th.

“It’s long campaign, so I don’t think anyone should be written off. Globally there is a desire for change and I am committed to that.

“If things are played fair and rightly, things will grow in the appropriate way.”

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has chosen Host Broadcast Services (HBS) to serve as host broadcaster of the 2015 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, which will be held in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines from 18 to 22 February. 

For the first time in the event’s history, its production will feature live onboard cameras. 

HBS will operate more than 13 cameras at the event with a team of 72 staff. HBS has appointed Euro Media France to provide the technical platform.

The HDTV signal will be provided to broadcasters worldwide. The UCI and its exclusive media rights partner Infront Sports & Media have distributed the rights to more than 100 countries and territories. Over 300 media representatives are accredited onsite.

For the first time ever at a UCI Track Cycling World Championships, miniaturised cameras installed on the bicycles’ saddle tubes will transmit live images of the race to viewers worldwide, as well as to the Velodrome’s giant screen.

“The team and I are all delighted to be part of the 2015 Championships and excited by the enthusiasm and innovations HBS and the UCI have brought to the sport,” said Steve Docherty, event director at HBS. “It’s always a thrill to be able to do something unprecedented.”

The live on-board cameras will be used in various events over the five days of the competition. The cameras will be installed on competition bikes, feeding live images to the production truck located just outside the venue.

Radio frequency (RF) transmission experts Broadcast RF will supply the cameras, transmitters, specialised operators and bring their technical partner VideoSys Broadcast. 

Following initial research and development focused on making the camera and RF transmitter as safe, compact and light as possible, HBS organised a number of tests served to establish the project’s viability. 

The French National Team participated in the first of these tests, with a second one taking place at the UCI’s headquarters in Aigle, Switzerland. The combined weight of the camera and transmitter has been reduced from 300 grams to just 199 grams.

“The live on-board camera is the angle that has been missing from track cycling coverage, and it’s one that will delight both the hardcore fans and viewers new to the sport,” says HBS’ director or production Dan Miodownik.

“Getting to this point requires significant technical integration, but with the expertise from our technical partner Broadcast RF and the commitment and vision from UCI, we are ready to bring something completely new to track cycling coverage.”

HBS provided broadcast consultancy and on-site support for the last two editions of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships, in Minsk, Belarus and Cali, Colombia. 

A fully owned subsidiary of Infront Sports & Media, HBS works on many other events and has been host broadcaster of FIFA World Cup since 2002.

HOST CITY is following on from the success of its inaugural Bid to Win conference by supporting the Host Cities And Sports Events conference, which takes place in Geneva within the International Sports Convention (ISC) on 10th-11th December.

A number of speakers who featured in HOST CITY Bid to Win will be making an appearance at Host Cities and Sports Events, including David Grevemberg, CEO, Commonwealth Games Federation; Ric Birch, Managing Director, Filmmaster Special Events; and Nick Varley, Founding Partner and CEO, Seven46.

HOST CITY shares sponsorship of the conference with sports PR firm Calacus, insurer AON and TV production company Actua. 

The ISC features 18 conferences with a total of 150 speakers, including FIFA presidential candidate Jerome Champagne and former Manchester United FC Manager David Moyes.

The four Event Partners for ISC are UNICEF, ASPIRE, MAPEI and the Qatar Financial Centre Authority (QFC). 

“We are very proud to work with UNICEF in assisting them to achieve their goals,” said Nigel Fletcher, Chief Executive of the International Sports Convention.

“The ISC focusses on the business of sport, and many are there to grow their businesses, which is what we set out to facilitate but we as organisers wanted to have a balance and re-emphasize the power of sport in today’s world.”

MAPEI supplies adhesives and chemical products for building sport facilities, such as the installations of swimming pools and running tracks, for Olympic Games and numerous international sports events. 

The host of the 2006 Asian Games, Qatar’s ASPIRE Zone offers a unique sports medicine, research and education destination for the international sports industry among some of the world’s finest sport venues.

The QFC Authority is the commercial and strategic arm of the Qatar Financial Centre, a thriving jurisdiction for global and regional financial services firms looking to capitalise on the opportunities offered by the region.

“It is an exciting time for Qatar, now and especially the road to 2022 and we look forward to working with Qatar Financial Centre,” said Fletcher.

For information about the ISC please visit www.geneva2014.com

Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) Television has secured exclusive rights to broadcasting the Baku 2015 European Games in Japan. 

The 17-day coverage will include the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as highlights packages across all of their domestic platforms.

“This is the first deal we have announced with an Asian broadcaster and represents a significant step in achieving our aim of ensuring the inaugural European Games is broadcast in all five continents around the world,” said Charlie Wijeratna, Commercial Director of Baku 2015.

The agreement follows on from recently announced deals with the Arab States Broadcasting Union, which will see the European Games broadcast in 20 countries across the Middle East and North Africa, and L’Equipe 21 which will show the event throughout France.

“The Baku 2015 European Games will be an historic event and we are proud to begin what we are sure will develop into a long and fruitful partnership,” said Masamichi Amano, Executive Vice President of TBS Sports. 

“We look forward to presenting the inaugural European Games to our viewers across Japan and also introducing all that Baku has to offer the world.”

TBS, a free-to-air commercial broadcaster, has exclusive rights to the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Japan and is part of a consortium of Japanese broadcasters that covers the Olympic and Olympic Winter Games, the FIFA World Cup and the Asian Games. 

The broadcaster also has rights to The Masters, The PGA Championship, Major League Baseball and the FIVB World Volleyball Championships in Japan.

Simon Clegg, Chief Operating Officer of Baku 2015, said: “We are delighted to have confirmed this deal with TBS Television to ensure the European Games will receive exposure in the Japanese market.

“As a keen sporting nation, we are sure there will be significant interest in Baku 2015 so it is extremely pleasing to know fans will be able to tune in to the best of all the action.”