It might not feel like it right now, but sport event rights holders are extremely fortunate. They have access to a wide range of revenue streams: broadcasting and city hosting rights, ticket sales, sponsorship and public funding. For the last twenty years these streams flowed ever faster, until the age of social distancing and staying at home blocked many of these lifelines.

With loyal customers and packed calendars of events, sports organisations rarely felt the need to save up for a rainy day. Few could have envisaged a black swan like Covid-19 preventing them from serving their loyal customers or paying their bills.

While some organisations have been able to stage events through the pandemic, they have tended to lack audiences to sell tickets to – and not all sports have a level of broadcast reach that can make up for this shortfall. This means most rights holders are now under intense pressure. And one person’s loss is another’s gain.

“Private equity companies are circling due to Covid,” says Andy Westlake, Chairman of the European Sponsorship Association. “A lot of rights holders will go over the cliff if they don’t get investment.”

The most popular sports have attracted ownership from high net worth individuals for decades, but institutional investment in teams is a relatively new phenomenon. “They were once seen as risky ventures that wouldn’t get past an investment committee – this has changed,” says Nic Couchman, Head of Sport at international law practice Charles Russell Speechlys (CRS).

Private equity investment in sports federations

Private investment in international sports federations is also on the rise. One of the earliest adopters was the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), which set up World Snooker in 2002 as a self-perpetuating commercial model to fund the not-for-profit WPBSA. 

“Private equity is very interesting to sport right now," says Jason Ferguson, Chairman of the WPBSA and Director of World Snooker Ltd. "International federations can do things differently; many are not running as proper businesses.”

Much more recently, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) set up World Table Tennis as a new commercial arm. “Establishing World Table Tennis as the rights holder has enabled us to get equity, which has positioned us well through the pandemic,” says Matt Pound, Director of World Table Tennis.

The latest federation to buoy its governance function with a commercial arm is the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), which at the start of February 2021 announced the launch of Volleyball World with backing from private equity giant CVC Capital Partners.

Rugby is also attracting a wave of private investment. CVC, having invested £200m in a 27% share of Premiership Rugby in 2018, is now closing in on a major investment into the Six Nations. Meanwhile, Silver Lake have reportedly offered US$330m for 15% stake in New Zealand Rugby.

The sport’s international federation, World Rugby, has been relatively fortunate in that the cycle of its World Cup events have so far avoided being impacted by Covid. The men’s event in Japan in 2019 broke attendance and viewing records despite Typhoon Hagibis, while the largely Covid-free New Zealand hosts are expected to fill stadiums in 2021.

But financial challenges remain. “With Covid, many of our Union members are struggling due to a lack of crowds and matches,” says Mihir Warty, Director of Strategy at World Rugby. “We have drawn down on our reserves to actively support several in managing their cashflow issues’.

“We are conscious that some organisations within the sport have attracted external investment. This appetite from investors points to the potential of rugby to continue growing as a global sport.”

Sport gets serious

“Investors normally look for strong commercial fundamentals – predictable, annual revenues, strong brand loyalty and market share –  and the ability to use cash and expertise to increase market share and accelerate growth,” adds Robert Datnow, Managing Director of The Sports Consultancy. “For decades, sport has been seen as a complex and impenetrable investment – with a few notable exceptions – but now, the right opportunities, at the right price, and with the right execution plans are serious business.”

Recent years have also seen the rise of strong challenger brands within the sport event space. Super League Triathlon was set up with venture capital funding from triathlon fan and co-founder Leonid Boguslavsky – a model that CEO and co-founder Michael Dhulst says is others will no doubt replicate. “There will be growth of new events with passion-driven investors. Private investment is going to become more important for rights holders.”

It’s not just immediate financial concerns that are driving the trend towards private investment: the media landscape is shifting the foundations of the industry. The sport event industry is reliant on broadcasting revenues, which has become increasingly problematic as the internet draws audiences away from TV.

“Sport at its core is a media enterprise. It was inevitable that it would confront forces of changes due to new technologies and evolving consumer habits. The pandemic accelerated all of that,” says Scott Novak, Head of Global Communications for Bruin Sports Capital.

As Giles Morgan, global sports industry veteran and executive vice president of Pumpjack Dataworks puts it, “Sports has reached a perfect storm. The sports industry was created around the eyeball; TV ratings were the gold standard. Sponsorship is the most valuable form of marketing, but it’s quick to fall in a downturn – and it relies on TV.”

Future growth of sports events 

All this disruption brings an opportunity for private equity. But investors are not only looking for distressed assets; they are looking for future growth.

“We have been approached by investors from a variety of sources. There’s clearly a lot of interest in investing in sport," says Mihir Warty. "However, the crucial thing is to identify properly what the money is needed for. All federations and rightsholders need to ensure that investment is seen as just that – a way of growing the entity and driving sustainable revenues. Not as a windfall.”

The loyalty of sports fans is an important, untapped asset. Although younger people are becoming more fluid about which teams they support, tending to follow the individual athlete as much as the team, there are still few industries that have as unique a hold on their customer’s hearts as sport.

“The reason that investors see potential returns in these properties is fundamentally because of the unrealised value in the fan bases,” says Charlie Greenwood of Sports Loft. “If the teams can start to know that fan base better, engage with them more through great content and sell them more products – all of which requires better technology than what has been previously used – then the investors can increase the value in the property.

“As investors are looking at investments into teams and leagues, there is much more appetite for investing in the technologies that support sports organisations - and in many cases there is an opportunity to use the sports property to help increase the value in their tech investment.”

A challenge for investors will be how to value companies coming out of the pandemic, and the rate at which fans will return – not only buying tickets to live sport, but also subscriptions and merchandise during what could be a prolonged economic downturn. A rapid rebound would represent a great opportunity for investors. According to Ian Clayden of BDO, “Private equity views sports as a sector that can mobilise quickly post-lockdown.”

Where future growth will come from is a question that applies not only to sport. Asia – particularly China – is emerging fast and strong from the pandemic. There are large, young populations with growing disposable incomes representing plenty of headroom for growth in the entertainment industries.

Sports are not the only events that have been hit by the pandemic. “Trade shows enable the discovery and furthering of commercial relationships and long-term partnerships in a way that no digital business has been able to replicate online so far. At the right entry price, this asset class could deliver quite attractive returns on the 2023-2025 horizon,” wrote Alfonso Marone of KPMG in a recent insight piece.

Music festivals have been equally badly hit, with no viable digital alternative to the real thing. Before the pandemic, private investment was growing in the live entertainment sector, which could enjoy a similar rebound to sports post-Covid.

“As the owner of Host City, the world’s largest meeting of sports, business and cultural events, we know these properties have perennial value to a variety of stakeholders,” said Matthew Astill, CEO of Cavendish Group, which also owns leading China-Europe investment forum International Capital Conference. “As the events industry opens up around the world, the opportunities are immense for anyone investing in these vital sectors.”

But private equity won’t go in with its eyes closed. Large, structured investors want detailed data on a business and its customers. Fan bases are a massive untapped resource of data – the sports and entertainment organisations that can show business acumen and a deep knowledge of their customer base will be the ones that are most attractive to investors. And in this area, sport and entertainment have a lot of homework to do.

Private investment will be a central theme of Host City Asia on 14 April and Host City Americas, set for 30 June (both virtual). Host City's global series of events climaxes in Glasgow with the hybrid Host City 2021 on 7-8 December 2021. For more information ask ben.avison@hostcity.com

[Source: Global Sports Week] A unique global-local event concept saw speakers gather in venues across four continents, with the action linked live to a central base at the heart of the Eiffel Tower.

More than 20,000 people from 153 countries visited the immersive digital platform, where they were able to participate virtually in more than 100 sessions.

With themes including the rise of athlete activism; the new sport-for-health agenda; the emergence of new digital sports formats and revenue streams; women’s sport; social justice; and the climate emergency, Global Sports Week demonstrated the massive on-going transformation happening across the world of sport.

Over 200 speakers made an appearance across six future host cities of the Olympic, Paralympic and Youth Olympic Games – Paris, Tokyo, Beijing, Milan, Dakar and Los Angeles.

The main GSWArena stage incorporated broadcasts from hub venues at the French Institute Tokyo, the Embassy of France in Beijing and the Museum of Black Civilisations in Dakar, as well as from ‘virtual hubs’ in Milan and Los Angeles. Each of the international lives opened with a message from the Mayors Anne Hidalgo (Paris), Eric Garcetti (Los Angeles), Soham El Wardini (Dakar), and Giuseppe Sala (Milan), Vice Mayor of Beijing Zhang Jiandong and Governor of Tokyo Yuriko Koike, who each presented their vision for sport and the Games in the future of their cities.

As in 2020, the voice of the next generation was represented throughout the week by a group of 34 Young Sports Makers, under-25s drawn from 16 nations, who were tasked with challenging leaders and helping to shape discussions in line with their concerns.

Global Sports Week 2021 was also the stage for a number of significant announcements. These included:

> The launch of two new toolkits by Global Sports Week patron UNESCO, unveiled by Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences Gabriela Ramos, and designed respectively to empower young people to influence physical education policy; and to support policy makers in implementing the change in national systems.

> The unveiling by Paris 2024 and AFD (L’Agence Française de Développement) of a new joint incubator and the 26 athlete-entrepreneurs who will receive support to champion high-impact social and environmental projects in France and across 10 countries in Africa. The project was presented at the Eiffel Tower by Rémy Rioux, Chief Executive Officer of the AFD, and Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024, marking the one-year anniversary of their agreement, signed at Global Sports Week in 2020.

> The launch by Global Sports Week’s Founding Partner and the first Paris 2024 Premium Partner Groupe BPCE of its annual analysis of the French sports economy. BPCE L'Observatoire estimates that the French sport economy experienced a drop of approximately 21% in 2020 in comparison to 2019, which represent a much deeper recession than for the rest of the economy (-8.3% according to INSEE.)

> The launch of a five-year, pan-European project by Global Sports Week Founding Partner adidas, addressing the brand’s Global Purpose pillar of Breaking Barriers for Girls. adidas will work with 15 non-profit sport for good organisations across different regions of Europe across the five years, improving their capacity and capability to serve women and girls in their communities in order to empower 100+ Breaking Barriers Champions and engage with 50,000+ female participants. The project aims to increase girls’ participation in sport by building the capacity of the sport-for-good ecosystem to better serve women and girls, as well as to provide inspiration for girls to become their best selves.

Lucien Boyer, President and Co-Founder of Global Sports Week, said: “At Global Sports Week’s inaugural edition at the Louvre in 2020, the big message was about the need for change. This year, we clearly witnessed the revolution happening across the world of sport, which reflects the fundamental links between sport, business and society.

“This remains the heart of the Global Sports Week concept, which itself has reinvented in a creative and ambitious new format fit for a future, healthier and more socially-conscious world.

“Sport belongs at the heart of this future, and we are clearly seeing how the positive pressure of young people is helping the ecosystem to change and play a bigger role across the key issues in global society. We look forward to welcoming the world back to Global Sports Week in 2022 to continue the journey of positive transformation together.”

[Source: FIVB] The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) and CVC Capital Partners Fund VII are pleased to announce the launch of Volleyball World, a new partnership which will drive innovation, growth and investment in volleyball around the globe.

Volleyball is the fourth most popular sport globally, with more than 800 million fans and high participation, across attractive markets, including Italy, Brazil, Japan, Poland, China and the US. Volleyball was the most watched sport at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, with 2.6 billion viewer hours globally.

Volleyball World will become the commercial entity for the sport around the world, initially for FIVB and aiming at working later alongside other leagues and federations, with the goal of increasing the profile and popularity of the sport, through fresh investment for the benefit of fans, players and National Federations. Volleyball World will be responsible for the commercial operation of key volleyball and beach volleyball international events, including: the World Championships, Olympic Qualifiers and the Volleyball Nations League. The partnership will focus on event hosting, fan experience, media, data / digital opportunities, and sponsorship to grow commercial revenues for reinvestment, which will ensure the long-term success of the sport.

FIVB, together with its 222 National Federations, will remain the sole, global volleyball regulatory body with responsibility for the sport and its development. As the majority shareholder in Volleyball World, FIVB will oversee the new commercial vision for volleyball while ensuring the interests of all stakeholders are represented. CVC brings extensive experience to this partnership, with a strong track record of investing in multiple sports businesses, including Formula 1, Moto GP, and Rugby. CVC also brings access to a broad international network of relationships with offices in 22 countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas, which will help accelerate the commercial growth of volleyball and investment in the sport at all levels.

Finn Taylor, who was previously the head of Cirque du Soleil’s Global Touring show business overseeing significant geographic expansion and growth, will be the CEO of Volleyball World. Fernando Lima, formerly FIVB Secretary General will Chair the Board of Volleyball World. Other Board members will include Fabio Azevedo (the current FIVB General Director) and Simon Denyer (founder and former CEO of DAZN Group).

FIVB President Ary S. Graça F° said: “We are delighted to partner with CVC to launch Volleyball World. The FIVB is committed to constantly innovating while searching for opportunities that can sustain the development of the sport around the world. In CVC we are confident we have found a partner with the experience, network and capital to support FIVB in its mission to further professionalise the sport for the benefit of fans, players and National Federations.

Volleyball World will boost our sport’s financial growth and deliver lasting legacies for the whole game. Working in partnership with CVC we will be able to secure volleyball’s future and emerge stronger from the current challenges.”

CVC Capital Partners Head of Sports, Media and Entertainment, Nick Clarry added: “Volleyball is one of the most popular sports in the world and there is a huge untapped fan base and commercial potential. FIVB & CVC working together at Volleyball World, will drive innovation and greater fan engagement, which will accelerate growth and allow for substantial reinvestment back into the sport. We are delighted to be partnering with FIVB and look forward to working closely together to develop the sport globally, working collaboratively with all the players, leagues and federations in the years to come.”

[Source: Global Sports Week] The world of sport will gather virtually this week for its annual Global Sports Week, which will take place across six future host cities of the Olympic, Paralympic and Youth Olympic Games.

Paris will again take centre stage, with the Eiffel Tower set to play host to the spectacular main event studio – the production base for a 30-hour livestream that will incorporate broadcasts from hub venues in Tokyo, Beijing and Dakar, and from ‘virtual hubs’ in Milan and Los Angeles.

An opening ceremony will be broadcast from the Eiffel Tower on Tuesday, attended by key figures and special guests, including Yannick Bestaven, skipper of IMOCA MAÎTRE CoQ, fresh from his victory last week in the legendary Vendee Globe solo round-the-world yacht race.

Throughout the week, a significant focus is expected to be placed on questions surrounding the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Holders of 51 Olympic and Paralympic medals will be among more than 200 speakers participating across the week. Other athletes on the programme include football superstars Gerard Pique, Didier Drogba and Mikael Silvestre; tennis champions Justine Henin and Francesca Schiavone; F1 driver Romain Grosjean; NBA All-Star Tony Parker and reigning World Cup ski queen Federica Brignone.

Senior Olympic movement leaders present will include International Olympic Committee (IOC) Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi, International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons, Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet, IOC Athletes Commission Chairperson Kirsty Coventry and top leaders of the Organising Committees of Tokyo 2020, Beijing 2022, Milan 2026, Dakar 2026 and LA28.

Mayors Anne Hidalgo (Paris), Eric Garcetti (Los Angeles), Soham El Wardini (Dakar), and Giuseppe Sala (Milan), Vice Mayor of Beijing Zhang Jiandong and Governor of Tokyo Yuriko Koike will each give a message, presenting their vision for sport and the Games in the future of their cities.

Reinvention in action

The theme of this year’s Global Sports Week will be Reinvention in Action, following a year of unprecedented disruption, which has accelerated underlying trends impacting the world of sport.

As in 2020, the voice of the next generation will be represented by a group of Young Sports Makers, under-25s drawn from 26 nations, who will be tasked with challenging leaders and helping to shape discussions in line with their concerns.

Issues on the agenda include the rise of athlete activism and entrepreneurship, the new sport-for-health agenda and the emergence of new digital sports formats and revenue streams. Women’s sport, social justice and the climate emergency will also feature strongly.

NBA among coalition of partners

Global Sports Week comprises three programme streams: the main GSWArena, the partner-led GSWVillage and the GSWPro zone, featuring professional development content.

An immersive GSWMarketpace will additionally house 50 exhibitors.

 In total, more than 50 hours of content will be produced over 100 sessions throughout the week.

The event programme has been co-created together with 42 Global Sports Week partners, which include a number of the world’s leading sports rightsholders. Last week, the NBA became the latest to come on board as an official Proud Supporter.

Lucien Boyer, President and Co-founder of Global Sports Week, said: “The strength of this year’s programme is testament not only to the quality and impact of our inaugural edition at the Louvre. It also reflects a huge built-up energy in the world of sport right now, which is looking for expression.

“At the same time, we believe it is crucial that sport does not simply talk to itself. This year has shown us the extent to which sport is a function of societal and economic influences, while also being fundamental to the health of society itself.

“The mission of Global Sports Week is to bring people together across the boundaries of sport, business and society. We believe the diversity of this year’s line-up will lead to very exciting discussions, new partnerships and tangible outcomes that will shape the future of sport as we enter this new era.”

In January, Japan set its new single day record for Covid 19 infections and there is polling reported by The Times indicating that 80% of the country’s population are against the Games going ahead. That same newspaper also reports a Japanese government source as saying they are searching for a way out of staging the Games this summer because “the consensus is that it’s too difficult”. Sir Keith Mills, deputy chairman of the London 2012 Games, said earlier this month that it was unlikely the Games would proceed.

The official mood music from those actually involved in the Games' organisation though is much more positive. “Our task is to organise the Games, not to cancel them,” said IOC President, Thomas Bach, earlier this month. “And our task is to make the Olympic dreams of athletes come true. This is why we are working day and night to organise a safe Olympic Games in Tokyo.” So, the focus now appears to be shifting towards how exactly the IOC and the Tokyo organising committee plan to make it happen.

Next week they will publish their “playbook”, a set of strategies and proposals to explain how they see the Games being held this Summer, safely. While Bach had said back in November 2020 he was “very, very confident” that spectators would be able to attend the Games this Summer, there is a growing acceptance that full stadia are unlikely and that stadia with no fans at all are a distinct possibility. When asked earlier this month whether full crowds would be able to cheer on the athletes in Tokyo, Bach replied, “This I cannot tell you. Because our priority is to ensure a safe Olympic Games and we will do whatever is needed to do that. Everybody would love to have full-capacity stadia and the roaring crowds. But if that is not possible we will respect our principles, safety is our first priority.”

Other sporting events, from Europe’s leading football leagues and the NBA to the handball World Championships have been successfully staged in the midst of the pandemic. So there is a body of learning regarding event operations for the Olympic organisers to draw on. The truth though is that none of those events really get close to the scale of the Olympics, with over 200 nations represented and over 15,000 athletes taking part. UEFA’s Euro 2020, itself postponed from last Summer, will probably be the closest in terms of scale but is due to finish a mere two weeks before the Olympics begin, by which time the Olympic plans will be fully crystallised.

Returning to that impending playbook announcement, one can well imagine what measures might be included in there. Social distancing, hygiene and regular testing will be essential pillars. Other possible measures that have been mentioned include a wave system where athletes arrive in the country and depart within a five day window, insistence on a negative Covid 19 test immediately before departure to Japan and, somewhat jarringly, a ban on fans cheering.

Needless to say, there are financial pressures too, with the Tokyo organising committee expecting around USD 800 million in ticket sales and the Japanese government having invested tens of billions of dollars in the event. To the extent those sums are underwritten by the Japanese government, might there be good reason for them to be in favour of a further rescheduling (very difficult) or, dare we say, cancellation? If the event is cancelled, a report in The Times refers to the possibility of Tokyo putting its hat in back in the ring for the next “available” Games, in 2032.

The approach in the sports industry to the Covid crisis from where I have been sitting has in most cases been a sensible and practical one. There have been tough conversations and there have been threats but most stakeholders acknowledge that the pandemic was an unforeseen event, blame for which cannot be laid on a single doorstep. So, the necessary pain has in most cases been shared out. To paraphrase the character in Full Metal Jacket played by John Terry – the US actor, rather than Chelsea’s finest – “It’s a huge $#!@ sandwich and we are all going to have to take a bite.”

My own guess for what it is worth, and it really does have to be a guess at this stage, is that the Games will take place this Summer but with significant restrictions on fans in the stadia, together of course with a host of other virus management measures. If the Games do end up being cancelled, expect the IOC, the organising committee, Japanese government, International Federations and National Olympic Committees, broadcasters, sponsors and athletes all to have their share of an unappetising sandwich.

This opinion editorial was written by Nick White, Partner, Charles Russell Speechlys. Read more insights at www.charlesrussellspeechlys.com

[Source: SportAccord, 07.01.21] Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernyshenko has been appointed as Chairman of the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2021 Local Organising Committee. 

His Deputy will be the Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation Oleg Matytsin with First Deputy Minister of Sports Azat Kadyrov appointed as Secretary of the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2021 Local Organising Committee.

Independent sports marketing consultancy, Inside Edge, has been appointed as the global sponsorship sales agency for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships and will be responsible for marketing the sponsorship rights for the inaugural event to be held in Glasgow and Scotland.

This is a major milestone for the Championships as it looks to establish purpose-led partnerships with brands that will help drive forward the event’s ambition to deliver meaningful societal change by creating and supporting programmes and ideas that help more people to ride bikes more often.

Over the next three years, Inside Edge will have international exclusivity in marketing all available rights for the Championships and through an innovative ‘one partnership team’ approach, the agency will work alongside the host and the cycling governing body to pool all rights and develop a single set of innovative packages for global sponsors.

As well as being the single biggest cycling event in history, the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will be a catalyst for behaviour change across Scotland from now until long after the event. It will celebrate the power of the bike and all it can bring to our everyday lives, whether it’s physical and mental health, easing congestion on the road to help the environment or simply making it easier for people to get around.

It is this vision and ambition that will provide brands with a unique opportunity to gain visibility around a new event concept with long lasting societal impacts.

Paul Bush, 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships Chair, said: “The appointment of Inside Edge is a key milestone on our journey to 2023 as we look to bring on board brand partners who will help us successfully deliver this brand-new event and create meaningful societal change by celebrating the unique power of the bike to deliver on our important policy outcomes.

“Inside Edge’s experience, shared vision and data-led approach to help create purpose-led partnership opportunities will be vital to our success, and we look forward to working with them over the next three years.”

Andrew Markham and Jon Naspe, Co-founders of Inside Edge, said: “Inside Edge is delighted to be representing the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships and we will be applying our extensive experience of running international partnership sales processes for best in class rights holders to ensure that this ground-breaking platform is a commercial success. 

“We will start to reach out to organisations that align with the clear objectives of the Championships and its key stakeholders over the coming months. Principally we will be targeting brands that are looking to drive positive societal change through projects that encourage more diversity in sport, enhance physical and mental wellbeing and bring greater awareness to environmental sustainability initiatives.

“Cycling is more than a sport, it is a part of everyday life for over a billion people globally, be that as a way of commuting, spending time with family and friends or just being active. There is a real opportunity for brands to work with us to build a meaningful dialogue with a desirable, highly engaged audience and leave a long-lasting legacy for Scotland, the UK and the wider world.”

UCI President David Lappartient said: “The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow and across Scotland will bring together thousands of cyclists around 13 of cycling's existing UCI World Championships into one mega event for the first time. This landmark cycling festival, celebrating the power of the bike, will delight athletes and fans for what will remain an unprecedented experience in our sport’s history. I am confident that Inside Edge, as global sponsorship sales agency for the Championships, will translate this ground-breaking event into a commercial success.”

Taking place in Glasgow and across Scotland in August 2023, the Championships is being delivered in collaboration between cycling’s governing body the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), Scottish Government, Glasgow Life, UK Sport, British Cycling and VisitScotland with its EventScotland team, with the partnership creating a blueprint for future editions by ensuring the inaugural event is authentic, innovative and distinctive.

[Source: Global Esports Federation] The Global Esports Federation starts the new year following the successful staging of the first edition of the #worldconnected series (#wcs20) in December 2020. The event saw participation from 75 countries and territories across seven regions of the world.

The regional esports competitions hosted by the GEF’s Member Federations attracted close to 5,000 esports players worldwide competing in 11 titles, drawing over half a million spectators online. Top matches were streamed live on the GEF’s Twitch channel – twitch.tv/GEF.

In addition, the staging of the inaugural GEFcon attracted over 1,000 participants from around the world. GEFcon20, developed with Sports Innovation Lab, showcased 14 sessions with 50 global thought leaders from esports, sports, technology and innovation sectors. The GEFcon20 sessions remain available for free viewing at GEFcon.org/videos.

“While so many events around the world were cancelled or postponed in 2020, our #wcs20 program demonstrated the Global Esports Federation’s capability, drawing the world’s esports community together. We are encouraged by the support from our diverse Member Federations and are committed to continuous collaboration,” said Chris Chan, President, Global Esports Federation.

“We kick off 2021 with renewed determination and commitment to promoting the credibility, legitimacy and prestige of esports.”

“At the GEF’s December Board Meeting, we reaffirmed our commitment to provide an integrated service platform to our Member Federations, assisting further growth and development. This year we will focus on diverse strategic initiatives, as well as the development and delivery of our global events portfolio, including our annual flagship Global Esports Games,” added Chris Chan.

[Source: Event Scotland] Craig joins the 2023 Cycling Worlds team from Scottish Cycling and will take up the position in April, reporting directly to the Championships CEO, Trudy Lindblade. With a strong track record and a career spanning over 25 years with some of Scotland’s leading sports and leisure organisations, Craig is regarded as one of the country’s most experienced and accomplished sports management professionals. Craig spent his early career within the commercial leisure industry, before moving into broader sports development roles across local, regional and national sports organisations.

Under his leadership as CEO of Scottish Cycling since 2011, the governing body has undergone transformational change resulting in significant growth and modernisation. This has delivered substantial increases in membership, participation and revenue as well as developing a talent system that continues to deliver sustained medal success from Scottish athletes on the world stage. Scottish Cycling was also awarded Governing Body of the Year in 2018.

Craig is a vocal advocate with a huge passion for cycling and is determined to ensure the  2023 UCI Cycling World Championships can add value to the great work already going on across the cycling landscape in Scotland and importantly deliver an inspiring policy led event that positively impacts across the four key policy drivers of participation, transport, tourism and economy.

Trudy Lindblade, 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships CEO, said: “I’m delighted to have Craig join the 2023 Cycling Worlds senior management team as Director of Strategy, Policy and Impacts. His extensive experience and in-depth understanding of the policy drivers, political landscape and priorities of the key partners and agencies in Scotland make him the ideal candidate to drive forward our plans for delivering a major event that delivers sustained positive impact across the four key policy areas of participation, transport, tourism and economy.  

“We have big ambitions for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships to not only deliver an outstanding event but to also celebrate the unique power of the bike and all it can bring to our everyday lives. Craig’s work will be vital in achieving this as we work in collaboration with cycling and wider partners to amplify and unify their existing work and activity that will give everyone the opportunity to experience the freedom riding a bike can bring to their life.” 

Craig Burn said: “I’m delighted to be joining the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships team as Director of Strategy, Policy and Impacts. I genuinely believe this event, and cycling in its widest sense, can bring solutions and positive change to individuals and communities across Scotland.

 “Not only will the Championships shine a spotlight on Scotland and the UK, but it will provide a unique platform and catalyst for government, its agencies and wider stakeholders to collaborate on initiatives and key policy areas where cycling can bring about tangible, positive change before, during and after the event for decades to come.

“First and foremost, we must deliver a world class sporting event for the athletes, spectators, stakeholders and sponsors. However, the Championships must also inspire the nation to get involved and be a vehicle to promote and celebrate Scotland’s natural assets and culture of innovation to the world.

“I’m proud and honoured to be given this opportunity to play an integral part in ensuring the success of this inaugural mega event that will create history and build a blueprint for future major events in Scotland and across the globe.”

Taking place in Glasgow and across Scotland in August 2023, the UCI Cycling World Championships will be the biggest single cycling event in history, bringing together 13 existing individual World Championship cycling disciplines into one mega event, for the first time.

The Championships is more than just an event. It will celebrate the unique power of the bike and all it can bring to our everyday lives, whether it’s physical and mental health benefits, easing congestion on the road to help the environment, or simply making it easier for people to get around.

The Championships is being delivered in collaboration between the UCI, Scottish Government, Glasgow Life, UK Sport, British Cycling and VisitScotland with its EventScotland team, with the partnership creating a blueprint for future editions by ensuring the inaugural event is authentic, innovative and distinctive.

[Source: SportAccord] The Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) Council met via video conference on Wednesday, 16 December 2020 for a GAISF Extraordinary Council Meeting chaired by President, Dr. Raffaele Chiulli. As previously communicated, the current Director, Philippe Gueisbuhler decided to pursue an opportunity outside of the organisation with the International Ski Federation (FIS) commencing 1 January 2021.

Following the Extraordinary Council Meeting, President Chiulli said: “It is truly a pleasure to announce today that in view of ensuring the continuity of GAISF administrative action, SportAccord, Managing Director, Mr. Nis Hatt, was unanimously endorsed as interim Manager of GAISF.”

President Chiulli went on to say: “I have the utmost confidence and trust in Mr. Hatt’s ability to oversee the operations of GAISF as he has a thorough and intrinsic understanding of the GAISF organisation and its relationship with its Members.”

Mr. Hatt will start his interim role effective immediately.

You can follow SportAccord’s portfolio of events via Twitter @sportaccord or keep up-to-date via LinkedIn and Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Flickr.