The DataPOWA view on the most important talking points in the worlds of sport sponsorship and digital.
Sky has announced that it will end its association with British cycling in 2019.
The broadcasting giant began its sponsorship in January 2010 with the launch of Team Sky. Since then, it’s enjoyed a huge amount of success, clocking up 322 victories.
However, with Comcast recently taking over the corporation, it’s thought that there’s been a review of affiliations, leading to the decision.
“It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to have been on the journey with Team Sky and British Cycling right from the start,” Team Sky chairman Graham McWilliam wrote on Twitter.
“Priority now is to help find new partners to take the team into the future.”
Team Sky added in a statement: “Team Sky will continue to race under a different name if a new backer is secured to provide funding from the beginning of 2020.”
For more on this story, please visit BBC Sport
New digital platform OTRO has launched with the aim of taking the football world by storm.
David Beckham, Lionel Messi and Neymar have already pledged to use the app, which promises to give fans unprecedented access to their heroes’ lives off the pitch.
“People see what the footballers do from about 20 different camera angles while they’re on the pitch, but they don’t really know who they are as people,” OTRO’s chief executive Jeremy Dale told SportsPro. “So what we want to show is the other side of those players’ lives.
“OTRO means ‘other’, and this is their ‘other club’. They may play for Paris Saint-Germain or Manchester City or Barcelona or whatever team you want to talk about, but this is their other club.
“They’ve all come together to create this club for their fans, and it’s a club where they show their other side, so that’s what we’re trying to do.”
The platform is free to use, but fans will be able to pay $3.99 for a premium account that will allow them unlimited access.
For more on this story, please visit SportsPro Media
Guinness has been named as the new sponsor of the Six Nations.
The tournament’s association with long-term partners RBS ended in 2017. Nat West took over for the 2018 competition, but only on a temporary, one-year basis.
Six Nations CEO Benjamin Morel said of the deal: “We are absolutely delighted to enhance our long-standing relationship with Guinness and they will be a terrific title sponsor for Rugby’s Greatest Championship.
“Guinness are world leaders and our partnership between two great iconic brands will enable us to reach new audiences on a global scale.
“We could not be more excited to be working with the Guinness team over the coming years on developing new and innovative ways to connect with our fans and consumers.”
The deal is thought to be worth around £6 million a year and will run until 2024.
For more on this story, please visit Rugby Pass
Samsung has renewed its current sponsorship of the Olympics by signing a new eight-year deal with the International Olympic Committee.
The South Korean company has partnered with the IOC since 1998 and will now continue that association until the 2028 games in Los Angeles.
“I am delighted that we will be building on two decades of partnership with Samsung for another 10 years,” said IOC President Thomas Bach.
“Together, we are able to connect with and inspire Olympic athletes and fans around the world, and we look forward to working with Samsung to build the digital future of the Olympic Games.”
For more on this story, please visit Reuters
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