Highlight Reel: Are Netflix Teeing Up a Move into Live Sports? 🏌️♂️
This week's top stories feature Netflix, Drive To Survive, Full Swing, FIFA Women's World Cup, LVMH, Paris 2024, One Future Football, Rickie Fowler, and Leeds United
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This week's lineup includes…
Are Netflix Teeing Up a Move into Live Sports? 🏌️♂️
World Cup Blackout Avoided, But Not Without Cost to FIFA 📺
LVMH See Paris 2024 as Ideal Brand Showcase 🥇
One Future Football Launches it’s Virtual Worldwide Soccer League ⚽️
US Golf Trio Look to Score in 49ers’ Leeds United Investment ⚽️
ICYMI: I also published my weekly newsletter for JohnWallStreet on Wednesday:
Are Netflix Teeing Up a Move into Live Sports? 🏌️♂️
Netflix could be planning a move into live sport.
According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, the streaming platform is in the process of developing a celebrity golf event that would combine stars from two of its top performing docu-series, Formula 1: Drive to Survive and Full Swing.
Netflix has had success in bringing together personalities from across its content inventory in the past with shows such as Perfect Match, which brought together singles from the likes of Love Is Blind, The Mole, and Too Hot to Handle.
This proposed event, which is still in preliminary discussions, would likely premiere in the fall and take place in Las Vegas, according to people familiar with the situation.
P.S. Though Netflix was reported to have considered bids for tennis and cycling events, the streaming giant has been hesitant about live sports saying, “we’re not anti-sport, we're just pro-profit."
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World Cup Blackout Avoided, But Not Without Cost to FIFA 📺
FIFA has reached an agreement with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), ending the threat of a Women’s World Cup blackout across the UK, Spain, France, Germany, and Italy.
For the first time, the rights for tournament were being sold separately from the men's and FIFA President Gianni Infantino had said Europe's leading football nations would face a blackout unless their bids were improved.
The negotiation tactic has, however, come at a cost, as a source explained to Unofficial Partner.
“Sitting in the UK, you’d be hard pushed to know the biggest festival of women’s football is taking place this summer… because no broadcaster has been marketing the event in these crucial pre-tournament weeks.”
“The absence of TV marketing has a cost, and I bet it’s more than any incremental rise extracted for the rights in the stand-off over the last six months.”
LVMH See Paris 2024 as Ideal Brand Showcase 🥇
With the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris just over a year away, reports indicate French powerhouse LVMH is nearing a substantial sponsorship deal for the event.
According to Reuters, LVMH is currently in talks for an agreement with the Olympics valued at approx. $161.31 million.
While nothing has been confirmed regarding how LVMH would activate this potential partnership, LVMH have carved out a niche as the official trophy travel case provider of many prestigious global events (See: FIFA, World Rugby, NBA, Formula 1, Riot Games).
As the most valuable company in the country and greatest global export, there is potentially an opportunity to also weave elements of the LVMH brand into the opening ceremony – which is set to take place outside of a stadium for the first time ever.
One Future Football Launches it’s Virtual Worldwide Soccer League ⚽️
One Future Football (1FF), which describes itself as the world's first global soccer league, has launched this week with 250+ CGI generated players, each with their own carefully crafted backstories to ensure there is relatability for all fans (including even having virtual players with diabetes and autism).
Backed by Blackbird Ventures, 1FF has raised $3M in pre-seed funding, featuring investors like Chris Smalling, Patrice Evra, Jesse Lingard, and Kamaru Usman. The league has also attracted tennis stars Naomi Osaka, Nick Kyrgios, and Ons Jabeur to join as brand ambassadors.
The virtual sports code involves 12 weekly matches with teams playing against each other in a league format. Games will be broadcast worldwide with an emphasis given to narrative-driven content.
US Golf Trio Look to Score in 49ers’ Leeds United Investment ⚽️
At the US Open on Wednesday, Rickie Fowler revealed that he, along with fellow American golfers Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, are looking to invest into Leeds United as part of the imminent takeover by 49ers Enterprises.
The American investment group are set to take charge of the club after agreeing a deal to buy out chairman Andrea Radrizzani’s controlling stake.
Leeds confirmed that a deal had been reached with 49ers Enterprises last week, despite being forced back to the negotiating table in the wake of their relegation from the Premier League.
The group has been a majority shareholder in Leeds since 2018 and increased its stake to 44% in 2021, with the option of buying Radrizzani’s remaining 56% before January 2024.
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JOB BOARD
Global Football Apparel Designer - New Balance (Warrington, UK)
Live Director - British Basketball (London, UK)
NFL Lead Trader - DraftKings (London, UK)
Senior Brand Manager, Sports - Paddy Power (London, UK)
Project Development Manager Adventure & Extreme Sports - Extreme (UK)
Sporting Director - San Antonio Football Club (San Antonio, US)
Director of Product, Sports - BetMGM (Jersey City, US)
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Do you run, work for, or work with an exceptional business within the sports industry Tell me about it and get yourself free publicity in the process 👇