[This release was first published on the SportsTech Match blog: https://sportstechmatch.medium.com/%5D Amsterdam, 8th February 2022: SportsTech Match, the world’s first B2B marketplace for sports technology, today launched a unique Request For Information (RFI) tool to help sports rights owners save time and increase their chances of finding the right solutions.  Rights owners at all levels of sport — from elite to grassroots — can create a RFI in less than ten minutes and evaluate responses from the best tech vendors around the world in as little as five days. Today’s release follows a b ..read more

(This article was originally published on www.isportconnect.com) In June 2018, FIFA first proposed to license and operate a new “Clearing House” to centrally manage transfer payments. Some in the football world thought it would never happen. The FIFA Clearing House was borne out of FIFA’s own research which showed that an increasing number of clubs were not fulfilling their payment obligations in relation to training compensation and solidarity contributions — collectively referred to as “training rewards”. First introduced in FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP) in ..read more

[This article was originally published on iSportConnect.com in relation to my ongoing work with the consulting team at iSportConnect] It’s early days for the decentralised web or “web 3.0” (the blockchain era) and it’s impossible to predict the impact blockchain technology will ultimately have on the business of sport. What is clear is that the sports industry continues to obsess over non-fungible tokens (NFTs). If you need a refresher on NFTs and how they fit into the context of blockchain, then read this explainer article. Based on many conversations with rights owners across the iSport ..read more

If you’re looking for another hype piece on the success of Top Shot, you’ve come to the wrong place. The sports industry is in full FOMO mode, scrambling to get in on the non-fungible token (NFT) action while the iron is hot. Without a doubt, the advent of NFTs and blockchain technology has presented ample opportunities for a variety of stakeholders, all propelled to prominence in early 2021 in large part due to the buzz around Top Shot. Of course the partnership deserves recognition as a big win for all involved: 800,000 fans currently on the platform trading video collectibles, prominen ..read more

Recently I spoke to a friend working in a leading sports business media group who agreed with my assertion that deep pockets are enabling a relatively small number of sports technology companies to dominate the sports business media, putting lots of great startups at a major disadvantage. This idea wasn’t mine. It’s based on frustrations that I have heard from several leading sports tech startups. The reality is that it’s getting more and more difficult for the next generation of B2B sports tech companies to break through as the purse strings of sports rights owners are drawn tighter and sales ..read more

The relationship between sport and fans was already changing before the Covid-19 pandemic took its seat in the stands – driving fans out of them in the process. Fan engagement technology was becoming steadily more prominent. However, awareness of its variety and accessibility was low. The ‘new normal’ that suddenly arrived in 2020, and the way it forced rights holders and stakeholders to quickly adapt and adopt more digitally-focused fan engagement strategies, changed this. If technology has been the engine for gradual change in the way that fans interact with sport, the Covid-19 pandemic has ..read more

Leading Think Tank Onward is recommending that the UK government encourage fans to take a financial stake in football clubs to better protect them during times of crisis. Will Tanner, Onward’s director, is quoted in the Guardian as saying, “This is about transparency, accountability and governance. We recommend greater fan ownership and involvement in the running of clubs.” Tanner is also quoted as saying, “What is clear already is that ministers should take immediate action to protect sports clubs that are the pride of many communities and which will be needed to bring the country back togeth ..read more

As sport continues to restart behind closed doors, the New York Times asks “With No Fans in the Seats, Do Sports Remain Must-Watch TV?” In the article, the NY Times perfectly encapsulates the role of the spectator: “for those watching on television, spectators are necessary surrogates. They provide jersey-wearing pageantry, face-painted tribalism and adrenaline for the players. Their responses of jubilation and anguish verify our passionate responses. Their voices become our soundtrack, collectively rising in anticipation, thunderously exhaling in joy or disapproval. And they reinforce the bel ..read more

As excitement and tension build in equal measure at the prospect of the Bundesliga re-starting on Saturday, the Bundesliga website is preparing international fans to choose a team. Under the headline “which Bundesliga club should I support”, the article showcases everything from the history, honours, nickname, players and current campaign performance of each club. The article ends with a really nice activation involving a series of questions which tells you which team you should support (Augsburg for me!)! Bravo Bundesliga! As a condition of re-starting elite football in England, the UK govern ..read more

Melissa Reddy, writing in the Independent challenges the assumptions around fans breaking rules when football returns that have been popularised by many senior public figures in the UK. She contrasts this with recent efforts by Fans Supporting Foodbanks to deliver 5000 Personal Protective Equipment [PPE] visors to key workers in London, Manchester, Newcastle and Yorkshire. Ian Byrne, Labour MP for West Derby and co-founder of Fans Supporting Foodbanks, is quoted as saying, “I believe we need to have a resetting of how football fans are viewed and that the authorities need to engage with, trust ..read more