Tik Tok 9:16 broadcast of Real Sociedad v Real Betis hits 506K unique viewers

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La Liga’s first-ever match aired on a vertical 9:16 format on Tik Tok drew a total audience of over 733,000 viewers on all social media platforms. This groundbreaking initiative was taken forward through an agreement signed between Mediapro, La Liga, and TikTok. Mediapro deployed a special mobile 4K unit that would be used for the production of the match in a vertical format and they utilized a production crew of more than 30 people.  

With an aim to reach a wider audience ,additional engagement was offered via direct interactions with creators Nacho Hernandez and Carla Gabian who hosted the live coverage on Mediapro-owned Spanish broadcaster Gol’s Tik Tok channel.

The new format was able to reach 506,000 unique viewers on TikTok, the match received 1.2 million likes on the platform and it had seen over 68,000 chat comments.

La Liga’s director of digital strategy had described the agreement with TikTok and Mediapro as a move to create an innovative way of broadcasting matches.

What has been said by the parties involved

“This is one more step for La Liga in the quest to build new audiences and bring football to all viewers”. “This agreement with TikTok confirms the work that La Liga and MEDIAPRO have been carrying out in recent seasons, to continue creating value and innovating in the broadcasting of matches.” La Liga’s director of digital strategy, Alfredo Bermejo

TikTok’s head of Content in Spain and MediaPro marketing director were also pleased with the initiative.

“This initiative with TikTok and LaLiga bolsters MEDIAPRO’s commitment to content adapted to the new digital ecosystem, offering Spanish football fans innovative experiences and new ways of participating and interacting.” Ignacio Arrola, MEDIAPRO’s marketing director

“We’re extremely grateful that MEDIAPRO and LaLiga have chosen TikTok to launch this ground-breaking initiative in Spain. TikTok is a place where football fans spend time and connect, and we’re proud to be able to see how big sports brands are inspiring the community through innovation.” Soraya Castellanos, TikTok Spain’s head of content

This groundbreaking initiative will definitely push the boundaries of innovation in the broadcasting and content distribution space.

Learn more about La Liga launching its official mini program on the Alipay platform

UEFA launches hat trick heroes in Metaverse game for Women’s Euro 2022

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With the UEFA Women’s Euro kicking off in the month of July, UEFA has unveiled the tournament’s mascot’s hat-trick heroes who will make their debut in the metaverse game Roblox.

The trio of mascots Kai, Robyn, and Ashley will appear as interactive characters in the ‘The Road to UEFA Women’s EURO’ game on Roblox. With a platform of over 50 million daily active users- of which 50% are children under the age of 12, UEFA has taken the initiative to establish its presence on Roblox with the objective of grabbing the attention of young users on the platform.

UEFA initiative with Roblox

This initiative would see the creation of a virtual game complemented by a skills challenge and it will feature an educational video series where the trio of mascots will showcase their own unique personality such as Robyn no 10- blessed with skills, Ashley hattrick captain and number 7- strength, and Kai number 4- intelligence.

In the video series, they will appear alongside twelve of European football’s biggest names including current UEFA Women’s Player of the Year Alexia Putellas (Barcelona FC), 2017 UEFA Women’s EURO winner Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal FC) and UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 host Lucy Bronze (Manchester City FC). The video series will be uploaded on YouTube and it will be shared with schools across Europe through the UEFA Football in School program.

What has been said

“The UEFA Women’s EURO promises to be a record-breaking tournament,” “It has the potential to inspire millions of girls and boys to play football, so it is important for us to take the tournament to the platforms and spaces they occupy. We hope our new gaming experience will capture the imagination of children and get them to interact with football and the Women’s EURO in a way that we have never explored before” Guy-Laurent Epstein, Marketing Director at UEFA.

The creation of this unique campaign aims to inspire young children below the age of 12 to play and engage with football. The mascots will take the help of international players to understand better the skills needed to become a goalkeeper, defender, midfielder or forward. The mascots would also teach them the importance of having a good mindset for football and life.

The hat-trick mascot campaign supports one of the main goals of the UEFA women’s football strategy which is to double girl’s and women’s participation in football by 2024.

Learn more about Linkedin being named as national sponsor for the Women’s Euro 2022

Real Madrid connect with Cisco for Santiago Bernabéu technology update

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Real Madrid, the Spanish soccer powerhouse, has named Cisco as its official technology partner in a multi-year collaboration. The San Jose-based technology business will enhance the electronic capabilities of the LaLiga club’s Santiago Bernabéu stadium, which is undergoing a multimillion-dollar makeover. With this update, the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.

Although the financial parameters of the agreement were not made public, Cisco will provide a variety of IT solutions to the venue. Among the equipment on display are connectivity and security systems, as well as a data centre and digital signs. The entire system is based on a single intelligent, convergent Cisco network.

Discover the most recent stadium news, such as Populous Stadium design to replace San Siro.

Bernabéu stadium

Not only that, but Bernabéu will boast Wi-Fi 6 technology. Over 1,200 connection points will be available throughout the stadium to provide faster and more consistent bandwidth.

Implementing Cisco’s network, according to Real Madrid, has various advantages. These benefits allow the club to provide unique experiences to fans at the Bernabéu and around the world. While doing so, it will improve a variety of stadium functions, including communications and security.

In addition, around 1,000 displays will be available within the Bernabéu. All of these displays will see Cisco’s Internet Protocol television system, which combines HD video distribution with digital signage. According to Real, this will allow the club to expand fan interaction and create even more entertainment options.

More from Cisco

Cisco collaborates not just with Real Madrid, but also with the NFL and the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. On the topic of Real Madrid, Brazilian forward Vincius Júnior has collaborated with metaverse platform Overeality to produce an exclusive NFT line. The 21-year-old is not the only one on the Overeality platform. We will see another LaLiga star, João Félix, Columbian player James Rodrguez, and AS Roma manager José Mourinho on this platform.

Learn about the most recent LaLiga news, such as the league’s plans to expand into North America.

La Liga is looking to build a bigger market in North America

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La Liga is exploring the prospects of expanding its business in North America. The Spanish league had established its presence in the region with the objective of tapping a bigger market filled with commercial opportunities.

The Spanish league foraying into the American market

In a bid to gain more brand exposure the league had announced a regional broadcasting deal with ESPN in 2021. The league ideally wanted to reach a wider audience hence they opted to rope in ESPN who have an audience base of over 100 million users in the region.

The Spanish league has also taken the initiative of creating local content that potential audiences would consume hence they have opted to open a production studio in Mexico where they would create and deliver content in different local languages. The league had devised its own digital strategy that would cater to the audience’s demand hence they are looking at the possibility of opening production studios in other North American markets and they are looking to produce content locally.

Learn more about La Liga becoming the first European country to have its own TIK TOK program

“It is a content-centric approach,” said Gartner CEO of LA Liga North America, “What we are doing is building a community here. The trick is creating content that people want.” He further goes on to discuss ways through which the league can differentiate itself from other big European leagues in the region and he strictly emphasized the need to build a bigger community through new initiatives.

In the past four years, La Liga which has its main North American office in New York has managed to generate $10 million of local sponsorship revenue. The revenue generated came from the establishment of La Liga football academies in the region and through the monetization of local content which was created and uploaded in several social media platforms.

The Spanish league has made its mark in the region however they are exploring newer ways through which it can enhance its engagement with fans and build a bigger community.

Apple agrees first sports rights deal with MLB

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Apple has made its first big foray into live sports broadcasting by obtaining a package of Major League Baseball (MLB) rights in 9 regions, including the US and Canada. Although no financial terms have yet to be public information, the multi-year agreement would see the Apple TV+ streaming platform exclusively broadcast a weekly MLB Friday night doubleheader beginning with the lockout-delayed 2022 season.

A first for Apple

MLB will produce the Apple broadcasts, which will not be carried by the participating teams’ regional sports network (RSN) partners. In addition to MLB’s home areas in North America, Apple’s live game broadcast contract includes Australia, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. More areas are expected to be introduced during the course of this new deal.

Discover more platforms expanding their sports content including Fiba upgrading OTT platform with Courtside 1891 launch.

This new arrangement also includes Apple obtaining MLB’s live look-in rights in the US, which were previously abandoned by DAZN in 2020. To cap off the evening, Apple TV+ will air an ‘MLB Big Inning’ whip-around show. Not only that, but we can also watch a live stream of game replays, news, highlights, and historic matches 24/7. The agreement also includes a digital highlights package for Apple News.

This agreement is the first in a string of broadcast collaborations for the technology powerhouse as it expands Apple TV+. We may begin to see more deals coming our way! According to Front Office Sports, Apple may be acquiring a portfolio of NFL media assets, including out-of-market Sunday Ticket rights.

This move is following milestones including the release of At Bat on the first day of the App Store. This is not all as we saw the integration of Apple technology in ballparks across the country. This new game package is the next collaboration in its long history of providing quality and innovative content to fans. MLB on Apple TV+ provides fans with an exciting new platform that allows a bigger audience to connect with the game, with national and international availability.

Argentina FA joins forces with OneFootball to create a global content partnership

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Argentina FA has joined the OneFootball club, following in the footsteps of the Brazilian FA and Ligue 1. All editorial content published on the AFA website will now be available on the OneFootball website and app. Not only that, but material from OneFootball’s Publisher Network of over 110 premium publishers will be available to fans wherever they are.

OneFootball will oversee all editorial content on the AFA website. This new material will feature the most recent news from Argentina’s national soccer teams, as well as live stats and score updates. There will also be video coverage from Argentina’s National League, which includes world-famous teams like Boca Juniors and River Plate. Finally, as if that wasn’t enough, we’ll see breaking news alerts and push notifications to reach fans all around the world.

Learn the latest in Argentina FA news as they sign a two-year global sponsorship agreement with Bybit.

A deal for digital expansion

This announcement comes after a year in which OneFootball has begun to expand its sports streaming offerings. They recently acquired the rights to nine European leagues, as well as the Indian Super League, through Eleven Sports. This strategic partnership with OneFootball enables them to continue their global digital expansion. As part of this, they are providing fans and the sponsors who support them with a direct communication channel.

Discover the latest OneFootball deals including Bahia signing a global agreement with the digital platform.

This newly formed partnership will certainly result in new and inventive extra releases for all Argentine National Team fans in the near future. Argentina is a football-loving country, so it’s only natural that they’ll be OneFootball’s first full Federation partner in Latin America. Official AFA content will now reach a new audience of young football enthusiasts in Argentina, as well as millions more around the world, thanks to the AFA’s affiliation with the OneFootball network.

Twitter and Meta prepare for the Super Bowl by launching new fan interaction efforts

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Exciting news as Twitter and Meta prepare for Super Bowl LVI on February 13th in Los Angeles with new fan interaction events on each social media site. Of course, as most of you know, the NFL championship game is a big deal for Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. It will generate a large amount of activity from both individuals and corporations. In the meantime, social media has grown as an important channel for the league, its teams, athletes, and broadcast partners.

The NFL’s excitement is only growing, with the NFL divisional round last month seeing a 58% spike in tweets, a 48% increase in unique writers, and a 27% increase in impressions. Twitter is urging users to post their predictions for the game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams. As part of this incentive, they have promised to display a selection of tweets on the SoFi Stadium’s LED ceiling.

Learn the latest in Twitter news including the PGA Tour joining Twitter Spaces for a bigger content deal.

Twitter has certainly been keeping busy, collaborating with athletes on a billboard campaign. As part of this unique setup, they are showing predictive tweets from NFL players like Patrick Mahomes and Leonard Fournette, who expressed desires to participate in the Super Bowl years before such wishes came true.

Meta’s contribution

Meta has also been busy. As part of their continued effort to develop a metaverse across their many platforms, they are launching new 3D avatars for Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram. This function is now available in the US, Canada, and Mexico, with plans to expand its availability in the future. Users can dress their avatar in official Bengals or Rams gear, as well as neutral Super Bowl colours.

Although largely aesthetic, the relationship with the NFL demonstrates how Meta’s metaverse might become an increasingly vital avenue for sports organisations as it grows in scope and development.

Discover the most recent NFL news, including the launch of new clubs and markets for its global home and marketing areas.

Meta revamped virtual reality avatars last year to make them more expressive, customizable, and diverse. They are currently expanding avatars to better represent the billions of distinct people on the globe. This isn’t all; they’ll also be introducing limited-edition clothes for NFL fans to dress up their avatars in to support their favourite teams.

The NFL launches its first online store in Brazil in cooperation with Netshoes and Fanatics

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Exciting news from the world of American football, as the NFL revealed its far more grand plans for the Brazilian market. This might be due to the fact that this market has the greatest potential for growth. Not only that, but they are the most involved in American football on a global basis. With this in mind, the league established the first virtual shop in the country. This online experience will be created in cooperation with Netshoes, a sports e-commerce platform, and Fanatics, an NFL Global partner.

Click here to learn more about the NFL, including its content expansion on social media sites such as Reddit.

With this transition, this store will now sell exclusively official items. As part of this exciting deal, fans can stock up on jerseys, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hats from the 32 teams that are currently battling it out in the world’s most popular American football league. The objective of this online venture is to grow the Brazilian market. And they intend to gain and connect a larger number of followers with this digital strategy.

To service the expanding local NFL fan base, the NFL will collaborate with Fanatics and Netshoes, Brazil’s leading e-commerce company. Meanwhile, this market knowledge will enable them to provide a wider choice of items to their devoted Brazilian followers.

Learn about the NFL’s most recent virtual collaborations, such as its deal with Twitter, which now includes Twitter Spaces.

This is undeniably exciting since the official internet store marks the first time the NFL will sell official items in Brazil. Year after year, the league’s popularity grows. The country today boasts more than 27 million fans of the sport, which is only available on Disney Group networks in the country.

LaLiga joins forces with Socios.com as a global partner to launch Fan Tokens

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Exciting news from LaLiga and Socios.com as they have announced a new partnership that will see Socios become the official global fan interaction partner for the Spanish football league. These two big organizations will team up to develop new chances for LaLiga’s 800 million global fans. As part of this new digital strategy, fans will be able to interact with the brand using the platform’s cutting-edge blockchain technology solutions.

Find out more about this Spanish League including their partnership with Relevent Sports to expand their joint venture into Mexico to keep soccer thriving.

This relationship with LaLiga is a huge step forward for Socios.com. Not only that but also boosts the company’s position in Spain, a country where it plans to build additional offices. This newly formed deal cements Socios.com’s position as the global leader in blockchain-powered fan engagement solutions for the sports industry. This will be in adding to the company’s existing partnerships with a number of teams throughout the world. This is in addition, to having the name rights to Argentina’s Primera División, which is now known as Torneo Socios.com.

LaLiga is one of the most popular leagues in the world, with millions of supporters worldwide. They are also known for being home to major clubs that have helped make football what it is today. To top it all off, LaLiga will now provide Socios.com with a fresh opportunity to engage with its fans. They want to involve fans worldwide so that they are no longer just passive watchers but active participants.

Click here to find out more about LaLiga’s move into the digital world which includes its collaboration to create a new gaming platform.

LaLiga also benefits from a partnership with Socios.com, one of the world’s leading sports fan engagement companies. Thanks to this agreement, their favorite athletes and teams worldwide can connect more actively with all of their fans. This newly founded agreement will act as a way of getting closer to fans and giving them new experiences.

Only success so far

With this digital strategy in mind, it’s important to note that Fan Tokens have become one of the fastest-growing revenue streams in the sporting world. In less than two years, these tokens have profited the global Socios.com network by nearly $200 million. FC Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid, and Valencia CF are currently on the list of Partners. Not only that but also LaLiga Santander’s Levante UD and Premier League clubs like Manchester City. This is in addition to other sports and contests, such as a number of NBA teams and Formula One teams.

England’s football teams have chosen Xbox as their official gaming partner

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Microsoft’s well-known and extremely addictive Xbox electronic game system has entered into a new partnership with the English Football Federation. This exciting agreement was finally confirmed last week, with Xbox becoming the official match partner of all English national football teams. With the federation, this collaboration will include teams from all categories, including men’s, women’s, and youngsters, as well as e-Sports, Wembley Stadium, and the St. George’s Park national center.

When Everyone Plays, We All Win

According to Soccerex, which arranges events for the English Football Association, this relationship is a great victory of Xbox and the FA’s guiding philosophy of inclusion in the game. This inclusion message is exemplified by Xbox’s long-standing effort for games that are inclusive, accessible, and safe for all players. The FA is also working hard to ensure that every football player in England, regardless of background, has a great experience. Because of this element in common, the collaboration has been acknowledged with the motto “when everyone plays, we all win” as a defining feature.

Learn more about football gaming, such as Fornite launching new football skins in multi-club deals with Manchester City and Juventus.

Of course, this isn’t FA’s first foray into big technology; they’ve previously forged partnerships with PayPal and Google Cloud. In order to target a young digitally connected audience, the FA has pushed new rights with Disney and Pokémon. This new relationship continues to expand into other audience groups in order to reach fans.

Discover more about gaming platforms entering football, such as the Brazilian National Squad joining Free Fire.

Xbox aims to remove barriers and allow anyone to experience the thrill of gaming. Similar to football, millions of people all around the world fund common ground and interact through games. There is a strong drive to Xbox and a passion to empower people within the FA. Xbox expects that this agreement will provide even more value to English football teams. Not only that, but they will be able to address the needs of both players and spectators with this deal. Fans from all over the world love and support this game. Xbox has the potential to take its relationship with everyone involved in English football to the next level with this arrangement.

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