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FSV Makes Major Push In Hispanic Engagement With Acquisition of Alianza de Futbol and JUGOtv

For Soccer Ventures (FSV), an organization focused on the growth and long-term development of American soccer, today announced it has completed the acquisition of Alianza de Futbol and JUGOtv, groundbreaking Hispanic soccer companies engaging with and offering opportunities for the underserved Hispanic soccer community in the U.S.

For nearly two decades, Alianza de Futbol implements identification programs, coaching clinics, and tournaments in Hispanic communities throughout the U.S. that have historically existed outside of the traditional structure of American soccer. These programs have offered the opportunity for participation to male and female players, and led to the identification of dozens of future professional players such as Mexico’s National Team player Jonathan González. JUGOtv has operated as the content studio and social media arm of Alianza de Futbol, featuring one of the premier American Hispanic social channels.

“As we set about our mission to transform soccer in America, we began identifying the entities and the stakeholders who’d been doing it successfully for years. Alianza de Futbol and JUGOtv are the benchmarks for creating a more inclusive American soccer community,” FSV founder and Philadelphia Union investor Richie Graham said. “As part of FSV, we hope to bring these organizations closer to the fold with our partners, offering even greater opportunities for Hispanic soccer players in the U.S. and establishing a richer and more robust soccer community for everyone.”

Founded in 2004 by Richard Copeland and Brad Rothenberg, the son of former US Soccer Federation President and 1994 FIFA World Cup organizer Alan Rothenberg, Alianza de Futbol has been a one-of-a-kind opportunity for male and female soccer players outside of the traditional club system in the U.S. Since the program’s launch, players have come from 46 states and more than one thousand U.S. cities, connecting over 3.2 million hispanic families to the Alianza de Futbol community. Additionally, over seventy seven alumni have gone on to play professionally and twenty three have received youth national team invitations.

Working with commercial partners, Alianza de Futbol hosts weekend long activations in Hispanic communities throughout the country that feature tournaments for youth and adults and identification programs for players hoping to take the next step in their career, all at little to no cost. Guest appearances from legends of the game such as Carlos ‘Pibe” Valderrama and Jorge Campos, brand activations, and more round out an experience that often draws more than a quarter of a million attendees per year.

As part of the FSV portfolio, Alianza de Futbol and JUGOtv will leverage relationships with organizations such as Major League Soccer and US Soccer Federation to expand opportunities for its participants.

“We’re beyond excited to join the FSV team,” said Joaquin Escoto, Managing Director of Alianza de Futbol. “The future of soccer in America is so bright, and we’re thrilled to be joining FSV on their mission to ensure all communities are part of that future. FSV are the perfect partners to help amplify our impact in bringing the Hispanic community closer to the most important organizations in American soccer.”

Additionally, FSV’s unrivaled creative, American soccer storytelling and strategic capabilities will provide Alianza de Futbol a greater platform to evangelize their transformative work in grassroots soccer, while also connecting them to new brands and advertising agencies.

New initiatives that expand upon Alianza de Futbol, both on-and-off the field, will be announced by FSV in the forthcoming months.

Weekend Sports Appreciation Post

by Alex Perel, Special to The Daily Payoff

Nothing major to report in the sports and entertainment today, but we wanted to draw attention to the major upswing in games coming to the forefront. Going into the weekend, the first this year to feature Saturday NFL games, and the 2020-21 NBA season starting on Tuesday, we suddenly have a lot to look forward to in the sports world.

This weekend marks the final Thursday night game of the season as the NFL shifts into its weekend heavy schedule. The Los Angeles Chargers (+ 3 1/2) took down the Las Vegas Raiders in that matchup last night on Fox and NFL Network. The Thursday game will shift to a Friday matinee for Week 16. Both Week 15 and Week 16 will feature multiple Saturday games as well, with both having day and night matchups. Monday Night Football, however, remains on ESPN over the next two weeks. Finally, Week 17 hosts its full schedule on Sunday, as the league traditionally closes the season the same day for all teams.

Of course, Wild Card Weekend and the Divisional Round subsequently follow, both having Saturday and Sunday games. Point being, the NFL is mixing up its schedule to spread games across the next few weeks, so chances are when you flip on the TV any given weekend, you will have an NFL game to watch.

College Football sees a transition from conference championship games to bowl match ups next week, so NCAAF is there as well. The Power Five championships are as follows:

Pac-12: Oregon vs. 13-USC – 12/17 at 8PM EST

Big Ten: 14-Northwestern vs. 4-Ohio State – 12/19 at 12PM EST

Big 12: 10-Oklahoma vs. 6-Iowa State – 12/19 at 12PM EST

ACC 3-Clemson vs. 2-Notre Dame – 4:00PM EST

SEC 7-Florida vs. 1-Alabama – 8:00PM EST

All the great football leads into our biggest development: the NBA regular season’s return this coming Tuesday, December 22. Opening night features a Warriors vs. Nets early contest, followed by the Lakers and Clippers. With the league trying to cram a 72-game schedule into the coming months, we will see more back-to-back sets of games as well as “baseball series.”

In the latter format, teams will play each other multiple nights in a row. This style is uncommon in a normal NBA season, but the new schedule promises an abundance of NBA games throughout the week while you wait for football. Wednesdays and Fridays will be particularly packed with the requisite ESPN/ABC nationally televised packages.

And similar to football, the NBA is piggybacked by the college schedule, which is now entering its full swing of conference play. Check for those games to be typically packed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays on ESPN, FS1, and regional conference networks.

TL;DR: We shoot into the new year with a very healthy dose of live sporting events. Before you look up, we will have hockey and later baseball back, returning to a full slate of the four major American team sports. Get excited for the action packed weeks to come.

Legends Media & Entertainment Experiences Solid Growth In First Three Months Since Launch

The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) today announced the numbers for the first three months of the expansion and launch of Legends Media & Entertainment (LME), a multifaceted storytelling platform producing, distributing and quantifying the wide reaching stories of many of the NBA and WNBA’s biggest stars. In three months LME in both audio and video has drawn almost 600,000 views and listens, more than three times the combined numbers of audio and video around the players in the previous nine months. Viewers and listeners have come from over 20 countries, and have enjoyed content from some of the most unique storytellers in the history of professional basketball. Athletes First Partners represents the NBRPA in its marketing endeavors and is working on engaging with brands on the platform as well.

“Basketball is a team sport, and by unifying efforts under the LME brand, we have been able to start building an audience, and a destination that fans from around the world are enjoying,” said NBRPA President and CEO Scott Rochelle. “The first three months have shown that consistency is key, and now that the season is upon us, we are expecting the concept to continue to grow both in content and in audience with our players, some of the most identifiable and engaged athletes and personalities anywhere.”

The NBRPA represents over 1,000 former NBA and WNBA players, making it the largest agency of its kind in basketball. This has allowed for direct access to players for opportunities domestically and internationally. Some of the most popular segments to date have included sessions with hoist Trill Withers talking with Charles Barkley, Bill Walton, Grant Hill and many others. The content can be seen, and heard at https://www.legendsofbasketball.com/legendslive/

Some of the key unified elements of LME include:

Legends Magazine which debuted in 2018 and is the official publication for NBA and WNBA Legends. Produced quarterly, Legends Magazine has featured cover stories about NBRPA Director Caron Butler, Jerry Stackhouse, Elton Brand, Jamal Mashburn and “The Knuckleheads” – Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles. Each issue is delivered to all former players, active players, coaches, stakeholders, influencers and league officials worldwide.

Legends Studios also debuted in 2018 with the launch of original live-action and animated short videos and two podcasts, the All-Access Legends Podcast and On Deck with Scott Rochelle. In April 2020, Legends Live, a weekly web series broadcasted to multiple social media platforms featuring live conversations with NBA and WNBA Legends, was added to the Legends Studios portfolio. In addition to 32 standard episodes, Legends Live also covered the 2020 WNBA Draft and ESPN’s The Last Dance with live commentary from Legends. Last week, media personality Tyler Johnson, aka Trill Withers joined the LME team as host of Legends Live, where he will spend time with many of the game’s most successful and dynamic personalities and business people. Johnson will also be a key contributor to Legends Magazine, the All-Access Legends Podcast and the NBRPA’s social media strategy and content.

To follow along with LME content from the NBRPA, find them on social media at @NBAalumni on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch or on Facebook at NBA Alumni.

Electronic Gaming Federation Selects First-Ever Board of Governors

The Electronic Gaming Federation, the national governing body for formalized collegiate D-I esports and high school level leagues, today announced the election of its first Board of Governors for EGFC, EGF’s Division 1 esports governing body.

“We have had tremendous success growing our position in the space in the past year, and being able to bring on this group of educators who are the center of gaming growth on college campuses is essential as we expand our reach in 2021,” EGF Founder Tyler Schrodt said. “The election of this Board is a tremendous milestone for the League and Division 1 esports and we’re so excited to work with such a remarkable group of people from our member schools to continue the development and advancement of collegiate esports”.

“I’m excited to join the Board of Governors and look forward to helping EGF continue its growth in the collegiate esports space,” said Steve Kramarck, of the University of Delaware. “There are so many great elements already in place and I believe that the next few years will further establish EGF as a national leader in the industry.”

“Thank you to the EGF for the selection, and I look forward to serve on the first EGF Board of Governors and am energized to grow the Esports program here at Marist as well as across the collegiate landscape,” added Julie Byron, Marist College. I look forward to working with both students and school administrators in the coming months to create a new and innovative gaming community.”

The Board of Governors will work directly with EGF on League policy and governance and furthering the initiatives important to the League like student development, diversity and inclusion, and a slate of other topics and projects. This group of seven is the first cohort of the board that will eventually include 21 representatives from member schools as the League continues to grow.

The following individuals were elected by their peers to serve on the Board for a three year term:

Courtney James, DePaul University
Michele King, William & Mary
Steve Kramarck, University of Delaware
David Tomczyk, Quinnipiac University
Nyle Sky Kauweloa, University of Hawaii
Julie Byron, Marist College
Bill Newton, Niagara University

Now in partnership with the new Board, EGF is will start the second half of EGFC Season 2 on February 1st with conference and national championships starting in March, 2021 across a wide range of games.

Strat-O-Matic, La Vida Baseball Team For ‘What-If,’ Simulated Content

In more than 7000 Major League plate appearances over 16 years, Ozzie Guillén faced some of the game’s great fireballers, with his share of success. How would he have fared against intimidators like Don Drysdale, Bob Gibson and Aroldis Chapman? When the three-time All-Star and host of La Vida Baseball’s Being Guillén wanted to know, he turned to the experts at Strat-O-Matic, the market leader in sports simulation, for the answer.

Revealed on last Friday’s episode, the series of 10 simulated at bats against the three marked the start of a content partnership between La Vida Baseball, the digital media platform that celebrates the passion of Latino baseball’s past, present and future through original video, written and social content, and Strat-O-Matic, through which viewers and readers can see how some of the sport’s great “what if” moments might have turned out, as well as the results of fantasy events that only the world of Strat-O-Matic can simulate with unmatched accuracy.

“It was fun to see how I would do against guys like Drysdale, Gibson and Chapman, and it’s great that Strat-O-Matic has the tools to show us,” said Guillén, who hosts Being Guillén alongside his sons Ozzie Jr. and Oney live on Fridays at noon CT. “I think there are so many things we can do to create scenarios that fans will love to see what would have happened.”

The idea of “What If” using Strat-O-Matic data was first realized with the Marquee Network and the Chicago Cubs this past summer, where Marquee talent Len Kasper, Jim Deshaies and Taylor McGregor looked at some of the iconic moments in team history and created alternative results that delighted fans and had some fun buzz, like Deshaies facing the 1927 Yankees. Strat-O-Matic is currently in discussions with a host of other media partners locally and nationally to reimagine other classic moments in time in baseball and other sports.

While MLB paused at the beginning of the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Strat-O-Matic simulated the season as it would have been played, with results published daily by dozens of media outlets. Strat-O-Matic also posted results of the shortened 60-game schedule and playoff seasons.

“The possibilities are endless with what we can simulate working with La Vida Baseball,” said Adam Richman, Strat-O-Matic president. “From ‘what if’ player and game situations to imagined international tournaments and customized leagues, we look forward to tapping the creativity of La Vida’s personalities and fans to create content that they will enjoy.”

T-Mobile, Drone Racing League Partner To Innovate 5G Wireless Drone Tech, Reimagine Sports Entertainment

T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) and The Drone Racing League (DRL), the global, professional drone racing property, announced a broad-reaching partnership to advance 5G-powered drone technology. As part of the multi-year deal, T-Mobile has made an investment in DRL via the company’s T-Mobile Ventures fund, and the Un-carrier has signed on as the league’s exclusive U.S. 5G Wireless partner. Together, T-Mobile and DRL will innovate 5G racing drone technology to create the first integrated 5G racing drones, with the aim of authentically building them into the sport. DRL will develop first-of-its-kind, custom racing drones powered by T-Mobile 5G during the 2021 DRL Allianz World Championship Season.

DRL’s high-speed 5G racing drones, running on America’s first and largest 5G network, will enable the companies to stream DRL’s 3D racing action to fans in real-time. And the 5G racing drones will enable the companies to deliver unique, immersive experiences to fans and millions of T-Mobile customers across the country, and open up opportunities for new applications across a wide variety of industries.

“We invested in DRL to fuel innovation in two large and growing markets – drones and tech-powered sports – and we can’t wait to supercharge both with T-Mobile 5G,” said Neville Ray, President of Technology at T-Mobile. “The world’s fastest drones and the nation’s largest 5G network – now that’s a fantastic combination!”

DRL features the world’s top pilots flying custom racing drones through live and virtual iconic locations around the globe to create the New Playing Field, combining the adrenaline of high-speed racing with the limitless possibilities of esports. In live events, pilots race standardized FPV (First Person View) drones at nearly 100 miles per hour, wearing goggles that stream a live video feed from a camera on their drone, as they navigate complex, three-dimensional courses. Tens of millions of next generation sports fans watch DRL on premier sports networks around the world, including NBC, NBCSN, Twitter and Facebook.

“T-Mobile is one of the most innovative marketers in sports, entertainment and technology — sharing our mission to bring the most immersive experiences to millions of fans around the world. With a foundation of the best 5G wireless technology to power our racing drones, we’re excited to set the new standard for sports and create cutting-edge content and collaborations across T-Mobile’s sports, music and lifestyle properties,” said DRL President Rachel Jacobson.

Innovating through new groundbreaking technology is part of DRL’s DNA: The league has launched four iterations of racing drones, a record-setting fastest racing drone, and the first autonomous racing drone — all designed and hand-built with proprietary technology by its in-house team of expert drone engineers. The addition of T-Mobile 5G will propel the sport forward and offer new opportunities to drive fan engagement. Data shows that DRL fans are ready, willing and able to play a part — they are 14X more likely than the U.S. population to be considered “tech-savvy” and 4X more likely to be interested in gaming.

T-Mobile has invested in DRL through T-Mobile Ventures, a multi-year investment fund focused on early and emerging growth companies developing groundbreaking 5G products and services for the T-Mobile network. As a T-Mobile Ventures portfolio company, DRL will benefit from T-Mobile’s network and engineering expertise, go-to-market infrastructure and investment backing as the companies work together to develop the next big thing in 5G racing drones and sports technology.

As part of the partnership, DRL will feature T-Mobile in the 2021 DRL Allianz World Championship Season through advertising spots and branded course elements in the DRL SIM, the virtual platform hosting the elite competition. T-Mobile will also support the DRL Academy, the league’s STEM program, creating educational programming around 5G and drones to inspire the next generation of technologists and digital athletes.

T-Mobile 5G, A Platform for Innovation

T-Mobile is America’s 5G leader, delivering 5G speeds in more places with the first and largest nationwide 5G network. T-Mobile’s Extended Range 5G covers more than 270 million people across more than 1.4 million square miles – 2x more geographic coverage than AT&T and 3.5x more than Verizon. With Sprint now part of T-Mobile, the Un-carrier is quickly lighting up Ultra Capacity 5G with technology that can deliver download speeds of 300 Mbps and peak speeds up to 1 Gbps.

Now is the time for developers to build applications that take advantage of 5G’s transformational power, and drones represent one of the most exciting use cases for 5G. From the engine behind a new self-service economy, to industrial IoT, security monitoring, emergency response and so much more, autonomous 5G drones will dramatically transform industry and commerce.

With its supercharged 5G network as the foundation, T-Mobile is working to fuel this kind of 5G innovation. T-Mobile Ventures backs early and emerging growth companies building the next big thing in 5G. The Un-carrier also collaborates with universities and standards bodies to support 5G research and development. In addition, T-Mobile runs the award-winning T-Mobile Accelerator and is a co-founder of the 5G Open Innovation Lab.

For more on T-Mobile’s plans for 5G-powered drone innovation, read today’s blog from the company’s EVP of Advanced & Emerging Technologies, John Saw.

Going Beyond a Comeback with Alex Smith

by Alex Perel, special to The Daily Payoff

As the second half of the NFL season progresses, many pundits will be releasing their predictions for the end-of-season awards. But one award race sticks out of particular interest this year: the Comeback Player of the Year Award.

Conventional wisdom may point to a candidate such as the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger or the Texans’ JJ Watt. Both are perennial stars returning to form after injuries last year. However, Alex Smith of the Washington Football Team has redefined what it is to be a “comeback player.”

A catastrophic injury in Week 10 of the 2018 season left Smith with spiral and compound fractures to both his fibula and tibia, ultimately resulting in infections and sepsis that became life threatening. Doctors sought amputation as an option to ensure the virus did not infect his whole body, before several surgeries and skin graft procedures could be used to save the leg. Smith is now not only starting at quarterback in the NFL, a ridiculous thought considering where he was a year ago, but has the Redskins in first place in the NFC East.

On Monday night, he faced Roethlisberger’s undefeated Steelers and dealt them their first loss of the season. The game was expected to be a Steelers route and appeared so with the Washington Football Team losing 14-3 at the half. Smith extended the game play by play, drive by drive, until eventually taking a three point lead as the two minute warning approached. Smith’s simple resilience is ultimate inspiration. Winning and losing do not matter any more in Smith’s story, not as much his pure fight to keep going. And yet, Smith unwilling to settle, is in fact winning. He has now won four in a row.

Smith’s journey over the last 24 months was captured in the E60 documentary Project 11 which aired on ESPN in May. The documentary opens its story February 11, 2019, less than three months after the injury. Smith had incredible persistence that we was going to pursue an immediate comeback attempt, allowing ESPN to document this effort as a show of his confidence in himself.

Project 11, like the CC Sabathia Documentary we highlighted last weekhttp://www.thedailypayoff.com/sabathia-documentary-to-debut-december-22/, is an example of the transcendent power of athlete media. Much of athlete media is filled with podcasts and short form content concerning players’ opinions on everyday news in the sports world and beyond. This content is incredibly insightful, and a component of athlete media involves getting an insight into the minds of our heroes.

But heroes also go beyond to show us how to overcome battles in our daily lives. Both Sabathia, with his fight against alcoholism, and Smith overcoming devastating injuries are inspirations to people every day. Athlete media is meant to do exactly that: inspire people to be the best versions of themselves, to do what they think they cannot.

Watch Project 11 now on the ESPN app or ESPN+.

For Soccer Ventures Debuts ‘Orange Slices,’ Hosted by Emerging USMNT, Phila Union star Mark McKenzie

For Soccer Ventures (FSV), an organization focused on the growth and long-term development of American soccer, today announced the official launch of “Orange Slices,” a new podcast hosted by former US Men’s National Team player and Major League Soccer All-Star Heath Pearce and twenty one year old emerging U.S. international Mark McKenzie of the Philadelphia Union. The podcast celebrates the past, present, and future of American soccer through generational storytelling and unprecedented access to rising U.S. stars around the world. “Orange Slices” is FSV’s second podcast, joining “Best Soccer Show” hosted by Jason Davis and Jared Dubois.

The first two episodes feature 2020 Bayern Munich defender and current UEFA Champions League player Chris Richards, and former U.S. National Team and Rangers midfielder Maurice Edu. Both will discuss their experiences playing abroad, representing American soccer to global audiences, their personal and professional challenges, and the effort to rebuild the fan base and trust of the National Team after the tumultuous 2018 World Cup Qualifying campaign. The two shows will debut on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and iTunes on December 9^th.

“Our goal with ‘Orange Slices’ is to dive deeper into the challenges and opportunities facing the current generation of players as both elite athletes and outspoken personalities in a time of global cultural change,” Pearce, who is also FSV’s Chief Creative Officer, said. “My role is to provide Mark and our guests with a bit of perspective on where we’ve come from as a soccer nation, and to help guide a lively conversation that takes fans beyond the on-field discussion. Our athletes have a lot to say, and this podcast provides a megaphone to connect with the diverse soccer community in this country.”

“It’s exceedingly rare for an up-and-coming player like me to have the platform not only to share my experiences with the Union and the USMNT, but also those of my peers, who may actually have a very different experience themselves,” McKenzie added. “’These episodes aren’t just for fans, but also a younger audience seeking great storytelling. In many ways these are universal stories of the struggles and successes and lives of athletes, many of whom I admire and work with, and continue to learn from as well. We think it will be a unique narrative journey many will enjoy and share.”

Through rotating segments, the show will explore the unique culture of American soccer, from the muddy fields and halftime orange slices of youth soccer to the biggest games won and lost on the world’s stage. Each episode will incorporate classic stories and learning examples with a fresh perspective from the younger generation reshaping the game in America.

ShotTracker Names Bill Moses Chief Executive Officer As Part Of Company Executive Restructuring

DDSports Inc. (ShotTracker), a revolutionary basketball technology that captures via sensors stats and analytics with sub-second latency and the leading tracking platform among NCAA schools, announced company executive restructuring in advance of a host of upcoming strategic business partnership announcements.

The Board of Directors has brought on veteran sports data industry leader Bill Moses as Chief Executive Officer, while company founder Davyeon Ross will continue with the company as the COO and President. The company’s co-founder, Bruce Ianni, has chosen to depart to pursue other opportunities. In addition, two other sports business and tech veterans, Tom Masterman and Jason Tilton, have joined the company as VP of Sales and VP of Corporate Development, respectively

“It is a pleasure to join the ShotTracker team to help advance the commercial business opportunities of one of the most innovative and transformative companies in the data and technology side at the NCAA level,” Moses said. “The foundation partnerships with some of the most elite colleges and universities have been built, and we are now ready to push forward with growing that base and expanding the commercial and tactical opportunities in basketball and in other sports with a host of new partners coming on line in the months ahead.”

“Our technology continues to be some of the most widely embraced and supported by college programs across the nation for both men’s and women’s basketball,” Ross said. “Having Bill’s wealth of experience in monetizing and expanding data content, as well as his deep and well respected relationships in media, marketing and technology will be invaluable as we advance and continue to disrupt the marketplace in 2021 and beyond.”

A New Jersey native and University of Virginia graduate, Moses brings with him to ShotTracker his vast experience in working at the nexus of technology and media, entertainment and sports. After serving at the NFL as the Senior VP of International and New Media, Bill joined IBM as the Vice President of Broadband Distribution where he co-authored the IBM digital media strategy and was responsible for developing and executing the company’s corporate strategy in broadband industries.

While at IBM, Moses also held the position of Vice President of Broadcast, Cable and Sports for the company’s Global Telecommunications and Media Division. In that role, he created and launched ventures that resulted in the PGA.com and NHL.com internet sites, ushering the sports business and leagues into the new media age during the 1990’s. He was one of the first to deploy computer-based scoring systems across many of the leagues and helped launch the age of data analytics.

Masterman has spent two decades in sports technology and digital media, with a focus on enterprise sales and partnerships. Prior to ShotTracker, he was Global Head of Publisher Sales at Genius Sports Group, driving data integrations with clients including NBC Sports and USA Today. Tom was also the founding sales and marketing executive for SportsData, which sold to global leader Sportradar. As Chief Revenue Officer, he led the acquisition of enterprise clients including Google, Twitter and Turner Sports. Tom began his career as an Emmy-nominated TV producer and has had several management roles in digital media.

Tilton joins ShotTracker from Genius Sports Group as well, where he was Commercial Partnerships Manager. Prior to working with Genius on their North American business, he was Video Coordinator with the Phoenix Suns and has spent time on the basketball administration side at Long Beach State University and St. John’s University.

ShotTracker currently has relationships with more than 63 Division I men’s and women’s basketball programs and has a growing relationship with Learfield IMG College and their partner schools. The Learfield IMG College sponsorship teams can provide local, regional and national brands visibility associated with ShotTracker’s cutting-edge technology via scoreboard integration, digital/social platforms and experiential activations. Additionally, a growing number of schools with official athletic websites and mobile apps powered by SIDEARM Sports are adding ShotTracker technology integrated into the website and app. The crossover content provides another opportunity for brand visibility and bolsters the second-screen experience for fans. Broadcasters are also now increasing the use of the depth and breadth of ShotTracker real time data to enhance their broadcasts.

Wilson Sporting Goods, National Lacrosse League Extend Partnership for Protective Equipment, Apparel

The National Lacrosse League® (@NLL), the world’s most successful professional lacrosse league, today announced it is extending its 2020 partnership with Wilson Sporting Goods® (@Wilson), naming Wilson and their protective equipment and apparel brand EvoShield® (@EvoShield) as an official supplier of performance driven sports protective gear for the 2021 season.

“The National Lacrosse League is proud to continue our partnership with Wilson for a second season. Our goal is to work with best in class brands and help them grow in the sport of lacrosse,” said Kevin Morgan, EVP, CRO for the NLL. “With EvoShield, our elite athletes have the opportunity to use the most advanced technology in protective equipment and continue to perform at the highest levels, so the impact this will continue to have for health and wellness of our box players is important to the expansion of the game for all.”

“The NLL continues to redefine and advance the sport of box lacrosse with a vision that is forward thinking, and we are pleased to keep moving ahead with Nick and his team,” said Pat Ryan, Global Product Director for EvoShield.“We look forward to continuing our work with NLL athletes, gaining their insights and feedback on new protective ideas, and developing additional EvoShield products that keep players on the field.”

Wilson-owned EvoShield makes custom-molded protective and performance gear using a proprietary technology called Gel-To-Shell™. This technology transforms from a soft gel-like material to a hard, protective shield in minutes, creating a custom mold that mirrors the shape of the athlete’s body. The result is wrist guards, elbow guards, rib and chest protectors, among others, that offer professional-grade protection without getting in the way of performance. Athletes, at every level of play, use this extremely lightweight, yet hard, protective gear across multiple sports. EvoShield also makes performance apparel for both on and off field use.

Under the partnership, EvoShield will continue to supply NLL athletes with a variety of protective gear and apparel engineered to keep players safe while competing at elite levels. EvoShield products available to NLL athletes include wrist/slash guards, chest guards, thumb guards, toe guards, thigh guards, rib protective shirts, and more. The EvoShield apparel will be a variety of on-field performance apparel and fan wear.

Sabathia Documentary To Debut December 22

credit: Wikimedia Commons/Arturo Pardavilla III

by Alex Perel, special to TheDailyPayoff

HBO and MLB announced this week a documentary about baseball legend CC Sabathia, entitled The Grapefruit Tree: The CC Sabathia Story, to premiere on December 22. The doc will cover Sabathia’s life growing up in Vallejo, California, to his final days with the New York Yankees. MLB is licensing exclusive footage taken from Sabathia’s last year with the Yankees in 2019, when a film crew followed him for special behind-the-scenes coverage.

The latter stages of Sabathia’s career were particularly challenging, as he battled personal issues and a well-documented bout with alcoholism. The All-Star starter overcame his troubles to return to the Yankees as an effective veteran presence on a younger team. In a statement to promote the announcement, Sabathia noted the emotional tone of the project: “I struggled for a long time with alcohol addiction and anxiety, which I pretty much hid from everyone I knew. It’s my hope we can inspire athletes and non-athletes alike to open up … You are not alone.”

Sabathia is one of the great starting pitchers of the 21^st century, having amassed 251 wins and 3,093 strikeouts over his time with the Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, and Yankees. He was the 2007 American League Cy Young and won the 2009 World Series with New York.

The HBO documentary is a continuation of Sabathia’s post-career efforts into media. He currently has a podcast on The Ringer with Ryan Ruocco entitled “R2C2.” They cover the Yankees, the greater baseball landscape, and all general sports topics of interest to Sabathia, such as his long-time fandom for the Oakland Raiders. Sabathia also frequently appears as a guest on ESPN’s “First Take.” He is an example of the modern athlete’s proactive approach toward player driven media.

NBA stars have typically been at the forefront of the movement, including Kyrie Irving, a key investor in Players Media Group, JJ Redick, who hosts the podcast “The Old Man and the Three,” and LeBron James, founder of media empire The Springhill Company. Sabathia is perhaps baseball’s largest figure in this arena. He is also a special advisor to Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman and is often seen at New York’s home games. His dual roles with the team and as a sportscaster have positioned him as a form of insider into the current state of the Yankees and Major League Baseball.

After first airing on HBO, the documentary will be made immediately available on HBO Max. HBO Max has been growing its exclusive content over the last several months. The service has debuted Max Originals such as The Flight Attendant and new video on-demand availability for Warner Brothers films such as Wonder Woman 1984. The Grapefruit Tree helps build out HBO Sports’ contributions to the service. HBO Max recently added unscripted show The Cost of Winning to go along with staple shows “Hard Knocks” and UNINTERRUPTED’s “The Shop.”

Sports is an ever growing niche genre for streaming services to differentiate themselves. The level of athletes and brands a service is able to bring in greatly defines what the service can provide consumers looking for sports content. For HBO Max, the Sabathia documentary is another significant entry into this foray.

BIG EAST Esports Partners With MAAC, Electronic Gaming Federation In Rocket League Competition

BIG EAST esports teams will play against opponents from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) in a Rocket League tournament for bragging rights.

Participating teams for the BIG EAST are Butler, DePaul, Creighton, Marquette, St. John’s, Seton Hall and Xavier. It will be Creighton’s debut appearance as part of BIG EAST Esports. Participating teams from the MAAC are Fairfield, Marist, Niagara, Quinnipiac and Siena.

Seeding is based on the current standings in the fall EGF Collegiate season which started Oct. 5. Marist and Fairfield from the MAAC take the top two seeds, respectively:

Competition is set to begin on Sunday, Dec. 13. The Electronic Gaming Federation (EGF) will be operating the event. Teams will compete in a best of five format, three vs. three. There are 11 games in the tournament with the first round starting at noon ET. The top four seeds received a bye to the second round. The semifinals begin at 3 p.m. with the final at 4:30 p.m. The matches can be viewed on either Twitch.tv on either the OfficialEGF channel or the EGFrocketleague channel. Links are in the schedule below.

Seeding
1 MAAC Marist
2 MAAC Fairfield
3 BIG EAST Xavier
4 BIG EAST Seton Hall
5 BIG EAST Butler
6 MAAC Quinnipiac
7 BIG EAST DePaul
8 BIG EAST Marquette
9 MAAC Siena
10 BIG EAST St. John’s
11 MAAC Niagara
12 BIG EAST Creighton

MAAC BIG EAST Challenge

Sunday, Dec. 13

Round 1

Game 1: No. 8 Marquette vs. No. 9 Siena, Noon (OfficialEGF)

Gm 2: No. 5 Butler vs. No. 12 Creighton, Noon (EGFrocketleague)

Gm 3: No. 7 DePaul vs. No. 10 St. John’s, 12:45 p.m. (OfficialEGF)

Gm 4: No. 6 Quinnipiac vs. No. 11 Niagara, 12:45 p.m. (EGFrocketleague)

Round 2

Gm 5: No. 1 Marist vs. No. 8 Marquette/No. 9 Siena, 1:30 p.m. (OfficialEGF)

Gm 6: No. 4 Seton Hall vs. No. 5 Butler/No. 12 Creighton, 1:30 p.m. (EGFrocketleague)

Gm 7: No. 2 Fairfield vs. No. 7 DePaul/No. 10 St. John’s, 2:15 p.m. (OfficialEGF)

Gm 8: No. 3 Xavier vs. No. 6 Quinnipiac/No. 11 Niagara, 2:15 p.m. (EGFrocketleague)

Semifinals

Gm 9: Winners of Game 5 vs. Game 6, 3 p.m. (OfficialEGF)

Gm 10: Winners of Game 7 vs. Game 8, 3:45 p.m. (OfficialEGF)

Final

Winners of Game 9 vs. Game 10, 4:30 p.m. (OfficialEGF)

Famer and the NBPA Expand Partnership To Offer Personal Virtual Training on Training Ground One

Famer, the sports coaching and mentorship mobile platform, announced today that it is expanding its landmark partnership with the NBPA with the launch of NBPA Training Ground One. Through the NBPA’s Training Ground channel on Famer, youth athletes will now have the opportunity to participate in one-on-one personal training sessions and receive feedback from some of the best basketball coaches and trainers in the world.

See the video here.

Aspiring basketball players who subscribe to NBPA Training Ground One will receive video workoutsthat focus on basketball training drills, as well as fitness and mental health content from top NBA players and skill trainers. This groundbreaking launch marks the first-time youth basketball players will be able to digitally connect globally and personally train with world-class NBPA grassroots trainers and develop a relationship through skill development and interactive feedback utilizing Famer’s suite of tools like telestration, voiceover and slow-motion capture.

The NBPA and Famer continue to add one-of-a-kind training content from top pros and coaches, all of which can be accessed on the NBPA Training Ground One channel. New training content is being released from current and future NBPA members Bam Adebayo, Cole Anthony, Pat Connaughton, Langston Galloway, Joe Harris and RJ Hampton, top WNBA players and icons Lisa Leslie, and Chiney Ogumike, sports yoga expert Savannah Stevens and grassroots influencers Bobbito Garcia and Remy Workouts.

Since the launch of the partnership in May, the channel has featured training videos with NBPA members such as Aaron Gordon and Andre Drummond as well as NBA-level trainers Chris Matthews and Tim and Ross Burns. Since launching in June, over one thousand athletes from 66 countries and six continents have subscribed to the NBPA Training Ground on Famer with nearly ten thousand total drill video views.

The channel will continue to expand its global reach while driving unique engagement between youth players and professional athletes and trainers.

“At Famer our mission is to empower coaches to positively impact the lives of aspiring young athletes and to democratize personal sports training” said Famer CEO Rich Abend. “This partnership brings pro level training to the masses, and gives NBPA grassroots coaches and trainers the tools they need to work directly with kids anywhere in the world. We’ve combined powerful features like interactive multimedia chat and on-screen video telestration with the world’s best library of NBPA videos covering all aspects of basketball player development, from skills and drills to fitness and the mental aspects of the game. With all the uncertainties families face with the upcoming youth basketball season because of COVID-19, we are proud to be able to provide an affordable solution for player development – whether you are on the court with your team, training at home, or any combination.”

“This next phase of our collaboration with Famer and Spalding allows us and our members to continue to digitally connect with the larger grassroots basketball community throughout this pandemic with new enhanced technology and training content. We look forward to having participants of all ages and skill levels continue to train with us anywhere and to finding ways to continue to innovate with our players and brand partners,” said Chris Jean, Senior Director of Grassroots Basketball & Business Development for THINK450, the for-profit arm of the NBPA.

As a kid I always valued the importance of hard work and the fundamentals I learned from my coaches,” said Bam Adebayo, whose instructional videos will be available on the NBPA Training Ground One. “With youth basketball facing challenges right now, I’m excited that I can help kids train and work on those same fundamentals from anywhere.

“Spalding’s mission is to ignite the soul of the game in everyone, no matter who you are or where you are in the sport of basketball”, said Matt Day, Head of Brand Communications for Spalding. “Now more than ever, athletes need a way to safely work on their game. Spalding is excited to partner with Famer and the NBPA to make professional-level training accessible to every player.”

Information on the NBPA Training Ground and NBPA Training Ground One program can be found at www.nbpa.com/grassroots or on the Famer App in the Google Play and Apple App Store.

Shares Of NBA Players To Be Available On Jock MKT Starting Dec. 22

Jock MKT (Jock Market), the platform that is turning sports into a stock exchange, announced they are adding the National Basketball Association’s 72-game regular season starting Dec. 22 to allow fans to invest in shares of NBA players across all 30 teams. The announcement marks the third league within Jock MKT’s proprietary algorithm that allows investors to buy and sell shares of NFL, NBA and PGA Tour athletes in real time for real money.

Jock MKT also announced they launched on Android for the first time on Nov. 24. Jock MKT continues to be available on iOS, which launched in Apple’s App Store when the PGA Tour returned during the pandemic. The platform is approved in 34 U.S. states.

“We have seen exponential growth in Jock MKT users and investments throughout the NFL and PGA Tour schedule over the last six weeks,” said Tyler Carlin, Co-Founder of Jock MKT. “We are thrilled to be adding the NBA’s 72 game schedule at a time that will overlap with the NFL’s playoffs and more PGA Tour dates.”

As an example of Jock MKT’s investing power, if a user invested $10 in shares of Dustin Johnson at the WGC–FedEx St. Jude tournament in August and reinvested the compounded winnings at his next eight tournaments, he or she would have netted over $13,000 after his Masters’ victory.

Jock MKT’s main differentiator is their cash market format. Users can join at any time and for any dollar amount. They can buy and sell shares of NFL, NBA and PGA Tour athletes in real time, cash out early by selling to another user in-game or hold to the end and receive fixed Jock MKT payouts tied to final player rankings and overall fantasy scoring. As of Dec. 1, Jock MKT has processed nearly $2 million dollars in orders of shares.

Jock MKT was co-founded by Tyler Carlin, a 2013 graduate of MIT’s Sloan School of Management. The platform raised its first round of funding led by Will Ventures. Will Ventures’ Founding Partner and Managing Director is Isaiah Kacyvenski, a retired eight-year NFL veteran with a Harvard MBA. Accomplice founding partner Ryan Moore, an early investor and current board member of DraftKings, is also a stakeholder in Jock MKT.

Athletes First and EVERFI Unite to Launch Nationwide Interactive African American History Education Program

Athletes First (“A1”), the world’s largest and most powerful NFL agency, announced a strategic partnership with EVERFI Inc., the leading social impact education provider, to deliver one of the most comprehensive African American History learning opportunities to thousands of students across America. The program will launch in 30 schools across the greater Los Angeles and New York City areas in the coming weeks, with Athletes First Partners (A1’s sister agency), rolling out the New York initiative. The goal is to present the program to thousands of young students, many mentored by Athletes First athletes and coaches, in the next year.

EVERFI’s interactive 306 – African American History™ course will introduce students to important historical events and leaders and will be inspired by the leadership, strength, intellect, and creativity of the women and men that shaped African American History. The goal of the initiative is for students to use these learnings and inspirations in striving to discover their own personal motivations and work toward their own individual successes.

“Discrimination and systemic racism have for far too long sown division in our communities and created social and economic inequities that are unjust and simply unacceptable,” said Brian Murphy, Athletes First CEO. “Our Athletes First family – including our players and coaches – cannot simply stand on the sidelines, but instead must act now. To do so, we decided to start with our country’s younger generation who have little to no bias as they begin their education process. 306 – African American History will enhance and augment the student’s current curriculum, and members of the A1 family will also interact with the students to bring this education to life.”

306 – African American History offers five interactive lessons framed to teach the importance of civic engagement so that students may develop into future community leaders. This digital course is designed to address the skills and proficiencies outlined in the Common Core State Standards for writing and literacy in History and Social Studies, as well as individual states’ standards for US History.

“African American influence can be found at the core of American life and communicating these stories is foundational to building shared values and inspiring today’s youth to become tomorrow’s leaders,” said EVERFI Co-Founder and President, Jon Chapman. “Together with Athletes First, we have the opportunity to advance and expand upon African American history education across the country and provide students with more accurate, balanced, and comprehensive accounts of Black experiences.”

At launch, players involved in the program will include: David Long (L.A. Rams), Anthony Barr (Minnesota Vikings), Matthias Farley (N.Y. Jets), Derwin James (L.A. Chargers), and Casey Hayward (L.A. Chargers), with the plan to expand names and engagement into 2021 and beyond. They will be able to include commentary in the digital course, and also through virtual and in-person student engagement events.

“I am excited to support this project and am hopeful that it will create positive changes in the education system of our youth,” said Derwin James, All Pro safety who was a Chargers first round pick from Florida State University in 2018. “I’m proud to be a part of Athletes First, an agency that sees the value and importance of educating our next generation in this way.”

Detroit Pistons Enter Multi-Year Sports Betting Partnerships With FanDuel Group And DraftKings

The Detroit Pistons today announced multi-year partnerships with premier sports gaming companies FanDuel Group and DraftKings, Inc., making FanDuel and DraftKings official sports betting partners of the Pistons.

In addition to the use of official Pistons marks and logos, each partnership will include a mix of robust marketing assets, including in-arena signage and activations, television and digital advertising, and TV and radio presence to drive passionate Pistons enthusiasts to each entity’s sports betting offerings.

Detroit Pistons Chief Business Officer Mike Zavodsky praised the agreement with both companies and noted the commitment to building asset packages that provide engagement strategies unique to each business.

“We appreciate the partnership-minded and collaborative approach that both FanDuel and DraftKings brought to the table,” said Zavodsky. “We look forward to utilizing our platform to help each grow their presence within and connectivity to the Pistons and greater Detroit Metro communities.”

In addition to its partnership with FanDuel, the Pistons will also partner with MotorCity Casino Hotel. FanDuel and MotorCity Casino Hotel will offer exciting game day experiences at the newly designed FanDuel Sportsbook at MotorCity Casino in downtown Detroit. On game days, MotorCity Casino will provide fans with giveaways, exclusive viewing parties and other innovative experiences to enhance sports betting experience before, during and after the games.

“The Pistons are a progressive and forward-thinking franchise committed to its fans, and we see an incredibly valuable partnership opportunity as we connect our retail Sportsbook experience with Pistons game action in the arena,” said Mike Raffensperger, CMO of FanDuel. “This new relationship will create unique approaches for us to reach Pistons fans. With the FanDuel Sportsbook at MotorCity Casino and mobile gaming offerings on the FanDuel Sportsbook app, we will together offer engaging experiences both inside and outside the arena while giving fans access to unique betting promotions and content.”

An exciting element of the DraftKings partnership includes a “Piston For A Day” VIP fan experience giving users the opportunity to enter a contest where winners receive exclusive access to the team. Winners will sign a “Pistons Contract” for a day, pose for a photo with a member of the front office staff, receive a personalized Pistons jersey and warm-up clothing to wear to a Pistons game, receive a locker room tour and postgame shot on the Little Caesars Arena floor and private access for a one-hour shootaround on the Pistons Practice Court at the Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center.

“As our first professional team activation in the state of Michigan, we are thrilled to join forces with the Detroit Pistons ahead of our pending market introduction,” said Ezra Kucharz, Chief Business Officer, DraftKings. “This deal deepens our relationship with a prominent local team to facilitate more immersive fan experiences, both for Michiganders familiar with regulated gaming products as well as newcomers to the space.”

GVC Holdings Announced as First Official Partner of PlayPause, an Innovative Multi-State Responsible Gaming Tool

GVC Holdings, the global sports betting and gaming group to be re-named Entain, today announced a new partnership with Conscious Gaming, becoming the first official partner of PlayPause, a new multi-state responsible gambling tool which will operate across state lines in the United States. PlayPause will launch with BetMGM, GVC’s joint venture in the U.S. with MGM Resorts.

PlayPause marks GVC’s first initiative in the U.S. as part of its new Sustainability Charter, which was unveiled on Nov. 12 and includes GVC donating $132 million (£100 million) over the next five years to support communities and help raise standards in responsible gaming around the world. .

The latest move adds to existing work by GVC already underway in the U.S around responsible gaming. These include a multi-year research program into addictive behaviours with Harvard, and a collaboration with EPIC, a leading independent gambling harm minimisation consultancy. GVC is also part of the US National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) President’s Circle.

PlayPause is available via Conscious Gaming, a new non-profit organization established by GeoComply, a global leader in geolocation compliance technology. This partnership will enhance GVC and BetMGM’s ability to continue to lead the way in player protection across the US.

PlayPause adds further features to GVC’s leading player protection measures, including:

Self-exclusion protection as players move from state to state, rather than being limited to the state in which they are typically based.
Adding additional data on players who have already self-excluded in one state but need to be recognized and protected to play in another jurisdiction.
Added efficiency through eliminating the silos associated with maintaining numerous separate state-operated self-exclusion databases.

Shay Segev, CEO of GVC, commented:

“We are delighted to be the first official partner of PlayPause. We believe the most responsible operator will be the most successful operator, and PlayPause’s innovative, multi-state approach to responsible gaming in the U.S. aligns with our firm commitment to providing our customers with the safest and most enjoyable experience possible.”

Adam Greenblatt, CEO of BetMGM, commented:

“A multi-state approach to responsible gaming is an important step for the industry and advances consumer protection in a meaningful way. We’re delighted to play a leading role in collaborating on this important and timely initiative.”

Anna Sainsbury, Conscious Gaming Trustee, and GeoComply Chairman and Co-Founder, commented:

“Conscious Gaming is thrilled to be partnering with GVC and BetMGM to launch PlayPause. To have such a high profile, responsible, and fast-growing operator on board from the start is a fantastic endorsement for the PlayPause initiative. As an industry, it’s only by working together with all stakeholders that we’ll be able to ensure players have the necessary tools to foster responsible play.”

DePaul University, Niagara University, And St. John’s University Expand Their Esports Engagement With First-Ever Vincentian Esports Cup

The Electronic Gaming Federation, the national governing body for formalized collegiate D-I esports and high school level leagues, today announced that three of their partner schools, St. John’s University, DePaul University, and Niagara University will expand their esports engagement with The “Vincentian Cup,” an annual esports event for the three Vincentian Universities in the United States that play Division I athletics. The inaugural tournament will be held December 9th to December 12th featuring competition in multiple esports, including SSBU, Rocket League, and Overwatch.

Produced by the Electronic Gaming Federation, the Vincentian Cup is a multi-day round robin tournament across four titles with the grand finals for each title being held on December 12th beginning at noon Eastern Time. The tournament is “Olympic-style” with each University’s teams earning points to crown and eventual Vincentian Champion.

You can watch the tournament starting at 3:30PM ET on December 9th, 10th, and 11th and the finals on December 12th beginning at noon ET on EGF’s Twitch http://twitch.tv/officialEGF

“Our goal with member schools is to link the traditional ties to forwarding thinking and meaningful engagement, and we think the Vincentian Cup is a great example of that,” said Tyler Schrodt CEO and Founder of the Electronic Gaming Federation. “There is a natural bond that exists between these like-minded universities, and creating an esports competition is another way to link generations and drive conversation and awareness, as well as some fun events for a new generation of engaged students.”

“As the three Vincentian universities in the United States, the Vincentian Cup offers us a unique opportunity to come together through gaming” said Courtney James, Director, Office of Student Involvement at DePaul University. “While our universities were founded over 120 years ago, it’s a great opportunity for us to be able to connect via Esports through our shared Vincentian identity in 2021.”

“We are excited for this opportunity with the EGF to partner with our fellow Vincentian universities at DePaul and St. John’s for this friendly competition and more importantly to be able to team up to raise funds for own students in need during this time,” added Bill Newton, Assistant Director of Campus Activities at Niagara University.

“The spirit of St. Vincent DePaul is core to St. John’s mission. The work of Depaul USA’s Dax Program: New York directly reflects this spirit of service with its mission to address housing insecurity. Esports transcends race, class, gender or creed as we all come together, and compete to support of the success of our students, and goal of creating equal opportunities for all students,” said Eric Alvarado, Executive Director, Enterprise Architecture & Strategy Information Technology at St. John’s University

Connected by their Vincentian missions, these universities are inspired by St. Vincent’s zeal for service and compassion for others. Through their participation in the Vincentian Cup, Esports competitors at these universities will come together to honor St. Vincent’s legacy by raising funds for their respective student emergency assistance funds to help their peers during the pandemic. You can read more about the cause here: https://inspire.depaul.edu/project/23372

National Lacrosse League, Fanatics Enter Multi-Year E-Commerce Partnership

The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the longest running and most successful professional lacrosse league in the world, today announced a landmark partnership with Fanatics, the global leader for licensed sports merchandise, which will bring the league’s online merchandise and retail efforts into one consolidated location for all NLL clubs.

The new online destination, NLLShop.com, is now live and accessible to fans worldwide.

“Our league and the sport of lacrosse are on a sharp growth curve. We have such a tremendous opportunity with our teams for growth in terms of online merchandise sales. Fanatics is simply the best and most innovative consumer e-commerce sports retailer in the world, and this partnership will give us a great opportunity to realize the league’s potential, said NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “We have seen the power and value of team merchandise at the local level, and this international approach gives us the ability to have a streamlined one-stop shop to offer NLL merchandise where sports fans shop online.”

Through Fanatics’ industry leading technology and mobile capabilities, powered by its revolutionary Cloud Commerce Platform, the new NLL online store will provide rapid navigation for fans across desktop and mobile sites, featuring hi-resolution product displays, frictionless checkout and the widest assortment of NLL merchandise for all members of the family.

“We are excited to enter into this new partnership with the National Lacrosse League. Fanatics is uniquely positioned to help the league expand its reach through an enhanced direct-to-consumer platform that will allow fans to share their pride and passion for the NLL teams and players they love,” said Vicky Picca, Fanatics SVP of Business Affairs.

The partnership unifies what has been a regional approach ran by the NLL clubs for most of the league’s 35-year history. While teams will retain the right to sell locally at retail brick and mortar, the complete global e-commerce business will be housed under the new NLLShop.com for the first time.

The 2021 NLL season is targeted to start the weekend of April 9-11^th, with a full schedule to be announced in the coming weeks.

United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee introduces Athlete Marketing Platform

The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee today shared details of the new Team USA Athlete Marketing Platform (AMP) pilot program, a first-of-its-kind digital marketplace that expands athlete sponsorship and marketing opportunities. Created in cooperation with the Athletes’ Advisory Council and National Governing Bodies Council, AMP is an opt-in program that connects Team USA sponsors and licensees directly with athletes, providing incremental revenue opportunities and marketing exposure for Team USA athletes.

“AMP was born from a shared recognition that empowering Team USA athletes to expand marketing and earning opportunities is the right thing to do for athletes, and an opportunity to elevate Olympic and Paralympic sport broadly,” said USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland. “This program will link the incredible athletes and personalities at the heart of the Olympic and Paralympic movements with the innovative Team USA partners who help tell their stories.”

Through a streamlined program, AMP provides expanded earning opportunities to more Team USA athletes, who may otherwise have limited access to sponsors, via a guaranteed base payment for group marketing rights, and potential incremental revenue opportunities via individual endorsement and licensing opportunities.

“AMP is a huge shift in approach and an exciting step in Olympic and Paralympic athlete marketing,” said Chris Mazdzer, three-time Olympian in luge and Beijing 2022 hopeful. “Team USA athletes give their all to represent the United States at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This program recognizes that commitment – and the desire of athletes to seek out opportunities and take greater ownership in connecting with partners and managing opportunities.”

AMP is optional for Team USA athletes and does not impact any existing sponsorship deals, and creates possibilities for additional branding collaborations and incremental revenue. Participating athletes control what brands to engage with, which categories to protect, what images to approve and what causes to champion through a seamless mobile interface launching in 2021.

The digital platform will also provide greater access and ease for athletes and Team USA partners to directly connect and collaborate based on their interests, backgrounds, locations, and Olympic and Paralympic sports so that the true diversity of Team USA is represented in the collective marketing around the movements.

The program includes certain parameters for usage that intends to establish equity and diversity in representation of Team USA athletes and maintain the critical commercial funding provided to athletes by their NGB.

The USOPC, in collaboration with the AAC and NGBC, is jointly developing educational materials and will be offering athlete informational sessions prior to the opening of program enrollment in January.

Athletes who opt in to participate in the pilot in 2021 will benefit from the unprecedented and compressed window encompassing the Tokyo and Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games, and will receive a guaranteed payment in exchange for their commitment to shape the program and participate in group marketing.

The USOPC invested in robust technologies and resources with industry-leading providers Athletes First Partners and Opendorse to provide athletes with the data and capabilities to develop their personal brand and maximize commercial opportunities.

More information on the program, including athlete eligibility considerations, can be found at TeamUSA.org/AMP.