Sports Ticker #108: football governance, F1 in Asia and AI marketplaces

In a fortnight which saw Real Madrid lift the Champions League Cup once more, a new "Ultimate Championship" athletics event announced and Charles Leclerc win on home soil for the first time in the Monaco Grand Prix, we bring you updates on the now-halted Football Governance Bill, potential Formula 1 expansion into Southeast Asia and record-breaking interest in women's sports.

As always, if there are any issues on which you'd like more information (or if you have any questions or feedback), please do let us know or get in touch with your usual contact at RPC.

Stopping play on the Football Governance Bill

Progress on the Football Governance Bill has been halted after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a general election. The Bill was in its early stages but had been expected to move through Parliament at pace, due to broad cross-party support. The Bill as drafted creates a new football regulator, independent of government and football authorities, to oversee the top five tiers of men's football with the goal of ensuring clubs' financial sustainability. Pressure to create a regulator mounted following recommendations from a 2021 fan-led review, although it has been resisted by the Premier League. Irrespective of who wins the general election, it is anticipated that the Bill will remain on the lawmaking agenda.

Rug-oui!

The Rugby World Cup 2023 generated €871m for the French economy and limited its environmental impact, according to a report commissioned by the French Ministry of Sport and produced by EY. The economic success was driven by factors such as an unusually high average international tourist spend per day, the success of 'Rugby Villages' in host cities, and a French policy of almost-exclusive use of French service providers (creating over 5,000 jobs). The windfall will be much appreciated in the service industry, a sector still recovering from Covid-19, and which would otherwise have been enduring a September-October slump. On the environmental side, the negative impact was limited primarily to air travel, as expected. Much of the tournament's infrastructure was repurposed from the 2016 Euros, leaving travel and accommodation as the primary contributors to its climate footprint.

F1 making tracks to Southeast Asia?

With Thailand, South Korea and Indonesia reporting interest in hosting their own Formula 1 races, Greg Maffei, CEO of Liberty Media (which owns Formula 1) believes another Southeast Asian race may be on the way. Thailand's Prime Minister was seen recently at the Imola circuit, talking about a Bangkok street race possibly featuring in the coming years. Shanghai was also back up and running this year with Maffei reporting that Zhou Guanyu's presence on the grid has driven Chinese interest in the sport. Having considered the fan base, facilities and financials of the cities interested, Maffei believes we could "very easily" see another Southeast Asian race on our Formula 1 calendars. Whether this will be added onto an already jam-packed schedule or replace an existing race remains unclear.

Women's sport soars on air

Women's sports in the UK are reaching new heights. The first four months of 2024 saw record-shattering viewership, fuelled by a major increase in airtime. Both paid and free-to-air channels are giving women's sports more screen time, exposing them to a wider audience. This wider reach not only attracted 6.8 million new viewers but also brought in a more diverse crowd. Free-to-air channels showing women's football and rugby seem to be a winning strategy, with events like the Guinness Women's Six Nations (the most viewed women's sporting event this year) and the FA Cup final reaching record audiences. While maintaining this momentum without a major women's football tournament this year might be challenging, the strong viewership suggests women's sports in the UK may be reaching a turning point. Tammy Parlour, Women's Sport Trust Chief Executive, said "It's been another strong start to the year for women's sport … We're still in a test-and-learn phase, and broadcasters are being rewarded for their decision to give women's sports more airtime and greater prominence."

AI search for merch

International football portal OneFootball has partnered with London-based digital sports agency Stadion to launch a new AI-powered football marketplace. The marketplace will build on OneFootball's ambitions to become a one-stop shop for all things football, by offering AI-powered personalised recommendations on a range of products from official merchandise to tickets, hospitality packages, memberships, livestreams, memorabilia, and in-stadium food and drink orders. Official products from the 130 clubs, leagues and federations who have partnered with OneFootball will be purchasable via Stadion's "OneBasket" tech, which will be integrated into OneFootball's app and enable consumers to purchase products from a range of merchants with a single click. Patrick Fischer, CEO of OneFootball, said "Stadion and OneFootball share the vision of helping their partners generate more direct revenue. It's increasingly important to optimise all digital channels to that aim". As well as in the stands, AI is making an impact on-pitch, too: Liverpool FC recently announced it is using AI to inform its tactics, and England Women's cricket squad selection is part-based on AI, too (read about that in our Sports Ticker #107).

Extra time...

…and finally, Manchester United has reclaimed number one spot in the trade mark game, holding a massive 689 trade marks. United may reign supreme for now but major clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur and FC Barcelona, and even some star athletes, are growing their portfolios at a surprising rate. Lionel Messi owns 140 trade marks, whilst newer movers Mbappé and Haaland both tripled their trade mark filings in a single year, highlighting a growing focus on personal player brands. This trend comes alongside a rise in trade mark hijacker activity, even and sometimes especially against players without trade marks - both Fernandes and Sancho have been targeted by trade mark hijackers turned identity thieves who filed trade marks for "Bruno Fernandes" in Turkey and "Jadon Sancho" in China.