Why Manchester City were named the most innovative sports team in the world

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According to a report by Sports Innovation Lab, Manchester City have been named the most innovative sports team in the world.

The research and market intelligence firm assessed worldwide sporting clubs across three different categories: technology alignment, organisational agility and revenue diversification.

Over 8,000 data sources were analysed by the firm over multiple years, as well as more than 150,000 market signals to eventually determine the final rankings.

“Our team of analysts masterfully identified patterns of success among the world’s most nimble and well-prepared sports organisations,” said Josh Walker, Sports Innovation Lab co-founder and president.

“Our ongoing daily research and guidance will help the industry in charting the journey ahead.”

Manchester City were listed above an array of sporting sides, due to various factors.

The report stated “Manchester City has had their challenges recently, but that hasn’t stopped them from taking full advantage of their global brand awareness to diversify revenue opportunities, launch their own OTT service, and expand their products and services.

“City has consistently delivered unique experiences that other teams with fewer resources and smaller audiences would be wise to emulate.”

As an example, the English club recently launched a Facebook campaign that promoted a freestyle football competition to a global audience.

City have also worked with the social media giant and its supporters to generate long-form and short-form content that extended fan participation well beyond game-day, creating a variety of non-rights protected media.

Activations like that and the partnerships they have built with companies like Nissan, take advantage of City’s larger amount of assets they have through the City Football Group (CFG).

Sports Innovation Lab scored City the highest in technology breadth, meaning it is willing to use different services and products well before other sporting sides.

For example, City were the first team to launch a channel on Youtube Kids, a platform for children aged 12 and under, whilst also developing a partnership with Capstone Games to offer fans a digital experience where they act as a football manager and make critical in-game decisions.

The club does continue to be highly praised for its varying revenue sources as well, across its operations.

“In addition to all the brand and tech alignment City uses on social platforms, it gets similarly high marks for its revenue diversification and development of the Etihad campus — a multi-use district around the stadium that gives Manchester a hub of various media and entertainment experiences. As it continues to collect first-party data from its fans globally, it will be in a prime position to deliver Fluid Fans (technologically savvy supporters) a personalised experience,” the report said.

Other notable recent activity includes the Premier League side’s deal with Onefootball to distribute global editorial content on the German based company’s app, and their exclusive content deal with Douyin, a Chinese service owned by ByteDance (the company who owns TikTok). Mumbai City’s new deal with Puma, who outfits Man City, also highlighted the power of a centralised ownership group like CFG.

Sports Innovation Lab doesn’t forecast City will dip from the top of their bracket anytime soon.

“We expect City will be hard to unseat at the top of the rankings. They have a strong tech focus that should keep them ahead of the pack,” the report concluded.

The full Sports Innovation Lab list of the 25 most innovative sporting teams are shown below.

Full list:

  1. Manchester City (Premier League)
  2. Real Madrid (La Liga)
  3. Arsenal (Premier League)
  4. Barcelona (La Liga)
  5. Bayern Munich (Bundesliga)
  6. Manchester United (Premier League)
  7. Golden State Warriors (NBA)
  8. Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1)
  9. Juventus (Serie A)
  10. Sacramento Kings (NBA)
  11. Liverpool (Premier League)
  12. Philadelphia 76ers (NBA)
  13. New England Patriots (NFL)
  14. Green Bay Packers (NFL)
  15. AS Roma (Serie A)
  16. Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga)
  17. Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League)
  18. Toronto Raptors (NBA)
  19. Seattle Seahawks (NFL)
  20. Chicago Cubs (MLB)
  21. Los Angeles Clippers (NBA)
  22. San Francisco 49ers (NFL)
  23. Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA)
  24. Atlético Madrid (La Liga)
  25. Schalke 04 (Bundesliga)

 

 

 

 

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The upcoming Australia Sports Innovation Week in Melbourne

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Image credit: Scottt13 / Shutterstock.com

The 2024 Australia Sports Innovation Week (ASIW), the Southern Hemisphere’s premier sports technology event, takes place in Melbourne from Tuesday, October 22 to Friday, October 25, 2024. Attendees can explore a variety of events to tailor their ideal Sports Innovation Week experience.

Some of the events that will be included in the week are the following:

Women-led Design

Presented by Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN), this event showcases pioneering women founders who have transformed the industry with their innovative products and solutions in sports apparel, protective gear, health and fitness initiatives, and children’s physical development.

Participants will have the opportunity to engage with these innovations, uncover the stories behind their success, gain valuable insights into their design philosophies, and learn how they are influencing the future of sports, participation, and sportstech.

This event is ideal for those interested in the convergence of sports, technology, and women-led innovation.

Click here to find out more information about this event.

Performance Workshop Series

The Performance Workshop Series is crafted to provide an overview and insights into three critical areas where cutting-edge sports psychology approaches can be applied to sports clubs, organisations, and athletes.

Over the course of three workshops, attendees will gain a foundational understanding of developing a performance psychology curriculum, creating high-performance environments, and implementing mental conditioning programs.

Participants have the option to attend individual workshops or all three sessions.

Click here to find out more information.

Sport Textiles Innovation Workshop

In recent years, sporting apparel has undergone significant innovation, driven by research into new materials, manufacturing techniques, seamless bonding technologies, and other advancements that are paving the way for new consumer and professional sportswear.

The RMIT textiles team will offer insights into recent industry collaborations and projects, along with a tour of their textiles research and testing lab, which is spearheading innovation in Melbourne.

Click here for more information about this workshop.

Industry professionals should attend these events at Sports Innovation Week to stay ahead of cutting-edge developments in sports technology, network with leaders and innovators, and gain valuable insights into the latest trends shaping the future of sports, performance, and athlete well-being.

These events provide opportunities to learn about groundbreaking advancements, from performance psychology to sports apparel, that can enhance their expertise and drive innovation in their own organisations.

Click here to learn more about the other events.

Football Victoria taps Vinage Customs for new signage deal

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Image credit: PxHere website

Football Victoria has confirmed an agreement with Vinage Customs to be the creators of the signage for The Home of the Matilda’s facility.

Established in 2013, Vinage Customs specialises in design, print and signage, this collaboration with Football Victoria will see innovative signage solutions implemented throughout the football facility.

Vinage Customs has worked with tier 1, 2 and 3 commercial builders and developers making a range of signage options. They have also produced signage for smaller businesses and interested parties.

Vinage’s Customs Director Adrian D’Altorio expressed his excitement at the deal.

“Vinage is proud to be a part of the FV family at The Home of the Matildas, offering our premium signage services and building a long-term business relationship,” he said via press release.

The sentiment was echoed by FV’s Commercial Executive Manager, Chris Speldewinde via press release. 

“We’re thrilled to have Vinage Customs on board as the Preferred Signage Partner. Their expertise will add tremendous value to our venue, enhancing the visual experience for everyone involved.”

Vinage Customs will receive exclusive brand promotion opportunities through FV while delivering its comprehensive signage solutions to the venue. This partnership aims to contribute to the ongoing development of The Home of the Matildas.

As a locally based company in Tullamarine, Melbourne, this partnership showcases FV’s focus on getting local businesses involved in all aspects of the footballing community.

It also indicates to interested local investors and businesses that FV is more than willing to be more engaged with and promote local growing businesses.

Not only is the Home of the Matildas a place to find and grow local footballing talent, but Football Victoria is also making the facility a place to discover and support local growing businesses and investors.

This is a positive move in connecting the local business community with the growing local talent in the footballing world.

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