Steven Scaffardi

Certainly the most significant post to have come out of Eleven Sports Media on this channel. I’m delighted to announce that Eleven has attracted a multi-million pound investment from one of the leading private equity houses in the UK and Ireland, BGF. On 31st March 2021, Eleven became under single ownership for the first time. We unveiled a three-year plan internally that was ambitious by anyone’s standards, but to outsiders it understandably could have been viewed as unrealistic. In addition to hitting all the centrally important financial milestones, the plan included: ·      Doubling the size of Eleven’s team from 30-60. ·      Launching Eleven’s business model in the US and mainland Europe.  ·      Enhancing Eleven's technology offering to enable global expansion with multilingual capabilities. ·      Opening a second office in a UK city. ·      Work with all four major US sports leagues suited to the Eleven model. ·      Achieve 50% of all revenue from outside of the UK. We delivered on all objectives, including many more beyond those listed. The final objective for the three-year plan was to attract third-party investment that would support the business’ ambition in becoming one of the leading specialist sponsorship agencies in the world. So almost three-years to the day since unveiling the plan, I’m delighted that’s exactly where we find ourselves. I would like to say thank you to BGF, who have proven themselves over a lengthy process to carry all the attributes we want from a partner. Diligent, considered, transparent and fair being among those qualities. Special thanks to Rhys Davenport and Josh Bean at BGF. A huge thank you to the dozens of sports organisations around the world that have placed their trust in Eleven over the years and to the thousands of small independent businesses that have put their faith in us to deliver a best-in-class service. The biggest thank you today goes to all the staff that continue to apply their passion and dedication to Eleven. Whilst instilling the three-year plan, one of the key things we did was to introduce a company-wide share/incentive scheme to reward the staff that are so important to the business. That shared sense of success is a big part of our progress. I’d Encourage any early-stage entrepreneur to consider this in their planning. As we set off on this new chapter in Eleven’s history, we do so with a greater sense of ambition and purpose than ever before. There will be more news to follow in the coming weeks, but for today at least everyone at Eleven will be enjoying a well-deserved moment of reflection, on what is a tremendous collective achievement. See details below 👇

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Was this really the intention? ➡ Extending RTS controls from slots to 'other' game types sounds fine. But the overhead involved in changing win types, enforcing 5 sec playtime and net position will mean a reduction in more casual 'other' games for the UK (primarily instant wins, video bingo and the like). ➡ The result will be to migrate players from lower risk game types to slots and table games. Surely the opposite of what was intended. 🎬 A snippet from a longer discussion with the amazing Kirsty Caldwell - full video link here for game compliance nerds! https://lnkd.in/dkxdBn_a

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The importance of being on the ground at trade events shouldn’t be underestimated. Whether it's relationship building or keeping up with the iGaming zeitgeist, having back-to-back, genuine conversations about the varied industry opportunities and challenges of partners is the best way to improve your value and know your true place in the market. That’s not to say that there aren’t events where you wonder if they justify that amount of time out of the office. Thankfully, last week’s NEXT.io Summit was certainly not one of those, and it was a breath of fresh air and a pleasure to be in attendance out in Valletta. I’d love to see more gaming events have a stronger focus, instead of being catch-alls for a broad region, and Pierre Lindh⚡️and his team are demonstrating just why that should be the case. The focus on quality panel content that has genuine interest and networking meetups that go beyond just filling a room should be applauded and when planning my calendar in future, these types of events will be at the top of my priority list. #NextSummit #iGamingmarketing #gamblingevents #malta

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85% of your fans are mobile-first. They are using apps like Sky Sports, BBC Sport and FlashScore to consume content, news, fixtures, results and stats. How many of them would identify email as their preferred way of learning about new signings, new kits, merch drops, match previews and sponsor discounts? My guess is not many. How many clubs are using email as their primary method of communication? My guess is quite a lot. It's time to diversify your channels of communication. Fanbase is becoming more than just a ticketing app, it's the hub for your fanbase to interact with your club. ...purchase tickets, read the latest club news, receive exclusive discounts... For the club, this equals: ⬆ revenue ⬆ engagement Read below for an example of this at Aldershot Town Football Club this week led by Samuel Carter and Michael Lipscombe Awesome to see clubs utilising Fanbase this way. #sportsmarketing #sportsbusiness #fanengagement

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Download the Digital Transformation Regional Market Report 2024 | UK 🇬🇧 ✅ 151 sports organisations assessed, including: ✅ 133 elite clubs across ten professional leagues ✅ 18 major events organisers ✅ 13 sports ✅ 5 key takeaways Everything you need to know about the UK professional sports market's #digitaltransformation in a single report. https://lnkd.in/e2yvKiT4

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Pay by Bank will never work in person right? Wrong... Like all new technologies, the first few years of pay by bank at the checkout have been test and learn. Understanding the opportunities and limitations of the tech, identifying where it adds value, building the product and executing the awareness to the wider public. The premise is simple, pay with your bank not your card. The offer is clear, pay a reduced price at checkout for consumers (as offered by Uber and Airbnb) and merchants pay no fees to get paid (as offered by VibePay). The challenge is now set for the payments sector to bring this method to life and show business and consumers alike that there is a new kid on the street and it's genuine alternative in the marketplace. #payments #openbanking #fintech #banking #marketing

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Please join me for this webinar - I doubt you could ask for insights from two better placed, market-leading, award-winning B2B Editors, who have driven the success of their subscription-led businesses. Catrin Griffiths Alastair McLellan

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For the first panel on the West stage, Claire Bartley of Ticketek UK, Hugh Gledhill of Layered Reality, Mark Brooks of Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) and Rob Kirk of Grande Experiences discussed a hot topic within the ticketing industry: how can you tell if your marketing is working? Brooks highlighted the importance of repeat custom within the industry, stating “the season ticket platform has been fantastic” and stressed the importance of early-bird sales for marquee events. Kirk expressed his frustration with “copycats” that jump on marketing trends and can cause consumers to have a negative experience. Gledhill expanded on this by suggesting data capture could allow for more specified marketing, leading to an increase in ticket sales. Bartley suggested that the social marketing space had become “saturated” – although it will continue to be an important driver of business. Lots of innovative and cost-effective methods were shared by the panel about how organisations can have a strong ROI on marketing campaigns. #TBF24 #Ticketing #ticketingbiz 

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Lots of good stuff in this report from Elevent. This nugget from it below prompts the question are youth sports organizations undervalued by brands/companies? "When asked how often consumers will buy from companies sponsoring a sport or sports organization they like, 66% responded that they are more likely to purchase from sponsors they like, up from 59% in 2022. Moreover, 20% of respondents have chosen to do business with a brand only because it sponsors a sport or sporting organization that they like, and 28% have recommended a sponsoring company of a sport/organization they like to a friend."

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I’ve written this piece for More than a Game. Please let me know your thoughts on it and the drama around the proposed change of ownership at Everton. https://lnkd.in/eD7VGUSb

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According to the IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising)'s Bellwether, UK event marketing spend has risen for a ninth successive quarter. Only this time, it's the strongest rise recorded by the influential survey since data collection for event marketing spend began 11 years ago..... ....and it shows no sign of stopping as a majority of marketers predict continued rises in event marketing for this new financial year..... https://lnkd.in/eez_Ta_Z #eventprofs #eventmarketing #powerofevents #eventprofsUK

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Re #Broadcasters - and with relevance for #ITV in particular - it is worth looking at the trading update last week from Scottish broadcaster #STV, which holds the ITV1 licence in Scotland. STV stated Q2 total advertising revenues should be up 15-20% YoY, stronger than ITV’s 12% guidance. As STV is including slower growth regional advertising, the ITV1 comparable probably is ahead of this (off guidance of 10-12% 1H Total Ad growth, National advertising is expected to be up 15%). Three points to make: 1. The numbers suggest more late money may be coming into the TV markets around the Euros; 2. It suggests advertisers’ budgets remain resilient; 3. To those who state “it’s just the Euros” as stating why such performance shouldn’t take away from the negative case on TV, that is missing the point. Advertisers do not spend on platforms that they do not think is effective - football or not. The fact they are spending heavily and look to be increasing, not decreasing, spend as the event approaches, should be seen as a sign of confidence in the medium. As usual, this is not investment advice.

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As is customary at this time of year at Thinkbox HQ, we've pulled together the very latest data and insight into how TV is evolving and where it's heading, and packaged it up into something quite marvelous and enriching. Presenting 'Trends in TV', essential reading for anyone working in media or advertising today, covering viewing, planning, and spend trends whilst answering your burning questions. Grab a brew and a biscuit and come explore... https://lnkd.in/eZqmJv87 #MarketingEffectiveness #AdvertisingEffectiveness #MediaPlanning #TVAdvertising

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 🔔 PSA: The early bird entry deadline for the Prolific North Marketing Awards is 2nd July.    In case you missed it, these awards are the North’s flagship marketing event, where we shine a spotlight on the most incredible teams, campaigns & leaders from across the industry.    🏆 33 categories   👩‍⚖️ 20 independent judges  🍾 1 bloody good party Got something or someone you want to celebrate this year?   Save yourself the stress of running around last minute (and some cash) by getting your entry started this week.     👇  Link in comments to browse all the categories (give us a shout if you have any questions) #Marketing #MarketingAwards #ProlificNorth

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The odds are slim that you’ll be waiting with bated breath today for news from a Westminster Media Forum, but if you work with gambling brands, there’s a lot at stake. There are some phenomenal statistics related to the gambling industry, but the most telling one is that since the inception of the National Lottery, almost half of all adults now gamble once a month. And yet, the Lottery isn’t officially considered gambling, doesn’t come under the jurisdiction of the Gambling Commission, and will get little or no attention in today’s discussions. If they come into play, then last years’ proposals of a statutory levy and a gambling ombudsman may mean the sector has to adapt an awful lot, but it’s a safe bet to say it’ll all mean little to the Lotto. https://lnkd.in/gADP6rfs

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Talk about a trifecta ... talking about a trifecta ... 🎺 Rory Sadler, CEO at trumpet 🎺 Gareth Hughes, AE at Seven20 Harry Hindess, Account Director at SalesScreen Join them next week to learn about how managers can use data, personalization and motivation to get their teams to end of quarter goal!

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Great to see the strides our client Synonymous are making with their brand 🙌 The main lesson? 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲. Throughout the whole website project, the two questions Darrell Fox and I have continually asked ourselves are: 1️⃣ "What does our target customer want or need?" 2️⃣ "Are we being clear enough about how Synonymous solves this for them?" It's amazing to see how many sport & tourism brands don't make these two questions the centre piece of their marketing strategy. If you're a #sport, #leisure or #tourism brand in need of clarity, I'd love to chat to you. 📧 rob@pathcommercial.co.uk 💻 pathcommercial.co.uk #sportsmarketing #marketingagency #marketingfreelance

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Today, we can reveal the gaming sector in the Liverpool City Region generates £220m each year and is the region's largest creative industry. That’s according to preliminary findings from a new Growth Platform report, seen by Prolific North, which has been conducted on behalf of the LCR Games Board. It makes it a ‘significant asset’ to the local economy. But despite its potential, there are challenges too. In the first of a three-part feature series into Liverpool’s games sector, we've chatted to a handful of the key players and leaders in the region today - including Avalanche Studios Group, d3t, Ripstone, Wushu Studios, Lucid Games Ltd, Clemens Wangerin - and look into the importance of its rich gaming heritage. Read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/e_YDQMq2 #Gaming #Liverpool

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