IRONMAN Announces Partnership Expansion with Facebook For Global Programming

Despite the current political turmoil Facebook faces, Ironman announces partnership expansion with Facebook Watch for global programming up to 17 events per year. As early as 2018, coverage was very popular among athletes, fans and viewers in general and a clear success for the interactive streaming format.

2019 FacebookWatch will host 17 races from the IRONMAN circuit. Image: WTC, IRONMAN

2019 Ironman Facebook Watch
07.04.2019 Ironman African Championship (Port Elizabeth, RSA)
27.04.2019 Ironman North American Championship (The Woodlands, Texas, USA)
05.05.2019 Ironman Australia
09.09.2019Ironman Boulder
23.06.2019 Ironman Ireland
30.06.2019 Ironman European Championship (Frankfurt am Main, GER)
07.07.2019 Ironman Austria
14.07.2019 Ironman Vitoria Gateiz
28.07.2019 Ironman Lake Placid
18.08.2019 Ironman Copenhagen
07./08.09.2019 Ironman 70.3 World Championship (Nice, FRA)
15.09.2019 Ironman Wales
21.09.2019 Ironman Italy
29.09.2019 Ironman Chattanooga
12.10.2019 Ironman World Championship (Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA)
02.11.2019 Ironman Florida
24.11.2019 Ironman Arizona

2019 FacebookWatch will host 17 races from the IRONMAN circuit, 8 from Europe. Image: WTC, IRONMAN

Press release:

Ironman announces partnership expansion with Facebook for global programming

Facebook Watch to be exclusive digital home to fully-produced live race coverage for at least 17 IRONMAN events per year, including the IRONMAN World Championship and IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship.

Facebook Watch to be exclusive digital home to fully-produced live race coverage for at least 17 IRONMAN events per year, including the IRONMAN World Championship and IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship. Screenshot: IRONMAN Now on Facebook

IRONMAN, a Wanda Sports Holdings Company, is pleased to announce a multi-year partnership extension with Facebook for live and fully produced IRONMAN race coverage. In response to an exceptional fan response in 2018 (IRONMAN content on the IRONMAN Now Facebook Page drew 4.5 million engagements), the agreement calls for Facebook Watch to be the exclusive digital home of 17 live events in 2019 and increasing to 19 events in 2020, with a third-year option for 22 events in 2021. This includes full live coverage of the IRONMAN World Championship and IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, as well as VOD recaps of every event broadcast on Facebook Watch. In the coming weeks, IRONMAN will announce the 2019 Facebook Watch schedule of IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 events that will be featured. All coverage will be available globally on Facebook Watch via the IRONMAN Now Facebook Page.

"Participatory sports are a great fit for Facebook Watch because they're highly communal with established and engaged fanbases on our platform," said Devi Mahadevia, Facebook North America Sports Programming Lead. "IRONMAN is a perfect example, so we're thrilled to build on the success of our 2018 partnership by teaming again to bring fans around the world full-length coverage of the competition's top events."

In just the first year of the Facebook partnership in 2018, IRONMAN showcased a large and engaged audience with more than 3.5 million people watching at least one minute of an IRONMAN live broadcast, while totaling 4.5 million engagements through all content posted on the IRONMAN Now Facebook Page. The engagement performance ranked among the top sports organizations programing on Facebook in 2018.

The extended agreement with Facebook provides an opportunity to accelerate the global growth of triathlon while also raising the profiles of professional triathletes. Widely known as the pinnacle of all endurance sports, the IRONMAN World Championship captured the attention of fans on Facebook Watch through more than 20 hours of comprehensive live coverage, including everything from the early morning body marking to the final hour finish line celebration.

"The partnership with Facebook has given us the unique ability to showcase our sport to a global audience while taking them inside the inner workings of race day," said Matthieu van Veen, Chief Revenue Officer of IRONMAN. "With events on every continent and in more than 50 countries, we continuously strive to provide our athletes, fans and sponsors with content and platforms to connect. Facebook Watch provides the most innovative tools to allow our community to interact and engage throughout the 10 hours of live coverage for each of the events. The numbers from our Facebook Watch programing in 2018 are astounding and illustrate the deep interest and reach of our world class events. We look forward to our continued work with Facebook in bringing a truly global schedule of live event coverage to our broadening community."

IRONMAN will produce its live coverage for a connected audience, incorporating unique viewer interaction through Facebook Watch Parties, real-time polls, fan discussion, and user generated content from spectators along the course.

The fully produced live event coverage will be hosted by past champions of IRONMAN events, including Dede Griesbauer, Rachel Joyce, Matt Lieto, and Michael Lovato, as well as IRONMAN World Champions and Hall of Famers Paula Newby Fraser and Greg Welch.

Live race coverage as well as a range of on-demand programing will be available globally via the IRONMAN Now Facebook Page.

For more information on IRONMAN and events in the IRONMAN portfolio, visit www.ironman.com.

1. Ironman announces partnership expansion with Facebook for global programming

IRONMAN kündigt Erweiterung der Partnerschaft mit Facebook für globale Programmierung via Facebook Now an

Trotz der aktuellen politischen Turbulenzen auf Facebook kündigt Ironman eine Erweiterung der Partnerschaft mit Facebook Watch für die globale Programmierung von bis zu 17 Veranstaltungen pro Jahr an. Bereits 2018 war die Berichterstattung bei Athleten, Fans und Zuschauern im Allgemeinen sehr beliebt und ein klarer Erfolg für das interaktive Streaming-Format.

FacebookWatch wird 2019 17 IRONMAN übertragen. Bild: WTC, IRONMAN

Ironman Facebook Watch 2019
07.04.2019 Ironman African Championship (Port Elizabeth, RSA)
27.04.2019 Ironman North American Championship (The Woodlands, Texas, USA)
05.05.2019 Ironman Australia
09.09.2019Ironman Boulder
23.06.2019 Ironman Ireland
30.06.2019 Ironman European Championship (Frankfurt am Main, GER)
07.07.2019 Ironman Austria
14.07.2019 Ironman Vitoria Gateiz
28.07.2019 Ironman Lake Placid
18.08.2019 Ironman Copenhagen
07./08.09.2019 Ironman 70.3 World Championship (Nice, FRA)
15.09.2019 Ironman Wales
21.09.2019 Ironman Italy
29.09.2019 Ironman Chattanooga
12.10.2019 Ironman World Championship (Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA)
02.11.2019 Ironman Florida
24.11.2019 Ironman Arizona

FacebookWatch wird 2019 17 IRONMAN übertragen, davon finden 8 in Europa statt. Bild: WTC, IRONMAN

Pressemitteilung:

Großartiges Feedback der IRONMAN-Triathlon-Fans im ersten Jahr führt zu mehrjähriger Partnerschaft mit Facebook für weltweite Live-Berichterstattung

IRONMAN, Teil der Wanda Sports Holdings, gibt die mehrjährige Verlängerung der Partnerschaft mit Facebook für die Live-Berichterstattung der IRONMAN®-Rennen bekannt. Durch die Vereinbarung wird Facebook Watch zur exklusiven Plattform für 17 Live-Events im Jahr 2019 sowie 19 IRONMAN-Veranstaltungen im Jahr 2020, mit der Option auf eine Verlängerung der Partnerschaft für ein drittes Jahr mit 22 Live-Events.

Großartiges Feedback der IRONMAN-Triathlon-Fans im ersten Jahr führt zu mehrjähriger Partnerschaft mit Facebook für weltweite Live-Berichterstattung. Screenshot: IRONMAN Now on Facebook

Dies beinhaltet die komplette Live-Übertragung der IRONMAN® World Championship und der IRONMAN® 70.3® World Championship, sowie die Wiederholungen aller auf Facebook Watch übertragenen Veranstaltungen auf Abruf. In den kommenden Wochen wird IRONMAN bekannt geben, welche IRONMAN- und IRONMAN 70.3-Rennen 2019 auf Facebook Watch übertragen werden. Sämtliche Inhalte werden weltweit auf Facebook Watch über die IRONMAN Now Facebook-Seite verfügbar sein.

"Sportarten, die von einem Großteil der Bevölkerung ausgeübt werden können, passen hervorragend zu Facebook Watch, da diese auf großes Interesse bei unseren bestehenden und interaktiven Fangemeinden stoßen", sagt Devi Mahadevia, Facebook North America Sports Programming Lead. "IRONMAN ist das perfekte Beispiel dafür. Deshalb freuen wir uns, auf dem Erfolg unserer letztjährigen Partnerschaft aufzubauen und uns erneut zusammenzuschließen, um die Fans auf der ganzen Welt in voller Länge über die Top-Events des Wettbewerbs zu informieren."

Bereits im ersten Jahr der Partnerschaft mit Facebook konnte IRONMAN ein großes und interaktives Publikum ansprechen. Mehr als 3.5 Millionen Zuschauern sahen mindestens eine Minute lang eine IRONMAN-Liveübertragung, wobei es insgesamt 4,5 Millionen Interaktionen gab über alle Inhalte, die auf der IRONMAN Now Facebook-Seite veröffentlicht wurden. Die gemessenen Interaktionen zählen zu den besten Ergebnissen aller Sportorganisationen, die 2018 auf Facebook einen Livestream angeboten haben.

Der Fortsetzung der Partnerschaft mit Facebook bietet die Möglichkeit, den Triathlon-Sport weltweit weiter wachsen zu lassen und gleichzeitig die Bekanntheit von Triathlon-Profis zu steigern. Die IRONMAN World Championship, weitgehend betrachtet als der Höhepunkt aller Ausdauersportarten, weckte die Aufmerksamkeit der Fans auf Facebook Watch durch die über 20-stündige Live-Berichterstattung, von der einzigartigen Atmosphäre beim Schwimmstart frühmorgens bis hin zu den letzten emotionalen Zieleinläufen.

"Die Partnerschaft mit Facebook hat uns die einzigartige Möglichkeit gegeben, unseren Sport einem globalen Publikum zu präsentieren und den Zuschauern den Ablauf eines Renntages näher zu bringen", so Matthieu van Veen, Chief Revenue Officer von IRONMAN. "Mit Veranstaltungen auf allen Kontinenten und in mehr als 50 Ländern möchten wir unseren Athleten, Fans und Sponsoren Inhalte und Plattformen zur Verfügung zu stellen, die sie miteinander verbinden. Facebook Watch bietet die innovativsten Möglichkeiten für unsere Gemeinschaft, um während der 10-stündigen Live-Übertragung der jeweiligen Events miteinander zu kommunizieren. Die Zahlen unserer Facebook Watch Übertragungen im Jahr 2018 sind verblüffend und veranschaulichen das große Interesse und die Reichweite unserer Weltklasse-Events. Wir freuen uns auf die weitere Zusammenarbeit mit Facebook, um unserer wachsenden Gemeinschaft ein umfassendes Programm für die Live-Übertragung von Events auf der ganzen Welt zu bieten."

IRONMAN wird die Live-Berichterstattung mit einzigartigen Zuschauerinteraktionen ergänzen, wie Facebook Watch Partys, Echtzeit-Umfragen, Fan-Diskussionen und nutzergenerierten Inhalten von Zuschauern entlang der Strecke.

Die Live-Übertragungen werden moderiert von ehemaligen IRONMAN-Siegern, darunter Dede Griesbauer, Rachel Joyce, Matt Lieto und Michael Lovato, sowie von den IRONMAN-Weltmeistern und Hall of Fame-Mitgliedern Paula Newby Fraser und Greg Welch.

Die Live-Übertragung der IRONMAN-Rennen sowie weitere Formate auf Abruf werden weltweit auf der IRONMAN Now Facebook-Seite zur Verfügung stehen - www.facebook.com/IRONMANnow.

Weitere Informationen über IRONMAN und Veranstaltungen im IRONMAN-Portfolio finden Sie unter www.ironman.com.

Amazon to be the official 2018 title sponsor and sports nutrition ecommerce platform for Ironman Hawaii Triathlon

Amazon, the 2nd company in the World with a USD trillion market cap will be the official 2018 title sponsor and sports nutrition ecommerce and retail platform for 40th Ironman Hawaii Triathlon in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

"Official Sports Nutrition Retailer" for the "Ironman World Championship brought to you by Amazon" is the actual wording listed on WTC's (World Triathlon Corporation) website. The first 53" video commercial with lead announcer Mike "The Voice of Ironman" Reilly is published on Twitter recently.

The commercial could serve as a stylish weak-up call for some sports nutrition, sports retail companies and an additional proof of Amazon's willingness to develop the sports category on their platform not only with products of the Amazon Basics portfolio in the sports clothing sub-category.

Spend your time training, not shopping. “Special delivery” from @Amazon! pic.twitter.com/KwLly6vkrn

— IRONMAN Triathlon (@IRONMANtri) 10. September 2018

Presse release World Triathlon Corporation (WTC):

IRONMAN selects Amazon as the Official Sports Nutrition Retailer of the 2018 IRONMAN World Championship taking place on Saturday, Oct. 13

TAMPA, Fla. (Sept. 10, 2018) – IRONMAN, a Wanda Sports Holdings company, is excited to team up with Amazon as the title sponsor of the 2018 IRONMAN® World Championship and Official Sports Nutrition Retailer of the iconic triathlon event that will take place on Saturday, October 13 in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i. The collaboration will provide participants access to a vast selection of nutrition products, including items from IRONMAN official nutrition partners CLIF Bar and Gatorade, available to athletes looking to prove ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® on the sports largest stage.

“We are thrilled to announce we’ve teamed up with Amazon,” said Matthieu Van Veen, Chief Revenue Officer for IRONMAN. “The IRONMAN World Championship is the most iconic endurance event in the world and this collaboration with Amazon as we celebrate our 40th anniversary will provide athletes globally with direct access to sports nutrition products that help them reach the pinnacle of the sport.”

The demand for sports performance and wellness products are at an all-time high. The world’s best athletes will have access to a wide range of optimal products located conveniently all in one place at www.amazon.com/ironmanrace, helping them reach their peak performance goals.

The vast array of products available in the IRONMAN World Championship store within the Amazon Sports Nutrition shopping experience will include third party certified supplement products, which will help athletes reduce the risks that are often associated with supplement use. IRONMAN encourages all athletes to know and understand their rights and responsibilities with regard to anti-doping policy and procedure and to be aware of what they are putting in their body.

Live race coverage of the 2018 IRONMAN World Championship brought to you by Amazon will be available on Oct. 13, 2018 in the United States on NBC Sports platforms and on ironman.com and globally via IRONMAN NOW on Facebook Watch – www.facebookwatch.com/IRONMANnow.

IRONMAN World Championship

Since its inception in 1978 on the island of Oahu, the IRONMAN World Championship has etched its name in history through stellar performances, inspirational participants and emotional memories. In 1981, the race moved from the tranquil shores of Waikiki to the barren lava fields of Kona on the Island of Hawai`i where it continues to take place to this day. The race now sees over 2,400 athletes embark on a 140.6-mile journey that presents the ultimate test of body, mind and spirit to earn the title of IRONMAN World Champion. The most iconic one-day sporting event in the world is the culmination of 40 global IRONMAN events with athletes around the world striving for one of the coveted qualifying slots.

About IRONMAN

As part of Wanda Sports Holdings, the IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN® 70.3® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series®, Iron Girl®, IRONKIDS®, International Triathlon Union World Triathlon Series races, road cycling events including the UCI Velothon® Series, mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic®, premier marathons including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, trail running like Ultra-Trail Australia™, and other multisport races. IRONMAN’s events, together with all other Wanda Sports Holdings events, provide more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. The iconic IRONMAN® Series of events is the largest participation sports platform in the world. Since the inception of the IRONMAN® brand in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines at the world’s most challenging endurance races. Beginning as a single race, IRONMAN has grown to become a global sensation with more than 230 events across 53 countries. For more information, visit www.ironman.com.

About Wanda Sports Holdings

Wanda Sports Holdings is the world’s leading sports business entity, founded to capture the opportunities in the global sports industry and to contribute to the prosperous international sports landscape – in three key areas: 1) Spectator Sports (media & marketing business), 2) Participation Sports (active lifestyle business), 3) Services (digital, production and service business). Wanda Sports Holding incorporates the international sports marketing company Infront Sports & Media, the iconic endurance brand IRONMAN, and Wanda Sports China. The headquarters are in Guangzhou, China.

IRONMAN names Matthieu Van Veen as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)

IRONMAN, a Wanda Sports Holdings Company, announced today that Matthieu Van Veen has been named to the newly created position of Chief Revenue Officer for IRONMAN. Van Veen will begin his new role with the company on March 13, 2017.

In the new position, Van Veen will be responsible on a global basis for sales, marketing, media and digital activities. His focus will be to create a more structured approach to driving the commercial side of the business.

“As IRONMAN has continued to grow, we have become a more complex organization; one that is operating in more industry segments and in more territories. The structured leveraging of IRONMAN’s vast capabilities and the capturing of best practices is vital for our future success,” said Andrew Messick, Chief Executive Officer of IRONMAN. “Matthieu’s exemplary international career and personal characteristics give me confidence that he will be successful in this new role.”

Van Veen brings broad skills and experiences to the position. He has nearly 20 years of experience in the global sports industry and joins IRONMAN after nine years with AEG Europe, where he was most recently Senior Vice President of Sports, based in Paris. During that time, Van Veen was responsible for the European leadership and management of AEG’s Sports Divisions which included the creation and management of a portfolio of sports properties for AEG’s European venues; AEG owned teams, Berlin Eisbären of the DEL and Hammarby Fotbol of the Swedish Allsvenskan; development of the partnership between AEG and the Amaury Sports Organization for the Amgen Tour of California; and overall leadership of AEG’s business in France. He was also pivotal in developing the partnership with the City of Paris in the management of the newly renovated AccorHotels Arena, formerly known as Bercy Arena.

Prior to joining AEG, Van Veen served as the National Basketball Association’s Senior Director, Global Media Distribution for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In his role as head of the NBA’s media business, Van Veen was responsible for all television and digital media rights for the NBA, WNBA and USA Basketball. He has worked extensively in all Western European countries, as well as Russia and Turkey.