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breathe
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breathe
soccer
After a forced break of almost 2 years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, ISL has resumed its events and sports travelling activities this month, hosting the Barcelona Soccer Experience.
Sixty players and ninety families from across the USA joined Team ISL on its return, for a 9 day unforgettable experience in the beautiful and sunny Barcelona.
The players had the chance to train at FC Barcelona facilities with Barça Academy official coaches and compete against other teams.
Players and families enjoyed an exclusive Camp Nou Tour and two LaLiga matches featuring Catalonia’s main clubs – Barça and Espanyol.
One of the culmination moments was the surprise visit of FC Barcelona’s first team player, Eric García, who met the players after a training session at Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.
Just like them, Eric started playing at the Barça schools. The 20-year-old centre back posed for photos with the youngsters and shared encouraging words.
ISL also organized outdoor and cultural activities where players and families got to know and explore the city with private guided excursions.
The ISL team has been working hard to offer better travel experiences, prioritizing the players’ and families’ safety at all times.
“We were forced to stop our activity by the Covid-19 restrictions, but we never really stopped working, as we were confident we’d be back stronger. We wanted to be prepared for when the time came, and now we are thrilled that our first event was such a great success. The smiles on our players’ faces and the positive feedback from their families is what kept us going and what we will keep working for every day.” – says Achille Obougou, Director of Travel Management.
This season, ISL has 20 sport events lined up in 5 different locations.
Stay tuned to find out more about the best soccer tourism experiences! @team_isl
Last Tuesday, FC Barcelona player Eric García joined ISL staff and players in the Barcelona Soccer Experience training session at Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.
It was a surprise for the young American players, who were thrilled to meet the FC Barcelona star!
Just like them, Eric García comes from the Barça schools and his trajectory is an inspiration for the young generations who aspire to become professional soccer players.
The 20-year-old centre back posed for photos with the youngsters and also got the chance to say a few words to them, encouraging them to continue playing the sport and work hard to get better every day.
The visit happened during a training session of the Barcelona Soccer Experience, a program developed by ISL Experience.
This program offers American players and their families an exclusive and unique soccer experience in Barcelona, combining training sessions, competition, cultural visits, a Camp Nou tour, a Barça match, and many surprises!
Stay Tuned! @team_isl
The ISL Foundation launched a solidarity campaign in celebration of World Food Day – October 16th.
In collaboration with ISL Futsal and Barça Academy Charlotte, ISL was able to collect and deliver 308 pounds of food to Loaves & Fishes – an NGO dedicated to feed the neighbors in need.
This donation will contribute to help Loaves & Fishes who serve over 100,000 people in need in Charlotte, North Carolina.
ISL Futsal Director, Adam Brundle, was responsible for the campaign’s success, and he reinforced the need to keep organizing this type of community support – “It’s amazing to see we have so many loyal families who always jump at the opportunity to help. These initiatives, however big or small, truly go a long way in helping us support other great organizations who are changing lives everyday. “
According to the information shared by the United Nations, there was a dramatic worsening of world hunger in 2020, much of it likely related to the fallout of COVID-19.
While the pandemic’s impact has yet to be fully mapped, the UN estimates that around a tenth of the global population – up to 811 million people – were undernourished last year. This number suggests it will take a tremendous effort for the world to honour its pledge to end hunger by 2030.
The ISL Foundation is sensitive to the global challenges that threaten the world and is fully engaged in helping to tackle world hunger.
On October 10th, Ethernity Chain will make available the first Luis Suárez NFT (non-fungible token) collection – exlusively on Ethernity’s platform.
After the successful launch of Messi’s record-breaking NFT collection in August, which grossed $3.4 million on the first day, ISL and Ethernity will convert “El pistolero” into historic digital tokens.
Uruguay’s all-time leading goalscorer will be the next soccer star with an official and authenticated NFT collection. The collection is composed of 5 NFTs representing his epic career in the Premier League, La Liga and Uruguay’s national team.
ISL – Ethernity’s official and exclusive soccer partner – has enabled the deal between Ethernity Chain and Luis Suárez.
Ethernity’s previous NFT collections for Pelé, Copa América and Messi reached an accumulated sales value of over $5 million, positioning Ethernity and ISL as a leading reference of digital art in the soccer industry.
“Our goal is to keep developing the joint potential of Soccer and NFTs, and to continue building bridges between sports and the digital world”, – says Marc Segarra, ISL Managing Partner. “Luis Suárez is a living soccer legend and this collection represents another milestone for the NFT and soccer industries”, – adds Alex ISern, ISL CEO.
“Our mission is to continue creating exclusive collections with the best talent in the world and the digital artists of the moment. Suarez’ NFT edition is one of the most anticipated sports collections we have ever launched, and we can’t wait to share it with the fans,” explains Nick Rose, CEO of Ethernity Chain.
In the coming months ISL and Ethernity will announce more NFT collections with top global soccer brands.
Stay tuned!
On the Grill: Pol Solé
The US Men’s National Team has recently beaten Mexico in the 2021 CONCACAF GOLD CUP FINAL becoming the new soccer Champion of North and Central America.
With a sports history mostly famous for American Football, Baseball, Basketball and Ice Hockey, the US are emerging as a new soccer talent pool with several American players already playing in some of the biggest clubs in the world, such as Christian Pulisic in Chelsea FC, Sergiño Dest with FC Barcelona or Yunus Musah with Valencia CF.
Pol Solé, the ISL director of LaLiga’s first and oficial soccer recruitment program in the US – LaLiga Select – shared with us his feedback from the LaLiga select Talent IDs and Showcases held this Summer across the country.
Pol Solé: As of today, soccer is one of the biggest sports in the US and is the most played among young people. If you get your car and drive across the country, you will run into thousands of soccer fields with kids playing soccer. I have lived in the US for 6 years and I have seen a huge growth in both quantity and quality of soccer players.
Pol Solé: Yes, absolutely. Soccer has been growing exponentially over the past 5-10 years. In my opinion this growth is due to three different factors:
First, the arrival of European soccer stars to the MLS such as Beckham, Henry, Villa, Zlatan, and many more. The American soccer league and teams were followed and supported by many more people around the world.
The second factor is a consequence of the first one. Having more stars in the MLS, brings sponsors and TV rights. If you only display basketball and football games on TV, it will be very difficult for a kid to be engaged and involved in soccer. However, if the kid turns on the TV and there is a soccer game from his local team, he might watch it and get a better understanding of the game.
Last but not least, the success of the US Women’s National Soccer Team. The United States is one of the very few countries in the world where the amount of boys and girls playing soccer is very similar. Having a role model like Alex Morgan or Megan Rapinoe makes girls dream of becoming a professional soccer player and competing for the National Team.
Pol Solé: LaLiga Select is the official LaLiga recruitment pathway in the US. After launching at the beginning of this year, the program has captured the attention of youth soccer in North America, expanding the program to several showcases and Talent IDs across the country. It is a great opportunity for young players aspiring to become professionals to test out their level and skills among other great players and be selected to participate in a Showcase Talent in Spain in front of Technical Directors from LaLiga Clubs.The players can then be recruited by the LaLiga Clubs to kick off their professional careers.
Pol Solé: The first LaLiga Select own events took place over the past months in Texas, with hundreds of young American players attending the Talent IDs in Houston, San Antonio, Austin and Dallas, and widely expressing on social media their positive feedback and enthusiasm about this unique experience. I was very impressed with the talent and hardwork of these young players. They were very focused on every session and that is a reflection of their goal: become professional soccer players.
On the other hand, we attended several Showcases in the US from our club partners and they were also a big success. We attended those events with LaLiga Scouts to identify talent and bring them to Spain for a Talent Showcase alongside the selected players from the Talent IDs. One of the best things from the Showcases was to see the players in action competing and showing their skills. As I said, every year soccer is growing and the level is higher so it is more fun to watch.
Pol Solé: Yes, definitely. As soccer grows in the US, more outstanding players emerge and seek for opportunities in Europe. Also, clubs know the US is a big market and having American players in their squads will give them popularity and increase their brand awareness in the US. There are many kids that do not follow teams, they follow players. So, for instance, now that Pulisic is at Chelsea FC, all the fans now follow Pulisic’s club instead of Borussia Dortmund (Pulisic’s previous club).
Pol Solé: Yes, I think they can be one of the best. The US has the resources and the population to make it happen. However, nowadays I think the US is still far from countries like Brazil, France or Spain where the main sport is soccer and every single kid in the street knows how to play. In Spain we breathe, live and sleep soccer.
Pol Solé: I am excited to see how the USMNT performs at the World Cup. This one will be very different from the past ones, I am intrigued by how the weather and the dates will affect the players. The World Cup has never been done in the middle of the season so it will be tricky for the clubs. My prognosis is that the USMNT will qualify and advance the group stages and will lose at the round of 16.
On Saturday August 21st, soccer legend Leo Messi announced the launch of his first NFT collection powered by ISL, designed by BossLogic, and available on Ethernity Chain’s platform.
“Art is like football – timeless,” Messi said on his Instagram video announcing the collection.
An NFT is a form of crypto asset which uses blockchain to record the ownership status of digital objects, such as images, videos and text. While anyone can view the item, only the buyer of an NFT has the official status of being its owner.
During this year NFTs popularity has exploded on the digital universe, with collections featuring world icons such as Marilyn Monroe or Muhammed Ali, and prices reaching almost $70 million – In March of this year, Christie’s auction house sold a digital work by the artist known as Beeple for $69 million, the most expensive NFT sold to date
The sales of Messi’s limited edition of authenticated NFTs’ reached $3.4M on the first day, breaking yet another record for the Argentinian star – the most expensive sports NFT in history.
One week after the launch, the huge success of the “Messiverse” collection is still rising, led by “The Golden One” NFT, the rarest and currently most expensive one, now priced on the secondary market at 3,000 ETH, equivalent to more than $9 million.
The crypto artworks designed by Australia-based digital designer BossLogic, worldly renowned for his works with Marvel and Disney, are composed of 4 pieces outlining The GOAT’s achievements, moments, team love, and future accomplishments.
According to the official Ethernity Twitter account, the platform had to extend the sale of “Messiverse” NFTs by three hours, following “unprecedented demand”.
The news of Messi’s NFT collection reached the most important media outlets in the world both online and offline, with ISL making headlines in publications like Forbes and Sport, among many others.
As the world took a hit and stepped back with the world pandemic, sports events were one of the most affected industries by quarantine and Covid-19 restrictions.
How deep was the impact of the pandemic on the sports events’ sector?
Will the sports events’ industry be able to recover?
Is this recovery starting already?
ISL experience creates individualized packages according to our clients’ needs. We take care of every single detail and work with the best soccer clubs/associations in Europe to create unmatched events.
The Experience department also provides an international travelling and playing opportunity to all the players in our academies and camps in the US.
In addition, we work with other clubs, colleagues and associations who are external to isl
I have been the director of isl experience for the last 7 years.
No, this caught us all by surprise. I did chat a lot about this with my partners and providers and none of us expected a “crush” like this.
Everything clashed last march 2020 when we were running an event of more than 600 people in Barcelona. Since then it hasn’t been possible to do another event.
We have not stopped working since last march. The team has been focused on customer service, communication, looking for alternatives and solutions for our clients and partners, and always working on different scenarios due to the constant changes of the pandemic’s regulations .
Nevertheless, for the 20-21 season we had more than 700 clients confirmed and willing to come to our different programs. We would have been able to secure a good spring semester with multiple events. However, the situation in Spain and the UK was uncertain and the smartest choice was to postpone those events for the safety of our clients.
My main concern was the communication with our clients and providers/partners. For me it was key, despite the evident difficulties, to keep all our clients and providers/partners satisfied. Understanding everyone’s situation and looking for the best solution. We built strong relationships with them for years and now it was the time to be present and effective.
If COVID-19 restrictions allow us we will be back in october. We have already planned more than 15 events from october 2021 to july 2022. All these events are sold out at the moment so we are extremely excited for this upcoming season!
The main challenge is to secure the safety of all the participants. With government guidelines changing all the time and new variants of the virus out there, we have to be informed and prepared before running an event.
I do not think “recover” is the word as many people have lost their jobs and houses due to the pandemic. However, the sector will adapt and change to this new situation to be able to provide experiences that change people’s lives again in a memorable way. .
CONMEBOL and Ethernity Chain partner to drop exclusive NFT collection
ISL Agency sealed the deal between CONMEBOL, the governing body for soccer in South America, and Ethernity Chain to create the first Copa America official NFT collection, in celebration of the tournament’s 47th edition.
Argentina and Brazil went head to head in the final of the legendary Copa America, led by their iconic stars and former Barça teammates, Leo Messi and Neymar, with Argentina defeating Brazil by 1-0 and Messi winning the prestigious “Goleador ” trophy, awarded to the tournament’s top goal scorer.
To commemorate the tournament, first hosted in 1916, CONMEBOL joined Ethernity Chain to mint both trophies as exclusive NFTs. The “Goleador” trophy quickly sold out for $4,560.85, while the Copa America trophy is going for bids over $2.000.
This epic NFT edition, created by Ethernity Chain and ISL Agency, includes cards of Brazil and Argentina powerhouses, as well as a special collectible entitled Copa America 2021 Champions, which also sold out in just a few hours.
Following Ethernity’s philanthropic character, a portion of the Copa America NFTs proceeds will go to charitable causes.
“The Copa America first official NFT collection was only the first step to immortalize epic soccer competitions and stars as NFTs. We have been working closely with Ethernity Chain to drop more exclusive editions that will delight the fans and honour the sport and its greatest players.” – explains Marc Segarra, ISL Managing Partner.
What are NFTs?
NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are “one-of-a-kind” assets in the digital world that can be bought and sold as a certificate like any other piece of property but, unlike most digital folders, can’t be replaced, traded for something else or duplicated.
Founded by early Bitcoin investor and NFT innovator Nick Rose Ntertsas, Ethernity is a unique digital asset platform that produces limited edition digital collectible NFT’s, within the context of art and philanthropy.
Blockchain technology is used to ensure the scarcity, authenticity, and eternal existence of these digital art collectibles endorsed by mainstream celebrities, notable and historical figures, athletes, musicians and entrepreneurs, such as the Winklevoss twins or Pelé.
Anyone can purchase each limited edition artwork, with a portion of the proceeds going to charitable causes that the celebrity supports.
About ISL Agency
ISl Agency is the official mediator between Ethernity Chain and soccer players/institutions.
ISL is a global, fast-growing, full-scale Sports Marketing and Management agency HQ in Miami. Since its founding in 2013, ISL has helped the largest and most valuable sports brands in the world reach the US market. ISL’s clients portfolio range from renowned soccer institutions such as FCBarcelona, City Group, Inter, LaLiga to soccer players including Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Marcelo Vieira, Sergio Busquets and many others.
Over the last decade, ISL has organized over 1500 soccer events with more than 100,000 clients around the world, from 45 different states in North America to Spain and Costa Rica, building a remarkable market share within the sports industry.
The 6 time winner of FIFA’s Ballon D’or, regarded by many as the greatest player of all time, will launch his first NFT (non-fungible token) collection later this month. It is expected that the collection will break all the NFT records.
This exclusive and unprecedented edition created by Bosslogic – one of the graphic designers of the moment, globally famous for his art work for Marvel Studios and Disney – will represent the greatest moments of Messi’s epic career.
Sports icons such as Lebron James, Tom Brady or David Bechkam launched earlier this year their own NFTs and Messi’s collection has been claimed by the fans. The digital artwork will be available online at Ethernity’s platform that has closed the agreement with the argentinian player thanks to the partnership with ISL.
Non fungible tokens, or NFTs, are becoming one of the fastest-growing collectibles in the field of blockchain technology. A collage of 5,000 of Beeple’s earlier artworks was sold last March for $69M, being the most expensive NFT ever sold.
On the Grill: Marc Segarra & Triller Fight Club
TV viewership of traditional sports has been dropping for the last decade, mostly amongst the younger generations.
According to ESPN’s internal data, the number of 12-17-year-olds who identify as “avid sports fans” has dropped from 42% a decade ago to 34% last year.
Adding up to this trend, the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the Sports entertainment landscape in an unpredictable way: the stadiums were left with silent empty seats, and the sports competitions and events were cancelled and moved around the calendar.
Forbes published that in 2020 the Stanley Cup Finals dipped by 61%, the NBA Finals were down 49% and it was the least-watched World Series on record.
Even the almighty NFL is scuffling, as the 2021 Super Bowl got 96.4 million viewers, the lowest rating since 2007, according to CNBC.
Overall, a new fan experience is clearly in order to captivate the interest and attention of the new generations, and guarantee the future of sports entertainment.
But how?
New pay-per-view platform, and ISL partner, Triller Fightclub, founded by Triller and Snoop Dogg, has found a way to reinvent boxing.
The last Triller Fight Club event gathered a full slate of familiar names both performing and fighting, including Justin Bieber, Diplo, Dojacat, YouTuber Jake Paul, former MMA champion Ben Askren, along with WBA International champion Joe Fournier and reggaeton star Reykon, mediated by ISL for the event.
The goal wasn’t to make it solely a concert or fighting event, but rather a spectacle that can appeal to almost every demographic. No expense was spared to make that happen with an epic production on set, mixed with guest celebrities and social media influencers creating the buzz around it.
Is Triller’s recipe the solution to increase engagement in Sports Entertainment?
We gathered the comments of Triller Fight Club representatives on this matter, and the answers of ISL Managing Partner Marc Segarra.
Ryan Kavanaugh, Triller co-founder and principal:
“When you say Coachella, it’s not just music — it’s the experience of a weekend, we want people to say the same when they think Triller Fight Club. Boxing hasn’t changed in 50 years. If I go watch a boxing match from 1995 then youth watch a boxing match tomorrow, it’s the same camera angles, same camera, same announcers. The same format. It’s boring. People want entertainment that feels real, and this is the mix to satisfy that desire.”
Source: RollingStone
Marc Segarra: Triller fight club is a “trip” , an entertainment experience that goes way beyond two opponents boxing inside a ring. They are creating a transcendental concept by putting together a multifaceted show led by music legends and global influencers. The crossover between different entertainment experiences is what makes Triller unique, allowing it to capture the attention of a much wider audience than the traditional boxing events.
Bert Marcus, Emmy-winning filmmaker and Triller Fight Club show director:
“This isn’t sports, it’s entertainment that has sports, I think the one thing we’ve made a conscious effort to do is bring sports and entertainment together in a very original way.”
Marc Segarra: How many of you watch a TV program while checking your phones? As technology evolves and continues to overwhelm us, paying attention to a single ¨thing¨ for over 10 min has become a challenge. In order to get the attention of the new generations it is a must to offer short, engaging and cool content communicated with a colloquial and understandable language.
Marc Segarra: Although each individual consumes entertainment differently, the trends for the future of sports entertainment are clear; interactive experiences with short attention span content. These types of trends are totally normal for the Z and Alpha generations but completely new for the millennials and baby boomers. In this disruptive scenario, there is no other way around it than adapting sports entertainment to the new trends.
Marc Segarra: For younger generations it is essential to feel identified and a part of what they consume in order for them to engage with the content. Traditional media is not offering them that sense of belonging, which is why these upcoming platforms exclusively catered to the youngest audiences are taking over the entertainment industry.
Marc Segarra: In my opinion people will consume selected content by minutes. So for example, instead of paying $X to watch 90 min of a full soccer game, people will pay less $$$ to watch portions of this game.
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