Industry update: more on 5G, fan experience and sponsoring

Read more on 5G in the Bundesliga, the VisitFootball award, youth academies and more in ESSMA’s weekly industry update.

Fan Experience & Hospitality

• Liverpool FC has been named Best Club in the Premier League's VisitFootball Quality Assured Stadium Assessment Scheme for the fourth consecutive season. The VisitFootball standard has been developed by the Premier League in partnership with its clubs and LiveTourism. The scheme helps clubs set benchmark standards for match experience from the perspective of home and visiting fans, supporters with specialist access requirements, and those in hospitality areas. In addition, Cardiff City was named Extra Mile winners, the award is given to a club who have adopted an innovative approach to enhancing its matchdays.

• DFL and Vodafone are bringing 5G into the German stadium industry. The fifth generation of mobile communications will connect two worlds for football fans: the emotional live experience and the digital flow of information. They are developing a real-time app that will make information and match data available to fans in the stadium without delay on their smartphones via augmented reality – before, during and after the match. 

Interested in 5G? Take part in ESSMA's connectivity survey

Operations & Ticketing

• Almere City FC will have four different main shirt sponsors for the upcoming 2019/20 season. Each period, the club will work together with a different sponsor to diversify the sponsoring possibilities. For the first period, S&S Online Marketing will be the shirt sponsor.

General News

• The FBA, an ESSMA Partner, offers candidates an innovative and comprehensive Professional Master in Football Business with the objective to deliver them all the necessary tools and an optimal learning environment in order to succeed in the passionate and dynamic football industry. Candidates can apply until 31 July for the September 2019 intake.

More info about The FBA Master

• In order to continue to optimise the conditions for training and supporting talents in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2, DFL is introducing a new methodology for the analysis, quality assurance and further development of youth academies in cooperation with DFB. The objective is to coordinate all support measures concerning the academies using a holistic approach. Since 2001, all 36 Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 clubs have been obliged to maintain an academy for junior players in accordance with the licensing regulations of the DFL.

• From the 2019/20 season, the Super League Greece will have a new format with 14 clubs instead of 16 clubs participating. The aim is to create a more competitive and attractive competition with play-offs.