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  Readers, let it not be said that S&T isn’t up with the kids and all that. Never before has a View From the Editor sparked such a deluge of responses than the one published last month based on our sojourn to Reykjavik. Reader David Walmsley best summed it up:
“Wow. My kids kindly feign enthusiasm when I get their photo taken with the European Cup and are slightly impressed by my mum's best friend living next door to [England and Liverpool soccer sensation] Steven Gerrard, but knowing someone who has met Sportacus is right off the scale!!”
Yes indeed, LazyTown is where it is at, particularly if you have anyone aged below eight years old residing in your household, or if your partner already likes WWE (because the target demographic is similar). Another reader enquired: “Not quite sure about the photo of the Mayor and Mrs Busybody, but nice to know Mr LazyTown is as mad in real life as he appears on TV. Is the muzzie real? We only have stick-on ones...” S&T, now truly over our facial hair obsession of the 1970s (on male movie and sports stars, not ourselves we hasten to add although the natural aging process is now increasingly challenging the latter), is delighted to confirm that Sportacus’ moustache is not real, and hopes that this heady revelation isn’t on the same par as revealing the existence (or not) of Santa Claus (or ditto, God. Or gasp, even Elvis Presley).
If any readers would like to fund S&T to embark on a global tour of children’s television show sets, we’d be jolly happy to investigate whether Big Bird is really that tall and/or if the janitor really committed every crime in Scooby Doo (and indeed in the Scrappy Doo adventures). Why are poor janitors so maligned in children’s television programmes? (Answers via e-mail to the address below........The best one will win Sportacus' personal e-mail address. But don't tell him we gave it to you.)
European IT sports sponsorship growth  So, back to matters at hand. This month, we are sure you are ecstatic to see that S&T not only covers one, but actually two sponsorships by technology companies. That’s what you’d call a ‘two-for-the-price-of-one’ bonus festive giveaway. Said sponsorships are (i) the new backing of the FIFA World Cup 2010 and 2014 by Indian IT giant Satyam (definitely bigger than Big Bird) and (ii) Siemens’ sponsorship of GB Rowing – highlighting the symbiotic relationship between technology companies and sports properties.
Imagine S&T’s incredible joy therefore to discover that sponsorship spend among IT companies in Europe has grown significantly since the start of the decade according to a new report! That’s much more exciting to us than whether ex-EastEnders ‘actor’ Marc Bannerman and Cerys Matthews from 1990s pop band Catatonia make a go of it now they are out of the ‘I’m a Celebrity; Get Me Out of Here’ Jungle recently featured on ITV in the UK; next year ITV is lining up the Scooby Doo janitor. If the broadcaster can agree to his terms of course. Raincoat, facemasks and stilts to wear under the raincoat, murder weapon disguised as cleaning implement etc. S&T should be his agent).
Apparently, the industry sector is the fifth biggest spender behind financial services, automotive, telecoms and consumer goods and invests EUR401m per year, 6% of total expenditure in Europe. Driving Business Through Sport 2007, published by International Marketing Reports, analysed more than 2,000 of Europe's top sponsorship deals and its findings show that the IT sector's relative share of the sports sponsorship market has increased since 2000 when it failed to appear in the top 10 industry sectors.
Report author, Simon Rines, believes that there are several reasons for the growth: "The sector has a natural fit with Formula One in particular which represents a good opportunity to showcase technology in action and also delivers the right image and audience. The sponsorship rights fees in Formula One have increased in recent years meaning those involved now pay premium prices. It is arguable that the IT sector's investment is actually under-estimated because many companies seek to get involved with Formula One for the B2B hospitality rights and do so on a contra (or partial contra) basis. In such cases they supply equipment and technical expertise in return for the opportunity to showcase their wares in the prestigious, exclusive and indeed global environments that Grands Prix offer.”
There are, however, many companies that also use the branding opportunities offered through sponsorship to enhance their image and awareness among both the B2B and consumer markets, added Rines. Lenovo is a prime example. The company spends an estimated $30m per year with the Williams F1 team and receives high visibility branding in return. Other major technology companies backing sport in Europe include Intel, Acer, Microsoft, Dell, Avaya, AMD and IBM in Formula One, NEC and Capgemini in Rugby and Unysis in Golf.
And it can only get better  Rines believes that the industry is likely to increase its spending on sport in the coming years. "There are three key issues for IT companies to consider when committing to sponsorship. They are finding sports with the right opportunity to show case their products, the hospitality facilities that can be used to entertain corporate clients and a sport with a complementary image. F1 is clearly the best fit because it offers all three. But others sports are improving their hospitality facilities and their overall image. As these sports develop, they will also have an increasing need for IT services to handle logistics, ticketing and business processes and IT companies are potential partners for these functions. If you look at cricket and tennis, however, IT is now playing an increasing role in sporting decisions and enhancing the viewer experience through ball tracking technology. In soccer, goal line detectors and possibly offside decisions could soon be decided through computer analysis. The potential value to technology companies in being associated with such developments could be significant and make the sport much more relevant to the marketing of the companies involved."
The same tome reveals that Deutsche Telecom is Europe's biggest sponsor, spending an estimated EUR90m per year for its sports rights portfolio. The German company sponsors the German Bundesliga, Bayern Munich, and was a major backer of the Shosholoza team in this year's America's Cup held in Spain. It has recently pulled out of its sponsorship of the T-Mobile cycling team. (Cycling image above pictured courtesy of Getty Images Sport/Mike Powell). The company also has numerous smaller sponsorship properties including West Bromwich Albion, the Austrian Bundesliga (Football League) and many secondary deals with major soccer clubs.
Driving Business Through Sport 2007 shows that Deutsche Telecom is not the only major telecoms company spending heavily on European sponsorship. The telecoms sector, according to Rines, accounts for 10% of sports sponsorship spend in Europe, behind financial services on 13% and the motor industry on 12%. The total expenditure from the telecoms sector is estimated at EUR660m and the industry is the leading investor in soccer on the continent.
Tis(dale) the season  All that talk of wonga reminds S&T that it is time to dig out the winter overcoat and pop to the shops for some last minute festive supplies. Our seasonal break will of course kick off with a trip to the PDC World Darts Championships 2008, now to be housed at the salubrious Alexandra Palace in North London, instead of the slightly seedy Purfleet in Essex. S&T’s buddy Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor is hoping to win back the crown so callously prised from his tattooed grasp earlier this year by Raymond Van Barneveld and make it World Championship Title number 14. He told S&T that he is considering employing technology to analyse the flight of his arrows in training, and therefore give him the edge over his opponents. “Technology is important at many levels in Darts,” Taylor told S&T: “not just with the design of the darts themselves, but also with how they can be thrown.” S&T’s lucky Kevin Miller socks unfortunately no longer work (following Exeter City’s recent departure from the FA Cup), so we’ll just have to rely on Taylor’s talent to get him through this time.
Once our stalking, we mean support, of Taylor is over, we’ll be decamping to Devon for a few weeks in the hope of Exeter City and manager Paul Tisdale-of-the-stylish-cravats doing the double over our arch rivals Torquay United (aka the Exeter City B Team as they stole half our squad and assistant manager at the end of last season) on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. We can’t wait to hear both home and away fans chanting 'Drink up ye Cider' for a change. And with both matches predicted to be a sell-out, at least it will be cosy on the terraces!
All that remains is to wish you all a fabulous festive break, or as they say in the US, Happy Holidays!
Rachael Church-Sanders
Editor
Have you spotted Elvis Presley in a supermarket recently? Or have you had any excessive janitor sightings? It goes without saying that it would be stunning receiving a wee notie from you, no matter how dull, so please send all your comments and stories to the editor (rchurch@sportandtechnology.com) as soon as possible, or certainly before we get too sozzled over Chrimbo.
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