GGYC/America's Cup Event Authority: Press Release
CEO and Chairman named for ACEA


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Thompson and Worth Will Head Event Authority
Pair Bring Sports Marketing and Media Experience: Press Release

Valencia, October 8, 2010
 


 

 
Richard Worth
Photo: ©2010 Ron Sellers/
americascupmedia.com


 
 

Two of the most distinguished figures in world sport will lead the regeneration of the America’s Cup. 

Richard Worth will be Chairman of the America’s Cup Event Authority (ACEA) Management Board.  He has specific responsibility for the commercial, media and television aspects in one of sport’s most iconic events. 

Craig Thompson has been appointed CEO of ACEA and is charged with bringing his skills to the rejuvenation of the oldest trophy in international sport. He will work closely with Richard to re-position the America’s Cup to attract more fans and commercial interest, while delivering the events in new and exciting formats. 

The 34th America’s Cup, staged in 2013, will feature the best sailors in the world on the fastest boats.  Foremost amongst many innovations is a new wing-sailed 72ft catamaran, a new World Series annual championship and the new Youth America’s Cup. 

Among their long list of achievements, Worth and Thompson are recognized for their pivotal roles in the phenomenal growth of the UEFA Champions League, one of the most successful properties and most watched competitions in world sport. 

Each also has worked closely with the governing bodies for the Olympics, soccer and athletics -- the IOC, FIFA, UEFA and IAAF plus other leading sports federations and rights holders. 

Worth forged an enviable partnership with Thompson at the highly regarded sports marketing agency, T.E.A.M.  During their leadership as Chief Executive and Managing Director respectively, T.E.A.M. marketing developed an unrivalled model of sales success, event delivery and partner servicing. 

 
Craig Thompson
Photo: ©2010 Ron Sellers/
americascupmedia.com

 
 

Prior to that, Thompson was Vice-President at another respected sports marketing agency, ISL, and Worth lead sports producer at Britain’s ITV network. 

Commenting on the key appointments Jérôme Valcke, Secretary-General of FIFA, soccer’s world governing authority, said: "Richard brings an intimate understanding of how to balance the conflicting needs of different stakeholders to generate overall growth and success for a major event, from his history in the sports marketing industry at the top level."

Tom Liston, Managing Director T.E.A.M. Marketing, commented: "Craig Thompson, with his 11 years of experience as Managing Director of T.E.A.M. Marketing, has the necessary leadership, vision and insight to develop, add value and enhance the America's Cup as a brand and a commercial property."

The appointments were made by BMW Oracle Racing, winners of the 33rd America’s Cup. 

CEO Russell Coutts explained: “We studied best practice in the world’s top sporting events.  Now we are fortunate to have secured two of the best practitioners.”

On September 13, 2010, Coutts outlined the ambition for the 34th America’s Cup: an event where uncertainty has now been replaced with certainty thanks to a fair competition managed by a neutral and independent body, and a stop-start business cycle replaced by sustainability. 

Australian businessman, Olympic competitor, and four-time America’s Cup participant Iain Murray was appointed to head the independent sporting and logistics administration, America’s Cup Race Management (ACRM).  Thompson and Worth head-up the counterpart commercial organization, ACEA. 

A key objective is offering the best-ever fan experience with social media, on-line coverage and broadcast television integrated into innovative and compelling content. 

“The America’s Cup has a wonderful past, but it is the potential of its future that is exciting,” said Thompson.  “The unique nature of the America’s Cup has allowed the current holder to take bold but sensitive steps to equip this iconic event for the future and impact all of sailing.”

Worth added: “The America’s Cup is one of the most recognized events in the world. 

The challenge is to develop the event to a commensurate level.”
 


     

Richard Worth Bio:

A former CEO of T.E.A.M. Marketing and Sportfive, with a 35 year history in sports broadcasting and sports marketing, which also includes a 20-year association with ITV, the UK’s leading commercial TV channel. 

Worth (54, Switzerland) joined ITV in 1975, and worked in an editorial capacity on all of the network’s top level sports programming, including FIFA World Cups, the Olympic Games, IAAF World Athletics Championships, Rugby World Cup and international boxing, culminating in Executive Producer responsibility for most of ITV’s sports output. 

A thorough knowledge of how successful commercial programming is made, through a range of formats embracing studio-based shows, outside broadcasts, live, recorded and documentary-style programs has been harnessed to enhance the critical relationships between sports organizers, promoters, federations and viewers and fans. 

Worth joined T.E.A.M. Marketing in 1995, playing a leading role in developing the now widely admired commercial success story of the UEFA Champions League. 

His initial role in delivering substantial television rights sales, and improving television distribution worldwide ultimately grew to becoming CEO with responsibility to oversee the integration of television and sponsorship strategies for the UEFA Champions League and other UEFA competitions. 

Worth gained an innate understanding of the competing needs of commercial broadcasting organizations worldwide, high-profile blue-chip sponsors, UEFA, leading football clubs across Europe, and the owners and shareholders of T.E.A.M. Marketing and its publicly owned parent company Highlight Communications. 

The role demanded the development and maintenance of high-quality relationships within UEFA, and a full understanding of the political environment that controls and governs a major international football competition. 

From October 2007 to June 2009, Worth was Group CEO of Europe’s largest sports marketing agency, the Groupe Lagardere-owned Sportfive, a multinational with 450 employees worldwide. 

During this time, Worth secured a 15-year marketing partnership with Italy’s Juventus Football Club and a historic TV sales partnership with the IOC for TV rights in Europe for the Olympic Games of 2014 (winter) and 2016 (summer). 

Immediately prior to joining ACEA, Worth has been advising leading football associations and media companies on securing major events and developing successful sports marketing strategies.  

 

Craig Thompson Bio:

Craig Thompson (61, California) has one of the most distinguished records in sports marketing. 

Winning an athletic scholarship to the University of California at Los Angeles, he studied cultural anthropology and graduated cum laude in 1972. 

His career started in volleyball, owning the instructional firm Volleyball International, Inc., which led to his appointment as director of the volleyball competition at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. 

Next, as director of the International Volleyball Federation in Switzerland, Thompson was responsible for launching the first World Beach Volleyball championships in Rio de Janeiro in 1986. 

He switched codes in 1986-87 as the International Equestrian Federation’s Director of Marketing, creating a new showcase event: the quadrennial World Equestrian Games. 

In 1988, the world’s premier team-sport marketing agency, ISL Marketing in Lucerne, Switzerland, recruited Thompson to assist in the marketing and event management of worldwide sport bodies such as the IOC, FIFA, UEFA and IAAF, with a particular focus on IAAF Track & Field. 

Together with other ISL executives, Thompson opened a new agency, T.E.A.M. Marketing in 1992 and soon won the contract as exclusive worldwide marketing partner for the UEFA Champions League.  Within months brand and marketing strategies were developed, a worldwide television and sponsorship network established, and an event management group trained to organize the many matches. 

The UEFA Champions League grew to 157 annual matches, with revenues of 1 billion Swiss Francs (not including ticket revenue), and 4.8 billion worldwide television viewers for 11,000 annual programs by 2003. 

Thompson left T.E.A.M. Marketing in 2003 and partnered with Tom Huston to start a new sport marketing company called Mindspring.  The client list has included ERC Heineken Cup Rugby, the Spanish Basketball League, FIFA Beach Soccer Worldwide, Turkish Football Association, and the UEFA EURO 2008 Promo Tour. 

Mindspring also managed the United Arab Emirates professional football league from offices in Dubai and Switzerland. 

In 2007, under Craig Thompson’s and Tom Huston’s leadership, a new company was added to the group: Ovation Sports AG, based in Switzerland.  The company conceived the Champions Hockey League together with the International Ice Hockey Federation.  This 12-team league has become Europe’s premier professional league. 

     

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