Thread by @CashNSport

Let's work, The World Football Summit is on today and tomorrow.

This will be a thread of what I encounter at the summit over the next two days.

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Our first panel discussion is on implementing digital change.

The panel consists of digital technology experts in sports including Gavin Smith from @orlandopirates, Gillam Valodia of @Masandawana

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Gavin Smith "There is a lot of distrust from coaches around data but this is because they dont understand it. resistance to change is something to get over and yes there is risk, but if we can prove that it's worth the risk, then many clubs will get onboard"

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Going forward, how do we use data?

the current use of data is very backwards looking and we are using data from the past to inform what we do going forward.. But going forward, we will be able to apply neural networks to help us better predict likely outcomes.

Goolam Valodia: While data is helpful, there is a human element with players that have emotions and feelings. Data cannot predict that but we need to find ways to use data as an add-on to having better humans.

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We moved on from the first topic to digital media and mobile in sport.

Some interesting data around usage of mobile while watching sports. How do we harness the power of mobile and still keep audiences engaged even on second screens?

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Up next is a discussion on charitable organisations in the sports economy.

Former @SAFA_net CEO Robin Petersen @robinSPNAfrica speaks on his venture called SafeHub which gives underprivileged kids opportunities through sport

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Great question from Robin Petersen

How do you convince corporates to use football development to build infrastructure, provide education, prevent crime and appeal to corporates.

This is what SafeHub is doing. They have partnered with football associations

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We believe that communities should be the cornerstone of all investment and building sport sustainability alongside community sustainability is the best model.

You cannot do one without the other and African football clubs must do more to empower communities.

Robin Petersen (@robinSPNAfrica)

To enable us to fund ourselves, we have built for-profit organisations to fund our non-profit activities.

They have built three call centres and an agriculture program to provide business revenue to sustain their community work.

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Robin Petersen : "We can't be dependent on sponsors, we have to find ways to develop sustainable revenues on our own to fund our social programs."

This is critical in African sport where sponsorship is lacking.

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Robin Petersen is dropping gems today

"Don't just invest in infrastructure. Invest in programs that will use that infrastructure in order to have long lasting legacies."

You need to find the balance between business and community

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Up next is a discussion on talent identification.

The panel is strong with Jomo Sono. But first, we learn the talent identification matrix of @tsghoffenheimEN

Hoffenheim has generated over €300 million in transfer revenue in the last ten years 😳

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.@ChelseaFC fans, the man who is in with a real chance to become Sporting Director is also a Hoffenheim product.

This is a list of seriously impressive administrators who were at Hoffenheim

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Dr Jomo Sono

"When Helman Mkhalele came to me, he was mute. Only the word hello would come outnof his mouth so I made him start the singing every day, today he is a coach.

There is lot's that goes into development

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Dr Jomo Sono

You also have to take care of the contracts. You invest time and money in training these players then a big club comes and swoops them for nothing. If we sort out contracts, we can make sure clubs can sustain themselves and produce players.

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The next panel discussion is MASSIVE. Lets discuss Broadcast rights and new content models for African football

The panel will consist of:

@SgwiliG - Director of Sports Boradroom
@thegaryrathbone - Former head of SABC sport
David Seidenberg - CEO of BMI

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.@thegaryrathbone

Pay TV and swept the floor with free to air. I often found at SABC that people would ask why we don't have certain rights. People didn't understand that our spend on rights couldn't exceed our revenue so we tried to find win-win solutions"

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It's not like going to a supermarket and just buying rights, you have to be able to balance the books so the entity survives.

A question : to what level is the national broadcaster accountable to show content of national interest.

Gary's response ⬇️
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Dave Sidenberg:

There is a constant Ballance that every broadcaster or rights holder has to make. There is the need for eyeballs but also revenue.

If football is a product of the mass market, are you reaching the mass market when it's behind a paywall?

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David Sidenberg: "With an example like Netball when our ladies made it far in the World Cup.

Instead of having 44 million people watch, we had 44 thousand people watching because it was behind a paywall.

You can't grow a sport with pay TV exclusivity."

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Sgwili Gumede on what excites him about the future:

More and more people understand that there are many different groupings. What excites me is that we are beginning to realise that there are many communities and fans are becoming much more sophisticated

There are opportunities

Dave Sidenberg:

We ar ein the most exciting time in sport because of the speed at which sport and broadcasting is evolving. Content and delivery mechanisms are constantly evolving

Our first post-lunch session relates to African women's football and dealing with stereotypes in order to seize opportunities.

The panel includes @Masandawana President, Tlhopie Motsepe, Paul Dreibach from Cameroon, Lola Ugonbote and Romany Pinnock

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Tlhopie Motsepe:

"Men must be part of the solution. At Mamelodi Sundowns we have taken a very aggressive stance in getting women involved in our club. Our deputy chairperson is a woman."

Tlhopie Motsepe:

If we are looking for lessons for where to gain inspiration and knowledge, perhaps we can look at the women's Euros as an example and see what we can implement here in Africa

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Lola Ogunbote:

"People can go home and work within their spheres of influence in order to affect real change"

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