Sportal and Wisden today announced that the two companies had secured a multi-year agreement for Sportal to be the exclusive commercial agent for Wisden Online. Wisden Online, the interactive arm of cricket’s ‘bible’, will launch Wisden.com with the aim of creating the leading cricket site on the web.
This major strategic alliance will also see Wisden.com become the core cricket service within Sportal.co.uk. The new site will launch in time for the Ashes 2001, which is destined to be one of the sporting events of the year. (Wisden.com is currently a temporary holding site)
Anthony Bouchier, Director of Wisden Online, says:
‘The sheer size of the global audience for cricket, and Wisden’s special place within that community, make this a very exciting project. This new audience will have instant access to all relevant content from 138 years of the Wisden Almanac. We are thrilled to have partnered with Sportal, who bring enormous commercial, marketing and technical expertise with them.’
Stephen Nuttall, Head of Sport at Sportal, adds:
‘Wisden is the strongest brand in cricket with a marvellous history of accurate, incisive statistics and a great reputation for sharp journalistic comment. I’m sure that Wisden.com will become the biggest and best cricket site in the marketplace and we are looking forward to a long and distinguished partnership.’
Tim de Lisle, the award-winning former editor of Wisden Cricket Monthly, has been appointed Editor in Chief of Wisden.com, ensuring that the same high journalistic standards of the magazine will apply seamlessly across this new platform, making it one of the brightest properties in digital sports media.
Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, now in its 138th year, will continue to be published as usual every April. The company also publishes and Australian Almanack (established 1998) as well as Wisden Cricket Monthly (1979).
Aside from Wisden’s respected, dedicated and insightful content, the site will feature real-time, ball-by-ball action from all major games as well as the sports definitive statistical archive.
Sportal will also partner Wisden Online in negotiations for video internet broadcast and audio rights, as well as providing Marketing, Technical and IT expertise to Wisden.com.
For further information please contact:
Mark Thursfield
Tel:0207 350 4825
e-mail, mark.thursfield@sportal.net