MD2998 Major League Baseball Legacy Programme

Major sports events in London

1.1 London has created a lasting legacy from the 2012 Olympics by delivering a huge portfolio of major sports events in the 10 years since the Games. Events have included the 2015 Rugby World Cup; the 2015 European Hockey Championships; the 2016 European Swimming Championships; the 2017 IAAF World Athletics Championships and IPC World Athletics Championships; and the 2020 UEFA European Championship matches (staged in 2021).

1.2 In order to maintain its position as the ‘sporting capital of the world’, London must continue to secure and deliver a strong portfolio of major sports events.

1.3 London has already secured events including the 2022 UEFA European Women’s Championship; the 2021 Rugby League World Cup (taking place in 2022); the 2022 Laver Cup tennis tournament; and the 2024 UEFA Champions League Final. Looking ahead to the future, there is a need to secure further international major sports events. The GLA is currently working with partners to secure further events including the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 and the Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026, with other events in the pipeline.

1.4 As set out in the GLA’s major sports events framework, ‘London: Home of World Class Sport’, the GLA supports the delivery of events in London on the condition that event organisers prioritise the delivery of community and legacy activities alongside the delivery of their core event. The GLA’s Major Sports Events team has worked in partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB) over a number of years and has developed a fitting Legacy Programme to support the MLB London Series in 2023, 2024 and 2026.

1.5 The Major Sports Events team is finalising an update to the current Major Sports Events framework, ‘London: Home of World Class Sport’. The new, up-to-date framework will provide a clear direction on the Major Sports Events portfolio; highlight upcoming ambitions and prospects; and include new priorities, including important Mayoral values such as diversity, tackling hate and protecting the environment. The new framework is currently being reviewed by policy areas across the GLA for their input, advice, and expertise.

Major League Baseball London Series

1.6 In 2019, a two-game regular season series between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees took place at London Stadium. This was after substantial negotiations and planning by GLA officers,  E20 Stadium LLP (E20) – a subsidiary of the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) – London Stadium 185 Ltd (LS185) – the stadium operators, owned by E20 – and MLB. This fixture was the first time that an MLB game had taken place in Europe.

1.7 The event was a huge success. The two games had a total economic impact of £47m across London; and Londoners had the opportunity to participate in a variety of ancillary events including a free-to-attend three-day festival at Truman Brewery.

1.8 The 2020 game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, ticket sales were very positive with 80 per cent of tickets already sold in early 2020, before the cancellation. 

1.9 In addition to the two-year game agreement, MLB embarked on a community sport programme aimed at attracting more players into the sport in London and the UK.

1.10 In September 2020, London began the bid process for the hosting of regular season MLB games in Europe from 2023 to 2026.

1.11 To deliver a successful bid, the GLA Major Sports Events team formed a small consortium, consisting of host city (GLA), venue (LS185) and event promoter (CSM Sport & Entertainment).

1.12 The aim of the consortium is to deliver a collaborative London bid, ensuring that we are sharing key knowledge and learnings from the 2019 event; and working to minimise any duplication both during the bid process and event delivery.

1.13 After a lengthy bid process, MLB informed the London Consortium that it had been successful in securing games in 2023, 2024, and 2026. This is a huge success for London and planning for event delivery has begun between the London Consortium partners and MLB colleagues.

1.14 The secured games form an integral part of the new partnership between MLB and London. In addition to the games, there are a series of streams that MLB plans to deliver in London over the next five years or more. One of these project streams is an ambitious Legacy Programme to increase access to baseball for Londoners.

Legacy Programme

1.15 MLB is working in partnership with the GLA and a series of other partners to plan and deliver an extensive community programme in connection with the MLB London Series in 2023, 2024 and 2026. The Series and the Legacy Programme form a crucial part of MLB’s international strategy for the growth of the sport outside of the United States.

1.16 The legacy programme will provide inclusive participation programmes, tailored for a full range of age groups. These will inspire a new generation of baseball players; and generate substantial social impacts in London and the surrounding areas, including benefits for public health and community cohesion.

1.17 The Legacy Programme will be developed and delivered in partnership by the following organisations:

1.18 Investment and programming will focus on key areas:

i. participation – to produce sustained growth in baseball/softball participation; BSUK aims to increase regular participation by up to 45,000 new players by 2026

ii. wellbeing – to use the sport of baseball to improve the wellbeing of young people; for example, engaging in more sustained sporting activities, improving mental health and wellbeing, and forming positive relationships.

iii. infrastructure – to improve existing and create new baseball facilities in London and the UK, and to create a permanent presence for MLB at the London Stadium and QEOP; and to ensure that local communities feel empowered and able to use new facilities in their local area.

Participation and wellbeing

* Projects will focus on engaging: women and girls; local communities experiencing economic hardship, socially and ethnically diverse communities; those with a disability and LGBTQ+ people.

Infrastructure

Funding proposal and governance 1.19 It is proposed that the GLA provides £250,000 of grant funding to BSUK toward the delivery of this Legacy Programme. BSUK will also contribute £80,000 (£20,000 per annum of funding) over the four-year programme. MLB’s contribution to the programme is to be finalised, but it has committed to aligning its annual participation resources to delivery of the Legacy Programme through use of intellectual properties, programme budget and any other support identified.
 

1.20 This proposal splits the funding across two financial years: the first tranche of £125,000 in Q2 of 2022-23, and the second in Q1 of 2023-24. BSUK will be the recipient of both tranches.

1.21 The Major Sports Events budget can accommodate this funding proposal.

1.22 The MLB Legacy Partners commit to exploring all possible funding opportunities to add to the overall Programme budget.

1.23 MLB Legacy Partners commit to create the MLB London Series Legacy Group (Legacy Group) to lead the development of detailed programme plans and to oversee delivery of all legacy activities. This group will also serve as a governance mechanism to ratify decisions, and approve the release of further funding against pre-set key performance indicators.

1.24 The Legacy Group will use the profile and reach of the MLB London Series to increase awareness and engagement in baseball/softball activities significantly in London and the UK; and to promote wellbeing amongst communities.

1.25 The Legacy Group will include representatives from each of the MLB Legacy Partners and will meet quarterly, with the first meeting taking place no later than 12 months before the first MLB game

2.1 GLA support for the Programme will:

i. contribute to London’s securing of MLB fixtures in 2023, 2024 and 2026, which will:

i.i. enhance London’s position as ‘sporting capital of the world’

 i.ii. enhance London’s position as the leading host of American sport outside the US

i.iii. deliver an economic impact to London

ii. increase Londoners’ access to baseball/softball, which will:

ii.i. increase participation through sustained growth, and contribute to BSUK’s aims to increase regular participation by up to 45,000 by 2026

ii.ii. use the sport of baseball/softball to improve the wellbeing of young people

ii.iii. improve existing and create new baseball/softball facilities in London to improve community participation and youth engagement.

3.1 In relation to the MLB Legacy Programme, the Major Sports Events team has consulted, and will continue to consult, a wide range of stakeholders to ensure that as many Londoners as possible, including those with protected characteristics, are considered in the planning of the programme and have the opportunity to be involved in some way.

3.2 GLA officers will ensure that appropriate assistance is given to all Londoners and visitors who attend programme activations in London. We will work to ensure that Londoners and visitors with whom we may have had difficulties communicating, and those with accessibility issues, are given the tools necessary to maximise engagement in the programme

3.3 In formulating our plans for MLB Legacy Programme, the GLA will consider our duty to foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and those persons who do not share it. Our plans for delivering the project will specifically aim to celebrate the diversity of London, and attract interest in the programme from across London’s diverse population.

Risk

Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities

4.1 GLA support for the event will:

i. support delivery of the GLA’s major sports events framework, ‘London: Home of World Class Sport’

ii. increase economic investment into London

iii. support delivery of the Mayor’s sports strategy, ‘Sport Unites’

iv. increase international exposure for London as a major destination for world-class sport and tourism, particularly in Europe.

Conflicts of interest

4.2 There are no conflicts of interest to declare for those involved in the drafting or clearance of this decision form.

5.1 Mayoral approval is sought to grant funding £250,000 to BSUK over 2 years as a contribution towards the Major League Baseball Legacy Programme. The funding will be paid as £125,000 in 2022-23 and £125,000 in 2023-24 and is proposed to be funded from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 Major Sports Events (MSE) budget. For 2022-23, the MSE budget has been approved as part of the budget-setting process; future years’ budgets will be subject to the Authority’s annual budget-setting process.

5.2 In order for the GLA to be satisfied the organiser’s capacity and financial status to successfully administer the proposed grant award, funding will be subject to: satisfactory due diligence; checks on an annual basis; and mitigations included in the funding agreement to protect the GLA’s financial investment in the programme.

5.3 Break clauses will be included in the funding agreement, and milestones will be structured to enable the reconsideration of providing funding in future years.

5.4 The Major Sport Events team within the Strategy and Communications Directorate will manage this programme.

6.1 The foregoing sections of this report indicate that the decisions requested of the Mayor concern the exercise of the Authority’s general powers, falling within the Authority’s statutory powers to do such things considered to further or that are facilitative of, or conducive or incidental to, the promotion of economic development and wealth creation, social development or the promotion of the improvement of the environment within Greater London and in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought officers have complied with the Authority’s related statutory duties to:

i. pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people

ii. consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom

iii. consult with appropriate bodies.

6.2 In taking the decisions requested, the Mayor must have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty; namely the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010, and to advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (race, disability, gender, age, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity and gender reassignment) and persons who do not share it and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). To this end, the Mayor should have particular regard to section 3 (above) of this report.

6.3 Section 1.9 above indicates that the funding will be used for grant funding. Officers must ensure that the grant funding is distributed fairly, transparently, in accordance with the GLA’s equalities policies and with the requirements of section 12 of the Authority’s Contracts and Funding Code. Officers must also ensure that appropriate grant funding agreements are put in place and executed by the successful recipient and the GLA before (a) commitment to fund is made; and (b) funding is paid to the recipient.

6.4 To the extent that any of the activities described above are commissioned by the GLA, the services or supplies required must be procured by Transport for London (TfL) Procurement and Supply Chain who will determine the detail of the procurement strategy to be adopted in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code. Officers must also ensure that appropriate contract documentation is put in place and executed by the successful bidder(s) and the GLA before the commencement of the services.