Dubai: Tales & Heads, the UAE-headquartered marketing and communications agency, has been appointed by Lega Serie A, Italy’s premier professional football league, for its Middle East communications brief following a competitive pitch. The partnership – which coincides with the opening of Serie A’s first office in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in Abu Dhabi – is set to bolster the league's presence in the region, foster closer relationships with fans, and create new opportunities for collaboration with local and regional partners.Tales & Heads, which specialises in strategic consultancy and creative storytelling, will be responsible for managing corporate communications for Lega Serie A Middle East, in addition to consumer, CSR and stakeholder communication campaigns. The agency will work closely with the brand’s global teams to ensure that communications efforts are aligned with the league’s overall strategy and business objectives.Commenting on the appointment, Alfonso De Stefano, Managing Director MENA at Lega Serie A, said: “Partnering with Tales & Heads will help us boost our communications and PR activities in the region. The agency’s campaign-based approach, coupled with its in-depth understanding of the region, make it the ideal partner for our brand. The Middle East is a crucial market for us, with a deep passion for football and a growing interest in the Italian game. As we open our MENA headquarters, this partnership will enable us to strengthen our presence in the region and engage more effectively with fans and stakeholders."Margaret Flanagan, Co-Founder at Tales & Heads, said: “Italian football has a unique appeal in the Middle East, and it’s a rare privilege to be able to work with one of the most prestigious leagues in the world. There is huge potential for Lega Serie A to connect on a deeper level with fans in the region, with a particular focus on Gen Z populations, both male and female. We look forward to working with the Serie A team in to create impactful campaigns that are driven by insight; connecting with audiences across the region in ways that are culturally relevant, human and memorable.”Abu Dhabi Media and Starzplay hold the exclusive streaming rights for Serie A matches in the MENA region, covering more than 20 countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Morocco.  

Emirates multi award-winning inflight entertainment system ice won’t be letting football fans down this winter, as all FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™matches will be aired live on Sport 24 onboard the aircraft, as well as in the A380 onboard lounges, and across dedicated Emirates airport lounges – ensuring fans don’t miss a moment of the action.      More than 200 Emirates aircraft are equipped with live TV, featuring dedicated sports channels - Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra. Kicking off on 20 November, Emirates passengers will be able to watch all FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ on Sport 24 via ice, including the highly anticipated final on the 18 December.Prior to boarding a flight, Emirates passengers can also watch live match action in dedicated lounges. Emirates Lounges are ideal places to relax and refresh before a flight and are accessible on a complimentary basis to First and Business Class passengers, as well as Emirates Skywards Platinum and Gold members. Silver members can also avail complimentary access to the Emirates Business Class lounge, in Dubai. Premium Economy and Economy Class passengers can also pay to access the lounge and enjoy the matches with a cold beverage and unlimited snacks. Emirates lounges offer a range of luxuries for travellers from generous buffet dining with regionally inspired cuisine and healthy options, to self-serve alcohol stations, showers, free Wi-Fi, and a private business centre.On Sports 24, fans can also watch live matches from the Premier League, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, and the Asian Football Championship. Sport 24 also airs top international sporting events including the upcoming Women’s Rugby World Cup, International Cricket Council Men's T20 World Cup, the Olympic Games, National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL), major golf championships, tennis grand slams plus sailing, horse-racing, and motorsports. Passengers can view full match schedules in advance and plan their viewing on https://www.emirates.com.Recognised as the best inflight entertainment system in the world by multiple travel and aviation entities, ice was recently awarded ‘Passenger Choice Award for Best Global Entertainment’ at APEX 2023 and for the 17th consecutive time, ‘World's Best Inflight Entertainment’ at Skytrax 2022. Emirates passengers in all classes can browse the world class entertainment library with over 5,000 channels of on demand entertainment, over 1,700 movies and 1,500 hours of TV, live news, as well as music, podcasts and audiobooks across 45 languages.