The moment football fans have been waiting for is here! The highly anticipated fixtures for the 2025/26 Sky Bet Championship, League One, and League Two have been officially released.
The Championship carousel spins once more, with a fresh set of teams entering and exiting the thrilling second tier of English football. Coming down from the Premier League and looking for an immediate bounce back are Leicester City, Ipswich Town, and Southampton, all of whom will be eager to prove their top-flight credentials and fight for promotion. Meanwhile, stepping up from League One after strong campaigns are Birmingham City, who stormed to the title, Wrexham, whose fairytale ascent continues with a third successive promotion, and Charlton Athletic, who secured their place through the play-offs. This influx of ambitious clubs promises to make the 2025/26 Championship season one of the most competitive and exciting in recent memory.
With an unprecedented number of EFL games set to be broadcast live on Sky Sports this season, being organised is more important than ever. Every Championship, League One, and League Two team is expected to be featured live on Sky more than 20 times.
So, as the excitement builds for another fantastic season, make sure you’re prepared. Sync your team’s schedule today and be ready for every kick-off!
Follow your teams fortunes this season here!
The Premier League and its Clubs has mastered turning fixture announcements into a global event, not just a release. Their strategy, powered by ECAL, uses stunning visuals, dynamic content, and compelling narratives to build immense anticipation. This creative flair is expertly blended with practical utility: fans are driven to subscribe to official calendars via ECAL.
This seamless integration means once captivated, fans receive instant, localised, and accurate updates directly on their devices. It’s a game-changer for engagement, fostering deeper connections than traditional methods. The Premier League and its Club’s playbook demonstrates how strategic creative combined with smart technology transforms a simple schedule into a continuous source of fan excitement.
Check out some examples from this year’s launch below to see it in action.
Love the Premier League? Sync your team(s) fixtures to your calendar here.
The strategic brilliance of the Premier League’s partnership with ECAL truly shines with the new season fixture release, which showcases advanced features like native language translations AI for true ‘glocalisation’ of their essential match schedule. This long-term partnership boldly embraces continuous innovation for the benefit of the fan experience and international expansion, and frankly, it’s a game-changer, providing a global advantage in calendar marketing for the Premier League playbook.
Every year, the release of the Premier League fixtures is a momentous occasion eagerly awaited by fans worldwide. The sheer scale is staggering: 380 matches in the Premier League alone, forming part of a monumental 2,036 matches across the top four English divisions that require meticulous scheduling. For an organisation of this magnitude, simply releasing the fixtures isn’t enough; they need to ensure that every fan, regardless of their location or language, receives this critical information seamlessly. That’s where ECAL steps in, making the complex simple, the global effortless, and the local possible.
Beyond English: The Power of Native Language Personalisation
The Premier League understands that authentic fan engagement transcends geographical borders and language barriers. This is precisely why they utilise ECAL’s advanced capabilities to deliver localised fixture information in the native tongue of their global audience. 248 countries, 49 languages, intelligently translated by AI. Imagine a fan in Japan receiving their favourite team’s schedule in Japanese, or a passionate supporter in Brazil playing Fantasy Premier League in Portuguese. This isn’t just a convenience; it’s a powerful statement of connection and respect for a truly global fanbase. It’s about delivering the correct information, in the right place, in the right way, exactly how the fan wants it.
ECAL’s sophisticated platform allows for the dynamic translation of event details, ensuring that key information – from match times and venues to team names and associated promotions – is presented accurately and in a culturally relevant manner. This goes far beyond basic translation; it involves smart business logic and AI-powered native language translations that preserve important nouns and context, ensuring clarity and precision.
Automated Delivery, Unparalleled Engagement
The efficiency of this approach is key. Rather than relying on fans to manually search for translated schedules, the Premier League, through ECAL, offers a free and simple calendar subscription with a single click, directly from the official Premier League website and app.
The connection is live and dynamic. Any changes, updates, or new events are automatically delivered directly to fans’ calendars on mobile, tablet, or desktop.
Over 70% of internet users rely on their digital calendars to manage their lives. The impact of this direct-to-calendar approach is profound. While traditional social media channels see engagement rates average between 1-2%, ECAL calendar marketing delivers average engagement rates of over 5%. For a global powerhouse like the Premier League, this translates into millions of highly engaged fans receiving personalised, important match details, driving tune-in, site interactions and fostering deeper fan loyalty. In a noisy digital world, the calendar cuts through. 
Effectively engaging your audience means delivering the right information, at the right time, in the right place. That’s why ECAL has led the charge on making it as easy, and secure as possible for experience seekers everywhere to sync events from their favourite brands directly into their personal calendar.
How is this done? All through our smart ‘Sync to Calendar’ displays. Think of these displays as a vital bridge, directly and dynamically linking your important and exclusive events content with your audience’s daily life. And now, ECAL’s famous ‘Sync Displays’ just got better with this latest release!
Why is this direct approach so valuable?
Direct and Convenient Access
Instead of relying on manual entries or hoping your audience remembers key dates, the ECAL ‘Sync to Calendar’ feature offers a quick-click solution to add smart, rich, personalised events content to their preferred calendar – Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook, and more. This ease of use eliminates friction, and ensures users have the latest event details they need, right where they manage their day.
Always Up-to-Date
Life happens, and schedules change. Once your audience syncs your events to calendar via the ECAL display, they’ll automatically receive the latest updates, and any new events, building trust and connection through reliable, rich and secure events information.
Integrated into Daily Routines
Calendars are central to organisation. By placing your information within these personal and intimate spaces, you become a relevant and valued part of their daily lives, boosting awareness, engagement and loyalty.
Simple and Intuitive
Designed for ease of use for both you and your audience, embedding the widget is simple, and its interface is super intuitive for users to successfully connect their calendar.
Scalable for Growth
Whether you’re sharing a few events or managing a complex global schedule, ECAL’s ‘Sync Display’ is highly customisable and built for enormous scale, providing a consistent and reliable experience as your audience grows.
An Even More Beautiful User Experience Awaits!
We’re excited to deliver a modern, fresh look with a number of cool new features and enhancements, designed to deliver a beautiful user experience, and greater branding opportunities for you.
Check out the user journey in the video below!
So, What’s New?
Modern Design: Leveraging the latest Google Material Design, the ECAL displays now boasts a cleaner, more contemporary look that ensures an appealing and intuitive experience.
Enhanced User Flow: Subtle animations and slick transitions streamline the syncing process, making it even more engaging for your audience, and even more satisfying.
More Branding: You now have even greater opportunities to customise the appearance of your displays, with options for circle and rectangle logos, a shadow toggle, and a custom color header to match your brand style.
Advanced Branding (Professional & Enterprise Plans): Elevate your brand presence with options for custom graphic banners, and dynamic banners, for your displays to reinforce any current brand campaigns and styling.
A Moment of Delight: A satisfying ‘success confetti’ animation now celebrates successful calendar connections, adding a touch of joy and positive reinforcement for your audience. Who doesn’t love a celebration?!
The key to effective communication is simplifying access to essential information. The enhanced ECAL ‘Sync Display’ streamlines this, offering a direct, reliable, and now even more engaging and branded way to connect your events and schedules with your audience’s daily lives. It’s about providing value, convenience, and a positive experience, strengthening your audience connection with every interaction.
ECAL’s famous ‘Sync Displays’ are now even better, and will supercharge your audience connection through seamless calendar synchronisation.
In the high-stakes world of Major and Minor League Baseball, fan engagement isn’t just a bonus; it’s a home run. With thousands of games, passionate fans, and a digital landscape that demands instant access, how do MLB and MiLB ensure their audience stays connected? The answer lies in the power of calendar marketing – and when delivering this essential service, ECAL stands out as the MVP. Let’s dive into the ten pivotal reasons why these iconic leagues trust ECAL to keep their fans in the game daily.
1. Unmatched Scale Management
ECAL handles the massive volume of over 7,000 games annually, ensuring every event is accurately delivered.
2. Real-Time Fan Engagement
Instant updates on schedule changes, broadcast information, and game events keep fans engaged.
3. Personalised Fan Experiences
Fans can tailor their calendars to follow their favourite teams and leagues, fostering deeper connections.
4. Seamless Digital Integration
ECAL integrates with all major digital calendars, ensuring accessibility across all devices.
5. Data-Driven Fan Insights
Valuable data on fan behaviour helps MLB and MiLB optimise marketing strategies.
6. Enhanced Fan Loyalty
Consistent, relevant updates strengthen fan loyalty and connection to the leagues.
7. Increased Attendance and Viewing
ECAL contributes to higher attendance and viewing numbers by keeping fans informed and excited.
8. Global Reach, Local Impact
ECAL’s platform enables localised data delivery, reaching fans worldwide and in specific markets.
9. Strategic Marketing Channel
Calendar marketing with ECAL is a powerful tool for direct fan communication and engagement.
10. Consistent Fan Connection
ECAL provides a constant connection point for fans to the sport and the league within their daily lives.
The relationship between sports and fans is built on moments of excitement, anticipation, and connection. ECAL’s calendar marketing platform doesn’t just deliver schedules; it delivers these moments directly into fans’ lives.
By mastering the scale, personalising the experience, and providing real-time updates, ECAL ensures that MLB and MiLB fans are always part of the action. As digital engagement continues to evolve, the power of a well-integrated calendar remains undeniable – a testament to ECAL’s innovative approach and ability to connect leagues with their fans in meaningful ways.
Ready to transform your fan engagement strategy? Discover how ECAL’s calendar marketing solutions can help your sports organisation connect with fans on a deeper level.
Schedule a Demo or start a free trial and learn how we can bring the power of real-time, personalised engagement to your audience.
The World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing 25 Electrified the Global Stage
The World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing 25 electrified the global stage, marking the first major athletics event of 2025. From March 21 to 23, over 500 athletes from 120 nations gathered in Nanjing, China. This pivotal moment in the athletics calendar, bridging the gap between the Paris 2024 Olympics and Tokyo 25, delivered high stakes and showcased emerging stars.
World Athletics partnered with ECAL, the leading provider of calendar marketing solutions, to ensure fans didn’t miss a single moment of this action-packed event. This collaboration brought convenience and personalisation to the fan experience, allowing attendees to sync the entire championship schedule or favourite events into their digital calendars.
Enhancing the Fan Experience at Nanjing 25
Nanjing 25 was more than just a competition; it provided a chance for redemption, a platform for new talent, and a glimpse into the future of athletics. With 26 events spread across three days, staying organised proved crucial. ECAL’s technology empowered fans to:
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Effortlessly sync the complete schedule: Users gained instant access to all event times, locations and disciplines in their calendars.
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Sync their favourite events: Fans ensured they didn’t miss their favourite events or medal races with a single event sync option and one-click access to watch live in their region.
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Enjoy seamless cross-device synchronisation: The schedule was accessible on smartphones, tablets, and computers.
The Championships became a theatre of post-Olympic rivalries. Athletes sought redemption, and new stars emerged, offering a tantalising preview of Tokyo 25. With ECAL, fans easily navigated this dynamic landscape, ensuring they were always in the right place and time.
“ECAL’s ingenious calendar solution was the perfect way to amplify the fan experience at Nanjing 25,” said Founder and CEO Patrick Barrett. “We’re proud to have provided a service that fully empowered fans to immerse themselves in the championships’ excitement.”
The stage was set with Paris 2024 Olympic gold medallists Mondo Duplantis, Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Yaroslava Mahuchick among the stars competing at the event from March 21 to 23.
As Nanjing hosted this global athletics celebration, ECAL’s technology ensured that fans enjoyed an unforgettable and perfectly timed experience, allowing them to focus on the incredible performances that unfolded before them.
Read more about this exciting global event and sync your calendar so you never miss a moment.
Fans worldwide offered the opportunity to be part of something bigger
Liverpool FC fans around the globe have a unique opportunity to own a piece of football history—and make a difference in the process. Through a strategic partnership with ECAL, the club’s official calendar marketing provider, supporters can seamlessly bid on match-worn shirts from Premier League and Champions League games, with proceeds benefiting the LFC Foundation.
A campaign with purpose
The goal was clear: promote the newly launched Liverpool FC Auction Store, educate fans on the chance to secure priceless memorabilia and raise funds for charitable initiatives. ECAL collaborated closely with Liverpool’s marketing team to craft an impactful campaign, delivering timely auction notifications straight to fans’ calendars.
Patrick Barrett, CEO of ECAL, emphasised the platform’s power, stating, “Our partnership with Liverpool FC is about enhancing the fan experience. Integrating auctions directly into calendars made it incredibly simple for fans to engage, bid, and contribute to a great cause — all in just a few clicks.”
Seamless fan engagement
The campaign included 12 tactical events designed to build excitement and encourage participation. Fans received calendar alerts with shirt details, uplifting messages, and a straightforward ‘Bid Now’ call-to-action linking directly to the auction store. This approach removed friction from the bidding process, ensuring supporters knew auction start and end times, no matter where they were. The calendar integration was a direct, personalised touchpoint, keeping fans connected to the club and its charitable efforts.
Outstanding results
ECAL delivered over 1.4 million event impressions to MyLFC Members, and the campaign significantly boosted traffic to the auction store, increasing participation and final bid values. Ultimately, the player shirt auctions raised substantial funds for the LFC Foundation, which supports young people and families through life-changing programs locally and globally.
Winning on and off the pitch
Liverpool FC’s collaboration with ECAL showcases how innovative digital strategies can amplify fan engagement while driving positive social impact. By meeting supporters where they are – in their digital calendars – the club made it easy for fans to bid on cherished memorabilia and contribute to meaningful community work. Barrett noted, “This campaign was a win for everyone — the fans, the club, and the Foundation. It shows what’s possible when technology, passion, and purpose align.”
For Liverpool supporters, the campaign offered more than just a chance to own a piece of history; it was an opportunity to be part of something bigger.
For more information on ECAL’s calendar marketing platform, visit the Advanced Features section of the website, or contact us directly via email.
ECAL is proud to announce its expansion into Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East, marking a significant milestone in its growth journey. This exciting development was formalised in December 2024 at the prestigious World Football Summit in Riyadh, where ECAL signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the local digital agency, Xplere. This strategic partnership sets the stage for ECAL to bring innovative calendar marketing solutions to the region’s rapidly evolving sports and events ecosystem.
The Thriving Landscape of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is undergoing a remarkable transformation as part of its Vision 2030 initiative, aimed at diversifying the economy and reducing dependency on oil revenues. With substantial investments in tourism, entertainment, and sports, the Kingdom is positioning itself as a global hub for major events and cultural activities.
The numbers tell an inspiring story. The events market in Saudi Arabia is projected to grow into a $20 billion economy by 2025, creating a fertile ground for innovative marketing solutions.
For Australian companies like ECAL, this dynamic market offers immense opportunities. With a booming hospitality and tourism sector and sports events serving as a key driver for attracting local and international audiences, ECAL’s data-driven calendar marketing solutions are perfectly positioned to thrive.
A Partnership Rooted in Growth and Collaboration
The partnership with Xplere is a cornerstone of ECAL’s strategy in Saudi Arabia. With Xplere’s deep understanding of the local market and ECAL’s expertise in calendar marketing, the collaboration is poised to deliver exceptional value to clients.
Patrick Barrett, Founder and CEO of ECAL, expressed his excitement about the partnership, stating:
“I’m incredibly proud of the strong and valued relationship we’ve built with Xplere. Together, we’re achieving great things and expanding the use of ECAL in Saudi Arabia. Seeing how our partnership grows, creating new opportunities and delivering outstanding results is exciting. Our expansion into Saudi Arabia is not just about growth; it’s about creating meaningful partnerships and contributions within the ecosystem.”
By aligning with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 mission, ECAL is committed to contributing to the Kingdom’s evolving narrative.
The growth of the major event economy in Saudi Arabia presents exciting opportunities for ECAL, driven by several key factors:
Increased Demand for Event Marketing Solutions
As Saudi Arabia hosts an increasing number of events—from international sporting leagues to cultural festivals—there is a heightened need for effective marketing strategies. ECAL’s innovative calendar solutions enable businesses to reach their audiences precisely and drive meaningful engagement.
Adoption of Emerging Technologies
The Kingdom’s substantial investment in technology aligns seamlessly with ECAL’s digital-first approach. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, ECAL can help businesses in Saudi Arabia enhance their marketing efforts and create impactful customer experiences.
A Thriving Sports and Entertainment Sector
Saudi Arabia’s sports and entertainment landscape is booming with major events like Formula 1, international football matches, and cultural festivals. ECAL’s ability to deliver timely and actionable event notifications ensures audiences remain engaged and connected.
Acknowledgments and Gratitude
ECAL’s expansion into Saudi Arabia wouldn’t have been possible without the unwavering support of key partners and stakeholders. The company extends its heartfelt gratitude to Gönül Serbest, Lamia Damerje MDY, Troy Toohey, Dominic O’Brien, Global Victoria, Daniel J, and the Australian Saudi Business Forum for their instrumental roles in making this leap a reality.
The Road Ahead
As ECAL embarks on this exciting new chapter, the enthusiasm for its world-leading calendar marketing solutions within Saudi Arabia has been nothing short of remarkable. With a loyal user base and a rapidly expanding events economy, ECAL is well-positioned to make a significant impact.
Stay tuned for more updates as ECAL and Xplere continue to grow and contribute to the Kingdom’s vibrant sports and events ecosystem.
In another groundbreaking innovation by ECAL, set to revolutionise digital calendar communications, ECAL has unveiled it’s ‘Native Language Translations AI’ service.
In collaboration with Microsoft, and as part of its Calendar AI toolbox, ECAL’s ‘Native Language Translations AI’ feature delivers smart, personalised events content in the user’s preferred native language, directly into their calendar.
The service covers 248 countries, 49 languages, intelligently translated, with key nouns such as sporting team names, venue names, and brand names preserved. ECAL, the world’s leading calendar marketing technology, ensures this information is localised to the user, and dynamically updates with the latest details and new events suiting the user profile, with smart alerts and direct action links to enhance the experience and drive fan engagement, tune-in and participation.
Officially launched by Premier League as part of their 2024/25 season schedule release in June, the Premier League is the world’s most popular and most watched sports league on the planet, with an estimated one billion homes watching the action across 189 countries.
With continued internationalisation of the game a major strategic priority for Premier League, ECAL’s new language translations AI enables the league to discover new fans, new markets, and deliver personalised communications at the right time, in the right place, in the user’s preferred native tongue with ease.
Already, 18% of new users subscribing to the Premier League’s digital calendar service powered by ECAL, are being served events content in a native language other than English thanks to this new breakthrough feature.
Combined with ECAL’s ‘global displays’ that already has a smart language translation feature for the ‘sync to calendar’ user journey, and now with the events content intelligently translated too, ECAL is able to deliver a truly global calendar marketing and communications service.
ECAL Founder & CEO, Patrick Barrett, says: “This feature underscores the importance our business places in the power of partnerships, and our commitment to innovation, as much as the importance of harnessing AI to achieve a positive and powerful product outcome. We believe that this feature will deliver better business for our major client partners around the world, and at the end of the day, will intelligently connect more users to the events and the brands they love the most.”
For more information on ECAL’s ‘Native Language Translations AI’ service, visit the Advanced Features section of the website, or contact us directly via email.
NBA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, The Skimm & other big brands join ECAL in deal
Leading calendar marketing and communications company ECAL is a business on the move, acquiring US-based Rokt Calendar, adding more than 20 tier-one brands to its growing client portfolio.
A pioneer of the segment, ECAL is famous for its smart, dynamic ‘sync to calendar’ technology, allowing passionate sports and entertainment fans to sync their favourite events directly to their personal digital calendar, so they stay up-to-date and connected.
With over 70% of adults relying on a digital calendar to manage their lives, in a world full of noise, ECAL continues to grow in popularity, increasing its global audience to over 25 million.
The NBA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, Indycar, EuroLeague, Fox Sports, The Skimm, and SiriusXM are just some of the household brands moving to the ECAL platform following the acquisition.
The move secures ECAL’s position as the global leader in calendar marketing, with the acquisition adding an increased presence in the US to an already dominant position in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Europe.
ECAL Founder & CEO, Patrick Barrett, believes the consolidation paints a very bright future for ECAL and limitless potential for the calendar marketing segment.
“This is a really exciting deal for us, and we are very appreciative of the team at Rokt who believed that ECAL was the best future home for their important calendar clients,” Barrett said.
“ECAL as a business has invested heavily in developing the most sophisticated and modernised solution of its type, and through this acquisition, we are able to set a high benchmark standard for smart, personalised communications into calendar for over 400 major brands globally and growing.”
“We’re always innovating”, Barrett adds. “In the last two months we’ve launched two breakthrough features – a ‘Native Language Translations AI’ that delivers events content in the preferred native language of the user; and a ‘Super Calendar Display’ that has re-imagined what’s possible in an embeddable calendar widget for a website.”
“ECAL works because it is the most effective communications channel for events across any industry, without exception, and actively works to drive engagement, tune-in and sales. It is also a highly effective data acquisition and insights tool for these brands, who want to better understand who and how their audiences interact with their content, so they can better deliver on their CRM and personalisation objectives.”
With 100% delivery rates, 100% content relevancy, and click-through rates of up to 10% for in-demand promotions and over 15% for livestream and ticket on-sale, ECAL’s direct-to-calendar approach avoids the inbox chaos, and commands consumer attention at the right time, in the right place, with the right action.
“With the ever-increasing fragmentation of communications and the need for brands to ‘cut-through’ the noise and counter a shrinking attention span, the calendar is one of the last remaining sacred spaces, and a ‘single source of truth’ for most people,” Barrett says. “If it’s not in the calendar, it generally doesn’t get done!”
About ECAL:
ECAL is a world-leading calendar marketing, communications and data platform, used by over 400 major brands globally across sports, entertainment, media, ticketing, venues, and gaming. Owned by HyperKu and headquartered in Melbourne, with a presence in London, Los Angeles, Singapore, and Manila, ECAL’s smart ‘sync to calendar’ technology enables rich, dynamic, event-based communications straight to the personal digital. calendar of users, to communicate events better and achieve extraordinary business outcomes.
ECAL’s clients include the likes of Premier League, Formula 1, Formula E, Disney+, NBA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, World Rugby, World Athletics, Volleyball World, Fox Sports, SiriusXM, The Skimm, LaLiga, ECB, The FA, ICC, FC Barcelona, Liverpool FC, Betano, AFL, NRL, Cricket Australia, NBL, A-Leagues, Ticketek, Club Wembley, Venues NSW and others.
Media Enquiries / Further Details
For details or interviews, please contact:
Patrick Barrett, Founder & CEO
Email: hello@ecal.com
