Americas

Sports fans in the mid-Atlantic region of the US have a new TV station after Comcast SportsNet debuted this week.

Comcast Corporation, which acquired Home Team Sports (HTS) from Viacom in February, has renamed the cable network Comcast SportsNet after its flagship brand in Philadelphia.

The much-maligned XFL has embarked on an advertising campaign to promote the April 14-15 playoff weekend and the April 21 Championship Game, dubbed the "Million Dollar Game.?

Speedway Motorsports has elected North Carolina businessman Tom E. Smith to the company's Board of Directors.

Atlanta?s ten year old Senior PGA Tour event could become another victim of the dot com crash.

The climax of a soap opera whodunit, which has gripped Britain for weeks, will delay the kick-off of an international soccer match in Spain.

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson has verbally agreed to fight Nigerian David Izon in Kuala Lumpur in June, according to fight promoters.

Internet surfers visiting the official Major League Baseball web site are drawn to the defending world champion New York Yankees more than any other team.

Baseball fans face an increase in average ticket price of nearly 13 per cent this season, according to the Team Marketing Report's annual survey.

The United States Swim Coaches Association has added its voice to calls for the world governing body, FINA, to ban swimmers? bodysuits until they have been scientifically evaluated.

Asian Internet firm chinadotcom is to cut more than 400 staff by June and sell non-core operations.

US-based managed services company Aramark will supply 13 Major League Baseball stadiums with managed food, retail merchandise and other services, when the new season begins April 1.

Major League Baseball will charge fans to listen to broadcasts of its games over the internet, according to the New York Times.

NBC Sports president Dick Ebersol says he is set to pull the plug on the XFL if ratings don?t improve, according to a report in the Washington Post.

Susan O?Malley, president of Washington Sports and Entertainment is to speak at the International Association of Assembly Managers? 76th Annual Conference and Trade Show in Los Angeles this summer.

Rugby union chiefs are threatening to ban England's top players from international competition unless they rip up an agreement signed with the country's leading clubs this week, the Daily Mail reported on Friday.