Ireland

The Football Association of Ireland extended its sponsorship deal with Umbro until 2014.

Irish sports broadcaster Setanta agreed a deal to make its sports channels available via Freeview boxes that can receive subscription services.

The Media Partners & Silva and Sportfive agencies agreed a deal to unify the sale of international Italian Serie A rights in some key territories.

Irish broadcaster Setanta Sports is said to be close to agreeing a fund-raising deal with a private-equity firm.

Bookmaker Paddy Power generated Euros 48 million in bets on the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

IEC in Sports has added a number of new broadcast partners for the World of Athletics show.

The Irish food board, Bord Bia, expects its sponsorship of next month’s Ryder Cup to deliver a €5 million boost for the Irish food and drinks industry.

With more than 2 months to go before the opening of SPORTELMonaco 2006, exhibitors have committed to more than 85% of the expanded floor space in the Grimaldi Forum.

The Football Association of Wales announced a four-year extension of its sponsorship deal with Nationwide Building Society.

Setanta Sports, the UK’s largest independent sports broadcaster, and Racing UK, the premier horse racing channel owned by 30 leading racecourses, signed a three-and-a-half year channel bundling agreement.

Three new directors have been appointed to the European Sponsorship Association Board following its AGM.

Irish rugby club Connacht and the Bank of Ireland renewed their sponsorship deal with a two-year extension.

Rugby union’s Celtic League is understood to have agreed a three-year sponsorship deal with Magners, the Ireland-based cider brewer.

The FC)dC)ration Internationale de l’Automobile approved the calendar for the 2007 World Rally Championship, adding three new races in Ireland, Norway and Portugal. The new races replace those in Australia, Cyprus and Turkey. The FIA said in a statement that its World Motor Sport Council had approved a calendar which would continue to run on the existing January-November format instead of the proposed August-May switch. It said that it would decide whether to add further events to the calendar at its next World Motor Sport Council meeting.

The Ladies European Tour has confirmed seven countries have made bids to host the 2011 Solheim Cup.

Mobile phone firm O2 has become the new official sponsor of the Ireland national rugby team.