Japan
Events

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.
Media

The 2006 World Cup is generating record television audiences for football in the US.Before the quarter-finals US network ABC averaged 3.7 million viewers for each of its 10 matches while cable channels ESPN and ESPN2 averaged 1.8 million and 1.1 million viewers respectively per match and Spanish-language broadcaster Univision averaged 2.2 million viewers per match.
Sponsorship & Marketing

The adidas Group has agreed a deal to take control of the distribution and license rights for the Reebok brand in China.
Business

FIFA has confirmed its official website for the World Cup has already surpassed the number of page views racked up for the entire 2002 tournament.
Business

Sportswear giant adidas has signed a massive multi-million sponsorship deal with the Japan Football Association (JFA).
Business

ESPN has reached a new multi-year agreement for European basketball’s top club competition – the Euroleague.
Business

The race to become the candidate city for Japan for the 2016 Olympic Games has stepped up after Fukuoka confirmed it wanted to stage the event.

The Olympic Council of Asia and the Doha Asian Games Organising Committee have signed a partnership deal with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co.of Japan, makers of sports drink Pocari Sweat.
Business

Manchester United have signed the UK's biggest shirt sponsorship deal after reaching an agreement with insurer American International Group (AIG) worth £56.5million over four years.
Events

Athletics fans in North, Central and South America can watch the IAAF World Cross Country Championships via a live webcast by the World Championship Sports Network (WCSN).
Business

The IAAF has appointed Pierre Weiss as its acting General Secretary following the death earlier this month of Istvan Gyulai.
Business

Infront Sports & Media and Dentsu have been appointed by FIFA for the distribution of Asian broadcast rights to the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.
Events

An audience of more than 23,000 have so far tuned in online to watch live and delayed coverage of the Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games.

Tokyo has, as expected, officially joined Fukuoka in competing for the right to be Japan's official bid city for the 2016 Olympics.
Events

NASN has secured exclusive pan-European rights to televise the inaugural World Baseball Classic.
Media

Asian clubs and leagues must become more professional or soccer in the region is going nowhere, warns Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Mohammed bin Hammam.
Events

Sapporo has pulled out of the race to become Japan's bid city to host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
Business

Despite disappointing figures in the US, the IOC insists coverage of the first five days of the Torino Winter Games has dominated television ratings in Europe.