North America

Dynamite charges flattened the 65,639-seat Texas Stadium, the former home of the Dallas Cowboys NFL team, on Sunday, in front of a public audience of over 20,000 and amid a novel marketing campaign by food manufacturer Kraft.

German sportswear company Puma will enter a team in the next Volvo Ocean Race, in 2011-12, after finishing second in the 2008-09 competition.

Entrepreneur George Shinn is in talks with Louisiana businessman Gary Chouest to sell his majority stake in the National Basketball Association’s New Orleans Hornets for about $200 million, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Apparel brand Nike aired a television advert yesterday featuring Tiger Woods, the first of its kind since revelations of a string of extramarital affairs had caused some sponsors to distance themselves from golfer.

Bernie Ecclestone aims to bring Formula One to Russia by 2012 and New York by 2013, a move that will see the motor racing series have up to 20 events in its grand prix calendar.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wants the league to reach $25 billion in revenue by 2027, according to SportsBusiness Journal. The amount would require an additional $1 billion in new revenue on average each year until then.

One of US sports television's biggest regular broadcasts, the live Monday night National Football League match, will be broadcast live in the UK by ESPN next season.

The NBA has topped a list of leagues ranked by average pay at their teams, which threw up some surprising results including a second-place appearance for the Indian Premier League cricket competition, the Premier League only making fourth place, and the NFL only coming sixth.

Tiger Woods’ return at next month’s Masters may boost US television viewership of the event by 16 per cent, according to the Seton Hall Sports Poll.

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber wants to encourage more deals like the one that brought England’s David Beckham to the US.

US Major League Soccer has prevented a first-ever strike by reaching a new five-year collective bargaining agreement only a few days before the start of the season on March 25.

Major League Baseball teams the New York Mets and Florida Marlins will play a three-game series in Puerto Rico in June.

The sponsors who stood by Tiger Woods through the revelations of his infidelities have been boosted by the news of his return at the US Masters.

Canadians report a surge in national pride in the afterglow of the Olympics.

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said yesterday he expects Tiger Woods to announce his return to action soon.

Australian rugby league’s NRL has got US television coverage under a deal with America One Television.

US Major League Soccer players have voted to strike if a new Collective Bargaining Agreement is not agreed by the season start on March 25.

Tiger Woods has turned down a $75 million, five-year sponsorship deal with Ireland-based bookmaker Paddy Power.