North America

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) has recruited Ezra Kucharz into the new position of managing director, advanced media.

Peter Casey has been named as the new vice president of the minor league hockey team Philadelphia Phantoms, owned by Comcast-Spetacor in the US.

The University of Michigan and Nike have agreed to a seven-year deal clothing and equipment deal for U-M?s varsity teams worth a reported $28 million.

With only weeks to go before the launch of the XFL American football league, XFL President Basil DeVito is confident that the ?reality show wrapped inside America?s most popular game, ? will surpass original revenue forecasts.

Les Schmidt, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Quokka Sports has quit.

Swatch Group has signed a long-term partnership agreement with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in areas of timing, scoring and results-keeping.

American sport and its commercial partners should target the growing US Hispanic population in order to maximise revenues, according to a leading research consultant.

The venue for the 2009 Ryder Cup could be decided next month when a meeting of the competition's board will discuss the issue, the PGA European Tour have announced in a statement.

Online and telephone betting service betinternet.com have signed an exclusive broadcast and betting agreement with the Irish Greyhound Board, offering access to the Irish Tote.

IOC marketing director Michael Payne has endorsed the Olympic movement's brand management strategy for the Sydney Games following a "full debrief" on Olympic sponsorship issues at an IOC meeting in New York.

Greek weightlifter Pyrros Dimas, one of only a trio of competitors to win three Olympic golds in the sport, was appointed to the 2004 Athens Games organising committee on Thursday.

Ted Leonsis, owner of the NHL's Washington Capitols and president of AOL Interactive Properties Group told delegates at the 23rd annual Sport Summit Trade Show and Conference in New York that "Sport is broken"- but indicated that the internet can fix it.

The International Olympic Committee has confirmed the status of Beach Volleyball as a full Olympic discipline as from the Olympic Games of Athens in 2004.

Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson can only hope the State of Nevada will be as charitable toward him as the State of Michigan was earlier this week.

Television network CBS Corp., a unit of Viacom Inc. , said it has sold all but one of its ad spots for the Jan 28 National Football League Super Bowl championship game, which the network is broadcasting this year.

Alexander Brown, who led ESPN and ESPN STAR Sports? efforts in Asia, has been named president and chief operating officer of web animation firm Virtual Spectator.