Switzerland

Top broadcasters from Europe and around the world will travel to Switzerland this week for events in Lucerne marking the 50th birthday of the European Broadcasting Union, whose members include every public service broadcaster in Europe.

Extreme International and joint venture partners UPC have signed a distribution agreement with Telegeneve SA for the Extreme Sports Channel.

Lager firm Michelob has signed a sponsorship deal for golf?s 2001 Ryder Cup.

French commercial TV station TF1 and pay-TV channel Canal Plus have acquired stakes in sports channels Eurosport International and Eurosport France from Disney Corp cable TV sports network ESPN.

InMotion Technologies has signed a partnership deal for interactive sports on the web with Swisscom Broadcasting Services.

Glen Kirton, managing director of ISL Marketing in Switzerland, has quit his role to return to the UK to join sports sponsorship and PR agency Craigie Taylor International (CTI).

Jon Wigley, London ?based Vice President of Marketing for the ATP Tour is to become Managing director of Sports Interactive AG, a joint venture between ISL and Kabel New Media which will manage the online activities of the AP Tour and Tennis Masters Series.

The eight European members of the 24-man FIFA executive committee could cast their votes for England?s World Cup 2006 bid en bloc if Germany is eliminated in the early rounds of voting.

NHL International, in conjunction with ESPN International, will distribute the 2000 NHL

Most players in this year's Euro 2000 tournament will have to pay 18 percent of their earnings in tax, tournament officials have announced.

Switzerland's Denis Oswald has promised a new era of democracy after replacing Primo Nebiolo as president of the Association of Summer Olympic Sports Federations (ASOIF).

T&T Sports Marketing has sold the exclusive global rights outside of South America for the South American qualifying matches for the World Cup 2002 to Dream Sports International.

The chief executive officer of South Africa's bid committee for the 2006 Soccer World Cup has told the South African Cabinet that he is extremly confident the country will be awarded the event, the Pan African News Agency reports.

US sports marketing firm, Envision Sports and Entertainment, is expanding into Europe, appointing former ISL chiefs Chris Renner and Mark Devenport in the process.

The International Olympic Committee said the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City will go ahead as scheduled between February 8-24.

A three-year agreement between the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and the NHL over compensation payments for players leaving IIHF-federations to find their fortune in the big money US league, is on the verge of being ratified.