News

Business

Besieged Sydney Olympic organisers have axed a controversial hospitality ticket programme worth A$60 million (US$38 million) to appease angry sponsors concerned their exclusive sponsorships have been eroded by secret ticket sales.
Events

Broadband Interactive Group (BIG) has strengthened its TV offering, announcing an expanded deal with FOX Sports Net.
Events

Ticket sales for the Sydney Olympics are $26 million over budget, but organisers only expect 20 per cent of failed applicants to use their credit to apply for other events.

Nigeria's sports ministry has set up a committee to mobilise "financial and moral support" for its national soccer team in a bid to win the 2000 African Cup of Nations.

Tickets to the "second biggest" sporting event in the world - the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games - go on sale on October 18.
Business

Carl Pohlad, the billionaire owner of baseball's the Minnesota Twins, has announced an agreement in principle to sell the club, but the deal rests on doubtful public financing for a new stadium.
Stadia

Melbourne has been officially named as the host city for the 2006 Commonwealth Games, Australian officials said.

Tickets for Melbourne?s 2006 Commonwealth Games look set to be snapped up as quickly as Olympic seats, according to the organising committee.
Events

A simulated riot and fire drill intended as a test of security procedures for next year's European soccer championship had to be cut short at the weekend after a group of real hooligans turned up. The police, ambulance and fire services had invited about 800 volunteers to simulate a mass exit from a pretend fire in Rotterdam's De Kuip stadium and disturbances outside the ground.
Business

Argentine judge Tomas Bravo has ordered the arrest of 29 former top officials - including three ex-presidents - of the renowned Division A soccer club Racing under charges of fraudulent administration.

The sale of the Denver Nuggets has taken a step forward after the NBA approved businessman Donald Sturm?s bid for the club.

Italian first division soccer club AS Roma is planning to make its debut on the Milan bourse by next April, according to Italian weekly magazine Il Mondo.
Media

Bally Total Fitness Holding Corp., has bought six George Brown fitness centres in Fresno, California and one club in the San Francisco area, expanding the fitness company's presence in California.
Business

Three and a half years after the plan for a UK Institute of Sports (UKIS) was first tabled, the concept of a #100m green-field complex has been rejected in favour of a national network of centres with its administrative headquarters in London.
Business

Formula One has announced a new $48million `entry fee' for new teams.
Stadia

Safety chiefs are checking the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff before this weekend?s World Cup game between Wales and Japan to ensure there is no repeat of last week's incident when a woman was injured by debris falling from the roof.
Media

Rick Raducha, president of Driver Connection, in Connecticut, and Patricia Baker, media and marketing director of The Big Picture Agency in Massachusetts, have formed `Corporate Motorsports? to support businesses scrambling to sign race teams in an attempt to cash in on the high marketing value found in autoracing.

Mary Ellen Garling has been appointed the executive director of arenafootball2 ? and in doing so becomes the first woman to head a men?s pro-football league.
Business

NASCAR and Cyrk Inc, a diversified marketing company specialising in the design and development of high-impact promotions, have announced a five-year strategic alliance to provide marketing support to NASCAR and its official sponsors, promotional partners and licensees.
Media

Three of the six major categories at Sportel's Golden Podium Awards, the international sports TV competition held in Monte Carlo last week, were won by French media companies.