Events

The decision on where soccer's 2006 World Cup Finals will take place has been postponed by four months, world governing body FIFA has announced.

London's Independent newspaper reports a sharp jump in the value of shares in Loftus Road, the owner of QPR soccer club and Wasps, Rugby Union club, after confirmation of take-over talks.

Worldwide Entertainment & Sports Corp., the US-based management, marketing and commercial endorsement agency, have formed an Internet subsidiary, Sportcut.com, Inc. and put in place a senior management team to lead the business.

Gaylord Entertainment Company has acquired the naming rights to the Nashville Arena from the National Hockey League's Nashville Predators.

The trial of four Germans accused of beating a French policeman almost to death at last year's World Cup finals will not affect Germany's bid to host the tournament in 2006, German Football Federation (DFB) President Egidius Braun has said.

UFA Sport has made a 12-year equity investment in Italian Serie B club, Sampdoria. The deal is believed to be worth between $50m-$60m over 12 years

Sears Point Raceway, the San Francisco market motorsports facility owned by Speedway Motorsports, has reported an upswing in corporate business during the 2001 season.

Unilever is extending its sports sponsorship involvement by signed a naming rights deal with the Sydney Marathon.
How to Develop Effective Sponsorship Programmes: A new report from SportBusiness Group: Click here

Media strategists and market researchers will decide if the Goodwill Games has a future and a successful event in Brisbane will not affect their decision, writes sportbusiness.com chief reporter James Swanwick in Brisbane.

US cable network, Black Entertainment Television (BET) is in talks with professional wrestling body Urban Wrestling Alliance (UWA) with regard to a series of weekly shows.

The British Tourist Authority (BTA) has signed a two-year partnership deal with soccer?s English FA Premier League and its new sponsor Barclaycard, designed to promote Britain as a top tourist destination and boost visitor numbers.

US broadcaster Fox has unveiled its advertising rates for next year?s SuperBowl with a 30-second spot costing as much as $2.5million (?2.72m).

US sports broadcaster ESPN is launching an Asian version of its flagship news show SportsCenter on its network in the region, ESPN Star Sports (ESS).

TV Azteca, Mexico?s second largest broadcaster, has signed a deal with satellite TV platform Sky Mexico to allow the latter to broadcast 22 soccer matches from the country?s top division, to which TV Azteca owns the rights, over the next year.

New York's international network, many hotels and plans to build new sports arenas amounted to a strong bid to stage the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, a United States Olympic Committee (USOC) panel said.

The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) is looking to broadcast all of its tournaments over the internet.