Events

International Speedway Corps (ISC) is buying sports promoter Penske Motorsports Inc, for about $610 million in a deal that will put 10 auto racing tracks in the US under one owner and create a dominant entity in auto-racing promotions and in particular NASCAR racing.

After all the hype, tickets for next year's Olympic Games in Sydney go on sale this week.

Brazilian politicians have announced a $34 million refurbishment for the world famous Maracana stadium.

The Sports Authority have appointed James R. Tener to the position of Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer.

A federal bankruptcy court judge has approved a plan led by Mario Lemieux's ownership group to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins franchise and keep the team in Pittsburgh.

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.
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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.