Events

FIFA, world soccer?s governing body, appears to be back-tracking over a confidential report which ranked England's bid to stage the 2006 World Cup below that of rivals Germany and South Africa.

The Tour de France chief has asserted that the credibility of the race is at stake this year and that organisers would act with the greatest severity against drugs offenders.

XOR, a full-service provider that assembles and manages customised solutions for eBusinesses, has signed a two-year hosting agreement with The Sporting News Online

Support is growing for a proposed new #7million indoor training track to be built in Swansea, Wales.

A representative of Taiwan?s Olympic Committee is to meet mainland China?s sports officials to discuss the feasibility of Taipei co-sponsoring the 2008 Olympics with Beijing.

NBC and Fox's hardball efforts to negotiate new baseball rights have thrown the bidding process wide open, according to Variety magazine.

Australian media tycoons Rupert Murdoch and Kerry Packer are reported to be involved in a bidding war for the digital and internet rights to English cricket.

NBC expects to sell nearly $1 billion in advertising for the Sydney 2000 Olympics this summer, and has already sold more advertising than the record sum from the Atlanta Games in 1996.

Sportsworld Media Group, the sports, media and entertainment business, has completed the acquisition of the UK-based Pro-Active Projects Limited for an initial consideration of #660,00.

Top officials of the World Broadcasting Unions (WBU), which groups the world?s major associations of broadcasters, are meeting in Lucerne today and tomorrow to discuss the transition to digital broadcasting ? among the topics being the issue of sports rights.

The NFL?s experiment with the ?Umpirecam? miniature camera has received encouraging reports since it?s use by FOX in its coverage of NFL Europe's World Bowl.

The Sugar Bowl and Shreveport?s Independence Bowl have seen their budgets slashed as legislative efforts to trim the New Orleans state budget were revealed.

Major League Baseball?s plans to triple its broadcast rights in 2001 have been snubbed by two of the US?s leading broadcasters.

A former commissioner of London?s Metropolitan police force has been named the new anti-corruption chief of cricket?s governing body.

Alec McGivan, the director of England's campaign to stage the 2006 World Cup, has questioned the motives behind UEFA's threat to expel England from Euro 2000 following incidents of hooliganism.

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.

Havas Advertising and Transiciel have set up an online sports marketing agency specialising in developing web sites for sports events, clubs and sporting associations.

Euro2000.com has won a lawsuit in France against European soccer?s governing body UEFA.