Events

Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis has said that preparations for the 2004 Athens Olympics were in a "state of emergency" following International Olympic Committee (IOC) warnings in April.

The Cincinnati Reds have signed a 30-year naming rights deal with Great American Insurance Company.

FIFA executive committee members will begin gathering in Zurich today for the meeting which will decide the host of the 2006 World Cup.

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.

South Africa?s golf tour has concluded a new five-year sponsorship deal with Vodacom, which will see Vodacom remain the cellular network partner of choice in professional tournament golf.

The Scottish Premier League and BBC Scotland have signed a deal to allow supporters worldwide to hear live internet broadcasts of every league game next season.

Fox Sports International has agreed to broadcast the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup soccer tournament on Fox Sports owned-and-affiliated cable and satellite services around the world on an exclusive basis, beginning with the 2000 competition.

The Australian government has announced a total ban on tobacco advertising at sporting events from October 2006.

The New York Yankees, the club with the highest pay-roll in US baseball, is seeking to double the value of its local cable television broadcast rights, reports Financial Times sources.

Virtual imaging company Orad Hi-Tech Systems recorded revenues up 128 per cent in the first quarter of 2000.

The English Football Association has apologised to Denmark for violence involving Arsenal fans at the UEFA Cup final but said it would not affect England's bid to stage the 2006 World Cup.

E-comsport, the online player information agency network, has named Sir Richard Greenbury, the former chairman and chief executive of Marks and Spencer, as non-executive chairman.

Denver Stadium district board members are expected to decide on the naming rights for the Denver Bronco?s new stadium this summer. The naming rights issue will be discussed at six public hearings before a decision is made.

The German Football Federation (DFB) has signed a lucrative deal with German media group Kirch under which all Bundesliga matches would be shown live on pay-TV or pay-per-view for the first time from next season.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has yet to receive any formal bids for the hosting of the 2004 African Nations' Cup a little more than a month before the deadline closes.

Time differences between the host country of major sporting events and the major TV markets do not impact heavily on broadcaster values, according to panelists at the Sport Business 2000 Conference.