Events
CAF stays neutral for 2010
Africa soccer chiefs say they will not back any one bid in the running for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Games race hots up
The Commonwealth Games evaluation commission for the 2010 event has given glowing praise to both cities bidding to host the Games.
Global Sportnet’s new JV
Sports marketing has a major new player after rights agency Global Sportnet and communications giant Mindshare joined forces to increase their presence within the sector through the formation of a new company.
BT Broadcast wins ITV rugby deal
BT Broadcast Services (BTBS) has been signed a $1million deal to transmit UK broadcaster ITV Sport's coverage of the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
Malaysian prize-pot boost
Reinforcing its status as one of the richest events on the Asian golf circuit, the Carlsberg Malaysian Open will offer a record $1.21m (EUR1.02m) total prize pot next year.
Infront signs FIFA agency deal
Infront Sports & Media has signed an exclusive broadcast agency deal with Leading Independent Media (LiM)for a package of FIFA rights – including the 2006 World Cup – for the Sub Saharan Africa region.
Bankers sign title deal
A US investment bank has signed a title sponsor deal of the PGA Tour’s Phoenix Open.
Eurosport renews WTA rights deal
Pan-regional broadcaster Eurosport has renewed its TV rights agreement with the WTA Tour, extending the network's coverage of women's tennis through to the end of 2007.
SportsLine & AOL renegotiate
SportsLine.com has scrapped its existing deal with AOL – and replaced it with a dramatically modified version.
Rogge won’t rotate Olympic hosts
International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge has ruled out the possibility of rotational hosting of the Olympics from continent to continent.
Vaccaro signs for Reebok
The influential Sonny Vaccaro has entered into a deal with Reebok to help boost the brand’s grassroots initiatives.
HSBC bank AFL club
AFL club Hawthorn has signed a new three-year naming rights deal with financial firm HSBC.
Duracell power CART pits
Battery firm Duracell has agreed to sponsor the pit lane at this year’s Lexmark Indy 300 in Australia.
TVNZ wins ABU Olympic deal
The Asia-Pacific Broadcast Union (ABU) has chosen TVNZ to provide coverage for its members of the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens.
WWE sets Asian tour dates
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has confirmed the live event dates for its Asian tour this December, taking in Korea, Malaysia and Singapore.
Bud on the PDC oche
Beer brand Budweiser has signed a deal with the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) to become title sponsor of the UK Open Darts Championship.
EC still objects to FAPL TV deal
The European Commission is to write to UK pay-TV platform BSkyB and the FA Premier League detailing the mediator's list of objections to the new £1billion TV rights contract which begins in August 2004.
US grass-roots soccer gets PR boost
Soccer Development of America (SDA) has signed a one-year deal to provide marketing and public relations services to Utah-based grass-roots soccer firm Creative Focus Productions.