Events
UBC sign deal for Thai coverage of English soccer
Thai cable TV operator United Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) has finally signed a deal with ESPN Star Sports for live coverage of English Premier League soccer after initially rejecting the licence fee as too expensive.
ESPN re-launches news service
US broadcaster ESPN has re-launched its five-year old news service, ESPNews – an initiative that will bring the channel’s TV and online facilities closer together.
MLB All-Star game ratings buck trend
Television ratings for Major League Baseball’s (MLB) All-Star midseason game jumped 15 percent on the previous year giving host broadcaster Fox an unexpected boost.
NHL draws up new TV schedule in bid to boost audiences
The National Hockey League (NHL), in association with its broadcasting partners, has restructured the television schedule for next season in a bid to boost flagging ratings.
Hill and Knowlton to back Scottish 2009 Ryder Cup bid
Scotland’s bid to host golf’s Ryder Cup in 2009 for the first time in 36 years is being fronted by the sports marketing company Hill and Knowlton.
Olympic decision – IOC’s MR marketing happy with his own brand
Dick Pound, the Canadian lawyer who has negotiated the marketing and television deals which have made billions for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in recent years, now wants the top job - the presidency.
Extreme International reports 75% sales rise
Action and free sports broadcaster Extreme International has reported a 75 percent increase in sales for the eight months prior to September of this year.
JTI Group sets up PR venture
John Taylor International (JTI) has joined forces with sports marketing expert John Collard to set up a new PR company called Sports Impact.
Seville, Madrid in Olympics row
A row has broken out between Seville and Madrid, both fighting for the right to be chosen as Spanish candidate for the 2012 Olympics.
Fans get sports updates at gas pumps
US sports fans will be able to receive instant sports updates when they insert their credit cards at gas pumps, following a deal between SportsTicker and PointMedia.
Online success for Davis Cup
The official website for the Davis Cup have seen hits soar after it registered over 16 million page views between September 19-25, compared with 7.5m last year.
Jaguar invests in sports media company
Jaguar Investments, listed on the Over the Counter Billboard market, has agreed to buy all the shares in New York-based Premier Sports Media and Entertainment Group, which will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Jaguar from the expected closure date of November 10.
BBC ties up 3-year Masters deal
The BBC has unveiled a new three-year deal for exclusive live coverage of the Masters golf tournament from Augusta, Georgia.
Ryder Cup won’t affect Euro 2008 bid
The decision to award the Ryder Cup golf tournament to Wales instead of Scotland will have no bearing on Scotland's Euro 2008 soccer championships bid, according to organisers.
Bundesliga to go broadband
Kirch Intermedia has teamed up with the German 'local loop' DSL provider QSC to broadcast internet excerpts of Bundesliga soccer in Germany from November.
HBO Sports rebrands PPV arm
US broadcaster, HBO Sports is rebranding its pay-per-view arm with the TVKO moniker exchanged for HBO Pay-Per-View.
SBS Sport runs up big audience
Australian television network SBS Sport has hailed its coverage of the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Edmonton as a huge success.
USTA expands US Open deal with United Airlines
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) has expanded its US Open partnership with United Airlines until 2005.