Events

Internet company Virtual World of Sports has secured a Au$9.2 million three-year naming rights sponsorship deal with The Australian Ladies Masters golf tournament. The sponsorship ensures that the tournament stays at Royal Pines on Australia?s Gold Coast until at least 2003.

Granada Media interactive (GMi), the online advertising division of the Granada Group, has brokered a commercial partnership between Granada and leading digital content provider 365 Corporation.

Snider Capital has secured an additional investment of $1.22 million in Virtual Spectator, the live internet sports channel based in New Zealand.

Internet portal iSport has signed a deal to secure the naming rights sponsorship for canoeing?s World Cup Slalom event this April in Australia.

Internet bookmakers William Hill can expect a $10m pay-out if Tiger Woods wins this year's golfing Grand Slam and have slashed the odds about that happening from an opening quote of 250/1 to 33/1.

Sportsco International, the new owner of the Toronto SkyDome, has signed Usherpro to provide their internet ticketing system for luxury suite and club seat holders.

Foster's Australia has signed a 10-year contract with Allsport Management SA, the promotional arm of Formula One racing, to make the brand the official beer supplier at almost every Grand Prix.

The 10 cities hoping to host the 2008 Summer Games left International Olympic Committee headquarters this week confident they would all clear the first hurdle in the bidding process.

KMC Telecom is to sponsor Joe Falk's No. 91 LJ Racing Chevrolet driven by Indiana driver Andy Hillenberg. It is the telecommunications company?s first sponsorship of a Daytona 500 race car. KMC will sport its logo and company colors on national television as events get underway this week at Daytona International Speedway.

The Orlando Arena, home to the Orlando Magic (NBA), Orlando Miracle (WNBA), and Orlando Solar Bears (IHL), and other sporting and entertainment events, will become TD Waterhouse Centre. Under the naming rights agreement, the City of Orlando and RDV Sports will share revenues totaling $7.9 million over the five-year term of the agreement.

Yahoo! Sports has launched an enhanced site, emphasising more integrated audio and video broadcast streaming, expanded international and local event coverage, as well as sports shopping and auctions e-commerce capabilities.

EA Sports, the leading interactive entertainment software company, has joined forces with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority ( LVCVA) as the co- title sponsor of Las Vegas Bowl VIII, college football's first post-season bowl game of 1999. The sponsorship agreement will become effective immediately and run through December 31, 2000.

The four big television networks are in a tight bidding race to win broadcast rights for stock-car racing, and appear willing to pay as much as $400 million annually, almost four times what Nascar races have brought in each year.

SFX Entertainment, Inc. has acquired UK Midland Concert Promotions Group Limited (MCP), a leading U.K. concert promotion company and motor sports venue operator.

A new, independent study comparing the effect of virtual advertising and conventional arena advertising on viewers of televised sports reveals that TV audiences had better recall and greater brand recognition with virtual ads.

CART and Gold Coast Motor Events ? a partnership between the Queensland government in Australia and IMG ? have signed a deal to keep the FedEx Championship Series visiting the city through until 2003.