Media
NZ NETWORK ISSUES SPORTS BROADCAST CONTRACT
New Zealand pay television operator Sky Network Television Ltd has named private broadcaster TV3 as Sky's free-to-air broadcast partner for rugby union and cricket for the 2001/02 season.
TNT BOOSTED BY NASCAR RATINGS
Turner Network Television (TNT) has recorded the second highest NASCAR television ratings in basic cable history with its coverage of the New England 300 race.
BBC SIGN UP FREEMAN AND JOHNSON
UK terrestrial broadcaster the BBC has signed up 400m stars Cathy Freeman and Michael Johnson as part of its commentary team for the upcoming World Athletics Championships, to be held in Edmonton, Canada through August 3-12.
ENIC TO SELL ONLINE BOOKMAKER
Enic, the sports group that owns English Premier League soccer team Tottenham Hotspur, is expected to announce this week that it has sold UKbetting.com, its internet bookmaker, to Eric Semel, a former director of one of Las Vegas?s largest casinos.
Online Gambling: The Regulation of Global Sports Betting: A new report from SportBusiness Group: Click here
Online Gambling: The Regulation of Global Sports Betting: A new report from SportBusiness Group: Click here
SKY SPORTS WINS PRODUCTION CONTRACT FOR PREMIERSHIP PPV
The English Premier League has awarded the production contract for its 40 pay-per-view (PPV) soccer matches to satellite broadcaster Sky Sports in a deal reported to be worth around #2.5 million ($3.54m) a year.
Pay Per View Sport in Europe: A new report from SportBusiness Group: Click here
Pay Per View Sport in Europe: A new report from SportBusiness Group: Click here
GAMBLING LAWS SHAKE-UP IN UK
The gambling industry in the UK will come under scrutiny today when a government-sponsored report led by the former chief economic adviser to the Tresury, Sir Alan Budd, is published.
CHAOS AT FIBA AS EUROLEAGUE SUFFERS NEW SETBACK
The future of European basketball?s premier club competition is in disarray following the chaos caused by the recent rejection of reunification proposals between rival organisers ULEB and FIBA.
ISMM CHAIRMAN DENIES FIFA ACCUSATIONS
Chairman of bankrupt International Sports Media and Marketing (ISMM) Christoph Malms denied in a Swiss Sunday newspaper article any suggestions by FIFA president Sepp Blatter that ISMM may have improperly diverted funds paid to it by Brazil's TV Globo.
EVERTON MEDIA DEAL COLLAPSES
English Premier League soccer club Everton will have to sell players before making any new signings after a major media deal collapsed, the club's deputy chairman and main financial backer Bill Kenwright has revealed.
COMPANIES SEEK NEW WAYS TO AFFORD SPORTS RIGHTS
The ever-increasing cost of sports rights is forcing potential bidders to look at new ways to raise money, according to broadcast analysts responding to the merger of RTL Group, Vivendi Universal and Groupe Jean-Claude Darmon.
ARENA FUNDRAISING AHEAD OF SCHEDULE
Racecourse and media group Arena Leisure Plc will close its #85m ($122m) fundraising a week earlier than originally planned, according to UK press reports.
DON’T BET ON GAMBLING TO SAVE SPORTS SITES, SAYS REPORT
UK online sports companies will continue to struggle in the coming years - even with the extra revenue benefits from online gambling, according to a new report.
SOGECABLE INCREASES SUBSCRIPTIONS
Spain?s Sogecable added 96,000 subscriptions to its digital channel Canal Satellite in the first quarter of 2001 to take its total to 1,148,072, an improvement of 30.7 percent over the last 12 months.
CABLE OPERATORS TO WORK TOGETHER MORE CLOSELY TO COMPETE WITH BSKYB
Cable operators NTL and Telewest are to work more closely together with the aim to compete more effectively with Europe?s second-largest pay-TV broadcaster BSkyB.
SINGAPORE SPORTS CHANNEL GETS THE AXE
Sportscity, the Singaporean dedicated sports channel, is to be shut down, becoming the first high-profile victim of the deregulation of the national broadcasting market.
EXCLUSIVE: VIVENDI TO PAY ISMM STAFF WHILE IT SECURES TAKEOVER
French media giants Vivendi Universal will pay ISMM?s worldwide salaries while it works to take over the troubled Swiss marketing firm, a leaked ISMM memo obtained by sportbusiness.com reveals.
LOSSES WIDEN AT TALKSPORT?S OWNERS
Wireless Group, the owners of Kelvin McKenzie?s TalkSport radio station said losses for the year to December 31 2000 widened to #34.2 million ($49.3m) from #27.5m ($39.7m). Operating losses at TalkSport widened by #200,000 to #7.9m. Despite the losses, McKenzie said it had been a good year for the company, especially for TalkSport which saw its advertising market rise by 15 per cent.
KIRCH TAKES OVER HBS FOR 2002 WORLD CUP
KirchMedia has taken `full and sole control? of HBS, the host broadcasting company for soccer?s 2002 World Cup in the light of the financial crisis at ISL.