Media

THE News Corporation Ltd has cemented its position as the nation's biggest listed company after unveiling a $25 billion-plus spin-off of its American motion picture, television and sports divisions.

Sunday night's World Cup final between France and Brazil set a new television audience record in host country France with an average of 23.626 million people watching, a spokesman for audience measurement body Mediametrie said on Monday.

German pay-tv broadcaster Premiere has acquired three-year broadcast rights for the English Premier League. Premiere will screen three live matches a week.Reuters

Twenty-three-year NBC veteran Randy Falco is taking over as president of the NBC TV Network this fall, replacing Neil Braun, who announced his resignation and plans to join the bidding for Polygram Filmed Entertainment.

Sam Chisholm the former head of satellite broadcaster BSkyB, has become a non-executive director of London soccer club Tottenham Hotspur.

The National Hockey League's Board of Governor's has approved a five-year, $600 million contract giving the Walt Disney Co.'s ABC-TV and ESPN cable networks rights to air the league's games, sources with knowledge of the board's action said Friday.

Media magnate Rupert Murdoch is to buy English Premier League soccer club Manchester United.

English football club Aston Villa has said night they had been talking to media organisations about possible future co-operation.

F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone has denied he plans to bid for Manchester United - but confirmed his involvement in a European Super League.

China is considering rival bids by three of its largest cities - Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou - to host the 2008 Olympic Games, state media said on Monday.

The NBA formally cancelled the rest of its exhibition schedule on Monday because of stalled labour negotiations with the players.

The public prosecutor in Rotterdam is to investigate the city's largest soccer club Feyenoord on suspicion of financial impropriety in the 1990s.

International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) head Primo Nebiolo has rebuked the international media for "irresponsible" reports about the death of Florence Griffith Joyner.

Former South African wicketkeeper Dave Richardson said on Saturday that he had found a sponsor for the West Indies cricket team, providing their stalled tour of South Africa went ahead.

The ATP Tour announced a new series of elite tournaments and said the game's rules may be changed to make men's tennis more attractive.

Australian cricketer Shane Warne's major sponsor Nike has said it did not condone Warne's actions in accepting money from an Indian bookmaker, but added it stood by the tarnished star.