Media

Nasdaq-listed sporting goods e-commerce company Global Sports has provided guidance for the fourth quarter of 2001 and for the full year 2002 that is significantly better than the current average of analysts' expectations for those periods.

Millions of soccer crazy Vietnamese missed the start of the English Premier League season at the weekend after Vietnam Television (VTV) failed to reach an agreement with the company holding distribution rights for Asia.

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch has defended the proposed merger of his News Corporation company with US satellite platform DirecTV, stating that such an alliance would provide a `healthy premium? for shareholders and create `synergies that no other company can match?.

UK terrestrial broadcaster Channel 5 has snapped up the television rights to the second leg of the Intertoto Cup Final involving English Premiership side Newcastle United.

Digital electronics firm Mitsubishi is to provide host broadcaster CBS with high definition television (HDTV) coverage for the upcoming US Open tennis tournament for the third year running.

US virtual imaging company Princeton Video Image (PVI) has signed a two-year deal with NFL team Philadelphia Eagles to provide virtual advertising in all Eagles pre-season games.

A rematch between heavyweight boxing champion Hasim Rahman and Lennis Lewis will net Rahman $10m (?11.4m), his co-manager Steve Nelson said after confirming that the title fight would be on November 10 or November 17 in Las Vegas.

South Africa's Premier League kicks off its new season on Wednesday against a backdrop of legal wrangles, feuding club bosses and growing public apathy.

Debt-laden Future Networks, the publisher of a string of magazines including one for English Premiership club Manchester United, confirmed that it was no longer in talks with a rival company about selling its business.

UK media group Granada has strengthened its hand within the ITV network by completing the acquisition of Border Television from Capital Radio for #50.5million (?57.45) in cash.

The World Professional Pool Championships was the most watched sports programme on cable networks across Chinese Taipei during July according to host broadcaster ESPN.

The delay of the WBA heavyweight title fight between John Ruiz and Evander Holyfield was a "blessing in disguise" for Chinese organisers facing heavy losses on the event, promoter Don King said.

NTL, the UK?s largest cable operator which will broadcast Premiership pay-per-view soccer next season, reported a 26 percent increase in digital television customers for the second quarter ending June 30.
Pay Per View Sport in Europe: A new report from SportBusiness Group: Click here

UK terrestrial broadcaster the BBC has told sportbusiness.com that it still holds a strong hand in the upcoming fight for the domestic TV rights to the British Open Golf Championship.

IG Index, the London-based company which offers spread betting on sport and financial markets, reported a 53 percent increase in pre-tax profit to #15.4m ($22m) for the year ending May 31, about #1m ($1.6m) more than analysts? expectations.

Go Racing, the media consortium run by UK broadcasters Channel 4 and BSkyB and track owner Arena Leisure, has hired its first marketing director just a few weeks after it agreed a #387m ($545m) ten-year multimedia racing rights deal with the British Horseracing Board and the Racecourse Association.