Media

Tom Hicks, head of Southwest Sports Group (SSG), which owns the Texas Rangers and Dallas Stars, has credited Mike Cramer for his crucial role in SSG's negotiations with Fox Sports Net for the non-cable broadcast rights to the Stars and Rangers games.

Australian architectural practice Bligh Voller Nield, whose designs were integral to the 2000 Olympic Games, has received the International Award in this year?s Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) National Awards for the WestpacTrust Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand.

FIFA says its has no plans to sanction Italian club Perugia for going to court to obtain a ruling which enabled Argentine Pablo Guinazu to play in a Serie A match at the weekend.

The NFL is offering European television stations free access to game highlights with a new Sunday-night highlights service.

IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch and 150 of Europe's Gold medal winners from Sydney attended the new Eurosport 'SportStar Awards' in Monaco last week.

The total debt of Spanish Primera Liga clubs reached a grand total of SP189bn ($970m) in 1998/9, according to a new survey.

RSN, the resort-based outdoor sports media network and The Weather Channel have signed a partnership deal.

Manchester United will confirm its #300m ($450m) kit sponsorship deal with Nike within the next week, according to media reports.

Inspired by the success of the Lifetime women's cable channel, the USA Network has begun screening TV movies and mini-series on Saturday afternoons as an alternative to the sports programming on broadcast networks.

U>DIRECT, the UK-based independent pay-per-view broadcaster, has hailed last night?s coverage of the Finland versus England soccer World Cup qualifier as a ?very successful evening?.

Universal McCann Event, McCann Erickson?s sports marketing department in Paris, has brokered a partnership agreement between Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), the world governing body for air sports, and Discovery Wings Channel, the North American channel for air sports enthusiasts.

UK?based venture capitalists 3i have invested #3millon in Sport First - the UK?s only national sports newspaper.

The head of utilities, telecoms and media giant Vivendi has ruled out bidding for U.S. broadcaster DirecTV, but reiterated he would welcome a partnership with media magnate Rupert Murdoch -- seen as one of DirecTV's suitors.

Canadian production company Stormcrow.com is producing an extreme sports TV travel series, which will include the offer of an integrated interactive advertising package to potential corporate sponsors.

Media Partners, the Italian firm previously behind proposals for a breakaway European soccer superleague, has signed a web development deal for Italy?s mens? and womens? volleyball web sites.

Sportswear firm Reebok has been forced to scrap a TV commercial after the athlete featured pulled out of the Olympics.