Media

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

Chrysalis-based sports network Rivals.net is sponsoring British satellite channel Sky One?s soccer drama `Dream Team? from September until April 2002 in a deal worth #500,000 ($715,000/?813,000).

Nasdaq-listed US racecourse and wagering operation Churchill Downs Inc has recorded revenues of $163.3million (?185m) for the second quarter, an increase of 24.0 percent, compared with $132.2m (?150m) for the same period last year.

Asian sports broadcasting network ESPN Star Sports has renewed a deal for carriage of its channels on pay-TV operator Singapore Cable Vision (SCV) for a further five years.

Rivaldo has issued an angry ultimatum to the Barcelona president Joan Gaspart accusing the club of failing to honour the multi-million dollar contract he signed last year.

Heineken is to use its sponsorship of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games by creating a major superstore in the host city.
How to Develop Effective Sponsorship Programmes: A new report from SportBusiness Group: Click here

The Independent Television Commission (ITC) has won a landmark test case hearing over London-based Danish channel, TV Danmark (TVD) which will have severe repercussions on the Kirch Gruppe?s dispute with UK terrestrial broadcasters BBC and ITV over the domestic TV rights for the 2002 soccer World Cup.

As part of the $5.3billion (?6.06bn) sale of its Family Worldwide subsidiary to the Walt Disney Company, US broadcaster Fox has parted company with elements of its coverage of Major League Baseball (MLB).

The importance of sport to almost every revenue stream in British satellite broadcaster BSkyB's digital offering has been highlighted by the release of its annual results for the year ended June 30, 2001.
Pay Per View Sport in Europe: A new report from SportBusiness Group: Click here

Cash-strapped German media giant EMTV has announced that its chief executive Thomas Haffa is to resign from the company he created in 1989.

Latin American pay-TV sports network PSN is to broadcast more than 100 matches from two of the region?s soccer tournaments ? the Copa Mercosur and the Copa Merconorte.

UK satellite TV operator BSkyB Plc says it is on track to reach positive cashflow by the end of 2001 after signing up 940,000 new subscribers in the financial year just ended, taking its total to 5.45 million.

Power Leisure, the Irish-based bookmaker, has put additional pressure on the Irish government to further cut betting duty after announcing plans to move its online and telephone operations to the UK where the nine percent betting tax on punters will be scrapped on October 6.
Online Gambling: The Regulation of Global Sports Betting: A new report from SportBusiness Group: Click here

The ATP, the governing body of the men?s professional tennis circuit, has launched a new business and marketing strategy following the demise of ISL Worldwide, the rights holders since 2000.

Internet giant SportsLine.com ? the US-based firm which also boasts European arm Sports.com - has put back the date it expects to break even after announcing its financial results for the second quarter ending June 30.

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.