Media

The lucrative sports sponsorship industry will come under increasing pressure if the world economy continues to slow down, the UK Institute of Sport Sponsorship has warned.

Greyhound racing will become the only spectator sport in British history to launch a generic television advertising campaign. Three months worth of adverts will appear on Sky from Saturday with the aim to encourage viewers to visit one of the country?s 32 greyhound tracks.

Troubled Swiss marketing firm ISL refuses to confirm or deny it has secured an eleventh hour rescue deal with media giants Vivendi Universal and Bertelsman.

Leading car makers are serious in their threats to set up their own breakaway Formula One series, according to Jaguar team boss Bobby Rahal.

Italy's Serie A side Fiorentina and Investment bank Morgan Stanley are in talks which could lead to the purchase of the Florence club, Italian newspapers reported on Tuesday.

The UK government may still permit the broadcast rights of certain World Cup 2002 matches to be sold to pay-TV operators ? despite a statement last week claiming all 64 matches are listed events.

Comcast Corporation, which acquired Home Team Sports (HTS) from Viacom in February, has renamed the cable network Comcast SportsNet after its flagship brand in Philadelphia.

South Korean Kim Un-yong has pledged to allow International Olympic Committee (IOC) members to visit cities bidding for the Games if he wins the race for world sport's most powerful job.

French media giant Vivendi is the company locked in buy-up talks with troubled Swiss marketing firm ISL.

BBC Director-General Greg Dyke branded soccer world body FIFA as "hypocritical" on Tuesday for selling the television rights to the 2002 World Cup while supporting global television coverage of the event.

US Congressman Tim Roemer intends to reintroduce a bill aimed at outlawing betting on college sports, according to US press reports.

Richard Berry has joined S:Comm Research (UK) Ltd as sales director.

SAIL, the South African sports brands owner, has increased earnings by 48% to R14.86million ($1.89m) for the year ended 31 December 2000, and pushed up headline earnings by 56% to R16.46million ($2.10m) on revenues of R$188million ($23.95m). The company?s net asset value also increased by 205% to R188.6million ($24.02m).

South Korea plans this week to discuss cultural and sports exchanges with North Korea - including sharing of some 2002 World Cup soccer matches.

Environmental and residents? protest groups have hit out at plans to build London?s first racecourse since Alexandra Park in the north of the city closed 30 years ago.

TVNZ Satellite Services is hopeful it will retain the Premier League global satellite carriage contract when the current three-year contract concludes at the end of the 2000-2001 season.

Lennox Lewis's long-awaited meeting with Mike Tyson looked less likely than ever on Friday after the Lewis camp ruled out the possibility for the foreseeable future.

The president of AFL club Carlton, John Elliott, has summoned all his counterparts to a meeting in Melbourne next Tuesday with a view to challenging the existing AFL Commission.