Media

MTG, the Scandinavian media company, has bought 17% of the share capital of Stockholm-based soccer club Djurgaarden, worth SKr7m ($781,000), according to news sources.

German entertainment firm EM.TV Group, which earlier this year agreed a bail-out package with broadcaster Kirch Group, has announced a preliminary net loss of 2.8 billion marks ($1.27 billion) for 2000.

Baseball?s official site, MLB.com, will this week launch two new features it hopes will raise its customer confidence after several early-season gaffes.

Eurosport is embroiled in a rights-row with the United States Tennis Association and its exclusive marketing agency SFX.

The future for Quokka Sports and its flagship joint-venture with NBC, NBCOlympics.com, now looks doomed as the company prepares to file for bankruptcy protection, according to online media reports.

News Corp. is in talks with a group of cable operators and other investors to potentially buy out their stakes in cable TV channels Outdoor Life Network LLC and Speedvision Network LLC the Wall Street Journal reported in its online edition on Monday.

Sir Rodney Walker, chairman of Wembley National Stadium Limited (WNSL), is believed to have told a senior UK government official that he cannot guarantee the stadium will open by May 2005 as planned.

Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) has signed a title sponsorship deal with the Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula to become title sponsor of Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca.

Inter Milan have claimed they have been victimised over their alleged role in a false passports scandal after learning they will be the first club to be hauled before the Italian league.

India's government has told the country's cricket board it should not send a team to the forthcoming Sharjah tournament in which Pakistan are also competing.

NASCAR broadcast coverage will switch from TBS to TNT as part of Turner Sports new marketing strategy, according to news agency reports.

WWFE Inc. has selected Sekani, Inc. as its media asset management partner.

Carnegie Cooke & Company has won approval from the government of Brazil for a deal to be struck between it and the Brazilian Association of Jockey Clubs (BAJC).

Setanta.com, the Irish sports content provider, has signed two contracts worth #1million ($1.45m) with mobile phone companies in Norway.

IOC delegates have heaped praise on Toronto's plans to stage the 2008 Olympics, saying they were impressed with the city's athlete-oriented focus and dismissed detractors who sought to cast a pall on Toronto's squeaky-clean reputation.

The bets are off on horse races in the UK, cancelled until March 7 because of a foot-and-mouth outbreak, so gambling addicts are turning to wackier subjects.