Media

A new sports marketing company, headed by Stephen Pearson, formerly marketing director of TEAM AG and commercial director of the English Premier League, has been launched to develop the market for sports venue naming rights in Europe.

A race for the media rights to British horse racing has neared the finish as the UK's racecourse body met to pick a winner today to take the spoils of what is expected to be a lucrative interactive TV market.

ESPN.com and Broadband Sports have teamed up to jointly create and programme a new Athletes Channel on ESPN.com.

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.

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is to testify before a Senate sub-committee to explain baseball?s economic problems.

Athens 2004 organisers hope an International Olympic Committee (IOC) team on a three-day visit this week will be pleased with Greece's efforts despite the recent sacking of the minister primarily in charge of the troubled Games.

Bayern Munich's commercial manager Uli Hoeness has called for a cutback in the number of matches in the Champions League and said his club would be prepared to take less cash to play fewer games.

The Australian Football League (AFL) is thought to have set a November 24 deadline for rival bids to be placed for the broadcast rights to the Australian Rules Football.

CBS Television and Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc. (MDEA) have entered into an agreement in which MDEA will sponsor high definition television coverage of the 2000 Thanksgiving Day football game between the New England Patriots and Detroit Lions.

Steve Fugitte has been appointed vice president, new media, for Churchill Downs Inc. ? the company which owns the home of the Kentucky Derby.

Broadband Sports, the US-based interactive sports media company, has acquired Action Sports Network, the internet portal offering information and pictures for skateboarding, snowboarding and surfing enthusiasts.

Major League Baseball has plucked a well-regarded executive from the ranks of corporate America to help its fledgling Internet business.

Fox Sports Net 2 has launched on three cable systems in the L.A. area which have been holding out against the Fox offering.

AIM-listed sports media advisory firm Media Content is to open a new office in Hong Kong.

Internet TV company Kamera is to broadcast the ATP Scania Stockholm Open online next week.

UK sport web site network Rivals.net has teamed up with SportingOdds.com to provide its sites with a range of exclusive fixed-odds betting services branded "Rivals Bet".