Media

Germany's state broadcaster ARD and media group Kirch have ended their row over German soccer broadcasting rights by reaching a joint agreement.

The Brickyard 400 NASCAR race held on Sunday delivered the largest television audience in the history of the event with 20 million viewers tuning in to host broadcaster NBC?s coverage.

Rugby Football League?s (RFL) chairman Sir Rodney Walker has told sportbusiness.com that a new knock-out competition could be introduced to exist alongside the Super League and Challenge Cup.

Rivals.net, the Chrysalis-based sports network, has appointed Clair Porteous as its first marketing manager.

Cash-strapped Future Network, the UK-based publisher of the official Manchester United magazine, said it was in talks `with a number of parties? about selling the company.

UK satellite broadcaster Sky Sports has secured the exclusive live rights to the UEFA Cup home ties involving English Premiership clubs Leeds United and Chelsea.

Spanish language pay-TV operator Pan-American Sports Network (PSN) has announced that it has acquired the live rights to Mexican football for Latin America excluding Brazil.
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UK online gambling company Sportingbet.com has acquired SportsBook, a major US-focused internet sports bookmaker, for $51million (?58m).
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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.

England?s Institute of Football Management and Administration (IFMA) has a new chairman.

Harrah?s Entertainment, the world?s third biggest casino operator and sponsor of this week?s CART FedEx Championship series, blamed poor winnings at its Rio casino in Las Vegas and a drop in visitors to its casinos in northern Nevada for flat second earning figures.

The NASCAR Winston Cup series has continued to record impressive television ratings with the latest race at the new Chicagoland Speedway attracting an audience of 21 million.

ESPN has defended its decision to balk demands made by cable operators Charter Communications, saying that ESPN should restrict the amount of streamed video content the sports programmer puts out.

Michael Smith, chief executive of DirecTV parent company Hughes Electronics, has announced his immediate retirement after 16 years at the company. Smith?s decision removes a significant obstacle from Rupert Murdoch?s path in his quest to merge DirecTV with his own News Corporation, creating the first global satellite broadcasting network. The departing Hughes chief executive had publicly voiced his opposition to the proposed merger stating that Murdoch?s bid had been ?unimpressive?.

Teleglobe Broadcast Services have been selected by News Corps units Fox Digital and Fox Sports to provide digital video transmission of National Football League Europe games to North American viewers on Fox Sports, Fox Sports Net and DirectTV.

Channel 4 Television has signed a one-year deal for UK terrestrial rights to French horseracing.