Media

The National Basketball Association has sued newspaper publisher New York Times Co. for selling a collection of five photographs from the 1999 N.B.A. playoffs, reports the New York Times newspaper

Japanese broadcast companies, including pay-TV companies, are ready to pay the highest amount ever committed to a Japanese televised sports event for the right to broadcast the World Cup 2002.

UK pools and gaming firm Littlewoods Leisure is to allow its customers to use WAP technology to allow bets to be placed using mobile phones.

Oceania's FIFA representative, who created an international storm after he abstained from a close vote that gave the 2006 World Cup to Germany, has said he would retire at the end of September.

SportsYA! the Spanish and Portugese-language sports portal has secured a capital investment of $11million in its latest round of financing.

Soccer?s world club champions Corinthians of Brazil, are to play a pre-season friendly in Paris to be screened live across Latin America by the Pan American Sports network.

Cardiff?s Millennium Stadium is reported to be seeking a naming rights deal to help alleviate its debts.

Australia?s Seven Network has unveiled a host of added-value enhancements to its coverage of this summer?s Olympic Games.

UK pay-TV digital service Sky Sports has signed three new exclusive soccer deals.

SFX Sports has signed a $85m deal to market the international television rights to the US Open tennis championship.

Major League Baseball team the Seattle Mariners are reported to have signed a $200m deal with Fox Sports Net.

Canal Plus Polska ? the Polish satellite channel of French pay-television giant Canal Plus ? has signed a new rights deal for domestic soccer.

Italian media mogul, soccer club owner and former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has sparked the resignation of the coach of the country?s soccer team.

Austrian state broadcasting organisation Oesterreichischer Rundfunk (ORF) reports that its TV coverage of the Euro 2000 semi final between France and Portugal attracted 1.13 million Austrian citizens while 1.369 million watched the match between Italy and the Netherlands. Women accounted for 30% of this figure.

Local media reports suggest Great American Insurance Co. is in negotiations to buy naming rights to the Cincinnati Reds' ballpark.

The European Broadcasting Union has bestowed its highest distinction on Albert Scharf, head of Bayerischer Rundfunk (the Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation), for his ?outstanding contribution to broadcasting? ? among which has been his ability to secure key sports rights.