Media

Octagon CSI?s international television rights contract with the Federation Internationale de Hockey (FIH) has been extended up until 2004.

Macau Cable TV has concluded a deal to carry ESPN and STAR Sports.

Italian broadcaster Mediaset and digital TV platform Stream have signed a preliminary accord for the exclusive pay television rights for the 2000-2001 European Champions League soccer games.

Benfica, the leading Portuguese soccer club wants to recapitalise itself and is set to announce plans to offer up to 25 per cent to outside investors.

An interactive online sport site has joined forces with one of the largest Swedish cable-TV companies to bring coverage of the Swedish National Soccer League to Swedish broadband customers.

Australia's internet gambling industry risks losing up to $4.5 billion a year if the government blocks new online gaming licenses and curbs the industry's growth, according to an industry association.

Time Warner?s cable division has signed an agreement with NBC to carry the network's main feed as well as cable channels CNBC and MSNBC through 2008.

Ladbrokes, the Hilton-owned leisure group, and Teamtalk, the football-based news website and telephone service, are expected to announce a deal enabling Teamtalk to provide content for Ladbrokes? on-line gambling operations.

An $10.5m tourist attraction endorsed by the English Football Association and the Premier League is to close after just 12 months due to poor visitor numbers.

TVNZ Satellite Services has reached agreement with the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) to provide a concurrent 8-channel service delivering live coverage of events for the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will receive a much-awaited judicial commission report on match-fixing on Friday and it will be made public before the end of June, a top official said.

Sportal chief executive Rob Hersov has confirmed yesterday?s Sportbusiness.com report denying claims that Canal Plus has made a buy-out offer for the sports internet company. "Our company sits very well in partnership with the big sports media companies, but there is no offer on the table from Canal Plus," said Hersov.

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) has agreed a multi-year partnership with car manufacturers Lincoln.

Snider Capital has secured an additional investment of $1.22 million in Virtual Spectator, the live internet sports channel based in New Zealand.

Virtual imaging specialists Symah Vision has signed an exclusive agreement with BBC Sports for use of the cutting edge technology in its programming.

National Football League owners have voted to bring club web sites and the league?s NFL.com under one national umbrella called the NFL Internet Network. The two-year plan was approved at the annual owners meeting in Palm Beach, Fla.