Media

Sydney's Olympic Games chief has apologised to Australians for a misleading public ticket ballot and promised to refund thousands of fans who had ended up with third-choice tickets.

The four big television networks are in a tight bidding race to win broadcast rights for stock-car racing, and appear willing to pay as much as $400 million annually, almost four times what Nascar races have brought in each year.

ISM Holding Corp will open its newest venture, www.racingcasino.com, for Thanksgiving Day.

Fox Sports World and Fox Sports World Espanol have been added to the basic channel programming line-up of 21st Century Telecom Group, the Chicago area cable company which broadcasts over 190 digital-quality channels.

British Sky Broadcasting, 40% owned by News Corporation, has agreed to pay $1.5 billion for a 24% stake in KirchPayTV, the German pay-TV operator.

Computer industry analyst, Chris Shipley has announced the formation of Pupule Sports, Inc, a new special-interest Web site designed for female athletes and sports enthusiasts. The site is expected to be launched in the second quarter of 2000.

Hi-tech firm Orad has announced its CyberSport and IMadGINE virtual advertising systems will be used by the Philadelphia Eagles NFL during the broadcast of their 2000 pre-season games.

The European Broadcasting Union has secured rights to broadcast the World Athletics Series beyond 2001.

Several private equity firms are looking into the possibility of competing for Premier League broadcast rights, according to the UK's Sunday Business newspaper.

Sponsorship value will double to $50 billion by 2010, or around 8.5% of global advertising spend, according to a recent survey.

British soccer fans may have a case to block media giants muscling into their clubs as they fight to bring the game back to its grass roots, a legal consultant told a conference on Thursday.

Malaysia's Sports Ministry will market the main stadium, indoor stadium and other facilities built for the Commonwealth Games to those wishing to use them after September, the New Stratits Times reported.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) has become the latest to sign up as a rights holder for the KL Commonwealth Games.

A Paris sports bookshop is turning its soccer department into a poetry section during the World Cup finals as a protest against the big spending and media extravaganza surrounding the tournament.

Coca-Cola Co. and the National Basketball Association have unveiled a four-year marketing plan to cross-promote Coke's Sprite soft drink and the NBA as part of an ongoing global marketing partnership.

Dorna, the Spanish company which owns the marketing and commercial rights to the Motorcycle Road Racing Grand Prix has been bought by a British group, according to the Sunday Telegraph.