Media

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.

Sportvision, a leader in sports media technology, has named Larry Novenstern as Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing. Mr. Novenstern joins Sportvision from BBDO Worldwide, the third largest global advertising agency network, where he served as Senior Vice President and Director of Sports Marketing Services.

David Kenin, Former President of CBS Sports has joined SportsPrize.com as Chairman and CEO of SportsPrize Entertainment Inc.

Sportal Ltd., the U.K.-based online sports information company, has denied reports that it will be acquired by Canal Plus? internet unit Numedia. The speculation arose from a report in Saturday's edition of French newspaper Le Figaro, which said that Canal Plus was close to buying Sportal for between $300 million and $400 million.

One day after a Missouri real estate tycoon bought basketball's Denver Nuggets, hockey's Colorado Avalanche and their arena, an angry member of a competing investor group told a local paper they were denied a "fair shot" at the deal.

The Wall Street Journal has added fuel to speculation raised during Sport Business 2000 that stadium naming rights deals are coming to Europe. The newspaper reported: ?At least a dozen European premier division soccer-club owners over the past year have been privately huddling with U.S. fund managers about following the American model of raising corporate sponsorship cash to underwrite the construction of new grounds.?

Pakistani cricket officials have been asked to submit a much-delayed report on match-fixing to a special meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC) next week, local media reported today.

David Grouse has been appointed the new head of corporate development at Sportinglife.com.

More than half of Italian soccer fans say that commercialisation is behind the downturn in fortunes experienced by their country's football teams.

The media arm of Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica may lead a European soccer superleague project which would replace the current Champions League format, a company source has said.

Granada Media interactive (GMi), the online advertising division of the Granada Group, has brokered a commercial partnership between Granada and leading digital content provider 365 Corporation.

Enic, the UK-based sports, media and leisure group with controlling interests in European club?s Slavia Prague and Vicenza as well as minority stakes in Glasgow Rangers, FC Basel and AEK Athens, has reported greatly increased half-year profits. The company made substantial gains on player trading, and the sale of part of its holdings in AEK and Autonomy, the new media company.

A new annual international sports awards ceremony will be inaugurated in Monaco on May 25. The Laureus Sports Awards, will be hosted by stars of the entertainment world such as Jeff Bridges, Ashley Judd and Dylan McDermott and will broadcast to a hoped-for global audience of 1 billion viewers.

Basketball?s international governing body, FIBA, and international sports marketing company, ISL Worldwide, have unveiled a new strategy for European basketball. The new concept for 2000 and beyond will give the FIBA Euroleague a completely different look, with a new competitive format, name and visual identity. The move follows the agreement made earlier this year, between FIBA and ISL.

Olympic President Juan Samaranch has admitted that sport federations are ?lost? in relation to forming a coherent internet strategy ? and has invited some 200 sports and media technology officials to Lausanne in November for a world summit on the issue.

Jon Wigley, London ?based Vice President of Marketing for the ATP Tour is to become Managing director of Sports Interactive AG, a joint venture between ISL and Kabel New Media which will manage the online activities of the AP Tour and Tennis Masters Series.