Media

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.

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

Sportvision, the US-based sports media technology company, has agreed to acquire Coach's Edge, the developer of enhanced computer animation technology for the internet and sports broadcasting.

Media Content has signed a deal with Canal Plus to launch World Wrestling Federation Entertainment in France.

Sportsworld Media, the Australia-based sports programming and marketing company, has completed its #50m recommended offer for Sports and Outdoor Media International (SOMI) now that the acquisition has been declared wholly unconditional, reports the Financial Times.

The Formula One racing teams have denied Bernie Ecclestone his wish that conversations between drivers in the pits should be broadcast live on the sport?s digital TV channel.

Mike Miller, The BBC?s Controller of Television Sport, has resigned. Miller has accepted an offer from Worldsport.com to become the editorial director.

Rome's Olympic stadium, home of the soccer league matches of Roma and Lazio, is to be sold within the year together with the swimming pool and tennis fields of the Italian capital's "Foro Italico" sport complex.

UK independent pay-per-view broadcaster u>direct has secured exclusive UK TV rights to two `Challenge Series? of one-day cricket internationals between Australia and South Africa.

Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has said there was no proposal before the government to legalise betting in cricket even as investigators widened the probe into the match fixing scandal.