Media

The on-going legal wrangle between the English Premier League and two former executives of BSkyB looks set to kick off in the High Court this month ? unless last gasp talks can avert proceedings.

Artificial turf can be used for official international matches outside the finals of FIFA competitions, world soccer's governing body has said.

The German Football Federation (DFB) and top Bundesliga clubs are bidding to launch their own pay-TV channel for the live broadcast of matches, according to the soccer industry newsletter, The Soccer Investor Weekly Bulletin, based on a report in the Suddeutsche Zeitung.

Broadband Sports has named Marla Messing, the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup President and CEO, as vice president of partner marketing, effective Feb. 7, 2000.

Sports Internet Group has said it is teaming up with British Internet company Freeserve Plc to form an online gambling service.

goalnetwork.com, the global online soccer network launched in November, has signed a deal to be the exclusive sponsor on 185 soccer matches broadcast on FOX Sports World and 175 soccer matches on FOX Sports World Espanol.

Marla Messing, the CEO for the successful 1999 Women's World Cup, has moved onto the web.

British satellite broadcaster BSkyB and cable company NTL are competing with each other to forge an alliance with sports web site operator Sport Internet, according to a report in London?s Financial Times.

Demands by leading European soccer clubs that their games should take priority over international friendlies are completely unacceptable, UEFA General Secretary Gerhard Aigner has said.

SOCOG staff were not incompetent, despite making ticketing errors that cost the Games $76 million in revenue, organisers said yesterday.

Prima Television International has been appointed exclusive international media rights representative for the Lincoln Financial Group Rugby League World Cup 2000.

The 2000 NBA All-Star Game, taking place in the San Francisco Bay Area, February 11- 13, will be shown in 205 countries, with a potential audience of 750million households.

USA Networks Inc. and the NBA have announced a broad multi-year alliance under which USA Networks will deliver media and electronic-commerce services for the sports league.

A consortium of the BBC, Channel 4 and NTL-subsidiary Premium TV have confirmed they have struck a provisional agreement on a $320m rights deal with Britain?s 12 leading racecourses to take televised horse racing in the UK into the digital age.

John Ridgeon has been promoted to Director of Athletics at Fast Track, the UK sports agency set up by Alan Pascoe following the sale of his API operation to the Interpublic advertising group.

Greg Dyke, the new director-general of the BBC, is set to bring the BBC's sports operation under a single leader.