Media

England Rugby, the new joint venture between the Rugby Football Union and Premier Rugby, has appointed the largest independent television production company in the UK, TWI, to handle its sales of international television rights in overseas markets.

Opinion is hardening in the City against the sports-led strategy of the listed UK commercial television companies Carlton and Granada, the backers of ITV Digital, ITV1 and the ITV Sports Channel.

The managing director of race track owner Arena Leisure has spoken of an historic six months for his company when he presented Arena’s results for the half year ending June 30.

London stock market-listed Sportsworld Media Group plc has issued a statement reiterating its confidence in meeting market expectations for the year ended 30 June 2001, despite a 20% fall (from a weekly high of 373.5p 312.5p) in its share price over recent days.

The New York Yankees has created its own television company called YES with hopes of doubling its broadcast revenues.

Spanish soccer club Athletic de Bilbao has taken a pioneering step in Spain by launching its own brand of kit bearing the brand name "Athletic".

Britain's betting taxes will be scrapped in October and replaced by a tax on bookmakers' gross profits, the government said on Friday.

ITV, the UK terrestrial television network, has rejected claims that it will have to reschedule its Saturday evening Premier League highlights following objections from satellite operator BSkyB.

World soccer’s ruling body FIFA has snapped up the rights to the official films of all the World Cups from 1954 through to 1990, sportbusiness.com can reveal.

The following profiles show the strengths and weaknesses of the five candidates seeking to take over from Juan Antonio Samaranch when he retires after 21 years in charge of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in July.

USA Network’s coverage of Wednesday’s US Open quarter final between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi defeated the premiere of CBS's reality show “The Amazing Race” in ratings for New York DMA TV homes.

US broadcaster RCN Corporation has failed in its attempt to glean secondary sports content from Cablevision after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) threw out the appeal.

US broadcaster EchoStar Communications has postponed an antitrust action against competing network DirecTV following the company’s attempts to merge with its rival.

Go Racing, the UK broadcasting consortium, moved closer to gaining vital pre-horseracing data after a successful meeting between the British Horseracing Board (BHB), the Racecourse Association (RCA) and the 49 racecourses which have signed up to Go Racing.

London stock exchange-listed 365 Corp has reported a loss of £16.9 million ($23.9m) for the year ended 31 March 2001, under-performing by nearly £5m ($7.1m) on consensus forecasts.

Marcus Leaver, the chief executive of sports website Rivals.net and head of Chrysalis New Media, has put “on hold” his threat to “name and shame” those websites which have failed to conduct regular audits.