Media

Italy's football league will divide television rights for its soccer matches between rival operators Stream and Telepiu, thwarting media tycoon Rupert Murdoch's bid to scoop the rights to all clubs.

Italian Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema has said he favoured the entry of Italian business groups into a digital satellite pay-TV venture proposed by Australian-born media baron Rupert Murdoch.

Olympics boss Juan Antonio Samaranch, facing calls to quit after a major corruption scandal, is now under pressure to step aside from control of a new body aimed at stamping out doping.

Britain's broadcasting watchdog has urged the competition regulator to block BSkyB Plc's planned 623 million pound takeover of Manchester United soccer club, said a report in the Financial Times on Friday.

Italian commercial broadcaster Mediaset has been awarded the rights to broadcast the Champions? League soccer matches in Italy for the next four seasons.

South Africa`s 2006 World Cup bid committee said it was vital for the future of soccer as a sport and the World Cup as a multi-billion dollar business that the African continent stage the finals in seven years' time.

The UK Race-Course Association is on collision course with a number of its member racecourses over the sale of television rights to the former Eastern Bloc.

ABC Sports have signed a five year extension to their broadcast deal with Indy 500.

ISM Holding Corp, owners of ISM Marketing and ISM Motorsports, is to launch an interactive sports betting and gaming site, the first of several interactive web sites to be owned by the company.

Silverstone has pledged to match the $70m deal that Brands Hatch has struck with Bernie Ecclestone to stage the British Grand Prix from 2002, provided it receives assurances about television rights and the future management of his Formula One Administration.

A broadcaster battle for French soccer TV rights has been called off after the two bidders reached a compromise deal.

Britain's first online tax-free betting service has launched into National Football League betting in the United States.

Granada Media Group's move to take a 10% stake in Liverpool FC has drawn criticism from pay-TV company BSkyB.

Ascent Entertainment Group has selected The Sturm Group, a Denver-based private investment firm owned by Donald L. Sturm, to proceed to the second round live auction of the Denver Nuggets basketball team, the Colorado Avalanche hockey team and the Pepsi Center.

Fox Sports Net New England and the Boston Celtics have signed a new agreement that will make the network the television destination of Celtics home and away telecasts in New England.

SportsLine Europe Limited have become the exclusive Internet sports media partner for the official Manchester United web site.