Sponsorship & Marketing

UK online sports companies will continue to struggle in the coming years - even with the extra revenue benefits from online gambling, according to a new report.

Drafting on the surging popularity of NASCAR stock car racing, a New York sports marketing firm unveiled plans on Tuesday for a racing league with up to a dozen teams set to begin competing in 2003.

The British Formula One Grand Prix could be scrapped if the Competition Commission rules that Octagon Motor Sports? acquisition of a Silverstone circuit lease is against the public interest, according to lawyers for Octagon.

Callaway Golf has promoted its manufacturing chief Ron Drapeau to the dual offices of president and CEO.

NBC has sold ? just under 70 percent of its available commercial air time? for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, according to NBC Olympics chief operating officer Randy Falco.

Richmond, Virginia-based turf company GreenTech, Inc, has been contracted by Michigan State University to supply the GreenTech ITM natural grass sports field system in Spartan Stadium for the 2002 football season.

A Canadian company wants to blow the whistle on fake sports mementos, trying to crack down on fouls that cost the sports memorabilia market an estimated $600 million a year.

Sportsworld media, the sports marketing and television production company, has increased its foothold in Melbourne, Australia after reaching an agreement with the Australian Football League and Melbourne?s Eastern Football League to produce a television programme called The Champions.

The XFL dream has died after World Wrestling Federation Entertainment said it was pulling the plug on the competition ? just four months after the first game was broadcast.

Chrysalis, the media company which produces ITV?s Formula One coverage and is the financier behind UK-based sports website Rivals.net, reported a pre-tax loss of #5.6m ($8m)for the six months to February 28 compared with a profit of #100,000 ($142,000) for the equivalent period last year.

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) has appointed Dave Clark as the new managing director, Consumer Products.

Coca-Cola Co is to launch a makeover of its disappointing Powerade sports drink to better compete with the leading Gatorade brand, which has become synonymous with the NFL, America's most popular sports brand.

Granada Enterprises is lining up six companies, including Coca-Cola, to bid for sponsorship of UK-based broadcaster ITV's coverage of English Premier League soccer should the league's new title sponsor, Barclaycard, turn down the rights. The other five companies involved in a potential bid for the TV rights have not been disclosed.

Merrill Lynch today downgraded its recommendation on both Granada and Carlton Communications, the joint owners of UK terrestrial broadcasting company ITV, amid concerns that ITV Sport, the soon-to-be-launched pay-TV sports channel, will not be able to break even until 2007.

Sports website Rivals.net is to make its monthly surveys of the profile, thoughts and behaviour of UK soccer fans available to third parties for #500 from next month.

EchoStar Communications has refused to rule out a merger between itself and Hughes Electronics-owned satellite broadcaster DirecTV, despite the latter reaching advanced discussions with Rupert Murdoch?s News Corporation for a similar tie-up.