Sponsorship & Marketing

Continental Europe is waking up to the commercial benefits to be gained from new stadia builds said a panel of industry experts on the second day of industry conference SportBusiness 2001.

ISL has lost its exclusive contract to market the commercial rights to Euro 2004 because it still owes UEFA #10m ($16m) from Euro 2000, UEFA spokesman Mike Lee revealed at SportBusiness 2001.

Marketing giant SFX is creating an independent company to focus exclusively on its basketball representation business.

The Champions League faces a major overhaul because of concern over falling viewing figures.

Brand management will become increasingly important against the twin threats of recession and media clutter according to a panel of leading industry figures speaking during the first day?s final session at SportBusiness 2001.

FIFA has set up its own marketing company as fears grow for the future of the ISMM Group ? and said it will give the Kirch Group first refusal on TV rights for the 2002 and 2006 World Cups if ISL?s parent company fails to prevent bankruptcy.

A #60m ($85.7m) plan to keep the British Grand Prix at Silverstone for the next 15 years is in doubt after the UK Government ordered an investigation into the deal.

SAR-AN International, the leading Turkish sports marketing company, has acquired the exclusive worldwide TV rights (outside of the league) of the Genclerbirligi Football Club for a period of 5 years.

Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) has forecast total revenues of approximately $75 - $78 million for the year 2001 and a pre-tax profit for the year expected to be approximately 32 per cent of total revenues.

Broadcast technology innovator InMotion Technologies decided to change its name to Dartfish.

Olympic boss Juan Antonio Samaranch said on Tuesday he did not support Kim Un-yong's plan to allow IOC members to visit cities bidding for the Games if the South Korean is elected IOC president in July.

The Flora London Marathon contributes almost #66 million ($94.3m) to the UK economy annually, according to a new report.

US sports website Rivals.com is to close with the loss of 80 jobs, reports the Seattle Times. The news comes after protracted talks with Yahoo failed to result in a sale of the struggling network. Rivals chief executive Saul Gamoran told the west coast newspaper; ?We tried very hard to effect a sale of the company, and we came pretty close, but we were unable to cross the finish line.?

Italy's Serie A side Fiorentina and Investment bank Morgan Stanley are in talks which could lead to the purchase of the Florence club, Italian newspapers reported on Tuesday.

The NBA will receive $100 million in marketing support for the two-month duration of the play-offs starting on Saturday in a bid to pump up much-needed fan interest.

FIFA is set to call a special meeting of its emergency committee tomorrow to discuss the crisis at its marketing partner ISMM ? parent company of ISL.