Sponsorship & Marketing

Broadband Sports, a leading producer of proprietary sports content and commerce on the internet, has launched FreestyleDirect a new brand that will provide official web sites for extreme athletes.

Royal Dutch/Shell Group has extended its Formula 1 motor racing alliance with Ferrari, this year's top performing team.

Basketball?s international governing body, FIBA, and international sports marketing company, ISL Worldwide, have unveiled a new strategy for European basketball. The new concept for 2000 and beyond will give the FIBA Euroleague a completely different look, with a new competitive format, name and visual identity. The move follows the agreement made earlier this year, between FIBA and ISL.

Jon Wigley, London ?based Vice President of Marketing for the ATP Tour is to become Managing director of Sports Interactive AG, a joint venture between ISL and Kabel New Media which will manage the online activities of the AP Tour and Tennis Masters Series.

San Diego Soccer Development Corporation (SDSDC) has named Gabriel Luna De La Fuente as the Company's Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Sponsorships. De La Fuente will oversee all aspects the San Diego Flash?s corporate sponsorship department.

One-On-One Sports Network, the most-listened-to 24-hour US sports radio network broadcasting on over 425 affiliated stations, has named Alex Gomez to the position of Vice President of Marketing.

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) has agreed a multi-year partnership with car manufacturers Lincoln.

Rob Mitchell has been appointed sponsorship manager by the Whitbread Beer Company for UK events the Stella Artois Grass Court Championship, Stella Outdoor Screen Tour and rugby?s Heineken Cup.

Sportsworld Media, the Australia-based sports programming and marketing company, has completed its #50m recommended offer for Sports and Outdoor Media International (SOMI) now that the acquisition has been declared wholly unconditional, reports the Financial Times.

United States Olympic Committee official Terry Madden has stepped down from his post to become chief executive officer of the new U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

Europe is not only ready for stadium naming rights but the first companies to enter the market will get the best deals, said Charles Aster of New York-based attorneys Coudert Brothers during an afternoon work-shop at Sport Business 2000.

Judging the success of a sponsorship on consumer recall is `totally flawed? according to Michael Payne, marketing director of the IOC, speaking on the second day of SportBusiness 2000.

Following yesterday?s announcement that William Burkhardt has been promoted to the new position of executive vice president, ESPN International and Enterprises, ESPN President George Bodenheimer has announced further senior executive promotions.

Rights fees for the major sports properties are set to keep on rising ? according to a panel of experts at the SportBusiness 2000 conference.

Former soccer pro, Josef Nehl (38), has been named head of the Outside Broadcasting Division of German company, WIGE MEDIA.

Sports.com (www.sports.com), the leading UK internet sports site, is to launch a #6.25m integrated marketing campaign.