Super Bowl XLVI yesterday broke all records on Twitter as fans worldwide sent more than 10,000 tweets per second during the climax of the sport showpiece.

According to official statistics released by Twitter, the highest tweets per second came at the end of the NFL season finale, at a record-breaking 12,233.

During the final minutes of the game, which was won by the New York Giants over the New England Patriots, an average of 10,000 tweets per second were sent by fans, beating the previous record of 9,000 last August when Beyoncé announced her pregnancy at the MTV Video Music Awards. 

Twitter’s previous record for a sporting event was 7,196 tweets per second at the final whistle of Japan’s shock victory against the United States in the women’s World Cup final in July 2011.

The glittering Super Bowl half-time show from Madonna saw an average of 8,000 tweets per second being sent for five minutes, although that peaked at a staggering 10,245.

American Football’s top league, the National Football League (NFL), has seen its four-and-a-half month lockout, the first in the sport since 1987, come to an end on after the players’ union unanimously agreed to a new 10-year collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with team owners.

Player representatives from all 32 NFL teams voted to approve a new contract over how to split US$9 billion in annual revenues.

The team owners last week gave their support to the new CBA, and on Monday the NFL Players’ Association backed the agreement, which does not contain an opt-out clause.

The new CBA has secured team owners 53% of revenues – higher than the 50-50 split with players under the previous deal, as well as better benefits for players and faster free agency for some.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said: “It’s been a long time coming. Football is back and that’s the great news for everybody. I want to thank all of the players for their leadership and for securing the long-term future of the game. Having a 10-year agreement is extraordinarily great for our game, but most importantly our fans. I think this agreement is going to make our game better.”

The union’s executive director, DeMaurice Smith added: “I know it has been a very long process since the day we stood here that night in March, but our guys stood together when nobody thought we would and football is back because of it. I believe it’s important that we talk about the future of football as a partnership.”

NFL Players’ Association president Kevin Mawae added: “We want to thank the fans who stuck with us. This has been a long road for everyone involved. This settlement is an essential component to what will be a long-term agreement benefiting players, owners and fans.”

Players are expected to return to training shortly and franchises are expected to begin signing free agents and rookies.

The season will now kick-off as scheduled on September 8 when the New Orleans Saints face the Green Bay Packers.

The London Assembly believes the total of 14,000 London 2012 tickets that have been reserved for Government officials and politicians is “excessive”, insisting that all public bodies “show restraint” when bidding for preferential access to tickets as well as publishing a register of tickets received.

The Assembly’s Economic Development, Culture, Sport and Tourism (EDCST) published a report today, March 10 – entitled “Just the Ticket” warning that public confidence could be damaged if government bodies buy too many tickets or fail to publicly account for them.

Tickets for London 2012 are set to go on sale on March 15, and the latest report – put together after discussions with the Games’ organisers director of ticketing in December – presents a timely nudge to the members of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG).

Out of a total of 8 million tickets for the Olympics, 6.6 million will be sold directly to the public with the remainder sold to sponsors and athletes, through VIP packages and through foreign Olympic associations. 

London 2012 has made available for sale 9,000 tickets for the Government, 2,000 for the Mayor of London, and 100 each for the London Boroughs.

The report notes in its foreword: “Our outstanding concerns are about the tickets being made available for sale to various public bodies.

“We have been making the case since our first report on ticketing, in March 2010, that public confidence will be dented if large numbers of VIPs are seen to be getting preferential access to tickets ahead of the general public.

“In this report, we call on public bodies to show restraint when bidding for preferential access to tickets. In our view, the public should ultimately be the judges of the extent to which public bodies have shown such restraint.

“To make this judgement they will need to know exactly who has asked for tickets, why, and how they will be funded.

“That is why we call on public bodies to publish a register of all the tickets they have received.”

Dee Doocey, the deputy chair of the EDCST committee, commented: “Reserving 14,000 tickets for Government does seem excessive. 

“Every seat taken up by a Government official or politician is one less seat for the public so it’s vital that Government bodies are completely open and transparent about who gets them, why and who ultimately foots the bill.”

Media agency MP & Silva has announced that it has signed a two-year deal with with Spanish media and production company MediaPro for the broadcast rights of the Spanish Primera Division in Indonesia.

The deal will see MP & Silva assume exclusive pay-television rights and free-to-air broadcast rights for Saturday fixtures of the league for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.

The agreement encompasses all forms of broadcast mechanisms – including linear, non-linear, traditional, non-traditional, analogue and digital transmissions on a live, delayed, repeat or on-demand basis.

MP & Silva has also recently signed a long-term deal with Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB), which sees them take charge of marketing, internationalisation and media distribution of Liga ACB, Spain’s top professional basketball league.

International Tennis Federation (ITF) executive vice president Juan Margets says preparations for the Rio Olympic tennis tournament are progressing well.

Rio is set to host a number of top names including London 2010 champion Andy Murray, as well as world No.1 Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

The Rio tournament will take place out in the Olympic city taking shape in the western suburb of Barra de Tijuca, with the 165 million reais ($66.3 million) venue officially set to be ready by the third quarter of next year, overcoming early delays.

Margets said he could not deny there were early concerns at the pace of construction.

“But yesterday’s visit confirmed things are on the move. We are satisfied with how it is coming along.”

ITF president Francesco Ricci Bitti said in April progress was “a little disappointing” but organisers played down fears the venue would not be ready.

Margets, who heads the Davis Cup committee, insists “concern was always minimal” over the venue. Centre court will hold 10,000 people, another will have 3000 seats and an additional court will have a temporary capacity for 5000 fans.

The tennis complex will comprise seven further courts each with a capacity for 250 people and there will also be six warm-up and training courts.

The stadium will be able to host an ATP 1000 event. Rio currently hosts an ATP World Tour 500 event.

Early delays meant an ITF test event had to be put back from August next year to December.

Sports data supplier Sportradar have extended their partnership with the Belgian Pro League for a further two years.

Under the agreement, Sportradar will remain the “Official Sportsdata Partner of the Jupiler Pro League” and will be granted the rights to use, market and sub-license all pre-match and live data for the top tier of Belgian football to the worldwide betting market. 

With this renewal, Sportradar and the Pro League are continuing their long lasting partnership. In addition to the full range of data solutions targeted at the betting industry and the company’s fraud prevention services, Sportradar will also supply the Belgian Pro League with content solution products that will enable it to improve the information and analysis provided to their media partners.

“Anyone who follows Belgian football or the rise to prominence of Belgian footballers worldwide will be only too aware of how exciting the sport has become in that country. We are delighted that the Belgian Pro League have decided to re-sign with us and have allowed us to support them as they develop the attractiveness of their football to the betting and the media markets worldwide. Our range of innovative and sophisticated products and services will enhance the attractiveness of the League to bookmakers, broadcasters and ultimately the fans”, said Sportradar CEO, Carsten Koerl,

Ludwig Sneyers, General Director of the Jupiler Pro League, added: “By unlocking the potential of all the data in our matches, we can provide more entertainment and more engagement for all our fans. This was our objective and Sportradar have been helping us do just that in recent years. They are a company always looking to protect, innovate and add value and we couldn’t be happier that they are staying part of our team for another two seasons.”

The 2015 U.S. Women’s National Junior Olympic Championships is heading to Des Moines, advice Iowa, May 15-16., USA Gymnastics have announced.

Held in the Hy-Vee Hall at the Iowa Events Center, the championships showcases the country’s top Level 10 Junior Olympic gymnasts and is expected to attract nearly 500 gymnasts. Level 10 is the highest level in the Junior Olympic program, which is just under the elite level.  The Junior Olympic National Invitational Tournament is scheduled for May 17 and has an expected field of nearly 200 gymnasts. Based on available records, this is the first time the event has been staged in the state of Iowa.

“The Junior Olympic National Championships is the pinnacle of the women’s Level 10 season,” said Luan Peszek, vice president of women’s gymnastics for USA Gymnastics.  “Competing in this event is the highlight of most of these gymnasts’ careers, and fans and spectators will be treated to some great gymnastics during the three days.”

The Des Moines Area Sports Commission and Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute are the local organizations working with USA Gymnastics on staging the event.

“The city of Des Moines, along with the families at Chow’s Gymnastics and myself, is very excited and honored to host the 2015 U.S. Junior Olympic National Championships,” said Liang Chow of Chow’s Gymnastics, who coached Olympic gold medalists Shawn Johnson and Gabrielle Douglas.  “We will be busy over the next year planning a safe and successful event.  This event will bring the very best Level 10 gymnasts from all over the country to Des Moines.  I hope this great event will help many of these young athletes to continue competing at the collegiate level and for some of the athletes to become an elite gymnast and an Olympian in the future.”

“We are elated USA Gymnastics has selected Greater Des Moines as host of the Women’s National Junior Olympic Championships in 2015,” said Greg Edwards, president and CEO of the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau and Des Moines Area Sports Commission. “With strong community support and outstanding facilities, our vibrant city will offer memorable experiences for the gymnasts and their families, coaches and fans.”

Sports marketing agency Fast Track has been appointed by Wooden Spoon, the children’s charity of rugby, to manage their Official Charity Partnership with Rugby League World Cup 2013 (RLWC2013).

Fast Track, part of the CSM Sport & Entertainment group, will be advising, developing, and creating experiential activity and content to raise awareness of the charity, fundraise and build membership in the build-up to and throughout the tournament. 

The charity will return funds raised during RLWC2013 – which starts at the Millennium Stadium with its Opening Ceremony on October 26th – to develop a long-term legacy within the Rugby Football League (RFL) community which will benefit disadvantaged young people throughout Britain.

In its 30th year of operation this is the first major event in rugby the charity has officially partnered and is a move forward for the charity under new CEO, Steve Holt, who joined this year from Sport Relief. 

Steve Holt, CEO of Wooden Spoon, said: “It is a great honour for Wooden Spoon to be recognised as the Official Charity for RLWC2013 which promises to be a fantastic sporting event as part of a spectacular decade for British Sport.

“Fast Track has unrivalled experience in both rugby codes, with the Rugby Football League (RFL), Land Rover and HSBC as fellow clients. Their experiential and content credentials and experience of working closely with the RFL will hopefully help us in this important new partnership.”

Jon Wyatt, Managing Director of Fast Track added: “Fast Track has long standing worldwide experience of delivering for rugby partners and sponsors. We know first-hand the impact a successful RLWC2013 can have on the sport and for its partners and we look forward to working with Wooden Spoon increasing their brand awareness and support.” 

The partnership was launched at the end of September with the support of RLWC2013 ambassador Gareth Thomas and Wooden Spoon ambassador Shaun Edwards at Trinity Fields School and Resource Centre in South Wales, a beneficiary of Wooden Spoon.

In 2009 the RFL became a patron and have worked alongside Wooden Spoon on community programmes aimed at significantly improving the lives of 16-19 year olds who are currently not in education, employment or training.