William De Braekeleer, allergy Motorsport Manager at Honda Motor Europe believes their entry into the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) is the best showcase for the brand.

“We wanted to join a racing series that would showcase our production cars. The WTCC offers this and will help us increase awareness and visibility of the Civic in our main markets around the world, ” De Braekeleer said.

He added: “Racing the Civic also provides our many customers and fans with thrilling motorsport competition they can easily relate to. WTCC is a well promoted, worldwide championship and the perfect fit for our marketing and engineering needs.”

With the new F1 season fast approaching wireless audio specialists Raycom have announced the completion of a major deal to supply Wisycom radio microphone systems to Gearhouse Broadcast for their contract with Sky Sports for the new F1 HD channel. 

The all-new approach being taken by Sky Sports F1 HD has all audio being delivered wireless from pit-lane remotes to studio interviews. To achieve this, Raycom have specified a range of Wisycom radio equipment including the new intermod-free transmitters in belt-pack and hand-held form which feature the widest frequency tuning range in the world of 232MHz for global use. 

For receiving, a selection of rack-mount MRK960 dual receivers and camera-mount MCR42 dual- diversity receivers have been specified with up to 370MHz available RF bandwidth. 

Kevin Moorhouse, Group Operating Officer for Gearhouse Broadcast said: “Raycom provide some of the best wireless microphone systems available today. Their products are well designed and they fulfill the requirements we have for this prestigious project for Sky which are why we chose them”. 

Raycom’s Pyers Easton added: “The full range of F1 races present a real challenge to broadcasters and we were delighted to assist Sky Sports F1 HD, Gearhouse Broadcast and F1 in their search for the right solution with Wisycom wireless audio.”

by Ismail Uddin

Cox Architecture will lead the latest stage of redevelopment at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The firm will be the lead architect on the AUS$186 million (US$198.32 million) Northern Stand development, which will replace the existing Noble, Bradman and Messenger stands and see the stadium’s capacity raised from 45,000 to 48,000.

The practice, which has in the UAE as well as offices across Australia, will also be behind the improved media, player and hospitality facilities which are incorporated into Cox’s pavilion design.

Sports Director at Cox Architecture, Alastair Richardson, stated, “Cox Architecture is delighted to be part of the redevelopment of this unique cricket ground. The twenty-first century cricket stadium is being defined by the changing shape of the game”.

Completion is scheduled for the Ashes Test against England in January 2014.

Work is set to begin on the Northern Stand next month after the one-day international between Australia and India on February 26th.

With ongoing discussions over the NBA lockout entering it fifth month with no deal, advertisers are not panicking as they believe that most of the commercial activity in the NBA starts to ramp up in the second half of the season.

That’s a marked contrast to the situation earlier this year when it was NFL games on the chopping block. A protracted NFL lockout would have sent advertisers scrambling to make up the ratings they’d lose without America’s most popular and ubiquitous sport, but there are plenty of ways to reach the young, male demographic that tunes in for professional basketball games.

GroupM chief investment officer Rino Scanzoni, said: “Advertisers are somewhat concerned, but it’s much easier to plan around the lack of an NBA schedule than the lack of an NFL schedule. Those viewers can be recaptured in other programs.”

November’s games have already been lost, but ad spending on the NBA is heavily back-loaded to the second half of the season and the playoffs, when ratings and fan interest surge. ESPN is shifting early-season ad dollars into its menu of college football and basketball games, while Turner, whose TNT broadcasts were set to add Shaquille O’Neal as a commentator this season, is eyeing avenues such as TBS and Adult Swim programming to keep the ad spending in-house.

Turner spokesman Sal Petruzzi said: “Turner has a diverse portfolio of programming and platforms to provide our advertising partners with a broad range of options for their distinct brand message. Turner Sports is working together with our advertising partners on alternative programming options which reach the NBA-targeted demos across the company’s portfolio of brands, programs and platforms, including TBS, Adult Swim, truTV, and Conan.”

And so far, there’s no indication that advertisers are running much for the hills.

“There’s not that many people lying awake at night worrying about this,” said Peter Farnsworth, a former NBA executive who heads sports marketer Foxrock Partners and advises league advertisers. “With the NFL, people would have been rushing Capitol Hill.”

The relative calm also reflects advertisers and ad buyers’ continued optimism that at least half the season will be savaged — despite today’s deadline. The players’ union took a step in that direction Tuesday by signaling they’d accept the owners’ offer of a 50-50 revenue split in exchange for concessions on free agency restrictions. NBA Commissioner David Stern had set a 5 p.m. Wednesday deadline for players to accept the offer before it gets pulled and replaced with something worse. Players are mulling dissolving the union, which could ultimately land the battle in court.

While major sponsors with integrated league-branding deals and regional sports networks are more exposed to a long lockout, most advertisers have more flexibility, especially early in the season.

“Right now there’s a lot of other content to purchase,” said John Brody, a Wasserman Media Group principal and former Boston Celtics CMO. “There are other places you can get those ratings points back.”

TV advertising for NBA games on ESPN, TNT and ABC exceeded $600 million last season, according to an Ad Age DataCenter analysis of measured media data from Kantar Media. About two-thirds of the sum was spent after the All-Star break, with about half of that spent just during the playoffs. Some of the biggest advertisers include Kia Motors, Taco Bell and T-Mobile.

Brad Adgate, senior VP-research at Horizon Media, concluded: “The NBA just pales in comparison to the NFL, so that’s why we’re seeing a disparity in the reaction to a potential NBA lockout vs. an NFL lockout. You’re not going to really feel the loss of the NBA until the Super Bowl is over.”

The National Football League Players’ Association (NFLPA) which decertified earlier this month, has began contacting players found eligible to receive payments from its lockout fund this week.

The NFLPA’s accounting department has begun sending out notification letters and direct deposit slips to eligible players.

The payments will begin on April 15 and span six payments or the duration of the lockout.

An NFLPA source said that the maximum payments to an individual player would total US$60,000.

Liverpool’s former co-owner with George Gillett, Tom Hicks has suffered a setback in his battle to claim financial damages over the sale of the English soccer club after a High Court judge ruled that he must bring any claims he has in the UK rather than his home country, the United States.

It wasannounced in October that New England Sports Ventures (NESV), now the Fenway Sports Group – had bought Liverpool for US$486.5m against the wishes of the controversial co-owners, in what Hicks claimed at the time was an “epic swindle”. He wanted Mr Justice Floyd to lift anti-suit orders that prevented him from pursuing action in the Texas courts to halt the deal.

However, the judge dismissed the application, although he did alter the injunction to allow Hicks to make applications in the US in support of any proceedings in the UK.

A statement released by Liverpool read: “We are delighted that Mr Justice Floyd has granted the applications requested by Sir Martin Broughton, RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) and NESV and that the anti-suit injunction prohibiting the former owners from commencing legal actions against these parties outside the EU has been upheld and clarified.

“Sir Martin, RBS and NESV continue to maintain that there is no basis to challenge the propriety or validity of any actions by them or any of those involved on their behalf in the sale of the club. They will continue to take all steps necessary to defend vigorously any litigation threatened or commenced by the club’s former owners,” the statement added.

Mr Justice Floyd also dismissed an application to strike out or stay claims by Broughton seeking damages against Hicks for his actions during his time as co-owner.

English League Two one team Exeter CIty have announced that chief executive Guy Wolfenden is to step down from his position with immediate effect.

Wolfenden was appointed last August, sale sale replacing Julian Tagg, abortion after the 41-year-old had previously worked at various county cricket clubs.

The fan-owned football club have suffered immense financial problems in recent months and Wolfenden told their official website: “I would like to thank everyone for all their hard work over the previous months.

“The young, talented playing squad have great potential and I hope the supporters can get behind Paul Tisdale and his team this year. I wish the Exeter City every success in the future.”

Tagg, now vice-chairman, added: “We would like to thank Guy for his professionalism in his time with us and we wish him well in his future endeavours. With Portsmouth at St James Park tomorrow, the club and the team will now focus all their efforts on the coming season.”

Organisers of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games have revealed tickets will go back on sale on Wednesday 21 May at 10.00 am and will be released over three days as part of a phased approach.

Free postage and a freephone ticketing hotline will also form part of new measures to sell the remaining tickets for the XX Commonwealth Games. 

With more than 50, doctor 000 tickets available for events taking place across every day of the Games, buy order a feast of world-class sporting action, and the chance to experience Opening and Closing Ceremonies which will be beamed to a TV audience of more than a billion across the globe, there are still many fantastic opportunities to be part of the UK’s next big sporting and cultural festival. 

Following Tuesday’s decision to suspend the Ticketing sales platform, Glasgow 2014’s Official Ticketing Agent, Ticketmaster has undertaken an extensive programme of investigating and testing the performance issues experienced by some customers.

With a continued focus on offering a positive experience for sports fans, next week’s re-release of tickets will now offer: 

• -A phased approach, to help manage demand on the website, releasing groups of sports and ceremonies over a three-day period

• -Free postage (previously £4.50 for UK addresses) on all new orders

• -A Freephone number for all calls to the Glasgow 2014 Ticketing Hotline

Glasgow 2014 Chief Executive, David Grevemberg said: “Over the past few days we’ve been working with our Official Ticketing Agent Ticketmaster with the aim of re-establishing a positive ticketing sales experience for the many thousands of people who want to be part of the Games. 

“While we sold more than 60,000 tickets through our ticketing website and hotline last week and saw the most incredible support and enthusiasm from the public, the experience of purchasing tickets was frustrating and unacceptable for some people. 

“With additional measures in place aimed at managing demand and the addition of free postage on all orders and a Freephone Ticketing Hotline, we aim to get back to the business of ensuring remaining tickets are sold and that thousands more people can begin to look forward to experiencing the excitement of the Games. 

“While we cannot change the past experience of some of our customers, we do want to thank everyone for their huge support of the Games. In less than three months’ time great athletes from across the Commonwealth are coming to Glasgow for a festival of sport on a scale of which  Scotland has never experienced before. 

“Our focus now is on enabling everyone who wants to be part of one of the world’s great sporting parties to be able to secure the tickets to do so.” 

Chris Edmonds, Chairman Ticketmaster UK said: “We are pleased to confirm that we will be relaunching the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games ticketing website next Wednesday 21 May.

“Our team has been working tirelessly to review, analyse and rectify the issues that were experienced on the site.

“Our priority remains to ensure that customers have the best possible experience when securing their tickets for the Games.”