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.”

The International Federation of Volleyball (FIVB) has agreed during its annual one-day meeting to expand the FIVB Volleyball World League 2014 from 18 countries to 28 for the first time ever.

“This is an historic moment for the FIVB and the World League, order ” FIVB President Dr. Ary S. Graça F said to the 28 federations represented in the meeting. “This new direction is all about growing volleyball and providing opportunities for federations to play.

“It is very clear for me, anabolics the future is today and we are doing something different. This is the new era and I would like to congratulate the new countries who are involved, impotent who now have an opportunity to play on the world stage.”

During the Intercontinental Round, Pools A to E will play double home and away matches, for a total of 12 matches per team. Pool F & G will feature two stand-alone tournaments per pool involving the four teams in the pool.

The World League Intercontinental Round will start on the weekend of May 23 to 25 with Pool A & B holding a Final Six – the top two teams in each pool (A & B), the hosts and the winner from the Final Four from Pools C, D and E – on the week of July 16 to 20.

Pools C, D and E will also have six rounds before their Final 4 on the weekend of July 4 to 6.

The Final Four for Pools F & G is expected to take place on June 27 to 29.

This year the World League featured 18 teams for the first time having had 16 teams from 2001-2003 and 2006-2012. The World League featured eight teams in its inaugural year in 1990, 10 in 1991 and then 12 from 1992-2000 and 2004-05.

The ATP this week launched a new global promotional campaign as the 2013 ATP World Tour season begins with tournaments in Chennai, Doha and Brisbane.

The campaign, which uses the tagline “BEAT THIS”, showcases the world-class entertainment and drama produced by the world’s finest athletes on the greatest stages across the ATP World Tour.

The multi-million dollar campaign features established global stars such as Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal, as well as the next generation, including the likes of Milos Raonic and Kei Nishikori.

Created as a flexible and adaptable central resource that can be utilised by all 62 ATP World Tour tournaments, the campaign will feature more than 70 players and iconic backdrops from the host cities on the Tour.

“We firmly believe that the entertainment product showcased on the ATP World Tour is sport at its very finest. The combination of skill, athleticism, and mental and physical strength that our athletes are displaying week in week out is quite simply phenomenal,” said Brad Drewett, ATP Executive Chairman & President. “This new campaign is a reflection of that, showcasing our global platform and the incredible venues that host ATP World Tour events, as well as featuring all the world’s best players who have taken our game to new heights.”

The campaign features bespoke photography as each player engages directly with fans by staring intensely at the viewer. Featuring a range of above and below-the-line executions, including a 30-second television spot, player vignettes, print ads, posters, billboards, and web and mobile treatments, the campaign will be implemented at events throughout the 2013 ATP World Tour season, starting off at this week’s Aircel Chennai Open, Qatar Exxonmobil Open and Brisbane International.

The campaign was developed with The Big Shot agency in London.