Europe’s Historic Ryder Cup Comeback Draws in 2.2 million Viewers in UK

Europe’s unbelievable comeback in the Ryder Cup drew in a peak audience of more than 2.2m for Sky Sports 1.

Live coverage of a dramatic final day at the Medinah Country Club in Illinois saw Europe’s golfers rally from a 10-6 deficit to beat the USA 14½-13½.

The action got underway at 4pm with 436k (3.04%) viewers, ailment but the audience did not climb above a million until 5.50pm when the opening rounds got underway.

The ratings continued to climb as the momentum swung Europe’s way with the likes of Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy claiming US scalps.

Once Europe were back in contention and the stage was set for a dramatic finale, erectile the ratings crept above 2m and eventually hit a high of 2.23m (18.4%) over the five-minute period from 11.10pm.

This was exactly the time when German Martin Kaymer calmly swept home a five foot putt to beat Steve Stricker and ensure Europe retained the Ryder Cup.

Overall, Sky Sports 1’s average of 1.27m viewers was easily the biggest ratings for the competition of the weekend, according to overnight Barb figures supplied by Attentional.

It also topped the final day of the 2010 competition from Celtic Manor in Newport, which attracted an audience of 799k (9.83%) on 4 October and was nearly three times Sky Sports 1’s slot average of 442k (2.31%) for the past 12 months.

Elsewhere, the BBC1 highlights of Sunday’s action pulled in 1.31m (17.56%) from 11.05pm to 1.05am.

Erlinyou und Michael Schumacher beschließen Zusammenarbeit

Am vergangenen Donnerstag, drug 6. September, gaben der siebenfache Formel-1-Weltmeister Michael Schumacher und die Präsidentin des chinesischen Navigationsgeräte-Herstellers erlinyou Co. Ltd., Frau Jianglin Zhang, ihre neue Partnerschaft über die Entwicklung und den Vertrieb innovativer GPS -Produkte im Fahrerlager zum italienischen Formel-1-Grand Prix in Monza bekannt. Erlinyou und Michael Schumacher werden gemeinsam die innovativste Navigationslösung entwickeln.

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Michael Schumacher wird als der beste Rennfahrer in der Geschichte der Formel 1 gesehen. Er hält alle relevanten Rekorde dieses Sports, inklusive sieben WM-Titel, 91 Grand-Prix-Siege und 68 Pole Positions. Sein weltweites Ansehen ist unerreicht.

Erlinyou ist ein international operierendes Unternehmen, das auf Navigationslösungen und Tabletcomputer spezialisiert ist, mit Hauptsitz in Peking, China und Niederlassungen in New York, Berlin, Paris, London, Milan, Barcelona, Mexico Stadt und Sao Paulo. Erlinyou (http://www.erlinyou.com) wurde 2006 gegründet und liefert innovative, erstklassige Navigationsprodukte nach Europa, USA, China und Latein Amerika. Erlinyou verbindet RDS TMC und 3D-Navigation mit cleverer Wegführung und intuitiver Eingabe. Weitere Merkmale sind: umfassendes und neuestes Kartenmaterial, Beste Sprachsteuerung und Sprachausgabe, hochauflösendes 5-Zoll Display, Sirf V GPS-Chip inkl. Bluetooth(TM) Freisprechanlage für sicheres Telefonieren während der Fahrt.

Bangkok Destination for 2012 Race of Champions

 

This year’s Race of Champions, an annual event in December featuring winners from various motorsport series will be hosted in Bangkok, Thailand.
Organisers said on Friday the Rajamangala Stadium, home of Thailand’s national soccer team, will follow Beijing’s ‘Bird’s Nest’ Olympic Stadium as the second venue outside of Europe to put on the event.
The event, which has featured champions like Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, has been held in Duesseldorf, Germany, for the last two years.
“This race will be a perfect opportunity for Thais to see some of the world’s greatest drivers and represents another step by the government in its efforts to promote racing and automotive sports in the Kingdom,” Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports Chumphol Silpa-archa said in a statement.
“We aim to bring Formula One to Thailand as well.”
South East Asia already has two races, with Malaysia and Singapore on the calendar.
The minister was quoted in March as saying Thailand could meet the conditions to host a Formula One race as early as 2014.

This year’s Race of Champions, an annual event in December featuring winners from various motorsport series will be hosted in Bangkok, Thailand.

Organisers said on Friday the Rajamangala Stadium, home of Thailand’s national soccer team, will follow Beijing’s ‘Bird’s Nest’ Olympic Stadium as the second venue outside of Europe to put on the event.The event, which has featured champions like Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, has been held in Duesseldorf, Germany, for the last two years.

“This race will be a perfect opportunity for Thais to see some of the world’s greatest drivers and represents another step by the government in its efforts to promote racing and automotive sports in the Kingdom,” Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports Chumphol Silpa-archa said in a statement.

“We aim to bring Formula One to Thailand as well.”South East Asia already has two races, with Malaysia and Singapore on the calendar.

The minister was quoted in March as saying Thailand could meet the conditions to host a Formula One race as early as 2014.

 

Formula One Teams Looking for Clarification over 2012 Race Calendar

Formula One teams are looking for justification from F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone over the schedule of next season’s race calendar after it was already signed off without their support, according to media reports.

Under the Concorde Agreement, which divides up the commercial revenues of the sport, teams have to give approval to a calendar if it contains more than 17 races and if more than half of these events take place outside Europe and the United States. 

The 2012 calendar was published recently by the FIA, motorsport’s world governing body, and contained 20 races – 11 of which can be classified as ‘flyaways’.

The Formula One Teams’ Association has reportedly written to both F1’s commercial rights-holder Ecclestone and FIA president Jean Todt in the belief the calendar was drawn up without the Concorde Agreement procedure having been followed. 

There are concerns about the logistics and costs of the final sequence of races, with the sport set to visit Singapore, Japan, Korea, India, Abu Dhabi and Brazil, as well as the inaugural US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas between the 23rd September to 25th November. 

Ecclestone reportedly rejected the teams’ concerns, stating they have the choice of competing. 

According to media reports, the F1 boss said: ‘They don’t have to go if they don’t want to. They are lucky we have got races. Otherwise they would all go out of business’

ECB Decide to Put England/West Indies Test Back Up for Tender

The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced that the England v West Indies Test Match, medic due to be held in Cardiff next year, symptoms will be put back out to a competitive tender process for bids by other host international venues.? ?

The decision was taken by the ECB Management Board after Glamorgan County Cricket Club advised the ECB that it would be late in making its payment of the staging fee for hosting the recent England v Sri Lanka npower Test Match in Cardiff. ?It has now been agreed that the club will be given an extended period in which to meet the financial terms of its staging agreement.  ? ?

ECB chief executive David Collier said: “This decision has been taken following close consultation with Glamorgan CCC and with a view to assisting the club in developing a sustainable long-term business plan for staging international cricket.? 

“ECB recognises that the club has made considerable investment into developing and upgrading the SWALEC stadium and that this has brought considerable benefits to the wider game in England and Wales.” 

No decision is expected on the awarding of a new venue for next summer’s West Indies Test Match until the ECB has finalised the international match schedule for 2012 in its entirety. Glamorgan CCC was awarded the 2012 test match by ECB’s management board last December acting on the recommendation of the Major Match Group and following a competitive tender process.  ?

Collier added: “Glamorgan CCC has assured ECB that it will fully comply with the terms of the staging agreement in relation to its future international matches and further discussions will take place between both parties to ensure that the club continues to remain on a sound financial footing.? 

“While it will not be permitted to stage the West Indies Test Match next year, the club will continue to host a One-Day International against India later this summer and South Africa next year.

“It will also be free to bid for the ECB’s new match packages for 2013-2016 along with all other international venues and any application received will be considered on its merits.”’.

NBA Team Owners Authorise Player Lockout

National Basketball Association (NBA) team owners have authorised a lockout of the league’s 450 players if a new labour accord isn’t in place when the existing collective bargaining agreement expires tomorrow.

The 30 owners made the decision during almost five hours of meetings at a Dallas hotel yesterday

The owners’ 11-member labor-relations committee can enact the lockout when the labor accord with the National Basketball Players Association ends tomorrow night.

NBA Deputy Commissioner, shop Adam Silver, capsule said: “The owners authorized the labor relations committee to do whatever steps were necessary to effectuate a new collective bargaining agreement and so that committee has the full authority of all 30 teams to act in whatever way they deem appropriate.”

Further talks with the players’ union are scheduled for tomorrow.

NBA Commissioner David Stern said: “I sure would like to see us make a deal. Not making a deal should give everybody apprehension.”

With a work stoppage, the NBA would join the National Football League, which locked out its players in March following the expiration of a labour contract. That dispute has continued for more than three months.

Without an agreement, the league is likely to lock the players out on July 1, creating the third work stoppage in NBA history.

The dispute stems from the disagreement on how to split revenue from a league that made about US$4.3bn last season.

NFL’s Third Refund Pledge of USD5,000 to Unseated Fans

The National Football League (NFL) have been enforced into a third offer of compensation to those fans who were not seated at this month’s Super Bowl. Having offered to refund tickets to triple their face value, many of the upset supporters were unsatisfied.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has offered a new option to the 400 fans who were denied seats at the showpiece event and now intends to offer them US$5,000 or more as compensation.

In an emailed statement to the unhappy spectators, Goodell stated that he would offer $5,000 “or the total of their verified expenses for Super Bowl XLV, whichever is greater.”

In previous attempts to compensate those involved the NFL offered $2,400 plus a free ticket to Super Bowl XLVI or a ticket to a future Super Bowl with airfare and accommodations.

Caterham F1 Announces Management Changes after Takeover

Formula 1 team Caterham have announced several new appointments as part of a wider restructuring plan. 

Christijan Albers has been confirmed as the new team principal, taking over from the recently-departed Cyril Abiteboul who has since returned to Renault Sport.

Albers will be supported by Manfredi Ravetto, who will serve as general manager and deputy team principal. Ravetto recently enjoyed a spell working at HRT alongside Colin Kolles, who is advising Caterham’s new Swiss and Middle Eastern investors.

The team also announced the arrival of Simon Shinkins as chief operating officer and Miodrag Kotur as team manager, while Gianluca Pisanello has been promoted to head of trackside engineering.

The announcement follows the management takeover completed at the start of July where Tony Fernandes sold the F1 outfit to Swiss and Middle Eastern investors.

John Iley, meanwhile, has become the team’s technical director. The Briton will lead the work being done “to improve the 2014 car and the 2015 new car project”.

Caterham also confirmed they have parted company with a number of employees, describing it as “a necessary step taken by the new owners of Caterham F1 Team whose priority is the future of the team”.

Caterham enter this weekend’s Formula 1 Grosser Preis Santander von Deutschland 2014 at Hockenheim in 11th place in the constructors’ standings without a world championship point.

Miami Dolphins Sign Vixlet Partnership

NFL franchise Miami Dolphins today announced a strategic partnership with Vixlet.

The Dolphins are the first professional sports team to offer this leading edge technology platform which allows fans to socially connect with the team and other passionate fans like never before.

“Vixlet technology helps us realize our vision of fans using mobile to connect, buy communicate, site share, and build relationships with each other to create a sense of belonging through their common passion of Miami Dolphins football,” said Miami Dolphins President & CEO Tom Garfinkel.

“We are excited to collaborate on creating a best-in-class experience for fans in-stadium and around the globe to share their passion for the Miami Dolphins,” added Vixlet’s CEO Lisa Gopala.

“As the Miami Dolphins continue to innovate on technology, Vixlet’s passion network and platform will provide unique ways for the Dolphins to connect with fans and increase revenue,” said Vixlet Chairman Krishna Gopala.

IOC ‘very happy’ with Venue Safety Despite Injury Surplus

The International Olympic Committee have reiterated the safety of the Sochi 2014 ski and snowboard venues by revealing the International Ski Federation and competing athletes are all “very happy” with the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park.

A number of athletes have sustained injuries at the venues in recent days, including Russian freestyle skier Maria Komissarova fracturing and dislocating her spine and her British counterpart Rowan Cheshire suffering concussion and facial cuts and bruising, both in training accidents.

Asked about that at a press conference on Monday, IOC spokesman Mark Adams said: “We monitor and collect data on the illnesses and injuries at each Games to develop ways of keeping up health and prevention strategies and so on.

“At the moment our figures are that there is no significant difference at all from Vancouver (the 2010 Winter Olympics).

“Winter snow sports are not without their risks, but we don’t see any difference between this Games and the last one.”

Adams emphasised that any decision on action to be taken if the venues are deemed to be dangerous will lie with the FIS.

But he added: “At the moment we are very happy and the federation is very happy, and from what I can see, from the comments of the athletes who are competing, they are very happy too – in fact, many of them have said it is the best course they have ever been on.”