Long-time Champions League sponsor, discount MasterCard, has made public their desire for the final of the competition to be earlier in order to maximise the viewership.

European soccer’s governing body UEFA says 150 million viewers globally tune in to the final, which this year started at 7:45 p.m. in the UK. It’s the most-watched annual sporting event, ahead of the National Football League’s Super Bowl.

Hany Fam, president of Purchase, New York-based MasterCard’s strategic partnerships division for Europe, said he’ll speak to UEFA about the possibility of an earlier kickoff to meet demand in Asia, a region where the competition is followed by millions.

“We are always working with each other to maximize the benefit and to maximize the impact of this program,” Fam said in a May 18 interview in Munich ahead of the publication of a sponsored study into fan behavior. “So really there’s very little that’s off the table in terms of how we engage and what we engage around.”

Asked if this could specifically mean an earlier start to European club soccer’s championship match, which two years ago moved from Wednesday to Saturday, Fam said, “Maybe.”

The Champions League attracts international companies such as Ford Motor Co. Japanese consumer electronics brand Sony Corp., Uni Credit SpA and Dutch brewer Heineken NV.

Sponsors seeking an earlier kickoff are likely to be disappointed, said David Taylor, chief executive of UEFA Events SA. Taylor took over the post after working as general secretary in 2009 when UEFA spun off its commercial arm because of the growth in the business.

“I don’t think we would be organizing European football specifically for an Asian audience,” Taylor said in an interview. “It’s European football first and foremost.”

Fam said die-hard supporters in Asia set their alarms for the middle of the night to watch the biggest European soccer games. Taylor said the Champions League final would have to be switched to a lunchtime start to maximize Asian viewership.

“That’s not our main objective,” Taylor said.

Regardless of when the final begins, MasterCard will keep renewing its relationship with UEFA, which currently runs through 2015, Fam said.

About 10 years ago, the credit card company lost its sponsorship of soccer’s World Cup following competition with Visa Inc. (V) that ended with world governing body FIFA paying millions of dollars to MasterCard. Fam said the Champions League is the best soccer property for MasterCard, which will also sponsor European Championship matches in Poland next month.

“This is a nine-month event, not two weeks or three weeks like other sporting events,” Fam said. “It’s a nine-month opportunity and that’s fantastic for any sponsor.”

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem has announced the qualifying school route to membership will be cut off from next year and instead the Nationwide Tour will be the primary way of getting into the PGA Tour.

Finchem confirmed the cards made available annually to compete on the lucrative circuit will be awarded through the second-tier Nationwide Tour.

Currently 25 places are on offer through ‘Q-school’, with another 25 PGA Tour cards available through the Nationwide Tour. That will remain the case at the end of the current season, before the changes are implemented for 2013 going into the 2014 season.

The final three Nationwide Tour events in each season will feature a field of players featuring the top 75 players on the Nationwide Tour and those ranked 126th to 200th on the PGA Tour, as they battle it out for the valuable right to compete on the most lucrative North American tour.

Those who finish in the top 125 on the PGA Tour points list will continue to automatically have their memberships renewed.

The qualifying school will continue to function but only offering access to the Nationwide Tour.

Finchem hopes the move enhances the status of the Nationwide Tour, and confirmed talks are ongoing with potential title sponsors.

“We believe strongly this is a very exciting moment for the Nationwide Tour, and for the PGA Tour, as well,” Finchem said at a press conference in Orlando.

“Since 1990, we have studied year in and year out the comparative performance of players off the Nationwide Tour versus players off the qualifying school. And this is a reaffirmation that we have great confidence based on this many years of history what the Nationwide Tour does to prepare a player for the competitive challenges of the PGA Tour.

“Secondly, I think this process clearly makes the Nationwide Tour the primary path to the PGA Tour, and in doing so, it will tie the Nationwide Tour in the minds of fans, particularly, much more strongly, tie them much more strongly to the PGA Tour, to the PGA Tour brand and what the PGA Tour is all about.

“Thirdly, we think that the three final events create an exciting and dramatic finish to the season.”

The current season will be unaffected by the changes which Finchem believes will enhance both tours.

He said: “Anytime you make a change, human nature is to ask: Why are we changing? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

“There’s another way to look at things – that when things are going pretty well, that’s the time to get better. That’s the philosophy we’ve embraced.”

by Ismail Uddin

What’s your opinion on recent PGA Tour changes? Click here to comment

Williams Formula 1 began the stock flotation of their team yesterday, March 2, seeing their shares fall on the first day of trading on the Frankfurt bourse.

Williams Grand Prix Holdings ended the day 3.8 per cent lower at US$33.68, after starting at $34.99, but had been as low as $32.64 at one point.

A 24 per cent stake in Williams has been floated, raising about $83m for the team and co-founder Sir Frank Williams, who will remain majority shareholder and team principal, said the share listing would help Williams remain an independent company.

Williams stated “Our listing marks a new era in the history of the team.”

“Williams’ future as an independent constructor is sustained by this listing, providing us the base from which to further grow,” he added.

Williams chairman Adam Parr cautioned against reading too much into the early falls in the shares, stating to Reuters news agency: “Its not an easy moment to be born into the financial market.”

He added that early trading was not usually indicative of the general growth potential of the company.

The International Cricket Council has formed a three-member tribunal under the leadership of Michael Beloff QC that will look into the case against three suspended Pakistani cricketers allegedly involved in “spot fixing”.

“The International Cricket Council (ICC) can confirm that, during a telephone hearing earlier today, the Chair of the ICC’s Code of Conduct Commission, Mr Michael Beloff QC, formally appointed an independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal to determine the alleged breaches of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Code by three Pakistan players – Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif,” the ICC said in a statement.

Apart from Beloff the three-member tribunal will be made up of Justice Albie Sachs from South Africa and Sharad Rao from Kenya. The hearing is scheduled to take place from 6-11 January 2011 in Doha, Qatar.

“The three-person tribunal will be made up of Mr Beloff QC (as Chair), together with two other Code of Conduct Commissioners – Justice Albie Sachs from South Africa and Sharad Rao from Kenya – as per the appointment procedure described in the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Code. During the telephone hearing it was also agreed that the full hearing would be scheduled to take place from 6-11 January 2011 in Doha, Qatar,” the statement said.

According to AFP, the decision to shift the hearing to Doha was taken as Asif is barred from entering in United Arab Emirates after he was deported in 2008 on possession of banned drugs.

“The three players were charged under Article 2 of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code on 2 September 2010 and have been provisionally suspended since that date. Two players –Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir – had an appeal against that provisional suspension dismissed on 31 October 2010. All three players remain suspended from all cricketing activities,” the statement concluded.

Salman and Aamer had accused the ICC of delaying the verdict on the case last month but the ICC denied the accusation, saying they wanted an urgent solution to the case.

The scandal broke after a report by British tabloid The News of the World prompted Scotland Yard to launch an investigation into allegations of spot-fixing during the Lord’s Test against England in August.

Police raided the team’s hotel in London and questioned Salman, Aamer, Asif and bowler Wahab Riaz, but they have yet to level any charges. The International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended the trio and late last month rejected appeals from Salman and Aamer while the third Asif withdrew his appeal.

Athletics Australia have inked new multi-year technology partnership deal with IMG Sports Technology Group (IMG STG) that will see IMG STG become the preferred centralised technology provider to the sport.

A partner since 2004, ailment this new agreement comes after AA conducted a detailed review and tender process.

The first part of this multi-year deal is AA’s new website, doctor designed with all new functionality and engagement in mind, this fully customised website has been tailored for mobile optimisation to ensure engagement and a strong sense of branding for the Athletics community.

Central to the technology in 2014 will be an all new national centralised membership database, which will serve to underpin growth and administration for the sport.

AA Chief Executive Dallas O’Brien looks forward to continuing to working together, highlighting his excitement about how the new deal focuses on delivering a national product.

“Athletics and IMG have worked together in some form for many years and this new relationship is an extension of an already strong partnership. We are very excited by what opportunities this brings to our sport, including the most important development of a national database that incorporates the most up to date technology for ease of use,” O’Brien said.

“We have already introduced a new website for AA in consultation with IMG STG and the road ahead is one we are very keen to travel on to ensure the best possible produce for our athletes, coaches and officials.”

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has appointed freud communications to lead the PR campaign for this summer’s Friends Life twenty20 cricket competition.

The UK’s leading independent communications agency has been charged with the task of increasing awareness of the country’s annual domestic t20 competition – entering its eleventh season – as well as increasing engagement with fans at matches, generic in what promises to be a landmark summer for the sport including the hotly anticipated Investec Ashes Series and ICC Champions Trophy.

Will Collinson, doctor Head of Marketing at the England and Wales Cricket Board, erectile said: “freud communications’ proven pedigree will help us develop the brand promise of t20 cricket – ‘Something Completely Different’ – and continue to raise the profile of this unique and accessible competition.”

A spokesperson for freud communications said: “We’re delighted about the prospect of working with the ECB and promoting one of cricket’s most entertaining, action-packed and fun competitions. Cricket will be at the forefront of the sporting agenda next summer and we will look to capitalize upon that.”

The Friends Life t20 competition begins on Wednesday 26 June.

The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) has reportedly chosen a candidate for CEO who will be announced within days.

A meeting of all eight commissioners is understood to have been scheduled for Tuesday to confirm the appointment of a replacement for David Gallop.

Racing New South Wales boss, Peter V’landys and ARLC interim CEO, Shane Mattiske have both been linked with the role.{jcomments on}

 

With only a few days to go until the Olympic Games in London, iSportconnect is proud to announce the release of our Olympic Special E-magazine, in association with Havas Sports & Entertainment with Sir Craig Reedie headlining the piece.

Accompanying the main feature will be other major articles with Dr Ching-Kuo Wu (President, International Boxing Association), Dr Kang Young Joong (President, World Badminton Federation) and Tim Reddish (Chairman, British Paralympics). 

In addition, Pippa Collett, (Vice Chair, European Sponsorship Association), Gordon Lott (Head of Olympic Marketing and Group Sponsorship), Marzena Bogdanowicz, Anthony Temple (President, GB Pentathlon) have all chipped in and written ‘expert columns’ for the publication.

The E-mag also wraps up all the big news stories and sponsorship deals from the Games, making the iSportconnect Olympic Special E-magazine your one place to go for all things London2012.

Click here to go to the eMagazine