Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) announced today that Rugby World Cup 2011 was watched by more young people and females than any previous tournament, with a total increase of 60 per cent in hours viewed making it the most broadcast Rugby World Cup ever.

Rugby’s showcase event, hosted last year in New Zealand, recorded impressive overall broadcast figures as a cumulative audience of 3.9 billion in 750 million households across 207 territories were able to tune in to watch the most competitive tournament to date.

Significantly, viewership amongst the five-45 year age group increased by six per cent from 2007, while the audience gender spilt narrowed with females accounting for 45 per cent, up from 25 per cent for Rugby World Cup 1995.

The announcement is a further boost for a tournament that exceeded all commercial, ticketing and visitor projections as New Zealand’s stadium of four million welcomed the world with open arms to an exceptional event on and off the field. It is also a strong endorsement of SKY New Zealand’s exceptional production standards and commitment to delivering a broadcast spectacle.

RWCL Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: “We are delighted with these figures, which are an endorsement of the strong Rugby World Cup brand, our broadcast strategy comprising both free-to-air and satellite run in partnership with IMG, increased competitiveness on the field and a memorable and ultimately successful Rugby World Cup 2011. They also underscore the IRB’s mission to reach out to new and emerging markets such as USA, Brazil, Russia, China, India and Mexico, and grow Rugby beyond its traditional strongholds.”

“Rugby World Cup continues to go from strength to strength, reaching out to more men, women and children in new and existing Rugby markets around the world. Central to this growth has been a broadcast strategy that grows the profile and prestige of the RWC brand, while delivering strong revenues for the IRB to reinvest in the development of the Game worldwide. Approximately 60 per cent of RWC revenues are generated by broadcast.”

“We are in a highly-competitive sports and entertainment market and therefore it is particularly pleasing to see the average viewing age decreasing in line with our decision to fully embrace digital and social media platforms to engage with new fans and promote the tournament and Rugby worldwide.”

The expansion of hours viewed by 60 per cent from France 2007 reflects the ever diversifying methods of engaging with the tournament through on-demand, news access and digital platforms, including RWCL’s own daily digital highlights package that was available online and via the official tournament App, downloaded more than 3.5 million times.

The RWC 2011 Final was the most watched event in New Zealand TV history, attracting an incredible 98 per cent audience share. In France, the Final attracted the largest television audience for the calendar year with an average of 13.4 million viewers, a peak of 18.1 million and an audience share of 82 per cent despite the early kick-off in France. 73 per cent of France’s total population of 63 million people watched at least 15 minutes of RWC 2011 action.

In Australia, Fox Sport recorded the highest ever RWC Pay TV audience for the New Zealand v Australia semi-final, while in the UK the Wales v France semi-final recorded a 5.2 million audience average. The peak audience was recorded at 7.6 million for the England v Scotland quarter-final.

Mirroring Rugby’s continued penetration into emerging and new markets, Rugby World Cup 2011 saw increased audiences in Africa where the audience has grown by 250 per cent since 2007, in the Americas which increased by 56 per cent and 25 per cent in Asia where participation has also increased 18 per cent since Rugby World Cup 2007. Japan’s cumulative audience was just under 25 million as the country prepares to host the first ever Rugby World Cup in Asia in 2019.

Attention now turns to Rugby World Cup 2015 in England, which will be host broadcast by ITV, and a tournament that is poised to set new ticketing and attendance records. With Rugby breaking new broadcast territories, unprecedented interest in the sport and diversification of viewing trends across existing and new media platforms, the showcase tournament also looks set to reach out to more people through its broadcast platform.

England Rugby 2015 Chief Executive Paul Vaughan said: “It is great to see interest in the Game continually growing and these viewing figures highlight that Rugby is a sport that appeals to men and women of all ages. New Zealand put on a fantastic tournament and as we continue to build momentum ahead of the next Rugby World Cup in England in 2015 we will look to take advantage of the changing media landscape in order to connect with a growing audience and drive interest and excitement.”

With Bonfire night fast approaching, Man City’s controversial striker Mario Balotelli is the unlikely star in a firework safety campaign days after one was set off in his house leading to a fire.

Balotelli had to take evasive action to escape the blaze at his £3million ($4.8m) rented house the day before Manchester City’s dominating win at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Fire crews and police rushed to Balotelli’s five-bedroomed home in a select area of Cheshire after a blaze started when fireworks were let off in the bathroom at 1am on Saturday morning.

Reports have sugested Balotelli told club officials that he and four friends had been letting off fireworks through an open window at the house.

Bathroom towels were set on fire and the blaze spread but Balotelli has insisted that he did not cause the fire and that the offending firework was let off by his friends.

But this incident did not put him off from agreeing to front a safety campaign warning children of the dangers of fireworks ahead of the annual British festival of Guy Fawkes night on November 5.

“The newspapers got the story wrong about me and the fire at my house,” Balotelli was quoted by the Daily Mail as saying on Tuesday.

“I didn’t set any fireworks off, it was a friend of mine. I didn’t know anything about it until I heard the shouting coming from the bathroom.

“Luckily, nobody was injured, and my friend apologised to me for the damage to my house. It was a really stupid thing for him to do, someone could have been really hurt, and I was really, really angry with him about it.

“It is important message that children should not mess with fireworks. They can be very dangerous if they are not used in the right way. People should follow the firework code.”

Lotus Racing has announced that they are to return to their famous black and gold colour scheme of the 90’s for the 2011 F1 season.

Despite a dark cloud surrounding Tony Fernendes’s squad over naming rights for the team in 2011, they are pushing ahead with their plans and will run both cars under the same colour scheme of the John Player Special cars which will evoke so many memories.

To bring the fans even closer to the team in its second season Head of Marketing Silvi Schaumloeffel today explained how the 2011 livery will be designed: “We have worked all year to make sure our fans are given unprecedented access to our team. We are all very excited about the move to a black and gold paint scheme for next season, and we want our fans to help us design the livery that will be racing around the world next year. We will shortly be announcing exactly how the fans can take part in our design process. The person who designs the livery we finally choose will be joining us at our first test next year to see the car out on track for the very first time, so for Lotus and F1™ fans it is the chance of a lifetime to help us take the next step forward in our amazing story in 2011.”

Riad Asmat, Lotus Racing Chief Executive, added his thoughts on the next step in the Lotus Racing story: “When we first unveiled our 2010 car there was unanimous praise for our decision to bring the historic green and yellow livery back to the modern F1 grid. I know the return to the track of the legendary black and gold will be met with even more universal support as it strikes such an emotional chord with fans around the world. Giving those fans the chance to help us bring it back to the contemporary grid is true to our core belief of putting our supporters right at the heart of Lotus Racing – we can’t wait to show the world what we come up with!”

Premier motorsport body NASCAR have announced two new appointments today which they see as critical to their growth.

Peter Jung joins NASCAR as Senior Director of Growth Segment Marketing, abortion reporting into Managing Director of Brand and Consumer Marketing Kenny Mitchell. Jung, salve most recently from MasterCard International, allergy served as vice president of global consumer marketing, responsible for youth segment strategies and programs designed to drive a greater preference for the MasterCard brand. In this role, he oversaw the delivery of global consumer insights, innovation and marketing plans that supported youth segment priorities in the U.S. and several international markets. 

Jung led the launch of core consumer marketing platforms Priceless Surprises and Priceless Music, targeting millennials and other multicultural segments. He joined MasterCard in 2004 and has also held positions in partner marketing, strategy and planning. Jung graduated from the University of Dayton with a BA in Marketing and Communications. 

Nicole Smith will serve as Director of Growth Segment Marketing at NASCAR, reporting directly to Jung. Smith joins NASCAR from her most recent post at the San Diego Padres, where she served as Director of Brand Development. At the Padres, Smith was responsible for leading all marketing and branding activities with a focus on growing sales and attendance among key demographics including youth and multicultural segments. 

Smith previously worked at Hewlett-Packard where she explored international business models and the impact of digital innovation, and The Walt Disney Company, where she focused on marketing and branding initiatives. Smith holds a B.A. from UCLA and an MBA from the University of Michigan. 

“We are thrilled to welcome two new talented members to the NASCAR team,” said Vice President of Marketing Kim Brink. “Peter’s extensive background in global consumer marketing will provide further momentum for our ongoing marketing initiatives. In addition, Nicole will contribute invaluable expertise that will propel our millennial and youth outreach efforts forward.” 

Jung and Smith will be based in Daytona and begin work at NASCAR on April 22.

ExteNet Systems, site Inc., capsule a leader in providing distributed networks for the wireless industry, today announced that it has been named the Official Arena Wireless Network Provider of the American Hockey League (AHL).

This deal comes on the heels of a similar agreement ExteNet signed last week with AEG Worldwide facilities.

ExteNet will work with AHL teams and venues to create opportunities to design, build, own and operate distributed networks in AHL arenas to enable 3G, 4G LTE and Wi-Fi based wireless services. ExteNet’s wireless solution for the AHL also includes a mobile application platform called “Go Beyond Live,” developed in conjunction with Wireless Fan Network (WFN) specifically for sports and entertainment facilities and owners. Go Beyond Live enhances in-venue experience via a portfolio of value-added applications including mobile ordering for arena concessionaries and merchandise and enhanced mobile video service delivery.

“ExteNet Systems has significantly enhanced the fan experience via their advanced wireless networks at many prominent facilities,” said Chris Nikolis, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Business development for the American Hockey League. “This is a win-win for the AHL and our teams because connecting with our existing fans, attracting new fans and delivering the best in-arena experience are priorities for all 30 member clubs.”

“Our work with prestigious sports and entertainment facilities like the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, home to the AHL’s Providence Bruins, and the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn are great examples of how enhanced mobile connectivity at venues can help attract fans to those venues, enable mobile applications, enhance the overall fan experience, and facilitate new revenue-generating opportunities,” said Jon Davis, Vice President of Business Development for ExteNet. “We, and WFN, are honored to be selected by the AHL to assist in this exciting opportunity to provide an enhanced wireless experience to the AHL teams and their fans.”

The Monster Energy World Speedway Invitational, the biggest speedway event to take place in America in decades has been confirmed.

A host of FIM Speedway Grand Prix stars past and present descend on California on December 29 for the event.

The meeting will feature American legend and double world champion Greg Hancock. He will be joined by 2010 SGP champ Tomasz Gollob and the USA’s 1996 world champ Billy Hamill. Grand Prix trio Emil Sayfutdinov, Antonio Lindback and Freddie Lindgren will also be amount the favourites.

Record seven-time British champion Scott Nicholls, 2011 World Under-21 champion Maciej Janowski, Team GB international Edward Kennett and American racer Ricky Wells are also set to appear.

Billy Janniro, Tyson Burmeister, Bryan Yarrow, Charlie Venegas, Gino Manzares and Jimmy Fishback will also fly the American flag.

The City of Industry’s indoor Grand Arena will host the action on a tight and technical, eighth-mile track, giving the SGP big guns half the shale they are used to competing on in the World Championship.

Industry Racing track director Kelly Inman is delighted to host such a prestigious line-up.

He said: “Speedway is experiencing a resurgence in the US. The significance of this event for speedway racing in this country is incredible as these are the best riders in the world.

“This is a one-of-a-kind chance for fans to be introduced to a new calibre and level of racing like they’ve never seen before. The same can be said for the American competitors, who wouldn’t otherwise get a chance to race against their European counterparts.”

Bruce Stjernstrom, vice president of sports marketing for Monster Energy, said: “To invite a number of the world’s best speedway riders – many who won GPs in the 2012 FIM Speedway Grand Prix series – to the United States and have them line-up against a host of highly competitive racers from America is unprecedented.

“Speedway racing is really a global sport, with its largest fan base residing throughout Europe. However, the sport’s roots are very rich in Southern California, as well, which is why we made the decision to hold such a prestigious event here.”

Chicago Bears Head Coach, cure Lovie Smith, will now be represented by IMG after signing a deal with the sports, media and fashion company.

In addition, Matt Smith will also join IMG as a client manager in the Coaches division.

In making the announcement, IMG Senior Corporate Vice President and Head of IMG Clients, Sandy Montag, said, “We are thrilled that both Lovie and Matt are joining the IMG family.  I am also pleased that Matt has decided to join the company as an employee in our Coaches division.  I believe he will make a fantastic addition to our team.”

In his new role at IMG, Matt Smith will be based in Chicago, working as a client manager in the IMG Coaches division with a focus on further developing the IMG Coaches business model.

Smith, 54, has been the Head Coach of the NFL Chicago Bears football team since 2004.  Under his leadership as head coach, the Bears record and caliber of play has steadily improved.   Prior to becoming Bears Head Coach, Smith served as defensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams under head coach Mike Martz. While in St. Louis, Smith improved the Rams defense, which went from giving up a league-worst 29.4 points per game in 2000 to an average of 17.1 points in 2001. The Rams won the 2001 NFC Championship and advanced to Super Bowl XXXVI.  Smith began his professional coaching career as a linebacker coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

UEFA president Michel Platini has suggested a radical new plan for Euro 2020 by spreading across 12 or 13 cities around Europe, rather than being staged in just one or two countries,  said on Saturday.

“The Euros in 2020 could be held all over Europe,” Platini told a news conference.

“You could have one country with 12 host cities, or we could have it in 12 or 13 cities all over Europe. It is just an idea, but in these days of cheap air travel anything is possible.

“The majority of the executive committee thinks it’s a good idea and says we should really have a good think about this.

“We are going to have a meeting with all of our national federations coming up to December and in Decemeber or January we’re are going to make a decision.”

Turkey had been favourite to host the event in eight years’ time but their bid has been complicated by Istanbul’s campaign to also host the Olympic Games in the same year.

Platini said the idea for a multi-country Euros came to him “a while ago” and had been met with interest from his excecutive.

“It’s an idea I feel really passionate about, it will be a lot easier from a financial perspective for all the countries.

“If you need to build airports or 10 stadiums in a country, this would be rather easy because it would be one stadium per host city. That’s all we can say at the moment.

“We have not decided anything yet, but by January we will decide if we are going to have the Euros in one country or all over Europe.”

UEFA president Michel Platini has suggested a radical new plan for Euro 2020 by spreading across 12 or 13 cities around Europe, rather than being staged in just one or two countries,  said on Saturday.

“The Euros in 2020 could be held all over Europe,” Platini told a news conference.

“You could have one country with 12 host cities, or we could have it in 12 or 13 cities all over Europe. It is just an idea, but in these days of cheap air travel anything is possible.

“The majority of the executive committee thinks it’s a good idea and says we should really have a good think about this.

“We are going to have a meeting with all of our national federations coming up to December and in Decemeber or January we’re are going to make a decision.”

Turkey had been favourite to host the event in eight years’ time but their bid has been complicated by Istanbul’s campaign to also host the Olympic Games in the same year.

Platini said the idea for a multi-country Euros came to him “a while ago” and had been met with interest from his excecutive.

“It’s an idea I feel really passionate about, it will be a lot easier from a financial perspective for all the countries.

“If you need to build airports or 10 stadiums in a country, this would be rather easy because it would be one stadium per host city. That’s all we can say at the moment.

“We have not decided anything yet, but by January we will decide if we are going to have the Euros in one country or all over Europe.”

A Canadia Bank Overseas Cambodian Investment Corp.(OCIC) official said, despite rumors, Phnom Penh’s “iconic Olympic Stadium would not be lost to the city’s rapid development.”

The official was responding to questions about an online campaign launched to oppose the rumored construction plan. 

OCIC site engineer Meng Chamroeun said his company “would not cause any damage to Cambodian sporting heritage.”Meng said the OCIC was interested only in enhancing the “beauty of the stadium.”

Meng also said he couldn’t promise other companies would attempt to develop the site in the future. 

The National Olympic Committee of Cambodia building will have a state-of-the-art sports medicine and science centre as well as offices for the Paralympics Committee.{jcomments on}