As per a survey conducted by KPMG golf participation in Europe has changed since a few years now.

Europe’s golf market had experienced a significant growth in both demand and supply since the 1980s. The number of golfers had more than tripled in the last 25 years, doctor and golf course supply had doubled in the same period. While the number of registered players grew by 5% annually until 2005, research suggests that since then demand growth has slowed down in the second half of our decade to 1-2% per year

From 2000 to 2010, England and Wales have experienced a decrease in the number of golfers.

The leading countries in golf participation growth were Germany (+254,000 = 74% growth), the Netherlands (+204,000 = 146% growth) and Spain (+187,000= 124% growth).

The Czech Republic, despite having the most developed golf market in Eastern Europe, has experienced an 650% growth in the last 10 years, which was also significant in absolute terms: almost 40,000 new golfers have been registered in the country.

Golf demand and supply within Europe is concentrated in a relatively small number of countries. In fact, 92% of all golfers are located in only 10 countries, with the majority in the UK & Ireland. Similarly, the 10 countries with the largest golf course supply provide 90% of all golf courses in Europe.

Golf is especially popular in the Nordic countries, where participation rates are far higher than in the rest of Europe. This is paralleled with a well-established supply in Northern Europe, i.e. a lower number of inhabitants per golf course.

In most European countries, demand is dominated by male golfers. On average, 65% of all golfers are men, 25% are women and 10% are junior golfers. In the UK & Ireland, Europe’s largest golf market, three-quarters of the players are male. In terms of female golfers, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Benelux are the leaders. In these countries, female participation is above 30%. Germany and the Netherlands are also in the top fi ve in absolute terms, with 209,000 and 110,000 female golfers, respectively.

In Turkey an extensive youth program, the ‘Golf Junior League’ initiative, proved so successful that in the last three years over 2,000 junior golfers were registered in the country.

Although participation growth in Europe has already started slowing down from 2005 onwards, last year there was in fact a 4% decrease in the number of golfers in Europe’s largest golf market, the UK & Ireland, and eight other countries have experienced a decrease in participation. This suggests significant efforts are needed in order to maintain and further grow participation in the game. Increasing media attention and the popularization of a new breed of ‘golf celebrity’ are all important in raising interest in the game. Young Tour stars, including Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell and the Molinari brothers, Francesco and Eduardo, are bringing a fresh, reinvigorated outlook to the professional game, which is also being supported by the inclusion of golf in the Olympics.

Governments, tourism bodies, as well as golf federations and associations have a crucial role in encouraging the industry to join forces, for the good of the game. The potential for educating the youth, promoting the game among the female population, and making golf a ‘family activity’, has been recognized by many. However, only a few stakeholders have, in fact, taken action, and the industry is still missing the structured programs required to generate participation to the game.

National Hockey League’s (NHL) Columbus Blue Jackets announced today a new multi-year partnership with Skyview Networks to serve as official radio network provider.

With Skyview, mind the franchise aims to streamline its broadcasts by using one platform, AdView Inventory Management, to schedule and track all advertisers in its play-by-play broadcast and coach’s show.

“We’re very excited to be entering into this partnership with Skyview Networks and we look forward to a long, successful relationship with one of the country’s most dynamic sports broadcasting companies,” said Russ Mollohan, Director of Broadcasting for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The franchise will utilize Skyview’s latest software release for inventory management: AdView. The application is web-based, allowing real time access to commercial logs from anywhere an internet connection is available. Now the franchise will be able to manage its play-by-play and ancillary programming in one complete system. Other features include automatic system updates, auto-rotation of advertisers for contract fulfillment, and immediate generation of affidavits, quickening the receivables process.

“We are proud to partner with the Blue Jackets and pleased to welcome the team to our family of NHL partners,” said Matt Stys, vice president business development for Skyview Networks. “We feel our package of services will provide a high quality broadcast to its network affiliates. We look forward to working closely with the franchise and to the Blue Jackets season.”

Windsor (Ontario, sale Canada) will host the 2016 FINA World Swimming Championships (25m), ed FINA Bureau have announced. 

The Canadian location beat out competition from Hong Kong (Hong Kong, drugs China), Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) and Ashgabat (Turkmenistan).

“I warmly congratulate the city of Windsor, the Aquatic Federation of Canada and Swimming Canada! I am sure we will have a great FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in 2016,” declared FINA President Dr. Julio C. Maglione, when announcing the decision of the Bureau.

This news was enthusiastically received by the Mayor of Windsor, Eddie Francis, present in Istanbul to introduce its city bid. “We are aware of the FINA strength in the world of sports and this fantastic outcome will help transform our city and strengthen our passion for sport”, stated Mr. Francis. “When the world comes to Windsor for these championships, all the visitors will be positively surprised by the vitality of our city and region, the diversity of her communities and her generous hospitality. These characteristics were essential in our successfully bid and will serve us well as we get ready to host a great World Championships in 2016,” he concluded.

Also thrilled with this result was Pierre Lafontaine, CEO of Swimming Canada. “We like to bring the world to us, and this will be a privileged occasion to have the best among the best in Canada. This kind of events truly inspires the country and its youth – and this was our main goal behind this bid”, said Lafontaine. “The energy and dynamism of Mayor Francis in creating this dream for his community was essential in this positive result. In terms of the impact for swimming in Canada, it will be also amazing,” he concluded.

Before the 2016 edition in Windsor, the 12th FINA World Swimming Championships, in 2014, will take place in the city of Doha (QAT).

News Corp. (NWS) is set to increase its presence in Australia’s subscription-television market after Consolidated Media Holdings Ltd. (CMJ.AU) shareholders approved its 1.94 billion Australian dollar (US$2.01 billion) bid for the company. 

The deal will see News Corp., owner of The Wall Street Journal, double its stake in Australian subscription-TV provider Foxtel to 50%, and gain full ownership of sports-channel Fox Sports. Australia’s largest telephone company Telstra Corp. (TLS.AU) owns the remaining 50% of Foxtel.

The deal has to go to Australia’s Federal Court for approval on Friday, something investors see as a formality, before being completed on November 19.

Foxtel and Fox Sports are to be included, along with News Corp.’s Australian newspaper assets, in the company’s publishing arm–which is being split from the entertainment businesses that is to include other broadcasting networks, as well as film and TV production studios.

Foxtel, which last reported A$2.2 billion in annual revenue, will be an important earner for the publishing business at a time when newspaper readership is declining as consumers switch to digital platforms.

Angus Gluskie, managing director of fund manager White Funds Management, which holds News Corp. shares, said he looked forward to Foxtel’s inclusion in the publishing business.

“It’s important for them (News Corp.) to have a very dominant offering across that media space,” he said.

Foxtel is Australia’s largest subscription-TV provider and earlier this year bought rival Austar in a deal valued at A$2.5 billion.

Foxtel had 2.3 million households signed up to its service as of June 30 in a country where pay-TV penetration is only 26%, according to Citigroup research–well behind countries like the U.S. and Germany.

News Corp.’s Australian arm, News Ltd., said in a statement Wednesday that it welcomed the vote by Consolidated Media shareholders to support the takeover.

There was little doubt about the outcome given Consolidated Media’s two largest shareholders already backed the deal. James Packer’s Consolidated Press Holdings Ltd. owns 50.1 of Consolidated Media, while Seven Group Holdings Ltd. (SVW.AU), owned by fellow billionaire Kerry Stokes, has 25%.

The deal follows a A$3.45-a-share bid by News Corp. for Consolidated Media in September, lower than an original non-binding proposal of A$3.50 made in June. Consolidated Media’s shares closed at A$3.43 in Sydney on Wednesday, while News Corp. ended up 0.3% at A$23.66.

While Consolidated Press Holdings was an early supporter of the takeover, Seven Group came on board only this month when the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, or ACCC, rejected its own proposal to take over the whole of the company.

The ACCC said at the time it was concerned about the impact on competition in the free-to-air TV market if Seven Group–which owns 33% of broadcaster Seven West Media Ltd. (SWM.AU)–took over Consolidated Media.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) have dished out severe penalties against Penn State’s football program Monday in the wake of the child sex-abuse scandal involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, ed whose abuses were covered up for years by top university officials.

The sanctions included a four-year postseason ban for the football team, a scholarship reduction from 25 to 15 for four years, a five-year probation for all Penn State sports, a $60-million fine and the vacating of all football wins from 1998 through 2011.

The fine will serve as an endowment to serve victims of child abuse nationwide, NCAA President Mark Emmert said when he announced the penalties at a press conference at NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis along with Ed Ray, chairman of the NCAA’s executive committee.

The NCAA’s actions are unprecedented in that Emmert received special approval from the NCAA’s Division I Board of Directors, which comprises college presidents and chancellors, to personally levy the penalties, a first in NCAA history for a president.

“This is a very distinct and very unique circumstance,” Emmert said.

By issuing the penalties in this way, Emmert and the NCAA bypassed the tedious and often years-long infractions process — forgoing a formal NCAA investigation into Penn State in favor of swift action.

Tthe sanctions are considered to be by far among the harshest the NCAA has handed down in its history and certainly among its harshest since issuing USC’s football team in 2010 a two-year postseason ban and the loss of 30 scholarships over three years.

Arsenal Holdings plc has announced the £26million sale of the Queensland Road development site to Barratt and London & Quadrant.

Work has been underway on the site next to the Emirates Stadium for the past year. When completed the £128m development will comprise three residential towers offering apartments ranging from studios to 1000 square foot penthouses. The development will also include two fitness suites, order a landscaped podium garden, commercial premises and a cafe. Sales are expected to launch in September.

The sale of the development, which will be reported in the 2012/13 financial results, was completed by the Club’s property arm, Ashburton Trading Ltd, who were represented by its property development partner Antony Spencer.

Arsenal Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis said: “This is another important milestone for our property business which has provided a consistent flow of income over recent years. This money has been an important factor at a time when we have been building our capability to drive commercial revenues. This is the last major property deal open to us although we have some smaller projects in the pipeline.”

Alastair Baird, Regional Managing Director Barratt London added: “We are delighted to be building this landmark development in conjunction with our partner L&Q. It will bring desperately needed high quality homes to the area and will form part of our expanding presence across London.”

Rugby in China has received another significant boost with the announcement that the International Rugby Board has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the city of Guangzhou in China and the Chinese Rugby Football Association (CRFA). 

The MOU is designed to jointly foster the Game and give structure to Rugby’s growth in the Guangzhou region with all parties giving their full commitment to making sure the Game goes from strength to strength in one of Rugby’s most exciting emerging markets.

With the national team taking part in the IRB Women’s Sevens Challenge Cup this weekend in London, medstore the Chinese authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to growing both men’s and women’s Rugby, generic particularly given the opportunities that now exist with the sport’s re-inclusion in the Olympic summer programme from 2016.

IRB Head of Development and Performance Mark Egan was in Guangzhou, pharm along with IRB Regional General Manager for Asia Jarrad Gallagher, to sign the MOU on behalf of the IRB and to hold extremely fruitful discussions that focused on the possibility of staging future international Rugby tournaments in the city and also the development of Rugby in the city’s schools and universities.

“With over 80 per cent of the world’s youth, the IRB has identified the Asia region as being a key growth area for Rugby and the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding is another step forward in that regard. Guangzhou is set to become a centre of excellence and a genuine hub for the sport in China,” said Egan.

“The IRB’s commitment via the MOU is to support the development of the Game in the region through the introduction of grass roots programmes in schools and universities, delivering extensive training and education programmes for coaches and referees and promoting the establishment of both domestic and international Rugby events in the Guangzhou area.”

“An independent study highlights an 18 per cent increase in participation rates in Asia since Rugby World Cup 2007. The reasons for that growth have been attributed to the growing profile and success of Rugby World Cup, the IRB’s investment strategy and also Rugby’s re-introduction into the Olympic Games from 2016.”

“The IRB is investing approximately £9 million into the development of Rugby in Asia between 2009 and 2012, a region where men’s and women’s Fifteens and Sevens is going from strength to strength. We have already witnessed a significant uplift in China where Rugby Sevens will be included in the China National Games for the first time in 2013 and where the Asian Games Rugby Sevens event held in Guangzhou in 2010 attracted a capacity 30,000 crowd.”

“With Rugby World Cup 2019 set to be staged in Asia for the first time, the Game in China is set to benefit from that boost in profile.”

The IRB delegation, led by Egan, visited a number of venues in the city, including V Tianhe Stadium and Kangwei Stadium (Zengcheng), as well as schools, universities and the site of the proposed Rugby training centre. There will be a number of follow-up visits in the coming months to lend further support and to assess progress.

Manchester United are in the midst of creating its own branded global social network and media outlet, recipe after employing SapientNitro as its digital agency, ambulance to handle its digital strategy, discount digital marketing communications and online experience.

The Premier League-winning side aim on targeting its international base of an estimated 350 million supporters.

The agency will help to design and build a digital platform that will provide a network for Manchester United fans worldwide, rolling out in stages over the next two years.

The club has identified a target of more than 500m fans, after research agency TNS estimated a potential global audience of 660m with an allegiance to the club. The Manchester United Facebook page has attracted 20m fans in the year since it launched.

The platform will host multimedia content and offer advertising and sponsorship opportunities for brands. It will also sell items such as club merchandise through an ecommerce function.

The aim is to drive engagement with the club’s fans and tap into Asian markets, where Manchester United has a strong following and smartphone use is growing rapidly.

The club will offer fans exclusive content, such as videos featuring star players, and content from TV channel MUTV.

Manchester United won last year’s Premier League title and finished as runner-up in the 2011 Champions League, losing to Barcelona in the final at Wembley.

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has denied reports it offered to play a charity match in Pakistan to raise funds for victims of the country’s floods.

An official of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had said the New Zealand team had offered to help the flood victims and may be touring Pakistan to play exhibition matches, with the funds raised going to the affected.

But although NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan said he had contacted the PCB saying cricket as a whole should be a part of the relief effort, he said playing in Pakistan was not an option due to security fears.

Vaughan said: “At no point did we offer that the Black Caps would be touring as they certainly won’t be playing there this year.

“It would be nice to think that in a cricket-loving country such as Pakistan that cricket could play a part in alleviating some of the suffering that is going on there.

“But at this point in time there is no way anyone can consider putting a cricket team into Pakistan to play.

“If anything, the security risk will be greater now than at any other time so I don’t see the Black Caps going to Pakistan in the short term.

“But if there are ways to help the people of Pakistan, the cricketing community should be doing everything to help.”