Phizzle Inc., a leading technology provider of advanced mobile marketing products and digital advertising solutions, today announced an agreement with the Columbus Blue Jackets to power its mobile marketing initiatives. 

Together, Phizzle and the Blue Jackets will create campaigns designed to provide fans greater opportunities to connect with the team while providing corporate partners the ability to enhance their marketing initiatives. Making mobile an instrumental aspect of the live event experience, Phizzle is providing the Columbus Blue Jackets with data-driven tools that engage sports fans across multiple communication channels, including text message, QR codes, mobile Web, social media and more.

Phizzle’s proprietary technology, Broadcaster iX can produce real-time, interactive HD graphics for the Columbus Blue Jackets’ home games, enabling fans at Nationwide Arena to interact with the team and corporate sponsors via their mobile phones and the digital scoreboards. A variety of text messaging campaigns (pre, during, post-event), can be activated to provide a fun, exciting and participatory audience experience including alerts, Text-2-Win promotions, Text-2-Vote polls, and Text-2-Screen contests.

Phizzle’s innovative mobile communications platform combines powerful functionality with an easy to use interface, enabling our extensive client roster comprised of major sports teams to effectively engage and foster deeper relationships with their fans, sponsors and community members. Phizzle’s technology allows the Columbus Blue Jackets to instantly add fans to its database by having them engage via their mobile device by either texting GOCBJ to 90561 or by visiting BlueJackets.com/CBJTextAlerts.

“We are extremely fortunate to partner with the Columbus Blue Jackets,” said Ben Davis, CEO of Phizzle. “The Blue Jackets are committed to providing a comprehensive digital marketing strategy to effectively increase fan participation. Phizzle’s technology is the perfect solution to deepen that relationship.”

“Phizzle is a natural partner for a professional sports team like the Columbus Blue Jackets,” said Marc Gregory, Vice President of Digital Marketing and Media with the Columbus Blue Jackets. “We are excited to be using Phizzle’s mobile marketing tools to offer our fans the opportunity to interact with the team.”

Phizzle recently announced partnerships with a number of NBA teams including Phoenix Suns, Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets.

BSkyB and BT have paid the price for buying Premier League rights for a record price of £3billion by shares being reduced for both media companies.

BSkyB shares dropped more than 7 per cent, wiping £764million from its market value, and BT was nearly 3 per cent lower as investors got their first chance to react  to last night’s deal for domestic live TV rights for three seasons from 2013/14.

Satellite broadcaster BSkyB said it would offset the higher price through savings elsewhere in the business, although its reassurances failed to prevent the shares slide.

The long-term Premier League partner paid £2.28billion to secure the rights to show 116 games a season and newcomer BT forked out £738million to gain a 38-game-a-season foothold.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore yesterday admitted he was surprised by the final total.

He said the thrilling climax to last season, when Manchester City won the title on the final day, was a significant factor in the recession-busting 70 per cent increase.

The new deal will extend Sky’s relationship with the Premier League to 24 years, while the football governing body is breaking new ground with BT.

BT will launch its own ‘football-focused channel’ through BT Vision, which will offer new interactive features, but they will look to make it available on other platforms.

Sky’s five packages cover matches on Saturday evenings, Sunday lunchtimes, Sunday afternoons and Monday evenings.

BT has bought the rights to matches that kick off at 12.45pm on a Saturday and for bank holiday and midweek games.

Shares in BSkyB were down 47.75p at 647.75p while BT’s stock was 6.1p lower at 203p in mid-morning trading.

Gloucestershire Cricket Club’s £10 million ($15.35m) redevelopment plans have been denied by council planners.

Members of Bristol City Council’s planning committee refused the application to expand the 122-year-old club’s Nevil Road ground after a lengthy debate last night.

The decision by six votes to four means Bristol will not be able to host international cricket in the future and has opened up the realistic possibility the club itself may leave the city.

The plans were thrown out not because of the expansion of the ground itself – up to a maximum capacity of 17, anabolics 500 seats – but rather the tower block of 147 flats that would help pay for it. Opponents said that at seven stories it was too big, anesthetist lacked sufficient parking and would be harmful to a conservation area.

The other major sticking point was a failure to agree a planning deal to pay for local improvement projects. Rather than providing the required £4.4 million ($6.75m) of contributions towards education, green space, libraries and health the club’s developer was offering just £83,000 ($127,311).

The scheme also failed to provide a single affordable home, with the club claiming it would make the development “financially unviable”.

Speaking after the meeting, residents said they were not anti-cricket and would welcome the club coming back with a smaller-scale proposal.

The club now has the option of submitting revised plans, appealing the decision, or walking away.

Last night chief executive Tom Richardson said: “We’re extremely disappointed with the verdict. We will sleep on the decision.”

Mr Richardson told councillors the club needed to expand.

He said: “What happens if we do not develop? We would lose international cricket. It would be extremely difficult for the club financially. As a major sporting institution we would be on a clear downward path.

“As a consequence, the club would have to consider relocating out of the city.”

Alison Orton, of residents group Howzat?, said: “We are not a Nimby organisation and we are not against the redevelopment of the club but we firmly reject this scheme, as it would be too big. The crucial issue is the enabling development – a block of flats that would rise seven storeys.”

The plan was rejected on the grounds it was too big, failed to meet council guidelines on sustainability, and lacked enough money for a planning deal, known as a section 106 agreement, towards improvements to education and green spaces.

Speaking after the decision, resident Daniella Radice said: “Everyone agreed the scale was too big.

“The cricket club could come back with a better option. We’re definitely not anti-cricket.”

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has paid 45 percent of the outstanding salaries owed to Sri Lankan cricketers from their participation in ICC World Cup 2011.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmed that the ICC paid $2 million, a part of the due 25 percent of the country’s participation fee for the last world cup, Xinhua reported.

U. R. Senaviratna, the secretary of the Sports Ministry said that the ICC paid part of cricketers salary directly to their accounts without going through the SLC.

“The payment of USD 2 million made by the ICC was due to be paid to SLC for hosting some matches of the last world cup,” Senaviratna told Xinhua.

SLC has assisted the ICC has provided payment by providing bank account details of each player and the relevant amounts owed to them. Instead of allowing the island’s crisis-ridden cricket administration to pay the cricketers, the ICC chose to pay the cricketers directly.

The cricketers and staff were left without wages for nine months as a result of an unprecedented financial crisis following co-hosting the World Cup earlier this year.

SLC ran into financial crisis after running up debts of $32.5 million to finance the building of two international stadia and to renovate a stadium in Colombo, for the mega event.

The three stadia had been handed over to the military as SLC was unable to maintain them.

As part of its Olympic Torch marketing activity, Coca-Cola has launched a new cinema advertising campaign featuring an up-and-coming British actor running with a torch across the UK.

Created by advertising agency Mother, the ad features the young actor Thomas Turgoose (This is England) running with a flaming torch, inspiring young people he passes to: “Nominate a friend and give them the chance to run with the Olympic torch.”

The aim of the campaign is to create excitement about the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, celebrating the role young people play in society and encouraging people to nominate a ‘Future Flame’.

Coke launched its ‘Future Flames’ campaign this month by showcasing a live music event in London, featuring appearances by Dizzee Rascal and Eliza Doolittle.

The Olympic Torch Relay kicks off in May next year and the route covers 8,000 miles across the UK.

Major League Soccer (MLS) team New England Revolution and Portuguese giants Sporting Clube de Portugal, also known as Sporting CP, announced Wednesday that they have entered a multiple-year strategic partnership which will result in shared expertise, benefit and promotion for each club. 

Revolution president Brian Bilello and general manager Michael Burns were in Lisbon on Wednesday for the formal announcement and said they are delighted with the agreement that marks the MLS side’s first international club partnership.

“We’re very excited to partner with a club with such history and prestige as Sporting Clube de Portugal,” Bilello said in a statement released by New England. “The opportunity to not only partner on activities to improve our first team, but also to work with their prestigious academy on youth development, will benefit our club for many years. We will also assist Sporting in their efforts to explore opportunities to increase Sporting’s reach within the United States, both on and off the field.”

“Sporting has been one of the most consistent and successful programs in Europe, and we’re looking forward to working with their staff to share best practices, player talent and scouting resources,” Burns said in the same statement. “Both clubs have been recognized for our youth development programs, and we’re anticipating a tremendous shared benefit by this partnership.”

Sunil Gulati will remain President of the U.S. Soccer Federation it was unainimously agreed on Saturday.

Gulati, ampoule who ran unopposed in the election, erectile enters his third four-year term after having served as U.S. Soccer’s President since 2006.

“I’m honored to be granted the opportunity to serve our membership as President of the U.S. Soccer Federation, prostate ” said Gulati. “Over the years, soccer has made numerous strides in the U.S. and we are excited by the sport’s boundless potential for growth in the future. I’m looking forward to being part of soccer’s bright future on all levels throughout the country.”

A native of Allahabad, India, Gulati has more than 30 years of experience at all levels of soccer in the United States and has helped the sport rise to new heights. During the past four years as President, Gulati has continued his mission of improving soccer in the United States by taking an active approach on improving the structure and development of the sport in the country, while also reaching out to broaden the organization’s relationships within the international community.

Last April, Gulati was also elected to the FIFA Executive Committee and is serving a four-year term as one of three representatives from the Confederation that encompasses North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

In other news at Saturday’s National Council meeting, Merritt Paulson and Arthur Mattson were elected as new members of U.S. Soccer’s Board of Directors. Paulson replaced Kevin Payne, while Mattson replaced Richard Groff. Donna Shalala was also re-elected as an Independent Director, while Rocco Amoroso and Francisco Marcos were voted as Life Members.

Following a tender process for the TV and marketing rights to the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) has appointed ABC Communication as promoter for this Championship.

The French Agency, which has been promoting the FIM Enduro World Championship since 2004, will be promoting the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship until 2015.

FIM President Vito Ippolito congratulated ABC Communication: “The FIM is very happy to entrust the promotion of the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship to ABC Communication. We are confident that ABC Communication will draw on  its expertise, professionalism and passion for Enduro to make this Indoor version of the discipline a success.”  

Alain Blanchard, ABC Communication Director,  also welcomed the appointment: “We are very proud that the FIM has decided to entrust us with the promotion of SuperEnduro. It is an expression of confidence in ABC Communication and recognition for the work done by our agency with the FIM Enduro World Championship since 2004.  Promoting two Enduro Championships will enable us to have an overview of the discipline in terms of sport, promotion and media. ABC Communication plans to work with local organisers, who have already done an enormous amount of groundwork, and be guided by their experience. It is a big challenge but we are not short of ideas on how to give a further boost to the development of SuperEnduro.” 

The next edition of the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship will take place from 1 November 2012 to 31 March 2013.

British Handball have slammed London 2012 organisers after they disapproved of changing the name of the Handball Arena to the Copper Box

The world’s leading nations will battle for precious Olympic gold, silver and bronze medals in the 7,000-seater venue at this year’s Games but copper it seems is not to the taste of British handball’s governing body.

“We deserve to have all our good work in developing the sport recognised by the authorities by not giving the venue a generic title which does nothing to reflect its usage,” British Handball chief executive Paul Goodwin said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Why have they not renamed other facilities in a similar vein? Perhaps the Olympic Velodrome will be called ‘the big round wooden building’ or the basketball arena renamed ‘the marshmallow’?”.

The Copper Box, which features 3,000 square metres of copper cladding and multi-coloured interior, was completed in May. It will host the handball competition until the semi-finals before it switches to the basketball venue.

It will also be used for the fencing element of the modern pentathlon and the Paralympic sport of Goalball before reverting to a multi-use venue following the Games.

Britain Handball have been battling to increase awareness of the sport which is marginal in the country but hugely popular elsewhere in Europe and around the world.

“Retaining the name of the sport in the title of the venue is important to us,” Goodwin added. “The Olympics has given handball a great opportunity to grow in popularity and all the indications are that we are achieving that.”

A recent study by Sport England said there had been a six-fold increase in British children being introduced to handball in the last three years.

Britain have been given a wildcard into the Olympic handball tournament due to their hosting of the tournament.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has risen to Number 19 in the annual list of the “50 Most Influential People in Sports Business” published by Sports Business Journal (SBJ).

The Swiss’ ranking is up two places from the 2010 list despite the corruption scandals which have engulfed FIFA this calendar year and seen the association tarnished by accusations of bribery, in both World Cup bids and the presidential race, and Blatter himself accused of racism, ultimately leading to calls for him to resign.

The FIFA President’s rise in the SBJ list is probably indebted to the TV deals brokered by association for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, in Russia and Quatar respectively, which will secure $1.85 billion, predominantly from the networks Fox and Telemundo. It is likely that the plan to reform and “clean up” the 107-year-old association by 2013 in response to the recent unrest appeased any sceptics.

There were only two other contributors to the top twenty from the world of football – Robert Kraft, owner of the MLS side New England Revolution (eighth), and Tim Leiweke, AEG president and Chief of MLS Champions LA Galaxy (eleventh).