Sports?Media rights group Perform has bought sports data company RunningBall for €120m (£93m), prostate the largest acquisition it has made since floating last year.

RunningBall produces real-time data coverage of sporting events – covering more than 35, here 000 events last year including over 30,000 football games around the world, by using a network of 1,100 scouts who key in information live from venues.

It had revenue of €16.1m and made a pre-tax profit of €7.2m for 2011, up 20 per cent and 75 per cent respectively from the previous year.

The Swiss-based company is still owned and run by its founder, IT entrepreneur Hans Thomas Gross.

The deal was well received by Perform’s investors yesterday, sending the company’s shares up seven per cent. Analysts at Numis also applauded the deal, which is the latest in a series of acquisitions that Perform has made in recent months.

“We could not have designed a better business for Perform to have acquired. Of the five key elements in digital sports, Perform already has market-leading positions in four, while RunningBall adds the fifth,” said Paul Richards at Numis.

Perform will pay an initial consideration of €20m cash and €50m in new Perform shares to Runningball, plus a deferred consideration of €31m-€50m depending on 2012 results.

Perform raised less than expected when it floated last April, but has been raising its profile ever since, and earlier this month said it was track to deliver forecast revenue and profits.

The inaugural European Speedway Cup has been postponed unitl 2013 following a disagreement over tv rights.

British representatives Poole Pirates and Eastbourne Eagles were left disappointed by the news as the Elite League’s top two were set to take on the Europe’s finest teams from Sweden and Denmark.

Fixture dates had been agreed but a disagreement over TV rights is thought to be behind the postponement.

“I suppose I should have seen this coming as the organisers have been quiet on the subject lately, but it still comes as a great blow to the club, its supporters and sponsors,” said Poole co-promoter Gordon Pairman.

“We had put the dates in our fixture list and even had TV coverage agreed with Sky Sports who do so much for British speedway, but sadly we’ve now got to face up to the fact that we will not be taking the club into Europe this year.”

Pairman added: “I have spoken with Eastbourne’s co-promoter Mike Bellerby and he is equally mystified as well as disappointed.

“He gathered that there has been some disagreement over the rights to these meetings, but frankly this should have been sorted out months ago.

“I know there has been some opposition and resistance to these meetings but my view is that if you’re not looking innovate then you are going backwards.”

by Ismail Uddin

The bidding process to use the London 2012 Olympic stadium after the Games has been re-instigated today with West Ham the favourites to become the tenants but the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) will consider a ground-share.

OPLC have confirmed they will accept a ground-share bid from a football and a rugby team, and that retaining the athletics track is non-negotiable.

The Liberty Stadium in Swansea, home to Swansea City and the Ospreys, is seen as a successful model of a ground-share scheme.

The OPLC will also be open to selling the naming rights on the stadium, with the tenants receiving a cut of the income.

The original deal for West Ham to take over the stadium collapsed in October due to legal challenges from Tottenham and Leyton Orient, and under the new process the OPLC will spend around £95million on converting the stadium to a 60,000-seat venue for the new tenants.

If the tenants want to have retractable seating over the running track, as West Ham are considering as part of their bid, they would have to cover those costs themselves.

The deadline for the bids is in March with a decision due in May, and the stadium reopened in 2014.

Olympics minister Hugh Robertson said: “The Government is committed to securing a legacy from the Olympic Stadium, and wants to see it re-opening in 2014.

“With the 2017 World Athletics Championship bid won, athletics will be at the heart of a multi-purpose venue that will also be a great asset to the local community.

“The Olympic Stadium is an iconic venue and I am sure that it will attract interesting and exciting bids for its future use.”

The OPLC will retain control of a number of days for the stadium. Some of these are reserved for athletics including the London Diamond League meeting, and others could be used for Twenty20 cricket, concerts and American football – talks have already been held with the NFL.

London mayor Boris Johnson, who said in October that West Ham would “almost certainly” become the tenants, added: “Opening up the bidding to other interested parties now shows just how far ahead we are in planning a great future for east London long after the Games have left town.”

Newham council are expected to become a partner with the OPLC to operate the stadium and have offered up to £40million towards the cost of transforming the stadium.

The tenants can bid to rent the stadium for between five years and 99 years, with an annual rent to be paid and possibly a cut of any ticket revenue.

The bids will be evaluated by the OPLC who will then make recommendations to the Government and mayor of London.

Click here to go our discussion centred around the stadiums future.

FIFA, has been forced to delay the publication of potentially incriminating documents following ‘legal measures taken’ from one of the parties involved, soccer’s governing body said Tuesday.

However, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said he was determined that the documents, relating to the collapse of its former marketing partner ISL, would be published as part of his plan to clean up his organsation, which has been plagued by allegations of corruption.

Blatter announced in October that he wanted to re-open the case into the collapse of ISL, which went bankrupt in 2001, and had hoped to publish the file at the next executive committee meeting in Japan on Dec. 17.

Blatter said in a statement on the FIFA website: “FIFA has been working intensively over the past few weeks with its lawyers and legal team to be able to publish the ISL file at the next meeting of the FIFA Executive Committee.”

“It was my strong will to make the ISL file fully transparent at this meeting. I have now been advised that as a result of the objection of a third party to such transparency it will take more time to overcome the respective legal hurdles.

“This does not change my stance at all. I remain fully committed to publishing the files as soon as possible as an important part of my many reform plans for FIFA, which include handling the past as well as preparing the future structure of the organisation.”

Swiss prosecutors investigated the collapse of ISL but the case was settled after they said two FIFA officials — whose names have not been divulged — paid back 5.5 million Swiss francs ($6.1 million).

Sportfive, prostate an international sports marketing agency, clinic  has been appointed by English Premier League soccer club Chelsea to market the team’s players across Europe.

Sportfive will have the task of helping to link the 19 members of the squad of whom the club obtain the image rights, with brands as part of their ambassadorial programs. The Chelsea squad consists of players from three continents and 11 different countries, including three current national team captains.

Chelsea CEO Ron Gourlay stated: “We want to work with market leaders like Sportfive and they certainly have the knowledge and experience needed. We expect to work very closely together to build on the club and our players’ global image and business reputation.”

Sportfive International CEO Vincent Tong Cuong added: “Sportfive is extremely positive about this opportunity to work with one of the world’s most successful and prestigious football clubs. We are pleased to further emphasise our presence at the top of the football market and extend our existing partnership with Chelsea to what we hope will develop into a long-standing relationship.”

Sportfive, which is owned by media giant Lagardère Unlimited, collaborates with more than 30 national football associations and 250 football clubs across the globe. The agency has previously worked with Chelsea on a number of occasions, including the co-ordination of the club’s pre-season European tour in 2010.

Spring Media, prostate | who represent media rights for a growing number of sporting events, ambulance have announced today that Lasse Eckartsberg will join the company as Commercial Director starting from March 2014.

Lasse will be part of the executive group and work on the agency’s global commercial strategy and business development. He will work from Spring Media’s newly opened office in Hamburg, link Germany. 

Lasse was previously managing the Global Rights Sales Team at rights agency Kentaro. 

José Moreno, Partner and co-founder of Spring Media, said: “We are very glad to welcome Lasse to join us at Spring Media. Lasse has over 10 years of sports broadcasting experience and I’m confident he will make significant contributions to our future commercial expansion.” 

Commenting on his new role Lasse Eckartsberg said: “I have been following the impressive development of Spring Media since the founding of the company, and I am excited to join this dynamic and growing organization. I’m looking forward to expand the company’s current activities and to develop new business areas. There are a lot of interesting projects lying ahead of us.” 

Spring Media rights include tournament United Super Cup of Russian & Ukraine and the Nordic Club Team competition Copa del Sol with top teams from Norway, Sweden and Denmark participating.

 

Corporate sponsorship and marketing consulting group Boss Global Media has signed an exclusive partnership with International Sports Management (ISM) to handle sponsorships and endorsement representation for ISM’s client athletes.

ISM is an international sports management agency that represents prominent international professional athletes focusing on golfers and cricketers.

“ISM’s list of athletes is stellar,” says BGM VP for Business Development Hayden Trepeck. “We are excited about the opportunity to partner their high-profile clients with preeminent corporate sponsors.”

ISM was founded in 1989 by former professional golfer and current Managing Director Andrew “Chubby” Chandler to meet the management needs of European professional golfers and cricketers. ISM is currently expanding its clientele into professional footballers/soccer players, as well. ISM’s roster of high-profile clients includes major’s champions Darren Clarke, Louis Oosthuizen, and Charl Schwartzel, as well as former #1 player in the world Lee Westwood. ISM also manages several golf tournaments around the world.

“I am delighted that Boss Global Media will be representing ISM clients and excited about the opportunities this partnership will generate,” said Chandler.

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) have revealed their financial results for its fourth quarter ending December 31, cialis pills 2011 with revenues totaling $112.9 million as compared to $122.5 million in the prior year quarter.

Operating loss was ($13.1) million as compared to Operating income of $14.4 million in the prior year quarter. Net loss was ($8.6) million, discount or ($0.12) per share, ambulance as compared to Net income of $8.1 million, or $0.11 per share, in the prior year quarter. Excluding the impact of film impairments and network related expenses in the current year quarter, Adjusted Operating income was $3.1 million as compared to $14.4 million in the prior year quarter. Adjusted Net income was $1.8 million, or $0.02 per share, as compared to $8.1 million, or $0.11 per share, in the prior year quarter.

“In 2011, we evaluated several paths for creating new programs and distributing all of our content in a way that optimizes its value. Executing this strategy effectively, including the potential creation of a WWE Network, has the power to transform our business,” stated Vince McMahon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. 

“While we made significant progress toward this objective, our fourth quarter and full year results were impacted primarily by three items: significant non-cash film impairment charges stemming from the weak performance of our movie releases, strategic decisions to withhold several hours of previously licensed television content for distribution on other platforms, and initial start-up operating expenses associated with our emerging content and distribution strategy.

“Regarding the first item, we have taken several measures to improve the profitability of our movie business. And, regarding the other items, we believe that our ongoing investment to expand and maximize the value of our content is the most potent approach for driving our future earnings.”

Aberdeen Football Club has extended their deadline for Pittodrie Stadium bids.

The closing date of 15th December has now been shelved and they will listen to submissions through until the New Year.

The news is the latest setback in the club’s establishment of a new home.

The Dons’ acquisition of a new stadium is contingent on the sale of the 107-year-old Pittodrie site which they put on the market back in October.

The club believe that this will secure the £38M required to build their 21,000 new home, and Aberdeen FC has already been granted planning permission for 350 homes on the 13.7 acre site.

The location the football club has identified for their new home is in the south of the City at Loirston Loch and they hope that they will be able to unveil the new stadium at the beginning of the 2013/14 season in conjunction with their chosen contractor Barr Construction.

However, residents have expressed concern over the environmental implications of such a move.