Mobivity Holdings Corporation, an award-winning provider of proprietary mobile marketing technologies and solutions, announced today that they are partnering with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Storm, and Tampa Bay Times Forum Arena.

Mobivity will be allowing fans to interact with all three organizations using their proprietary mobile marketing platform, as well as in-stadium graphics for live polling and interaction during sporting events.

Each organization has a specific mobile campaign that fans can opt-in to in order to receive “breaking news, ticket offers, and event updates” directly to their mobile phones. In addition to offering mobile updates to Tampa Bay sports fans, Mobivity will provide in-stadium graphics that will update during live sporting events, allowing fans to send text messages and pictures as well as Twitter and Facebook posts that will be displayed during the event, in addition to offering polling and contest features throughout.

Mobivity has also aided in creating web opt-in pages for the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Tampa Bay Storm, and the Tampa Bay Times Forum Arena in order to help drive traffic and participation to the Tampa Bay mobile program. The entire program is created with the goal of enhancing the interaction and experience fans have with each of these Tampa Bay sports programs, as well as the Tampa Bay Times as a whole.

“The Tampa Bay Lightning, Storm, and Times Forum Arena are a great partner of Mobivity. They have allowed us to have an integral place in connecting their brands with new and returning fans, and to enhance the overall fan experience. We hope our new partnership will continue for years to come,” said Michael Falato, SVP of Sales & Business Development at Mobivity.

Lynn Wittenburg, VP of Marketing for the Tampa Lightning, Storm, and Times Forum Arena, said: “We’re excited to start this campaign with Mobivity, and to engage fans in a whole new way. We’ve been looking for a way to create higher interaction with fans during events, as well as to engage potentially new fans, and Mobivity allows us to do just that.”

Having attracted top sports executives from around the world since its launch, medic iSportconnect.com makes the next step into becoming the leading worldwide networking platform for sports business. With the launch of the iSportconnect Directors Club Germany, health the platform transfers the virtual platform into live networking evening events.

Directors Clubs will involve iSportconnect members meeting for evening events to discuss regional sports business topics in a closed door environment as an extension to online group discussions. The Directors Club will provide the opportunity for members to meet face to face, illness network and build business relationships.

The iSportconnect Directors Club Germany will be organized three times per year from 2012 and kicks off with a first event on November 17, 2011 in Munich. The inaugural German event in will have a central topic rather than a discussion of current sports business affairs. Further Directors Clubs will follow in New York, London, Singapore and Barcelona for regional iSportconnect members to network and discuss current affairs in sports business in those regions in a relaxed environment.

The central topic of the kick-off event in Munich will be “Hospitality and the Law” and examines the legal situation of inviting customers and prospects to sports events out of different perspectives. After a short keynote from Dr. Christian Deuringer, Head of Global Brand Management Allianz SE and member of S 20 e. V. – the association of Germany’s 20 most active sponsors – on the recently published S 20 code of practice, a discussion between agency owner Hans-Bernd Kamps, Deloitte representative Stefan Ludwig and S 20 e. V. General Manager Josef Stadtfeld will follow.

Director of iSportconnect Germany, Sonja Kreye said: “I am really proud that we have been able to secure such high-profile speakers from the sports business World. Our aim is to establish a valuable network of sports business professionals and welcome everyone from the industry to join and network. I look forward to a successful kick-off event.”

Unclear compliance rules when it comes to inviting business partners to sports events aren’t only a threat for sponsors, but also for rights holders, clubs and federation, as hospitality is not only a luxury problem for huge sponsors, but also an important source of revenue for all sorts of sports aside of ticket sales, membership fees and public promotion. S 20 therefore agreed on a code of practice together with the German Olympic association (DOSB) and the Ministry of the Interior.

The iSportconnect Directors Club Germany will take place on November 17 with a reception at 5.30 p. m. followed by the keynote and the panel. The location is called “Loftstudio”, Grafinger Str. 6, Munich.

The event is intended to attract representatives from sponsors, clubs, federations, rights holders and the media. Following the official part, iSportconnect Directors Club Germany offers a great deal of time for networking. If you are interested in attending, please register on www.isportconnect.com/directorsclubgermany

Tottenham Hotspur are on their way to redeveloping its White Hart Lane home after signing a planning agreement with the local Haringey Council.

A Section 106 agreement was signed meaning the Barclays Premier League club has agreed to contribute funds towards facilities in the area around the stadium should it decide to press ahead with the plan. Tottenham is seeking to transform the 36, drugs 000-seat White Hart Lane into a 60, drugs 000-capacity venue under the Northumberland Development Project (NDP) proposal. However, discount it is keeping its options open and is currently fighting the decision to hand West Ham United London 2012’s Olympic Stadium after the Games.

Tottenham was granted planning permission for the NDP in October, but wants local and central government to contribute towards revamping transport and other facilities around the area. According to Press Association Sport, the club will now meet with the council, London Mayor Boris Johnson, and central government figures to see if they can reach an agreement.

A Tottenham statement read: “The club can confirm that the S106 agreement in respect of the Northumberland Development Project has now been completed and planning permissions have been issued. This enables discussions with the London borough of Haringey, the Mayor of London and central government to continue as we seek to make the development viable and deliverable.”

The Union of European Football Associations (Uefa) has taken a stringent stance on the new financial fair play rules by withholding prize money and issuing transfer bans on clubs failing to meet the new rules.

The ultimate sanction remains a ban from European competition but Uefa told the European Club Association (ECA) it wanted other penalties at its disposal.

Ernesto Paolillo, Inter Milan chief executive, said: “It’s good Uefa are thinking penalties that fit the crime better than the usual sporting sanctions. This will give the push that some clubs need. Football clubs understand rules, it’s what we’re used to, so we wanted to hear more about the penalties.”

Leading European clubs are ridden with debt with only 20% of them turn a profit. Uefa president Michel Platini is determined to encourage a more sustainable business model.

The rules, designed to ensure clubs live within their means over a rolling three-year period, do not come into full effect until the 2013-14 season but this campaign is the first that “counts” towards the initial assessment by the governing body’s FFP panel.

Andrea Traverso is the most senior Uefa official involved in the implementation of FFP and it was he who came to the ECA’s general assembly in Geneva on Monday to outline the range of possible sanctions.

ECA chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said the organisation’s 201 members fully support the initiative and look forward to working out any problems during the implementation stage of the next two years.

Rummenigge added “Always buying, buying, buying isn’t rational. We unanimously signed up to FFP in 2009 and we are ready for it now. The ECA will help clubs meet the criteria, it’s an obligation.”

Saracens Rugby Club has been given a deadline of 3 September to make a decision on its future at Vicarage Stadium.

The Aviva Premiership team has played at the ground since 1997, but Championship football side Watford, who also play at the ground, activated a ‘break clause’ in the deal between the two clubs in May.

The agreement had been set to run until 2017, but now Saracens has to consider its options or negotiate a new lease with Watford.

If Saracens decide not to enter into a new lease agreement, its tenancy will end on 1 June, 2011.

Watford chief executive Julian Winter said: “We have given them a couple of proposals around a future lease and their response will be back to us by 3 September. 

“I think we have to know where we are. That is what we have agreed. We need some certainty with Saracens so we can crack on and plan with or without them.”

Sky Deutschland has expanded its Sky Go multiscreen service to include both the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga making their coverage available on the iPhone for German viewers. 

Burkhard Weber, medic senior vice president of sports, erectile said the addition would give customers a first taste of the 2013/14 season across all distribution platforms.

Previously the Bundesliga has been available on, TV, online, the Xbox 360 and the iPad. 

The Baku 2020 Bid Committee are on the front foot after appointing three international agencies – pmplegacy, ambulance Burson-Marsteller and Adore Creative to its campaign to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

pmplegacy, medic part of the Chime Sports Marketing division of Chime Communications, will be lead strategic and technical advisors to the Bid, responsible for brand positioning, narrative and messaging; the development of the Applicant and Candidature Files and assisting the Baku 2020 team with its interaction with and presentations to the Olympic Movement.

Burson-Marsteller, a public relations and communications firm with offices in 96 countries across six continents, will provide strategic communications counsel, as well as media relations and PR services to the Baku Bid team.

Adore Creative, the international advertising and creative services agency involved in both the 2014 Winter Olympics and 2018 World Cup campaigns for Russia, will be responsible for producing the bid films, new media and advertising campaign.

Yaqub Eyyubov, Deputy Prime Minister, head of Baku 2020 Bid Committee, said: “We are delighted to have secured the services of such high quality agencies. These three agencies are the leaders in their respective fields. We know that they will do an excellent job for us, as we set out our credentials to be selected as a 2020 Candidate City in May 2012.”

Azad Rahimov, Minister of Youth and Sport, added: “We are very focussed, following our 2016 Applicant City campaign, to demonstrate to the IOC, that Baku really does have what it takes to host the 2020 Games. Our economy is amongst the fastest growing in the world thanks to our natural reserves and our position as a transportation hub; we have extensive modern sports venues throughout the city and we will demonstrate to the IOC, a genuine sporting legacy for our country, the region and the whole Olympic Family.”