A new joint venture has been created to combine the marketing and media skills of two leading Swiss organisations – Infront Sports & Media AG and die Ringier AG.

The companies have announced a new 50:50 joint venture to exploit the growing Swiss sports market through an effective collaboration, cough which will be known as Infront Ringier Sports & Entertainment Switzerland AG, abbreviated to InfrontRingier.

The venture will support organisers of Swiss sports events and top Swiss athletes by providing sophisticated marketing and consulting services.

In what the two parties feel is an ideal partnership, Infront will contribute its expertise in the commercialisation of sport (including sponsorship, production and distribution) and its highly specialised services to sport. In turn Ringier will integrate its newly-created Marketing and Sponsorship division set up last year which includes Pool Position Switzerland AG, which supports Switzerland’s big names in sports, the arts and culture.

Philippe Blatter, President & CEO of Infront Sports & Media AG, said: “The experience and resources of Ringier and Infront Sports & Media complement each other ideally in this partnership. Infront already has a large network of rights owners and sponsors based in Switzerland, but with the focus on international events. Now, we will be offering high-level services to national events too through InfrontRingier. We can help set the tone of the future for the Swiss sports market and provide an innovative and reliable partner on the doorstep.”

Marc Walder, CEO Ringier Switzerland and Germany, added: “The activities of Infront and Ringier in Switzerland are highly complementary. In addition to its core business, Ringier will be diversifying its existing product and brand portfolio through this involvement in an ideal way. As both companies are market leaders in their respective fields, we feel this is a relationship on an equal footing.”

The International Sport Business Congress, pharm part of the International Festival for Business, sale has announced a partnership with iSportconnect for this summer’s event. 

Taking place as part of this year’s major UK business festival in Liverpool, try the Congress focuses on the interplay between cities, brands and sport. The North West of England is the home of several of the world’s most iconic sports brands and events and the Congress will uniquely divide its two days between Liverpool and Manchester. 

Working with the University of Liverpool, one of the world’s leading academic institutes researching and teaching the business and science of sport, the International Sport Business Congress has developed a world-class speaker programme touching on the core topics in the business of sport. On Thursday 17 July, at the BT Convention Centre in Liverpool, the Congress will focus on the interplay of cities, brands and sports with speakers including;

• § Sir Howard Bernstein – CEO, Manchester City Council 
• § Ian Ayre – Managing Director, Liverpool Football Club
• § Robert Elstone –  CEO, Everton Football Club
• § Ian Edmondson – Head of Major Events, London & Partners
• § Paul Samuel – Executive VP Europe, AEG Global Partnerships
• § Nick Varley – Founder, Seven46

Day Two offers detailed analysis of the economic impacts and values of sport and its power to transform cities and communities. Taking place at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, speakers include;

• Dr Tom Markham – Manager EMEA Football, Sport and Leisure, PwC
• Maurice Watkins CBE – Senior Partner and Head of Sport, Brabners
• Dr Geoff Pearson – Football Industry Group, University of Liverpool
• Professor Stefan Szymanski – University of Michigan
• Professor Greg Whyte OBE – Liverpool John Moores University
• Professor Keith George – Head of RISES, Liverpool John Moores University 

The International Sport Business Congress is in partnerships with both Liverpool Vision and Marketing Manchester and the University of Liverpool, creating a unique event in a region where sport has achieved global success and recognition and where the business of sport is one of the key drivers of the local economy. 

iSportconnect is the largest global private network of sport business professionals, bringing them together digitally to discuss, share viewpoints, obtain information and news and ‘e-meet’ one another. 

Sree Varma, Founder and CEO of iSportconnect, said; “We are delighted to be partners of the International Sport Business Congress. Sport as a business doesn’t exist in isolation and it’s great that the International Sport Business Congress is part of the International Festival for Business.” 

Richard Morris, International Sport Business Congress Event Director, said: “This will be amazing event hosted out of two of the most famous sporting cities in the world – Liverpool and Manchester. Nothing has the power to engage like sport and this shared event between two cities illustrates the transformational power of sport.”

Nine-time Le Mans champion and 2013 World Endurance Championship title winner Tom Kristensen has been elected to the FIA Institute Executive Committee by the organisation’s General Assembly, impotent which met in Paris on December 5th.

The Executive Committee plays a pivotal role in providing direction to the activities of the FIA Institute, capsule | deciding on the organisation’s strategy and selecting the projects to be undertaken.

“The work the FIA Institute does in motor sport safety and sustainability is vitally important and I hope that my experience as a driver can help contribute to that,” said Kristensen.

The Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) has asked the IOC to re-investigate its decision to void hammer thrower Koji Murofushi’s election to the IOC Athletes’ Commission.

Murofushi, a Bronze Medalist at the London Games, gained enough votes to win election to the Athletes’ Commission, but the IOC refused to accept his election, claiming he had violated election rules at the Games.

The JOC believes the IOC’s decision was incorrect.

The IOC said Murofushi “campaigned for election in areas off limits to election activities.”

JOC Board Member, Yoshiji Nogami, said: “Some parts [of the response] were half-baked. There’s a big difference between having a conversation and campaigning for election.” {jcomments on}

British pay TV giant BSkyB is raising its prices for its Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2 networks, ESPN and an entertainment content package as of September after a two-year price freeze.

U.K. media regulator Ofcom disclosed the increases on Friday, and BSkyB published an advisory on its web site, highlighting it has spent more than $600 million more per year on content. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. controls a 39 percent stake in BSkyB.

Each of the two Sky Sports channels will cost an additional 50 pence per month (78 cents), and the price of Walt Disney’s ESPN will rise by £1 ($1.56) a month. The company’s Sky Entertainment packages will cost an extra £1.50 ($2.34) per month, but pricing for Sky Movies and other offers will remain unchanged, the company said.

A BSkyB spokesman said the price hikes come amid continued service improvements that have meant big content investments.

“Having held our prices for 24 months, this September there will be a small price increase to some of our TV packages,” he said. “We’re committed to investing for our customers, and over the last two years this has led to Sky investing nearly £400 million ($624 million) more in content per year, the launch of two new channels [in a Formula 1 channel and Sky Atlantic, which features HBO content] and award-winning products, including [mobile service] Sky Go and Sky Anytime+.” The company also recently agreed to raise its spending on the English Premier League soccer rights.

The spokesman added: “A small increase in our prices means that we can continue to reinvest in the best content for our customers, alongside market-leading innovation to make their experience even better.”

BSkyB is in the process of writing to all of its 10.5 million subscribers to advise them of what the price changes mean for them.

The change also effects other pay TV operators that have the right to carry the sports networks, including telecom giant BT and cable firm Virgin Media. The rate they pay to wholesale Sky Sports channels is linked to their retail price.

 

The 30-year contract to design, allergist finance, ambulance build, no rx operate and maintain a new 40,000 capacity stadium in Bordeaux, France, in time for the UEFA Euro 2016 soccer championships, has been awarded to a consortium led by Vinci Construction in association with Fayat Group.

The consortium, known as Stade Bordeaux Atlantique, will construct the stadium in time for the tournament. Reports suggest that the contract is worth approximately US$238 million.

The stadium will be capable of playing host to both soccer and rugby matches as well as major concerts and other events.

The consortium includes Vinci Construction France, via its subsidiaries GTM Bâtiment Aquitaine-Limousin and Faure Silva, the Fayat Group, architectural firm Herzog and de Meuron, Groupe 6 and teams from Stadia Consulting Group.

Vinci Facilities will handle the maintenance of the stadium. Landscape architect Michel Desvigne, winner of the 2011 Grand Prix de l’Urbanisme award will be charged with ensuring that the stadium, which is to be situated on ‘greenbelt’ land, is suitable for the surrounding environment.

Vinci will add the Bordeaux stadium to a property portfolio which already includes the Stade de France, the MMArena stadium in Le Mans and the future Nice Stadium, which is due to be handed over in 2013.

Global Sports and Entertainment company Wasserman Media Group (WMG) announced yesterday, February 23, that it is acquiring UK-based media and sports rights firm, Reel Enterprises.

The agreement will see Reel co-Founders David Kogan and Sara Munds join WMG to develop a global media rights practice based in London. Both will take the title of Global Media Rights Principals, reporting to WMG Chair & CEO Casey Wasserman.

David Kogan stated: “The deal with Wasserman gives us a global platform to drive the value of their media assets.”

Wasserman added: “David and Sara have developed an unparalleled global rights business with the most respected and accomplished business in the sector.

“By integrating Reel into the Wasserman platform, we are making a significant step in our efforts to offer rights and media representation in the U.K.,” he added.

Reel Enterprises’ Katie Boes, who is based in New York, will also be joining WMG.

English Championship club Yeovil Town FC have withdrawn their planning application for a supermarket on their Huish Park site.

The Glovers had hoped to build the unit on training pitches near the stadium in a bid to raise funds to convert their Copse Road End stand into an all-seater stand.

They had been in negotiations with the local council for over three years but a club statement admitted it will not be possible for them to gain ‘detailed support at council level’ and they are now working on an alternative scheme.

Club chairman John Fry told the club’s official website: “Of course I am very disappointed that after such protracted discussions with the council we have come to this decision.

“However it is fair to say I am very excited about the new proposals that the club, along with their development partners CDS international, will be submitting to the council in the near future.

“With the introduction of Financial Fair Play to all clubs it is absolutely vital to generate more commercial income streams at the club and we feel our new proposals will be able to do that.

“Yeovil Town Football Club has put this town on the national and international map after its season in the Sky Bet Championship and it is imperative that we maintain that momentum.

“I genuinely believe that Gary Johnson and his management team can do it again and get us promotion, but we must have a stadium that is worthy of the division and some of the best supporters in the country.”