Die ZDF-Berichterstattung von den Olympischen Spielen in London stößt nach wie vor auf großes Zuschauerinteresse. Der vorläufige Höhepunkt der Wettbewerbe, cough das 100-Meter-Finale der Männer, arthritis erreichte am späten Sonntagabend, discount 5. August 2012, einen außerordentlich hohen Zuspruch bei den ZDF-Zuschauern: 8,81 Millionen Leichtathletik-Freunde verfolgten am Bildschirm den erneuten Olympiasieg von Superstar Usain Bolt aus Jamaika. Sogar 8,83 Millionen wollten kurz zuvor das 400-Meter-Rennen mit dem südafrikanischen Prothesen-Läufer Oscar Pistorius sehen. Damit erzielten diese beiden Rennen den bisher höchsten Zuschauerwert bei Olympia 2012.

Die abendlichen Leichtathletikübertragungen im ZDF erreichten Marktanteile von bis zu 31,8 Prozent.

ZDF-Olympia-Teamchef Dieter Gruschwitz: “Die Zuschauer nehmen unser Programmangebot mit einer Mischung aus Livebildern und aufgezeichneten Wettbewerben dankbar an. Dabei liegt der Liveanteil regelmäßig zwischen 80 und 90 Prozent.”

Der Durchschnittswert aller bisherigen Olympia-Übertragungen an den ZDF-Tagen, die jeweils vom frühen Morgen bis spät in die Nacht reichen, beträgt 3,58 Millionen Zuschauer. Das entspricht einem Marktanteil von 24,5 Prozent.

Twitter and ESPN have agreed a partnership looking to cash in on the sky-high volume of tweets about sports on TV by creating custom campaigns for brands around events like the World Series and the Super Bowl.

The two companies are announcing the first program, called GameFace, at ESPN’s upfront Tuesday morning. GameFace will center around the NBA Finals and be promoted on Twitter with the #GameFace hashtag. The social-TV dimension calls for the hashtag and program to be promoted on-screen during ABC’s live broadcasts of the NBA Finals, as well as on ESPN’s “NBA Tonight” show.

The goal of this initial campaign is to get fans to tweet photos of their best “game face” accompanied by the dedicated hashtag. At the end of each game of the finals, “NBA Tonight” studio analysts will display some of the top contest photographs on air. Some photos will also get exposure at ESPN.com/NBA.

Twitter and ESPN will be co-selling the campaign — which includes promoted tweets and trends, as well as plugs on ESPN, ABC and ESPN.com — as a single package for each potential sponsor. It’s the first time Twitter has collaborated with a TV network to build custom sponsorship packages around major events.

Twitter and ESPN said it is too early to describe exactly how a brand will be integrated, since they have not sold the first deal. At a minimum, the GameFace sponsor’s brand will displayed within the onscreen promotion of the contest on ABC, most likely within a lower-third graphic. The sponsor’s brand is also expected to be tied into the Twitter page housing the GameFace photo entries. The companies declined to discuss pricing.

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) confirmed yesterday, June 9, that the 12,000 capacity London 2012 Basketball Arena has become the fourth venue on the Olympic Park to be completed and one of the quickest to finish construction.

The arena will be one of the largest temporary venues ever used for an Olympic and Paralympic Games and will be dismantled after the Games to be reused elsewhere in other parts of the UK and overseas.

It’s completion has come ahead of schedule and on budget after initial works on the site began in October 2009, with work to erect the 1,000-tonne steel frame starting in March 2010.

ODA chief executive Dennis Hone said: “Completing construction on the Basketball Arena delivers another striking Games-time venue for the Olympic Park and an innovative structure that can be reused elsewhere after 2012.

“As the fourth Olympic Park venue completed and one of the quickest to finish construction, the Basketball Arena is another milestone for the Olympic Park Big Build and a tribute to the companies from across the UK involved in its delivery.”

During London 2012 the arena will stage preliminary matches and women’s quarter finals for the Games’ basketball tournament, in addition to the handball men’s quarter finals, all semi-finals and all medal matches. It will also host wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby during the Paralympic Games.

London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe said: “Basketball is one of the most popular Olympic sports and spectators will be able to see the game played out in spectacular surroundings.

“It is a superb venue which will be the centre of some of the best team action during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

Hugh Robertson, Minister for Sport and the Olympics, added: “Basketball is one of the most atmospheric competitions of the Games and this has been captured by the artistic design of the arena.

“The speed with which this venue has been constructed is a tribute to the ODA and the architect whose design means this facility can be reused after the Games.”

Henry Kissinger, 88-year-old former US Secretary of State, has confirmed he is considering FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s offer to take up a role with the governing body’s new anti-corruption committee.

Kissinger told BBC Radio 5 Live yesterday, June 5, that he had been approached by the re-elected president after he stood unopposed last week for a further four-year term. One of Blatter’s pledges was to create a ‘Solutions Committee’ to deal with corruption investigations.

Kissinger stated: “He’s not been specific, except to say he wants to create a group of wise men to deal with issues which may arise. If it can help, I’d be willing to participate but we need to know other participants and terms of reference.”

Kissinger, who won the Nobel Peace prize in 1973 and was a major figure in the Richard Nixon administration, was a member of the reform panel set up by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after the scandal over Salt Lake City’s winning bid to host the 2002 Winter Olympics.

He is also a keen follower of soccer and was part of the bid team that secured the 1994 FIFA World Cup for the United States.

The city of St. Louis is returning to the professional soccer fold after USL Pro, order the third tier of US Soccer, anabolics announced announced on Thursday that it has awarded an expansion franchise for the 2015 season to the Missouri soccer hotbed.

The new, ed as-yet-unnamed club will be operated by longtime St. Louis business executive and former professional player Jim Kavanaugh in partnership with St. Louis Scott Gallagher, a tradition-rich youth club with a list of alumni that includes former and current MLS stars Taylor Twellman, Steve Ralston, Chris Klein, Brad Davis and Jack Jewsbury.

“We are thrilled to welcome St. Louis into USL PRO,” USL CEO Alec Papadakis said in a statement. “St. Louis, more than any other US city, has significantly contributed to the development and growth of American soccer on all levels – youth, collegiate and professional.

“Through the years, St. Louis players, coaches and soccer executives have greatly impacted not only the game of soccer, but the history of American soccer itself.”

The St. Louis USL PRO franchise will compete at the 5,000-seat Soccer Park in Fenton, Mo., and will be led by head coach Dale Schilly, who has nearly 30 years of coaching experience at every level.

“The St. Louis area has waited patiently for the return of professional outdoor soccer,” Schilly said.  “It has been gratifying to watch the professional game blossom across the country, yet frustrating for the St. Louis soccer community to not be a part of the growth on the professional level.

“With the new agreement in place between the MLS and USL PRO, there could not be a better time for St. Louis to be a part of the enthusiasm and passion that comes with this great sport.”

St. Louis last hosted a pro team in 2010, when AC St. Louis competed in the NASL Conference of the USSF D2 Pro League, a US Soccer-managed second-division league, before shutting down due to financial issues the following year.

Golf Australia have announced today the re-election of two directors to the Board of Golf Australia.

Golf Australia Chairman John Hopkins and Michael Sammells were both re-elected for a term of three years at the company’s Annual General Meeting on Monday 18 November.

A former lawyer, medicine Mr Hopkins has been a professional company director in recent years and has served as a chairman and director of a significant number of public listed companies over the past 25 years.

Mr Hopkins has been actively involved in golf administration for a long period of time and was president of the Australian Golf Union in 1997.

Mr Sammells is currently the Finance Director at Healthscope and has spent over 14 years in the health care industry industry after commencing his career in logistics. He was previously the Chief Financial Officer at Medibank.

Mr Hopkins and Mr Sammells were both elected to the Board in 2010. Mr Hopkins was appointed Chairman in 2011.

Former internationals Peter Nicol MBE and Tim Garner will contest 7 Squash Matches in 7 Days on 7 Continents in a bid to help raise the profile of Squash’s campaign to join the programme of the 2020 Olympic Games.

The Xodus 7 Continent Challenge, inspired by legendary British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes‘ Land Rover 7x7x7 (ie. seven marathons in seven days on seven continents), was conceived by Garner.

The Xodus 7 Continent Challenge will see the English pair travel more than 40,000 miles and spend over 70 hours on planes over the course of a week that will be a test of endurance both mentally and physically.

Crossing squash rackets in each of the destinations the matches will be the focal point of squash activity on each continent at that time.

“I wanted to come up with something that would highlight the fantastic bid that Squash is putting together to join the Olympic Programme in 2020 and got thinking about the 7 Marathons Challenge and how that could be adopted,” said Garner.

“This will not only hopefully do that, but will also demonstrate the global universality of the sport.

“It is fantastic to have someone with the profile of Peter Nicol to share it with,” added the 42-year-old former world No26. “Hopefully we will start and finish as friends – though I have the feeling we both intend winning!”

Nicol, the former world champion and world number one, said: “When Tim approached me about the idea I had no hesitation – well, maybe a little – in saying yes! Through the course of this bid process, Squash has been demonstrating all of its strengths and why it will be a great addition to the Olympic Programme and the more people that hear about it the better.”

Xodus Chief Operating Officer Stephen Swindell added: “As we continue to grow Xodus globally, it made perfect sense to back the 7 Continent Challenge – given that it covers all the corners of the world!

“We are passionate about sport and squash in particular, as it is accessible to all ages, abilities and in all the countries we operate in. Squash has many of the attributes that we look for in the business environment, so are delighted to be able to help with the Olympic Bid process in this way.”

Die Deutsche Sporthilfe kann zur Halbzeit der Spiele der XXX. Olympiade in London eine für Athletinnen und Athleten erfreuliche Bilanz vorlegen: Die Entscheidungen des Samstags – nach Abschluss der Schwimm-Wettbewerbe – eingerechnet, prostate zahlt die Sporthilfe für die Gewinner von Gold, Silber oder Bronze sowie für die Platzierten bis Rang acht insgesamt rund 550.000 Euro an Prämien aus. Das ist ein ähnlicher Stand wie vor vier Jahren in Peking zum vergleichbaren Zeitpunkt. An Gesamtprämien für die Plätze 1 bis 8 wurden 2008 nach den Spielen 1,3 Millionen Euro ausgeschüttet.

“Wir ziehen den Hut vor bisher großartigen Leistungen deutscher Athleten in London”, sagt Dr. Michael Ilgner, der Vorstandsvorsitzende der Deutschen Sporthilfe. “Die Ergebnisse sind auch ein Beleg für die Wirksamkeit der Fördermaßnahmen und vor allem der Elite-Programme der Sporthilfe. Wir sehen uns aber zugleich in der Verantwortung für jene Sportler, deren Erwartungen sich in London, aus unterschiedlichsten Gründen, nicht erfüllt haben – oder, schlimmer noch für die Betroffenen, die erst gar nicht ihr großes Ziel der Olympiateilnahme erreichen konnten.” Ilgner weiter: “Vor allem ist es für die Athleten wichtig zu wissen, dass wir unabhängig von Vermarktungserfolgen, von Popularität und Marktmechanismen zu unseren Sportlern stehen, in der Regel über viele Jahre.”

Ein herausragendes Beispiel für die Förderung der Deutschen Sporthilfe ist die erfolgreiche Equipe der Vielseitigkeitsreiter, die in London die erste Goldmedaille für die deutsche Olympia-Mannschaft gewinnen konnte. Ingrid Klimke wurde bis heute 19 Jahre 7 Monate gefördert, Peter Thomsen 18 Jahre 7 Monate, Dirk Schrade 14 Jahre 7 Monate, Doppel-Olympiasieger Michael Jung 11 Jahre 4 Monate und Sandra Auffarth 6 Jahre 7 Monate. Insgesamt flossen an diese fünf Reiter bislang über 420.000 Euro, die Prämien von London sind bei dieser Aufstellung noch nicht mitgerechnet.

Die Erfolgsprämien der Sporthilfe sind unverändert seit Sydney 2000 und betragen:

Gold 15000 Euro, Silber 10000, Bronze 7500, 4.Rang 4000, 5. 3000, 6. 2500, 7. 2000, 8. 1500. Bei Mannschaftsentscheidungen wird in der Regel jeder einzelne Athlet bedacht; der Triumph des Ruder-Achters ist der Sporthilfe also 135.000 Euro wert.

98% aller Olympiateilnehmer 2012 werden von der Deutschen Sporthilfe gefördert oder sind in ihrer Laufbahn gefördert worden. “Nationale Förderer” sind Lufthansa, Mercedes-Benz, Deutsche Telekom und Deutsche Bank. Sie unterstützen die Stiftung Deutsche Sporthilfe, die von ihr betreuten Sportlerinnen und Sportler und die gesellschaftspolitischen Ziele der Stiftung in herausragender Weise.

LiveU, the pioneer of portable video-over-cellular solutions, has announced that BBC News is extending its use of LiveU LU60 mobile uplink solution for news gathering in both the UK and the US jsut in time for the London 2012 Olympics.

 

The UK broadcaster will use the technology to enhance coverage of both the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics, and the US Presidential election campaign. Footage will be supplied to BBC News, BBC World and BBC World America.

BBC News has been using LiveU technology for upwards of three years. The BBC deployed LiveU’s cellular uplinking technology for coverage of worldwide events including the Queen’s visit to Ireland in 2011, the recent anniversary of the Tsunami in Japan as well as the US mid-term elections during 2010.

 

In the UK, LiveU’s technology is regularly used for BBC newsgathering, taking advantage of the three ways it can be deployed: live, as-live and also store-and forward. With its portability, flexibility, high resiliency and cost-effectiveness, the LU60 uplink solution can be used in diverse situations as well as extreme weather conditions – a prime example being the recent storms in the UK.

 

Samuel Wasserman, LiveU’s CEO, said: “We are delighted to be working with a broadcaster of the BBC’s stature and are proud of its usage of LiveU equipment worldwide. It’s a significant vote of confidence in the flexibility of our solution and we look forward to seeing the increased BBC coverage over the weeks leading up to this Summer’s Olympic Games.”

 

The technology has been supplied by LiveU’s UK distributor Garland Partners Ltd., alongside a full service package.

 

LiveU’s flagship LU60 product is the industry’s first bonded 3G/4G LTE backpack with proprietary RF technology for superior resiliency, up to 1080 HD video and sub-second latency for a satellite-like experience.