THQ and World Wrestling Entertainment have signed a “new, comprehensive marketing agreement” that greatly expands the alliance between the two companies. The expanded deal includes product placement, social media and experiential marketing at WWE events.

Financial terms of the pact were not disclosed. The new alliance builds on THQ’s exclusive eight-year deal signed this past December to make and market WWE-based videogames. THQ first signed a licensing deal with WWE in 1999, but was involved in legal disputes with other gaming companies until the latest deal took effect in January 2010. Industry analysts said that from 2000 through 2009 the THQ-WWE alliance has generated more than $1.4 billion in sales.

According to the videogamer and wrestling-based entertainment company, THQ-developed, WWE-branded videogames will be integrated into domestic and international events, pay-per-view and TV sponsorships, magazines, WWE.com, WWE DVDs as well as other elements. In addition, for the first time, THQ will host interactive gaming kiosks at 40 WWE live events.

This significantly expands THQ’s previous marketing efforts that were concentrated around the launch of individual WWE video games.

“This strategic marketing agreement reflects the benefits of working more closely with WWE to maximise the interactive entertainment experience for fans of this leading sports entertainment brand.”THQ president and CEO Brian Farrell said in a statement.

According to WWE COO Donna Goldsmith, “We are pleased to move our partnership forward in a broader, more comprehensive way. Working together, we plan to give our fans more access to all of the great interactive entertainment being created by THQ, as well as develop robust promotions to increase awareness of all WWE platforms.”

English League Two club Northampton Town FC have revealed their redevelpment plans for their Sixfields Stadium this summer.

Work has already begun on the building of new houses, shops and a 100-bedroom hotel on a 33-acre site at Sixfields in a joint venture between the club, The County Group and Northampton Borough Council.

Chairman David Cardoza has confirmed both the east and west stands at the club’s Sixfields Stadium will be redeveloped.

“There seems to be some confusion over the stadium redevelopment plans so here’s a very brief overview,” Cardoza wrote in his programme notes for Monday’s home defeat to Portsmouth.

“I always wanted to see the west stand developed but was told by previous developers that it would be too expensive to do. They were wrong.

“We have now come up with a scheme where we cannot only rebuild the east stand but also significantly enhance the west as well.

“The trade off is to have less additional seats in the east stand than originally anticipated, capacity can be increased again very easily in the north and south stands if and when required.

“As part of this summer’s redevelopment, the entire stadium will have new seats with additional kiosks and bars.”

Cardoza added: “I appreciate fans want to know certainties but while trying to fit an 18-month project into around five months we have to be flexible and retain an open mind to help the club benefit to the maximum.”

Der NDR, herbal in der ARD für die Übertragung der Olympischen Spiele in London federführend, zieht eine Woche nach Beginn der Wettkämpfe in London eine positive Zwischenbilanz. NDR Intendant Lutz Marmor: “Schon vor Beginn der besonders attraktiven Leichtathletik-Wettbewerbe erweisen sich die Olympischen Spiele erneut als Publikumsmagnet. Unsere Programme transportieren sowohl das Wettkampf-Geschehen als auch die packenden Emotionen des weltgrößten Sportereignisses via Fernsehen, Radio und Internet unmittelbar zum Publikum”, so Marmor. Mehr als 3,22 Millionen Zuschauerinnen und Zuschauer verfolgten im Schnitt die Sendung “Olympia Live” im Ersten, der Marktanteil lag bei 21,8 Prozent.

Besonders hohe Quoten erzielten die Live-Übertragungen der Schwimm-Wettkämpfe aus dem Aquatics Center in London. Die meisten Zuschauer hatte am Dienstag, 31. Juli, das Staffelfinale der Männer über 4 x 200 m Freistil. In der Spitze verfolgten 8,15 Millionen den Wettkampf im Ersten. Das entspricht einem Marktanteil von 28,2 Prozent. Auch Sportarten, die sonst oft weniger im Fokus stehen, finden während der Olympischen Spiele großen Zuspruch. So verfolgten am Sonntag (29. Juli) 6,27 Millionen Zuschauer das Spiel der deutschen Tischtennis-Damen gegen die Tschechische Republik; das entspricht einem Marktanteil von 19,5 Prozent. 5,29 Millionen Zuschauer (22,0 Prozent Marktanteil) sahen im Ersten ebenfalls am Sonntag die Wettkämpfe im Kanuslalom.

Unerwartet hoch ist auch das Interesse der Userinnen und User an den Online- und Livestreaming-Angeboten der ARD. Die Seite sportschau.de/olympia verzeichnete bis Donnerstag bereits mehr als 70 Millionen Page Impressions (PIs). Am ersten Übertragungstag des Ersten am Sonntag wurden 15 Millionen Seiten abgerufen, das entspricht der Zahl der Zugriffe während der gesamten Zeit der Olympischen Spiele in Peking 2008. Die bis zu sechs parallelen Livestreams wurden in den ersten vier Wettkampftagen bereits mehr als 10 Millionen Mal genutzt. “Unsere Erwartungen wurden bei weitem übertroffen”, so ARD-Teamchef Walter Johannsen vom NDR. “Die Resonanz im Netz zeigt: Mit unserem Livestream-Angebot liegen wir goldrichtig.” 

Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude has warned that the London 2012 Olympic Games “will not be immune” to cyber attacks.

However, it may depend on the type of cyber attack, as the CIO for the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) said last year that cyber criminals would find it “very hard” to launch a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on the Games’ website.

Maude, speaking on a visit to Estonia, pointed out that the Beijing Olympics in 2008 experienced 12 million cybersecurity attacks, and said that hackers would be looking to “disrupt” this year’s Games as well.

He said: “We have rightly been preparing for sometime. A dedicated unit will help guard the London Olympics against cyber attack.

“We are determined to have a safe and secure Games.”

Foreign intelligence agencies, or groups working on their behalf, also continue to target UK government networks, Maude said.

He added: “We know that the threat is accelerating.”

Olympics IT outsourcer Atos said last month that it had successfully completed its first live batch of tests for London 2012. This included the testing of technology security, as well as communications, media and sports systems.

Further technology testing updates are due from Atos on 16 May.

Last November, a number of UK banks underwent an exercise to demonstrate that they can cope with a cyber attack that prevents customers from accessing cash, and public transport disruptions during the Olympics

Some 87 financial firms and banks, including HSBC, Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds, took part in the exercise. The aim was to see how quickly the financial sector could restore services to ‘business as usual’ after major disruption.

The English Football Association (FA) chairman David Bernstein has put pressure on FIFA to postpone its presidential election to allow a new candidate to come forward.

The FA announced in recent weeks that it would abstain from voting at the elections tomorrow, prostate June 1, there saying: “There were two main reasons for this decision. First, a concern, that a series of allegations relating to FIFA ExCo Members made it difficult to support either candidate.

“Secondly, a concern about the lack of transparency and accountability within the organisation, contributing to the current unsatisfactory situation.”

After the chaotic weekend of corruption allegations recently passed, the body has stated, through chairman David Bernstein, that the Congress should be delayed and that an independent party should be appointed to overlook how FIFA is run.

The statement added: “Events of the last few days have reinforced our views, and we call on FIFA and ask other national associations to support us with two initiatives.

“First, to postpone the election and give credibility to this process, so any alternative reforming candidate could have the opportunity to stand for President.

“Secondly, to appoint a genuinely independent external party to make recommendations regarding improved governance and compliance procedures and structures throughout the FIFA decision making processes for consideration by the full membership.

“This has been a very damaging time for the reputation of FIFA and therefore the whole of football. To improve confidence in the way the game is governed at the very top, we believe these requests would be a positive step forward and the minimum that should take place.”

The Scottish FA have echoed the sentiments of their English counterparts, claiming that the elections should be put off for between 3 and 6 months.

English Premier League soccer club Manchester City has confirmed that it is looking to sell naming rights for its City of Manchester Stadium after chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak said the club’s FA Cup Final victory and Champions League success had made the club more attractive to sponsors.

Al-Mubarak added that the big spenders of the English game would be “exploring every single commercial avenue” after qualifying for the UEFA Champions League for the first time and winning its first trophy for 35 years with the 1-0 FA Cup victory over Stoke.

The chairman said: “I believe we have a bigger commercial opportunity, including naming rights all for the benefit of maintaining the strength of the squad.

“And also for maintaining the financial strength of this company.”

The City of Manchester Stadium was originally designed as part of Manchester’s bid to host the 2000 Olympics and was the centrepiece of the city’s 2002 Commonwealth Games.

After the Games, it was converted for use by Manchester City who relocated from their long-time home at Maine Road

The ground is owned by Manchester City Council, not the club, though a Manchester Council spokesman declined to comment on whether the council would get a share of the naming rights deal.