NFL team Baltimore Ravens have partnered with SpotlightTMS to provide software services to their luxury suite owners.

SpotlightTMS is a Software as a Service (SaaS) application that enables companies to manage their sports and entertainment assets and measure the business impact of these investments.

With SpotlightTMS, price the Ravens’ top clients can measure the effectiveness of tickets and suites, unhealthy while also assessing their use as a driver of revenue. The application also enables companies to manage their entertainment asset investments throughout the year in a simple, transparent way. Because SpotlightTMS is delivered through the cloud, the Ravens’ Suite Owners do not invest in additional hardware, or handle software installation, set up or maintenance.

“The Ravens are excited to be partnering with SpotlightTMS and providing this asset to our Suite Owners,” said Josh Hartman, Manager, Premium Services and Suites for the Baltimore Ravens. “Because of the high demand for access to Ravens games and the other major events at M&T Bank Stadium, it became a priority for us to offer our clients real-time access to their various ticket inventories. SpotlightTMS not only streamlines the Suite ticket request and allocation process, it provides metrics that will enable them to accurately measure the return on their investment in the Suite.”

Tony Knopp, SpotlightTMS CEO and co-founder, said: “By offering SpotlightTMS as a benefit to their Suite Owners, the Baltimore Ravens are adding value to suite ownership and enabling their Suite Owners to validate the business impact of their suites. We’re extremely pleased to add the Baltimore Ravens to our growing list of professional sports team partners.”

SpotlightTMS offers companies secure access through the Internet to manage ticket inventories, distribute tickets, analyze the results of ticket usage, acquire additional tickets from multiple sources and meet IRS and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance reporting requirements. Existing SpotlightTMS corporate customers have experienced a reduction in ticket fraud through role-based permission approval for ticket requests, reduction in administrative time and money, and increased sales effectiveness.

SpotlightTMS pioneered the enterprise sports and entertainment ticket management space with SpotlightTMS. Its growing list of enterprise customers seeking to maximize ROI and revenues from their tickets includes Google, Comcast, MetLife, Nike, Oracle, NBCUniversal, Penske Truck Leasing and Stanley Black & Decker. In addition, professional sports teams from football, hockey and basketball — including the Cincinnati Bengals, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bears, New Jersey Devils, Sacramento Kings, Miami Heat, Philadelphia Eagles, Memphis Grizzlies, Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Texans and Detroit Red Wings — are providing SpotlightTMS to their most important customers.

Football Association chairman David Bernstein has hinted that England could take the remarkable step of abstaining when the FIFA Presidential election takes place on June 1.

The FA are to decide whether to back Sepp Blatter or Mohamed Bin Hammam at a Board meeting on May 19 but Bernstein claimed the third option of not voting at all was still a viable decision.

A number of senior FA figures still resent the way England only received two votes for their failed 2018 World Cup bid, blaming current incumbent Blatter for influencing his colleagues on the executive committee.

Bernstein, when asked as to whether a vote for Blatter was wise, confirmed, “I don’t think it would go down very well” with the public.

Although Blatter’s credibility has been hit hard by the recent spate of corruption allegations made by former England bid leader Lord Triesman involving four Executive Committee members, Bin Hammam’s candidacy has also been tarnished by claims separate to Triesman’s, which allege that FIFA members Issa Hayatou and Jacques Anouma were paid US$1.5m to vote for Qatar 2022. 

“There are two candidates and three possible decisions, the other being that we will abstain,” said Bernstein. 

“We will look at the fact that this will be Mr Blatter’s last period. We will look at recent events. I don’t think an abstention would be pointless. 

“It could end up being a very credible choice, but it depends on what happens over the next week and my colleagues’ views on this.”

Bernstein added his voice to the growing clamour for an Olympic-style voting system to replace an elite few wielding so much power.

“Yes I do think it is too centralised,” he said. 

“I think it would be desirable for a voting system based on a national vote…I think  that would be a move towards greater democracy, absolutely.

“FIFA is a very closed organisation and a lot goes on behind closed doors.”

Chelsea’s billionaire owner Roman Abramovich is helping in the rebuilding of an indoor arena in Volvograd, Russia, to enable Russian athletes to improve their training and performances.

The decision came after discussions between Abramovich and Russian athletics chief Valentin Balakhnichyov whilst they were together as a part of the Russian delegation in Zurich in December successfully bidding to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup, according to the latter.

Balakhnichyov stated: “The problem is it gets quite cold inside the arena in the winter, making it very difficult to train. Also, the running track is quite old and needs to be replaced.

“I was surprised how smoothly the talks have gone, I know that Abramovich had already asked his people to find out what has to be done and how much it would cost.

“Hopefully, the work could be completed over the summer.”

John Mann, a spokesman for the Russian oligarch, added: “Yes, it’s true that Yelena has approached Roman for help and the talks are ongoing.”

Balakhnichyov added that the new arena would also help other Russian athletes to improve their performances, saying: “Rebuilding the Volgograd arena should help not only Isinbayeva but all other athletes who train there, and we have many others who may follow in their footsteps.

“We also have athletes from the local youth sports academy who regularly train there, so [the] Ministry will also get involved.”

WWE have announced the appointment of Stefan Kastenmüller as their General Manager based in their new office in Germany.

Kastenmüller will be in charge of Germany, clinic Switzerland and Austria, anabolics in a newly created position, cheap | effective immediately.

This appointment marks the opening of WWE’s first office in Germany, which will be located in Munich, and is part of WWE’s strategic initiative to localize its approach in key international markets by further engaging with fans and partners.

“Germany, Switzerland and Austria are important WWE markets and have been for a long time thanks to a passionate and growing fan base,” said Gerrit Meier, EVP International, WWE. “Hiring an experienced manager like Stefan and opening a new office reflects WWE’s commitment to the region, our fans and our partners.”

As General Manager, Kastenmüller will be responsible for growing WWE’s brand and business in the GSA markets with a primary focus on expanding the company’s content distribution through strategic partnerships and deepening fan engagement across WWE’s live events, digital offerings, community outreach initiatives and retail programs.

Kastenmüller brings more than 20 years experience in brand and entertainment management to WWE and will be a key member of the international leadership team. He has held executive management positions at Ringier, UFA/Fremantle, Disney, Philip Morris and MTV.

With the London Olympics opening ceremony just hours away a number of the most expensive tickets for the four-hour-long ceremony remain to be sold but organisers are confident there will be no empty seats for the extravaganza.

The 80,000-seat stadium in Stratford has top-end tickets worth £2,012 and £1,600 still available but should they not be sold today it is likely the seats will be distributed either through the Ticketshare scheme to young people or filled by off-duty members of the armed services. The seats will not be sold off at reduced prices despite speculation to the contrary yesterday. 

A spokesperson for Locog, the London organisers, said last night: “We are confident there will not be any empty seats tomorrow. Sebastian Coe did not say there would be price cuts. He said that we will always look at ways that we can get young people to the Games.”

The top-end prices have been criticised and the take-up of hospitality packages has been slow despite growing excitement over both the Games and the ceremony, which starts at 12 minutes past eight tonight. Two dress rehearsals for Danny Boyle’s extravaganza have been held this week in front of crowds of 60,000. Boyle himself spoke on both nights to ask the audience to “keep the surprise” and not disclose details of the £27m ceremony. Feedback to the organisers in the wake of the rehearsals has been overwhelmingly positive. The show seems certain to be well received. 

There is burgeoning expectation that Britain will enjoy a hugely successful Games with a third-place finish in the medal table not beyond reach. But Colin Moynihan, chairman of the BOA, yesterday sounded a note of caution. Moynihan insists Britain will have delivered an “absolutely stunning” Games if they can match the achievements of four years ago in Beijing. 

Target Entertainment Properties (TEP), drugs along with ProPlayerInsiders, have secured a partnership with Conduit, the largest network of web and mobile app publishers, to launch NFL Players Association-branded browser apps.

As part of the partnership, TEP is launching NFL Players Association-branded browser apps, mobile apps and toolbars to help keep fans engaged with their favorite players.

The initial launch of the NFL Players Lifestyle App (PLA’s) for Android devices, powered by Conduit, will feature veteran NFL Player Takeo Spikes, 14-year linebacker now with the San Diego Chargersand running back LeSean McCoy of the Philadelphia Eagles. The Players Lifestyle App will also be available on iOS in early 2012.

The NFL Players Lifestyle App (PLAs) represents an exclusive communication bridge, connecting superstar athletes to their roaring fan bases in one central place where they can interact and engage with buzzing, viral communities. Through these apps, fans can access information, statistics, news, videos, mini-games and photos of their favorite NFL players.

“I am very excited to participate in the initial launch of NFL Players Lifestyle Apps,” says Takeo Spikes, about the ability and flexibility to deliver a uniquely interactive social-mobile experience. “This new mobile app provides people with a one-stop destination for everything they’d want to know and share.”

“The explosive growth in social media content and audience engagement in the mobile entertainment space allows players the opportunity to expand their brand and increase the fan’s interactive experience with them,” explains TEP’s Head of Strategic Partnerships and Business Development, Vernon Lee, Jr. “Conduit was a perfect partner for this and on-going projects as they have an excellent understanding of what is needed and have helped us create these outstanding products for NFL Player’s fans.”

Conduit has over 260,000 members and their 250 million users and considered thelargest network of web and mobile app publishers.

“We are excited to partner with TEP for the NFLPA project. The market’s call for services like ours is too dire to ignore and we’re happy to be able to champion this shift toward mobile for all industry verticals, especially the NFLPA,” said Ori Lavie, VP of Mobile Strategy at Conduit.

Head of the Thailand Football Association (FAT) Worawi Makudi, one of the four FIFA Executive Committee members accused by Lord Triesman of asking for bribes to vote for England 2018 during its World Cup bid, has been told he is no president of the body.

The Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) has claimed that he forfeited his position by failing to hold elections by March 31 after he, and members of the FAT Executive Board, postponed an election due to be held last Friday, May 6, because he claimed that some member clubs were represented by more than one voter.

However, deputy SAT governor Somkid Pinthong has told Thailand’s Senate Committee on Sports that the postponement was unlawful because such a move must be endorsed by two-third of eligible voters who were present at the meeting.

Somkid claimed that Worawi is no longer FAT President because his term expired at the end of last year and under their own regulations he could be acting President for a maximum 90 days after that, adding: “This means an election for FAT President must have been completed by March 31.

“As an election was not held by that date, Worawi and his Executive Board members have lost their positions. In fact, they did not even have the authority to call the May 6 election.”

The SAT have now threatened to step in and organise the elections themselves, a controversial claim as FIFA demand the autonomy of its member associations.

Somkid added: “Under the law, at least one-third of member clubs can ask the SAT to call an election for FAT president within 21 days of their request. We do not want to organise such an election but we may have to do it.”

Former England 2018 bid chairman Lord Triesman claimed during a Parliamentary hearing earlier this week that Makudi wanted England to play a game with Thailand, and insisted that the money from the television rights for that game should go directly to him.

Triesman said that “he [Makudi] believed that was critical to making the arrangement a success”.