The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has defended NBC for not showing the men’s 100-meter final live on its main network.

Usain Bolt dashed to victory in the signature event of the London Olympics on Sunday at 4:50 p.m EDT. NBC broadcast the race hours later on tape-delay in prime time.

IOC spokesman Mark Adams said: “It’s certainly not for us to tell them how to reach their audience.” Adams says NBC live-streamed the race for online viewers, so “if you wanted live, you could get it live.”

NBC has exclusive U.S. rights for the London Games. It struck a $2.2 billion deal with the IOC in 2003, which included rights to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

NBC has broadcast every Summer Olympics since 1988.

 

The Denver Broncos have agreed a partnership with SpotlightTMS, here  which will provide executive suite holders with a Software as a Service (SaaS) application that enables companies to measure the business impact of their ticket and suite assets.

SpotlightTMS helps ensure that tickets and suites are allocated to the right people for the right business reasons. By providing corporate clientele with SpotlightTMS as a value-added feature of its premium seat packages, doctor the NFL franchise enables its best customers to increase revenue and ROI on the use of their tickets and suites.

“We view suite ownership as a partnership,” said Ryan Barefoot, senior director of premium seating for the Denver Broncos. “We want our corporate clients to get maximum value from their hospitality with us so that we can build and ensure long-term relationships with each of them.”

SpotlightTMS offers companies secure access through the Internet to manage ticket inventories, distribute tickets, analyze the results of ticket usage and acquire additional tickets from multiple sources. The software also helps companies meet IRS and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance reporting requirements and avoid running afoul of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Compliance enforcement exceeds $1.6 billion in fines and penalties to U.S. companies annually.

By using SpotlightTMS, existing corporate customers have put a process in place that results in increased sales effectiveness, reduced ticket fraud through role-based permission approval for ticket requests, and a reduction in administrative time and money. Because SpotlightTMS is delivered through the cloud, Broncos’ corporate customers do not need to invest in additional hardware, or handle software installation, set up or maintenance. The benefits of SpotlightTMS can be realized immediately.

“Sports Authority Field at Mile High offers one of the best premium seating environments in the NFL and provides an ideal venue for solidifying business relationships and closing deals,” said Tony Knopp, SpotlightTMS CEO and co-founder. “Peyton Manning will add prestige to corporate entertaining at Broncos’ games, and Denver-area companies will no doubt be clamoring to attach their brands to the team. By providing SpotlightTMS to these companies, the Broncos are helping them measure the impact of their investment in tickets and suites for corporate entertaining. NFL suites drive significant business and the supporting data is staggering.”

SpotlightTMS pioneered the enterprise sports and entertainment ticket and expense management space with the SpotlightTMS application. Its growing list of enterprise customers seeking to maximize ROI and revenues from their tickets includes Google, AT&T, Comcast, MetLife, Fox Sports, Oracle, NBCUniversal, and Stanley Black & Decker. In addition, professional sports teams from football, hockey and basketball — including the San Antonio Spurs, Indianapolis Colts, Toronto Maple Leafs and a dozen more — are providing SpotlightTMS to their most important customers.

In replacing the suspended former FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed Bin Hammam, new acting president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Zhang Jilong promised a “revolution” to help repair the damage caused by the alleged bribery allegations involving the former chief.

Bin Hammam was provisionally suspended on Sunday, May 29, for allegedly trying to bribe members of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) to vote for him during the Presidential election.

Zhang has taken over, officially on a temporary basis, but gave the impression that he expects the Qatari to be handed a longer ban and for him to assume the role permanently.

Zhang told Chinese state broadcaster CCTV: “The Asian football environment is not that healthy.

“We need, let’s say, revolution. We need reform. Scandals such as Bin Hammam’s bribery allegations harm the sport’s beauty. Anyone who does not show transparency should pay for it.

“My priority at the new post is to ease the negative effect of Bin Hammam’s corruption allegations on Asian soccer. We should aim to improve the AFC’s operations and make it run more transparently.

“I hope to solidify the whole Asian soccer community and make the federation operate steadily after the crisis.”

The International Rugby Board (IRB) have confirmed that the Millennium Stadium in Wales will host Rugby World Cup 2015 matches after its Council ruled that the iconic venue is strategically important to the hosting of the tournament.

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) had recommended its use, viagra highlighting that the location in Cardiff was strategically important in making the tournament more accessible to fans from English Rugby strongholds in the South West such as Cornwall, Devon, Gloucestershire and Somerset.

IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: “The Millennium Stadium is one of the world’s iconic sporting venues with a rich pedigree in hosting major sports events, including matches at Rugby World Cup 1999 and Rugby World Cup 2007.

“The venue is ideally positioned as a gateway to the tournament for fans from Wales and the South West and I am sure that it will add another exciting dimension for fans attending Rugby World Cup 2015.”

Paul Vaughan, Chief Executive of Tournament Organiser England Rugby 2015, stated: “We are determined that Rugby World Cup 2015 will be the best tournament ever and to do that we want the best stadia available. Our commitment is to sell three million tickets at iconic and accessible venues. We are delighted that the IRB have listened to our case and that the Millennium Stadium can now be included in our planning for this global event.”

Welsh Rugby Union Chairman David Pickering added: “I am delighted for Wales and for Welsh Rugby that this decision has now been confirmed. I want to thank my colleagues on the IRB Council and the RFU for recognising the benefit of playing Rugby World Cup 2015 matches across the border in Wales.”

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.