Die deutschen Profisportligen verzeichneten in der Spielzeit 2011/12 den höchsten kumulierten Umsatz innerhalb der letzten fünf Jahre: 353, sickness 6 Millionen Euro (+3, erectile 2%). Dies geht aus der Deloitte-Studie “Finanzreport deutscher Profisportligen” hervor, die in Kooperation mit SPONSORs erstellt wurde. Wesentlicher Treiber dieses Wachstums war die Beko Basketball-Bundesliga (BBL) mit einer Erlössteigerung von 26,3 Prozent, die vom sportlichen Aufstieg des FC Bayern Basketball profitierte. Im Mittelpunkt der Analyse stehen neben der BBL, die Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), die kürzlich umbenannte DKB Handball-Bundesliga (HBL) und die dritthöchste Liga im deutschen Profifußball (3. Liga). Erstmals weitet sich der Report auf die DACH-Region aus. In Sonderkapiteln werden die wirtschaftlichen Entwicklungen der österreichischen Fußball-Bundesliga und der Schweizer Raiffeisen Super League analysiert.

“Der Wettbewerb um Zuschauer, TV-Präsenz und Sponsoren zwischen den Ligen ist größer denn je”, so Stefanie Vogel, Senior Consultant der Sport Business Gruppe von Deloitte. “Spannend bleibt, ob die kürzlich abgeschlossene Einigung zwischen den öffentlich-rechtlichen Sendern ARD und ZDF und dem Trio DEL, HBL und BBL über die Ausweitung der Berichterstattung den Ligen neue Wachstumsimpulse geben kann.”

Die 18 Clubs der BBL steigerten ihre durchschnittlichen Umsatzerlöse in der Saison 2011/12 um mehr als ein Viertel und verzeichneten einen Rekordumsatz von 76,9 Millionen Euro. Damit verkürzt sich der Abstand zur HBL und DEL auf weniger als 10 Millionen Euro. Auch bei den Zuschauerzahlen stellte die BBL den Anschluss an die übrigen Profisportligen her. Der Besucherschnitt wurde auf durchschnittlich 4.422 Zuschauer pro Spiel gesteigert. Ligaverantwortliche setzen sich zum Ziel, bis 2020 die sportlich und wirtschaftlich stärkste Basketball-Liga in Europa zu werden.

Neben der BBL konnten auch die DEL (+8,8%) und HBL (+2,0%) ihre Gesamterlöse steigern. Der deutsche Profihandball erreichte sein bestes Ergebnis mit einem Gesamtumsatz von 86,1 Millionen Euro. Allerdings konnte die HBL ihre durchschnittliche jährliche Wachstumsrate der vergangenen fünf Spielzeiten in Höhe von 9,5% Prozent nicht bestätigen. Damit musste die HBL ihre Position als umsatzstärkste Hallensportliga wieder an die DEL abgeben. Die Eishockeyliga verzeichnete einen Gesamterlös von 86,2 Millionen Euro. Die DEL-Clubs steigerten in allen relevanten Erlöskategorien ihre Umsätze, am deutlichsten im Bereich Spieltag und Sonstige Erlöse. Der hohe Zuschauerschnitt mit 6.392 Besuchern pro Spiel war ein wesentlicher Umsatztreiber.

Die 3. Liga erzielte mit einem Ist-/Plan-Umsatz von 104,4 Millionen Euro das beste Ergebnis aller betrachteten Profisportligen. Gleichzeitig verzeichnete sie aber als einzige Liga einen Rückgang der Gesamterlöse (-11,5%). Damit rücken die Sportarten im Bereich der Gesamterlöse näher zusammen. Grund dafür ist unter anderem ein Rückgang bei den Zuschauerzahlen von 18,2 Prozent. Wirtschaftlich betrachtet besteht zwischen 3. und 2. Liga eine große Distanz. Die kumulierten Umsatzerlöse der 18 Clubs entsprechen weniger als einem Drittel des von Deloitte prognostizierten Gesamtumsatzes der Zweitligisten von ca. 350 Millionen Euro.

In der diesjährigen Studie wurde die Analyse erstmals auf die DACH-Region ausgeweitet. Analysiert wurden die Schweizer Raiffeisen Super League und die österreichische tipp3-Bundesliga. Mit einem Gesamtumsatz von 171,3 Millionen Euro (Schweiz) beziehungsweise 155,1 Millionen Euro (Österreich) lagen die beiden Alpennachbarn in der Saison 2011/12 deutlich über dem Erlösniveau der 3. Liga, jedoch signifikant unter der 2. Bundesliga aus Deutschland. Vor dem Hintergrund, dass die Fußball-Top-Ligen in der Schweiz und Österreich grundsätzlich nur aus zehn Clubs bestehen, verringert sich der durchschnittliche Abstand zu Clubs der 2. Bundesliga. Mannschaften der 2. Bundesliga erlösten durchschnittlich 19,5 Millionen Euro, die der Schweizer Liga 17,1 Millionen Euro und die der österreichischen Liga 15,5 Millionen Euro.

“Auch in der Saison 2012/13 müssen sich die Clubs der 3. Liga wieder einer Vielzahl von wirtschaftlichen Herausforderungen stellen. Der Fokus liegt bei vielen Clubs weiterhin auf einem effizienten Kostenmanagement”, prognostiziert Stefanie Vogel. “Vielversprechend sind die zunehmenden Engagements diverser Vermarktungsagenturen bei Clubs in der 3. Liga.”

Die Ergebnisse der Studie wurden exklusiv beim 8. SPONSORs Clubmanager Summit am 05.11.2012 im RheinEnergieStadion Köln präsentiert.

500,000 Olympic football match tickets have been withdrawn and stadium capacities reduced due to a lack of interest, Games organisers said on Tuesday.

Organisers will reduce capacities across venues by closing tiers of stadiums or whole sections of a ground.

Even after the reduction, 250,000 football tickets are still available with a further 200,000 set to be put up for sale before the Games begin on July 27.

Games chief Seb Coe defended the move and said football ticket sales compared favourably with previous Olympics.

“They are in reduced size venues of course, we’ve had to scale down the size of those venues,” Coe told reporters.

“We’ve sold more football tickets than we’ve sold anything else, we’ve got 37-38,000 tickets we’ve sold for Britain ladies v New Zealand which I think benchmarks pretty well for instance with the women’s FA Cup final this year which was an all-London affair at the Emirates (Stadium) and they had about 5,000.

“We are not in bad shape on tickets but football tickets at a Games are always the challenge. I think we’ll do pretty well.”

The football competition is set to take place in six venues across Britain including the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, City of Coventry Stadium, Old Trafford in Manchester, St James’ Park in Newcastle, Hampden Park in Glasgow and London’s Wembley Stadium which will host both the men’s and women’s finals.

Organisers will also make 150,000 football tickets available for school children through their Ticketshare scheme.

World soccer’s governing body FIFA has revealed that 11 companies have submitted their initial interest in the next phase of goal-line technology tests after the issue was discussed at the first meeting of the new FIFA Task Force Football 2014 last month.

Out of the 11 companies who expressed interest in taking part in the new trials, FIFA said nine are from Europe, one from North America, and one from Africa. 

One company from Britain which has continually registered its interest in delivering goal-line technology is Hawkeye, a firm which has already proved its credentials with its successful implementation of video technology for tennis and cricket. 

Paul Hawkins told BBC Sport recently: “Our system for football is easier than for cricket, technically. Technology is not here to hurt anyone, it can only make things better.”

FIFA remains split on the issue of technology, with UEFA president Michel Platini airing his concerns about it just last week despite worldwide calls for the system to be introduced.

Platini told the Sunday Times: “Why should we? (introduce such technology). So we can eliminate doubt whether a ball has crossed the line? But I eliminate doubt with the use of additional referees in the Champions League and the Europa League.

“The day we have goal-line technology, five minutes after you will ask for offside technology. We will have that for ten years and then you will ask for penalty area technology.”

Franz Beckenbauer, head of the FIFA Task Force Football 2014 which is looking at ways to improve the game in different areas, told the FIFA Congress last week that he thought the additional referees system was highly effective, saying that he believed goal-line technology may be “superfluous”.

Despite these statements, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) decided at its March 5 meeting to extend testing of goal-line technology by one year, while FIFA president Sepp Blatter said at the time that none of the 10 companies involved in the February trials had been successful in meeting the criteria set out by IFAB at its meeting last October. 

The further testing phases will be split in two, with the first trials of goal-line technology scheduled between September and December. Following this phase, the test institute in consultation with the IFAB will establish a shortlist of companies who will proceed to the second testing phase that is scheduled for March to June next year. 

FIFA said each individual system will be scrutinised using stringent pass/fail criteria, both during daylight and at night under floodlights before results of the testing are announced at a special IFAB meeting in July 2012.

Criteria include: a goal indication to referee’s watch (automatically displayed by vibration and visual signal); signal range (full coverage of the pitch and technical areas); free shots on goal (100% recognition); static accuracy test (minimum 90% correct recognition in this first phase); and dynamic accuracy test (minimum 90% correct recognition in this first phase).

A new partnership between USA Gymnastics with Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) Facilities will see the organisation showcase its Olympic stars after the 2012 and 2016 Games.

The Tour of Gymnastics Champions will feature Team USA’s top gymnasts, as well as former champions, and take place directly after the London and Rio Games, visiting 40 cities over a ten week period between September and November in 2012 and 2016.

Although details of the venues are still to be announced, AEG Facilities owns and operates over 100 sports venues around the world including the Staples Center in Los Angles, American Airlines Arena in Miami and Sprint Center in Kansas City.

It also runs venues outside the USA including the O2 Arena in London, Berlin’s O2 World and the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai.

Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics, stated: “AEG is a global force in the entertainment industry and this partnership enables USA Gymnastics to take the tour to an unprecedented level. Our combined experience and resources allow us to reach a broad audience and create a dynamic showcase for our athletes and sport at the highest degree possible. This is partnership is designed to capitalise on our mutual strengths and co-promotional abilities.”

Bob Newman, AEG Facilities’ chief operating officer, added: “Last year, AEG Facilities and USA Gymnastics hosted the most successful Visa Championships to date. We are thrilled to partner with USA Gymnastics once again and look forward to combining efforts and resources to produce this prestigious post-Olympic event.”

Planning Permission has just been granted for the new training facility for English nPower League One soccer team Southampton Football Club.

The state of the art venue has been designed by AFL Architects and the company released a statement on their webiste today, February 14 to confirm the approval.

The statement from the architectural company read: “The design for the new building represents a contemporary but contextual approach. By using natural timber cladding to the walls and roof of the new building, the contemporary architectural style and massing will sit comfortably within it’s rural setting at the edge of the New Forest.”

The 2014 UEFA Super Cup will be staged in Cardiff at Cardiff City Stadium.

The traditional clash between the winners of the Champions League and Europa League will be staged at the venue on Tuesday, August 12, with a 7.45pm kick-off.

Jonathan Ford, chief executive of the Football Association of Wales, said: “The Football Association of Wales is delighted Cardiff will be hosting this year’s UEFA Super Cup.

“Cardiff has hosted several high profile sporting events. This, however, is a first.

“This will be the first match staged on behalf of UEFA in the Welsh capital. We are sure it will not be the last.”

John Griffiths, Minister for Culture and Sport on behalf of the Welsh Government, added: “The UEFA Super Cup coming to Cardiff and Wales is another fantastic opportunity to showcase the capital city and our country.

“We are used to hosting major sporting events in this country. Rugby union and rugby league, football, cricket and speedway to name just a few. A UEFA Super Cup is another huge event.”

Paul Downton, a former wicket-keeper for England, has replaced Hugh Morris as Managing Director of English Cricket and will begin his role on 1 February 2014.

Downton represented England in 30 Test Matches between 1981 and 1988  and 28 One Day Internationals with more than half his Test Matches were against the powerful West Indies team of the 1980s . He played in both the 1981 and 1985 Ashes winning series, the 1984/5 series win in India and the Cricket World Cup Final in 1987 in Kolkata.

He is a qualified coach and since retiring from cricket he has been an active member of the Middlesex, ECB Cricket and MCC Committees and forged a successful career in the City with HSBC, Cazenove and JP Morgan.

ECB Chief Executive David Collier said : “Paul’s record of success both on and off the field made him the outstanding candidate to replace Hugh Morris. His experience of a World Cup Final, Ashes success, six County Championship wins and 58 international appearances for England provides a wealth of cricket experience. His background in law when coupled with his experience in the City provides the unique set of skills which is required to lead and manage the England Cricket Department’ s £100 million budget over the next 4 years.Paul will inherit a thriving Team England operation which has been exceptionally well led by Hugh Morris and the ECB wishes Hugh every success in his new role at Glamorgan CCC.”

Paul Downton added: “I am honoured to have been offered this position and the trust which the ECB has placed in me to lead our national teams. Since retiring from the game I have taken a close interest in both County and International cricket and I am excited by the challenge of building on the success which England teams have enjoyed at all levels in recent years.

“My discussions during the appointment process with the Chairman, Chief Executive, the England Team Director and One Day coach have provided me with a clear vision of the importance attached to this role and I look forward to forging close and successful working relationships with my new colleagues at ECB. Finally I would like to thank J P Morgan Cazenove who have been a terrific company to work for during the past 17 years and I wish the company and all my colleagues every success in the future.”

Rome is gearing up for another attempt to bid for the 2024 Olympics, viagra according to the Associated Press.

After a brutal last minute scrapping of the 2020 bid in February of this year, clinic Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno spoke out in the press that they need to get ready for 2017 when the 2024 bids will be decided by the IOC. 

Rome’s bid, allergy led by IOC member and then IOC vice-president, Mario Pescante, fell out of the race the day before the deadline for submissions due to a lack of government support. 

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti was not able to give the bid the government guarantees required by the IOC for the campaign.

Italy, like Spain, has been hit by an economic crisis and they bid was seen as a catalyst to jump start the economy if they could win. Spain is bidding Madrid and following the same plan, winning the Olympics would be a big boost to the lagging economy.

Kuwait told the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today it’s political interference in sport institutions will end.

Kuwait has been suspended from the IOC since 2010. The IOC said in May Kuwaiti athletes could participate at the games, but would compete and march in the opening ceremony under the Olympic flag.

IOC spokeswoman Sandrine Tonge said Monday the suspension was “conditionally lifted” after Kuwait ruler Sheik Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah pledged autonomy for the country’s Olympic committee and promised new legislation for institutions governing sports.

They will be allowed to hoist their national flag and have the Kuwaiti National Anthem playing alongside it.

Kuwait is sending 11 athletes to the London 2012 Olympics which start on July 27.