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WWE Signs Fox Sports Latin America Deal

WWE and FOX Sports Latin America today announced a five-year multi-channel agreement that will make WWE programming available in 56 million homes across all of Latin America, including Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Venezuela.

The partnership will offer more than 480 hours of original WWE content per year.

Starting Monday, October 6, FOX Sports will feature a live broadcast of WWE’s flagship program Monday Night Raw. Additional original WWE programming including SmackDown, Main Event, NXT and WWE Vintage Collection will be shown on a weekly basis on FOX Sports, FOX Sports 2 and the regional digital platform, FOX Play while WWE’s pay-per-view specials will be available via FOX’s Premium offers in Latin America and on FOX Play in Brazil.

“We are very excited to build this new strategic partnership with a leading global entertainment brand such as WWE,” said Francisco Pazmino, Senior Vice President Programming and Acquisitions, FOX Sports Latin America. “No doubt this long-term partnership will give us the opportunity to continue to strengthen our content line-up, offering our fans in the region a strong and consistent weekly schedule of WWE programming through our portfolio of channels.”

“The combination of WWE’s passionate fan base across Latin America plus FOX’s extensive distribution channels in the region will prove to be mutually beneficial,” said Gerrit Meier, Executive Vice President International, WWE. “This important partnership will allow us to engage audiences of all ages with compelling family sports entertainment programming and further grow the WWE fan base.”

Who are the speakers for the UNITEDCITY GLOBAL SPORTS SUMMIT 2013?

UNITED CITY GLOBAL SPORTS SUMMIT 2013 will take place on November 19-20, link 2013 in Manchester. The venues will be Old Trafford – home of Manchester United FC and Etihad Stadium – home of Manchester City FC.

With 6 sports conferences running at the same time under UNITED CITY GLOBAL SPORTS SUMMIT, erectile giving delegates even more synergies and greater business and learning opportunities.

With so many leading speakers already confirmed, such as:

Marc Watson, Chief Executive, BT Vision
Debbie Jevans, Chief Executive, Rugby World Cup 2015
Mike Lee, Chairman, Vero Communications
Tom Glick, Chief Commercial and Operating Officer, Manchester City FC.
Paul Bush, Chief Operating Officer, Event Scotland
Philip Bernie, Head of BBC Sport, BBC
Richard Bevan, CEO, League Managers Association
Richard Verow, Commercial Director, Sky Sports
Roberto Dalmiglio, Managing Director, MP & Silva
Carl Hicks, Executive Producer, Channel 4
David Kerr, Managing Director, EuroSport
Lewis Wiltshire, Head of Twitter Sport UK
Richard Ayers, CEO, Seven League
Tomos Grace, YouTube/Google
Svenja Simon, Global Head of Media, Repucom
Auke-Jan Bossenbroek, Group Leader, FIFA
Max Duthie, Partner, Bird & Bird
Alastair Graham, Sports Advisory Director, KPMG
Mike Laflin, CEO, Sportcal
Jerome Frost, Head of Planning, Arup
Heather Leigh, Marketing Manager, Manchester United FC
Peter Daire, Head of Group Sponsorship, The Football Association
Frank Leenders, Director of Marketing, FIBA
Michael Cunnah, Chairman, I SportConnect
Jonathan Rigby, Head of Marketing, Manchester United FC
Adam Paker, Chief Executive, Commonwealth Games England
Robin Russell, Chairman, Sports Path International
Nigel Fletcher, Managing Director, Sports Development Marketing
Jon Mikael, Brand Manager, Pepsi
Henry Chappell, Chief Executive, PITCH
Stuart Larman, Manager, FIFA
James Emmett, SportsPro
David Fowler, Group Leader, FIFA
Dennis Mills, CEO, Major Events International

And more to be confirmed!

This prestigious event will consist of many networking functions. Delegates will be treated to ice-breaker networking, speed networking, champagne receptions, gala dinner and themed lunches to ensure learning and business is done. All in the unique settings of the Old Trafford and the Etihad Stadium.

The organisers are Sports Development Marketing (SDM) based in the International Olympic City, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Event website: www.unitedcityevent.com

For the event brochure, please contact: info@sdmworld.com or 0041 216 016 754.

talkSPORT to Broadcast Liverpool Champions League Fixtures

Sports radio station talkSPORT have been named the official radio broadcaster of all of Liverpool FC’s Champions League fixtures.

The deal kicked off with Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Ludogorets. talkSPORT will bring Liverpool fans full coverage including the matches against Champions League holders Real Madrid and Swiss side Basel as well as all of the side’s matches in the knockout stages with former midfielder Danny Murphy part of the commentary team.

Internationally, the station will also broadcast the commentaries to fans around the world via talkSPORT.com.

Liam Fisher, talkSPORT Programme Director said: “Liverpool has an enormous heritage in European competitions and it’s fantastic to bring the club’s return to the Champions League to listeners. Balotelli v Bale is just one of the several thrilling encounters we’ve got to look forward to and with Danny Murphy behind the microphone we’ll have expert analysis of every moment.”

Matthew Baxter, Chief Media Officer at Liverpool FC said: “Teaming up with a global sports radio station, like talkSPORT means that our fans get to follow all of our upcoming Champions League games in real time no matter where in the world they live. This season marks a big moment for the Club, as we return to the UEFA Champions League after a five year absence.”

FIFA Changes Sponsorship Strategy in Offering Regional Packages for World Cups

FIFA are set to offer landmark new sponsorship packages after launching regional packages for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups.

Speaking at the post-LOC board meeting media conference today in Kazan, ailment FIFA’s Marketing Director Thierry Weil provided details on the new commercial structure, bronchi highlighting the significant opportunities and value which is on offer for interested companies.

“Without the support of our sponsors, events such as the FIFA World Cup would simply not be possible,” said Thierry Weil. “Our sponsors not only offer financial support to the events, but logistical support on the ground in the form of transportation for example. Sponsors also play a huge role in connecting our events to football fans all over the world, running promotions and giving people the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience events.”

FIFA’s current sponsorship model, which was implemented in 2007 and covered the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup, consists of three tiers of Commercial Affiliates; FIFA Partners, FIFA World Cup Sponsors and National Supporters.

“The current commercial structure has proven to be very successful for the last two editions of the FIFA World Cup, with no packages left unsold. However, we felt it was time for a change,” explained Thierry Weil.

FIFA’s new innovative commercial structure will be in place as of 2015 for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. The top two tiers remain mostly unchanged, with a total of 14 companies occupying the FIFA Partner and FIFA World Cup Sponsor positions. However, the third tier has been transformed from National Supporters to Regional Supporters. This tier can amount to a total of 20 brands from the 5 pre-defined regions of North America, South America, Europe, Middle East & Africa and Asia.

Weil explained the reason for the change: “The demand is there. Having observed our current structure it became clear that there is an interest from brands in broadening the scope of the National Supporter engagements, not only to cover the Host Country.

“The regional approach also offers a more targeted way for Commercial Affiliates to engage with their target audience, offering companies who do not have the desire or the means to enter into a global sponsorship agreement to acquire rights which cover a significant geographical region,” added Weil. “For example a company who is interested in the region of South America can now acquire the corresponding rights and not have to purchase a global package. The value proposition is much stronger.”

FIFA have already confirmed commerical deals for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups with Coca-Cola, Hyundai-Kia, Gazprom and Anheuser-Busch InBev.

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Former McDonald’s Executive Greg Gilligan Joins PGA Tour as VP of Chinese Affiliate

The PGA TOUR has appointed today Greg Gilligan as Vice President, symptoms Managing Director of PGA TOUR’s affiliate in China, sale PGA TOUR (Beijing) Management Consulting Co Ltd.

The experiencced executive has worked in China for the past 16 years and in his new role will help the PGA TOUR to increase its efforts in China, which will include working cooperatively to support the continued growth of golf in China, deepening and broadening the PGA TOUR’s relationships and advancing the TOUR’s business throughout the country.

Gilligan is scheduled to join the PGA TOUR team next month. He is a former McDonald’s executive in China who for the past three years has held the position of Managing Director for APCO China, a global communication, stakeholder engagement and business strategy firm. Fluent in Mandarin Chinese, Gilligan also currently serves as the Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, which is comprised of 3,800 members from 1,250 member companies.

“We consider China to be an important market for golf and the PGA TOUR and believe this is the right time to make an increased commitment to the marketplace,” said TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem. “We have a history of doing business in China, dating back to playing the World Cup in Shenzhen in 1995. We know that establishing a consistent presence in Beijing will enhance our existing business relationships and help to establish new ones and we look forward to working with all stakeholders in growing the game of golf in China.

“Finding the right executive to oversee these efforts was critical,” Finchem continued. “In order for us to maximize the potential of our efforts in China, we needed to identify an executive who has extensive experience in China, understands the culture and business practices, and has the ability to help ensure our investment and resources there are put to the best use for China golf. Greg Gilligan possesses all of these qualities. We are delighted that he has agreed to head up our efforts in China.”

Gilligan will work directly with the TOUR’s International Business Affairs group and the Global Commerce group and will consult across all functions and teams (e.g. International Media, Sponsorship, Retail Licensing, TPCs etc.) of the PGA TOUR.

Prior to joining APCO China, Gilligan spent 14 years as an executive with McDonald’s China, serving the last four as General Manager, Corporate Affairs.

“I am excited about joining the PGA TOUR team to lead our efforts in China,” Gilligan said. “There is tremendous potential for golf in China, and we are going to be supportive of that growth opportunity. I can’t wait to get started to continue to build on the momentum that is already established.”

Time Warner Cable Inks Deal to Air Final Week of Dodger Games

Time Warner Cable today announced it has secured an agreement to broadcast the final week of Dodger games on KDOC.

KDOC is an independent broadcast station that is carried by every cable, ampoule satellite and telco provider in Southern California and can also be received over the air with an antenna.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are in an exciting race for the National League West Division Championship. The final six games, pills including a series against rival San Francisco Giants, will determine if the Dodgers make the playoffs and have a chance to win the World Series.

“Time Warner Cable is part of this community and we’re Dodger fans too,” said Dinni Jain, Time Warner Cable’s Chief Operating Officer. “Angelenos love their Dodgers, and we’re happy to give them a way to watch their beloved team during this pennant chase.”

Time Warner Cable has worked hard to get other providers to carry SportsNet LA so all fans will have access to games. The company even agreed to enter into binding arbitration to secure a deal and offered to make games available during arbitration. Unfortunately, other providers have refused.

“Right now, we can’t change the fact that other area TV distributors won’t carry the channel, but we don’t want anyone to miss this exciting pennant run,” Mr. Jain continued. “We hope everyone will tune in to KDOC and help us cheer on the Dodgers. We will continue to work on long-term agreements with other providers in the off season.”

50 Sponsorship Deals of the Week: 04/10/13

1	SKYCITY Remains Jersey Sponsor of NRL’s Vodafone Warriors	Friday, 04 October 2013
2	Edox Becomes Official Timekeeper of World Curling Federation	Friday, 04 October 2013
3	Huddersfield Town Renews Partnership with Local Fitness Brand	Friday, 04 October 2013
4	Ingersoll Rand to Sponsor Chad Hackenbracht for Dollar General 300	Friday, 04 October 2013
5	UFC’s Johny Hendricks Extends Reebok Deal	Friday, 04 October 2013
6	Gold Coast SUNS & Virgin Australia Extend Partnership	Friday, 04 October 2013
7	IRN-BRU Becomes Official Soft Drink of Scottish Professional Football League	Thursday, 03 October 2013
8	Sunderland Reveals South African Airways as Airline Partner	Thursday, 03 October 2013
9	Vortex Racewear Secures Naming Rights to Formula First Championship	Thursday, 03 October 2013
10	Levitetz Family Sponsors USA Wrestling’s Elite Athlete Appearance Program	Thursday, 03 October 2013
11	Star India Acquire BCCI Title Sponsorship Rights for India Cricket Matches	Thursday, 03 October 2013
12	Penske Racing Retain MillerCoors Sponsorship	Thursday, 03 October 2013
13	Inter Milan Renew Volvo Partnership	Thursday, 03 October 2013
14	Concierge Business Travel to Sponsor AOC for Sochi 2014 & Rio 2016	Thursday, 03 October 2013
15	Cell C Becomes Title Sponsor of Super Rugby’s Sharks	Thursday, 03 October 2013
16	Guitammer Company Inks Marketing Deal with NHRA	Thursday, 03 October 2013
17	Wakefield Trinity Wildcats Renew with Shirt Sponsor	Thursday, 03 October 2013
18	Sunice Named Official Outwear Supplier for International Team at 2013 Presidents Cup	Thursday, 03 October 2013
19	ATP Signs On Gillette & Segafredo Zanetti to Sponsor World Tour Finals	Thursday, 03 October 2013
20	Green Bay Packers Extend New Amsterdam Spirits Sponsorship	Thursday, 03 October 2013
21	Virgin Active Ends Title Sponsorship of London Triathlon	Thursday, 03 October 2013
22	Tata to Title Sponsor New York City Marathon	Thursday, 03 October 2013
23	Gander Mountain Partner with Minnesota Wild to Launch ‘Hunt with the Wild’	Thursday, 03 October 2013
24	Anritsu Sponsors Frys.com Open	Thursday, 03 October 2013
25	Under Armour to Supply English Lacrosse	Wednesday, 02 October 2013
26	PGA Tour Expands USA Today Digital Partnership	Wednesday, 02 October 2013
27	Glasgow Warriors Agree Deal with Rowan Glen	Wednesday, 02 October 2013
28	Parramatta Eels Signs New Major Sponsor	Wednesday, 02 October 2013
29	Symetra Extends Title Sponsorship of LPGA Development Tour	Wednesday, 02 October 2013
30	Rogers Named Official Telecommunications Sponsor of Edmonton Oilers	Wednesday, 02 October 2013
31	Coles to Sponsor Netball Australia	Wednesday, 02 October 2013
32	Derby County Reveal Total Hire as Official Sponsor of South Stand	Wednesday, 02 October 2013
33	Nordea Renew Title Sponsorship of Scandinavian Masters	Wednesday, 02 October 2013
34	Realtor.com Sponsors San Jose Sharks for New Season	Wednesday, 02 October 2013
35	CU to Sponsor Red Bull Racing for Korean Grand Prix	Wednesday, 02 October 2013
36	Manchester City Extends Paddy Power Sponsorship	Wednesday, 02 October 2013
37	NASL’s Indy Eleven Announces Honda as Official Automobile	Wednesday, 02 October 2013
38	USG & CGC to Sponsor Team USA & Canadian Olympic Team Until Rio 2016 Olympics	Wednesday, 02 October 2013
39	Dr Pepper Dallas Cup Names Toyota as Official Automobile	Tuesday, 01 October 2013
40	Stephen Curry Signs Shoe Endorsement Deal with Under Armour	Tuesday, 01 October 2013
41	Toronto Raptors Name Rapper Drake as Global Ambassador	Tuesday, 01 October 2013
42	Advil Becomes Official Pain Reliever of NHL	Tuesday, 01 October 2013
43	ASICS to Sponsor Australian Rugby Union	Tuesday, 01 October 2013
44	Irish FA Retains Coca Cola Partnership	Tuesday, 01 October 2013
45	ESH Group Eagles Extend Northumbria University Partnership	Tuesday, 01 October 2013
46	London Lions Announce New Hospitality Sponsor	Monday, 30 September 2013
47	I-Teco to Supply Sochi 2014 Olympics	Monday, 30 September 2013
48	REMO to Supply Uniforms for International Cycling Union	Monday, 30 September 2013
49	EFG International Retains Title Sponsorship of Sailing Arabia – The Tour	Monday, 30 September 2013
50	GAC Pindar Becomes Official Logistics Provider of Volvo Ocean Race	Monday, 30 September 2013

WWE Renew Tens Sports Broadcast Deal

WWE have extended their partnership with Indian broadcaster Ten Sports through to 2019.

The new partnership will look to grow WWE’s weekly flagship programming to include localized content, sample pills more languages and live events.

In addition to the continued broadcasts of WWE’s flagship programs Raw, SmackDown, NXT and monthly pay-per-view specials, starting January 1, 2015, Ten Sports will introduce a new one-hour fully customized version of Raw tailored specifically for the Indian audience and add WWE Main Event to its programming lineup. Ten Sports will also air WWE content in multiple Indian languages for the first time and bring WWE live events back to India in 2015.

Rajesh Sethi, CEO, Ten Sports said: “We are very excited to extend our long-standing, successful partnership with WWE for the Indian Subcontinent. WWE is the leader in sports entertainment, and its high-quality entertainment is a huge hit among Indian audiences. Being rights holders since 2002, we have seen WWE grow over the years to dominate the sports entertainment space, and with this new deal through 2019, we are confident of taking our partnership to the next level, delivering audiences more breakthrough programming and engagement opportunities in the years to come.”

“India remains a strategically important market for WWE and we are thrilled to continue our long-term partnership with Ten Sports, the region’s leader in sports programming,” said Gerrit Meier, WWE Executive Vice President, International. “As the value of the WWE brand and our content continues to increase around the world, the scale and scope of this new agreement illustrates our ability to drive a passionate and engaged audience as well as the potential we have for future growth.”

10 Sports Broadcasting Deals of the Week: 04/10/13

1	MP & Silva to Distribute Media Rights for 2018 & 2022 World Cups in Italy	Friday, discount 04 October 2013
2	Pac-12 Conference Signs New Fox Deal to Distribute Programming Worldwide	Friday, cialis 04 October 2013
3	New MLS Franchise New York City Announces Broadcast Deal with WFAN AM/FM	Thursday, viagra buy 03 October 2013
4	ESPN Deportes Signs New NFL Broadcast Deal	Thursday, 03 October 2013
5	Nascar Announces New Content Partnership with The Whistle	Wednesday, 02 October 2013
6	FOX Sports to Broadcast USA Rugby Match Against New Zealand	Wednesday, 02 October 2013
7	Fiji TV to Broadcast MUTV in South Pacific after Manchester United Deal	Wednesday, 02 October 2013
8	SendtoNews Secures Canadian Rights to NFL Highlights	Wednesday, 02 October 2013
9	Exclusive: Euroleague Looks for Long Term BeIN Deal after Partnership Announcement	Tuesday, 01 October 2013
10	Chicago Fire Games to Air Live on Time Warner Cable Sports in Wisconsin	Monday, 30 September 2013

Badminton England Appoint Gavin Finch as Head of Marketing

Badminton England have revealed a new Head of Marketing with the appointment of Gavin Finch.

The organisation has pin pointed Marketing and Communications as a key part of its strategy and hope the appointment will strengthen this area.

Chief Executive of BADMINTON England, Adrian Christy said: “I am delighted that Gavin has agreed to join our team as we embark on a really exciting period for English badminton.

“With our plans to relocate the National Badminton Centre, the inaugural London Grand Prix in October, the Commonwealth Games in less than 12 months time, one of our most exciting portfolio’s of community badminton programmes ever and some great partnerships being developed, there are some fantastic stories to be told and some amazing opportunities to engage with us.

“After a period that has seen our domestic fan base grow to more than 4 million people and achieve a global reach of 350 million people, developing a better understanding of our fans is a key component of our business strategy. We have a vision to develop a CRM business solution that enables us to manage and enhance relationships with the millions who play and follow badminton and the cornerstone to achieving this will be information about our fans and how they interact with us.

“It was critical for us to secure someone who can lead this exciting project and we are very much looking forward to Gavin sharing his skills and experience with us.”

Gavin Finch added: “I am very excited to be joining a talented Marketing and Communications team at BADMINTON England. I have been impressed with the clear focus and direction that Adrian has for the organisation and I am looking forward to delivering the projects that have been identified as priorities.

“I will be looking to implement learnings from my experience at British Cycling and with strong support and leadership from Adrian and the senior team, there is huge potential to be realised for BADMINTON England over the next few years. I feel privileged to be given the opportunity to contribute at such an exciting time for the sport.”