Rogers Communications has today signed a 10-year broadcast and multimedia agreement with WWE, allergist making Rogers the exclusive distributor of WWE’s flagship programming in Canada through 2024.

The deal extends WWE’s current programming on Sportsnet 360 and includes the right to distribute WWE Network as a premium linear channel, cialis with a preview beginning August 12. 

Rogers will be the exclusive distribution partner of all WWE pay-per-view events throughout Canada and will sponsor an application to the CRTC to bring the popular WWE Network to Canada. Starting August 12, a preview of WWE Network content, including live WWE pay-per-view events, groundbreaking original series, live in-ring action, reality shows and a video-on-demand library, will be available on a subscription basis on Rogers Channel 512. Rogers will offer this WWE Network content preview subscription to all cable, satellite and IPTV providers across Canada. 

Fans in Canada will receive more WWE programming than ever before through Rogers’ cable and digital assets. Highlights from the new deal also include national rights for Raw, SmackDown and Main Event on Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet NOW and Rogers Anyplace TV. 

“This landmark deal is a win-win for WWE fans in Canada,” said Scott Moore, President of NHL & Sportsnet, Rogers. “The premium WWE content offers our customers more of the programming they want, on any platform of their choosing.  We are thrilled to continue our partnership with WWE, and deliver exclusive content to its passionate fan base in Canada for the next decade.” 

“We are excited to expand our partnership with Rogers as we look for innovative ways to grow our brand and further the reach of our programming in Canada through their vast distribution channels and marketing platforms,” said Gerrit Meier, WWE Executive Vice President, International. “The structure of this new agreement demonstrates WWE’s commitment to growing our brand internationally through integrated partnerships as well as the flexibility we have in rolling out WWE Network around the world.”

LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games) has unveiled the anti-doping laboratory which will operate during the 2012 Games this summer.

More samples will be taken at this year’s Olympics than at any other Games, case with up to 400 samples requested each day, sick and over 6,250 samples analysed in total.

Throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the laboratory will be in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) approved facility has been provided by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and will be operated by anti-doping experts from King’s College London as well as being supported by scientists from across the globe.

Professor David Cowan from the Drug Control Centre at King’s College London will lead a team of 150 anti-doping scientists who will carry out the testing.  Over 1,000 LOCOG staff will also work within the Anti-Doping process

Cowan emphasised the unprecedented quality of the laboratory in its ability to detect banned substances.

“These laboratories are the most high-tech labs in the history of the Games, analysing more samples than ever before. We have developed, with GSK support, super-fast and super-sensitive technologies to be able to detect use of prohibited substances. Our role is to ensure the efficient and effective operation of the lab to deliver robust anti-doping testing for the Games”.

Hugh Robertson, Minister for Sport and the Olympics, was given a tour of the facility based in Harlow, Essex yesterday and stated that he hoped the laboratory would act as a powerful deterrent to potential drug cheats.

“We are doing all we can to ensure that there is no place to hide for drug cheats at London 2012. Our message to any athlete thinking about doping is simple – we’ll catch you. This lab, from GlaxoSmithKline and King’s College London, is at the forefront of the fight against doping. It will be populated with scientists at the top of their field during the Games who will carry out an exhaustive testing process”.

London 2012 chief executive, Paul Deighton, added, “Today is an important milestone in the countdown to the Games. Working with one of the world’s best pharmaceutical companies and one of the country’s leading universities we have been able to create a facility to successfully and efficiently process 6,250 tests during the Games which has never been done before.

“As we unveil the anti-doping lab we recognise the importance of a robust testing system and continue to show that London is ready to stage a successful Games”.

Lebanon have been announced as the hosts of the 13th Arab Games in 2015 at the 16th general assembly meeting of the Union of the Arab National Olympic Committees (UANOC) on Saturday.

Earlier, medic Morocco had been appointed to organize the 2015 Arab Games. But due to domestic affairs, it withdrew. Lebanon proposed its interest in hosting the event and the UANOC welcomed the bid.

Nawal El-Moutawakel, International Olympic Committee member and president of the evaluation commission for the selection of the host city for the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympic Games, was assigned to head the team that will follow up with the organizing committee to ensure the success of the 13th Arab Games.

President of the Arab Games Organizing Committee Sheikh Saud Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was praised for hosting the 12th Arab Games. The event is now taking place in Doha until Dec. 23. The president has documented all Arab athletes’ records in Arab tournaments to get them recognized by international federations. He recommended the continuation of this process.

The UANOC members agreed a team should visit all Arabic countries to gage how many would host sports activities and tournaments and the opportunities they might provide to sports development.

Syria will receive a letter, the members decided, about the country’s interest in hosting the first Arab Games for youth in 2013. If Syria would want to withdraw, other countries would be willing to host the event.

The UAE proposed to host the 1st Arab Women Sports Tournament at Sharjah Ladies Club in Sharjah. The competition in five sports will be held Feb. 2-12, 2012.

The newly formed UANOC’s Arab Olympic Academy Committee is based in Jordan and will be headed by President Atif Odaibat. The recently established Arab Federation for Heritage and Traditional Sports is based in Lebanon. President Maroun Khaleel will lead this 64th Arab sport federation.

Pan-European television spots network Eurosport has inked an exclusive live TV and digital rights deal for this year’s Tour of Poland cycling races.

The rights are exclusive in all of Eurosport’s 70 international territories across Europe and Asia-Pacific, allergist except Poland.

The deal completes Eurosport’s UCI World Tour offer this season which is comprised of 24 out of the 29 possible races on the calendar, link including the three Grand Tours and all the great Classics.

The 71^st Tour of Poland will start on Sunday 3 August from Solidarity Square in Gdansk and will end on Saturday 9 August with a time-trial in Krakow. All stages will be broadcast live on Eurosport and Eurosport 2. Fans can also watch the race live on PC, mobile, tablet and connected TV on Eurosport Player, Eurosport’s simulcast online TV service.

West Ham United have decided against submitting a formal bid for the Olympic Stadium unless they are given clarity over what the Olympic Park legacy Company wants from bidders.

The east London based club are now said to be reconsidering their plans to move to the stadium in Stratford.

An interest in a 99-year lease had been expressed by the club, who are top of the Championship, but no work will begin on any significant plan until the Olympic Park Legacy Company offer greater clarity about what is being asked of bidders.

Concerns have been raised over the share of naming-rights revenue, match-day branding, flexibility on fixtures and the identity of any co-tenants.

Rugby union side London Wasps are said to be seriously considering a move to the Olympic Stadium and have expressed an interest in the course of its due diligence. But West Ham would reportedly not be interested in sharing with a rugby team because of the damage to the pitch.

With UK Athletics using the stadium over the summer there would only be a fortnight window for the pitch to be made ready for football.

According to reports in the Times, West Ham are cold on the idea of wasting more money on another bid without there being more clarity, while they are also concerned about starting the process to sell their current home Upton Park unless they know for certain they are moving to the Olympic Stadium.

West Ham are thought to have spent nearly £1 million on the process of their first bid.

They are not the only London football club who are considering their options.

Leyton Orient are full participants in the “expressions of interest” phase, and are considering what kind of offer they might be able to make to the increasingly anxious OPLC

An issue for both football clubs is that the OPLC will retain the power to force tenants to share with each other.

The “pairing” system means that tenants have no choice about who they share with, meaning that the OPLC could impose a rugby club in a ground-share with West Ham, or pursue sharing between West Ham and Orient.

That would present a bigger problem to West Ham than to Leyton Orient.

Lillehammer, Norway has been named the host city for the 2nd Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2016, the The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced.

Lillehammer, which hosted the 1994 Olympic Winter Games, was elected by the IOC members via postal vote, the deadline for which was 5 December. As the only city in contention, Lillehammer needed – and received – a majority to obtain victory.

IOC President Jacques Rogge, said: “We are excited to be going back to Lillehammer, which hosted unforgettable Winter Games in 1994. The city, the government and Norwegian National Olympic Committee have shown a great desire and commitment to hosting these Games, and we are confident that Lillehammer will provide a world-class experience for the young athletes in just over four years’ time.”

Over 1,000 athletes ranging in ages from 15 to 18 will compete at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games, which will feature competitions in the same seven sports that are currently on the Olympic Winter Games programme.

President Rogge will soon establish a Coordination Commission to assist Lillehammer throughout its preparation period.

Norwegian NOC President Børre Rognlien, said: “I would like to thank the IOC and its Executive Board for the trust they have shown us and Lillehammer in selecting us as the host of the 2nd Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2016. It is with great pleasure and pride that the Norwegian Olympic Committee can now invite a new generation of athletes to Lillehammer. We will attempt to build on the heritage of the Lillehammer 1994 Olympic Winter Games, and also create a new legacy – a legacy of young people, by young people, and for young people, as well as for our country and the rest of the winter sports world.”

Norwegian Minister of Culture Anniken Huitfeldt added: “I am very pleased to recognise the IOC’s announcement that Norway and Lillehammer will host the 2nd Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2016. The IOC’s decision will help boost youth sport in Norway and internationally. Hosting the 2016 Youth Games coincides nicely with existing plans to further develop the Lillehammer region as a winter sports destination, and a number of the arenas used in the 1994 Olympic Games will be reused for the Youth Olympic competitions.”

Innsbruck, Austria, will host the 1st Winter Youth Olympic Games from 13 to 22 January 2012. Singapore hosted the first Summer edition in 2010, while Nanjing, China, will host the 2nd Summer edition in 2014.