IMG to Market Wladimir Klitschko Boxing Media Rights

Sports media company IMG Media has announced today it has entered into a representation agreement with the marketing agency of of the Klitschko brothers, medic  Klitschko Management Group GmbH (KMG), store to market the live media rights for Wladimir’s world heavyweight title fights until the end of his career.

The global deal, pharm which excludes Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Ukraine, starts with his next fight.  IMG Media will also be marketing the complete archive of both Wladimir’s and his brother Vitali’s fights dating back to 2004.

In addition, IMG Media will also be actively seeking endorsement opportunities for Wladimir and looking to advise on potential sites for future fights together with hospitality packages.

Klitschko is the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO (Super), IBO and The Ring Heavyweight Champion and the longest reigning IBF, WBO & IBO Heavyweight Champion in history, with the most title defences for those organisations. Overall, he is the second longest reigning Heavyweight Champion of all time with the third most successful title defences at 15.

Wladimir Klitschko said:  “IMG is a truly professional team and they have long and successful experience in the business. I look forward to our cooperation and see it as the beginning of a mutual partnership.”

Bernd Bönte, CEO, KMG, said: “Through this cooperation with the leading sports marketing agency we will improve our global awareness and marketing opportunities. This long-term agreement enables both sides to plan ahead together – one of the keys for a successful partnership.”

Michel Masquelier, President of IMG Media, said:  “Working with Wladimir provides us with an excellent opportunity to move into boxing at the very highest level. He has an outstanding record and is an exceptional boxer and a well-respected personality. We are looking forward to a successful relationship with one of the greatest heavyweight boxers in the history of the sport. “

Naasei Appiah Elevated to Interim CEO of Cricket South Africa after Faul Departure

Cricket South Africa has bid farewell to Acting CEO Jacques Faul and introduced Naasei Appiah, mind who was the Chief Financial Officer of CSA, shop as their interim CEO.

“Jacques took over as CEO on 17 March 2012 and has not only made sure that the operational side of CSA has continued to function extremely smoothly and efficiently but has also ensured stability in the working environment, viagra 40mg ” commented CSA President Chris Nenzani.

“He took charge of restoring CSA’s badly damaged reputation and did a lot of good work behind the scenes to restore the confidence of existing sponsors and to create the environment for new ones to come on board.

“As he leaves us, all our commercial properties have been snapped up in the market place and he hands over the baton to his successor with CSA once again in a good place. He is to be congratulated on a job well done.

“I would also like to thank North West Cricket for making Jacques available during this period of almost a full year and to wish Jacques everything of the best in his future business ventures with the Northerns Cricket Union, Titans Cricket and the Eastern Titans franchise.

“I am pleased also to announce that our Chief Financial Officer, Naasei Appiah, will assume the role of Acting CEO until the selection process of the new CEO is complete. This latter process is well under way in terms of the procedure outlined by the new Board of Directors at their inaugural meeting earlier this month.

“The Board has every confidence that Mr. Appiah will build on the excellent work done by Mr. Faul during this period of transition,” Mr. Nenzani concluded.

Big Names Lined Up for SportAccord 2013 Conference Programme

SportAccord Convention announced today that Saatchi & Saatchi CEO Worldwide Kevin Roberts and Russian Olympic Committee President Aleksandr Zhukov, First Vice-Speaker of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, will be among the speakers during SportAccord Convention 2013 in Saint-Petersburg from May 26-31. 

One year ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, the conference at the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex will include Sochi 2014 CEO Dmitry Chernyshenko during two days of debate and discussion under the general theme of “The State of Our Industry – Examining the Health of Sport.” 

An interview of the day will be devoted to Stanley Cup-winning ice hockey legend Viacheslav “Slava” Alexandrovich Fetisov, formerly Minister of Sport in Russia and now President of HC CSKA Moscow and the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He was one of the six men chosen for the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Centennial All-Star Team of greatest players ever.

Bloomberg Sports President Bill Squadron will take part in the debate on Sport and the Global Economy. A panel on the controversial subject of “The Advent of the Blade Runner – Bionic Sport of the Future” will feature expert input from Professor Andy Miah of the University of the West of Scotland. More conference speakers will be announced in coming weeks.

A discounted delegate rate is in effect for those booking their places before the end of the day (CET) on Thursday 31 January via the website www.sportaccordconvention.com.

Contact alex.ross@sportaccordconvention.com to learn about promotional opportunities at SportAccord Convention 2013 or for more information, visit www.sportaccordconvention.com.

Eurosport offering London 2012 advertising spots

European sports broadcaster Eurosport has started the selling of advertising spots surrounding the London 2012 Olympic Games, as well as around broadcasts linked to the Games in the two years leading up to them.

“Road to London” is the marketing campaign offering advertising opportunities around international sporting events featuring Olympic sports.

The main events in the scheme are the major European and World Championship events that as qualifiers for the 2012 Olympic Games.

There will also be an environmental initiatives developed by the organisers of the Games, and magazine programmes focusing on the athletes and events appearing at the Games.

Nearly 75 per cent of Eurosport’s schedule is made up of Olympic sports. It has created advertising-funded programming around the theme.

 

 

 

Brightness Media to Provide Media Training to FA

The English Football Association (FA) has announced a partnership with media training company Brightness Media.

The agreement will see FA personnel, administrators, coaches and players at all levels of the game receive guidance and media training as well as education on The FA’s media policies and practices.

Brightness Media will also provide training for specific FA Learning courses, including the UEFA Pro-Licence.

Working closely with The FA’s commercial team at St. George’s Park, Brightness Media will provide a unique insight to the workings of the modern media as well as develop social media training for The FA and its clients.

Chairman of St. George’s Park, David Sheepshanks, said: “We have been through a vigorous tender process to identify the ideal partner for our media training, and we are delighted that Brightness Media, with their excellent stable of professional journalists and trainers, have come to the fore.

“As well as training our own people, we have worked with Brightness Media to develop an exciting offering for corporate clients and executives.”

Gavin Scovell, of Brightness Media, said: It’s a great honour for Brightness Media to be chosen to work as official media trainers to The Football Association. Having worked closely with hundreds of sportsmen and women and improved their media skills, both on screen, in print and in social media circles, we are looking forward to this challenge.”

Brightness Media’s James Pearce also added:  “During my 20 years at the BBC I’ve conducted hundreds of interviews with many high profile figures, from footballers to Prime Ministers.

“The modern media is changing so fast, and it’s very important that individuals, particularly those in sport, have a good understanding of it. For sportspeople, the aim is to give them all the knowledge that they need to perform as well off the pitch or track as they do on it.”

Tim Reddish Re-Elected as British Paralympic Association Chairman

The National Paralympic Committee (NPC) of Great Britain has re-elected Tim Reddish OBE as Chair of the British Paralympic Association for a further four years.

A further five Board members were elected, three of whom were re-elected: Richard Callicott (President of England Volleyball, Chair of British Volleyball and Vice President of British Wheelchair Basketball), Paul Masters (Treasurer of Disability Snowsport UK), and Annamarie Phelps (Chair of British Rowing). They were joined by David Hadfield (Chair of GB Boccia and Chair of Boccia International Sports Federation) and Geoff Newton (Executive Director of the Tennis Foundation).

Tim Reddish commented on his reappointment

‘I am delighted to be reappointed as Chair of the BPA for a further four year term. The London Games have put Paralympic sport on a new platform and we are all determined to make the most of this to further develop the organisation and the movement in the UK.’

The Board composition was changed following a review of Governance by Deloitte in 2010 which led to a thorough review of the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the organisation, a task supported by law firm Hogan Lovells. The final Board will now comprise of six elected Board members, including the Chair and up to four Non-Executive Directors. The Non-Executive Directors will be appointed later this year, following a review of the skill set of the newly elected Board.

Read Tim Reddish’s previous interview with iSportconnect here>>

Madrid 2020: Our project, Our Reasons for Success

Madrid, viagra 100mg January 8, 2013: The reasons why Madrid should host the 2020 Games are set out in 360 pages, three volumes and 14 themes. Having submitted the Candidature File at the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Lausanne yesterday, the Mayor of Madrid Ana Botella and Madrid 2020 Bid President Alejandro Blanco today unveiled the document at the assembly hall at Madrid’s Palacio de Cibeles, an event that marks the start of the international promotion of the Bid. Ahead lie eight intensive months through to 7 September, when the members of the IOC meet in Buenos Aires to elect the Host City of the 2020 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, the former to be held on 7-23 August and the latter on 11-22 September. Two key events in the build-up to that announcement are the arrival of the IOC Evaluation Commission on 18-21 March and the presentation of the Bid to IOC members in Lausanne in July.

The unanimous government and public support enjoyed by the project was once again made clear during the presentation. Botella and Blanco, who is also the President of the Spanish Olympic Committee, were joined by the leading representatives of the other government institutions backing the project, namely Jose Ignacio Wert, the Spanish Minister for Education, Culture and Sport, and Ignacio Gonzalez, the President of the Autonomous Community of Madrid. Also in attendance were Miguel Carballeda, the President of the Spanish Paralympic Committee, and Victor Sanchez, the CEO of Madrid 2020, who gave a presentation of the project.

Among the many benefits offered by the Bid are the regeneration of green areas, improvements in transport, the development of renewable energies, the construction of new sports facilities, the enhancing of Madrid’s image worldwide and the creation of new opportunities for the future, particularly among young people.

The File states that the Games will be staged at two main sites: the Campo de las Naciones, where the Olympic and Paralympic Village will be situated, in the Olympic Park, and Manzanares, located less than 15 minutes away and home to nine of the venues.

Strategic venues

The following events will be held elsewhere in Madrid, at strategic locations highlighting the city’s rich historic and cultural heritage: beach volleyball (to be staged at El Retiro Park), volleyball (the Palacio de los Deportes), the finals of the football tournaments (Estadio Santiago Bernabeu) and basketball (Las Ventas Bull Ring).

The close proximity of the venues to each other and the resulting reduction in travel time are both core factors of the project. The Olympic Village is only ten kilometres from the airport, ten minutes from the city centre and a three-minute walk from the Olympic Stadium, while ninety percent of the athletes will stay in accommodation situated less than 15 minutes from venues where they will compete.

In terms of development the project has reached an advanced stage, with 28 of the 35 competition venues having already been built. Only four permanent venues and three temporary ones need to be constructed.

The upshot of this strategic planning process is that $1940.41m (€1516m) remains to be invested in the project, to which must be added $192m (€150m) in operating costs (security, health, etc ).

“A Games for All”

“A Games for All”: that is the strategy being pursued, one that encompasses ticket prices that give everyone the opportunity to live and share the Olympic dream at the various venues. Over 38 percent of the tickets will cost less than $50 (€39) and nearly 60 percent will cost less than $80 (€62.5), while a large number of tickets for high-demand events will be allocated through lotteries at a price of only $40 (€31.2).

According to a survey conducted last September public support for the project is estimated to be 80 percent, and in tribute to all those who are backing the Bid we are committed to staging a Games for the people.

These Games will promote the Olympic Movement around the globe and enhance its prestige. This objective will be achieved by attracting capacity crowds to the venues and by harnessing the many wonderful assets that Madrid has to offer, such as its rich cultural heritage, great food, fantastic climate and the passion of its people, all of which combine to make it one of the world’s great tourist destinations. No less important in making this goal a reality are the large audiences the Games will attract thanks to the time zone Madrid is situated in, the implementation of a SMART management model and the creation of a long-term legacy offering major economic and social benefits.

Some 425 copies of the File, which provides an exhaustive account of Madrid’s Olympic dream, have been published in English and French. Of these, 100 have been delivered to the IOC, with the remainder being forwarded to IOC members and international federations etc, while a further 500 copies have been printed in Spanish and English. In addition to the 100 copies of the File, the IOC was also presented with two sets of guarantees. In all, the documents submitted to it comprised of 62 files and more than 20,000 pages, packed in 29 boxes weighing a total of 660 kilograms.

For further inquiries, please contact:

Sandra Serrano

International Communications Department

Madrid 2020 Bid Committee

Phone: +34 91  1922020

aserrano@madrid2020.es

www.madrid.es

www.facebook.com/madrid2020

@Madrid2020ES

USOC confirms BMW sponsorship

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) has confirmed a six-year multi-million dollar deal with German car manufacturer BMW.

BMW has been named as official mobility partner of USOC and will also work with four national governing bodies, USA bobsled and skeleton, speed skating, swimming and track and field.

USOC chief marketing officer Lisa Baird said: “All of our research shows that our fans really respect Olympic sponsors, because they know that’s the way we bring the team to the Games.”

In addition to providing financial support, BMW will also use its expertise and facilities to improve the Olympic and Paralympic teams’ training and performance, including at the BMW Energy & Environmental test centre in Munich.

Vice president of marketing for BMW of North America, Jack Pitney, said: “We can replicate any weather environment, even the most gruelling winter conditions.”

BMW has supported American athletes before as a sponsor of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

 

Radio Mirchi Secures Radio Rights to Inaugural Hockey India League

Radio Mirchi has partnered with the Hero Hockey India League (HIL) as the official radio partner for the inaugural edition.

The station will provide listeners the opportunity to connect with players along with live analysis, medicine interviews with the players, allergist pre-game, medstore postgame and intermission reports throughout the tournament. 

Radio Mirchi VP and cluster head North Vivek Modi said: “HIL is the perfect platform to nurture budding talents which in turn will help us enhance our overall standard of the sport. Being the most vibrant youth brand of the country, we shall be effective in spreading the buzz about HIL.”

The inaugural Hero Hockey India League will be held from 25 January to 23 February, 2014, involving six teams. Delhi Waveriders, Jaypee Punjab Warriors, Uttar Pradesh Wizards, Mumbai Magicians and Ranchi Rhinos will compete at six venues across Delhi, Mumbai, Punjab, Ranchi, Uttar Pradesh and Kalinga.

Castleford Tigers Lose Commercial Director Nick Fozzard

Castleford Tigers have lost another senior executive after commercial director Nick Fozzard left the Super League club a week after chief executive Steve Ferres quit.

Fozzard, whose long playing career included a spell with the Tigers, was appointed to the role only last March.

A short statement on his Twitter page read: “It is with regret that I have resigned from the Castleford Tigers Rugby League Football Club.”

Fozzard’s announcement follows Ferres’ decision to resign, citing differences with the board, and his wife Sarah has also left an administrative position at the club.

Castleford’s acting CEO Steve Gill said: “It is with disappointment that we confirm the departures of Sarah and Nick from the club. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them both for their efforts.

“Nick’s transition from player to commercial manager was amazing to see. We hope that his next venture in life is prosperous and one that gives him fulfilment.

“The aim of all remaining staff is to roll our sleeves up and ensure the backroom team are in a position to make the most of the positive start to the season made by the players and coaching staff.”