Perform has announced sports broadcaster Gabby Logan has become a board director sor the sports content producer.

As one of the UK’s leading sports journalists, with commitments including BBC’s Match of the Day and its Six Nations Rugby coverage, the sports media business said it hoped to tap into her knowledge of the sports world.

Perform, which floated on the stock exchange in 2011, distributes sports content such as video to more than a thousand partners, including bookmakers and football club websites. It also owns Goal.com, the largest football portal in the world by monthly users and page views.

Chairman Paul Walker said the appointment will boost the company’s content distribution business as it taps growing demand for online media.

He added: “We are looking forward to working with Gabby and are confident that Perform will benefit from her expertise as it continues to build on the success achieved to date.”

The group is based in Feltham, London, and has offices around the world, including in the United States and Singapore.

The French business world has given its backing to Annecy’s bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games after MEDEF, the country’s main commercial confederation, heard a project overview from bid CEO Edgar Grospiron.

Grospiron addressed an audience of more than 200 business leaders at the end of last week at an event organised by MEDEF.

And the former Olympic champion outlined the bid committee’s plans to see off competition from rival bidders Munich and PyeongChang.

Head of MEDEF, Laurence Parisot, said: “Annecy 2018 is a tremendous project, first of all because it is a region which is no stranger to sporting success but also because it is an inspiration to see men and women who have already reached the heights of Olympic achievement to devote their time and efforts to serving the community.

“This is why the MEDEF and all the companies within the MEDEF are resolute in their support.”

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will decide the host city for the 2018 Winter Games in Durban next July.

Euroleague Basketball have launched their partnership with 24 MEDIA, ampoule the largest digital publishing group in Greece.

Sport24.gr will host the official online destination for the Turkish Airlines Euroleague fans in Greece and Cyprus. 

The new site, pills hosted in a special section of Sport24.gr, will allow users to follow the Turkish Airlines Euroleague in Greek, with access to video highlights, news from top basketball journalists in Greece, extensive articles, various polls and contests, real-time live statistics, results, standings, a complete photo gallery and many more exciting features.

The multimedia content of the new destination will also be included in the SPORT24 Mobile Application available for IOS & Android devices.

The prospect of the 2022 World Cup being played in the winter has been boosted by support from Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards and Britain’s FIFA vice-president.

Richards, speaking at the Securing Sport conference in Qatar, said: ”I think they will play (the World Cup) at a time that is proper for football but they will have to speak to the leagues in Europe.

”They will have to agree proper times when we can start and finish.

”At the moment it has a tremendous amount of implications for Europe. For us, at this minute, the answer is ‘no’.

”But, if we take a proper view, we have to find a way to have a winter spell where we don’t play and I think common sense will prevail.

”We’ve got FIFA now saying that medical people are saying that they can’t play in Qatar in the summer because of the heat, which is probably right.

”I think over the next few years, things will change and they will come to a compromise.”

Jim Boyce, from Northern Ireland, believes the searing heat of July in Qatar, where temperatures often reach more than 45 degrees Celsius, will be too much for players and spectators even with the promise of air-conditioned stadiums.

Boyce told Press Association Sport: “I was not part of the process that gave the World Cup to Qatar, but my feeling is that common sense should prevail. The World Cup is the greatest event in football and from a spectator point of view it has to be played at a time of year when people can enjoy it in comfort.”

He added: “People I know who live in Qatar say it would be very uncomfortable for the fans.

“There is also a medical and health concern for both players and spectators and if it is going to be safer to play it in January instead of July then I would be in favour of that.”

FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke said earlier this month that the 2022 World Cup could be moved to the winter if research shows holding the tournament in the summer heat would be dangerous for players, while Michel D’Hooghe, the chairman of FIFA’s medical committee, has also backed the move to play it in the winter.

Toronto FC announced Wednesday that Kevin Payne has been named President and General Manager of the club. Payne, 59, will lead both team and business operations for the club.

Payne joins Toronto FC after spending 17 years at D.C. United, where he played an instrumental role in making the club the most successful in United States professional soccer history.

During his tenure with D.C. United, the club won 12 domestic and international championships, including four MLS Cups Championships.

“We’re excited to welcome Kevin to Toronto FC,” said Tom Anselmi, president and chief operating officer for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. “Kevin brings a tremendous wealth of MLS experience and soccer leadership to our club. He is a proven winner and knows what it takes to win in our League. We believe he is the right person to lead our club and a great fit for our community and most importantly our fans.”

“I am very proud and excited to be joining Toronto FC,” said Payne. “Toronto is a great soccer market with passionate fans and world-class facilities. The club has a great ownership team who are committed to winning and providing all the necessary resources to do so.”

Payne is a founding member of the Major League Soccer/Soccer United Marketing (MLS/SUM) Board of Governors, Chairman of the Technical Committee for the U.S. Soccer Federation, is the Vice Chairman of the U. S. Soccer Foundation, and is a member of the FIFA Standing Committee for Club Football. In 1994, Payne created the first ownership group for D.C. United and the team began Major League Soccer play in 1996.