NDN, physician the Digital Media Exchange that powers the profitable newsroom, thumb today announced its partnership with MLB Advanced Media LP (MLBAM), medicine the interactive media and Internet company of Major League Baseball.

NDN will deliver licensed MLB game highlights within baseball stories featured on local news publishers’ websites.

“At MLBAM, we are committed to expanding the reach of the national pastime across leading news destinations,” said Kenny Gersh, senior vice president, business development of MLBAM. “NDN’s tremendous scale will help us accomplish this goal and we’re excited to partner with them to provide our fans with a variety of baseball content.”

MLBAM has been producing and distributing live and on-demand video for more than a decade and is among the web’s largest digital media producers of HD video content. NDN syndicates broadcast quality, late-breaking national and local video content, and is partnered with more than 4,500 online news publishers. NDN also acts as a newsroom extension by remotely embedding content in publishers’ stories.

“Understanding the commitment it takes to become a success, NDN and MLBAM are giving fans in local communities the ability to experience game footage in their local newspapers, when they want and where they want it,” said Reggie Jackson, baseball superstar and major NDN investor. “Online video has become a key component of consumers’ viewing habits within the sports vertical, and with NDN, MLBAM will be able to quickly and easily expand its reach to fans across the U.S.”

“MLBAM has built an impressive digital library of quality sports video content and boasts a devoted fan base that is eager to receive its favorite content across multiple destinations and platforms,” said Greg Peters, chief executive officer of NDN. “We’re thrilled to help MLBAM achieve a wider viewership for its content and look forward to offering our publisher partners a single platform for the delivery of news content across all verticals.”

A former FBI Director has been hired to aid the corruption investigation into suspended Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Mohamed bin Hammam.

Investigation company Freeh Group International, anabolics founded by former FBI Director Louis Freeh, has been chosen to look into allegations bin Hammam misused AFC funds and made payments to football officials in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean.

The allegations were uncovered in an internal audit that resulted in the AFC giving bin Hammam a 30-day provisional ban last month.

PricewaterhouseCoopers prepared the audit that alleges he received millions of dollars from individuals linked to AFC contracts during his tenure that dates back to 2002.{jcomments on}

 

 

NFL franchise Chicago Bears have hired Kansas City Chiefs director of college scouting Phil Emery as their new general manager.

Emery was an area scout for the Bears from 1998-2004 and replaces Jerry Angelo, who was firedafter an injury-riddled 8-8 season.

Emery and New England Patriots director of pro personnel Jason Licht were finalists and both interviewed twice. The Bears also interviewed San Diego Chargers director of player personnel Jimmy Raye, New York Giants director of college scouting Marc Ross, and current director of player personnel Tim Ruskell.

Emery’s hiring comes after a major collapse marked by season-ending injuries to quarterback Jay Cutler and running back Matt Forte, as well as a drug scandal involving backup receiver Sam Hurd. The Bears dropped five in a row after a 7-3 start, spoiling a promising season before closing with a win at Minnesota.

Chicago has now missed the playoffs four times in five years following a trip to the Super Bowl after the 2006 season.

Angelo was fired two days later, though he was signed through 2013. The Bears also parted with offensive coordinator Mike Martz, who had an expiring contract, and quarterbacks coach Shane Day but made it clear head coach Lovie Smith was safe for next season.

Emery has one mandate from president Ted Phillips: Close the talent gap with Green Bay and Detroit in the NFC North. Another criteria was to be able to work well with Smith, an area where Emery was thought to have the edge because of his previous ties with the Bears.

From 2004-08, Emery served as director of college scouting for the Atlanta Falcons and also worked as a regional scout for the Falcons leading up to the 2009 draft.

Emery started his career as a student assistant at his alma mater, Wayne State, before joining Central Michigan as a graduate assistant. He went on to become the offensive line/strength and conditioning coach at Western New Mexico for three seasons before taking the position of defensive line coach at Georgetown College.

Emery served as the defensive line and strength and conditioning coach at Saginaw Valley State from 1985-87 before joining Tennessee as the Volunteers’ assistant strength and conditioning coach from 1987-91.

He made his last collegiate stop as the director of strength and conditioning services and as an associate professor at the U.S. Naval Academy from 1991-98.

During Angelo’s 11-year run, the Bears won four division championships, reached the Super Bowl and got back to the NFC championship game last season. But he was undone on several fronts especially this season when backup Caleb Hanie struggled mightily after Cutler was hurt.

The Bears plan to introduce Emery in a Monday news conference at Halas Hall.

Sampdoria will start the new season with a one-point deduction after its plea bargain was accepted by the Italian Football Federation in the latest match-fixing scandal to rock Italy.

Serie B side Bari was also penalized, capsule as it was deducted five points and fined almost $100, pills 000.

Atalanta defender Andrea Masiello received the worst punishment for a player – 26 months for his contributions to match-fixing while at Bari.

Old teammates Alessandro Parisi and Marco Rossi were banned 24 and 20 months, respectively. Parisi is currently with Torino, while Rossi is with Cesena.

Juventus coach Antonio Conte is among those still under investigation, and he faces a 15-month ban for not reporting match-fixing in two games as manager of Siena in Serie B in the 2010-11 season.

The IRB Executive Committee has appointed its Chief Financial Officer Robert Brophy acting Chief Executive of Rugby’s global governing body and acting Managing Director of Rugby World Cup Limited.

Irishman Brophy will take up his new post on February 1 and the IRB has stated that he will “continue to drive forward the IRB’s core business while a thorough independent recruitment process for a permanent successor to Mike Miller is conducted”.

Miller is stepping down on January 31 after 10 years at the helm at the IRB and Rugby World Cup Limited, purchase as we reported last Friday.

Brophy will bring a wealth of experience to the caretaker role. He has served as the IRB’s Chief Financial Officer since 1996 and previously worked for KPMG and Diageo UK. He also has solid roots in the game; he represented Trinity College and Leinster at age grade during his playing days.

IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset stated, buy cialis “I am delighted that Robert has accepted the role of acting Chief Executive of the IRB and acting Managing Director of Rugby World Cup Limited. He has a massive wealth of experience in the organisation and global Rugby governance and is highly respected by the staff. I have every confidence that Robert will provide the continuity, stability and leadership required until a new permanent Chief Executive takes office”.

Brophy added, “It is an enormous privilege to be given this opportunity by the IRB Executive Committee. We have an excellent management team and I am looking forward to working with Bernard and Vice Chairman Oregan Hoskins to continue to drive the Game forward”.

Virgin Radio, symptoms has renewed its partnership with the eni FIM Superbike World Championship.

Virgin Radio follows closely the entire season, with special updates on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and as the official Radio of 2013 Italian World Superbike events will provide the fans with further updates by broadcasting live from the circuits. DJ Ringo – Artistic Director of the Radio, bike lover and performer – along with Giovanni di Pillo – radio speaker and TV commentator for the series – will be presenting the well-known program “Revolver” (on Thursday and Friday from 2pm to 4pm) directly from a dedicated workspace within the Superbike Paddock Show. 

Marc Saurina, WSBK Marketing and Commercial Director: “We’re happy to have Virgin Radio on our side again, a beloved radio station for our Italian fans because of its strong connection with Superbike. It’s no coincidence that just a few time ago “Rolling Stone” magazine acknowledged World Superbike as “the most rock sport in the world”! The coverage that Virgin radio provides to all World Superbike classes proves our common goals, audience and essence and the live presence in the paddock during the Italian races allows us to transmit the spirit of proximity with riders and teams, that is a unique characteristic of SBK.” 

For both Italian rounds, Virgin Radio will raffle off numerous tickets and 3-day paddock passes on its frequencies and on virginradio.it 

On virginradio.it a dedicated section was created with special content, not only about the technical side (riders, standings) but also about the atmosphere of Superbike, to discover riders’ backstage and secrets, with curious stories and everything that may connect the Superbike mood to that rock ’n’ roll universe. 

DJ Ringo said: “Once we marked Tony Cairoli’s gear with the star of Virgin Radio, now the same star will be on the World Superbike Italian rounds, as well as on ParkinGo Team’s MV Augusta fairings in World Supersport. We’re definitely a Superbike Radio!”.

Blackburn’s pre-season friendly with NEC Nijmegen scheduled for Sunday afternoon was cancelled due to the threat of fan violence.

The decision was taken by the police and the local authorities in Nijmegen after it was claimed that Rovers supporters had been involved in disturbances in Deventer on Friday and Saturday.

In addition to the friendly, Nijmegen had been set to host a fans’ open day, with the local authorities expecting around 8,000 visitors including families with young children.

A statement on the Gelderland-Zuid section of the politie.nl website read: “The deputy mayor of Nijmegen has decided to cancel the exhibition game between NEC and Blackburn Rovers. That match was due to be played today at 2.30pm during the annual open day of NEC.

“Supporters of the English club Blackburn Rovers were involved in rioting in Deventer on Friday and on Saturday there was a confrontation with supporters of NEC Nijmegen in the city.

“On the basis of serious signals to the police that a confrontation would take place again today, deputy mayor Henk Beerten in consultation with police, judiciary and mayor Hubert Bruls decided to cancel the match this afternoon.

“Today, some 8,000 visitors are expected at the open day of NEC which starts at 12.30pm, including many families with children.

“With the serious threat of unrest in the Goffertpark around the exhibition game, it is not sensible to play this game today.”

A statement on the Championship club’s official club website said: “Both clubs wish to express their disappointment that such a decision has been necessary.”

NEC said in a statement that they regretted the decision to cancel the match, but understood it was taken with regard to safety

ESPN has announced its new executive structure under president John Skipper, cough with a few members being promoted.

Most of ESPN’s executives will remain in their current roles reporting to Skipper, apoplectic including: Sean Bratches, executive VP of sales and marketing; Christine Driessen, executive VP and CFO; Ed Durso executive VP of administration; Chuck Pagano, executive VP of technology and CTO; Paul Richardson, senior VP of human resources; John Walsh, executive VP and executive editor; and Russell Wolff, executive VP and managing director international.

Meanwhile, John Kosner has been promoted from senior VP to executive VP of digital and print media, continuing to oversee the company’s digital strategy and products. And veteran ESPN executives John Wildhack and Norby Williamson will switch roles. Williamson will now be executive VP of programming and acquisitions, while Wildhack transitions to executive VP of production. All three will continue to report to Skipper.

Marie Donoghue, who has been senior VP of business affairs and business development, will take on the new role of senior VP of global strategy, business development and business affairs. She will be responsible for working across all business units worldwide to evaluate new opportunities and new lines of business. She will continue to report to Skipper.

Skipper took over on Jan. 1 from long-time ESPN chief George Bodenheimer, who has transitioned to the role of executive chairman of ESPN.

Bodenheimer announced last year that he would step down at the end of 2011. Skipper, president and co-chair of Disney Media Networks, reports to Bodenheimer and Disney Company President and CEO Robert A. Iger.

This September, site Singapore will play host as the role of sports events take centre stage at the inaugural Asia-Pacific Sports Conference (APSC).

Acting Minister for Community Development, ed Youth and Sports, MG (NS) Chan Chun Sing will be the Guest-of-Honour for APSC, which takes place on the 27-28 September at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel in Singapore.

The conference will bring together two hundred sports industry professionals from local organising committees, sports federations, governments, agencies and suppliers to sports events.  With the number of sporting events in the region on the increase, the Asia-Pacific Sports Conference will play a key role in encouraging and exploring further developments in the industry.

“Building on Singapore’s strong foundation and reputation for hosting international sporting events like the inaugural Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games and SingTel Formula 1 Grand Prix, we are pleased to offer our support in hosting the first ever sports conference here in Singapore.”

“With the increase of sporting events being held in the region, the APSC will provide a timely focus on the opportunities and challenges event organisers are facing, Singapore is happy to be the choice location where international and regional thought leadership in the sports sector takes place.” said Mr. Lim Teck Yin, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Sports Council.

The conference programme will address topics including: Sports Event Bidding, Stadiums & Venue Management, How to Attract Sponsors, What Makes a Bid Successful, as well as case studies on major sporting events in Asia-Pacific. Delegates will be able to take part in focused workshops and listen to experienced workshop leaders on how to overcome the critical challenges in hosting sports events in the region.

The conference has attracted some of the most respected, high-profile leaders in the sector, including; Captain Husain Al-Musallam, Director General of the Olympic Council of Asia, Teo Ping Low, VP of Singapore National Olympic Council and President of Singapore Rugby Union, Pang Chung, Honorary Secretary General of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong and Toh Sen Nee, Assistant Secretary General, Asean Football Federation to name but a few.

They will be accompanied by James Clarke, Senior Vice President of World Sport Group, David Voth, Senior Director, Sport Business at Singapore Sports Council, Satoshi Saito, Director of Marketing, AFC, Asian Football Confederation, Eric Lynge, Director for TV and Broadcast, ASIAN Tour, amongst others.

The event is organised by Informa Sports Group, the specialist division of one of the world’s leading conference companies, and supported by the Singapore Sports Council.

The International Fencing Federation (FIE) has hired IMG Sports Production, capsule a division of IMG Worldwide, the global sports, fashion and media company, to make a three-part documentary series to celebrate the sport of fencing to coincide with the organisation’s centenary.

‘En Garde’ will be a look back at the earliest days of fencing from the Olympic Games and World Championships featuring some of the legends of the sport over the past 100 years while also portraying the key developments that have taken place.

The 3×30 minute series will also feature the leading stars competing today and show action from some of the major events so far this season, as well as delving back into the origins of sword-play and dueling.

James Mitchell, Series Producer for IMG Sports Media, said: “The programmes reflect the FIE’s centenary celebrations as well as fencing’s rich heritage and its glamorous history. This has often seen it portrayed in films with stars such as Tom Cruise and the late Errol Flynn as well as attracting the attention of personalities such as football icon David Beckham.”

He added: “The aim is to showcase the FIE’s commitment to growing the sport as widely as possible internationally. We will do this by looking back at the sport’s rich history, featuring some of the personalities competing today and also showcasing the excellent work they are doing to develop fencing’s reach even further.”

Maxim Paramonov, Advisor of the FIE President Mr Alisher Usmanov, said: “We are proudly looking back on these 100 years, in which the sport of fencing has undergone many changes, including the achievement of gender parity and the integration of new technologies. Being on the programme of the Olympic Games since 1896, Fencing is an original Olympic sport. However, we are constantly looking at how we can improve and can reach more people. Fencing is a dynamic sport, delivering spectacular images and this film shows the excitement and fascination inherent in fencing. Some of the best fencers of the century give their testimony of why they are so passionate about fencing.”