Spanish sports rights agency Mediapro have revealed it has received five bids for the packages of free-to-air TV rights to La Liga, troche La Segunda, allergy the Copa del Rey and highlight shows since it put the packages up for bidding two weeks ago, drugs according to Eduardo Fernandez of EL MUNDO.

The bids came from La Sexta, Antena 3, FORTA, TV3 and Veo.

At this point, Mediapro is “studying” the offers to decide which is the best option. In Barcelona, Sole & Piedrabuena reported that as things currently stand, La Sexta “is in the best position” to win the rights, which are being offered for the next two seasons. The multimedia communications group is expected to make a decision on the five bids “in the upcoming days”.

Following ESPN President John Skipper’s recent structural announcement, seek the company today announced plans to further strengthen its Production and Programming areas by promoting Jamie Horowitz to Vice President, anabolics Original Programming and Production, ed responsible for all original programming at ESPN.

In this new role, Horowitz will focus on identifying new programming needs and then coordinating the production effort to strategically meet those needs. The scope will include creating new shows, producing segments to enhance existing shows and oversight of potential new projects.

“For the past five years, Jamie’s invaluable experience and passion for television has made him vital to the evolving programming landscape at ESPN,” said Norby Williamson, ESPN’s executive vice president, programming and acquisitions. “We are fortunate to have him as a key member of our team as we continue to further the creative interaction and cooperation between Production and Programming that will raise the network’s programming to new heights in the coming year.”

Horowitz said, “My goal is to further ESPN’s commitment to the highest quality sports programming and to work with the talent teams we have in place to enhance our content. The sports business is an ever-shifting landscape and I am excited to have the opportunity to help strengthen this dynamic area of our business.”

Horowitz will continue to have production oversight of an existing portfolio of programming in which he has been creatively involved including ESPN2’s First Take, SportsNation and Numbers Never Lie as well as ESPN Sports Saturday on ABC. He will also continue to supervise ESPN’s Sports Emmy-nominated World Series of Poker programming. Horowitz is based in Bristol and will report directly to Williamson on all original programming while continuing to report to Marcia Keegan, VP Production, on all existing projects.

Horowitz joined ESPN in 2006 as a senior producer on ESPN Original Entertainment. He was promoted to coordinating producer in the studio and event production department in 2009. He was a co-creator of SportsNation, Numbers Never* Lie and Winner’s Bracket (now ESPN Sports Saturday on ABC).

Before joining ESPN, Horowitz worked at NBC Sports, where he created, developed and produced The National Heads-Up Poker Championship.

A Boston native, Horowitz graduated magna cum laude in 1998 from Amherst College in Amherst, Mass. He is a four-time Sports Emmy winner for his work on NBC’s coverage of the 2000 Summer Olympics and 2002 Winter Olympics, as well as his work on the NBA on NBC.

by Ismail Uddin

Minister for Community Development, cure Youth and Sports, cough will join APSC along with Coca Cola, malady Chelsea FC, ESPN, Arena Group, AFC, World Sport Group in Singapore.

Mr Chan Chun Sing, Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports will open the inaugural Asia-Pacific Sports Conference and will join over 150 high profile sports industry professionals from 20 different countries to meet, network and discuss the major, critical challenges and opportunities in the sports events industry.

The wide ranging programme of the Asia-Pacific Sports Conference, taking place at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Singapore from 27-28 September, is complemented by a day of pre-conference workshops on 26th September.  The programme draws on expert presentations, panel discussions and case studies to highlight key trends in world sport, identify opportunities for Asia- Pacific nations and regions and suggest strategies which will enable the region to make the most of the economic and social opportunities presented by sport.

Sports events are playing an increasingly important role in the region, commercially and socially. The conference provides a timely focus by providing attendees practical advice on how to harness these changes and overcome the challenges event organisers face.

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

For information on how to register, please visit www.asia-pacificsports.com. If you would like to partner with the conference, please email Richard Arrowsmith, Sales Manager, Informa Sports Group   richard.arrowsmith@informasportsgroup.com.

Die DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga und die Bundesliga Stiftung setzen die Förderung der Deutschen Sporthilfe fort: Im Beisein des ehemaligen Fußball Nationaltorhüters Jens Lehmann und der Fecht Olympiasiegerin und aktuellen Silbermedaillengewinnerin Britta Heidemann wurde heute während der Olympischen Spiele in London die vorzeitige Verlängerung der Zusammenarbeit bis zum 30. Juni 2016 bekannt gegeben. DFL und Bundesliga Stiftung fördern die Deutsche Sporthilfe mit vielfältigen finanziellen Unterstützungen und kommunikativen Leistungen.

“Der Fußball zeigt sich innerhalb der Sportfamilie auch in Zukunft solidarisch und würdigt mit vielfältigen Maßnahmen die Arbeit der Deutschen Sporthilfe und ihrer erfolgreichen Sportlerinnen und Sportler, pills vor deren Leistungen wir größten Respekt haben”, sagt Tom Bender, Vorstandsvorsitzender der Bundesliga Stiftung.

“Beim Leitmotiv der Sporthilfe “Leistung, Fairplay, Miteinander” spielen wir gerne Doppelpass mit der DFL und der Bundesliga Stiftung. Die Verlängerung der Partnerschaft des Fußballs mit dem olympischen Sport ist ein Volltreffer, um im Bild zu bleiben. Dass dies eine so feste, starke Partnerschaft wird, hätten uns in Peking vor vier Jahren viele wohl nicht zugetraut. Umso mehr fühlen wir uns heute, an der Seite der Fußball Bundesliga, als olympische Doppelsieger”, so Dr. Michael Ilgner, Vorstandsvorsitzender der Deutschen Sporthilfe.

Die Partnerschaft mit der Deutschen Sporthilfe besteht seit 2008 und wurde unter anderem mit der Kampagne “Sportler für Sportler” sowie zahlreichen Aktionen belebt: mehrere TV Spots, wie etwa der aktuell ausgestrahlte mit Bayern Präsident Uli Hoeneß, Doppel Olympiasiegerin Maria Höfl Riesch, Handball Legende Heiner Brand und vierfach Biathlon Olympiasieger Ricco Groß, sowie Anzeigenmotive und drei Bundesliga Aktionstage zeigen das Engagement der Bundesliga. 

Prominent controversial figure Issa Hayatou looks like he will remain President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) after a General Assembly vote landed in his favour. 

At its General Assembly in Gabon, the 53-member body virtually gave him the green light to carry on at the helm of African football, a post he has held for 14 years.

The 66-year-old Cameroonian-born former 400m runner will now stay in office till till 2017. His current tenure  was due to expire in 2013. By this decision, Hayatou will be retained by popular acclamation at the 35th Ordinary General Assembly to be held in Morocco next year.

The six zonal unions who constitute the membership of CAF gave their word of support for the mandate extension of Hayatou considering the successes African football has chalked under his reign since 1988.

“Hayatou has offered a new platform for African football with innovative competitions such as the African Nations Championship. At our meeting Libreville on the eve of the General Assembly, we unanimously resolved to renew our trust in his leadership for another term,” said Iya Mohammed, President of UNIFFAC (Union of Football Associations for Central Africa).

Jammeh Bojang, General Secretary of Zone West A said: “We pledge our continuous support for Hayatou to lead African football once again. The game has seen many changes in development and we are solidly behind his continued stay in office.”

Hayatou however has always had controversy follow him. He is one of several high profile officials understood to be named in the infamous dossier identifying those who allegedly took kickbacks from World Cup broadcast deals with FIFA’s former marketing partner ISL.

Last December, Hayatou, a FIFA vice-president and IOC member since 2001, was given a warning after the IOC’s Ethics Commission investigated claims that he had received 100,000 French francs in 1995 from ISL.

The IOC said Hayatou’s decision to accept the money amounted to “a conflict of interest”, but the 65-year-old Cameroonian has always maintained it was intended to help CAF celebrate its 40th anniversary. CAF have always supported Hayatou’s stance.

by Ismail Uddin

Successful Bid CEO and General Secretary of Supreme Council for Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup returns for an exclusive interview at Leaders in Football.

Hassan Al-Thawadi, capsule | the highly respected former CEO of Qatar’s successful bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022 will address 1,000 director level stakeholders from 45 countries attending the fourth annual Leaders in Football conference on 5th and 6thOctober 2011.

In an exclusive in depth interview, Al-Thawadi will address some highs and lows of running a World Cup campaign as well as the big challenges and opportunities facing Qatar as the first Gulf state to organise a World Cup in the history of the competition.

Al-Thawadi was instrumental in delivering a compelling campaign which focused on Qatar’s potential to unite the world behind an accessible and safe tournament with impressive stadia and purpose built infrastructure.

Al-Thawadi is the latest in a list of world figures confirmed to speak at fourth edition of Leaders in Football making it the must attend event in the sports business calendar.  These include FIFA Executive Committee members, HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, Dr Michel D’Hooghe and Jim Boyce; UEFA General Secretary, Gianni Infantino; Chairman of Chelsea FC, Bruce Buck; the independent Chairman of The Football Association, David Bernstein; former Prime Minister of Belgium and now Chairman of the UEFA Financial Fair Play Panel, Jean-Luc Dehaene; Owner of Stoke City FC and Bet 365, Peter Coates; Chairman of Sunderland AFC, Niall Quinn; Jamie Carragher, Vice-Captain, Liverpool FC; Pierluigi Collina, former World Cup Referee and Member, UEFA Referees Committee; and Chairman of the Football League Greg Clarke.

Leaders in Football in now very close to selling out and takes place within the Leaders Sports Summit, a coming together of 5 leading conferences including Sponsorship, Digital Sport, Performance and the business of Horse Racing, over 5th and 6th October at Chelsea FC.  For more information visit www.leadersinevents.com, contactenquiry@leadersinevents.com or call +44 (0) 207 042 8666.

ITV and Sky Sports have secured the broadcast rights to England’s international football matches for the Euro 2016 and 2018 World Cup qualifying competitions.

ITV will show home and abroad matches for the Euro 2016 and 2018 World Cup qualifying competitions.

The agreement continues and expands the channel’s commitment to showing live, free-to-air coverage of the England football team. It is the first time in recent years a single broadcaster will show all of England’s qualifying games for consecutive major tournaments. ITV has held the rights to show exclusively all England’s home games since 2008 as well as, since 2009, the team’s friendly matches both at home and away.

Today’s deal also includes the rights to broadcast 20 non-home nation qualifying games for ITV4.

Peter Fincham, ITV Director of Television, said: “Bringing viewers exclusive live coverage of each key England international match is hugely important to ITV and means football fans will be able to watch for free England’s progress both at home and abroad as they attempt to qualify for the final stages of these tournaments.”

ITV currently has exclusive rights to show live England’s remaining qualifying matches for the 2014 World Cup, the FA Cup and is the exclusive free to air broadcaster for the Champions League in the UK.

Sky Sports on the other hand has been awarded the rights to Home Nations and Republic of Ireland qualification matches for UEFA EURO 2016 and 2018 FIFA World Cup.

They will provide highlights of England qualifying matches and live away matches should England play other Home Nations. The other Home Nations’ matches will be exclusively live on Sky Sports.

Sky Sports managing director Barney Francis said: “Both the UEFA European Championship and FIFA World Cup are football’s most important international tournaments and this deal offers Sky Sports viewers the complete qualification story.  We’ve been broadcasting international football since the beginning of Sky Sports and this deal means our viewers can enjoy watching some of the best players and nations over the next four years.

“There has never been a better time to be a Sky Sports subscriber, with an unrivalled breadth of sport offered across six different channels.  This year our viewers can enjoy The British & Irish Lions Tour, back-to-back Ashes Series, the ICC Champions Trophy, every race live in the F1 season, Super League, US Open & US PGA Golf, Andy Murray defending his US Open title and of course our biggest ever season of football.”

Sky Sports has also won the rights to broadcast all 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship matches exclusively live, adding to this summer’s exciting schedule of sport. The tournament, which features Europe’s brightest young stars from England and seven other nations, kicks off on 5 June. Taking place in Israel, coverage will include all group matches, both semi-finals the Final on 18 June.

Plans to build Hong Kong soccer’s first training centre will reportedly materialise as soon as the Hong Kong Football Association (HFKA), Hong Kong Jockey Club and government finalise the proposal.

HKFA CEO, Mark Sutcliffe said the facility will be built on a landfill site in Tseung Kwan O and could be ready for use as early as 2014.

Sutcliffe said: “My understanding is the Jockey Club has more or less confirmed funding and the government has agreed to underwrite the running cost.”

The project was initiated in 2003 when the construction cost was estimated to be HK$103M (US $13.M), all funded by the Jockey Club. But the plan has been ongoing for almost a decade as the HKFA has reportedly not been keen to to take the risk of bearing the running costs of the centre,” estimated at more than HK$10M (US$1.3M) a year.

The centre will be built with both natural grass pitches and artificial turf. There will also be some facilities such as a physiotherapy centre, classrooms and gymnasium.

Sutcliffe said another priority of his new job would be setting up the professional league, which is scheduled to kick off in September for the 2013-14 season with at least 12 teams. {jcomments on}