According to reports Ten Network will come to an agreement with the International Olympic Committee over the rights to the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

Ten is in line to beam the first ever Olympic Winter Games hosted in Russia- just Russia’s second Games since hosting the 1980 Moscow Games (while as the Soviet Union).

It is believed Ten has paid about $20 million for the right to show the Games according to The Australian Financial Review.

Ten declined to comment on but its new boss – who took over from James Warburton in late February – has made it clear he is interested in acquiring sport at the right price.

“Cricket’s a valuable property,” Mr McLennan said in early March. “It comes down to securing those rights at an appropriate price.”

Running from February 7-23, 2014, in the city of Sochi on the Black Sea, these are set to be the most expensive Games in history- Summer or Winter.

The International Olympic Committee had initially intended to sell the Sochi Games as a package with the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.

Instead, the rights to Rio 2016 will be sold separately- perhaps as a package with the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in South Korea and the 2020 Games according to the Australian Financial Review.

Agent fees for Football League clubs during the 2011/12 campaign have reached £21.7million ($33.8m) with West Ham accounting for almost a fifth of the total.

Championship clubs made up £18.7m ($29.1m) of that figure, with League One and Two clubs spending £1.8m and £0.9m respectively.

Agents received payment in 702 of the 3,144 player transactions that took place, just 22 per cent of deals.

Five clubs – Hartlepool, Accrington, AFC Wimbledon, Barnet and Crewe – did not spend any money on agents’ fees, while a further 22 teams spent last than £25,000.

West Ham, though, splashed out £4.31m in completing 69 transactions.

Only three other clubs broke through the £1m barrier – Leicester (£1.81m), Reading (£1.66m) and Crystal Palace (£1.17m).

In announcing the figures, Football League chairman Greg Clarke said: “While £21m is a lot of money leaving the game, it should also be noted that a considerable amount of this total has been spent by a small number of clubs. In fact, almost a fifth of the overall figure was spent by one club alone.

“Where such spending forms part of a sustainable business plan it shouldn’t be of great concern and supporters should be encouraged to see our clubs committing themselves to the new Financial Fair Play regulations that will take effect across all three divisions in the new season.

“In time, these rules will require clubs to be more circumspect with regard to their spending and may help reduce the costs incurred in this area.”

Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) chair, cheap Baroness Margaret Ford, has announced she will step down from the post after the 2012 Olympic Games.

Ford said it has been an “absolute privilege” to work for the organisation but the time will be right to bow out once the Games are over.

“The next phase of the legacy work, including major transformation plans to the park, are critical and will require a great deal of attention,” she said. “I have decided therefore that I cannot continue to give the substantial time required for the role so after the Games would seem a natural point to make the change.”

The OPLC is currently being reformed following London Mayor Boris Johnson’s decision to create a Mayoral Development Corporation to take charge of the Olympic Park’s post-Games development.

The new body will be called the London Legacy Development Corporation, and will open for business on 1 April.

Ford will take up the role as the corporation’s interim chair until the Games are over.

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, said: “I am grateful for Margaret’s huge contribution over the last three years planning and delivering a solid 2012 legacy and delighted she will oversee this important work until after the Games as well as setting the new Legacy Corporation on a firm footing.”

Soccerex have announced that FIFA’s Director of Marketing Thierry Weil has confirmed to speak at the Soccerex Global Convention, viagra order 26-30 November 2011, allergy in Rio de Janeiro.

Thierry will be speaking on the panel “Football ‘Brands’ the World” which will discuss international companies using football as a platform for brand leverage.

Thierry’s expertise in this field is unparalleled; as FIFA’s Marketing Director he is responsible for the strategic partnership between football’s governing body and some of world’s leading brands both in a B2B and B2C capacity. Before joining FIFA four years ago, Thierry spent nearly 26 years with adidas in France and in Germany where his posts included that of director (2003-2006) and vice president (2006-2007) of Global Football Sports Marketing.

Duncan Revie, CEO Soccerex, said: “To have someone of Thierry’s calibre join us on the ‘Brands’ panel is a great asset; his knowledge and experience of brand relationships is of the highest level and to have his input during the session will be a  privilege for anyone who attends.”

The panel will focus on why brands consider football as a winning portal into domestic and international markets and breakdown the fundamental benefits of the using football as a platform to connect with consumers.  Speakers on the panel will draw on relevant case studies to endorse their argument.

‘Football ‘Brands’ the World’ is just one session that makes up a impressive conference line up at this year’s Soccerex Global Convention.  Other topics which will be discussed include all the latest news regarding the 2014FIFA World Cup™, Stadia, 1-2-1 discussions with some of the worlds football legends, Sustainability, Social Media, Performance and much more.

As well as this in-depth conference schedule, the Soccerex Global Convention will consist of a packed exhibition, a large range of networking events and a two-day Football Festival taking place in the Forte de Copacabana and the iconic Copacabana beach, Rio de Janeiro.

Sky Deutschland has inked a new Premier League broadcast deal on a multi-year contract in Germany.

Sky will show three matches live each matchday. In addition to the live broadcasts Sky sends a highlight-magazine with the best scenes of each match day.

Burkhard Weber, Sky Sport: “The Premier League is an essential part of our sports package We are very pleased to be able to continue to provide our customers in the years to come one of Europe’s best leagues live and exclusive..”

Sky also secured the exclusive internet and mobile rights for Germany and Austria. The English Premier League is therefore mobile and spatially flexible with Sky Go, available via iPad, iPhone, iPod, Web, and the Xbox360. Highlight clips as before in the Sky Media (sky.de / media library) be available.

The start of the 2012-13 Liga could be delayed as 13 clubs are threatening with a strike following a dispute on television rights.

Athletic Bilbao, pills Atletico Madrid, health Real Betis, viagra Celta Vigo, Espanyol, Getafe, Granada, Real Mallorca, Osasuna, Rayo Vallecano, Real Sociedad, Sevilla and Real Zaragoza met on Tuesday to discuss an action plan and demand that the Spanish football league takes action in four areas.

“Every club which attended the meeting disagrees with the recent developments in the First Division of the National Professional Football League (LNFP). We believe these developments show a great lack of respect to the clubs, all which are members of the LFNP,” a statement from the 13 clubs reads.

“Therefore, in light of the great uncertainty facing every club in the league, owing to the lack of agreement between the television companies which own the broadcasting rights of the clubs, the aforementioned clubs have unanimously agreed to ask the president of the LNFP to call an urgent board meeting for Primera Division clubs next Tuesday August 14 to discuss, vote and if appropriate, approve the following items:

“1. Demand immediate payment of all money owed by television operators to Primera Division clubs.

2. Demand the withdrawal of all legal action against Primera Division clubs in relation to contracts of sale of media rights.

3. Create a transparent and regulated procedure to organise kick-off times and dates for La Liga matches.

4. Require television operators to establish a stable framework to ensure the fair distribution of broadcasting rights for all clubs in the Primera Division.

“If a solution is not reached which all clubs can agree on, the aforementioned clubs are prepared to take whatever measures are necessary, including delaying the start of the 2012-13 league season, which is scheduled to begin on August 18.”

Several club directors had already expressed their outrage at the recent decision by the league to schedule games for 23:00 in the first two weekends of the season.

 

The Pac-12 Conference’s Commissioner Larry Scott will continue in his position after a contract extension was agreed with the board of directors on Monday, diagnosis giving him the opportunity to push forward with his plans to reshape the league through 2016.

All 12 university presidents who make up the board agreed to the extension.

Since taking over on July 1, pills 2009, erectile Scott has overseen the conference’s expansion to include Utah and Colorado. He also negotiated a landmark 12-year television contract last summer with Fox and ESPN worth about $3 billion and helped created the Pac-12 Network and Pac-12 Digital Network.

“My fellow board members and I are delighted to have reached a long-term agreement with the commissioner to continue his excellent work on behalf of the Pac-12,” said Oregon State President Ed Ray, also the chairman of the league’s board. “We are on the brink of a period of extraordinary accomplishment and excellence throughout the Pac-12 and Larry’s continued leadership and vision for the Conference are critical elements in realizing that potential.”

Scott has put a pair of ideas in motion that revolutionized the league.

He nearly raided the Big 12 to form a 16-team super-conference in 2010 — and again last year — until Texas decided to stay, which was enough to convince Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Texas A&M not to move. Scott still lured Utah from the Mountain West and Colorado from the Big 12, giving him more leverage during TV negotiations with a conference title game to market.

The record TV deal allowed the conference to quadruple its media rights fees and start its own network. Perhaps most importantly, he also pulled rival programs together to share revenue and create a more equal playing field across all league sports.

The 47-year-old Scott is a former chairman of the Women’s Tennis Association as well as a former player and executive with the men’s ATP Tour. He is the sixth commissioner of the league.

adiposity helvetica, sans-serif;”>Castrol EDGE has announced its title sponsorship of the Autosport Awards, the world’s most prominent and star-studded motorsport awards ceremony. The awards, presented every December at the Grosvenor House Hotel, mark the end of the motor racing season and recognise all the great achievements of the year.

As title sponsor Castrol EDGE will be offering the chance for motorsport fans to win tickets to attend the gala dinner usually reserved for nominees and industry insiders. The attendee list for the event typically reads like a who’s who of motor sport, so for any motor racing follower it’s a once-in-a lifetime opportunity.

Castrol EDGE already enjoys a strong relationship with Autosport. The Castrol EDGE Rankings, which rate and compare the world’s top 2000 drivers, have for the past two years been powered by a bank of statistical data from Autosport. The winner of the Castrol EDGE rankings receives their award on stage at the Autosport Awards ceremony, with Sebastian Vettel claiming the crown in 2010.

New for 2011, the Castrol EDGE Grand Prix Predictor. The groundbreaking game allows players to predict the outcome of each Grand Prix and battle it out with each other, the expert panel (including Johnny Herbert, Andy Priaulx and Mikko Hirvonen), and the Grand Prix Predictor itself. Prizes are awarded throughout the season, with the winner receiving the ultimate motorsport experience worth up to £20,000.

Speaking about the deal Sean Rahaley, Castrol EDGE Global Brand Manager, said; “Our partnership with Autosport goes back several years. In many ways, the title sponsorship with the Autosport Awards is just a natural evolution. The awards are treated with great respect from the motor sport industry and the ceremony is always a fantastic event. The Autosport Awards in association with Castrol EDGE is the perfect platform for our flagship performance brand.”

Rob Aherne, Publisher of Autosport, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Castrol EDGE on board for what we hope is the beginning of a long and fruitful partnership. We believe we can guarantee the competition winners a motorsport experience that they will never forget.”

Castrol EDGE has a far-ranging and broad portfolio of motorsport partnerships including the Ford Abu Dhabi WRC team, the MINI WRC Team, the Audi Le Mans team, as well as SKODA Motorsport and the VW Dakar Rally Team. This breadth and depth reflects Castrol’s commitment to the excitement and passion of all forms of motorsport.

CBS Radio’s Sports Radio WFAN 660AM/101.9FM, help the world’s first and nation’s most listened to all-sports radio station, has reached a new multi-year agreement with the New York Giants, extending the station’s exclusive flagship radio station rights to broadcast preseason, regular season and any postseason games. 

In addition, WFAN will also continue to be home of the Giants in-depth pre and post-game coverage for all contests broadcast on the station.

WFAN has been the flagship station of the Giants since 1997.  Bob Papa currently serves as the radio play-by-play voice for the Giants.  He is joined by two-time Super Bowl Champion and former Giants linebacker Carl Banks in the booth and former Giants tight end and Super Bowl champion Howard Cross, who provides the latest news and commentary, with reports from the field.

“We are proud to continue our partnership with the New York Giants, the city’s premier football franchise,” said Don Bouloukos, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, CBS RADIO New York.  “Our tri-state area listeners are fans of the team, and they know they can count on WFAN for unparalleled coverage, access to players and coaches, and insight they can’t hear anywhere else.  As we continue to expand our footprint in the metropolitan area, we look forward to having the Giants remain a cornerstone of the WFAN lineup.”

According to the Leeds United Supporters Trust the proposed takeover of the Championship club has fallen through.

In June, Leeds said a group of investors – unnamed, but believed to be from the Middle East – had been granted due diligence, and it had been widely expected that a deal would be concluded soon afterwards.

But on Thursday, the fans’ trust issued a statement on Twitter, which said: “The Leeds United Supporters Trust can confirm that the deal to buy the club has now collapsed.

“We will be making a more detailed statement later on once we have had the chance to establish more.”

Reports in Yorkshire said concerns about the prospects of the takeover grew on Wednesday when the Elland Road chief executive, Shaun Harvey, flew to Monaco to meet chairman Ken Bates in an attempt to reach a conclusion on the deal.

The Yorkshire Post said the Bahrain media had claimed a group of investors, headed by Leeds supporter Mubarak Al-Khalifa, had believed they were close to completing a deal for the club.