Sport 24, cure the 24/7 live sports channel produced and distributed by IMG Media exclusively for the in-flight and in-ship markets, capsule has concluded a deal with ATP Media to add the Barclays ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Series and ATP World Tour Finals to its outstanding tennis offering which already includes Roland Garros, mind Wimbledon and the US Open.

The ATP Masters 1000s events, which start with the BNP Paribas Open from Indian Wells this week, are the most prestigious tournaments outside of the four Grand Slams. The Series can now all be seen on Sport 24 and has been secured for the next three years by IMG Media, part of IMG Worldwide, the global sports, fashion and media company.

Richard Wise, Senior Vice President, IMG Media, said: “We now have a fantastic offering for tennis enthusiasts travelling the skies and seas around the world. We have already shown the Australian Open from Melbourne and will broadcast the entire ATP Masters 1000 Series, which attracts the top men in the game and takes in great locations from Asia, Europe and North America, culminating in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at London’s O2 Arena in November.”

Steve Plasto, CEO, ATP Media, said: “I am pleased to open up a new distribution channel for the ATP Masters and Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.  Sport 24 presents a fantastic opportunity for fans to access the world’s best tennis on their travels.”

The other events that make up the Barclays ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Series are the Sony Open from Miami (March 21-31); the Rolex Masters from Monte Carlo (April 15-21), the Mutua Madrid Open (May 6-12), the Internazionali BNL d’Italia from Rome (May 13-19), the Western and Southern Open from Cincinnati (August 12-18), the Shanghai Rolex Masters (October 7-13) and the BNP Paribas Masters from Paris (October 28- November 3). The ATP World Tour Finals take place from November 4-11.

Glasgow Rangers faced a setback today after Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov revealed his club are set to vote against a newco Rangers being accepted into the SPL.

All 12 SPL clubs, treatment including Rangers, unhealthy will vote on the issue at a general meeting on July 4. Rangers need an 8-4 majority for the newco to be included.

Romanov told Heats official website: “Supporters deserve a new beginning and have to accept the fact that their club has to start from the lower league, keeping order in the SPL and without creating unfair competition with other clubs.”

“As regards the club itself, we can only express our deepest condolences to its supporters, who have been lied to for so many years. It had to happen sooner or later. They have lived beyond law and all morals, and should now be declared beyond the pale.’

Superbowl champions Green Bay Packers executive Jason Wied is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team for “personal reasons.”

Wied, the Packers’ vice president of administration/general counsel, has played a leading role in recent plans to expand Lambeau Field and develop the surrounding areas, among several other significant projects.

Mark Murphy, president and CEO, said in press release: “Jason is going to take some time to take care of a personal matter. Our senior staff and leadership team will handle his duties during his absence.”

Wied, 39, joined the Packers in 2000 as staff counsel. He was named corporate council in 2001 and vice president of administration in 2007. He was one of three finalists for the president and CEO job for which Murphy was chosen in 2007.

Wied is a graduate of Premontre High School, Green Bay, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Marquette University Law School. He is married and has three children.

Sports Revolution the largest media rights owner in UK football stadia advertising sign Partnership agreement with WSDE Sport Tourism Expo 2011, ampoule “We are delighted to announce this partnership and it further emphasises the importance and relevance of the convergence of Sports and Tourism” said WSDE Director Tony Prince.

Kye Punter (Head of Trading Sports Revolution) states, “We see this partnership as a great opportunity to increase our growing portfolio for companies associated with, or in the travel industry wanting to build their brands through the power of sport”.

Sports Revolution is the largest media rights owner in UK football stadia advertising. For advertisers wanting to build their brands through the power of sport, Sports Revolution offers integrated media solutions spanning sponsorship; digital perimetre board advertising; high-definition concourse TV; jumbo screens; posters; field marketing; podcast and online. Aggregating these rights across 72 clubs in the English and Scottish leagues – including 19 in the Premier League – Sports Revolution can connect advertisers with a committed audience of three million football fans per month.

With the English Premier League being the world’s most-viewed football league – able to reach over 600 million people per week in 211 territories – international advertisers are increasingly using it to reach global television audiences. This includes travel and tourism brands. Cyprus Tourist Organisation and Thai Airways are two examples, using Sports Revolution’s rights and expertise in English Premier League to boost their international profile.

Television-facing digital perimeter advertising (LED) has become a powerful advertising medium in football, with Sports Revolution becoming one of the chief players in this fast-developing media space. Managed by a team of highly experienced media industry professionals, Sports Revolution offers top-level media intelligence. Its international audience measurement tool, DigiTar, can be used to scientifically measure and value the TV audience for a game in any given territory.

Sports Revolution’s subsidiary, Stadia Solutions, creates further opportunities for advertisers and rights holders through in-stadia communications and broadcast applications, such as HD Concourse TV and jumbo screens, coupled with bespoke content. Stadia Solutions now has the UK’s biggest HD concourse TV network, installed in 17 Premier League and Championship clubs, including Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.

Much of the advertising money flowing into the Premier League and La Liga is coming from Asia, with the region accounting for 40 per cent of the Premier League’s global TV audience.

To better serve this growing market, Sports Revolution recently opened an office in Bangkok. The eight-strong team signals our commitment to advertisers in the region.

Major League Baseball (MLB) team Minnesota Twins have replaced General Manager Bill Smith with Terry Ryan on an temporary basis.

Smith, who took over for Ryan in 2007, was released after a season where Minnesota was last in the American League Central, 32 games back of the division-leading Detroit Tigers.

Twins owner Jim Pohlad said in a statement: “No one in the Twins’ organization wants to win any more than Bill,” 

“He is unquestionably loyal, committed and talented. The Twins goal is to get better in 2012 and beyond. Bill was equally motivated to achieve that goal but we differed in the scope and approach that was required.”

Pohlad also said the team intends to have additional talks with Smith, who has been with the club since 1986, about an ongoing role with the Twins.

Ryan, 58, has spent over 28 years with the Twins, including a stint as general manager from 1994-2007. His interim role is effective immediately.

Under Ryan, who has been the team’s senior advisor to the general manager since stepping down from the general manager position four years ago, the Twins won four American League Central Division titles (2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006).

For the third time in succession, Inmarsat has been selected to provide essential voice and data connectivity for the Volvo Ocean Race.  Inmarsat FleetBroadband will be used to deliver broadcast quality high-definition television (HDTV) and rich multimedia content from the competing boats to the world’s media. Inmarsat has increased its involvement in the next edition of the race and is now a Race Partner, which will allow the communications company to further heighten its participation.

Inmarsat is the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications, and the company has played an integral role in the lives of seafarers for over 30 years. When it comes to delivering reliable maritime communications and safety services, no other network can match the combination of global reach, breadth of services and reliability that Inmarsat offers.

Knut Frostad, CEO Volvo Ocean Race said:  “I am very pleased to announce this continued and enhanced partnership with Inmarsat. FleetBroadband has proved it can deliver a flawless performance in tough conditions and that is absolutely essential for us. We need to be able to get reliable and high quality material off the boats and deliver it to the world with immediacy. You could say that the DNA of the Volvo Ocean Race is really based around moving images. And to be able to transmit these images from the boats is core to our communication and story building around the race. In many ways you could say that the Inmarsat’s FleetBroadBand has revolutionised the sport of offshore sailing.

“And by enabling us to be so connected to the boats, we can monitor them 24 hours a day from our Control Room in Alicante. This is crucial for our safety procedures and the onboard safety equipment is a vital tool for the crew in emergency situations.”

Each Volvo Open 70 will be equipped with a SAILOR FleetBroadband 500, providing voice and high-speed data communications.  Also onboard is a compact SAILOR FleetBroadband 150 for crew voice calling and IP data, plus two SAILOR Mini-C systems for constant positioning data and global safety communications. For the first time and after extensive evaluation, Inmarsat’s new global satellite phone, the ISATPHONE Pro, will be included in the safety kit of all the race yachts.

Andrew Sukawaty, Chairman and CEO, Inmarsat said: “FleetBroadband gave a flawless performance during the last Volvo Ocean Race in 2008 – 09 and will continue to take media coverage of the race into a whole new era. Faster transmission speeds deliver better quality broadcasts bringing all the action onboard into people’s homes around the world. It is undeniably the world’s premier global race and one of the most demanding team sporting events in the world and we are delighted with the global endorsement of ISATPHONE Pro, with its inclusion in the yachts’ safety equipment.”

The hard-fought overall Media Crew Member (MCM) Award, introduced for the last edition will once again be presented by Inmarsat. In addition, on each leg, an MCM will win a €1000 cash prize for outstanding excellence in communicating across all media from their boat, as judged by a specialist panel.

When the race concludes in Galway, Ireland, in July 2012, a €10,000 prize will be awarded to the MCM judged to have made the best overall contribution to race coverage.   

Knut Frostad firmly believes the MCM is as much a key player as the helmsman, tactician and the crew.  “No story, no sponsorship, no race. It’s as simple as that,” he says. “We wish them all great success.”

Andrew Sukawaty added: “Inmarsat is pleased to recognise the unique contribution the MCMs make to the race bringing the excitement of the race to the masses and delivering millions of dollars in valuable media coverage for race sponsors from the harshest of maritime conditions.”

Die DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga und der Deutsche Fußball-Bund bekennen sich weiterzu Prävention sowie Bekämpfung von Spielmanipulationen im Fußball und haben diebestehende Zusammenarbeit mit dem Dienstleister Sportradar um drei Jahre bis 2015verlängert. Sportradar unterstützt DFL und DFB bereits seit 2005 bei der Analyse undAufdeckung von möglichen sportwettenbezogenen Manipulationen. Seit Sommer 2009erfolgt dabei der Einsatz des so genannten “Fraud Detection Systems”, mit dessen Hilfeauffällige Abweichungen von Wettquotenmustern in Echtzeit überprüft werden können.

“Die Verhinderung von Spielmanipulationen gehört zu den elementaren Voraussetzungenzum Schutz eines sportlich fairen und damit glaubwürdigen Wettbewerbs. Deshalb istes umso wichtiger, präventiv aktiv zu sein und jedweden Verdachtsmoment frühzeitigzu erkennen”, sagt Holger Hieronymus, stellvertretender Vorsitzender der DFL-Geschäftsführung.

“Die Zusammenarbeit mit Sportradar hat sich in den vergangenen Jahren bewährt. Sie ist einwichtiges Kontrollinstrument in unserem breit angelegten Präventionskonzept”, erklärt DFB-Generalsekretär Helmut Sandrock.

Major League Baseball (MLB) team Baltimore Orioles have hired Dan Duquette as general manager after a ten-year hiatus from the sport.

Dan Duquette will fill a familiar position he filled with the Montreal Expos and Boston Red Sox before leaving Major League Baseball in 2002.

Duquette will be introduced as GM and executive vice president of baseball operations at a press conference later today. The 53-year-old Duquette will replace Andy MacPhail, view who stepped down last month.

The Orioles haven’t had a winning record in 14 years. They started 6-1 last season and finished 69-93, malady last in the American League East division.

Duquette served as GM of the Red Sox from 1994 to 2002, with Boston reaching the playoffs three times and advancing past the opening round in 1999. The team had a winning record in all but two years under Duquette and snapped an 86-year World Series Championship drought in 2004, with a team largely comprised of his signings.

Duquette served as director of baseball operations for the Israeli Baseball League after being fired by the Red Sox in 2002. His cousin, Jim Duquette, was general manager of the New York Mets in 2004 and vice president of baseball operations with the Orioles in 2005 and 2006.