IMG, the global sports, fashion and media company, has agreed to a deal with Vans, the original action sports and youth lifestyle brand, to distribute the rights to its growing portfolio of events including leading skateboard and surfing competitions and lifestyle media content developed for Vans’ offthewall.tv digital network depicting the worlds of action sports, music, art and youth culture.

The agreement will see IMG develop and enhance the international distribution of all Vans content globally across all media platforms, bringing top level action sports events to both new and existing fans.

Among the events are the world’s premier surf event series, the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing,  which concludes the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour at the North Shore Billabong Pipe Masters event.  Other top action sports events include the Coastal Edge East Coast Surfing Championships (ECSC), the longest-running surf contest in North America, as well as top flight skate competitions, the Vans Downtown Showdown and the Pro-tec Pool Party.

IMG will also work with Vans’ slate of action sports features developed for the offthewall.tv digital network including the Vans Surf Team film Get-N Classic and Pass the Bucket, the acclaimed series of short films featuring the humanitarian efforts of renowned athletes, artists and musicians as well as Vans’ exclusive skateboard focused shorts Love Letters to Skateboarding with skate icon Jeff Grosso and Adventures with Chris featuring gonzo skate journalist Chris Nieratko.

Adam Kelly, Head of Business Development, Senior Vice President, IMG Media, said: “This is an exciting agreement for IMG as we look to invest in the long-term potential of action sports. Our partnership with Vans will increase the worldwide profile of their events as well as bringing them a new audience, and we are very much looking forward to working with them.”

Doug Palladini, Vans Vice President, Marketing said: “International growth continues to be integral to Vans’ success as a brand and sharing the Vans lifestyle through our action sports events and feature content connects us with consumers in the most authentic way possible.  Our partnership with IMG gives Vans’ industry-leading action sports event line-up and our growing library of rich lifestyle content a broader global platform than ever before to reach our consumers worldwide.”

Arsenal and Manchester City will play a match in Beijing’s ‘Bird’s Nest’ Olympic Stadium clashing with the opening day of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The Premier League rivals said their first teams would play a one-off match for the inaugural ‘China Cup’ on July 27 with a local kick-off time of 2000 (1200 GMT), six-and-a-half hours before the London opening ceremony begins.

“It is…fitting that two English clubs are playing each other on the opening day of the London 2012 Olympics, in the stadium which hosted the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games,” Arsenal’s chief executive Ivan Gazidis said in a statement.

It will be the second year in a row that the Gunners have travelled to China in the off-season, with Arsenal playing matches in Malaysia and China last year.

League leaders City played in China in 2006, when they visited Shanghai under former boss Stuart Pearce with a team that included Chinese international defender Sun Jihai, but this will be the Abu Dhabi-owned club’s first appearance in Beijing.

The stadium, built for the 2008 Olympics, hosted the Italian Super Cup between AC Milan and city rivals Inter in front of more than 70,000 local fans last August.

“We enjoy huge support in Asia and by playing a match in Beijing we will once again be bringing the club close to our loyal fans in China,” Gazidis said.

Wang Shuyan, president of promoters Beijing Winoly International Sports Culture Co, said the match was part of the company’s strategic growth plan to bring top clubs and leagues to China.

“Our focus is on elite, authentic football. Arsenal v Manchester City will undoubtedly be the highest quality EPL match ever in China,” he said.

by Ismail Uddin

Rugby administrator Greg Peters has been named the new chief executive of South Africa, New Zealand and Australia Rugby (SANZAR).

Former Wellington Hurricanes chief executive, Peters becomes the first permanent head of southern hemisphere rugby’s governing body.

SANZAR has previously been administered on a rotational basis between each of the three member unions.

Peters said: “It’s rare to have an opportunity such as this one to lead a major rugby organisation through a significant growth phase.

“I am sure there will be challenges but that’s what makes sport so compelling, and the strength of the SANZAR alliance and the major competitions speak for themselves.

“The Tri-Nations features the three top-ranked teams in world rugby and we are about to welcome Argentina who finished third in (the 2007) World Cup.

“In Super rugby, we have the world’s most demanding cross-border provincial rugby competition and that intensity is set to increase with the new conference model, so there is no more exciting time to get involved.”

UK pay-per-view sports channel Primetime have today announced that the Ricky Hatton comeback fight against Vyacheslav Senchenko will be broadcast across three television platforms as well as live in selected cinemas and pubs up and down the country. 

Aston Villa FC have announced losses of almost £54 million ($86m) for the year ended May 31, 2011.

Villa confirmed the overall group loss for the year has increased to £53.9 million ($85.8m) from £37.6 million ($59.8m).

That figure includes the money spent to bring Darren Bent to the club in January last year, but does not factor in the sales of Ashley Young to Manchester United and Stewart Downing to Liverpool which went through last June.

The club also revealed record revenues, with commercial income increasing by 15.9% year on year and total income by 1.3%, resulting in record income of £92 million ($146.5m).

Villa spent £12 million ($19.1m) on changes in football management staff, with £25 million ($39.8m) invested into the club by owner Randy Lerner. There was an £8.3 million ($13.2m) reduction in bank borrowings.

Chief financial officer Robin Russell said: “Given the challenging economic environment that we have been experiencing in the West Midlands and indeed globally, we are pleased with the positive trends in our financial performance.” 

“The board of Aston Villa are confident that the actions taken since the end of the 2010-11 financial year have galvanised the long-term sustainability of the club and have also given us a better financial platform on which to build for future success.

“Our objectives are to compete strongly on the pitch and to achieve sustainability as well as compliance with UEFA’s Financial Fair Play requirements.”

SKY have agreed a broadcast partnership with Maori Television to televise Kiwis televised coverage of the third Maori All Blacks test against Canada at Oxford University.

The Maori All Blacks v Canada match will screen live on SKY Sport 1 on Saturday 24 November from 8.20am and on Maori Television at 6.00pm, generic and the following day at 10.30pm on the Te Reo channel.

In addition, pill the Maori All Blacks match on 14 November against Leicester will screen on Maori Television at 10.30pm following SKY’s delayed coverage at 7pm, anesthetist November 15th on SKY Sport 1 and the 17th November match against the Champion Select XV will screen on Maori Television at 8.30pm on 18 November (this match is also Live on SKY Sport 3 at 11.55pm on the 17th).

Richard Last, SKY’s Director of Sport said: “We are really pleased to be bringing this third Maori All Blacks match against Canada to New Zealanders’ TV screens. Working with Maori Television we’ve taken a new approach to produce and deliver this event. We are sure there will be a lot interest in all the Maori All Blacks tour, the match against Canada being no exception.”

Haunui Royal, Maori Television’s General Manager of Programming said Maori Television is delighted to work alongside SKY to bring the Aoteaora Fisheries Maori All Blacks European Tour to the free-to-air audience.

“The Maori All Blacks will always have a special pride of place on our channel and generate huge interest with our audience. This year’s series in the UK promises to be no different.”

Craig Whyte, Rangers’ underfire owner and chairman, has denied that millions of pounds destined for the club’s accounts went missing after his takeover at Ibrox.

The businessman has also been forced to dismiss claims that funds raised from future season ticket sales failed to reach Rangers coffers to be instead paid to another of Whyte’s companies.

“There will be absolute clarity from the administrators. There are no missing millions,” he told Sky Sports News. “There has been some outrageous and malicious reporting, particularly in the Scottish media.” Rangers are in administration after their parlous financial state eventually led to Whyte, already at loggerheads with Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs over ‘image rights’ payments, admitting defeat. Reports suggest that £9 million of further unpaid tax has been accrued since Whyte took over control of the club from Sir David Murray in May 2011.

“I can assure Rangers fans that every penny going into the club has been accounted for and will be accounted for,” stated Whyte. Gers’ were deducted 10 points entering administration to kill off this season’s SPL title race, but Whyte said the club will emerge a stronger entity down the line.

“I don’t walk away from anything. I’m in regular contact with the administrators,” he continued. “I’m working as hard as I can to help resolve the issues and make sure Rangers come out stronger on the other side of this. I’m in regular contact with them (administrators). I’m here to work with them and get the issues resolved. It’s a huge challenge. I took that challenge on. I’m not walking away from it and that’s what we’re working on right now.

“Rangers are a massive business and brand. They’ve got the best supporters in the world and together we’ll get through this. I’ve been a stand-up guy ever since day one when I bought Rangers back in May last year. I took on a club with huge financial difficulties. I’ve been working ever so hard to solve these financial difficulties. I would hope like every other Rangers fan that we get out of it (administration) as quickly as possible, but I can’t put a timescale on that at the moment.

“Although we’re going through a very, very painful process at the moment for all Rangers fans, it’s a process that really is absolutely necessary and we will come out the other side of this and we will come out the other side of this as a stronger more sustainable business.”

Whyte denied newspaper reports he has been evasive with the club’s administrators and also said that Rangers’ £50,000 fine by the PLUS Stock Exchange for failing to disclose he had previously been disqualified for being a direct was ‘irrelevant’ to the club’s battle for survival.

“I’m not going to go into private conversations that I have with the administrators at this moment in time,” he said. “They’re in there. “They are working very hard to get through the many issues that have to be resolved to get us through to the other side. The administrators are working to sort the issues out and get Rangers out of the other side of this process.

“I said two weeks ago that this was the beginning of the end of the uncertainty that’s been hanging over Rangers for years now. We’re still in that process. It’s very, very painful and we all feel it as Rangers fans. What I can say is that we will get through this and we will be stronger in future.”

Whyte laid the ground for further redundancies to follow the recent culling members of the club’s non-playing staff. “I’m not aware of exactly what the plan is there, but I would hope like every other Rangers fan is that it’s kept to a minimum. But what I will say is that there will be more pain and the administrators are acting in the best long-term interests of the club.”

Craig Whyte, Rangers’ underfire owner and chairman, has denied that millions of pounds destined for the club’s accounts went missing after his takeover at Ibrox.

The businessman has also been forced to dismiss claims that funds raised from future season ticket sales failed to reach Rangers coffers to be instead paid to another of Whyte’s companies.

“There will be absolute clarity from the administrators. There are no missing millions,” he told Sky Sports News. “There has been some outrageous and malicious reporting, particularly in the Scottish media.” Rangers are in administration after their parlous financial state eventually led to Whyte, already at loggerheads with Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs over ‘image rights’ payments, admitting defeat. Reports suggest that £9 million of further unpaid tax has been accrued since Whyte took over control of the club from Sir David Murray in May 2011.

“I can assure Rangers fans that every penny going into the club has been accounted for and will be accounted for,” stated Whyte. Gers’ were deducted 10 points entering administration to kill off this season’s SPL title race, but Whyte said the club will emerge a stronger entity down the line.

“I don’t walk away from anything. I’m in regular contact with the administrators,” he continued. “I’m working as hard as I can to help resolve the issues and make sure Rangers come out stronger on the other side of this. I’m in regular contact with them (administrators). I’m here to work with them and get the issues resolved. It’s a huge challenge. I took that challenge on. I’m not walking away from it and that’s what we’re working on right now.

“Rangers are a massive business and brand. They’ve got the best supporters in the world and together we’ll get through this. I’ve been a stand-up guy ever since day one when I bought Rangers back in May last year. I took on a club with huge financial difficulties. I’ve been working ever so hard to solve these financial difficulties. I would hope like every other Rangers fan that we get out of it (administration) as quickly as possible, but I can’t put a timescale on that at the moment.

“Although we’re going through a very, very painful process at the moment for all Rangers fans, it’s a process that really is absolutely necessary and we will come out the other side of this and we will come out the other side of this as a stronger more sustainable business.”

Whyte denied newspaper reports he has been evasive with the club’s administrators and also said that Rangers’ £50,000 fine by the PLUS Stock Exchange for failing to disclose he had previously been disqualified for being a direct was ‘irrelevant’ to the club’s battle for survival.

“I’m not going to go into private conversations that I have with the administrators at this moment in time,” he said. “They’re in there. “They are working very hard to get through the many issues that have to be resolved to get us through to the other side. The administrators are working to sort the issues out and get Rangers out of the other side of this process.

“I said two weeks ago that this was the beginning of the end of the uncertainty that’s been hanging over Rangers for years now. We’re still in that process. It’s very, very painful and we all feel it as Rangers fans. What I can say is that we will get through this and we will be stronger in future.”

Whyte laid the ground for further redundancies to follow the recent culling members of the club’s non-playing staff. “I’m not aware of exactly what the plan is there, but I would hope like every other Rangers fan is that it’s kept to a minimum. But what I will say is that there will be more pain and the administrators are acting in the best long-term interests of the club.”

Neo Prime, pharmacy has sealed the broadcast rights for the West Indies tour of Bangladesh for Indian sub-continent and the US market.

Fresh from winning their first major title in eight years, doctor the World Twenty20 Champions aim to continue their ascent in the world rankings as they tour Bangladesh for 2 Tests, viagra order 5 One Day Internationals and 1 T20.

Neo Sports Broadcast COO Prasana Krishnan said, “West Indies cricket is on a high after their World T20 victory and we are thrilled to have stalwarts like Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels and Shivnarine Chanderpaul playing on Neo for our viewers in the Indian Sub-continent and the US to enjoy.”

Nimbus Communications, the parent company of Neo Sports Broadcast, incidentally held the broadcast rights for Bangladesh cricket. Currently, the Bangladesh Cricket Board is without an official broadcaster following a cold response from broadcasters to international media rights tender.

The number of international matches played every year is likely to be reduced following European clubs and UEFA reaching an agreement on proposals to change the international calendar.

The deal would see an average of nine international matches played a year rather than 12.

There would be nine double-headers over a two-year period with no one-off friendlies such as those taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday night this week.

The compromise deal was announced at the European Clubs’ Association (ECA) general assembly in Warsaw on Tuesday – the clubs last year demanded the number of internationals be halved to six a year.

UEFA also agreed to take out insurance to cover the wages of all players injured on international duty, starting at Euro 2012, and to increase the amount of money paid to clubs for their players taking part in the tournament.

The amount was €55 million ($73.8m) for the last tournament and the new figure – a “substantial increase” according to the ECA – will be announced next month.

ECA chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge confirmed however that the clubs’ boycott on talks with FIFA still stands.

Rummenigge said: “The agreement with UEFA is a major breakthrough for European club football. With this agreement, UEFA clearly recognises the importance of clubs and the significant contribution they make to the success of national team football.

“The negotiations have not always proved easy, but were always conducted in a fair and respectful manner. I sincerely thank UEFA, in particular UEFA president Michel Platini, on behalf of all European clubs and look forward to our continued cooperation.

“This is once more a proof that in the European football family solutions can be found in a co-operative and fair way. While an agreement has been reached with UEFA, the situation remains unsatisfactory in relation to FIFA.

“Unfortunately, discussions with the FIFA president have failed to lead to a satisfactory outcome which takes account of the clubs’ demands.”

FIFA, who have to ratify the deal, released a statement of their own expressing their surprise at the ECA statement.

“FIFA is surprised by recent comments made by ECA stating that they are not satisfied with their discussions with football’s world governing body regarding topics of interest to the European clubs, including the international match calendar,” a FIFA statement said.

“ECA representatives are in fact members of several FIFA committees and are always invited to take part in the discussions on such topics, together with representatives from clubs of other confederations.

“In fact, following a discussion between FIFA and all six confederations, a working group which includes all relevant stakeholders (FIFA, confederations, national associations, clubs, players) will discuss the next international match calendar at a meeting on 5 March at the FIFA headquarters with the objective of reaching a unanimous consensus in order to make it simpler and easier for all stakeholders and to answer the club’s concerns while keeping in mind the interests of the national associations and the players.

“Both ECA chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and ECA general secretary Michele Centenaro are members of this working group and have been invited to attend the meeting, but have declined to take part in the meeting. ECA representatives have previously declined attendance to other FIFA committee meetings, making it very difficult for progress to be made in discussions with the European clubs.

“FIFA remains, as always, willing to discuss with ECA on these topics, as it does with all other stakeholders in the world football community.

“Finally, FIFA would like to recall that the international dates and the international match calendar have to be applied on a worldwide basis and that this calendar is ultimately regulated by FIFA, as football’s world governing body.”

by Ismail Uddin

Have your say on these developments here

Digital sports video news agency SendtoNews has signed a multi-year digital video distribution deal with the American Hockey League (AHL).

Beginning with the 2012-13 season, SendtoNews will distribute nightly game highlights and other video content to its News Partnership Network, which is comprised of top television, radio, print, and online news outlets throughout North America and abroad.

“SendtoNews’ expertise is getting sports video highlights to newsrooms,” said Sean Lavoine, the AHL’s Vice President, Licensing and Corporate Sales. “As we launch our most highly anticipated season ever, we are thrilled to be teamed up with SendtoNews to ensure that hockey fans in every media market can enjoy premium AHL action.”

“Through our pipeline of news outlets, SendtoNews will ensure the AHL is gaining broad exposure across North America and into Europe, reaching new markets and new fans,” states SendtoNews’ CEO Greg Bobolo. “As a centralized distribution source, SendtoNews will also capture new revenue streams for AHL teams by monetizing their game highlights.  We are very pleased to be teaming up with the AHL and look forward to an exciting and prosperous partnership.”

During the 2011-12 playoffs, the AHL used SendtoNews to distribute playoff video highlights and found it to be a powerful, but easy-to-use simple solution for quickly and effectively distributing broadcast-ready video to news outlets continent-wide.

SendtoNews debuted its state-of-the-art multimedia distribution platform at the 2010 Winter Olympics and today distributes content for a growing roster of leading content providers and premier sports organizations.