ESPN have inked a new deal to air the NBA in the UK until the end of the season concluding a blackout for British fans.

The coverage begins on Thursday night with New York Knicks versus Miami Heat and will include three live games per week, check NBA All Star Game, doctor First and Second Round NBA Play-off coverage, cough Western Conference Finals, and NBA Finals.

It comes after Commissioner David Stern took a personal interest in ending the blackout. It is understood the league also held talks with Sky Sports but have, so far, been unable to reach an agreement.

“Through our continued partnership with ESPN, fans in the UK and Ireland can look forward to weekly games and an array of NBA programming for the remainder of the 2012-13 NBA Season,” said Dan Markham, Vice President, NBA Media Distribution & Emerging Markets.

Simon Potter, head of programming and production, ESPN EMEA, added: “We’re very pleased to have the NBA returning to ESPN this season, and are looking forward to getting straight into the action and bringing UK and Ireland fans the world’s top basketball league with some great early match-ups.”

Den Start der Europameisterschaft 2012 am 8. Juni nutzt DFB-Partner Bitburger auch in diesem Jahr wieder für eine Verkaufsförderungsaktion. Der DFB-Partner begleitet die deutsche Nationalmannschaft und ihre Fans schon seit 20 Jahren. Ab März gibt es in Handel und Gastronomie erneut das Bitburger DFB-Fan-Shirt mit den gedruckten Unterschriften des Nationalteams sowie mit Wunschnamen und -Rückennummer.

„Es ist immer ein besonderes Ereignis, sale wenn die deutsche Nationalmannschaft spielt. Die Fans stehen zusammen: ob man sich kennt oder nicht, ob man der gleichen Vereinsmannschaft zujubelt oder nicht, ob man zu Hause ist oder in der Lieblingskneipe. Auch das Bitburger DFB-Fan-Shirt ist etwas Besonderes: Mit dem eigenen Namen ist es ein deutliches Bekenntnis zur Mannschaft und zur Gemeinschaft der Fans. Es ist ein Shirt, das eine Geschichte erzählt”, erklärt Dr. Werner Wolf, Sprecher der Geschäftsführung der Bitburger Braugruppe.

In den Besitz dieses Trikots mit individuellem Namen und Nummer gelangt, wer innerhalb des Aktionszeitraums vom 19. März bis 12. Mai Bitburger kauft – zum Beispiel für die Fußball-Party mit Freunden – und Kassenzettel für acht Kästen sammelt und einsendet. Das DFB-Fan-Shirt gibt es in der Farbe weiß und in den Größen L/XL und XL/XXL. Angerechnet werden alle Bitburger Sorten im 20×0,5l- oder 24×0,33l-Kasten: Bitburger Premium Pils, Bitburger Alkoholfrei 0,0%, Bitburger Radler Alkoholfrei, Bitburger Radler, Bitburger Cola und Bitburger Light. Einsendeschluss ist der 14. Mai 2012. Wer seine Kassenzettel bis spätestens 7. Mai einsendet, erhält sein Shirt sicher bis zum ersten Spiel der deutschen Fußball-Nationalmannschaft. Teilnahmekarten sind im Handel erhältlich. Weitere Informationen ab Aktionsstart auch auf www.bitburger.de.

Auch, wer das Fußball-Fest gerne in der Lieblingskneipe feiert, hat eine Chance auf das Fan-Shirt. Wer in teilnehmenden Gastronomien Bitburger bestellt, erhält im Aktionszeitraum vom 5. März bis 9. April dazu je einen Aktionsbierdeckel mit einem Rubbelfeld. Hierunter verstecken sich Zahlen, die zusammen die drei Jahre der deutschen EM-Titelgewinne bilden. Wer alle drei Titeljahre gesammelt hat, kann sich über den Wirt eines der begehrten DFB-Fan-Shirts bestellen.

Die Partnerschaft zwischen Bitburger und dem DFB sowie seiner Nationalmannschaft besteht seit 1992 und wurde kontinuierlich ausgebaut. Der erste TV-Spot für Bitburger Alkoholfrei mit der Nationalmannschaft ging 1998 on Air. Seitdem gibt es in jedem WM- und EM-Jahr eine gemeinsame Kampagne. Highlights während der inzwischen fast 20 Jahre langen Partnerschaft waren der Gewinn der Europameisterschaft 1996, der Vize-Titel bei der Weltmeisterschaft 2002 und 2008 sowie natürlich das Sommermärchen 2006 in Deutschland und der dritte Platz bei der Fußball-Weltmeisterschaft 2010 in Südafrika.

Leading sports marketing agency Sportfive has appointed Shaila-Ann Rao, formerly of French broadcaster TF1, as the chief operating officer of the company’s International Business Unit, based in Geneva.

Rao will begin her role at Sportfive from the March 1 after building up an impressive track record in the media business. During her 12 years at leading French commercial broadcaster TF1 she actively participated in and led the acquisition of rights to key sports properties in football, rugby and Formula One.

Rao will now be responsible for managing legal, compliance and quality in her new role, and will be involved in the strategic planning of the International Business Unit and its future acquisitions.

Chief executive of Sportfive International, Vincent Tong Cuong stated: “We are delighted to welcome Shaila-Ann on board. I have every confidence that she will use her vast experience to add great value to our international business.”

Euroleague Basketball, Eurosport Asia-Pacific and IEC IN SPORTS have announced the international sports network will exclusively broadcast official Turkish Airlines Euroleague matches for the coming two seasons, 2012-2013 and 2013-2014.

The new three-party agreement enables Eurosport Asia-Pacific to broadcast games of the top European competition in 17 countries and territories. When added to Euroleague Basketball’s existing television rights contracts, it means that games of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague will now reach a global coverage area encompassing 186 countries and territories. 

Starting with the next Turkish Airlines Euroleague Regular Season games on Thursday, December 6, Eurosport Asia-Pacific will have exclusive rights to broadcast each “Game of the Week” plus other two games per week to the following countries and territories: Australia, South Korea, Mongolia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, Papua New Guinea and Tonga. The agreement also includes non-exclusive rights to broadcast the same three-game weekly package to both Hong Kong and the Philippines. 

“We are extremely happy for this opportunity to bring the Turkish Airlines Euroleague to 17 new countries and territories in Asia,” Andrea Bassani, Euroleague Basketball’s Director of Television & New Media Rights, said. “Our collaboration with Eurosport started nine years ago, creating a very strong relationship between the sports network and the Eurocup. Now, we are very proud to have signed terms with them, thanks also to IEC IN SPORTS, to extend this relationship to our main competition, the Turkish Airlines Euroleague, reaching a new expansion level.” 

Arjan Hoekstra, Managing Director of Eurosport Asia-Pacific said: “This new agreement with Euroleague Basketball continues a current drive to bring exciting, new and importantly, exclusive live sport to Eurosport subscribers in the Asia-Pacific region. Eurosport will be providing complete coverage on TV, internet and mobile and help to create wider visibility for the Euroleague across our extensive regional network which now reaches from Australia to South Korea.” 

“We believe it’s a good deal for all parties involved and we are very happy to have been able to broker this successful cooperation with two important partners of ours – Euroleague and Eurosport”, says Daniels Franck, CEO of IEC in Sports.

The Estadio da Luz in Lisbon will host the 2014 Champions League final, UEFA have confirmed.

The 2014 Europa League final will be played at the Juventus Stadium in Turin.

Benfica’s home ground will host the showpiece match, while European football’s governing body confirmed the 2014 Europa League final will be played in Turin.

The Estadio da Luz hosted the final of Euro 2004, where Greece triumphed over tournament hosts Portugal. The city last hosted a European Cup final in 1967, when Celtic beat Inter Milan at the National Stadium.

The new Juventus Stadium was inaugurated at the start of the current campaign and is built on the site of the club’s former Stadio delle Alpi home.

The Allianz Arena in Munich will host this season’s Champions League final having also staged games during the 2006 World Cup, including the opening match between Germany and Costa Rica. Bucharest’s new National Arena, which officially opened in September last year, will host the 2012 Europa League final.

Wembley will host the 2013 Champions League final, having also been the venue for last year’s final between Barcelona and Manchester United.

In other decisions ratified by UEFA’s executive committee on the first day of the governing body’s Congress in Istanbul, the Czech Republic was chosen to host the 2015 European Under-21 Championship while England will stage the 2014 European Under-17 Women’s Championship.

by Ismail Uddin

Speedo, pill the leading worldwide swimwear brand, has appointed its new UK commercial director in Mark Wyatt.

Wyatt replaces the outgoing Tim Ives who has become the European business development director for the company having worked as managing director of Sodastream as well as a number of senior leadership and commercial roles.

Speedo CEO, David Robinson commented: “We are delighted to have Mark on board. He is an experienced and innovative senior leader with an outstanding track record in developing businesses in a diverse range of markets, products and cultures, particularly within tough trading climates.”

Mark Wyatt added: “Speedo is an iconic, world-renowned brand and I relish the challenge of developing its UK growth and brand presence through a variety of commercial routes, in conjunction with the Speedo UK management team”.

Sky Sports has agreed a new deal to show the ATCO PSA World Series Squash Finals in January 2013 from The Queen’s Club in London. 

The highlight of the squash calendar, the $110,000 ATCO PSA World Series Finals – from 2-6 January – will feature the eight players who have earned the most points from the elite PSA World Series championships in 2012. 

Despite one event still remaining – the Qatar PSA World Championship, which gets underway in Doha later this week – England’s world numbers one and two James Willstrop and Nick Matthew, plus leading Egyptian Ramy Ashour and France’s twice winner of the title Gregory Gaultier, have already earned their places in the prestigious event. 

Sky Sports will broadcast live coverage of the semi-finals and final on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 January. There will also be coverage of both the semis and final of the women’s WSA World Series Finals. 

Widely regarded as one of the most spectacular matches ever televised, the 2012 PSA final saw Egypt’s four-time world champion Amr Shabana ultimately triumph over Frenchman Gaultier to win his first ever squash title on British soil. 

“Last January’s coverage of the Finals was extremely well received throughout the squash world and we are delighted to extend the live coverage on Sky Sports into a second season,” said PSA CEO Alex Gough. 

“We were able to showcase of all the improvements we have made in televising squash and the ‘rubber-stamp’ approval of Sky Sports will help a lot towards our case of inclusion into the 2020 Olympic Games,” added the former world number five. 

Barney Francis, managing director of Sky Sports, said: “This announcement reinforces our commitment to offering a wide variety of live sports for our customers. Sky Sports caters for a broad range of diverse content and our recent rights renewals give us the strongest line up of live sport for our viewers to watch at home or on the move.” 

Sky Sports will work in tandem with SquashTV, the PSA’s dedicated online and TV operation launched just three years ago.

Richard Scudamore, Premier League chief executive, has indicated his belief that Celtic and Rangers will never be allowed to join the English top flight. 

Suggestions the Old Firm clubs will attempt to leave the Scottish Premier League have surfaced again following Rangers going into administration.

There have also been reports Celtic wanted to join the football league in which Football League chairman Greg Clarke denied.

One idea would be that Rangers could re-form as a new club and play in England but Scudamore insisted he could not see it happening – and the Old Firm in England’s top flight would go against Premier League regulations.

Scudamore said: “Our rules are simple. It says we’re a league formed for clubs that play in England and Wales.

“I don’t see that ever changing. I don’t see that changing on my watch, not that my watch may last for long.

“There’s more in it for them than there is for us.”

In 2009 Premier League clubs voted vehemently against allowing the Old Firm clubs into a two-tier Premier League as part of a proposal put forward by Bolton chairman Phil Gartside.

Celtic and Rangers are attracted to the Premier League due to the financial gains they will receive, even the bottom club in the Premier League earns several times more in television money than the two Old Firm clubs.

by Ismail Uddin

 

The FIM MotoGP World Championship have announced the appointment of Corrado Cecchinelli as Director of Technology, nurse overseeing technical developments relating to the three World Championship categories; 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP.

 

NBA coverage in Germany will now be shown on pay-TV channel Sport1+ who has acquired an extensive rights package for two years including the 2013/14 season.

As part of the exclusive agreement the channel will show two live matches per week as well as the weekly highlight magazine “NBA Action”.

The live games will be transmitted in the nights from Tuesday to Wednesday and from Saturday to Sunday. Sport1+ will also show two games per week in the first two playoff rounds, viagra selected matches of the Conference Finals and the whole NBA Finals live.

The NBA All-Star Saturday Night Game and the NBA All-Star Game within the NBA All-Star series as well as the NBA Europe Live Preseason Games will round up the live coverage which can also be seen on Sport1+ HD in high definition.