Adidas have opted out of renewing its sponsorship deal with Liverpool as they believed the price they had to pay did not meet the value of the team citing their poor performances on the pitch according to the sports brand CEO.

Liverpool, and which is a five-time European champion, doctor has replaced Adidas with a club record, discount 6-year, 25 million pound ($38.3 million) contract with Warrior Sports, a subsidiary of New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc. The accord, Warrior’s first major soccer contract, begins next season and is worth almost double the current agreement with Adidas.

Liverpool has struggled to recapture its glory days that made it England’s dominant team during the 1970s and 80s. It hasn’t won a league championship since 1990 and last season was overtaken by Manchester United as the holder of the most titles. Liverpool didn’t make the Champions League, Europe’s top club competition, this season and is seventh in the Premier League, 13 points behind leader Manchester City.

“The gap between their performance on the field and what the number should be is not in balance,” Adidas CEO Herbert Hainer said in an interview in Munich yesterday. “Then we said, ‘Okay we will not do it. That’s the end of the story.’” Liverpool didn’t respond.

The team’s lack of success hasn’t stopped it signing other commercial agreements. London-based bank Standard Chartered (STAN) is paying a record 81.5 million pounds to have its logo displayed on its jerseys for four years and the team’s sales department has also signed new sponsors like Turkish tourism.

Related Discussions: Adidas right to axe Liverpool?

Mobivity has announced that they have entered into a two-year partnership with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Lake Erie Monsters, Canton Charge, Cleveland Gladiators, and Quicken Loan Arena.

Mobivity Holdings Corporation, an award-winning provider of proprietary mobile marketing technologies and solutions, will be partnering with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the organization’s family of sports teams, which includes the AHL Lake Erie Monsters, AFL Cleveland Gladiators, and the NBA Development League Canton Charge. In addition, Mobivity will also be working with the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. Mobivity will allow fans to interact with each entity using its proprietary mobile marketing platform, as well as in-arena graphics for live polling and interaction during games and events.

Mobivity will be using its proprietary mobile platform and an exclusive short code to engage Northeast Ohio sports fans both on and off the court through in-arena polling and interaction, as well as increasing fan engagement through custom team SMS alerts. Additionally, the Cleveland Cavalier’s fan alerts will be used to activate sponsorship opportunities throughout the season.

“We are excited to utilize the technology Mobivity offers to engage our fans in a new way that helps our team’s and events’ growth within the mobile space for years to come,” said Nate Ferrall, the Cavaliers’ Marketing Manager.

Mobivity is currently creating web opt-in pages to help drive traffic and participation for each team’s mobile programs. Additionally, it will setup in-arena graphics that engage fans via SMS, Facebook and Twitter to encourage user participation and brand loyalty. Mobivity will also import an existing database and grow it through exclusive and interactive promotions.

“The Cleveland Cavaliers family of sports teams and Quicken Loan Arena have proven to be a great partner of Mobivity. They have allowed us to have an important piece in connecting their brands with new and returning fans, and to enhance the overall fan experience. We hope our new partnership will continue for years to come, and look forward to working with one of the NBA’s biggest brands,” said Michael Falato, SVP of Sales & Business Development at Mobivity.

Piara Powar, executive director of European football’s anti-discrimination body FARE has called for the Football Association (FA) to charge Liverpool with bringing the game into disrepute over their response to Luis Suarez’s eight-match ban.

Powar believes Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish’s comments had been ”undignified” and that their reaction had damaged the club’s brand across the world.

He said: ”This is a lack of respect for the governing body by Liverpool and the FA should charge Liverpool FC and Kenny Dalglish.

”I think the FA should come back now and be very clear that Liverpool could be construed to have brought the game into disrepute by the way in which they have consistently undermined the judgment and by Kenny Dalglish’s comments.

”Liverpool have been too keen to support their man and in doing so have whipped up a sense of paranoia amongst their fans. This is not the Liverpool FC that we have applauded in the past for their support for a whole range of issues.

”The responses from Kenny Dalglish have been undignified; the way in which they have dealt with the whole matter has been unprofessional. For the club to so aggressively militate against what looks to most people a considered judgment from the FA leads to a potential for anarchy.”

Powar said reaction from his colleagues in other parts of the world made him believe the affair was damaging Liverpool.

He added: ”They have damaged their brand, no question. There is no question that Liverpool do have a global appeal, but I have emails from colleagues in Africa asking me what the hell is going on.

”I think people will be watching this and I believe there is no question that their plans for global expansion will have been damaged by this. That’s not to say they cannot come back from this but it has done them a lot of damage and they have not conducted themselves in a very palatable way.”

Powar’s call comes after Lord Ouseley, the chairman on British football’s anti-racism group Kick It Out, called Liverpool ”hypocritical” and Suarez’s apology ”lamentable”.

Ouseley also described Liverpool players wearing T-shirts in support of Suarez as ”dreadful”.

Major League Baseball (MLB) confirmed on Tuesday an eight-year national media rights agreements with FOX and TBS.

Combined with the recently announced ESPN deal, the three contracts will deliver a combined $12.4 billion — more than a 100-percent increase in annual rights fees to MLB over the current arrangements.

The new deals go into effect starting in 2014, and it means the World Series and All-Star Game will remain on FOX, while the League Championship Series and Division Series will be shared across FOX Sports Media Group (FSMG), TBS and MLB Network. Both deals also include digital “TV Everywhere” rights to stream televised games and other MLB-related programming online and through mobile devices.

“I have often said in recent years that we are living in the golden age of baseball and that the game has never been more popular,” Commissioner Bud Selig said. “But to see the unprecedented and historic commitment these networks have made to televising Major League Baseball for years to come is truly amazing. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I am thrilled that we will continue our relationships with both FOX and Turner. Both networks are passionate about baseball and are committed to covering, promoting and growing the sport, and I want to thank them for their continued support.”

Under the terms of the new agreements, FSMG will retain the rights to the World Series, the All-Star Game and one LCS while adding coverage of two Division Series starting in 2014. FSMG also will double its number of regular season national windows on Saturdays from 26 to 52, with 12 of those windows exclusive to FOX and as many as 40 non-exclusive windows on another nationally distributed FOX channel.

TBS will retain rights to air one LCS, two Division Series and one of the Wild Card games presented by Budweiser. TBS will also air afternoon games with new co-exist rights on the final 13 Sundays of the regular season. FSMG and Turner will alternate each year which league’s DS and LCS games they telecast, with MLB Network airing two Division Series games each year from the same league as FOX.

“It is with tremendous pleasure that we’re able to extend and advance our relationship with Major League Baseball for another eight years,” said FSMG co-presidents Randy Freer and Eric Shanks. “MLB, both nationally and regionally, has been part of our DNA here at FOX for a long time, and we’re looking forward to working with MLB on many new initiatives that will grow and promote the sport in coming years.”

“Major League Baseball on TBS has very much been a staple of our programming foundation for more than 35 years and the network has been the home to so many memorable baseball moments over that time,” said David Levy, TBS president of sales, distribution and sports. “When you look at the overall scope of television and digital rights that we acquired, this new agreement adds considerable value to our portfolio of sports offerings.”

English Premier League club, arthritis | Tottenham Hotspur, pills have officially delisted their shares from the stock market, pills returning the club to private ownership.

The move, which was announced in November, forms part of plans to raise money for a new stadium, likely to be a 56,000-seater venue dubbed the Northumberland Park Project.

Friday was the last day of share dealing at the club, with the switch to private ownership happening this morning.

Chairman Daniel Levy said two months ago that the club being listed “restricts our ability to secure funding”, adding that “increasing the capacity of the club’s stadium is a key factor in the continued development and success of the club”.

The step forward in the Northumberland Park project comes after a year of legal battles over the club’s bid for the Olympic Stadium.

West Ham were handed the stadium in March after a bitter bidding process but after Spurs launched lengthy legal action against the Olympic Park Legacy Company, ministers decided to scrap the plan and decided it should remain public propety.

The stadium is still likely to be rented to a football team after the 2012 Games, with Mayor of London Boris Johnson saying that it would “almost certainly be West Ham”.

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Have your say on the pros and cons of the decision here

Football Federation Australia (FFA) have secured a new radip partner in the form of ABC Radio which will broadcast the Hyundai A-League from 2012/13.

Under the new agreement, nurse ABC Radio will cover matches across its many platforms, story including ABC Local Radio, ABC Grandstand Digital Radio, the ABC Radio App and online simulcast with the FFA digital platforms.

The partnership will also see greater sharing of content and regular appearances of players and coaches on ABC Radio Grandstand’s football focused programs, including Francis Leach’s Top of the League and the A-League Lounge hosted by Ned Hall and Steve Pearce.

FFA Head of Corporate Affairs and Communications Kyle Patterson, said: “Over the seven years of the Hyundai A-League, ABC Radio has brought the game alive with great commentary in broadcasts all over Australia,” Patterson said.

“Covering Australian sport is in the DNA of the national broadcaster and it’s natural that football has a strong presence.

“We now have a formal partnership that will bring a nationally co-ordinated approach and open the way to digital simulcasts on ABC and FFA platforms. This is will allow more fans to be part of the exciting A-League season coming up.”

ABC Grandstand Manager Craig Norenbergs, added: “While ABC Radio have been committed to the A-League since day one, the new partnership will, for the first, give listeners great games of football on the radio each week,” Norenbergs said.

“This weekend is a great example with all five games broadcast live somewhere in Australia, kicking off with coverage of the Melbourne derby on Friday night – which will be broadcast nationally on Grandstand digital radio and on the ABC Radio app.”

The agreement will see all Hyundai A-League Clubs covered during the course of the season.

Manchester City have stepped up their global expansion plans by launching its first international School of Football, featuring professional coaches from the Club in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Boys and girls in the UAE can now sign up for the 10-week course, which starts the week of January 15th at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi.

The 10-week coaching programme is priced at Dh1,750. Each of the ten sessions will last 90 minutes and participants will also have access to weekly Football Saturdays to practice their skills in games and competitions. On top of that, each participant will receive a full MCFC replica kit. They will meet star players before the big match and even get some tips at the Club’s training ground.

The School of Football will be run on exactly the same principles as the Club’s Academy.

Manchester City FC coaches will be flown into Abu Dhabi to teach young players how to improve their skills in a fun and challenging way.

School of Football coach Gavin Makel, said: “We held some sessions with local young players in preparation for the School of Football and I have been very impressed with not only the standard but also with the huge enthusiasm and love for the game.

“We welcome players of all abilities and everyone will be able to improve their skills and have plenty of fun as they do.

“A lot of coaching we will be doing is the same as that which we do at the Club every day and so boys and girls here in the UAE will be getting genuine Premier League instruction.”

Former Manchester City player Patrick Vieira, who is now the Football Development Executive at the Club, helped Gavin coach the youngsters and was equally impressed.

“At a young age it is so important to have the correct coaching and that is why we are very proud to launch the School of Football in the UAE and help develop players who clearly love the game,” he said.

The School of Football is part of Manchester City’s drive to bring football fans and players in the UAE closer to the Club.

They have also launched Sky Blue membership, which is free and comes with a range of benefits for members such as big match screening events in Abu Dhabi and discounts on trips to watch the team live in action at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.

The European Handball Federation’s marketing arm, capsule EHF Marketing GmbH, unhealthy has announced the signing of a new television deal with Premier Sports TV, price bringing the VELUX EHF Champions League to a British television audience.

Richard Webb, Operations Director of Premier Sports said: “It is great to be able to showcase further a sport that really caught the imagination of UK fans during the summer Olympics. The VELUX EHF Champions League is a superb competition and we are delighted to be able to offer it on a weekly basis throughout the season.”

Premier Sports will show Match of the Week live or delayed with complete English commentary from each round of the competition as well as the highlights magazine, ‘REWIND – the handball show’ on a Monday evening.

The next live match on the channel will be between Pick Szeged and Kadetten Schaffhausen on Saturday 6 October.

Peter Vargo, Managing Director of EHF Marketing GmbH, said: “After the successful presentation of handball at the London 2012 Olympic Games we would like to establish the sport on UK television schedules. This will be a chance to promote the top product of European club handball and we believe that we can gain a solid foothold for the sport in the UK.”

Up until now the handball fans in the UK have been able to watch delayed matches of the VELUX EHF Champions League on Eurosport 2.

Premier Sports TV began broadcasting in April 2010 on the Sky platform, channel 428 in the UK and is available in 10 million homes on the Sky platform. The channel currently focuses on sports that have strong, loyal and passionate followings. Future rollouts will begin shortly on all other platforms.

English Championship side Portsmouth FC are on the verge of announcing new owners, according to administrator Andrew Andronikou.

Pompey owner Vladimir Antonov stepped down in November as the Championship club’s parent company Convers Sport Initiatives entered administration.

But Andronikou, of UHY Hacker Young, has revealed a takeover deal is now close with a mystery consortium.

“We are in the final stages of agreeing terms with one particular party,” Andronikou told told BBC Radio Solent. “I’m hoping that in the next seven to 10 days I will have some news for the outside world.

“We’ve been actively looking for someone suitable to buy the club and we’ve had numerous interest as usual, some more suitable than others.

“They are coming in for the first time and we are checking their credentials to see if they fulfil all the criteria for the Football League.

“We are trying to scope out who they are and if they have the ambition and ability to take the club forward once and for all. We are looking to negotiate a contract and subject to that being okay we will put forward their application to the Football League who can conduct their own fit and proper person test and give us the thumbs up.

“Proof of funds has been done and we are fairly satisfied that they have the finances to take the club forward.”

The All India Football Federation today announced that there commercial partner IMG-Reliance has given broadcast rights to Ten Sports for the I-League from 2012-13 season and Federation Cup for 2013 & 2014. 

The coverage will be based on various platforms, such as Television, IPTV, DTH, HITS, Internet TV and Mobile.

TEN Sports will also broadcast the I-League competition through its football channel TenAction+, for three consecutive seasons starting with the 2012/13 season this weekend.

With the I-League competition kicking off on October 6, 2012, TenAction+ will telecast 75 matches of the league live and delayed throughout the season.

As part of the deal TenAction+ also has the mandate for telecasting the Federation Cup competition for the next two seasons starting 2013.

AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das said: “The fiercely contested Federation Cup, concluded recently, has set the ball rolling for the 2012/13 football calendar year. The I-League competition brings in even more enthusiasm and excitement, as the clubs are eager to renew their rivalry and fight it out from Round One.”

Ten Sports CEO Atul Pande commented: “We are delighted to partner with IMG-Reliance to telecast I-League and Federation Cup, two of India’s premier football tournaments.” He went on to add, “Ten Sports has always supported Indian football and we continue committed to our vision of enhancing and adding value to the sport.”

The spokesperson for IMG-Reliance added: “We are happy to bring Ten Sports on board as a broadcast partner in (Indian) football. Having a long-term partnership with the broadcaster is an important step in ensuring quality and continuous coverage of the two competitions. This is one of many initiatives IMG-Reliance has undertaken and we remain committed to the development of Indian football.”