Eurosport has secured a three-year deal to become the exclusive European media partner of the new ATP Power Horse Cup from 2013 to 2015. 

Eurosport will broadcast extensive LIVE HD coverage on Eurosport and Eurosport 2 channels across 59 countries. The deal includes digital rights for all matches and Eurosport will also become the host broadcaster of the tournament. It will be the first time Eurosport is host broadcaster for an ATP event. 

Formerly known as the Power Horse World Team Cup, the Düsseldorf outdoor clay court tournament is adopting a new format from 2013 by joining the ATP World Tour 250 series. 

Held the week before the French Open the tournament is an appropriate addition to Eurosport’s tennis portfolio which includes LIVE coverage of the Roland Garros Grand Slam in Paris. 

This exclusive partnership was signed with tournament director Dietloff von Arnim, who said: “We are delighted to continue with the strong tradition of ATP tournaments in Düsseldorf and welcome the arrival of an ATP 250 tournament at Rochusclub. With this new tournament status comes a new name and we are very pleased to retain Power Horse as our title sponsor. We are happy and proud to have Eurosport as our host broadcaster for a minimum of the next three years. Our new partnership promises excellent coverage for all tennis fans and sponsors, not only in Germany, but also in all European territories.” 

Géraldine Filiol, Eurosport Deputy Managing Director in charge of acquisitions, said: “We are delighted to become the European media partner of the Power Horse Cup, especially at such an important moment in the life of the tournament. We will help the new ATP 250 tournament develop by providing extensive coverage to all fans in Europe on our channels Eurosport and Eurosport 2 as well as on internet and mobile through the Eurosport Player.”

Chelsea FC today have adamantly denied claims they tried to fix the vote to buy back the freehold of Stamford Bridge.

English tabloid newspaper, The Sun, reported today that people associated with owner Roman Abramovich and club directors bought a number of Chelsea Pitch Owner (CPO) shares ahead of a ballot last October to decide whether the club could purchase the land from the company.

CPO was set up in 1993 to protect the club from being forced out of the stadium they have played at since their formation in 1905.

A total of 2,517 shares were bought between October 3 and the suspension of trading on October 20, of which 1,686 shouldn’t have been re-issued because of a restriction agreed by CPO directors a year before.

There are allegations that a lot of the shares were bought by people who had strong connections with the boardroom in order to secure the 75 per cent share of the vote they required.

If someone purchased 100 shares (at a £100 each) it would secure 100 votes but in the end only 61.5 per cent were in favour and CPO maintained the freehold for now.

Today’s report suggests Chelsea tried to use underhand methods to ensure the motion was passed.

However, a club spokesman said: “As we have previously stated, when approached by people asking how they can help, we responded that they should vote in favour of the motion if they have shares, or buy shares and vote in favour of the motion. We categorically deny any allegations of wrongdoing against the club or anyone connected to the club.”

The mass buying of shares was actually pursued by both sides and a fans’ organisation was set up called SAYNOCPO to lobby support against the club’s plans.

There have been suggestions that Chelsea, who have yet to decide to leave Stamford Bridge, are looking to sell the site and build a cheaper venue elsewhere in order for Abramovich to make a significant profit due to the value of real estate in SW6.

But it is believed all funds from the sale of the ground would go into the development of a new ground and the club expect there to be a shortfall, which Abramovich or a loan from a bank would have to make up.

CPO will be holding their Annual General Meeting at Stamford Bridge tomorrow when a motion to begin the re-selling of shares is on the agenda.

Some fans feel it could pave the way for more individuals close to the boardroom to buy shares so that any future vote regarding the freehold will go in Chelsea’s favour next time.

As yet there has been no date set for a second ballot on the issue, but sources at SAYNOCPO, who campaigned strongly against the club’s proposal back in October, fear they could hold another one during the off-season when it will be harder to alert fans who own shares to the issue.

In a statement today SAYNOCPO said: “The (Sun) article would appear to vindicate our long-standing position on this issue regarding organised gerrymandering of the vote. We feel the sale of shares in CPO should remain suspended until discussions have taken place to prevent such practices being repeated in future.

“We have previously suggested this issue can be solved by only re-opening share sales via a new class of share, with a maximum of 1 (or 10) voting rights per person, with proof of identity and UK address requirement, and we would urge the board of CPO to adopt this measure.”

Modern Times Group (MTG) has acquired shares in Danish sports channel TV2 Sport, asthma taking full control of the channel.

TV2 Sport was launched in April 2007 as a 50/50 joint-venture between MTG and TV2, stomach and consists of TV2 Sport, TV2 Sport HD and TV2 Sport Premier League, which is dedicated to coverage of English football.

MTG has now acquired the outstanding 50% of the business, with payment consisting of an undisclosed cash sum and the transfer of exclusive Danish broadcasting rights to the European Handball Championships in 2016 and 2018.

The deal is subject to approval from the Daanish competition regulator. TV2 Sport reported revenues of DKK348m (US$60.6m) for 2011, with an operating profit of DKK17m.

English Non-league side Darlington FC will breathe a sigh of relief after they received enough funding to remain in business for at least their next three games.

A rescue group pledged £50,000 at the eleventh hour to ensure of Darlington’s temporary survival following the threat of liquidation.

Administrator Harvey Madden told the playing staff and interim manager Craig Liddle that the club had folded at 1200 GMT on Wednesday, only for the Darlington Football Club Rescue Group to arrive at the Northern Echo Arena with fresh funds.

Madden then staged a meeting with representatives from the Rescue Group and at 1500 GMT it was announced the club’s future would be secured until the end of January.

“It’s been a rollercoaster but we’ve got the outcome everybody wanted,” Liddle told BBC Tees. “I’ve got to piece a team together now for Saturday, and if we can come through this next few weeks then the main objective for me would be to keep the club in the league.”

Liddle has nine senior professionals and a squad of youth team players available for the game against Fleetwood on Saturday, but could even come out of retirement himself.

“It’ll be a last resort for me, I’m 40 now. I don’t want to harm any of the young boys, but I’m registered to play,” Liddle continued. “Hopeflly it won’t come to that – and I’m relieved for me and the supporters.

“We’re alive and kicking, the boys are back in training tomorrow. Hopefully we can go out and put a performance in for the supporters. I don’t think we’ll come as close to losing the football club again.”

The Football Association has confirmed the nine remaining players would be able to represent the club.

“The players will become free agents in the event of mutual termination forms being received,” a statement read. “Alternatively, they could still be transferred or go out on loan.

“As it stands right now they have nine contracted players registered with the FA along with 17 scholars. Once the players sign mutual cancellations they can re-sign as non contract players for Darlington FC if necessary.”

Euroleague Basketball and Sportitalia have announced that the Italian sports network will remain an official Turkish Airlines Euroleague broadcaster for the next three seasons.

The new agreement means that Sportitalia will have been the Euroleague broadcast partner in Italy for six years at the conclusion of the new contract. Sportitalia will air live games and news footage on three of its stations, viagra buy Sportitalia, Sportitalia2 and Sportitalia 24. 

Starting this season, Sportitalia will have the rights to broadcast live all three Italian teams in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague – Montepaschi Siena, EA7 Emporio Armani Milano and Mapooro Cantu – in addition to other games throughout the season. By season’s end, Sportitalia stations will have brought an estimated 100 games, live or delayed, to Italian viewers. 

“Continuing this strong relationship with Sportitalia means that Euroleague Basketball retains a truly professional broadcaster with basketball in its DNA,” said Andrea Bassani, Euroleague Basketball’s Director of Television & New Media Rights. “Best of all, due to Sportitalia’s devotion to our competition, Italian fans will continue to get the very best coverage possible.” 

Sportitalia 24 will deliver all the latest Euroleague news and will also feature the official weekly Euroleague magazine on the weekends. 

The Swiss Football League (SFL) has removed Neuchatel Xamax of their license and have barred them from the Super League after they were suspected of falsifying a bank document produced as a financial guarantee last year.

Less than a year after being taken over by Russian businessman Bulat Chagaev, the club have already been deducted eight points for irregularities in the payment of social security contributions and players’ wages. Now, Swiss media have reported that an important document was full of basic grammatical and spelling mistakes, prompting the move.

“The Swiss Football League has taken away Neuchatel Xamax’s licence for participating in championships organised by the SFL,” a statement said. “The disciplinary commission has reached the conclusion that the conditions for the license are no longer met due to the non-presentation of financial guarantees.

“The disciplinary commission is also convinced that the banking guarantee from the Bank of America was not provided by the latter.”

The Swiss Super League has seen its fair share of controversy this season after FC Sion were deducted 36 points for fielding players who were signed during a FIFA transfer ban, while Chagaev has sacked four coaches during his time at Neuchatel.

Baylor University and FOX Sports announced a new multi-year agreement to televise the school’s athletics events and related programming on FOX Sports Networks’ platforms.

They include FOX Sports Southwest, FOX Sports Southwest Plus or FOX College Sports.

The agreement features a comprehensive schedule of Baylor athletic events to be televised each year, including all available men’s basketball games and mutually agreed upon Olympic sports, including women’s basketball, baseball, softball, soccer and volleyball contests.  Beginning in the 2013-14 academic year, FOX Sports will also televise one Bears football game annually for the remainder of the deal. Telecasts of Bears football games will be produced by FOX Sports, while other Baylor airings will be produced by the school in collaboration with FOX Sports.  Additional non-game programming mutually selected by FOX Sports and Baylor may also appear on FOX Sports platforms.

FOX Sports Southwest, which reaches approximately 9 million homes, will be the flagship network for Baylor Athletics with distribution throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Select Baylor events will be televised on other FOX Sports regional and national networks and digital platforms.

“We’re excited to continue our relationship with Baylor and expand our partnership with the university even deeper,” said FOX Sports Southwest Senior Vice President/General Manager Jon Heidtke. “This agreement is the perfect complement to our new FOX Sports Media Group deal with the Big 12 and fits in nicely with our mission statement to be the preeminent regional sports network in the Southwest. We look forward to showcasing more Baylor events and programming than ever before to Bears fans both regionally and nationally.”

“The Baylor brand has never been stronger, and we are excited about the opportunity to build on the well-established partnership we have enjoyed for many years with FOX Sports,” said Baylor Director of Athletics Ian McCaw. “This agreement, coupled with the recently negotiated Big 12 television contracts, will afford unprecedented exposure for Baylor Athletics on FOX Sports Southwest and other FOX Sports platforms on both a national and regional basis, which will be a powerful asset in recruiting and a wonderful opportunity for our fans to enjoy more coverage than ever before.”

Qatar 2022 World Cup organisers have reiterated contractors will comply with international labour laws for workers employed on construction projects before the tournament, impotent Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee Secretary General Hassan Al Thawadi said on Tuesday.

“Major sporting events shed a spotlight on conditions in countries. There are labour issues here in the country, but Qatar is committed to reform. We will require that contractors impose a clause to ensure that international labour standards are met,” Thawadi told an audience in the Qatari capital.

“Sport, and football in particular, is a very powerful force. Certainly we can use it for the benefit of the region.”

Poor working conditions are common across the oil-rich Gulf region, where impoverished men and women from South Asia have come for decades to toil on construction sites or oil projects or to work as domestic help.

Welfare workers say the sponsorship system, in place across much of the Gulf, and the lack of a minimum wage allow migrant workers to be exploited.

All foreign workers in the region must work for a local sponsor, and it is legally difficult to leave the sponsor before an employment contract ends without the sponsor’s consent. Many sponsors keep their workers’ passports.

Qatar has embarked on a massive domestic building programme in the runup to the tournament.

It plans to spend $11 billion on a new international airport, $5.5 billion on a deepwater seaport and $1 billion for a transport corridor in the capital, Doha. It will spend $20 billion on roads.

A management contract to oversee construction projects for the 2022 tournament would be awarded in the first quarter of this year, Thawadi said.

The contract, originally expected to be awarded late last year, will oversee coordination with government agencies on large infrastructure projects, including the construction of stadiums, on which the country plans to spend $4 billion.

Qatar will build nine new stadiums and renovate three existing facilities.

“It will be in the first quarter, definitely. (The programme manager) will ensure the infrastructure projects are delivered on time, and that there is a contingency plan in place in case of a delay,” Thawadi said.

A construction industry source told Reuters in October that more than six companies were vying for the contract, including British construction consultants Arup, Mace and Turner International.

Thawadi said in June that the country planned to complete construction of the first stadium by 2015.

Qatar, where summer temperatures top 45 degrees Celsius, was the surprise winner of a December 2010 FIFA vote to choose the 2022 host country. It plans to build solar-powered, air-conditioned stadiums to overcome the sweltering summer heat.

The Hamilton Bulldogs, the top development team for the Montreal Canadiens, come to TVA Sports starting in October as the result of a new broadcast agreement between the channel and the American Hockey League (AHL).

The first TVA Sports broadcast will be on October 20^th at 7 p.m. as the Bulldogs face off against the Toronto Marlies, the top affiliate of the Maple Leafs, in Toronto.

Future broadcasts will be announced at a later date.

Play-by-play for Bulldogs’ games will be handled by the well-known, experienced team of commentator Michel Langevin and analyst Yvon Pedneault. Joining them will be Enrico Ciccone, reporting on each team’s performance from ice level, at the heart of the action.

“With this new agreement, TVA Sports is proud to provide fans with high-level professional hockey starting in October,” declares Pierre Dion, President and CEO of the TVA Group. “Up-and-coming Canadiens talent will be showcased early on in the Bulldogs’ season, and this agreement allows fans to follow the progress of future NHL stars such as Louis Leblanc, Brendan Gallagher, Nathan Beaulieu and Jarred Tinordi.”

“The American Hockey League has long had a terrific fan base in Quebec and among all of French-speaking Canada,” said David Andrews, AHL President and Chief Executive Officer. “I am certain that TVA Sports’ viewers will enjoy seeing the Canadiens of the future in action today.”

The Hamilton Bulldogs have served as the top development affiliate of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens since 2002, winning four division championships and the 2007 Calder Cup in that time. Current Canadiens players who have come through Hamilton include Carey Price, Max Pacioretty, David Desharnais, Tomas Plekanec and P.K. Subban.

Manchester United shirt sponsors Aon has announced it will move its global headquarters from Chicago to London, saying it wanted greater financial flexibility and accessibility to emerging markets.

The re-insurance broker giant said shifting its global operations base to Britain will give the corporation strategic proximity to British insurance hub Lloyd’s and the London market, as well as step up Aon’s international presence.

“The decisions we make today will help drive our global strategy and strengthen our growth opportunities in the years to come. The continued investment in our international operations and emerging markets is important to the growth of our firm,” Aon CEO Greg Case said in a statement.

London also welcomes the firm. “This is very good news for the London insurance market and for Lloyd’s. It will help reinforce London’s position in the global insurance marketplace,” Lloyd’s market chairman John Nelson told Xinhua Friday.

Included in Aon’s official filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), but not in Friday’s press release, was also the publicly-traded company’s expectation to reap more value for its shareholders under a British territorial tax system.

“A reduction in our global tax rate over the long-term, similar to the reduction achieved over the last five years, would allow Aon to remain competitive with certain global competitors,” Aon said in the SEC filing.

The filing also noted that the move would give Aon greater financial flexibility with future free cash flow, as well as access to 300 million U.S. dollars of excess capital held internationally on its balance sheet.

As part of the transaction, which is expected to close in the second quarter of 2012, Aon will also change its corporate jurisdiction from the U.S. state of Delaware to Britain.

This will not be Aon’s first noted public presence in Britain. Since June 2010, the corporation has been the principle sponsor of British Premier League soccer team Manchester United. The team’s jerseys feature the Aon logo as the result of an 80-million-pound four-season deal.

As Chicago will remain Aon’s headquarters for the Americas, the corporation has no plans to lay off its 6,000 workers at the downtown Aon Center, but will instead add 750 jobs there this year, along with 250 elsewhere in the United States, according to the statement.

As one of the largest re-insurance brokers in the world, Aon has a market capital of about 14.8 billion dollars, 61,000 employees worldwide and over 500 offices in more than 120 countries.

Other companies have also said this year they wanted to move their headquarters away from Chicago because of the high business costs in the state of Illinois.

For instance, Chicago Mercantile Exchange and Sears Holdings Corp. decided to stay only after receiving a 371-million-dollar tax break package passed by the Illinois state legislature.

Playboy Magazine also announced today that it would move its headquarters from Chicago to Los Angeles.

However, Aon spokesperson David Prosperi denied a tax motive, telling the Chicago Tribune that Aon was “not doing this for any public policy reasons in Illinois.”