The Eurosport Group and the International University Sports Federation (FISU) announce they have signed a six-year agreement, starting in September 2012.

This long-term partnership will give the Summer and Winter Universiades – FISU’s highly successful global multi-sport events – comprehensive television coverage on an international basis across Eurosport’s unrivalled pan-European network.

Eurosport will also produce a monthly TV show called CAMPUS dedicated to the World University Championship events and FISU’s global commitment to excellence in body and mind.

The multi-media partnership is completed with the creation of a dedicated university sports section on Eurosport.com which will include the latest results, sport news and videos about the World University Championships and Universiade events. This section will be launched initially in English and French by end of September 2012.

Eurosport has been the home of the Olympic Games and Olympic sports for over 20 years and will bring this knowledge and expertise of multi-sport events to showcase and promote the Universiades.

Eurosport and Eurosport 2 will broadcast 60 hours in HD for each Summer Universiade and 40 hours in HD for each Winter Universiade.

The Summer and Winter Universiades, held every two years, gather student athletes aged 17-28 and are second only to the Olympic Games in terms of number of participating athletes and countries represented.

The Universiades have proven to showcase future stars who have gone on to perform at World Championship and Olympic level. As an example Australian swimmer Cate Campbell, a Gold medal winner in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay at the 2011 Universiade, became Olympic Champion at the same event in the London 2012 Games.

The deal with FISU includes TV broadcast in Europe of- the 27th, 28th and 29th Summer Universiades, held in Kazan, Russia on 6-17 July 2013, Gwanju, Korea on 3-14 July 2015 and Taipei, Chinese Taipei on 19-30 August 2017.

The 26th, 27th and 28th Winter Universiades, taking place in Trentino, Italy on 11-21 December 2013, Granada, Spain in 2015 and Almaty, Kazakhstan in 2017.

CAMPUS will be a 26-minute TV show, broadcast on a monthly basis until December 2017. 

The programme will cover the World University Championships, organised by FISU and follow preparations for the Universiades, feature profiles and interviews with the Universiade athletes and explain FISU’s values and university spirit.

CAMPUS goes on air for the first time on Eurosport on 26 September at 21:00 CET. It will include a special focus on the FISU Gala in Kazan on 22 September.

FISU President Claude-Louis Gallien commented: “I am extremely pleased that FISU has signed a multi-year partnership with Eurosport for our upcoming events. Like FISU, which strives for Excellence on the academic campus and on the sports field, Eurosport has been pursuing excellence in bringing the major international sports events in the homes of many sports fans. I am confident that with the help of Eurosport the International University Sport Movement will continue to grow in popularity worldwide.”

Laurent-Eric Le Lay, Eurosport Chairman & CEO said: “We are delighted to have this opportunity to bring Eurosport’s unrivalled expertise and multi-media credentials to this long-term partnership with FISU, which will enable fans to follow the upcoming athletes of the future. We are committed to being the first to showcase the best young rising stars in sport as we do with football for example with the NextGen Series and other international youth competitions. We are looking forward to developing a strong relationship with FISU which will give a platform to its highly respected events, commercial partners and key messages. Eurosport is committed to ensuring action from the Universiades and its associated events are accessible to sports fans across Europe.”

Great Sports Media, cialis a subsidiary of Shanghai Media Group in China has acquired media rights to the UEFA Europa League between 2012-15.

Each matchweek, see one live match and a highlights programme will be broadcast on Great Sports, BesTV and Power Sports.

In addition, Great Sports will sublicense each matchweek one live match and a highlights programme to free-to-air regional channels Guangzhou TV, Shenzhen TV, Jiangsu TV, and CSPN.

All rights will be exploited on the internet via www.funshion.com/greatsports, as well as on mobile.

European Club Association (ECA) vice-chairman Umberto Gandini is looking to increase the pressure on FIFA to reduce international fixtures in the international calendar by imploring non-European clubs and continental federations to supports the cause.

Two months ago the ECA, stuff which represents 201 of Europe’s top clubs, impotent met for its annual congress and decided that the number of international matches for which their players are released should be cut by a third. A memorandum of understanding with FIFA and UEFA expires in 2014 which if not extended means clubs will no longer have to release players for international friendly matches or tournaments.

Gandini said at the Soccerex Global Convention 2011 in Rio de Janeiro: “I’ve been around at AC Milan for 20 years now and we’ve always been discussing the same concept. If we get bigger support from the other clubs and the other confederations then we will have a bigger voice. The big problem is that the only representation body for the clubs is the ECA, and they are within UEFA. I don’t think there’s an interest from CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) or CONMEBOL (South American Football Confederation) to have the same arrangements. That’s the problem we are facing.”

Gandini, who also serves as organising director of AC Milan, added: “The worst scenario is that we stay with the status quo. No-one wants to take players away from their national teams but it has to be recognised that the day-to-day operations of football players are run by clubs.”

Join our discussion Too many international fixtures? to explain your views on the topic.

NFL Network have reached multi-year agreements with Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks, illness the country’s respective second- and sixth-largest cable providers, for carriage of NFL Network and the NFL RedZone channel. 

NFL Network and NFL RedZone will debut in Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks homes beginning this Sunday September 23, with full launch before Thursday, September 27.

“We’re delighted to have reached an agreement for NFL Network and NFL RedZone that provides a good value to our customers,” said Melinda Witmer, Executive Vice President and Chief Video and Content Officer for Time Warner Cable. “The additional games this year and the proven appeal of NFL RedZone will certainly prove to be a draw for our customers. We look forward to a long and productive relationship with the NFL.”

“We thank our customers for their patience while a fair deal was reached for all involved,” said Steve Miron, CEO, Bright House Networks. “It is especially rewarding to say yes to our customers who have requested NFL Network’s award-winning coverage.”

“We are excited to work with Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks to bring fans football 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” said NFL Network President and CEO Steve Bornstein. “Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks subscribers will be able to enjoy our weekly Thursday Night Football schedule, our award-winning Sunday NFL GameDayshows, NFL Total Access, NFL Films programming and much more. In addition, the NFL RedZone channel is a truly exciting way to enhance your Sunday football viewing experience each and every week.”

Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks are major cable providers in the home markets for 12 NFL teams (Buffalo, Carolina, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Green Bay, Indianapolis, Kansas City, New York Giants, New York Jets, San Diego and Tampa Bay). For Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks, NFL Network will be available on the Digital Basic and Sports Pass tiers, and NFL RedZone will be available to Sports Pass customers.

NFL Network is the home of Thursday Night Football — 13 primetime NFL regular season games from September through December — and is the destination for all that happens around the sport of football. NFL Network airs seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and provides viewers with more than 2,500 hours per year of original programming, including:NFL Total Access, NFL GameDay, the new four-hour NFL AM weekday morning show, Top 10, Playbook, NFL Replay, NFL Classic Games plus the Emmy award-winning Sound FXand America’s Game.

NFL Network also features every NFL preseason game, the Senior Bowl, plus more coverage of the NFL Draft, Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony, NFL Scouting Combine and Super Bowl than anyone else.

Portsmouth have seen new lows after Vladimir Antonov resigned as chairman of Portsmouth after the owner’s company was placed into administration.

The Russian businessman, whose company Convers Sports Initiatives bought Pompey in June, has also quit as a director of the club following the news. The company responsible for operating the team – Portsmouth Football Club Limited – continues to trade and is not in administration, though it is now actively seeking new funding.

Pompey chief executive David Lampitt said: “After the extraordinary amount of work put in by so many people over the last 18 months to get to this point, it is incredibly disappointing for the club to find itself in this position. I want to assure staff and fans that we will continue to do everything possible to safeguard the position of the club and its longer-term future.”

An official statement released by Portsmouth said: “The club’s parent company, Convers Sports Initiatives plc (CSI), has been placed into administration. Vladimir Antonov has resigned as chairman and director of Portsmouth Football Club.

“The club has funding in place for the short term, but will now be seeking alternative investment for its longer-term requirements.”

Commercial broadcaster e.tv has been awarded certain 2012–15 UEFA Champions League media rights in South Africa, stomach with the rights also to be exploited via internet and mobile.

All rights have been granted on a platform-neutral basis, viagra with the rights also being exploited on the internet via www.etv.co.za as well as on mobile.

TEAM Marketing is the exclusive marketing agency of UEFA for the exploitation of certain media and commercial rights relating to the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and UEFA Europa League.

The English Football League is looking to fans to help select its Official Charity Partner for the 2012/13 Season after launching a new online voting system.

From 89 applications, six charities have been shortlisted to follow in the footsteps of Help for Heroes, Marie Curie Cancer Care and Help the Hospices – the previous and current League charities.

The 2012/13 shortlisted charities are: Anthony Nolan, British Heart Foundation, Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, NSPCC, The Prostate Cancer Charity and St John Ambulance.

Alongside fans, the chief executive of every Football League club and each member of staff at The League will also vote for their preferred organisation.

Football League head of communications, John Nagle, said: “The Football League is committed to supporting good causes, especially those demonstrating close community links in and around our 72 clubs. We have seen fantastic support from fans and clubs for our charity partners during the past three seasons and we see their input at this stage as an integral part of the selection process.’

“The quality of entries was again exceptionally high and each of the shortlisted charities will make a difference to the communities around our clubs. I would encourage all fans to take the time to read the shortlist and make their selection.”

The vote will stay open for a week and a half, closing at midday on Wednesday 7th December.

The charities will then be ranked by number of votes received – the most popular receiving six points, the second five points and so on. The totals will then be calculated from all three groups with the winner ratified by The Football League Board

Dial Global will continue as the exclusive network radio partner of the NFL.

Dial Global, apoplectic previously Westwood One before the merger with DG, capsule has been an NFL network radio partner for more than four decades and the exclusive network radio partner since 1987.

Dial Global Sports’ coverage of the NFL airs on more than 500 stations around the country, medicine bringing extraordinary content to football fans nationwide and providing integrated branding and promotional opportunities for advertisers across multiple platforms.

Dial Global’s NFL broadcasts can also be heard in their entirety on SiriusXM Satellite Radio, NFL.com/Audiopass, and the NFL Mobile App available to Verizon Wireless subscribers.

“We are excited to extend our longstanding partnership with the NFL through the Super Bowl to be played at the end of the 2017 season,” said Dial Global Co-CEOs Spencer Brown and David Landau.  “The NFL prime time broadcasts generate a huge audience that brings great value to our advertising clients and affiliate partners, furthering Dial Global’s goal of producing and distributing the best live sports audio in media.”

The Dial Global Sports 2012 NFL broadcast schedule features 63 national games, including: the Opening Kickoff game, 16 Monday Night games, including one doubleheader, 17 Sunday Night games, 14 Thursday Night games (including Thanksgiving Night), one Saturday Night game, the Thanksgiving Day doubleheader, 12 Postseason games, including the AFC and NFC Championship Games, the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl and Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans. Dial Global Sports also delivers specialty programs, including: The NFL Today, NFL Preview, NFL Insider, and NFL Sunday.

In addition to the 63-game national package, Dial Global Sports offers a weekly Sunday doubleheader throughout the regular season, chosen as the season progresses to ensure the best possible matchups.

English Football League Championship side Bristol City’s financial losses have continued as they announced deficits in excess of £11million for the financial year ending May 31, 2011.

The npower Championship club reported a loss of £11,454,525, compared to the record deficit of £11,808,085 for the previous financial year.

Turnover increased from £11.1million to £11.9million, but staff costs also rose from £13.8million to £15.9million. The stadium project incurred a loss of £0.6million in 2011 compared with £1.9million the previous year.

City chairman Colin Sexstone insists the wage bill must come down if costs are to be brought under control, and he warned that players may have to be sold in order to help balance the books.

“The thing that stands out in this set of accounts is that our costs are far too high for the level of income we are taking. That is not acceptable and, clearly, we have to reduce our wage bill,” Sexstone said. “We are losing too much and we have to get those losses down to a sensible level. We need to have a football club that runs at a more sustainable level.

“We are going to have to be clever with players we bring in and also foster our youth development system. We will also have to sell players at certain times. I am not saying we want to become a selling club, but there will be occasions when we will need to be.”

English Premier League team Arsenal have dedicated their weekend matchday against Fulham to Global Charity Partner, price Save the Children.

The partnership with Save the Children is aimed at helping the poorest children get a better start in life and give them the chance to grow and fulfil their potential.

As part of the day, viagra order players will be donating a day’s wages along with many Arsenal staff to help raise funds for the charity. Supporters are also encouraged to get involved and give what they can to contribute to the partnership which will help to support a range of education projects in the UK and overseas.

To celebrate the announcement, viagra Arsenal first-team players Andre Santos and Johan Djourou visited Emirates Stadium today to take part in a special Families and Schools Together (FAST) session run by the charity. The programme, which is one of the UK education projects being supported by Arsenal during the partnership, aims to help increase parents’ engagement in their children’s education by encouraging them to perform everyday tasks and develop their skills together.

A number of fundraising initiatives will be taking place in and around Emirates Stadium on Saturday too.

The Armoury and The Arsenal at Highbury House stores will be selling exclusive co-branded sportsbands, with at least £2 ($3) from each sale being donated directly to Save the Children. 50p from the sale of each matchday programme will also be donated to the partnership.

A special matchday raffle will also take place with prizes ranging from a signed Arsenal shirt and a personalised stone in the new North Bank Terrace at Emirates Stadium to a pair of tickets to see Coldplay live in concert at Arsenal’s home in June 2012.

Arsenal Football Club CEO, Ivan Gazidis said: “Arsenal has a tradition on and off the pitch of bringing the best out of young people and our partnership with Save the Children is built on the shared belief that every child deserves a basic education and the opportunity to fulfil their potential. I hope all supporters will take the opportunity to rally behind the dedicated matchday this Saturday and help to make the day a huge success.”

Justin Forsyth, Chief Executive of Save the Children added: “Arsenal players and supporters should be very proud that this dedicated matchday will help transform children’s lives at home and abroad through education.  At Save the Children we are very excited at this next step in our partnership with the Club and all of its amazing fans. Together we are a powerful force for children.”