Sky Deutschland startet mit “Sky Sport” seinen ersten eigenen Sport-Kanal auf der Online-Plattform YouTube. Unter youtube.com/SkySportHD sind die Höhepunkte des Sky Sportprogramms ab sofort auch über das Internet-Videoportal abrufbar. Die Videos sind für alle User in Deutschland und Österreich kostenfrei zugänglich.

Sky Sportchef Burkhard Weber: “Mit dem ersten eigenen Sport-Kanal auf YouTube prä-sentiert Sky sein einzigartiges Angebot auf einer weiteren leistungsstarken Plattform. Beide Marken stehen auf ihre Art für hervorragendes Entertainment und passen des-halb hervorragend zusammen.”

Fußball- und Sportfans kommen bei “Sky Sport” voll auf ihre Kosten. Ab Montagmor-gen sind hier Highlight-Videos aller Spiele der Bundesliga und der 2. Bundesliga ab-rufbar. Darüber hinaus stehen alle Tore der Bundesliga als Einzelclips zur Verfügung. Ergänzt wird dieses umfassende Angebot durch Interviews, story Vorschau-Clips aus “Mein Stadion” und die besten Szenen und Aussagen aus “Sky90 – Die KIA Fußballdebatte” und “Samstag LIVE!”.

Des Weiteren stehen unter youtube.com/SkySportHD zeitnah nach Spielende Zusam-menfassungen der Höhepunkte aller Spiele der UEFA Champions League sowie der Partien der deutschen Vereine in der UEFA Europa League bereit. Auch ausgewählte Highlight-Clips aus dem DFB-Pokal sowie Tageshighlights des Tennis-Grand-Slam-Turniers in Wimbledon sind bei “Sky Sport” für jedermann zugänglich.

According to sources, the Welshman was found hanged at his home 07:08 GMT in Huntington, Chester. Cheshire Police later confirmed the reports and confirmed that there were no suspicious circumstances. The death comes as a huge shock to the sport’s world, since he was seen only a day prior on BBC program Football Focus.

Since the sad news broke, many from the sporting world have been quick to pay tribute to the Wales manager.

Ex-Wales manager Mark Hughes said: “I’m devastated. He was a privilege to work alongside and call a friend. My thoughts are with his family.”

The man who handed Speed the Welsh captaincy added: “I’m stunned and a few tears have been shed. It is so sad.”

International team-mate Ryan Giggs shared his emotions by revealing he was “totally devastated.”

“Gary Speed was one of the nicest men in football and someone I am honoured to call a team-mate and friend,” he said.

“Words cannot begin to describe how sad I feel at hearing this awful news.”

Speed’s Leeds boss Howard Wilkinson: “He had so much to offer as a person and as a sportsman.

“I just find it unbelievable. I cannot start to try to understand what his family are going through.

“Gary had a lot of talent and that talent became his job. Footballers are subject to all the stress and strains of things that happen in life.

“He was a star in the truest sense. For him at 42 to leave us is such a tragic loss. He had a life of success to look forward to.”

Current Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish explained: “It was best for us to make the decision for Craig. He was very close to Gary, who was a mentor to him, and he admired and looked up to him.

“Bellamy was upset and football is not as important as grieving and I made the decision.

“Football becomes irrelevant at times like this but he was a well-respected man in football for his ability and as a person.

“I signed Gary for £5m from Everton and he did a fantastic job at Newcastle. It would be disrespectful to Gary if we didn’t get on with the game so we have to do that as best as we can.”

Speed’s assistant coach Osian Roberts emotionally opened up about the tragic news saying: “It is tragic news, totally unbelievable.

“We looked forward to Wales camps because he led by example from the front, making people work harder, demanding more and everyone wanted to do their best because he was a generous person.

“I know I speak for everyone when I say everyone in the Welsh camp is devastated.”

Former Welsh international Robbie Savage shed a tear for his close pal, adding: “I spoke to him yesterday and he was in high spirits. I just can’t believe it. He was my mate and he’s gone.

“He’s left two gorgeous kids behind. Gary was [a professional]. He was one of the fittest guys. He looked after his body.

“He was a great team-mate, a great manager.

“He was joking yesterday [on Saturday about Robbie being on Strictly Come Dancing], saying don’t get a two off Craig [Revel Horwood].”

Prior to taking up the position of manager for his country, the Welshman enjoyed an illustrious playing career, enjoying spells at Leeds United, Everton, Newcastle and Bolton. He also captured 85 caps for his country during a 14-year international career.

Xavier Gonzalez, Chief Executive of International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has admitted that they would have preferred greater coverage of the Paralympic Games in the United States.

NBC, who enjoyed record viewing figures for their coverage of London 2012, failed to show a single minute of live action of the Paralympic Games, opting instead to screen merely four 60-minute highlight packages.

NBC, who have also been heavily criticised for the quality of their broadcast and very odd decision making, have partially catered to those who desired to follow the Games by producing daily highlights packages offer the US Paralympic YouTube Channel.

Gonzalez acknowledges that the coverage has travelled a long way since eight years ago, but points to the high standards set by Channel 4 as an example that American broadcasters should follow.

He said: “We are on a journey to Rio 2016 and if we compare where the US market was two Games ago to now, we have done very well,” said Gonzalez.

“But ideally we would like more coverage.

“Now we have the example that Channel 4 has created here in Britain, and what the Brazilians, and other countries in the world are doing.

“So we are in a much better position to go back to the United States and increase the coverage there.”

However, despite the American snub, Gonzalez was pleased with the overall international coverage the Games enjoyed.

He added: “We have had outstanding media coverage online, on radio and TV, both nationally and internationally.

“As a good example, the victory the other day of Alan Oliveira [against Oscar Pistorius in the men’s 200 metres T44 final on September 2] knocked out all of the football news in Brazil and you can probably understand that’s quite a big deal.

“We have also seen the media changing their focus to the athleticism of the athletes and the competition and we have seen a lot more athletes being portrayed and becoming more popular.

“It’s now critical for us that that momentum continues and we have coverage of all the World Championships and regional championships over the next four years.”

Following threats from the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), buy FIFA has vowed to help improve the rights of migrants involved in the construction of stadiums ahead of Qatar’s 2022 World Cup.

The Gulf state is to undergo a period of rapid transformation if it is to fulfil its pledge to build nine new stadiums and refurbish three others. However, buy concerns have risen concerning the conditions under which migrants have to work under.

In an attempt to prevent a similar situation in Brazil, where strike action has affected various venues ahead of the 2014 World Cup, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke met with ITUC officials on Thursday and agreed to raise their concerns in the Gulf emirate.

“It was agreed that FIFA and ITUC will work jointly over the next few months to address labour issues with the Qatari authorities,” said Valcke.

“As the world governing body of the most popular sport we have a responsibility that goes beyond the development of football and the organisation of our competitions.”

ITUC general secretary Sharan Burrow described the meeting as ‘constructive’ and that FIFA’s decision is a welcomed one, although did add: “Migrant workers in Qatar have no labour rights, wages are exploitative and occupational health and safety risks are extreme. Qatar is a country wanting to gain acceptance from the global community of governments but refuses to acknowledge their treatment of migrant workers.”

“The ball is now at the feet of the Qatari Authorities to respect and implement workers’ rights. Workers everywhere are entitled to the dignity and respect of Governments and corporations. If the extremely wealthy nation of Qatar wants to host this major international event, we expect civilised treatment of workers.”

IMG, pill the global sports, thumb entertainment and media business, have acquired a minority stake in Sports New Media (SNM), a media technology company that reaches over £100million sports fans at this present time.

Ben Nicholas, Senior Vice President of  Digital Media for IMG Media, said: “Sports New Media is a critical component of IMG’s digital strategy.

“We think that SNM’s unique, proven approach to social media optimization will provide an attractive solution to our clients and partners.”

Fae Chaflin, Founder of Sports New Media added: “We’re very excited to be an official member of the IMG team.

“IMG has access to many of the world’s highest profile athletes, celebrities, events and sports organizations.

“We expect that SNM will be able to enhance many of those relationships.”

Nick Thain, CEO of Sports New Media, concluded: “We think IMG and Sports New Media complement each other well.

“This partnership will allow us to take our clients to a whole new level, moving us closer to our goal of bringing fans, athletes and brands closer together through Social Media.”

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has never been afraid on making controversial statements but his comments on racism may have been a step to far as football leaders and professionals have called for his resignation.

Blatter made his remarks in two television interviews claiming that football does not have problems with on-field racism – and any incidents could be dealt with by a simple handshake.

Blatter told CNN on Wednesday that racism on the pitch was not a problem. “I would deny it. There is no racism,” he said.

“There is maybe one of the players towards another – he has a word or a gesture which is not the correct one.

“But the one who is affected by that, he should say that this is a game. We are in a game, and at the end of the game, we shake hands, and this can happen, because we have worked so hard against racism and discrimination.

The Swiss made similar comments in another interview with Al Jazeera, sparking further outrage.

High-profile English Premier League players including England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand as well as former professionals said they were shocked by Blatter’s ill-judged remarks and called for him to resign. The 75-year-old’s comments were also condemned by Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore, Professional Footballers’ Association chief executive Gordon Taylor and the Kick It Out racism campaign.

Ferdinand took to Twitter to blast Blatter – the Man Utd defender has over 1,630,000 followers: “Your comments on racism are so condescending it’s almost laughable. If fans shout racist chants but shake our hands is that OK? I feel stupid for thinking that football was taking a leading role against racism – it seems it was just on mute for a while.”

Ferdinand added: ”Just for clarity if a player abuses a referee, does a shake of the hand after the game wipe the slate clean??” Ferdinand even looked for clarification by directly tweeting to FIFA.

PFA chief executive Taylor told a BBC radio breakfast program that it was time Blatter stepped aside after one his worst gaffes: “I just feel it’s the straw that broke the camel’s back.

“When you see the corruption they’ve had at Fifa, the comments he made about homosexuals not going to Qatar, the way he talked about women’s football, the style of the arrangements for the World Cup, the fact he won’t have technology.

“I think it’s really time to move over for Michel Platini.”

Premier League boss Scudamore told CNN that Blatter was wrong: “Racism exists in the world, racism certainly still exists in football, albeit reduced. There are still issues, of course there are and we’re not complacent about that, but I think it’s a bit of a stretch to say it doesn’t exist because it does.”

Kick It Out described Blatter’s remarks on racism as “worryingly out of touch”. 

“Shaking hands to compensate for a racial slur is not what the game has signed up to, and trivialises the work of campaigns like Kick It Out, which has been in the vanguard of rooting out discrimination and unacceptable behavior in our game for the best part of two decades,” it said in a statement.

Blatter’s comments came on the day that the English FA charged Liverpool’s Luis Suarez for alleged racist comments towards a Manchester United defender Patrice Evra. England captain John Terry is also the subject of a high-profile police and FA probe about alleged racist remarks he made to Ferdinand’s brother Anton Ferdinand in a recent match between Chelsea and QPR.

The FIFA leader tried to defuse the situation in a statement published on FIFA.com.

“I would like to make it very clear, I am committed to the fight against racism and any type of discrimination in football and in society,” Blatter said. 

“My comments have been misunderstood. What I wanted to express is that, as football players, during a match, you have “battles” with your opponents, and sometimes things are done which are wrong. But, normally, at the end of the match, you apologise to your opponent if you had a confrontation during the match, you shake hands, and when the game is over, it is over.”

He added: “I want to stress again that I do not want to diminish the dimension of the problem of racism in society and in sport. I am committed to fighting this plague and kicking it out of football.”

But it is clear his comments have started the ball rolling on his inevitable departure.

Get your thoughts heard on this subject by joining our discussion Sepp Blatter does it again.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship and the SONY SIX channel have confirmed a wide-ranging, ed strategic partnership which brings the fastest growing sport in history to India. 

SIX is the destination for all UFC programming in India, from live events featuring the biggest names in the sport to athlete profile shows including the seminal Countdown and Primetime. SIX will also feature the greatest fights in the UFC’s 19-year history with UFC Unleashed. 

UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta said: “We are very excited to partner with SIX as the UFC expands into India. We look forward to working with them to not only further expand the UFC’s fanbase here, but also to find and develop local talent and, ultimately, bringregular live events to India.” 

Man Jit Singh, CEO Multi Screen Media, the parent company of SIX, said “We are delighted to bringthe UFC – the fastest growing sport in the world – to India. India has a lot of appetite for new sports and we are confident that younger audiences will be attracted to the special programming of the Ultimate Fighting Championship on the channel. Mixed martial arts require tremendous physical training, skill and strategy and India certainly has a lot of aptitude for the sport. We hope the property will be an inspiration to young India.” 

A cornerstone of the new partnership will be the production of an all-Indian edition of the Ultimate Fighter, the UFC’s long-running reality TV show where 16 of the most talented unsigned martial artists compete for a contract with the UFC. Previous TUF winners have gone on to win UFC world champions and become international superstars. Fertita said SIX’s commitment to the series was crucial for the UFC in the market.TUF India will help to introduce the sport in India, to showcase the hard work, dedication, athleticism and skills needed to compete in the UFC.

FC Barcelona President Sandro Rosell’s call for a 16 team league in all of Europe’s major leagues to create additional UEFA Champions League games have been rejected by Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore.

The idea of a smaller league was initially an attempt to address the financial problems currently tormenting Spanish football. However Scudamore has insisted that the Premier League will continue with its 20-team format and that any reduction would simply suit Barcelona, rather than La Liga.

“Well that’s very nice of him (Rosell) to issue that as a statement but that’s a very Barcelona-centric view,” Scudamore said.

“Our clubs have no view whatsoever to be playing European football on a weekend. European football is a midweek competition, and domestic football is a weekend competition.”

The ECA is presently occupied in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with UEFA which will continue until 2014. Negotiations for a new agreement is under way and Rosell’s threats of a potential breakaway if UEFA fail to listen to the clubs’ demands have also been rejected by Scudamore.

“What has been said has been said but I’m not going to go along with the sentiment. In reality we have a Champions League, it’s a fantastic competition.

“Obviously, there are some things the clubs would like to alter and ultimately discussions will take place and UEFA will do something to make sure things stay intact. When it comes to ultimate football sanctions you just can’t break away.”

ONE World Sports (OWS), medicine a worldwide leader in sports broadcasting, rx has extended its agreement with Infront Sports & Media, the exclusive global marketing partner of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). 

Under the new multi-year, multi-screen agreement, OWS continues to be the exclusive distributor of CBA Professional League games in North America. A minimum of 40 games from the CBA season will air. OWS will also air the CBA All-Star game, the playoffs and the finals.

The CBA is Asias premier mens professional basketball league. It is comprised of 17 teams and was founded in 1995. In the 2011/12 season, for the first time in its history, the CBA regular games aired in North America following the deal signed between OWS and Infront in October 2011. The highlight of the last years schedule was the final in which the Beijing Ducks beat Guangdong Southern Tiger in game 5 of the finals against the odds. Former United States NBA player Stephon Marbury helped lead the Ducks to their success.

Chinese Basketball games have been extremely popular in North America, according to Rick Jemison, ONE World Sports Senior Vice President of Programming. They appeal to a diverse audience, from those sports fans looking for their favorite teams from home to those fans who appreciate the competitiveness in the international sports arena and those who want to root for former NBA players. OWS is extremely pleased to continue our relationship with the CBA.

The extension of the deal between OWS and Infront is another testimony of CBA Leagues growing popularity overseas, which is due to the progress of its sportive performance, as well as the effective marketing and promotion of the League, commented by Mr. Ma Guoli, CEO and Managing Director of Infront China. Infront will work closely together with OWS to continue bringing the most exciting and vigorous images of the games to basketball fans around the world.