Spike TV has formed a partnership with K-1, price the world renowned kickboxing organisation, ambulance to broadcast a series of live events.

In the agreement, the cable TV channel will broadcast four live events on Spike.com and a series of televised events in 2013.

The US World Grand Prix Championship in Los Angeles on 8 September and events in Tokyo, New York and Athens will be available online.

Doug Kaplan, CEO of K-1 said: “K-1 is excited to join forces with Spike TV, a powerful and highly experienced cable network known nationally for its combat sports programming, presenting our live K-1 events.

“Spike is the perfect television home and stage to introduce our K-1 warriors and the fast-paced, aggressive style of K-1 fighting to fight fans across America.”

Jon Slusser, Senior Vice President, Sports and Multiplatform Events, Spike TV added: “We are thrilled to be in business with the world’s preeminent kickboxing organization.

“Spike has the most passionate and knowledgeable fans of combat sports and we are confident that they will enjoy the high-action of K-1, which serves as the perfect complement to our Bellator coverage next year.”

The Football League have published their latest report on agent fees during the 2010/11 season for all the clubs in the three divisions below the English Premier League.

A staggering total of $27.2 million was dispersed to agents during the 2010/11 season. Championship clubs accounted for $23 million (84.6%) of this total, with League 1 and League 2 clubs spending $3.75m (14.1%) and $0.45m (1.3%) respectively.

Clubs committed to pay agents in 570 (19.6%) of the 2,910 player transactions that took place. Only eight clubs did not spend any money on agents’ fees at all (Accrington Stanley, Barnet, Cheltenham Town, Crewe Alexandra, Hartlepool United, Macclesfield Town, Stevenage and Stockport County). 

After seeing the figures, Football League chairman Greg Clarke said: “This highlights the importance of the work Football League clubs are doing to establish a ‘breakeven’ business model across all three divisions. No-one is trying to prevent clubs from paying agents where they feel it is appropriate, however we must make sure that clubs are not spending money they simply do not have.”

 

English Premier League (EPL) side Manchester United have formed a partnership with Fuji TV to launch Manchester United Television (MUTV) in Japan.

The three-year deal allows Fuji TV to broadcast MUTV content to viewers in Japan, unhealthy including matches, viagra usa interviews and behind the scenes footage.

United’s commercial director Richard Arnold said: “MUTV is a must for any Manchester United fan, therapy offering up-to-date and exclusive news, interviews and archive footage.

“The dedicated channel has a reach of 60 million worldwide and the club is delighted to be partnering with Fuji TV, one of Japan’s major TV channels, to bring MUTV to Japan.

“This partnership further demonstrates Manchester United’s global reach and allows us to engage with the almost four million followers we have in Japan.”

MUTV is managed and produced by United and includes matches from the Barclays Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League. Fuji TV ONE, TWO and NEXT will broadcast all Reds matches in full from the kick-off to the final whistle.

Other than match action, Fuji TV also plans to broadcast pre-match preview shows and post-match interview specials, as well as documentaries on developments at Old Trafford and archive programmes as the club’s former stars look back on their playing days.

The deal comes on the back of manager Sir Alex Ferguson signing Japan international Shinji Kagawa in the summer transfer market.

Danish Club, FC Midtjylland have sold a 34% stake in the club and academy for a return of $17.3 million by Goa-based Dempo Group.

Besides 34% stake Dempo will also have presence on the board F C Midtjylland Holdings A S, the holding company for Herning and Ikast based club.

The Share Subscription Agreement shall take effect after the final approval of the shareholders of FCM Holdings A S at an Extraordinary General Meeting to be held on 15 September.

The deal is a long-term commercial and technical partnership between the parties, with Dempo investment strengthening the FCM capital base, and FCM committed to providing technical know-how to Dempo, which owns Dempo Sports Club, a first division I-League club.

The company is hoping the club can share its football expertise with an Indian club, and establish an academy in football-crazy Goa, in collaboration with Dempo.

Søren Bach, FC Midtjylland CEO, said: “It’s a historic day for FC Midtjylland and the start of a new era for the Club. The agreement enables us to add value to the continuity of our soccer team and retain our own playing talent longer. We can enhance the level of talent development, and begin truly to internationalize the Academy.”

Dempo Group chairman Shrinivas V Dempo said the agreement was aimed at raising the standard of Indian soccer.

“The investment marks the moment when intent turned into commitment. It’s kick-off time for the Dempo foray into truly international football. Our agreement is aimed at raising the playing standard of Indian soccer, and this tie-up with a first-rate European academy and team shall spur the development of the game even faster,” Dempo an avid football fan said.

Soren Bach, added: “This is how we capitalise on the football professionalism that FCM is known for. We must, among other things, help the Indians with technical support of their youth and senior players, exchange programmes for coaches and players between the two clubs and coaching and development in sport management.”

The deal has been facilitated and coordinated by the sports management company, New World Consulting, which specializes in bringing investments to sports. New World Consulting will be working closely with both FC Midtjylland and Dempo in Europe and India over the next two years to maximize the benefits to both sides from this investment.

“In fact, I see this agreement as historic also in terms of an era of commercial cooperation opening up between India and Denmark”, adds Shrinivas Dempo.

FC Midtjylland has been runner-up twice in the Danish Cup final, and finished second twice and third twice in the Superliga.

FIFA along with Coca Cola and in collaboration with Bogota City Council, pills Cali City Council, health Colombian government and Inter-American Development Bank (BID) are donating an estimated $1.1m to 1, story 400 children in both cities.

The donation will be channelled through the Colombianitos Foundation in Bogota and the SIDOC Foundation in Cali.

FIFA, Coca-Cola and the Inter-American Development introduced their Football for Hope programme with help from the Colombian government, supporting 1,400 underprivileged children aged between five and 18 and living in the neighbourhoods of Ciudad Bolivar in Bogota and Comuna 20 in Cali.

Local children will have the opportunity to play football in their free-time and start their life projects, develop social skills, lead a healthy lifestyle and acquire social values.

A team of psychologists, social workers and physical education instructors will be on hand to identify and tackle the problems afflicting these communities such as drugs, juvenile delinquency and domestic violence. The work they carry out will indirectly benefit over 5,000 people, including parents, other family members and neighbours.

Federico Addiechi, FIFA’s Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, said: “Thanks to the role it performs, its values, popularity and its universal appeal, football has a major responsibility to society as a whole, it is a pleasure for FIFA to join forces with committed organisations and to support programmes that promote togetherness, social integration and access to health and education services for children and youngsters in disadvantaged areas of Colombia.”

Ricardo Cortes, Coca-Cola’s Director for the Andean Region, commented: “Ciudad Bolivar and Comuna 20 are deprived neighbourhoods where social problems have been identified and which impact on violence and crime rates, the children who live in these areas have no sports facilities they can use or access to recreational programmes encouraging them to adopt a healthy way of life. Through Football for Hope we aim to make a difference and it is our pledge to develop these vulnerable communities by promoting active lifestyles, which are an essential component of our global platform Live Positively.”

Canal+ and Mediapro agreed a three-year deal to share the television rights ending a stalemate which threatened to delay the start of the La Liga season.

Spain’s secretary of state for sport Miguel Cardenal oversaw the negotiations, which settled the numbers of games each company could show on their individual platforms each week.

Mediapro will continue to show one match on their free-to-air channel each week and will control the international rights for La Liga.

“The agreement…establishes a viable model for the Spanish league and presents a stable scenario for football fans for the seasons 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15,” Mediapro said in a statement.

“The professional football league (LFP), for their part, guarantee the new agreement signed by both operators.”

A group of 13 first division sides had forced a meeting with the LFP on Tuesday to call for a settlement of the dispute saying that it created “a situation of serious legal insecurity”, and had threatened to postpone the season’s start.

The new La Liga campaign kicks off this weekend with champions Real Madrid at home to Valencia and Barcelona hosting Real Sociedad, both on Sunday.

English soccer giants Manchester United are looking to sell a significant stake in the club help pay off its gross debts of US$850m, the BBC has reported.

It is understood the club has lodged a listing application with the Singapore Stock Exchange and they want the listing completed by the end of the year.

The club, owned by the Glazer family, were removed from the London stock market following their takeover in 2005.

A partial share sale, of between 25% and 30%, would mean that no outside person could take control of the club, whilst providing the Glazers money to pay off the debt accrued when their takeover was financed.

The flotation would also be an opportunity to see what value the stock market puts on Manchester United, with an overall valuation of the club of anything up to £1.7bn.

Analysts have also seen a Singapore listing as an aggressive move by the club to create an even stronger presence in Asia, who reportedly comprise 190 million of the club’s 300 million fans worldwide.

ESPN and The FA have reached a six-year multimedia agreement for rights in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands for The FA Cup, England’s men’s Senior and Under-21 team matches and the annual FA Community Shield sponsored by McDonald’s match.

Starting in November, the sports media company will televise up to 59 FA Cup matches per season – including exclusive coverage of The FA Cup Final. Coverage each season will include matches from the First Round Proper through to the Sixth Round Proper, replay matches from each round, the Semi-Finals and The Final – one of the top global football events each year. All matches will also streamed live and on-demand on ESPN3.com for Foxtel subscribers. 

The deal includes rights across television, internet, broadband and mobile.

The FA’s Head of Broadcast Mark Shannon commented: “We are delighted to announce our new partnership with ESPN in Australia and New Zealand. The FA is aware of just how popular and well supported both The FA Cup and the England teams are in those regions and in ESPN have found a partner that shares that passion. ESPN’s already strong football portfolio makes it the perfect home, with the world’s oldest domestic cup competition now sitting side by side with the Champions League.”

Michael Walters, vice president of programming, ESPN international, added: “The FA Cup is the world’s oldest football knockout tournament, making it a truly unique competition with a rich heritage that reaches back more than 100 years and across all of English football. Every year, it delivers some of the greatest drama and storylines in global football, and captures the passion of sport. It will be a great addition to ESPN’s expanding schedule that includes some of the world’s best football and top sports events from around the world.”

Malaysian Entrepreneur Tony Fernandes CBE has completed his takeover of Queens Park Rangers Football Club buying a controlling 66 per-cent of the shares.

Fernandes’ company Tune Group have bought a majority stake in the Club, buying out previous majority shareholders and Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone.

Fernandes, 47, founded of AirAsia, who is also the team principal of Formula One’s Team Lotus, and his business partners, have a controlling stake of 66 per-cent and will work alongside the Mittal Family, who have retained their 33 per-cent stake.

Speaking to the QPR website, Fernandes said: “I lived in Uxbridge Road for many years and grew up around the area.

“Everyone knows I’ve followed West Ham all my life, but I’ve always had a soft spot for QPR.

“Rangers were one of the first teams I watched as a child at Loftus Road.”

Fernandes will take the role of Chairman of QPR Holdings Ltd and be joined on the board by joint Tune Group owner Mr Kamarudin Bin Meranun, one of Malaysia’s most successful business tycoons who added: “The opportunity to get involved with the Club was mentioned to me by the previous owners and here I am.

“I’ve always wanted to be involved in football and the appeal of a London Club, like QPR, was too good an opportunity to turn down.

“It’s funny how life has a way of spinning things round. It goes full circle sometimes.

“QPR is a raw diamond and hopefully I can contribute into turning it into a diamond.”

Amit Bhatia, who will resume his position as Vice Chairman of the Club, said: “I’m very excited to welcome Tony to QPR and having spent considerable time with him, know that we share the same vision and values.

“We have discussed in great detail how to restore pride at the Club and I’m very pleased with the outcome of these discussions.

“It was a very difficult decision to resign from the board when I did, so I’m thrilled to be back and would like to thank all those who supported me and my family and look forward to serving the Club to the best of my abilities again.

“Tony and I will work alongside each other to try and make this season as exciting and successful as possible. I love this Club and this is a very happy day for me.”

Fernandes added: “I have ambitions in the long term.

“I could easily say we’re going to win the Champions League and the Premier League, but that’s really not my style. I don’t want to make big promises I can’t guarantee.

“I want the fans to be proud of what we’re doing and be involved as much as we can. The fans pay good money and are stakeholders, so whatever we do, I want the fans to be proud. We’ll do it in style and with integrity.

“I’m keen to create a good Academy, so that there’s a constant supply of players. We’re in a fantastic part of London and we should be bringing kids through.

“The third aspect is to be a strong partner in the community and to make a difference in the community.

“Of course you don’t go into anything in the sporting world and not want to be the best, but these things take time and I’d rather let the results speaks for themselves.”

ESPN3 is set to air the ICC World Twenty20 Sri Lanka 2012 in the US after it was confirmed by ESPN STAR Sports, viagra 100mg ICC’s global broadcast partner.

And as a part of the build-up to the ICC World Twenty20 Sri Lanka 2012 India legend Anil Kumble will travel to the United States this weekend for a series of events promoting the tournament being held in Sri Lanka between 18 September and 7 October 2012. 

Kumble will ring the NASDAQ closing bell on Friday in New York City. On Sunday hundreds of thousands of people will take the streets for the annual India Day Parade through the city, herbal where fans will have a chance to see the Indian legend with the ICC World Twenty20 2012 trophies on the ESPN3 float. 

The annual India Day Parade, which will be held in New York by Federation of Indian Associations (FIA), is a big celebration for the India community in the United States and also includes other prominent Indian celebrities like actor Saif Ali Khan. 

Kumble was thrilled to be leading the efforts to promote the sport to cricket fans in the US ahead of the ICC World Twenty20. 

“Twenty20 has for long been considered a product fit for an American audience. I am therefore thrilled to be part of the first major celebration of cricket in the USA for ICC World Twenty20 Sri Lanka 2012. I am also particularly excited about getting an opportunity to ring the closing bell at NASDAQ and to be part of the India Day Parade on the iconic Madison Avenue,’’ said Kumble. 

Kumble also believes live coverage of the tournament at no additional cost to fans will help spread the game to a bigger audience. 

“Cricket has also always been a huge draw among the expat Indian population in the USA. So the live coverage of ICC World Twenty20 Sri Lanka 2012 on ESPN3 in the US will help us get our great game to a bigger and wider audience,” added Kumble. 

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson added: “The fact that cricket fans in the United States will be able to get free-to-air coverage on ESPN3 is a significant development for the growth of cricket in this important market. There can be no one better to spread the word about the excitement and energy of cricket – and Twenty20 cricket in particular – than Anil Kumble. I am sure that he and all those attending the annual India Day Parade on Madison Avenue – one of the most famous streets in New York – will have a memorable time.”