According to Ukraine’s tournament director for the UEFA 2012 European Championships, Lviv will not be stripped of its hosting rights, despite having been the setting of violent scenes during the recent Victory Day on May 9.

Widespread clashes occurred in Lviv, with fascist demonstrations marring the Victory Day celebrations while concerns over hooliganism are also rife in Euro 2012 co-host Poland, with the country’s government having threatened to force matches to take place behind closed doors to clamp down on the problem in the build-up to the event.

Markiyan Lubkivsky stated: “I would not like the Communist Party (CPU) to [decide] which cities are worthy to host the Euro 2012 and which are not. The CPU is not an institution that can choose the format of the tournament. The only structure that decides on the format is UEFA. The UEFA agenda currently does not include the issue of a format change [for the tournament].”

Lubkivsky added that were UEFA to remove Lviv as a host city, “neither Dnipropetrovsk nor Odesa” would be ready to stage games at Euro 2012, adding that the May 9 protests in Lviv were “thoroughly monitored” by UEFA, considering “the problems of security on the territory of Euro 2012”.

Foxtel have secured exclusive broadcast rights to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) under a two-year, rx multi-channel agreement.

The deal also involves Fuel TV, FOX SPORTS, FX, and Main Event.

Broadcasting the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation since 2007 on Fuel TV, Foxtel will now be home to the most premium UFC content ever seen in Australia across its channels.

UFC President, Dana White, said: “The UFC is the most exciting sports organisation in the world and Foxtel is the no.1 entertainment company in Australia, so this is a perfect match.

“Australia is pound-for-pound the No.1 UFC market for its size, and we are now going to give them more UFC content than ever before. With Foxtel, they won’t miss a single minute of the action”.

FOX SPORTS Australia Chief Executive, Patrick Delany, said: “The UFC has become a major player in sports entertainment in Australia. Its growth has been nothing short of phenomenal. In the US, the popularity rivals the ‘big four’ of the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB and the new partnership with Foxtel will see the UFC explode here in Australia.

“Fuel TV has aired UFC programming for several years, but this new multi-channel arrangement on Foxtel promises fans they won’t miss a single event. From live fights to the unscripted drama of The Ultimate Fighter series, there is now a home for it all on Foxtel.”

In a further coup for Australian UFC fans, Foxtel channel FX has announced the first ever locally-produced UFC series, The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs UK –The Smashes, to debut Wednesday September 19 at 7:30pm AEST on FX. FOX International Channels’ Managing Director, Karin Simoncini, said: “FX is the home of dramatic entertainment and I can’t think of a show that has more drama than The Ultimate Fighter.

“This is FX’s first local commission and we are very proud to be teaming with the UFC to find the next Ultimate Fighter here in Australia.”

Foxtel will broadcast LIVE UFC fights across Fuel TV, FOX SPORTS, FX and Main Event, plus all new series of long-running UFC programs The Ultimate Fighter and Unleashed.

Foxtel has also created a new online home for the UFC, www.ufconfoxtel.com, which features the latest news and video, series and program information, a TV guide dedicated to UFC programming, and a live Twitter stream so fans can keep up with all the action.

The Japan Football Association (JFA) have announced that the nation have reinstated its initial plans to pull out of the Copa America in July after the body was unable to force clubs in Europe to release players for national duty.

Originally invited as a guest for the South American international soccer tournament, Japan chose to withdraw its participation following the devastating earthquake which hit the nation in March.

Since then the JFA announced that it would review this choice not to partake in the event and had announced a reversal of this decision but after deliberation, president Junji Ogura informed Argentinean organisers yesterday, May 17, that his country will be unable to field a team for the competition.

Meanwhile, J-League players will be busy making up five rounds of matches suspended in the wake of the natural disaster earlier in the year.

South American soccer’s governing body CONMEBOL have now invited Costa Rica to play in Japan’s place while Mexico are the other guest team.

The National Football League’s (NFL) Cleveland Browns and Skyview Networks announced today an expanded broadcast partnership.

Skyview, cheap an integrated professional sports distribution company specializing in play-by-play broadcast systems, capsule will provide its Satellite Distribution Service to supplement its already existing F.A.S.T. Inventory Management Software and Live Read Logging Service currently utilized by the Cleveland Browns. Skyview will also offer its F.A.S.T. Web Automation to the PNC Bank Cleveland Browns Radio Network.

“We have been very pleased with our working relationship with Skyview Networks. The Radio Distribution technology is a natural supplement to our existing partnership and will provide great value to the Browns and PNC Bank Cleveland Browns Radio Network advertisers for many years to come,” said Jim Ross, senior vice president, business development of the Cleveland Browns.”

Skyview Networks has begun assembling the radio distribution platform across the PNC Bank Cleveland Browns Radio Network comprised of 28 affiliates. Skyview Networks’ distribution platform includes cost-effective wise satellite receivers that provide the franchise the advantage of copy split-spot insertion (the ability to run different versions of an advertiser message across a network simultaneously) for its statewide network. Cleveland Browns advertisers will now have the option to localize spots market by market or regionalize messaging across the network.

Skyview Networks also makes available its F.A.S.T. Web Automation for the PNC Bank Cleveland Browns Radio Network. This system works in tandem with the distribution platform to provide broadcast accuracy and savings to the affiliates. The system utilizes Skyview Networks developed relay cue technology that provides cues unique to each break. It is also cost-efficient option for affiliates, eliminating the need to hire and train a board operator for the season.

“We feel privileged to expand the scope of our partnership to include our full menu of services,” said Ken Thiele, president of Skyview Networks. “As a broadcast solutions company, we pride ourselves on being a one stop solution for broadcast needs. With our distribution platform, I am confident the franchise will experience the full benefit of the integration between the Skyview systems.”

Ukraine’s government has revised down estimates of the final cost of preparations for the UEFA European Championships which it is co-hosting with Poland next year.

The latest figure of US$14.5bn is $5.5bn less than the previous $20bn estimate that would be borne by taxpayers. Most of the funding is coming from the public purse, with the rest from the private sector.

Newspaper The Kyiv Post reports that the massive decrease is due to less money needed for building hotels, training facilities and road infrastructure, claiming that the Euro 2012 government program has undergone at least 20 revisions since April 2010.

The report also claimed that Poland is spending about $30.4bn on Euro 2012 preparations, with some financing help from the European Union.

UEFA’s Euro 2012 director Martin Kallen told the Kyiv Post that European soccer’s governing body was indifferent to who was funding preparations, stating: “The important thing is that things are finished on time. We have no real view how things are actually done.”

BTV and BNT have gained Bulgaria rights to UEFA’s premier soccer competitions until 2015.

BTV has gained rights for the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League while BNT has obtained just Europa League rights in the country.

Each UEFA Champions League matchnight one live match will be broadcast on free channel BTV Action, followed by a highlights programme. In addition a second live match will be broadcast on pay channel RING.BG each matchnight.

With regard to the UEFA Europa League, public broadcaster BNT will broadcast the best match each matchweek, as well as the weekly highlights programme on BNT1. BTV has been awarded the rights to all remaining live matches and will broadcast one live match on BTV Action and one live match on RING.BG each matchweek.

German Bundesliga soccer club and UEFA Champions League semi-finalist Schalke 04 has reported a profit of US$1.7m for 2010, after a substantial $23.7m loss the year earlier.

The club’s successful run in European club soccer’s elite competition saw turnover increase from $167.9m in 2009 to a record $238.5m. Despite this, the German club’s debts have risen significantly due to the side strengthening its playing squad leading to a rise from $28.2m to $218.6m.

Schalke released a statement saying: “We have invested a lot in the team in order to be competitive in the Champions League.” As a result “personnel expenses”, including players, increased from $89.3m in 2009 to $110.2m in 2010.

In April, coach Felix Magath was sacked amidst claims he had hit the Gelsenkirchen-based club’s finances by backing expensive transfers and salaries for players. The club knocked out Champions League holders Inter Milan in a shock run in the Champions League but were unceremoniously dumped out by Manchester United in the semi-finals.

The club added: “The resulting success on the pitch generated income from the Champions League, the majority of which, however, will not find its way onto the balance sheet until 2011.”

In a major boost for the profile of Rugby across Africa, capsule the Confédération Africaine de Rugby’s (CAR) showcase Africa Cup Division 1A tournament is being broadcast to an unprecedented number of countries in the region.

The Africa Cup 2012 champions will be crowned on Saturday when Uganda take on Zimbabwe at the Jemmel Stadium in Tunisia (1700 GMT) in a final that is set to enjoy record exposure thanks to the groundbreaking deal between CAR and newly-appointed media partner, vialis 40mg LC2 Medias.

With Rugby participation in Africa having increased by 33 per cent since 2007 and more than 80 per cent of players under the age of 20, nurse the deal is intended to broaden exposure of a sport that continues to capture the hearts and minds of African people by providing a direct feed to broadcasters and a free website stream.

LC2 Medias have committed to showing both the final and the third place play-off match between Tunisia and 2011 champions Kenya via the Tunisian National Broadcasting Corporation. The matches will be broadcast across 41 territories and streamed globally via the LC2 website.

“We are delighted the Africa Cup 2012 has already created some momentous matches and thrilling Rugby, and is capturing the emotions of all African Rugby fans, especially those with an eye on England 2015,” said CAR President Abdelaziz Bougja.

“With LC2 Medias now on board we can capitalise on the increasing levels of interest in Rugby across the continent and engage more fans than ever before in the journey for African nations to Rugby World Cup 2015 and in our other leading tournaments.”

IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: “Rugby in Africa continues to blossom and this exciting new deal will ensure that more people in Africa can engage with and enjoy a sport that is reaching out to record numbers of men, women and children across the region.”

“The IRB is committed to working in partnership with CAR to further the growth and profile of Rugby to enable African nations to be more competitive on the global stage and ultimately more competitive at Rugby World Cup.”

 

Having won the English Premier League for a record breaking 19th time over the weekend, soccer giant Manchester United has been further boosted by revealing a strong increase in commercial revenues, according to new financial figures.

In comparison to the same period last year, commercial revenue rose 30 per cent to £75.3m (US$121.9m) in the first nine months of the year.

The club did reveal losses in matchday and media income which fell £5m ($8.1m), something that club attributed to playing fewer home games in the period and pegged entry prices for the Crawley Town FA Cup tie.

The Old Trafford club, which has had a fantastic season on the pitch, reaching the final of the UEFA Champions League where they face Spanish giant Barcelona later this month, also said it had bought back £5.5m ($8.9m) in bonds, taking the overall amount purchased to £29.5m ($47.75m).

Turnover in the quarter was up slightly to £75.2m ($121.7m) from £74.6m ($120.8m) a year earlier, while turnover in the nine months to March was £231.7m ($375.1m), up from £219.3m ($355m). The club said its balance sheet was strong, with £113m ($182.9m) in cash and £765.1m ($1.24bn) of other assets.

Financial figures released this spring showed Manchester United’s parent company made a loss of £108.9m ($176.3m) in 2009-10.

Digitalb has been awarded the media rights in Albania for the UEFA Champions League for 2012-2015, price with the Internet and mobile operations.

During each day, five live matches and a highlights program will be broadcast on SuperSport. All rights have been granted on the basis of neutral platform, the rights are also operated via their websites and on mobile.

Further announcements on the sale of media rights of the co-exclusive and best game of the highlights from Wednesday completed in good time.