European football body UEFA has awarded the 2012-15 Champions League media rights in Slovenia to SportKlub and Telekom Slovenia.

Each match week SportKlub will show live the best-pick Wednesday match, followed by a highlights programme.

Telekom Slovenia has been awarded the rights to all the remaining matches and will broadcast the best-pick Tuesday match each match week, followed by a highlights programme on Planet TV. Further matches will be broadcast on Telekom Slovenia’s IPTV channel.

The Champions League final and Super Cup have been awarded to both broadcasters on a co-exclusive basis.

The world soccer governing body, FIFA has issued a warning to suspend Portugal’s national sides and clubs from international competition should the country’s federation fail to approve new statutes that conform with the organisation’s rules.

The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) is hoping to pass the statutes in a vote later this month, March 19, after its regional associations rejected them in previous assemblies because they feared losing influence at national level.

FIFA’s media office told Reuters: “Should that [approval] not be the case, the associations committee would refer the case to the FIFA emergency committee for possible sanctions, including suspension.”

A potential suspension would put the national side’s 2012 European Championship qualifiers at risk and exclude the country’s top clubs, such as Porto, Benfica and Braga, who have qualified for the last-16 round of the Europa League, from UEFA competitions.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter added: “We are worried about the situation in Portugal. The Portuguese federation has to approve the statutes.” 

The Portuguese government, which insists on the rule changes, has already reprimanded the FPF for not resolving the problem and terminated sponsorship contracts.

The new statutes would transfer significant voting power from regional associations to the country’s leagues, players’ unions, referees and coaches.

The FPF board released a statement, saying: “We are making another appeal to our members’ sense of responsibility on March 19, so we can avoid grave damage to Portuguese football.”

 

The SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and SportFive have formalised a three-year agreement for South Africa’s national team’s competitive away matches on the continent.

The France-based company holds media and marketing rights to all Confederation of African Football (Caf) related events.

“This agreement shows that broadcasting matches of our national teams is not just our mandate as a public broadcaster, but our ethos,” said SABC group CEO Lulama Mokhobo.

“We are proud to have reached this deal with SportFive as it will ensure that South Africans are able to follow Bafana Bafana’s progress.

“In terms of the agreement, the SABC will have all the broadcasting rights of Bafana Bafana away matches for the territory of South Africa.

“This agreement includes three away official qualifying matches of the Fifa World Cup in 2014, and three away qualifying matches for the African Cup of Nations in 2015.

“The SABC has constantly strived to ensure that its loyal, sport-loving fans always get the opportunity to see their national teams in action.”

The broadcaster and SportFive have clashed on numerous occasions about Bafana matches, with the SABC failing to show two 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers last year after talks broke down.

“We, as SportFive, are pleased to have concluded this deal with the SABC on behalf of our clients, Caf,” said its managing director Idriss Akki.

“SABC have been partners for a very long time and we are pleased that this relationship has been extended for another three years till 2015, and hope to see it go even beyond that.

“These negotiations have been long and difficult, but as always we have arrived at a position that works for both SportFive and the SABC.”

The agreement will cover Bafana Bafana’s away match against Botswana in Gaborone on Saturday.

The SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and SportFive have formalised a three-year agreement for South Africa’s national team’s competitive away matches on the continent.

The France-based company holds media and marketing rights to all Confederation of African Football (Caf) related events.

“This agreement shows that broadcasting matches of our national teams is not just our mandate as a public broadcaster, but our ethos,” said SABC group CEO Lulama Mokhobo.

“We are proud to have reached this deal with SportFive as it will ensure that South Africans are able to follow Bafana Bafana’s progress.

“In terms of the agreement, the SABC will have all the broadcasting rights of Bafana Bafana away matches for the territory of South Africa.

“This agreement includes three away official qualifying matches of the Fifa World Cup in 2014, and three away qualifying matches for the African Cup of Nations in 2015.

“The SABC has constantly strived to ensure that its loyal, sport-loving fans always get the opportunity to see their national teams in action.”

The broadcaster and SportFive have clashed on numerous occasions about Bafana matches, with the SABC failing to show two 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers last year after talks broke down.

“We, as SportFive, are pleased to have concluded this deal with the SABC on behalf of our clients, Caf,” said its managing director Idriss Akki.

“SABC have been partners for a very long time and we are pleased that this relationship has been extended for another three years till 2015, and hope to see it go even beyond that.

“These negotiations have been long and difficult, but as always we have arrived at a position that works for both SportFive and the SABC.”

The agreement will cover Bafana Bafana’s away match against Botswana in Gaborone on Saturday.

 

A potential Britain national soccer team could begin its preparations for London 2012 with a special fundraising match against New Zealand at Wembley Stadium for the victims of the Christchurch earthquake if a proposal from the President of the Oceania Football Confederation is accepted.

David Chung has already received approval for a “Football for Hope” match in principle from world governing body FIFA, to help the people affected by the earthquake in Christchurch last month, which killed 166 people with more than 30 still missing. 

Chung has now begun making overtures to see if Britain’s controversial Olympic team can be lined-up to be the opponents for the All Whites, who were the only undefeated side at last year’s World Cup in South Africa.

The controversy surrounding the possibility of a British Olympic team is currently the subject of a fierce row between the four Home Nations over who will be eligible to play. The Football Associations of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland fear that they will lose their independence from FIFA were they to join forces, alongside England, in next year’s Olympics.

“FIFA have approved the concept of a ‘Football for Hope’ match,” Chung told the Sunday News in New Zealand.

“Despite the wish to do it quickly in a rush to confirm something, it’s going to take a bit of time.

“One thing we’ve floated is if Great Britain could put an Olympic side out in preparation for the 2012 Games.

“If New Zealand played at Wembley, being conservative, even if you only sold 40,000 tickets [roughly half capacity] at US$66, that’s $2.6m.”

The topic was raised by Chung and OFC secretary general Tai Nicholas this weekend during a visit to Celtic Manor in Wales where they were attending the International Football Association Board meeting, which is made up of FIFA and the four Home Nations.

“The four British associations are here and so are four representatives from FIFA,” Chung said. 

“So it will be a good time to discuss the idea.

“There’s a lot of hurdles to pass in terms of where and when, but a summer match would be good.”

World Sport Group has announced today that JBTC will broadcast Korea Republic’s opening two matches in the final round of qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil.

JBTC, asthma one of Korea Republic’s largest broadcasters with a reach in excess of 90% of the country’s households, denture will show the visit of Choi Kang-hee’s team to Qatar on June 8 before also broadcasting the Taeguk Warriors’ first home game of the campaign against Lebanon on June 12.

World Sport Group finalised the deal with JBTC after lengthy negotiations with a Korean TV pool – which features broadcasters KBS, cough MBC and SBS – ended after the consortium was unprepared to even match the figure paid by the market for the rights to the final round of FIFA World Cup qualifying four years ago.

The deal with JBTC ensures football fans across the nation will be able to follow the National Team’s progress in this vital pair of opening matches in Group A as Korea Republic aim to qualify for an eighth consecutive FIFA World Cup finals and an Asian record ninth in total.

A group of U.S. money managers, led by Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Boston Red Sox partner Thomas DiBenedetto are hoping to buy Italian Seria A soccer side A.S. Roma, becoming the only foreign owner in Italy’s top soccer league as clubs struggle to fill stadiums and increase sales.

DiBenedetto is leading the group that includes hedge fund manager James Pallotta and as many as four other investors, according to two people briefed on the discussions. They are in exclusive talks to purchase the three-time Italian champion from the Sensi family and UniCredit SpA, the country’s biggest lender, by a March 17 deadline.

According to former Vicenza owner and founder of private equity company Stellican Ltd., Stephen Julius, unlike the U.K., foreign investors have shunned Italian soccer because its “business model is decades behind” the English Premier League.

Julius stated: “In English football, they have squeezed the lemon and developed the sport commercially, but that hasn’t happened in Italy.”

Roma was put up for sale in July because the Sensi family accumulated debt of more than US$416m with Milan-based UniCredit. The bank agreed to swap the debt for equity and jointly owns a 67 per cent stake in the team with the Sensis’ oil company Italpetroli SpA.

Viva Media Group stations, find tvOne and ANTV, abortion have obtained the broadcasting rights for the 2014 World Cup football competition in Brazil.

Inter Sports Marketing, the broadcast license holder for Indonesia, has already obtained approval to award the rights to the two stations from FIFA, world football’s governing body.

tvOne CEO Ardiansyah Bakrie, said: “The main aim of tvOne and ANTV in broadcasting the 2014 Brazil World Cup is only one: to provide lively entertainment for the people of Indonesia, who really like football. We are broadcasting all matches, numbering 64, including the opening and closing ceremonies.”

The two stations will also broadcast other FIFA events, including the 2013 Confederations Cup and other supporting programs such as classic matches, the history of the World Cup and its qualifying rounds.

“Even though the World Cup takes place in 2014, tvOne and ANTV have already begun with FIFA tournaments such as the FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup in August 2012 and the World Cup qualifying rounds in September 2012,” he said.

ANTV President Director Dudi Hendrakusuma said both tvOne and ANTV would continue to increase their broadcasting ranges so that by 2014, the two stations could be enjoyed by more than 190 million people across Indonesia’s 33 provinces.

“We are ready to present the World Cup so that we can entertain the people of Indonesia,” Dudi said.

“This is the commitment of tvOne or ANTV; to entertain the people and at the same time, help develop sports, especially football, in Indonesia,” Dudi added.

The two television stations are members of the Viva Media Group and have broadcast Indonesia’s domestic league matches as well as those from Europe, including games of the English, Spanish and German top-flight leagues. ANTV aired the 1998 World Cup in France and tvOne has several times been the broadcaster of the Copa Indonesia.

English Premier League soccer giant Arsenal has posted a loss of over US$4m for the six months through to November 30 after reporting a decline in property income and player sales.

Having failed to end a six-year streak without a trophy after losing to Birmingham City in Sunday’s League Cup final, The North London club, revealed that turnover had fallen year-on-year from $320.2m to $195.2m for the six-month period.

The half-year figures indicated that property sales had decreased by $120.5m after the sale of 50 apartments on the site of the club’s former Highbury stadium in comparison to 261 sales the previous year.

Additionally, the club reported a substantially reduced profit from player sales of $6.5m, with no big names having departed, compared to over $55m the previous year when after the big-money departures of Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure to Manchester City.

The latest figures show that the club has $178.9m in cash reserves, while net debt at November 30 was $239.75m. The loss of around $4m was a sizeable drop from a profit of $47.5m a year earlier.

Arsenal CEO Ivan Gazidis spoke of the report: “Last year we had some tremendous numbers pushed by property sales and also the sale of a couple of big players. This year we don’t have those one-offs. Rather than seeing players leave we’ve actually invested in the squad.”

Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood said the club’s financial situation was “robust”.

Bharti Airtel has announced that it has bagged exclusive video rights on the mobile platform for UEFA EURO 2012.  

Airtel mobile customers across India will have exclusive access to mobile and video content including LIVE streaming from UEFA Euro 2012.

While also Neo Sports, ask has tied-up with iStream.com, drug a video portal, seek to provide exclusive live streaming of  UEFA EURO 2012 in India. The live stream of the match on iStream.com will be of the Neo Sports telecast of 2012 UEFA European Football Championship.

Neo Sports is the official exclusive broadcast partner for UEFA EURO 2012 in the Indian Sub-continent.

UEFA EURO 2012 kicks off on June 8 2012. Apart from the live stream of the tournament on iStream.com, viewers can also access the content on demand for the entire month both through Neo Sports website and the iStream website.  Users can also access pre-and after match highlights, team and player stats, profiles, trivia and other related clips from the football event.

Italian Serie A soccer giant Juventus has posted a loss of US$54.6m in the first half of the 2010/11 season, in stark comparison with a $19.6m profit from the previous year.

This was largely down to the fact that revenue for the period was $122.8m, down 29 per cent on the $172.8m figure in the same period 12 months before due to a the financial hit of only qualifying for the Europa League as opposed to the Champions League.

It has also been affected by changes to the way Italian clubs share money from television rights.

The Turin-based club’s board admitted to predicting “a significant loss” between now and the end of the season.

The club released a statement, reading: “Economic trends in the 2010/11 financial year were negatively influenced by the club’s failure to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, implying lower revenues from European competitions and lower commercial revenue, as well as the effects stemming from the regulations of the centralised sale of [Italian] television rights coming into force.

“Accordingly, on the basis of the information currently available and in the absence of any extraordinary events, the 2010/11 financial year is expected to close with a significant loss.

“Nonetheless, the company is confident it has the resources necessary to tackle the negative trend of the current financial year.”