The BBC and the London Marathon have agreed a new contract extension which will see historic road race hit British terrestrial screens until 2018.

The deal gives the BBC exclusive UK broadcast rights to the annual sporting and charity event, troche across all platforms including TV, radio, internet, mobile and the BBC iPlayer.

The BBC has been the broadcast partner for the London Marathon since its beginning in 1981 and the event has since grown into one of the most important on the long-distance calendar, as well as raising millions of pounds for charity.

“We’re delighted to continue our longstanding partnership with the London Marathon,” said Barbara Slater, BBC Director of Sport.

“This prestigious race is a hugely important national event and a key part of BBC Sport’s calendar. We look forward to bringing the full spectacle live to audiences through to 2018 across the BBC platforms.”

David Bedford, joint race director of the Virgin London Marathon, added: “The BBC has been a vital partner of the London Marathon since it started in 1981 and its unrivalled coverage is a key ingredient of the event’s success and popularity, not only in Britain but across the world.

“We are delighted with this new agreement which ensures the event will continue to enjoy the profile it deserves over the coming years.”

by Ismail Uddin

English soccer giants Manchester United have refuted reports that the club could be sold to Qatar Holdings, claiming “there is nothing in this”.

Rumours circulated over the weekend that a £1.5bn (US$2.3bn) was being prepared by Qatar Holdings in a bid to buy the Premier League outfit. Phil Townsend, Communications Director at United, denied suggestions that the clubs current controversial owners, the Glazers, may be tempted in to a sale.

In an interview with Manchester Evening News, Townsend stated: “There is nothing in this, the club have had no approach at all and it is not for sale.”

Qatar’s on world soccer has catapulted in recent months, leading to a proposed attempt to buy out the world’s largest soccer brand. Sheikh Abdullah al Thani, a member of the Qatari royal family, completed a buy-out of Spanish top-flight club Malaga, while last week the Qatar Foundation, the charity wing of the ruling family, agreed a €150 million deal to become Barcelona’s first paying shirt sponsor. All this is multiplied by the nation’s recent success in their bid to host the World Cup in 2022.

Qatar Holdings has assets of around £40bn ($62bn) and is chaired by the Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani.

TVG, America’s Horseracing Network, have announced they will be the exclusive broadcast network of the Betfair Hollywood Park 2012 Spring/Summer race meet, offering live, on-site coverage beginning Thursday, April 26.

Betfair Hollywood Park was renamed recently as part of a historic marketing/sponsorship/promotional agreement between the Los Angeles-area racetrack and Betfair, TVG’s parent company. It will conduct a 50-day meet concluding July 15. The meet will feature 26 graded events, including seven grade Is, highlighted by the meet’s signature race, the Hollywood Gold Cup (July 7).

Rounding out the grade I contests are the Gamely Stakes (May 28), Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap (June 9), Vanity Handicap (June 18), Shoemaker Mile (June 30), Triple Bend Handicap (June 30) and American Oaks (July 14).

Opening weekend will include the 13th annual California Gold Rush, an eight-stakes program open to Cal-bred and Cal-sired horses that features a pair of $300,000 races. In total, the eight stakes carry purses in excess of $1.1 million. Leading nominees for the Cal Gold Rush include Amazombie, the 2011 champion sprinter who won last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint; and Willa B Awesome, upset winner of last month’s Grade I Santa Anita Oaks.

Tony Allevato, TVG Executive Vice President, said: “Betfair Hollywood Park, one of the nation’s most historic racetracks, is undergoing a major revitalization process, and we are excited to be able to deliver all the racing action that will be part of that process. As the calendar begins moving towards summer, the horseracing season heats up, and the sport’s leading horses come to the fore. We look forward to showcasing these horses to our audience.”

TVG will once again present its Late DDouble show on Friday nights from Betfair Hollywood Park. 

Despite FIFA President Sepp Blatter putting pressure on the Brazil 2014 World Cup organisers to step up the pace of their preparations, medstore | the government has dramatically cut funds to the 12 proposed cities.

A major revisions from the new incoming government in Brazil has been made to drastically decrease the original $526m set aside to fund the preparations. According to finance ministry sources, asthma this could mean up to $316m being taken from the World Cup projects support fund.

Brazilian Sports Minister Orlando Silva insisted that the cuts would make no difference, stating: “The sums involved had been set aside as reserves in the early stage of the process so this will have no difference to the work currently being undertaken on airports, ports, stadia and hotels.

“In fact, we may even – at some stage – increase the capital sums available for some projects in host cities.”

Last week president Sepp Blatter hinted at FIFA’s increasing impatience with the progression of work in Brazil.

He said: “Perhaps we have to remind Brazil that the World Cup is in three and a half years. As far as the stadia are concerned they are doing a good job but I am not so certain the same can be said about the general infrastucture.

“The issues are the same as in South Africa at this stage. What will happen if the stadia are not ready? Or the hotels? Do we have a Plan B in one pocket and a Plan C in another? Well, Plan B is Brazil – and Plan C is also Brazil. We’re sure the Brazilians will do what has to be done.

Charlton Broadcasting Company ins Israel who only air sports have secured the media rights to the 2012–15 UEFA Europa League, cough Uefa have announced.

Pay television operator Charlton will broadcast two live matches each kick-off slot on Sport 1 and Sport 2, with the weekly highlights programme being shown every matchweek on Sport 1.

They will broadcast through TV, mobile and internet outlets.

by Ismail Uddin

In an interview on Russian state television, ambulance Arsenal investor and owner of Metalloinvest, anesthetist Alisher Usmanov stated his desire to raise his stake in the top English soccer club to 29.9 per cent.

Usmanov who currently holds a 27 per cent stake in the club would join Stanley Kroenke as the majority shareholder, were he to increase his stake to the desired amount.

The Australian National Basketball League (ANBL) has positioned itself as an Australian leader in internet game broadcasts by revising its broadcast agreement with Network Ten.

The NBL will get a weekly, live game each Sunday afternoon on Ten and a delayed game at 9.30pm each Friday on Ten’s digital channel One. 

The deal will continue until the end of the 2014-15 season and supersedes the previous deal in which One showed three NBL games each weekend, all starting at 10.30pm or later.

New Zealand pay-TV network Sky Sport has a separate deal to broadcast all New Zealand Breakers home games.

Ten will retain the right to show Breakers home games on Australian free-to-air TV but the league is able to offer those games to other digital media including pay TV.

All other games each round are now available to any non-free-to-air broadcaster with the league opening talks with Fox Sports and reaching out to other IPTV (internet television), sports websites and content providers.

NBL commission chairman Justin Milne made it clear the league did not ”lose a cent” from the new deal with Ten.

He also said the NBL could provide live streaming of matches next season and was talking to a number of potential suitors.

With internet-capable televisions expected to expand rapidly in the next five years, Milne said the NBL, with indoor games and short running times, was a prime candidate for web broadcasters.

”There are a number of opportunities out there to get these games shot, coded and broadcast to the net,” he said. ”In the Czech Republic, there is a company webcasting professional ice hockey for about $3000-$5000 per game compared to $50,000 to $70,000 for TV games.”

NBL legend and Ten commentator Andrew Gaze said the live game and possible new broadcasters would help the league grow. ”The Sunday afternoon timeslot on national television is something we haven’t had for some time,” he said.

by Ismail Uddin

Manager of English soccer giants Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson has launched a scathing attack against the power of agents in the game. Ferguson picked out special criticism for SEM Group managing director Jerome Anderson in his tirade.

The Scot has become the club’s longest serving manager this weekend and has made his thoughts clear about the quick turnaround of manager’s in soccer after the sacking of the likes of former Newcastle United manager Chris Hughton and Blackburn Rovers boss and friend of Sir Alex, Sam Alladyce.

Ferguson placed the blame for the eventual departure of Alladyce on the SEM Group’s involvement as player agency and sports rights agency Kentaro in advising the club’s new owners to part ways with the manager.

Ferguson stated: “I think it’s very difficult these days [to build a club] with the life we’re in now. There’s intense pressure on managers.

“You’ve got that issue at Blackburn of an agent involved and deciding the future of the club, Jerome Anderson, he couldn’t pick his nose.

“It’s baffling and it’s a serious threat to how clubs get run and how they conduct themselves.”

A plea has been made by England Women’s soccer team coach, Hope Powell and head of the national game for the Football Association (FA), Kelly Simmons, to move the whole of women’s soccer schedule to the summer period.

The call comes just four months before the start of the newly revamped Super League’s inaugural season.

Powell said: ‘When I was a player I always felt we should be playing in the summer. Moving the entire game to summer couldn’t realistically be done from day one, but hopefully we can work towards that and it would be great if it happens.’

Simmons added: ‘We want to grow the women’s game and I believe that taking it into the summer would attract more players and spectators. The WSL will be a closed league for two years but if the Premier League then becomes the feeder it would be a better fit if that league and the pyramid below it were played in the summer.’

Outgoing Chief Executive of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), Nic Coward is to return his interests to soccer and the English Premier League (EPL). Coward will become the EPL general secretary and will take his position in the second quarter of 2011.

After spending the last 4 years at the BHA, Coward announced on Tuesday 14 December, that he would be leaving his post for pastures new and just a day later it was revealed that he will make the switch in sports to back to soccer.

Before becoming chief executive at the BHA, Coward had spent 5 years at the Football Association (FA). In his time at the FA, Coward held a number of senior roles including acting chief executive and corporate and legal affairs director.

It will now be the new general secretary’s duty to manage relationships with his former employers at the FA and the Football League, as well as with the world’s leading soccer governing bodies, FIFA and UEFA.

Richard Scudamore, Cheif Executive for the Premier League stated: “We are extremely pleased to have recruited someone of Nic Coward’s calibre for what is a key role on the Premier League’s senior management team.

“His wealth of experience will make him an extremely valuable asset.”