Ukraine intends to build on hosting the Euro 2012 tournament by staging the finals of the Champions League and Europa League in subsequent years, a deputy prime minister said.

Ukraine is co-hosting the next European Football Championships with Poland, with matches to be played in Kiev, Lvov, Kharkov and Donetsk.

Boris Kolesnikov, who is overseeing the preparations for the tournament, said one of the four cities could host a European club final as early as 2013.

“Ukraine will submit two requests: to hold the Champions League final and the final of the Europa League,” Kolesnikov said,

“Of those tournaments that are free for years, we can talk about 2013,” the deputy prime minister said. “An application must be submitted in 2011.”

UEFA, European football’s governing body, has consistently expressed concern over the pace of Ukraine’s preparations for the Euro 2012 tournament. The stadiums in Kiev and Lvov are still under construction and the Ukrainian capital was only confirmed as the venue for the final in December last year, seven months after UEFA signed off on all four Polish host cities.

Besides the more rapid construction of sports facilities, UEFA has said Ukraine must improve its roads, and ensure sufficient accommodation for tournament guests and the proper operation of airports.

TuneIn, a free service that lets people listen to music, sports and news from around the world, and talkSPORT, the United Kingdom’s biggest national commercial sports broadcaster, announced today a strategic partnership to bring talkSPORT’s award-winning lineup of sports conversation and live football to TuneIn listeners.

This new agreement significantly broadens the service’s already-vast selection of sports broadcasting to its more than 30 million listeners.

The partnership provides a platform for further digital growth for talkSPORT, which has one of the most successful online and social media presences of any UK commercial radio station.

Beyond making talkSPORT available via TuneIn, the companies will cooperate on various marketing and advertising initiatives.

talkSPORT is the current Sony Radio Academy UK Radio Station of the Year and has enjoyed significant audience growth in recent years, now reaching 3.2 million listeners a week. talkSPORT is an official partner of the Barclays Premier League, broadcaster of UEFA EURO 2012 and was the exclusive UK rights holder for the IRB Rugby World Cup 2011.

“We are pleased to become TuneIn’s first strategic content partner in the UK,” said Jimmy Buckland, Director of Strategy, talkSPORT. “This partnership builds on our strategy to grow the talkSPORT brand both in the UK and around the world, allowing us to reach out to new listeners with our award-winning line-up of presenters and live sport.”

Kevin Straley, Vice President of Programming, TuneIn, said: “By partnering with talkSPORT, we further enrich the sports fan’s experience and provide access to some of the globe’s top sports programming. Through the addition of talkSPORT’s deep sports coverage to our current offering of more than 50,000 stations, TuneIn continues to deliver on the promise of offering the broadest listening experience in the world.”

by Ismail Uddin

League One side Charlton Athletic have rejected a takeover bid from a group led by Swiss-based fund manager Sebastien Sainsbury.

A senior source at the club said the offer had not provided proof of funds.

Sainsbury, a member of the supermarket dynasty, fronted a failed attempt to buy Leeds United in 2004.

Former Leeds United and Cardiff City chairman Peter Ridsdale has denied recent press speculation he is involved in a rival US bid for the Addicks.

That bid is being advised by Bradley Rangell, the managing director of Citibank’s sports finance unit.

Rangell, who has been involved in a number of high-profile takeovers in American sport, has previously made attempts to buy Cardiff City and Hull City.

Sainsbury’s interest in the club first came to light when he registered a takeover vehicle called Charlton Athletic 2010 Ltd in July.

Sainsbury, the great grandson of supermarket chain founder John James Sainsbury, is listed as the sole shareholder of that firm but his group is understood to also include a local property developer.

BBC Sport understands his offer has divided opinion on Charlton’s five-man board with at least two directors concerned about the level of borrowing involved.

European Head of ESPN has suggested Premier League clubs could be set for another huge cash windfall if the “realistic prospect” of Al Jazeera challenging rival Sky for the UK television rights comes to fruition.

The English Premier League is the world’s richest football league and its last three-year television deal, which runs out next season, brought in £3.5 billion ($5.4 billion), of which £1.4 billion was paid by foreign broadcasters.

In Britain, Sky shows the lion’s share of matches to a UK domestic audience, while fellow satellite station ESPN broadcasts a lesser number of live matches and the terrestrial BBC screens highlights.

Qatar-based Al Jazeera, best known for its news coverage of the Middle East, made rival television stations sit up and take notice when it beat Canal Plus to the French Ligue 1 and Champions League rights.

Their victory followed on the heels of Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) acquiring the majority shareholding of Ligue 1 outfit Paris Saint Germain.

Ross Hair, ESPN’s head of Europe, Middle East and Africa, believes Al Jazeera could challenge Sky for the next three-year contract — a move which if successful would put a major dent in Sky’s existing business plan.

“We’re expecting another Premier League auction in April or May,” Hair told Tuesday’s London Evening Standard. “An Al Jazeera bid is a realistic prospect.

“They have done something very interesting in France in buying first division football against the incumbent satellite broadcaster Canal Plus and we’ve also looked at what they’ve done in other markets.

“You can draw parallels with the upcoming auction in the UK. Al Jazeera have the ambition to grow further in sport and into other markets.”

ESPN, which has its roots in North America, are also set to enter the next auction as they look to maintain their share of the Premier League market — the station currently shows 23 live matches a season.

Premier League football has been one of the major drivers of Sky subscriptions and ever since its entry into English football in the 1990s it has not faced a rival broadcast network of comparable financial strength.

Qatar has not, historically, been a major football nation but it was catapulted into prominence when awarded the right to stage the 2022 World Cup.

by Ismail Uddin

The Asian Tour have replaced ESPN-Star Sports as their official broadcasters and entered into a six-year deal with soon-to-be-launched TV channel Ten Golf on Tuesday, it has been reported.

The deal that will be operational from 2013 will see Ten Golf showcasing the cream of Asian talent along with 20 live events of the Tour each year. 

The channel also extended their rights with the European Tour for a similar period, which will add up to 200 days of live golf between these two tours every year. 

Sources have put the cumulative deal at $12 million for the six-year period. 

Confirming the news, Asian Tour senior director (commercial) Eric Lynge said: “We are thrilled with this new partnership. The appeal of the Asian Tour has grown tremendously in India especially with the success of Order of Merit winners Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa over the years.” 

This is part of vigorous acquisitions done by the channel to constantly expand content on their 24-hour platform after they entered into a three-year contract with the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) and then the US Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) recently. 

On the other hand, European Tour’s director of broadcasting Mark Lichtenhein said that inclusion of golf in 2016 Olympics will only bolster its popularity in India. “We are delighted to extend our relationship with Ten Sports and believe that there is enormous potential for golf in India particularly following its reintroduction as an Olympic sport in 2016,” Lichtenhein told TOI. 

Meanwhile, Ten Golf has also inked a one-year licensing deal with NBC Universal International Television Distribution for 400 hours of programming from the US-based Golf Channel. The channel will air popular golf events – including PGA Championship and Ryder Cup besides programmes like: Golf Central and Playing Lessons.

by Ismail Uddin

FIFA have announced it has extended its broadcast rights agreement with Brazilian broadcaster Globo for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia and the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar.

The agreement with Brazil’s largest media company covers cable, cough satellite, terrestrial, mobile and broadband internet transmission across the country.

“Globo’s strength in distribution across such a vast territory as Brazil ensures the tournament can be followed by as many people as possible, and this was the determining factor in our decision to extend the agreement with Globo,” said Jérôme Valcke, FIFA Secretary General.

“For more than 40 years, FIFA and Globo have developed a very fruitful partnership which has led to significant rewards for both of us. During all these years, FIFA has succeeded in making football the most popular sport with a huge audience all over the world and Globo is very proud of being part of it. The most important thing to Globo is to allow our viewers to be part of the tournaments as if they were on the pitch themselves. For that reason, we are proud to extend this partnership,” said Globo Chairman and CEO Roberto Irineu Marinho.

Globo, a FIFA broadcast partner since 1970, has committed to unprecedented presence and coverage levels of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ onwards, including free TV coverage as agreed between the two parties and in line with FIFA distribution policies.

Globo is among the largest broadcasters in the world and is an innovator in football production that consistently provides Brazilian football fans with the best possible images and applications.

by Ismail Uddin

Former FIFA president Joao Havelange expects Brazilian Football Confederation president Ricardo Teixeira to seek the FIFA presidency in five years time.

In an interview with the Brazilian sports daily, Lance, Havelange said he talked Teixeira out of running for the presidency next year and advised him that it would be best to wait until 2015, after Brazil have hosted the World Cup.

Havelange said he believed that Sepp Blatter would be re-elected as FIFA president next June. Blatter was Havelange’s right-hand man at FIFA and served as secretary general for many years.

Havelange, 94, was FIFA president between 1974 and 1998, and is credited with revolutionising the organisation, from a Euro-centric amateurish governing body to a multi-billion global powerhouse.

Teixeira is chairman of the 2014 World Cup organising committee as well as being head of the confederation (CBF). Havelange insisted a successful tournament would prove his credentials for the top job at FIFA.

“Ricardo is dedicated, has 30 years experience,” said Havelange. “He would be a good president having administered the CBF. I think that would be justice in 2015.

“With a well organised tournament, he will demonstrate the ability to organize to FIFA. It is the opportunity of being present on the world stage.”

Teixeira was married to Havelange’s daughter Lucia Havelange for nearly 30 years, and they have a son together. Although they divorced in 1997, Teixeira, who was considered the protégé of the former FIFA president, is believed to be still close to him.

Despite his age, Havelange is still regarded as a hugely important figure in world sport. His behind-the-scenes work for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic bid was considered to be a crucial factor behind the IOC’s decision to award the Games to the Brazilian city in Copenhagen last October.

The International Rugby Board (IRB) and South African Rugby Union (SARU) have announced the appointment of SuperSport as Host Broadcaster of the IRB Junior World Championship 2012, which kicks off in South Africa on June 4.

The leading Rugby broadcaster will deliver a record 30 matches live for global broadcasters, over double the number produced last year, underscoring the IRB’s commitment to furthering the global profile of one of Rugby’s premier annual international Age Grade events.

IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: “We are delighted to be working with SuperSport to deliver record coverage of the IRB Junior World Championship, which has become a hugely anticipated and exciting fixture on the global Rugby calendar. SuperSport are recognised as market leaders in Rugby and sports production in South Africa and their unprecedented commitment to the JWC will ensure unparalleled coverage of an event which continues to grow in both stature and appeal.”

Last year’s edition in Italy smashed previous record broadcast and online coverage for an Age Grade Rugby tournament, and was screened live by 19 broadcasters to 142 countries with a global potential reach of more than 174 million homes. The cumulative total of live coverage for the three-week tournament was projected to be 280 hours in 18 languages.

The 12-team tournament brings together the future stars of world Rugby, with more than 110 players making their senior Test debut in the past four years after appearing in the showcase event. With three back to back matches per venue on each of the five match days, intense and competitive action and a host of talented players on show, the JWC is now a proven hit for both broadcasters and fans as well as the participating unions.

With just under 100 days to go until the tournament kicks off, preparations are gathering pace and Tournament Organisers are confident that the event will take the IRB Junior World Championship to new heights.

“I am confident that preparations are on track to deliver an outstanding IRB Junior World Championship in South Africa. The IRB and SARU share a vision of a tournament that will capture the imagination of the players, fans and the global Rugby family while leaving a lasting legacy of participation and interest,” said SARU President and IRB Vice Chairman Oregan Hoskins.

“We are proud to be hosting what is one of the world’s leading Rugby events. The appointment of SuperSport as Host Broadcaster reflects our commitment to delivering a world-class tournament for players, spectators and a global television audience.”

“Rugby fans in South Africa are knowledgeable and passionate, and we can promise a memorable experience for everyone attending the tournament, and we are sure SuperSport will capture the unique and thrilling atmosphere that the event will generate.”

by Ismail Uddin

This unlikely affiliation has arisen thanks to Robert Rich, ed | a Florida based tycoon who has more than lived up to his name to become the 488th richest man in America.

Rich was researching his family tree when he discovered his roots stemmed from the town of Bedlington, a revelation which him acquire the title ‘Lord of Bedlington’.

Now the tycoon, who oversees a US $2.8bn frozen food empire, is keen to give the town a sporting chance by supporting the local club.

This has seen Rich reseed the teams pitch, sponsor the team shirts and even ship a $49k scoreboard from the States.

The club hope to acquire a cult following in the US by striking a merchandising deal that could pick up on the growing presence of football over the pond.