The National Lacrosse League (NLL) have announced that the league has reached a two-year agreement with CBS Sports Network to air NLL games during the 2012 and 2013 seasons.

The national television package for the 2012 season features five regular-season and three post-season games, anabolics including the 2012 NLL Championship Game. All games will air live on Saturday evenings, marking the first primetime weekly television package in league history. All games will also be broadcast in High Definition.

NLL Commissioner George Daniel, said: “We’re excited to have a television partner that is committed to the sport of lacrosse and the National Lacrosse League. CBS Sports Network is a fast-growing network, and we look forward to showcasing the hard-hitting and high-scoring action of the NLL.”

Ross Molloy, vice president of CBS Sports Network, added: “The NLL adds to our extensive line-up of lacrosse programming and we’re thrilled to showcase the compelling action nationally. Lacrosse is one of the fastest-growing sports and we’re excited to further serve the passionate fan base.”

IMG Worldwide, which represents the NLL in broadcast and sponsorship matters, negotiated the agreement on behalf of the league. The NLL on CBS Sports Network will begin on Saturday, April 7^th. The complete television schedule will be announced at a later date.

Mammoth President & General Manager Steve Govett, said: “This agreement is a huge step in the right direction for the National Lacrosse League. I’m excited that the NLL will be the first professional sports league broadcast on CBS Sports Network.”

CBS Sports Network is seen in 44 million homes and is available to 98 million households across the country.

This follows on from last week when CBS Sports secured a deal with Major League Lacrosse.

Sportswear manufacturer Nike are reportedly ready to become the official shirt sponsor of the South African national football team after it emerged the South African Football Federation (SAFA) were on the verge of ending their 12-year relationship with Adidas.

Adidas will have the first right of first refusal when its contract with the SAFA expires at the end of this year, cheap but the two parties may go their separate ways, here allowing Nike to fill the void after having made an impressive presentation to the SAFA.

Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana, pharmacy vice-president of the SAFA, said: “Our contract with Adidas is about to come to an end and that means we are open to offers. We will start with them (Adidas) because they have rights of first refusal but if we feel that our value is higher than what they offer us, then obviously we will have to look elsewhere.”

The relationship between the SAFA and Adidas has become strained ever since the old SAFA regime, lead by former president Molefi Oliphant, tried to cut costs and told Adidas to stop making replica shirts with the protea emblem on.

UEFA have awarded the 2012–15 UEFA Europa League media rights to both Esporte Interativo and Terra in Brazil.

Free-to-air thematic sports channel Esporte Interativo will broadcast one live match per kick-off slot, one delayed game and a highlights programme each matchweek.

Leading internet platform Terra has acquired the rights to all UEFA Europa League matches. Terra will make available on its portal terra.com.br to all live games free-to-air as well as highlights each matchweek.

Commenting on the rights award, UEFA said: “UEFA is delighted to announce these new partnerships for the competition in Brazil. The combination of Esporte Interativo’s free-to-air channel coverage and Terra’s strong internet platform will enable football fans throughout Brazil to enjoy unprecedented access to the competition.”

A football skills challenge event featuring six of the world’s best players has been cancelled after England’s Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard pulled out following their country’s exit from the World Cup.

The A:3K event, which was due to be held at London’s O2 Arena on 17 July, has now been postponed until the summer of 2011. It was created with the aim of trying to bring the world’s best players together, competing in front of a live audience.

Director of A:3K Terrry Byrne said in a statement: “Both Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney have made it clear they believe it would be inappropriate for them to participate in A:3K at this time. We fully understand and respect both players’ decisions. We could have replaced them with two other players but feel the players involved are six of the best in the world – and that is what we promised we would deliver.

“Having consulted all parties involved, everyone agreed the only decision possible was to postpone the event until next summer when we intend to deliver the same six player line up. Our priority right now is to our customers who have purchased tickets.”

Rooney and Gerrard, who were earning a reported US$745,000 for taking apart, were due to appear alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Cesc Fabregas, Didier Drogba and David Villa.

USA Today Sports Media Group have announced the acquisition of leading mixed-martial arts site, MMAjunkie.com and its related editorial assets across all platforms, including its daily radio show.

The site’s editor-in-chief, Dann Stupp, and its entire editorial staff, including award-winning lead staff reporter John Morgan, will remain in place and will report to Dave Morgan, the USA Today Sports Media Group’s senior vice president of content and editor-in-chief.

Tom Beusse, president of the USA Today Sports Media Group, said: “This is an exciting acquisition for us, and one that greatly enhances the editorial capabilities of the USA Today Sports Media Group in covering mixed martial arts across all platforms. Since its inception, MMAjunkie.com has established itself by breaking stories on a regular basis and providing fans with the most relevant and complete coverage available for this evolving and fast-growing sport, and we will continue to strengthen and expand that coverage for our fans.”

With more than one million unique visitors per month, MMAjunkie.com is one of the leading online news destinations for the sport, as well as a content partner for several print, online and TV outlets. It also produces the daily podcast/radio show “MMAjunkie.com Radio,” with a TV simulcast syndicated through Fight Now TV.

MMAjunkie.com will retain its unique URL, and will also be rolled in to the USA Today Sports Media Group’s online coverage at MMA.USATODAY.com by mid-December 2011. MMAjunkie.com was represented by Founders Investment Banking during the acquisition process.

Spanish La Liga champions Barcelona saw their revenue rise by ten per cent to €445.5 million (US$545 million) last season compared to 2008-09, it has been announced.

The increase has been attributed to rising income from marketing, player transfers and loans and the sale of a plot of land.

However, there was also an increase in spending, which was up by 18 per cent. This was down to money paid out to players in wages and bonuses, which amounted to €305 million (US$375 million).

Net profit for the period was €9 million (US$11 million) and the club’s debt rose to €326 million (US$400 million).

The club said it earned €121 million (US$148 million) from marketing, €25 million (US$30 million) from the sale or loan of players and €15 million (US$18 million) from the sale of a plot of land at Sant Joan Despi.

ONE World Sports (OWS), North America’s leading Asian sports provider, has signed an exclusive agreement with World Sport Group (WSG) to distribute Japan’s premier rugby division Top League on a multi-screen basis in North America.

OWS will present one rugby match per week for the entire season. OWS kicks off the 2011-2012 season on November 2 and concludes with the Grand Final in January 2012.  The Top League is a popular professional rugby union league in Japan, and has some of the best rugby players from around the world. Founded in 2003, Top League is comprised of 14 corporate sponsored teams.

Top League joins OWS’ large series of professional sports leagues including Asia’s major soccer leagues: Australian A-League, Japan J-League, Korean K-League and the Chinese Super League. In addition, OWS has exclusive rights to the One Asia golf tour, and the world’s major table tennis, badminton and squash events. The Top League and other great sports from Asia are exclusively on OWS, which is available on DISH Network.

Preston Bornman, Chief Operating Officer, ONE World Sports, said: “OWS is excited to expand our Asian sports offering with the addition of the Japan Top League Rugby. Rugby union is extremely popular worldwide and we are proud to offer Top League to our American audiences. One exclusive game per week is a perfect complement to our top Asian sports that includes soccer, basketball, golf and racquet sports coverage.”

Tom Smith, Senior Vice-President, East Asia, World Sport Group, added: “We are delighted that One World Sports is making Japan Top League Rugby available to American audiences. Rugby’s popularity is growing around the world and we expect that American sports fans will welcome the addition of this exciting league to One World Sports’ growing roster of some of the top sports events and sports programming from Asia.”

The Japan Top League begins on OWS November 2 with the Panasonic Wild Knights taking on Suntory Sungoliath

The US bid committee for the 2018/2022 World Cup has announced Fox Soccer Channel as an official partner for the bid.

Fox Soccer Channel and its associated platforms, Fox Soccer Plus and Foxsoccer.com, will begin a series of corporate sponsorship announcements for the bid in the next few weeks.

Sunil Gulati, Chairman of the bid committee and President of US soccer, said: “The challenge and privilege of hosting a FIFA World Cup is enormous, as we are seeing here in South Africa. The same can be said for the bidding process. Corporate support is an important component to a successful bid, and now we’re very fortunate to count Fox Soccer Channel as a friend and official partner of our endeavour to bring the FIFA World Cup to the United States in 2018 or 2022.”

David Nathanson, General Manager of Fox Soccer Channel, added: “As the leading source for soccer programming and information in the United States, Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Soccer Plus and Foxsoccer.com is proud to join forces with the USA Bid Committee as a corporate sponsor to bring the most important event in soccer to the United States.

“We are committed to using all of our resources to be a driving force behind support for the USA bid.”

Bellator Fighting Championships has agreed to a five-year deal with FremantleMedia Enterprises to sell its MMA programming around the world.

Bellator has been in business for less than three years, order but its rapid growth underlines MMA’s worldwide appeal. The Chicago-based promotion airs its weekly fight cards on MTV2, and it will replace the UFC on Spike TV in 2013.

UFC President Dana White has famously declared MMA will someday become the world’s most popular sport, and his dominant promotion has filled arenas from Abu Dhabi to Rio de Janeiro to Sydney. Its North American pay-per-view events also air around the world.

Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney shares White’s belief in MMA’s inevitable worldwide popularity, and he has exhaustively recruited fighters from lesser-known camps on several continents. Fighters from France and Cuba currently hold two of Bellator’s eight title belts, while competitors from South Africa, Russia and Brazil have done well.

“We focused very heavily on domestic distribution over the last three years, building our format,” Rebney said. “But now’s the time we felt to expand the breadth and depth of what we’re doing. We have fighters from around the world, so we’re hoping to take it around the world.”

Bellator’s fight cards, largely contested in U.S. casinos, have aired on several MMA-hungry networks during the promotion’s brief existence, including late-night NBC, Fox Sports Net, Telemundo and ESPN Deportes. Rebney said the promotion already has a broadcast foothold in countries including India and Azerbaijan, but the new international distribution deal with Fremantle  will only lengthen its reach.

With its circular cage and eight-man tournament competition in what Rebney calls “a real-sport format” to earn a title shot, Bellator hopes to offer a distinct alternative to the UFC’s more traditional matchmaking structure, even if it has only a fraction of the UFC’s talent roster, revenue and history.

Bellator — Latin for “warrior” — effectively inherited the mantle as the top North American alternative after the UFC purchased Strikeforce, its closest competitor, last March.

“I’m a UFC fan, but there’s that subjectivity that exists in matchmaking, when a guy behind a desk decides who fights when,” Rebney said. “I believe that’s completely counterintuitive to sports and competition.”

Digital storage and lifestyle peripherals company Amkette has launched an online football prediction game for the FIFA World Cup called ‘Predict the Score’.

Participants can predict the result of each of the remaining matches at this summer’s tournament in South Africa to win prizes including World Cup flash drives, an Amkette Flash TV or a Black Diamond keyboard with in-built mouse.

Amkette is trying to tap into the unexpected Indian craze surrounding the tournament. They have launched a microsite for the game, but people can also play the game through Amkette Arena, their official fanpage on Facebook.

Manager of product development for Amkette, Nikhil Bapna, said: “I am very happy with the overwhelming response to the contest and I believe that a platform of this kind certainly helps in building a long-term relationship with consumers.”