US Broadcasters Begin Battle for IOC’s Olympic Rights

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) begin meetings with US broadcasters today, June 6, to award an Olympics contract post London 2012 which could be worth more than US$4bn to the body.


Senior IOC member Richard Carrion will lead the negotiations in Lausanne, Switzerland, which were pushed back because of the worldwide economic crisis.

Representatives from News Corp Fox Sports, Walt Disney Co. company ESPN with ABC, and Comcast’s NBC Universal will all be making presentations to the IOC about their proposed Olympic coverage.

A change in strategy has seen the other major US network, CBS, abandon its initial plans to bid in conjunction Time Warner Inc.’s Turner Broadcasting cable unit.

NBC currently hold the rights, having paid US$2.2bn for Vancouver 2010 and London 2012, bidding US$700m more than ESPN and Fox when they were awarded in 2003. They have broadcast every Summer Olympics since Seoul in 1988 and every Winter Games since Salt Lake City in 2002 and will broadcast London 2012. 

However, their planning has been thrown into confusion by former chairman Dick Ebersol’s surprise resignation last month after 22 years at the helm. NBC’s team is now being led by chief executive Steve Burke and Comcast chief executive Brian Robertson.

ESPN’s bid is headed by chief executive George Bodenheimer and Disney head Robert Iger, while Fox Sports will be represented by chairman David Hill, the man who helped launch BSkyB in Britain and was involved in the early negotiations for broadcasting England’s Premier League.

Each bidder is expected to make two-hour presentations behind closed doors to senior IOC members, starting with Fox this afternoon, before ESPN on Tuesday, June 7, morning and NBC later that afternoon, ahead of an expected decision late Tuesday. 

The winning bidder is expected to pay more than US$2bn for the Olympics in Sochi in 2014 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and over US$4bn if the deal is extended to also include the Games in 2018 and 2020, which have yet to be awarded by the IOC.

The Unites States Olympic Committee (USOC), with chairman Larry Probst, chief executive Scott Blackmun, general counsel and chief of legal and Government affairs Rana Dershowitz and chief communications officer Patrick Sandusky, have all travelled to Lausanne to be on hand for the negotiations.·The USOC currently receives a 12.75 percent share of US television rights deals. 

Carrion told The Associated Press yesterday, June 5: “We’ve got a full house and I’m hoping for the best.”

Carrion claimed that the departure of Ebersol did not lessen NBC’s determination to retain the rights, even though they lost US$220m on their broadcast from Vancouver last year, adding: “They reiterated that they are extremely interested, and judging from the team they’ve brought here, I take them at their word. 

“It’s just way too important for them. I expect them to play to win. We obviously expect a higher figure [than last year], and that’s it.”

Land Rover Named Official Vehicle Provider of World Rugby Conference and Exhibition 2014

The International Rugby Board (IRB) has announced Land Rover as the official vehicle provider for the World Rugby Conference and Exhibition 2014 (ConfEx) taking place at Hilton London Metropole on November 17-18.

With less than a month to go until ConfEx, Land Rover’s top partner status reinforces the luxury SUV manufacturer’s long-standing association with Rugby and will see it support the overall delivery of this prestigious event.

Land Rover has been embedded within the game of Rugby for more than 20 years and is proud to sponsor all levels of the sport, from the pinnacle of the global game, Rugby World Cup, to supporting grassroots initiatives such as the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup for under-11 and under-12 teams in England.

Other partnerships include top-flight sponsorship properties around the world such as the Top 14 in France, as well as Super Rugby teams the Brumbies in Australia and the Stormers in South Africa. Land Rover has also supported the British and Irish Lions since 1997.

IRB Chief Executive Brett Gosper said: “ConfEx will bring together leading figures and decision-makers from across Rugby and the wider sporting community to share knowledge and foster relationships. Having a prestigious global brand such as Land Rover on board for the event is a significant boost. Rugby has enjoyed a strong relationship with Land Rover for many years and we value their continued support.”

Jaguar Land Rover Global Brand Experience Director Mark Cameron said: “At an exciting time for the global game, Land Rover is proud to be a top partner for ConfEx. We are committed to developing Rugby at all levels around the world and as we build towards next year’s showpiece, Rugby World Cup 2015, we want to engage what is an increasingly global audience with the great values of the sport, exciting new interest and further growing the anticipation for next year’s tournament.”

TSN Expand Golf Broadcast Portfolio with Presidents Cup

TSN has expanded its golfing broadcast portfolio after agreeing a deal with the PGA Tour of America which hands the Canadian network multimedia rights to the next two Presidents Cup matches in 2011 and 2013.

The broadcaster will provide exclusive Canadian coverage of this year’s event in Melbourne as well as the 2013 tournament in Ohio of the biennial match that pits a US team against an international team. TSN have also secure rights for a further eight PGA Tour events, including the opening round of the Canadian Open

TSN president Stewart Johnston said: “The Presidents Cup is a fantastic showcase of the biggest names in golf and has delivered some of the most memorable moments in sports over the years.

“We are thrilled to continue our relationship with the PGA Tour and give Canadian fans extensive coverage of some of golf’s top tournaments across multiple platforms.”

Tim Leisure, senior vice president of international television for the PGA Tour, added: “The PGA TOUR is very pleased to extend our longtime partnership with TSN and continue to bring The Presidents Cup and other premier PGA TOUR events to Canada. Canada has such tremendous golf fans and has hosted one of the most successful Presidents Cups we’ve seen. We look forward to building upon this valuable partnership with TSN through this extension.”

Axxess Pharma to Sponsor NASCAR Driver Cole Whitt at Phoenix International Raceway

Axxess Pharma Inc.,a specialty pharmaceutical and nutritional supplements has announced, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, AllStar Health Brands Inc., that it will sponsor NASCAR driver Cole Whitt’s race car in the November 9th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race.

The driver’s car will prominently display the logos of Amazon.com and TapouT, as well as promote the TapouT’s Muscle Recovery line. The race will be held in Arizona at the Phoenix International Raceway. Next month’s NASCAR Sprint CUP series race will be televised by ESPN and is expected to have an audience of at least 8.8 million viewers.

“We are also extremely pleased and honored that Amazon.com has elected to highlight our unique Turbo Blend Protein Powder and also placed the first order for the product,” said Dr. Daniel Bagi President of Axxess Pharma. “We believe some of the unique aspects of our protein powder factored into their decision, such as the fact the Turbo Blend Protein Powder uses an organic whey blend, is gluten-free, and has added L-Carnitine, iron and Omega-3 Fish oil. Amazon.com will now feature the full line of TapouT supplements and pain relief products.”

For Axxess Pharma, this is the latest promotional venture the company has taken with Nutritional Products International, a Global Sales and Communication firm.

“This is a major milestone in building awareness for the TapouT brand as we continue to drive sales towards other online and big box retailers,” said Mitch Gould, Nutritional Products International CEO and Axxess Pharma’s United States sales and marketing partner. “We have put together several Amazon.com promotions but this by far is one of the most exciting. Like a race car full of 93 octane, we are putting the pedal to the medal for promotions, much like we have with such celebrities as Steven Seagal, Hulk Hogan, Ronnie Coleman, and Chuck Liddel.”

Fox Secure 3-Year Deal with Endemol for Dublin Super Cup

US sports channel Fox Soccer has acquired multi-year broadcast rights to the new Dublin Super Cup, an annual pre-season soccer tournament held in Ireland organised by Dutch company Endemol Sport.

The new three-year-deal between Fox Soccer and Endemol Sport sees the channel become the exclusive North American broadcaster of the two-day soccer tournament, this year featuring the English Premier League’s Manchester City, Italian Serie A club Inter Milan, Scottish Premier League team Celtic and a select Ireland XI.

Gregg Oldfield, Endemol Sports managing director, stated: “We are thrilled to be partnering with a leading broadcaster like Fox to bring the Dublin Super Cup to soccer fans in the world’s biggest market. This is the second major international partnership we’ve announced for the tournament in recent weeks and we expect to finalise further deals soon.

‘Endemol Sport is also finalising agreements with broadcasters around the world, which will see live coverage of the inaugural 2011 Dublin Super Cup broadcast in over 100 territories across Asia, Middle East, Europe, Africa and the Americas,’ the Dutch company said.

Phoenix Suns & Mercury Sign Marketing Partnership with Fractured Prune Doughnuts

Before the start of the NBA season, erectile Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury have entered into a new, treatment multi-year marketing partnership with Fractured Prune Doughnuts Arizona that will deliver the franchisee’s hot, hand-dipped doughnuts to fans at all US Airways Center events.

Fractured Prune Doughnuts will open on Wednesday, Oct. 29, for the Phoenix Suns regular season Home Opener. At each event, the shop will offer a different selection from their more than 2,500 doughnut combinations. 

The partnership with the Arizona franchise is the first of its kind between Fractured Prune Doughnuts and a professional sports team.

“The addition of Fractured Prune Doughnuts at US Airways Center provides another unique option for the thousands of fans that attend each of our games and events,” said Suns and Mercury President, Jason Rowley. “Their custom concept is a perfect fit for the entertaining experience we try to create at our arena, so it will undoubtedly be a popular destination for Suns fans this season.”

“In addition to being an avid sports fan, I believe this is a great business decision. This location and partnership with the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury and US Airways Center will expose our custom doughnut concept and brand to tens of thousands of Arizonans,” said Fractured Prune Doughnuts Arizona franchisee, Mark Prygocki.

MP & Silva Sign 5-Year Distribution Rights to French Open

MP & Silva has reached a five-year agreement to snap up the European broadcast distribution rights to the French Open International Tennis Championships at Roland Garros, with this year’s competition in full swing.

The international sports media agency will replace the European Broadcasting Union starting from the 2012 edition of the event and running through until 2016. According to MP & Silva, the contract, signed with Fédération Française de Tennis (FFT), marks a “new distribution strategy”.

The new approach will see the agency undertake an individual territory-by-territory distribution strategy in key territories across Europe in a market-by-market approach which has proved successful by other top-tier rights properties such as Wimbledon and UEFA Euro 2008.

MP & Silva CEO Andrea Radrizzani stated: “Roland Garros is one of the most important international sporting events in the world and we are extremely honoured to be given this opportunity to work closely with the FFT. We believe that this is a historical moment for Roland Garros.

“Now is the perfect time to engage more fully with the key markets of Europe and to examine new opportunities. At the same time, our strategy envisages working with some of the federation’s long-term incumbent partners, so we are offering continuity, as well as change. We believe that together, we will significantly enhance the positioning and value of Roland Garros.”

Michel Grach, the FFT’s media and sponsorship director, added: “We are committed to constant innovation and evolution to ensure the best quality coverage for tennis fans across Europe. We believe that our partnership with MP & Silva will allow us a more flexible commercial approach in selecting the most appropriate media partners in each market and this will enable us to make sure that tennis fans across Europe can get the widest, the most in-depth and the highest quality coverage of such an exciting event.”

 

Orlando City SC Appoints Official Credit Union and Founding Partner

New Major League Soccer (MLS) team Orlando City SC have signed a multi-year partnership with FAIRWINDS Credit Union.

The largest Central Florida-based financial institution was named City’s Official Credit Union and Founding Partner. Per Club policy, physician financial terms were not disclosed.

As part of the partnership, medstore FAIRWINDS will launch the Official Orlando City Soccer Visa Debit Card. The card design depicts a purple brick wall with the Orlando City logo emblazoned over it. Visually the card represents painting the town purple with Orlando City pride.

In addition to launching the debit card, pharm FAIRWINDS will receive branding and on-site activation beginning with the 2015 Major League Soccer season and into 2016 when the Lions move into their new Downtown soccer stadium.  FAIRWINDS will also be permitted the use of Orlando City’s marks and logo in promotions and marketing campaigns.

“This partnership joins two popular Orlando brands for the benefit of our fans and customers,” said Orlando City Founder and President Phil Rawlins.  “We’re thrilled to welcome FAIRWINDS to the Orlando City family and look forward to working together for many years to come.”

“Orlando City is more than a new sports franchise entering the market. We share the same spirit of community and desire to get Central Floridians even more excited about their hometown,” said FAIRWINDS President and CEO Larry Tobin. “It only made sense for us to combine our efforts, allowing Central Floridians an opportunity to be a part of something big – right in their own backyard.”

India vs West Indies Series to be Broadcast Live on YouTube

It has been announced that the forthcoming India – West Indies Cricket series will be streamed live on YouTube.com through broadcaster Ten Cricket, order  kicking off with the series opener on June 4 with a T20 game.

The entire series will be available on the Internet in both live and on-demand formats. Apart from the actual series, generic video packages would be made available, which will be streamed to users in the quality that suit their respective bandwidths.

Atul Pande, CEO of TEN Sports, said: “We have always been at the forefront when it comes to embracing newer technologies and distribution platforms. In fact, the first time we streamed our channel (Ten Sports) live on Internet was way back in 2009 during the Compaq Cup Cricket tournament.

“The response we received from fans was so overwhelming that we were further spurred in our desire to focus on the Internet as a viable distribution platform for our content. I have no doubt that Cricket fans will enjoy the viewing experience that will be brought to them through our partnership with YouTube.”

Kingstone Press Cider Expands RFL Partnership to Include Super League Activation

Kingstone Press Cider have extended their partnership with the Rugby Football League (RFL) for the 2015-2017 seasons, erectile which now includes the Super League competition for the first time.

Following on from two hugely successful years as title sponsors of the Championships, the new contract will see the popular cider brand be involved at every level of the game from England RL right through to National Conference League and community clubs.

With fixtures just being announced and fans already looking forward to the new look structure of Rugby League, Kingstone Press will continue to be the title sponsors of the Championship and League 1 competitions.

Kingstone Press will also continue to be the official cider partner of England RL who are currently in Australia preparing for their second game of the Four Nations tournament against Australia on Sunday, having overcome Samoa on Saturday morning 32 – 26.

The expanded partnership, starting in 2015, will see Kingstone Press become the Official Cider Partner of First Utility Super League and the Challenge Cup. The partnership will see the cider brand gain exposure via player’s shirt branding, in-stadia perimeter signage, programme advertising and further television broadcast presence on Sky Sports and BBC Sport.

RFL Chief Operating Officer Ralph Rimmer said: “We are delighted with how Kingstone Press has become a major supporter of Rugby League.

“They have been recognised by clubs and fans alike for having a genuine interest in developing the game and engaging with the Rugby League community, which is why we were keen to involve them in every level of the sport.

“This is the first time any partner has had this breadth of involvement and we are excited about what is going to be achieved.”

Kingstone Press Cider is part of Aston Manor Cider, the largest independent cider maker in the UK, and Managing Director Gordon Johncox said: “Our involvement in Rugby League has been enormously successful for our Kingstone Press brand. It is an authentic sport with a passionate following and bright future – so the parallels for us are very clear.

“At every stage our engagement with the RFL, England squad, clubs and fans has been positive because they have understood we are as committed to Rugby League as they are. So when we got the chance to extend our partnership it was an easy decision to make.

“To be the first business and brand to be involved at every level of the sport is terrifically exciting as are the opportunities it creates for us, our customers and consumers.  We are looking forward to planning for next season and in the meantime we continue to wish the England RL team the best of luck out in Australia and New Zealand during the Four Nations tournament.”