Global sports revenues are estimated to grow to $145.3bn (£92.5bn) between now and 2015, growing at an annual rate of 3.7%, according to a new report.

Global professional services firm Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) said North America will remain the largest sport industry market during that period. It says an improved economy and rebound in TV advertising will drive growth.

The migration of sports to pay TV, and the resurgence of financial services and motoring companies to sponsorship, will also help, says PWC.

The firm added that after North America, the biggest market will by Europe; followed by the Middle East and Africa, and then Asia.Latin America will remain the smallest market.

Julie Clark, head of PWC’s UK sports practice, said: “North America is still the largest market and growth rates will significantly outpace Asia Pacific and EMEA (Europe Middle East and Africa).

“While the balance of power is shifting to some emerging markets which are hosting mega sports events over the next few years, the growth opportunities in the traditional developed markets are far from over.”

Latin America will have the highest growth rate, says PWC, followed by North America.

It has been predicted that the hotel industry in the UK will fare far better in the five years after the London 2012 Olympics compared to the five years preceding it, according to IBISWorld, the UK’s largest publisher of industry research.

IBISWorld forecasts that industry revenue will grow at an average annualised rate of 2.6% in the five years through 2016-17, to reach £18.0 billion ($20.6bn). Demand for accommodation from international visitors will be boosted by a global economic recovery. The London Olympics will be a key driver of growth leading up to and including 2012, when London is set to host one of the world’s greatest sporting events. IBISWorld also expects UK and global population growth to boost demand for local hotels and motels.

Over the past five years the financial crisis and subsequent recession have marred the performance of hotels and motels operating throughout the United Kingdom. The recession had a detrimental effect on household wealth across the United Kingdom and the globe, with corporate profits falling substantially as a direct result of the crisis.

Consequently, business travel budgets were slashed, while highly-indebted households found it increasingly difficult to finance trips and holidays. This has reduced domestic and international travel within the United Kingdom, from both household and business markets. IBISWorld estimates that over the past five years, UK hotel industry revenue contract by 1.1% on an average annualised basis, with revenue reaching £15.8 billion ($18bn) in 2011-12. Revenue is expected to grow by 3.8% in 2011-12, compared with the previous year.

Going forward, the UK hotel industry will be bolstered by a recovering UK economy, further aided by global economic growth that will see revenue from international tourists flow into the industry. A more prosperous domestic economy will allow businesses to increase their travel budgets to pre-crisis levels, meaning that more funds will be allocated to accommodation expenses. With unemployment falling at the same time and asset prices rebounding, individuals will also increase their expenditure on trips and holidays.

According to IBISWorld analyst, Zlatan Kapetanovic, the most significant event for the industry will be the London Olympic Games in 2012. “This will promote an influx of tourists into the region,” says Kapetanovic.

“Large numbers of both domestic and international visitors will help revenue grow rapidly in the period leading up to and including 2012.”

Much of this growth will be concentrated in the London region, with new enterprises and establishments entering the market to become involved in increased revenue and profits on offer. Population growth within the United Kingdom and the world over will also have a positive influence on demand, as there will be a greater number of tourists using hotel and motel services. According to IBISWorld, hotel industry revenue in the UK is expected to grow at an average annualised rate of 2.6% over the five years through 2016-17 to total £18.0 billion ($20.6bn).

allergist helvetica, sans-serif;”>Generate Sponsorship added to their growing list of clients by securing a deal with Surrey Sports Park to develop its PR offering and broaden the profile of Surrey Sports Park as an elite athlete and team training facility among national and international sporting federations, as well as high profile teams.

Generate’s specialist PR team has developed a PR strategy that includes media relations, event activity, direct marketing, and digital activity, showcasing the venue as a top athlete venue.

Surrey Sports Park, one of Europe’s top sports venues, will host Olympic and Paralympic teams next year, who will utilise the venue as a base for training, benefiting from the state of the art facilities including the 50m swimming pool and Human Performance Institute, as well as over 2,500 rooms located on site at the University of Surrey.

Other high profile teams who currently use the venue include Harlequins Rugby Union, Women’s GB Basketball, Surrey Storm, Guildford Heat, and the Women’s RFU.

Chief Executive of Surrey Sports Park, Paul Blanchard, said, “Since opening in April 2010, we have staged several successful large-scale events including the 2010 Women’s Rugby World Cup, GB Women’s Eurobasket, and Four Nations basketball matches, as well as hosting Olympic and Paralympic teams and athletes. The sports park offers an array of state-of-the-art sports facilities and performance support services, which based just 40 minutes from London Heathrow and Gatwick airports, provides a unique and convenient multi-purpose training and events venue.

“We have engaged Generate to help build our profile and with their expertise in the industry, we will work with them on continuing to position us as one of the UK’s top training facilities.”

Rupert Pratt, Managing Director of Generate Sponsorship, added: “We have developed a PR and digital programme of activity that will showcase the facility as a leading venue that hosts top athletes and teams.  Surrey Sports Park is a fantastic venue and we’re looking forward to working with them to achieve their objectives.”

The Football Association (FA) have announced that they will back any credible challengers to Sepp Blatter’s re-election campaign to become FIFA president for a fourth term in June, senior FA figures have revealed.

The FA board is yet to take an official position on the vote as Blatter seeks a fourth term but members are said to feel it is time for a change.

One FA member claimed that they would even consider writing to Asian football chief Mohamed Bin Hammam to urge him to stand against Blatter, stating: “We would consider contacting him to offer our support. We think three terms is enough.”

An FA spokesman added: “The matter has not been discussed but will be considered by the FA board when nominations have closed and the FIFA congress agenda has been published.”

The FA reacted angrily to England’s treatment during their bid to host the 2018 World Cup, claiming promises were broken by a number of ExCo members. They also felt that they were strung along in the bidding process once FIFA revealed that they had intended to promote the game in new territories after awarding the 2018 and 2022 editions to Russia and Qatar respectively.

Bin Hammam is a former ally of the 75-year-old FIFA president, but the 61-year-old has hinted that he might stand against him after revealing some concerns regarding the way the organisation is run amidst corruption allegations.

In his most recent comments about the FIFA presidential elections, Bin Hammam said on his Facebook account that “competition is the best way to make the organisation vibrant and alive”.

Sepp Blatter announced last year that he would be running for a record fourth term and stated on Saturday, March 5: “We are now in an elected process and the race is open. I have received support from different national associations to stand again.

“If I win then OK, if lose I say ‘thank you’ then go away. You will have your new face and then we will see what will happen.”

The FIFA president went on to add that he was not happy with the way his organisation got its message across, saying: “I’m not happy with what we do, because we could communicate a bit better [than] what we are doing and then the perception would be different.

“I’m trying to bring some social and cultural impact. If there are some other candidates then we will face other candidates. That’s a democratic system.

“The world will not stop and football will not stop.”

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has invited bids for the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) global internet & mobile rights and global broadcast rights excluding some key markets for a period from 2011 to 2014.

The BCCI released a public statement yesterday, March 7, stating: “The Indian Premier League , a sub-committee of the BCCI, invites bids in respect of global Internet and mobile rights along with certain television rights.”

The broadcast rights do not include key markets like the Indian sub-continent, Australia, South Africa, Middle East, Caribbean, Hong Kong  and Singapore. While, the radio rights are available for most of the markets excluding Middle East. The internet & mobile rights are available for all territories.

Entities also have the option of bidding for three packages of rights which includes all the rights including TV, radio, mobile & internet, or all the rights except worldwide mobile rights.

In the case of packaged rights and for the rights excluding mobile, each bid must include an entity which either is a cricket or a sports broadcaster in India, North America or UK, has an internet platform that meets ITT’s minimum criteria with respect to average monthly users and annual internet advertising revenues.

For entities interested in mobile rights each bid must include an entity which is a mobile network operator in India.

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.

A federal judge has sided with the the National Football League Players’ Association (NFLPA) in ruling that the league improperly negotiated to receive US$4bn in income from television networks even if a lockout occurs, cancelling games in the 2011 season over failing discussions to agree a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

U.S. District Judge David Doty upheld a complaint from the players’ union yesterday, March 1, overruling an earlier decision on the matter by a special master, or arbitrator.

Doty, who has overseen the NFL labor contract since 1993, ordered a hearing to consider the award of money damages and equitable relief to the players.

The judge agreed with the union that, in extending the contracts into the 2011 season, the NHL had failed to get the best terms available to maximize revenue in 2009 and 2010.

Spokesman for the NFLPA, George Atallah stated: “This ruling means there is irrefutable evidence that owners had a premeditated plan to lock out players and fans for more than two years.”

The union is now seeking to have the money placed in escrow during any potential lockout, rather than allowing the NFL to use it to fund operations. The league responded by saying that the money is a loan that will have to be repaid if no games are played.

In his decision, the judge stated: “The NFL negotiated access to over $4bn in rights fees in 2011 if it locks out the players. Of that sum, it has no obligation to repay $421m to the broadcasters.”

The NFL extended contracts and altered lock out provisions with DirecTV, CBS Corp., News Corp.’s Fox, Comcast Corp.’s NBC and Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN Inc.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello released a statement playing down the issue, reading: “Our clubs are prepared for any contingency, this decision included. The ruling will have no effect on our efforts to negotiate a new, balanced labor agreement.”

Rogge stated: “We are in favour of a system where betting operators have to be licensed by the government. Sports organisers, national federations and international federations would have a fair return for all their efforts for organising the sport. They should be recognised with a return from financial income.”

Rogge continued to urged governments to monitor betting companies to “control if there is any money laundering”, adding: “I think you have to assume like in doping, all sports are affected and none is totally free, but those sports with the biggest audiences will be affected (by illegal and irregular betting). That goes without saying.”

Government ministers from Australia, France, Switzerland and the UK are attending the meeting.

After coming under pressure from the European Commission, in late 2009 France, which had long protected its state monopoly on gambling through Francaise des Jeux and Pari Mutuel Urbain, finally introduced its own licensing system for betting on sport, with bookmakers forced to pay a portion of their revenues to sport.