THQ and World Wrestling Entertainment have signed a “new, comprehensive marketing agreement” that greatly expands the alliance between the two companies. The expanded deal includes product placement, social media and experiential marketing at WWE events.

Financial terms of the pact were not disclosed. The new alliance builds on THQ’s exclusive eight-year deal signed this past December to make and market WWE-based videogames. THQ first signed a licensing deal with WWE in 1999, but was involved in legal disputes with other gaming companies until the latest deal took effect in January 2010. Industry analysts said that from 2000 through 2009 the THQ-WWE alliance has generated more than $1.4 billion in sales.

According to the videogamer and wrestling-based entertainment company, THQ-developed, WWE-branded videogames will be integrated into domestic and international events, pay-per-view and TV sponsorships, magazines, WWE.com, WWE DVDs as well as other elements. In addition, for the first time, THQ will host interactive gaming kiosks at 40 WWE live events.

This significantly expands THQ’s previous marketing efforts that were concentrated around the launch of individual WWE video games.

“This strategic marketing agreement reflects the benefits of working more closely with WWE to maximise the interactive entertainment experience for fans of this leading sports entertainment brand.”THQ president and CEO Brian Farrell said in a statement.

According to WWE COO Donna Goldsmith, “We are pleased to move our partnership forward in a broader, more comprehensive way. Working together, we plan to give our fans more access to all of the great interactive entertainment being created by THQ, as well as develop robust promotions to increase awareness of all WWE platforms.”

Source: Reuters – Switzerland is considering closing a loophole for sporting bodies in its anti-corruption law following allegations of bribery among FIFA officials for World Cup bids.

Social Democrat Anita Thanei, who heads the Swiss Parliament’s legal committee, said she would launch a parliamentary initiative for the anti-corruption laws to be amended.

“I expect the measure will find broad support,” she said on Tuesday.

“International sporting bodies are acting in the public interest, which is why the public is legitimately bothered when such cases are not punished.”

Defence minister Ueli Maurer, who also oversees sport, said the justice ministry would look into the matter.

“It’s about corruption, it’s possibly about money laundering, it’s about fixing bets, touches doping too,” he told Swiss television news late on Monday.

Since the accusations surfaced last week, soccer’s world governing body FIFA has promised a zero tolerance approach to unethical behaviour in the contest to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Officials from international sport organisations are not currently covered by Switzerland’s anti-corruption statutes.

But politicians have called for action following news last week that two members of FIFA’s executive committee were provisionally suspended on suspicion of selling their votes.

Switzerland is home to dozens of international sport organisations who choose it as a base for its favourable legal framework and tax regime.

In addition to FIFA, European soccer confederation UEFA which is based in Nyon and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), housed in Lausanne and which was tainted by a vote-selling scandal involving the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002, are also located there.

Andy Hunt, order chief executive of the British Olympic Association, cough will serve as the Great Britain chef de mission at the London 2012 Olympics.

Hunt served in the same role at the Vancouver Winter Olympics earlier this year, stuff a decision that raised eyebrows considering his previous working experience had been entirely in the business sector.

He will be supported by five deputies, including long-serving BOA employee Mark England – who takes responsibility for operations and the Olympic village – and Craig Hunter, who served as the England chef de mission at the recent Commonwealth Games and will have control over the team preparation camp.

Former Rugby World Cup winning coach Sir Clive Woodward, who many thought may take the role when Simon Clegg quit the BOA in late 2009, is one of three deputy chef de missions for sport.

He will be joined by Tanya Crook, the BOA’s recently-appointed head of summer sport engagement and Jan Paterson, the chief executive of the British Olympic Foundation and the chef de mission for this year’s Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

Britain finished fourth on the medal table in Beijing and have long stated that is also their aim for London 2012, where the team is expected to be nearly 500-strong.

“It gives me great confidence to be surrounded by such a strong and talented leadership team – all experts in their fields,” said Hunt.

“There is a tremendous depth and wealth of Olympic Games and sports performance focused experience across the team. The distinct roles that we have developed will provide performance benefits that come from perfecting every aspect of delivery.

“We are not underestimating the challenges and benefits of competing in an Olympic Games on home soil.

“As an organisation we have oriented ourselves to Games delivery mode already now in order to create a seamless transition from pre-Games to Games time in 2012, when Team GB’s ambition will be to make the nation proud and inspire future generations with their performances.”

Prize money for the US Open tennis championship will top US$22.6 million this year, an increase of US$1 million compared to 2009, the US Tennis Association has announced.

Both the men’s and women’s singles champions will collect a record US$1.7 million, as well as an additional bonus of up to US$1 million based on their performances in the US Open Series.

This year’s competition includes a 6.7 per cent increase in men’s and women’s singles prize money over 2009.

The US Open begins on 30 August at Flushing Meadows, New York.

China is the latest venue to be added to the ISAF World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) series schedule.

Qingdao will host the ‘Qingdao Match Cup’ which has been added to the 2010 tour, and will take place between 19-25 October.

President of the Qingdao Yachting Association, Wang Xiulin, and Peter Gilmour, President of the WMRT signed a five-year agreement through to 2014 for Qingdao to host an annual stage of the WMRT.

Gilmour said: “The ability of the city of Qingdao to organise a stage of the WMRT in such a short amount of time was something we analysed carefully.

As both a competitor and organiser I am delighted to see that the penultimate stage of the 2010 Tour will be simply outstanding as the city of Qingdao is now ready for the Tour.”

Qingdao was home to the sailing events for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Gauteng Province has appointed TSE Consulting, the international management consultancy specialised in sport, to assist in a review of its strategy for out-reach sand relationship building efforts in international sport.

The province, South Africa’s most populous province and the economic hub of the country, has demonstrated its strength as a sport event and conference host and its commitment to hosting international events over the last few years, not least of which through its hosting of matches during the FIFA World Cup in 2010 in its capital city Johannesburg. 

TSE Consulting will assist Gauteng Province in continuing to strengthen its relationships with the international sports community and to further position the Province as a leader in regards to knowledge and experience in sports event hosting in South Africa and the surrounding region. TSE previously worked with the Province in the lead up to the FIFA World Cup 2010. The project will be managed by TSE Consulting’s office in South Africa in collaboration with a team in TSE’s headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. 

Representatives from Gauteng Province will attend the “Smart Cities & Sport Summit” hosted in the Olympic Capital on November 5-7, 2014 and TSE will assist Gauteng Province in organising a similar conference in Gauteng in March next year.

Mrs. Molebatsi Bopape, Gauteng Minister of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation who will head the delegation for “Smart Cities & Sport Summit” , said: “We believe that sport can contribute to our objectives and we want to ensure we are continuously evolving in regards to our approach to hosting international events and sports conferences. We are pleased to be working with TSE Consulting.”

Mr. Lars Haue-Pedersen, Managing Director of TSE Consulting, said: “We look forward to working with Gauteng Province as they refocus their efforts as a sport event and conference destination. South Africa marked its presence in the industry through the hosting of the FIFA World Cup, and the role that Gauteng Province will play in the coming years will certainly continue to increase.”

NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs have extended their partnership with Levy Restaurants who will contiue to offer premium experience for game day and special event year-round at Arrowhead Stadium. 

“With Levy, we have built a relationship since 1995 that continues to have a deep impact on our organization,” said David Young, vice president of stadium operations for the Kansas City Chiefs. “Together we are creating something truly unique to our brand, while making smart business decisions based on data analytics and Levy’s considerable depth of expertise and passion for guest experiences.”

To bring premium level guests in suites and clubs an ever-evolving experience, Levy leverages emerging technology to reduce transaction times and optimize the ordering and delivery process to keep fans connected to the action on the field.

“We continually look for ways to innovate the guest experience and are aligned with the Chiefs’ vision to elevate the premium experience at Arrowhead Stadium,” said Andy Lansing, president and CEO of Levy Restaurants. “Blending the right business intelligence with great food and high-touch service for fans, we create the ultimate guest experience on game day and beyond.”

National Hockey League’s Boston Bruins have extended their ffiliation agreement with ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays.

The 2014-15 season marks the third consecutive campaign the Stingrays have served as the ECHL affiliate of the Bruins.

“It has been a great relationship,” mentioned Carbery. “We have a lot of respect for the way they do things in Providence and Boston. We are happy to be back on board and excited about the future with them.” 

The Stingrays finished the 2013-14 season third in the ECHL’s Eastern Conference and captured the South Division title with a record of 43-23-6 (92 points). 

Earlier this summer, the Stingrays entered an NHL affiliation agreement with the Washington Capitals, who served as the team’s affiliate for eight seasons prior to joining the Bruins before the 2012-13 campaign. The dual affiliation is the second in Stingrays history and first since the 1994-95 season, when they partnered with the Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks.

The International Dressage Trainers Club (IDTC) has become the fifth of the former FEI Associate Members to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the FEI.

The IDTC, which specialises in raising the level of Dressage training worldwide with a special focus on countries where Dressage is a developing sport, was founded in 1984 by Herman Duckek (GER), who remained President until his death in 2000.
In October 2002, international trainer David Hunt took over the presidency from Belgian Equestrian Federation Technical Advisor and IDTC board member Sjef Janssen.

The IDTC now has over 120 member trainers based around the world working with senior and young athletes competing internationally at Grand Prix level and in pony, junior and young rider championships.

The MOU was ratified during yesterday’s International Dressage Trainers Club Annual Members Meeting, which was held at the headquarters of the German Equestrian Federation and German Olympic Committee for Equestrian Sports (DOKR) in Warendorf.

“The FEI has worked closely with the International Dressage Trainers Club for over 30 years”, said Trond Asmyr, FEI Director of Dressage and Para-Equestrian Dressage. “We’re now looking forward to taking this longstanding collaboration to the next level at a time when Dressage is rapidly increasing in popularity with athletes and spectators alike around the world.”

“The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the FEI is an important milestone in the evolution of the International Dressage Trainers Club”, explained David Hunt, who is also President of the British International Dressage Trainers Foundation, and member of the FEI’s Dressage Committee and the FEI’s working group on Senior Dressage tests.

“This agreement formalises the relationship between our organisation and the FEI and recognises the importance of the training community in the development of our sport. I look forward to a future of cooperation and support between the two organisations.”