According to a report in Canadian newspaper, the Toronto Star, Labatt has asked the Ontario Superior Court to “toss out” the National Hockey League’s (NHL) new US$375m sponsorship agreement with Molson Coors.

Labatt who Molson Coors will effectively replace as primary sponsor to the NHL, claims that it reached a deal to renew its Canadian sponsorship agreement with the NHL in November, but that the league then turned around and signed a North America-wide contract with Molson Coors instead.

Labatt in its court filing stated: “The NHL … in bad faith and in breach of their contractual obligations, went behind Labatt’s back to negotiate an agreement with the Molson Coors Respondents for the rights Labatt has held for almost 13 years.”

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly in a statement said: “We intend to defend against Labatt’s claim vigorously and we are confident that our position ultimately will be fully vindicated by the court.”

German pay-TV operator Sky Deutschland AG revealed on Wednesday, February 16, that it reached a distribution agreement with Deutsche Telekom to ensure its products are available via Telekom’s new basic television service.

The agreement allows the full breadth of Sky’s channels and products to be distributed by Deutsche Telekom. In addition, the agreement covers Sky’s sports television, including Germany’s Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League matches.

Sky Deutschland board member Holger Ensslin said: “The agreement with Deutsche Telekom is another step in our distribution strategy as it allows yet more consumers to experience the programs offered by Sky.”

However, the deal doesn’t include the distribution of Sky via Deutsche Telekom’s internet protocol television, or IPTV.

The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) are inviting private sector bidders to provide a fabric wrap around the Olympic Stadium, the Games’ showpiece venue.

The initial design involved changing iconic Games’ images but was scrapped as part of budget cuts due to an estimated cost of around £7m (US$11.23m) to the UK government, so LOCOG are now welcoming offers from companies to submit their interest by February 18.

However, some companies may be put off as sponsors will not be able to place logo or name branding on the wrap as venue advertising is banned at the Olympics.

London organising committee CEO Paul Deighton stated: “We have had significant interest in supplying the stadium ‘wrap’ from the private sector, so now is the time to start a formal tender process.

“There are some exciting ideas around, and we are running a process that is fair to those organisations that have expressed an interest.”

American football, advice the most watched sport in the US, anabolics could be cancelled next year over a long-running dispute between owners and players, which a union leader warns this weekend will almost certainly result in a lockout beginning in March.

The executive director of the National Football League players union said a player lockout next season is a “near certainty,” and that it would cost the U.S. economy an estimated $5 billion in lost wages, taxes and other revenue if the entire season is canceled.

In an interview on Bloomberg Television, union chief DeMaurice Smith said if NFL owners lock out players in order to get concessions in a labor dispute, it would be devastating to local communities as the country struggles with a 9.6 percent unemployment rate.

“The magnitude of the loss would be at the very least about $160 million to $170 million per team-city,” Smith said. “That is a conservative estimate of the economic impact.”

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello challenged Smith’s numbers, saying they came from union projections rather than a government agency, investment bank or noted economist.

“It is a series of numbers pulled from thin air in a misguided attempt to inject politics into the collective bargaining process,” Aiello said in an e-mail. “There is a fair deal to be done and soon if the union will bargain with the same fervor it displays in creating economic fairy tales.”

NFL owners voted unanimously in May 2008 to opt out of their labour contract with the players at the end of this season – two years early. The players were satisfied with the agreement and wanted to complete the contract.

If the lockout goes ahead, players will stop being paid from March onwards. The annual draft, a high-profile event where teams select new players, would go ahead in the spring, but the training camps that begin in the summer would not happen.

The next season is scheduled to begin on 9 September. Unlike baseball and basketball, the playing season is relatively short, ending on 2 January, with the Super Bowl the following month, and teams play relatively few games.

One compromise under consideration is that the season be extended from 16 games to 18, which would give the players extra money to make up for the pay cut, but would mean two more games, with attendant injury risks. Unlike association football, the average career of a professional American football player is only 3.6 seasons.

India’s top investigating agency has arrested a top 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games official for alleged financial irregularities.

Treasurer M Jayachandran is accused of forgery and cheating over the awarding of Games contracts, a charge he denies.

He is the third Games official to be arrested over similar charges. All were suspended from their posts in August.

Earlier this month, Suresh Kalmadi, the Games organising committee chief, quit his post in the Congress party.

He has been under investigation over claims of corruption at October’s sporting spectacular, and also denies any wrongdoing.

In August, Mr Jayachandran’s predecessor, Anil Khanna, quit after claims an Australian firm won the contract to lay tennis courts for the Games because his son headed its Indian arm.

Birmingham will welcome top athletes from around the world next summer as the city hosts another big sporting event.

The city council has signed a three-year deal with UK Athletics to bring the Aviva Birmingham Grand Prix to the Alexander Stadium.

It becomes one of 14 venues worldwide to host a meeting as part of the Diamond League.

Organisers say the events can attract 50 million TV viewers.

The Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr will join the ranks of New York, Rome, Shanghai and Monaco in staging the Samsung Diamond League meet in the summer of 2011.

The leader of Birmingham City Council, Cllr Mike Whitby said: “This is another major sporting coup for the city of Birmingham, underlining our status as Britain’s sporting city.”

UK Athletics Chief Executive Niels de Vos described it as “massive” for Birmingham.

“One of the reasons the IAAF, the International Federation, was keen to come to Birmingham was because of its reputation.

“It’s always hosted great meets.”

Commonwealth Heptathlon Champion and Birchfield Harrier Louise Hazel described it as an “amazing opportunity for Birchfield Harriers and the Alexander Stadium.”

Plans for a £12.25m redevelopment of the stadium were given the green-light in September.

They include a 5,000-seater stand with office space.

Council Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport Cllr Martin Mullaney said the development would be self-financing.

“What we’ve worked out is that the rent from the office space underneath [the stand] will actually generate enough money to pay back the building costs of the stand overall.”

The ICC has today confirmed that it is in regular communication with the Pakistan Cricket Board and has offered to support the PCB in its current investigations into the reasons behind wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider’s decision to leave the Pakistan team on the morning of the final ODI against South Africa in Dubai.

At the same time, the ICC has also offered Haider, who left the UAE for London, any help he needs. ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: “Clearly this is in the first instance a team matter for Pakistan cricket but the ICC is willing to provide assistance to the PCB and the player.

“We understand his plight if reports are indeed true, but we can only help if he is willing to engage with us.”

Haider, who played a match-winning knock of 19 not out to take his side to a victory against Proteas to level the series at 2-2 in the just concluded five match ODI series in Dubai, went missing from the team hotel on the morning of Pakistan’s fifth ODI against South Africa in Dubai and resurfaced in London later the same day.

He is planning to seek political asylum in Britain after fleeing from Dubai.

The 24-year-old told Pakistan TV station Geo that he plans to seek political asylum in Britain after confirming he had received death threats for defying match-fixing plans.

Mark Gonnella joins English soccer club, ampoule Arsenal from his previous role as corporate affairs director at Barclaycard.

Gonnella said: ‘The opportunity to bring two great passions of my life – football and communications – together in my day to day work is irresistible. Arsenal has a compelling business plan for the future and effective communications will be a key part of making those plans come to fruition.’

Gonnella spent nearly ten years at Barclaycard, where he was responsible for managing Barclaycard’s reputation across Europe and the US. He also led Barclaycard’s PR activities during their sponsorship of the Premier League.

Gonnella will be responsible for creating communication programmes to extend Arsenal’s brand and reputation around the world. He will lead Arsenal’s corporate, commercial and football communications activities.

His appointment follows the departure of head of communications Amanda Docherty in September.

Bookmakers Ladbrokes has already taken four times as many mobile bets during this summer’s FIFA World Cup in South Africa, compared to the European Championships in 2008, it has been revealed.

The company has used the launch of an iPhone application to break the 100,000 barrier for mobile bets taken on a single event for the first time.

Ladbrokes said the upturn in the market was down to the amount of people who now own smartphones, allowing customers quick and easy access to betting opportunities from any location.

According to the company, its iPhone application has helped mobile internet overtake traditional telephone betting for the first time at a major football tournament.

Betting turnover on Ladbroke’s mobile channels has doubled over the past 12 months, with a six-fold increase in the number of customers that bet exclusively via mobile internet.

Ladbroke’s managing director of Remote Betting and Gaming, John O’Reilly, said: “Mobile betting and gaming is a significant growth area and smartphones, especially the iPhone, have dramatically improved the user experience.

“We’re delighted to be the first major bookmaker to launch a full betting application in the app store and we’ll follow this World Cup product with a range of other applications tailored to different betting and gaming audiences – the first being a tailored application for the next domestic football season.”

USA Rugby, arthritis the national governing body for the sport of rugby in the United States, today announced a new partnership with the global leader in sports, fashion and media, IMG.

The 10-year agreement with IMG will focus on the branding and marketing of USA Rugby’s Collegiate National Championship weekend as well as USA Rugby’s College 7s National Championship. While USA Rugby has been pleased with the recent improvements in competition, live stream production, and host venues for the Men’s D1A and Division I-AA Championships, as well as Women’s DI and DII Championships, aligning with IMG will further the positive growth and exposure of these events.

“USA Rugby and IMG will make a powerful team in transforming our National Championships into the ultimate competition in the United States for college rugby,” said USA Rugby Collegiate Director Rich Cortez. “IMG’s association with the development of major athletic events speaks volumes of the strategic direction and possibilities of college rugby in America.”

“IMG is thrilled to form a long-term relationship with USA Rugby,” stated IMG Senior Vice President Jay Ogden. “Our global footprint and knowledge of event and commercial management will help strengthen USA Rugby’s presence in the U.S. and ensure student-athletes enjoy the highest level of competition.”

The collaborative marketing and promotion of USA Rugby’s College National Championships will begin immediately, and will aim to positively enhance both the Men’s and Women’s 15s and 7s National Championships beginning in the spring of 2015.

“We are delighted that IMG chose to support rugby at this important and exciting time for the game,” said USA Rugby CEO Nigel Melville. “Combining these strengths will enable us to build a superb National Championship competition in both 7s and 15s – National Championships that are open to all and where the best programs each year can compete for the honor of being crowned National Champions.”