Spreadex, the financial and sports spread betting firm, has recorded its highest ever monthly volume of sports bets thanks to the FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Spreadex said that sports bets increased by 16 per cent compared to its previous highest levels set in March this year. The company has also seen its highest ever number of unique bettors and new registered accounts.

A Spreadex spokesman said: “The World Cup is the biggest betting event on the globe and it always helps when matches are shown on terrestrial television rather than satellite TV, but we’ve been surprised in the upturn in business.

“England’s early exit doesn’t seem to have had a negative impact. In fact we’ve had higher number of bets placed on many matches featuring other countries rather than the games involving the Three Lions.”

Spreadex launched its online sports betting service in May 2006, and launched its fixed odds sports division in May 2010.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has signed a two-year deal to broadcast the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at London’s O2 Arena.

The event, which takes place from 21 to 28 November, is the conclusion to the men’s professional tennis season, and consists of the world’s eight highest ranked singles and doubles players.

The deal will see the BBC show a live match every day, including the opening match, one semi-final and the final.

The event moved from Shanghai to London in 2009, and was hugely popular in its first year in London, setting an all-time indoor tennis attendance record with 256,000 fans coming over eight days.

All matches broadcast by the BBC will also be available on its iPlayer service.

InfrontRingier Sports & Entertainment Switzerland is to become a strategic partner of Swiss Indoors Basel handling commercialisation of the sponsorship opportunities for the third largest indoor tennis tournament in the world.

The leading Swiss sports marketing company is to offer the main sponsorship packages of the ATP World Tour 500 tournament – at national and international level

For international sponsorship marketing, therapy InfrontRingier will work closely with the sales teams of parent company Infront Sports & Media. As one of the leading sports marketing companies worldwide, advice the Group has an extensive network and long-term experience in the marketing of top international properties – including the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, cheap FIS Ski World Cup events, the DFB and the UCI World Championships.

The new partnership follows the acknowledgement of the Swiss Indoors Basel tournament as part of the ATP 500 World Tour series: “This promotion was a quantum leap towards putting Swiss Indoors on the international stage. Considering the international competition, it is important to strengthen and promote the reputation of our tournament.

We are convinced that InfrontRingier is well positioned for this complex task and will stand up to the challenge”, says Roger Brennwald, President of Swiss Indoors Basel.

The tournament achieves significant TV exposure: Spread over seven days, more than 3,300 hours of coverage are broadcast into over 175 countries. This makes the Swiss Indoors Basel one of the most widely watched Swiss sports events on TV internationally.

Armin Meier, Managing Director of InfrontRingier, added: “Tennis is one of the most popular sports in Switzerland. The long standing tradition of the Swiss Indoors Basel and the great successes of the Swiss athletes contribute to the enormous fascination of this sport throughout the country.

“As an ATP World Tour tournament, the event is a permanent fixture on the Swiss sports landscape and is therefore highly valued – having reached international acclaim. Sponsors have an opportunity to align with a premium platform, both engaging with enthusiastic spectators on-site and benefitting from cumulative audiences of several million worldwide.”

Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club have been awarded hosting rights to the 2018 edition of the 29er World Championship by the International 29er Class Association.

In congratulating RHKYC, allergist International 29er Class President Barry Johnson said: “RHKYC is a club known for its professionalism and its volunteer base both of which are integral in the running of a successful event. To say the class is excited in its decision to award such an event to Hong Kong would be an understatement.”

As an ISAF recognised one-design class and one of the few sailing disciplines where competition is not segregated on the basis of gender, herbal the 29er is the largest asymmetric class in the world, health   having global appeal as a double handed skiff with fractional spinnaker and trapeze. 

The 2018 event will represent the first time that the World Championship has been organised in Asia and it is hoped that this will encourage the development of the class in the region. Emerging 29er nations such as Thailand, India, Singapore and Japan are expected to attend, together with the more established fleets.

Hong Kong representative for the International 29er Class, Mei Han Cheung, predicted a surge in interest in the class, saying: “it is very exciting that Hong Kong will be the first Asian city to stage the 29er World Championships in 2018. It will be a milestone for 29er sailing in Hong Kong and Asia, and a target for the local youth sailors to strive for.”

RHKYC Commodore, Mark Whitehead commented: “All at RHKYC are delighted to have the honour and privilege to host the 2018 29er Worlds, my only regret is that age and lack of agility (ability) prevent me from competing. It will be a great event.”

Ticketing provider Paciolan has extended its 30-year partnership with Georgia Tech University.

Georgia Tech will continue leveraging Paciolan’s best-of-breed ticketing online ticketing system, data warehouse solution, and the company’s strategic partnership with StubHub. In conjunction with the renewal, Georgia Tech has implemented Marketing Automation, a behavior based multi-channel marketing solution powered by FanOne Marketing (FanOne). Georgia Tech has been a Paciolan partner since 1984. Paciolan is a subsidiary of the Philadelphia-based sports and entertainment firm Comcast-Spectacor.

“We are excited to continue our 30-year partnership with Paciolan, a technology company that delivers proven products and service that support our strategic initiatives,” said Mike Bobinski, Director of Athletics at Georgia Tech. “Paciolan continues to evolve and offer intriguing solutions that we are able to offer to our fans and donors.”

“Marketing Automation enables us to deliver targeted messaging and linked communications that ultimately helps us sell smarter and generate additional revenue,” said Rick Thorpe, Associate Athletics Director, Sales and Fan Experience at Georgia Tech. “Through this platform we are driving and tracking traffic to microsites which list the benefits and amenities that highlight our enhanced gameday experiences available to our fans.”

Georgia Tech continues to leverage Paciolan’s industry-leading eVenue online ticketing solution to efficiently sell tickets in real-time at RamblinWreck.com. Using the branded eCommerce site, fans are able to purchase tickets and manage their accounts online in a secured environment, and have the ability to select their own seats via interactive pick your own seat maps for football, basketball and baseball events, along with the option to print their tickets from home.

With the renewed partnership, Georgia Tech will be adopting mobile ticketing and delivery through Paciolan’s Access scanning solution. Beginning with the 2014 football season at Bobby Dodd Stadium, Yellow Jackets fans will have the convenience of using their mobile devices to bypass will call lines and enter the stadium upon arrival. The solution also provides Georgia Tech with enhanced real-time attendance reports and information to better serve their customers to build lifelong relationships.

Additionally, Georgia Tech continues to utilize Paciolan’s integration with strategic partner StubHub, which provides them with a platform for ticket resale through its eCommerce site. The integration allows football and men’s basketball season ticket, single game or combo pack ticket holders the opportunity to resell unused tickets in a safe and secure environment on the secondary market. StubHub provides Georgia Tech with a platform to build relationships with fans purchasing tickets on the secondary site, and affords buyers with access to great seats, and the ability to print and receive tickets instantly at home or via mobile delivery.

“Paciolan delivers the technology and analytics tools that are crucial to our business. The solutions we utilize allow us to know the make-up of our fan base, how to best service them, and ultimately convert them into lifelong customers,” added Thorpe.

“We are pleased to continue our 30-year partnership with Georgia Tech and assist in their efforts to deliver innovative solutions,” said Dave Butler, Chief Executive Officer of Paciolan. “Georgia Tech is a leader in adopting new and leading technology that enables their athletic department to create lasting relationships with their fans.”

The Philadelphia Eagles have teamed up with Marvel Custom Solutions to create an all-new, impotent custom and exclusive comic that narrates the adventure of their mascor Swoop.

Hard copies of the comic were distributed to members of the Eagles Kids Club who attended the Halloween Party at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday, cialis November 2. The Eagles also released the comic frame by frame throughout the week via the team’s social networks.

This marks the second straight year that the Eagles have worked with Marvel Entertainment. The comic book company also created a Brian Dawkins “Weapon X” poster which was distributed to fans who attended the game on September 30, 2012, when Dawkins’ number was retired.

“Marvel did a fantastic job of putting together a story that explains SWOOP’s origin, as well as his role with the Eagles and in the Philadelphia community,” said Brian Papson, Eagles’ Vice President of Marketing. “We enjoy working with their creative team on these types of special projects and we are always looking for fun ways to partner with them.”

The four largest bookmakers in the UK have secured a four-year deal with British racing to make voluntary contributions of £4.5million per annum into the newly-created Incentive Fund.

Taking effect from April 2014, the payments from William Hill, Ladbrokes, Coral and Betfred will be managed by a new distribution group made up of representatives from the likes of the Levy Board, British Horseracing Authority, Racecourse Association, Horsemen’s Group and the bookmakers themselves to advise on how best to distribute the money.

As part of the arrangement, the four bookmakers have agreed to underwrite a combined contribution payable through the statutory Levy of not less than £47.5m per year, as well as the additional voluntary contributions.

With the announcement of the 53rd Levy Scheme also arriving, total income to the Levy Board from bookmakers in 2014-15 is estimated to reach £80.2m, including Betfair’s £7.8m contribution.

A statement on behalf of William Hill, Ladbrokes, Coral and Betfred said: “We are delighted to have reached an arrangement with racing, which will see the biggest four bookmakers in Britain inject an additional £18m into British racing over the next four years.

“This addition to our normal statutory Levy payments will ensure that the four companies underwrite a minimum £52m per year to the Levy Board.

“British racing is a core product in our betting offices and we want to see it grow and thrive. The £18m will be used to improve the competitiveness of the racing product, making it more appealing to both racegoers and betting office customers alike.

“We look forward to working closely with our colleagues from racing over the next four years and maintaining, and enhancing, Britain’s status as the number one horseracing nation in the world.”

BHA chief executive Paul Bittar said: “This arrangement has the support of the principal organisations in the sport, including the Racecourse Association and Horsemen’s Group, and represents a positive step forwards in the prevailing circumstances.

“We are pleased to reach an early Levy settlement, and in turn trigger a significant additional voluntary contribution from the big four retail operators for the next four years.

“This additional funding, coupled with a continuation of the underwrite, brings a degree of certainty and considerable upside in the coming years, and we would like to place on record our appreciation towards the big four bookmakers and the Levy Board in helping us reach this arrangement.

“Importantly, the arrangement places the emphasis on joint efforts with the betting industry to make the racing product even more compelling, and competitive year-round. We look forward to working with the big four bookmakers to put the new Incentive Fund to best use, and grow Levy income further.”

Major League Baseball’s Oakland Athletics have reached a 20-year agreement to conduct Spring Training in the city of Mesa beginning in 2015.

The deal also includes a pair of five-year team options that could extend Oakland’s stay in Arizona’s East Valley City to 30 years.

That means Oakland will vacate the outdated Phoenix Municipal Stadium after the conclusion of Spring Training next year, which will mark its 32nd consecutive year there, in favor of a new home at a renovated HoHoKam Stadium. That’s where they played their games in 1977 and ’78, after an eight-year stay at Mesa’s Rendezvous Park.

The Cubs reside at HoHoKam, but will be moving into a new facility in Mesa in 2014, leaving the city a year to complete renovations expecting to total $20 million. Some of those funds will be used to expand and remodel Fitch Park, where the A’s will conduct workouts on its four practice fields.

It was Monday night when Mesa City Council approved the agreement, which calls for the city to pay $17.5 million and the A’s to provide $2.5 million.

“Certainly there’s money going into it,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “Nothing’s really going into [Phoenix Muni], and it’s dated, so our organization is looking to get into a place that’s more modern. Our facilities are lacking a little bit, and therefore I certainly understand the move.”

As part of the renovation plans, HoHoKam will feature completely renovated seating, a new scoreboard, a remodeled home team clubhouse, remodeled and expanded weight rooms, two new rehabilitation pools, a field replacement and a remodeled and expanded team store.

Over at Fitch Park, meanwhile, both the training building and team clubhouse will be expanded and remodeled, while all practice fields will receive an upgrade.

“We are extremely excited about our future spring home and want to thank the city of Mesa for all their hard work and cooperation in making this agreement possible,” said A’s owner and managing partner Lew Wolff. “With the improvements planned over the next two years, we believe HoHoKam Stadium and surrounding facilities will rival any in Major League Baseball. Our players and coaches, as well as our great fans, will be the beneficiaries.”