Cadbury Strengthens London 2012 Ties

Cadbury has become an official supporter of the Games Maker programme in order to strengthen its ties with the London 2012 Olympic Games. The company were already announced in 2008 as the official treat provider to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Cadbury will play its part in the London 2012 Games Maker programme by aiming to bring games and team building spirit to the Games Maker experience. Cadbury is aiming to push its Spots v Stripes campaign through the Games Maker selection process, ailment by playing the game at the selection days with the aim of bringing the volunteers together.

70, clinic 000 people will be chosen from the quarter of a million that have applied for the Games Maker programme, for the volunteer initiative at selection centres across the UK over the next 14 months.

Tottenham make £6.6m loss despite record revenues

Tottenham made a £6.6m loss after tax for the year ending 30 June 2010 following the investment in a squad that clinched fourth place in last season’s Premier League and a place in the Champions League.

Increased prize money for the north London club’s highest position since 1990 contributed to record revenue of £119.8m in the annual report released today, but the team could not match last year’s £23.2m profit after buying players including Sébastien Bassong, Peter Crouch and Younes Kaboul. Profits before player trading were £22.7m.

Still, qualification for the lucrative Champions League was expected to boost income further this season. “We are benefiting now from our investment to date in the first-team squad,” the chairman Daniel Levy said.

Tottenham said total income was up 6%, despite a lack of European competition, due to a season of sold-out home matches and increased broadcast revenue.

But that lack of European midweek matches contributed to a drop in sponsorship and corporate hospitality income to £25.8m from £27.4m, while revenue from ticket sales dropped by a similar amount for the same reason even though all 38 Premier League matches at the 36,310-seat White Hart Lane stadium were full.

Since 30 June, Tottenham have added William Gallas, Stipe Pletikosa, Sandro and Rafael van der Vaart to their squad for around £20m. That expense will feature in next year’s results, although Tottenham should compensate for that in Champions League income.

Source: Guardian.co.uk

Wales looks to host more major sporting events

Wales’ deputy first minister Ieuan Wyn Jones has said talks have begun over the possibility of Cardiff hosting the Uefa Champions League Final.

The announcement comes with the launch of the country’s first Major Events Strategy yesterday. The Strategy aims to build on opportunities which may arise from Newport staging this year’s Ryder Cup golf tournament, and Wales is now looking to host other major sporting events in the future.

Wyn Jones said: “Wales is now delivering the Ryder Cup on behalf of a continent and going forward we will work with Welsh, UK and International federations to realise the huge untapped potential that remains in other sporting events as well as in artistic and cultural genres.

“The Rugby World Cup in 1999 got the ball rolling and our partners at Wales Rugby Union and the Millennium Stadium are now the custodians of one of the most dramatic, versatile and enjoyable major events locations in the world.”

Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium hosted six FA Cup finals between 2001 and 2006 and will host Olympic football as part of the 2012 London Games.

Nigerian president reverses ban on national team

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has reversed his decision to ban the national football team from international competition for two years after their poor performance at this summer’s FIFA World Cup.

FIFA had given the Nigerian Government a deadline of 1700 BST yesterday afternoon to lift the ban or face a larger punishment, as under FIFA rules, any government interference on member associations is strictly prohibited.

The presidency said in a statement: “The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) assured the president of their commitment to evolving an enduring football development programme, and grow a new senior national team that will bring glory rather than consistent embarrassment to Nigeria on the World stage.

“Based on these assurances, and the appeals of well-meaning Nigerians, including former leaders, President Jonathan has decided to review the earlier two-year ban on the country from all international competition.”

On Sunday, two of the NFF’s top officials were sacked in an effort to appease the president.

Schedule and format announced for Champions League T20

The format and match schedule for the second edition of the Airtel Champions League Twenty20 in South Africa has been announced.

The ten competing teams will be split into two groups of five for a round robin phase before the top two teams from each group progress to the semi-finals.

The Airtel Champions League T20 is the grand finale of the Twenty20 season and sees the world’s ten champion teams take each other on.

This year’s competition will begin on 10 September and will see Sachin Tendaulker’s Mumbai Indians take on the Highveld Lions at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.

 

WWE Unveils New Logo

WWE have announced it has officially changed its corporate logo to convey a more contemporary, doctor bold and powerful image while maintaining the iconic “W, sales ” which has been a part of the company’s long-storied history. 

“We are excited to launch a new logo that reflects the evolution and future of WWE’s global brand, anesthetist ” said Stephanie McMahon, Chief Brand Officer, WWE.  “While we usher in a new iconic brand identity, WWE’s best-in-class entertainment, which has stood the test of time for the past 50 years, will continue to reward our fans’ passion with our exciting blend of unique characters, incredible athleticism and engaging storylines.”

Fans will begin to see it during SummerSlam, this Sunday, August 17, live on WWE Network and pay-per-view as the logo is rolled out across all platforms including live and televised entertainment, consumer products, digital media and WWE Studios.

FEI Appoints Pitch to Boost Promotion for 2014 World Equestrian Games & Nations Cup

The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) has appointed the international communications consultancy Pitch to promote the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2014 in Normandy, France and the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping to a global audience. 

Pitch has been appointed to provide PR and social media support for the FEI’s leading global events. Working in collaboration with the communications and marketing team at the FEI, Pitch will play a key role in sharing the rich diversity of stories and opportunities offered by the 7th edition of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping with audiences throughout the world. 

This year’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, which runs from 23 August to 7 September, will feature the finest athletes in equestrian sport competing in the seven official FEI disciplines: Jumping, Dressage & Para-Equestrian Dressage, Eventing, Driving, Reining, Vaulting and Endurance.  2014 will see a record number of nations taking part with 72 countries set to be represented at the event in Normandy, making this the world’s largest equestrian sport event. 

Lisa Lazarus, Chief of Business Development & Strategy, FEI said: “We are delighted to have Pitch as part of the wider FEI marketing communications team. Pitch brings considerable experience from their work on a range of the biggest international sporting events.  We look forward to working with them to maximise all the opportunities presented by the world-class showcase of equestrian sport and culture to help place these events on the global map.” 

Henry Chappell, Chief Executive, Pitch said: “This is an exciting year for the FEI. The  Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2014 and the Furusiyya Nations Cup Jumping are two great properties with significant potential for growth. We are thrilled to be handed a major role working with the FEI to promote these leading international equestrian events to a global audience.”

Gillette Stadium Retains FieldTurf Partnership for Playing Surface Upgrade

Officials from Gillette Stadium, which hosts the NFL’s New England Patriots and MLS’ New England Revolution have selected FieldTurf’s Revolution turf system and VersaTile drainage for their new upgrade to their surface.

The installation of the FieldTurf Revolution and VersaTile has begun and will be completed and ready for use for the Revolution’s next home match on April 12.

The FieldTurf Revolution product is currently used at many venues across North America, including CenturyLink Field (home to the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and MLS’s Seattle Sounders) and Providence Park, home of the MLS’s Portland Timbers, where its installation was recently completed.

FieldTurf was initially installed at Gillette Stadium in November of 2006, which marked the first in-season grass-to-turf conversion in National Football League history. Since then, Gillette Stadium has utilized FieldTurf products exclusively and the Patriots have enjoyed unprecedented success at home with a league-leading .870 winning percentage (60-9). 

“When we made the decision to install a new turf surface, we underwent an extensive evaluation and testing program of many other turf products in the marketplace” said Jim Nolan, Senior Vice President of Finance, Administration and Operations. “Selecting the FieldTurf Revolution product was a well-informed decision. What we are getting is an elite level turf system that will significantly benefit our players for years to come.” 

“FieldTurf is thrilled to continue our long-standing relationship with the New England Patriots and the New England Revolution,” said FieldTurf President Eric Daliere. “We pride ourselves on delivering innovative and high quality synthetic playing surfaces and are extremely proud that two of the highest profile teams in North American professional sports will continue to play their games on our surface.”

Second Spanish European Tour Event Added to Calendar

Spain is set to host two European Tour tournaments after it was announced the NH Collection Open was added to the schedule.

The new event, nurse a dual-ranking tournament made up of European Tour and Challenge Tour members, site will be played at La Reserva de Sotogrande Club de Golf from April 3-6 with a prize fund of 600,000 euros.

Spain has long been a popular destination for the European Tour, but hosted just one event in 2013 after the country was badly hit by the global economic crisis.

Keith Waters, chief operating officer and director of international policy of the European Tour, said: “We are delighted to announce this new tournament in southern Europe, and hope this is a sign of recovery after a difficult time economically in this region.

“It will give our members another opportunity to play, and for Challenge Tour members the NH Collection Open is a great chance to earn instant promotion to the European Tour.”

Spain will also host the Spanish Open once again this year at PGA Catalunya from May 15-18.

New York Knicks Remain NBA’s Most Valuable Franchise

With on-court proceedings not going the plan, the New York Knicks were lifted today after Forbes named the NBA franchise the most valuable according to the annual league list.

The Knicks topped the list at a worth of $1.4 billion, helped along by the renovation of Madison Square Garden, which in part led to an all-time record profit of $96 million last season.

The Los Angeles Lakers finished second with a valuation of $1.35 billion on the heels of turning what Forbes says was a $66 million operating profit last year despite a league-high payroll and a luxury-tax bill of $29.3 million. The Chicago Bulls, at $1 billion, are the NBA’s third billion-dollar team. Four years of league-leading attendance and control of player costs have turned the Bulls into a solid cash cow.

The Boston Celtics, at $875 million, are No. 4.

The magazine estimated that the average franchise is now worth $634 million, up a remarkable 25 percent from just a year ago. Profits doubled to an all-time high of $23.7 million per team.

Franchise values have soared in recent years thanks to the anticipation of a business that will continually grow — including national television rights deals that are currently being negotiated for beyond the 2015-16 season — as well as unprecedented turnover. More than 30 percent of the league’s teams have changed ownership groups since 2010.

New venues have certainly helped teams, especially the Nets’ move from New Jersey to Brooklyn. In two years, Forbes estimates the move to the Barclays Center has contributed to a 108 percent rise in franchise value.

Just two years ago, Forbes said the Nets were the 14th-most valuable team with a worth of $357 million. This year, the team owned by Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, is worth $780 million and is the fifth-most valuable franchise in the league. At 47 percent, the Nets’ franchise value rose faster than any other team in the league in the past year, Forbes estimates.

As commissioner David Stern prepares to hand the reins to longtime deputy Adam Silver after a 30-year tenure, Forbes notes the immense business the league has become. The magazine said the NBA had revenues of $118 million for the 1982-83 season, the last full year before Stern became commissioner. Last year, the league’s revenue was $4.6 billion.

Franchise values in the NBA still pale in comparison to the NFL. Forbes estimated that the average NFL team is worth $1.17 billion, with 23 teams having a worth topping $1 billion.