U.S. Spanish network Vme has acquired the rights to broadcast the World Series of Boxing (WSB) in the U.S. Hispanic market and Puerto Rico. Carriage of the WSB will be the first sporting event to be broadcast by Vme on an ongoing basis.

Vme will begin broadcasting WSB coverage on November 20th and will continue to carry weekly matches throughout the first season. The network is also creating a WSB news and commentary program, Sexto Round, and will air this weekly on Thursday nights. 

“Vme has made a commitment to present the best international programming to its audience. The WSB is an extraordinary example and we are pleased to bring it to the Hispanic community that has a long tradition of boxing fans. The importance of this tournament and the fact that it is supported by AIBA and the International Olympic Committee made it a must in our schedule,” said Guillermo Sierra, Vme’s senior vice president.

Ivan Khodabakhsh, chief operating officer of the World Series of Boxing, said “I am delighted that Vme has acquired the U.S. Hispanic Broadcasting Rights for the WSB. Given the location of our teams in Los Angeles, Memphis, Mexico City and Miami, the Hispanic market is extremely important for WSB. I also welcome Vme’s commitment to support the launch of the first season with extensive promotion on their network.”

The World Series of Boxing is a new global boxing series that is an initiative of AIBA, the International
Boxing Association, under the leadership of its president Dr. C.K. Wu.The WSB comprises 12 city-based Franchise teams spread across three regional conferences: Asia, the Americas and Europe. During the regular season (November 2010 to March 2011), teams in each conference will compete against each other over two home and two away legs (a total of 12 matches per team).

Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan’s investment in the club has gone past the half billion pound mark after he injected an additional 80 million pounds into it.

Since buying City in 2009, he has invested over 573 million pounds, The Guardian reports.

According to documents released to Companies House last Monday, Mansour purchased 37,547,169 new shares in the Eastlands club on September 30, each costing him 2.12 million pounds.

It amounted to 79.6 million pounds of fresh investment.

The sum raises fresh questions about City”s capacity to meet new regulations coming in to force from next season.

UEFA”s financial fair-play rules require that no club should make an aggregate loss of more than Euro45m (about 39 million pounds) over the three seasons from 2011-12, or it will face being excluded from European competition.

The National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) has filed a grievance over the league’s decision to reject the US$102 million, 17-year contract between Ilya Kovalchuk and the New Jersey Devils.

The NHL initially rejected the contract last week saying it violated strict salary cap rules in place.

But the NHLPA has disputed that belief, saying that under the collective bargaining agreement, the union and Kovalchuk are entitled to an expedited resolution.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement: “Although there is no defined timetable at this point, we intend to work with the Players’ Association to ensure an expeditious  resolution of this dispute. The league looks forward to the opportunity to establish its position before the arbitrator.”

Kovalchuk’s deal was initially rejected because he was set to earn US$550,000 in each of the last five years of the contract, whereas he was set to earn US$98.5 million in the first eleven years of the deal.

By extending Kovalchuk’s contract, and paying him less money late in the deal, the Devils lowered their salary cap to US$6 million annually.

Other similar long-term deals have been signed without incident, although none of them are as long, or taper as sharply as Kovalchuk’s.

Transport for London (TfL) has unveiled plans to build a cable car across the River Thames linking the O2 Arena with the Excel Centre, which are both Olympic and Paralympic venues for the 2012 Games.

The £25 million (US$37 million) scheme could provide a crossing every 30 seconds, and carry up to 2,500 passengers an hour in each direction, cutting travel times dramatically between the two venues.

The London Mayor, Boris Johnson, said: “A cable car spanning the majestic Thames would not only provide a unique and pioneering addition to London’s skyline but also offer a serene and joyful journey across the river.

“Passengers would be able to drink in the truly spectacular views of the Olympic Park and iconic London landmarks whilst shaving valuable minutes from their travelling time.”

London’s Transport Commissioner, Peter Hendy, said: “A privately funded cable car system offers a relatively quick and cost effective way of improving connections across the river for pedestrians and cyclists.”

Barcelona, Cologne, Hong Kong, Lisbon, Madrid and New York already have urban cable cars, but this would be a first for Britain.

Providing funding and planning permission are secured, the cars should be in place in time for the 2012 Games.

With the 2014 FIFA World Cup on the horizon, adidas have begun their marketing campaign for the prestigious tournament by releasing an official advert.

The advert stars some of the world’s best football players including Leo Messi, Dani Alves, Luis Suárez, Robin van Persie, Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Xavi. The advert, known as “Leo Messi’s World Cup Dream”, officially marks the start of the adidas “#allin or nothing” 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil campaign.

The advert initially aired on TV screens around the world at half time during the UEFA Champions League Final and has already received over 27 million views and counting.

Tom Ramsden, Global Brand Marketing Director, adidas football, said: “This advert presents the “#allin or nothing” attitude by showcasing the dedication and commitment required to winning this great tournament.

“We are incredibly proud of this film and the entire ‘all in or nothing’ campaign. By bringing together the creative powers of Fernando (Meirelles), Cassiano (Prado) and Kanye; and combining them with the best players in the world, we present a unique, fresh and authentic view of the World Cup that only adidas can deliver.”

The DTM will be returning to China after a three-year absence as part of the 2014 race season, it has been confirmed.

On the weekend of 26th to 28th September, the world’s most popular touring car series will stage a race in China for only the third time in its history.

Record DTM championship winner Bernd Schneider has already taken a first look at the planned circuit in Guangzhou. The city is situated in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, formerly known as Canton. Schneider and two-time Formula 1 champion Mika Häkkinen attended an AMG event in China yesterday evening at which the current EURONICS Mercedes AMG C-Coupé was showcased. The track is planned to be 4.1 kilometres in length and – subject to approval by national and international motor racing authorities – will feature four right-hand and two left-hand turns. 

The DTM has raced on two previous occasions in China. Both of these events took place on street circuits in the city of Shanghai and were won by Mercedes-Benz driver Gary Paffett. In a special invitation race in 2004, Paffett claimed a narrow win ahead of fellow Mercedes-Benz driver Bernd Schneider. When Shanghai hosted the finale of the 2010 season, Mercedes-Benz once again emerged victorious, with a one-two podium finish for Paffett and team-mate Paul di Resta. Furthermore, second place in this race was enough to secure the 2010 DTM title for the Scotsman. 

Wolfgang Schattling, Head of DTM Management, said: “We are delighted to have been invited back to China as part of next year’s DTM. The People’s Republic of China is the largest automobile market in the world and is extremely important for Mercedes-Benz as the single most important market for our S-Class. For this reason, we were supportive right from the start of the initiative to stage a DTM race in China. With our DTM involvement in Guangzhou, we aim to play our part in ensuring that the race in one of the largest metropolises in southern China becomes a regular fixture on the DTM calendar and an annual highlight for Chinese motorsport fans. Mercedes-Benz has won the only two DTM races so far contested in China – namely in 2004 and 2010 with Gary Paffett at the wheel – and our goal for September 2014 is obviously to make it a hat-trick.”

Golf Australia has agreed a new partnership with Urban Golf Australia (UBA) to assist the organisation in growing its number of participants throughout Australia.

With the emergence of a number of new recreational pursuits that are now available to Australians, sales Golf Australia has identified the need to develop and support innovative formats of the game that connect with future golfers.

Cameron Wade, capsule Golf Australia’s Director of Golf Development said, “We think it is very important to support new innovative initiatives that grows participation and breaks down the barriers to the sport. Urban golf provides opportunities to engage with new participation segments and also to change some of the negative perceptions of the game.”

Urban golf in Australia began as an evolution of beach golf in the small coastal town of Sawtell in New South Wales. At the same time people were taking golf clubs to the streets around the world and discovering the fun of urban golfing. From France to the streets of New York and Germany, more and more people are playing urban golf. There are no rules; all you need is a club and a ball.

Through the popularity of urban golf, a World Urban Golf Day has been held annually for the last six years that promotes urban golf as an international event in a “live aid” style of format in what is now over 30 different countries worldwide. UBA has participated in World Urban Golf Day which is held annually in September, and has so far raised thousands of dollars for charity.

In conjunction with PlayGolf week that is being held in South Australia from 28 October to 3 November, an urban golf day is also being conducted at Adelaide City Skate Park.