[b]Media[/b]
The 21-year relationship between BBC Sport and The Masters will continue for another three year after the public broadcaster inked a new deal with Augusta National Golf Club up to and including 2010. The agreement includes live television, radio and additional online rights.
Setanta and Virgin Media have appointed Geoff Hill as editor-in-chief of the soon-to-launch Setanta Sports News channel, produced by ITN. Hill will set the daily sports news agenda for the 24-hour news channel and heads a new team of nearly 60 people.
The FA has appointed deltatre media to work on the relaunch of its website, TheFA.com. The appointment was part of a comprehensive pitch to find a digital agency, led by the FA's head of marketing, Simon Freedman. The deltatre media team will be led by managing director, Paul Bristow.
ITV director of news and sport Mike Sharman has admitted that covering rugby union just once every four years with the Rugby World Cup is a problem for the broadcaster. Sharman told Marketing magazine: “That’s why we borrowed Sky Sports’ commentary teams for this World Cup - they’re the best
Sky Sports has struck new deals to show the final qualifiers for the Rugby League World Cup and the whole of next year's tournament. Under the agreement with the Rugby League World Cup organisers, Sky Sports will show across the United Kingdom and Ireland all 18 matches from next year's Rugby League World Cup in Australia exclusively live.
More than 12 million viewers in Britain – 51 per cent of the television audience - tuned in to watch England beat France in the Rugby World Cup semi-finals on ITV1. An ITV spokesperson said that the figure was higher than for any other sporting audience this year.
[b]Marketing[/b]
Edelman UK, the UK’s largest independent public relations firm, is launching a new Sports & Sponsorship practice, headed by Kate Gordon. The practice will be hubbed out of JCPR, Edelman UK’s Consumer division.
The Essentially Group will merge five units - Accelerate Sport and Music, Global Sports Management, Accelerate Motorsport, Fontiers Group and Athletes 1 - under one name and relocate to a new headquarters on Monday.
Llanera, the Spanish property company that sponsors Charlton Athletic, has collapsed. The company signed the four-year sponsorship in December 2005 in a deal worth £6.6m. It also has a £2m deal with rugby union team London Irish. Charlton Athletic has already been paid by Llanera for this season’s campaign.
Snowsport GB, the umbrella organisation for snowsports in the UK, has appointed public relations firm Weber Shandwick to raise awareness of winter sports and attract increased sponsorship revenues.
The Barclays Spaces for Sports programme has opened a new £600,000 community sports facility in Liverpool with the backing of Everton FC. The cash injection from Barclays and the Football Foundation is part of a £30 million investment from the Barclays Spaces for Sports initiative to create sustainable sports facilities across the UK.
Organisers of the FINA World Swimming Championships have added Kelloggs, Pure, GMG Radio, Serco plc and Northern Rail as official suppliers to support the event. The deals, brokered by Fast Track, join the previously announced tie up with the Manchester Evening News.
888 Holdings has chosen CHI & Partners to launch a £6 million branding campaign, which includes television advertising, in the UK. According to MarketingWeek.co.uk, the campaign is the first multi-format marketing campaign for 888, which runs the gambling sites 888.com and Pacific Poker.
The Football Association has appointed M&C Saatchi to handle its promotional activity. M&C Saatchi Sports & Entertainment will focus on FA competitions and teams, including its international sides, women's football and grassroots activity, reports Marketing magazine.
South Africa’s success in the Rugby World Cup will boost the International Marketing Council of South Africa’s launch of a marketing campaign across 90 London taxi’s designed to promote the country as a tourist destination.
[b]Events[/b]
Kit McConnell, head of Rugby World Cup at the International Rugby Board, will reflect on lessons learned over the event’s 20-year history when he delivers the opening keynote on Day 2 of the International Sports Event Management and Security ’07 conference at Wembley Stadium on November 1.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has asserted that London could one day host the Super Bowl. Goodell was speaking in advance of the regular season NFL clash between the Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants, which will be staged at Wembley Stadium on October 28.
[b]Finance[/b]
Latest financial filings of venture capital group CVC’S UK holding company, Alpha Prema, have revealed that CVC paid $1.7bn for the Formula One motor racing group in March last year. Bambino, the family trust of Bernie Ecclestone, netted $478m of the total, reports The Daily Telegraph.
