SportBusiness Staff

English soccer chiefs will invite formal offers from firms wanting to sponsor match referees in the coming weeks.
Events

The International Association of Athletic Federations continues its evaluation of the bidding cities to host the 2005 World Championships, SPORTELAmerica opens for business in Miami, the new AFL season begins with a new broadcast package and the Major League Baseball season gets under way at the end of the week.
Media

The Extreme Group is believed to have put in a bid for the action sports assets of the financially troubled Sportsworld Media Group, sportbusiness.com has learned.
Media

Rights holder and Pay-TV satellite platform DirecTV Latin America has secured its fourth TV rights sub-licensing deal in Mexico for this summer's World Cup tournament, much to the relief of the country's free-to-air market-leading broadcaster.
Stadia

In the build-up to the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, the Chinese government is embarking on one of its biggest sporting projects to date.
Business

Manchester United is expected to see revenues rise by about £7million ($10m/EUR11m) to £77m ($110m/EUR125m) for the half-year ending January 31, according to sports analysts at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein.
Events

The resilience of English soccer clubs could be put to the ultimate test by ITV Digital's threat to reduce its fees for lower league broadcast rights.
Business

UEFA's in-house marketing team has signed its first major sponsorship deal for the Euro 2004 soccer tournament.

Formula One's Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed the first Russian Grand Prix will take place in 2004 - and not next year as originally planned, according to the BBC.
Business

Major League Baseball's Chicago White Sox has signed an exclusive multi-year ticketing deal with Tickets.com.