Global

Cycling
Business

International Cycling Union (UCI) president Brian Cookson has shrugged off the threat of legal action from former president Hein Verbruggen over the contents of the report from the Cycling Independent Reform Commission (CIRC) into doping in the sport.

Football
Business

Former Fifa Executive Committee member Chuck Blazer agreed to act undercover for US investigators and has been cooperating with the government’s investigation into corruption in world football since at least 2011, it emerged on Monday, as the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Confederation of African Football (CAF) denied knowledge of the possibility of Sepp Blatter staying on as Fifa president.

The IMG agency has furthered its presence in eSports by signing global representation deals with the Cloud9, Dignitas and SK Gaming organisations.

Gian Franco Kasper has been appointed as the interim head of SportAccord, following the resignation of Marius Vizer last month.

Football
Business

Domenico Scala, the head of the auditing and compliance committee at Fifa, has said Sepp Blatter’s departure as president is a “clearly indispensable” part of regime change at football’s global governing body, amid a report that the Swiss may reverse his decision to step down.

Football
Business

Prosecutors have been ordered to unseal the plea agreement between former Fifa executive committee member Chuck Blazer and the US government.

Football

Konami Digital Entertainment has sealed an extension to its exclusive deal with Uefa that allows the computer gaming company to feature elements of the European football governing body’s Champions League and Europa League club football tournaments in its Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) series.

Basketball
Business

NBA basketball franchise the Cleveland Cavaliers has entered into partnerships with ESP Properties and Property Consulting Group (PCG) to promote its brand outside North America by securing international commercial deals.

Baseball

LAUSANNE (Switzerland) -- The president of the World Baseball Softball Confederation, Riccardo Fraccari, today announced that the world governing body has submitted an official proposal to the Tokyo Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (TOCOG) for the addition of men's baseball and women's softball at the 2020 Games.

Football

English Premier League clubs have voted to remove the League's title sponsor category once Barclays existing deal expires at the end of the 2016/17 season.

 

 

Rugby Union
Events

Is the rebranding of sports federations a waste of time and money?
Media

The skills needed to win friends and influence people on Twitter are changing as fast as the technology that promotes them. Owen Evans spoke to social media experts working at six mainstream sports media outlets to identify how they have achieved strong followings, interaction and engagement.
Business

Vlad Marinescu, Director General of SportAccord, on why he is supporting his former President Marius Vizer after that speech, and the future for his organisation’s multi-sport events
Other

Ohio University made it a hat-trick of wins after its Master of Sports Administration programme was named the best postgraduate sports course in the world for 2015. Owen Evans looks at why a world outside the classroom has made it happen.

Football
Business

Owen Evans spoke to the FIFA presidential race’s inner circle – ex-members, lobbyists and national association chairmen – to see whether anyone can actually oust Sepp Blatter from his FIFA throne.
Media

Charly Classen, ESPN’s boss for EMEA, told Elisha Chauhan why recent acquisitions for ESPN Player illustrate its successful approach to broadcasting non-premium sports content.
Business

Do leaders of sport’s not-for-profit organisations justify their superstar salaries? 

Football
Business

If it does not happen this month, experts predict FIFA President Sepp Blatter will have to finally relinquish his throne in four years’ time. Owen Evans looks at the possible candidates were that to happen.