United Kingdom

Pay-per-view television company U>direct, which earlier this year covered England?s World Cup qualifying match away against Finland, is understood to be bidding for the re-structured pay-per-view rights to England?s Premier League.

Following a flat year on the business side of the US motorsports industry, H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, president and chief operating officer of Speedway Motorsports, Inc, has said that the growth experienced by the industry, and NASCAR Winston Cup racing in particular, during the 1990s will resume in 2001.

London News Network's sports division, ISN, and Carlton 021 have signed a multi-million pound production deal for OnDigital?s Football league contract.

Websites have already established themselves as the fundamental means of communication for sports teams beyond their national boundaries, disintermediating the need for broadcasters, according to evidence presented by speakers at the IOC New Media Conference in Lausanne.

The International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) is not considering moving the 2005 world championships away from Britain, IAAF general secretary Istvan Gyulai said on Tuesday.

Financial muscle has led to the recent European domination of soccer's annual Intercontinental Cup, according to Boca Juniors' head coach Carlos Bianchi.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) anti-corruption unit has a $4 million budget to investigate wrong-doing in the game.

If problems are not resolved over the proposed new athletics arena in London's Lea Valley the 2005 world athletics championships could be switched to Berlin.

Sportel exhibitors, Kingston MediaSTream, the international satellite and broadcast arm of the Kingston Communications Group, has won two major international contracts.

Barcelona FC bought up chunks of Wembley history in a memorabilia auction which raised more than #25,000 ($36,300), organisers said.

English Premier League soccer club Leeds United on Friday scored a 75 percent lift in annual pre-tax profits, driven by record crowds last season at its Elland Road ground and success in European football.

The Band & Brown Group has launched a new UK-based sports sponsorship agency.

Tickets for England?s forthcoming tests against Australia and South Africa have sold out faster than for any previous autumn internationals at Twickenham Stadium.

The European Competition Commissioner Mario Monti has met with the heads of Real Madrid, AC Milan, Ajax Amsterdam, Bayern Munich and Manchester United in Brussels to discuss the proposed changes to the transfer system.

The BBC has appointed its new director of sport.

The appointment of a new head of public relations of English Premier League club Manchester United is a `very important step forward? according to the club?s new chief executive Peter Kenyon.