USA

The co-founder of Broadcast.com has struck a deal to buy the Dallas Mavericks, according to a report in USA Today.

Michael Jordan and the majority owner of the Washington Wizards have agreed in principle to give the retired superstar control of team basketball operations, according to the Washington Post.

Peacock Financial Corp., the investment holding company which includes The San Diego Soccer Development Corp among its portfolio of companies, has purchased the `A? league franchise for Orange County, California, from the United Soccer Leagues (USL).

Peacock Real Estate Development Corporation (PDC), the wholly owned subsidiary of Peacock Financial Corporation, has signed an agreement with Milwaukee-based The Stadium Game, LLC to assist TSG in identifying stadium, arena, recreational and entertainment facility development opportunities in the Western United States.

Rupert Murdoch's Fox Group has expanded its sports empire by pushing ahead with an agreement to take a stake in a new arena in Loa Angeles and options in the Los Angeles Lakers basketball and Kings hockey teams.

Denver based sponsorship evaluation and marketing company the Bonham Group has launched a new market research company to measure brand awareness and consumer attitudes in the sports and entertainment industry.

London based ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi says it has won the global advertising contract for New Zealand's national rugby union team, the All Blacks, by their new sponsor Adidas-Salomon AG.

Bud Selig, acting baseball commissioner for nearly six years, has been officially given the job on a permanent basis after a unanimous vote by the 30 major league owners.

Callaway Golf Co reports a California federal court has allowed its golf ball trademark and false advertising suit against Spalding Worldwide to go ahead.

Australian broadcaster Seven Network is reported to be offering one and two-year advertising packages to potential Olympic telecast sponsors for A$7.5 million and A$13.5 million respectively.

National Football League owners have accepted a $530 million bid for the expansion Cleveland Browns from businessman Alfred Lerner following one of the most intense bidding wars in sports history.

ABC's Monday Night Football continued to dominate ratings this week but Baseball and Clinton's Presidential peccadilloes made for unspectacular figures, with the lowest rated Dallas game ever.

The controversial goods and services tax (GST), due to be introduced just before the 2000 Olympic Games, could blow a A$110 million (HK$522 million) hole in the budget for the event, organisers have warned.

Negotiators for NBA owners and the locked out players have spent four hours at the bargaining table discussing less contentious non-economic issues.

On Day 136 of the NBA lockout, some owners talked Sunday about commissioner David Stern and his approach to negotiating a new deal with the players.

The distribution of the 32 places in the 2002 FIFA World Cup will be a major topic of discussion when the FIFA Executive Committee meets in Zurich on Thursday 3 and Friday 4 December 1998.