Business

The International Rugby Board (IRB) has announced a number of major new appointments to its Dublin-based executive team.

English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur may have had a disappointing season on the pitch but their chances of going to Europe have been enhanced by a new shirt sponsorship deal with travel agent Thomson.

The National Football League (NFL) will not exercise an option to acquire a 49 percent equity interest in the Arena Football League - the indoor American Football franchise.

FIFA general secretary Michel Zen-Ruffinen has come out all guns blazing in a stinging rebuke to current allegations claiming he meddled in CONCACAF's presidential election.

UK sports marketing company Sports Resource Group has reported a profit before tax, amortisation and exceptionals of £2.6million ($3.7m/EUR4.2m) in its preliminary year-end results.

The financial problems facing Italian football clubs are mounting after it was revealed that a number of Serie A clubs have been unable to pay players' salaries for some months.

English Premier League soccer champions Manchester United have secured a new merchandising deal with UK sportswear retailer JJB Sports.

English Premier League soccer club Leicester City has changed the name of its new stadium following fan pressure.

US-based communications company Verizon, whose sports sponsorship properties include the USA Luge Association, the United States Bobsled and Skeleton Foundation, and USA Track & Field, has picked IMG Consulting to handle its sponsorship requirements

Up to 15 PGA Tour events face financial ruin because sponsors are reluctant to pay towards the growing costs of backing tournaments, according to a survey.

Italian Serie A club Juventus is expected to announce a profit for the sixth consecutive year, the club's chief financial officer Fabrizio Prete told reporters yesterday.

Michel Zen-Ruffinen's position as FIFA's general secretary looked even more fragile last night after FIFA president Sepp Blatter criticised his involvement in an internal affair of the Confederation of North, Central American and Carribbean soccer (CONCACAF).

Privately held sports technology and internet companies suffered a 75 percent drop in investments, according to US-based investment advisors Growthink.

Germany's premier football league, the Bundesliga, has called an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss the potential financial crisis facing the division in the wake of the Kirch crisis.

United Airlines has agreed to sponsor the official website of the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea, FIFAworldcup.com.

ESPN in Latin America has sold the broadcast sponsorship to this week's Masters golf tournament to three major US corporations.

Steve Cumming, sponsorship manager of lager group Carlsberg-Tetley, and speaker at this month's SportBusiness 2002 conference, talks to sportbusiness.com about how important sport is to his company's sponsorship programme.

Leading US horse race the Kentucky Derby has signed a number of key sponsorship deals.