Media

UK commercial broadcaster ITV has hit back at claims its new English soccer Premier League highlights show was a flop ? despite losing out in the ratings to rival BBC1?s Weakest Link show on its debut outing on Saturday night.

Sportsworld Media Group, the London-based sports marketing group, has finalised its $3m (?3.4m) acquisition of Uplink Sport, New Zealand?s largest independent producer of sports programmes.

US broadcaster ESPN is to trial its fledgling broadband internet service after striking up a partnership with Comcast Corporation to offer broadband content to cable modem customers in the Philadelphia area during the X Games.
Sport and Broadband: A new report from SportBusiness Group: Click here

New Zealand-based venture capital firm IT Capital (ITC) has updated investors on the fortunes of its investment portfolio, which includes the sports broadcast enhancement company, Virtual Spectator.

London soccer club Arsenal has become the first club to charge visitors to its website to view highlights of its matches.

The September 8 fight between former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and Denmark's Brian Nielsen has been finalised, Danish promoter Mogens Palle has confirmed.

EchoStar Communications Corp's $30.4billion (?34.7bn) unsolicited bid to buy the rival satellite television company Hughes Electronics Corp, including its DirecTV subsidiary, on Monday got a mixed response from Wall Street analysts, who applauded the move but largely said it would ultimately be unsuccessful.

TV Azteca, Mexico?s second largest broadcaster, has signed a deal with satellite TV platform Sky Mexico to allow the latter to broadcast 22 soccer matches from the country?s top division, to which TV Azteca owns the rights, over the next year.

The return to the small screen of World Wrestling Federation (WWF) star The Rock gave US broadcaster TNN its largest ever television audience in the channel?s 18-year history.

MLB Advanced Media, Sun Microsystems and iPlanet E-Commerce Solutions, have formed a technology and marketing partnership they hope will grow MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball.

Former international rugby union player Nigel Walker has been appointed the head of sport for UK terrestrial broadcaster, BBC Wales.

NTL, the UK?s largest cable company which will broadcast Premiership pay-per-view soccer next season, is to axe 5,000 jobs over the next two years in a bid to meet its ambitious growth forecasts.
Pay Per View Sport in Europe: A new report from SportBusiness Group: Click here

Heineken is to use its sponsorship of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games by creating a major superstore in the host city.
How to Develop Effective Sponsorship Programmes: A new report from SportBusiness Group: Click here

Ninety percent of the population of Beijing tuned into the broadcast of the Olympic vote on the host city for the 2008 Games which saw the Chinese capital emerge victorious.

The World Wrestling Federation (WWF) has filed a lawsuit against Canadian businesses that it claims are illegally distributing pay-per-view telecasts of WWF events.

Harrah?s Entertainment, the casino operator, has been named as the title sponsor of this week?s CART FedEx Championship Series race at Michigan International Speedway.