Media

Australian media tycoons Rupert Murdoch and Kerry Packer are reported to be involved in a bidding war for the digital and internet rights to English cricket.

While millions of soccer fans settle down on Sunday to watch the quarter-finals of Euro 2000, some might be tempted to flip television channels to catch a glimpse of the American variety's championship game.

Rumours that ABC's ?Sports Night'' programme would be revived by another broadcaster appear to have been exaggerated.

Rights to screen English Premier League football for the next three years have fetched #1.6 billion ( $2.4 billion) according to sources closes to the bidding process. The breakdown will be announced at a press conference in London at 6.30pm ( London) today.

Tele-Cine, the London-based TV post production and broadcast facility, has signed a five-year downlink contract with Fox Sports International.

NBA fans in more than 750 million households around the world will be able to tune into the NBA Finals 2000 featuring the Los Angeles Lakers and the Indiana Pacers.

Internet media giant America Online has formed a multiyear alliance with the National Basketball Association and the Women's National Basketball Association with the intention of increasing traffic to its Web sites NBA.com and WNBA.com.

All-soccer network The International Football Channel (TIFC) has acquired the exclusive rights to broadcast the upcoming Women?s 2000 Pacific Cup throughout the Americas.

The XFL, a new professional football league jointly owned and run by World Wrestling Federation Entertainment and NBC, has named veteran sports public relations specialist Steve Griffith as the league's Vice President of Corporate Communications.

While English football awaits the announcement of the winning bids for the Premier League?s broadcast rights, England?s lower divisions are also in negotiations over a new deal.

British online sportswear retailer Boo.com is on the verge of collapse signalling the first failure of a major internet player and fuelling a potential backlash against e-tailing stocks.

The Portland Trail Blazers have received criticism from basketball fans for showing Game 2 of the playoff series against Utah on pay-per-view at a cost $24.95. The game was broadcast nationally by the TNT cable channel, and blacked out within a 35-mile radius of downtown Portland. Responding to the criticism Harry Hut, the Blazers Senior vice-president for marketing said: ``People get the idea there's an obligation on the part of the team to televise a game, but there isn't.? The team, he said, wants ``to protect the home gate ... to provide a sold-out crowd atmosphere'' at the Rose Garden. However, Sunday's Game 1 of the series against the Jazz, shown on NBC, attracted a capacity crowd of 20,351.

Legislators are poised to approve next week a total loss to taxpayers of $945 million for hosting the 2006 Asian Games in Hong Kong along with an event for disabled athletes.

British Sky Broadcasting Group Plc has secured broadcasting rights to West Indies cricket matches in an eight-year deal with the West Indies Cricket Board, according to press reports.

Jim McManus has been appointed vice president, motorsports, at sports events signage and banner provider Britten Media.

The media arm of Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica may lead a European soccer superleague project which would replace the current Champions League format, a company source has said.