Media

The Nine Network in Australia is expected to retrench up to 25 sports staff after confirming that it will axe its two long-running weekend sports programmes.

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch's UK pay-TV operators BSkyB are anxiously watching recent moves in the cable and telephony sectors in the US and UK.

Cablevision Systems, owners of the NBA New York Knicks, the NHL New York Rangers and Madison Square Garden, have reported a narrower-than-expected loss, boosted by strength in its cable televsion and programming businesses.

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was among several speakers who called on the IOC to be more open, accountable and representative as the IOC opened its debate on ways to change post the Salt Lake City vote-buying scandal.

The BBC are likely to pay approximately #50m to retain the live broadcast rights for Wimbledon according to UK press reports. The five year deal would replace their current #30m contract which expires on July 4th.

The Rugby Football Union is unlikely to renew its UK television contract with BSkyB according to UK press reports.

Soccer may be the global game but UEFA have updated regulations that prevent "foreign" matches being broadcast at peak times during domestic programmes.

British leisure company ENIC Plc has announced it has sold part of its interest in the Greek football club AEK PAE (AEK Athens) to NetMed BV, a subsidiary of US-listed media group MIH Limited .

A landmark London court ruling expected on Wednesday is set to break pay television giant British Sky Broadcasting's (BSkyB) stranglehold on coverage of English Premier League soccer, according to London's the Independent on Sunday newspaper.

German media group Kirch has agreed to buy Swiss sports rights marketing company CWL Telesport & Marketing AG in a move to expand its international soccer business.

England's Rugby Football Union (RFU) is looking to reorganise itself along commercial lines in a move which could see it launch its own entertainment division, according to UK press reports.

CBS and the NCAA are in talks to extend their broadcast rights agreement to the Division I basketball tournament.

Media research firm, Paul Kagan Associates (PKA), has reported that average NHL player salaries have increased faster than for any other major league sport over the past seven years

Kirch Gruppe, the German media group run by movie mogul Leo Kirch, is to merge Kirch Media, its free-TV and rights business into the stock market listed television broadcaster ProSieben-SAT.1, to create German?s largest listed media company.

Rivals.net, the Chrysalis-based sports network, has said goodbye to two of its management staff as part of a company restructure.

The Canadian Football League (CFL) has signed a deal with Houston-based broadcast firm USFR Media Group to show match coverage throughout the US on the America One Television Network.

Sportsworld Media Group, the London-based sports marketing group, has confirmed that it is in talks with Australian-based Southern Cross Broadcasting about selling its Aussie TV advertising sales business.

UK-based bookmaker Ladbrokes has signed a sponsorship deal with the World Pool Masters in a bid to promote its online gambling business.
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