Media

Pay-per-view internet content company Arthur Shaw has signed a four-year deal with web agency Sportstars-direct.com to provide PPV programmes featuring world heavyweight boxing champion Lennox Lewis.

International Management Group (IMG) is planning to extend its internet presence in Australia, reports Australasian Business Intelligence. Via its wholly-owned subsidiary TWI Interactive, the company has targeted a number of internet-based site opportunities, mostly on a revenue-sharing basis.

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.

SportSitio.com, the content-driven, interactive sports entertainment portal for the Latin American and U.S. Hispanic markets, will add "virtual golf lessons" to its Web site's expanding portfolio with an on-line content and service partnership with GolfingEdge.com.

NBC's NBA ratings are showing no sign of improvement. After a regular season that saw national ratings plunge 21% from last year and 29% from two years ago, Nielsen Media national ratings for the prime time playoff game between the Utah Jazz and Seattle SuperSonics were down 32% from the same spot a year ago.

Internetsoccer.com has introduced a new soccer business information channel.

Kelvin MacKenzie, the owner and chief of the Wireless Group, has unveiled plans to raise #35 million ($54.77 million) to #40 million through a placement of shares. The Wireless Group owns talkSport, the UK?s only dedicated sports radio station. Mackenzie said the firm expected to list on the London market on May 25.

Time Warner and Walt Disney have called a temporary halt to feud that has blacked out the ABC cable network in 3.5million US homes since Monday.

The Financial Times has revealed further details of potential bidders for the UK-based on-line sports content company, Sports Internet. According to the newspaper, the internet group has admitted that it is in talks that could lead to a bid for the company.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will receive a much-awaited judicial commission report on match-fixing on Friday and it will be made public before the end of June, a top official said.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has dismissed corruption allegations against its president Jagmohan Dalmiya on the opening day of a two-day meeting to discuss a match-fixing crisis.

UK online betting and content provider Sports Internet has confirmed that it is in talks with an unnamed party which may lead to an offer being made for the company, reports Dow Jones International News.

ESPN.com has teamed up with Winnercomm and NTRA Productions to provide visitors to ESPN.com with expanded web coverage of horse racing.

The German Football Federation (DFB) has signed a lucrative deal with German media group Kirch under which all Bundesliga matches would be shown live on pay-TV or pay-per-view for the first time from next season.

Internet company Virtual World of Sports has secured a Au$9.2 million three-year naming rights sponsorship deal with The Australian Ladies Masters golf tournament. The sponsorship ensures that the tournament stays at Royal Pines on Australia?s Gold Coast until at least 2003.

Italian media mogul Vittorio Cecchi Gori has sold his 18% stake in the country's digital platform Stream to Rupert Murdoch?s News Corps and Telecom Italia. The 12% stake in Stream held by soccer consortium SDS, has also been sold. As a consequence, News Corp and Telecom Italia, each have a 50% stake in the pay-TV operator.