Media

Legal battles that have left Sri Lanka's cricket board in financial limbo will not affect tours by India and New Zealand this summer, a top sports official has said.

MVi Total Sponsorship, the sponsorship division of global media communications giant CIA, is set for a major expansion programme into Europe.

TV broadcaster ABC?s five playoff telecasts have averaged a 1.6 rating, an increase of 14 percent over last season?s first five games.

Drafting on the surging popularity of NASCAR stock car racing, a New York sports marketing firm unveiled plans on Tuesday for a racing league with up to a dozen teams set to begin competing in 2003.

Gobarkingmad, the greyhound racing service owned by UK-based online betting and leisure group Gaming Internet, is to get an additional cash injection of #8m to #12m ($11m to $17m) through an institutional placing and an offer to help fund this month?s launch of its website and next month?s launch of its digital television channel.

Kirch, Germany?s second-biggest media company, has agreed to sell some broadcast rights for the 2002 and 2006 soccer World Cups to Germany?s two state-owned channels ARD and ZDF for a reported $115 million.

FA chief executive Adam Crozier?s position has come under pressure over the weekend as the fallout from the Wembley stadium fiasco continues to spread.

Kirch, the German media group, is to increase its stake in SLEC, a holding company which controls the broadcasting rights for Formula One, to 57.5 per cent from 37.5 per cent.

A series of proposed amendments to the constitution of the Rugby Football Union will be debated and voted on by members at a special general meeting in London late Friday.

German media company Kirch has taken full and sole control of HBS, the host broadcasting company for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

The Arena Football League (AFL) has entered into a partnership with Ignite Sports Media for the re-launch of the AFL's and arenafootball2's web site.

Broadcast technology innovator InMotion Technologies decided to change its name to Dartfish.

The Football League has announced a #12m ($17.3m) three-year extension to its sponsorship deal with Nationwide.

ESPN may set up a new cable channel dedicated to outdoor fishing and boating, following its acquisition of BASS Inc. (Bass Anglers Sportsman Society).

British television company ONdigital is considering a name change to link the brand with its two shareholders, commercial TV companies Granada and Carlton.

With the NHL play-offs little more than a week away, ABC has reported lower than hoped for ratings for the three of five broadcasts scheduled for the 2000-2001 season to date.