Sponsorship & Marketing

Media firms have offered the German Football Federation (DFB) 50 million marks for Internet rights alone for broadcasting soccer matches from mid-2000 until 2003, according to a report in Focus magazine.

NBA Commissioner David Stern has launched a major reorganisation of NBA Entertainment and NBA Properties, through which the operations of the two companies will be combined under the leadership of NBA Entertainment President Adam Silver.

Adidas - Salomon Group has unveiled first quarter sales of DM 2.7 billion, up 58 per cent on the previous year before the acquisition of Salomon.

Australian rugby's most powerful administrator has warned British teams that they risk being snubbed by Australia if they persist in picking weakened squads to tour Down Under.

France 98 has not delivered the goods for UK commercial TV netork ITV despite the apparent deluge of television advertising related to football, reports the London Sunday Telegraph.

Brititsh newspaper The Daily Telegraph has signed up to be an official FA Premier League sponsor as part of its strategy to become more closely identified with sport.

European soccer champions Real Madrid have bolstered their commercial operation with the appointment of UK based merchandising consultants Zone signed Deloitte & Touche.

The European Commission has for the first time issued guidelines saying how competition rules should apply to the broadcasting of sports events.

Athletic apparel giant Riddell Sports Inc. has announced it has won rights to market team soccer apparel and equipment in the United States made by the British firm Umbro International Inc.

UEFA have thrown down the gauntlet to their own clubs, the European Commission and upstart rivals Media Partners and have announced far-reaching plans for the reorganisation of European club soccer.

Olympic and Davis Cup matches could contribute points for new men's tennis rankings to be launched in 2000, ATP Tour chief executive officer Mark Miles has said.

Olympic heads are almost certain to roll when a probe into alleged bribery is concluded at the weekend but Juan Antonio Samaranch, the most powerful man in the movement, will not be one of them, according to a Reuters report.

French pay-television company Canal Plus has signed a multimedia marketing agreement with five top French football clubs and sports advertising executive Jean-Claude Darmon.

Global Sports Inc, the fast-growing sporting goods company, has announced

SEGA, the computer Games manufacturer, is set to follow its sponsorship deal with London based soccer club Arsenal by signing with a leading French club in the next seven days.

ISM Holding Corp, owners of ISM Marketing and ISM Motorsports, is to launch an interactive sports betting and gaming site, the first of several interactive web sites to be owned by the company.