Sponsorship & Marketing

Sports network ESPN is to sell advertising packages covering a variety of media platforms for eight of its major sports events broadcast next season.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said on Friday he would not step down following the collapse of marketing agent ISL and refused to call an extraordinary meeting of FIFA's executive committee.

The Indy Racing League is this year set to steal its largest share of sponsorship dollars from Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), analysts predict.

British Grand Prix organisers plan a $60m (#42m) revamp of Silverstone to make it one of the world's best Formula One venues.

Callaway Golf has promoted its manufacturing chief Ron Drapeau to the dual offices of president and CEO.

Global Spectrum, the Philadelphia-based venue management company, has acquired Front Row Marketing Services, which specialises in sales and marketing services for sports and entertainment facilities, including naming rights, premium seating sales, and venue advertising and sponsorship opportunities.

Sportbusiness.com can exclusively reveal that the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) is to invest $122 in Sports Capital Partners, the private equity fund co-established by marketing giant IMG.

A leading sports industry advisor has told SportBusiness 2001 delegates that the sports sector success story is set to continue - despite the drop-off in advertising spend and threat of recession.

US sports website Rivals.com is to close with the loss of 80 jobs, reports the Seattle Times. The news comes after protracted talks with Yahoo failed to result in a sale of the struggling network. Rivals chief executive Saul Gamoran told the west coast newspaper; ?We tried very hard to effect a sale of the company, and we came pretty close, but we were unable to cross the finish line.?

The prospect of the XFL surviving a second season is now officially against the odds ? according to a major US gambling firm.

The ICC has banned star cricket player Brian Lara from using a new bat carrying the logo of an internet betting company.

The Australian Football League has warned its 16 clubs to curb their spending as club revenues and expenditures continue to spiral.

The Rugby Football Union has described a club threat to form a breakaway league as a ?nightmare? and ?foolish?.

CART has launched legal action against troubled Swiss marketing giant ISL seeking damages in excess of $100m.

Officials from the Australian state of Victoria will lobby the country?s rugby union body to convince them that the fourth Australian Super 12 rugby union team must be located in Melbourne and not in Sydney's western suburbs.

Indian golf officials fear they could face an uphill task raising funds after the main sponsor of the Indian professional tour pulled out last week.