Sponsorship & Marketing

Sportech, the UK-based holding company for gaming giant Littlewoods Leisure, has signed a sponsorship deal with ITV’s interactive soccer coverage for an undisclosed sum.

The World Anti-Doping Agency will locate its permanent headquarters in Montreal, with the aim of improving the credibility and effectiveness of its war on the use of drugs in sports.

English Premiership soccer club Chelsea has denied it is having problems filling its £1million-a-season ($1.45m/B

Unilever – which includes amongst its brands Flora, long-time sponsor of the London Marathon - has appointed the sponsorship strategy consultancy Redmandarin to lead the development of best practice sponsorship guidelines for use by all its regions and brands worldwide.

US Spanish-language network Univision Communications has promoted from within with the appointment of Ray Rodriguez to the new role of president and CEO of the media company.

Shoxygen Sports Marketing, the interactive online marketing solutions company for advertisers and publishers, has announced that AllianceSports/Rivals.com, Swell.com, Snowboarding.com and Boarding.com will be joining its network of sports related websites.

Sportshows Television, the UK-based independent producer specialising in water sports and adventure sports, said that Andrew Thornley, previously of the now defunct ISL Worldwide, would join the company as a sales and marketing manager.

Canadian marketing company Galaxy Sports has acquired an exclusive license from Umbro Worldwide to sell, market and distribute Umbro branded products to retailers in the United States in a five years deal starting January 1 2002.

The 16-year-old US National Lacrosse League (NLL) has secured its first national television deal after reaching a three-year agreement with CNN/Sports Illustrated (CNN/SI).

CricInfo.com, the digital cricket information company, yesterday confirmed its billionth page view in 2001 – the first time that the site has passed this landmark in a calendar year.

German sportswear giant adidas will make significant strides by 2002, according to leading analysts at international investment bank Merrill Lynch.

Directors of Alternative Investment Market (AIM)-listed sports marketing and management company Proactive Sports Group have purchased 320,000 shares in the company today, spending a total of nearly £75,000 ($108,000/B

CART is set to announce later today its five-year strategic direction in meetings with sponsors and manufacturers.

The New England Patriots have awarded Pepsi the exclusive soft drink pouring rights at CMGI Field as part of a new ten-year partnership agreement.

National Football League (NFL) team the Denver Broncos has unveiled a raft of new broadcasting initiatives for its Invesco Field stadium, done in partnership with AT&T Broadband and ESPN.

German-based company UFA Sports, which has made its name by snapping up TV rights to European soccer clubs, has secured deals with more than half of the clubs playing in the first round of this year’s UEFA Cup competition.