Monday, 18th December 2006

INFO DIGEST

Info Box – The Ashes Cricket
* The Ashes series were born in 1882 when the Sporting Times carried a mock obituary for English cricket
* Currently, England and Australia are involved in the 32nd Ashes Series on Australian turf
* Australia are looking for their fifth straight Ashes Series win at home against England
* England’s last victory Down Under was recorded in 1986, when the visitors emerged victorious 2-1
* The second Test of the running series was the 150th Test match in Australia in the history of the Ashes
* New: Australia won back the Ashes when they bowled out England for 350 to seal a 206-run victory in the third test on Monday (CNN)
Source: Infostrada Databox


SPORTS SHORTS

* Globo TV Sports has extended its deal with Al Dowaly Center CO of Kuwait to carry Brazilian football in 2008. The distributor had already acquired rights in the Middle East to Globo’s Brazilian Magic Football package for 2007 and signed a new deal for an additional year at Soccerex in Dubai. The package includes 82 live matches in the São Paulo and Brazilian championships and is already airing in more than 125 countries. In addition to the matches, Al Dowaly Center CO also agreed to purchase FootBrazil, a weekly 26-minute programme broadcast in English via satellite.

* Hong Kong’s PCCW has chosen ICTV’s ActiveVideo Distribution Network (AVDN) to enable interactive channels for its NOW TV subscribers. The first channel offered by NOW TV is an interactive Movie Trailer Channel, which PCCW has launched in partnership with United Artists, a leading cinema group in Hong Kong. The Channel allows subscribers to preview movies, choose cinema locations, check times, request seat locations and buy tickets using their remote controls. The channel is the first in a series of channels and applications that will deliver more interactive services to NOW TV’s 654,000 subscribers. Source: Advanced Television, 18th December 2006

* Badminton’s All-England Open Championships, which claim to be the sport’s oldest tournament, are to offer prize money of US$200,000, a 60-per-cent increase, when they take place in March next year. The competition is joining a new, 12-tournament Super Series that will act as qualifiers for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Source: Sportcal, 12th December 2006

* FIFA president Sepp Blatter warned Brazil on Sunday that there were several other countries in line to host the 2014 World Cup if their bid was not up to scratch. Brazil formally submitted a bid to FIFA for the 2014 finals this week, hoping to bring the tournament to the country for the first time since 1950. The 2014 World Cup is scheduled to take place in South America as part of FIFA's rotation policy and Brazil's bid is expected to be the only one from the region. Source: Reuters on Guardian Unlimited, 17th December 2006

* Meanwhile, Colombia will formally join the race to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup on Monday following a submission from Brazil. Colombia will present a letter of intent to FIFA and also confirm its desire to host the tournament at a meeting Wednesday of the South American confederation (CONMEBOL). Colombia was chosen as the host for the 1986 World Cup, but withdrew due to financial problems in 1982. Mexico was selected to replace it six months later. Source: Associated Press on International Herald Tribune, Sporting News, 17th December 2006

* The Ligue Nationale de Rugby, organiser of France's top-tier rugby union clubs competition, will launch a tender for the competition’s media rights next week. The present four-year €19-million ($25-million) -a-season contract with Canal Plus, the French pay-television broadcaster, expires in June next year. The new four-year contract covers the top-tier Top 14 and the second-tier Pro D2 and will include broadcasting, internet and mobile rights. Source: Sportcal, 11th December 2006

* The women’s national teams of Japan and Mexico, who finished third in the AFC and the CONCACAF preliminary competitions respectively, will play off in March 2007, with the winner qualifying for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in China. A draw to determine the home and away dates took place on 15 December 2006 in Tokyo resulted in the following match schedule: 10 March 2007: Japan v. Mexico, 17 March 2007: Mexico v. Japan. The FIFA Women’s World Cup China 2007 will take place next year (10-30 September 2007). Source: Sports e-Media, 15th December 2006

* Brazilian club Internacional has launched an online television station in time for its participation at the FIFA Club World Cup. Developed by Hotmedia, the channel will be responsible for broadcasting everything about the team. It is available online at Hotmedia.com.br/TVInter. Source: Football Insider, 15th December 2006

* Bayern München has confirmed that the 1.Bundesliga club will seek to enjoy a profitable winter break by entering the Dubai Cup. The four-team tournament will take place between January 8-10 and will also feature Portuguese side Benfica, Brazilian team Santos and Serie A TIM team SS Lazio. Bayern has spent the past four winters in Dubai but Rummenigge is eyeing a training camp with a difference, with the Dubai Cup offering match practice against quality opposition and the lure of US$2 million in prize money on offer. Source: Football Insider, 15th December 2006

* Italy's captain, Fabio Cannavaro is set to be named the FIFA World Player of the Year, a Spanish radio station reported. Spanish station Cadena SER even went so far as to publish details of the poll, ahead of the award ceremony in the Swiss city of Zurich on Monday, with the Real Madrid defender getting 498 votes. Cadena SER did not reveal their source of the voting details although they have strong links with the Spanish giants and have been ahead of their opposition with big stories concerning Real Madrid. Source: Channel News Asia, 18th December 2006


MORE NEWS

Asia/Rights: ICC Impressed by 'Muscle' of New Global Rights Partner

The International Cricket Council said today that financial considerations were not the only factor in the award of comprehensive media rights to its major international tournaments, including World Cups, for the next eight years to pan-Asian cable and satellite broadcaster ESPN Star Sports. The television company, which is owned by media giants Walt Disney and News Corporation, has been appointed the ICC’s global media and production partner for its events from late 2007 to 2015.

The outcome was widely regarded as something of a surprise as ESPN Star Sports had only submitted an offer for rights in the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East in the first round of bidding. There was a change of tactics in the second round and the sports broadcaster secured the global rights ahead of Nimbus Communications, the India-based sports marketing and media company, which is understood to have bid $900 million.

The other unsuccessful bidders included Indian media group Zee Telefilms, which increased its bid from $620 million to $850 million in the second round, and another regional cable and satellite broadcaster Ten Sports, which was bidding with Switzerland-based agency Infront Sports and Media and upped its offer from $750 million to $825 million. While not confirming the value of the deal, the ICC said it was ‘significantly in excess’ of its previous agreement with the News Corp-owned Global Cricket Corporation, which was worth $550 million over seven years and expires after the World Cup in the West Indies in March and April of 2007. Source: Sportcal, 11th December 2006

Thailand/Rights: IEC Tees Up Golf Event

The organisers of the Royal Trophy golf event in Bangkok next month, where Europe will take on Asia, have appointed Swedish company IEC in Sports to handle international television distribution in most of the world. The event, featuring five members of the victorious European Ryder Cup team against the cream of Asian players, is scheduled for January 12-14 at the Amata Spring Country Club in Bangkok.

Europe’s team features four Swedes and IEC in Sports, which has come aboard late in the day, will be looking to add a Swedish television deal for coverage of the event. It will offer four hours of live coverage from all three days and a daily one-hour highlights show. Deals are already in place in the UK and Spain. CNBC already has Asian rights excluding Japan, Korea and India. IEC will be looking to sell the rights in those countries, as well as making terrestrial deals in other Asian territories, and adding broadcasters elsewhere in the world.

Europe’s team will be led by Seve Ballesteros (Spain) as captain, Darren Clarke (Northern Ireland), Johan Edfors (Sweden), Niclas Fasth (Sweden), Paul McGinley (Ireland), Henrik Stenson (Sweden), Anthony Wall (England), Lee Westwood (England) and Robert Karlsson (Sweden) joining him. The Asia team will be captained by Naomichi Joe Osaki (Japan), Tetsuji Hiratsuka (Japan), S.K. Ho (Korea), Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand), Prom Mesawat (Thailand), Jeev Milka Singh (India), Toru Toniguchi (Japan), Thaiwon Wirachart (Thailand) and Y.E.Yang (Korea). The European squad won last year’s inaugural event at the same venue. Source: Sports Media, Sport Business, 15th December 2006

Hong Kong/Broadcaster: Clients Keep i-Cable After Games Loss

The chairman of i-Cable Communications (1097), Stephen Ng Tin-hoi, said Cable TV has not lost many subscribers, nor is it finding it difficult to attract new ones, following its failure to retain broadcasting rights for the English Premier League. Cable TV also lost the rights to broadcast the European Championship in 2008, which was secured earlier this month by Cable TV's rival, Now TV, a unit of PCCW.

Cable TV will put the resources previously used in EPL into introducing a new lineup of programs. "We are considering some other new strategies. But I can't really tell you what they are because we are still working it out," he said. However, he ruled out reducing the subscription price as one of the options. He also expects Cable TV will gain a net increase in the number of customers next year. Source: The Standard, 15th December 2006

Malaysia/General: Indon May Join the KL Racket Club

Malaysia’s KL Racket Club (KLRC) are going international and could soon have a line-up to match the BA of Malaysia. Already, they have recruited two foreign players – John Moody of New Zealand and Andrew Smith of England – to play under the banner of the professional outfit owned by Datuk Andrew Kam Tai Yeow. And the icing on the cake looks set to be: Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia.

Andrew, currently the Badminton World Federation’s (BWF) legal adviser and council member, would not deny or confirm speculation that Taufik was poised to join their set-up. Taufik has frequented the club several times this year for friendly matches. Malaysia could be an ideal base for Taufik as he prepares to re-claim the world title when the championship is hosted in Malaysia from Aug 12-19.

Although KLRC are opening theirs door for foreign players, Andrew says the priority remains in providing opportunities for local players. The KLRC was formed last year in June and has become a platform for dropouts from the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) to revive their badminton careers. Some of their top players are former internationals Sairul Amar Ayob and Lee Tsuen Seng.

The club received a major boost on Tuesday when they signed a sponsorship deal with Amer Sports (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, who own the Wilson brand. To make it more memorable, Sairul and Tsuen Seng, who were this year’s Dutch and New Zealand Open champions, received RM20,000 each as incentives. Andrew believes that the club system could be the answer for Malaysian badminton and quashed notions that the club were competing with BAM. Source: The Star Malaysia, 16th December 2006

Elsewhere/Rights: Canal Plus Sends Message On Rights Fees

Lack of competition in French pay-TV is holding down fees offered for rights to England’s Premier League in what could be a sign of things to come in other bidding markets, L’Equipe reported. Current Premiership rights-holder TPS is paying about €10 million per year for rights under an agreement expiring at the end of this season. However, that deal was reached when TPS was still in hot competition with Canal Plus for digital subscribers. Now that TPS and Canal Plus have agreed to merge, deflation is the order of the day. Canal Plus has offered less money than previously and its offer was the only serious one on the table following the latest tender for rights.

L’Equipe reported that the Premier League, which handles its own distribution, has indicated that it would not be willing make a deal at the lower price, especially given that rights fees have been climbing elsewhere, meaning that French viewers might not be able to watch the Premiership next season. Canal Plus' low bid is also sending a message to the French League, whose rights will be put back on the market in January 2008. Canal Plus is currently paying €600 million a season for those rights. “The goal (of Canal Plus) is clearly to force sellers of rights to re-evaluate their ambitions – and aim lower,” the newspaper said. Source: Sports Media, 15th December 2006

Elsewhere/Rights: World Cup Winners to Remain on State Television

Rai, the Italian public-service broadcaster, has concluded a deal to televise the matches of the national soccer team for the next four years. The agreement with the FIGC, the Italian soccer federation, is worth €154 million ($205 million) and covers qualifying matches for the 2008 European Championships and the 2010 World Cup, a fixed number of four friendlies per season and coverage of under-21 matches.

The previous four-year deal between Rai and the FIGC was valued at €121 million and the increase can be attributed in large part to Italy’s triumph at this year’s World Cup in Germany. Pay-television broadcaster Sky Italia had also shown an interest in televising the national team’s games but will now have to seek deals with Rai and the federation to make this possible. Source: Sportcal, 8th December 2006

Elsewhere/Rights: Foxtel Kicks in $5m More to Score AFL Rights

Pay-TV provider Foxtel is expected to increase its offer for AFL rights to $50 million a year tomorrow, in a last-ditch move to break a year-long stalemate with the Seven and Ten networks. The extra $5 million a year offered will include a contribution from regional subscription operator Austar, which last week confirmed it had opened separate negotiations to try to secure AFL games for its subscribers.

The decision has come after Foxtel has resolutely refused to move from its original offer of $45 million for four live games a week in the face of demands of $60 million from the Seven-Ten consortium. It is understood Foxtel's refusal to budge has been driven by James Packer, executive chairman of Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd, which owns 25 per cent of Foxtel. News Limited (publisher of The Australian) is also a 25 per cent shareholder, with Telstra holding 50 per cent.

A year ago this week, Mr Packer's late father, Kerry, set the scene for a bitter tussle over AFL rights when he approved a $780 million bid for the TV rights to eight games a week from 2007 to 2011. This was a 40 per cent increase over the cost of rights for the five seasons from 2002 to 2006. Foxtel agreed to contribute $225 million over five years, or $45 million a year for four live games a week.

A week later, the Seven-Ten consortium agreed to match the PBL bid under a first-and-last option acquired a decade earlier for $20 million. This meant Seven and Ten had to replicate the PBL deal down to the last detail. PBL's bid was for eight live games a week to be shown on free-to-air television, providing it could on-sell up to four games a week to pay-TV. The Seven-Ten consortium's problem was that it had no agreement with Foxtel, despite having negotiated since March. Source: The Australian, 18th December 2006

Elsewhere/General: Wembley to Host 2007 'Race of Champions'

London's new Wembley stadium will host the 'Race of Champions', an annual motorsport event involving drivers from various championships including Formula One and rallying, next December. "We've been talking to some of the world's most prestigious stadiums," organiser Fredrik Johnsson told the event Web site (www.raceofchampions.com) on Saturday. "The 20th anniversary event will take place next year at the new Wembley stadium."

Sweden's Mattias Ekstroem, winner of the 2003 German DTM touring car championship, won Saturday's race at the Stade de France in Paris after beating ChampCars champion Sebastien Bourdais and world rally champion Sebastien Loeb. Formula One champion Fernando Alonso did not take part. Source: Reuters, Also reports in BBC News, The Scotsman, Star Telegram, 17th December 2006

Elsewhere/General: New Owner For Poker-Based Golf Event

Mobile Nation Inc. has announced it has reached a deal to acquire 100% of the shares of World Series of Golf, Inc. The inaugural World Series of Golf tournament, with a first prize of US$250,000, will be hosted by the Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas from May 13-17, 2007 and is scheduled to be shown on NBC on June 23-24. The business plan is to roll out a series of satellite tournaments played in many North American locations.

The new format of the World Series of Golf allows for high stakes to ride on each shot. As in poker, players must ante up before teeing off at each hole. Depending on the outcome of the tee shots, the player can then raise, call, check or fold on subsequent shots, with the winner of the hole collecting the pot. When a player no longer has any chips to ante up, that player is eliminated.

The event is being coordinated by Octagon with Dan Baker serving as tournament director. Van Wagner Sports Group worked with tournament founder Terry Leiweke to secure the NBC relationship and will handle all of the integrated media and sponsorship sales for the event. Wasserman Media Group is to handle international television and new media rights sales. Source: Sports Media, 15th December 2006


ARTICLES, COMMENTS & OPINIONS

Fifa's Appeal in MasterCard Case Unlikely to Succeed

Fifa’s decision to appeal against an adverse ruling by a New York court last week in the governing body’s high-profile dispute with sponsor MasterCard is highly unlikely to succeed, according to top sports lawyers contacted today by Sportcal.com. It emerged today that Fifa lodged an appeal against both the judgement in favour of MasterCard and the court’s jurisdiction over the case on Tuesday, the same day that it sacked Jérôme Valcke, the head of Fifa Marketing and TV, and three other top officials.But one top competition lawyer was scathing over the grounds for the appeal, saying: ‘It’s sort of a desperate appeal. They [Fifa] have been absolutely slated for their behaviour and they want to appeal on a jurisdiction point? It’s kind of sad. ‘In any case, how can they appeal after they’ve dismissed all these people anyway? ‘I think it’s unappealable.’Fifa itself appeared to admit wrongdoing in an internal Fifa memo, signed by Fifa president Sepp Blatter and general secretary Urs Linsi, and seen by Sportcal.com, which said: ‘Even though the judgment has undoubtedly proved to be very biased in favour of MasterCard, the fact cannot be overlooked that Fifa did not negotiate in the spirit of fair play.’

Another top sports lawyer said, ‘It looks like game, set and match to MasterCard to me,’ adding that he always advises federations not to offer such ‘first-refusal’ options to sponsors, although the sponsors themselves sometimes insist on them. The options, he said, are ‘intrinsically problematic.’ Had Fifa approached the European Commission over the first-refusal option when MasterCard first took legal action, it is likely that the governing body would have received an opinion that it was ‘unenforceable’ under European competition law.It could then have used this as the basis of its defence in court. However, the fact that Fifa did not raise this competition law point at first instance means, the lawyer said, that it cannot now be introduced as the grounds for an appeal. Callum Murray comments on Sportcal, 12th December 2006