Tuesday, 31st July 2007
RESULTS
Source: DTM Official, 29th Jul 2007
A heart-stopping final in front of 74,500 spectators in the seventh DTM race of the season at Zandvoort in The Netherlands. After exciting duels between the two Audi drivers Alexandre Prémat with his year-old car and Martin Tomczyk, Prémat looked on course for victory. But only a few yards before crossing the finish line, his German fellow Audi driver Tomczyk still found a way past the 25-year old and thus claimed his first DTM victory of the season. “I dedicate this win to my late grandfather”, Tomczyk said, moved by the second victory of his DTM career.
THIS WEEK
Sun, 6th Aug 2007
AVP Crocs Tour 2007: Final Day – Chicago Open
Superbikes 2007: Race Day – Brands Hatch, UK
INFO BOX
Previous Asian Cup Hosts
Source: Sportcal, 30th Jul 2007
1956 Hong Kong
1960 South Korea
1964 Israel
1968 Iran
1972 Thailand
1976 Iran
1980 Kuwait
1984 Singapore
1988 Qatar
1992 Japan
1996 United Arab Emirates
2000 Lebanon
2004 China
2007 Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam
SPORTS SHORTS
* Kerry Stokes's Seven Network Ltd. lost a lawsuit alleging Rupert Murdoch's News Corp and others colluded to win TV rights for the Australian Football League, forcing the closure of his C7 sports channel. Seven alleged that News and 21 others including the AFL and the NRL colluded to outbid C7 for the Australian Football League broadcast rights in 2000, effectively killing of Seven’s pay-TV operation C& that was launched in 1999. But the Australian federal court ruled that the Seven failed to prove collusion which destroyed C7 and prevented it from accessing the Foxtel subscription-television network. Stokes had been seeking about A$500 million in damages, but may now be liable for costs. Source: Sport Business, Sportcal, Worldscreen, Bloomberg, 27th Jul 2007
* Qatar, as expected, will host Asian soccer's showpiece national teams event, the Asian Cup in 2011, the Asian Football Confederation announced. Qatar was left as the sole candidate to stage the event after Iran and India both missed the deadline to submit bids, but the Gulf state still had to satisfy the AFC of its ability to stage the tournament. A late proposal by Australia to join the bidding failed but reports indicate Football Federation Australia, the national governing body, is being encouraged to submit a bid to host the event in 2015 instead. Source: Sportcal, Sport Business, 30th Jul 2007
* ESPN Star Sports will supplement its coverage of the Indian cricket team’s tour of the UK by showing the visitors' one-day international against Scotland on August 16. The match will be played at Glasgow's Citylets Titwood ground and follows the rained-off attempt to stage a match there between India and Pakistan on July 3. ESS is showing India’s series of matches against England and will also televise this year’s inaugural Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa. The Twenty20 event was officially launched in Johannesburg on Thursday and will involve 12 teams playing short format matches over 13 days in three cities. The final takes place at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on September 24. Source: Sportcal, Indian Television, 27th Jul 2007
* Plans by Michel Platini, president of Uefa, to restrict the number of teams from any one country for participation in the Champions League to three have been rejected by the European Professional Football Leagues, who have also dismissed his proposal to allow national cup winners to qualify for the Champions League. Platini wants to increase the representation of other countries by taking away the right of England, Spain and Italy to enter up to four teams in the Champions League, with effect from the 2009-10 season. Source: Sportcal, 27th Jul 2007
* German pay-television, Premiere, has targeted a steep increase in profit margins following its recapture of live rights to German soccer’s top-tier Bundesliga from rival Arena. Georg Kofler, Premiere’s chief executive, said he wants to achieve a profit margin before interest, tax and amortization of between 20% and 25% ‘in the mid-term,’ up from 10% at present. Premiere recently won sub-licensed rights to the Bundesliga for the next two seasons from Arena, the pay-television channel, agreeing to pay an estimated €100 million ($137 million) a year. Source: Sportcal, 30th Jul 2007
* IMG Media has been reappointed by English soccer’s top-tier Premier League to be its exclusive audio production partner. The company will produce and distribute all international radio content for a further three years. The deal, which continues from the 2007-08 season, takes the partnership into its 10th year. It will see TWI, the sport production arm of IMG Media, continue to produce live Premier League radio commentaries each week. IMG Media will remain as exclusive worldwide sales agents operating across more than 200 countries. Source: Sportcal, 30th Jul 2007
* All television broadcasters in Vietnam will share the rights to the 2007 South East Asian Games, taking place in Thailand in December, according to the Vietnam Olympic Commitee. Hoang Vinh Giang, the chairman of the VOC, said that, in accordance with article 59 of the South East Asian Games regulations, all member nations’ Olympic committees had been handed the rights and they would be made widely available. Giang added that the VOC could have chosen to sell the package of rights to an exclusive partner in Vietnam, thus making more money, but preferred to make coverage available to all provincial television stations so that everyone is able to watch the events. Source: Sportcal, 30th Jul 2007
* Sepp Blatter has opened up the race for the 2018 World Cup by saying that Asia or North and Central America would be as capable a host as Europe. ‘Europe think they are privileged and they should have the World Cup, even in rotation, every third time, but why? There is no written rule they can have it. Other confederations have shown they can organise it.’ It emerged last month that Fifa could drop its policy of rotating the World Cup around different continents and bids from all continents except those that have hosted the last two editions of the competition would be welcome. Source: Sportcal, 30th Jul 2007
* The number of rounds in the Formula 1 motor racing world championship is increasing from 17 to 18 next season with two new destinations on the calendar. The Spanish city of Valencia and the Asian city-state of Singapore will both stage their first races in 2008 while the Indianapolis race has been dropped. The Singapore event will take place, probably at night, on September 28. Despite previous reports to the contrary, the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne will kick off the season on March 16 and the Turkish Grand Prix moves from August to May to accommodate the Valencia event. Source: Sportcal, 30th Jul 2007
* UK boxer Ricky Hatton is set to meet American Floyd Mayweather Jr in what is expected to be one of the fights of the year after a verbal agreement was reached between the promoters of the pair. Hatton has been calling for a contest with Mayweather since an impressive victory over Mexico’s Jose Luis Castillo in an IBO light-welterweight title fight. Mayweather, regarded as the world’s best pound-for-pound boxer, announced his retirement after defeating US star Oscar De La Hoya in a WBC light-middleweight title fight in May, but is prepared to return for a high-profile clash with the Briton. It is likely to take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on December 8 and De La Hoya’s firm Golden Boy will act as promoter. Source: Sportcal, 30th Jul 2007
* The Premier League will hand more than £90 million over to the Football League over the next three seasons. Dubbed a ‘solidarity package', the new mechanism ensures a proportion of Premier League income is redistributed down the professional football pyramid. Football League chairman Lord Mawhinney added: "This is a generous gesture by the Premier League and, on behalf of our clubs, I offer my thanks. In part, the need for a payment of this kind stems from the significant financial gap that exists between their league and ours - largely due to the financial success of the Premier League. This positive initiative will help to address this issue." Source: Soccerex Business News, 27th Jul 2007
* A 2006 ruling by the Media Development Authority of Singapore, stating that exclusive pay-TV carriage deals are not anti-competitive, has been upheld by the island nation’s Ministry for Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA). SingTel, operator of new pay-TV, mio TV, appealed the MDA ruling, arguing rival StarHub’s exclusive carriage deals with channels would hurt competition in the pay-TV sector. MICA ruled exclusive agreements “do not substantially foreclose potential entrants’ access to key content for the pay-TV market in Singapore.” MICA also stated that SingTel had “not provided sufficient evidence to show that exclusive carriage agreements have resulted in substantial foreclosure of Singapore’s pay-TV market.” Source: Worldscreen, Rapid TV News, 30th Jul 2007
* Korea’s TU-Media has secured major broadcaster MBC for its S-DMB service. South Korea has two rival DMB operators. The problem for the satellite-delivered system was that it couldn’t offer content from the popular MBC network which is part of rival all-terrestrial T-DMB system. That has now changed and under a new deal, TU-Media can now offer MBC on its S-DMB system. TU-Media has struggled to make progress with its pay-TV system (the rival T-DMB service is free), and this move is seen as giving TU-Media a lifeline. Next, TU’s target list is programming from “other outlets” including SBS, giving it material from two out of the nation’s top three channels. KBS is the missing network. TU-Media claims 1.17m subs, as at the end of June. Rival T-DMB service claims more than 4m users. Source: Rapid TV News, 30th Jul 2007
* Korea Telecom will launch an IPTV platform with linear channels in Russia before it does in Korea. KT’s Mega TV offers on-demand titles as well as interactive services. But there are still no broadcast channels for now as legislation allowing broadcasting over telecoms lines has yet to pass the National Assembly. Russian affiliate NTC, of which KT owns 80%, has no such restrictions. KT’s president Nam Joong-soo said that KT had waited, wanting to launch first in Korea, but that the company “couldn’t wait anymore”. Source: Rapid TV News, 30th Jul 2007
MORE NEWS
India/Broadcaster: Ten Sports and Goal TV In Licensing And Production Pact
Ten Sports and Goal TV agreed a new multi year deal which will allow Goal TV’s exclusive football content to be shown to the 50 million households of Ten Sports and Zee Sports in the Indian sub-continent. The agreement also sees the production of Goal TV’s two all-football channels shift to the Ten Sports headquarters in Dubai. Goal TV founder Thomas Kressner said “it is an excellent development for us to partner with the Indian sub-continent’s leading sports channel, with its huge daily audience and solid production experience”.
Goal TV’s content includes exclusive live action from the French, Scottish and Dutch premier leagues and programming from top English clubs Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea, and Spanish La Liga club Barcelona. Ten Sports senior vice President Peter Hutton said “this volume of excellent football content is part of a growing bouquet of football rights on Ten and Zee Sports. It supports our existing deals with the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup, UEFA Supercup, FIFA, AFC, the English championship and the All India football federation”
The new agreement means that Taj TV, parent company of Ten Sports, will now produce and transmit nine channels from its Dubai based headquarters, ranging from the “Cricket Plus” channel for Directv in North America to the “Football Channel” for Singapore cable operator Starhub. Source: Sport Business, Sportcal, 30th Jul 2007
Elsewhere/Rights: Row Over South African Soccer League Rights Resolved
The bitter dispute over television rights to South Africa’s top soccer league has ended with SABC, the domestic public service broadcaster, agreeing a deal with the organisers and pay-television operator Supersport to provide coverage. SABC has been given exclusive rights to 110 Premier Soccer League matches per season and will show a further 33 games with Supersport simultaneously. Supersport retains the exclusive rights to at least 112 fixtures. The agreement comes just days before SABC’s legal challenge to the PSL’s original five-year R1.6-billion ($225-million) deal with Supersport was due to be heard.
Upon acquiring the rights, Supersport pledged to offer a package of games to free-to-air broadcasters, but SABC, which previously held the rights, challenged the award on the grounds that the rights were the subject of an arbitration dispute between itself and the PSL. There were widespread concerns that the deal with the subscription broadcaster would deprive the average supporter of top-flight soccer in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
However, Supersport said last month that it had offered SABC and ETV, the privately-owned free-to-air broadcaster, a minimum of 110 games in the 2007-08 season, including an equal share of major derby games and cup finals at a reasonable rate. Daki Mpofu, SABC’s chief executive, said yesterday that the settlement would allow the free-to-air broadcaster to show games involving the leading PSL teams, the final stages of PSL competitions and the end-of-season matches which decide promotion to and relegation from the league.
The deal, which will double the number of televised matches, has been described in some quarters as a climbdown by SABC as it has accepted the same number of games and exclusivity as was originally offered by Supersport. Source: Sportcal, 27th Jul 2007
ARTICLES, COMMENTS & OPINIONS
A New Era of Televised Football
Tom Cary and Clive Morgan writes for The Telegraph UK, 28th Jul 2007
With the football season fast approaching, it is time to work out how you are going to watch the unprecedented amount of football being brought to your living room over the next 10 months. It used to be relatively simple. Fans wishing to view live Premiership games had to pay a monthly subscription to Virgin Media (formerly NTL/Telewest) or Sky to access the Sky Sports channels via cable or satellite.
But now, thanks to a European Commission ruling, the competition has been opened up - and rival companies have not been slow to get in on the action. Sky Sports still have two-thirds of the live football market as far as the Premier and Football Leagues are concerned. Rupert Murdoch's heavyweights also bring the usual European and international fare to the table. This season, however, the Irish broadcaster Setanta Sports are weighing in with Premier League and Scottish Premier League matches.
Then you have the attractive option of delayed screenings. Both Sky and BT Vision (BT's digital television service via a broadband connection) are offering 242 "near-live" games. If you are willing to wait until 10pm on the day of the match, you can take in all the action for as little as £4 a month. BT are clearly hoping the additional attraction of broadband will swing the punters their way.
Terrestrial TV will only get you so far; the BBC supplement their Match of the Day highlights programmes with FA Cup action and England's home internationals, ITV share Champions League rights with Setanta and Sky Sports and Channel Five have secured the prized scalp of Serie A.
How much will it cost?
First you need to decide on the platform through which to access your channels. The options are satellite TV (Sky), cable TV (Virgin Media), via a broadband provider such as BT, or on Freeview.
Satellite
To watch your football on satellite TV, you will require a satellite dish plus Sky Box (free for the standard box to £299 for the HD ready). Installation is free once you sign up to a package. This season, Sky Sports will show 92 live Premiership matches (from £34). You can also add the Setanta Sports bundle at a cost of £15 per month (although there is a current discount available of £5 per month for first three months). Sky also offer standalone channels - Chelsea TV, MUTV, PremPlus - which cost £6 per channel. Each match on PremPlus will set you back £8.
Cable
If you want all the action live it will come at a price. The cheapest offer, at present, comes through Virgin Media, which announced last week that it would combine the Sky and Setanta matches for customers of its 'XL' package (£38.50 per month). Failing that, you can take the Setanta package on its own for £8.00 per month on top of the price of a subscription package.
Broadband
BT believes it has found a huge gap in the marketplace - customers who can't, or won't, pay for expensive subscriptions. This season, BT is offering 242 "near live" matches on its BT Vision service for £4 per month. Sky have a similar service (called Football First). BT also offer the 242 "near live" matches plus Setanta on top for £12.00 per month. BT Vision requires a BT broadband connection (from £17.99; £8.95 for the first six months) and a set-top box (free but with a connection fee of £30).
Freeview
Setanta, but not Sky Sports, can be accessed via a compatible Freeview box and costs between £8.00 and £9.99 depending on the bundle. You will also require a decoder card (around £10).
Friday, 27th July 2007
THIS WEEK
Sun, 15th Jul 2007
DTM 2007: Race Day – Zandvoort, The Netherlands
BTCC 2007: Race Day – Snetterton, UK
INFO BOX
LA Galaxy
* The Galaxy was among the 10 founding members of the league that kicked off in 1996.
* The team plays its home matches at The Home Depot Center, which has a 27,000 capacity.
* The Galaxy has been crowned league champion twice, in 2002 and 2005.
* In 2007, David Beckham signed with the LA Galaxy after a four season spell at Real Madrid.
Source: Infostrada Databox, Jul 2007
Rugby World Cup
* The 2007 Rugby [Union] World Cup will be the sixth edition of the competition.
* Australia (1991, 1999) is the only country to have won the Rugby World Cup more than once.
* New Zealand (1987), South Africa (1995) and England (2003) are the other winners.
* The last three World Cup finals have all been lost by the team scoring first.
* Australia’s 142-0 victory against Namibia in 2003 is the biggest World Cup victory.
Source: Infostrada Databox, Jul 2007
SPORTS SHORTS
* The Red Bull Air Race series is to be screened on China’s CCTV-5, which will show 11 episodes of the race series after agreeing a contract with IMG Media, exclusive worldwide agent of television rights for the series. The deal increases the television households around the world where the series can be seen from an estimated 425 million to over 625 million. Since its appointment in 2006, IMG Media has signed deals with the likes of RTL and Channel 4, commercial broadcasters in Germany and the UK respectively, the USA’s Fox Sports Network and the Asian cable channel AXN. Source: Sportcal, 26th Jul 2007
* The Philippines is encouraging new wireless services to enter the market by allocating more frequencies for broadband. The National Telecommunications Commission has reallocated the band 410-430 MHz on the radio spectrum for broadband wireless access, effective end-August. The band can accommodate four broadband companies, Lucio M. Espinosa, Jr., NTC chief of staff said. Broadband services providers see this as a positive move. New players will have "a broader range [of frequencies] to choose from," said a top official of a leading wireless services company. Source: Telecom Asia, 26th Jul 2007
* Malaysian pay-TV firm Astro All Asia Networks Bhd expects to launch its Indian operations this year and the unit is expected to break even from 2012, the company said on Thursday. India had 71 million television homes in 2006, and is forecast to become the top pay television market in Asia-Pacific by 2015, according to estimates by Media Partners Asia. Astro's biggest shareholder is Malaysian billionaire tycoon Ananda Krishnan, who also has businesses in gaming, power, mobile phones and leisure. Source: Reuters India, 26th Jul 2007
* With the consultation document on regulation for Headend In The Sky (HITS) out (Media News 25th Jul 2007), the Indian government is turning its attention to the regulation of IPTV. Regulator, TRAI, released the HITS document on July 24, aimed at creating a regulatory framework for satellite-delivered digital cable television. HITS services are yet to start, but IPTV already has, despite a similar lack of regulation. Now the Indian government is reported to have formed an inter-ministerial group, comprising telecoms, IT and broadcasting officials to formulate policy and framework for services. Source: Rapid TV News, 26th Jul 2007
* Manchester United is aggressively expanding its marketing capabilities in Asia, revealing that digital media will form a key component of efforts to build a more enduring brand. Speaking to Media on the club’s Asian tour, commercial director Lee Daley said that, currently, the club only had one rep in Asia - Hong Kong-based marketing manager Rob James. In addition to expanding capabilities in key markets of Korea, Japan, China, Malaysia and Singapore, Daley pointed out that online and mobile media would be used extensively to enable the club to leverage its 50 million fans in Asia. Daley’s comments come after the club unveiled new local-language Man Utd websites in Korea, Japan and China. Source: Brand Republic, 24th Jul 2007
* German commercial broadcaster, ProSieben, has secured a package of rights for the home matches of Bayern Munich in the Uefa Cup. Bayern are hoping to net €10 million ($13.7 million) from selling the broadcast rights for the club’s home games in the Uefa Cup before the quarter-final phase, when the rights are sold centrally. The 2007-08 season will be the first time in 11 years that Bayern will not take part in the top-tier Uefa Champions League, a competition they won in 2001. Source: Sportcal, 26th Jul 2007
* Flying Aces, with the support of the FAI, is filming a series of major world air sports championships in 2007 in what will be the first television series dedicated to a full range of international air sports. AirSports World will be a 13-part series, showcasing FAI’s major championships in each air sport in 2007. Sports include aerobatics, skydiving, hot air ballooning, gliding, aeromodelling, hang gliding, para-skiing, paramotor flying and air racing. The series will also report world-record attempts, athletes, personalities and lifestyles; and rounding up the latest air sports news. Source: Sports e-Media, 26th Jul 2007
* ESPN, MediaFLO USA and Verizon Wireless have teamed for the delivery of the first mobile TV channel dedicated to action sports, EXPN, on Verizon’s V CAST Mobile TV, complementing X Games coverage. EXPN will carry exclusive mobile coverage of competitions, behind-the-scenes action and commentary from X-Games 13. The new mobile TV channel will be available for the duration of X Games 13. The new dedicated channel will feature live coverage of events provided by ESPN for eight hours each day from August 2 through August 5. Source: Worldscreen, 26th Jul 2007
* Virgin Media has created a new all-access sports portal that will include match clips from the English Premier League and second-tier Football League. Virgin Media and Setanta have joined forces to launch the virginmedia.com/sport, offering short highlights of all matches from the EPL, Coca-Cola C’ship, League 1 and League 2. The portal will offer 5-min highlights of games for free which can be watched on-demand for up to a week. Additional broadband programming, produced by Premium TV will also be available. Source: Sportcal, 26th Jul 2007
* The San Jose Earthquakes are to return to Major League Soccer in 2008, giving the league 14 teams. MLS commissioner Don Garber anounnced the move which also gives the MLS three teams in California, joining the Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA, both based at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles. Source: Sport Business, 26th Jul 2007
* Spain will commit €105 million towards organising the America’s Cup 2009 after Valencia was yesterday confirmed as the host for the second successive time. The America’s Cup will take place between May and July of 2009, with two pre-regattas in 2008, one held in Valencia in July and the other at another location in autumn. Valencia was the choice of Swiss team Alinghi, the winner of the last two America’s Cups, which was encouraged by the investment in regeneration in the Spanish city and the fact that 6 million members of the public visited the racing venues. Source: Sportcal, Sport Business, 26th Jul 2007
MORE NEWS
India/General: Cricket League Targets More International Stars
Organisers of the breakaway Indian Cricket League are stepping up their search for overseas talent as the controversial project gathers pace. An initial Twenty20 competition, comprising six teams from India's major cities, is being organised by the Essel Group, owners of Zee Television, despite opposition from the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Each side can include four overseas players and the biggest name signed so far is former West Indies captain Brian Lara. Experienced Australian stars Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath are also being linked with the competition.
The league will avoid recruiting players with international commitments, meaning it is likely to rely on veterans and lesser-known foreign players. Dean Jones, the former Australian player who is the ICL operations manager, said: ‘By mid-August we would have signed all those we want for the league. We will only be targeting players who will not be involved with their national teams during October-November. We do not want any player to break his existing national contract. Only those free will come to us.’ Source: Sportcal, 26th Jul 2007
Global/New Media: Internet TV Advertising Revenue Set to Hit $10bn by 2011
Ad revenues for internet television channels could reach $10 billion worldwide by 2011. Media information and consultancy group, Understanding & Solutions, claims that internet television advertising will equate to 18% of the projected overall internet advertising market of $57 billion. Findings reveal that internet television is enjoying a ‘gold rush’ as television broadcasters, cable networks and television content producers try to leverage their content online, joining existing proponents of ‘Web TV’ such as Joost, Vudu and Babelgum, the video streaming and download sites.
U&S described the level of penetration already achieved by internet video as ‘mind-blowing’ and online video is set to grow at a rate of around 200% a year. U&S estimates more than 20 billion videos being streamed across the internet each month worldwide. The media industry now faces the challenge of harnessing the power of video and developing revenue through sponsorship, advertising, subscription and paid-for business models.
U&S said internet television would challenge the traditional broadcast industry through rights distribution, on-demand content versus linear broadcast and the generation of advertising revenues. The competitive structure of the market will be under threat as new ‘Webcasters’ compete with conventional broadcast channels for audiences and advertiser money.
These latest predictions follows Sportcal.com’s own finding (Media News, 24th Jul 2007) that sports websites worldwide could be attracting $2 billion a year in advertising revenues by 2009, if current trends for the growth of the online advertising sector and the growth of sports coverage online continue. Source: Sportcal, Silicon Republic, 26th Jul 2007
Thursday, 26th July 2007
RESULTS
Source: Channel News Asia, 26th Jul 2007
Iraq stunned South Korea 4-3 on penalties on Wednesday and Saudi Arabia upset defending champions Japan 3-2 to set up an Asian Cup final few expected to see. It is Iraq's first-ever major final and sparked wild celebrations in Baghdad, while the Saudis atoned for the last tournament in China in 2004 when they failed to make the decider for the first time in 20 years. They meet in Jakarta on Sunday while Japan and South Korea face an unwanted trip to Pelambang in Indonesia on Saturday to play-off for third place.
THIS WEEK
Sun, 15th Jul 2007
DTM 2007: Race Day – Zandvoort, The Netherlands
BTCC 2007: Race Day – Snetterton, UK
DID YOU KNOW…?
Yesterday’s Stage 16 of the Tour de France is possibly the most exciting and challenging stage of the Tour. It is a grueling 218.5-kilometre course from Orthez to Gourette-Col d'Aubisque traverses five difficult climbs. Two of those climbs are rated beyond category in difficulty, the highest ranking, including the final ascent of 17 kilometres to the finish line, which is situated at an altitude of 1,709 metres. Source: Earth Times, 25th Jul 2007
SPORTS SHORTS
* SK Telecom, Korea's leading wireless operator, is considering launching an Internet television service. The company has set up a task force to review a potential IPTV unit. "The team will study the feasibility of the business, set out the direction and report the results to senior company officials," SK Telecom said. Hanaro Telecom, which operates its own Internet TV business Hana TV, and other operators equipped with cable Internet networks are possible merger targets. Source: Advanced Television, 25th Jul 2007
* Taj Television has sold exclusive terrestrial rights of the Bangladesh tour of Sri Lanka to terrestrial broadcaster Bangladesh Television. The deal will provide viewers in Bangladesh with live coverage of the ODI matches between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Taj TV has concluded deals worldwide, providing cricket coverage to international broadcast partners including Zee in Europe, DirecTV in North America and Astro in Malaysia. With these, in addition to Ten Sports coverage, the Bangladesh tour of Sri Lanka is expected to be seen in over 70 million homes globally. Source: Indian Television, 25th Jul 2007
* myTV, the first commercial mobile TV service in the Philippines was launched Tuesday. Mobile network Smart Communications and broadcast firm 360media Corp., a subsidiary of MediaQuest Holdings, are behind this service. Using the DVB-H standard, subscribers with mobile TV-capable handsets can view several channels including news, music and sports for a monthly fee. Smart said the service is available to both paid and pre-paid subscribers. The mobile TV service will be free to subscribers until August 31. Source: Asian Journal Online, 25th Jul 2007
* China's mobile phone users reached over 500 million mobile in June, double the number in the US, and growing at a faster pace than the Ministry of Information Industry's (MII) forecast of 600 million mobile subscribers by 2010. China Mobile and China Unicom added 40.6 million users in the first six months of this year for a combined total of 501.7 million. Users grew at about eight times the pace of fixed-line customers last month as more people switched to wireless services. Demand also rose after the government allowed telecom operators to introduce billing systems that waived charges for incoming calls. Source: China Economic Review, 25th Jul 2007
* Etihad Etisalat’s Mobily subscribers In Saudi Arabia can sign up for a 3G TV service, for SR50 (about $13) a month. Channels offer CNN, Al Arabiya, CNBC Arabia, among other channels already available through Mobily’s mobile content portal, “Mobily 3alhawa.” Mobily has more than 1.8m subscribers to its ‘3.5G’ services, making it the largest Middle East telco in terms of 3G services. Mobily was the first telco to be licensed to offer 3G services to Saudi residents, back in 2005. Saudi Arabia’s main mobile telco, and incumbent, Saudi Telecom claims 15.5m subs. Source: Rapid TV News, AME Info, 25th Jul 2007
* Manbub Anam, the general secretary of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, has resigned as the board attempts to free itself of political influence. Anam's departure follows that of vice president Gazi Golam Dastagir, who stood down last week. BCB president Abdul Aziz told Reuters: ‘They resigned as Bangladesh's interim government is eager to depoliticise the cricket board.’ Both Anam and Dastagir had strong links with mainstream political parties in the country and is expected that other executives will leave for similar reasons. Source: Sportcal, 25th Jul 2007
* Portsmouth FC named IMG Media as its exclusive worldwide production and distribution partner for all its media content and rights. The 3-year deal includes developing and producing a weekly 3-hour programme of action, news and features on the Club, to be distributed globally from the start of the new EPL season. IMG Media will distribute match broadcast rights outside of the Premier League including pre-season games, charity matches and European competitions, as well as mobile and broadband rights. IMG Media also designed and built the Club's Online TV channel - PfcTV - launched last week. Content for programming blocks and the broadband channel will be produced by IMG Media and its production partner, ADI. Source: Sport Business, Sportcal, 25th Jul 2007
* Irish broadcaster, Setanta, will launch a new UK sports news channel on the Virgin Media cable platform in the latest challenge to BSkyB. BSkyB withdrew its Sky Sports News channel from the Virgin platform earlier this year when the two parties failed to agree terms for a new distribution deal for the former’s basic channels. The new Setanta channel will plug the gap left by Sky Sports News and strengthens the Virgin-Setanta links. The Setanta’s sports news channel will launch in time for the start of the new football season. Source: Sport Business, Sportcal, 25th Jul 2007
* US Squash and Squash Universe, a new event promotion company, have revealed that the 2007 US Open Squash Championship for men will be hosted in New York City from 27 September to 4 October. The two organisations announced a multi-year licensing agreement for the event, bringing them together in close partnership to promote squash at the professional level. The 2007 US Open - a PSA Super Series Platinum event - will be hosted at the famous Roseland Ballroom, located just blocks from Times Square, in the heart of New York City. Source: Sports e-Media, 25th Jul 2007
* The Tour de France has been left reeling by new blows after top rider, Alexandre Vinokourov, had tested positive for blood doping. Vinokourov’s Astana team has responded by withdrawing all of its riders from the race. Michael Rasmussen, the leader of the Tour de France, was also withdrawn from the race and dismissed by his sponsor, Rabobank, over his ethical credibility and doping doubts. It is the latest shock for the organisers, who had hoped that this year’s Tour would mark the start of a new clean era, but have been brought down to earth by failed drugs tests. Source: Sportcal, The Times, 26th Jul 2007
* David Beckham’s debut for the LA Galaxy helped ESPN attract its largest ever audience for a match involving a Major League Soccer team. ESPN drew a 1.0 rating for Saturday night’s exhibition game between the Galaxy and top English club Chelsea, meaning that it was watched by about 1.468 million people. Beckham has been troubled by an ankle injury and came on as a substitute in the 78th minute of the Galaxy’s 1-0 defeat by Chelsea. ESPN is also showing the team's games in the inaugural SuperLiga,. Source: Sportcal, 25th Jul 2007
MORE NEWS
India/General: Stars May Be Lured to Cricket Breakaway
Some of cricket’s biggest names could play in the controversial new multi-million-dollar breakaway Twenty20 tournament. Both the Indian cricket board and the International Cricket Council refuse to sanction the tournament, being organised by the Indian Cricket League, created by Indian media company Zee Telefilms. The breakaway is in the style of Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket. Packer lured many top players to his breakaway World Series Cricket after his Channel 9 network failed to acquire the rights to televise Australian cricket. Zee Telefilms is fighting back after being denied the Indian TV rights.
Stars that have been linked to the breakaway include West Indian star Brian Lara and Australian bowling legends Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne. Tony Greig, one of the key players who helped Packer create World Series Cricket 30 years ago, is one of ICL's leading officials. The league proposes to field six teams - each featuring four international players, two Indian stars and eight up and coming players- playing Twenty20 matches across India. Source: Sport Business, 25th Jul 2007
Elsewhere/Rights: French Watchdog Thwarts LFP's Plan to Lengthen TV Contracts
French professional soccer league, The LFP, has been prevented from increasing the length of television rights contracts as a result of a ruling by the Conseil de Concurrence, the body that monitors fair competition in France. The league had been hoping to elongate deals from three to five years in an attempt to attract new bidders to the market to challenge Canal Plus, the pay-television operator, and maintain the value of the rights to the top-tier Ligue 1. However, the authority defended the current structure, saying that ‘the nature of the competition rules that ensue is an element that can only encourage applications to buy the rights.’
The LFP’s current television deal with Canal Plus is worth €600 million ($822.6 million) a year, but it expires at the end of the 2007-08 season and the league is worried that Canal Plus’ merger with rival TPS will reduce competition for the rights when the tender for the next contract is issued in November. By making the domestic contracts five years in length, the LFP was hoping to enable new operators in the market to be able to plan their long-term budgets and development, while giving the clubs a clearer guide as to how much revenue they would receive.
The Conseil de Concurrence was contacted by Canal Plus recently over the terms of a tender issued for the broadcasting rights for the second-tier Ligue 2 in a move that could have implications for the sale of the Ligue 1 rights. The Ligue 2 rights were acquired by Noos-Numéricable last month in a three-year deal worth €15 million, but Canal Plus has issues with the LFP in two areas. The broadcaster is unhappy that the LFP invited bidders to make suggestions on what would be included in the rights packages and counters the league's claim that it could set up its own channel to broadcast matches. Source: Sportcal, 25th Jul 2007
Elsewhere/Rights: TVE Sees Value in Live Premier League Coverage
Spanish public-service broadcaster TVE has closed a three-year broadcasting deal for matches from the English Premier League. The agreement, which is worth an estimated €11.4 million ($15.8 million), will include two live matches per week, one aired on La 2 and the other on Teledeporte. The agreement will see TVE pay €3.7 million for the rights to the 2007-08 season, €3.8 million for 2008-09, and €3.9 million for 2009-2010, according to Spanish media reports. The rights were bought from rights-holder Multimedia Sports.
The outlay is on top of the amount TVE will spend to televise the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and the broadcaster is planning to ask for an extra state subsidy of almost €53 million to cover the costs. The Premier League deal signals a change in policy for TVE with regard to soccer. The broadcaster missed out on the rights to the domestic Liga de Futbol Española, the Uefa Champions League, the top European clubs competition, and the World Cup, despite Spanish law guaranteeing some free-to-air coverage.
The broadcaster has also extended its rights agreement with Dorna Sports, the Spanish company which holds the commercial rights to the MotoGP World Championship, until 2011, agreeing to pay a reported €25 million per year. Source: Sportcal, 25th Jul 2007
ARTICLES, COMMENTS & OPINIONS
"India is Under-Advertised and Under-Branded."
An interview with Sir Martin Sorrell by Sunit Arora and M Venkatesh Agencyfaqs, 25th Jul 2007
At the end of four hectic days in India, an interview was the last thing on Sir Martin Sorrell’s mind. The CEO of the world’s second-largest communications services company was more interested in catching the latest action in the Lord’s cricket Test between India and England. Fortunately for us, the TV set didn’t deliver. In the free-wheeling conversation that followed, Sir Martin pushed the big digital, made no bones about his fascination for China, and put forth an organic (and messy) growth plan for India. Excerpts from an exclusive conversation:
Q. Sir Martin, your views on digital advertising have come at a very opportune time for the Indian digital industry. How are brand managers, in general, reacting to digital?
A. The frank answer is, probably too slow. This is not just brand managers, but agencies, too, and probably media owners. We know that consumers spend 20% of their time online. We know that advertising on Internet and search is 7-9 % of worldwide advertising budgets. So, there is a disconnect here since, naturally, it should gravitate towards 20 %. The only market in the world that is close to 20% is the UK – around 18%, according to our forecast. And the reason probably is that the BBC gets $6 billion a year from the licence payer to invest in digital platforms – and it does a fantastic job. There are different models, but I think mobile is the cheap way in.
Q. This doesn’t apply to markets like India where traditional media is growing very fast. The issue we are facing here is that there is a lot of interest...
A. ...But it’s only 2% of media spends. The driver to the Internet will be mobile – we’re going to leapfrog here in China and India. With the subscriber numbers we’re looking at in these two markets, what’s driving the two is not the PC, but the mobile.
Q. So, why do you put the mobile ahead of the PC?
A. In China, it’s because of the cost issue with the PC. The leasing model used by Grameen Bank (for the telephone ladies in Bangladesh) shows there are ways of dealing with the cost issues to make the mobile more accessible. If you go to Mexico, the government is trying to stimulate Internet access through PC penetration. So, there are different models, but I think mobile is the cheap way in. And the take-up patterns have been very different. If you go to the UK, you start with newspapers, then magazines, radio, television, PCs to get to the Internet, and then you went to mobile. In China and India, mobile has leapfrogged PC. Outdoor in both India and China is becoming more and more important.
Q. There is, however, another view that the mobile will primarily be a communicational device, with Net-enabled tools…but it won’t be the primary tool to get on to the Net.
A. I disagree, actually. Look at the iPhone: I would have shown you mine, but it’s in my room. The technology enables you to look at Google Search, map search, Google Earth; it enables you to look at YouTube in a very effective way. Given the economics of it all, mobile will be cheap and people who say that the screen is not big enough to watch TV, say it because they were used to watching TV like I have. If you’re 50 or 60 (years old), your habits are formed by what you did when you were five or 10 years old…they are looking at things in a totally different way. So, things are changing.
Q. But mobile operators are too busy ramping up numbers to look for value-added services.
A. The operators have been very slow to engage. And unless they either do it singly, or even get operators in Western Europe to try together to develop a mobile advertising network – and they have not been receptive – I think that will be a missed opportunity. They have to cooperate within a group. And if they’re busy being competitive with each other, private equity groups should get together. Value-added services will come in a competitive framework – but they have to come. What operators will be seeking to do is build premium services. You want to get away from the commodity end of the market and try to develop things that have value to consumers, be they knowledge or information or services or products.
I think mobile advertising will be significant. It’s got to be, in the context of China and India. It’s just a question of us coming up with the right creative approaches, the right content. We have interesting assets in this space, including a mobile advertising network operating in Europe and the US. And it’s an opportunity. Push your traditional business to go into new media.
Q. We read with interest your own personal media mix. How do you juxtapose a media mix that exists in developed markets, and one that exists in fast-growing ones like India and China?
A. I think the fast-growth markets will be impacted in a similar way. The only question is when. Clearly, India is under-advertised, under-branded – advertising as a percentage of GNP is too low. Clients have complained about TV advertising prices rising. I don’t see that changing in the short and medium term, because India has a long way to go. We have a very big market share here, but the relative size of the Indian market has to grow. At a point, it’ll go the same way (as developed markets). The Internet is 2 % (of overall ad spends), and will go to 10 and 15%.
Ultimately, online will undermine offline. If you talk to people who are running newspapers and magazines and are trying to embrace the online opportunity, at the moment it’s very small. However, if TV continues to price itself faster than inflation, clients are certainly going to look at alternatives. If the price of labour rises faster than inflation, you try and find a machine to do the job.
Q. Is mobile the only unique factor when it comes to the media mix in India and China? What about other media?
A. Radio is important. In China, Radio Shanghai is up 20-30%. Outdoor in both markets is becoming more and more important. The things that people watch, the things they are interested in, are going to be very similar, in terms of the overall pattern of development. The nature of the beast is very different, but the overall evolution is pretty much the same. Except for that point of mobile.
In WPP, new media (including direct) is about 25 % of our business. I’d like to see it at a third. If consumers spend a third of their time online, it’ll gravitate towards that. The period of time it’ll take for that to happen will be less because younger people are coming up. If the time spent online by consumers goes up to 50 %, new media’s share will logically go to 50 %. If newspaper circulations continue to decline – not in India but in the West – it will have an impact…magazines will become more volatile…This will be true of India at some time in the future. The problem in India is that the market is growing rapidly and staff turnover is high.
Q. But it’s inevitable?
A. I think so, I think so, though nothing in life is inevitable. I think the general drift is network television comes under pressure – the definitions may change, but at the end of the day, it all becomes media. Cinema and outdoor is growing quite significantly. I think the trends are the same; it’s just the speed of take-up. Basically, traditional media will come under pressure as consumer buying habits change. You’ve got to remember that it was a year ago, or two years ago, that the first generation that lived completely with the Internet went to university. And as we progress through the next few generations, that’s going to have a big, big impact.
Q. Finally, can Indian agencies play a larger role in the Asia Pacific?
A. Yes, I think the work of Indian agencies will become more important. Asia, as a whole, becomes important. The relative voice of Asian agencies will shift. Western Europe contributes to 65 % of WPP’s business, or nearly two-thirds. The voice of the third, or more precisely 20 %, is not represented at the global level, or even at the regional level, to the extent it should be. So, Asia is going to be high. Indian ad agencies will become more significant in an Asian context. Indian management will be more important outside India. You also see these are coming together in regional pitches. Apart from India and China, there are three new tigers coming up: Pakistan, Vietnam and Indonesia.
Wednesday, 25th July 2007
HEADLINE NEWS
Total Sports Asia Signs Pianist
Total Sports and Entertainment India (TSEIPL), a subsidiary of Total Sports Asia (TSA), has signed up Western Classical pianist - Timothy Birendra Marthand. It will organise a series of piano recitals by him across Asia and the Middle East in December 2007. Marthand is looking to bring Western Classical music back to India along with TSEIPL. He will begin with a series of his own performances and thereafter perform with other artists he has met in the course of his studies across the globe.
Being a 'Son of the Soil', born in Hyderabad, Marthand feels that he should bring back to India the tradition of western classical music, and increase the awareness and appreciation for this form of music. Notably, Marthand is the first Indian to be accepted by the International Piano Foundation (IPF) in Italy. This provides him the opportunity to work with legendary artists such as Martha Argerich, Murray Perahia, and Leon Fleisher. The director of IPF has made no concessions in saying that "Marthand is a musician who strives for perfection and there is no doubt that he will be a pioneer and asset for generations to come."
Marthand's concert programme will include the monumental Goldberg Variations by J.S. Bach as well as music by Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin. His performing experiences have been marked by events held in locations across Europe and America. Marthand says, "I am very fortunate to have the support of TSEIPL. In addition to sharing my artistic goals the TSEIPL team also brings positive energy and creative ideas that are bound to take my music to a vast audience in India and abroad."
TSEIPL MD Indian Subcontinent and Middle East Navneet Sharma says, "Timothy Marthand performs an enthralling recital, bringing to life the timeless compositions by these maestros of Classical Piano. The concert itself is a dynamic event during which his audiences are not only experiencing the most incredible music, but also are transported back in time to the idealism of the classical era." Source: Indian Television, 23rd Jul 2007
THIS WEEK
Sun, 15th Jul 2007
DTM 2007: Race Day – Zandvoort, The Netherlands
BTCC 2007: Race Day – Snetterton, UK
SPORTS SHORTS
* ESPN Software has signed with multi-system operator, Hathway, for its cricket-only channel, STAR Cricket. The channel, featuring the ongoing India-England series, was accepted with some reluctance by some cable and DTH operators. However, ESPN Software has now tied with Siticable, Incable and Hathway amongst the large MSOs. The channel is also available on DTH platforms, Dish TV and Tata Sky. Source: Business Line, 23rd Jul 2007
* India’s telecoms regulator has issued its consultation paper on setting up a framework for Headend In The Sky. HITS is a digital cable system under which pay channels are decrypted and aggregated at a central facility, then uplinked to a satellite with a single conditional access system. Channels are then downlinked at the cable operator’s headend. HITS will help speed digitisation and encryption of India’s cable networks allowing smaller operators to download channels direct from satellite feeds, without the need for costly cable headend equipment. It would lead to a single conditional access system for all operators using HITS. And, say cable operators, it would allow subscribers more flexibility in their packages, allowing them to pick channels and use pay-per-view much more easily. Source: Rapid TV News, 24th Jul 2007
* World Championship Sports Network and Yahoo! Sports announced a strategic partnership to provide fans an exclusive opportunity to sample select live events and on-demand coverage of world class Olympics sports competitions leading up to the 2008 Olympic Games at Yahoo! Sports. Fans can get a preview of major competitions that will play a significant role in determining who will compete in the Beijing Games, on Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/) and Yahoo! Olympics (http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics). Source: Sports e-Media, 24th Jul 2007
* Cycling.tv has signed distribution agreements with Joost and video search engine blinkx. Joost and blinkx will feature free Cycling.tv content which includes top professional cycling from the British and European calendars. Blinkx is an advanced internet video search engine that generates previews and full plays of videos within the sports, news, business and entertainment sectors, along with user-generated videos. Cycling.tv and blinkx are to share advertising revenue generated through the dedicated Cycling.tv player available on the blinkx website. Source: Rapid TV News, 24th Jul 2007
* Leverage Sports has created a NASCAR-themed television show that examines life inside the garage and targets the hard-core race fan. Three Wide Life will undergo one phase of distribution in September for the fall season, with a full launch scheduled for early 2008. MGM Studios will distribute the show and sell sponsorships in tandem with Leverage who will also handle production. Syndication is expected to reach 70% of the nation's markets this fall. Ryan Kurek, Leverage's CEO and founder, said network channels are underserved with motorsports programming because so much of it goes on cable with Speed and ESPN's networks. Source: Sporting News, 23rd Jul 2007
MORE NEWS
Japan/New Media: One-seg Usage Reveals Insight into Future of Mobile TV
Although there has been recent excitement surrounding the vast potential of mobile TV (One-seg) handsets in Japan, one study reveals that a profitable business model to support mobile TV broadcasting has yet to be developed and thus, the future of mobile TV in Japan may not be as lucrative as it initially seemed. According to “The Mobile TV Insight Report,” released by the Mobile Consumer Lab at the International University of Japan, One-seg TV users in Japan appear to be in fact lowering their usage of the most profitable mobile phone services like voice and e-mail.
"Business leaders across the mobile TV value-chain must seriously reconsider their approach to delivering television content via the mobile platform, as Japan's current One-seg users are clearly behaving in ways that could threaten the long term profitability of mobile TV services," said the author of the report, Prof. Philip Sugai, Director of the Mobile Consumer Lab.
However, the report also revealed that mobile TV users are more likely to use advanced data services such as the mobile Internet, games and music. Therefore, mobile TV has the possibility to create incremental revenues for mobile operators, broadcasters and mobile content and service providers. The report drew from research with more than 800 mobile phone subscribers in Japan, which looked at how mobile TV usage influenced the subscribers’ overall mobile behaviors. More information regarding this report is available on the Mobile Consumer Lab's website www.MoCoBe.com. Source: Entertainment Asia, 24th Jul 2007
Singapore/Broadcaster: Pay TV Operator M2B World Turning to Ads to Boost Revenue
In a response to more viewers being reluctant to pay for content, media entertainment company M2B World has decided to turn to advertising to increase its revenue in Singapore. M2B hopes that their new model will compete with rival operators StarHub and SingTel and be able to draw enough viewers thereby making it an attractive advertising medium for potential advertisers.
According to M2B’s new business model, which is expected to be completed in a few months, advertising will make up 60 to 70% of the company’s revenue, with the rest coming from merchandising and pay-per-view premium content. Subscriptions will either be free or cost just a few dollars a month, which is in stark contrast to the current monthly fee of USD 30.
The company, which has set aside more than USD 5 million to buy quality content for its service, is currently working on a backdoor listing in Singapore via a reverse takeover with Sesdaq-listed education player Auston International. Source: Entertainment Asia, 24th Jul 2007
Tuesday, 24th July 2007
THIS WEEK
Sun, 15th Jul 2007
DTM 2007: Race Day – Zandvoort, The Netherlands
BTCC 2007: Race Day – Snetterton, UK
DID YOU KNOW…?
Dubai declared on Saturday it now boasts the world's tallest building, with the Burj Dubai (Dubia Tower) scraping the sky at 512.1m (1,680ft) a year before its slated completion. The Burj Dubai, built by South Korea's Samsung, now stands at 141 storeys, outstripping Taiwan’s Taipei 101 which rises a modest 508m (1,667ft). Developer Emaar Properties is keeping tight-lipped on the $1bn structure's final vital stats, but says it will eventually be "more than" 700m (2,296ft) tall and have "more than" 160 storeys. Reluctance to divulge facts may be a response to rival developer Nakheel, which has announced it will build the equally inspirationally-titled "Al-Burj" (The Tower) - "whose projected height also remains a closely guarded secret". The Burj Dubai is the centrepiece of a $20bn complex comprising "30,000 apartments and the world's largest shopping mall" - suitably dubbed "Downtown Burj Dubai". Source: Ken Radio, 23rd Jul 2007
SPORTS SHORTS
* Nissan has agreed a 4-year extension to its title sponsorship of the Copa Sudamericana. Nissan said the deal, which was agreed with broadcaster and rights holder Fox Sports and runs until 2010, will serve as a marketing platform for its brand in Latin America. Héctor Costa, Senior VP of Fox Sports Latin America, said the Copa Sudamericana has attracted increased audiences in the last few years, and Nissan’s involvement will help to ensure continued growth. The Copa Libertadores, the main South American clubs competition, is sponsored by Nissan's rival Toyota. Source: Sportcal, 23rd Jul 2007
* StarHub will launch Football Channel, a channel dedicated to 24-hour Premier League programming. It will be made available to StarHub Sports’ customers when the season kicks off in August. The channel will be packaged by Goal TV, in association with Ten Sports. Live matches and magazine programmes will be produced by TWI, the Premier League's official producer and distributor of international coverage, while highlights, studio previews, half-time studio shows and match summaries will be produced by Goal TV and Ten Sports. Source: Sport Business, Rapid TV News, Worldscreen, The New Paper SG, C21 Media, 23rd Jul 2007
* Backed by a permanent injunction against piracy from the Delhi High Court, ESPN Software India is mounting its strictest ever monitoring of its channels and has warned anyone found violating with the order would face criminal charges. ESS told Indiantelevision.com that it has named 104 companies, including a leading MSO, of which some have been old offenders and some are suspected to likely pirate the signals of the ongoing India-England cricket series. It has restrained these operators from unauthorised broadcast through their cable networks. Star Cricket, a new channel from ESPN Star Sports is exclusively broadcasting the Test series between the two countries. Source: Indian Television, 23rd Jul 2007
* The value of mobile TV services in China will grow from $36 million to $98 million between now and the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Juniper Research sayss sports content will be a major driver of the market, helping lift subscribers from 3.7 million in 2007 to 9.3 million in 2008. The report, China 3G: Mobile Content Strategies & Forecasts, 2007-2012 says: ‘The wireless value added sector has significant growth potential in the forthcoming 3G arena and with the imminent launch of 3G, the value added service sector will be fuelled by factors such as development of new services and applications.’ Source: Sportcal, 23rd Jul 2007
* Asian Football Confederation President Mohamed bin Hammam confirmed his plans to work with UEFA to implement a ban on teams touring the continent during the Asian Cup 2011. “Yes, it is feasible,” he said when asked if a total ban was possible on European teams touring the region during the 2011 finals. “We will be in discussions, either to ban tours in the 16 countries participating in the finals or all of Asia. I will seek understanding between the AFC and UEFA and all major leagues in Europe to protect the month of the Asian Cup in 2011. Source: Football Dynamics, 7th Jul 2007
* India will bid to stage the 2014 Youth Olympics, according to the Indian Olympic Association. The inaugural edition of the multi-sports event is scheduled for 2010, with Moscow, Hamburg and Singapore all lining up bids. With the western city of Pune due to stage the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games and New Delhi installed as the host of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, India has a good chance of attracting the Youth Olympics, which are aimed at athletes between the ages of 14 and 18. Bidding for the games will start in 2011 and the final decision will be taken in 2013. Source: Sportcal, 23rd Jul 2007
* Companies in Asia-Pacific signed more than $5.4bn worth of business-process outsourcing deals in the first half of the year. The figure represented a 100% increase compared to the same period last year, indicating that outsourcing market expansion in the region is outpacing the rest of the world. The telecoms sector accounted almost half of Asia-Pacific’s outsourcing, in part due to major contracts from China Mobile, the world's largest mobile phone firm by subscriber base. Outsourcing by the financial services industry fell to 9% of the total. Source: Ken Radio, 23rd Jul 2007
* Billionaire industrialist, Len Blavatnik, is set to acquire Premium TV in a deal worth an estimated £25 million. Premium TV builds and manages broadband websites for sports groups including the Premier League and 87 football league clubs in the UK. It manages the content on the sites and allows content owners maximise income and reach through creation and distribution of multi-platform digital products. It is reported Mr Blavatnik is likely to put Premium TV alongside the other media interests that form part of his Access Industries conglomerate. Source: Sport Business, Sportcal, 23rd Jul 2007
* The Australian Grand Prix is losing its place as the first race of the F1 motor racing season. The 2008 schedule will start with the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sakhir with the Australian meeting to follow from March 13 to 16. Albert Park has been the first circuit on the calendar since 1996, except in 2006 when it was moved because of the Commonwealth Games held in the city. The schedule change will also allow a round of Australia’s popular V8 Supercar Championship to take place in Melbourne on the same weekend as the grand prix. Source: Sportcal, 23rd Jul 2007
MORE NEWS
China/New Media: Sport to Aid Growth of Mobile TV Sector
The value of mobile television services in China will grow from $36 million to $98 million between now and the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Juniper Research claims that sports related content will be a major driver of the market, helping to lift the number of subscribers from 3.7 million in 2007 to 9.3 million in 2008.
Dr Elisa Kuang, the author of ‘China 3G: Mobile Content Strategies & Forecasts, 2007-2012’, said: ‘The wireless value added sector has significant growth potential in the forthcoming 3G arena and with the imminent launch of 3G, the VAS [value added service] sector will be fuelled by a number of factors such as the development of new services and applications.’
However, she warned that there are ‘a number of major hurdles’ for foreign companies seeking access to the expanding Chinese mobile TV market as it presents a much different operating environment to those in the USA and Europe.
India/General: Chandra's cricket league to bat with Brian Lara
The Indian Cricket League (ICL) continues to expand its list of star cricketers. After roping in Kapil Dev and Tony Greig on the executive board, it has now signed in former West Indian cricketer Brian Lara as captain of one of ICL's six city teams. ICL project head Himanshu Mody said, "We are extremely honored to welcome Brian to the ICL family. I think the youngsters we are grooming for India’s future will benefit immensely from playing alongside him in the ICL."
Lara said, "It gives me great pleasure to join the Indian Cricket League. You can’t keep me too far from cricket and hence I return to the game in this exciting new avatar that the Essel Group has launched. I look forward to playing with promising youngsters from India and elsewhere along with some of my illustrious international counterparts who I’ve shared many an exciting moment with on the field."
In other appointments, ICL has roped in ex-India all-rounder Madan Lal as coach of the Delhi team and Balwinder Sandhu as Director of Academies. Lal is expected to play an active role in shaping the Delhi team and training it for the inaugural ICL Trophy to be held later this year. Sandhu will be responsible for grooming the talent identified through scouting in all the regions. Also, former cricketers Pranab Roy and Rajesh Chauhan have been appointed as talent scouts for the league. Both will be involved in identification, short-listing and channeling of talent in their respective zones. Source: Indian Television, 23rd Jul 2007
Global/Broadcast: TV Audience for Youth Event Breaks All Records
The FIFA U-20 World Cup 2007 announced a cumulative attendance of nearly 1.2 million spectators at matches in the six venues across Canada. The popularity of the FIFA U-20 World Cup has reached new global levels with the 52 matches being sold and distributed to 200 countries and territories around the world. This represents an increase of 67% compared to the previous event in 2005.
“FIFA is extremely pleased with the huge success of the global TV distribution and worldwide appeal of the FIFA U-20 World Cup. It has a long tradition of being the platform from which many great careers have been launched –Thierry Henry, Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho and John Obi Mikel to name but a few. Impressive TV audiences are a reflection of the high standard of play that has been witnessed over the past few weeks,” explained a delighted FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter.
Additional free live webcasts of all 52 matches in selected territories on FIFA’s official website offered fans from all over the world the most comprehensive event coverage in the history of the competition. Free two-minute highlight videos are also being made available worldwide shortly after the final whistle in each match.
In line with its change of marketing strategy in late 2004, FIFA decided to manage in-house the TV rights distribution for the post-2006 period. The progress made in terms of broadcast rights sales for the various FIFA youth, women’s and beach soccer events is a result of active and targeted work with broadcast partners around the world. The TV sales strategy focuses on content distribution across several multi-media platforms, from traditional TV to mobile phones, to offer consumers a wide choice and guarantee access to the beautiful game. Source: Sports e-Media, 23rd Jul 2007
Global/New Media: Sports Websites Set for Ad Revenues of $2bn by 2009
Sports websites worldwide could be attracting $2 billion a year in advertising revenues by 2009, if current trends for the growth of the online advertising sector and the growth of sports coverage online continue. The prediction is contained in Sport on Broadband 2007: Video Rights, the Internet and IPTV management report available now from Sportcal.com. The figures represent a huge potential market for sports federations and other rights-owners seeking to find new ways of commercialising their sports properties and content.
The figures are based on projections from ZenithOptimedia valuing the global internet advertising market at almost $43 billion in 2009. These are combined with Sportcal.com’s own prediction that sport’s share of that market (4 per cent in USA in 2006, according to Nielsen/NetRatings’ AdRelevance data) will grow to at least 5 per cent worldwide by 2009, as advertisers begin to recognise the potential of online sport.
Research undertaken during the course of the report suggests that rights-owners are already exploiting the potential of online advertising revenues associated with free-to-view content. In many cases, they are adopting this model, or offering a combination of free-to-view and paid-for content, in preference to attempting to commercialise all of their premium content through subscription and pay-per-view models.
Perhaps the most high-profile example is Fifaworldcup.com which, during soccer’s World Cup last year, more than doubled the 65.2 million average daily page views of the 2002 website, after Fifa elected to offer free-to-view video clips. Fifa had experimented with a $19.95 subscription fee during the 2002 World Cup. The growth of broadband also opens up new and attractive opportunities for advertisers to communicate with potential customers through ‘rich media’ including video which can include interactive options.
The research shows that majority of sports websites offer a mix of free content and premium subscription services. Online advertising tends to focus on the major sports web portals like ESPN and SkySports but as advertisers begin to appreciate the figures and communities being generated by major international and national sports federations, it is expected that their websites could also become the focus of advertising campaigns.
The challenge for the federations representing smaller and niche sports is how to build these communities and how to attract advertisers and sponsors who wish to interact with them. WCSN.com, the US broadband internet site focusing mainly on Olympic sports, has signed a number of deals with international federations and rights holders, and is looking to expand advertising revenues further. In 2006, the USA topped the list of countries ranked by internet advertising expenditure with $12.49 billion spent, followed by Japan, the UK, China and South Korea. Source: Sportcal, 23rd Jul 2007