Friday, 18th July 2008

DID YOU KNOW…?

Forbes magazine suggests that Tiger Woods is on target to become the first person to accumulate $1 billion through sporting prowess alone. The annual ranking of the world's richest people in its Celebrity 100 list reports that Woods earned $115 million in 2007 alone and he will pass through the $1 billion mark in 2010. The second-placed sportsman on the list is footballer David Beckham, who banked $65 million in 2007.

Forbes said: "There are plenty of billionaires who have excelled at sports like Switzerland's richest man, and champion sailor, Ernesto Bertarelli. But there are no billionaires who accumulated their fortune by playing sports." Woods is reported to have earned more than $750 million in endorsement deals to date in his career. At 32, he has won 50 tournaments faster than any player in history. Sport Business, 11th Jul 2008


SPORTS SHORTS

* The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has penned a contract with Nimbus Sports for its worldwide marketing rights. The deal, which will run through to 2012, has been finalised after nearly two years of negotiations. The new agreement is an amended version of a deal that was initially agreed in November 2006, and is worth around US$57 million. Bangladesh is expected to host 23 Test matches during the four-year period and all parties said they were happy with the outcome after the BCB's acting chief executive officer Nizam Uddin Chowdhury and Nimbus Sports' executive vice-president Yannick Colaco signed the agreement. "In my life I have had the experience of being involved in million dollar deals and I must say it was the most transparent deal I have ever done," said Colaco. Sports Media, Sport Business, Sportcal, Sports City, 15th Jul 2008

* Indonesians will be able to watch the Beijing Olympic Games next month live and free of charge after state-owned TVRI acquired the broadcast rights. They had missed out on coverage of the 2004 games. TVRI said: ‘We will air the games. On Tuesday we will sign a memorandum of understanding with the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union.’ Sportcal, 15th Jul 2008

* Eurovision will provide coverage of the annual continental Asian Championships of Bodybuilding for broadcasters across Asia, America and Europe, the International Federation of Bodybuilders (IFBB) has announced. The event will start on Thursday and run through to Monday at the Tseung Kwan O Sports Centre in Hong Kong. The IFBB added that the World Men's Championships and Congress in November, due to be held in Manama, Bahrain, will also enjoy "wide TV coverage". Sports Media, 15th Jul 2008

* Sohu.com paid an estimated 500 million yuan ($73.33 million) for Olympics-related activities, the paper reported, citing an unnamed official in charge of a sports channel at a portal site. In 2005, Sohu.com became the Internet Content Services Sponsor of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, reportedly paying $20 million for rights to host the Olympics' official Web site www.beijing2008.com and use its logo. Sina.com and Tencent's expenses amounted to an estimated 130 million yuan and 100 million yuan respectively, the paper said. Chinadaily.com, 17th July 2008

* Pakistan ended June with 88.02 million mobile phone users, up from 86.69 million in May, according to figures from market regulator PTA. Mobilink was the market leader with 32.03 million customers, followed by Telenor with 18.13 million. Ufone was in third place with 18.1 million subscribers, while Warid finished the year with 15.49 million subscribers. Zong's subscribers reached 3.95 million, while Instaphone subscribers have been estimated at the same level as for April i.e. 321,204 subscribers. Mobile teledensity rose to 54.4 percent in June, versus 53.9 percent in the previous month of May. Telecompaper.com, 17th July 2008

* Vodafone unveiled a Formula One car in Chennai in a bid to promote the sports car among the youth on Thursday. A large number of people were present on the occasion to witness the single-seater car being showcased. The car is scheduled to be showcased in Kolkata and Mumbai in near future. News.WebIndia123.com, 17th July 2008

* Interpol has made more than 1,300 arrests and seized over US$16 million in breaking up an illegal football gambling network in Asia, the international police agency has announced. Operation SOGA II - short for soccer gambling - was timed to coincide with UEFA Euro 2008 and the conclusion of major football leagues around the world. Over a two-month period from May 1 to June 30, police raided 1,088 locations which are believed to have handled almost $1.5 billion in bets. The operation was a follow up to Operation SOGA I, which was conducted in October and November 2007. Football Insider, 11th Jul 2008

* The University of Florida (UF) announced a lucrative 10-year broadcast rights agreement with Sun Sports reportedly worth around $100 million. The deal was announced after UF entered into a partnership with IMG College, which will see the latter take responsibility for sponsorship, advertising, publications and facilities surrounding the Florida Gators athletic teams. Sun Sports already held the game rights to tape-delayed American football, men's and women's basketball, baseball and a selection of other sports, and it is thought coverage of baseball and Olympic sports in particular will increase under the new deal. Sun Sports reaches 6.5 million homes throughout Florida. The new contract is unlikely to have impact on any possible new Southeastern Conference channel. Sports Media, Sport Business, Sports City, 16th Jul 2008

* Mediapro is reported to have spent ‘well above’ €50 million ($79 million) per season for the rights to the Champions League, European soccer’s top-tier clubs competition, for three seasons starting in 2009-2010. Mediapro announced it will broadcast 14 matches each Champions League day, including two played by Spanish teams, via a new pay-television channel which could be launched by September. TVE acquired the rights for the same period for first-choice Tuesday matches and a highlights programme on Wednesdays. The free-to-air rights are held by Antena 3 under the current agreement. An analyst said: ‘It's bad news for Antena 3 since it loses one of its most attractive pieces of content. But it stops paying some $47.5 million a year for Champions League rights, allowing Antena 3 to cut costs.’ Sportcal, Sports City, 14th Jul 2008

* All matches of 2010 World Cup in South Africa could be shown on free-to-air television in Germany, after RTL acquired the rights of up to 18 matches from Premiere, which will show all 64 games of the tournament. The deal with Premiere guarantees RTL broadcast of 9 matches – six group games, two last-16 games and one quarter-final match – and also has the option to show a further nine group games. Premiere acquired the rights to all 64 games in Germany and Austria, 18 of them exclusively, in a deal reported to be worth between €35 million ($55.9 million) and €50 million, while ARD and ZDF, the public-service broadcasters, paid between €175 million and €200 million for the free-to-air rights to 46 games. Sportcal, 15th Jul 2008

* Infront Sports and Media today announced it had won a highly-prized role advising Italy’s Lega Calcio on the sale of its national and international media rights for all properties, including the Serie A. Infront, which will take on the advisory role for six seasons, beginning with the 2010-11 season, is understood to have put up a financial guarantee of €900 million ($1.4 billion) a season to win the contract. It was selected by Lega Calcio from an initial 12 bidders which were subsequently trimmed to a shortlist of three: Infront, Sportfive and IMG. Sportcal, 17th Jul 2008

* Toyota Australia has extended its sponsorship of the Australian Football League (AFL) through to the end of the 2011 season. The partnership between the two parties began in 2004, and although precise financial details have not been disclosed, part of the agreement will see Toyota investing at least another A$1 million (US$950,000) into the grass roots of the sport between 2009 and 2011. The AFL appears to be in rude health with a consortium led by Seven Network and Ten splashing out around A$780 million (US$744 million) for the competition’s broadcast rights from 2007-11. Sports Media, 10th Jul 2008

* Canal Plus Events has taken control of the international marketing rights of Ligue 1 Orange football club Olympique de Marseille's matches in the preliminary rounds of the UEFA Champions League as well as the UEFA Cup. Canal Plus Events has also agreed to take responsibility for the international distribution of OMtv, the club's official channel. Marseille will attempt to qualify for the Champions League proper in the coming weeks, but if it fails in the third qualifying round, it will enter the UEFA Cup. Sports Media, Sportcal, 15th Jul 2008

* The International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) has chosen RPM Racing as its promoter for the FIM Indoor Enduro World Cup from the start of next season. The Spanish company will be responsible for the series TV and marketing rights from November 2008 until the end of the 2011 season. Marketing contracts already assigned by the national federations for the 2009 season will be respected by RPM Racing. Sports Media, 15th Jul 2008

* European Athletics has extended its partnership with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for another four years. The link-up, which has been in place since 1981, has been extended for the four- year period of 2008-11, and will cover all of European Athletics' major events in that period, including two Indoor Championships (Torino in 2009 and Paris in 2011) and the European Athletics Championships, which will take place in Barcelona in July 2010. The agreement also covers the Indoor Cup which took place in February this year in the Russian capital of Moscow and the SPAR European Cup which took place in Annecy, France, at the end of June. Sports Media, Sport Business, Sportcal, Sports City, 17th Jul 2008

* Former World Heavyweight Champion, George Foreman hits television screens across the USA on July 16 when six-part "Family Foreman" reality series comes to TV Land. The show explores the home life of Foreman, his wife and six children - four of whom are also called George. Highlights of the series include Foreman's daughter Natalie launching a singing career, while big brother Monk helps to manage his father's business empire. Sports Media, 11th Jul 2008

* Australian commercial broadcaster, Network Ten, is considering launching a sports-only channel next year in a bid to compete with pay-television’s Fox Sports franchises, according to local press reports. The move is understood to be at the top of a list of options being considered by Ten for multi-channeling, when the three commercial free-to-air networks are each permitted to launch an additional standard-definition channel from the beginning of next year. Sportsbusiness.com, 17th July 2008

* SportsXchange, a planned new round-the-clock UK sports news and betting television channel, said today that it aims to become the ‘Bloomberg of sport,’ covering sport ‘in a level of detail unavailable anywhere else.’ SportsXchange, owned by Chellomedia Investments, MDW Media LLC and Mountgrange Land, is set to launch on television late this month and will also be streamed online (www.sportsxchange.tv). The channel will be available free of charge to subscribers of British Sky Broadcasting, the pay-television operator, in the UK, and of UPC, the pan-European broadcaster, in Ireland. Sportcal, 15th Jul 2008

* Fans around the world will be able to follow the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Olympic Qualifying Tournament, taking place in Athens from July 14-20, on their mobile phones. The FIBA mobile service (www.fiba.com/mobile ), provided by Nokia, allows fans to access a range of features including game reports, news, interviews, player biographies and complete statistics of the event, which will be updated after every game. Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Korea, Lebanon, New Zealand, Puerto Rico and Slovenia will battle it out for the remaining three spots at the Beijing Games. Sports Insider, 16th Jul 2008

* The Football Association (FA) board has approved a new prize fund for next season's FA Cup sponsored by E.ON , with a 69% increase from last season. The total prize fund will increase from £9.7 million to £16.4 million, with raised payments in every round. The winner will receive a total of £3.8 million, an increase of 58% from last season's £2.4 million. This includes £2 million for winning the final alone, up from £1 million. The 2008-09 season is the first under the new TV deal with ITV and Setanta, worth £425 million over the next four years. Football Insider, Sportcal, 14th Jul 2008

* US network NBC Universal is expected to generate more than $1 billion in ad revenue during the Olympic Games. According to Reuters, about 85 per cent of the company’s TV inventory has been sold with NBC receiving an average of $750,000 for each 30-second spot. At the same time, other NBC Universal networks including Telemundo, USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC and Oxygen also will be carrying Olympic sports. About $850 million will go to NBC Universal and $150 million to local NBC affiliates. Sport Business, Sports City, 15th Jul 2008

* An international sporting event that covers korfball, billiards, dragon boat racing and women's tug-of-war will open in just one year in Taiwan, a rival to mainland China since their split in 1949. Kaohsiung is months away from finishing 23 venues, including a giant bowling alley and a bay for life-saving competitions, as host of the 2009 World Games. The World Games will showcase 31 sports that do not make it for the Olympics, but could qualify eventually. The International Olympics Committee-sanctioned World Games will bring 4,500 athletes from 90 countries to Kaohsiung next summer, giving Taiwan a rare blast of international limelight less than a year after the 2008 Beijing Olympics from Aug. 8-24. Sports City, 14th Jul 2008

* Brazil forward Ronaldinho said he was mostly looking forward to teaming up again with compatriot Kaka as he was unveiled as an AC Milan player on Thursday. The San Siro was almost half full to welcome the 28-year-old, who wore a Milan kit as he waved to the crowd from the pitch. Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has said the former Barcelona man will probably play alongside Kaka in a Christmas tree formation with a main striker just ahead of them. It is not just the Rossoneri fans and their coach drooling over the idea. Reuters, 17th July 2008

* Reebok has roped in driving ace Lewis Hamilton as its new brand ambassador in a multi-year partnership deal. Lewis is synonymous with individuality, creativity and self expression which are reflected in our brand. He is one-of-a-kind, a true challenger and this perfectly reflects the spirit of the Reebok brand. Lewis is thus the perfect fit for Reebok," said Reebok India managing director Subhinder Singh. Indiantelevision.com, 17th July 2008

* The International DanceSport Federation (IDSF) has signalled its intention to adapt its structure and scope by undergoing a re-branding process under the 'Vision 2012' programme. Vision 2012 aims to unite all the different dance styles performed as sport under a single umbrella. A new visual identity of the IDSF was presented to the delegates at the IDSF Congress and Annual General Meeting held last month in Moscow. Vision 2012 will lead the IDSF to take on an expanded role as the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF). From June 2009, its use by all the Members and the organisers of nearly 500 competitions granted annually by IDSF becomes mandatory. Sports Insider, 9th Jul 2008


MORE NEWS

Real Madrid: Looks To Take Medical Provisions To Next Level

Real Madrid has agreed a partnership through to 2013 that will see the Sanitas Group oversee the club's medical services. The agreement will give the Liga BBVA team access to the top specialists and most advanced technological equipment available, as well as various centres, labs and diagnosis networks belonging to Bupa, the private healthcare giant to which Sanitas belongs. The two parties have agreed to invest Eur1 million each year to build facilities and purchase medical equipment, recovery apparatus and IT systems.

"The club wants to be at the helm of the field of sports medicine and to boost Real Madrid City's Medical Centre," read a Real Madrid statement. "The entity also wishes to settle the ground work for the accelerated development of the Real Madrid Sanitas High Performance Centre, which will help improve the diagnosis, prevention and speedy recovery of injuries of all Real Madrid players."

Doctor Carlos Díez Sánchez will manage the Medical Centre and all the medical services of the club and its football and basketball players. The agreement will see the two parties explore the concept of telemedicine, with Real Madrid's medical staff contacting experts on player injuries worldwide by teleconference rather than wasting time and money by travelling around the globe. The agreement also includes medical assistance for the families of players and the possibility of including an insurance policy for club employees. Football Insider, 16th Jul 2008

India/Rights: Ten Sports Takes Legal Advice as Sri Lanka Cricket Deal Is Cancelled

Ten Sports, the Duabi-based broadcaster owned by Taj Television, is taking legal advice after the Sri Lankan government announced that it planned to scrap a television rights deal for the period 2009 to 2012 agreed between Ten Sports and officials of the interim body that was running cricket in Sri Lanka at the time of the agreement.

The government argues that the interim committee did not hold a proper tender or bidding process for the rights, before agreeing to extend Ten Sports’ existing deal, which also enables the broadcaster to market the board’s sponsorship rights. The sport was administered by the interim committee after the government intervened following allegations of financial mismanagement at the previous administration of Sri Lanka Cricket.

However, Ten Sports argues that it has a valid contract for 2009 to 2012 and that, in any case, the previous contract, which expires at the end of this year, contained a ‘matching rights’ clause that would have enabled it to match the offers of any other bidders. Moreover, Ten Sports claims, the new contract covers several tours that were postponed from the existing contract period, and for which the broadcaster has therefore already acquired the rights.

The announcement of the cancellation of the contract was made by Gamini Lokuge, the country’s sports minister, after studying a report conducted by a special three-man committee. The committee was appointed to study whether the interim SLC committee, headed by Jayantha Dharmadasa, had agreed the deal without the proper legal authority. Both the sports minister and the head of SLC have changed since the contract was signed. Sportcal, Sports City, 10th Jul 2008

Singapore/Broadcast: StarHub Keen on HD Sports Package

Singapore-based pay-TV operator Starhub has confirmed it will launch its high-definition sports channel on August 14. By the end of this calendar year, Starhub will carry five HD channels on its pay-TV platform, Starhub Digital Cable. However, Patrick Lim, the company's head of cable TV services, is clearly keen to highlight the launch of Sports HD, which will be home to live action from the Barclays (sponsor) Premier League.

From August 14, Starhub's Sports Group package customers with a high-definition set-top box will be able to watch Sports HD on channel 304 at no additional subscription cost. The channel will air 92 Premier League matches during the 2008-09 season and weekly US Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) Tour events in high definition. Sports HD will replace HD Showcase, which will cease to broadcast on channel 303 in August. "We are always on the lookout for ways to add value to our Sports Group," said Lim. "In the past year, we have added six channels to the group. With the introduction of Sports HD in August, the number of channels in the Sports Group will be raised to 11, and this represents a 175% increase in the content enjoyed by our Sports Group customers in the past 12 months." Sports Media, 17th Jul 2008

China/Broadcast: PPLive in Partnership with CCTV.com for Olympics Live Online

PPLive signes a partnership with China Central Television's CCTV.com for online live broadcast Olympic sporting events, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies. Through PPLive's Internet coverage, Olympic fans can enjoy the high-quality video experience and watch the Beijing 2008 Olympics through their PCs anywhere and anytime.

PPLive currently offers a broad range of premium domestic and international sports content online including matches from the CBA, NBA, English Premier League, European Champion League, and Germany's Bundesliga, etc.

PPLive has obtained a PRC governmental license covering all video broadcasting, streaming and downloading services, which only a limited number of international venture capital-backed internet media companies has so far received in China. According to AC Nielson, from January to April 2008, average monthly users of PPLive totaled nearly 35 million, and average monthly page-views of PPLive totaled over 450 million. TVover.net, 17th July 2008

China/Broadcast: Olympics To Be "Milestone" In Digital Media - CCTV

CCTV.com general manager Wenbin Wang believes this year's Beijing Olympic Games will propel Internet TV broadcasts to a new level in China. Earlier this week it was announced that UUSee, a leading Internet TV and interactive broadcasting service operator, has linked up with CCTV.com to broadcast live the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games as well as the important sporting action this August. CCTV.com has agreed a number of distribution deals with the likes of UUSee and PPLive for online coverage of the Olympics within China, and Wang reckons the Games will represent a "major digital media milestone" in the country.

"Since 2005 we have successfully collaborated with UUSee to broadcast TV content and distribute breaking news over the Internet," said Wang. "Expanding this partnership to include live broadcasting of the 2008 Olympic Games will be a major digital media milestone in the history of the Olympics." UUSee CEO Zhu Li added: "Broadcasting the 2008 Olympic Games is expected to give a huge boost to UUSee and Internet TV in China. Through our robust network platform, UUSee's nearly 100 million users will enjoy a reliable, smooth and clear online video experience." UUSee provides live, online broadcasting from 150 TV channels, 750 customised channels, short-clip video-on-demand and downloading services to PC, mobile and Internet users. Sports Media, 16th Jul 2008

China/New Media: Trio Of Sites Team Up To Challenge Olympic Website

The Sina.com, Netease.com and Tencent.com online portals have snapped up Internet-based broadcast rights to the Beijing Olympic Games in August from CCTV.com . The trio of sites will be able to offer video-on-demand services and are entitled to use video content of the Games relayed by CCTV.com in real time. The three websites will share resources in covering the Olympics and will aim to team up with more than 100 "traditional media organisations" across China in a bid to share content, according to a joint statement. The alliance of the three sites is a challenge to Sohu.com, which is the official Internet partner of the Beijing Games and hosts the event's website.

"With the extensive use of broadband and online streaming technology, online video has become one of the most popular Internet applications in China," Sina.com chief executive Charles Chao told China Business Daily. Sina.com CEO Cao Guowei was at the signing ceremony alongside his counterparts from Netease.com and Tencent.com, Ding Lei and Ma Huateng. CCTV.com plans to provide more than 3,800 hours of action from the Games, including the opening and closing ceremonies. Sports Media, Sport Business, Sportcal, Sports City, 17th Jul 2008

Elsewhere/Rights: EBU Set to Extend Canoeing Deal until 2011

The International Canoe Federation will next week sign an extension of a television rights deal until 2011 with the European Broadcasting Union, the umbrella body of mainly public-service broadcasters, having successfully concluded negotiations. The new deal will cover the period 2008 to 2011 inclusive (the ICF does not hold world championships in 2012). Should another extension be signed, it would be for 2012 to 2015.

Negotiations between the ICF and the EBU over a renewal are thought to have started last year but took six months to complete as the two parties discuss the exploitation of internet rights. The new deal with the EBU covers the ICF Slalom World Championships and ICF Flatwater World Championships, which are held annually.

Broadcast production will be handled by the EBU where possible and coverage will be distributed to the member broadcasters, ensuring live coverage across key markets. The EBU will be allowed to exploit internet rights for ICF events, but in return, the federation can broadcast the internet coverage on its own website. The ICF is also thought to be looking to new distribution outlets outside of the EBU territories to improve coverage. Sportcal, 10th Jul 2008

Elsewhere/General: Santander Reaps Benefits Of Copa Libertadores Deal

Santander Bank has revealed it invested Eur9.5 million in its first year as the main sponsor of the Copa Libertadores, the most prestigious club championship in the Americas. More than 16,000 hours of television coverage and three million spectators at the stadia granted Santander strong levels of brand recognition as the main sponsor of the championship organised by the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL). This year's edition, which was won earlier this month by Ecuador's Liga Deportiva Universitaria (pictured right), saw Santander replace Toyota as the title sponsor of the tournament. The banking giant has stated that it invested Eur9.5 million in advertising and marketing in Latin America.

"We are very happy with the sponsorship and the projection our mark received in the first year of the association with CONMEBOL in the Copa Libertadores," said Juan Manuel Cendoya, Santander's general director of communications, corporate marketing and studies. "We are sure that, as the contract runs to 2012, we will be the best brand in Latin America thanks to the actions we are developing in the region. We want to help the Copa Libertadores to reach the level of the UEFA Champions League."

Cendoya added that fans will take part in an online vote to choose the Copa Libertadores' Most Valuable Player, who will be given US$30,000 in Santander shares plus $30,000 more to donate to a charity. The winner will be announced in December, during the draw of next year's competition. Football Insider, 15th Jul 2008

Elsewhere/General: ECB to Launch English Premier League

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the sport’s governing body, is to launch a new English Premier League (EPL) cricket competition involving all 18 counties, two overseas teams and international players. The competition will start in June 2010 and follows the multi-million dollar launch of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in April this year.

The ECB also announced the introduction of a new Twenty20 League played on Friday and Saturday nights in July and August to replace the current Pro40 competition played on Sundays. The new domestic Twenty20 competition will serve as the qualifying competition for cricket's Champions League and will comprise all 18 counties, but no additional overseas players.

In a statement to the press the ECB said the timetable and the format of the competition had been agreed by the board after detailed market research which clearly "demonstrated a spectator desire to watch more Twenty20 cricket in July and August”. The EPL will be staged in June with the Twenty20 League being played in July, August and September and involving five home matches for each team. Sport Business, 17th Jul 2008

Elsewhere/General: IRB Asks for Minimum Guarantee not Tournament Fee

The International Rugby Board, rugby union’s world governing body, today denied that it will charge a ‘tournament fee’ for staging future World Cup tournaments. The IRB, responding to criticism by Australia Rugby Union chief John O'Neill, told Sportcal.com: ‘What we ask for is a minimum guarantee, it is not a fee.’ The 2015 World Cup host will need to guarantee £100 million ($198 million), rising to £120 million for the 2019 World Cup, amounts which, O’Neill claimed, will reduce the number of bidders for the events. The minimum guarantee for New Zealand to host the 2011 event will be £70 million.

The IRB said that there was already ‘great interest’ in tendering for the next two World Cups, adding: ‘We know England and South Africa [are interested], as well Japan and Argentina. And there’s talk of the Celtic countries combining.’ The hosting of both tournaments will be awarded in July 2009. The IRB said that France’s success in generating revenue from staging the competition last year showed that future hosts were very unlikely to have to face a shortfall. It said: ‘The current guarantee stands at £60 million. France made £15 million on top of that. The IRB added that the economic benefit of the 2007 tournament to France has been set at £2.5 billion.

The IRB announced recently that it would distribute £48 million over the next four years, while total expenditure over that period is expected to total £150 million. It said: ‘That £150 million is more than what we’ve been able to generate from the Rugby World Cup so we’re actually dipping into reserves which shows a huge commitment to development.’ The IRB added that it was an aim of the IRB to spread the tournament to new territories ‘but we are only in our sixth or seventh tournament and we are still growing, we don’t want to put unions in a position that they cannot afford it.’ The IRB announced last week that the host countries for the Rugby World Cups in 2015 and 2019 would be decided simultaneously.

The announcement is thought likely to be welcomed by developing rugby-playing countries, including Japan, which was disappointed to lose out to New Zealand in the race to host the 2011 event. Sportcal, 14th Jul 2008

Elsewhere/General: Kantarian Serves Up A Treat For Tennis Fans

The Olympus US Open Series got underway on July 14 with the Indianapolis Tennis Championships for men and the Bank of the West (sponsor) Classic for women. But United States Tennis Association (USTA) chief executive of professional tennis, Arlen Kantarian is already excited about a new television and digital media package that will be unveiled in the 2009 series. Kantarian told USA Today: "Beginning in 2009, we will unleash our new TV and digital media package, bringing a record 400 television hours to the summer season, along with a wide variety of new digital platforms."

As the man behind the US Open Series concept of a 10-tournament season culminating in the US Open at Flushing Meadows, Kantarian is happy that his vision appears to have raised the profile of tennis in the US. He said: "Since the launch of the Series (in 2004), television viewership has doubled, attendance is up and new corporate sponsors have bought into the sport. The Series has been the birthplace and a proving ground for several of the innovations. Blue courts are now being used at tennis clubs, public courts and schools throughout the country, and instant replay has gone international."

This year's series, which will enjoy coverage from ESPN 2, CBS Sports and The Tennis Channel, could suffer from the absence of major stars who will be focusing on the battle for Olympic gold in Beijing before the US Open begins on August 25. However, Kantarian is not phased by this and believes the series has made sufficient allowances for players. He added: "The Olympics is a unique opportunity for our sport, and we fully understand the players' commitments to their countries and to the Olympic Games. The summer calendar has been adjusted accordingly, allowing the biggest names to continue playing in the Series this summer." Sports Media, 15th Jul 2008