Wednesday, 23rd July 2008

HEADLINE NEWS

Federer, Nadal, Venus, Ivanovic, and Sharapova Headline 2008 US Open’s Field

All three 2008 Grand Slam singles champions -- Ana Ivanovic, Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams -- will be joined by former US Open women’s singles champions Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport and Svetlana Kuznetsova in the women’s singles field for the 2008 US Open Tennis Championships. In all, 99 of the Top 100 women, representing 35 different countries, received direct entry into the 2008 US Open. No. 98 Akiko Morigami of Japan did not enter due to knee surgery.

Ivanovic, Sharapova and Venus Williams will each have the opportunity to win a second major of the season at the US Open. The four majors have been won by four different women in the same season just nine times in the Open Era of tennis, most recently in 2005. Altogether, there are seven entrants who have won Grand Slam singles titles in their careers, including Amelie Mauresmo of France, who won the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2006.

Leading the entry list is world No. 1 Ivanovic of Serbia, who won her first major at the French Open this year. Following Ivanovic on the entry list are No. 2 Jelena Jankovic of Serbia; No. 3 Sharapova of Russia; No. 4 Kuznetsova of Russia, the 2004 US Open champion; No. 5 Serena Williams of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., the 1999 and 2002 US Open champion; No. 6 Elena Dementieva of Russia; No. 7 Venus Williams of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., who won her fifth career Wimbledon title this year; No. 8 Anna Chakvetadze of Russia; No. 9 Dinara Safina of Russia; and No. 10 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland.

Other American women who received direct entry into this year’s tournament include No. 23 Davenport of Laguna Beach, Calif.; No. 56 Bethanie Mattek of Miami, Fla.; No. 72 Ashley Harkleroad of Wesley Chapel, Fla.; No. 79 Jill Craybas of East Greenwich, R.I.; and No. 98 Vania King of Long Beach, Calif. Aiko Nakamura of Japan, ranked No. 105, was the 104th and last player accepted directly into the women’s field of 128. Sixteen more players will gain entry through the US Open Qualifying Tournament, August 19-22, while the remaining eight spots are wild cards awarded by the USTA.

Leading the entry list is world No. 1 Federer of Switzerland, who won his fourth consecutive US Open singles title last year and became the first man to win the Olympus US Open Series and US Open titles in the same season. World No. 2 Nadal enters the US Open with the chance to become just the fourth man to win the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open in the same year.

Following Federer and Nadal on the entry list are No. 3 Novak Djokovic of Serbia, the reigning Australian Open champion; No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko of Russia; No. 5 David Ferrer of Spain; No. 6 Andy Roddick of Austin, Texas; No. 7 David Nalbandian of Argentina; No. 8 James Blake of Fairfield, Conn.; No. 9 Andy Murray of Great Britain; and No. 10 Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland.

Other American men who received direct entry into this year’s tournament include No. 41 Mardy Fish of Tampa, Fla.; No. 45 Sam Querrey of Thousand Oaks, Calif.; No. 64 Robby Ginepri of Kennesaw, Ga.; No. 88 Donald Young of Atlanta; No. 90 Bobby Reynolds of Acworth, Ga.; No. 94 Vince Spadea of Boca Raton, Fla.; and No. 96 John Isner of Tampa, Fla.

Sergio Roitman of Argentina, ranked No. 103, was the 104th and last player accepted directly into the men’s field of 128 (Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia used a protected ranking to gain entry). Sixteen more players will gain entry through the US Open Qualifying Tournament, August 19-22, while the remaining eight spots are wild cards awarded by the USTA.

The 2008 US Open will be played August 25 – September 7 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. Both the men’s and women’s US Open singles champions will earn $1.5 million with the ability to earn an additional $1 million in bonus prize money (for a total $2.5 million potential payout) based on their performances in the Olympus US Open Series. USTA, 22nd July 2008


SPORTS SHORTS

* US Network, GolTV will broadcast exclusive coverage of the 2008 Emirates Cup for North American soccer fans. Kicking off on August 2, all four games from the Emirates Stadium will be available to GolTV viewers, as host and holder Arsenal entertains Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Hamburg SV in one of Europe's leading pre-season football tournaments. The Emirates Cup joins the Copa del Rey, Coppa Italia and FIFA World Cup qualifying matches featuring Germany, Italy and Spain on GolTV's roster of European football for the 2008-09 season. Sports Media, Sport Business, Sports City, Sportcal, 22nd Jul 2008

* Television coverage of the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race will ensure exposure in more than 180 countries following agreement on a number of distribution deals. The packages include a tie-up with Gillette World Sport, a programme carried by 200 broadcasters worldwide and will include 39 weekly half-hour programmes and nine monthly one-hour programmes, along with regular news feeds. The collaboration with UK producer Sunset + Vine means race organisers are confident of surpassing the 1.8 billion cumulative television audience achieved in the 2005-06 race. In Asia, a deal with ESPN Star Sports allows weekly programmes to be screened in prime time to an audience of 120 million viewers. On ESPN, weekly news updates and coverage on the flagship Sportscenter programme will attract similar numbers. Sports Media, 22nd Jul 2008

* The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has launched a new website for fans to follow equestrian competitions at the Beijing Olympics. Live online results for every competition during the Games will keep enthusiasts in the thick of things on www.fei.org/olympics , which will also provide a vast range of supporting content. Historic Olympic pictures, dating back to the event's debut in Stockholm 1912, can be found in the Olympic Album. Trivia, including information on the sport's Olympic past, makes up the the Did You Know section. A complete and comprehensive statistical record of equestrian events at the Olympics can be found in the History section. Sports Media, 22nd Jul 2008

* Rugby league action has accounted for 64 of the top 100 sports programmes on pay-TV in Australia this year, according to a report in the Brisbane Times. Australian Football League (AFL) programming has 23 representatives in the list, followed by rugby union (7), soccer (5) and cricket (1). The top-rated pay-TV sports programme was the Australian national soccer team's 3-0 win over Qatar in Melbourne on February 6 in a qualifying match for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Sports Media, 22nd Jul 2008

* On pace to break records from previous Olympics, NBC Universal has sold 90% of its advertising inventory for this year’s games in Beijing, setting a target of more than $1 billion in ad revenues. Key categories, driven by back-to-school spending, include corporate imaging, consumer electronics, movies and retail. NBC Universal is set to present 3,600 hours of coverage from the Beijing games, its 11th Olympics broadcast, across its portfolio of free-to-air and cable networks, in addition to online and mobile broadcasts. NBC holds the exclusive U.S. media rights to the Olympic Games through 2012, which includes Vancouver 2010 and London 2012. Worldscreen, Sports City, Sportcal, 22nd Jul 2008

* The UK’s Rugby Football League (RFL) will reveal which 14 clubs have been granted a license to compete in the Super League for the next three seasons from 2009 to 2011. The current system of promotion and relegation is being replaced by a license system designed to give clubs greater security to make financial investment and encourage spending in areas such as facilities and community development. The league is being expanded from 12 to 14 teams. All 12 Super League clubs have applied, as have French champions Toulouse and six National League teams –Welsh side Celtic Crusaders, Salford City Reds, Featherstone Rovers, Halifax RLFC, Leigh Centurions and Widnes Vikings. Sport Business, Sporting Life, 22nd Jul 2008

* A1GP World Cup of Motorsport has entered into a partnership with the Gauteng Provincial Government for the hosting rights for the South African A1GP event. The organisers hope that the event will serve as a catalyst for the creation of a wide range of employment opportunities in the motorsport, logistical, security and infrastructure sectors whilst also stimulating the hospitality industry. The A1GP Gauteng event will be held from 20 - 22 February at the Kyalami Grand Prix circuit in Johannesburg. Sport Business, Sportcal, 22nd Jul 2008

* World Wrestling Entertainment is renaming its LA-based subsidiary WWE Films as WWE Studios, reflecting the division’s mandate to develop entertainment across theatrical features, direct-to-DVD movies, scripted TV movies and series and reality programming. Upcoming releases for WWE Studios includes John Cena’s latest theatrical film, 12 Rounds, in early 2009. Directed by Renny Harlin, the film will be released by 20th Century Fox under the WWE first-look deal with Fox Atomic. Worldscreen, 22nd Jul 2008

* The 2009 Women's World Open Squash Championships will be staged in Amsterdam and sponsored by Forexx. The Forexx Women's World Open will take place in the Dutch city from 20-27 September 2009. An all-glass court will be a feature of the championship, at an exciting venue which will be announced later. It will be the 25th staging of the world's most prestigious women's individual championship - and the first time it has been hosted by the Netherlands since 1989, when it was held in Warmond. Already supporters of the Dutch Open Championships in August, technology recruitment company Forexx is expanding its sponsorship portfolio by backing the 2009 World Open. Sports City, Sportcal, 22nd Jul 2008


MORE NEWS

Asia/Rights: ESS Seals Olympic For 2010 And 2012

ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has secured the exclusive non-standard TV rights for the Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Olympics for 22 countries across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The deal with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) covers cable and satellite television and will see ESS deliver more than 200 hours of coverage of the 2012 Summer Olympics and over 60 hours of the 2010 Winter Games. In addition, ESS will also broadcast a range of Olympic Games programming, showcasing memorable moments from over 30,000 hours of Olympic archives covering the history of the Games.

ESS managing director Manu Sawhney said: "This is the first time that the IOC has awarded the rights to a pay TV platform across this region and it is a testament to our commitment of reaching out to a wide audience base across Asia with the most interesting and compelling programming. We are committed to promote the spirit of the Olympic Games and are delighted that our viewers can now be part of the excitement as they watch, share and celebrate the 2010 Winter Games, 2012 Summer Games and additional Olympic Games programming on our platforms."

IOC executive board member Richard Carrión added: "ESS's support will enable us to provide high quality coverage of the Vancouver and London Games to Olympic fans and help to promote Olympic sports across the region." The deal with the IOC comes after ESS acquired exclusive television rights to broadcast FIFA's line-up of international football events including the 2010 World Cup and 2009 Confederations Cup for the Indian subcontinent. Sports Media, Marketing Malaysia, Sport Business, Sports City, Variety, 22nd Jul 2008

India/Broadcast: ESPN, TRAI Head-to-head

Trouble is brewing for ESPN in India, even as its pan-Asian joint venture, ESPN Star Sports, celebrates bagging rights to the 2010 Vancouver and 2012 London Olympic Games. The broadcaster has been ordered by the Telecoms Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to renegotiate its carriage agreements with DTH operators to bring them wthin TRAI’s directives. If ESPN does not renegotiate its agreements, the broadcaster risks having its uplinking and downlinking licences revoked.

A dispute between ESPN, operator of three sports channels ESPN, Star Sports and Star Cricket, and DTH operator TataSky has been bubbling away for some time. ESPN has maintained that it does not have to accept mandated carriage fees – 50% of those paid to non-conditional access cable operaors – as it is not part of TataSky’s basic package, being moved to an “add-on-pack” at the beginning of June.

TRAI’s show-cause notice, issued on July 22, said: “the revised Reference Interconnect Offer [RIO, or carriage agreement], in the clause ‘A A-la-carte and Bouquet Rates for DTH Platform’ specifies price per set top box per month which are the rates reported for the non-CAS price of the respective channels and the bouquet of channels instead of fifty per cent of the non-CAS price, as directed in the said Direction.”

ESPN is now required to show cause within three working days as to why action, including fines and a possible revocation of its downlinking licence, should not be initiated. Rapid TV News, 22nd Jul 2008

Elsewhere/Rights: Bundesliga Rights Too Expensive for RTL

German commercial broadcaster RTL has said that the Bundesliga rights are again too expensive to tempt it to bid. The cartel office’s recent decision to permit the collaboration between football association DFL and media entrepreneur Leo Kirch for the centralised marketing of the rights therefore changes nothing for the Cologne-based broadcaster. “Bundesliga is always an exciting topic,” said RTL’s managing director Anke Schäferkordt to German newspaper Westfälische Rundschau, but added that economic considerations needed to be considered when assessing content.

When asked if the acquisition of non-exclusive secondary rights would also be too expensive, Schäferkordt responded that this has certainly been the case so far. The cartel office allowed the DFL/Kirch collaboration only if Saturday’s Bundesliga matches are shown on free-to-air TV before 8pm.

In its announcement, the cartel office stressed that the free-to-air coverage on Saturday could be screened by public as well as commercial broadcasters. Thus far public broadcaster ARD’s popular Sportschau programme has held the rights. Soccer will make a comeback to RTL’s schedule in 2010 when it will screen live matches of up to 18 games from the World Cup in South-Africa. RapidTVNews.com, 22nd July 2008

Elsewhere/General: Money-Spinning League Proposed

Sports marketing group Platinum One has draw up a plan for an All-Ireland Premier League. Starting in August 2010 and based on the model of the Barclays (sponsor) Premier League, the competition would boast prize money of around Eur4 million. This could be welcome news for clubs on both sides of the border, some of whom are on the brink of financial collapse due to falling attendances and sponsorship troubles.

Bohemians, Drogheda United, St. Patricks Athletic, Galway United, Limerick 37, Cork City and Shamrock Rovers from the Republic would join Linfield, Glentoran and Derry City in the League. The plan would remove the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) and Irish Football Association (IFA) from the administration of top level football in Ireland.

The All-Ireland Premier League would run during the traditional European football season from August to May, a change from the current arrangement in Ireland which sees the season run through the summer. An initial five-year licence would be granted by the two associations in exchange for an agreed annual sum. Drury, chairman of Paddy Power and a director of the Anglo Irish Bank, feels he has the support of the major clubs and national governments in both countries. However, negotiations with the respective associations are likely to be difficult after the IFA refused to meet with Platinum One last month. Football Insider, 22nd Jul 2008