Monday, 16th April 2007

HEADLINES OF THE DAY

WBPF Backs Indian Players

The World Badminton Players Federation has stepped in to support Indian badminton players, who are being restrained from participating in the Super Series events by the Badminton Association of India. WBPF's president Bernie Milroy expressed concern about the ongoing feud within Indian badminton and has urged the Badminton World Federation to ensure that players are allowed to take part in the Super Series as `special late entries' and prevail upon BAI on the issue.

Mr. Milroy, in mails to Punch Gunalan, Vice-president of BWF and Paisan, the Events Coordinator for BWF, stated: "When we are trying build Super Series, it is unacceptable that a top 28 player like Chetan Anand is being forced not to attend it when it is a problem to ensure that players don't pull out of Super Series with injuries etc. WBPF will support players and they should be allowed to play and a special late entry should be allowed to them."

Milroy also hinted that the Indian bid to hold a successful Indian Open later in September would be hurt by such actions. Mr. Gunalan is expected to hold talks with BAI president V.K. Verma, who is now in Kuala Lumpur ahead of the ABC Championship there. Mr. Gunalan is expected to make a strong pitch to BAI to soften its stand on the issue. The Super Series was Gunalan's concept. Source: The Hindu, The Hindustan Times, 4th April 2007


INFO BOX

Top Languages of the Internet
Source: Info IQ, 13th April 2007

More users are plugging into the Internet worldwide. However, estimating the number of speakers of the world's languages is difficult. People who use English on the Internet are often not limited to English-speaking countries but form a community of users world-wide. According to Internet World Stats, the top ten languages on the Internet, account for 81.8% of all Internet use. English is the dominant language, accounting for almost 30% of Internet users, with Chinese a distant runner-up.

German has the highest penetration, while Arabic has experienced the greatest growth. Notably absent from the list is Hindi, the most widely spoken language in India, the second most populated country in the world. This is due to preference for English among most users having Internet access. The Indian population online is also increasing at a high rate; this is also expected to have a great impact on the Internet in the near future.


SPORTS SHORTS

* UK commercial broadcaster ITV will continue televising motor racing’s British Touring Car Championship 2007, but fewer rounds will be shown live on its main channel while only highlights will be available. However, pay-TV, Setanta, will provide live coverage of every meeting, including support races, and highlights will be shown on satellite channel Men and Motors. BTCC was not perturbed by ITV’s scheduling as 80 per cent of UK homes have access to digital channels. Source: Sportcal, 14th March 2007

* The syndicate heads of the 12 teams at the 32nd America's Cup gathered for a press conference, one day ahead of the Louis Vuitton Cup. Chaoyong Wang of China Team, on the perception of the event in China: "It's significant and historic. The country has a long history in sailing but we are new to this highly influential and prestigious game. We are bringing the Cup closer to China and Asia and in the recent past racing activities we have raised awareness of the competition and its values which are totally in line with our society." Source: Newswire NZ, 16th April 2007

* Ajax has scrapped plans to tour China at the end of the season, concerned that extra games could lead to exhaustion among players. Ajax had been planning to raise the its profile in Asia with a trip to the world’s most populous nation, but the Eredivisie giant’s technical director Martin van Geel has confirmed the visit has been cancelled because China wanted the games to be played too late in the year. Source: Football Insider, 13th April 2007

* The Pan Pacific Open, a tournament on WTA Tour, is moving from February to September next year. The Tokyo event traditionally takes place immediately after the Australian Open, the first grand slam of the season, but will be held later and switch from indoor carpet at the Metropolitian Gymnasium to outdoor hardcourts at the Ariake Colosseum in 2008. The organisers expect to keep the September slot when the tour introduces a new streamlined schedule in 2009. Source: Sportcal, 13th April 2007

* South Korean city of Daegu is a potential host for the World Baseball Classic 2013. The first edition of the tournament was held in the USA, Japan and Puerto Rico last year. The USA and Japan have also expressed an interest in staging the second event in 2009. Daegu is building on experience of hosting matches in World Cup 2002 and 2003 Summer Universiade by bidding for the 2011 world athletics championships. Source: Sportcal, 14th March 2007

* The European Union will not join the U.S.’s complaint to the World Trade Organization against China over piracy in that market. Reuters quotes Viviane Reding, the EU’s Information Society and Media Commissioner that talks would be more fruitful than legal action. “We will try bilateral discussions and talks to find solutions with our Chinese counterparts.” Earlier, the U.S. government filed two complaints against China with the WTO for failing to adequately tackle piracy and putting barriers to entry of legitimate U.S. films, books and software. Source: Worldscreen, 13th April 2007

* Unity Media, the cable consortium that owns German pay-television channel Arena beat off competition from incumbent broadcaster Premiere to win the exclusive live rights to the Bundesliga for three years from this season onwards in a €240 million ($314.7 million) -a–year deal, and has now targeted multi-platform rights for the league from the 2009-10 season onwards. Source: Sportcal, 9th March 2007

* FC Barcelona has reported on an encouraging initial uptake of its official page on YouTube, with its presentation video receiving around 100,000 hits in its first week, according to the club’s official website FCBarcelona.com. The page (www.youtube.com/fcbarcelona) was officially launched on April 4 with a selection of 16 videos in Catalan on offer. Source: Sports Media, 13th April 2007

* United Soccer Leagues’ 2007 season will make all USL First Division matches available to viewers nationally on television and Internet with all 168 regular-season games available on Fox Soccer Channel or new broadband Internet channel USLive.com. The FSC deal includes broadband and mobile rights for the matches shown on the channel. The 2007 television season kicks off on April 20. The new partnership follows the conclusion of FSC’s five-year deal. USL will also be available on FS en Español, FS World Canada and FS Middle East/Africa. Source: Sport Media, 13th April 2007

* Eurosport has concluded a 3-year deal with Uefa to provide delayed coverage of the advanced stages of the Uefa Cup clubs competition. Eurosport will show the best matches of the quarter, semi and final round or a 90-minute highlights programme on Fridays and action from all other matches on Saturday. Reruns of some matches will be aired ahead following next rounds. Eurosport already provides highlights and some live games from early rounds of the Uefa Cup and qualifying rounds of the Champions League, the top European clubs competition. Source: Sportcal, 13th April 2007

* Endurance Specialty Holdings, a Bermuda-based insurance company, is the title sponsor of squash’s Men’s World Open which will take place on the island later this year. The Endurance World Open Bermuda 2007 will be held from November 23 to December 1. The main and final rounds take place at Fairmont Southampton Hotel in a glass facility overlooking Horseshoe Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Bermuda is well-established as host of major squash events, having staged the PSA Masters tournaments in 2005 and 2006. Source: Sportcal, 13th April 2007

* USA sports marketing group, Wasserman Media Group, has announced its representation of Darren Bent, who plays for Charlton Athletic, and has represented England at youth and senior level. WMG represents other Premiership players, including Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen, Jamie Carragher, Jonathan Woodgate, Jermaine Jenas, Andriy Shevchenko and Tim Cahill. Other sports stars in the WMG stable are rugby stars Jonny Wilkinson and Lawrence Dallaglio, boxer Amir Khan, and cricketers Matthew Hoggard and Simon Jones. Source: Sportcal, 14th March 2007

* An agreement between the Tennis Channel and DirecTV will allow satellite TV subscribers to watch the French Open on 6 channels. The agreement also calls for DirecTV to carry the TTC on a permanent basis. TTC shares cable rights of the French and Australian Opens with ESPN. DirecTV will begin carrying TTC initially reaching over 8 million homes and eventually increased to between 19 and 20 million homes. TTC is already available on most digital cable systems and plans to launch a second, high-definition network in December. Source: Los Angeles Times, 15th April 2007


MORE NEWS

Don King: Eyeing a Unified Heavyweight Title

Promoter Don King wants to restore the magic of heavyweight boxing through a series of fights that will crown one undisputed world champion, and he believes it can be done before the end of 2008. "I think the title should be unified. To have one undisputed, identifiable world champion would make everything better. It would restore the magic," King said.

When asked how long it would take before one boxer holds the World Boxing Association, World Boxing Organisation, World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation heavyweight titles, he said, "Within 18 months." Mike Tyson of the United States was the last undisputed heavyweight world champion in 1989-1990. Lennox Lewis of Britain was recognised by the WBA, WBC and IBF as world champion in 1999-2000.

Agreeing with boxing commentators that today's roster of heavyweight champions lack the "name power" of Tyson, King said a unified title "is necessary to electrify the sport." The WBC's champion is Oleg Maskaev (Russia), Vladimir Klitschko (Ukraine) holds the IBF title and WBO recognises Shannon Briggs (USA). King described new WBA champion, Chagaev, as and Samuel Peter of Nigeria as boxers with potential to emerge as the undisputed heavyweight title holder.

Chagaev's first title defense has not yet been lined up but the three other heavyweight champions are scheduled to step into the ring before the end of August, and the outcomes of those fights will set the stage for King's title unification project. Briggs takes on Sultan Ibragimov of Russia in June, Klitschko is expected to meet Lamon Brewster of the United States in July and a Maskaev v Peter fight is on for August.

King, 75, a key mover and shaker in professional boxing for more than three decades – since the glory days of heavyweight great Muhammad Ali – was speaking a day after his protege Nikolai Valuev of Russia lost the WBA heavyweight title. The 2.13m tall Valuev was beaten on points by Uzbek challenger Ruslan Chagaev in Stuttgart, Germany. Source: Stuff NZ, 16th April 2007

Elsewhere/General: New Magazine Aiming To Add Fight To MMA Coverage

A new magazine covering mixed martial arts (MMA) is set to launch in June. Bluff Media, the publisher of American poker publication Bluff magazine, will introduce Fight! to bolster MMA’s presence in the media market. MMA is one of the most rapidly growing sports at present and has pulled in substantial pay-per-view revenue and television ratings, especially in the United States.

Fight! will be launched by an experienced team of journalists, photographers and contributors. The magazine will feature contributions by the sports top names including current champions, past champions, industry insiders and established veterans. Fight! aims to produce a distinctive and unique visual style to appeal to fight fans and crossover audience. The debut issue of the magazine will go on sale on June 26. Source: Sports Media, 13th April 2007


ARTICLES, COMMENTS & OPINIONS

Think Global, Act Local: Why Formats are TV's New Lingua Franca

Sale of British TV formats and shows were worth over £500m last year. But legendary producer, Charlie Parsons, took 10 years to convince a broadcaster to commission his idea for a contest between castaways on a desert island. After being rejected by UK and US networks, Survivor eventually made it on to the screen in Sweden in 1997. But its path to become one of the most remade shows in history was slow. It was another 9 years before Survivor reached its peak in 25 markets. But times have changed. These days, bankable formats that can be adapted internationally travel fast.

Deal or No Deal, a gameshow originating in the Netherlands and hosted by Noel Edmonds in the UK, was remade in more than 15 countries before it was three years old. This week, a raft of new distribution deals will be announced at the MIPTV sales conference in Cannes.

Overall, the US is still the biggest exporter of television. But its strength is in finished dramas such as Lost and Ugly Betty. When it comes to formats, the UK punches above its weight, accounting for just over half of sales. Sales jumped 20 per cent last year, to £593m according to the Government. Finished programmes still account for the majority of sales, but formats are the fastest-growing export, up 87 per cent in a year.

So why are British formats so successful? A decade or two ago, Britain was known abroad for earnest documentaries, endless wildlife shows and period dramas. That all changed with the US success of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Since Millionaire, US audiences have lapped up British formats from The Weakest Link and Pop Idol to The X Factor and more recently Strictly Come Dancing. But perhaps the biggest export by volume are the lower-key factual entertainment series such as Wife Swap and Supernanny.

More glamorous genres like comedy and drama have been harder to export as formats. But this could be about to change. After NBC hit the commercial and critical jackpot with its remake of the Ricky Gervais comedy The Office, a series of commissions for American pilots of British shows has followed. Shed is making Football Wives, as it will be known in the US. Kirstie Alley, best known for her role in Cheers, will take Dawn French's role in Fox's remake of The Vicar of Dibley.

What changed is the 2003 Communications Act which handed intellectual property rights to the producers of shows rather than the broadcasters that commissioned them. British producers can now take revenues from selling repeats of finished shows, DVDs, merchandise and of course formats that sell abroad will earn their owners an average commission of 5 per cent of the remake's budget.

And flat fees can be earned from selling the format "bible". In the case of shows like Fremantle's Pop Idol, local producers buy the floor plan, the on-screen graphics, guides on how to arrange the lighting, the set and the shots to make the show look the same in every country. Producers of the original can also earn consultancy fees. But the real prize is being invited to make the show. Commentary on The Telegraph UK, 14th April 2007

Convergence Hits European TV Markets

Consolidation is the game in Europe, most notably in the two biggest TV markets -- the U.K. and Germany, with key players eyeing opportunities. In the U.K., a booming indie sector continues to consolidate, and speculation persists regarding the future ownership of the its largest private terrestrial web, ITV, despite two recent failed bids. Last spring, ITV saw a bid led by Goldman Sachs, and in the fall, cable group NTL also announced its own interest.

Europe's biggest paybox, Rupert Murdoch’s BSkyB, effectively blocked the approach by NTL (rebranded Virgin Media) by shelling out $2 billion to grab an 18% stake in ITV in November. Virgin has since persuaded media regulator, Ofcom, to examine BSkyB's move, which made it ITV's biggest single stockholder, but "everyone expects this deal to go through," opines Mathew Horsman, co-founder of U.K. media consultancy Mediatique.

With no BSkyB rep on ITV's board and sensitivities in U.K. over Murdoch becoming an even bigger player in British media, both parties have ruled out any collaboration. But old hands still think it possible Sky and ITV will collaborate on a sports or talent deal before too long. "It's absolutely inevitable in the next 18 months there will either be a sports rights issue, a program issue or a talent issue where they will both be after the same thing," observes an industry veteran. Another possibility is that BSkyB might trade its stake in ITV with RTL for Five, the flagging U.K. terrestrial web RTL owns.

Meanwhile, more U.K. "super indies" are emerging with their eyes fixed on international horizons. Shine, operated by Elisabeth Murdoch, is the latest British indie to bulk up. In December, Shine bought drama specialist Kudos plus Princess and Firefly for £65 million ($125 million). Part-owned by Sony, Shine hopes it can use its U.S. connections to win commissions for Kudos, creators of police drama "Life on Mars," across the Atlantic. One of Britain’s biggest indies, the ambitious All3Media, owner of nine production houses, recently snapped up German producer MME Moviement.

In Germany itself, strong ad sales boosted revenues and profits at the country's big commercial broadcasters, RTL Television and ProSiebenSat 1. Both companies appear eager to expand operations in foreign markets as well as in growing digital sectors. The recent acquisition of ProSiebenSat 1 by equity groups Permira and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts has given the group the opportunity to expand for the first time beyond the country's borders.

Permira and KKR plan to merge Pro-SiebenSat 1 with pan-Euro broadcaster SBS, which they also own, to create one of the largest TV empires in Europe, challenging the RTL Group. A ProSiebenSat 1/SBS group could benefit greatly from programming synergy, such as the acquisition of easily adaptable formats.

Indeed, content is playing a vital role in the continental activities of ProSiebenSat 1’s shareholder Permira, which took majority stake in All3Media last year. ProSiebenSat 1 has shored up its new media and digital expansion with acquisitions such as VOD service Maxdome, MyVideo and a 75% stake in price search engine Billiger.de. ProSiebenSat 1says the company wants to increase its share of non-TV ad revenue from 11% to 15% by the end of the year, and that means further acquisitions.

Meanwhile, Telefonica has put Dutch entertainment giant Endemol ("Big Brother," "Deal or No Deal") on the market, with a pricetag of up to $3.5 billion. Endemol co-founder John de Mol is mulling a bid in tandem with Italy's Mediaset, as apparently is Spanish broadcaster Telecinco. ITV could be interested; RTL has publicly ruled itself out. Source: Ed Meza & Steve Clarke comment on Variety, 13th April 2007