Tuesday, 22nd May 2007

SPORTS SHORTS

* Misty May-Treanor partnered Kerri Walsh to escape from the contender's bracket to upend Tyra Turner and Rachel Wacholder in the AVP Hermosa Beach final on Sunday. In so doing, she became the winningest AVP Tour female with 73 career tour titles. On the men's side, it was too much Professor and Thin Beast for underdogs Jason Ring and Matt Olson. The men's No. 1 team, Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser romped in straight sets for their fourth 2007 title. Source: AVP Official, 21st May 2007

* Fast growing South Asian film-to-TV media operation UTV says it will launch 8 channels by March 2008 over the sub-Continent and the Middle East. Ronnie Screwvala says the channels will mostly be targeted at India and Asia’s young, urban viewers, and 4 of the channels will be branded under the Bindass banner. Screwvala says $200m will be invested in the new channels. Walt Disney has a 15% stake in UTV, while Sony and 20th Century Fox all have strategic relationships with UTV. Source: Rapid TV News, 21st May 2007

* Goldstone Technologies Ltd has announced deals with 12 channels to provide live content in its soon-to-be-launched IPTV platform. These include European, Indian , Chinese, Sri Lankan and Nepalese channels. Goldstone’s network operates out of Singapore, delivering its service globally. It already has several Indian and European channels for global distribution. Features in the pipeline include movies on demand, serials and educational content, online gaming etc. Source: EFY Times, 21st May 2007

* MySpace has launched a version of the site in China, despite user fears of being censored or spied on by the Communist state. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, owners of MySpace, said that the company was looking for a way to enter China without running into political obstacles of the type faced by Google and Yahoo. Murdoch has set up a separate business to avoid problems. MySpace China is a 'locally owned, operated and managed company' in which News Corp is an investor, according to CEO, Luo Chuan, former head of MSN China. Source: The Guardian, 21st May 2007

* The Thai Amateur Boxing Association admits that Thai women fighters have lagged behind the likes of the Philippines and Vietnam. To prepare for the 24th SEA Games in Nakhon Ratchasima from December 6-15, all nine woman boxers flew to Vietnam yesterday for 20-day intensive training. Thai men are training on the island of Koh Chang. The Thai women will be vying for six gold medals in the SEA Games, adding to the confidence of contributing 17 additional gold medals for the SEA Games not previously targeted. Source: The Bangkok Post, 22nd May 2007

* The Asian Football Confederation said it has postponed the 3rd AFC President's Cup scheduled for this month in Lahore because some players and officials could not get Pakistani visas in time. A statement said new dates and venue for the annual eight team competition will be announced at a later date. The tournament was scheduled to begin on Thursday and end on May 27. A statement by the Kuala Lumpur based Asian Soccer Federation said new dates and venue for the annual eight team competition will be announced at a later date. Source: Int. Herald Tribune, Sportcal, 21st May 2007

* The Shanghai Int. Formula One Circuit has been sacked its General Manager after an investigation into alleged criminal activity. Yu Zhifei had used company money to pay for a house and other ‘illegal behaviour”. Anti-corruption officials investigated Yu in connection with a social security scandal “involving misuse of 3 billion yuan ($391 million) of a social security fund”. The scandal broke in July last year and implicated over 50 people in what was described as the city's largest corruption case since the 1980s. Source: Sport Business, Sportcal, China Economic Review, 21st May 2007

* Infront has consolidated its hold on European skiing by agreeing a four-year deal to handle global media rights to all FIS World Cup events organised by the German Skiing Association. Infront will market the rights to events in alpine, Nordic and freestyle skiing and snowboarding. The rights were previously owned by Media Partners, the Italian sports agency acquired by Infront last October in a deal worth around €130 million ($176 million). The Milan-based operation has now been re-branded as Infront Italy. Source: Sportcal, 21st May 2007

* Roland Garros is entering the High Definition age and the tennis Grand Slam will this year be broadcast in HD. Rights have been held since 1987 by France 2 and France 3, who will again co-broadcast the event from May 27th to June 10th. The HD production will be available to foreign broadcasters. As official host broadcaster, France Télévisions’ (700 crew, including 20 directors), will produce the international signal to 190 foreign countries. Almost two billion viewers can follow the matches of the Roland Garros’ seven courts. Source: Rapid TV News, 21st May 2007

* In a boost for mixed martial arts, ESPN and Sherdog.com have struck a deal to share web content. Sherdog.com was created in 1997, and generates over 2 million unique visitors per month. Sherdog has an extensive fighter database and offers radio web casts, and both options will now be offered via ESPN.com. MMA has developed at an impressive rate over the past couple of years, with strong support from Spike TV in the United States helping to secure a sizeable niche for Ultimate Fighting Championship in terms of pay-per-view figures. Source: Sports Media, 21st May 2007

* Everton has signaled its readiness to share expert knowledge of its academy programme by packaging academy coaching secrets into a new online product, www.evertonway.com. The site is designed to be a coaching tool for clubs, coaches and players and offers sections giving introductions and tips on sports science, recruitment, education and welfare and physiotherapy. The site offers hundreds of video clips and audio commentaries to supplement the editorial walk-throughs. Visitors can become members by registering from £49.99. Source: Sports Media, 21st May 2007

* Yahoo! and Eurosport have launched co-branded websites in four European markets dedicated to online sports news and community interaction. The sites will operate in the UK and Ireland, Germany, Spain and Italy and combine Eurosport’s content and editorial with Yahoo!´s social media platform. The new sites will be promoted on both Eurosport channels as well as on Yahoo! across all four markets. Co-branded site for UK is at http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com. Source: Sport Business, DM Europe, 21st May 2007

* A potentially money-spinning contest between American middleweight Jermain Taylor and Britain's Joe Calzaghe remains in contractual limbo with the two fighters’ camps in dispute over money. Lou DiBella, the chief executive DiBella Entertainment, wants a guarantee of a $6-million share of television and attendance money for Taylor, but Calzaghe’s representative, Frank Warren, is thought to have offered just $4 million. Source: Sportcal, 21st May 2007

* Australia could lose the F1 GP unless it moves to an evening time slot. F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone told the Sunday Herald Sun that he wanted the race switched from the afternoon so it would fit in better with European television time zones. Similar concerns may influence the timing of the recently announced Singapore Grand Prix. Melbourne has been the venue for the Australian GP since 1996 when the race moved from Adelaide. Melbourne's contract expires in 2010 and several countries are vying for its slot on the calendar. Source: Sport Business, Sportcal, 21st May 2007


MORE NEWS

India/Broadcaster: Pressure is on for DTH Channels

According to India’s broadcasting regulator, there are 71 private TV channels with licences waiting to start uplinking. The channels come from 52 different players. Seven of the channels come from three companies linked to the NDTV group. There are 4 proposals each from Zee Group, BAG Films group, and the TV 18 group, and three each from Malar Network, Maa TV Network, and STV Enterprises. Two proposals have come from different companies of the INX group. The rest of the proposals are from companies wanting to beam single channels.

The Minister for Information and Broadcasting P R Dasmunsi said the ministry has permitted 222 private satellite channels to uplink from India and six TV channels uplinked from abroad have also been permitted to downlink in India. 23 proposals were submitted last year, but the other 48 have been made this year to the end of April.

Interestingly there are some proposals from companies unrelated to television – one from a sugar manufacturer, another from an export house, a third from a textile house, and one from an ad-agency. Six ‘foreign’ channels have been permitted to start downlinking to India: Cbeebies, BBC Entertainment, Blessing TV, ETC Punjabi News, B-TV and News Time. Source: Rapid TV News, 21st May 2007

India/Broadcaster: Rukin Kizilbash appointed Taj Television India head

Taj Television India has appointed Rukin Kizilbash as general manager. In his new role, Kizilbash will oversee all Taj Television India activities across the country including distribution, sales and marketing of Ten Sports. Kizilbash's elevation is part of the executive reorganisation set in motion after Zee Group acquired a 50% stake in the Taj Television last November. Kizilbash fills a position left vacant following the departure last month of Ten Sports India MD Sharmishta Rizhwani.

Reacting to the announcement, Taj TV CEO Chris McDonald said, “Given India’s dynamic electronic media industry, Rukin is the right choice to lead the fortunes of Taj Television India. He has proven his revenue generation and management capabilities over many years, by consistently surpassing sales targets and by leading a very strong and talented sales team. His maturity, relationships within the industry, and coolness under pressure are great assets as well, and I look forward to working with him and the entire team at Taj Television India to take the Ten Sports business to new highs in the years ahead.”

Kizilbash has headed advertising sales for Taj Television India since its launch in early 2002. Prior to Ten Sports, he held positions in IMG and ESPN Star Sports. Source: Indian Television, The Economic Times India, Television Point, 21st May 2007

Elsewhere/Broadcaster: MLB Network Takes Important Step Toward Launch

Major League Baseball’s in-house television network is moving closer to inception after contracts were struck last week with 36 cable and satellite broadcasters. The MLB Network is due for a 2009 launch and will broadcast 26 games to 47 million homes, making it the largest introduction in cable television history.

The MLB initially reached an exclusive seven-year, US$700 million deal with DirecTV for the out-of-market packages. However, this provoked public anger resulting in a U.S. congressional hearing and the MLB has now reached agreement with the cable companies that will give them a stake in the channel. The contracts will bring in $80 million a year in revenue, which could rise to $100 million a year dependent on subscriber levels increasing.

However, MLB executive vice-president for business, Tim Brosnan, has stated the success of the MLB Channel will very much depend on its non-game programming. “The network won’t rise and fall with the number of games on it, rather because of the non-live event creativity we are putting on it,” Brosnan told reporters. Source: Sports Media, 21st May 2007

Global/New Media: Cable Operators Facing IPTV 'Perfect Storm'

Cable operators around the world face a "perfect storm" as market pressures converge on IPTV, researchers predict. The integration of IP video services into cable TV infrastructure is the result of convergence of market forces. The main driver is the threat from telecoms operators, whose IP network configurations are allowing them to offer more dynamic services.

As well as moving to IP to counter this threat, cable operators aim to up the ante by incorporating mobile voice into their bundled offerings as quickly as possible and another driver for IP video is the need for improved network efficiency and more available broadband spectrum. To offer more services, cable operators need "bigger pipes".

The analyst noted that operators' voice services are already IP, and are already using IP for data. Moving the video to IP as well will mean more efficient networks allowing more converged services, such as bringing voice and data services to customers through TV sets. The consequence for equipment vendors will be enormous.

North American cable operators collectively spent more than $80bn on network upgrades in recent years, and they will now have to spend freely once more. The change to IP video affects not only core head-end equipment, but the set-top boxes found in every household served by cable. This is going to create a huge equipment turnover. Source: Ken Radio, 21st May 2007


ARTICLES, COMMENTS & OPINIONS

Platini: 'We Need to go Where Football Has to Go'
Source: Roger Blitz interviews Michel Platini for FT.com, full text appears on MSNBC, 21st May 2007

Michel Platini, president of European football's governing body Uefa, speaks with FT's Leisure Correspondent, Roger Blitz, how his plans to lead Uefa. Excerpts below:

RB: How are you going to change in philosophy and direction?
MP: The most important thing for me is to share the ideology with the "families" of football, to share the philosophy. There is one "football" in which we are all together. I knew that as a player – it was not a problem to share the philosophy. We need to go not where the clubs, the leagues or the national associations want. We need to go where football has to go. The interests of all the families are totally different. It's logical that after 100 years people recognise the players, the clubs and the leagues. Uefa for me was not an open house, it was an enclosed system, afraid of everybody, the players, the clubs, the leagues. The shutters were down.

RB: Are you a consensus-builder or do you want to direct the organisation?
MP: I have to have my own ideas, but if I want to be a political player I have to share my view. Five or six years ago I thought it would be better for the Champions League to be organised as a seeded knockout tournament with 200 teams and to give the TV rights to the clubs. No-one was happy with that. I was very surprised. OK, I said, I would come back, but I always want to provide balance to the Champions League.

RB: Has the Premier League shown other leagues the way ahead here, by having rules banning third-party owners?
MP: The Premier League thinks that but in many other countries they don't think that.

RB: What do you think about the Premier League season? The same four teams are at the top again.
MP: It is a great show and a big show. In every part of the world and since the start of football 100 years ago, it is the same teams that are winning. The more they have money, the more they win. Always. Always. With the money you have the best players and with the best players you have the best results. And when I played in Juventus we had the best players because Mr Agnelli [paid] the money to have the best players. Now it is Mr Abramovich [at Chelsea] and Mr Glazer [at Manchester United].

RB: Will you ever be able to change this?
MP: It's impossible to change that. We can only protect the clubs and their young players. If Mr Abramovich wants to buy [Michael] Ballack he should go. He has the right to buy him. But if he wants to buy a player of 15 years, or 16 years, or 17 years [age], this I am totally against.

RB: Was it a successful champions League this season? How do you measure success?
MP: The quality of the games. The success of the games will bring TV success and money. Only the quality of players brings the money. And we need to defend the quality of the game. I don't want to defend the sponsor or TV.

RB: Is football becoming too commercialised?
MP: TV has been a big benefit for football for 50 years. I will protect this game. I won't help sponsors or TV change the rules or the laws of the game.

RB: Is there an imbalance between some leagues?
MP: This is a society problem. We can talk in the strategic council about having more money to share around. It could be an idea.

RB: But the big clubs dominates the strategic council.
MP: No, they are elected by all the clubs. We will come one day to discuss financing. But there are many things to speak about.

RB: Is the takeover of football clubs in the UK a good thing?
MP: It's the liberalism of the UK. If your laws allow a US or Saudi to buy a club he can do, but I'm not in favour of that.

RB: Why not?
MP: Because Chelsea, Arsenal or West Ham, they are part of the patrimony of England. They are part of the English heritage. It is not just a problem of football, it is a problem of society, of the government and the minister of sport. I like the identity.

RB: In five years you could have all the 20 [English] Premier League clubs with the resources to buy all the best players in Europe.
MP: I can't change the rules of the European Commission. I was in Italy eight years and all the best players in the world were in Italy. In Italy, you had Mr Berlusconi, Mr Agnelli buying the best players. In the Champions League semi-finals you had three English teams. Seven years ago, you had three Italian teams. I'm surprised people outside England can buy the clubs. I am not against it, but I prefer to have a president or a coach for England and more players to play in England. Because if you have a [club] president from Russia, a coach from Portugal and 15 players from France, why do you play in the Premier League? We are defending the value of historical society. I would like to say one thing to the politicians. You don't train or educate a player to sell him but in order to play him. If your son is training with Arsenal and Juventus offer €10m for him and he never plays a game with Arsenal it is not possible. The declaration of Nice recognises the specificity [of sport]. It was created by the summit of the European council, not by judges or commissioners.