Thursday, 20th August 2008

OLYMPIC BITS

* ESPN, is interested in acquiring the US television rights for 2014 and 2016 Olympics. ESPN’s executive vice president for content, John Skipper, told the paper: “Our DNA is different than theirs, we serve sports fans. It’s hard in our culture to fathom tape-delaying in the same way they have. We did Euro 2008 in the afternoon. We’ve done the World Cup in the middle of the morning. We have different audiences. “If ESPN follows its Euro 2008/World Cup model, the live feeds would be carried to all time zones; when NBC shows events live in prime-time, they are seen in real-time in the Eastern and Central time zones, not in the Mountain and Pacific zones”. Sport Business, Worldscreen, Sportcal, Sports City, New York Times, 20th Aug 2008

* International Surfing Association (ISA) President Fernando Aguerre believes the inclusion of the likes of BMX biking and snowboarding as Olympic disciplines gives the sport great heart in its quest to be approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Aguerre, who started the ISA’s Olympic quest in 1994, believes that the IOC’s shift in its stance towards ‘extreme’ sports bodes well for the likes of surfing. Aguerre believes that the solid administration of the ISA and the IOC’s need to keep the Olympics fresh and relevant are more important factors for surfing. Sport Insider, 20th Aug 2008

* Nike has described as ‘a malicious rumour’, a claim that it was responsible for Liu Xiang’s withdrawal from the men’s 110-metres hurdles. Liu was considered to be China’s best hope of a gold medal in athletics at the ongoing Beijing games when he pulled out of his heat citing an Achilles tendon injury. Nike, one of Liu’s many sponsors, has called on authorities to investigate a internet posting claiming that it was responsible for his withdrawal. The post claimed that Liu, who faced Cuba’s world record holder Dayron Robles, had little chance of defending his title did not run in order to protect his commercial value. Sportcal, 20th Aug 2008

* Meanwhile, Nike responded quickly to Liu Xiang’s withdrawal from the 110m hurdles, with a Wieden + Kennedy designed ad aimed at reflecting both determination and somberness surrounding the local favourite’s failure. The revamped work features a blank faced Liu, flanked by new copy which ends “Love sport even when it breaks your heart.” Reportedly, all Liu-related print ads will feature this creative, while the TVC’s have been redubbed with the new copy. Liu earlier withdraw from the Games following an injury, sparking widespread disappointment in the mainland. He currently endorses a range of brands, including Visa and Coca-Cola, which have also rallied behind the star with public statements of support. Brand Republic Asia, 20thh Aug 2008

IOC Hails Viewing Figures for Beijing Olympic Games

The Beijing Olympic Games are set to be the most-watched, with widespread internet viewership complementing the large audiences for television coverage, according to the International Olympic Committee. The IOC has been particularly encouraged by the ratings of NBC, the US national network which attracted 40 million viewers, its highest Saturday night audience since 1990, when it televised American swimmer Michael Phelps’ record-breaking eighth gold medal-winning race on August 16.

Of the estimated 1.2 billion people worldwide who watched the opening ceremony on August 8, 840 million came from the host country and, with the Chinese team well clear at the top of the medal table, domestic viewing figures have remained high. Despite the unfavourable time difference, there have also been large audiences for Olympic events in Europe, notably the UK, where sports fans have seen Team GB pick up 16 gold medals, their highest number for 100 years.

Timo Lumme, the managing director of the IOC’s television and marketing services, told reporters today: ‘The Beijing games look set to become the biggest broadcasted event in Olympic history. Ratings are higher than for any Olympics before.' He also stressed the growing significance of the internet, saying that the 22 million clips have been viewed on the NBColympics.com website, 30 times as many as during the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Lumme added: ‘In China alone, more than 102 million people [have] watched the games live online.’

The IOC has made its own contribution to the changing media landscape, launching a channel on YouTube, the video sharing website, where people in countries where internet rights have not been sold exclusively can access Olympic Games content. Lumme said that the growing audiences would help the IOC to generate more money from the sale of media rights in future Olympic cycles.

Prior to the Beijing Olympics, the IOC announced that it had generated $3.8 billion in broadcasting revenue from the 2010 Vancouver winter Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics. This compares to $2.6 million for the 2006 Turin winter Olympics and this year’s Beijing games.

Lumme said that Chinese state broadcaster CCTV could expect to pay much more in future for the rights to Olympic Games, reflecting its growing sporting and economic power. The Chinese rights to the 2008 games were obtained by CCTV for only about $17.5 million in 1998 (before the host of the event was known) through its membership of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union. No deal has yet been concluded in China for the Vancouver and London games but Lumme suggested that it will be worth in excess of $100 million.

By comparison, Australia's Seven Network paid around $140 million to broadcast the 2004 and 2008 Summer Games, and the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics, while the United States' NBC spent $US894 million on the rights to Beijing. Australia's Nine Network has joined with pay TV company Foxtel to pay $117 million for the Australian rights to the 2010 Vancouver and 2012 London Games.

NBC, which paid around $900 million for the rights to the Beijing Olympics, is likely to experience a decline in ratings this week partly because the finals in athletics, unlike those in swimming, are not being shown live in prime time. However, the investment appears to have been fruitful as the network claims to have sold $25 million in Olympic advertising since the start of the games, including $15 million in the last seven days. This is in addition to the $1 billion in advertising revenue raised from advertising sales prior to the event.

After 11 days, NBC’s Olympic coverage had reached 200 million people, 12 million more than for the first 11 days of the 2004 Athens games and 4 more million more than the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, which were the most-viewed television event in US history. Some 94 million of the country’s 112.8 million television homes, an 83-per-cent share, have tuned in for events at the games. Sportcal, Sports City, Brand Republic Asia, ABC Australia, 20th Aug 2008

Paralympic Games Set For Record Global Coverage

The Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games will enjoy the most comprehensive television coverage in the history of the event. Running from September 6 to 17, the Games will also benefit from exposure through the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) Internet TV channel, www.paralympicsport.tv, and its recently launched YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/paralympicsporttv. The host nation’s two broadcasters are extensively backing the Paralympics. CCTV will broadcast 10 hours each day throughout the event. BTV is also planning daily coverage from 08:00 to 22:30 on its BTV-6 station, including live events, competition highlights, news and features.

Broadcasters in the UK, Spain and Germany will offer the most complete Paralympics packages in Europe. BBC Television will have live coverage of the opening and closing ceremonies, live events through its interactive service and regular highlights programmes on BBC Two in the UK. Germany’s two major sports networks, ARD and ZDF, will split a similar schedule to that of the BBC. In Spain, RTVE and the Spanish Paralympic Committee have agreed to offer over 100 hours of Games coverage through several channels that are part of the TV Corporation in a similar offering to its presentation of the Athens 2004 Paralympics. Throughout the continent, Eurosport will offer a selection of live and online coverage and more than 32 European Broadcasting Union (EBU) members are committed to cover the Beijing 2008 Paralympics from China.

Throughout the rest of the world, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) will offer over 100 hours of coverage. The broadcaster intends to show eight hours of daily live coverage on ABC2 and two, one-hour highlight packages every evening on ABC1. Daily live action can also be enjoyed in Brazil through the SportTV channel and South Africa on SABC, with the former committed to 10 hours of live competition each day. NHK Production will cover the Games in Japan with a daily highlights programme and supplementary documentaries, while in Canada, CBC Sports will allow viewers to follow the best action from Beijing in both English and French.

Sir Philip Craven (pictured left), president of the IPC, said: “It is a thrill to see the audience that we will be reaching with the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. With over 1,000 hours of coverage, this is by far the largest broadcast of Paralympic Sport, and I welcome each and every viewer to take advantage of this opportunity to witness these exciting Paralympic Games.” Sport Briefing, 20th Aug 2008

Coca-Cola Finishes Top of OP Index

Soft drink manufacturer, Coca-Cola, has finished top of the Olympic Performance Index (OP) – the first currency measure the marketing performance of brands up to, during and after the Olympic Games against their competitors.

The index from TNS partner, CSM Media Research, sees a mix of Chinese and international brands rank in the top-ten, with Coca-Cola followed by Yili – a prominent dairy products brand in China and an Olympics sponsor. Third place has been taken by Lenovo, a manufacturer of PCs and other technology products. Fourth is China Mobile, the telecoms company, while fifth place goes to adidas, the sports footwear, apparel and accessories brand.

Yet, according to the OP index, many brands are failing to maximise the value of their heavy sponsorship investments. Companies like Atos Origin, GE and BHP Billiton have had low OP index scores over the last two years – although it should be noted that these companies may be more focused on business customers than general consumers in their marketing efforts.

CSM Research has also tracked companies which respondents mistakenly believe are sponsors. It found that over 70 per cent of consumers agree they are more likely to purchase products associated (either rightly or wrongly) with Olympics sponsors. More than 60 companies have invested around US$3 billion in sponsorship rights for Beijing. TNS estimates that additional promotional spend by corporations looking to ride Olympics interest will exceed US$5 billion from August 2006 to August 2008, making the Olympics the world’s biggest marketing ‘bet’ worth more than US$8 billion.

TNS Media – has collated the OP index through a quarterly poll of 1,500 consumers in 10 Chinese cities, analysis of the creative treatments of Olympics advertising in China and associated media spend and measurement of China’s TV audiences for Olympics programming. CSM Media Research has conducted 8 waves of research to date and will complete its analysis with Wave 11 in October 2008, some two months after the Olympics finish. Sport Business, Sportcal, 20th Aug 2008


SPORTS SHORTS

* Malaysia's Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) has shelved a proposal to ban gambling in the four states it rules with its political allies. Some members of the party have baulked at the moderate stance promoted by its alliance partners, but PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said that it would not pursue a campaign against gambling and alcohol. “Liquor and gambling are allowed by other religions, so we allow them,” Abdul Hadi said. Sport Briefing, 20th Aug 2008

* Australian Football League (AFL) Middle East president Stephen Nugent is confident of the league’s success ahead of its move into a new market. AFL Middle East will operate a league for a nine-a-side competition comprising four teams from the UAE – three in Dubai and one in Abu Dhabi, plus additional clubs in Doha, Qatar and Muscat, Oman. The six clubs will compete in the region’s cooler months, from October to March, with play set to get under way this October. With 15,000 Australian expatriates living in Dubai alone, Nugent is confident that the new league can be a big hit. Sport Briefing, 20th Aug 2008

* Meanwhile, an Indian team has been invited to participate in the AFL International Cup, which will kick off in Melbourne August 27. The Cup will feature teams from the United States, Britain and Japan as well as Australia. Essendon Football Club will host the Indian team at its home, and Essendon’s Mark Anderson said the link-up represented “a great opportunity to introduce Australian Rules Football to India”. The AFL plans to host exhibition matches at the Feroz Shah Kotla cricket ground in New Delhi and the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai next year in a bid to further its links with India. Sport Briefing, 20th Aug 2008

* The German Football League (DFL) has scheduled talks with media company Sirius in a bid to save its television rights contract for next season. Bundesliga clubs were set to share €500 million per season as part of six-year deal between the DFL and Sirius due to start in 2009, but that has been struck down after the Federal Cartel Office ruled the deal was not in the best interests of consumers. The objection was based on plans to block broadcasts of Bundesliga highlights on free-to-air television until after 20:00 on Saturday evenings. The ruling has led to fears that Sirius will now withdraw or reduce its offer. Sport Briefing, 20th Aug 2008


MORE NEWS

Indonesia/Rights: Football’s English League Moves to Aora TV

PT Karya Megah Adijaya, Aora’s cable television operator, has officially received the exclusive rights to broadcast the 2008 – 2009 English League. ESPN Star Sport (ESS) and All Asia Multimedia Network said Aora’s proposal was more attractive from the commercial and operational point of view than that of other television operators.The television company initiated by former Trade and Industry Minister, Rini Soemarno, was also regarded as having featured the best series of English League advertising as well as raised the number of its subscribers in Indonesia.

“ESS will broadcast 370 English League’s matches this season, including the previews and weekly highlights,” said Senior Director Marketing & Corporate Communications ESPN STAR Sports, Paras Sharma, in a press release received by Tempo yesterday. However, Paras did not elaborate the agreement’s details, including its value. “According to the company’s policy, we cannot expose the financial aspects of the business,” he told Tempo in an e-mail.

Aora also gave the same response. Although the company has confirmed it received exclusive broadcasting rights, the Public and Government Relations officer of PT Karya Megah Adijaya, Dinar Hanggarani, would not give any details regarding the financial agreement between ESS and Astro. In principle, the deal was made today,” she said. “We cannot share the details yet,” she said.

Last August 1, ESS and Astro Malaysia offered the rights to broadcast the 2008 – 2009 English League worth of US$ 25 million, to all Indonesian cable televisions. Tempo Intereaktif INA, 19th Aug 2008

India/Broadcast: Reliance’s Big TV on Air

India’s viewers are awash with satellite TV choices, and now another entrant has joined the highly competitive arena. Telco giant Reliance ADA Group has launched its Big TV, and is looking to replicate the spectacular growth it has achieved with cellular telephony in the pay-TV market. Big TV has been testing and trialing its offering for some months, but is now offering consumers 202 channels including 50 VOD “channels”.

With 200 channels at launch, packages from Rs100 to Rs450 a month, and available in 6,500 towns and cities, the group is sparing no expense on the platform. It is also going for its competitors’ jugulars from the off, comparing its own value with Dish TV’s (143 channels for Rs262 a month on the Welcome Pack) and Tata Sky’s (92 channels for Rs200 a month in its Family Pack).

Unlike Zee or TataSky (or pubcaster Doordarshan) Big TV is depending on MPEG4 for its transmissions which manages to carry more channels per satellite transponder than its rivals. Its receiver boxes also come equipped with hard drives for recording content. Next up is a matching IPTV service, says Reliance, by the end of this year. Rapid TV News, 20th Aug 2008

Global/General: ITU Announces new Triathlon World Championship Series

Less then 24 hours after the completion of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games triathlon, the International Triathlon Union today announced an innovative new platform for the sport by establishing a pioneering new series that will take triathlon to new heights.

The new format will consist of six World Championship events plus a Grand Final every year, extending the current single World Championships event into a series. A major feature is the world's best athletes will now consistently race head-to-head. World class venues in internationally renowned cities will be selected to host each World Championship event with guaranteed live international high-definition television offered.

"This is fantastic for triathlon," said Germany's newly crowned Olympic champion Jan Frodeno. "It is similar to F1 racing where the top athletes are battling head-to-head. Using the Hamburg [World Cup] model is ideal as having 100,000 spectators and TV makes it easier for us to market ourselves and as it snowballs the top athletes will want to come."

For the first three years, the events programme will be scheduled on a monthly basis from March to September. In an Olympic year, the Grand Final will move to October or November. This provides the athletes, coaches, National Federations, sponsors and television broadcasters with a well planned stable schedule of high quality events.

Each World Championship event leading up to the Grand Final will seek to integrate a mass participation and youth element alongside the elite races. The ITU Age-Group World Championships will be staged at the annual Grand Final event along with Junior and Under23 competitions. Sports City, 20th Aug 2008