Soccer News & Notes, June 24, 2011

UEFA Champions League final to make swift return to Wembley

UEFA announced on Thursday that the Champions League final will return to Wembley Stadium in 2013, just two years after the London venue staged the 2011 title match.

European football’s governing body also confirmed that the 2013 UEFA Congress would take place in London, marking the 150th anniversary of the Football Association. At its meeting in Nyon on Thursday, the UEFA Executive Committee also selected the Amsterdam ArenA in the Netherlands as the host stadium of the 2013 Europa League final and Eden Stadium in Prague, Czech Republic, as the venue of the 2013 Super Cup – the annual game staged between the winners of the Champions League and Europa League.

Munich will host next season’s Champions League final on May 19, 2012, 10 days after the Europa League final is staged at the National Stadium in Bucharest, Romania. Although Wembley hosted the Champions League final as recently as last month, when Barcelona beat Manchester United 3-1, UEFA president Michel Platini explained that there were exceptional circumstances behind bringing the game back to North London so soon.

"Founded in 1863 the Football Association (FA) is the oldest of all the national football associations and in 2013 it will celebrate its 150th anniversary," said Platini. "Given the exceptional nature of this historic moment in our beautiful game, and the fact that we will also celebrate 150 years of the Laws of the Game, we felt it was our duty at UEFA to help the FA celebrate in some special way."

Platini added: "For this reason we have decided to return to England and specifically to Wembley Stadium – the home of the English FA – for the 2013 UEFA Champions League final. I think it is important to respect 150 years of the FA. We are gathered here because 150 years ago there were people in England who put football’s rules in place. I believe it is a real moment of respect – if we forget the past, we do not have a future."

Source: sportbusiness.com

Crisis-torn Libya still clinging on to African Cup of Nations
Friday, June 17, 2011

Libya is still refusing to admit defeat in its efforts to host three major football tournaments despite coming under pressure to surrender the events due to political instability and widespread violence in the country.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has advised Libya that it would need to make an early decision on whether the country can stage the 2013 African Cup of Nations as well as next year’s African Nations Championship and Futsal Championship. Fighting between NATO-backed anti-government rebels and forces loyal to Libyan leader Colonel Qaddafi forced CAF to switch an African Under-20 tournament from Libya to South Africa earlier this year.

The fighting has prompted the United Nations Security Council to impose a no-fly zone. However, although the South Africa Football Association insisted this week it is ready to step in to stage the African Cup of Nations, and Egypt is also waiting in the wings, Libya has so far refused to withdraw its hosting rights.

"Of course we are thinking about it as a matter of priority," CAF secretary general Hicham El Amrani told the BBC. "The CAF executive committee is thinking about plan Bs or plan Cs. We agreed an internal timeline (for the) latest moment at which we should decide on switching the tournament to another venue but as of today the 2013 African Cup of Nations is still in Libya."

Source: SoccerEx Business Daily

FIFA report claims "overwhelming" evidence of Bin Hammam corruption
Thu, 23/06/2011

A secret report by FIFA’s ethics committee has claimed there is "overwhelming" evidence that Mohamed Bin Hammam tried to bribe officials during his campaign to become president of world football’s governing body and that Jack Warner was "an accessory to corruption".

Both 68-year-old Warner, from Trinidad & Tobago, and Qatar’s Bin Hammam, 62, were provisionally suspended on May 29. Warner resigned from FIFA on Monday and quit all football activities, with the governing body dropping its investigation against him, stating that "the presumption of innocence is maintained".

However, the ethics committee report, seen by the Press Association, stated that there was "comprehensive, convincing and overwhelming" proof that Bin Hammam had offered bribes as part of his campaign, and that Warner had facilitated such actions. The report concluded that there was "compelling" evidence that Bin Hammam and Warner arranged a special meeting of the 25 members of the Caribbean Football Union on May 10-11 in Trinidad and that, with their knowledge, cash gifts were handed over.

Statements from witnesses, which were included in the report, claimed they were handed brown envelopes containing up to US$40,000 in cash. Warner’s evidence to the May 29 hearing was described as "mere self-serving declarations" and the report added that he "failed to provide the FIFA ethics committee with a plausible explanation". Following the report being leaked, Bin Hammam said in a statement: "There is nothing I can say more than I deny the allegations and insist that I have not done anything wrong during the special Congress at Trinidad."

Warner issued a statement claiming the report had been circulated by "pathologically mendacious" people within FIFA who would "stop at no length to destroy my legacy". He added in a statement to The Associated Press: "Let me once again reiterate for the sake of those with hidden agendas; I, Jack Warner, did not partake in the distribution of any cash gifts to my members."

Source: sportbusiness.com

Corruption investigation dropped as Jack Warner quits FIFA
Tue, 21/06/2011

Jack Warner has quit as a vice-president of FIFA just weeks after promising a "football tsunami" of revelations in response to his suspension from the global governing body for alleged corruption.

Warner, who is an influential politician in his homeland of Trinidad & Tobago and was also serving as the head of the Caribbean Football Union and the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) prior to his ban, announced his decision to step down in a letter to FIFA’s ethics committee. Earlier this month FIFA hired FBI director Louis Freeh to investigate bribery claims against Warner and Mohamed Bin Hammam, the president of the Asian Football Confederation.

However, following his decision to end his association with FIFA, the ethics committee immediately dropped its follow-up investigation into his conduct. "Mr Warner is leaving FIFA by his own volition after nearly 30 years of service, having chosen to focus on his important work on behalf of the people and government of Trinidad & Tobago as a Cabinet Minister and as the Chairman of the United National Congress, the major party in his country’s coalition government," read a statement from FIFA.

"As a consequence of Mr Warner’s self-determined resignation, all Ethics Committee procedures against him have been closed and the presumption of innocence is maintained," FIFA added. Warner and Bin Hammam were suspended from FIFA on May 29 after Chuck Blazer, who worked as CONCACAF’s general secretary under Warner for two decades, claimed the pair tried to bribe Caribbean voters to vote for Bin Hammam in the recent FIFA presidential election. Following Bin Hammam’s suspension, incumbent Sepp Blatter was re-elected unopposed to the helm of the governing body.

Warner told Bloomberg that he was quitting FIFA because he had lost "enthusiasm" for the job. "The general secretary that I had employed, who worked with me for 21 years, with the assistance of elements of FIFA has sought to undermine me in ways that are unimaginable," he said. "I’ve been hung out to dry continually and I’m not prepared to take that." Warner added that "all this would never have happened" had he made public a promised declaration for Blatter in May and he also insisted that gift-giving during lobbying had been a part of FIFA’s culture for years.

"It’s not unusual for such things to happen and gifts have been around throughout the history of FIFA," Warner said. "What’s happening now for me is hypocrisy." He continued: "At the end of the day I don’t want to be seen to be vengeful. I am saying over time history will judge Mr Blatter…I don’t know who’s a friend and who’s a foe…In retrospect possibly my friends, who I thought of as my friends, have been foes and possibly my foes have been friends. In fullness of time I’ll be able to see better who was foe and who was friend."

Source: sportbusiness.com

UEFA calls for "concrete" FIFA reforms within three months
Mon, 20/06/2011

UEFA has increased the pressure on under-fire FIFA by urging world football’s governing body to introduce "concrete" reforms within the next three months.

Allegations of corruption emerged within FIFA in the build-up to the recent coronation of Sepp Blatter, who secured another term at the helm of the organisation after being re-elected unopposed. Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed Bin Hammam – who was lined up as Blatter’s only challenger – and CONCACAF president Jack Warner have been provisionally suspended pending a full investigation.

At the conclusion of the June meeting of UEFA’s executive committee, general secretary Gianni Infantino said: "The UEFA executive committee has taken note of the will of FIFA to take concrete and effective measures for good governance. It hopes to see results within three months and it is following the situation closely. We want whatever it is FIFA chooses to do to be concrete."

The Football Association (FA) led a late campaign to postpone last month’s FIFA presidential elections, but the English body’s calls only received small pockets of support and were criticised strongly by vociferous supporters of Blatter.

However, UEFA president Michel Platini spoke warmly of the FA late last week, in stark contrast to the criticism directed at the national organisation at the FIFA Congress in Zurich. "I think it is important to respect 150 years of the FA," said Platini after announcing that Wembley Stadium would stage the 2013 Champions League final to mark the 150th anniversary of the FA.

"We are gathered here because 150 years ago, there were people in England who put football’s rules in place," Platini added. "I believe it is a real moment of respect – if we forget the past, we do not have a future."

Source: sportbusiness.com

FIFA Ethics Committee to question Blazer
Thursday, June 16, 2011

CONCACAF general secretary Chuck Blazer is to be questioned by FIFA’s Ethics Committee after complaints about his behaviour from several Caribbean football associations.

The complaint, stated in a letter to FIFA that was signed up 11 Caribbean associations, is related to Blazer’s behaviour at a CONCACAF meeting before the FIFA Congress last month in Zurich. According to Reuters, the letter stated that Blazer made "statements of contempt and slander that served to impugn the integrity, discriminate against and infringe upon the personal rights" of CONCACAF members.

Blazer was the key whistle-blower in the cash-for-votes scandal before the recent FIFA presidential election, with Mohamed Bin Hammam and then CONCACAF president Jack Warner having been suspended by the FIFA Ethics Committee pending a full investigation partly as a result of his allegations.

Blazer told Reuters: "I have received an inquiry from the secretary of the Ethics Committee to respond to a complaint filed by the Jamaica Football Federation. I will respond to the committee fully and I am confident of a positive resolution." FIFA’s probe into the issue started yesterday with Caribbean representatives being interviewed by world football governing body’s investigators in the Bahamas.

Source: SoccerEx Business Daily

FIFA needs to be reformed before future England bid – Sports Minister
Friday, June 17, 2011

UK Sports Minister Hugh Robertson believes England will not consider bidding for the FIFA World Cup until world football’s governing body has undergone a "radical" overhaul.

England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup picked up only two votes at the FIFA election in December, with Russia securing the right to stage the tournament. Robertson made his remarks in the House of Commons in response to Tory MP Damian Collins, who said any future England bid to host the World Cup was "likely to fail" unless FIFA was reformed, claiming it had "a world of double-dealing and self-interest under Sepp Blatter".

Robertson said: "It is very clear from our experience of the last bid and what has happened subsequently, that FIFA needs radical structural reform. Until that process is complete, I doubt we would consider a future bid."

Robertson added: "Any future bid for a World Cup is some time away, probably not a bad thing, and probably not until 2013. Clearly any decision would be considered on its merits. However, I would expect there to be a far greater degree of transparency and accountability at FIFA before we consider any future bid." UK Prime Minister David Cameron said last week that FIFA’s reputation was at an "all-time low".

Source: SoccerEx Business Daily

New FIFA vice-president urges English football to "move on"
Tue, 14/06/2011

New FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce has urged English football executives to "move on" from the disappointment of missing out on hosting the 2018 World Cup.

The Northern Irishman officially replaced Englishman Geoff Thompson on the FIFA Executive Committee earlier this month at the FIFA Congress, which saw Sepp Blatter re-elected unopposed as president of world football’s governing body. England’s Football Association led a late attempt to postpone Blatter’s coronation, but the move gained little support and was criticised by vociferous supporters of the incumbent chief.

"Some people think there is an element of arrogance among the English footballing family," Boyce told The Telegraph. "I was disappointed when England was not awarded the World Cup but it’s time to get over it." England lost out to Russia in the tender for the 2018 tournament as the country’s bid to stage world football’s top event for the first time since 1966 picked up only two votes.

He added: "I will obviously try to help them in any way I can (in the new role) but they need to move on from their disappointment at the World Cup bid. There seems to be an attitude that English football is owed something ever since ’66. That started to wear thin 20 years ago."

He added: "We need to rebuild bridges and strengthen existing relations. I will be doing everything I can to help achieve that and will represent all four British nations."

Source: sportbusiness.com

UEFA president Michel Platini praises "enlightened" Championship for adopting Financial Fair Play
Mon, 13/06/2011

UEFA president Michel Platini has hailed the decision to implement Financial Fair Play regulations in the Football League Championship in England.

Championship clubs will only be allowed to spend what they earn from the 2012-13 season, while sides in League One and Two will not be permitted to spend more than 55% of their turnover on player wages. The Npower Championship has seen a number of clubs struggle with the financial fall-out of relegation from the Barclays Premier League in recent years.

Clubs that breach the rules are likely to be handed a transfer ban as a first sanction, although the possibility of points deductions have not been ruled out. UEFA is in the process of bringing in its own Financial Fair Play regulations for the top flights of football across Europe.

"We are very happy to see that Football League clubs, under the umbrella of the Football Association, are again taking the initiative on good governance issues by introducing Financial Fair Play," said Platini, according to Sky Sports.

"We are delighted that enlightened football bodies across the continent are trying to restore financial sanity to football on a national level, just as we are trying to do on a European level," he added.

A report into football finance, released by the Sports Business Group at Deloitte last week, found that operating losses in the Championship during the 2009-10 season increased for the sixth straight year to a record £133 million.

Source: SoccerEx Business Daily

Serie A fans to carry identity cards
Thu, 23/06/2011

The Italian government has announced that fans in Serie A will need to carry a supporter identity card to buy home season tickets and follow their team away next season.

The card, to be known as the ‘tessera per il tifoso’, is to be introduced as a measure to clamp down on hooliganism. The concept initially sparked protests from supporters groups after being conceived in the wake of a series of violent incidents at Serie A matches in 2007, when a policeman was killed after a Sicilian derby and a Lazio fan was shot dead.

Although some casual supporters can still buy tickets for one-off matches without carrying a card, most supporters will need them. According to Italian Minister of the Interior Roberto Maroni, the cards will help to establish a more welcoming atmosphere at stadia. However, he has also spoken of the need to remove terrace fences from the venues.

"Before the end of next season we want to take away all the fences and other barriers that box in fans," he said after a meeting with football officials, according to Reuters. "Stadia should be places for celebration and not where you get hit. We want to bring true supporters together, those that support their team and not the ones who come to football to smash in the heads of opposing fans."

Italian Football Federation president Giancarlo Abete outlined the wider structural upgrades required at stadia in the country. "We need more functional stadia and a new rapport with fans," he said. "Now we need a concerted effort to overcome any negative perceptions about the supporters’ card. It will be both efficient and functional."

The next step, which will see the construction of new ‘club-owned’ stadia, has been held up as a measure in the Italian parliament. "We just need to make sure the bill does not interfere with TV rights," said Abete. "When it is eventually passed, it will be a significant act for Italian football. Italy’s football future must involve rebuilding stadia."

Source: sportbusiness.com

Seifert hails "booming" Bundesliga after celebrating attendance record
Monday, June 13, 2011

German Football League CEO Christian Seifert has hailed the "booming" Bundesliga after the top flight generated a record collective attendance for the 2010-11 campaign.

The Bundesliga pulled in an average of 42,101 spectators per match to mark a 0.7% increase on the previous season. A total of 12.88 million fans watched 306 top-flight matches in Germany with an average ticket price of Eur22.75. The 18-team Bundesliga has attracted the highest average attendance of any domestic football league in the world for several seasons.

"For the ninth time in the last 10 years we have had an increase in fans going to stadia," said Seifert. "The Bundesliga is booming without a doubt and yet again it is the strongest league in the world in terms of attendances, as reflected in the fact that almost 94% of games were sold out. An exciting competition with attractive matches, family-friendly prices and modern stadia are the key factors."

According to a study released by Deloitte’s Sports Business Group last week, the Bundesliga was the most profitable football league in Europe with a surplus of Eur138 million from the 2009-10 season. The Bundesliga also generated the second-highest revenues in Europe with Eur1.66 billion of turnover, second only to the Premier League, which pulled in Eur2.5 billion. Borussia Dortmund (pictured) won the title, finishing seven points ahead of Bayer Leverkusen.

Source: SoccerEx Business Daily

YouTube to expand live sports portfolio with Copa America coverage
Thu, 16/06/2011

YouTube has expanded its commitment to sports broadcasting by announcing it will stream the upcoming Copa America live to more than 50 countries around the world.

The social media platform, which started streaming live action from the Twenty20 Indian Premier League cricket competition last year, will air all 26 Copa America matches live. The tournament will run from July 1-24 in Argentina and the action will be available at a dedicated page, Youtube.com/copaamerica.

"Fans will have access to all 26 matches including pool play, semi-finals, quarter-finals and the championship match, live streaming as they happen with exclusive-to-YouTube commentary, as well as highlights from all the matches, goal compilations, full-game uploads and more," stated YouTube in a blog post. Earlier this year the Google-owned website confirmed it was in talks to air live games from the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League as well as European football leagues.

In February, Gautam Anand, Google’s director of content partnerships for Asia-Pacific, told Bloomberg that YouTube would aim to carry more live sports from the second half of 2011. "It is fair to say that there will be a lot more appealing sports content you’ll see on YouTube," Anand said. "We have ongoing conversations with pretty much everyone."

This year’s Copa America will feature 12 national teams playing in the host cities of Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Cordoba, Salta, Jujuy, San Juan, La Plata and Santa Fe.

Source: sportbusiness.com

Fox Soccer to rebrand and bundle content across platforms
Thu, 16/06/2011

Fox Soccer will start to bundle multi-platform content packages in the US to allow subscribers the option of watching games via computers and tablet devices, the broadcaster announced on Wednesday.

Fox Soccer general manager David Nathanson pledged to make the action more accessible to cable and satellite customers on the same day as the network unveiled a brand makeover at the Cable Show trade convention. The action will be leveraged across Fox Soccer and Fox Soccer Plus as well as FoxSoccer.tv, with all three platforms set to launch their new appearances on August 13 alongside a new dedicated iPhone app, with an iPad app also in the pipeline.

"We want people to see the best soccer games in the world wherever and whenever it is the most convenient," said Nathanson. "Our audience is smart, they want new technologies, they want the best coverage. With our mobile app and the coming iPad app, we’re delivering."

In a statement, Fox Soccer said the makeover would touch "all aspects" of the network’s production, "with new shows, brash graphics, and the classic, irreverent Fox attitude". The rebranding will also ensure "tight integration" with sister channel Fox Sports thanks to "bold new graphics, new studio sets, a vastly expanded website and the same hard-hitting and trusted analysis".

Nathanson added: "This unifies our brands and sets the stage for us to present soccer in the same fashion as every one of America’s biggest sports. We and this sport have grown by leaps and bounds, and this move is just the latest sign of our ambitions for the sport in the United States."

Source: sportbusiness.com

Score Media acquires Copa America coverage rights for Canada
Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Score Media has snapped up the exclusive English-language Canadian broadcast rights to the Copa America, which will kick off in Argentina on July 1.

As the official English language media partner in Canada, theScore will broadcast 15 games live including every match from the quarter-finals, semi-finals and championship rounds. Brazil is bidding to defend its title, with the championship match scheduled for July 24. Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Cordoba, Salta, Jujuy, San Juan, La Plata and Santa Fe will be the tournament’s host cities.

In addition to live television coverage, theScore will also stream every game covered by the deal live on theScore.com. Prior to the start of the 2011 Copa America, theScore will air a custom series called ’12 Countries in 12 Days’, which will examine the tournament’s 12 competing teams, their histories and their players.

"We’re thrilled to be showcasing a quality soccer tournament like the Copa America on theScore and we’re especially excited about having (presenters) James Sharman and Kristian Jack calling all the action," said Greg Sansone, vice-president of television at Score Media.

Source: SoccerEx Business Daily

UEFA awards Champions League pay-TV rights in Central, Latin America
Tue, 21/06/2011

ESPN International and Fox Sports Latin America have acquired pay-TV broadcast rights to the UEFA Champions League and Europa League covering Central and Latin America.

The networks will air Europe’s top two club competitions from 2012-15 although Brazil, which will be tendered separately, is not included in the new deals. ESPN International and Fox Sports Latin America will each guarantee two live matches per match night in the Champions League and at least one live Europa League match from each kick-off slot on their channels every match week.

ESPN International’s coverage will be aired primarily on the regional ESPN Latin America network with additional programming on ESPN+, ESPN2 and ESPN HD. The Fox Sports channel will be the focus of the Fox distribution, with FOX Sports+, FOX Sports HD and Fox Sports Premium providing complementary coverage.

The agreements are platform-neutral, ensuring both networks will be able to exploit the rights via internet and mobile, with ESPNDeportes.com, ESPNSoccernet.com and FoxSportsLA.com set to carry action. Both parties have also snapped up broadcast rights to the Europa League in the Caribbean, with the Champions League rights for the region having been acquired by Fox Sports in a previous tender.

"UEFA is delighted to announce the extension of its relationship with Fox Sports in Central and Latin America as well as welcoming ESPN back as a partner in the region," said Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA Events SA marketing director. "By confirming these deals, we can ensure that Europe’s best club football is delivered on the best pan-regional platform for sports fans in the territory."

Source: sportbusiness.com

ESPN Star Sports promises "improved kick-off times" in new La Liga deal
Wednesday, June 22, 2011

ESPN Star Sports has sealed a new three-year rights deal to air Spain’s La Liga action in 18 Asian markets and promised more convenient kick-off times for audiences across the continent.

The exclusive multi-platform rights for the three seasons from 2012-13, which will also include the option to broadcast games in 3D, came with a pledge from the broadcaster that "fans…can look forward to improved kick-off times to suit Asian audiences". A switch to earlier kick-off times on weekends could put La Liga on a collision course with the Barclays Premier League, which is also broadcast via ESPN Star Sports’ platforms. The Premier League has a near five-hour block of prime-time programming in Asian prime time on Sundays.

ESPN Star Sports will be able to provide coverage of up to 380 games across its channels in Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Taiwan, Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and North Korea. English language broadcasts can also be provided in China and South Korea. Aside from the Premier League, ESPN Star Sports also airs the UEFA Champions League, FA Cup and England home matches as well as major tournaments from the Asian Football Confederation.

"This acquisition underlines our commitment to football fans in the region as we continue to provide the most compelling content to our viewers and an excellent promotional platform for our business partners," said ESPN Star Sports managing director of Asia, Manu Sawhney. "We have established a strong tradition in building and strengthening top-class football properties on our networks with the reach of our networks, multiple media platforms, world-class match presentation and our continued focus towards original, localised football programming and innovative marketing campaigns."

Source: SoccerEx Business Daily

Real Madrid reins in spending on TV channel
Tue, 21/06/2011

Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid has made cuts in the funding of its television channel, Real Madrid TV, as part of a wider package of measures aimed at reducing costs.

According to TV Sports Markets, the channel’s budget has been reduced to Eur7 million per year, with more cuts to come in the future. The original budget for the channel was about Eur20 million per year. The club plans to make up to 40 members of staff redundant, including technicians, producers and writers.

Florentino Perez, Real Madrid’s president, is understood to be sceptical about the value of projecting the club’s image through its own media outlets. In 2009, Perez closed Real Madrid’s radio station, a year after the previous president Ramon Calderon opened it.

Perez is also expected to reduce the budget for Real Madrid’s basketball team from Eur28 million this year to Eur25 million next year and Eur20 million in 2013. For all the latest TV sports rights news visit www.tvsportsmarkets.com/news.

Source: sportbusiness.com

New Nielsen study released on TV and online viewing
June 16, 2011 | Associated Press  

Americans who watch the most video online tend to watch less TV, according to The Nielsen Co., a finding that overturns a long-standing belief that people who watch more programming do so over all devices.

The ratings agency said Wednesday that starting last fall, it noticed a segment of consumers who were starting to make a trade-off between online video and regular TV. The activity was more pronounced among people ages 18 to 34.

The finding could be troubling to television networks that have been putting shows online in order to reach new audiences. The hope was they wouldn’t diminish viewership on television, where they still make most of their advertising revenue.

Nielsen polled about 2,600 people who said they watched videos online in the first three months of the year, and divided them into fifths, based on how much they watch. The fifth that watched the most video online consumed nearly 19 minutes a day, and also watched the least amount of television, at about four hours and 32 minutes a day. The fifth that watched the least online video-at less than a tenth of a minute a day-watched the most TV at four hours and 50 minutes.

Nielsen said such a finding doesn’t indicate that people are about to drop their pay TV packages to watch video only online, a notion known as "chord cutting." About 91% of TV households still paid for a TV subscription in the first quarter, and most of the changes had to do with people switching between cable, telephone and satellite companies.

Overall, TV viewing crept up by 0.2% from a year ago to 158 hours and 47 minutes a month, while video watching on the internet jumped 35% to four hours and 33 minutes per month. Watching on mobile devices such as smartphones rose 20% to four hours and 20 minutes a month.

Nielsen’s senior vice-president of insights and analysis, Pat McDonough, said the study suggests that advertisers have to cast a wider net to make sure they’re reaching the audiences they want.

"The real implication for advertisers is you need to think broadly," she said. "You need to think about reaching people on the screen that they’re available on at that time."

Source: Marketing Magazine

Topline: global entertainment and media outlook
June 16, 2011 | Alicia Androich 

Last year, North America saw its first increase in entertainment and media spending since 2007. This piece of good news is courtesy of the newly released Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2011-2015 from PwC.
Survey by: PwC

Methodology: This edition, the 12th annual, forecasts 13 major industry segments across four regions: North America; Europe, Middle East and Africa; Asia Pacific and Latin America.

Key findings:

. Entertainment and media (E&M) spending rose by 4.8% in Canada in 2010

. E&M spending rose 3.2% for Canada and the US combined in 2010

. It’s expected that Canada will see a 6.1% compound annual increase through 2015

. That’s faster than the US, which is expected to see a 4.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR)

. It’s expected that spending in Internet advertising will grow by almost 15% CAGR in Canada, along with:

. An expected increase in almost 12% for Internet access payments (both high speed and mobile) and

. 7.4% for TV subscriptions

. 6.9% for trade magazines

. 6.4% for out-of-home advertising

. Internet and TV advertising will grow from US$5.6 billion to US$8.6 billion by 2015 in Canada

. Mobile TV advertising will grow from US$77 million to US$241 million by 2015 in Canada

For more from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2011-2015, click here.

Originally published in Marketing Magazine,June 16, 2011

Source: Marketing Magazine

Dalian Wanda to invest millions in Chinese football
Friday, June 17, 2011

Dalian Wanda, a leading commercial property company in China, is to provide "considerable financial support" to the Chinese Super League after linking up with the country’s football body.

According to the state-owned China Daily newspaper, Dalian Wanda will play a significant role in the management of the League as well as providing investment of up to US$500 million over the next decade. The country’s leading football competition will carry the name of the company as the "Dalian Wanda Plaza CSL" from the start of next season.

An official contract is expected to be signed in Beijing on Saturday, and although Chinese Football Association (CFA) deputy chief Lin Xiaohua refused to confirm the deal, he said he would welcome commercial investment into a sport that has endured numerous struggles in the country.

"All companies and entrepreneurs are welcome to work with the CFA in boosting the development of soccer in China," Lin said. "Chinese soccer is at an all-time low and the CFA is in great need of support from various sectors. We appreciate any investment in Chinese soccer, no matter how much it is."

Source: SoccerEx Business Daily

Yingli Solar to energise Brazil World Cup
Fri, 10/06/2011

Solar energy company Yingli Solar has followed up its commercial support of last year’s FIFA World Cup by signing up as an official sponsor of the next edition of the event in Brazil in 2014.

Yingli, which became the first Chinese company as well as the first ‘green’ energy firm to become a sponsor of the World Cup, announced the deal at the Intersolar show in Munich, Germany. In a statement, Yingli said the agreement represented an important step towards breaking into the potentially lucrative Brazilian market.

"This particular FIFA World Cup will ensure not only brand exposure into Brazil, one of the largest consumers of energy in South America, but all around the world," stated Yingli. "Brazil…has long been referred to as the country of the future." Yingli’s sponsorship rights include ticketing and hospitality, perimeter board advertising and the right to use World Cup emblems and logos.

"After our 2010 World Cup sponsorship, we saw a tremendous increase in our brand awareness and inquiries for our products," said Yingli Green Energy chairman and CEO Liansheng Miao. "Thus we are thrilled to continue our sponsorship with FIFA by becoming an official sponsor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and to be an important renewable energy partner to the world’s most-watched single-sport event."

FIFA marketing director Thierry Weil added: "We could not have organised the FIFA World Cup on the scale that we saw in 2010 without the support of sponsors such as Yingli Solar. Yingli Solar’s activities have had a wide geographical impact, from raising the awareness of the World Cup in their home market China, to providing solar expertise and products in rural parts of Africa as part of the Football for Hope program. We view our agreement as a strategic long-term co-operation and I am delighted to welcome Yingli Solar on board as a committed sponsor of the 2014 World Cup."

Source: sportbusiness.com