Sport and Technology: The Conference goes bigger and better – April 2007
The third edition of Sport and Technology: The Conference will be held at a new, bigger venue when the highly-acclaimed event returns on Friday 29 June 2007. The London headquarters of global satellite communications provider Inmarsat, well known for its World Rally Championship and Volvo Ocean Race sponsorships, will host the panel-based conference that will once again feature representatives from leading technology companies and rights owners. The 2005 and 2006 speakers included high-profile representatives from FIFA, the International Cricket Council, Chelsea Digital Media, the Premier League, BBC, the Australian Football League, Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, BSkyB, ISC, US PGA Tour, Atos Origin, Sports Resource Group, Deltatre, Hawk-Eye Innovations, Cat Games, Offshore Challenges Group, Kirkpatrick and Lockheart, Wasserman Media Group, PSV Eindhoven, Sportev and Premium TV. As well as including panel discussions on Convergence, Protecting Digital Assets, Venues as Television Studios and Technology versus Referees, Sport and Technology: The Conference 2007 will feature informative keynote presentations and a closing address that draws together the pertinent themes of the day. Delegates will also enjoy an evening cocktail party and a charity raffle, both of which have been popular at the event since its inception in 2005. Sport and Technology: The Conference will continue to present areas of importance to both rights owners and technology companies and will be the must-attend event of 2007 for all those working in the sports industry. Further details will be rolled out over the coming weeks on www.sportandtechnologyconference.com and within Sport and Technology. Contact Jon.Pyser@electricwordplc.com for commercial opportunities.
Telstra's legal action over digital rights
Further to claims in The Sydney Morning Herald that Australian incumbent telco Telstra was to sue Fox Sports for showing too much video footage of National Rugby League (NRL) matches on its websites and mobile phones, an Australian Federal Court has ruled that the telco cannot make substantial claims for compensation. Telstra feels that Fox Sports' actions undermine its AU$90m ($72m) sponsorship deal that it signed in March. The Federal Court did however allow the claim that Fox Sports' use of the footage would erode the advantage of Telstra buying exclusive internet rights.
Wireless internet zone covers City of London
In April, England’s capital city, London, became the home of Europe's biggest wireless internet hotspot, following the installation of a WiFi network across the City of London’s Square Mile. An estimated 350,000 workers now have internet access via their laptop or mobile phone. Users will be charged about £11 a month.
Fulham goes digital
English Premier League soccer club Fulham has signed up with trans-stadia TV network MDM.TV. The move means that Fulham’s Craven Cottage ground (pictured right courtesy of Getty Images Sport/Tom Shaw) is now linked with 14 other leading soccer stadia as well as the Manchester Evening News Arena (a music venue), via a stadium entertainment system developed by MDM.TV. Fulham joins leading soccer clubs such as Arsenal, Manchester United and Glasgow Celtic in this 1,200 screen stadium network. The recently installed network delivers the latest live soccer action, news, targeted advertisements, interactive competitions and match highlights before each game and during half time, improving the fans match day experience. This news story first appeared on www.sportbusiness.com, publisher of Sport and Technology.
Mobile fun at the Grand National
Player One’s Sports division has acquired the mobile content rights to the Aintree Grand National in a deal which will last for the next three years. Along with live streaming, tips and previews from well-known pundit John McCririck and video clips, Player One offers mobile owners the chance to play the Aintree Grand National 2007 mobile game. The content launched via major UK networks to coincide with the event, which will took place on 14 April.
Golf gets social
Social networking website developer itLinkz has launched its second site, Golfer Linkup, and changed its corporate structure. Located at www.golferlinkup.com, the site allows participants to start blogs, upload photos, share comments in forums, read columns by experts, meet other golfers and read news about the sport. The site also allows advertisers to reach a defined audience.
Virgin Media starts legal action
Virgin Media has confirmed it is to challenge what it perceives to be anti- completive behaviour by Sky. The media company has begun proceedings in the UK’s High Court in a bid to resolve the long running carriage fee dispute between Virgin and Sky, which culminated in March’s withdrawal of Sky’s basic channels from Virgin subscribers. Meanwhile, Virgin Media is to extend its ‘free’ digital TV offer in the UK into non-cabled areas. The company has contracted Bridgend-based Tvonics to manufacture a Virgin-branded set-top box that will be capable of receiving the 40 or so channels on the UK DTT system. Tvonics, which also supplies the UK retail chain Currys, has designed Virgin a new casing. The receiver also runs its own Virgin EPG, and features a remote eye, allowing the paperback book sized unit to be hidden from view. A generic set-top box is pictured right courtesy of Getty Images Sport/Martin Poole.
Servecast joins forces with Sotic
Servecast, a leading provider of advanced broadband video services to the sports and media industries has announced a partnership with Sotic, a specialist provider of web technologies and applications to the sports industry, with particular expertise within rugby website provision. For example, Sotic manages the websites of a number of top Rugby Union clubs in the UK. Following the partnership with Servecast, these clubs are now using Servecast's Media Studio to deliver video content over their websites. Among other services to Sotic clients, Servecast enables the delivery of a wide range of multimedia through Irish Rugby TV on IrishRugby.ie, including comprehensive video in the build up to each of the Triple Crown holders games.
Video games are addictive!
Reports from around the world suggest that gaming addiction is real and on the rise. In the US, 8.5% of youth gamers (ages 8 to 18) can be classified as pathological or clinically "addicted" to playing video games. Most youths play video games and many feel that they may be playing too much. Nearly one-quarter (23%) of youths say that they have felt "addicted to video games", with about one-third of males (31%) and a little more than one in 10 females (13%) feeling "addicted." Forty-four percent of youths also report that their friends are addicted to games. With nearly 8 in 10 American youths (81%) playing video games at least one time per month, including 94% of all boys playing, this certainly raises concerns about video game addiction. These are just some of the results of a new survey of 1,178 US children and teenagers (ages 8 to 18) conducted online by Harris Interactive between 17-23 January 2007.
Going swimmingly at WMG
USA Swimming has entered into a long-term exclusive partnership with Wasserman Media Group (WMG), which will see WMG represent the sports body in the marketplace for sponsorship, events and marketing opportunities, and develop digital platforms to broaden distribution and original programming. Through this partnership, the organisations will work together to promote the sport, attract commercial partners and better serve athletes, coaches and fans. WMG will build and manage an online community portal within the new online sports network, Sportnet (www.sportnet.com). The swimming portal will be programmed with a combination of unique editorial content, live event and on-demand coverage, and will support ecommerce and user-generated content.
Page from ArkSports' Sport and Technology (www.sportandtechnology.com) on 2008-11-21 : News - April 2007 : http://www.sportandtechnology.com/news/0481.html
The third edition of Sport and Technology: The Conference will be held at a new, bigger venue when the highly-acclaimed event returns on Friday 29 June 2007. The London headquarters of global satellite communications provider Inmarsat, well known for its World Rally Championship and Volvo Ocean Race sponsorships, will host the panel-based conference that will once again feature representatives from leading technology companies and rights owners. The 2005 and 2006 speakers included high-profile representatives from FIFA, the International Cricket Council, Chelsea Digital Media, the Premier League, BBC, the Australian Football League, Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, BSkyB, ISC, US PGA Tour, Atos Origin, Sports Resource Group, Deltatre, Hawk-Eye Innovations, Cat Games, Offshore Challenges Group, Kirkpatrick and Lockheart, Wasserman Media Group, PSV Eindhoven, Sportev and Premium TV. As well as including panel discussions on Convergence, Protecting Digital Assets, Venues as Television Studios and Technology versus Referees, Sport and Technology: The Conference 2007 will feature informative keynote presentations and a closing address that draws together the pertinent themes of the day. Delegates will also enjoy an evening cocktail party and a charity raffle, both of which have been popular at the event since its inception in 2005. Sport and Technology: The Conference will continue to present areas of importance to both rights owners and technology companies and will be the must-attend event of 2007 for all those working in the sports industry. Further details will be rolled out over the coming weeks on 
English Premier League soccer club Fulham has signed up with trans-stadia TV network MDM.TV. The move means that Fulham’s Craven Cottage ground (pictured right courtesy of Getty Images Sport/Tom Shaw) is now linked with 14 other leading soccer stadia as well as the Manchester Evening News Arena (a music venue), via a stadium entertainment system developed by MDM.TV. Fulham joins leading soccer clubs such as Arsenal, Manchester United and Glasgow Celtic in this 1,200 screen stadium network.
Virgin Media has confirmed it is to challenge what it perceives to be anti- completive behaviour by Sky. The media company has begun proceedings in the UK’s High Court in a bid to resolve the long running carriage fee dispute between Virgin and Sky, which culminated in March’s withdrawal of Sky’s basic channels from Virgin subscribers. Meanwhile, Virgin Media is to extend its ‘free’ digital TV offer in the UK into non-cabled areas. The company has contracted Bridgend-based Tvonics to manufacture a Virgin-branded set-top box that will be capable of receiving the 40 or so channels on the UK DTT system. Tvonics, which also supplies the UK retail chain Currys, has designed Virgin a new casing. The receiver also runs its own Virgin EPG, and features a remote eye, allowing the paperback book sized unit to be hidden from view. A generic set-top box is pictured right courtesy of Getty Images Sport/Martin Poole.
USA Swimming has entered into a long-term exclusive partnership with Wasserman Media Group (WMG), which will see WMG represent the sports body in the marketplace for sponsorship, events and marketing opportunities, and develop digital platforms to broaden distribution and original programming. Through this partnership, the organisations will work together to promote the sport, attract commercial partners and better serve athletes, coaches and fans. WMG will build and manage an online community portal within the new online sports network, Sportnet (
