The European Commission (EC) is challenging the UEFA over the way it sells the television rights to football games to broadcasters in Europe. Currently, free-to-air and pay-TV rights are sold to a single television network in each country. Champions’ League Rights    Free TV  Pay-TV        UK  ITV ITV Digital Italy  Mediaset Stream… Continue reading EC Challenges UEFA TV Sales Contracts

New data from Webmergers reports that 726 Internet companies were acquired in the first half of 2001, in deals worth a total of $6 billion. 56% of the deals in Q1 and Q2 involved acquisitions of infrastructure companies, such as those providing networking products and ebusiness software. A further 30% involved Internet destinations such as… Continue reading Strong Start To 2001 In The US M&A Market, Says Webmergers

The latest Report On eBusiness from Forrester shows that whilst some areas of B2B ecommerce are growing, many businesses are adopting a ‘wait and see’ approach to online purchasing and the like. Almost 73% of companies surveyed claimed that they used the internet for ‘indirect’ purchases, an increase from the 71% recorded in Q3, and… Continue reading Forrester Report Reveals Limited Growth In B2B E-Commerce

ITV Digital claims that it will reach its break even target of 2004, despite the widely reported difficulties experienced by the recently rebranded digital TV business. It was announced today that 48,000 new subscribers signed up during the last quarter, bringing the total at 30 June to 1.1 million and overtaking previously gloomy forecasts. Churn… Continue reading ITV Digital Places Breakeven At 2004

Shares in UK media and communications group, Tempus, have soared this morning following reports that French advertising network, Havas Advertising, is to announce a takeover of Tempus for around £400 million (€658 million). According to a report in this morning’s Financial Times, Havas is expected to confirm the takeover tomorrow. Tempus owns UK media buying… Continue reading Tempus Shares Soar On Havas Takeover Reports

Media buying agencies Optimedia and Zenith Media are to be merged by their parent companies, Publicis and Cordiant respectively, creating the world’s fourth-largest media communications group. The resulting business, NewCo, will be UK-based and 75% owned by Publicis and 25% owned by Cordiant. The minimum option price payable for Cordiant’s 25% shareholding in NewCo is… Continue reading Optimedia And Zenith Merged By Parent Companies

Europemedia reports that internet advertising spend in Italy is on the rise according to figures from the new Internet Advertising Observatory of Lab Italia. Spending has grown by 368% in 2000 reaching L267 billion (e140 million) compared to L10 billion in 1998. The most popular form of internet advertising remains the banner ad which accounts… Continue reading Online Adspend Boom For Italy

Global application service provider (ASP) spending is set to reach $16.1 billion by 2005 according to the Worldwide ASP Spending: Forecasts and Analysis 2001-2005 report from Aberdeen Group. ASP is defined as revenues generated by commercial grade software and related services delivered from a centrally managed facility and is forecast to grow at a 52%… Continue reading ASP Spending Will Reach $16.1 Billion By 2005, Says Aberdeen Group

Sports.com, a European internet and mobile data provider of sports content, has today announced a further $13 million (£9.3 million) in equity funding from existing investors, including SportsLine.com, Soros Private Equity Partners and IMG. It is expected that the funds will enable Sports.com to continue to implement its business plan and thereby achieve profitability. “Sports.com… Continue reading Sports.com Secures $13m Extra Funding

Two major US newspaper publishers have this week reported declining profits due to fall advertising revenues and a rise in newsprint costs, according to analysts at ABN Amro. Knight Ridder, the second largest newspaper group in the US, saw Q2 profits drop by 85%. The company, which publishes 32 daily titles including the Miami Herald… Continue reading US Newspaper Groups See Profit Falls