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Tag: Olympic

  • IMG takes up Muhammad Ali’s consumer products licensing

    IMG takes up Muhammad Ali’s consumer products licensing

    MUMBAI: Muhammad Ali Enterprises LLC (MAE), which controls all licensing rights for the legendary boxer, has selected IMG Licensing, a division of global sports, fashion and media company, IMG Worldwide, for consumer products licensing.

    The 1960 Olympic Gold Medallist and three-time world champion boxer dominated the sport over two decades and had instantly classic bouts such as “Thrilla in Manila” and “Rumble in the Jungle.”

    Retired from boxing for decades, Ali has transcended sports and has become an iconic humanitarian figure. His international goodwill missions and fundraising have delivered food and medical supplies to tens of millions of people — especially children — making him one of the most recognised and respected persons around the world.

    Under the multi-year agreement, IMG Licensing will act exclusively as representation for the brand in Europe and Asia. This new agreement will see IMG combine its extensive knowledge of the boxer‘s life with its global capabilities in product licensing, providing opportunities to extend the brand to new consumer touch points.

    IMG Licensing will seek opportunities in both traditional sports licensing categories including memorabilia and apparel, as well as new business areas that capture and leverage the showman and essence of Muhammad Ali.

    Muhammad Ali Enterprises VP of worldwide licensing Kelly C. Hill said, “IMG is clearly the leader in sports licensing of all kinds, but what attracted us most is their proven track record in developing new and innovative licensing concepts that leverage the characteristics of brands and iconic personalities outside of the natural core competency.”

    IMG Licensing executive VP, global MD Bruno Maglione said, “Ali is simply the greatest boxer ever and IMG Licensing is honoured to be entering into this partnership with Muhammad Ali Enterprises. Ali‘s inspiring personal journey, his achievements both in and out of the ring and his devotion to humanitarian efforts are all material for branded concepts and product ideas that can generate interest from Ali fans old and new.”

  • IOC to be honoured as Champion of The Earth 2007

    IOC to be honoured as Champion of The Earth 2007

    MUMBAI: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and its president,, Jacques Rogge are to be honoured as Champion of the Earth 2007 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

    Along with Al Gore and five other prominent environmental leaders, Rogge will be presented with the award at a special ceremony on 19 April in Singapore.

    Rogge says, “I am very honoured to receive this award, which is a great recognition of the IOC’s responsibility and commitment to raise awareness about the importance of sustainable development in sport”.
    “Since the early 1990s, the IOC and the Olympic Movement have progressively taken the environment and sustainability into account throughout the lifecycle of an Olympic Games project. The ‘Green Games’ concept is increasingly a reality. Today, from the beginning of a city’s desire to stage an Olympic Games, through to the long-term impact of those Games, environmental protection and, more importantly, sustainability, are prime elements of Games planning and operations. I am very proud of this and would like to thank UNEP for recognising these efforts”.

    The Olympic Games are above all about sport and the athletes, but they can bring several important environmental outcomes if they are planned, managed and conducted in a way which minimises the adverse environmental impacts and effects.

    The opportunity of the Games the IOC says can also be used to provide sustainable environmental legacies, such as rehabilitated and revitalised sites, increased environmental awareness, and improved environmental policies and practices. They can further encourage and facilitate strong environmental actions, and technology and product development in a city, country and beyond, through the educational value of good example.

  • European broadcasters oppose swimming, gymnastic Olympic events timings

    European broadcasters oppose swimming, gymnastic Olympic events timings

    MUMBAI: The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has formally protested the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s decision to hold some Olympic swimming and gymnastic finals in the morning during the 2008 Beijing Games.

    Media reports indicate that IOC had announced the changes last week in a concession to US broadcaster NBC. However the EBU says that this means that the events willl occur in the middle of the night in Europe.

    In a statement the EBU says, “With this decision the IOC ends the tradition of staging these finals in the evening irrespective of the time zone at the venue. Viewers in Europe as well as the vast majority of the global TV audience will be disadvantaged.”

    Swimmers too have registered their protest in a letter. Ian Thorpe says, “I won’t make a habit of posting annoyances here but this one just blew my mind. Anyone else think it irritating that NBC is putting pressure on the IOC to change the swimming schedule to only benefit the US prime time audience? That’s nice but what about the rest of the planet, who last time I checked, were also involved in the Olympics.”

    Pieter van den Hoogenband says, “Do you see the big athletes of the 100 metre sprint, the Powells and Gatlins, running their final in the morning? Come on. Be serious. For one time, one tournament, they alternate the programme, because of American goals. Without knowing the opinion of the men to swim: we, us. This is worthless. For me especially. I am not a morning person. To be at my best at ten o’clock, shortly after breakfast, is impossible .”

  • Winter Olympics exceeds expectations on European broadcaster Globosport

    MUMBAI: The XX Olympic Winter Games in Turin has become the single largest event ever screened on British Eurosport.

    The Games, which were broadcast from 10 to26 February 2006 reached over 8.4 million viewers to out-perform even the Summer Olympics from Athens in 2004 and Sydney in 2000. British Eurosport broadcast over 361 hours of coverage from Italy, with 51 per cent live, over the 17 days of the Games.

    The success of the event was matched across Europe where Turin scored the best Olympic Games’ ratings on Eurosport with 140 million different viewers following the Olympic competition.
    With 367 hours of broadcast, the Olympic Games drew twice as many viewers as the regular average for the channel.

    Figure skating, alpine skiing and biathlon are amongst the best programmes. Exclusive live coverage of the preliminary ski jumping before the main competition broadcast on Eurosport on 12 February peaked at 5.2 million viewers.

    The newly re-launched Eurosport.com website, with its enhanced live scoring and editorial content, also recorded good figures with more than 13 million visits over the 16 days of the Turin Games, double the volume of traffic as registered during the Athens Games.

    Eurosport has attributed its success to its international editorial line. Expert commentaries, with consultants such as Alberto Tomba, and innovative shows such as Daring Girls contributed to reinforce Eurosport as the reference channel for the Games’ coverage.

    Eurosport was also involved on-site in Turin. As Official Olympic Broadcaster and partner of TOROC (Organising Committee of the XX Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games), Eurosport became the first broadcaster to be present in the Olympic Sponsor Village with the Eurosport Pavilion. Over 400, 000 people visited the Olympic Sponsor Village in Turin and had the opportunity to be entertained in Eurosport’s Multimedia space.