More than 400 people attended the 9th annual SBJ/SBD Forty Under 40 Awards dinner, which took place at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. On Friday, March 14. Thirty seven winners attended the event, which featured 25 newcomers to the club and featured the induction of eight members of the Hall of Fame.

View A Slide Show From The Awards Ceremony		View A Slide Show From The Reception

American business moguls Malcolm Glazer, Randy Lerner, Tom Hicks and George Gillett have made waves in the international soccer realm in the last few years by purchasing three of the most well-established teams in the English Premier League.

With a little more financial clout, prominent Hollywood entertainment executive Joe Roth could put himself among that group. Even then, the soccer-mad filmmaker might pass on the opportunity.

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Pro Bull Riders CEO Randy Bernard said during an interview that while there may be challenges ahead for the sports industry, the talk he heard during World Congress has left him more optimistic than ever.

Bernard On The Economy (1:02)	Bernard On Brand Identity And The Brazilian Dominance (:53)

EA went hostile today in its heretofore unsuccessful bid to acquire rival video-game developer Take-Two Interactive, parent of 2K Sports, and the potential deal, if consummated, could create some seismic industry impacts with regard to title integration.

EA holds the exclusive third-party game license for the NFL, FIFA, NASCAR and college football, while 2K owns the same rights with Major League Baseball, so overlap issues exist there. But both companies produce titles for the NHL and the NBA, which would force some tough decisions about staffing and investment around game development teams. EA holds a decisive edge among the NHL games, but the company has struggled in recent years, both in sales and critical renown, for "NBA Live."

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IMG’s Olivier Gers, former Turner executive Mark Lazarus, Peter Moore of EA Sports, Jeffrey Pollack of the World Series of Poker and DEI’s Max Siegel sat down for a panel discussion about trends making their way into current and future sports business matters.

The issue: How can the growth in technology be harnessed to appeal to specific audiences?

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After listening to speculation about the economy throughout the day, EA Sports president Peter Moore stopped by the interview room to give his take on what effects a recession might have on his company. He also shed some light on EA’s product development.

Moore On Product Development And Its Economic Impact On The Company (1:43)

During a one-on-one interview at the IMG World Congress of Sports, Boston Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner said that Major League Baseball team owners are wrestling with MLBAM, Baseball's interactive arm, over control and distribution of new media.

"BAM and its success is a remarkable business story. I am sure you have all heard what certain people on Wall Street think of its value, and we are all for increasing its value. At the same time, when we acquired the rights to the Red Sox, we believed that we were acquiring the video and radio rights for games in our own territory. So there is some
tension.

"As everybody knows, there is a stalemate right now … in terms of in-market streaming," Werner said. "In-market streaming is good for the customer. But from our point of view, it has to be done in conjunction with our RSN and our affiliates, such as Comcast and Time Warner, in such a way that the product being offered to the consumer is complementary rather than competitive with the games that are on satelite and cable."

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During a one-on-one interview at the IMG World Congress of Sports, said the NFL's labor deal made him feel "queasy," adding that it's the biggest issue facing the league ahead of owners meetings at the end of the month.

"We need to see beyond it, what our options are," Tisch said. "It's complicated. Roger (Goodell's) going to have to bring everyone together with a united front."

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