Sky Television said that it only broadcast the final of the World Rugby Women's Sevens Series in the U.S. because a broadcast feed of earlier matches "was not available." New Zealand's women beat the U.S. in Monday's final, but Sky viewers missed out on Sunday's pool play and Monday's quarterfinals and semifinals. This "irked" NZ captain Sarah Goss. Sky TV's Melodie Robinson said that the broadcaster "would have liked to have shown all the women's sevens matches over Labour Weekend," but was "constrained by World Rugby rights at the event" (STUFF, 10/22).
Sports communications expert Ben Nichols launched Ben Nichols Communications. Based in the U.K., but with an int'l focus, the agency will offer clients six different specialist services: strategic PR; crisis communications; media relations; digital and social; public affairs; and editorial, speechwriting and copywriting. Nichols is the former head of media relations and spokesperson for WADA and, most recently, was director of communications and public affairs for the Commonwealth Games Federation (Ben Nichols Communications).
The PGA Tour and pay-TV operator Discovery unveiled a live and on-demand video-streaming service on Monday that will give golf fans access to nearly 150 tournaments annually. The new service, GOLFTV, will launch on Jan. 1 outside the U.S. and will carry more than 2,000 hours of live action each year, including tournaments such as the Players Championship, the FedEx Cup playoffs and the Presidents Cup (REUTERS, 10/22).
