The cost of sponsoring a team in Italy's top soccer division will be largely unchanged for the coming season, according to Italian business news service StageUp. The top price of a main sponsorship, including space on the jersey, is about $10.4 million a season. For a technical sponsor (supplying shoes and apparel), it is about $12.7 million.
YANK PITCHER: Barbara Cassani, a 42-year-old American, has been named to head London's campaign to land the 2012 Summer Olympics. She worked for British Airways for 10 years and launched budget airline Go, backed by BA, where she was CEO from 1997 to 2002. She will earn $320,000 a year as London bid chief.
ACCOUNTS SETTLED: After the Cricket World Cup ended in March, money for India, England and New Zealand was held back by the International Cricket Council to cover possible claims against the event by Global Cricket Corp., the ICC's commercial partner. The ICC said June 20 that it would release $1.4 million to England, about 43 percent of the original amount due, and New Zealand would get about $500,000. England and New Zealand had refused to play World Cup matches in Zimbabwe and Kenya, respectively. In the case of India, the ICC is still holding back all of the $8 million to $9 million originally due. Indian players refused to sign World Cup contracts requiring them to respect the exclusivity of the event's sponsors.
PUNCH A CELEBRITY: BBC reached agreement with the British Boxing Board of Control to clear the way for the return of celebrity boxing show "The Fight" later this year. BBC was forced to halt unlicensed celebrity boxing in January after two bouts, when the boxing board threatened to punish trainers or promoters involved. A scheduled fight between BBC political correspondent John Pienaar and Tony Hadley, former singer for the band Spandau Ballet, had to be scratched. Meanwhile, rival network ITV is developing its own celebrity boxing show with the International White Collar Boxing Association.
PAYING THE COPS: Belgian soccer clubs will have to pay for the police required to maintain security at first and second division games under a new law taking effect Aug. 1. Local authorities will be allowed to charge clubs for all police expenses incurred, including the cost of the officers' time. Anderlecht, Belgium's biggest team, already pays Brussels authorities as much as $865,000 a season for match-day security, but other teams have not been footing the bill.
ALLOWED TO STAY: French soccer team AS Monaco has successfully appealed against relegation from France's top flight for financial reasons. The French League reinstated Monaco, which had been demoted because of an estimated budget deficit of $61 million. Monaco, which finished second in the league this season, will be allowed to play in the top division but with an important restriction: It will be allowed to sell players but not to buy them.
Jay Stuart is editorial director of SporTVision magazine and Sports TV Report newsletter.
