As sports business networking platform iSportConnect’s first full year of operation draws to a close, it has published its first annual review of the industry’s major events in 2011

1. iSportconnect Special Report
2011 at a glance
© iSportconnect.com

2. Editor’s note
2011 has been a fascinating year in sports business, one of the few industries that has continued to experience impressive
financial growth despite continuing economic problems around the world.
The year started with one the world’s most powerful sport federations, FIFA, establishing an anti -corruption committee. It
was a difficult year for the organization; while struggling to enhance its reputation and cut down on corruption, FIFA
president Sepp Blatter, who was re-elected in May, caused much controversy with his comments about racism in light of
incidents in English Premier League matches.
Corruption was also a major talking point in cricket with 3 Pakistani players being banned from the sport, by the
International Cricket Council, and jailed for their involvement in the spot fixing scandal.
In the US, it was the year of the lockout with strikes over pay disputes occurring in the NFL and the NBA. The NFL lockout
ran for 18 weeks, it originally seemed possible that part or, indeed, all of the season would be cancelled. The NBA lockout,
which led to the delayed start of the regular season, saw several high-profile players moving abroad only to try to rush back
to the US as soon as a labour agreement had been ratified.
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was one of the biggest sporting events of the year and one of the most successful World
Cups to date, despite the major earthquake ruling Christchurch out of hosting matches. The tournament provided a
significant and much-needed boost to the national economy.
The past 12 months have been particularly interesting for sponsorship. Manchester City FC announced a very large
sponsorship agreement with Etihad Airlines that included shirt sponsorship as well as naming rights to the club’s stadium.
Stadium-naming rights have become an increasingly prominent issue as clubs seek to increase revenue. Several high-
profile clubs have offered the rights, including FC Barcelona, which swapped its altruistic deal with UNICEF in favour of a
very lucrative agreement with Qatari Airlines.
Qatar’s substantial investment in its sports programme continued this year, although London was preferred to Doha as host
of the 2017 World Athletics Championships. London’s successful bid went some way in allaying concerns about the legacy
of the 2012 Olympic Stadium.
Estimates by reputed organisations, such as Price Waterhouse Cooper, suggest that
sports business will continue to grow worldwide. With major events including the
London Olympics and the European Championships in Poland and Ukraine scheduled
in the next 12 months, 2012 is likely to be another intriguing and exciting year.
On behalf of iSportConnect, good luck to all our members in their sports business
endeavours in the New Year.
Colin Robinson
Features Editor
Contributors:
Edward Rangsi Mary Meyer Ismail Uddin
edward@isportconnect.com mary@isportconnect.com ismail@isportconnect.com
Images: Action Images

3. January 2011
Monday, 03 January 2011: San Francisco wins right to host 2013 America’s Cup
San Francisco has been selected as the host venue for the 34th America’s Cup. An official celebration
event will be hosted in San Francisco on January 5. “We sought a venue that fulfils our promise — to
showcase the best sailors in the world competing on the fastest boats,” said Richard Worth, Chairman of
America’s Cup Event Authority. “And hosting the America’s Cup in San Francisco will realise that
promise.“ Read more>>
Monday, 03 January 2011: Blatter to set up anti-corruption committee
FIFA president Sepp Blatter said on Sunday he wants to set up an anti-corruption committee after the allegations that shook
soccer's governing body last year. Blatter also criticised penalty shootouts, suggesting that, in a team sport, it was wrong to use a
system that turns one player into a scapegoat. Read more>>
Monday, 10 January 2011: Special Report:
IPL player auction breaks new ground
The IPL’s auction of international cricket stars took
place over the weekend with franchises spending a
combined total of US$62.8m on players from India
and abroad. The 10 franchises agreed to deals
with 127 of a possible 353-man auction of
cricketers to form the core of the fourth edition of
the high-profile Twenty20 event, which begins April
8. Read more>>

4. February – March 2011
Tuesday, 08 February 2011: Super Bowl breaks US TV viewing records again
The record viewings for TV audiences in the United States was broken for a consecutive year following the National
Football League (NFL) Super Bowl between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Read more>>
Friday, 11 February 2011: UNICEF to be dropped from front of Barca shirts
Spanish soccer giant Barcelona is to drop the UNICEF logo from the front of its shirts at the end of this season and
replace it with the name of its new Qatari sponsor. Barcelona was the most well-renowned of a small group of soccer
clubs in the world not to have a corporate logo on its shirts, instead displaying the name of UNICEF, for which it pays the
organisation US$2.03m a year. Read more>>
Tuesday, 15 February 2011: Man Utd to break EPL commercial revenue record
Manchester United are set to become the first ever club in the league's history to break the £100m ($161.24m) mark for
commercial revenue. The club's revenue has risen to $38.7m over the first quarter of the accounting year, with media
reports suggesting that the second quarter will be just as strong. The last annual figures put the club's commercial
income at $130.5m, a growth of 16 percent. Read more>>
Monday, 14 March 2011: Special Report: NFL confirms lockout as players union decertifies
The NFL confirmed a lockout of its players had been enforced after the players' union decertified on Friday when talks
over a new collective bargaining agreement collapsed. The decision made by the Players' Association means that the
athletes will be entitled to file anti-trust lawsuits against the NFL. Read more>>
Wednesday, 16 March 2011: NZ RWC reluctantly confirms relocation of Christchurch matches
Partners of the Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand reluctantly stated that Christchurch would be unable to host the
seven matches scheduled to be played at Stadium Christchurch. A press statement revealed that the quarterfinals set to
be played in the nation's second-largest city will be relocated to Eden Park, while all other group matches will be
rescheduled to be played at other venues in New Zealand. Read more>>
Friday, 18 March 2011: Pakistani cricket trio given May court hearing
Pakistani cricket trio Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif have been committed for trial at Southwark
Crown Court on conspiracy charges. The trio were given unconditional bail ahead of the hearing on May 20 after
appearing at Westminster Magistrates Court on March 17. Read more>>

5. April – June 2011
Thursday, 07 April 2011: NBA’s LeBron James acquires minority stake in Liverpool
LeBron James, iconic star of the NBA, has acquired a minority stake in Liverpool FC under the terms of a partnership
announced on April 6. An agreement was reached between the two-time NBA MVP’s company, LRMR Branding & Marketing,
and Fenway Sports Group — the parent company of Liverpool, as well as Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox, New
England Sports Network and the 50 percent owner of NASCAR’s Roush Fenway Racing. Read more>>
Thursday, 28 April 2011: 1.8 million apply for 20 million London 2012 tickets
According to London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) Chairman Sebastian Coe, ticket applications for the 2012
London Olympics have far exceeded supply with more than half of the 650 sessions oversubscribed and set to go to a ballot.
More than 20 million tickets were applied for by the deadline, which was pushed back an hour until 1 a.m. on April 26. Read
more>>
Tuesday, 03 May 2011: Blatter looks set for re-election as Bin Hammam visa denied
Mohamed Bin Hammam, presidential challenger to current FIFA incumbent Sepp Blatter, was left frustrated after
being denied a visa to attend the CONCACAF Congress in Miami on May 3, leading the Swiss to take a major step toward re-
election as head of world soccer's governing body for a record-breaking fourth term. Read more>>
Monday, 16 May 2011: Russia to stage ice hockey Worlds; Skoda renews sponsorship
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) confirmed that the 2016 World Championships will take place in St.
Petersburg and Moscow, with Skoda renewing as an official sponsor of the event until 2017. Denmark and Ukraine both
withdrew their bids after they were convinced of the strength of the Russian bid, according to the IIHF, and the 2016 World
Championship will coincide with the 70-year anniversary of the introduction of ice hockey to the country. Read more>>
Tuesday, 17 May 2011: 2018 Ryder Cup awarded to France
France has beaten competition from Spain in being awarded the right to host the Ryder Cup in 2018. The competition will be
played at Le Golf National near Paris, a highly regarded stadium course famous for its dramatic use of water — particularly
on the back nine — and the outstanding spectator viewing. Read more>>
Friday, 10 June 2011: Steele leaves as CEO of RFU as Investec ends 12-year partnership
CEO of RFU John Steele has left his post amid criticism over the recruitment of a new performance director. The decision
followed an emergency board meeting last night to debate the botched process that led to former national team World Cup
winning coach Sir Clive Woodward walking away from the job after the job description was changed twice in two days. Read
more>>

6. July – September 2011
Friday, 01 July 2011: NBA follows NFL lead with player lockout
The NBA followed the path of the NFL by locking out its players at midnight June 30, after eleventh-hour talks over a new collective
bargaining agreement ended in a stalemate. Read more>>
Wednesday, 06 July 2011: Pyeongchang wins rights to host 2018 Winter Olympics in first round
Pyeongchang won the rights to host the 2018 Winter Olympics after receiving a majority of votes in the first round of voting at the
International Olympic Committee session in Durban. Read more>>
Friday, 08 July 2011: Etihad Airways agree to stadium naming-rights deal with Man City
Manchester City FC has increased its involvement with shirt sponsor Etihad Airways with a new stadium rights deal. Reports suggest
the deal will last between 10 and 15 years and is said to be worth $240m. Read more>>
Saturday, 23 July 2011: Bin Hammam handed lifetime ban by FIFA
Asian football supremo Mohamed Bin Hammam was banned from the game for life after being found guilty of corruption at the end of a
two-day hearing of FIFA's ethics committee. The 62-year-old Qatari and president of the Asian Football Confederation had been
accused of trying to buy votes in the FIFA presidential election with US$40,000 cash gifts to Caribbean football officials. Read more>>
Tuesday, 26 July 2011: NFL lockout finally ends
The NFL has seen its four-and-a-half month lockout, the first in the sport since 1987, come to an end after the players’ union
unanimously agreed to a new 10-year collective bargaining agreement with team owners. Player representatives from all 32 NFL
teams voted to approve a new contract over how to split $9bn in annual revenues. Read more>>
Monday, 15 August 2011: London 2012 Olympic Village sold
The London 2012 Olympic Village has been sold to a partnership between British developer Delancey and Qatari Diar, the company of
the Qatari royal family. The deal, worth $908m, is set to see the village be converted to private housing once the Games has
concluded at the end of August next year. Read more>>
Thursday, 25 August 2011: Fenerbahce banned from Champions League by TFF
Turkey's Football Federation (TFF) has excluded Fenerbahce from playing in the Champions League this season amid claims the club
is involved in a police investigation into alleged match fixing. The federation made the decision after UEFA said it might take
disciplinary action against the entire Turkish league if Fenerbahce didn’t withdraw from the competition, according to a published
statement on the Istanbul-based federation’s website. Read more>>
Monday, 05 September 2011: Serie A strike called off after temporary agreement
The Serie A strike has been postponed after the Italian players' association and league signed a temporary collective contract, clearing
the way for the season to start this weekend. The new contract is expected to expire in June, whereas usually the deals last three
years. The strike postponed the scheduled start of Serie A, and both sides wanted to reach an agreement before the second round on
Friday with defending champion AC Milan facing Lazio at the San Siro. Read more>>

7. October – November 2011
Monday, 10 October 2011: NBA on brink of cancelling first weeks of season
NBA players and owners still have found no resolution on their last ditch attempts to secure a deal to start the
season on time after a meeting on Sunday. Negotiators for both sides agreed to meet Sunday and talked for more
than five hours before breaking for the night. They agreed to resume discussions Monday afternoon, but union
president Derek Fisher of the Los Angeles Lakers believes that the sides are "not necessarily closer" to a deal than
they were when talks stalled last week. Read more>>
Tuesday, 01 November 2011: Pakistan cricketers found guilty of corruption
Pakistani cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif have been found guilty today of their part in a spot-fixing scam
that has left the sport in tatters. The men will be sentenced later this week. Butt faces up to seven years in jail. They
have already been banned from playing by the International Cricket Council for at least five years. Read more>>
Friday, 18 November 2011: Sepp Blatter apologises but refuses to resign
FIFA President Sepp Blatter has apologised for the controversial comments made earlier this week that racial
discrimination during games could be resolved with a mere handshake and that racism in the sport is not an issue. "It
hurts and I am still hurting because I couldn't envisage such a reaction," said the 75-year-old Swiss. Read more>>
Friday, 25 November 2011: India threatens boycott over Dow sponsorship
A petition has been organised by a group of India’s Olympians, past and present, calling for athletes not to travel to
the 2012 London Olympics because of the £7m Dow sponsorship around the Olympic Stadium. The subject falls on
touchy grounds due to the U.S. company’s ownership of Union Carbide, which was responsible for the 1984 Bhopal
chemical disaster, where an estimated 3,000 people died in the initial disaster. A further 15,000 have since died from
poisoning. Read more>>

8. December 2011
Friday, 09 December 2011: Sponsorship To Overtake Gate Revenues as the Biggest Income
Generator in the Sports Industry
According to financial and business advisory firm PWC, sponsorship is ready to overtake gate revenues in 2014 to
become the sports’ industry’s largest income generator. An examination into the global sports market over a period of
five years between 2010 and 2015 have forecasted that sponsorship will prevail over the difficult economic climate
and present a compound annual growth rate of 5.3 percent between 2011 and 2015. Read more>>
Tuesday, 13 December 2011: BOA lodges formal appeal to CAS over WADA ruling
The British Olympic Association (BOA) has filed a formal appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in their
dispute with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) over controversial lifetime Olympic bans for drugs cheats. The
BOA bans any British athlete guilty of a doping offence from future Olympics. WADA ruled last month that the hard-
line stance broke the world body's own rules, which specify a maximum two-year ban for a first offence. Read more>>
Wednesday, 21 December 2011: Superbowl to be Streamed Online for First Time
NFL's showpiece, the Super Bowl will be streamed online for the first time in broadcast history. The NFL and NBC
announced that the network’s broadcasts of two wild card games, the Super Bowl and the Pro Bowl will stream on the
NFL’s website, NBC Sports' site and select mobile phones. Read more>>