MUMBAI: Europe?s leading sports marketing group, Sportfive International, will continue to serve as the International Basketball Association?s (Fiba) exclusive media rights partner for four more years till 2015.

The deal will see the agency continue to market Fiba?s major rights in Asia, excluding Japan and the pan-Arab region. Fiba had first partnered with Sportfive in 2007.

The period will include the 2013 Fiba Asia Championship in the Philippines, the 2013 Fiba Asia Women?s Championship in Thailand, the 2014 Fiba Basketball World Cup in Spain, the 2014 Fiba Women?s World Championship in Turkey, and in 2015 the Fiba Asia Championships for men and women with the host countries to be announced soon.
 
?We are very pleased to continue our partnership with Fiba. It has been a successful and enjoyable collaboration so far and we are continuing our work to further strengthen this relationship. We hope that this renewal will become just one of many projects as we move forward this year and develop new basketball opportunities," said Sportfive International chief executive Shaila-Ann Rao.

MUMBAI: Animal Planet is set to take viewers on an expedition through the oceanic wonders across seven continents in its new series titled ?The Magic of the Big Blue?.

From Asia to Australia and Oceania, South America, Europe, Africa, North America and the Antarctica, The Magic of the Big Blue is a dive into these waters and an adventure through the cameras of underwater photographer Darek Sepiolo.

Starting 15 February, the show will air every night at 8 pm.

The seven-part series aims to explore the hidden worlds lying beneath the seas and oceans of the seven continents.

The channel said, "The oceans represent 99 percent of all available living space on Earth but we have only covered just 10 percent of their depths. Just how much do we understand the big blue? Get acquainted with the life, characters, history and secrets of these waters through a remarkable undersea expedition like no other on Animal Planet?s The Magic of the Big Blue."

MUMBAI: Infotainment broadcaster Discovery Networks International (DNI) has announced a new series that invites viewers into the inner workings of some of the world?s most notorious gangs.

?Inside The Gangsters? Code? is a five episode one hour series from production company Nerd TV. It follows ex-mafia street boss Lou Ferrante as he delves into previously impenetrable communities of gangsters and seeks out their hidden leaders.

The show will air on Discovery Channel in 217 countries across the Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle-East, Africa and Latin America from end of February 2013.

Through the show Ferrante, once a street boss for the New York mob, uses his insider smarts to shed new light on very different gang cultures, characters and modes of operation in El Salvador, the Philippines, New Mexico, Italy, and Poland. Incredibly, these gangs frequently have codes of practice that dictate life both inside and outside the prison walls; they run their activities, grow and prosper behind bars, yet continue to terrorise and control communities living outside.

Ferrante will set out to explain gang origins, history, developing networks of power, motivations and political sway in graphic detail, and with an insider?s insight and passion never before applied to the subject. In order to explore each gang, Ferrante will immerse himself in their respective cultures, both inside and outside of prisons. He will live alongside prisoners, talk to guards, get under the skin of gang members, and meet top tier ?soldiers,? following the trail of gang power from prison to the outside world, meeting key figures and family to provide an insider?s perspective on a notoriously clandestine world.

DNI VP production, development, factual programming Elizabeth McIntyre said, ? ?Inside The Gangsters? Code? offers exclusive insight into empires that operate both within and beneath the apparent culture. The knowledge and passion, risks and challenges undertaken by Lou give a completely new perception to organized crime. We have seen in the past scripted dramas about mob life, but by exploring the operation beyond mere stereotypes, the audience gains a real and vivid understanding that spans globally.?

Nerd TV executive producer Jago Lee said, ?In this series, Lou is able to combine his long experience as a New York mobster with a wit, intelligence, and appetite for truth-seeking that is all his own. Lou is a remarkable new talent, and his unique approach compellingly reinvents the story of gangs and gangster life on television.?

MUMBAI: US media conglomerate News Corp has announced the appointment of Niklas Lagergren as Senior Vice President, Government Affairs for Europe, Middle East and Africa, effective 1 March 2013. Lagergren, who joins the company from the Motion Picture Association, will report to executive VP of Government Affairs Michael Regan.

In his new role, Lagergren will lead regulatory and public policy efforts for News Corporation and its broad portfolio of businesses operating across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He will be based in News Corporation?s new Brussels office.

Regan said, "Niklas brings to News Corporation a wealth of experience in the EU on issues critical to our businesses. We continue to build the reach and depth of our government affairs capabilities globally and Niklas? leadership of our Brussels-based operation will play a key role in maximizing our efforts."

Lagergren said, "I am very excited to embark upon this challenge and look forward to joining a strong government affairs team. For the last 10 years at the MPA, I have been both professionally and personally committed to representing the public affairs interests of media companies and I am now fortunate to be able to take my efforts to a new level by joining the leader in global media."

In addition, the company announced that Benjamin King has been named director, Government Affairs for Europe, Middle East and Africa, reporting to Lagergren. King most recently served as Public Affairs Manager for News International and was previously Head of Policy and Communications for the Publishers Association.

Lagergren served for more than a decade at the MPA, most recently as Vice President for EU Affairs. In this role, he was responsible for the government affairs strategy of the six major Hollywood studios at the EU level, focusing on policies around media, copyright, international trade, Internet governance, culture and e-commerce. He began his career at European Commission, where he held a number of positions at the Secretariat General before joining the FiSystem Web Agency, the team responsible for managing the EU?s Internet portal.