MUMBAI: PwC has released its second outlook for the global sports market ?Changing the game: the Outlook for the Global Sports Market to 2015?.

The report reveals despite the ongoing troubling economic climate, the sports industry has continued to thrive with many major sporting events proving to be more popular than ever, yet boundary blurs between balancing competitive sport with mass-entertainment.

PwC?s Markets managing partner Bruce Baillie said, "Here, in New Zealand, you don?t have to think back far to find an example of a major sporting event that proved a success on and off the field. We truly were a stadium of four million as World Cup fever gripped our nation earlier this year and showed our appetite for major sporting events is as strong as ever."

It?s a situation reflected around the world as major sporting events experience the closer convergence between the sport and entertainment industries.

"It?s the old technology chestnut, on-going enhancements in broadcasting and digital technologies are shaping how we spend our leisure time and limited resources. This is impacting on our expectations when it comes to major sporting events. If supporters leave the comfort of their couch to watch a rugby game or cricket match, for example, then they want an added-value entertainment experience," added Baillie.

Sport faces a delicate balancing-act ? the need to maintain value for money in light of increased ticket prices and rising expectations among the paying public.

Baillie warns that "get it wrong and supporters will vote with their feet and their wallets by simply not turning up. Then following not far behind will be the sponsors".

Like for the broadcast industry, the use and impact of technology is proving a challenge in the sporting arena as consumers expect to access sport generally for free on their TV or internet.

"While live streaming and social media in our increasingly digital world is a winner for sports fans it?s a major challenge for rights holders as they try to retain control over how, where and by whom sports content is consumed," says Baillie.

Besides providing revenue forecasts, PwC?s "Changing the game: the Outlook for the Global Sports Market to 2015" also drills down into key segments with projections for gate revenues, sponsorship, media rights and merchandising:

- Over the next five years to 2015, global sports revenues will grow to $145.3 billion at an annual compound growth rate (CAGR) of 3.7 per cent due to an improved economy, a rebound in TV advertising, the on-going migration of sports to pay TV and the resurgence of financial services and automobile companies to sponsorship.

-Gate revenues will remain the biggest component of the global sports market accounting for 32.6 per cent of the total sports market ($44.7 billion in 2015).

- Sponsorship accounts for 28.8 per cent of the total sports markets, sponsorship will see an average growth rate of 5.3 per cent to 2015 generating global revenues of $45.3 billion.

- Media rights is the third largest category of revenue and accounts for 24.1 per cent of the total market and is the second fastest growing sector at 3.8 per cent CAGR. Revenues from media rights will see fairly healthy growth from $29.2 billion in 2010 to $35.2 billion in 2015.

-Merchandising remains the smallest category of revenue accounting for 14.5 per cent of total global revenue. The global economic downturn has had a dramatic reduction in sports merchandising spend as consumers have tightened their discretionary spending. Sports clubs are also seeing a larger proportion of their merchandise transactions moving online which allows them to engage and interact with fans who can?t attend matches, including those living in other countries.

MUMBAI: Asian sports broadcaster ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has announced two new appointments strengthening its Cricket Syndication Team.

Guy Le Grew, who previously supported the syndication team in his capacity as Assistant General Counsel will now assume the role of Director, Syndication. Assuming a wider commercial role, Le Grew will now be responsible for handling sales and client servicing activities in addition to providing acquisition and legal support on all cricket deals, with responsibility for territories in the UK and Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada and South Africa.

ESS senior VP corporate development, cricket rights Anurag Dahiya said, "I am delighted to have someone of Guy‘s calibre take a wider role in our team as we enter a new year. We look forward to leveraging his proven negotiation and commercial expertise to enhance our global relationships and activities."

Further to Le Grew‘s appointment senior manager of cricket syndication Sunil Manoharan has been tasked with a more independent role in managing clients in the territories of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, West Indies, Middle East and others, and will continue to coordinate various cricket event operations.

Both new appointments will strengthen ESS‘ Cricket Syndication Team with a further injection of legal, commercial, broadcasting and production experience.

Prior to joining ESS, Le Grew was based in the United Kingdom, where he worked as a Senior Legal Advisor in the Legal and Business Affairs team at Sky Sports, Britain‘s largest sports broadcaster. During his five-year tenure, he was responsible for delivering a full range of legal support across the business including the negotiation and implementation of a variety of acquisition, production and sponsorship deals, as well as providing extensive contractual and legal advice.

He has more than 12 years of legal experience, having started his career with Middletons Lawyers in Australia in the Corporate/Commercial Mergers and Acquisitions division. He then moved to the United Kingdom to a subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Scotland as In-house Corporate Legal Advisor and later moved to British Sky Broadcasting before relocating to Singapore to join ESS in January 2010.

Manoharan brings with him more than 15 years of Broadcast experience and prior to his current role in Sports Rights Sales and Management, he produced content for television including live sport, magazine shows and promos. Since joining ESS more than eleven years ago, Manoharan has specialised in live sports broadcasting with a particular focus on cricket, and has produced live cricket from most of the iconic cricket stadiums from around the world.

MUMBAI: Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific (DNAP) and Novus Media Solutions, a Singapore-based custom publishing specialist, have partnered to re-launch the Discovery Channel Magazine in Asia-Pacific region.

Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific president, MD Tom Keaveny said, "The idea behind the Discovery Channel Magazine is to provide additional touch-points for our viewers with the brand, and extend their interaction with us beyond television. We want to engage them wherever and whenever we can and give them a more in-depth experience to continue to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity on a broad range of subjects. For our advertisers, it also allows us to offer more value, and more integrated campaigns covering not only television, but online, on-ground, and in print. Even in a crowded marketplace, just as we?ve seen with our flagship Discovery Channel, we believe quality always stands out from the clutter. It is a natural extension for us."

Novus Media Solutions CEO Rosemarie Wallace said, "Novus has assembled an international team of world-class writers and designers from as far afield as New Zealand and the United Kingdom, headed by Luke Clark, the editor of the Discovery Channel Magazine. We want to give readers and advertisers everything they loved about the magazine first time around and more."

Clark joins the Discovery Channel Magazine team following 16 years experience in the Asia-Pacific media industry, including work for Reed Business Information Asia on the TravelWeekly brand, and three years as an editor for Ink Publishing. Design director Richard MacLean brings extensive experience of the European media scene, including work for Bauer Media?s UK version of Grazia, and design work for brands including the Arts Council, BBC and MTV.

Published monthly, the magazine will feature a fresh, contemporary design and feel while staying true to the DNA of the Discovery brand. The most striking difference is the new look cover and layout which reflects some of the design cues from the refresh of the channel which is also unveiling at the same time.

Reflecting the different genres featured on Discovery Channel, the Discovery Channel Magazine will cover a wide spectrum of topics within 12 pillars - nature, adventure, marvels, sci-tech, history, the universe, forensics, seekers, survival, info-tech, psychology and the environment. The tone of the editorial will build on the successful formula from before, a compelling read with strong injections of humour and emotion. The inaugural issue will seek to investigate and unlock the secrets of immortality, delve into Asia?s high speed trains, fact-check the technology featured in Star Wars to see how it measures up in real life, and get up-close and personal with one of the world?s natural born killers - the mosquito.

At launch the Discovery Channel Magazine will be available in Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand at newsstands, and for subscription sales in other markets including India, Bangladesh, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam.