The Malaysian Insider :: Sports
The Malaysian Insider :: Sports |
| Canadian hopes to make fantasy sports TV channel a reality Posted: 10 Jan 2013 07:41 AM PST TORONTO, Jan 10 — Canada's fantasy sports geeks may soon have a cable channel to call their own, thanks to Leonard Asper, former head of a newspaper dynasty that fell victim to the rise of online media. "The League - Fantasy Sports TV" will not feature real sporting events. Instead Asper's proposed channel will air call-in programs and talk shows that cater to the millions of North American sports fans who are now participating in virtual baseball, football and hockey leagues. Canadian media regulators gave Asper's Fight Media Inc the go-ahead on Wednesday to operate the channel, provided it can find a distributor. Since timely information is crucial to any fantasy player's success, Asper is betting that The League will have a hungry niche audience. In fantasy sports, "owners" assemble their teams by drafting and trading real-life professsionals, essentially betting the players they select will get hot. Statistics from real games - say, batting average in baseball, points scored or rebounds in basketball or touchdowns and interceptions in football - go to the virtual team that "owns" each player and aggregate to form the basis for the virtual league's standings. In Canada, fantasy ice hockey pools are particularly popular, pitting coworkers or friends against each other for cash or bragging rights. Starting in the 1990s, the Internet made game results more accessible, and virtual leagues easier to manage - Yahoo runs one popular service. Fantasy sports enthusiasts have become a key demographic for sports networks and leagues. According to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, there were 34 million players in the United States and Canada in 2010, up from 9 million in 2005. Closely held Fight Media already operates Fight Network, a specialty channel devoted to "combat sports" such as mixed martial arts. The company is controlled by Leonard Asper, former chief executive of Canwest Global Communications. The Asper family founded Canwest Global, once Canada's biggest media company, which crumpled under C$4 billion (RM12.27 billion) in debt, filing for creditor protection in 2009, and sold assets to Shaw Communications Inc and others. — Reuters |
| Mother of Olympic medal winner Daley dives into TV row Posted: 10 Jan 2013 07:24 AM PST  British Olympic diver Tom Daley. — Reuters pic British Swimming chief executive David Sparkes had said Daley, who won bronze in the men's 10 metre platform at last year's London Games, was "putting the cart before the horse" with his role in ITV show Splash. Sparkes said Daley had "yet to achieve his full potential" in the sport but his proud parent hit back. Rather than criticise her son, who was one of only three British medal winners in the pool, Debbie Daley said the governing body should be grateful for his success rather than question his commitment. "Tom was one of the few major success stories for British Swimming this summer... and possibly one of the athletes that helped you retain your job," she said in an open letter to Sparkes, published in the Daily Mail. "Surely you should be thanking Tom and showing your support and gratitude?" Debbie Daley said her son's decision to appear in the show that features celebrities diving had not impacted on his professional commitment. She highlighted the fact that he competed in the world junior championships in Australia in October, winning two golds, while many of his TeamGB team mates were celebrating their Olympic success. "For an individual who is normally so motivated, going back to intense training after the climax of the Games was a real struggle," she added. "Everyone else was taking long holidays, partying, celebrating exams, while Tom had to get straight back to diving. You must remember what you did the summer you were 18 years old? "However, Tom didn't want to back out. While the competition had no real incentive for him, Tom had made the commitment to his performance director Alexei Evangulov and to British Diving and - despite me trying to convince him otherwise - he got his head down and ploughed on." Following the publication of the letter, the diver tweeted: "My mum is amazing." British Swimming were not immediately available for comment. — Reuters |
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