There are no cheerleaders, jerseys or duck-billed caps for these teams. But the corporate players are fast emerging as forces in the future of the media’s role in international sports.On one side is the Sports Rights Owners Coalition, which formed with little fanfare and now includes 37 sports institutions – from soccer’s Premier League and FIFA to cycling’s Tour de France to World Snooker – seeking international treaties to “protect and promote the special nature of sport” and its intellectual property rights in a fast-changing digital world.On the other side is the News Media Coalition, a temporary name for about 40 news organizations including Reuters and The Associated Press that are in the final stage of creating a permanent group to champion their rights to cover games and publish photographs widely in print and online.
http://iht.com/articles/2007/12/16/technology/COALITION17.php