Sportcal Global Communications is an independently owned company that provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date business information to organisations involved in sport. Widely recognised as the leading business-to-business site for sport, Sportcal Global Communications' unique site - Sportcal.com, provides information on broadcast and marketing rights for all major sports properties worldwide, details on sponsors involved in sport, cutting edge news articles and the most comprehensive online sporting events calendar available. Sportcal.com takes pride in the close relationship it develops and maintains with its clients, offering new opportunities for broadcasting or sponsorship, as well as promoting a plethora of different sports to a global audience. With clients in 80 countries worldwide, Sportcal.com is a truly global organisation boasting a clientele of prestigious companies such as: Anheuser Busch, Aon, BBC, BSkyB, BT, Canal+, Carlsberg, Coca-Cola, CONI, Dentsu, Dorna, ESPN, Eurosport, Eurovision, Farrer & Co, FIFA, Fox Sports, Getty Images, Globecast, Hammonds, Havas, Hill & Knowlton, IAAF, IBF, IEC in Sport, IMG, IOC, IRB, iSe, ITF, KPMG, Marsh Sports Group, Media Partners, NFL, NHK, Nike, Octagon, Olswang, Orange, PanAmSat, PGA, PriceWaterHouseCoopers. Rai, Reuters, SNTV, Sportfive, TEAM, TNS Sport, TVE, Telecom New Zealand, TWI, UEFA, UK Sport, VISA. In one of the most rapidly expanding and exciting industries, Sportcal.com has established itself as the market leader in the provision of quality information to the business world of sport. Company History Sportcal Global Communications Ltd, which was founded in the UK in 1991 by its chief executive Mike Laflin, has become the leading B2B provider of information for sports media organisations through its web site, Sportcal.com. Mike, who was working as a consultant for the International Amateur Athletic Federation, the International Sailing Federation and the International Tennis Federation at the time the company was founded had seen the need for a centralised calendar for sport and in his spare time started building the concept of Sportcal. Mike's idea for Sportcal came from working for three international sports federations all of which wanted to know the others activities. It became clear that broadcasters as well as federations could benefit from a computerised calendar, and through conferences like Sportel, Sportcal gradually built up a strong following. The service started off as a simple computer package provided to clients on diskette. The first versions were bought in Australia, Norway, France, Italy and the UK. Among the first clients were Reuters, the National Sports Information Centre in Australia and the BBC. In 1996, Sportcal introduced an online version which worked alongside a CD ROM format until 1998 when the service was moved fully online creating sportcal.com. The site continued to grow and in 2001 Sportcal launched its own business news service adding value to the existing products.