International affairs

A couple of Twitter posts from Sports Pro magazine have caught my eye today.

The first Tweeted headline was about the potential for a Swiss government takeover of the Sauber F1 team:

http://www.sportspromedia.com/notes_and_insights/_a/bmw_sauber_team_could_be_rescued_by_swiss_government/

I do not claim to be a trade expert or a lawyer, but what would be Sauber's legal position if it were effectively to be subsidised by the Swiss state? Wouldn't this give the Swiss team an unfair advantage over their F1 rivals? Would such an investment be illegal or in breach of trade rules/agreements? What is the FIA's and FOTA's views on such 'investments'? May be the bailout is not an issue, as sport/motorsport/F1/Switzerland are exempt from such rules/agreements? Perhaps it is simply not an issue?

The second headline relates to baseball and can be viewed here:

http://www.sportspromedia.com/deals/_a/baseball_world_cup_to_be_screened_around_the_world/

Another sport to populate the increasingly crowded global sportscape? While the NBA, European football and F1 motor racing clearly have global aspirations, does this flurry of broadcasting activity effectively signal the emergence of baseball as a sport with similar global aspirations? If so, how might this impact upon the competitive dynamic of the global sport market? Given the current limited appeal of the sport, does global coverage serve to build the market, raise awareness etc., or is it a waste of resources?