LONDON – SNTV, the joint venture between IMG Media and The Associated Press, announced today it will open a new bureau in Rio de Janeiro.

The world’s leading television sports video news agency will locate its new bureau at AP’s office, as the city readies itself for the 2016 Summer Games, a major event in the country’s sporting history.

Ahead of hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Summer Games in 2016, the city will also welcome the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, as well as the Soccerex Global Convention later this year and the Sportel Rio conference, the international sports programme market for television and new media, in March 2013.

The Rio de Janeiro bureau will be the fourth permanent location SNTV has outside London. Its other offices are in New York, Beijing and Singapore.

Martin Kay, managing director of SNTV, said: “Rio de Janeiro will consistently provide the biggest news stories in sport in the run-up to the next Olympic Games so it is essential that we have a presence on the ground as the stories break. Opening the Rio bureau will make sure we continue providing the unrivalled sports news service that our customers expect.”

SNTV had a significant presence at Euro 2012 and the London 2012 Olympic Games, providing comprehensive coverage of both events. In addition to the FIFA Confederations Cup, 2013 will be a packed year for sport, including such other key events as the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, the IAAF World Athletics Championships, the World Handball Championships and, in cycling, the UCI Road World Championships.

Founded in 1996, SNTV has become an indispensable service for more than 400 international broadcasters. In January, the company became the first and only sports news agency to operate in high definition.

About SNTV
SNTV is the world’s leading television sports news agency, providing a unique and unrivalled blend of international sports highlights and sports news. SNTV is a joint venture between The Associated Press and IMG Media, bringing together the expertise of the world’s most extensive newsgatherer and the biggest independent producer and distributor of sports programming and events. SNTV was founded in 1996 and has become an indispensable service for more than 400 international broadcasters. www.sntv.com

About IMG
IMG Worldwide is a global sports, entertainment and media business, with nearly 3,000 employees operating in 30 countries around the globe. IMG’s areas of expertise are diverse and wide ranging: IMG College; IMG’s Joint Ventures in China, Brazil and India; IMG Media; IMG Events and Federations; IMG Fashion; IMG Models; IMG Art+Commerce; IMG Clients; IMG Academies; IMG Consulting and IMG Licensing. More information is available at www.imgworld.com.

About AP
The Associated Press is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats. Founded in 1846, AP today is the most trusted source of independent news and information. On any given day, more than half the world’s population sees news from AP. On the net: www.ap.org

AP Contact
Paul Colford
Director of AP Media Relations
pcolford@ap.org
212.621.1895

IMG Contact
Gary Double, VP Corporate Communications, IMG EMEA
Phone: +44 20 8233 7425
Email: gary.double@imgworld.com