LONDON: Associated Press Television News (APTN) Library will begin archiving Sports News Television (SNTV) programming from January 2003.

APTN will be archiving SNTV's daily output of six sports bulletins each day and also catalogue material dating back to 1996.

The two companies will also produce themed clipreels from SNTV's backdated catalogue. They are expected to feature 'bizarre or extreme' sports such as hubcap throwing, wife-carrying and extreme ironing as well as the more 'mainstream' material such as the biographical footage of top sportspeople.

"It is a very good fit with our existing service," said APTN's Head of Content Development Chris O'Hearn. "We believe that the type of clients who come to APTN for news and entertainment will be interested in SNTV's sport as well," he added.

Sports News Television (SNTV) claims to be the world's leading sports news agency, and is a partnership between the Associated Press and Trans World International (TWI).