Action Sports: Pan-European broadcaster Eurosport extended its deal with the Alliance of Action Sports, covering live rights in Europe for the Summer and Winter Dew Tours, for another five years. Eurosport will show coverage on its Eurosport 2 channel. The deal was brokered by Apparent Gravity Media, Alli's exclusive worldwide media distributor.
Athletics: The Lagardère-owned IEC in Sports agency agreed a deal with the International Association of Athletics Federations to market its media rights in Europe and Africa for the four-year period from 2010 to 2013. The deal, agreed after what IEC in Sports described as a “highly competitive” bidding process that lasted over nine months, covers all World Athletic series competitions, including the 2011 and 2013 World Championships.
Basketball: Free-to-air digital sports channel Sport Italia acquired the Italian rights for the Euroleague in a three-year deal from 2009-10 to 2011-12, replacing pay-broadcaster Sky Italia.
Basketball: Pay-broadcaster ESPN acquired the UK and Ireland rights for NBA basketball in a multi-year deal in which it will show three matches a week as well as the NBA All-Star Game, the Playoffs and the Finals. ESPN also acquired rights for the ‘NBA Fastbreak’ and ‘NBA Action’ programmes, and archive matches. Coverage will be shown across its three channels – ESPN, ESPN America and ESPN Classic.
Martial Arts: Xinhua Sports & Entertainment Limited (XSEL) acquired internet and mobile rights in China for the Ultimate Fighting Championship in a deal running until the end of 2009. XSEL will offer mobile streaming of UFC weigh-in events, video previews of matches, and other non-video content. XSEL will stream UFC events to university students on its university campus video-streaming portal Koobee.
Olympics: Caribbean pay-broadcaster SportsMax acquired the rights for the 2010 and 2012 Olympics in a deal worth $750,000 (€515,000) with the International Olympic Committee.
Tennis: The IMG agency extended until 2013 its deal with Tennis Properties Limited to advise and assist with the sale of the worldwide media rights for the ATP World Tour Masters 1000s events and the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.
Volleyball: The MP&Silva agency acquired the international media rights for the FIVB Men’s Club World Volleyball Championship in Qatar from November 3 to 8. The deal covers free-to-air, satellite and cable, IPTV, mobile, broadband, and internet rights in all regions outside of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Winter sports: Sunset+Vine International, the distribution arm of production company Sunset+Vine, acquired the international media rights for the FIS Snowboarding & Freestyle Skiing World Championships in a five-year deal from 2009 to 2013. Sunset+Vine International has hired former IMG Media executive Adam Falla to oversee the sales process.
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