Blast’s €12.5m funding to accelerate streaming platform plans
Blast, the esports tournament organiser owned by RFRSH Entertainment, has secured €12.5m ($13.5m) in a funding round led by Rocket Software chief executive Johan Gedda.
Race to become sport’s Spotify is slower than expected
Speaking at the FANXP conference in Barcelona in February, leading executives from disruptive companies came together to speak about ‘the fan of the future’, and how DAZN, Eleven and Twitter are pushing the boundaries and meeting fan demand.
Bilibili aims to fulfil esports potential in China with League of Legends deal
Mobile gaming and streaming company Bilibili is hoping its deal for rights to the next three League of Legends World Championships will demonstrate the strategic power of top-tier esports content in China.
DAZN’s ‘logical’ interest in UK launch is hard to square with commercial realities
In October, DAZN executive chairman John Skipper described the UK as “a logical DAZN market”, pinpointing three potential avenues of entry: rights to the English Premier League, boxing, and tennis. But experts and insiders surveyed by SportBusiness say DAZN should treat the UK market with caution.
Conmebol World Cup qualifier rights status still messy with six months to go
Two primary obstacles are preventing broadcasters and agencies in South America from agreeing deals with one another to maximise the value of 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifier rights: Mediapro’s protracted acquisition of Torneos and the mystery of who holds rights to Venezuela’s qualifiers.
Palmeiras closes income gap on Flamengo and Corinthians
The two-and-a-half-year negotiation between Brazilian club Palmeiras and media group Globo ended in a good result for the club last month, as it became one of only three Série A clubs to receive a minimum guarantee for its pay-per-view rights in 2019.
Brasileiro international rights set for direct deal after tender collapse
After two failed attempts at tendering international rights to the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, SportBusiness Media understands Brazilian football’s governing body now intends to complete a deal in private negotiations.
Caf sees political benefits of renegotiating with Lagardère, albeit at great cost
The Confederation of African Football has made good on a two-year-old promise to renegotiate its mammoth global media and marketing rights deal with Lagardère Sports, but not its promise to earn more money for its rights.
DAZN completes English football offering with FA Cup, League Cup deals
DAZN has completed its portfolio of rights to English football properties in Spain, adding the FA Cup, English League Cup and the English Football League in deals with the Pitch International agency
Sport Promotion on verge of Brasileiro international rights deal, despite lower bid
Brazilian clubs set to vote through bid from Sport Promotion worth up to $460m
Bid from US fund Prudent worth $80m per year likely to be rejected