Callum McCarthy

Interview with Sabine Kesseler, managing director, and Nino Ockhuysen, Executive Director, Fight Globe, on the agency's purpose, growth and the state of the combat sports market.

The wave of tender processes in sub-Saharan Africa has continued to swell with the English Premier League and the International Olympic Committee both selling their rights earlier than expected.

Top-tier football leagues in Cameroon and Zimbabwe are set to agree lucrative new pay-television deals, TV Sports Markets understands. But while the fortunes of some African leagues are improving, others have begun to struggle after recent optimism.

Sports broadcaster Eurosport has completed its set of grand slam tennis rights in Turkey and Central Asia, acquiring Wimbledon rights from Saran Media in a three-year deal.

Greater free-to-air exposure and a deep understanding of Asian media-rights markets has helped One Championship create a “global duopoly” in mixed martial arts, according to its chairman Chatri Sityodtong.

Strong competition and Robert Lewandowski’s decision to remain with Bayern Munich drove a big increase in the value of Bundesliga pay-television rights in Poland last month.

SuperSport’s latest deal for French Open media rights in sub-Saharan Africa has illustrated the lack of competition for tennis rights in the region, despite the entrance of new players.

The stream of top-tier properties to be sold in sub-Saharan Africa later this year is making life difficult for the IMG and Pitch International agencies, each of which has English cup competitions for sale.

BeIN Media Group, which owns Turkish pay-television operator Digiturk, is considering opening its own free-to-air sports channel in the country.

Canal Plus Afrique has agreed a direct deal for rights to the 2018 Fifa World Cup, staving off the challenge of rival StarTimes.