Fifa takes leap of faith in Africa World Cup qualifiers rights takeover
The success of Fifa’s centralisation of media rights to World Cup qualifiers involving African nations depends almost entirely on two deals: one covering the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) and a pan-regional deal for sub-Saharan Africa. About 95 per cent of the value of the rights is generated by these two markets, but both are highly problematic.
Uefa to market Champions League under club pressure, with fewer tools in its box
Uefa will go to market later this year with the rights to the Champions League and Europa League under pressure from Europe’s top clubs to at least maintain the kind of growth it enjoyed in the current cycle. But there are reasons why that will be a massive challenge.
Weak pound post-Brexit vote boosts total Premier League rights income
The English Premier League was a benefactor of sterling’s decline in the wake of the UK’s decision to leave the European Union in June 2016.
Sky-Mediaset Champions League deal a gamble as Rai fights for option to renew
Sky Italia is taking a calculated gamble in agreeing a two-year sublicensing deal with Mediaset for Uefa Champions League rights. Sky’s legal dispute with Italian public-service broadcaster Rai over the latter's option to renew the rights has not yet been resolved. If Rai eventually wins, it could sue Sky for damages.
Perform makes last-ditch attempt to outbid IMG for ATP Tour betting, data rights
Digital and data specialists Perform Content wrote to tennis’s ATP Tour this week to say the company is prepared to make a larger offer than that currently on the table from IMG for the betting and data rights to ATP World Tour events, SportBusiness Media understands.
EXCLUSIVE: ATP World Tour on verge of $1bn, 10-year betting rights deal with IMG
The IMG agency is close to agreeing a 10-year, $1bn (€884m) deal for betting streaming and data rights to the ATP World Tour, SportBusiness Media understands.
Mediapro happy to be Serie A stalking horse, but clubs may need convincing
The Mediapro agency’s offer for the domestic media rights to Serie A for the next two cycles, covering the six seasons from 2021-22 to 2026-27, is a plan B for the league in case it is unable to sell its rights in a competitive tender. The offer is the same as that made by the Spanish production house for the current cycle – an offer accepted by the clubs last year but later rejected.
Rights-holders fear regulatory squeeze on SuperSport owner will hit incomes
South African pay-television operator Multichoice is facing the biggest challenge in its 26-year history in the form of a two-pronged regulatory attack on its dominant position in the country’s sports-rights market.
Serie A clubs to consider damages claim against three agencies after antitrust ruling
The clubs from Italy’s Serie A will discuss next Monday the possibly of launching a damages claim against the three agencies – MP & Silva, IMG and B4 – fined late last month for allegedly being involved in a cartel in the acquisition of the league’s international rights.
IMG hopes of emerging unscathed from Serie A antitrust probe hang in the balance
The Italian competition authority’s investigation into the sale of rights for Serie A is ostensibly a disaster for MP & Silva and B4 and a let-off for IMG. But MP & Silva and B4 are no longer active and IMG could yet face a major problem. The agency could be hit with a substantial damages claim by the league for lost earnings.