Parliamentary scrutiny on Olympic impasse in Germany
German public-service broadcasters ARD and ZDF are unlikely to change their position over free-to-air rights to the 2018 and 2020 Olympic Games, despite being subjected to questions in parliament this month over their hard-line negotiating tactics.
ISG beats Perform and Sportradar to Serie A rights
New sports-rights agency Interregional Sports Group beat rival offers from betting rights specialists Sportradar and Perform to pick up domestic betting rights to Italy’s Serie A.
EBU members paying Discovery more for less in ‘new game’
The sublicensing deals agreed this week by Discovery Communications with public-service broadcasters in Slovakia and Slovenia for the 2018 and 2020 Olympic Games fit the pattern of others agreed so far in Europe: public-service broadcasters paying higher fees for fewer rights than they had in 2014 and 2016.
EPL clubs must get smarter to benefit from new clip rules
England’s Premier League clubs will enjoy much greater freedom from the 2016-17 season in how they can exploit content globally on social media. The benefits could be considerable in terms of expanding the reach of a club’s brand and could also help drive revenues for the biggest clubs.
Italy cites Spain as model for free-to-air Serie A match in change to Melandri Law
A group of Italian MPs from the coalition government has submitted an amendment to the Melandri Law which would require one live Serie A match per week to be shown on free-to-air television.
WSG sweats as Sheikh Salman considers options
Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa, the president of the Asian Football Confederation, is planning to set up an ad-hoc committee of experts to evaluate the AFC’s options for its rights beyond 2020.
Fox Sports Italy gets Afcon rights
Italian premium sports channel Fox Sports acquired rights in the country to two editions of the Africa Cup of Nations in a deal with the Lagardère Sports and Entertainment agency.
Tencent pips LeSports to NHL streaming rights
Chinese internet company Tencent has agreed a six-season deal for digital rights to North America’s National Hockey League.
Dave buys into CPL as move into live sport continues
UK commercial channel Dave continued its move into live sport with a deal for rights to this year’s Caribbean Premier League Twenty20 cricket series.
TVR and Antena 1 fail to block late Pro TV deal for Euro 2016
Romania’s public-service broadcaster TVR and general entertainment channel Antena 1 failed in a last-gasp attempt to block a deal by commercial broadcaster Pro TV for free-to-air rights to 23 Euro 2016 matches.