Frank Dunne

The Infront Sports & Media agency is understood to be the strongest challenger to the Sportfive agency for the rights to the events of the Confédération Africaine de Football, including the flagship Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) tournament.

Red Bull Media House is understood to be in advanced talks with volleyball’s world governing body, the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), to take over the rights to beach volleyball events.

Italy’s Serie A agreed deals covering free-to-air highlights, internet and mobile highlights and clip rights for the next rights cycle, from 2015-16 to 2017-18, in deals agreed just before Christmas.

UK pay-television broadcaster BSkyB is thought to be paying a small increase for the rights to English cricket in its extension with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Uefa is understood to be close to a breakthrough in Russia for the rights to its European Qualifiers but still faces big challenges in Germany, where third-party rights remain unsold, and Singapore, where it has not sold any rights.

Digital media company Perform and the IMG Events & Media agency have come away honours even after head-to-head battles for two of the biggest contracts in the sports betting rights market.

The global sports-rights market will grow over the next 12 months by nine per cent, according to the TVSM Global Report 2015.

Perform’s commitment to produce and distribute live coverage of all 2,000 Women’s Tennis Association matches from 2017 will elevate the WTA to the company of the world’s elite sports leagues.

Italian pay-television operator Sky Italia beat competition from state broadcaster Rai to land the rights to next year’s EuroBasket.