Reginald Ajuonuma

Social media giant Facebook’s challenges around its Copa Libertadores coverage in Latin America have convinced it that non-exclusive rights models form “one of the best ways” of breaking into markets where entrenched viewing habits restrict the potential for exclusive rights to grow engagement with the platform.

Inside this issue: FOOTBALL: Star poised for Premier League discount in uncompetitive India FOOTBALL: English FA spurns higher pay-TV revenue for free-to-air Cup reach

The Football Association rejected a higher bid for domestic FA Cup rights for the 2021-25 cycle from incumbent pay-television broadcaster BT Sport in favour of commercial broadcaster ITV, SportBusiness Media understands, in a move that took the competition exclusively free to air in the UK.

The Spanish football federation’s award of 2019 Copa del Rey final rights to public-service broadcaster TVE could have left it open to legal action.

Spain’s Mediapro agency has again acquired LaLiga’s package of live, free-to-air Primera División matches, paying a similar fee in the 2019-22 cycle as it did in 2016-19. The sale of this package to Mediapro – alongside one containing free-to-air rights to two Segunda División matches per match-week – closes LaLiga’s domestic tender for the cycle.

Inside this issue: TENNIS: Amazon seeks UK tennis dominance with WTA rights play FOOTBALL: IMG hopes of emerging unscathed from Serie A antitrust probe hang in the balance

Amazon secured Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour rights in the UK for the 2020-23 cycle with a bid nearly 60 per cent higher than incumbent pay-television broadcaster BT Sport's current fee, SportBusiness Media understands, as the tech and ecommerce giant moves to establish a dominant position in UK tennis broadcasting.

Euroleague Ventures – the joint venture between Euroleague Basketball and the IMG agency –secured a robust price from sports streaming service DAZN for the 2019-20 to 2022-23 rights cycle in Spain despite an initially unpromising market outlook, SportBusiness Media understands.

W Series, the all-female motorsport competition, is prioritising exposure over revenue in its media-rights strategy for the series’ inaugural year, it has told SportBusiness Media, although it would be difficult for the series to adopt any other approach, according to industry experts.

Inside this issue: MULTI-SPORTS: Government pressure drives France Télévisions’s Olympics sublicensing deal FOO

French commercial broadcaster TF1 was expecting to recoup 40 per cent of its outlay on the 2019 Rugby World Cup from its ill-fated attempt to find a sublicensee, SportBusiness Media understands.

The French government strongly encouraged public-service broadcaster France Télévisions to reach an Olympics sublicensing deal with US media group Discovery for the 2022 to 2024 cycle to ensure the widest access to the Paris 2024 games, SportBusiness Media understands.