Ireland Grand Slam attracts record audiences
Irish public-service broadcaster RTÉ drew an average audience of 427,000 viewers across the tournament, its highest for at least 13 years and almost certainly its highest ever.
In the UK, public-service broadcaster the BBC’s coverage was watched by an average 4.63 million viewers share, pipping the previous record set in 2007.
Viasat picks up KHL rights
Viasat’s deal covers Finland, Norway, Denmark, Bulgaria, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Viasat will show a minimum 64 games a season on its Viasat Sport Baltic channels.
The KHL features 21 teams from Russia, along with three from Latvia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.
Telkom Media gives up Supersport battle
Telkom owns 66 per cent in the business, which it hoped would become a competitor to Naspers’ Multichoice, owner of the Supersport channels.
Total Sports picks up Indonesia rights
TSA is now working with technology enabler Mo. Ad Tech to provide a sports platform, PocketSports, to Indonesia’s two biggest mobile operators, Telkom Cell and Indosat.
One Asia series splits golf into two
The One Asia Super Series, set up by the national golf associations in China, Korea and Australia, will feature eight events this year, five of which are slated to be part of the Asian Tour schedule covered by ESS.
IMG hopes ASO link unlocks Uefa in Euro 2012 bidding
A joint offer from IMG and the Amaury Sport Organisationis the surprise package among four agency bidders invited to make presentations to Uefa next month regarding the European media rights for Euro 2012.
Fox gets kicks in first in ESPN war
US sports channels Fox Soccer Channel and Setanta are motivated at least in part by the fear that rival ESPN is planning a knockout bid of its own for English football’s Premier League.
FASTRACK
Football television rights values in the Netherlands are plunging, with pay-channel Sport1 succeeding in getting massive rights-fee reductions on key contracts.
Beijing boost drives CCTV record fee
The stunning success of Chinese state broadcaster CCTV’s coverage of the Beijing Olympics last year paved the way for its record television rights deal for the 2010 and 2012 Games.
ESS deal in doubt as One Asia series splits golf into two
The escalating Asian golf split between the Asian Tour and the new One Asia Super Series looks certain to disrupt the Asian Tour’s main pan-regional television rights deal with ESPN Star Sports.