Big-cash strategic bids become a thing of the past
The big-money strategic bids of German commercial broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1 for top sports rights are a thing of the past
Germany unlikely to pay big fees
Uefa and the Team agency may struggle to achieve big increases in rights fees for the Champions League in Germany
FRANCE PAYS 20% MORE FOR EURO CUP
The Team agency secured rights-fee increases of an overall 20 per cent or so for the Champions League rights in France
TPS looks for new audience as it quits fight for top sports
French pay-broadcaster Télévision Par Satellite has decided against taking on pay-rival Canal Plus for France’s top sports rights
Cricket’s challenge for Sky
No one anticipated the huge excitement and success of the Ashes cricket series between England and Australia
TV RIGHTS CLIPS 2: Ice Hockey, golf, cricket, basketball, sailing
Ice hockey: Nordic pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus acquired the live pay-television and pay-per-view rights for the Swedish Elitserien, the country’s top-tier league, from the Svenska Hockeyligan in a four-year deal, 2006-07 to 2009-10
TV RIGHTS CLIPS 1: Football, including 2006 World Cup and rugby
Football: French commercial broad-caster TF1 acquired the free-to-air Champions League rights for a further three-years, from 2006-07 to 2008-09
Basketball wins its first rival bids
The French Basketball Federation is in talks with the country’s two pay-television operators
Canal Plus lifts fee for ice hockey, now for football
The recent trend of Nordic broad-casters paying massively increased fees for sports rights continued
First Ashes Test gives Channel 4 good audience
Cricket’s much-anticipated first Ashes Test between England and Australia drew one of the biggest sports audiences in recent years for UK commercial broadcaster Channel Four