Analysis
Enter Turner, exit ESPN in Brazil as Uefa gets tough
The acquisition of the Champions League rights earlier this month paves the way for Brazilian commercial channel Esporte Interativo to enter the pay-television market, while simultaneously damaging its future rival ESPN.
MP & Silva eyes diversification ‘on a large scale’ and plays down split
The MP & Silva agency this week said it was considering expanding “in a very big way” into new business areas, including sponsorship and production, and played down rumours of a split among its founding partners.
Sky holds on to RFU and Sanzar
UK pay-television broadcaster BSkyB has moved to solidify its position as a broadcaster of top-class rugby union through two big deals.
Why MP & Silva was the only likely winner for Serie A
Experts point to a number of factors, other than incumbency advantages, which made MP & Silva the overwhelming favourite to retain the international rights to Serie A this month.
Premier League’s ‘moral obligation’ to help grassroots
The Premier League has a “moral obligation” to provide greater funding for grassroots football from the proceeds of its domestic media-rights sales, the UK’s Labour party said this week.
Big increase but rivals giving up on ousting MP & Silva
Italy’s Lega Serie A and its media adviser Infront Sports & Media can point to a near 60-per-cent increase in the value of the league’s international rights to claim that this month’s sales process was a success, despite drawing only three bids.
Nova bolsters weakened portfolio with Ligue 1 rights
Greek pay-television broadcaster Nova picked up rights to France’s Ligue 1 earlier this month in an attempt to retain subscribers after losing Uefa Champions League and Europa League rights to rival OTE.
‘Aggressive’ long-term plan helps IMG oust Silva
Major League Soccer said it chose the IMG Events & Media agency to handle its media rights because the agency was “aggressive” in its plans, and shared the league’s philosophy about creating a long-term partnership to build the MLS profile globally.
Pitch shores up under-pressure rights portfolio
The Pitch International agency agreed international rights deals for the Irish, Scottish and Welsh rugby unions earlier this month. The deals will help the agency shore up an international rugby rights portfolio which has come under pressure this year.
Worsening Russian rights market slows Euroleague growth
Media rights income for Euroleague basketball is likely to be about the same in the 2014-15 season as it was last season, partly due to difficulties in Russia, one of the sport’s key markets.
Gatekeeper deal with Star pushes ICC towards $3bn global revenues
Giles Clarke, the head of the International Cricket Council’s media-rights negotiation team, hailed this month’s deal with Rupert Murdoch’s Star pay-television operations as “hugely positive for the game around the world.”
Tebas outlines Liga channel plan
The Spanish football league outlined plans to launch its own channel in 2016 at a panel discussion chaired by TV Sports Markets this month at Sportel in Monaco.
EPCR done in France after France Télévisions deal
France Télévisions last week agreed a deal covering the European Rugby Champions Cup and Challenge Cup, taking European Professional Club Rugby to a strong rights fee from the French market.
Sauerland takes a hit in Germany
The Sauerland boxing agency suffered a cut in the value of its events as commercial broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1 replaced incumbent rights-holder ARD.
Eurosport drives MotoGP revenues
Dorna Sports, the commercial rights-holder of the MotoGP racing championship, secured a decent increase in its rights fee from the German market in a deal with Eurosport late last month.
Fox forced to double its fee in Asia to renew F1
Strong interest in Formula One rights across Asia from individual markets and on a pan-regional basis forced Fox International Channels to double its fee to hang on to its rights.
Disney and Turner pay big premium to keep out rivals
There are three main reasons why the National Basketball Association secured a 180-per-cent increase in the value of its domestic media rights this month, according to US rights experts.
Coliseum snatch of PGA rights shifts US Tour from TV to web
Online subscription service Coliseum Sports Media continued to shake up the previously moribund New Zealand market with the acquisition of the US PGA Tour this month.