Analysis

The United Cricket Board, South Africa’s governing body for the sport, is to sign long-term deals with public-service broadcaster SABC and pay-television operator Supersport for international cricket played in the country.

Greek football’s knock-out competition, the Greek Cup, is not getting any coverage on television this season

The acquisition by German sports channel DSF of the exclusive live rights for the Wimbledon tennis championship from next year is a further indication of the way in which public-service broadcasters ARD and ZDF are withdrawing from coverage of the sport.

Ukraine is to get its first dedicated television sports channel next spring

The possibility that media company Modern Times Group could take a majority stake in Danish public-service broadcaster TV2 is causing considerable concern in the Danish television-sports industry

John de Mol’s Talpa Capital is one of four individual broadcasters which will submit bids to Uefa next week for the rights to football’s 2008 European Championship

A matching-rights option in the Belgian football league’s existing television rights contract is causing the league a major legal headache

Portuguese public-service broadcaster RTP is set to enter the bidding for the television rights for football’s 2006 World Cup to the surprise of television-business insiders

The deal last week between the Infront agency and pay-operator Premiere for the 2006 World Cup rights bring the agency’s sales for the tournament in Germany to about €290 million

French pay-broadcaster Canal Plus is considering launching a legal challenge to TF1’s controversial one-year extension of a deal for French football internationals.

Most analysts believe that the loss of league rights will cost TPS up to about 130,000 of its

Dutch football’s top domestic league, the Eredivisie, will decide next week whether to take a big gamble by awarding its free-television and pay rights to two new companies

Commentators say Canal Plus’s €1.8 billion Ligue deal is not viable

Rugby league’s inaugural Tri-Nations tournament between Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand, though generally regarded as a success, failed to attract UK viewers like rugby league’s previous international series

The Gaelic Athletic Association is in advanced talks with several Irish broadcasters over the rights for the country’s top sports properties

The Australian Football League grand final, the climax to the Aussie Rules season, was the most-watched sports event in Australia this year