Analysis
Malaysia close to low-fee deal
Malaysian commercial broad-caster TV3 is close to signing a deal for the 2006 World Cup
Infront widens French TV talks beyond TF1
The Infront agency is in talks with several broadcasters in France about the 40 matches of the 2006 World Cup
Polish, Hungarian TV resist Infront
Infront, the agency selling the 2006 World Cup rights, is having a hard time getting close to its asking price for the rights in Poland and Hungary
Indian cricket will lose TV millions as courts rule on bids and power
The legal and administrative chaos surrounding the Board of Control for Cricket in India will almost certainly cost it millions of dollars
Scandinavia pays €29m in free-TV World Cup boost
A consortium of Scandinavian free-to-air broadcasters this week acquired the rights for football’s 2006 World Cup
Klitschkos go for TV despite rights ownership doubts
Heavyweight boxing brothers Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko are selling the television rights for Vitali’s December WBC world heavyweight title fight
Al Jazeera in free-football row
Turkish channel Cine 5 has ended its exclusive television-rights deal for Spanish football’s Primera Liga because the matches are being beamed into the country, unencrypted and free-of-charge, by the Al Jazeera
Japan and China face major tensions over World Cup bids
Fifa’s approach to the sale of the 2010 World Cup television rights is leading to major tensions among Asian broadcasters
Snooker tender aims for stronger world presence
World Snooker, commercial arm of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, has launched an open tender for its worldwide television rights
Why viewing for Chinese F1 wasn’t as bad as it seems
The inaugural Chinese grand prix, regarded generally as a huge success, failed to excite European television audiences
Brussels probes Murdoch deals with Serie A clubs
The European Commission has opened an investigation into the television rights deals which Rupert Murdoch’s Sky Italia signed with Italy’s top three football clubs
League gambles in changing free-pay balance
The Eredivisie, the Netherlands’ top domestic football league, is set to launch a new television-rights tender
Why ppv boxing needs to find another Oscar
The imminent retirement of middle-weight boxer Oscar De La Hoya is a major blow to big-time pay-per-view boxing.
Abramovich to Russian TV’s rescue
Russian television has finally started showing this season’s English Premier League
Japan set for fight over rise in TV fee for Olympics
Japanese broadcasters will have what look to be major advantages when they start negotiating for the television rights of the 2010 and 2012 Olympic Games next summer
TWI ‘set to gain most but it must boost’ TV rights
Sale of IMG to venture-capital firm Forstmann Little is good for the company and good for the sports marketing business
Fifa: We don’t rule out EBU
Fifa, world football’s governing body, does not rule out signing a deal with either the European Broadcasting Union or an agency
Fierce bidding for non-Euro rights
The battle for Euro 2008 rights outside of Europe is set to be fierce