Analysis
Why NFL put long-term strategy above high cash bid
The decision by American Football’s National Football League to turn down strong commercial offers to its NFL Network is a major strategic move to develop the channel.
Record fee-payers drop plan for sports channel
TV2 and Telenor have abandoned plans to use the domestic football rights they acquired to launch a sports channel.
France jumps to No.2 spot
The French football league’s €29 million a-year- deal with Orange for its mobile rights places it second among Europe’s top six leagues.
IMG and Sportfive in merger talks as owners think of exit
IMG and Sportfive, two of the world’s biggest sports agencies, have been holding merger talks.
Boycott talks overshadow Cup viewing highs
A threat by French rugby union clubs to boycott the Heineken Cup comes at a time when French television audiences and public interest for the Cup are at their peak.
Sliding audiences mean no Bravo for Italy’s Serie A
UK pay-television channel Bravo will drop its coverage of Italian Serie A football from next month.
Minority sports look to internet to catch viewers
Minor sports in Denmark have turned to the internet to increase their exposure and drive revenues rather than rely on traditional broadcasters.
TVE takes surprise MotoGP option
Spanish public-service broadcaster TVE exercised a matching-rights option to secure motorcycling’s MotoGP rights for a further five years.
German collusion can’t stop fee-rise
Germany’s two pay-television rivals Premiere and Arena are understood to have collaborated in acquiring the rights to English Premier League football.
Surprise win brings Score into the mainstream
Canadian cable sports channel The Score’s acquisition of English Premier League football rights was a surprise win over Rogers SportsNet.
Pay-TV buyers lift Euro 2008 fees
The involvement of pay-television companies has helped the Sportfive agency earn rights-fee increases of about 60 per cent for Euro 2008.
Yes says No, paving way for Sportfive
Sportfive outbid local agency Dentsu to win the Japanese rights for the English Premier League.
Euro 2008 set to bring in $100m outside Europe
Uefa, European football’s governing body, is on course to bring in about £51 million for the 2008 European Championship outside Europe.
Fifa keeps faith with Globo despite Record’s big bid
Brazilian broadcaster Globo won the tv rights to the next two football World Cups despite making a lower bid than rival broadcaster Rede Record.
Diary of $180m sponsorship deal scrapped by court
Fifa recruited Jerôme Valcke from the Sportfive agency in September 2003 to be head of marketing and television.
The deal that ESS had to win
Pan-Asian broadcaster ESPN Star Sports has won the rights for cricket’s next two World Cups.
‘Lies, bias, discrepancies and a mysterious gap in Fifa tape’
The detailed text of the US court ruling which overturned Fifa’s sponsorship deal with Visa is hugely embarrassing to world football’s governing body.
Roulette wheel spins good draw for agencies
Sportfive, Kentaro, IMG get plenty of ties against the big five teams; Infront do not fare so well