Analysis

Football

Sportfive fights off strong competition to win international rights for 2008-09 to 2009-10

Football

The switch-over in Finland from analogue to digital-terrestrial television transmission could shake up the country’s “quiet and closed” sports-rights market.

Spanish public-service broadcaster TVE is having to work hard to retain the television rights for motorcycling’s MotoGP world championship.

Volleyball

Volleyball’s surging popularity in Poland helped pan regional cable and satellite broadcaster Eurosport record its highest-ever audience last weekend.

Tennis

Free-to-air television audiences in French-speaking Belgium were deprived of seeing home star Justine Henin-Hardenne’s progress to the quarter-finals of this year’s Australian Open
Cricket

Pan-Asian broadcaster ESPN Star Sports is close to agreeing its first overseas deal for International Cricket Council events from 2008 to 2011
Football

Bidding for the traditional free-to-air highlights rights for French football’s Ligue 1 is unlikely to be too competitive
Football

The Sportfive agency has agreed deals for Euro 2008 in Israel and Flemish-speaking Belgium
Football

French pay-television operator Canal Plus should remain confident of winning the rights it wants for top-tier Ligue 1 football

Football

Ten Sports present position as India’s most-watched sports channel played a major role in its acquisition of the Indian sub-continent rights for the Champions League.

Football

Top-tier Greek football hopes play-offs will boost television rights revenue

Brazil’s only free-to-air sports channel, TV Esporte Interativo, is seeking financial investment
Football

A change of personnel at Portuguese commercial broadcaster SIC could lead to the channel bidding aggressively for sport again
Cricket

Deals signed in North America, Pakistan, Middle East, Caribbean; deal in South Africa close

Portuguese sports-rights agency Olivedesportos will be a leading contender for the new national television licence

The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union is set to agree a $10 million
Football

SingTel plans to launch a pay-television service at the end of the year.

Football

Turkey and the Middle East are likely to set down impressive markers for the rest of the market.