Analysis

US broadcaster Fox elected to walk away from its rights to US Golf Association events to free up funds for properties more fitting its portfolio, market experts have told SportBusiness Media.

Premiership Rugby, operator of the top division of English rugby union, is entering the final season of its domestic rights deal with BT with no clear plan for the forthcoming cycle after rejecting a robust renewal offer, industry sources told SportBusiness Media.

After several cycles of decline, the value of Formula One rights in Germany has more than doubled in pay-television broadcaster Sky Deutschland’s exclusive deal for the 2021-24 cycle.

The German Football League (DFL) faced an absence of new bidders, a change in strategy from incumbent Sky Deutschland and an unstable economy as it went to market with its 2021-25 domestic rights. The tough conditions left experts to conclude the league had done well to avoid a larger income drop for the cycle.

Indonesian OTT platform Mola TV is scaling back its investment in sports content after concluding it is not delivering value for money. The move is a blow to rights-holders selling into Indonesia as the well-resourced Mola has recently been the source of considerable rights-fee inflation.

Pay-television broadcaster SuperSport kept its Formula One rights fee steady in its latest renewal covering sub-Saharan Africa. But it has lost some exclusivity in the region with the launch of Formula One’s premium OTT service F1 TV Pro.

Extreme E, the electric SUV off-road racing series, has secured a strong media-rights fee in addition to substantial free-to-air exposure in its deal with commercial broadcaster RTL in the Netherlands.

The Bundesliga has secured what local experts consider a solid fee in a new deal with the Next Media agency in Vietnam, as well as commitments to joint brand-building and football development projects that the league hopes will build the value of the property.

Brazilian broadcaster Bandeirantes has agreed a one-year extension to its IndyCar rights, paying a lower per-year and per-race fee for the Covid-truncated 2020 season.

UK telco BT’s acquisition of Turkish Süper Lig rights for the remainder of the 2019-20 season is a ‘toe-in-the-water’ ahead of a potential longer-term agreement, SportBusiness Media understands.

International OTT streaming service Megogo is set to target more sports media rights in Russia, following its NBA deal earlier this month.

Major League Baseball has secured a domestic renewal with Turner Sports for the 2022-28 cycle worth over 50 per cent more than the broadcaster’s current outlay. But the league is looking to boost rights revenues further, with plans to significantly expand the postseason.

Australia’s top domestic federations have accepted significant short-term rights-fee cuts in renegotiated deals with domestic broadcasters, prioritising income security in the aftermath of the Covid-19 shutdown.

The International Gymnastic Federation’s (FIG) rekindling of its relationship with the European Broadcasting Union after a 20-year break was given impetus by the federation’s recent difficulties with exposure.

CBS Sports' acquisition of National Women's Soccer League media rights underlines the network's growing commitment to soccer in the United States and is a significant attempt to leverage the growing popularity of the women's game in the country.

Italian pay-television operator Sky Italia has extended its deal for exclusive rights to the FIA Formula One World Championship. The deal was agreed with Formula One Management, the Formula One Group subsidiary that handles the commercial rights to the series.