Analysis

American Football

In the latest interactive monthly data report, TV Sports Markets analyses media-rights in the US major leagues: MLB, the NBA, the NFL and the NHL
Football

Belgium’s three leading pay-television operators are considering a legal challenge to the Pro League’s domestic tender process on the grounds it discriminates against them and may be anti-competitive.
Football

The stream of top-tier properties to be sold in sub-Saharan Africa later this year is making life difficult for the IMG and Pitch International agencies, each of which has English cup competitions for sale.

Indian television experts have questioned the viability of pay-television channel DSport – a partnership between Discovery Communications and Indian broadcast executive RC Venkateish which launched in India last week – in its current form.
Athletics

Two recent media-rights deals agreed by USA Track & Field, the governing body for US athletics, continue the upturn in commercial fortunes of an organisation which nearly went bust in the 1990s.
Rugby League

UK public-service broadcaster the BBC has renewed rights to two properties in the last month as it seeks to protect its sports-rights portfolio well into the future.
Football

BeIN Media Group, which owns Turkish pay-television operator Digiturk, is considering opening its own free-to-air sports channel in the country.
Football

Swiss public-service broadcaster SRG renewed rights to Uefa national team competitions late last month despite facing a rare challenge for premium sport from rival free-to-air broadcasters.
Football

Canal Plus Afrique has agreed a direct deal for rights to the 2018 Fifa World Cup, staving off the challenge of rival StarTimes.
Multi-sport

Polish public-service broadcaster TVP has paid an increase of over 40 per cent to acquire rights to the 2018 and 2020 Olympic Games from media group Discovery Communications.

Tennis

Striking a digital rights deal is thought to have helped Tennis Australia earn a large increase in Japan for the 2017 Australian Open.

UK viewing audiences for the week between Monday 30th January and Sunday 5th February, plus a review of January's audiences on free-to-air television. Watching Brief Vol. 143

UK viewing audiences for the week between Monday 23rd January and Sunday 29th January, plus a review of English Football League audiences for the 2016-17 season so far. Watching Brief Vol. 142
Multi-sport

TV Sports Markets understands the Telesport agency has acquired rights in Russia to four Olympic Games, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and is currently in negotiations with Fifa for rights to the 2018 World Cup.
Football

Fifa is projecting an additional €480m ($516m) of media-rights income from the 2026 World Cup compared to 2018, an increase of about 20 per cent. Arguably only half of this will be a consequence of expanding the tournament from 32 to 48 teams; the other half being organic growth in the value of the competition from cycle to cycle.

Econet Media chief executive Joseph Hundah has told TV Sports Markets its Kwesé TV pay-television operation must make money quickly on the back of launches in Ghana, Rwanda and Zambia, after 18 months of acquiring sports rights at a considerable cost.
Football

Deals struck last month with Mexican clubs León and Pachuca have strengthened media group Imagen and further weakened the former duopoly over Liga MX rights.
Ice Hockey

Finnish commercial and pay-television broadcaster MTV3 acquired a package of ice hockey rights from Infront Sports & Media, negotiating a slightly reduced fee, as local broadcasters wait on the upcoming sale of domestic ice hockey rights.