Analysis
Sony nabs Bangladesh Premier League rights as Neo steps away
Sony Pictures Networks India last month picked up rights to the Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 tournament after pay-television broadcaster Neo Sports refused an option to extend its deal.
PPTV comes up trumps in huge Chinese Premier League deal
The English Premier League’s new media-rights deal in China is one of the most valuable ever signed in the country.
Watching Brief (Vol.135) – UK television audience highlights
Mike Kiernan, analyst for SportBusiness Intelligence, highlights some UK television audiences in the period between Monday 24th October and Sunday 6th November
FA international sales strategy vindicated by big agency deals
England’s Football Association told TV Sports Markets this week that its strategy of opening up FA Cup international rights by running a single tender was vindicated by its deals with the IMG and Pitch International agencies.
ASO gets domestic Tour increase despite little competition
Amaury Sport Organisation secured a small increase in the value of its domestic rights, including the Tour de France, in last month’s five-year renewal with France Télévisions.
Uefa and Serie A jostle to be first in difficult Italian market
Lega Serie A and Uefa are in a race to be first to sell their rights in Italy for the period 2018-19 to 2020-21.
ESPN returns to Africa following wide-ranging Kwesé TV deal
ESPN’s multi-faceted agreement with telco Econet’s Kwesé TV pay-television platform brings the sports broadcaster back to sub-Saharan Africa after an absence of more than three years.
LeSports’s late payments may herald rights-buying slowdown
Aggressive Chinese OTT operator LeSports has cash-flow problems, resulting in delays to payments for many of its deals.
GolTV accuses Fox Sports LatAm over Conmebol club rights deals
GolTV’s accusation of bribery against Fox Sports Latin America – made in a Florida court late last month – has cast light on one of the most secretive deals in world football.
EBU adds Fina content in renewal but fee stays steady
Despite the addition of new events to its recent deal for Fédération Internationale de Natation (Fina) rights, the European Broadcasting Union will pay a similar fee as in its existing agreement.
Sky Italia grip on NBA rights extended at no extra cost
Sky Italia has strengthened its grip on the NBA in Italy by becoming the league’s sole media partner in its new two-season deal, and has done so without paying an increased rights fee.
New MP & Silva agreement for FKF following regime change
The MP & Silva agency has gone back into business with the Football Kenya Federation, a year after a deal between the two fell apart amid allegations of forgery, fraud and embezzlement against then-FKF president Sam Nyamweya.
Scottish Rugby renews Pitch distribution deal without tender
Scottish Rugby earned an increase of more than 70 per cent by selling international rights to its autumn Test matches directly to the Pitch International agency, without offering them to the market.
Lagardère meets same old problems with Afcon rights
Lagardère Sports is distributing free-to-air rights to the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations itself in a marked change from its previous strategy of sublicensing rights in sub-Saharan Africa to another agency.
Value of Greek national team matches declines for Uefa
Difficulties in the Greek media market meant Uefa suffered a decrease of about 23 per cent in the value of national team qualifying matches last month.
Nine buys free-to-air rights as Fox closes in on AFC renewal
Commercial broadcaster Nine will pay between A$3.5m (€2.4m/$2.7m) and A$4m for free-to-air rights to the Australian national team’s remaining 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
SRG close to Wimbledon rights extension in Swiss market
Swiss public-service broadcaster SRG is in advanced discussions to renew its deal for Wimbledon tennis media rights, TV Sports Markets understands.
Watching Brief (Vol.134) – UK television audience highlights
Mike Kiernan, analyst for SportBusiness Intelligence, highlights some UK television audiences in the period between Monday 3rd October and Sunday 23rd October