Analysis

Cricket

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.

Football

The English Premier League’s new media-rights deal in China is one of the most valuable ever signed in the country.

Mike Kiernan, analyst for SportBusiness Intelligence, highlights some UK television audiences in the period between Monday 24th October and Sunday 6th November

Football

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.

Cycling

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.

Football

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’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.

Aggressive Chinese OTT operator LeSports has cash-flow problems, resulting in delays to payments for many of its deals.

Football

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.

Aquatics

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.

Basketball

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.

Football

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.

Rugby Union

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.

Football

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.

Football

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.

Football

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.

Tennis

Swiss public-service broadcaster SRG is in advanced discussions to renew its deal for Wimbledon tennis media rights, TV Sports Markets understands.

Mike Kiernan, analyst for SportBusiness Intelligence, highlights some UK television audiences in the period between Monday 3rd October and Sunday 23rd October