Americas

Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders franchise has extended rights deals with two regional broadcasters ahead of the 2015 season of the North American tournament.

US network NBC this week agreed a deal to show the 2017 America’s Cup, holding off strong interest in the rights from other US broadcasters. Oracle Team USA is the holder of the Cup.

The resurrected World Cup of Hockey will join the National Hockey League on pay-television broadcaster Rogers Sportsnet in Canada following a deal agreed late last month.

Brazilian pay-television broadcaster Globosat has agreed a multi-year rights deal with North American basketball league the NBA.

Fifa, football’s global governing body, has renewed rights deals with the Fox network and pay-television broadcaster Telemundo in the US and with telecommunications company Bell Media in Canada.

Digital media company Bedrocket and the PGA Tour have entered into a joint venture to launch golf-specific internet video network Skratch TV.

Spanish agency Mediapro will launch its new Formula One channel in Latin America on March 1.

The NBC Sports Group division of US media company NBCUniversal has acquired rights to the 2017 edition of sailing’s America’s Cup.

Major League Baseball is in talks with Fox that would result in streamed games from the US network’s regional sports broadcasters provided without blackouts, according to the Forbes website.

Rugby league’s Super League, which comprises clubs from England and France, has agreed new broadcast deals in Australia, New Zealand, France, North America and the Middle East.

Sports broadcaster ESPN has acquired the US rights to the 2016 World Cup of Hockey national team ice hockey tournament, according to Canadian pay-television sports broadcaster TSN.

North American pay-television broadcaster One World Sports has renewed its agreement to serve as the exclusive television partner of the New York Cosmos US football team.

The NBC network’s live coverage of the New England Patriots’ victory over the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL Super Bowl American football championship game on Sunday generated the largest US television audience ever recorded.

Pay-television broadcaster ESPN Brasil has picked up rights to the Copa do Brasil club football tournament through a two-year sublicensing deal with the competition’s rights-holder, rival pay-television broadcaster Globosat.

Pan-regional media company Turner Latin America has confirmed the acquisition of Brazilian commercial television channel Esporte Interativo.

Canadian telecommunications company Rogers Communications has acquired broadcast rights to the 2016 World Cup of Hockey national team ice hockey tournament, according to the Globe and Mail.