Americas
Full Play scores 2018 World Cup rights in Bolivia
The Full Play agency has acquired media rights in Bolivia for the 2018 Fifa World Cup national team tournament in a sublicensing deal with the Bolivian Football Federation (FBF).
BeIN Sports Canada expands reach
Pay-television broadcaster beIN Sports Canada has struck carriage deals to increase its reach in the country.
ESPN targets Premier League rights
ESPN president John Skipper has said the US sports broadcaster will bid for the next set of rights to football’s English Premier League, but added it would seek to partner with another media company.
USSA assigns rights to 2015 Alpine World Ski Championships
The NBC Sports Group division of media company NBCUniversal has reached an agreement with the US Ski and Snowboard Association to broadcast the International Ski Federation’s (FIS) 2015 Alpine World Championships in Vail/Beaver Creek.
AT&T in talks over $50bn DirecTV deal
US telecommunications company AT&T is in “active talks” to acquire satellite television provider DirecTV in a deal that could be worth close to $50bn (€36bn), according to Reuters.
MLS unveils new long-term rights deals
US pay-television broadcasters ESPN, Fox Sports and Univision Deportes have acquired rights for Major League Soccer, North America’s top football league, and the US men’s and women’s national teams.
Millicom acquires World Cup rights in Latin American markets
Swedish telecommunications and media company Millicom has acquired mobile rights in seven Latin American countries to the 2014 Fifa World Cup national team football tournament.
NBCU extends Olympic rights deal to 2032
US media company NBCUniversal has extended its media rights deal for the Olympic Games through to 2032 in a deal that the International Olympic Committee said would secure the long-term financial security of the Olympic Movement.
TSN expands service to five channels
Canadian pay-television sports broadcaster TSN is to expand its service from two to five national channels.
Copaco picks up Paraguayan rights and strikes Tigo deal
State-owned telecommunications company Copaco has acquired rights for the Paraguayan national football championship and immediately sublicensed on rights to rival telco Tigo.
Broadcast plans outlined for Gavitt Tipoff Games
Organisers of the Gavitt Tipoff Games have announced that broadcast coverage of the new US collegiate sports competition will be split between international sports broadcaster ESPN, the Fox Sports division of US network Fox and the Big Ten Network (BTN) cable television broadcaster.
ESPN ‘on precipice’ of agreeing MLS extension, says Skipper
ESPN president John Skipper has said the US sports broadcaster is “on the precipice” of agreeing a new rights deal with Major League Soccer, the top division of football in North America.
RSE Ventures says it will turn a profit on friendly competition
US friendly football tournament set to turn a profit this year
Minor League Baseball strikes deal with CBS Sports Network
US cable-television channel the CBS Sports Network, which is operated by the CBS network, has entered into a partnership with Minor League Baseball (MiLB) to broadcast the MLB affiliate league’s game of the week throughout the 2014 season.
Ivy League engages Lagardere to assist rights talks
US college sports conference the Ivy League has appointed the Lagardere Unlimited agency to aid its search for a new broadcast rights deal.
Arne Rees, chief operating officer, RSE Ventures
Interview with Arne Rees, chief operating officer of RSE Ventures, on the International Champions Cup friendly tournament
Breeders’ Cup seals international distribution deal
Media consultancy Henry Birtles Associates has struck a deal to distribute international television rights for the Breeders’ Cup US horseracing event.
Fantasy Sports Network partners up with Bloomberg Sports
Online television channel Fantasy Sports Television Network (FNTSY) has entered into a content partnership with the Bloomberg Sports division of the Bloomberg news agency.