Americas

David Ciclitira, former Chairman of World Sport Group, talked this week about how the financially-troubled agency split into two.

Fifty broadcasters around the world will show the tennis’s Masters series this year.

US network NBC acquired the rights for tennis’s French Open and is close to signing a new deal for the Wimbledon rights.

US network NBC’s plan for a huge increase in its coverage of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens was welcomed by the IOC.

Spanish Primera Liga football club Atletico Madrid opted out of its collective-selling deal with other clubs to sign a €52m (£34m) deal with Audiovisual Sport, the rights-pooling company for pay-opera-ors So…

Football:  The Japan Consortium, consisting of public-service broadcaster NHK and commercial networks Fuji TV, NTV, TBS, TV Asahi and TV Tokyo, acquired the rights to football’s 2006 World Cup, paying ¥1…

US Senate votes to establish boxing commission with power to designate broadcasters as promoters

Curling: Canadian public-service broadcaster CBC has reportedly agreed a six-year deal with the Canadian Curling Association.

Olympics: The International Olympic Committee confirmed its deal with the European Broadcasting Union, the umbrella body representing Europe’s public-service broadcasters, for the media rights for the 2010 and 2012 Olympic Games.

Football: The English Football Association agreed a deal with sports agency Sportfive for second-party rights for England’ home friendly internationals, giving Sportfive the rights for selling to broadcasters i…

Rugby union:  Incumbent rights-holder IMG won the commercial rights for rugby union’s 2007 and 2011 Rugby World Cups.  It beat opposition from Champions League agency Team Marketing.  I

Cricket: Indian state broadcaster Doordarshan said that it would look to share the rights to Indian cricket if it failed to retain its exclusive contract with the Board of Control for Cricket in India

Also: UPC get Premier League rights in the Netherlands, Fox Sports win in the United States

Broadcasters able to outgun the agencies in head-to-head competition, helping the Premier League bring in hugely increased revenue

More control over television coverage sought, including ability to ensure greater exposure for Fifa events

Next question: Can leagues and federations manage without the agencies?

Football: English football’s Premier League began the sales for its next round of international television rights, covering the three-year period from 2004-05 to 2006-07). 

Bid could be critical for IOC chance's of improving value of rights