Balkans

BHRT, the public-service broadcaster in Bosnia and Herzegovina, has confirmed a rights agreement for the 2018 Fifa World Cup.

Discovery Communications secured three late sublicensing rights deals ahead of last month’s winter Olympic Games, taking it closer to its sublicensing revenue target.

Digital entertainment company Modern Times Group has completed the disposal of its international entertainment operations by selling Bulgarian commercial broadcaster Nova to PPF Group, the investment company controlled by Czech billionaire Petr Kellner.

Competition between sports-rights agencies has helped Spain’s LaLiga grow the value of its media rights in several new deals across Europe.

BHRT and MRT, the public-service broadcasters in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia, respectively, have struck rights deals to show the 2018 winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and the 2020 summer Games in Tokyo.

Aggressive bidding from telcos has helped Uefa substantially grow the value of its club competition rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.

The MP & Silva agency has extended its partnership with LaLiga through a deal to distribute media rights to the top division of Spanish club football in five European markets.

Serbian sports channel SOS has been put up for sale after its owner, Dragisa Kovačević, said that the state has “no interest” in providing assistance.

Croatian telecommunications company Vipnet has acquired domestic rights to the Uefa Champions League club football competition.

Uefa has earned a significant increase in the value of its national team rights across Eastern Europe, justifying its decision to sell market-by-market in the region.

Uefa completed the sale of Champions League and Europa League rights in the Balkans this week, increasing its media-rights income from the region by more than 20 per cent.

The MP & Silva agency has agreed rights deals in a host of territories for the inaugural season of the World Boxing Super Series.

Canadian cable and satellite-television broadcaster Super Channel has acquired rights to the World Boxing Super Series, while rights deals for the tournament have also been agreed in the Netherlands and the Balkans.

The European Broadcasting Union consortium of public-service broadcasters has issued a fresh call for national authorities to come to the aid of its member, Bosnia and Herzegovinian Radio and Television, as the operator continues to struggle with funding issues.

Football’s English Premier League has stepped up its efforts to prevent piracy of its content by partnering with digital platform security specialist Irdeto.

The Infront Sports & Media agency has secured a series of rights deals for upcoming seasons of the Champions Hockey League pan-European ice hockey club competition.