Czech Republic

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV’s coverage of the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games attracted the country’s largest-ever television audience.

The Salt Lake City Winter Olympics and football’s World Cup in Japan and Korea were the two major events that dominated European sports viewing in 2002.

Football’s Euro 2004 championship was a big hit with television audiences across Europe.

Football: German pay-televison broadcaster Premiere is set to sign a two-year deal, said to be worth €350m (£235m), with the Deutsche Fussball Liga for football’s Bundesliga.  Th

Football: The Latin American broadcasting union, Organización de Telecomunicaciones Ibero-americanas, acquired the rights for the 2006 World Cup in 15 countries, excluding Brazil, from the Infront Sports & Media agency.

Cricket:  The Board of Control for Cricket in India, after extensive legal wrangles, finally signed a deal for the Indian rights to the three tours taking place this year, a four-Test series against Australia, a two-Test series against South Africa and a one-off one-day international against Pakistan, with state broadcaster Doordarshan.

Infront, and other suitors, did not like the rights guarantees ISPR had committed to

The Turin Winter Olympics attracted impressive audiences to European public-service broadcasters.

The Czech Republic’s victory in the final of last year’s ice hockey World Championship attracted the country’s top sports television audience in 2005.

Sportfive, Kentaro, IMG get plenty of ties against the big five teams; Infront do not fare so well

Bobsleigh/Skeleton: German public-service broadcasters ARD and ZDF acquired the rights for the men’s and women’s bobsleigh and skeleton World Cups and World Championships for the three years from 2006-07 to …

Boxing website SecondsOut.com is close to tying up rights deals with top US and European promoters to show fights on internet pay-per-view.

Golf: UK pay-broadcaster Setanta acquired the rights to the US PGA Tour in a six-year deal, from 2007 to 2012.

acquisition of cable and satellite sports channel Galaxie Sport, the main cable sports channel in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

Formula 1: Spanish sports agency Mediapro acquired the rights for Formula 1 in a five-year deal, 2009 to 2013, in a deal thought to be worth about €35m (£24m) a year.

Czech Television acquired the rights for the Gambrinus Liga, but it is threatening to pull out of the deal unless the football association tackles new corruption accusations.