Eastern Europe

Polish public-service broadcaster TVP has abandoned plans to launch a second sports channel, according to president Jacek Kurski.

The Infront Sports & Media agency has extended a rights distribution deal with the Ski Association of Slovenia, along with sealing a new rights contract with public-service broadcaster RTV for events organised by the International Ski Federation (FIS).

International sports broadcaster Eleven Sports Network has acquired rights in Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Singapore and Taiwan for the Euro Hockey League club tournament and the EuroHockey Championships national team competition.

International media and entertainment company Discovery Communications has signed a sublicensing deal for Olympic Games rights with Belarus National State Broadcasting.

Slovakian media company Elements Channel is to launch a new sports channel in the country next month, according to the MediaLne.sk news website.

The national federations of 10 countries have signed up to the International Basketball Federation’s (Fiba) new multi-cast initiative, with the sport’s global governing body keen on securing further partners before the end of the year.

Czech commercial and pay-television broadcaster Nova has secured a new rights deal for the Wimbledon tennis grand slam tournament.

Uefa’s latest deal for its national team rights in Austria is evidence of a change in strategy for sales in Europe from 2018-19, as European football’s governing body attempts to meet its targets for both revenue and exposure.

Hungarian broadcaster TV2 has made aggressive moves into the sports-rights market in recent weeks, acquiring English Premier League, National Hockey League and MotoGP rights.

Polish public-service broadcaster TVP has acquired rights for the upcoming World Cup of Hockey, an international ice hockey tournament, as well as the NHL North American ice hockey league.

Polish pay-television operator NC Plus has acquired exclusive rights to the Superliga, the top division of handball in the country, while international sports broadcaster Eleven Sports Network has launched its third channel in Poland.

The sublicensing deals agreed this week by Discovery Communications with public-service broadcasters in Slovakia and Slovenia for the 2018 and 2020 Olympic Games fit the pattern of others agreed so far in Europe: public-service broadcasters paying higher fees for fewer rights than they had in 2014 and 2016.

RTVS and RTV, the public-service broadcasters in Slovakia and Slovenia, have acquired rights for the Olympic Games.

Hungarian commercial broadcast group TV2 has acquired rights in the country to the MotoGP motorcycling championship.

Polish public-service broadcaster TVP will launch a second sports channel and make its TVP Sport platform available via digital terrestrial television, according to president Jacek Kurski.

Telecommunications company Telekom Romania has extended a carriage deal with the Discovery Romania division of international media and entertainment provider Discovery Communications.