Europe
Features
Digiturk and LaLiga end deal in Turkey amid currency crisis
Pay-television broadcaster Digiturk and Spanish football’s LaLiga have ended their contract in Turkey due to the former's difficulties meeting its financial obligations amid continued weakness in the country’s currency, SportBusiness Media understands, leaving the league without a broadcast partner.
Canal Plus has clear run to NHL ice hockey renewal in France
French pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus faced little competition in renewing its NHL rights, SportBusiness Media understands.
ERT leverages lack of competition to secure Greek Super League 2 fee cut
Greek public broadcaster ERT has exploited a lack of competition and its dominant position in negotiations to secure a significant reduction in the amount it will pay to the clubs in the second-tier Super League 2 for the 2019-20 season.
Antenna latest beneficiary of ERT struggles with Euro 2020 rights acquisition
Greek digital terrestrial broadcaster Antenna has become the latest broadcaster to benefit from cuts to public broadcaster ERT’s funding by outbidding it for the rights to the Uefa Euro 2020 finals.
Infront begins to cover IIHF costs in exclusive Nordics Nent deal
Infront has sealed a big increase in value for International Ice Hockey Federation rights across the Nordics, in a deal with the Nordic Entertainment (Nent) Group that will help cover the increased costs of its own recently-signed global rights agreement.
Timing will be critical to Serie A domestic rights tender
The Italian football league is finalising its guidelines for the tender process which must be approved by the country’s competition and communication authorities. The process is likely to be more complicated, controversial and political than the equivalent processes anywhere else. Story by Frank Dunne.
Paul Rehrig, general manager, Eurosport Digital
Paul Rehrig, general manager, Eurosport Digital, talks about Discovery’s deal with Twitter for coverage of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo
UK, France may drive global Champions League revenue downturn
Uefa, European football’s governing body, could be on the verge of a sharp downturn in Champions League media-rights revenues for the 2021-24 cycle, with specific factors in the key UK and France markets exacerbating a broader price correction already anticipated for similar high-profile properties.
Discovery’s Tokyo 2020 deal with Twitter sets stage for more clips, highlights partnerships
The deal struck this week between US media group Discovery and social media platform Twitter for coverage of the 2020 summer Olympic Games in Tokyo is expected to be the first of many such clip and highlights deals, as Discovery looks for additional ways to monetise its substantial investment in the rights in Europe.
Fiba Champions League rights take knock as ERT replaces Nova
Greek public-service broadcaster ERT has acquired rights for the International Basketball Federation (Fiba) Champions League in a one-season deal after pay-television broadcaster Nova elected not to renew, with the property’s value falling by 25 per cent on a per-season basis.
Greek Cup restructure gives Cosmote pause for thought in one-season renewal
Pay-television broadcaster Cosmote reduced its outlay on Greek Cup rights by two-thirds and pushed to shorten the renewal duration to just one season to give it an opportunity to review the impact on the property’s value of a restructuring of the competition, SportBusiness Media understands.
Fifa leverages winter World Cup in Russian rights sale
Fifa, football’s global governing body, has taken advantage of the stronger advertising opportunities offered by the winter scheduling of the 2022 World Cup in its rights sale to the Telesport marketing agency in Russia.
Sky, Channel 4 keep terms steady for three-year F1 sublicence renewal in UK
UK commercial broadcaster Channel 4’s recent Formula One sublicensing renewal with pay-television broadcaster Sky extends their relationship for another three years, until the end of 2022, with the deal value unchanged, SportBusiness Media understands.
EHF boosts Balkan value by unifying club, national team rights
The European Handball Federation unified both its club and national team competitions in the Balkans into one new deal with Arena Sports, leading to a sharp rise in the value of its rights in the region.
Uefa set to agree record deal with Deutsche Telekom for Euro 2024
Uefa is close to completing a record-breaking deal for rights to the 2024 European Championship with Deutsche Telekom, in what would be the largest fee ever received by Uefa for European Championship rights in a single market.
France Télévisions keeps outlay steady in Top 14 Final renewal
Public broadcaster France Télévisions renewed its free-to-air rights to the final of the country’s Top 14 rugby union club competition for the 2019-23 cycle at around the same level as its previous deal, SportBusiness Media understands.
FREE | Italy market report, 2019
In the latest interactive monthly data report, SportBusiness Media analyses the media-rights landscape in Italy.
Italy market report, 2019
In the latest interactive monthly data report, SportBusiness Media analyses the media-rights landscape in Italy.
NBA rights competition drives Sky Italia extension premium
Competition between pay-television broadcaster Sky Italia and OTT platform DAZN for the rights to the American National Basketball Association ensured the former paid a substantial uplift for exclusive rights in the country from 2019-20 to 2022-23.
LaLiga shifts to fee plus revenue share in Premier Sports UK, Ireland deals
Spain’s LaLiga has for the first time agreed a revenue-sharing deal for its rights in the UK and Ireland for the 2019-22 cycle. LaLiga will receive a fee from pay-television broadcaster Premier Sports, but the two parties will also share revenues in both territories from LaLiga’s dedicated channel, LaLigaTV, SportBusiness Media understands.
NFL eyes further brand boost with ProSiebenSat.1 FTA renewal in DACH
The NFL renewed its free-to-air deal in DACH with German media group ProSiebenSat.1 without going to market as it looks to grow further in the region, having been impressed with the broadcaster’s ability to build the league’s brand and audience.
Euroleague secures robust fee rise in Turkey amid booming basketball interest
Euroleague Basketball has capitalised on the sport’s increasing popularity in Turkey to successfully raise the value of the top-tier EuroLeague by over two-thirds in its renewal with pay-television broadcaster Digiturk.
Eurosport takes on global agency role in International Swimming League rights deal
Discovery-owned broadcaster Eurosport’s deal in Europe and Asia-Pacific for new franchise-based competition the International Swimming League also mandates it to act as the rights-holder’s global media-rights agency.
Yandex to build sports portfolio after winning NHL rights battle in Russia
Russian internet company Yandex will look to expand its sports-rights portfolio after acquiring exclusive rights to the National Hockey League in Russia amid fierce competition.