Europe
SFR Sport ‘unlikely’ to bid for Ligue 1 rights
French pay-television broadcaster SFR Sport, a division of the Altice telco, is “unlikely” to bid for the next cycle of rights to Ligue 1, the top division of football in France, according to SFR Group chairman Alain Weill.
NOS retains Eredivisie highlights at steady fee as Fox Sports grows
Eredivisie Media & Marketing renewed its deal with NOS for highlights to Dutch football’s top tier for the same fee due to the wide exposure the broadcaster guarantees.
Middle East politics key to Coppa Italia rights value in new cycle
Geopolitics, as much as commerce, is likely to determine whether the value of Coppa Italia international rights continues to increase dramatically.
Eleven Sports pays modest uplift for both LaLiga and Serie A rights
Pay-television broadcaster Eleven Sports has renewed deals in Poland for Spain’s LaLiga and Italy’s Serie A, paying modest increases for both.
Strong broadcaster relationships harm Uefa values in Romania
The value of Uefa Champions League and Europa League rights will decline slightly in Romania from 2018-19 onward, with telco Telekom Romania, pay-television broadcaster Digi Sport and commercial broadcaster Look TV set to share coverage.
Competition sees LaLiga rights value grow in Greece and Cyprus
The Asset Ogilvy agency has made a small profit from selling on Spanish LaLiga rights in Greece and Cyprus, following renewals with pay-television broadcasters Cosmote and PrimeTel.
Uefa national-team rights value falls in tough Ukrainian market
Despite the addition of Nations League content, the value of Uefa national team rights is set to decline by about 18 per cent in Ukraine from 2018-19.
Saran pays slightly less to renew F1, as Demirören buys D-Smart
Saran Media has renewed its Formula One rights in Turkey for the next three years, from 2018 to 2020, in a deal thought to have remained roughly flat on the previous cycle
DAZN extends NFL rights deal
DAZN, the OTT service operated by digital sport media company Perform, has extended its rights deal with American football league the NFL in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Groupe AB partners with Drone Racing League
French media company Groupe AB has acquired rights to the Drone Racing League, with the competition set to host its first event in France in June.
Mediapro freezes Serie A rights process, touts Lega channel
The Mediapro agency has warned that it will be unable to provide Lega Serie A, the organising body of the top division of Italian club football, with the full financial guarantees for its rights deal with the body amid the current deadlock in the tender process, adding that this situation would change if the Lega elected to form its own channel to exploit the content.
Watching Brief (Vol.206) UK TV Audiences 9th to 15th April
UK viewing data for the week between Monday 9th April and Sunday 15th April. Please note that the week's data for the BBC and BT Sport channels is currently not available.
NBA signs digital partnership with Perform
North American basketball league the NBA has today (Thursday) signed a multi-year partnership with Perform that will see the digital sports content and media group manage the organisation’s official websites in more than 15 international markets.
BBC retains IMG for coverage of snooker showpieces
UK public-service broadcaster the BBC has extended its deal with IMG through a new four-year contract which is set to see the agency continue to produce live coverage of the three major UK snooker tournaments until 2021.
DAZN picks up Haye v Bellew rights
DAZN, the OTT service operated by digital sport media company Perform, has acquired rights in Germany, Austria and Switzerland for the upcoming heavyweight boxing clash between British fighters Tony Bellew and David Haye.
LFP puts Ligue 1 rights on the market
The Ligue de Football Professionnel, which operates the French football league, has launched its sales process for the domestic rights covering Ligue 1, the top division in the country.
Bolloré charged in Africa corruption investigation
French business tycoon Vincent Bolloré, who last week stepped down as chairman of media giant Vivendi, has been charged amid an investigation by French authorities into claims his company helped two African politicians win elections in return for lucrative business contracts.
IIHF strikes long-term Russian rights deal for World Championship
Russian state-controlled commercial broadcaster Channel One has agreed a six-year deal with the International Ice Hockey Federation for rights to its annual World Championship.