Europe

Direct-to-home and IPTV platform Digi has acquired rights for German football’s Bundesliga in Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The British Gymnastics national governing body has signed a landmark rights deal with UK public-service broadcaster the BBC.

The Pro14 cross-border rugby union league has said it is concluding talks over its next set of rights in the UK and Ireland, as the Welsh division of public-service broadcaster the BBC said it has been outbid in its effort to retain live coverage.

E-commerce and media company Amazon has made its latest venture into original sports content by agreeing a deal that will make LaLiga, the top division of Spanish club football, the subject of its first Spanish Prime Original series.

Czech broadcast group TV Barrandov has said it is interested in acquiring rights to the First League, the top division of club football in the country.

Swiss public-service broadcaster SRG SSR will continue to be supported by the public purse following a referendum in the country.

Pay-television broadcaster Eleven Sports bolstered its Belgian sports portfolio last month, buying rights to Italy’s Serie A and Germany’s Bundesliga ahead of carriage negotiations.

Telco BT will pay an increase of about 140 per cent to keep hold of exclusive MotoGP media rights in the UK and Ireland.

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

Uefa has reversed the falling value of its club competition media rights in Cyprus via an exclusive deal with telco Cyta.

Media group 365 has retained its grip on Uefa Champions League and Europa League media rights in Iceland, paying an increase of about 50 per cent.

The Infront agency is likely to benefit from relatively strong competition for domestic rights to the Turkish basketball league in its tender, despite difficult market conditions in the country.

Portuguese public-service broadcaster RTP has acquired rights to domestic club football competition the Taça de Portugal, along with national team friendly matches, but has said it will end broadcasts of the Uefa Champions League following this season’s tournament.

French free-to-air sports broadcaster L'Équipe has acquired rights to the International Ski Federation’s (FIS) Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard World Cups, the 2018 Ice Hockey World Championship and US wrestling organisation WWE.

Italian Minister for Sport Luca Lotti has unveiled a new distribution model for rights income generated by Lega Serie A, the top division of football in the country.

Ukrainian media group MGU and telco Kyivstar have teamed up to launch a new OTT service dedicated to football coverage.