Europe

Polish MMA promotion KSW is entering the 15th year of its partnership with commercial and pay-television broadcaster Polsat – a key reason for its enduring popularity in the country. Martin Lewandowski speaks to TV Sports Markets about the promotion's past, present and future, and how it can remain number one despite the increasing presence of the UFC in Poland.

Rights in Greece to Spain’s LaLiga have increased in value by about 50 per cent, while German Bundesliga rights have stayed flat in deals this month with Asset Ogilvy and Cosmote respectively.

The Greek Superleague has said it will hold a meeting on February 20 after telco Forthnet, owner of pay-television broadcast Nova, opted for an early termination of its rights deal for the top division of domestic football.

Spain’s anti-trust regulator, the Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y La Competencia (CNMC), has closed an investigation into Mediapro in relation to possible anti-competitive practices concerning the beIN Sports and beIN LaLiga pay-television channels marketed by the agency.

Ukrainian public-service broadcaster UA:PBC has said it will not broadcast the 2018 Fifa World Cup, despite holding rights to the national team football tournament.

UK pay-television broadcaster Sky has retained the bulk of live domestic rights to the English Premier League, with the award of contracts signifying a reversal in the trend of sky-rocketing fees from recent tenders, albeit with two packages left on the table.

Chinese investment fund Orient Hontai has ratified a deal to acquire a controlling stake in Imagina, the parent company of the Mediapro agency, according to Spanish newspaper El Confidencial.

The Asset OgilvyEntertainment agency has extended its agreement for broadcast rights in Greece and Cyprus to LaLiga, the top division of Spanish club football.

Danish telco TDC has today (Monday) said it intends to exit a proposed deal to take over multi-territory commercial and pay-television company Modern Times Group’s broadcasting and entertainment division after being approached with a takeover offer for its own business.

International sports broadcaster Eurosport has linked up with social media platform Facebook in a move designed to enhance its digital coverage of the 2018 winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

UK DTT channel Quest has dislodged commercial broadcaster Channel Five as the free-to-air highlights rights-holder for the English Football League, which operates the three divisions of football below the top-tier Premier League, according to the Daily Mail newspaper.

UK pay-television broadcaster Sky has held “extremely positive” talks to extend its rights deal with the Scottish Professional Football League, according to the Daily Express.

UK production company Imagen has enhanced its video management platform by adding live capture and social media publishing capabilities to the service.

Broadcasters and media companies have today (Friday) entered their initial offers for rights to the Premier League, the top division of English club football.

Highlight Communications, backed by Lucerne-based Studhalter Investment, has secured a majority stake in German media company Constantin Medien.

Portuguese pay-television broadcaster Sport TV has revealed details of an innovative scheme designed to raise awareness of the video assistant referee system in the Primeira Liga, the top division of domestic football.