Europe

Russian social media and video-hosting platform VKontakte has acquired rights to the Eredivisie, the top tier of Dutch club football, and the Championship, the second tier of the English game.

German sports broadcaster Sport1 has extended an agreement for rights to domestic motor-racing series the ADAC GT Masters.

International sports broadcaster Eleven Sports has acquired rights to live stream Serie A games in Italy, while the top division of domestic football is set to enter into private negotiations with bidders for its international rights.

Multi-territory commercial and pay-television broadcaster Modern Times Group has acquired rights in Sweden and Norway to the Association of Tennis Professionals’ World Tour Masters 1000 series of tournaments and the season-ending ATP Finals.

London Marathon Events has extended its global rights distribution agreement with the TCB Sport Media agency.

China’s Super Sports Media has moved to expand its portfolio of football content by acquiring rights to the Uefa Nations League, the national team tournament launched by the sport’s European governing body.

Italian media group Mediaset has entered a bid for the domestic rights to the 2018 and 2022 editions of national team football tournament the Fifa World Cup, according to multiple reports.

Manchester United vice-chairman Ed Woodward has said Premier League clubs expect internet company Amazon and social media firm Facebook to compete for the next set of rights to the top division of English club football.

Internet company Amazon has entered into a partnership with ATP Media, the broadcast arm of professional men’s tennis circuit the ATP World Tour, through which it will stream the Next Gen Finals.

UK viewing data for the week between Monday 4th and Sunday 10th September including audiences from Fifa World Cup Qualifying, the Premier League and the 3rd England v West Indies Test. W

Swedish pay-television broadcaster C More has said it will launch a new channel on October 14.

Multinational telecommunications company Altice has seen its hopes of completing a takeover of Portuguese media group Media Capital suffer a blow after the country’s telecom market watchdog Anacom declared that the deal would create serious competition issues and impact on consumers.

German media company Constantin Medien has said it has taken an important first step in its restructuring through an agreement with partner Stella Finanz.

Pay-television broadcaster Fox Sports has agreed a two-season extension to its rights deal in Italy for the Champions League club competitions operated by the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV).

Swiss public-service broadcaster SRG has agreed a five-season extension to its rights deal with the national governing bodies of basketball, handball, floorball and volleyball.

Greek telecommunications company Forthnet, owner of pay-television broadcaster Nova, has widened the reach of its Novasports platform by agreeing carriage deals with telcos Wind Hellas and Vodafone.