Europe

UK viewing audiences for the week between Monday 22nd May and Sunday 28th May. We also look at Formula 1 audiences through the season's first six races. Watching Brief Vol. 159
Olympic Games

Media and entertainment company Discovery Communications, an Olympic Games rights-holder in Europe, has taken the unusual step of publicly expressing its support for Paris’ bid for the 2024 summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Football

The CAA Eleven agency has launched new tenders in Greece, Japan and Vietnam for rights to Uefa national team properties.
Tennis

Spanish commercial broadcaster Mediaset has acquired rights to the latter stages of the ongoing edition of the French Open tennis grand slam, as Rafael Nadal seeks to secure a record 10th title on the clay at Roland-Garros.
Basketball

Euroleague Basketball has said the 2017-18 season of the EuroCup will result in a major enhancement of the second-tier club competition’s broadcast footprint, along with boosting the revenues generated for teams.
Multi-sport

Input Media, one of Europe’s leading sports production companies, has been acquired by Gravity Media Group, a holding company that owns, operates and acquires businesses serving the live broadcast sector globally.
Tennis

Chinese internet company Tencent has signed an exclusive digital media partnership with the French Tennis Federation (FFT) for coverage of the French Open grand slam tournament at Roland-Garros.
Rugby Union

UK public-service broadcaster the BBC and pay-television operator Sky have acquired rights to the Scottish rugby union team’s upcoming summer tour.
Handball

The European Handball Federation has said it will switch to a new method of marketing its rights for showpiece competitions the EHF Euro and Champions League, adding that a “huge package” of rights will be available through a tender set to launch in September.
Football

Italian broadcaster Mediaset has filed a complaint to the country’s antitrust authority, the AGCM, over the tender for the domestic rights for the Serie A football competition for three seasons, from 2018-19 to 2020-21.
Multi-sport

Media and entertainment company Discovery Communications has been hit with another carriage dispute after Finnish telecommunications company Telia said it will no longer offer its channels to its television customers in the Nordic markets from June 8.
Football

Tina Kandelaki, the general producer of Match TV, has said that the Russian privately-held broadcaster has agreed a deal to show the 2017 Fifa Confederations Cup and the 2018 World Cup national team football tournaments.
Football

UK-pay television broadcaster Premier Sports has acquired rights to the International Champions Cup pre-season club football tournament and the Irish national rugby union team’s summer tour matches.
Football

Chelsea secured a payment of more than £150.8m (€177.4m/$194.8m) for winning the English Premier League in 2016-17 as the first season of the football competition’s new rights cycle took hold.
Handball

The EHF Marketing division of the European Handball Federation has entered into a wide-ranging partnership with sports and betting-related services company Sportradar.

UK viewing audiences for the week between Monday 15th May and Sunday 21st May. We also include a round-up of available audiences for this year's Indian Premier League. Watching Brief Vol. 158
Hockey

UK pay-television broadcaster BT Sport has agreed a rights partnership with the International Hockey Federation (FIH).
Cycling

The Infront Sports & Media agency has revealed details of a host of broadcast deals it has signed for the new Hammer Series cycling event, which commences tomorrow (Friday).