Europe

Modern Times Group, the multi-territory commercial and pay-television broadcaster, has continued its transformation effort by selling off its free-to-air television, pay-television, digital and radio businesses in the Baltic region to US private equity investment firm Providence Equity Partners.

The parent company of beIN Sports has injected €600m ($646m) into supporting the company’s pay-television operation in France, according to daily newspaper Libération.

International sports broadcaster Eleven Sports Network and telecommunications firm Orange are reportedly among the bidders for the next set of broadcast rights to the Pro League, the top division of club football in Belgium.

The UK’s Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, Karen Bradley, has today (Thursday) confirmed that US media company 21st Century Fox’s proposed takeover of pan-European pay-television broadcast group Sky will be investigated by UK media watchdog Ofcom.

UK pay-television broadcaster BT Sport is reported to be preparing a record bid to acquire exclusive rights to the Scottish Professional Football League.

UK viewing audiences for the week between Monday 27th February and Sunday 5th March

UK pay-television broadcaster Sky is to enhance its coverage of the Super League rugby league competition by introducing a player cam.

International media company Tinopolis, which owns UK sports production and media firm Sunset+Vine, is up for sale, according to The Guardian.

Group Nine Media has struck a deal with Discovery Communications that will allow the digital media company’s NowThis service to act as a social video production and distribution provider for Eurosport’s Olympic Games coverage.

UK commercial broadcaster Channel 5 has bolstered its motorsport portfolio by agreeing a rights deal for the MotoGP motorcycling championship.

UK production company Sunset+Vine has appointed Andrew Preece as executive director to oversee all digital, branded content, distribution and news operations.

UK commercial broadcaster ITV has partnered with London-based virtual reality production company VR City to distribute VR coverage of this week’s Cheltenham Festival horse racing event.

Modern Times Group, the multi-territory commercial and pay-television broadcaster, has agreed a five-year extension to its rights deal with the International Basketball Federation (Fiba) for the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

UK public-service broadcaster the BBC has renewed rights to US golf major, the Masters.

European football’s governing body Uefa has said its new UK rights deal with telecommunications company BT has placed it on course for a 28 per cent sales increase over its next three-season cycle, adding that it has received approaches for its rights from social media platforms.

Production company TVStart has agreed a deal to serve as the media partner of the Ski Classics long-distance skiing championship in Russia.