Europe
NOS nets Euro 2020 rights
Dutch public-service broadcaster NOS has acquired rights to the Uefa Euro 2020 national team football tournament.
RTL on target with PDC renewal
Dutch commercial broadcaster RTL has extended a rights deal for events operated by the Professional Darts Corporation.
EHF extends Champions League rights deal with Sky Deutschland
German pay-television broadcaster Sky Deutschland has extended an agreement with the European Handball Federation for rights to its Champions League club competition.
Italian court overturns Mediaset fine in Serie A rights case
The regional administrative court (TAR) of Lazio has scrapped a fine of €51.4m ($55.1m) imposed on media company Mediaset for alleged violations of competition laws in the 2014 sale of rights to Serie A, the top division of Italian football.
Telenet set to snap up Altice’s operations in Belgium, Luxembourg
Telecommunications company Telenet has agreed to acquire rival Altice’s businesses in Belgium and Luxembourg for €400m ($418m).
TV3 seals rights partnership with RMG
Irish commercial broadcaster TV3 has entered into a long-term rights partnership with Racecourse Media Group, the holding company responsible for a range of media and data rights involving 34 of the UK’s premier racecourses.
Media365 strikes production deal for Africa Cup of Nations
Media365 has been appointed by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) to produce coverage of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations national team football tournament.
Racing UK to ensure free-to-air coverage for festive showpiece
UK horse racing pay-television broadcaster Racing UK has said it will provide free-to-air coverage of the New Year’s Eve fixture at Newbury racecourse, alongside action from Warwick, following commercial broadcaster Channel 4’s decision to withdraw the fixture from its schedule.
DFL strikes Bundesliga rights deals with Sky, Eurosport and DAZN
The German Football League (DFL) has agreed rights deals in Austria and Switzerland, along with three other German-speaking markets, with pay-television broadcaster Sky, international sports broadcaster Eurosport and DAZN, the OTT sports subscription service operated by digital media specialist Perform.
Vivendi continues Mediaset stakebuilding exercise
Vivendi chief executive Arnaud de Puyfontaine will meet Italian financial markets regulator Consob in Rome on Friday following complaints over the French media group’s growing interest in Italian broadcaster Mediaset, according to Reuters.
FFR awards Top 8 women’s rugby rights
The Fédération Française de Rugby has sealed rights deals for the Top 8 women’s rugby union tournament in France with public-service broadcaster France Télévisions and international sports broadcaster Eurosport.
Pro12 appoints RTÉ executive as commercial director
The Pro12 pan-European rugby union club competition has appointed Dermot Rigley as its new commercial director.
Fight Sports channel secures carriage deals in Baltics
Media company CSI Sports has agreed carriage deals for its Fight Sports pay-television channel in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Sky to cover Germany’s preparations with IHF Worlds rights still on offer
German pay-television broadcaster Sky Deutschland has acquired rights to two warm-up games of the German men’s handball team ahead of the 2017 World Championship and will provide them free-to-air via the Sky Sport News HD channel.
SE takes on Boxer to bolster Danish market position
Energy group SE has strengthened its position in the Danish media market by acquiring digital terrestrial pay-television operator Boxer from Swedish terrestrial broadcast transmission service company Teracom.
Business giants line up for stake in Mediapro
French media company Vivendi, the Alisports division of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda and US mass media group Liberty Media are among 10 entities in contention for a stake in Spanish agency Mediapro, according to Reuters.
Channel 5 strikes deal for live Big Bash League coverage
UK commercial broadcaster Channel 5 has agreed a deal to show live coverage of Australia’s Big Bash League Twenty20 cricket competition, according to The Times.
EBU makes latest appeal over future of BHRT
The European Broadcasting Union consortium of public-service broadcasters has made a final call for national authorities to come to the aid of its member Bosnia and Herzegovinian Radio and Television as the operator continues to struggle with funding issues.