Europe

Pan-European pay-television broadcaster Sky, a major broadcaster of sports coverage, has confirmed a takeover approach from US media company 21st Century Fox.

Ireland’s Gaelic Athletic Association has struck fresh domestic and overseas broadcast deals under new five-year agreements through which the organisation will retain its digital clip rights.

German production company Wige Media has unveiled a major restructuring plan under which it will sell its Wige Broadcast and Wige Solutions divisions in favour of developing its new sporttotal.tv platform and international business.

SM-Liiga, the top division of ice hockey in Finland, has appointed the Commercial Sports Media agency to aid its upcoming media rights sales process.

The Racing Partnership, a joint venture between UK racecourse owner and operator Arena Racing Company and seven UK independent racecourses, has entered into a long-term media rights deal with betting and gaming company William Hill.

In the second interactive monthly data report, TV Sports Markets analyses the media-rights landscape of the top basketball leagues

Pay-television broadcaster beIN Sports has sublicensed a package of rights for the upcoming handball men’s World Championship, which will take place in France from January 11-29, to French commercial broadcaster TF1.

Eesti Meedia has acquired rights in Estonia for the 2018 and 2020 Olympic Games under a sublicensing deal with media and entertainment company Discovery Communications.

German commercial broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1 has acquired rights for the 2017 Telekom Cup mid-season domestic football tournament.

Agcom, Italy’s communications regulator, has launched a procedure that intends to define the rules for the sale of the next set of domestic rights to Serie A, the top division of Italian football.

The Asset Ogilvy agency has brokered a rights deal for Spanish club football competition the Copa del Rey with Greek public-service broadcaster ERT.

Pay-television broadcaster beIN Sports is seeking to sublicense on some rights in France for the upcoming handball men’s World Championship, which will take place from January 11-29, as well as the 2017 handball women’s World Championship, scheduled for the end of next year.

German public-service broadcasters ARD and ZDF have agreed a four-year extension to their rights agreement with the German Equestrian Federation (FN).

A takeover approach from Constantin Medien’s supervisory board chairman, Dieter Hahn, for the German media company and subsidiary Highlight Communications has been rejected by the latter entity.

Athlete representation, event management and sports marketing group TLA Worldwide has made a move into the sports-rights business by backing newly-formed agency Talisman Sports and Media.

Pay-television broadcaster Fox Sports Netherlands has agreed a deal for rights to national team football competition the Africa Cup of Nations.