Europe
Swisscom fights back against UPC with domestic league deal
The Swiss Football League last week announced the sale of all media and marketing rights worth a total of CHF40m (€37m/$41m) per season.
Türk Telekom buys up host of European basketball leagues
Türk Telekom has acquired rights to an assortment of European basketball leagues in recent weeks to compensate for its lack of Euroleague and Turkish domestic league coverage.
Perform deal completes BBL’s revamp of its commercial rights
The British Basketball League’s six-season deal with the Perform Group last month marks the completion of the league’s commercial revamp and sets a clear course for its future.
Canal Plus targets improved fortunes from new business model
French pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus has unveiled a revamped business model in a bid to expand its customer base and turn around increasing losses.
Sky replaces BT Sport as Euroleague’s UK rights-holder
UK pay-television broadcaster Sky has acquired rights for the Euroleague Basketball club tournament.
Eurosport extends commitment to WEC and Le Mans
International sports broadcaster Eurosport has agreed a four-season extension to its rights deal with the World Endurance Championship and the motor racing series’ flagship race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Wolves furthers Chinese ambitions with innovative rights deal
English Championship football club Wolverhampton Wanderers has agreed a landmark rights deal with Chinese internet company LeSports.
Watching Brief (Vol.133) Special Focus: 2016 Paralympic Games
Joseph Rivers, research analyst for SportBusiness Intelligence, examines television audiences in selected European markets for the 2016 Paralympic Games.
Watching Brief (Vol.133) – UK television audience highlights
Mike Kiernan, analyst for SportBusiness Intelligence, highlights some UK television audiences in the period between Monday 19th September and Sunday 2nd October.
‘El Clasico’ to go head-to-head with Premier League for worldwide viewers
The first Spanish LaLiga football match of the season between Barcelona and Real Madrid has been scheduled to go head-to-head with Saturday afternoon games in the English Premier League in an effort to secure larger audiences in the Far East and North America.
EBU legal chief makes case for ‘listed events’ legislation
Richard Burnley, the legal director of the European Broadcasting Union, has called on all countries to establish lists of major events that should be reserved for free-to-air television.
ARD and ZDF to follow Kerber’s progress at WTA Finals
German public-service broadcasters ARD and ZDF have agreed a sublicensing deal for rights to the WTA Finals, the season-ending showpiece of the Women’s Tennis Association calendar.
Fox Sports Netherlands remains on the ice with NHL extension
Pay-television broadcaster Fox Sports Netherlands has agreed a three-season extension to its rights deal with North American ice hockey league the NHL.
Nova nets extension to Euroleague rights
Greek pay-television broadcaster Nova has agreed a three-season extension to its rights deal for the Euroleague continental club basketball competition.
Sport1 renews NHL rights deal ahead of new season
German sports broadcaster Sport1 has extended a rights deal for North American ice hockey league the NHL.
Eleven scores EuroHockey rights in five countries
International sports broadcaster Eleven Sports Network has acquired rights in Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Singapore and Taiwan for the Euro Hockey League club tournament and the EuroHockey Championships national team competition.
Vivendi, Canal Plus strike ESL esports deal
French media company Vivendi and its pay-television broadcaster, Canal Plus, have struck a partnership with the ESL esports league.
Euroleague extends Spanish rights deals
Spanish public-service broadcaster TV3 Catalunya and the Movistar Plus broadcast platform of telecommunications company Telefónica have extended rights deals for the Euroleague continental club basketball competition.