Europe

The Infront Sports & Media agency has brokered rights deals in new markets for the International Ice Hockey Federation’s 2016 World Championship, which commences in Russia today (Friday).

International sports broadcaster Eleven Sports Network has acquired rights in Poland for the International Champions Cup pre-season club football tournament.

UK satellite platform Freesat will be able to offer pay-television sports channels via broadband connections, it has been confirmed.

UK telecommunications company BT, which operates pay-television broadcaster BT Sport, has hailed a “landmark year” for the business in its financial results, adding that the first season of its rights deal for Uefa club football competitions has helped to increase daily audience figures by 45 per cent.

The Scottish Professional Football League has agreed a four-season extension to its rights deal with the BBC Scotland division of the UK public-service broadcaster.

UK public-service broadcaster the BBC has renewed a rights agreement for the Badminton Horse Trials equestrian event.

Energy drinks brand Red Bull has performed a u-turn by scrapping plans to close down its commercial broadcaster, Servus TV.

Spanish agency Mediapro has sealed a five-year syndicated loan agreement with eight banks worth €306m ($352.2m), in a move it said will aid expansion plans.

UK free-to-air entertainment channel Dave has agreed a deal to broadcast the 2016 British Darts Organisation’s World Trophy event.

The Ligue Nationale de Rugby, the operator of the Top 14, has extended the deadline for offers in its tender for domestic rights to the top division of French rugby union.

Moldovan public-service broadcaster Teleradio-Moldova has launched a new television channel to accommodate an increase in sports coverage.

Portuguese pay-television broadcaster Sport TV has acquired rights for the Uefa Euro 2016 national football team tournament.

Spanish commercial broadcaster Atresmedia has acquired rights to the Uefa European Under-17 Championship, which gets underway in Azerbaijan tomorrow (Thursday).

Servus TV, the commercial broadcaster owned by the Red Bull Media House division of Red Bull, will cease operations, the energy drinks giant said today (Tuesday).

UK public-service broadcaster the BBC has extended a domestic rights deal for the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.

Russian sports media platform Match TV has acquired rights to the Copa América Centenario, the special edition of the national team football tournament which is being hosted by the United States next month.