Europe
ERT deals for Euro 2016 and F1 show signs of recovery
Greek public-service broadcaster ERT’s acquisition of two blue-chip properties is a sign it may slowly be recovering after its short-lived closure almost two years ago.
Vuelta down in home market
The value of Vuelta a España rights in Spain fell for the third successive time in a renewal with TVE last week.
Barcelona opens up to VR technology
Barcelona’s commercial director Francesco Calvo has said the Spanish Liga football club’s recent virtual-reality based initiative with social media platform Facebook will mark the beginning of a longer partnership between the two parties.
Watching Brief (Vol.121) Special Focus: Rugby Union – Six Nations Championship
John Manning, research analyst for SportBusiness Intelligence, examines television audiences for this year’s Six Nations Championship
Vivendi set to seal Mediaset deal – report
Italian media company Mediaset has agreed a deal to sell its pay-television division, Mediaset Premium, to Vivendi as part of a broader alliance with the French media company, according to Bloomberg.
Motowizja bolsters portfolio with Nascar deal
Polish pay-television broadcaster Motowizja has acquired rights to the Sprint Cup, the leading competition of North American stock car-racing series Nascar.
Swedish women’s top tier launches new media platform
The Damallsvenskan, the top division of women’s club football in Sweden, has launched a new online video platform in partnership with sports-rights agency Spring Media.
Mediaset claims latest football access victory in Spain
Spanish commercial broadcaster Mediaset has been granted permission to broadcast clips of Uefa Champions League football games after the Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y La Competencia, the country’s competition regulator, ruled that matches were of “public interest to society.”
DFL seals video-on-demand deal with Amazon
The German Football League (DFL) has secured a deal to make video content available on the Amazon Digital Video store in the country.
France Télévisions to ramp up coverage of Tour de France
Public-service broadcaster France Télévisions will cover the 2017 Tour de France in its entirety, the first time it has elected to cover the cycling event in this manner.
L’Équipe 21 pounces for judo rights
French digital-terrestrial television channel L’Équipe 21 has acquired rights for the 2016 European Judo Championships.
Mediapro secures substantial rise in operating profit
Spanish agency Mediapro has recorded a 40-per-cent increase in its gross operating profit for the 2015 financial year, adding that it expects a further rise for 2016.
TF1 picks up French horse racing rights
French commercial broadcaster TF1 has struck a rights deal with the country's horse racing rights-holders, France Galop and LeTrot.
Sport1 seals free-to-air rights for DEL
German sports broadcaster Sport1 has agreed a sublicensing deal with telco Deutsche Telekom for rights to the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, the top division of ice hockey in the country.
New channel set to show Premier League coverage in France
French telecommunications company Numericable-SFR has announced plans to launch a new sports channel, SFR Sport.
BoxNation picks up rights to Alvarez-Khan
Specialist boxing pay-television channel BoxNation has secured the exclusive UK live broadcast rights to the forthcoming title fight between Canelo Alvarez and Amir Khan.
Sky creates single European sports division under Sky Italia boss Zappia
Sky, Rupert Murdoch’s European pay-television company, which was created in November 2014 from the merger of previously separate platforms in the UK, Germany and Italy, has unified its sports operations by creating a single European sports division under the control of Andrea Zappia.
ORF to continue broadcasting Formula One in Austria
Austrian public-service broadcaster ORF has agreed a three-season extension to its rights deal for the Formula One motor racing championship.