Europe

Multi-sport

Polish commercial and pay-television broadcaster Polsat has secured licences for the launch of two new sports channels in the country.

Skiing

Markus Waldner, the men’s alpine race director at the International Ski Federation (FIS), has said that the governing body will ban the use of drones at events until further notice after a machine carrying a camera nearly hit an athlete during a World Cup event in Italy.

Basketball

The Saran Media agency has agreed a three-season deal for the global television rights to the Turkish Women’s Super Basketball League and Turkish Men’s First Division Basketball League.

Ice Hockey

The Infront Sports & Media agency has agreed a three-year deal to become the international media rights partner of annual invitational ice hockey competition the Spengler Cup.

Football

Competitors of German pay-television broadcaster Sky Deutschland are reportedly lobbying the country’s federal cartel office, the Bundeskartellamt, to introduce a ‘no single buyer rule’ to the bidding process for rights to the Bundesliga, the top division of German football.

Football

The Mediapro agency has launched a tender process for Spanish pay-television operators interested in carrying beIN Sports LaLiga, the new channel set to be launched by the pay-television broadcaster to exploit its rights to the top division of Spanish football.

Football

Italian media group RCS has said it is likely to move its digital terrestrial sports television channel Gazzetta TV to an online-only model.

Basketball

Pay-television broadcaster Sky Deutschland has extended a rights deal for golf’s US PGA Tour in Germany, Austria and Switzerland while sister channel Sky Sport Austria has struck a deal to show coverage of the Austrian Basketball Bundesliga top division.

UK commercial broadcaster Channel 4 will replace public-service broadcaster the BBC as the free-to-air rights-holder of the Formula One motor-racing world championship from the start of next season, it was announced this (Monday) morning.

Football

Irish public-service broadcaster RTÉ has said it is considering sublicensing rights to next summer’s Uefa Euro 2016 national team football tournament.

Action Sports

German commercial broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1 has agreed a multi-year distribution deal for the IMG agency’s action sports and lifestyle channel Edgesport.

Football

LaLiga president Javier Tebas this week described the Spanish league’s new domestic media rights deals as “historic” in terms of income and the completion of the move to collective selling.

Tennis

German pay-television broadcaster Sky Deutschland is close to dislodging Sport1 as the holder of ATP World Tour tennis media rights in the country.

Rugby Union

Sky renewed its deal for European club rugby and picked up Russian Premier League rights after a four-year hiatus.

Football

Discovery Communications’ ambition to strengthen its market position in the Nordics helped Norway’s football league defy all expectations in the sale of its media rights last week.

Kickboxing

Kickboxing promotion Glory will cement its place on US sports broadcaster ESPN for all of 2016, TV Sports Markets understands.

Football

Benfica’s deal with Nos has triggered a wave of negotiations, with Porto and Sporting Lisbon particularly keen to take advantage of competition in the marketplace.

Football

Interview with LaLiga president Javier Tebas on the first centralised tender for Spanish domestic football rights.