Europe

Multi-sport

Irish telecommunications company Eir has made its first step in owning television content by agreeing a deal to acquire pay-television broadcaster Setanta Sports.

Multi-sport

The European Broadcasting Union consortium of public-service broadcasters has adopted a declaration calling for “sporting events of major importance for society” to be available on a free-to-air basis.

Multi-sport

International pay-television broadcaster Eleven Sports Network has secured nationwide distribution in Belgium and has opened up to combat sports for the first time.

Football

Telco Altice last week blindsided French broadcasters to acquire Premier League rights in the country with a knockout first-round bid.

Football

The rights in Italy to the Fifa World Cups in 2018 and 2022 have reverted to world football’s governing body after MP & Silva withdrew from its agreement to sell them, TV Sports Markets understands.

Football

Pay-television broadcaster Sky Italia has acquired exclusive rights in Italy to club football competition the English Premier League.

Skiing

Norwegian public-service broadcaster NRK renewed two vital skiing rights deals last month, agreeing to pay decent increases for both.

Football

Interview with Nicolas Rotkoff, chief executive of entertainment and sports for Altice, on the telco’s acquisition of English Premier League media rights in France.

Football

A joint venture between telecommunications companies Orange and Vodafone has acquired a package of rights to domestic club football in Spain under a deal worth a minimum €300m ($318m).

Football

Polish pay-television operator NC Plus and Dutch cable-television operator Ziggo have struck rights deals for football’s English Premier League.

Volleyball

The Saran Media agency has entered into a long-term strategic partnership with the Turkish Volleyball Federation.

Motorsport

John Manning, research analyst for SportBusiness Intelligence, examines television audiences in selected European markets for motorcycling’s MotoGP World Championship

Football

The Football Association of Ireland has confirmed plans to stream online coverage of every game from the League of Ireland, the top division in the Republic of Ireland, outside of the country from 2016.

Football

Digital sports media company Perform has acquired exclusive rights for the English Premier League in Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein, while Portuguese pay-television broadcaster Sport TV has been awarded rights for the top division of football in England.

Football

Pay-television broadcaster beIN Sports has secured the main package of domestic rights for Spain's LaLiga, dislodging telecommunications company Telefónica as the main rights-holder for domestic club football in the country.

Football

Portuguese telco NOS has acquired rights for matches featuring the country’s Primeira Liga top-tier football club Benfica.

Bowls

UK sports production and media company Sunset+Vine has agreed a deal with public-service broadcaster the BBC to produce live coverage and highlights of the World Indoor Professional Bowls Championship.

Football

UK pay-television operator Virgin Media has fired the latest shot in its campaign surrounding the broadcast of English Premier League football games by stating that the league should consider introducing a regional blackout system to allow it to show all 380 matches per season live on television.