Europe

Austrian public-service broadcaster ORF has said it is in talks over extending its rights deal for the Formula One motor racing championship, but has maintained that a new contract must represent good value.

Football

French Ligue 1 team Olympique de Marseille has become the latest leading football club to partner with social media platform Snapchat.

Irish telco Eir has opened discussions over the potential acquisition of pay-television broadcaster Setanta Sports, according to the Irish Times newspaper.

Olympic Games

Many of Europe’s public-service broadcasters are likely to provide a similar amount of linear coverage of the Olympic Games from 2018 compared to previous editions, despite having lost out on the rights to Discovery Communications.

Rugby Union

Aggressive bidding from free-to-air broadcasters in Ireland helped the Six Nations Committee double its media rights fee in the territory last week.

Basketball

The National Basketball Association has finalised a string of deals outside its domestic US market in recent weeks, securing large increases in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and India, and a modest uplift in Poland.

Rugby Union

John Manning, research anaylst for SportBusiness Intelligence examines Rugby World Cup television audiences in the major rugby union markets.

Football

Spanish commercial broadcaster Mediaset has acquired rights for the 2015 Fifa Club World Cup.

Football

The Movistar Plus pay-television platform of Spanish telecommunications company Telefónica will make tomorrow’s (Saturday’s) LaLiga football clash between Real Madrid and Barcelona the first sporting event in Spain to be provided live in ultra high definition.

Multi-sport

UK media regulator Ofcom has today (Thursday) removed the regulation requiring pay-television broadcaster Sky to offer Sky Sports 1 and 2 on a wholesale basis, stating the decision has been made as the company is now widely supplying these channels to rivals on commercial terms.

Football

Spanish Football League (LFP) president Javier Tebas has outlined a target of breaking the €1bn ($1.1bn) per season revenue barrier from its next media rights cycle, adding that the organisation is prepared for any potential lack of interest in certain packages being offered.

Spanish LaLiga football club Real Madrid has agreed a partnership with social media platform Snapchat ahead of this weekend’s home match against fierce rival Barcelona.

Handball

SportA, the agency that represents German public-service broadcasters ARD and ZDF, has acquired exclusive rights to the 2016 and 2018 men’s EHF European Handball Championships, which will be held in Poland and Croatia respectively.

Formula One chief executive Bernie Ecclestone has rejected a request by the BBC for the UK public-service broadcaster to renegotiate its rights deal for the world championship, according to the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

Italian broadcaster Mediaset has secured a ruling from a court in Milan ordering “a major supplier” of internet services to prevent its customers from accessing it.rojadirecta.eu.

Football

French digital-terrestrial television channel L'Équipe 21 has acquired rights to Serie B, the second tier of Italian club football.

UK public-service broadcaster the BBC will cut its sports-rights budget by £35m (€49m/$53m) in 2016-17 as part of wider savings of £150m, it was announced today (Wednesday).

Biathlon

French digital-terrestrial television channel L'Équipe 21 has acquired rights for events hosted by the International Biathlon Union.