Europe

UK public-service broadcaster the BBC will move into the eSports market next week by covering the League of Legends World Championships live from Wembley in London.

New ice hockey-dedicated online channel IceTimeTV has agreed its first major partnership by teaming up with British Elite Ice Hockey League club Cardiff Devils.

The Movistar Plus broadcast platform of Spanish telco Telefónica has agreed a three-season rights deal with Liga ACB, the top division of basketball in Spain.

Fox International Channels, the broadcast division of media company 21st Century Fox, is set to launch its Fox Sports channels in Greece through a carriage deal with pay-television operator Nova.

German-based pay-television broadcaster Motorvision TV has moved to expand its global reach by securing new carriage deals in Serbia and Taiwan, as well as extending existing agreements in France, Slovenia and Romania.

German media company ProSiebenSat.1 has continued its investment in digital sports media ventures by acquiring stakes in US media group EverSport and global football network 90min.

British Eurosport, the UK arm of pan-regional broadcaster Eurosport, has acquired rights to the forthcoming international cricket series between Sri Lanka and the West Indies.

Golf’s European Tour has said Mark Lichtenhein will step down from his role as its head of television, digital media and technology with immediate effect.

Modern Times Group, the multi-territory commercial and pay-television broadcaster, has extended its rights partnership with the Premier League in Sweden and Denmark, as well as adding rights in Finland for the first time, while Norwegian commercial and pay-television broadcaster TV2 has also extended its contract with the top division of English football.

Kelly Butler is set to resign as senior vice-president of the Fox Sports Europe and Africa arm of Fox International Channels, the broadcast subsidiary of media company 21st Century Fox.

Swiss IPTV platform Zattoo has struck a deal to carry pan-European sports broadcaster Eurosport in German-speaking Europe.

US media and entertainment company Discovery Communications has officially taken full control of Eurosport after French commercial broadcaster TF1 confirmed the sale of its 49 per cent equity interest in the international sports broadcaster.

German sports broadcaster Sport1 is set to recommence broadcasting of its free-to-air channel via digital terrestrial television.

Spanish LaLiga football club Real Madrid has been awarded a licence that will enable its official television channel, Real Madrid TV, to broadcast on digital-terrestrial television in the country, according to El Mundo.

BeIN Media Group has reached a deal to sublicense rights to an additional 11 games from the Uefa Euro 2016 national team football tournament to French commercial broadcaster TF1.

Eurosport chief executive Peter Hutton has said sublicensing fees will cover 70 per cent of the cost of the pan-European sports broadcaster’s acquisition of rights to the Olympic Games.