Europe
Eleven Sports Network bolsters EuroBasket 2015 coverage in Poland
International pay-television operator Eleven Sports Network has acquired rights in Poland for the EuroBasket 2015 men’s national team basketball competition.
Vivendi increases stake in Dailymotion
French media group Vivendi has acquired an additional 10-per-cent shareholding in video-sharing website Dailymotion to increase its stake to 90 per cent.
Russian Premier League approves new domestic rights contract
The Russian Premier League has formally approved a new three-season deal with pay-television broadcaster NTV Plus, which will be worth R1.98bn (€27.4m/$30.3m) for the ongoing 2015-16 season.
Bayern Munich targets China and US through Goal.com partnership
German Bundesliga champion Bayern Munich has signed a global media partnership with specialist digital football platform Goal.com.
Mediaset complains after ZDF’s Champions League coverage is shown in Italy
Mediaset has complained to football’s European governing body Uefa after coverage of a Champions League match was made available in Italy, apparently diluting the Italian media group’s exclusive coverage of the tournament.
Eurosport Norge seals RiksTV carriage deal
Norwegian pay-television operator RiksTV has struck a carriage deal for a portfolio of channels operated by media and entertainment company Discovery Communications, including Eurosport Norge.
BBC secures extended rights deal with RFL
UK public-service broadcaster the BBC has signed an extension to its rights deal with the Rugby Football League, the governing body of rugby league in England, to continue broadcasting the Challenge Cup club knockout competition.
Eurosport extends DFB rights deal as new tender launched
The German Football Association (DFB) has agreed a four-year extension to its rights contract with pan-European sports broadcaster Eurosport and has launched a tender process for domestic rights to its DFB-Pokal club competitions.
MP & Silva nets new rights partners for Handball-Bundesliga
The Handball-Bundesliga, the sport’s top division in Germany, has said its global broadcast reach will extend to beyond 40 countries in 2015-16 through new rights deals agreed by the MP & Silva agency.
Saran snaps up Rio Games rights in Turkey
The Saran Media agency has acquired rights in Turkey for the 2016 summer Olympic Games.
Sky secures rights for England’s tour of Pakistan
UK pay-television broadcaster Sky has acquired rights for the England national cricket team’s tour against Pakistan later this year.
Sky Deutschland maintains Mayweather connection for Berto fight
German pay-television broadcaster Sky Deutschland has acquired rights to Floyd Mayweather Jr’s fight against Andre Berto.
Discovery strikes distribution deal for Eurosport in Russia
US media and entertainment company Discovery Communications has struck a deal with Russia’s National Media Group to form a new company that will allow it to distribute pan-regional sports broadcaster Eurosport in the country.
BT pouches Ashes rights
UK pay-television broadcaster BT Sport this week blindsided its main rival Sky by picking up Ashes cricket rights, paying a rights-fee increase of about 20 per cent.
Lega Basket gets Rai-Sky boost
Italy’s top basketball league, Lega Basket Serie A, is satisfied with the outcome of its recent domes-tic rights negotiations, even though total fees remain well below the level of five years ago.
FOM leaves money on table in latest German deals
Formula One’s broadcast rights value in Germany will fall by about seven per cent when the latest renewals, agreed last week, kick in from 2016.
MTG renews NHL but misses out on IIHF rights in Sweden
Multi-territory broadcaster Modern Times Group renewed National Hockey League rights across the Nordics late last month, but missed out on the sport’s World Championship rights in Sweden.
Altice signals sport intent with deal for Premiership Rugby
French telco Altice signalled its intent to bid aggressively for sports rights late last month, teaming up with RDA TV to buy international Premiership Rugby rights.