Europe

Mixed Martial Arts

Benfica TV, the pay-television channel operated by Portuguese Primeira Liga football club Benfica, has acquired rights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts series.

Paralympics

The IPC Swimming division of the International Paralympic Committee has said a record level of broadcast coverage has been secured for the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships, which got underway today (Monday) in Glasgow, Scotland.

Olympics

Audiences for the Olympic Games will not fall across Europe following the new long-term deal with the Discovery Communications media group, the International Olympic Committee told TV Sports Markets this week.

Football

Cyprus’s weakened economy has caused a decline in the value of Uefa’s club football competitions for a second successive cycle.

Shadow Culture Secretary Chris Bryant has accused the UK government of forcing public-service broadcaster the BBC to the margins of major sports rights bidding.

Football

The European Broadcasting Union signed off a deal for the Euro 2016 tournament in 26 territories late last month in a contract worth considerably less than its deal for Euro 2012.

Rugby Union

The Italian rugby federation said this week its recent deals covering domestic and international rights will help the game continue to develop at home and abroad, while providing financial security for the sport in Italy.

Rugby Union

Interview with Alfredo Gavazzi, president of the Federazione Italiana Rugby, on the Italian rugby federation’s recent domestic and international rights deals.

Olympics

Interview with Timo Lumme, managing director of television and marketing services for the IOC, on the committee’s €1.3bn pan-European deal with Discovery Communications.

Football

Spanish telecommunications company Telefónica has today (Friday) signed an agreement with LaLiga, the new brand name for the Spanish Football League, for the domestic pay-television rights to club football in the 2015-16 season.

Football

Russian Premier League chief executive Sergey Cheban has said an agreement in principle has been reached for pay-television broadcaster NTV Plus to extend its rights deal for the top division of domestic football.

American Football

Austrian commercial broadcaster Puls 4 has agreed a three-year extension to its rights deal with American football league the NFL.

Football

Imagina, the operator of the Mediapro agency, has categorically denied that it is involved in an investigation into allegations of football rights corruption after the Reuters news agency reported that an affiliate of the Spanish media company is one of the unidentified sports marketing companies to have been allegedly implicated in the scandal by the US Department of Justice.

Football

New pay-television broadcaster Eleven Sports Network has acquired rights in Poland for the FA Cup, the top knockout club football competition in England.

Tennis

French commercial broadcaster TF1 has agreed a late sublicensing deal with pay-television broadcaster beIN Media Group to broadcast the semi-final clash between Richard Gasquet and Novak Djokovic at the Wimbledon tennis tournament.

Rugby Union

UK public-service broadcaster the BBC and commercial broadcaster ITV have agreed a new six-year deal under which they will share rights to the Six Nations from next year’s edition of the national team rugby union tournament.

Ice Hockey

Russian pay-television broadcaster NTV Plus has agreed a five-year production and distribution contract with pan-European club ice hockey competition the Kontinental Hockey League.

Football

Spanish Liga football club Barcelona has launched a subscription-based video-on-demand service.