Europe

Media Partners & Silva set to take a long-term stranglehold on the international rights of Serie A clubs.

Talpa signs deal for Dutch national football team away qualifiers.

RTL sold on the rights for one of this year’s World Cup ski-jumping events after a row with the FIS

Rai set to acquire rights for Euro 2008 from Sportfive.

Shock award of international media rights for German league football

Tennis: Pan-European cable and satellite broadcaster Eurosport extended its deal for coverage of the Australian Open for a further four years, from 2008 to 2011. Eurosport will also be the distribution agent for the media rights across Europe. The rights were previously held by the European Broadcasting Union, the umbrella group representing the region’s public-service broadcasters.

France, Italy, UK and Nordic region the only European territories covered so far.

Golf: The US PGA Tour signed new six-year deals with the CBS and NBC networks, from 2007 to 2012.

Football: The German Football League awarded the rights for the Bundesliga in several three-year deals covering 2006-07 to 2008-09.

Terrestrial television viewing of sport had a good year in 2004

Versatel has jumped into the vanguard of an emerging movement by telecoms companies to seriously challenge broadcasters for live television rights.

France Télévisions believe that FIS must change to interest broadcasters.