France

Globo said that it was in talks with the Team Marketing agency about the possibility of acquiring rights for European football’s Champions League competition from 2009-10 to 2011-12.

Forthcoming negotiations for the domestic rights for English rugby union’s Guinness Premiership will act as an interesting barometer of the state of the UK sports rights market, three months before the start of football’s Premier League rights talks.

Athletics: The Shanghai Media Group acquired the rights in China for the World Athletic Series in a four-year deal from 2010 to 2013

English football’s Premier League has blocked its Greek licensee Nova from showing its Saturday 3pm matches.

Commercial channels across Europe are challenging state broadcasters’ acquisition of major sports rights, as part of wider lobbying for stricter controls and limits on the financing of the public-service sector.

Cricket: Pan-Asian broadcaster ESPN Star Sports acquired the rights for Twenty20’s cricket’s Champions League.

Basketball: Greek pay-operator NetMed acquired the rights for A1 league club PAOK in a three-year deal from 2008-09 to 2010-11

News in Brief

Cricket: UK pay-broadcaster BSkyB extended its deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board for a further four years, from 2010 to 2013, paying about £260m (€330m). 

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV’s coverage of the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games attracted the country’s largest-ever television audience.

The early signs are not good for the European Broadcasting Union

Africa keeps Canal on course for Ligue 1 profits

Pan-European sports broadcaster Eurosport said this week that it is not for sale, despite rumours to the contrary and strong interest in the company

Olympics: The Asian Broadcasting Union agreed deals in Indonesia for the 2008 Beijing Games with free-to-air broadcaster TVRI and pay-operator Astro.

Football: German commercial broadcaster RTL sublicensed a package of nine 2010 Fifa World Cup matches from pay-television operator Premiere, with an option to purchase a further nine matches.

Basketball: German commercial broadcaster DSF acquired the live, delayed and highlights rights for the 2009 and 2011 FIBA European Championship and the 2010 FIBA World Championship from the Fédération Internationale de Basketball.