Germany
Skiing starts new talks to centralise world cup rights
The Fédération Internationale de Ski, the sport’s world governing body, will try to buy the television rights for each of the national associations
Ligue’s five-year plan to lure telecom bidders
League appeals to competition authorities for permission to sell rights for five years
Fifa attracts $4.5bn TV fees for next two World Cups
Deals made directly with broadcasters boost earnings
TV RIGHTS CLIPS 1: Football, winter sports and Formula One
Football: French commercial broadcasters TF1 and M6 confirmed their joint acquisition of the rights for Euro 2008, in a €100m (£68m) deal brokered by the Sportfive agency.
Skiing must adapt to avoid sliding fees and ratings
German ski association's rights fee income falls amid general decline in interest in skiing's big markets
Complex tender lists 233 options
The Bundesliga has created a complex request for tenders offering 233 options over 150 pages
Premiere will launch own channel after DSF talks fail
Pay-operator Premiere, which plans to operate a free-to-air channel, says that it will most likely start its own channel from scratch
Bundesliga offers 233 options
German football’s Bundesliga has created a television-rights tender-offer in such a way that it will reach its target of €400-million-a-year
TV RIGHTS CLIPS 2: Basketball, gymnastics, sailing, tennis and more
Basketball: Polish pay-broadcaster Canal Plus acquired the live rights for the Euroleague in a three-year deal, from 2005-06 to 2007-08, with the Bonivest agency, which brokered the deal on behalf of Euroleague Basketball.
European cable looks to football to challenge DTH
The established satellite operators are facing new competition from cable for domestic football rights
Bundesliga fires rights starting gun
The German football league last week launched the sales process for the Bundesliga rights from 2006-07 to 2008-09
Premiere loses private equity cash as rights battle looms
Private equity company Permira’s decision to all but pull out of German pay-broadcaster Premiere reflects a fear that the broadcaster may not grow its subscriber base much further
TV RIGHTS CLIPS 2: US Sports, cricket, rugby, motorsports
Baseball: US cable broadcaster ESPN renewed its long-term deal for Major League Baseball, paying $2.368bn (£1.3bn/€1.9bn) over eight years, from 2006 to 2013.
No one comes to RTL’s rescue in Four Hills slide
It was one of the crown jewels of German sport until recently
Agencies will face hard task to win Bundesliga rights
Four agencies are thought likely to bid for Bundesliga television rights
German clubs say Champions award will hit sponsors
German pay-broadcaster Premiere’s exclusive deal for Champions League pay-television and free-to-air live rights has angered the beaten free-channels, which were taken by surprise, and the clubs, which are worried about losing sponsorship money.
Premiere goes for wonder double to boost free channel
Premiere, the German pay-television operator which is soon to launch a free-to-air channel, will fight hard to bring off a remarkable double this autumn
Big-cash strategic bids become a thing of the past
The big-money strategic bids of German commercial broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1 for top sports rights are a thing of the past