Japan

The International Olympic Committee has enraged broadcasters worldwide by considering extensive changes to the scheduling of events at the Beijing Olympics.

Tennis: Asian broadcaster Ten Sports sublicensed coverage of the finals of this year’s French Open tournament to rival pay-operator Zee Sports.

Football: German public-service broadcasters ARD/ZDF acquired the live and delayed rights for all 64 matches of the 2014 World Cup from Fifa, football’s world governing body. 

Pay-television newcomers Setanta in the UK and Arena in Germany are bidding strongly for US golf rights against the established pay-operators in their countries.

Premier League: the bidding, the struggle, the deadlock

Football: French commercial broad-caster TF1 agreed a deal with the Infront agency for the pay-television rights for the 2006 World Cup and sublicensed them to pay-broadcaster Canal Plus and its own cable and satellite channel Eurosport.

TV Azteca and Televisa have unofficially agreed not to compete for football

Football:  UK pay-operator British Sky Broadcasting is set to acquire the rights to the English Football League’s Championship, lower divisions and the League Cup in a four-year deal worth at least £3…

The Ladies Professional Golf Association tour is bringing in the bulk of its television-rights fees from Asia

Football:  The Dentsu agency acquired the rights in Japan to all Fifa events from 2007 to 2014, including the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, in a deal with world football’s governing body.

Formula One is said to have secured an increase in rights fees of close to 20 per cent in Japan

Ecclestone bolsters control by agreeing long-term television deals

Top markets may be carved out from European television-rights deal for 2014 and 2016 Olympics

NHK attempts to reduce share of costs fiercely resisted

Deal between Fifa, football’s world governing body, and the Dentsu agency for World Cup television rights

The International Tennis Federation has signed several television rights deals in Asia for Davis and Fed Cup tennis.