Nigeria

Moves by Nigeria’s government and broadcast regulator could make it increasingly difficult for the country’s pay-television broadcasters to continue paying big money for international sports rights.

Canal Plus Events are to begin a second phase of international rights sales, targeting more deals in Asia and increased free-to-air coverage in Africa.

Football: The Sportfive agency acquired the fixed-media rights to Fifa events in a four-year deal with international football’s governing body from 2009 to 2012, including the 2010 World Cup in South A…

Football: The Deutsche Fussball Liga (DFL), representing the top two tiers of German football, Bundesliga 1 and Bundesliga 2, agreed a number of media rights deals covering the four-year period from 2009-10…

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.

News in Brief

Football: Spanish pay-television operator Sogecable acquired the television rights for the 2010 Fifa World Cup in a deal with Fifa worth just over €90m (£71m). 

This week’s sale of African rights for French Ligue 1 domestic football provides further evidence of the continent’s booming sports rights market

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.

Football: German commercial broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1 acquired the free-to-air rights for the Uefa Champions League.

Nigerian pay-broadcaster HiTV’s three-year deal for Champions League and Uefa Cup rights is its most aggressive blow yet.

Football: Portuguese DTH platform Meo, owned by telecoms firm PT, acquired the high-definition rights to Uefa’s Euro 2008 tournament in a sublicensing deal with commercial channel TVI, which holds the r…

SIC takes Uefa to task over lack of Euro 2008 access

English football’s Premier League began its international audiovisual rights sales in dramatic style with massive first-round awards in three of its most competitive markets.

Competition between GTV and Supersport leads to big fee increases for African domestic football leagues

Football: The England Football Association agreed deals for its international rights covering the fouryear period from 2008-09 to 2011-12, bringing in worldwide revenues of over $300m (£144m/€207m) - …