Nordics

Commercial and pay-television broadcaster Modern Times Group has struck a long-term rights deal for the European Handball Federation men’s and women’s Champions League club competitions.

The European Handball Federation has secured a six-year extension to its television deal in Denmark with public-service broadcaster DR and multi-territory commercial and pay-television broadcaster Modern Times Group.

Sport1’s deal last week for the rights to the National Hockey League means the sports broadcaster now has exclusive rights to each of the four top North American sports leagues.

Danish public-service broadcaster DR has acquired multi-platform rights for coverage of the Denmark U-21 national football team.

Leading Superligaen club Brondby has confirmed it will join the other 11 teams of the top division of Danish football in a six-year collective broadcast rights deal for the league.

Pan-Nordic basic-tier and pay-television broadcaster SBS Discovery Media has acquired rights for all friendly matches featuring the Norway national football team.

Norwegian commercial and pay-television broadcaster TV2 has agreed a late rights deal for the 2014 Men’s World Ice Hockey Championships, which gets underway in Belarus on Friday.

A tender for the media rights to the Superligaen, the top division of Danish football, is expected to be issued next week and will include all 12 teams, according to the Mediawatch.dk website.

Nordic pay-television broadcaster C More Entertainment is to close sports-focused commercial channel Canal 9 in Norway.

Finnish pay-television sports broadcaster UrhoTV has today suspended its operations due to financial difficulties.

The IEC in Sports agency has agreed a deal with the Kontinental Hockey League, the top division of ice hockey in Russia, for broadcast rights to the finals of the 2014 Swedish Hockey League club competition.

Swedish commercial and pay-television broadcaster TV4 has signed a three-year extension to its contract with production company Onside TV, under which the firm will produce around 350 football games per year.

Uefa, football’s European governing body, has awarded media rights in Sweden for the 2017 Women’s Euro international tournament to public-service broadcaster SVT and pay-television and commercial broadcaster TV4.

Danish public-service broadcaster TV2 has agreed a three-year deal with the Danish Ice Hockey Union (DIU) for the rights to the Metal Ligaen, the top division of Danish ice hockey, and the Metal Cup competition.

Mike Kiernan, analyst for SportBusiness Intelligence, reviews audiences across selected European markets for the Winter Olympics in Sochi

Mixed martial arts series the Ultimate Fighting Championship has expanded its agreement with Saran Media to allow the agency to distribute UFC rights in Iceland until January 2017.

Danish Superligaen club Brondby has announced that it will exit the top division of Danish football’s collective broadcast rights agreement when the current deal expires in July 2015.

Swedish public-service broadcaster SVT has agreed a three-year rights deal covering the 2014-15 to 2016-17 seasons of new European club ice hockey competition the Champions Hockey League.