North America

Shareholders have moved to give overwhelming backing to US media company Discovery Communications’ planned takeover of cable television network owner Scripps Networks Interactive, as officials await news of potential regulatory challenges to the deal.

The US Department of Justice will challenge the proposed takeover by telecommunications company AT&T of US media company Time Warner.

US telecommunications company Verizon is set to seal an extended and amended rights deal with American football league the NFL, according to Bloomberg.

DAZN, the OTT service operated by digital sports media company Perform, has agreed a rights deal with the International Basketball Federation (Fiba).

US telecommunications companies Comcast and Verizon have become the latest companies linked with talks to acquire key assets of media group 21st Century Fox.

US-based multi-platform sports network Stadium has agreed a deal with social media platform Facebook to stream live coverage of US college basketball games.

Uefa is hoping the improved fees and ratings secured by Major League Soccer in Canada indicate a rising tide of football interest that will lift the value of its Champions League and Europa League rights, which went on sale last month.

The Association of Tennis Professionals, organising body of the men’s world tour, has today (Friday) confirmed a rights deal with Amazon for the UK and Ireland, along with a partnership with the internet company for the US market.

US media company Time has joined forces with internet company Amazon for a new OTT streaming service under the banner of its flagship magazine, Sports Illustrated, which will launch today (Thursday).

The IMG agency has secured a 10-year multimedia rights agreement with George Washington University’s athletics department.

A series of leading media companies paid bribes to secure multi-year rights deals for football matches, according to the testimony of a prosecution witness in the ongoing US football corruption trial of three of the sport’s former administrators.

Spanish-language sports broadcaster Telemundo Deportes has picked up rights in the United States to the 2017 Fifa Club World Cup and has agreed a deal to show the second leg of the Fifa World Cup play-off between Peru and New Zealand.

Daily fantasy sports company DraftKings has joined forces with MSG Networks, which owns and operates the MSG Network and MSG Plus US regional sports and entertainment channels, to set an apparent first with a fantasy sports-focused broadcast.

US sports broadcaster ESPN has broadened its partnership with Snap Inc, the parent company of social media platform Snapchat, by agreeing a new two-year deal themed around its news programme SportsCenter.

US OTT streaming service FuboTV has agreed a multi-year deal to carry programming from regional sports network NESN.

Superswiss, which provides pay-television channels in the US, has expanded its partnership with the DEL, the top division of ice hockey in Germany.