North America
NBC agrees ten-year extension for Tour de France rights
US cable channel the NBC Sports Network has renewed its deal with the Amaury Sport Organisation for rights to the Tour de France cycle race for a further ten years, from 2014 to 2023
FCC success could lead to Tennis Channel sale
US pay-television broadcaster Tennis Channel could dramatically expand its distribution, possibly prompting a sale by its owners, if it is successful in a case pending before the Federal Communications…
CBC and Bell scrap Olympic bid strategy
Canadian public-service broadcaster CBC and telecommunications company Bell have dropped their joint bid for the Canadian media rights to the 2014 and 2016 Olympic Games, having had two offers rejected…
NBA’s New Orleans Hornets agree regional Fox deal
US regional sports network Fox Sports Southwest has agreed a long-term deal with the New Orleans Hornets, of the National Basketball Association, commencing in the 2012-13 season
University of North Dakota seals regional broadcast deal
US regional sports broadcaster Midco Sports Network has agreed a five-year deal, from 2012-13 to 2016-17, with the University of North Dakota for live rights to matches of the hockey, football, basketball…
NHL blocks Bell and Rogers from joint bid for rights, report says
Bell and rival telecommunications company Rogers Communications will not be allowed to submit a joint bid for the next cycle of the National Hockey League’s Canadian rights, according to the Globe and M…
One World Sports acquires Japanese baseball rights
US Asia-focused sports network One World Sports has acquired exclusive rights to the home games of Japanese baseball side Hiroshima Carp, which competes in the top-tier Nippon Professional Baseball league
ESPN to mark Title IX anniversary with channel launch
US sports broadcaster ESPN is to launch a channel dedicated exclusively to live women’s sports events on its ESPN3 internet service.
ESPN to continue showing high school sport despite scaling back business
US broadcaster ESPN is set to close down its high school sports-focused operation, but will continue to televise sport at that level
MLB extends deadline for deal in Nationals-MASN talks
Major League Baseball has extended its deadline for a resolution in the dispute over television rights fees between the Washington Nationals and regional cable-television broadcaster MASN until July, according…
TSN acquires Belmont Stakes rights in Canada
TSN, the Canadian sports broadcaster majority-owned by the Bell Media group, acquired live rights for the Belmont Stakes horse race in a three-year deal, from 2012 to 2014, with rights-holder NBCUniversal…
MLB domestic rights to come on the market this week
US baseball league Major League Baseball will offer its domestic media rights to the market this week after periods of exclusive negotiations with existing broadcast partners expire
NASCAR overhauls media division
North American motor-racing series Nascar has restructured its media division in a process that it said would strengthen its broadcasting and production services
Kings NHL games to remain on Fox Sports West
Fox Sports, a division of US network Fox, agreed a 12-year deal, from 2012-13 to 2023-24, for the rights to show Los Angeles Kings National Hockey League ice hockey games on the Fox Sports West regional…
News Corp confirms interest in launching US sports network
Media conglomerate News Corporation confirmed it is considering converting its US cable television motorsports channel Speed into a nationwide sports network
Al Jazeera pays big fee for Copa
Al Jazeera acquires Copa rights
Rogers Sportsnet agrees IndyCar rights deal
Canadian pay-television broadcaster Rogers Sportsnet has acquired a package of rights to the IndyCar motor racing series, including the Indy500, in a five-year deal, according to Canadian newspaper, The…
Rights revenue-sharing deal ends IOC-USOC dispute
The International Olympic Committee and the US Olympic Committee agreed a revenue-sharing deal, bringing an end to a long-running dispute over the division of Olympic Games media rights and sponsorship…