Oceania

Football

An Irish football fan living in Australia has bought the Australian broadcast rights to his country’s Fifa World Cup qualifier against Sweden in a bid to ensure the expat population do not miss the crucial game, according to the Reuters news agency.

Athletics

The Australian Sports Commission has said a government-funded digital television sports channel dedicated to the country’s lower-profile sports could be launched as soon as 2014, according to the Australian Financial Review.

Cricket

Australian commercial broadcaster Nine has agreed a deal with the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for the media rights to the next two Ashes series played in England, according to the Australian Financial Review newspaper.

Tennis

Australian pay-television broadcaster Fox Sports has acquired exclusive rights for the US Open tennis tournament.

Pay-television broadcaster Sky New Zealand has posted an 11 per cent increase in its net profit for the year ending June 30, despite making a net loss on its coverage of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Rugby Union

Private investment group Coliseum Sports Media is interested in acquiring domestic rights for the New Zealand national rugby union team, the All Blacks, according to the Matheson Sports Media news agency.

Football

Pay-television broadcaster Sky New Zealand has struck a deal to show matches featuring English Premier League club Manchester United on a delayed basis.

Fishing

Australian pay-television broadcaster Fox Sports and Finnish public-service broadcaster YLE have acquired rights to the forthcoming World Fly Fishing Championship.

Football

The World Sport Group agency has signed a four-year extension to its contract to market the global broadcast rights to Australia’s A-League football competition, with the new deal running until the end of the 2016-17 season.

Basketball

Australian public-service broadcaster the ABC has agreed a deal to broadcast all four games of Australia’s men’s and women’s basketball teams at the forthcoming 2013 Fiba Oceania Championships.

Football

Pay-television broadcaster Sky New Zealand has struck a deal to show matches featuring four English Premier League football clubs on a delayed basis.

Australian pay-television operator Foxtel has become the latest broadcaster to end its 3D offering due to a lack of viewing interest in the format.

Cricket

Pay-television broadcaster Sky New Zealand has acquired the domestic rights to the 2015 Cricket World Cup tournament, which is being co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia.

Rugby Union

Premiership Rugby, the commercial rights-holder and organiser of the World Club 7s rugby union tournament, has agreed three additional broadcast deals, TV Sports Markets understands.

Pay-television broadcaster Sky New Zealand has acquired the domestic rights, along with those across the Pacific Islands, to multi-sport event the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Cycling

Australian public-service broadcaster SBS has agreed a 10-year deal for the exclusive rights to broadcast the Tour de France cycling event until 2023.

Tennis

Tennis Australia vice-president Harold Mitchell has defended the governing body’s decision to sell the latest domestic media rights for the Australian Open to commercial broadcaster Seven without a tender.

Football

Sky pays more for World Cup in New Zealand