Russia

Russian broadcasters VGTRK, Channel One and Match TV have agreed a deal with Fifa for rights to this year’s Confederations Cup, but wrangling over rights to the 2018 World Cup continues.

Tina Kandelaki, the general producer of Match TV, has said that the Russian privately-held broadcaster has agreed a deal to show the 2017 Fifa Confederations Cup and the 2018 World Cup national team football tournaments.

Russian state-controlled commercial broadcaster Channel One and privately-held broadcaster Match TV have secured rights to the forthcoming Fifa Confederations Cup national team football tournament, according to Sport-Express.

The Russian Premier League, the top division of domestic football, has opened talks over extending its rights deal with privately-held broadcaster Match TV.

Gazprom-Media chief executive Dmitry Chernyshenko has said Russian broadcasters have put forward a “unified proposal” to world football’s governing body as the rights to the 2018 World Cup in its host country remain on the table.

Fifa secretary general Fatma Samoura has expressed her confidence that a “compromise” will be reached on the subject of broadcast rights to the 2018 World Cup in the host nation of the national team football showpiece, Russia.

Russian broadcasters are willing to pay 20 per cent more for the 2018 Fifa World Cup than they did for 2014, according to Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko.

Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko has added to the criticism of Fifa regarding the sale of domestic broadcast rights to the 2018 World Cup and 2017 Confederations Cup, stating world football’s governing body is imposing “special conditions” on the host nation for the events.

Stakeholders in the process to assign rights in Russia to the 2018 Fifa World Cup and the forthcoming Confederations Cup have claimed world football’s governing body is asking for too much for a deal in the host nation for the two tournaments.

Production company TVStart has agreed a deal to serve as the media partner of the Ski Classics long-distance skiing championship in Russia.

Russian sports media platform Match TV has regained rights to mixed martial arts promotion the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

TV Sports Markets understands the Telesport agency has acquired rights in Russia to four Olympic Games, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and is currently in negotiations with Fifa for rights to the 2018 World Cup.

Russian broadcasters Channel One, VGTRK and Match TV have submitted a joint bid for the rights to football’s 2018 Fifa World Cup, which will take place in the country.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will use the Telesport agency to sell its rights in Russia after sports media platform Match TV failed to agree terms on a renewal for the mixed martial arts series.

Russian sports media platform Match TV has acquired rights to the 2016-17 season of International Ski Federation (FIS) competition the Cross-Country World Cup.

Vitaly Mutko, the president of the Russian Football Union, will hold talks with Fifa over the sale of media rights for the 2018 World Cup in the country after the proposed fee rocketed, according to the Tass news agency.