Scandinavia

Pan-European broadcaster Eurosport is to launch a new channel
Football

Public pressure forced reluctant Swedish pay-channel Viasat Sport 1 to buy the rights in a last-minute deal for the national football team’s away friendly match
Handball

The Champions League deal signed by Danmarks Radio is the longest agreed for the competition
Handball

New five-year deal signed by Danish public-service broadcaster Danmarks Radio for handball’s Champions League
Basketball

Football/Basketball: JCS Sports, owner of Israel’s two Sport 5 cable and satellite channels, acquired the rights for top Israeli football and basketball matches in a three-year sublicensing deal with pay-per-view company Charlton

Basketball

Football: German public-service broadcasters ARD and ZDF acquired the rights for up to 49 matches in football’s 2006 World Cup from Swiss agency Infront Sports & Media.

Football

Norges Fotballforbund, the national football association, agreed a four-year deal for the live and highlights rights for all major football competitions in Norwegian football
Football

Ownership row continues after the publication of an independent report by the country’s national competition authority.

Viewing rises in four out of the top five European television markets
Football

Swedish TV4 gets best-ever viewing figure for Women's football World Cup final
Football

Norwegian football’s new commercial rights tender goes a step further than most in splitting up its rights for the market
Football

Infront, and other suitors, did not like the rights guarantees ISPR had committed to
Biathlon

The TV Sports Markets monthly survey of European sports viewing in December shows Champions League second-phase matches topping the tables in six of 19 countries surveyed.

Danish broadcaster TV Danmark fought a bitter, year-long court battle with the UK’s television regulator over listed events.

Women's World Championships draw good audiences in Norway, Germany, Romania
Football

Football: Greek public-service broadcaster ERT acquired the free-to-air rights for all 31 matches of Euro 2008 in a €9.5m (£6.5m) deal with the Sportfive agency.  It is the first deal done for the championship.  Italian public-service broadcaster Rai is also set to sign a deal for Euro 2008, paying €120m.

Cricket

Cricket: The Nimbus Sport agency acquired the worldwide television rights to cricket in India in a four-year deal with the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

Football

Football: Polish public-service broadcaster TVP and commercial broadcaster Polsat agreed a joint-deal for the 2006 World Cup with the Infront agency worth €15m (£10.3m).