Spain

A takeover of Saudi-owned Middle East pay-broadcaster Arab Radio and Television by Qatar-based Al Jazeera Sports is likely to still go ahead, according to industry insiders.

Mediapro is close to finalising domestic mobile rights deals for Spanish football’s La Liga, the first such deals to be agreed after a three-year hiatus caused by the football war between Mediapro and Sogecable.

No UK broadcasters were willing to show England’s final 2010 World Cup qualifier against the Ukraine but national team matches are still a sure-fire guarantee of big television audiences.

Football: The European Broadcasting Union acquired the rights for Euro 2012 in 36 countries in a deal with Uefa, European football’s governing body.

RTVE could have some explaining to do to after offering up to 20 per cent more in direct negotiations with the IOC for the rights for the 2014 and 2016 Olympics than it did as part of a pan-regional EBU bid.

European broadcasters will be scrutinising ratings for last month’s World Athletics Championships as they weigh up their bids for the rights of future championships.

Football: Italian digital-terrestrial pay-broadcaster Dahlia acquired a package of live Serie A rights covering the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons in a two-year deal worth €63m ($90m), brokered by the Infront S…

American Football: US television network NBC extended its deal for National Football League (NFL) matches until 2013 in a two-year deal, paying an estimated two-per-cent annual increase on its existing…

Europe’s top satellite pay-television operators will be casting envious glances at the UK’s BSkyB, after it enjoyed what analysts described as a “flawless quarter” to end-June.

Speculation is mounting that Singapore’s two rival pay-broadcasters may bid jointly for the English Premier League rights when they come on the market.

The return of Lance Armstrong to this year’s Tour de France looks to have played a key role in driving strong television audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.

Football: Italian satellite broadcaster Sky Italia acquired the live satellite rights for all Serie A matches from 2010-11 to 2011-12 in a deal with Lega Calcio. Sky will pay €580m ($824m) a season.

Basketball: PCTV-owned Mexican pay-broadcaster TVC Deportes extended it deal for the live rights to the ACB Spanish Basketball League in a three-year deal from 2009-10 to 2011-12

Sport1 has negotiated itself a loophole in its new deal for Spanish La Liga rights that gives it the freedom to renegotiate just one year into the three-year deal.

Football: Sports broadcaster ESPN acquired the UK rights previously held by Setanta for 46 Premier League matches from the 2009-10 season and 23 matches a season for the three years from 2010-11 to 2012-13,…

The fate of UK pay broadcaster Setanta was hanging by a thread late this week, as TV Sports Markets went to press.