United Kingdom

UK pay-operator Setanta looks to hit ambitious subscriber targets.

Basketball: Greek pay-operator NetMed acquired the rights for A1 league club PAOK in a three-year deal from 2008-09 to 2010-11

Football: Greek commercial broadcaster Antenna acquired the rights for top Greek club Olympiacos’ home first round match in the Uefa Cup and its two home group stage matches, paying €1.605m (£1.25m)

Cricket: UK pay-broadcaster BSkyB extended its deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board for a further four years, from 2010 to 2013, paying about £260m (€330m). 

Football: Spanish pay-television operator Sogecable acquired the television rights for the 2010 Fifa World Cup in a deal with Fifa worth just over €90m (£71m). 

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV’s coverage of the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games attracted the country’s largest-ever television audience.

ECB tough negotiations with public-service broadcaster the BBC for radio rights.

WinTV in losing battle to convert China to pay-TV

The early signs are not good for the European Broadcasting Union

Olympics: The Asia-Pacific Broad-casting Union acquired the free-to-air terrestrial and radio rights for the 2010 and 2012 Olympics for $10m (£5.1m/€6.4m) in a deal with the International Olympic Committee. 

Ratings fall but battling Tour sees signs of hope

The England and Wales Cricket Board has been fiercely criticised by broadcasters for its handling of negotiations for its next television rights deal.

Olympics: Spanish media group Telefónica’s Latin American digital media arm Terra acquired the internet and mobile platform rights to the 2008 Olympic Games.

Football: Pan-Asian broadcaster ESPN Star Sports acquired the exclusive television rights in the Indian sub-continent for Fifa events in 2009 and 2010, including the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Pan-European sports broadcaster Eurosport said this week that it is not for sale, despite rumours to the contrary and strong interest in the company

European Court will hear argument that territorial exclusivity is a barrier to the free movement of goods and services