United Kingdom

The Scottish Professional Football League has extended a rights deal with BBC Alba, the Gaelic-language channel operated by UK public-service broadcaster the BBC.

The England and Wales Cricket Board’s media-rights sales process for international and domestic cricket for the five-year period spanning 2020 to 2024 is set to close tomorrow (Wednesday), with competition between pay-television broadcasters Sky and BT Sport reportedly set to push the contract past the £1bn (€1.13bn/$1.26bn) mark.

Online streaming platform Sina Sports has struck a strategic partnership with the All England Club, which operates the Wimbledon Championships.

BoxNation’s carriage and simulcast deal with BT Sport has been further enhanced after the two broadcasters acquired rights to the middleweight world title fight between Gennady Golovkin and Saúl Álvarez – the partnership’s first major acquisition since it began in February.

UK viewing audiences for the week between Monday 5th and Sunday 11th June. We also look at May's leading pay-television audiences. Watching Brief Vol. 161

Sean Bratches, Formula One’s managing director of commercial operations, has hit out at the motor racing series’ broadcast rights model inherited by the previous regime led by Bernie Ecclestone, stating that a focus on pay-television, especially in the UK market, has been detrimental to the sport.

UK pay-television broadcaster BT Sport has acquired rights to this year’s edition of the Henley Royal Regatta, with production company Sunset+Vine having also been confirmed as the host broadcaster of the British rowing showpiece for the third year in a row.

UK public-service broadcaster the BBC has agreed a deal with the Professional Darts Corporation to continue showing live coverage of its Champions League of Darts competition.

Specialist boxing pay-television channel BoxNation has acquired the UK rights to the heavily-anticipated fight between Gennady Golovkin and Saul Alvarez, which will take place in Las Vegas on September 16.

Organisers of the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London, England, will stream live coverage of the multi-sport event through the WorldParaAthletics.org website.

UK viewing audiences for the week between Monday 29th May and Sunday 4th June. We also look at leading audiences for this seasons English Championship. Watching Brief Vol. 160

Average audiences for English Premier League football matches suffered a significant drop on pay-television during the 2016-17 season, but increased markedly on streaming services.

European Professional Club Rugby increased the value of its media rights in France by about 50 per cent late last month from deals with beIN Sports and France Télévisions.

The English Football League, which operates the three divisions below the top-tier Premier League, has decided against exercising an option to extend a domestic live rights deal with pay-television broadcaster Sky and will launch a tender process later this month.

UK viewing audiences for the week between Monday 22nd May and Sunday 28th May. We also look at Formula 1 audiences through the season's first six races. Watching Brief Vol. 159

UK public-service broadcaster the BBC and pay-television operator Sky have acquired rights to the Scottish rugby union team’s upcoming summer tour.