USA
MLB’s Diamondbacks land billion-dollar rights deal – report
Major League Baseball team the Arizona Diamondbacks has agreed a billion-dollar extension to its local rights deal with regional sports network Fox Sports Arizona, according to the Arizona Republic.
IMG’s Crispino follows Pyne to Bruin Sports
Bruin Sports Capital, the new global sports marketing firm launched by former IMG Worldwide president George Pyne, has appointed Tony Crispino as its chief operating officer.
PGA Tour extends DirecTV deal
US satellite-television provider DirecTV has extended a media rights deal for four PGA Tour golf tournaments.
TVG creates unified US racing platform through HRTV purchase
US horseracing pay-television broadcaster TVG, a subsidiary of internet betting exchange Betfair, has acquired rival pay-television broadcaster HRTV from gambling and horse racing company the Stronach Group.
Premier Boxing Champions series expands portfolio with CBS deal
US network CBS has acquired rights for the new Premier Boxing Champions series operated by manager and adviser Al Haymon.
ESPN and Univision hit out at new Fifa rights deals
US broadcasters ESPN and Univision have expressed their disappointment after world football’s governing body, Fifa, awarded the rights to its four-year cycle from 2023 to 2026 without an open bidding process.
Dramatic finale boosts America’s Cup interest
US network NBC this week agreed a deal to show the 2017 America’s Cup, holding off strong interest in the rights from other US broadcasters. Oracle Team USA is the holder of the Cup.
Fox and Bell Media score Fifa World Cup rights extensions
Fifa, football’s global governing body, has renewed rights deals with the Fox network and pay-television broadcaster Telemundo in the US and with telecommunications company Bell Media in Canada.
PGA Tour targets youth market with new internet video network
Digital media company Bedrocket and the PGA Tour have entered into a joint venture to launch golf-specific internet video network Skratch TV.
NBC Sports returns to partner America’s Cup
The NBC Sports Group division of US media company NBCUniversal has acquired rights to the 2017 edition of sailing’s America’s Cup.
MLB and Fox in talks to lift streaming blackouts – report
Major League Baseball is in talks with Fox that would result in streamed games from the US network’s regional sports broadcasters provided without blackouts, according to the Forbes website.
Super League kicks off new season with overseas rights deals
Rugby league’s Super League, which comprises clubs from England and France, has agreed new broadcast deals in Australia, New Zealand, France, North America and the Middle East.
ESPN lands US rights to World Cup of Hockey – report
Sports broadcaster ESPN has acquired the US rights to the 2016 World Cup of Hockey national team ice hockey tournament, according to Canadian pay-television sports broadcaster TSN.
One World Sports expands Cosmos deal for 2015 season
North American pay-television broadcaster One World Sports has renewed its agreement to serve as the exclusive television partner of the New York Cosmos US football team.
Super Bowl attracts record US television audience
The NBC network’s live coverage of the New England Patriots’ victory over the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL Super Bowl American football championship game on Sunday generated the largest US television audience ever recorded.
CBS deal shows power of the NFL
The CBS network’s renewal of its deal with the US National Football League for its Thursday Night Football package underlines the incredible power of the league in the US television market.
MLS sells digital media platform
North America’s Major League Soccer has sold KickTV, its global media platform with a core presence on YouTube, to London-based digital media company Copa90.
FCC refuses to re-open Tennis Channel’s case against Comcast
US pay-television broadcaster the Tennis Channel has pledged to maintain its long-running carriage dispute with pay-television provider Comcast despite US media regulator the Federal Communications Commission denying its request to again look at the case.