USA
NBCU seeks to utilise Super Bowl to promote TV Everywhere services
US media company NBCUniversal will provide 11 consecutive hours of live streaming content free of charge for Super Bowl XLIX on February 1, as it seeks to use the huge audiences associated with the finale to the NFL American football season to raise awareness of its online viewing platforms.
NFL renews CBS Thursday Night Football deal
The NFL American football league has extended a rights deal for the Thursday Night Football package with the CBS network in the US.
CBS Sports Network extends rights to Army football
US pay-television broadcaster CBS Sports Network has agreed a five-year rights extension with the Army Athletic Association for the body’s college American football games.
AT&T U-Verse to carry action sports channel
US telecommunications company AT&T has struck a deal to carry new Latin American action sports channel PX TV on its U-Verse pay-television service.
Boxing returns to US primetime network television with PBC series
The NBC Sports Group division of US media company NBCUniversal has struck a multi-year rights deal to show the new Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) series.
College Football Playoff finale smashes records for ESPN
US sports broadcaster ESPN has reported record cable television audience and rating figures for its broadcast of Monday’s inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship game.
Universal Sports Network bolsters US reach
US pay-television sports broadcaster Universal Sports Network has broadened its reach after three cable television operators agreed carriage deals for the platform.
Chicago Cubs align local rights deals with new WGN-TV contract
Major League Baseball franchise the Chicago Cubs has signed a new five-year local rights deal with cable-television broadcaster WGN-TV.
Consortium acquires Keemotion
Sports production company Keemotion has been acquired by a consortium of investors led by David Abrams, a retired partner from US private equity firm Apollo Global Management.
New Dish service aims to offer cut-price access to ESPN content
Sling TV, a subsidiary of US pay-television provider Dish Network, has said it will launch a new live, over-the-top television service offering customers access to content from companies including sports broadcaster ESPN.
IMG College extends with East Carolina University
The IMG College division of the IMG agency has signed a 10-year extension, from 2016-17 to 2025-26, to its multi-media rights partnership with East Carolina University in the US.
NFL furthers online video drive with Facebook partnership
American football league the NFL has bolstered its online video offering by agreeing a partnership with social media platform Facebook, according to the Wall Street Journal newspaper.
Winter break matches picked up by beIN Sports
US pay-television broadcaster beIN Sports has acquired rights for two friendly matches over football’s European winter break.
DirecTV renews Disney ‘TV Everywhere’ deal
US satellite-television provider DirecTV has sealed a multi-year distribution deal with the Walt Disney media company covering authenticated online video services for a number of broadcasters, including pay-television sports channel ESPN.
Time Warner Cable to introduce new sports charge for customers
US cable-television operator Time Warner Cable is set to introduce a new subscription fee for sports programming, according to the Charlotte Observer.
New York City FC agrees Yes Network partnership
Major League Soccer expansion franchise New York City FC has announced a multi-year agreement to make regional pay-television sports broadcaster Yes Network its exclusive local television partner ahead of its 2015 debut in the North American club football competition.
MLS newcomer Orlando strikes local broadcast deal
The Orlando City franchise has struck a rights deal with local broadcaster WOFL-TV FOX 35 ahead of its entrance into North America’s Major League Soccer.
Cubs strike local rights deal
WLS-TV/ABC7 Chicago, a local television station owned by the ABC network in the US, has acquired rights to games featuring Major League Baseball franchise the Chicago Cubs.