USA

US pay-television broadcaster HBO has acquired rights for this weekend’s heavyweight world title fight between defending champion Wladimir Klitschko and Kubrat Pulev.

US pay-per-view and closed circuit sports events distributor Integrated Sports Media has acquired rights to new franchise-based competition the International Premier Tennis League.

The SportSouth channel operated by regional US pay-television broadcaster Fox Sports South has extended a rights deal with the North American NBA basketball franchise the Atlanta Hawks.

North American stock car-racing series Nascar has agreed a content partnership with US cable and satellite broadcaster Nickelodeon.

Houston Astros MLB baseball and Houston Rockets NBA basketball games will be provided to a much wider television audience after a judge approved a bankruptcy reorganisation plan involving the two teams’ local rights-holder, Comcast SportsNet Houston.

The IEC in Sports and RDA TV agencies will provide free live streaming of Saturday’s USA v New Zealand rugby union international in 127 territories, through the backing of match presenting sponsor AIG.

Interview with Gary Stevenson, president and managing director of MLS Business Ventures, on the new MLS/SUM eight-year deal with IMG Events & Media.

Major League Baseball franchise the Arizona Diamondbacks is close to extending its regional rights deal with Fox Sports Arizona, the local affiliate of Fox Sports Networks, according to the Azcentral.com news website.

US Spanish-language broadcasters Telemundo and mun2, both of which are owned by media company NBCUniversal, have committed to showing 188 matches from events operated by football’s global governing body Fifa in 2015.

UK pay-television broadcaster BSkyB has made a $7m (€5.5m) investment in US cross-platform media network Whistle Sports.

Madison Square Garden Company, which owns US regional pay-television channels MSG Network and MSG Plus, along with major league franchises the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers, has proposed to spin-off its media and sports businesses from its entertainment division.

A district court judge in the US has granted a temporary injunction against Aereo, blocking the video streaming service from transmitting broadcasters’ programmes to its subscribers.

Major League Baseball has set a new broadcast milestone with the 2014 World Series becoming the first edition of the season-ending showpiece to be live streamed.

The athletics division of US college Arizona State has said it will terminate its multimedia rights deal with IMG College and is claiming more than $5m (€3.9m) in damages from the agency for failing to meet contract obligations.

US motorcycling series AMA Supercross has secured its first-ever live coverage on the Fox network for its 2015 season.

NHL ice hockey franchise the Anaheim Ducks has signed a “long-term” contract extension with local broadcast rights-holder Fox Sports Prime Ticket.