USA
Phoenix Suns, Mercury land media-rights deal with local TV, leave Bally Sports
The Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association and the Mercury of the WNBA will be taking their local broadcasts to Gray Television, leaving Diamond Sports Group's Bally Sports regional sports…
CW Network bolsters sports offering with ACC deal
The entertainment-focused CW Network has acquired exclusive rights to a slate of college football and basketball games from the Atlantic Coast Conference
Disney open to selling stake in ESPN, says Iger
Disney is considering selling an equity stake in ESPN and is "open-minded" in finding a strategic partner, according to its chief executive officer Bob Iger
WNBA boasts 46-per-cent viewership rise on ESPN at midway point
The Women's National Basketball Association has drawn an average of 548,000 viewers on ESPN through 13 games for a 46-per-cent increase over the 2022 WNBA season average on the network
MLC secures five-year Willow deal, international distribution
Major League Cricket has announced a domestic media rights deal with subscription broadcaster Willow TV and a series of international media rights agreements ahead of its inaugural season
Greenfly acquires sports AI start-up
US digital media company Greenfly has announced the acquisition of Miro AI, an artificial intelligence-powered content-as-a-service platform
Religion of Sports, Fox Sports Films sign documentary deal
Fox Sports Films has announced that it is partnering with media company Religion of Sports to co-produce new and original sports documentaries
Charter shakes up packaging model for RSNs
Charter Communications has introduced a new model that the company says will "significantly benefit customers subscribing to its sports programming" in a major shake-up by a cable operator designed to…
ReachTV streams LIV Golf coverage in US airports
LIV Golf has announced a deal for airport television network ReachTV to stream live Friday tournament coverage of its events on a non-exclusive basis in the US
RSNs face reckoning, though model is expected to evolve rather than die
Experts have told SportBusiness Media that the regional sports network business will continue to exist in the United States, though the near future will see continued turbulence.
Chicago street race draws NBC’s biggest NASCAR audience in six years
NASCAR's Cup Series street race in Chicago drew a total audience of 4.795 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, making it the most-watched NASCAR race on NBC platforms in six years
Bankruptcy hearing for Diamond Sports, Arizona Diamondbacks adjourned until July 17
Diamond Sports Group's bankruptcy hearing on the regional sports network operator's contract with Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks has been adjourned until July 17
Premier League joins Comcast tech start-up advisor programme
The Premier League has joined the partner consortium for the Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech Accelerator as strategic advisors to start-ups selected for the annual programme
DirecTV renews deal with NFL Media, adds RedZone
Pay-television operator DirecTV has announced a multi-year renewal of its agreement with NFL Media to carry NFL Network and add NFL RedZone to all its platforms for the first time
Roku moves into live sports as CBS expands Formula E contract
Streaming platform Roku has made its first entry into the live sports marketplace under a multi-year deal in the US with Formula E that will also see the CBS network expand its association with the electric…
Cubs look to launch in-market DTC service in July
Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs is looking to give in-market cord cutters a chance to watch games on the team's regional sports network, Marquee Sports Network
ESPN renews commitment to Fiba World Cup coverage in US
The 2023 Fiba Basketball World Cup is to receive comprehensive coverage in the United States on ESPN, after a new rights deal was announced today (Monday)
NCAA and IMG weigh up unbundling women’s basketball
The NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship – considered one of the most undervalued properties in American sports – is focused on maximising the property’s value from the 2024-25 season, which opens the door to possibly unbundling the rights.