USA

The Fox Sports division of US network Fox has acquired media rights for events operated by the Feld Motor Sports division of event promoter Feld Entertainment.

Aston Villa expanding its media coverage in US

Uefa, football’s European governing body, has invited bids for the media rights in the United States and Caribbean to the Champions League, Europa League and Super Cup club competitions.

A lawsuit brought by US college athletes seeking a share of television and videogame rights revenue can proceed, a US judge has ruled.

Video-sharing website YouTube has agreed a one-year extension with North American basketball league the NBA for the live streaming of more than 350 games from the second-tier Development League during the 2013-14 season.

US MLB baseball club the Chicago Cubs have exercised an option to curtail their local rights deal with cable-television broadcaster WGN-TV after the 2014 season, according to the Chicago Tribune newspaper.

US media company 21st Century Fox has said that investment in new channels, including the launch of the new Fox Sports pay-television channels in the US, affected profit in the company’s first quarter of the 2013-14 financial year.

The US Federal Communications Commission, the country’s media regulator, has proposed the scrapping of the broadcast blackout rule, which blocks US sports events from being shown live on television in their local market if they fail to meet certain conditions, such as a specified level of ticket sales.

US education establishment Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) has agreed a deal with local state broadcaster MyTV30 for the local rights to 11 games featuring various teams from the university’s athletics department.

American football league the NFL has confirmed it is investigating whether to auction broadcast rights for a new set of regular-season games on Thursday evenings, according to the Reuters news agency.

Regional US pay-television broadcaster Fox Sports Florida has acquired rights for live coverage of games featuring the Orlando Magic NBA basketball team.

English Premier League football club Aston Villa has agreed a two-year deal with US cable-television operator Time Warner Cable Sports to broadcast its international television programme, Aston Villa Weekly, in the Southern California area.

The WWE wrestling organisation has denied a report that it has earmarked a date in February 2014 for the launch of WWE Network, a new 24-hour pay-television channel in the US.

Creative Artists Agency may have to hand over majority control to outside investors in order to help finance a bid for rival agency IMG, according to the New York Post.

American football league the NFL has denied a report that it is considering selling a US broadcast rights package for an additional set of Thursday evening games.

International motorsport promoter P1 has signed a rights deal with US regional pay-television broadcaster Fox Sports Florida for coverage of its SuperStock USA powerboat racing championship and AquaX jet ski series in 2014.

Major League Baseball has said it is close to approving the Los Angeles Dodgers’ planned regional pay-television sports channel, which is being launched as part of the club’s new local rights deal with US broadcaster Time Warner Cable.

The NBC Sports Group division of US network NBC has agreed a three-year rights deal to annually broadcast 12 ice hockey home games featuring the Notre Dame college on pay-television broadcaster NBC Sports Network.