BeIN Sport and Esporte Interativo snap up judo rights

The International Judo Federation, the sport’s global governing body, has awarded media rights to pay-television broadcaster beIN Sport in France and Esporte Interativo, the Brazilian free-to-air sports broadcaster.

Both of the deals will run for four years, from 2013 to 2016.

According to French newspaper Le Parisien, the deal with beIN Sport covers all four of the federation’s annual grand slam tournaments plus the world championships.

Esporte Interativo, which was already the federation’s exclusive rights-holder in Brazil for the previous three-year cycle, from 2010 to 2012, has extended its deal for television, internet and mobile coverage of all preliminary and final rounds of the governing body’s events.

“It is strategic for us to secure long-term relations with important television channels such as Esporte Interativo, especially in light of the 2016 Olympic Games being held in Brazil,” the federation’s president, Marius Vizer, said.