The Fox International Channels broadcast subsidiary of US media company 21st Century Fox has agreed a rights deal with European club competition Euroleague Basketball for markets throughout Europe and Africa.
The agreement will run for four years, from 2013-14 to 2016-17.
The deal provides FIC with exclusive rights to broadcast live games and highlights on channels in different European markets as well as non-exclusive rights in sub-Saharan Africa.
Italy and Poland will become the first of FIC’s European markets to benefit from the deal, exclusively broadcasting live games involving their respective local teams – Montepaschi Siena and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in Italy and Stelmet Zielona Góra in Poland. In addition, FIC has acquired exclusive rights to the remainder of the games during a Euroleague game week.
Basketball fans in sub-Saharan Africa will also be able to watch at least one weekly game. Euroleague action is set to be broadcast live on the region’s sports channel, Setanta Africa, which is currently in the process of being acquired by FIC.
Diego Londoño, chief operating officer of Fox International Channels Europe & Africa, said: “Over the course of this year, sports content has taken on an increasingly pivotal role in FIC’s European and African portfolio. But this exciting deal with Euroleague elevates our sports coverage to another level. It not only broadens the variety of content we offer to our passionate sports fans around the world, it also reinforces FIC’s total commitment to offering the most diverse, high-quality television content to meet the demands of our sophisticated global audience.”