Modern Times Group, the multi-territory commercial and pay-television broadcaster, extended its rights agreement in the Baltics for Russian ice hockey league the Kontinental Hockey League for three seasons, from 2012-13 to 2014-15.
MTG acquired the rights from the league’s commercial arm, KHL Marketing. The deal was brokered by the Ufa Sports agency.
MTG will show more than 180 games per season on pay-television channel Viasat Sport Baltic in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Coverage will include games from the regular season, the play-offs, and the finals. There will be a 50-per-cent increase in the number of games MTG shows compared to the previous contract.
The broadcaster has also secured live, free-to-air rights in Latvia for games involving local team Dinamo Riga, which has competed in the KHL since its inception in 2008. All of Riga’s home games will be shown on MTG’s free-to-air channel TV6, and their away games will either be shown on TV6 or Viasat Sport Baltic.
Natalia Chaykovskaya, head of TV projects department, KHL-Marketing, said: “In our three-year cooperation, Viasat Broadcasting has proved to be a highly professional and reliable partner. Both TV6 and Viasat Sport Baltic have the latest technological equipment and a clear vision of ‘what hockey should be’. They also boast a talented team of commentators so they exceed the demands and requirements of KHL in regards to the quality and content of transmissions.”
Chaykovskaya added: “The new deal more than doubles the amount of KHL games broadcast in the Baltics. This should be a big driver for growth of popularisation of both KHL and the sport of ice hockey in the region. Apart from broadcast coverage our partner plans to exploit various promotion instruments to strengthen Dinamo Riga’s brand, the club’s games and KHL itself.”
The 2012-13 season starts on September 4.