The Polish launch of Eleven Sports Network, the new media platform backed by co-founder of the MP & Silva agency Andrea Radrizzani, has come under question amid confusion over the sports rights it claims to hold.
Eleven Sports Network confirmed last week that it will launch operations in Poland in August.
Two television channels will be launched in the shape of Eleven and Eleven Sports, with the former focusing solely on football and the latter offering a variety of sports.
Eleven claimed its content will include football leagues in the shape of Italy’s Serie A and France’s Ligue 1, while Eleven Sports is set to provide the Formula One motor racing series, NFL American football and the European Handball Federation’s Champions League competition.
The Media2.pl website said confusion has arisen over the status of some of these rights, which have for years been held by the likes of pay-television broadcasters Canal Plus Sport, Polsat Sport and SportKlub.
Sports daily Przegląd Sportowy, citing an executive at the MP & Silva agency, said some of the rights are yet to be sold and therefore are still on the market. However, Michal Roliński, commercial director of Eleven Sports Network told the Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper that the platform is “in possession of exclusive rights, among others the Italian and French (football) leagues, from August.”
As well as Poland, Eleven will launch in Malaysia and Singapore in Asia and Belgium in Europe, ahead of the next football season.