Pan-Nordic basic-tier and pay-television broadcaster SBS Discovery Media has acquired the exclusive rights in Denmark, Norway and Sweden to all European qualifying matches for the Uefa Euro 2016 and 2018 Fifa World Cup football competitions.
The agreement was struck with CAA Eleven, Uefa’s exclusive marketing agency for the rights.
Denmark’s national team games will be broadcast in the domestic market on basic-tier channel Kanal 5 channel. Norwegian fans will be able to watch their team’s matches on the TV Norge basic-tier channel and Max pay-television channel. Sweden’s qualifying games will be shown domestically on basic-tier channels, including Kanal 5.
Other SBS coverage will include live and highlights coverage in each market of matches featuring other national teams. Coverage will be available in each territory on internet and mobile as well as on television.
Norwegian media news service Kampanje reported that Norwegian basic-tier and pay-television broadcaster TV2 and public-service broadcaster NRK were among those outbid for the Norwegian rights.
TV2’s sports director, Bjorn Taalesen, said: “This confirms what we thought when Discovery bought SBS. The competitive situation changed overnight then and now we see in practice what we feared would come. Competition from SBS Discovery and American big capital is overturning the Norwegian media world.”
SBS was taken over by US media group Discovery Communications last December.
Taalesen said NRK and TV2 are currently jointly bidding for the rights to the Euro 2016 tournament. The pan-Nordic rights for Euro 2016 are also currently being sold by CAA Eleven.