The World Baseball Softball Confederation has agreed a number of broadcast deals for the Oceania qualifying competition of the 2015 Men’s Softball World Championship.
Pay-television broadcasters Sky and Fox Sports have acquired rights to the competition, which takes place in Auckland on December 12-13, in New Zealand and Australia, respectively.
The WBSC added that live and delayed coverage of the men’s softball continental showcase will be offered in the Pacific nations of American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu.
The governing body said the deals will add further impetus to the campaign for baseball and softball’s inclusion in the Olympic programme.
Oceania and its championship features three of softball's top 10 men's national teams – Australia, New Zealand and Samoa. The 2015 Men's Softball World Championship will be held in Saskatoon, Canada from June 26 to July 5.