BBC
BBC to slash sports-rights budget
UK public-service broadcaster the BBC will cut its sports-rights budget by £35m (€49m/$53m) in 2016-17 as part of wider savings of £150m, it was announced today (Wednesday).
Uefa secures increase from age-old BBC/ITV alliance
After protracted negotiations over a UK deal for Euro 2016 and 2020, Uefa last week signed off on a valuable deal with long-term partners the BBC and ITV.
BBC and ITV agree European Championships deal
Public-service broadcaster the BBC and commercial broadcaster ITV have acquired rights in the UK to the next two editions of the Uefa European Championship national team football tournament.
BBC pays big to keep hold of key Wimbledon deal
The BBC paid a significant increase to retain rights to the Wimbledon tennis championships, one of its crown jewels, despite cuts elsewhere in its sports budget.
Sky adds NFL games as BBC picks up marquee matches
Fewer NFL American football matches will be shown free-to-air in the UK in the 2015 season, but the league has secured deals which it believes will still reach a wide audience.
BBC renews Challenge Cup deal
Rugby league’s domestic Challenge Cup rights were renewed by the BBC last week, with the public-service broadcast paying a rights-fee increase of about 14 per cent on its previous deal.
NFL rights return to BBC
UK public-service broadcaster the BBC has agreed a two-year rights deal with American football league the NFL.
Pay-TV premium not enough to stop free-to-air team-up
The Six Nations Committee bucked the trend when awarding its UK rights earlier this month, opting for wide coverage from free-to-air broadcasters and leaving pay-television money on the table.
BBC Wales and S4C to show Rugby World Cup warm-up matches
Public-service broadcaster BBC Wales and Welsh-language channel S4C have secured broadcast and online rights to Wales’ warm-up games for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
BBC defends coverage of Open’s final round
UK public-service broadcaster the BBC has defended its decision not to show the first six hours of play at golf’s Open Championship on Monday.
BBC secures England rugby highlights in RFU deal
UK public-service broadcaster the BBC has reached a five-year agreement with the Rugby Football Union to show highlights from all of England’s autumn international Test matches.
Wimbledon happy to make BBC return
All England Lawn Tennis Club chief executive Richard Lewis has indicated that UK public-service broadcaster the BBC is likely to retain the rights to the Wimbledon championships when its current contract expires.
Bryant slams government for hindering BBC in rights bids
Shadow Culture Secretary Chris Bryant has accused the UK government of forcing public-service broadcaster the BBC to the margins of major sports rights bidding.
ITV enters Six Nations fray under BBC rights sharing deal
UK public-service broadcaster the BBC and commercial broadcaster ITV have agreed a new six-year deal under which they will share rights to the Six Nations from next year’s edition of the national team rugby union tournament.
BBC teams up with ITV for Six Nations bid
UK public-service broadcaster the BBC has teamed up with commercial broadcaster ITV to submit a joint bid for the rights to the Six Nations rugby union national team tournament.
Watching Brief (Vol.102) Special Focus: Football – English Premier League
Mike Kiernan, analyst for SportBusiness Intelligence examines television audiences in the UK for the 2014-15 English Premier League season
BBC to cover Great Britain at EuroBasket Women 2015
UK pay-television broadcaster the BBC has struck a deal to provide coverage of Great Britain’s games during the EuroBasket Women 2015 national team basketball competition.
BBC launches defence after SPFL chairman’s attack
The BBC has hit back at claims by Scottish Professional Football League chairman Ralph Topping that the UK public-service broadcaster is “discriminating” against the game in Scotland.