Fifa

Football
Germany

German public-service broadcasters ARD and ZDF recouped more than €3m ($3.5m) from various sublicensing deals for 2018 Fifa World Cup rights in the country.
Football
MENA

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Media has said that it welcomes Fifa’s legal action against the operators of the BeoutQ pirate channel.
Football
MENA

Fifa, football’s global governing body, is set to take legal action in Saudi Arabia against the pirate service BeoutQ.
Football
Global

Fifa has told TV Sports Markets it has exceeded its commercial targets despite experiencing “the most troubled period” in its history.
Football
Global

Fifa will exceed its global media-rights target of $3bn (€2.544bn) for the 2018 men’s World Cup tournament by about six per cent, TV Sports Markets understands.

Football
Israel

Kan, the Israeli public-service broadcaster, has tendered rights to 17 Fifa World Cup matches in order to recoup some of its financial outlay on the tournament.

Football
Canada

World football’s governing body Fifa is reportedly in line for bonuses of $302m (€243.3m) from its North American broadcast partners should it decide to award hosting rights for the 2026 World Cup to the ‘United 2026’ joint proposal from the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Football
Italy

Italian media group Mediaset said this week it expected to make a healthy profit on its acquisition of 2018 Fifa World Cup rights by showing all matches free-to-air.

Football
Russia

Fifa’s decision not to push World Cup media-rights negotiations in Russia to the wire has produced a fee well below the governing body’s initial expectations – but has preserved its relationship with the country’s political leadership.

Esports
Global

Fifa, football’s global governing body, has invited media companies to register their interest in showing coverage of the EA Sports Fifa18 Global Series and the Road to the Fifa eWorld Cup 2018 qualification events.

Football
Spain

Spanish commercial broadcaster Mediaset acquired all rights to the 2018 Fifa World Cup in a deal worth at least 15 per cent less than Fifa earned for 2014.

Football
Hong Kong

Digital streaming service LeSports has sold on its Fifa World Cup 2018 rights in Hong Kong at a significant discount as it plans to cease operations in the territory.

Football
Italy

Rai, Mediaset and Sky were all expected to bid this week for a cut-price 2018 Fifa World Cup. The rights in Italy have plummeted in value since the national team failed to qualify for the tournament, losing a play-off to Sweden.

Football
Asia

The Infront Sports & Media agency looks well placed to earn a healthy margin on its World Cup rights across Asia following this month’s deal with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

Football
Greece

Fifa has earned a surprisingly strong fee for 2018 Fifa World Cup rights in Greece from ERT after taking back the rights from the Taf Sports agency.

Football
Global

Former Fifa secretary general Jérôme Valcke has insisted that he did not engage in an “exchange” with beIN Media Group chief executive Nasser Al-Khelaifi after the office of the Swiss Attorney General (OAG) opened a criminal proceeding against the duo.

Football
Global

The office of the Swiss Attorney General (OAG) confirmed today (Thursday) that it has opened a criminal proceeding against former Fifa secretary general Jérôme Valcke and Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the chief executive of beIN Media Group, in relation to the award of media rights for the World Cup national team football tournament.

Football
In-Flight/In-Ship

Stiff competition for Fifa’s in-flight and in-ship rights drove incumbent partner IMG to double its guaranteed fee in a new deal last month.