Formula One Management

Canal Plus’ loss of Champions League rights – announced late this week – is a blow to the broadcaster, softened slightly by its recent extension of Formula One rights.

Strong competition is expected between France’s main pay-television broadcasters for Uefa Champions League, Formula One and European rugby rights, with all three properties currently on the market.

Mike Kiernan reviews television audiences across the big five markets for the recently concluded Formula One World Championship

African telco Econet has continued to spend its billion-dollar sports-rights acquisition budget in recent weeks, buying Formula One, National Football League and Brazilian football rights.

The Sports Channel has renewed a host of rights in recent weeks as it seeks to solidify its position in the Israeli broadcast market.

The Pitch International agency this month acquired Formula One and LaLiga rights as part of a move to create a new in-flight offering, TV Sports Markets understands.

The price of Formula One media rights has fallen and stayed flat in recent deals for Austria and Russia respectively, reflecting the lack of competition for the property in both markets.

Moving coverage exclusively to pay-television in the UK helped Formula One Management increase its media-rights value significantly last month.

Greek public-service broadcaster ERT’s acquisition of two blue-chip properties is a sign it may slowly be recovering after its short-lived closure almost two years ago.

Formula One Management this month extended a deal with Telenet for Flemish-language rights in Belgium, earning a decent rights-fee increase.

Motorsport’s Formula One is the latest sports property to take advantage of increased competition in the African sports market, almost doubling its media-rights fee in a new deal.

Start-up pay-television operator Kwese TV is the latest company set to challenge SuperSport in the sub-Saharan market, and its Kwese Sports channel is already battling the dominant sports broadcaster head-on for rights outside South Africa.

Concurrent auction processes for three UK media rights deals in recent weeks generated strong competition between free-to-air broadcasters, helping each rights-holder to a healthy fee increase.

John Manning, research analyst for SportBusiness Intelligence, reviews television audiences across the big five markets for the recently concluded Formula One World Championship

The value of Formula One media rights increased strongly in Portugal last week, thanks mainly to the aggressive intent of sports broadcaster Eurosport.

Pan-European sports broadcaster Eurosport has acquired exclusive television and digital media rights in Portugal to the Formula One motor-racing world championship.