Infront

Italian media company Mediaset and pay-television broadcaster Sky Italia have defended their positions after their offices were searched as part of an investigation by regulators into the sale of media rights for Serie A, the top division of football in the country.

The Confédération Africaine de Football could be set for a huge increase in the value of its global media and marketing rights, as negotiations with incumbent rights-holder Sportfive and rival agency Infront Sports & Media near a conclusion.

All of the industry’s major rights agencies were present in Bahrain this week at the Asian Football Confederation annual congress to try to agree media-rights deals with Asian federations.

The Infront Sports & Media agency has said the International Ice Hockey Federation’s 2015 World Championship will be broadcast in close to 160 territories and is expected to surpass the audience figures for last year’s event.

The Infront Sports & Media agency has appointed Anne Zhao as the new managing director of its Infront China division with immediate effect.

The rights-trading subsidiaries of sports marketing company Lagardère Unlimited look set for a double boost. World Sport Group is close to renewing its contract with the Asian confederation, while Sportfive remains favourite to renew its deal for African confederation rights.

The Infront Sports & Media agency has secured fee increases in skiing deals with public-service broadcasters in both Austria and Norway.

The Infront Sports & Media agency has closed multi-year rights agreements with three members of the Asian Football Confederation.

The Qatar Football Association has appointed the AspireInfront agency as its exclusive media and marketing partner for the men’s national team matches.

Austrian public-service broadcaster ORF has renewed and expanded a rights deal for various events run by the International Ski Federation (FIS).

German public-service broadcasters ARD and ZDF will pay a smaller rights fee for the Alpine and Nordic World Ski Championships in 2019 and 2021 than they did for 2015 and 2017, following a deal agreed last week.

German public-service broadcasters ARD and ZDF have acquired rights for the International Ski Federation’s (FIS) Alpine and Nordic World Ski Championships in 2019 and 2021.

Swiss public-service broadcaster SRG SSR has renewed a rights deal for the Tour de Suisse cycling race.

The Automobile Club de l’Ouest and World Endurance Championship have appointed the Infront Sports & Media agency as the worldwide media rights distributor for the motor racing series.

Italy’s Lega Serie A will initiate private negotiations with bidders for media-rights packages in relation to the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana club football competitions.

The Infront Sports & Media agency has appointed Adidas executive Sven Biner as the new director of its sports services unit.