Finance & Law
Commercial Sports Media launches sports tech investment arm
Commercial Sports Media (CSM) is looking to leverage the fast growth of sports technology companies across the Nordic region with the creation of an investment arm to service the sector
Uefa and ECA renew terms to 2030, commercial rights changes unlikely
Uefa and the European Club Association have renewed their pact until 2030, a move that looks set to maintain the existing commercial sales structure for another rights cycle at least
CAF facing another court battle as it rips up lucrative beIN contract
BeIN Media Group is readying legal action against the Confederation of African Football (CAF) over the continental governing body’s decision to unilaterally cancel its broadcast deal with the Qatari m…
Serie A pirate sites targeted as regulator uses new fast blocking powers
The renewed clampdown against piracy in Italian football has commenced, with l'Autorità per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni (AGCOM), the country's regulator and competition authority for the communications …
Lopez, Full Play have convictions thrown out in football bribery case
Hernan Lopez, the former chief executive at Fox International Channels, and the Full Play agency have had their convictions for attempting to bribe football officials in exchange for lucrative broadcasting…
Competitive threat of Saudi-backed PFL hits WWE, Endeavor share prices
News this week of Saudi Arabian state investment in the Professional Fighters League (PFL) has caused shares in both World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and Ultimate Fighting Group (UFC) parent Endeavor…
PFL targets UFC parity in five years after $100m Saudi investment
SRJ Sports Investments, the new vehicle created by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), has made its first move, a $100m (€92m) investment into US-based mixed martial arts promotion the Professional Fig…
OB facilities firm Televideo enters administration
Televideo, the UK-based production and outside broadcasting company, has appointed administrators.Sheffield-based accountancy firm Hart Shaw is handling the administration process, SportBusiness understands
Australia set to tighten listed events laws but bulk rights untouched
The Fifa Women’s World Cup and Paralympic Games are among the properties set to be added to Australia’s list of protected sports events but the country’s government has stopped short of making wholesale chang…
Wanda initiates Infront sale process with Deutsche Bank hire
Chinese conglomerate Wanda Group has appointed Deutsche Bank as advisers on a potential sale of the Infront sports marketing agency
Fiba readies ‘most successful’ commercial World Cup as it completes road to recovery
The commercial success of the upcoming Fiba Basketball World Cup in south-east Asia will ensure the sport’s governing body breaks even for the four-year cycle despite the devastating impact of the global p…
DAZN makes further play in women’s football with Ata acquisition
DAZN has acquired women’s football-focused media platform Ata Football, which it will use to establish a “women’s sports vertical” within the group.
Ata
Barcelona re-sells economic ‘lever’ to raise €120m, plans US flotation of ‘Barça Media’
FC Barcelona has announced the sale of a 29.5-per-cent stake in its digital business Barça Vision to German-based Libero Football Finance and Dutch investment firm Nipa Capital in a deal that will raise €120m ($132m) ahead of the new LaLiga season.
Indian authorities approve $10bn Sony-Zee merger
The merger between India’s Sony Pictures Networks and Zee Entertainment Enterprises has received approval from the National Company Law Tribunal.
The long-awaited merger is set to create a $10bn (€9.1bn
ESPN+ subscriptions dip, Iger ‘encouraged’ by strategic partner talks
ESPN's direct-to-consumer offering, ESPN+, has seen a dip in subscriptions from 25.3 million in the prior quarter ending April 1 to 25.2 million subscribers as of July 1
Sportradar revenues up 22 per cent amid steady global betting growth
Sports data and betting services company Sportradar generated €216.4m ($237.7m) in revenue during the second quarter of 2023, a 22-per-cent year-on-year increase, with its adjusted Ebitda also increasing by 46 per cent to €40.1m.
Endeavor Q2 results buoyed by UFC, betting and IMG production deals
Continued strong results at the Ultimate Fighting Championship, betting growth and recent broadcast production contract wins at IMG helped Endeavor to post a 9.5-per-cent increase in quarterly revenues
Fox remains confident in pay-TV structure, still holding out on DTC
Fox executive chairman and chief executive officer Lachlan Murdoch has emphasised the value of the pay-TV structure that Fox operates under but has not ruled out a direct-to-consumer plan down the road…