Finance & Law
Paramount slashes costs with 800 layoffs
Paramount Global is making around 800 job cuts worldwide amid ongoing restructuring of the company and conversations around a possible sale or merger
Bundesliga protests escalate as league nears D-Day on private equity
The German Football League (DFL) is coming under increasing pressure to hold another vote into its decision to take on private investment and potentially drop the plan altogether following another weekend…
Fox’s Murdoch: Streaming bundle focused on ‘cord-nevers’
Fox's new sports streaming service with ESPN and Warner Bros. Discovery that shocked the US media market this week will not affect its lucrative pay-TV business, executive chair and CEO Lachlan Murdoch has insisted.
SA Rugby to set up commercial unit with investor ASG
South Africa Rugby is to establish a commercial vehicle to manage its media and sponsorship rights after striking an agreement with Ackerley Sports Group (ASG), a new unit of the US investment firm
Foxtel’s Ebitda down 14 per cent amid high rights costs
Australian pay-television broadcaster Foxtel has recorded a 14-per-cent drop in earnings, citing increased media rights fees for sports properties as a key driver of the loss
ESPN’s D2C product set for August 2025 launch, ESPN+ subs dip in Q4
ESPN's flagship direct-to-consumer service is set to be in place by the start of the 2025 National Football League season, making the full suite of ESPN's channels available in a standalone service
Schibsted exits ‘risky’ Viaplay investment
Norwegian media group Schibsted has withdrawn its short-lived investment in Viaplay, the embattled pay-television broadcaster refocusing its core business on the Nordic region
Telcos drop Eredivisie-ESPN complaint, but ‘better offer still stands’
Four leading Dutch digital cable television and telecoms operators have withdrawn their complaint to the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), the Netherlands’ competition regulator, over the €750m ($8…
MultiChoice rejects Canal Plus takeover approach
Pan-African media group MultiChoice, owner of pay-television broadcaster SuperSport and pay-television operator DStv, has rejected a full takeover offer from Canal Plus, the France-based pay-television broadcaster, stating it “significantly undervalues” the group and its future prospects.
Diamond Sports agrees contracts with Guardians, Rangers and Twins
Diamond Sports Group, the regional sports network (RSN) owner and operator of Bally Sports, has motioned for new broadcast agreements with the Cleveland Guardians, Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins of…
Betting rights aggregator ALT Sports Data closes $2.5m funding round
California-based sports data and analytics company ALT Sports Data has announced the closing of a $2.5m series seed funding round, co-led by Eberg Capital and Relay Ventures, with participation from others including Trinity West Ventures NuFund Venture Group.
Viaplay sells full Baltic rights portfolio to TV3
Viaplay has finalised its exit strategy in the Baltic region after agreeing to sell on all of its sports rights to media company TV3 Group
Canal Plus launches MultiChoice takeover offer amid proposed Vivendi split
Canal Plus, the France-based pay-television broadcaster, has submitted a full takeover offer for pan-African media group MultiChoice, owner of pay-television broadcaster SuperSport and pay-television operator DStv.
PGA Tour reaches deal over FSG-led $3bn injection, door open to PIF ‘co-investment’
The PGA Tour has reached agreement to secure a $3bn (€2.75bn) investment in a new commercial entity from a US consortium led by Liverpool FC owner Fenway Sports Group (FSG), but has left the door open to 'co-investment' from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).
French Senate puts LFP-CVC pact under the microscope
The French Senate is to launch an investigation into the creation of LFP Media, the commercial vehicle set up by the French Football League (LFP) with investment from private equity firm CVC Capital Partners
Athletico-PR sees off Globo court challenge over LiveMode PPV deal
A Brazilian court has sided with Athletico Paranaense in a long-running case against media group Globo related to pay-per-view broadcasts of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club.
CSB launches Mediapro legal battle, OneSoccer rights back on market
Canadian Soccer Business (CSB) and the Mediapro Canada agency are locked in a legal dispute that will result in rights to the domestic Canadian Premier League (CPL) and the men's and women's national teams…
Peacock subscribers grow by 3m, Q4 revenue rises 57 per cent
Peacock, the NBC streaming service, added three million net subscribers to reach 31 million as its revenue increased by 57 per cent to surpass $1bn (€923m) in quarterly revenue for the first time, the company's parent company Comcast revealed in its 2023 Q4 earnings.