American Football
NFL goes it alone as leagues push out short-form content
Two services due to launch soon show the increasing strategic and commercial importance of short-form content to the big US sports leagues and underline the degree to which US sport is leading the way in exploiting digital media.
MEDIA RIGHTS: From May 29 to June 11
Media rights clips from May 29 to June 11
Sportsnet enhances NFL deal, launches new streaming product
Canadian pay-television broadcaster Rogers Sportsnet has expanded its Thursday Night Football rights deal with American football league the NFL and has launched a new live streaming service.
NBC seeking record figure for Super Bowl ads – report
US network NBC is seeking a record sum of around $4.5m (€3.3m) for a 30-second advertisement during its coverage of the 2015 Super Bowl American football game, according to the Variety magazine.
NFL Now adds new partners
American football league the NFL has sealed carriage deals with the Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Kindle Fire digital platforms for NFL Now, a new online service that will launch in August ahead of the 2014-15 season.
ACC secures Louisville rights deals
Regional US broadcasters Wave-TV and WHAS-TV have acquired exclusive local rights in Louisville to show the Atlantic Coast Conference college sports competition.
AT&T will not intervene in DirecTV’s Sunday Ticket talks
AT&T will not intervene in satellite-television provider DirecTV’s talks over a new rights deal for the NFL American football Sunday Ticket package of programming, according to the US telecommunications company’s chief financial officer, John Stephens.
Sunday Ticket deal crucial to AT&T’s DirecTV takeover
US telecommunications company AT&T will be able to cancel its takeover of satellite-television provider DirectTV if the latter is unable to renew an exclusive rights deal for the NFL American football Sunday Ticket package of programming.
AT&T to acquire DirecTV
US telecommunications company AT&T has agreed a $48.5bn (€34.9bn) deal to acquire satellite television provider DirecTV.
AT&T in talks over $50bn DirecTV deal
US telecommunications company AT&T is in “active talks” to acquire satellite television provider DirecTV in a deal that could be worth close to $50bn (€36bn), according to Reuters.
ESPN to broadcast first NFL Wild Card game
US sports broadcaster ESPN will televise its first NFL Wild Card Playoff game during the American football league’s 2014 season.
NFL committed to free-to-air model – Rolapp
The NFL has no intention of shifting to a pay-television only model in the future, according to Brian Rolapp, chief operating officer of the American football league’s NFL Media division.
MEDIA RIGHTS: From March 27 to April 9
Media rights clips from March 27 to April 9
ESPN snaps up rights to Gator Bowl
US sports broadcaster ESPN has agreed six-year rights deal for the Gator Bowl annual college American football game.
MEDIA RIGHTS: From March 13 to March 26
Media rights clips from March 13 to March 26
NFL’s Jaguars sign local rights deal
NFL American football franchise the Jacksonville Jaguars has agreed a new multi-year local broadcast rights deal with independent television station WJXT-TV Channel 4.
DirecTV and NFL extend negotiating window for Sunday Ticket rights
DirecTV and American football league the NFL have extended their exclusive negotiating period to renew the US satellite television provider’s exclusive rights to the Sunday Ticket package of programming, according to the company’s chairman and chief executive Mike White.
MEDIA RIGHTS: From January 30 to February 12
Media rights clips from January 30 to February 12